Endearing Nepal

Have just returned from trekking in the wonderful mountainous land of Nepal. Crisp clean air filled our lungs for 5 days. Admittedly climbing up nearly 1000metres one day with 15kg of camera gear on my back wasn't my idea of fun but the views, villages and people along the way certainly made it worth while. Fortunately that was just one day, other treks were easier and along with climbing up there is always the coming down.

The city of Katmandu is a total contrast, rich in history with some of its monuments now listed as World Heritage Sites. It is full of noise with amazing colour, architecture and tradition. A flight past Mount Everest was a perfect end to our trip and overwhelmingly exposed the magnitude of the region. Truly a unforgettable experience.

The Fly

Today I noticed something rather large and black with rainbow coloured wings floating in our pool. I managed to hook this guy out and I think he actually survived the experience.

Shivajinagar Scrap Yard

I attended a street photography workshop yesterday and we visited an amazing area in Bangalore which solely sold used car parts. Rows and rows of sheds and brick built units full to capacity of headlights, suspensions, engine pieces, window mechanisms and panels. You name it, it must be there somewhere. The vendors were so friendly and as cars are a real passion of mine, I spent a lot of time talking about cars and not taking photos. Fortunately, there was time to get some shots!

Independence Day

On August 15th 1947, India became a sovereign nation and was no longer under British rule. On August 15th since then it has been a holiday and vast celebrations occur around the country to commemorate it's independence.

Lalbagh botanical gardens put on a large display in celebration. A mixture of stalls selling garden ornaments, seeds, plants and some craftwork edged the pathways. In my husbands opinion it was Bangalore's very own Chelsea flower show.

Russell Market

Yesterday was a public holiday to celebrate the birth of Krishna. People tend to stay at home, visit their local temple and attend prayers. We took the opportunity to go into town and visit Russell market. It's full of vendors selling local produce including flowers, meat, vegetables and fish. The market smell may be overpowering but the people are so friendly and proud of their produce, also very happy for you to take their photo!

Holy Cow!

Whilst out and about in Bangalore, you see many cows roaming the streets and roads. Because they are considered sacred they are allowed to roam freely. On my trip into town today we were stuck in a traffic for much longer than usual. The problem was a cow, standing in the middle of a very busy road without a care in the world. I also saw a cow today plonk itself down in a very decorative plant display outside a hotel. I had no time to get the shot unfortunately, instead below are cows rummaging through a rare green area where rubbish has been dumped. Cows succumb to stomach problems or even die because they have digested plastic bags. It is a very sad to see dogs, cows and goats looking for food in the piles of rubbish around the street.

Walkabout

Yesterday I was out with a friend visiting some fabric shops close to the city. We decided instead of driving between shops to walk. We walked for about 45 minutes. On one hand it was a great sense of freedom to do something I'd not think twice about doing in the UK. On the other hand it's like of taking your life into your own hands. There are no pavements and litter and dirty water spills out into the roads. You also have to constantly keep an eye out for cars, bikes and rickshaws as there come from every director. Thankfully we survived our little adventure.