Namaste Nepal!

 

Hey there! I made it. 5 days ago I left LAX in a 777, took a break in Chiang Mai, Thailand, caught up on sleep, ate some pad Thai and drank way too much Thai ice tea, got on an Air Asia air bus and flew from Chiang Mai to Kathmandu. Phew!

I did get off the air bus feeling pretty perky, the decent departure and arrival time in the afternoon made me feel some what normal instead of a jet-lagged zombie. It was an easier shift to go from mellow Thailand to another chill country, both with a strong Buddha vibe. The night before I left we had a terrific thunder and lightening rain storm, the sky dragons were talking, as my friend Karma would say, and I lay in bed wondering if big planes can fly in thunderstorms, having found out last time I was in a pre-monsoon thunderstorm, the smaller planes can’t. All planes took off this morning, including our “Airbus” which is just as it says-a bus that flies, with no frills or food or even instant coffee. Thankfully, my sweet Thai hotel made me a box lunch before I left  to take with me, along with a banana and a juice box, just like I was going to school.

Bhupendra, who has been a constant helper and friend to Hands in Nepal, was at the other end, waiting patiently with all the locals, on the edge of the 

Parking lot, waving when he saw me and ran to grab the cart with my 53 pd. suitcase and smaller but not much lighter, carry-on. We caught up on news as his driver dodged in and out of the crazy traffic that zigs and zags with no rhyme or reason. Amazedly, despite no traffic rules other than common sense, everyone seems to avoid hitting each other.  Boudha gate, where we dropped off, was crazy-crowded, people clogged the official entrance, so, pulling the heavier suitcase to part the sea of people, me tagging behind as best I could, Bhupendra cut a trail through a side alley and we broke through the crowds to the great Stuppa plaza.

Nepali New Year, like in Thailand, started today, shops, business and schools shut their doors for one day, and it felt as if everyone had taken a holiday to the great stuppa. A endless herd of people circled clockwise around its base, stopping to talk, buy ice creams or boba tea, and light a candle.

Some celebrated by turning the great prayer wheels at the plaza’s center. I ran across 3 “Didis” from a hill tribe dressed in their Sunday best, colorful saris and their best jewelry and head scarves. We smiled and Namasted, I gushed over their dress and how beautiful they looked and asked if I could take their photo.Of course they obliged, it was a rare treat for them to get to see how they looked in picture mode.

By now, having done my own Kora (the Tibetan word for circling the Stuppa), knees aching and wanting a lie down, I said goodbye to Bhupendra and diverted off to my hotel, the cozy Tibetan run Mandala. 

Tomorrow will be a full day of Hands work-visiting Mala at Bal Sarahi school, meeting with Kelsang’s wife, meeting our successful engineer graduate Anata and seeing another Hands friend, Govinda.

It will be my one full day in ancient Kathmandu before flying again, this time on to Pokhara and Kavita, where we have mucho work to do during my time there. 

Time for rest! Good-night yak, good-night monks, goodnight everyone!