Eclipse in Nepal

 

This morning was the 96% eclipse of the sun here in Nepal (~6:42AM). Elisa and I tried to get good pictures of this “once in a lifetime event”; however, monsoon clouds protected us! Nevertheless, as you can see, the valley below Anandaban is beautifully green as it should be this time of year with rice fields.  The pics are during, after peak and then later as it was brighter. The last pic shows a small dam set up in the valley. Although the monsoon rains have come and the fields are green with rice plants, you can easily see that the small reservoir only has a minor stream compared to what it is designed to catch. Monsoon is definitely less this year and it will be reflected in the crop yield. The leprosy clinic at Patan in KTM was the quietest I have ever seen. Schools and govt offices were closed. There are strong cultural traditions here regarding eclipses (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/22/content_11749650.htm).  We also heard that there were two bandhs going on in different parts of the valley.