Day 2 - Kathmandu

Our first stop today was to Swayambhunath Temple (also known as the monkey temple).  This is a Buddhist Temple that can be reached by climbing 365 steps from street level.  Yet, at the top there is a mix of both Buddhist and Hindu areas of worship. 

The reason it is also called the monkey temple is the fact that they are all over the place.  They may be in the trees, running past you as you climb the stairs, sliding down the hand-railings,eating some of the offerings people have left, or just sitting on a statue watching everything from their perch.

It is believed that Kathmandu Valley had been covered by water at one time and the place where this temple sits was on a hill that arose from the depths of the lake…the name Swayambhunath means ‘self arisen’.

Worshipers make their way around the main stupa ,with the eyes of the Buddha, in a clockwise direction.  They leave offerings for the priests or Gods (represented in various forms of carvings and statues throughout the temple area), turn the prayer wheels, get advice from priests, and visit with others while the sound of prayer flags flapping in the wind can be heard throughout the area.

We noticed a number of people who use the climbing of these steps as a means of exercise only – running up to the top and then performing a variety of exercises (sit-ups, stretches, lunges, etc) before making their way back down.

I guess everyone worships in their own way.

Our next stop was Durbar (means, palace) Square.  This was once the area where the king would have lived.  It covers a very large area.  Despite some of the buildings needing reconstruction after the earthquake of 1934, many buildings date back to the 17th and 18th century. 

There was so much to see - from tantric carvings to the Kumari Bahal (house of the Living Goddess) and from the Great Bell to the colourful Holy Men who wandered the streets.

We spent quite a bit of time in this area, but still had a lot planned for the afternoon.

(note: will post more after the trek.  I type this the evening before we leave…so better go and pack)

Day 1 – Kathmandu

After getting our tourist visa at the Nepal Airport (USD40/person) we cleared customs, and picked up our bags.  As we walked outside, the first thing we saw in the mass of people on the opposite side of the road was someone with a sign which read TAMMY - ADVNEPAL.  We knew that was our guy!

He quickly pointed us in the direction of the car that was waiting for us.  Before long, we shared the Namaste greeting with Gyan, the tour company partner that we had used for the time we were spending in Nepal.  He placed a garland of marigolds around our necks (that had been made by our guide, Gyanendra) as a welcome to Nepal.  Namaste.

The car – a 1972 vintage Mercedes was being driven by Gyan’s driver, Bokta.  After getting on the roads, we realized the importance of a being with a good and incredibly confident driver.  Apparently, there are ‘rules of the road’, but we couldn’t imagine that there were.  People drove all over the place, honking, passing within millimeters of other cars, motorcycles, bicycles, tuk tuks, rickshaws, and buses…all the while, stray dogs would wander into the traffic, people would cross at any location, and then there were the cows.  Everyone came to a stop for a cow – a sacred animal in the Hindu faith.

Hard to imagine all of this in a big city.  You have to see it to believe it.  But, they do it with flair and far less road rage than we experience in Toronto traffic.

Our hotel was once a Rana palace.  The clean white exterior of the hotel retained some of its original beauty with massive columns, beautiful lawns, swimming pool. I wouldn’t say the rooms were palatial…but they had been recently renovated and were clean, comfortable…and had wonderfully hot showers.  Taking a look at the clientele, it seems that Mark & I managed to skew the average age down – most were much older.

After checking in, we decided to walk to Thamel (not far from our hotel) so that we could exchange some currency, check out the many trekking and artisans’ shops in the area, and finally to have our first Nepalese dinner at ‘The Big Belly’ restaurant.

We are meeting our guide at 7am the next morning for some sight-seeing.  So, off to bed.

Dal bhat

The traditional Nepalese dish is daal bhaat…daal is like a lentil soup and bhaat is rice.  It will often come with curried vegetables and sometimes, spicy achar (pickles).  That was our first meal in Nepal. 

The whole idea is to mix everything together.  Some will use their hand to roll up the mixture into balls and eat it from their hand.  We chose to use cutlery this time around…but maybe next time!

We’ve been warned that since we’ll likely be eating a lot of daal bhaat while trekking, we’ll likely get tired of it.  But, at least for now…mmmmm!  …or maybe it was the fact that it was accompanied by the Everest beer!!

It seems that we’ve already done a lot since we’ve arrived with very little down-time.  But, we head off to Pokhara tomorrow and then begin our trek the day following.  So we’ll try to catch up a bit and send a couple of updates before we head off to the mountains.

Having fun!

Our first ‘view’

Our flight from New Delhi to Kathmandu departed on time and within about 35 minutes or so, we could already see the Himalayan Mountain range poking through the clouds off in the distance.  What an incredible site.  Of course, as we drew closer, they seemed so much larger. 

I began taking photos out of the window, thinking they couldn’t get better than this.  We watched the video screens and noticed that we had only a few minutes before landing in Kathmandu…and then, we started circling around.  At first, we thought that the pilot wanted to give those on the other side of the plane a chance to see the mountain peaks in the distance, until he did a complete circle…and then another, and finally he announced that weather was forcing us into a holding pattern.  We had to wait to see if it would clear enough to land.

After the third or fourth loop around, we were ready to just land and get on to the adventure.  Finally, we began to descend.  As we broke through the low fog, the view of the now-harvested rice fields in the terraced hills just outside Kathmandu was beautiful.  Apparently, it is so much more lush-looking in growing season, but the monsoons have long-passed and as such, it wouldn’t be a good time to grow anything.  Irrigation systems just don’t exist like we see in farmer’s fields at home. 

Either way, it was the perfect welcome to Nepal – mountains higher than any other in the world and the sculpted fields that hug the foothills.  We were embarking on an exciting adventure.

New Delhi

We arrived at the airport in India a short while ago.

If you don't have an Indian visa and are flying through Delhi, you must wait in a special transfers area. It doesn't matter how long you have between flights...you cannot leave the airport (nor this special area) without a visa.

Since we did not arrange an Indian visa, we had been warned to look for airline attendants as soon as we were off the plane in Delhi, as they would direct us on where we needed to go. After speaking with three different individuals, we managed to connect with the right ones.

It's a bit of an odd feeling as they leave with your baggae tickets and say "It may take awhile. We'll return".

Standing in this cavernous 'wait area', with only our carry-on bag...and now no claim tickets for our checked baggage, it could be a bit unnerving. But looking around at a few other passengers sprawled across seating in this place...some sleeping, some staring off into the distance in an early morning haze, others reading...we know we're not alone. This is just how it's done. And yes, this may take while...but we've got time! A nice 4-1/2hr layover before our flight leaves for Kathmandu.

By the way the chicken curry with mixed pickles (spicy) on the inbound flight was really good.

Abu Dhabi

We made it to Abu Dhabi and took the opportunity to try one of the computer terminals located on the way to our transfer gate (onward to Delhi).  25degC here.  Flight was 12 hrs...went by very quickly.

Hope to check in after we get to Kathmandu

SPOT GPS – :(

Apparently the SPOT (GPS messenger device that we’ve used previously for checking-in while in more remote areas) is unable to offer coverage to the area where we’re trekking – poor satellite signals.  So, we’ll rely on good ol’ internet to update the blog when we get to urban centres.

Just know that we are having a blast wherever we might be.

Nepal & Bhutan

Nepal is a place that we’ve always wanted to see and experience, thanks to fantastical stories of the Himalayan Mountains and all that lay at the feet of those tall peaks. 

It was reading about the first successful summit of Mount Everest in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay that really put Nepal on the map for me.  I envisioned a country with cold, harsh conditions - a destination meant for serious mountaineers only.  Reading Jon Krakauer’s accounts of the 1996 climbing season in his book Into Thin Air, only solidified that perception.

But, the more I read, the more I realized that Nepal had so much more to offer – the beauty, the people, the culture – I couldn’t wait to explore some of the country.

Bhutan is a more recent addition to our list of places we wanted to visit.  I had picked up a book called The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World written by Eric Weiner and I opted to read it aloud when Mark & I were on our way home one weekend to see family – yup, I am the less expensive version of the audiobook.  Over the course of a few road trips, we finally followed along with Weiner to his observations of Bhutan…and we were hooked.

While most countries rely on the economic situation of their country to determine the health (and possibly, happiness) of their nation, the former King of Bhutan felt that the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) may not be the best indicator and had chosen to institute Gross National Happiness (GNH) as a more appropriate indicator of a nation’s well-being.  I won’t go into detail, but feel free to read about it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_national_happiness . 

The concept and subsequently, the country, definitely piqued our interest. 

This, combined  with the fact that tourism in Bhutan is still somewhat ‘new’ and very regulated, made it intriguing.  Visitors must have pre-arranged services with an international or local Bhutanese tour operator before being granted a visa – alas, no chance of showing up at the border and hoping to get in! And, there is a minimum daily tariff amount that must be paid prior to arrival, making it less about ‘watching your budget’ and more about ‘enjoying the cultural experience’.

A photo of just one of the reasons to see Bhutan – Taktshang Dzong (also known as Tiger’s Nest Monastery) built into a cliff:

(photo credit, via Wikipedia, Douglas J. McLaughlin, 2006)

The Himalayan Mountains beckon

It may not be the most expansive country, in area, but when it comes to height…Nepal is tough to beat.  With 8 of the 10 highest peaks in the world, Nepal has been the destination of choice for avid mountaineers and trekkers alike for years.

The Himalayan Mountains have held a certain mystique.  It’s a place where mountain climbers have revelled in the triumphant summit of the highest mountain in the world - Mount Everest, and a place where hopes and dreams have perished along the wind-swept mountain sides. 

But for those of us who may never reach that kind of pinnacle, the lure of the mountains is just as strong.

We’ve decided to head further west of Everest and trek in the Annapurna region.  Our ‘destination’ will be Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) at 4200m where we will experience the beauty of those 8000+m peaks while touching the mountain a few thousand metres below.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

How does a child know what they want to be?  Looking back in an old elementary school book journal, apparently I wanted to be a nurse.  Why?  I have no idea.  I’m not too fond of hospitals, I get a little nauseous at the sight of blood, and I still turn my head away when I’m getting a needle.   But, it seemed like the ‘right’ kind of job.

I had a secret desire to ride the Dickie Dee Ice cream bicycle around town - unlimited ice cream - but hadn’t considered what I would do for the other 8 months of the year. 

I loved art and I enjoyed exploring – but I never considered that I could be a painter, or a photographer, a travel writer, or tour guide and get paid for it.  Do people really get paid for something that brings them true enjoyment?! 

Our guidance counsellors surely didn’t offer up those suggestions.  They always focused heavily on ‘certain’ careers – accountant, doctor, lawyer, teacher, engineer, nurses…and despite my hula-hooping skills, a career with the circus was never suggested…hmmmm!

Kids are now facing a world where preconceived notions are thrown out the window and replaced with an ‘anything is possible’ mindset.   Extra curricular activities abound, choices are many, and passions are explored.

Whether it’s hockey, art classes, basketball, gaming, soccer, swimming, cooking classes, or yoga…the cool thing is that there are careers that await them in one form or another if they decide to continue along a particular path.

To see these kids ‘shine’ as they follow their passions is exciting.

I recently was made aware of a program being held in Oakville – for kids and adults.  Oakville Painting Studio offers art classes and is the brainchild of Ixchel Suárez.  What started out as a way to teach her own children the basics of art, has turned into a place where children can learn and explore their creativity.

Friends of ours have two girls, Madison and Lauren, enrolled in the program and I have to say – wow!  I’m beginning to wonder if I should put in an offer on one of their paintings now, before market demand makes it unaffordable.   Great job girls! 

Between running races, triathlons, soccer, skating, dance, and now art classes…it seems that the future holds some interesting options.  I wonder which path they’ll take.

For more information on the Oakville Painting Studio and some of the great pieces done by other students, check out Ixchel Suarez’s blog at http://oakvillepaintingstudio.blogspot.com .

(Photo credits of the girls - Ixchel Suárez)