Misplaced Cricket's photostream  

Visually this appeals to me. Textures were some how more dynamic here. The grass wall texture against the stacked stones with the laundry is delicious visually. The porters' baskets add. And they sit across the frame from the 3 empty gas cylinders, which are already tied together, awaiting the next porter heading back down the trail. They are echoed in the rows of soda bottles in the shop window. The doorway divides the photo into 2 parts very plainly, while the center character and the stone wall beneath binds them all together.

I took 3 other photos before this one. Then he saw my camera and flashed the deuces and stuck out his tongue (can you see that in this photo?). He's being playful. For me it shows how comfortable he was with the camera, with me and his surroundings. But photographically it also adds the variety of levity that was prevalent here. I often found the gravity of the living conditions very serious as I passed through, but here is it punctuated with the playful humor that is just as prevalent.

Then I remember that AC (the center character) bridges two cultures so very gracefully, humorously and naturally just as his figure connects the 2 sides of this photo.The juxtaposition of these is what makes me look back at this one.

A monk counting beads as he made repeated circles around the temple at Boudhanath, Kathmandu

There is beauty and temptation in the mountains. It comes in the anticipation of a mountain peak revealing itself from behind roiling clouds.

It took about 2 hours for this peak to show itself. Thankfully it happened right before sunset.
The larches here really, really made me wish I had brought my long lens. Alas, backpacking has its limits.

We drew attention from the neighbors when we arrived. Little faces watched us out the window for hours.

Larch trees turning gold against their gray cliffside home. Aasgard Pass at the base of Dragontail Peak