Photo Kathmandu

The first few days of November saw Photo Kathmandu spread itself out through the dusty warren of alleyways of Patan in the Kathmandu Valley. Patan is the oldest city in the valley (Lalitipur, its other name, means “city of beauty”) – and this was the first international photo festival in the country. It couldn’t have been more of a success if it tried. Inspiring, insanely well organized, well curated, engaging…Photographs adorned walls throughout the ancient city, the bricks under them rounded by centuries and still standing after April’s devastating earthquake here. Despite a crippling fuel crisis that is clouding the mood and logistics of the country crowds came to see them – touching the images, feeling them, debating the captions, giggling, even crying. There were no sterile white gallery walls, no archival glass or whispered niceties (kids screamed with laugher during the evening slideshows…a highlight!). At night the conversations continued, friends were made, idea’s shared, pop up galleries stuck to walls. I can’t say thank you enough to Nayantara Gurung Kakshapati and @nepalphotoproject (Sumit and Tara) – the inspirations behind being here, and the reason I got on a plane. Not the slightest regret.