Later in the afternoon two horsemen ride into the village, it seems the monk wants to buy barley from them. An hour later they return to camp with two bottles of Godfather beer, for us!
Worn and faded prayer flags, tall lhatos of willows and juniper tied with white scarves, piles of bleached blue sheep and yak horns, some carved with On Mani Padme Hum.
Kathakali is a traditional dance drama originating in 17th century Kerala involving colourful and elaborate costumes and make up, stylised movements of the hands, head and eyes, drumming and, sometimes, songs.
Throughout northern India and Nepal you'll see variations on Jali carving. The term "Jali" comes from the Urdu word for "net" and describes a solid surface has been carved to form empty spaces in the surface.
So what should I sit on to meditate? We discuss different suggestions and present a couple of designs of elegant meditation stools that can offer good support to help you achieve a good posture for meditation.