On a humid September day, our plane glided over the bustling city of Kathmandu. As the wheels hit the Tarmac our adventure had officially begun!
On the verge of hitting professional burn out; my girlfriend had decided to take 9 months off work with a plan to hike, meditate, practice yoga and find out what she really wanted out of life. Working a fly-in/fly-out roster myself, I was along for the ride!
To try and beat the Jetlag and stretch our legs after spending 7 hours in a flying fart tin we set out exploring.
First stop... the Swayambhunath Temple.
The temple sits 3km west of Kathmandu and is one of the holiest Buddhist Chaityas in Nepal. According to mythology in was spontaneously formed from a lotus flower which floated in the lake that previously occupied the Kathmandu Valley. It's also commonly referred to as the "Monkey Temple" by visitors.... likely because there's a shitload of monkeys.
The 365 stairs aren't anyone idea of a party in 90% humidity but it's well worth it!
The temple definitely lived up to it's reputation, it was both beautiful and a the hottest monkey hangout in town! There may come a day when I'm no longer get excited about seeing monkeys... but today was not that day... This adorable little dude had just taken an ear bashing from mumma monkey and didn't look too happy about it.
The prayer wheel are plentiful, and a constant stream of devotees can be seen making the rounds... plus one white dude awkwardly following them trying to get an in-focus photo
Part 2 coming soon! I hope you stick with me as we tackle landslides, mountains, goats and altitude sickness and some of the most amazing landscapes I've ever been lucky enough to lay eyes on!
Shawn Achor's "The Happiness Advantage" taught me the power of gratitude
Let's spread some across Steemit! If you want to comment but don't know what to say, just tell me 3 things you’re grateful for today and why. If you’re struggling to come up with ideas try:
@lifeofryan also greatly increases happiness :)