After returning to Kathmandu from Pokhara, we decided to stay at the Kathmandu Guest House which is located centrally in the Thamel area. Next stop was to explore the Pashupatinath Temple. This is a very well known Hindu Temple which was recommended as a must see. It is pretty amazing. This temple is a famous pilgrimage for Hindus, where they actually come to die and be cremated. There is a hospice and a home for the elderly located on the grounds. We were not allowed to enter the Temple, you must be a Hindu. There are many temples on the grounds, with frolicking monkeys and Hindu prayer men or Sadhus. These Sadhus are something to see. They are holy men, many sporting dreadlocks, tangled hair, brightly painted faces, and smoke marijuana. They ask you for money and then you are allowed to take their picture. John took a picture of one Sadhu, and then was whacked by another Sadhu with his cane for money and a picture! It was pretty funny! We were later told by our guide that that Sadhu was one of the oldest and was very innocent. There is one Sadhu known as the Milk Baba, who you guessed it, only drinks milk. He was not present as he was traveling in the states.
On the sides of the quietly flowing Bagmati River, there are ghats (cement slabs) where they cremate human remains daily. One side is for the common man and I believe there were 7 ghats, while the other side is for the royal family, government officials and other VIPs, where there were only two ghats. Hindus are often cremated the same day they die. We saw a number of cremations in process while we toured - the ambulance arriving with the body, the family preparing the body, walking around the body three times, laying wood on the body, the first lighting placed within the mouth, and the final dumping of the ashes into the river where they flow downstream eventually to the Ganges. It was very moving.
John was returning to the states the next day and was hungry for a steak. We had heard from some travelers that the Everest Steak House had the best hamburgers so we decided to dine there. And the animals in Nepal look much healthier than any I saw in Kolkata. I hadn't had beef in over a month and his filet and my hamburger were great! My burger was enough to feed two people and I could not eat all of it. The funny thing is that on a sign in this restaurant, they proudly proclaim that all their beef is from Kolkata! Do you believe it? There must be some very healthy animals that were hidden in another part of the city!
This past week I have been very busy with two things - determining if I am able to fly to Sri Lanka and exploring volunteer opportunities in Nepal. Changing airline tickets is nothing like back home where you make a phone call and they will hold a ticket for 24 hours. Over here, there are travel agents all over the place who often work online, they make a few phone calls, and then they ask you to come back in a few hours. Then you are told you need to go to the Thai Air office which is a 40 minute walk, which you don't mind, however when you get there, you need to come back to the Thamel area to email a travel agent in Bangkok who is assisting you with part of the ticket as there are no Internet Cafes in the nieghborhood where Thai Air is located. It is extremely time consuming and a bit funny, although I have not been able to coordinate Sri Lanka travels yet.
I have met many volunteers and am exploring opportunities. I have also been warned by many to be careful as there are many NGO's (non government organizations) here who are not legitimate. There was actually a cartoon in the paper on this subject. Many of the opportunities involve teaching children in the villages.
The Missionaries of Charity were quite a challenge to find, however I have found them. After countless inquiries, I finally was given an address of Metra Park. A taxi driver left me off in Metra Park where I walked and asked many of the business owners and no one knew of them. After walking and asking for about 30 minutes, I found them! One of the Sisters welcomed me, took my hand and led me to the home where they work, near the Pashupatinath Temple and showed me around. I will return there again tomorrow.
The Nepali people are very friendly and often invite me to their home to meet their families and for tea. I have not visited any homes yet however I do meet them at their businesses for tea. I feel a bit like a socialite - it is very enjoyable to sit and learn more about them.
I am drawn to the street kids in the evenings and can not figure them out. One is cuter than the next, although quite dirty. I have befriended a young man at the corner store who tells me they are all orphans and do not go to school. He says not to give them money as they will only buy glue, and only give them something to eat now or they will sell it. I haven't been able to locate any groups that really focus on these kids or have any programs established for them so I will keep asking. They are easy to feed and are happy for the food and drink.
All is well. I will keep you posted as to my next volunteer opportunity.
Hey sweetie! Sounds like you had a wonderful time exploring Nepal! But that’s enough R & R for you, so no more slacking off. It's about time you got back to work my dear!
You, taking on 36 kids? Are you kidding me? Talk about a total mismatch of wits! Oh, I can just picture it now.......they will bamboozle you, hog-tie you, string you up on a tree and use you as a human piñata! Hmmm, then again, that sounds pretty wickedly fun - heh heh!
Glad to hear that you will be continuing your work with the Missionaries of Charity in Kathmandu. Can’t wait to hear more on your daily adventures…….and mischief : )
Posted by: Yui Chan | June 18, 2007 at 05:36 AM