Please find part one here:
In part two, we shall look at things at a more human scale, like the below image showing “Mt. Machhapuchhare (22,958 ft.) and Phewa Tal” (lake), sent in 1984:
When I searched for the place—Pokhara, Nepal—I found the following photograph of Phewa Lake on Wikipedia, which looks, well, literally identical to the picture postcard (and according to its caption, it was taken in 1982):
Another one, showing the Temples of Hanumandhoka in Pokhara, Nepal, was sent to my grand-aunt in the same year:
Finally, the Tengboche Monastery, also sent in 1984, is shown in front of Mt. Nuptse, Everest (behind), Lhotse, and Ama Dablan, as the caption on its reverse indicates:
According to Wikipedia, which holds that the monastery compound was destroyed in 1989, the picture postcard from 1984 shows the compound before that point in time.
I was in Pokhara when that first postcard would have been taken. Went back in 2019 and funny, I did not recognize the place. Yes, Dal Lake seemed the same but the town infrastructure has grown so much. I tried to find the place I had stayed in 1984, but it was not possible. Also saw Tengboche that year. Sad to hear that it was destroyed. Nepal is one of my favorite places in the world. The Chinese are doing a real disservice to the country and its people--like they've done in Tibet.
Incredible pictures. A whole other world