09/18/2009 7:05 (KTM) 8:20pm (OKC)
I am sitting in the restaurant of my hotel working on my sixth cup of coffee. Let me go back several hours… The flight from Delhi was very nice… I was in 1st Class, I don’t know why but who is complaining. I was on the left side of the plane so I could see the Himalayan range. It was very, very cloudy, so the views were not that great. I saw Sargamatha (Mt. Everest). Let me tell you about the Kathmandu Airport. WOW… It was probably built in the 30’s and the grass is 3 feet tall. I guess due to the monsoon season. They loaded us on a bus and drove us 100 feet to the terminal. We got off the bus, and had our temperature taken. After that you have to fill out immigration paperwork. The line to get a visa was 100 people deep. The line if you have a visa was two people deep, and I was number two. Some guy walked up to the immigration officer and said something. The immigration officer did not like it and they exchanged words. After I got through immigration, I went down stairs to baggage. I did not even have to wait 10 minutes and got my bags. I went to get in line for customs and they had no interest in me. They waved me right through. As I was leaving the terminal I saw a crowd of people standing behind a glass wall. Right in the middle there was a big sign that said “MR. MAT JONES.” I smiled at the guy and he made his way through the crowd, then to me.
His name is Prem and he will be my guide for the trek. He will not climb Island Peak with me but everything else. My climbing guide’s name is Mr. Tenzing Sherpa. He has summitted Everest two times, Ama Dablam, two times, Cho-oyu two times, and Island Peak 50 times. Prem took my bags and we were surrounded by beggars. We got into the car. It is hard to describe the traffic. It is a mixture of beat up mini cars, and scooters. Cows have the right of way, they drive on the left side of the road and there are no traffic laws, you just go whenever you want.
Prem ask me what I wanted to do, walk around Thamel or go to the hotel and rest… I chose rest. After 48 hours on the road, I was ready for a shower, and a nap in a bed. I am at the Hotel Shanker, and it is very nice. It is located inside a compound, and the hotel is very western. Check in was very easy… They were expecting me and they treated me like a king. Prem called Naba and we made arrangements to meet at his office at 5:00. Prem helped me to my room and I showered and crashed for about three hours. I got dressed and walked around the grounds here at the hotel, they are beautiful.
Prem came and got me at 5:00 and we walked over to HGT (Himalayan Glacier Trekking). It was about 5 blocks. It was just crazy, with the traffic, but we made it. Naba greeted me with a handshake, a bow, and a hug. Naba was dealing with a disaster…. A group from Europe was leaving for a three week trek to Tibet tomorrow and the luggage has not arrived yet. He had Prem take me for a walk around Thamel while he was dealing with that.
Prem and I were gone for about 45 minutes, and when we got back, Naba was still very busy, but wrapping up. The electricity went out and Naba said that it happened everyday, and that you never know when, or for how long, it will be out. He gathered his things and we walked to a traditional Nepali restaurant.
A friend of his joined us for dinner. As you enter the restaurant they put a red dot on your forehead to welcome you, and then sit you on the floor. They pour a small ceramic dishful of rice wine…. They pour it from 3 feet in the air, and it tasted like ever clear. Very Strong! They bring out popcorn, and a small dish of fried potatoes, and then a cup of bean soup. Once you are done with that they bring you a hub cap sized plate. It is filled with rice, curried vegetables, curried chicken, spinach, and then wild boar. I tried it all…
Naba ordered me a milk coffee and I know I am not suppose to drink after eating but, I did, and then I had to excuse myself. We caught a cab back to the hotel…. Naba has a guide for me today his name is Suroge. He is going to take me to the four big temples here in Kathmandu. He will be here at 9:00 to pick me up. When I got back to the room last night I used my 30 minutes of internet time writing emails. I have no idea if they were sent or not because the electricity went out. I turned in and went to sleep. I woke up at 4:00am local time and knew I was awake so I packed my trekking bags, and took some things out. I have room for a little more if needed. At 6:30 I came down to the restaurant for breakfast. After 6 cups of coffee, I had a danish, banana, some pineapple, oatmeal, mushroom pie, and 2 scrambled eggs. I should mention that I showered and shaved this morning - it was great.
09/18/2009 7:01pm (KTM) 8:17pm (OKC)
After breakfast this morning I went out and walked around the garden area. It was a bit humid but otherwise nice. Suroge met me at 9:00am and we left for our first stop - Swyambhunath Stupa, also called Monkey Temple. The first thing we did was stop at the bottom of the hill, to see the worlds largest Buddha.
There were monks there chanting and people praying. We got back in the car and drove to the top of the hill, to the stupa, and monastery. There were monkeys all over the place, hence the name Monkey Temple. Suroge gave me the tour and explained everything, and then he gave me 15 or 20 minutes to walk around and take pictures on my own. It is a very peaceful place.
From there we went to Durbar Square, which use to be the Royal Palace. There was a ton to see here. It is a very historical Hindu site, where the living goddess “The Kumari” lives. There are many temples, and Sadhu or holy men, and there are also way too many beggars. I really love the history here however; many places were off limit to foreigners. The Kumari is very interesting. She is worshiped as a goddess until she reaches puberty, and then she becomes just another woman.
Our third stop was both amazing, and troubling at the same time. It is called Pashupati which is a temple; we could not go into next to the river. It is also the place where Hindu’s take the dead to perform cremations. It just so happens that there were three cremations going on while we were there. Two were finishing up, while one was just starting. As soon as someone dies they are brought to this place by the river and a wooden platform is built. The dead is placed on the platform and the family puts water in the deceased’s mouth, then the family puts coins all over the body. The oldest son walks around the body three times then puts a torch on the body. At that point the funeral director takes over and piles dried thatching on the body, then more wood on top. He then moves the flame under the body, where there is a flammable liquid, then “Poof goes grandpa!” The family just sits and watches the body burn, then when the fire is burning out…. They sweep the ashes off into the river.
That’s all well and good, but there are people bathing, and doing laundry just down stream, even kid’s playing in the water. This river runs through town and you know people are using this water for cooking, and bathing in their homes. People also walk up to the river and throw their trash in it. Above the cremation site there are twenty small temples lined up. These are fertility temples. They have an altar in the middle of them and it has a statue if male and female parts…. I guess you are supposed to rub them, but I chose not to! As we were leaving the area we saw some people gathered around one of the temples. It was a wedding in progress. There was the bride and groom, a holy man, and maybe 10 family members outside. They told me to take pictures if I wanted to, but due to the lighting, only one came out. When we left there I was in a mental tussle…. You see the beginning of life, and the end of life all in one place.
We left there and headed to Boudanath. It is also called Little Tibet, because during the Chinese occupation of Tibet, many Buddhist monks fled to Nepal. They all settled here at Boudanath. There is a giant stupa in the middle of the community, and everything is built in a circle around it. There are several monasteries and shops, as well as, Tibetan art galleries, and you can even go into the galleries and watch the artist paint. It was just beautiful. We decided to have lunch at a restaurant on top of some shops. There was an awesome view of Boudanath, probably a view not everyone takes advantage of. Suroge gave me 20 minutes of free time to walk around and take pictures. This by far was my favorite place. Very peaceful, quite, and the people were just amazing.
We headed back to HGT and met with Naba, and Prem. They gave me instructions, and told me what to expect the next morning. Then back to the hotel, to pack the rest of my stuff, and recharge everything. I am downloading pictures right now and will start editing them after a shower. I fell asleep for about an hour and a half, then came down to dinner. I also checked my bags in for storage that I am not taking. I am heading back to the room to finish getting ready for tomorrow.
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