Preface
Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Cathedral – Armidale NSW
The journey from Armidale, the city of churches, to Kathmandu, the city of dreams, via Ho Chi Minh City and Mumbai was a magical adventure after the drudgery of the covid lockdowns in the twenty-twenties.
Reaching tropical Pokhara in Gandaki Province, Nepal, with its friendly inhabitants, its abundance and poverty, ancient shrines and orientally exotic fragrances and flavours was the crescendo of a pilgrimage to the source of humanity’s spiritual heritage.
The journey started auspiciously and, for the most part, continued smoothly through a sweltering monsoon and a pleasant winter with the assistance and encouragement of many wonderful friends on the way.
In mid 2023 when I arrived in Nepal I recalled a halcyon dream of the serene charm of the old Sydney and felt I was back in those tranquil times, recuperating from my travels in a traditional house just a couple of miles from the centre of the remote and ancient hub of the Himalayas, the sacred city of Kathmandu.
Boudhanath Stupa – Kathmandu
Travels to Nepal 