Day 26 - Kathmandu, Nepal
Another 11 hour journey back to Kathmandu on what is known as the Highway of Death. The roads have experienced recent flooding and landslides so covering 120 klms takes half a day. There are many wrecked vehicles along the road that are a testoment to its nickname. It can be a hairy ride with several near misses and a huge sigh of relief when we arrived in one piece.
Many of the trucks are decorated as are some market areas. There are many, many goats being herded on the roadside sprayed with different colours. These have come down from the mountains and will be sacrificed for Dashain a huge festival which starts today. Dashain is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated by Nepalese of all caste and creed throughout the country. The fifteen days of celebration commemorates a great victory of the gods over the wicked demons. Thorough out the kingdom of Nepal the goddess Durga in all her manifestations are worshiped with innumerable pujas, abundant offerings and thousands of animal sacrifices for the ritual holy bathing, thus drenching the goddess for days in blood.
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