It's Gai Jatra festival again

Boy, it really feels like we've been here a long time now I'm saying to people "Yes, I remember what Gai Jatra is, I was here for it last year". I probably explained it on the blog last year so I won't try again in case I say something different. Basically it’s a traditional Nepali festival (festival of the cow) that Blue Diamond Society has adopted as a gay pride festival. With the metis (male-to-female transgenders) dressed up in their finery, we walk/dance (no, of course I don't dance)  along behind a band through the streets of Thamel (the main tourist area) before lighting candles for those who've died in the last year and returning back to our office for food - not quite on the scale of Sydney or Rio Mardi Gras (our metis would go down a bomb at those) but great fun. I'm knackered after, what was for me a long, very hot walk so no more words, here's some pictures.

 

 

Cheers

Roshan

 

P.S. Sheila went to the same festival (the strictly straight version) in Bhaktapur so she might have some photos of this to post in a couple of days.