Nepalese wood carving
If you have any interest in wooden carvings you'll be overwhelmed by the abundance in Nepal's Kathmandu valley.
The three towns of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur were once separate kingdoms and rivalry between the Newari kings led them to compete to produce the best architecture. Typical Newari palaces and temples are covered with intricate woodcarving and the artisans of Nepal have long been famed as some of the best on the Indian subcontinent.
Wandering round these towns you'll inevitably see the finest architecture and woodcarvings in the the Durbar Squares, the old town centres which are now world heritage centres.
But the most rewarding thing is to wander randomly down the narrow lanes and alleys - you'll coming across small squares and courtyards with old stone statues of the Buddha or of Ganesh that have been worn smooth over years by devotional hands and the monsoon rains.
You see woodcarvings in all shapes and sizes - carved window frames, beams with a small figures sandwiched between the brickwork and roof struts covered with mythical creatures and erotic details.
The era of the Kings of Kathmandu commissioning the finest craftsmen to out-do the Kings of Patan and Bhaktapur is in the past - but Nepal isn't just a museum, woodcarving as a working practice is still alive and well, in backstreet workshops you'll see men and women carving new panels for hotels and creating tourist souvenir models of the famous buildings.