Checking in here, early Saturday morning, December 14, 2012. Reading some very sad news from back in the US that is bringing a somber feeling this morning. As we drove through the understated chaos on the streets of Kathmandu today, I asked Navan if crime was a serious problem in Kathmandu, with the densely packed population of about 1 million and little police or military presence. "Daniel my friend, our culture is built upon peace and compassion. We have been taught by our families respect each other, regardless of background, social level and religion. And besides, surviving day-to-day is hard enough- why make it more difficult with hate and violence?" I'm not here for social commentary, but in the three days that I have been here, I have felt a backdrop of peace and calm in the midst of what appears to be complete disarray in Kathmandu.
The author should not need to apologize, but as seems to be the case when I travel to a place like Kathmandu, I come with the goal of keeping a detailed account of observations, sensations and experiences and sharing those in real-time with people that care to follow. As is typically the case, the over-stimulation and sensual overload of a new place leaves me overwhelmed and exhausted by the end of each day and unable to do a reasonable job of organizing thoughts into text. We've thrown this poor Colorado farm boy out into a big world!
In addition, the purpose of this journey is not only to explore a new place and culture, but to enter into an indigenous community and to whatever extent possible, take part in the daily life of the people, learn about their way of living, and to use my knowledge and experience to help them to improve their quality of living while maintaining the tradition and culture. While we are here to provide help and teach the people of Kumari, it will surely be the case that we will be the ones receiving help and knowledge. Later this morning, we will load up in a beat up old Land Rover, and my friend Jagat Lama will take us to his home and welcome us into his community. I enter with an open mind, a warm spirit, and a compassionate heart. I hope to return having had a glimpse into a new culture, having made new friends, having gained new knowledge and wisdom, and having shared my limited experience to ease the daily struggles of the people of Kumari.
So far, this adventure has been a test of endurance, starting with the drive from Tribhuvan airport to the Mountain Volunteer House (MVH), where I am staying in Kathmandu. After exiting the airport through the crowd of insistent taxi drivers and meeting Jagat and Usha, Jagat negotiated with a taxi driver and we loaded into the small, 4-door, white, hatchback and progressed into the city on a roughly paved road joining hundreds of other cars, trucks and busses with any and all gaps being filled by motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian, feral dog and bovine animal! And the adventure promptly begins! A seeming free-for-all commenced, with each occupier of the road moving ahead and looking for a gap to fill and making liberal use of the horn to establish their presence. The 25 hours of airplane travel prior to arriving in Kathmandu was easy compared to this! Arriving at the MVH, Usha promptly prepared a Nepali black tea and I dropped my backpack and collapsed into a patio chair in the warm sunshine. Jagat left me to rest and the sisters, Tina and Usha (16 and 19), who care for the house, showed me to my dorm room and helped me to settle in. Namaste.
I napped for a couple of hours then took the opportunity to explore the surroundings. The mostly residential section, with tightly packed, 2-3 story stone and masonry homes and narrow winding roads/alleys, is directly adjacent to a large shopping complex with small outdoor vendors selling vegetables, handicrafts, cheap novelty gifts, knives, nuts and herbs. Being outside of the tourist area, I immediately caught the attention of nearly everyone that I passed, but was often greeted with a meeting of hands and "namaste". Dana, all 6 ft 4 in of him plus a large backpack and suitcase, arrived later in the evening after 2-days of travel, including an 8-hour stint in Guangzhou, and looked as though he had walked/swam from Salt Lake City. We spent the next day in recovery incubation, with the sisters being most hospitable. Jagat and Carolyn joined us at the house in the afternoon to discuss the schedule for the trip and necessary supplies and provision that we would gather for Kumari. After a delicious, home-cooked rice, Thai noodle stir-fry, and vegetable curry dinner generously prepared by Usha. Dana, I and the sisters sat around the living room, Dana and I catching up on happenings back in Utah and amusing ourselves with the excited conversation that the sisters were having which would frequently shift into Nepali song and laughter. The small dog, Jimi, sacked out at my feet and oblivious to the whole scene. This continued until 8pm, when the power load-shedding kicked-in. Lights throughout the city immediately shut-off and the sisters retired to their room where they studied by flashlight, preparing for a busy day of school and work at the house the following day.
Gopi Lama, a friend of Jagat's, came with his car Friday morning at 10am, just as Dana and I were waking from an after breakfast nap. We spent a thrilling day with Gopi and his friend Navan, navigating through the streets of Kathmandu, visiting beautiful Buddhist stupas and Hindu temples tucked into various parts of the city, ascending the stairs to the Monkey Temple to take refuge from the heavily polluted air in the city, wandering through the narrow streets lined with outdoor shops in Thamel district, and meeting with Jagat and Carolyn to finish the day with a delicious traditional Nepali dinner and traditional dance. An amazing tour of Kathmandu thanks to Gopi and Navan, and an incredible evening thanks to Jagat! Being thoroughly exhausted, we returned to the house and immediately collapsed into a heavy sleep. Tomorrow, onward to Kumari and a slower-paced, rural life.
It is almost certain that internet access will be non-existent in the villages, which means that I bid you all farewell for the next 3 weeks.
PS. See this facebook album for more photos:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100757549736243.2632393.19200474&type=1&l=a5b2b3a50c
The author should not need to apologize, but as seems to be the case when I travel to a place like Kathmandu, I come with the goal of keeping a detailed account of observations, sensations and experiences and sharing those in real-time with people that care to follow. As is typically the case, the over-stimulation and sensual overload of a new place leaves me overwhelmed and exhausted by the end of each day and unable to do a reasonable job of organizing thoughts into text. We've thrown this poor Colorado farm boy out into a big world!
In addition, the purpose of this journey is not only to explore a new place and culture, but to enter into an indigenous community and to whatever extent possible, take part in the daily life of the people, learn about their way of living, and to use my knowledge and experience to help them to improve their quality of living while maintaining the tradition and culture. While we are here to provide help and teach the people of Kumari, it will surely be the case that we will be the ones receiving help and knowledge. Later this morning, we will load up in a beat up old Land Rover, and my friend Jagat Lama will take us to his home and welcome us into his community. I enter with an open mind, a warm spirit, and a compassionate heart. I hope to return having had a glimpse into a new culture, having made new friends, having gained new knowledge and wisdom, and having shared my limited experience to ease the daily struggles of the people of Kumari.
So far, this adventure has been a test of endurance, starting with the drive from Tribhuvan airport to the Mountain Volunteer House (MVH), where I am staying in Kathmandu. After exiting the airport through the crowd of insistent taxi drivers and meeting Jagat and Usha, Jagat negotiated with a taxi driver and we loaded into the small, 4-door, white, hatchback and progressed into the city on a roughly paved road joining hundreds of other cars, trucks and busses with any and all gaps being filled by motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian, feral dog and bovine animal! And the adventure promptly begins! A seeming free-for-all commenced, with each occupier of the road moving ahead and looking for a gap to fill and making liberal use of the horn to establish their presence. The 25 hours of airplane travel prior to arriving in Kathmandu was easy compared to this! Arriving at the MVH, Usha promptly prepared a Nepali black tea and I dropped my backpack and collapsed into a patio chair in the warm sunshine. Jagat left me to rest and the sisters, Tina and Usha (16 and 19), who care for the house, showed me to my dorm room and helped me to settle in. Namaste.
 |
| With Jagat Lama |
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| The sisters in the courtyard at the house |
Gopi Lama, a friend of Jagat's, came with his car Friday morning at 10am, just as Dana and I were waking from an after breakfast nap. We spent a thrilling day with Gopi and his friend Navan, navigating through the streets of Kathmandu, visiting beautiful Buddhist stupas and Hindu temples tucked into various parts of the city, ascending the stairs to the Monkey Temple to take refuge from the heavily polluted air in the city, wandering through the narrow streets lined with outdoor shops in Thamel district, and meeting with Jagat and Carolyn to finish the day with a delicious traditional Nepali dinner and traditional dance. An amazing tour of Kathmandu thanks to Gopi and Navan, and an incredible evening thanks to Jagat! Being thoroughly exhausted, we returned to the house and immediately collapsed into a heavy sleep. Tomorrow, onward to Kumari and a slower-paced, rural life.
It is almost certain that internet access will be non-existent in the villages, which means that I bid you all farewell for the next 3 weeks.
PS. See this facebook album for more photos:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100757549736243.2632393.19200474&type=1&l=a5b2b3a50c
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