Krazy Kathmandu - Buddhist Temples, A "Break Down" and Dal Bhat

Nepal - Day Three - Kathmandu

Just as I fell asleep to the sounds of the night, so I awoke with the sound of the morning. Before dawn the little birds started rousing, then the larger birds, until finally the day was started. It was still before six, but we were all awake, so out we went to see if anyone else was stirring at the hotel.

Up nice and early as well are our new friends, and hosts for most of the trip - Fionna, Rhona, Jaimie and Durga. The family hail from Nelson and Rhona and Jamie are eleven year old twins - just the perfect age to mesh with our kids. Durga, their father, who grew up in a poor rural Nepali family, managed to pull himself up out of the poverty and now runs First Steps Himalaya, the grass roots charity organization that we've come to Nepal with. The aim of the organization is to bring a higher standard and awareness of education to the rural countryside and I am really excited to be a part of this kind of charity work. (More on this part of our adventure later, I promise!) Fiona and I hit it off right away. Both of us foodies and travelers, it's going to be fun to learn about Nepal through their eyes.

The kids take to each other as most kids do, seeing the sameness in one another. Liam is so immensely pleased to be doing this trip with another eleven year old boy. And it would be my guess that Jaimie is similarly pleased!

After breakfast we all pile into Durga's pick-up truck again. This time with no luggage he puts the four older children into the back (which the kids think is the most amazing thing that's happened so far) and the rest of us crush into the cab. I am a bag of nerves having my babies out there in the elements, but really, I just need to get over it. They are fine, apart from asphyxiation from smoke fumes! Out we go into the city. It's just as crazy as the day before, but with a full night of sleep it seems just a bit more manageable. The heat is starting to build, quite a bit hotter than when we first arrived.

lining up for petrol

I know I mentioned it in my last post, but the driving scene here is just absolutely chaotic. No one uses lanes. Monkeys scamper along the overloaded power lines. Pedestrians walk calmly through the cars. Smoke and smog and god knows what else is being kicked up into the air. Cows sit in the middle of the road dully chewing their cud, obviously on some kind of bovine power trip.

Our destination this morning is just a bit north of the city. We are going to Boudhanath, a holy pilgramage sight for Tibetan Buddhists. 

 

As we leave the safety of the car and walk down a narrow alleyway, I have to admit I'm wondering where the heck we are going. But then suddenly we emerge out into the square where the giant stupa of Boudha dominates the skyline, the eyes of Buddha stare down at me and the smell of incense overpowers. It's like we've stepped back in time and entered another world.

 




This stupa is on the ancient trade route that led from Tibet down into Kathmandu and has been visited for more than a thousand years. There are some conflicting dates but it seems it was first erected about 500 AD, with the stupa we see today dating from around 1500 AD. It's 36 meters and widely rimmed by buildings some six stories tall housing monasteries, restaurants, guest houses and the usual array of stores selling incense, prayer flags and the like. 

The kids join in the prayer wheel spinning

Inside one of the monasteries

Tibetan women at Bouhda

 

Boudha stupa is a massive whitewashed structure with a large dome and topped with the eyes of Buddha looking out in four directions. Prayer flags gently flap in the wind leading the eyes up to heaven. While at the base are many shrines burning incense and prayer wheels set into the lowest walls of the stupa, ready and waiting for the faithful who spin them as they walk around in a clockwise fashion saying prayers.

Clara, Liam, Jaimie, Rhona and Juliet on the first tier of the stupa

When the Chinese took over Tibet in 1959 thousands of Tibetans fled the country to escape the religious persecution of the Maoist regime. Many followed the Dalai Lama to India, but even more settled here, around this most amazing temple. Now there are something like 50 Buddhist monasteries surrounding Boudha and as we walk out into the crowd over half seem to be local Tibetans, noticeably different in dress, and intent in their prayers. The sounds of bells being rung and the sound of chanting coming from the monasteries fills the air. I'm not Buddhist, but I can feel the peace that the cloud of intense meditation around me brings. 

While Buddhism is not the main religion of Nepal (the majority are Hindu) it is interesting to know that Saddhartha Gotama - later known as Buddha - was actually born here. I've always been intrigued by Buddhism as it is more of a philosophy than a religion. No "holy wars" have ever been waged in the name of Buddha, and he never claimed to be a god, or to take his word for granted. Please question all my teachings is his commandment. More like a philosopher or a scientist than a holy man. For over 2,500 years his teachings have been a strong part of this world, and it seems that even in this day and age of ultimate greed and gluttony, his teaching ring true. 

I find it interesting to watch the faces of the Tibetan devotes as they go about their morning prayers and we spend quite a bit of time circling the stupa. We are allowed to walk up to the first level and end up walking around the entire dome with our mid line view. The dome above, and the devotees and prayer wheels below. There aren't too many crowds and no westerners (besides us!) to be seen. 

Bouhdhanath

Lemon Soda on the rooftop restaurant on the square is our next order of business. At nearly eye level to the giant eyes of the stupa, you get a bit of a birds eye view up here, and have a quiet break before descending down. After the obligatory stop in a Thanka studio, the Tibetan religious artwork, and a demonstration of a Tibetan singing bowl, (ohhh soooo, coool) we leave the peaceful Bhoudhanath and re-enter the Kathmandu crazy traffic.

Very Fancy Dal Bhat - Lentals, Rice and Veggies

Luckily we were headed back to our hotel for lunch. I decide on the traditional Nepali meal of Dal Bhat - lentils and rice - even though I know I will probably be sick of it by the end of the third week. I'm keen to give it a go, and, spoken as a true foodie - YUM. It's not spicy the way that Indian food tends to be, but with enough kick to feel that you are getting a digestive kick. 

With jet lag hitting everyone we decide to spend our afternoon enjoying the tranquil poolside environment that our hotel, The Summit Kathmandu, provides. With the buildings creating a shelter from the honking traffic and the trees and flowers providing a pleasing view, the coolness of the pool refreshing all of us, we spend a languorous afternoon. It makes me feel as if I'm floating in some colonial British dream - India circa 1880. But then I realize, oh no, I'm in the 21st century. Dream time has to pass.

It's good Friday and we are meant to be shopping for goods to take with us to the "project" later in the trip. The "project" being the region where First Steps Himalayas have set up their operation, introducing proper teaching and classrooms into the disadvantaged local schools. I have some money generously donated by friends back in New Zealand to provide classroom materials and with things being so much more affordable here, I am happy to spend the afternoon choosing books and games for the centers.

And amazed I am with how far the money goes. 1 New Zealand dollar is worth approximately 85 Nepali Rupees. But many of these games and books are just a couple hundred Rupees. We leave the bookstore with boxes of books and early childhood games. It will be interesting to see how they get distributed later on in the trip. 

Car trouble?

After the book store we need to make a quick stop at the French Embassy so that Durga can pick up his passport, but alas there is no parking. So, what do we do? In good Nepali style we "fake" a breakdown outside the embassy and while Durga is inside getting his paperwork sorted Randall and Fionna peer under the hood of the car as if something is wrong. No one questions us. It seems to be normal procedure here. Ah well, sometimes you just roll with the local customs. 

We end up back in Thamel for an amazing Maharaja style Indian dinner. I must say that I was a bit skeptical of going back to Thamel after the craziness of yesterday, but today it seems calmer and more manageable. I guess after 24 hours we are getting into the rhythm of this new country.

The last drive home does feel like forever though, partly because we are tired, and partly from the manic driving. As we weave through the narrow alleyways and congested streets of Thamel, one of the kids leans over to me and says in a quiet voice "I miss New Zealand driving".

Amen. 

Tomorrow we are leaving Kathmandu and heading off by airplane to start the trekking part of our journey. So for tonight, it's goodnight and sweet dreams.