Much to my own surprise, I did some more diving today. This time it wasn’t wrecks but reefs instead. Not too bad for a change. Tomorrow I’m leaving on a five day cruise with Tao Philippines. Just had the briefing and it seems to be an interesting group of 14 people on the boat. No […]
Music and Dance
It’s the last day of Bisket Jatra today. Or second to last, I lost track. In comparison to huge chariots, even bigger poles and pools of chicken blood, today was almost mundane. Devotees of the various gods and goddesses walked through the streets, visiting their favourite temples. Many of them were wearing traditional Newari dresses […]
Cockfight
According to common folklore, baby Jesus was born some 2000 years ago. Considering how Christianity has brought two millennia of terror and suffering onto the world, why not celebrate the anniversary with a little bloodshed. Stage free for cock-fighting in the village down the road. Just as on the Philippines, the cocks have a single […]
Yoshin Pole
It’s New Year’s eve today (in the local calendar) and as part of the celebrations, a huge pole was erected on Bhaktapur’s pottery square. The small square was jam-packed with locals and a couple of visitors. More than a hundred people were working on erecting the pole with ropes and supporting tree trunk constructions. Even […]
102 Days Nepal
The old lady horks forcefully and then spits a ball of phlegm unerringly into the gutter a few steps away. It is one of the many sights and sounds I had to get used to in Nepal, the country of mountains and endless dust. Life in Nepal is not comfortable, it is a developing country. […]
More Abu Dhabi
With Abu Dhabi being oil sheik country, I expected my stay to be somewhat pricey. A quick glance at the hotel restaurant’s menu confirmed that and had me crunching numbers. Fortunately a stroll through the neighborhood revealed that even in Abu Dhabi there is street food. A local bakery produces some cheese filled pide bread […]