Greencaviar Travel

I was writing my blog about Nepal’s UNESCO World Heritage and historic sites very late last night (05-12-15 in Nepal) when I happened to check my Instagram and saw a posting about Kathmandu after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal yet again. I get emotional just by looking at the photos and videos I took from my recent trip to Nepal let alone a video of a chaotic Kathmandu. I must confess to telling a co-traveler on our way to Patan's Durbar Square that I was ‘templed out’ (the term I used to describe how I felt after visiting so many temples).  Who would have thought that the visit to that last Durbar Square and seeing all the temples that day was a great blessing.  I have said many prayers of gratitude for the opportunity to see and capture in films and photos Nepal’s UNESCO World Heritage sites and the irreplaceable temples and statues before the April 25, 2015 earthquake. The Kathmandu Valley is comprised of three cities: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan. Each city fea...

After the initial shock of hearing about the massive earthquake in Nepal, my thoughts shifted to the recovery effort, especially after seeing reports of cracked roads.  Having seen the narrow streets and traffic situation there, I recognized the difficulty of bringing supplies to the survivors and the recovery effort. It was hard enough getting our mini tour bus in and out of the Kathmandu Valley under normal circumstances, let alone bulldozers and trucks of supplies on fragile roads. I thought the pictures I took before the earthquake could give you a better perspective than what I could describe in words. #1. AT THE TOWN CENTER We visited three towns in Kathmandu Valley: Bakhtapur, Kathmandu and Patan. They pretty much have the same layout of very narrow streets and alleys, some lined by commercial and residential homes with beautiful balconies in unique woodcarvings.  The narrow streets lead to a "Durbar Square" (rectangular plaza), which is mainly a cluster of tem...

My heart breaks as I see the news of the devastation and the aftermath of the earthquake.  It's surreal to think that the same area we strolled through only a few days ago now in rubble. I'm disheartened to see the irreplaceable damage to the temples and monuments designated as World Heritage sites, and the beautiful homes with balconies made of wood carvings that we came to admire have been damaged or leveled off. I met so many warm and nice people in Nepal - from the airport security, the staff at the resort in Chitwan and the hotel in Kathmandu to our guides - who went out of their way to make our stay in Nepal unforgettable. I hope that none of them have been injured.  My prayers and special thanks to S who accompanied us to the airport for the flight to Mt. Everest and who made things happen when I told him that I wanted to shoot a live action of the birds flying over the temples.  (see the guy feeding the pigeons) It's devastating to think about those ...