Mt Everest and Kathmandu - grand finale of tour

It was incredible to actually see Mt. Everest which is the highest peak on the left side; at 29,029 feet above sea level, the summit of Everest lies on the border of Nepal and China

Built in 1757, Kumari Ghar (House of the Living Goddess) is known for its magnificent carvings; there was a lengthy process involved in selecting the actual living goddess

Jagganath Temple, built in 1563, is widely known for the erotic embellishments carved on the roof struts; it's the oldest structure on Durbar Square

With the smog and haze in Kathmandu, you'd never realize that the Himalayas are so close; 8 of the 10 highest mountains in the world are in Nepal

There were thunderstorms every day we were in Kathmandu including when we visited the Swayambhunath Temple; fortunately, we didn't climb the 365 steps to reach the temple

he Himalayas include over fifty mountains exceeding 7,200 m (23,600 ft) in elevation, including ten of the fourteen 8,000-meter peaks

After seeing Mount Everest, champagne was served to celebrate; everyone on the plane had a window seat and we flew out to Everest and back so both sides of the plane got the same views

We visited the Swayambhunath Temple (aka Monkey Temple) which has been an important center of Buddhist learning for centuries; in Kathmandu we were told not to use water from the tap, trust only bottled water (even the monkeys don't trust the water!)

The Hanumandhoka Palace, dating from the mid 16th century, is spread over 5 acres; the palace complex is a series of 14 courtyards but most of it has been closed due to earthquake damage

The flight to see Mount Everest and the Himalayas cost $200; the flight was about an hour and the cost included pick-up and drop-off at our hotel

This large, tree-like structure was built for a special celebration and was to be wheeled through the city; the Kathmandu valley is home to 5+ million people and stands at 1400 m above sea level

Tbe Mahadev Parvati temple is dedicated to the Hindu gods Shiva and Parvati; located on Durbar Square, tourists have to pay $9 to enter the UNESCO area

The power lines resembled a frizzy Dallas wig having a really bad hair day; the lines went every which way and rather than repair one they just run a new line

Lifted by the subduction of the Indian tectonic plate under the Eurasian Plate, the Himalayan mountain range runs west-northwest to east-southeast in an arc 2,400 km (1,500 mi) long

So many temples in Durbar Square, like the Maju Dega Temple, were destroyed in the 2015 earthquake and still haven't been rebuilt; the city has allocated $500,000 to restore the temple by October 2020

You were supposed to have your wish granted here at the World Peace Pond if your coin landed in the open urn; confusingly, both India and Nepal use the rupee as currency but their values are different

We were given a handy guide so we could follow the Himalayas on our flight and know what we were looking at; if you don't see Mt. Everest you don't have to pay for the flight!