Wednesday, August 28, 2019 - Sunrise over the Annapurna Massif again...

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I was successful in convincing our guide to rise early and watch the sunrise for the second day in a row.
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Machhapuchhare (or Fish Tail) as the sun hits the top of the mountain.
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Annapurna I in the sun between clouds. It was tough to get good pictures as the clouds hung near the mountains.
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We then flew to Kathmandu the capital and largest city of Nepal. After meeting our guide, we headed out. First stop Boudhanath stupa.

Boudhanath became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
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These are the Buddha eyes and the wisdom eyes. The eyes of the Buddha in the stupa symbolize the all-seeing ability of the Buddha.
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We stopped at a Tibetan Monastery off the Boudhanath stupa circle. I was allowed to take pictures inside.

Decorations inside the temple.
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An offering of a flower in water.
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Buddha holding streamers of the five sacred colors.
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An altar covered with swastikas, an ancient symbol before the Germans.
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A painting/statue outside the Guru Lhakhang Monastery also on the outside of the Boudhanath stupa.
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The painting in a stairwell of the Guru Lhakhang Monastery.
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A small shrine in a wall niche of the Boudhanath stupa.
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The eyes watch over a statue.
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Around the Boudhanath stupa are temples and buildings - the buildings are mostly shops and restaurants.
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At the base of Boudhanath stupa were hundreds of flowers in water - as with other temples I am assuming that the water and flowers are changed every day.
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Statues in a niche.
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Cal and Virginia Ann at bells near one of the entrances to the stupa.
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As you walk around the giant stupa the eyes follow you.
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There are many (hundreds?) of buddha in niches around the base of the stupa.
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As we waited for our tour van, I was able to photograph this small shop.
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Virginia Ann asked this woman to pose for us.
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We then headed to Pashupatinath Temple a sacred Hindu temple complex that is located on the banks of the Bagmati River.

This is a detail of the gate leading into the temple. We were not allowed to enter the temple.
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The richly ornamented pagoda houses the sacred linga or holy symbol of Lord Shiva.

From a hill I was able to take a picture inside the temple of the bull, which is Lord Shiva's animal.
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Cremation of Hindus take place on raised platforms along the Bagmati River. The Bagmati River flows into the Ganges River, both considered sacred to the Hindus.
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Women carrying wood for cremation fires.
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The area of Pashupatinath encompasses 518 temples and monuments - a lot.
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The family at a crematorium.
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These three men were sitting on the top of a temple's steps. I like how they are all sitting a little different.
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Virginia Ann braving the wild cow walking across the bridge over the Bagmati River.
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The cremation stands.
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While we were there we were able to watch a funeral in progress. Outside the temple the family and friends gather as men lower the body into the sacred Bagmati River.
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In this picture the women each pour water into the mouth of the deceased.
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As we were leaving the temple one of the cremations was finished and the men pushed the ashes into the sacred Bagmati River.
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A huge bull on the Bagmati River bridge gets a flower.
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A cremation in progress.
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There was light drizzle as we left the Pashupatinath complex. This little monkey scurried across our path and jumped up onto the entrance wall.


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