Some of the greatest memories I carry are of the people I have met during my travels over the last forty years. Most just pass through your life and are gone. Others make a lasting impression while a few may become friends. I first traveled to Nepal in 1980. It was an impoverished but fascinating country where almost all the merchants were crooks. Everything for sale was an antique. “Dis veddy veddy old!” was, I joked, the national motto. The only way we could escape the constant nagging of the vendors was to climb to the top of the Manju Deval temple near the center of Durbar Square, built in 1692. There we could read our guidebooks in peace. I did become friendly with one merchant. Every morning Moan (Mo-an) would unroll his carpet at the base of the Manju Deval temple and display his wares to the passing tourists. I got in the habit of sitting with him for a few minutes each morning before I went off for the day. Friendly and well spoken, he also made a great cup of tea. Before I left I purchased a small Buddha figure from him that he assured me was not veddy veddy old. At our last meeting he asked when I would be visiting Nepal again. I said I didn’t think I would be back. There were so many other places I wanted to visit. He smiled and said, “If it is your Karma, perhaps we will meet again.” Twenty years later I was back in Kathmandu. As our group was visiting Durbar Square I asked some of the merchants there if they knew Moan. Now middle aged he had found success and ran a small shop on the edge of the square. I reminded him of the Buddha figure and we had a pleasant visit. Over the years we occasionally exchanged letters. I never failed to recommend his shop to anyone I knew planning a visit to Nepal. On April 25, 2015 at 11:56 Nepali time, a 7.8 earthquake struck the Kathmandu valley. The Manju Deval temple, where we had sought shelter from ravenous merchants was utterly destroyed. The ancient city of Bhaktapur, heavily damaged. You can see my favorite image from that town here: http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=2371665&np This too is gone. At times like this you think of the people you have met and wonder how they are. Ashok, the twelve year old who hired himself out as a guide to pay for his schooling. Kumar, the manager of Cheez Beez Bandar (perhaps the greatest name for any business in the world). The owner of the San Francisco pizza restaurant with its yak cheese topping. Today I received a phone call from a mutual acquaintance with information from Kathmandu. Moan and his family had been buried when their home collapsed around them. His wife and grown son made it out alive. Moan did not. If you can, take a few minutes and say a prayer for Moan, his family and the people of Nepal. They will be hurting for a long time.