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Bodnath Stupa is one of the largest Buddhist monuments in Asia.  Katmandu, Nepal (10/2005).

During full-moon nights, thousands of butter candle lamps are lit throughout many of Nepal's religous sites.  Katmandu, Nepal (10/2005).

Hindu's do not bury their dead.  Rather, they cremate them in open bonfires and chuck the ashes into the nearby river.  Pashupatinath temple, Katmandu, Nepal.

Durbar Square, Katmandu, Nepal.

Patan, Nepal (10/2005).

Riding on an elephant is good fun and is the only effective way to journey through the Sal forests and swampy Riverine terrain of Nepal's lowlands. Royal Chitwan Park, Southern Nepal (10/2005).

Annapurna range from the Shanti Stupa, Pokhara, Nepal (10/2005).

A visit to Nepal is not complete without going on a trek. Having already done the Everest and Annapurna treks in 1999, Langtang was next on my list. "Tea-houses" along the route provides comfortable lodging and food for just a few dollars a day. Rimche village, Langtang trek, Nepal (10/2005).

Experienced trekkers always hang-out in the kitchen where its warm and cosy. Typical tea-house kitchen at Rimche village, Langtang trek (10/2005).

Trekkers have been visiting Nepal for decades and the locals have figured out what foreigners like to eat. Langtang trek, Nepal (10/2005).

Nepal is no longer the peaceful and tranquil country I saw in my 1999 visit. Today's Nepal is heavily militarised place even on remote mountain trails.

Anything goes in the high mountains.  One moment I was trekking in shorts and the next moment a snow-storm dumps 1/2 metre of snow on the route. Kyagin Gompa (3700m) is the highest village on the 7 day Langtang trek (10/2005).

Apart from the mountain views, trekking in Nepal is the best way to meet locals and to observe a traditional rural way of life which has not changed much in centuries. Langtang trek, Nepal (10/2005).

India is a mad and chaotic place and Calcutta is India at its craziest. This was my 2nd trip to this region after spending almost 8 months here in 1999-2000 so I knew what to expect.  Circus-like atmosphere on the Hoogly Bridge, Calcutta, India (11/2005).

Hand-pulled rickshaws are on the verge of extinction in India.  The Calcutta government intends to phase them out by 2006 on the grounds that it's in-humane.  That is a bizarre notion for a place where half its inhabitants live without shelter, running water and other basic necessities. Originally introduced from Japan in the early 1900s, the hand-pulled rickshaw survives today only in Calcutta and Cuba.  India (11/2005).

India is dirty, noisy, polluted and hardly a calm beach holiday but it is not a boring place.

Travelling in India is a sobering and eye-opening experience. Most people in the developed west simply do not realize how cushy, easy and comfortable our lives are. Our typical daily problems are quite trivial and insignificant compared to the billions in the developing world. Public outdoor bath/toilet/laundry/water-well, Calcutta (11/2005).

For me, travelling is all the best things in life rolled into one hobby : fun, excitement, freedom, discovery, new experiences and an endless stream of laughter, jokes and smiles. Royal Chitwan Park, Nepal (10/2005).

The magnificent Annapurna range from Sarangkot ridge, Pokhara, Nepal (10/2005).