by John Fredricks

Stacked
In Kirtipur, homes are stacked along a spiraling road to form one of the oldest hilltop communities in the world. Atop the hill rests a Buddhist monastery complex open to foreigners for a charged overnight stay. It remains one of the best views in the Kathmandu Valley within the city limits of the capital.

Kirtipur, Nepal. 2012.
 

Crowd Control
An officer of Nepal's armed police force looks onto a crowd of college students protesting for agricultural reform. Protests for government change is a common occurrence in Nepal, and they begin to die down toward the beginning of monsoon season.

Southern Kathmandu, Nepal. 2012.

Lake Phewa
Fishing boats await for an oncoming storm which are frequent during Nepal's monsoon season.

Pohkara, Nepal. 2012.

Boudhanath Temple
The Boudhanath Temple in Katmandu is one of Buddhism's most valued sites. Birds are given seed daily by the monks on site that care for the temple. It was made into a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, and remains one the capital's most sought after destinations for tourists.

Katmandu, Nepal. 2013.

Festival Gathering
Boys gather together for the annual Rice Festival outside the busy streets of Kathmandu.

Outside Kathmandu, Nepal. 2012.

Construction
Building projects, improved roadways, and more reliable power went underway in 2013 for Kathmandu. Though listed as number 27 of Foreign Policy's failed state index last year, the capital city has become much more organized politically and geographically since the report.

Kathmandu, Nepal. 2013.

Chitwan Speed
Motorcycles are the preferred mode of transportation in Nepal. They are fast, cheap to maintain, and they can handle the rough and potholed roadways throughout the country.

Chitwan, Nepal. 2013.

Kathmandu Busboy
A young man in Kathmandu earns his income by shouting the destinations of the bus he works on. The transit system in Nepal operates by local knowledge, and without his role, passengers are guaranteed to end up at the wrong location.

Kathmandu, Nepal. 2012.

Misfits
Two young boys learning at a school outside of Krishna Ngar snuck out of their classroom to meet staff members of Nepali human trafficking mission K.I Nepal.

Krishna Ngar, Nepal. 2013.

Smoking Ban
In Kathmandu, smoking in public is an offense ticketed by police. The ban on public smoking began in 2012, and crackdowns are more aggressive than ever before. The smoker pictured hides his face while traveling on a bus in Nepal's capital.

Kathmandu, Nepal. 2012.

Protesting for Reform
CPN-UML affiliated Youth Association Nepal protested for state reform as the Nepali President was due to pass by in a government convoy.

Kathmandu, Nepal. 2012.

Kathmandu Traffic
A man waits for friends along the busy streets of Kalanki in Southern Kathmandu.

Kathmandu, 2012.

Rice Festival
Young school girls join other Nepalis in a mud fight for the annual rice festival. The festival is celebrated before the farming season begins, and children leave their schools early to take part in the fun.

Outside Kathmandu, Nepal, 2012.

Crowd Control
Nepali crowd control officers worked to keep CPN-UML affiliated Youth Association Nepal members from blocking a presidential convoy due to leave Tribhuvan University.

Kathmandu, Nepal. 2012.

Secret Service
Nepali Secret Service agents requested for photographers to leave the area as President Ram Baran Yadev arrived for a speech in central Kathmandu.

Rural Village Life
Women in the Nepali Countryside gather to for the annual rice festival in the next village. Nepalis celebrate the festival before the farming season beings each year.

Nepal, 2012.

The Struggle to Survive
A disabled man in Thamel plays music for donations in a busy shopping area. Many Nepalis are struggling financially, as the small country depends highly on agriculture and tourism.

Thamel, Nepal. 2012.

The Next Generation
Young village girls enjoy an early school dismissal to celebrate the annual Rice Festival with their friends and neighbors. Nepalis celebrate the festival at the start of every harvest before monsoon season.

Nepal, 2012.

Kathmandu Taxi Service
Taxi drivers line every street of Kathmandu, making it possible to live in Nepal's capital without a car. Drivers often struggle to meet the financial needs of their families, and sometimes work 24 hour shifts to make ends meet.

Kathmandu, Nepal. 2012.