MOPEDS weave at high speed amongst taxis, cows amble oblivious through the throng, and everywhere there is smog and people clearing their throats. A realisation dawns: I’m not sure I’m prepared for this.
Booking a trip to the Nepalese Himalayas had seemed like a great idea a few months ago, cosy by the pub fire with pint in hand. Charlotte had been to Nepal before and seemed so confident, but for me it was a step into a new world, a new continent. My senses were being assaulted from every direction.
DUMPLINGS AND BEER
Based in Kathmandu’s Thamel district for a few days, we combined eating momos (Tibetan dumplings) and drinking local beer with making plans. With recommendations for a trekking company in hand, we decided on the Manaslu Circuit Trek in the shadow of the eighth highest mountain in the world – plus an additional five days in the Tsum Valley. We then sorted out a guide for the hike.
Life is very much lived on the streets in Nepal, something that made me interrogate my ethics as a photographer. We visited the biggest Hindu temple in the world, Pashupatinath, where we were swept into the
