• Kirk and Anna Lively and Laird
Current
  • Kirk and Anna Lively and Laird

Nepal and Bhutan, 2026

An open-ended adventure by Kirk and Anna Read more
  • Currently in
    🇳🇵 Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Nepal

    First day with Gate 1 tour

    Today in Nepal ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    First full day on the tour. Fascinating day of visits to the oldest stupa (a Buddhist religious dome) in Nepal, Swayambhunath) with rhesus monkeys, then a visit to Durbar Square with its palaces and temples, most of which were flattened by a 7.8 earthquake in 2015, which have been rebuilt by foreign donations, a blessing by the child goddess. Kumari, a rickshaw ride through the commercial heart of Kathmandu, then our bus to a nice 7th floor hotel restaurant for lunch followed by a demonstration of how to make momo's and then we got to try it, then a short walk thru Kathmandu's helter-skelter traffic to the charming largest stupa in Nepal, Boudhanath,, with a blessing by a Buddhist monk and bestowed of a kata. Our evening ended with a traditional Nepalese dinner with entertainment by performers of traditional dances.Read more

  • Second day in Kathmandu, Nepal

    Yesterday in Nepal

    Cindy and Kim arrived this morning after flying in from Istanbul. We caught up at breakfast. By early afternoon we were headed out to visit the Naranayahiti Palace. The most famous event there was the massacre of nine members of the royal family, including the King and Queen by one of their sons, the crown prince. Who also shot himself in the head, was named King, then died three days later, his crown passing to his brother who was at Chitwan when the massacre occurred. Cameras not allowed so I don't have photos from a tour of the palace. From there we headed to Thamel, the shopping district, where we explored, made some purchases and eventually had dinner at an outdoor restaurant.Read more

  • Kathmandu, April 22,2026

    April 23 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Checked into our hotel, the Yak and Yeti, near midnight. A very lavish wedding was nearing its end in the courtyard grounds below our sixth floor room, 642. On Wednesday, while we were still trying to accommodate the time change we walked to the Thamel shopping district, where lots of stores sell trekking gear as well as cashmere, metal statuary, tea, and souvenirs. We bought some shirts and a bag, had tea and a soda (for less than one dollar total) at a little cafe, then visited the Garden of Dreams for 500 ruppees each - about three dollars. More police and uniformed guards, including private security than any place I've been to before. Perhaps because the US Embassy has a giant recreation and service center (e.g. commissary) here. No traffic signals, but lots of traffic police.Read more

    Trip start
    April 19, 2026