Nepal... At one point insane, at another completely calming. Is it the people? Is it the spirit of the land? Lumbini: the birthplace of the Buddha. Pokhara: a lakeside town blessed in the course of the Buddha's travels. Kathmandu: immortalized by the soft vocals of one Yusuf Islam, better known as Meow Stevens. A place where enlightenment has befallen many before us. At the same time, there is trash in the streets and children playing among broken glass. The organized chaos flows around us, while we witness peoples of various backgrounds interacting on different levels. The Nepalis defer to us as "kohire," and the Tibetans defer to them as exiles in their land. In one day, we can be drinking "cha pu cha" (tea with butter and salt- don't ask) and partaking in the wily ways of the Funky Buddha.
Lindsay has departed, but it's fun to see all the places we visited together as I walk around town. There is the Stupa (or shtoopa) at Bodhnath where we walked with reverent Buddhists and met Thangka artists. We also have our restaurant- the Garden Kitchen, which features a killer Banana Milkshake and monks saving three-legged kittens.
Now I am preparing for my journey to Damak in the eastern region of Jhapa, near India. We were able to visit some of the refugees preparing to travel to the USA in a few days. Rarely do we see people after our interviews, so the opportunity to see them actually traveling was very fulfilling.
Yet another adventure in books and there's always more to come!
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