An old woman struggles down the mountain. On her back she carries a woven basket filled with straw. She glances shyly at us. Despite her advanced age, she seems remarkably agile. She carries the basket effortlessly. It's probably fodder for her animals. Sometimes stones or tea leaves are carried as well. Every now and then, you spot an empty basket by the wayside or on stone walls. Who carried them, and why were they left there?

 

At an open-air street stall in Kathmandu, I discover large baskets of fruit and next to them, in small clay and terracotta bowls, the traditional "Juju-Dhau", a sweet yogurt made from buffalo milk.