More than a simple trip, our fifteen days in Nepal and Tibet were an unforgettable experience and a wonderful discovery. A very big thank you goes to this local tour operator and its Managing Director, Mr. Kaum Bahadur Subedi, who provided us with expert drivers (absolutely essential on the roads of Nepal) and guides with great expertise and experience. I want to especially mention Rem Raj Gurung who introduced us to the wonderful temples of Kathmandu, now all restored after the 2015 earthquake. A very useful exercise for me also who had visited those temples in the past.
Even more exciting was traveling across the Tibetan plateau. We entered from the border with Nepal - which in itself is an adventure - and we traveled the long way that leads to Lasha, crossing a powerful and unforgettable landscape. Along the plateau we had the Himalayas on the right with its snowy peaks (we also went to admire the north face of Everest with a half-day detour) and on the left another long chain of mountains that outlined a landscape that is hard to find the words to describe.
And then the unforgettable discovery for me, thanks to the guide that Mr Kaum made available to us for Tibet, a profound expert on the religiosity of the Tibetans. The discovery of a people who still live in a deep connection with their past and traditions: in religion, in clothing, in language. But I also found a genuine willingness towards foreigners. And we were among the few Westerners to visit the country.
We also have a beautiful memory of Lasha, a modern city that lives with a past whose strength still seems very alive.