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 an ongoing pilgrimage.
The journey started auspiciously and, for the most part, continued that way 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 in a traditional house just a couple of miles from the centre of the remote and ancient hub of the Himalayas, Kathmandu.
Boudhanath Stupa – Kathmandu
Travels to Nepal 