Nepal

We just returned from a short trip to Nepal. As well as doing a little buying for our stores, it was a great chance to explore some of our favourite places there.
One of our favourite things to do is visit Nargakot, a town in the hills looking over towards the Himalayans. You can watch the sun rise over these mighty mountains if you are up early enough. We then like to walk down the hills toward Kathmandu, exploring the countryside as we go.

 

 

Marigolds were blooming everywhere, seemingly to thrive on neglect.

 

 

The name of the guest house we stayed in in Nargokot translates to 'sea of fog'. In the early morning that was certainly true, as fog filled the valleys and only the mountain tops were visible.

I love to walk through this countryside. The houses clustered together with the goats and cows tethered nearby. The gardens full of produce or being prepared for planting.

 

This cow enjoying her breakfast with a friendly chicken.

 

Here is a woman bringing home the feed for the animals. The downside of tethering the animals.

 

At this group of houses everyone seemed to be busy organising the recent rice harvest.

 

A woman with a basket full of veges for the market.

 

The houses are built with a combination of stone, bamboo, wood and mud. It made for some interesting houses. The ground floor is for the animals. The people live upstairs.

The rice had just been harvested, and the empty terraces were being planted in potatoes for the winter season. There were a lot of terraces filled with canola in full bloom. The hillsides glowed with the yellow flowers.

 

 Here we have a cone made of corn. Dried and stored for the coming season. Behind the corn are some Chinese greens, and in the terracing in the background we have potatoes growing.

These women are hauling what looks like composted manure to their fields as they prepare for planting

A shrine nestled amongst the flowers in the guesthouse we stayed in.

 

A vendor selling flowers for offerings at the temples. Lots of garlands of marigolds.

 



Produce being sold in the market. Lots and lots of cherry tomatoes.

 

A man outside his house weaving a basket.

In Kathmandu the streets are busy with people buying and selling.

 

More flowers sold for offerings at the temples

The ubiquitous marigold growing in a crevice at the base of a wall.

 

 

Karen Village

As part of our mountain trip we spent some time in a Karen village. Walking around, tasting coffee and buying some green coffee beans for our new coffee roasting business.

 

Underneath each of the houses there was a pig tethered. Ready to be fattened up for the table.

 

This mother and child caught my eye because of their matching hats.

 

Pots filled with fresh potting soil to start new coffee seedlings

 

I don't know what this plant was. The fruit and leaves were both eaten. The fruit came neatly packaged right off the tree.

 

Doi Inthanon

We recently visited the botanical gardens in the mountain of Doi Inthanon in northern Thailand. Doi Inthanon is the tallest mountain in Thailand and is actually the first peak of the Himalaya mountain range.
On the way up the mountain we saw the ubiquitous rice fields ready for harvest. The golden yellows of the fields are glowing at this time of the year.

 

This mossy roof seems to do well in the damp environment at the top of the mountain.

 

The miles of plastic hoop houses are where the cut flowers are grown.Complete hillsides were covered with plastic.At this time they seem to be growing mostly chrysanthemums.

I love the yellow of this bamboo.

 

It is very striking grown in scattered clumps around the garden.

There were 100's of rainbow chard grown on the slopes in the botanical gardens. I want to go back in a month or so when it has grown up a bit.It will be stunning. And you can eat it too.

 

There was of course a lot of coffee trees. Looking very decorative as the berries start to ripen. The harvest will be in December.

 

On the way to the waterfalls it was a surprise to see hillsides clothed in tree ferns (or pongas if you are from NZ)

Huge waterfalls high up in the hills, with dozens of smaller waterfalls meandering down the hill side. Lots of bamboo bridges spanning these streams.

 

An unfurling frond from the tree fern.

 

Yet another waterfall. The volume of water coming off the mountain is tremendous.

 

A friendly bird of paradise to end the day.

Flower market

I love to visit the flower market in Chiang Mai. It has several acres of plants, pots, decorative bricks and paving stones. Parts are set up like a small village , and there are a lot of ideas to be had from these setups.
This entry I like a lot.

In some of the buildings there are artists living like the one below. What a great place to live.

 

Another flower stall in the market.

 

An eye catching pebble mosaic path.

Another entrance into one of the stalls that would look great going into any garden space.

Bodge and Ya's garden

A few days ago we spent an afternoon visiting our friends Bodge and Ya. They have an amazing place. Surrounded by rice fields, they have taken about 8 acres, and turned it into a permaculture paradise. There are fish ponds, worm farms, fruit trees, vege patches, mushrooms, chickens and ducks and a growing number of picturesque buildings that comprise of their thatched roofed house, rice barns, and other outbuildings. To drive down their driveway is like approaching a small village set up in the surrounding rice fields.

Here Bodge is explaining what's going on at the moment.

 

A still life scene with the cart/motorbike trailer and stone wall.

 

They grow many varieties of rice from the traditional Jasmine rice, mountain rice, sticky rice, red rice and a red sticky rice that is a striking red coloured plant (see it in the background of the first picture).

 

The ducks patrol the rice field for the giant snails and their eggs. As well they provide lots of eggs for the kitchen.

A stunning red dragonfly in the rice paddy.

These pomellos are like a giant grapefruit with dryer sweeter flesh.

 

In the vege patch there are young gourds

 

Thai basil in flower.

 

Okra with their hibiscus type flowers.

 

Perennial chili bushes. These will ripen to a bright red colour.

 

This new compost heap has the pipe down the middle to help with the air flow. The pipe was very hot to touch as the pile heats up.

 

Here is a heap that was formed 3 months ago. Full of worms and ready to go on the garden beds.

I can't remember the name of this plant. I thought the fruit were very striking looking. The young leaves are eaten and are very tasty.

 

Lots of papaya on the trees.

 

And lots of coconuts on the palms.

Here is a close up of the red sticky rice.Looks like it is going to be a good crop.