Girl with kohl-ringed eyes and a red tika on her forehead is all dressed up and waiting to perform the Bhailo dance during the Hindu holiday of Tihar in Pokhara, Nepal. While performing, female dance troupes sing the Bhailo song, which is only sung during the Tihar celebration each fall. The female groups roam from … Read more
Nepali Woman makes fried Sel Roti rings over an open fire during the Hindu holiday of Tihar in Pokhara, Nepal. Made from sweetened rice flour that is poured by hand into boiling oil, Sel Roti are cooked until slightly crispy. After browning on one side, the ring is flipped over using a pair of thin, … Read more
Neighborhood temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, decked out for the Hindu holy holiday of Dashain. Celebrated for 15 days, the national religious festival falls in either September or October every year, depending upon the lunar calendar, with the first, seventh, eighth, ninth and the tenth days being the most important. During the holiday, all government offices … Read more
You will forgive me if stray from my normal travel narrative, but I recently passed an important milestone in my life and I feel compelled to write about it. On January 24th, I celebrated my 20th anniversary of being clean and sober. It is difficult to remember how horrible my life was back then because … Read more
Tibetan Thangka paintings at a shop next to the Swa Chapu Ganesh Buddhist Stupa in the Chhetrapati area of Kathmandu, Nepal. These pieces show the mandala associated with the Kalachakra Initiation, which the Dalai Lama gives twice per year in locations all around the world. Artists train for years to produce the delicate Thangkas, which … Read more
