himalayas

Mustang (“Lo”) is a kingdom within the borders of Nepal but strides the Tibetan Plateau, and much of its culture is Tibetan. Mustang commanded key trade routes for centuries and boasts an unbroken line of kings (“Lo-Gyalpo”) from 1440 to present day. The topography is desert-like, with water and trees critically nurtured. Forbidden to outsiders until 1992, Mustang housed the base of the Tibetan resistance to Chinese rule, the Khampa warriors.
And on a personal note, my husband's family is from Mustang.




Photos:
Village of Jhong, in Bharagaon, near Muktinath, in Lower Mustang
Ani Mutik, my husband's aunt, preparing a meal on the fire
Sky burial location - A practice of tending to the dead, some Tibetan buddhists practiced sky burial as a way to return the body of the deceased to the elements.
Me crossing a plank bridge approximately 2 hours below Jhong