Swayambhunath Buddhist Temple, Kathmandu

Off in the distance is the gleaming gilded spire of the Buddhist stupa which is considered a glorious architectural achievement.

This is also called the "monkey temple."

Are we there yet?

Rhonda posting to the blog.

Bodhnath

This enormous stupa with Buddha's eyes looking at you, is frequented by thousands of pilgrims daily where they make a ritual circumnavigation of the dome. This is one of the few places in the world where Tibetan Buddhist culture is accessible.

Albert's bargain for a singing bowl.

Pashupatinah temple area, Kathmandu, Nepal

Nepal's most important Hindu temple is located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River. It is a Hindu spiritual power place where devotees and their families worship and where cremations take place on the ghats (stone steps).

Some of the local characters who seem to hang around the holy places charging tourists for their pictures.

A surrealistic view through multiple small temples housing the creative Hindu icon of the lingam, a phallic symbol signifying Shiva's creative powers.

The grouping of small white towers the background is one of Mother Teresa's homes for the homeless, sick and mentally disabled.

First Anniversary Dinner

We celebrated our first anniversary at an ancient Nepalese mansion eating a typical Nepalese dinner and entertained by tribal dancers.

The Great Wall of China

We decided to go to a less touristy part of the Great Wall that was further out of Beijing. It was a rainy day so we opted not to walk over hill and dale.

Giant Panda Bears, Beijing Zoo

We were surprised at how big the giant panda bears really are. They are solitary creatures that prefer to be and live alone.

Beijing 798 Art Zone

798 is several acres of an abandoned military electronics complex that has a new life as the country's cutting edge art movement. Al and I have never seen artwork like this anywhere else in the world. Al is mimicking how the young Chinese girls pose for every picture that they take of each other.

We walked into a blank room and a light show suddenly began after the water was poured into the clay pot. Wild!

An exhibit of the actual train that was crushed in a mountain tunnel during an earthquake.

A computerized light show of thousands of light bulbs on strings held from the ceiling in a space that was 10x10x10 that changed colors and patterns to pulsating music.