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| Irina, Anna, Sveta, Yulia and Svetlana went up to Swyambhunath, the ‘Monkey Temple’ to see the extraordinary view of the Kathmandu valley in the sunshine. |
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| We were very priviledged to be allowed a vist to the Living Goddess and receive a tika (a blessing in the form of a red dot placed on the forehead) from her – this is seen as extremely fortuitous by the locals and a rare event. |
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| We were shown the whole process of lost wax casting carried out by local craftsman in the traditional way - using soft and hard waxes, clay with rice husks, metal alloys and gold plating. Very interesting to see how much skilled craftsmanship each metal statue actually takes! |
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| We were lucky to have Sudarshan Suwal, one of the very few Thanka painters in the country who grinds his own pigments from their original sources, to give us a one-day workshop on Thanka painting. He also came back the next day to help us with our work. |
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| Sudarshan explained the cultural aspects behind the sacred painting, showed everybody how to prepare the pigments and helped each one to produce a small Thanka painting of their own. I love the results. |
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| A drive out of Kathmandu Valley and high up into the surrounding hills, through terraced fields and thickly wooded groves, finally reaching a view direct to the magnificent Himalayan range and Mount Everest itself. |
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| Many of the old buildings in this town have been lovingly restored - making it one of the most charming places to visit in Nepal. |
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Nepal is overflowing with a rich cultural heritage - it is unique. |
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