Kathmandu and the Boudhanath Stupa

On our return flight to Europe, we gave ourselves another overnight stay in Kathmandu – a stop, wild and full of longing, as the Boudhanath Stupa had been at the top of my bucket list for years and was said to have survived the earthquake. But stepping out of the taxi, we were disappointed to see that the spire and the many prayer flags were missing – arghhh! – a contrast between hope and reality, raw and bitter.

An Impressive Evening

Still, the evening around the Boudhanath Stupa was deeply moving – a spectacle of spirituality and silence. The drive to the airport the next morning felt strange as we passed the large tent city where people who had lost everything in the earthquake six months earlier were still living – now almost forgotten, a moment of grief and reflection. We’ll definitely be back – if only for that reason alone.

The End of an Unforgettable Journey

And so ends three incredibly powerful weeks in Tibet – WOW! Hard to beat and with a resonance that will last for a long time. Will I go again? No idea – this trip was almost too perfect, and the recent developments in Tibet are painful. A return might hurt even more. We’ll see if I dare.
Now, nearly 11,000 photos are sorted and edited, the photo book is on the shelf, and if you’d like a poster from this Tibet trip – feel free to check here!