We drove over the border from India to Nepal on August 4, 1977 and headed straight to Pokhara. We stayed just one night and drove on to Kathmandu. Kathmandu was the end of the overland trip and time to say goodbye to almost everyone.
The Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu ranges are all visible from Pokhara Valley. Nowhere in the world do mountains rise so steeply. This is the Annapurna range.
From Pokhara Valley
Pokhara Valley
Phewa Lake, Pokhara Valley
Kathmandu is full of temples and other amazing structures. All of the following photos were taken in and around Kathmandu. I have no idea of the names of most of these places.
Swayambhunath (monkey) Temple, Kathmandu
Walking up to Swayambhunath Temple
Monkeys on the way up to Swayambhunath Temple
Swayambhunath Temple
Swayambhunath Temple. The central figure (with many arms) is Shiva. Above Shiva is Kali, the time goddess.
Swayambhunath Temple
Jagannath Temple, Durbar Square
Jagannath Temple, Durbar Square
Market, Kathmandu
Market, Kathmandu
Hindu Ascetic, Kathmandu
Jagannath Temple
Jagannath Temple
Jagannath Temple
Hanuman Dhoka, Durbar Square
Nasal Chowk, Durbar Square (Hanuman Dhoka)
View of Talaju Temple and Durbar Square from Basantapur Tower
Chariot of Seto Machindranath, a deity worshiped by Hindus and Buddhists. I rented a bicycle on day and rode east to Bhaktapur and the Bagmati River.
Shree Pashupatinath Temple on the Bagmati River
Cremation ghat on the Bagmati River
Cremation ghat on the Bagmati River
View of the Bagmati River
Shree Pashupatinath Temple on the Bagmati River
Shree Pashupatinath Temple
The Taragon Museum. A center for arts and culture. In 1977 it was a hostel. It has now evolved into a project to document Nepal's cultural heritage. In the distance you can see the Boudha Stupa.
Toward the end of my bike ride I saw these boys enjoying the water.
I decided to join them. Riding back to Kathmandu I discovered a leech on my foot. I stopped one guy who offered to whack it with a two by four. Later, I found a salt seller who put a pinch of salt on it (no charge), the leech immediately dropped off, but the would bled for several days.
Patan (south of Kathmandu)
Patan
Peppers and garlic, Patan
Me and Bill in our shared hotel room. He was flying to Thailand and then on home to Brisbane. I was headed for Burma. Notice how neat we kept the room.
By this time Bill was quite ill and had been suffering from almost continuous diarrhea for nearly three months. He spent most of our week in Kathmandu in bed in the room. He was quite thin and weak. To this day he blames his extended illness on that "dodgy prawn" he had in Greece.
| Introduction | England | Scotland | Europe |
| Turkey | Iran | Afghanistan | Pakistan |
| India 1 | India 2 | Nepal | Burma |
| Thailand | Malaysia/Singapore | Indonesia 1 | Indonesia 2 |
| Hong Kong | Macau | Japan | Korea |
Photographs and text copyright Michael Newman and William Garsden: 2024