Voyage

So our flight left at about 11pm Boston time. They sky was dark as we pulled away from the gate. During the flight most people had their shades draw and I did a lot of sleeping. I happened to notice one or two light spots in the cabin over the course of our flight but when finally landed it was still dark. I spent an entire flight in a seat in a plane. It was dark when I left, it was dark when I arrived. It was dark for all eight hours of my layover, dark when I left there. I did not see light again until began our decent to Katmandu.

Over all the trip involved a lot of sleeping and a couple of movies. The biggest surprise came as we were coming in for a landing. There is a lot of pollution that hangs in the sky here. So much so that many people walk around wearing masks. Apparently the pollution that comes out of the cities in India gets blown by the air currents into the mountains but not over the mountains and so it hangs in the air in lower lying areas like the Kathmandu Valley.

As I walked down stairs into the tarmac and I was greeted by a familiar face. It was a face I have seen though it can take many forms. Shiva is said to live in these mountains and from Shiva's hair springs "Mata Gunga" the goddess Gunga, which flows from the mountains and across the northern plains of India. Shiva is the most revered Hindu god in this part of the Hindu world, and why not, the Himalayan mountains are home for Shiva. For a little more on Shiva click here or here.

Just some Meandering Thoughts...