.jpg) “Kugyershin Family Songs”
It is late in the day. Dinner is finished. We gather in a ger (yurt) in Western Mongolia and admire the beautiful felted and embroidered tapestries as we listen to traditional Kazakh music from Mister Kugyershin and his daughter – both dressed in their best Kazakh clothing.
(Double click for: Elkesh Herself by Kugyershin Family’s Songs)
It is said that if you want to see traditional Kazakh culture, you should go to Bayan-Ölgii province in Mongolia, rather than to Kazakhstan.
In the 1800s, the expanding Russian Empire pushed the semi-nomadic Kazakh tribes into neighboring countries, including Mongolia – where members of the Middle Jüz Kazakhs or Central Hordes (Orta juz) settled in the western-most province of Bayan-Ölgii. Under Stalin’s regime, more Kazakhs fled communist-controlled Kazakhstan. A small number returned to Kazakhstan after the Soviet Union dissolved and democratised, but for most of the 20th century, this pocket high in the Altai Mountains, nestled along the borders of China and Russia, has remained an isolated, tightly knit community.
Mongolian is a second language here, when people speak it at all. The 90,000-or-so ethnic Kazakhs continue to practice their Muslim religion and to speak their own language. With only about 2 people on every square kilometre, they have room to roam on their rugged ponies with their goats and sheep in a pastoral-nomadic lifestyle, and to train their captured golden eagles to hunt for them.
An extended family of eagle-hunters had set up a small ger-camp for us on their vast property. Hospitality is legendary in nomadic households: they say that if you come to a Kazakh home unexpectedly, (as it is across all the Mongolian Steppes), you will be received as if you had been invited. Of course, as “outsiders”, the group of photo-enthusiasts I was traveling with under the eye of local guides G and Segi, were paying for our accommodation, and had brought suitable gifts for our hosts.
It is a stark, serenely beautiful place, but you have to be pretty rugged to thrive.
.jpg) Our Ger Camp
Our out-of-season gers were ready for us when we arrived in Bayan-Ölgii, Mongolia, after a bumpy six-day drive across half the county. .jpg) Building a Camp
Gers, being portable, have no fixed facilities. Our organisers have brought in charcoal for our fires and still have to build us a toilet block.  The New Shower
It was a few days before we had a generator-operated hot shower hooked up – which we really appreciated when it actually worked. Kazakh Homestead
After a morning of eagle-hunt training (see: Nurguli, Kazakh Eagle Huntress), we crossed the rocky plateau from our gers to the winter home of our Kazakh hosts: flat-roofed white-washed mud-brick rooms set behind fences built from the rocks and pebbles found in abundance all around. They might follow the herds with their ger camps in summer, but this is their permanent base. Golden Eagle
The eagles the Kazakhs chose to train are usually female, because females are much larger and therefore able to manage heavier prey. They are only ever semi-tamed, so that they can be returned to the wild after about ten years, to fend for themselves and reproduce. Therefore, they might be part of the household, but they are not pets. When they are not working, they are hooded to keep them calm and tied up to keep them captive. Three Kinds of Yogurt
Inside the house, we are welcomed with a hot mares’ milk drink and snacks. With herds of goats, sheep and horses, dairy products are a staple here. Those crispy-looking things in the centre of the table are dried yogurt; the spreads are thickened yogurt-based concoctions; and then there are slices of hard cheese … I can’t say I enjoyed any of it! Sarkhad and his Hot Milk
Our host Sarkhad is the patriarch in this extended family complex. He has four sons, two of whom live here in the compound and hunt eagles with him, and two of whom are “in the city” pursuing other interests. Sarkhad
As a Kazakh Muslim, Sarkhad keeps his head covered. At home, he wears a tobetai, an embroidered, felted skullcap. When we were out with him eagle hunting, he was wearing his magnificent malakai – a fox-fur hat with earflaps (see: Nurguli, Kazakh Eagle Huntress). Hunters Coming Home
As we are drinking our milk, two of Sarkhad’s sons and his granddaughter – all of whom have been out with their eagles – return to the compound. The Hunters are Home …
“Home is the sailor, home from the sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.”
Of course, the Robert Louis Stevenson poem is a Requiem, while these hunters are full of life! Golden Eagle Tethered at Home
The animals need to be tended before the returning hunters can have their lunch. Kazakh Host
Using our guide as an interpreter, Sarkhad explains some of the aspects of eagle-capture and training … Tressing the Eagle
… while his sons Jakslak … Looking after the Animals
… and Razdak look after their eagles. Kazakh Flat-Roofed House
We had a generator powering our bare-bulbs on wires and charging our batteries; the Kazakh home (and nomad gers typically) makes do with solar panels. The fox drying on the pole is from yesterday’s hunt. Yagaanaa
Fortunately, we didn’t have to survive on horse-milk yogurt: we travelled in style, with our own wonderful chef, Yagaanaa. After another long day, when the meals were cleared away, she joined us in appreciating the local culture: … “Kugyershin Family Songs”
… Kazakh songs, with accompaniment on traditional dombra, plucked lutes with two horsehair strings. Music and songs are a part of a strong tradition of oral history. Night Skies
One of the advantages of using an outhouse in the middle of a cold late-Autumn night, is that you have a chance to appreciate the expansive Mongolian skies!
(ISO1600 18mm f/3.2 30sec – tripod + headlamp for “light painting) Tender Dawn
On our last morning in the camp, I was up early. I had a sense of why the nomads love this wide, open land as I watched the sun rise over the Kazakh homestead in the distance. Flying over the rugged landscape back to Ulaanbaater – a four hour flight that we had taken six days to drive – I could further appreciate how truly isolated these nomadic tribes are. No wonder their lifestyle has changed little over the centuries!
 Until next time,
Happy Travels!
Pictures: 28September-03October2016
Posted in environmental portrait,Every Day Life,Mongolia,musicTags: animals,bird,blog,environmental portrait,environmental portraits,Mongolia,people,Photo Blog,travel,Ursula Wall
Smoking Man
Dark eyes, facial tattoos, and a cheeky smile: how could I not make a portrait? “Yuorait?” “Yu stap gut?”
The calls of “How are you?” in Papua New Guinea’s Tok-Pisin were all around us when we stopped at a simple roadside stall just outside Maprik in East Sepik Province. The local people who were gathered in the canopied shade – selling their produce, gossiping and chewing betel – seemed happy to see us, even though they must have known that we waitpela were unlikely to be in the market for any of the yams, taro, coconut, betel nut, ginger or greens on offer.
The market itself was nothing special: corrugated iron roofing on a simple wooden frame covering a flattened dirt floor. Vendors sat in clumps on plastic sheeting or woven mats, or gathered outside the shelter on logs or grassy patches. The produce for sale included the technically illegal and carcinogenic betel nut palm seeds (Areca catechu): that ubiquitous chew that contributes to dental problems and receding gums, and is in evidence all around the country in the gap-toothed and stained smiles that greet visitors.
The local staples of taro, banana, ginger and sweet potato were also in evidence. This is the region of the Abelam people, known for their yam cult: where the men grow huge yams for special ceremonies. The ones we saw in the market were of the more mundane variety, grown only for food.
My attention, though, was on the people. They met me with a direct, unselfconscious gaze that says “I belong here.” That gaze came with open, betel-stained smiles that said, “You are welcome to visit – and to photograph.”
So I did.
These are the moments I enjoy most when travelling: when – even without a language in common – there is a sense of communion between our eyes and across the camera.
You, too, are welcome.
Men in the Road
It may be the Sepik Highway, but like most of the roads in Papua New Guinea – when they exist at all – the main road from Wewak to Pagwi is rough, with its shoulders falling away. These men were off to Sunday church choir practice at a nearby school. Selling Vegetables
The “market” itself is a corrugated iron roof over a flat dirt floor. Market Yams, Taro and Ginger
Some of the vendors use plastic sheeting to display their produce. Child Selling Cigarettes, Areca Catechu and “Snax”
It is not uncommon to see children put to work. It is alarming, however, when they are selling tobacco, betel nut, and junk food. Snacking Girl
Of course, selling things is less arduous when you can snack during your shift. “Have Some Mango!”
It is dark under the market roof, but it is not cool. I can’t help but marvel that Grannie feels the need to wear a hat! Toddlers
Young children are always impossible to resist! Chewing Areca Catechu
I find it hard to watch people with their mouths over-full with betel nut chew. I think this young man sensed that, and delighted in showing off. Mother and Child
An infant clings to mum, … Curious Infant
… but braves a look at me over her shoulder. Women at the Roadstop Tattooed Faces
The smudgy, faded tattoos on people’s foreheads and cheeks didn’t seem to follow a set design. I was told they were “just patterns”. In the old days, tribal tattooing was more extensive and took prescribed forms. Smoking Woman
A woman, with her colourful bilum – a traditional woven string bag – at her feet, … Smoking Woman
… enjoys her smoke. Tailor made cigarettes, self-rolled tobacco, and cheroots are everywhere. Tattooed Betel-Chewing Woman
Tobacco is also often combined with betel nuts as a chewing mixture. Portrait in Purple
Even with the clear betel-damage, … Portrait in Purple
… these people have beautiful smiles. Woman in Braids Maprik Buildings
I decided to escape the pack, and wander behind the market where I found a cluster of traditional thatched huts and fibrocement houses. Young Person
There too, I found people willing to be photographed. Young Woman Woman in Front of her House Young Man
One of the last pictures I took at this stop was of the big smile of the young man who opened this set. I returned to our bus in good spirits.
 It is hard not to feel happy when you have been so warmly welcomed.
Until next time,
Keep Smiling!
Photographs: 13August2017
Posted in Papua New Guinea,Portraits,TravelTags: East Sepik,environmental portrait,environmental portraits,Maprik,market,Papua New Guinea,Photo Blog,PNG,portrait,portraits,roadside,tattoo,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall
Hungarian Parliament Buildings
It is impossibly romantic: sitting on a boat on the Danube, cruising noiselessly past the fronts of Budapest’s floodlit ancient buildings, under a sky full of stars. It is no wonder that Budapest is called one of the most beautiful cities in Europe!
Approaching it from the Danube River that runs between what were originally the separate cities of Buda on the right bank and Pest on the left, renders it magical: this section of old city along the Banks of the Danube, together with the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue have been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 for being an “outstanding example of urban development in Central Europe, characterised by periods of devastation and revitalisation.”
For my husband and myself, Budapest was the last port-of-call on what had been the most perfect of cruises down the Danube River from Passau (for previous posts, see: Ursula’s Weekly Wanders “Danube”). This final city held extra poignancy because my husband’s mother was from here, and he still has relatives living in the area – some of whom we managed to meet.
But, even without the family connection, the city is a gem, easily explored on foot and using public transport. We had the luxury of arriving by canal boat, allowing us to enjoy the incomparable views from the river. We also made use of the guide provided with our “package” to accompany our walk across the famous Szechenyi Chain Bridge, facilitate our ride up the Budapest Castle Hill Funicular, and show us the way around Buda Castle Hill, before we wandered back through the Pest side of the city on our own.
This is just a sampling of the wonderful buildings and other sights.
Margaret Bridge
As we finally draw past Margaret Island and head under the second oldest public bridge (1872-1876) in Budapest – the Margaret Bridge (Margit Híd) – the Hungarian Parliament Building comes into view. Hungarian Parliament Buildings
The magnificent Gothic Revival parliament building was designed to face the river, and built (1885-1896) to prize-winning plans by Hungarian architect Imre Steindl. Buda Reformed Church
Szilágyi Dezső Square Reformed Church is a 19th century (built 1894-1896) Protestant church on the Buda side of the Danube. The Chain Bridge – Széchenyi Lánchíd
Budapest’s most famous bridge, the Chain Bridge, was the city’s first permanent bridge over the Danube. Originally built between 1842 and 1849, it was destroyed during the siege of the city in 1945, and rebuilt in its original form between 1947 and 1949. Through the Porthole
Buda Castle sits high on Castle Hill as we cruise into our Danube River docking site. Stone Lion (1852)
Once our boat is moored, we head out on our walking tour across the Chain Bridge. Stone lions carved by Hungarian sculptor Marschalko János (1818-1877) stand guard at each bridgehead. Széchenyi Lánchíd – Széchenyi Chain Bridge
The 375 metres (1,230 ft) suspension bridge across the Danube was designed by the English engineer William Tierney Clark in 1839, and named for its champion, Count István Széchenyi. Locks on the Chain Bridge
Lovers add their modern marks to the old bridge. Funicular to Buda Castle
On the Buda side of the Chain Bridge, we come to Budavári Sikló, the funicular that will take us up to Budapest Castle Hill. When it was first opened in 1870, this was only the second funicular rail in Europe. It was destroyed during the Second World War and rebuilt to the original design in 1983. Eszter at the Turnstile
Our local guide eases our way onto the funicular for our short ride to the top. Budapest from the Hill
From Buda Hill we have a wonderful view over the Danube, and the Parliament of Hungary. Habsburg Gate – Entrance to the Royal Palace
The historical castle and palace complex here have been rebuilt many times over the years: most recently by the Habsburgs, long-time Austrian rulers of the Kingdom of Hungary . Habsburg Gate
Intricate wrought ironwork is typical of the Baroque style favoured across the current palace – built between 1749 and 1769. Entrance to the Royal Palace
Today, the castle area houses the Hungarian National Gallery, the Castle Museum, the National Széchenyi Library, and also includes extensive empty spaces and old ruins. Széchenyi Chain Bridge from Buda Hill Souvenirs and Handicrafts
The cobblestone streets on Buda Hill are lined with baroque houses, Habsburg monuments, parks, coffee shops, and handicrafts shops. Tárnok Street, Buda Budai Várnegyed – Buda Castle District
We have plenty of room as we walk towards the Cathedral of St Matthias and Trinity Square, with the Plague Tower standing tall in front of the neo-Gothic House of the Hungarian Culture Foundation. Baroque Trinity Column
All over Central Europe in the 17th century, survivors of the Great Plague of 1679 built Plague Columns, either incorporating the Virgin Mary or the Holy Trinity, to give thanks for their deliverance. Matthias Church
The Church of Our Lady – more commonly called Matthias Church (Mátyás-templom), for King Matthias Corvinus the Fair – was built in late Gothic style in the 14th century, and extensively restored in the late 19th century. The intricate roofline with its colourful tiles is quite beautiful. Halászbástya – Fisherman’s Bastion
The courtyard around the Fisherman’s Bastion (1895 – 1902), a seven-turreted 19th-century fortress, was undergoing work when we visited, … Fisherman’s Bastion
… but it was still fascinating walking around this unusual structure. The seven towers (two of which are pictured here) represent the seven Magyar (Hungarian) tribes that settled in the Carpathian Basin in 895. Reflections of the Magyars Joseph (József Nádor), Archduke of Austria and Hungary
We enjoyed glorious weather, as we wandered back through the public squares … Layers of Handicraft
… and shops of downtown Budapest, … Széchenyi Chain Bridge and Matthias Church
… before returning to our boat to admire the dazzling display of Budapest night lights from the river. Royal Palace
The palace on Buda Hill, and the funicular we rode up to walk around it, look very different after dark! What a beautiful city! It is indeed – as UNESCO puts it – an outstanding urban landscape.
Happy Travels!
Pictures: 22August2014
Posted in Architecture,Europe,Hungary,TravelTags: architecture,blog,Buda Castle Hill,Budapest,Danube,Hungary,travel,Travel Blog,UNESCO,Ursula Wall
Baris War Dance
A Baris Tunggal dancer (that is, a solo Baris dancer) performs his stylised routine at the Balai Banjar Ubud Kelod in Bali. Balinese dance is an integral part of life on this tiny Indonesian island.
Bali has a richness of unique culture that is immediately apparent to its many tourist-visitors. The productiveness of its lush, terraced rice fields and its relatively equitable division of food and labour have allowed the people time to develop and expand their religious and cultural traditions, and to express these through art, carving, music and dance.
In Bali, dance and drama are interchangeable: age-old dance-drama stories are depicted through precise, stylised movements: movements that include defined body-shape and placement; finger, hand and arm gestures; and the quick, bird-like motions of the neck, head and eyes. The makeup and costuming are as much a part of the ancient traditions as the dances themselves.
Balinese children learn the more important dances from an early age – “dancing” with their hands before they can walk. Formal training can start as young as age five. Legong (“leg” meaning “beautiful movements” and “gong” meaning “melodious sound”) dancers, in particular, were traditionally recruited from the ablest and prettiest children. By fourteen, these dancers were approaching retirement – although the performers in tourist shows these days tend to be older.
Basically, whether classical or contemporary, Balinese dances fall into three broad genres: 1) sacred religious and ceremonial dances, some rooted in Hindu epic stories – like the ubiquitous Ramayana saga depicting the divine Prince Rama’s efforts to rescue his wife Sita from a demon king ; 2) semi-sacred dances featuring masked dancers, and depicting battles between good and evil – like the mythical evil witch Rangda versus the lion or dragon Barong, who represents good; and 3) entertainment dances, including the classical Legong, performed at social gatherings and for tourists. In 2015, UNESCO inscribed these three form of dance as examples of “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.
Of course, you don’t have to know any of this to enjoy a Balinese dance performance. My husband and I didn’t, when we bought our Rp.75,000 ($USD5.50) tickets for the Sunday evening performance of the Sanggar Pondok Pekak dance troupe at the Bale Banjar Ubud Kelod hall in Ubud. As my very old (1999) Lonely Planet Bali & Lombok (7th ed) put it: “The most important thing about Balinese dances is that they’re fun and accessible. Balinese dance … can be exciting and enjoyable for almost anyone with just the slightest effort.”
And it was true: the lively rhythms, wonderful costumes and comical facial expressions made the dances great fun to watch.
Banjar Ubud Kelod
The front of the Legong Dance performance hall is marked in typical Balinese style. Wall Relief inside Banjar Ubud Kelod The Empty Stage
As we find seats in the auditorium, we can admire the finish on the small stage. The Musicians Enter
The first performers to take the stage are the musicians from the gamelan orchestra. Gamelan Musicians
A gamelan orchestra includes metallophones, played by mallets, hand-played drums, … Gamelan Musicians
… xylophones, flutes, gongs, voices, and strings. Sekar Jagat Welcome Dance
The first dance is a group of young women in their fantastic makeup and headdress, making a ritual offering to welcome the audience – and any gods that might be in attendance. Baris War Dance
Baris dances are traditional war dances in three parts: depicting the studied and careful movements of a young warrior before battle, glorifying the self-assurance of the triumphant Balinese warrior, and displaying the his commanding heroic presence. Baris War Dance
The richly embroidered costume includes ornate fabric panels, known as awiran, which hang from his body over white leggings called celana. Legong Dancer
Legong dances are characterised by intricate finger movements, complicated footwork, and exaggerated facial expressions. Legong Dancers
The Legong Kraton (“Legend of the Palace”) Dance, features two identically dressed dancers and an attendant. Legong Dancers
The pair of legong dancers in their tight silk and gold costumes mirror each another’s movements. Gamelan Musicians Kebyar Dancer
Kebyar dances are abstract non-narrative solo dances in which the focus is upon the dancer him- or herself. Kebyar Dance
Much of the contemporary Kebyar Duduk (Taruna Jaya) dance from North Bali is performed in a sitting position. Oleg Tambulilingan
Choreographed in 1952, Oleg Tambulilingan is a duet depicting the courtship of two bumblebees. Oleg Dancer
Those eyes! The female bumblebee flits from flower to flower in a beautiful garden. Oleg Tambulilingan
The male bumblebee tries to attract the female’s attention. Jauk Dancer
The Jauk Dance is a classical solo mask dance dating to the 18th century. The masked dancer improvises as a playful, but sinister demon. Taking Bows
At the end of an entertaining and eventful program of modern and classical pieces, the performers bid us good evening. It was a most enjoyable glimpse into rich Balinese cultural and story-telling traditions, and it was without reservation that we booked into our next taste of Balinese performance: a Kecak show at Tanah Lot. More about that some other time (see: Tari Kecak, Uluwatu) …
Until then,
Happy Travels!
Photos: 29January2017
Posted in Bali,Culture,Dance,Indonesia,TravelTags: Bali,dance,dancer,environmental portrait,hindu,Indonesia,performance,performers,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall
Prayer Lamps
It makes for a peaceful moment of simple reflection: lighting a small lamp while saying a prayer of gratitude or supplication. What better way to mark our overnight stay at Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery at Namo Buddha in the Kathmandu Valley Rim! Prayers and dal bhat for breakfast.
It doesn’t get much simpler than that.
An overnight stay at the guesthouse at the Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery, some 40 kilometres from Kathmandu, Nepal, is like stepping into another world: a timeless space where the drone of Tibetan Buddhist chanting – punctuated by gongs and cymbals – resonates through the crisp, crystal clear mountain air.
Life for visitors to the monastery is uncomplicated: join the monks for evening and morning prayers (or not) before partaking of basic vegetarian meals. But, you don’t have to opt out of the modern world completely; although the guesthouse has no television, radio or telephones, my local phone package allowed me to access my email and Instagram, and the nearby Thrangu Café on site has meals, coffee, and soft-drinks for those who don’t want to forgo lunch, treats, or caffeine.
A friend and I were in Nepal for a few days ahead of a workshop out of Kathmandu with photographer Gavin Gough, and the opportunity to go for a trek was too good to pass up. Under the watchful eye of local guide Angfula Sherpa, we were to spend four days along sections of the Kathmandu Valley Cultural Trekking Trail. So far, we had managed our first day: driving from Kathmandu to Panuti, and walking from there to Namo Buddha (see: Dirt Music and Sunshine, and Light and Dark in the Windows and Doors).
The Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery, founded in 1979 by Thrangu Rinpoche, was a wonderful bonus after our day’s walk. It sits at 1738 meters, at the top of Gandha Malla Hill above the Namo Buddha Stupa, treating the visitor to glorious sunrises, sunsets, and views over the foothills and the snow-capped Himalaya.
Namo Buddha is one of the most important Buddhist religious sites in Nepal. It was near here, so the story goes, that a prince by the name of Mahasattva, was out walking with his two brothers when he came across a tigress. She was trying to nurse five cubs, but was starving and about to die. Prince Sattva (rather generously, one would think!) offered the tigress his blood and flesh so that she and the cubs might survive. The bones – all that remained of him – were buried under a stupa at the nearby village. Some 3500 years later, the Gautam Buddha walked three times around the stupa, then declared that he was the reincarnation of Mahasattva. The village was renamed “Namo Buddha” which means “Hommage to Buddha”.
It is possible to get to the monastery by car or public transport, and while we were staying, buses and car loads of pilgrims and tourists arrived at the road head.
Still, I think I enjoyed the stillness and the views all the more for having “earned” them with a nice long walk!
Afternoon Light
After we settle into our rooms at the Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery Guesthouse, we head over to the main temple. It is just after five in the evening, and the late winter sun puts a glow in the buildings around us. No photos can be taken in the rooms inside. Monastery Kitchen
The kitchen has to cater for the more than 250 resident monks, and for visitors like us. It is big, and the stacks of stainless steel dishes are spotless. (iPhone6) View from the Temple
The hills and the delicate skies roll off quietly into the distance while the monks chant their evening prayers upstairs. (iPhone6) Sunrise over the Namo Buddha Hills
We are up early the next morning to attend the monks’ morning prayers before breakfast. Just before six am, the sun warms the sky over the hills around us. (iPhone6) Morning around Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery
Early sun lights the terraced hills around the monastery, and the morning mists hang low in the valleys. Novices and a Dog
About 70 young monks reside and study at the monastery school. I’m sure the animals are some comfort to young boys living away from their homes. Into the Kitchen
Of course, the young students are kept busy with morning chores; these two are heading into the dark kitchen, … Monks on the Path
… while others are rushing between buildings around the complex. Morning Layers
The morning mists rise slowly. In mid-March it is still winter, and the the mountain air at 7.30am is cool. Stone Statue of the Lord Buddha
This Buddha, with hands in Bhumisparsha mudra (or “earth witness” hand gesture – representing touching the earth at the moment of the his enlightenment), is speaking to his first disciples. Stone Statue of the Lord Buddha
The vase between the Buddha and his disciples represents the container holding the bones of Mahasattva – an earlier incarnation of Buddha Shakyamuni – who fed his body to a tigress on the hill near here. Prayer Flags
There are prayers flags everywhere, fluttering their messages of peace, strength, compassion, and wisdom on the wind to inspire all people. Lungta Prayer Flags
Lungta (wind horse) flags are squares of cloth strung on a line in the colours of the five Tibetan elements: blue for the sky, white for the wind, red representing fire, green symbolising water, and yellow for the earth. Endless Skies
The sky and the mountains stretch out forever. Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery
From the hill, we can look back over the monastery, and appreciate the size and beauty of the complex. Woman Looking after a Shrine
Walking along the ridge, we pass shrines; the people tending them greet us eagerly and usher us in. Angfula and the Lamps
In the shrine area, prayer flags can be bought and blessed, the right to light lamps can be bought, and donations can be made. Prayer Lamps
Light symbolises the wisdom that drives away darkness. Candles and Coins Den of the Mother Tiger
This is where Mahasattva – a previous incarnation of Gautama Buddha – offered a starving tigress his blood and flesh to save her life and that of her cubs. Mountains on the Haze
Snow-capped Himalaya float on the clouds and haze over the terraced hills of the Kathmandu Valley. Angfula on the Dirt Path Down
There is no more time to explore: we need to make a start on our day’s walk. Angfula sets off down the dirt track towards the town of Namo Buddha. Rhododendron
Flowers sit high in the trees over our heads … Namo Buddha Stupa
… as the stupu built over Prince Sattva’s bones come into sight. We had more walking in the fresh Nepali mountain air in front of us –
and I was looking forward to every step!
Until next time,
Namaste!
Pictures: 6-7March2017
Posted in Nepal,Religious Practice,TravelTags: architecture,buddhism,buddhist,environmental portrait,Namo Buddha,Nepal,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall
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[…] Today, most Kazakhs in Western Mongolia maintain a traditional lifestyle, typically moving their animals – and their gers: their round tents – three or four times a year to find new grazing pastures in this high, cold, and windy landscape with rocky soil and minimal rainfall. Warmth and colour in what is otherwise a harsh environment comes from richly embroidered clothing, tapestries, and blankets, sewn together from the lush furs of the hunted winter fox, felted from combed out camel under-coat, or cut and stitched, using the soft skins of sheep slaughtered for food and pelts. Social evenings are spent in blanket-lined gers, around fires of wood and manure, drinking airag (fermented mare’s milk), arkhi (cow’s milk vodka), or straight vodka, and singing songs accompanied by a two-string dombra (see: At Home with the Kazakhs). […]