Kathmandu-
Day two – “The best laid plans….”
We wake up at about 6:30am to sounds all around
us. The neighbors do their water ritual,
wash their pots and pans, dogs bark to establish their territory and cars honk
to let the other person coming around the corner of the tightly paved streets know that they are coming. We try to stay out of our hosts way, but since we are guests in
their home, much of the morning revolves around making us comfortable. This is such a gracious family. Bajiya has
enlisted the help of four young people who have come into town from their village for the festival. They are all products of the wonderful
generosity that the Nepal Social Service Organization. They are also there because in a couple
weeks, the family with offer housing to four heart patients who have come to
the city from Bajiya’s home village to receive surgery. I have truly met an
angel on earth and will expand on that in a post all of its own.
Because of the cyclone off of the coast of India, and the weather it brought
to the surrounding areas, our plans have changed once again (much to my
approval). We now have tickets to the
beautiful town of Pakraha. I am pumped.
We go from the international part of the small airport to the domestic area
(walking along the parking lot, up a mud trail - OMG- is that a monkey!! and into the lobby). It is amazing to see all the people waiting
for their plane and their Himalayan adventure.
It is even more amazing that I can count myself as one of those. Fer (my Spanish teaching Ecuadorian friend)
spots some fellow Spaniards and goes to talk.
Come to find out, they are among the most revered and celebrated
trekkers in Equator. Not to mention, the
most handsome! We find out that our flight has been cancelled. Plan D must be
made. Could we just hop on the helicopter that our new friends chartered?
After much research and many phone calls, we will now go to a small resort outside of
Kathmandu called Shivapuri Village Resort. We will be driven by car most of the way
there (two trips) and will have to walk to rest of the way to the resort. Oh
my! Yes- I can do this. Thank God I am in the second car (the driver
came back for us) because had I not been doing the second part of the walk up
in the dark, I probably would have quit (this is my conclusion after walking
OUT of the resort when we left). I have my backpack on, my new Keen shoes and
my new “ I got this” attitude. As it turns to dusk, Sarah “ I accidently run 15
miles” Leonardis meets us with a young man who works for the resort (she thinks
I am walking in my flip-flops and brings my tennis shoes that I had packed in
someone else’s pack-so nice). They offer to take
my backpack (no- I can do it and want to write about doing it full force), and
then the young man offers his arm as we go over slippery parts of the walk. I am not that stupid and take the help thus
not falling about three times as we proceed up the mountain. We arrive in
darkness and are greeted with a wonderful fire manned by Charlene “fire
starter” Speng and enjoy a authentic Nepalese dinner. I am excited for morning
to come and with it the view we worked so hard to see. It is a good thing
that the view was worth waiting for because the rooms were damp, the bedding
was .. I can’t even describe it, and the showers were cold.
I awaken at 6:00am due to the fact that my roommate
was up and about because my sleep was hard that night (a ladylike way to say I was snoring) probably because I
had taken a zanex in anticipation of flying into the Lukla airport (the only time I use this is when I am about to get in a small plane- for some reason I have become claustrophobic at age 48). I got up and out so she could sleep.
It is
amazing; we are literally in the clouds. It is so beautiful; we decide to stay
two nights. Sarah takes off for a long
trek, Obin, Charlene and Fer take off for a short trek and I stay to read the
book I assigned my 8th graders as well as walk around the lovely
woods (I feel like trekking into the joint was my trek!). I could not have asked for a more relaxing
day. The employees were so gracious and
met our every need and the scenery changed with each gust of wind. I took 299 pictures and I bet a majority of
them were of the same three mountain scenes but one would not know it because
of these changes. The resort is owned by
a past political figure and rest atop of the Shivapuri National Park.
Reflections so far:
1. So
many times we talk ourselves out of things based on limitations we arbitrarily
put on ourselves. This stifles our
actions, our creativity and the development of our authentic self (to borrow a
term from Oprah). I hope I can catch
myself doing this so that even in my post 50 years, I can grow and develop new
skills and talents.
2. I
am a Christian, yet I am curious of other religions and more than that, I seek the
knowledge of those religions so that I can better understand our differences. I am sure my hosts grew tired of my
questions, but never showed it. I am
confident that the world would be a better place if more people sought
knowledge about the things they do not understand before condemning. Sometimes
I “Imagine” what that world would be like.
3. Some
people call me a control freak. I am so
learning that sometimes controlling things so much limits a person.
Remember- if you click on the pictures, they will come up full screen.
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