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Improving my photography is one of the main goals that inspired me to go "onwalkabout". Spending the time to focus on this hobby is something I'd most likely not normally take the time to do. However, setting out on the road, with hundreds of new sights to capture, I'm setting off to find inspiration, and improve my skills both behind the lens and with photography software.
These galleries are a chronicle of this time I've taken, what I've seen on the road and my attempts to capture the beauty of what I've seen. If you want to take a shortcut, here are my favorite photos from the trip.
| 39. Around Katmandu 2003-10-30 | |
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(22
photos) - Between breaks in studying I catch
a few of the sights from around the Katmandu valley and Dawali festival.
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| 38. Around Pokhara 2003-10-08 | |
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(19 photos) - The Pokhara
Valley is a kaleidoscope of colors and sights ranging from the bright
reds of the Nepali dresses and tikas on the foreheads to the green
of Phewa Lake and the dominating whites of the Himalayan panorama
in the background. Pokhara had the charm a little lakeside hamlet
could possess and my three weeks here were simply wonderful. Here
are some of the photos from my time hanging around. Related Journal Entries: 2003-10-06 - Pokhara (Day 173) Instructions on playing "Crouching Tiger", the national game of Nepal. 2003-10-05 - Pokhara (Dasain) (Day 172) Villagers all with gobs of red powder, yogurt and rice on their heads on Nepal's big festival day. 2003-10-02 / 10/04 - Pokhara - Rafting Kali Gandaki - Pokhara (Day 169-171) Spaniards and a crazy guide are a recipe for flipping our raft and coughing up glacier water. 2003-10-01 - Pokhara - Bengas Lake - Pokhara (Day 168) To the two other lakes near Pokhara and "The Mule" leaves me stuck in the mud. 2003-09-30 - Pokhara (Day 167) My swim with The Mule has left the engine flooded with water and a missed Lhasa trip. 2003-09-29 - Pokhara (Day 166) "Everyone is talking about me and saying things" | "Dude how would you know,they are speaking Nepali?" |
| 37. Pokhara 2003-09-16 | |
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(17 photos) - It
take about 10 minutes of sitting in front of Phewa Lake in Pokhara
to change my plans from spending a couple of days to spending a
couple of weeks in this laid back little tourist town. Much more
relaxed than Kathmandu, this is a great place to hang out. These
are some of my pictures from around the town. Related Journal Entries: 2003-09-25 / 09-28 - Pokhara (Day 163-165) Paul Ou writes an article giving me a big kick in the butt to do web work. 2003-09-23 / 09-24 - Pokhara (Day 161-162) I left wondering where my home is. 2003-09-22 - Pokhara (Day 160) The mule dies and leaves me stir crazy in Pokhara. 2003-09-21 - Pokhara (Day 159) 5 Minutes of noise, celebration, and losing the discovery of travel. 2003-09-18 / 09-20 - Pokhara (Day 156-158) The Maoists close the country with a 3-day strike and a businessman's opinion. 2003-09-17 - Pokhara (Day 155) Almost killed by a moth. 2003-09-16 - Pokhara (Day 154) My first look at Machhapuchhare. 2003-09-15 - Pokhara (Day 153) The mule goes swimming, up to Sarangkot and the Tibetan Refugee Camp. 2003-09-14 - Mugling - Pokhara (Day 152) Into the villages around Pokhara and racing the rain home. |
| 36. Kathmandu 2003-09-09 | |
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(39 photos) - The road
has finally brought me to another of the places I most wanted to see,
Kathmandu. Nestled at the foot of the Himalayas this city is one of
the most exotic of destinations, and one that I have waited years
to see. Related Journal Entries: 2003-09-13 - Kathmandu - Mugling (Day 151) Losing the bike key and another roadside dump hotel. 2003-09-12 - Kathmandu - Mt. Everest - Kathmandu (Day 150) Mt. Everest and Swayambhunath Stupa . 2003-09-11 - Kathmandu (Day 149) Yet another way for me to die in Nepal. 2003-09-10 - Kathmandu (Day 148) What the world recession has meant to Nepal. 2003-09-09 - Kathmandu (Day 147) The Kumari makes her appearance in Durbar Square and an Ugly American. 2003-09-08 - Butwal - Kathmandu (Day 146) Dirt loving Enfields go through landslides and I finally have done as Bob Segar suggested. |
| 35. Road to Kathmandu 2003-09-03 | |
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(30 photos) - For year's
I've been reminding myself of the words of the Bob Segar song –
"If I ever get out of here, I'm going' to Kathmandu!" Well,
I've left Ion Global and now I'm finally on the road to Kathmandu.
Here are some pictures from the journey across western Nepal toward
the capital. Related Journal Entries: 2003-09-07 - Nepalganj - Butwal (Day 145) Ride through the countryside, I eat a butterfly and the closest shave ever. 2003-09-05 / 9-06 - Birdia National Park - Nepalganj (Day 143) Stuck under a bus stop with Maoist sympathizers and waiting out another day of rain. 2003-09-04 - Birdia National Park (Day 142) Noam greets me with, "So, I don't think you like Israelis"... 2003-09-03 - Mahendranagar - Birdia National Park (Day 141) The highway collapses and I'm in the mud and then the river. 2003-09-02 - Mahendranagar (Day 140) 100 homes flooded and civil war starts...Welcome to Nepal! 2003-09-01 - Banbassa - Mahendranagar (Day 139) Complications in border crossing and stuck between two countries with no money & no visa. |
| 34. Road to Nepal 2003-08-26 | |
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(11 photos) - Setting
out from Amritsar towards Nepal I circle up into the hill stations
of Uttarkhand. The rainy season is upon me so there is little time
to stop for pictures as I ride through the mist toward the Nepal
border. Related Journal Entries: 2003-08-31 - Nanital - Banbassa (Day 138) My stomach finally mutinies against rice/dal and is on hunger strike until I get to Nepal. 2003-08-30 - Nanital (Day 137) "Indian time" and I run after HBO overdose. 2003-08-29 - Amora - Nanital (Day 136) "slip sliding away, you know the nearer your destination the more you're slip sliding away...." 2003-08-28 - Kausani - Amora (Day 135) Bob Segar's songs from childhood lead me to another town, but its time has passed. 2003-08-27 - Kausani (Day 134) Another easy day caught by the rain hoping clouds will clear. 2003-08-26 - Rudraprayag - Kausani (Day 133) Tempting fate, the God's give me a slap and little models at Baijnath. 2003-08-25 - Mussoorie - Rudraprayag (Day 132) "Mr. Cool" makes another mistake and the Death Star of dams. 2003-08-24 - Ludhiana - Mussoorie (Day 131) Back into the hills, past a Dominos Pizza and up into "the place" to have an affair |
| 33. The Golden Temple, Amritsar 2003-08-23 | |
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(10 photos) - During
my travels in India I've come across many Sikh's and without exception
they have left an impression of honest, straight-dealing people who
have impressed me with their polite and upstanding ways. These meetings
inspired me to drive across the scorching Indian plains to Amritsar
so that I could see the home of the Sikh religion and the main religious
monument, The Golden Temple. Here are some photographs of this beautiful
structure. Related Journal Entries: 2003-08-23 - Amritsar - Ludhiana (Day 130) Up early to catch the sunrise and morning prayers at the Golden Temple. 2003-08-22 - Panitop - Amritsar (Day 129) The horror of being on the plains again and sunset on the Golden Temple. |
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(13 photos) - Some
pictures from a trip into see the Old Town portion of Srinagar, the
large mosques of the city and two afternoons caught in the rain just
watching the rain fill lotus leaves on Nageen Lake. Related Journal Entries: 2003-08-19-20 - Srinagar (Day 126-127) Rain keeps me watching the lotus blossoms on the lake. 2003-08-18 - Srinagar (Day 125) City tour of old Srinagar and welcome at one mosque and unwelcome at another. 2003-08-17 - Srinagar (Day 124) A catch up day and swimming in the weeds of Nageen Lake. |
| 31. Kashmir Water Trek 2003-08-16 | |
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(51 photos) - Life
in Kashmir revolves around the rivers and lakes and to better explore
it I take a four-day shikara (similar to a Venetian gondola) ride
to a couple of lakes near Srinagar. Sleeping on the water and watching
life as it has gone on unchanged for hundreds of years, I felt very
close to a "real Kashmir" should such a thing exist. Everywhere
I went on the trip kids ran down to the banks and called out a chorus
of "mimi salaam" wishing me a good journey and this is
chorus and a trip which I hope will stick in my head for some time. Related Journal Entries: 2003-08-16 - Water Trek Day 4 - Srinagar (Day 123) The last day of the water trek and happiness at getting off the boat 2003-08-15 - Water Trek Day 3 (Day 122) Early morning mist and a "cow taxi" and an unwelcome group of voyeurs. 2003-08-14 - Water Trek Day 2 (Day 121) Mans Ball Lake and a herd of horses in the fairytale Gonderbul Forest. 2003-08-13 - Srinagar - Water Trek Day 1 (Day 120) I set off through Srinagar Old Town on a Shikara for a Water Trek. |