Monkeys, Mountains and Music Videos

Seeking a respite from the noise and pollution of Kathmandu, Heidi, Ben (another MCCer and our new best friend) and I ventured up to Balaju, which lies a bit northwest of the city. We were anticipating a relatively stress-free day of hiking and breathing less toxic air. As is the case with many of the day-to-day things we do here in Kathmandu, our hiking escapade proved to be quite an adventure. We caught a bus that was headed toward Balaju and enjoyed a typical commute (i.e. buses, trucks, motorbikes, bicycles, people, cattle and goats vying for their rightful place in whichever lane of traffic they choose, horns blaring, traffic police blowing whistles that everyone ignores). The bus dropped us off near Balaju, and we walked a mile or so to our hiking destination. We were looking for a "main gate" where the hiking trail, leading to a Buddhist temple and lookout point, supposedly began. We found what appeared to be the beginning of the trail and were happily on our way, enjoying the change of scenery and a magnificent view of the northern part of the Kathmandu Valley. After walking for several minutes, Ben mentioned that he really wanted to see some monkeys. These words were barely out of his mouth when we saw a family of monkeys sitting on a brick wall about 15 feet away. They seemed to be as surprised to see us as we were to see them. A few baby monkeys hid sheepishly behind their mothers. One appeared to be sucking its thumb. We were ecstatic, taking pictures and marveling at our good fortune. Continuing on the trail, we soon realized that we were surrounded by monkeys. They were everywhere- sitting on both sides of the path, swinging in the trees above us- and they didn't appear to be as friendly as at first glance. Our enthusiasm quickly turned to fear, which was exacerbated when a creepy looking Nepali man appeared out of nowhere, pointing at the monkeys and making biting gestures with his mouth. It was a scene straight out of a horror movie. Needless to say, we retreated as fast as possible. After regaining our composure, we decided to try walking past the monkeys, hoping that the "main gate" was close by. Without making eye contact, we cautiously walked through the monkey gauntlet and made it to a gate. However, this was not the gate we were looking for; instead of leading to the hiking trail, it led to a restricted army post.
Time for Plan B. In addition to the hiking trail, the town of Balaju also features a series of water gardens that are centuries old. Unsuccessful in finding the trail, we decided to check out the gardens. As luck would have it, we stumbled on the shooting of a Nepali music video--with very flamboyantly dressed dancers (see picture below). Could the day get any better? After walking around the gardens enjoying the various fountain sculptures and beautiful plants, we were able to get directions to the "main gate" so we continued our search for the elusive hiking trail. Another twenty minutes of walking took us to the gate where we each paid 10 Nepali Rupees to enter the park area. It was now close to 11 o'clock, and we were excited about the glorious view that awaited us at the end of a short hike (or so we thought). The guard at the entrance told us the temple was a 1/2 kilometer away and showed us to the start of the trail (where there was a sign that indicated the trail was 5 kilometers long). Nearing the hottest part of the day, we were soon drenched in sweat as we climbed a series of earthen steps that seemed to go straight up. Up, up, up we went with no end in sight. When we stopped to take a breath, we were immediately swarmed by mosquitoes, despite the insect repellent that we slathered on our legs every few minutes. There were places where the trail flattened out, but these were few and far between and were always followed by another grueling ascent. Granted this was not Mount Everest or even a mountain by Nepal standards, but it was kicking our butts. From the small glimpses that we could get of what appeared to be the top, we realized that we had at least another hour of climbing ahead of us...and we'd already trudged uphill for an hour. The combination of humidity, mosquitoes, and a dwindling water supply was too much. We turned around. Although the descent was nearly as difficult since our legs felt like jello, we were quite happy to reach level ground.
Having had enough adventure for one day, we took a taxi to Thamel where we knew we could find a restaurant that served familiar food. It may have been divine intervention that led our taxi driver to drop us off near the Rum Doodle Restaurant, where all great trekkers eat. Although we're not yet in that category, we did enjoy their fantastic brick oven pizza, along with copious amounts of water. My adventures were not quite over. A few minutes after sitting down at the restaurant, I felt something moving around in my shoe. I looked down and saw a leech crawling out of my shoe. I quickly removed both shoes and realized that I had a leech on each foot. Why not? It seemed like a fitting end to an adventurous day.




Note: Monkeys are cute in zoos.


Nepali pop stars!


In case you can't tell, Ben is much taller than us.


The infamous leech, along with my blood, smeared on the floor of the Rum Doodle Restaurant.

People, Places and Things

Sometimes, when there is so much to say, it's difficult to say anything. How do we put all our experiences into words? Well, this morning I woke up to the sound of gentle rain, with words spilling out of my head--although most of them were Nepali--and I couldn't sleep, so I suppose it's a good time to write...

On Thursday we went up the hill and visited a daycare for mentally handicapped children, where our fellow MCC friend, Ben, will be working. We walked quietly into a room full of joyful noise! We sat and listened to the children (about 30 of them) sing and clap and dance, and we clapped and tried to dance along. It was chaotic and beautiful and heartbreaking. I admire the wonderful volunteers who are putting their time into these children...they are needed greatly. Many children suffering from disabilities will not have the opportunity to be taken care of like this, or even on a basic level.

On Saturday, we drove half an hour up into the hills (what we'd probably call mountains at home) to visit our new Nepali friend in his home. His village sits impossibly on the top of the hill, with breathtaking views of the city, factories, gardens, rice paddies, and the surrounding mountains. We made our way up to his rooftop (which isn't all that easy when you are an American going up stairways built for Nepalis--lots of crouching), where the view was even more vast and indescribable. I'm pretty sure my mouth stayed open in awe the entire time. I am already running out of adjectives! Unfortunately, I blacked out while taking in all this beauty--it literally took my breath away! Who knows, maybe I just can't handle a little altitude...I sure hope not. Our friend quickly whisked me inside and laid me down on cushions and fanned me and gave me sprite to drink. And then we all shared a delicious meal together. In a strange way, I felt like a little queen for those moments. The Nepali people are truly the most kind and gracious people I have ever met. After lunch, I went back home to rest, and Amos continued on a tour of the village, its people, gardens, and ancient holy places...the beauty never ceases. We put our camera to good use that day...
































Other highlights from the week included: buying plants for our apartment using lots of hand gestures, meeting our language teacher, figuring out where to buy milk and how to properly boil it, discovering a "Barnes and Noble" bookstore and playing Scrabble by candlelight.

Mmm, food

One of the things we were looking forward to as we anticipated our move to Nepal was the food, and we have not been disappointed. Dahl bhaht (lentils and rice) is a staple, and it's usually combined with curried vegetables or other vegetable dish, and a flatbread. Dinner is always a delicious surprise, whipped up by Sara, our lovely Nepali cook. It's an understatement to say that we have been well-fed, as we're still working on the Nepali words for "If I eat any more, I'm going to burst". But since we're walking like crazy every day, we can actually eat pretty impressive amounts of food!

Here are a few pictures of Nepali food:


Getting ready to dig into momo's




















Buffalo yogurt in a clay pot



















A standard sight at almost every corner



















Heidi enjoying a lassi















A not so appealing food sight. If you look closely, you can see what these goats will become.

Kathmandu Air

The sun rises, illuminates the Himalayas
Bells and birds and Hindus sing
Dogs speak their own language
Roosters make themselves known
Women beat rugs, sweep porches
Horns blow in the distance like music

I wait for water to boil for my tea
I make quiet tiptoes across the marble floor
Dishes clang softly together as
I put them back in the cupboard

Outside, masked men ride away on motorcycles
Gates slam shut behind them
Neighbors greet each other, Namaste
Unseen men and women go to market

From the rooftop, green gardens grow
Gentle monsoons feed their roots
I breathe in their oxygen
I breathe in this Kathmandu air
Wild, dirty, beautiful air

Snapshots of Kathmandu

Double rainbow that greeted us upon arrival
















View from our rooftop















Beautiful children (& beautiful Heidi)















What is that in the distance?















Another view from our rooftop

Not In Lancaster Anymore

We have officially been welcomed and enveloped by the sights, sounds, and aromas of Kathmandu. It is breathtaking, lovely, overwhelming, intoxicating. It is a city of paradoxes--beggars asleep under the eaves of ornate temples, women in beautiful clothing trudge through muddy streets, extravagant textiles hang alongside animal carcasses. We take it all in with curious eyes and ears and noses, absorbing this magical place.

Today is our second full day here, which made us feel particularly brave. We went food shopping for the first time. The produce stands are a stream of endless color. I bought a mango in the rain. We also had our first experience eating out, trying mo mo (a delicious vegetable dumpling-type food) and lassi (a creamy fruity drink). We also bought some decorative handicrafts to make our house feel like home. It may take a while, but it is a beginning.

Until next time, Namaste!