We were exploring the streets and alleyways of Kathmandu, our ears assaulted by the ever-present honk-honking of cars and motorcycles. Our Nepali host had told us that three things are critical to drivers in this crazy-crowded city: a good horn, good brakes, and good luck. Personally, I think Kathmandu drivers put most of their emphasis on use of the good horn.Then we walked around a corner and were greeted by a most amazing and jarring thing:
Silence.
We’d stumbled into a secluded square near a Buddhist shrine. The din of Kathmandu was suddenly a distant memory. We found we were in a world where prayer flags fluttered over a beautiful gold tower, an old woman walked around in circles, quietly turning a prayer wheel. A monk meditated fervently and with obvious reverence on the steps of the holy site.
We’d only been in Nepal for two days but already Kathmandu had bowled us over with its energy, its color. Now, visiting this square, we found Kathmandu at peace.
I stepped into the shrine. A young monk sat in amazing light near the door. He looked at my camera. Without talking, I knew a portrait would be permitted.
What a welcome, calming place we’d found.
