A special section of a special city
Trip Start
Oct 16, 2008
1
11
23
Trip End
??? ??, 2009
Kathmandu,
Nepal
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The slopes were steep yet these people find a way to terrace them and create rice paddies. It is rice harvest time and the fields were populated with families cutting the rice stalks and laying them down to dry in the sun. Loaded like mules, people walk the harvested rice into town with enormous bundles atop their heads, and back.
Large dumptrucks loaded down with boulder rock from the riverbeds crowd the road and our bus constantly is on the otherside of the road passing
A ancient and holy Stoupa in moonlight
. Let it all go I remind myself--risk accepted. Risk it is. People warn me against travelling to this region because of terrorist activity and crime. My reply is the same as for most 3rd world countries "The greatest risk is in the transportation". Sure enough we pass a bus that had slammed into the rear of a dump truck when miscalculating a passing situation. The next day I read a short newspaper paragraph describing a head on bus collision. Despite the constant climb, the mountains kept emerging even larger ahead. Nearing the Kathmandu Valley the road becomes especially steep and winding with switchbacks. Traffic grinds to a crawl because Trucks are broken down every half mile. Some are overheated and stop to cool. Many have mechanics under the truck hard at work--in the active highway take note. One mechanic sits on the roadway with a engine block aside him with a hole in its side from a 'thrown' piston. What now he must be pondering.
This road fits one truck in each direction with no shoulder so a crippled truck means alternating which side of traffic flows. This must be a daily situation because there are police at each bottleneck trying to organize the traffic.
Nonetheless, we crest the peak and see Kathmandu Valley below. The valley rests at 5000 ft altitude and is surrounded by mountains another 2 or 4 thousand feet high. The real big puppies are deeper in yet. Maybe later.
At a recommendation of an fellow travellor I end up at a city section called Boudhinath (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cegx8wSR7g) of which is centered around a many centuries old stupa (http://www.manang.com/nepal/world_heritage_sites_of_nepal/bouddhanath.php)
An Enthronement Rehearsal
. I am lucky. This is a cultural religous center for Tibetan Buddhism (more so than in Tibet because of the Chinese occupation). No motorized vehicles allowed in this section of the city so it is quieter, less polluted, and very culturally rich. It is a world heritage site. Many travel the world to worship here with devotion one has never seen before. Like the 60 year old woman I watched who spent the whole day walking around the Stupa doing prostrations.....kneeling, placing hands down, sliding her hands forward on the ground (she wears hand and knee protection), lays face down with arms stretched fully forward for 30 seconds, stands up, takes two steps forward, and does it again. She will do this 100,000 times to achieve the merit she seeks. Devotion beyond comprehension! 60 Years old remember!
I love the people. Friendly, hard working, polite, honest.
The nights are cool here...maybe 50F or so. The days get in mid 60's. I have been here a month and have yet to see a grey cloud, let alone any rain. I dont think I even saw a cloud when in India! No complaints by me!
The food is great and inexpensive (dinner for a buck or so). My guest house is $3/ night.....it is no Comfort Inn though.
Tomorrow I travel to Kopan for my retreat. I visited today. I am ready!
Love to all.
