| Kathmandu, Nepal |
 |
| I am walking up towards the Swayambhunath Temple (Stupa), on the top of a hill overlooking Kathmandu. This statue of Buddha greeted me before the final staircase. That's a monkey standing on Buddha's hand. It's no surprise that Swayambhunath is also known as the "monkey temple". Monkeys are all over the place. |
 |
| Here is the round stupa, decorated with yellow paint. Above it are Buddha's eyes looking in all directions. |
 |
| The Swayambhunath Temple is perhaps Nepal's best known symbol. And Buddha's eyes best represent this shrine. I kept trying to capture his gaze with my camera. |
 |
| Here is my best photo of Buddha's eyes. The temple is a large complex. In the video I was able to film chanting Buddhist monks and prayer wheels being turned. The monkeys also appear as part of the Swayambhunath scene. |
 |
| Nepal is both Hindu and Buddhist, where many traditions have merged. Officially the country is Hindu. In the Kathmandu Valley is Nepal's most important Hindu Temple, Pashupatinath. As at Varanasi in India, this is the place for devout Hindus to be cremated, on the banks of a holy river. Above is a corpse fully prepared for cremation. |
| If you have a high speed internet connection, watch the Intrepid Berkeley Explorer's free video of this trip, "India and Neal", by clicking on AdventurePics.com . |
 |
 |
 |