Sherpa porters provide the main form of transport for all goods within the Khumbu (Everest) region as there are no roads throughout this part of the Himalayas. After witnessing their strength and endurance you will never complain about exhaustion or having to subsist on a diet of lentils and rice.
16 days of trekking around the Annapurna Himal, Nepal.
Despite the weather turning bad on the descent which reduced visibility to less than 10m and transformed my body into a snow covered walking (falling) icicle, Thorong La Pass proved to be an exhausting yet rewarding experience and the highlight of the Annapurna Circuit trek.
Its a colour warzone in Kathmandu. Holi Festival of Colour, the most intense, crazy, ridiculous street festival I have ever been to.
Today I asked a Thangka gallery in Thamel if I could visit their painting school to learn about the techniques and traditions of Thangka. They where more than happy to show and tell and organised for a student and a master painter to drive me across town to a small neighbourhood where they teach and create Thangka. We spoke about the preparation and stretching of the canvas using yak gum, the stages each painting goes through and the process of novices tracing, colour blocking and shading before handing over to the master who paints in the facial detail. My lovely student host also described the breathing and meditation techniques involved in the Thangka painting process.
Afterwards they led me to a small room in the building next door where monks chanted the story of the universe and I was blessed by one of the most important Lamas in Nepal/Tibet. I love Nepal.
ALANA TRACEY ART 