scenes from the beginning

of The Great Anatolian Road Trip.

a space to breathe

There comes a time when you need a break from the noise, dirt, and dust of Kathmandu. Thankfully, the botanical gardens at Godavari Park are a taxi ride away in what feels like another world— no more beeping and honking, no need for a face mask. Birds, bees and butterflies. Cool, green shade and leeches. Yes, leeches.

I got two that day.

fragile wings

for the butterflies

While out on our walks, I developed an interest in chasing down and photographing butterflies. This resulted in the eventual purchase of A Photographic Pocket Guide to Butterflies of Nepal— which, though the text has thoroughly abused the use of the exclamation point, provided me with names for these mysterious, seemingly weightless creatures. Nepal is home to over 600 species of butterflies, and it's astonishing what you can see without venturing too far into the wilderness.