In amongst all the drudgery of moving states, the kids and I have enjoyed exploring our new home. Here are some of my favorite pics from the past month.
On Mt Falcon:
At Genesee Park:
At the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge:
Investigating the local eateries:
Other than the constant haze from wildfires, Denver is a very pleasant city to settle into. Hopefully we still like it after the first winter snow arrives. Which, according to local weather forecasts, will be tomorrow.
The next morning the sky was clear blue all the way to the horizon. And suddenly – HIMALAYAS.
The high triangular peak is Machhapuchchhre, a sacred mountain. The Nepali government doesn’t permit anyone to climb it.
Today’s photography lesson: mountainscapes.
After the class, Emma and Elizabeth took a boat ride out to Tal Barahi Temple on Phewa Tal’s little island.
Colorful Elizabeth is colorful.
The temple itself is small.
Elizabeth says that almost every temple she saw had fierce creatures like these guarding its entrance, always one male and one female.
FISH WATCH POINT
And back to shore.
To be continued!
Wednesday the 18th dawned sunny and clear. Elizabeth had heard about a local theme park in Lakeside, and was excited to go see it.
And here we have the completely legit and totally not fake Pokhara Disneyland:
A magical entryway to the Sketchiest Place on Earth.
Pluto’s face kills me.
Behold, the Magic Kingdom!
Can you feel the excitement?
It has the castle and everything!
So I got two different versions of the visit to “Pokhara Disneyland.”
Elizabeth has never met a theme park she didn’t like, and she thoroughly enjoyed her experience at this one.
Emma was like, “There is rust on everything and you can literally see and hear the unshielded belt turning the ferris wheel and it is not outside the realm of possibility that we may die on one of these rides.”
Nice views from the ferris wheel, though.
Elizabeth was undaunted by rust and squealing engine belts, and embraced the whimsy.
I absolutely adore that rainbow sweater. She had just bought it the day before, and it brightens up almost every photo for the rest of the Nepal trip.
Lunch break at a cafe in Lakeside…
…And then back for more squeaky, rust-covered fun. They say the whole theme park experience set them back about five bucks.
When Emma had had enough of Disneyland, they explored more of Lakeside.
I really like this panoramic shot Emma took of Phewa Tal.
Love, peace and property destruction.
Walking back to Sabita’s house. Look at the tangles of power lines everywhere.
Panoramic view from Sabita’s rooftop.
To be continued!
The next day was gray and rainy. (January 17th, if we’re keeping track.) Emma, Elizabeth and Bee Striit met the two Tibetan students at the hotel again for another photography class.
I like the grass-carpeted balcony!
When the lesson was done, our trio braved the weather and visited Basundhara Park in Lakeside.
This park entrance sign is another example of either ubiquitous ad placement or random tributes to popular brands.
Basundhara Park lies along the shores of Phewa Tal. On a clear day, the Himalayas loom majestically in the background. But even on a rainy day, the lake is beautiful.
Colorful boats!
Elizabeth and Bee Striit.
These boats all had Kit Kat ads on their canopies:
And back to the narrow streets of Nepal.
More to come!
This is Sabita’s neighborhood in Pokhara. Elizabeth says the light and air were lovely here compared to the heavy smog of Kathmandu.
I enjoy the random absurdity of this photo. Hello, abandoned toilet and loose cow.
On the morning of the 16th, Emma, Elizabeth and Bee Striit met up with two Tibetan students from Paljorling refugee camp to give them cameras and their first photography lesson.
It was a rainy day, so they met in a hotel near the camp.
After the lesson, Emma, Elizabeth and Bee Striit went shopping for a SIM card that would let Elizabeth use her phone in Nepal.
This looks like an indoor mall…
…but Nepal just has some really narrow streets!
I’m keeping these posts shortish because they’re image-heavy and some of our friends don’t have broadband. Stay tuned for more!
An Invincible Summer 