"A to B" is never just "A to B" in Nepal!!!

Namaste again!

Thought this needed it's separate entry, cause well, it's just one of those things! :)

So, the bus to and from the starting point of our Langtang trek usually takes 10 hours via public bus, which can be an experience on it's own. On the way there, the bus aisle was packed with cement and rice packs and TVs/computer equipment was everywhere. Not to mention the men and women of all ages and children that crowded both the inside of the bus as well as the rooftop! It was quite a bumpy and dusty ride (our nose "discharge" was black for a few days!), but the ride back gets even better...

Freshly showered after our trek, wearing my flip flops to rest my poor abused feet, John and I were ready for the journey, even with the dust and bumps. We were both quite looking forward to letting the bus do the transporting for us for a day! However, after a rather non-eventful start to the trip (it wasn't even crowded, nor was it dusty since it rained the previous night!), after lunch our bus stopped along side a collection of stopping buses. Apparently there was a strike ahead to protest the actions of a man who killed his wife up ahead on the route. According to the guide from a couple of other tourists, there was shooting ahead as well...

We (us + 6 other tourists plus a friendly guide) debated waiting a four hours assuming that the strike would be clear, or walking. After much debate (it was a hot day and about 2 hours walk, plus we weren't sure how safe the situation was), we tied up our hiking boots and began the pilgrimage with quite a number of locals. We took a detour though the village fields and sweaty but safely traversed the protest (which by now was just a blocked road and a torched motorcycle in front of the family's home).

We tried flagging down some buses, but they were all full, so like the adventurous tourists we are, we climbed up to the rooftop to experience the ride in a slightly different context! The bars on the top made for an "interesting" seat, but the view of the valley and villages more than made up for the bruised bum! It was also very exhilarating observing the numerous near misses of motorcycles and other buses, as well as waving to the other "roof-toppers" on other buses!

So in the end, we were quite fortunate that our Shyabru Bensi --> Kathmandu bus ride provided us a few bonus opportunities- a rural trek through a village way off the tourist trek alongside the locals, as well as a complimentary roller coaster with better views than Playland! I was telling John that that's what I love about traveling in countries like Nepal, something as predictable as taking the bus from A to B is always a little more exciting than purchasing a ticket and waiting for the destination!! ;)

Happy journeys! :)
Kristy

Langtang + Tamang Heritage Trail Trekking... beauty!

Yaks... I love'em!
Namaste folks!

John and I have spent the couple weeks trekking in the Rasuwa region of Nepal (North of Kathmandu, below the Tibetan border) which was really a neat experience.

We began the trek on a relatively undiscovered region called the Tamang Heritage Trail which is being marketed by Nepal tourism under it's Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Program, a more grassroots and culturally sustainable mode of tourism. We spend 5 days trekking and saw only one other tourist which was great. The Tamang people are Tibetan descendants and their culture is quite similar. The women wear dresses with beautifully coloured aprons and multicolour felt hats (the hats are specific to the Tamang). Milet is big, as are potatoes and we sure had our share of Tibetan bread! We stayed in homes and small guest houses, which was a great way to observe and learn a bit about the local culture.

Then we spent the rest of the 10 trekking days is the Langtang area which was quite diverse in its biophysical characteristics, ranging from walks along the river under lush forests with monkeys to glacers and barren landscape with yaks munching away at the existing green. We also ascended Cherko Ri (our smaller version of Everest, with elevation of almost 5000m). The view was absolutely breath taking (or maybe the elevation helped with that feeling!!!), surrounded by blowing prayer flags and white tipped mountains and glaciers- it was sure a memorable experience. We even saw the mountains of Tibet!

Trekking for that long (longer than hikes I've previously done) was definitely humbling and a great way to travel... though we always jumped at occasions to jump into the river to rid ourselves of stench!! (brrr!) and my blisters near the end of the trek gave me the best lesson in patience in my life! But the locals were amazing, always smiling at our attempts at Nepali and Tibetan and it was always a pleasure interacting with them. It was nice to see that tourism is still quite manageable in the region, though in some of the villages, we witnessed some pretty persistent would-be vendors. Unfortunately, I didn't fool them in my Tibetan dress that I actually was a local- I can't quite figure out how I didn't pass under the radar???!! ;)

All in all, a very enjoyable time and great way to see some of the diversity that exists in Nepal.

Namaste and hope everyone is doing well back home!
Your sati (friend),
Kristy

Here are some shots... enjoy! :)

A Terry Fox of Tibet?

While John and I were getting quite tired of trying to find the New Bus Park yesterday, there was a bit of a crowd coming down one of the main streets in Kathmandu. Here was a Tibetan monk doing full prostrations on a pilgrimage from Tibet for "the benefit of all sentient beings". Prostrations are quite taxing and it was pretty inspiring seeing this man, among the buses, tuk tuks, cars, tractors and bikes that make even crossing the street a challenge!

Needless to say, my mindset completely changed, wiping out any trace of complaints about the heat, polution or the fact that we seemed to be walking for hours!!!

Interesting!

Be well! :)

Kristy

Patan and Newari architecture

Namaste!




While going through photos to upload, I realized that I skipped over Patan (in the Kathmandu valley) which is a beautiful showcase of Newari architecture, one of the Nepali cultural groups which is predominant in the valley). So here are a few shots...





I was blown away by the detail in the wood carvings surrounding the eves and the windows. I've got lots to learn for sure! Another aspect which I found really interesting is that the buildings are build around a central courtyard where the daily activities of washing clothes, drying out grains and such, and just meeting up with the Jones' occurs. What a great concept, something our big cities have very much overlooked...





Nways, hope the pictures are appreciated! Way too many power outages today, which has made uploading a challenge, so please enjoy! :)

Pheri betola,


Kristy

Namaste on behalf of my friend Buddha

After a very profound and contemplative 10 day course on Tibetan Buddhism at a gompa, or monastery, far removed from the crazy life of Kathmandu, I feel it's time to add to the blog...

But first, a quote:

Stop.

Be still.

Remain silent.

Meditators should be seen,

Not heard.

Ssshhh.

Still.

All the senses.

Let everything be.

Let go, and let it all

Come to you.

Relax.

Being is in.

Doing it out.

Do nothing.

For a moment

Just be.

Silence

Is golden.

Enjoy.

(Lama Surya Das)

It has been a very interesting week with lots of sitting and meditating and learning amongst the safron robes of the monks and nuns. I have learned a lot about the Buddhist philosophy, which is all about self discovery and developing compassion towards all other beings. Beautiful really, the Dalai Lama is quoted as saying: "Kindness is my religion". And the laughs of the Tibetans is truly as joyful as ever- they can sure light up the room with their smiles and spontaneous laughter. Pretty amazing for a culture that has been so victimized, and still is today.

Lots of profound moments. Namely the notion that our inherent, objective and concrete view of ourselves is an illusion that is real, only by convention (a conceptual reality), but the ultimate reality of all phenomena is emptiness. Not to say that Buddhists take a nihilist attitude towards the reality, but that everything is dependant on everything else and impermanent in nature. This was a profound realization to me, though I don't think I fully grasp the full implications of this ultimate truth, but it made me realize that our attachments to "myself" of "I" is the root of many of our challenges in the world, from war to personal issues we face. Anyways, I'm not claiming to understand all this, but perhaps it's an interesting thing to ponder.

In addition, talk of karma and reincarnation were other topics that came up a lot, that I'm still questioning a lot and meditating on. But I think the biggest lesson for all of us, on which Buddhism is compassion, that we are all dependant and thus will all be happier if we work for the benefit of others.

And living in the moment, of course is a biggie. That I'm really working on, a shift from my very future oriented tendancy. We spent every morning in silence till mid-afternoon and the last few days in silence and doing hardcore analytical meditation on compassion, death, and such. Yikes. Hardcore!

Anyways, in short, a great experience though boy am I tired of thinking and contemplating!!!

But to leave, I will write one more quote:

"One instant of total awareness is one instant of perfect freedom and enlightenment." (The Wisdom Diety, Manjusri)

Peace and greetings to all.

Namaste,

Kristy

This image is a traditional "Puja" or offering to thank Buddha for passing on his wisdom in the main Gompa (temple) at Kopan. Kopan has about 300 or so monks studying there. There is much chanting and food offering (including the very popular instant noodles, biscuits and of course tea!). Oh, and lots of insense! The Tibetans also occasionally sound trupets and the big gong drums as well as cockle shells- not really the most harmonious sound in the world, but it's pretty cool considering the context! ... I'm always amazed that the students, even the little monks, can sit for over an hour when my feet go to sleep in like 10 minutes!!! ...

From dredlocks to well, just more dreadlocks and traffic!

After spending about a week in Pokhara, by the lake, John and I are recharged and well ready for some Kathmandu time again. This morning we visited the India Embassy to try to get visas for India (which is quite the process and we'll have to go twice more to get it all sorted out!) and are now preparing for our course on Tibetan Buddhism.

I'm quite enjoying learning more and more about life in Nepal and any opportunity I get to see the non-touristy version, I'm game. Eating with one hand, I've discovered, is much more fun that using cutlery, and I much prefer public transportation. Though if I could get away with not wearing sunscreen like the locals, I'd be much happier!! :)

Not much else to report, besides lots of learning, exploring and taking in all the sights. Just wanted to include a short blog to keep somewhat current. So interesting here and looking forward to our upcoming adventures.

Many cheers,
And Namaste (of course!)
Kristy :)