Wander

We took some time to do some exploring in the small city where we are staying. It began with something really crazy. A drive to the top of one of the mountains that surrounds Surkhet valley where we are staying. 

To the Right is the mountain we drove up. The picture is taken from the roof of the small hotel /hostel we are staying in.

At first the road was they typical bad road that I have come to expect in this rural western Nepali region but as we went further and further up the mountain the road went from typical bad to unbelievably bad to "are we sure this is even meant for a car?" kind of bad. 

When we finally arrived at the summit, I took a minute to get my stomach out of my throat, then proceeded to hike around and see the sights. There were some small shops, and by shops I mean small huts with a few things for sale in them. 

It is a sheer drop from the top of this part of the mountain to the valley floor. When the updrafts are right thrill seeking hang gliders will launch from up here.

A short trail around the top gave us great views of Surkhet Valley which has become the new district and provincial capital so there have been a lot of construction and improvement projects in the works which means the roads are a mess, only short sections are paved.

We explored around the summit area for a while and began the stomach wrenching drive 

back down to the base of the mountain. After a short drive and time for recovery we made to a Hindu temple and worship area. The Deuti Bajai Mandir is the most well known Temple in Surkhet. There is a specially dedicated area for offerings to be made by the foot impressions of Shiva on a rock. 

This Shrine complex to Shiva (inside) is a hub of Hindu worship and religious activity at certain times of the year.

I am not sure what people offer to Shiva but I can tell you the flies really appreciated the offerings.There was one priestess there helping people with their offerings. There were also to women who were washing out one of the shrines. I suppose even the gods need baths 

once in a while. It is interesting that there are candles lit on the side of the shrine symbolic of prayers like Catholics do, and there are bells towards the front for prayers like the Buddhists. It seems that religious activity is religious activity no matter where you go. It is like... pick a religion, light a candle, say the right words and hope someone is listening.

After the Hindu temple we took a stroll through a park which was really a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of the dusty roads and angry horns of vehicles trying to tell you to get out of the way so they could get by. It was about as close to zen as I have come on this trip.

Bulbul Lake is one of the bright spots in this dusty city. It was recently cleaned and renovated and now seems to be a hub for teens to hang out.

We walked around appreciated a few moments of quiet and serenity and headed out for the last part of our excursion. The site we were headed to next is perhaps one of the oldest if not thee oldest touristy site in Surkhet. A little slice of history is what I really love.

This Buddhist temple or perhaps shrine is better is called Kakre Bihar. It is a Hindu-Buddhist Temple Near Birendranagar city where we are staying. Kakre Bihar has a shaped like the seed of a cucumber so it is called Kakre bihar. The Nepali word 

for cucumber is Kakro. The stones of what remains are strewn around the site and you can see by walking around that they are recreating the intricate designs of the broken stones so that each piece can be replicated and replaced.

This temple is believed to be built on 12th century by a famous king who fell in love with the Surkhet Valley. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1866. Form what I can tell reconstruction this has been a very long process beginning back in the 1980s.

There is a somber beauty that surrounds this place. Almost like walking through a graveyard that even though it looks like it is falling apart you know there is some very old even ancient significance and presence to it. I wonder what it was like 500 years ago to walk the steps to this temple. I wonder how people felt as they approached its imposing size. Perhaps like the Europeans as they approach the Gothic Cathedrals of the middle ages - and still today. 

I suppose this is what religions do. They build massive and impressive structures hoping these structures will impress the God or gods they revere and honor. Religion wants to remind you how small you are compared to the greatness of the deity to which it points. They tell you this is where you have to go to worship your god so that when you get there you can't help but think how small you are when thinking about this god.

What would be really impressive is if one of those gods or God lived as a human so that they knew what it was like to suffer and experience pain and loss rather than just imposing their will all the time. Is that too much to ask? Hmmmm

Just a Meandering Thought...

Tihar

So, does anyone out there remember the sitcom, "The Office"? You probably remember Kelly and her on again off again relationship with Ryan right? Do you remember the episode where they go and celebrate Diwali and Ryan has the awkward meeting with Kelly's parents, and Michael sings the Diwali song? ...The Office at its best. 

BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling at an event of some kind for people from the office.

Well, I have to confess that at the time that episode aired I really thought that Diwali was something made up for the show. It was not til a while later that I discovered Diwali is an actual celebration in Hinduism. Well it is Diwali festival time here in Nepal and I am experiencing it first hand. Many people know it as Diwali but the hardcore Nepali people will tell you that here in Nepal it is the Tihar Festival.

This festival of lights is typically celebrated between mid-October and mid-November. It is the second biggest festival in Nepal after Dashain. This festival lasts for five days and people worship Lakshmi – the goddess of wealth. 

Businesses will put up strings of lights as a means of inviting Lakshmi to bring wealth and prosperity. These are the outside of buildings lit up in Kathmandu.

All the houses and businesses are cleaned and decorated with the belief that goddess Lakshmi will enter the house that is the cleanest and bring blessing. (Kind of like Santa but without the presents.) People light candles, oil lamps and other lights and the homes and even entire neighborhoods light up like an American Christmas. 

During the five days, crows, dogs and cows are honored for their roles in the life of a Hindu family with vermilion, (the red dot on the forehead) garlands and festive food for what they have done in the lives of their human benefactors. Crows are regarded as the messenger that brought news even during times when there were no postmen and no postal services. 

This dog was very honored on Dog day of Tihar (Tuesday). The red is a symbol of blessing on him for watching over the home or business of his owners.

Dogs are considered obedient animals and they watch over the homes as true guardians. Cows are also a symbol of wealth in Hinduism and they are also the national animal of Nepal. The festival ends with Bhai Tika – brothers’ day, when sisters honor their brothers and pray for a long and healthy life and brothers pray to safeguard the lives of his sisters.

If Nothing else Hindus are very mindful of the members of their family. It is a trend I have noticed in Eastern cultures whether it is Hundu, Buddhist or Muslim. Americans think that have it all figured out except we can't seem to get family dynamics figured out. In the East, family is much more important. I think we could use a little more of that in the West.

Just a Meandering Thought...

Surkhet

The final leg of my journey has brought me to the city of Surkhet. Surkhet is a district (the size of a large county which functions more like a state) in the south west of the country. Not terribly close to the majesty of the great Himalayan mountains.

A picture of our small team and a translator at the terminal in Kathmandu airport just before boarding our plane.

Surkhet is a part of the newly formed Karnali Province, (new as in 2015 new) and it is one of its ten districts. lt is located about 600 kilometers west of the national capital Kathmandu and can be accessed by plane in a little over an hour or if by car, eight to ten hours... yeah. 

Birendranagar is the district headquarters of Surkhet it is also the capital of Karnali Province and is the city in which I will be staying for four days. Believe it or not about 99% of this district is considered either tropical or subtropical. Not quite what I normally picture when I picture Nepal.

One of my first sights after leaving the airport

Actually this part of Nepal has more in common with the are of India I traveled to some years ago than any of the picture of Nepal most of us usually see. This province is the least densely populated province in Nepal. (Think of the difference between eastern Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts.)

I am struck by how remote this place feels. It seems like I am so far away from anything familiar and anything I have experienced. At times it feels like I am in a random spot that was cut out of a jungle - it is not the Nepal I was expecting, perhaps it will be the Nepal I need to see or perhaps it is the Nepal that needed to see me.

Kathmandu

Kathmandu is the capital city of the Nation of Nepal. It is in a valley so it is not what you might think of when you think of Nepal. You cannot see snow capped mountains, there are no Alpine Vistas. This time of year it gets pretty warm too. Temps felt like they have been in the 80's during the day. 

A view from the roof of my hotel in Kathmandu at sunset.

In the picture to the right you can see mountains in the background behind which the sun is setting. Those mountains are really just the foot hills of the great Himalayan range. I really wish that the haze in the picture was fog but it is the pollution that hangs in the air here.

My first night in country was pretty restless because even though we were in a major city, the sound of street dogs made it sound like I was in the middle of the woods surrounded my coyotes. 

The picture to the left is the sunrise from the roof of my hotel. Note the same haze

Since sleep was not to be found I wandered to the roof top for a little personal time of reflection and prayer. I think about the people I will be meeting and trying to communicate with. I think about how many have not heard anything like the message that is deep in my heart and soul. I think about how many would listen even if I told them it was the best news they had ever heard.

I am sure I will sleep eventually, for now I will enjoy a few sunrises and sunsets from the roof tops of whatever building I am able to get to...

Just a Meandering Thought...

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...

Layover

So I get on this plane... The flight I am taking is too far for a straight shot so I have to stop about three fourths of the way there. My layover is not just a couple of hours it is just over eight hours. So I get a hotel room, a nice bed, a TV where most of the channels are in Arabic and of course a bathroom with two toilets. That is the first time I have seen two toilets in one bathroom. But one of them looked kind of weird, like flushing would have been really odd. I figured I would use the one that looked most familiar when the time came.

So with a long layover there also comes some time to relax for a bit. I decided I should try something Middle Eastern since I was in the Middle East. I found the perfect local thing to try - Turkish coffee. The perfect blend of coffee, some sugar and a touch of Cardamom. It was a wonderful way to reacquaint my pallet to the wonders of middle eastern and eastern flavors and spices. That is until I got to the very last couple of sips when I realized that what was in my cup was not coffee, it was sludge. I actually had to ask the server if drinking that stuff was part of the Turkish coffee experience. He assured me that people don't drink the last few sips. I felt a whole lot better. 

The chocolate croissant was a lot like one I can get at Starbucks - which either says a lot about Starbucks or very little about the airport cafe where I had the coffee. 

Either way my first Turkish coffee was a success, and I look forward to my next one. I am learning so much already. Always look carefully at the apparatus in your bathroom, you don't have to drink the stuff at the bottom of your Turkish coffee.

Just a Meandering Thought...

Birthplace

 Nepal is home to the birthplace of one Siddhartha Gautama. As the story goes Siddhartha was a Hindu prince who wanted to experience life outside the walls of palace life. When he witnessed what life was like for those who did not have the luxuries that he took for granted he decided to leave that life behind to find a deeper meaning and purpose to life.

According to many sources Siddhartha Gautama, who became Buddha, was born in 623 B.C. in the famous gardens of Lumbini, which soon became a place of pilgrimage. Among the pilgrims was the Indian emperor Ashoka, who erected one of his commemorative pillars there. The site is now being developed as a Buddhist pilgrimage center, where the archaeological remains associated with the birth of the Buddha form a central feature.

Nepal is still about 85% Hindu today, yet it seems as if it is more known for its Buddhist heritage than Hindu. I do find it interesting that the man known as Buddha had his start as a Hindu prince. Though there are significant differences I suppose it is interesting to point out that the man upon whom the Christian faith is based also started as a member of a different religion. Jesus was a Jewish carpenter