Settling in after a week of lunch dates

I’ve been in Lumbini a week  and a day now – and starting feel like I’m getting into some sort of routine although not sure if it’s ideally what I want to do. I don’t have a lot of duties to occupy my self as yet with so have to fill my day with various diversionary activities.

The first few days with 3 lunches in a row out has settled down to the normal day to day of centre life.

I went to an interesting lunch last week to the Maha Bodhi Temple to farewell the head monk there and welcome in the new one. They were both so lovely. I was one of three women – the other two being one of the nuns form the Chinese temple who arrived on her motor scooter and the other one was Nwe Mu the older (42)of the two Burmese women helpers who have been here for about a year – the younger one (35) being Mo Thu. They are both lovely – I am their Shin or Didi – sister in Burmese or Nepali. We fool around a bit and have a laugh together and I am trying to add to my very small collection of Burmese words as well as learn a few more Nepali words too –a bit confusing. My mind seems to drop only just after saying them. The Burmese language and me – despite having many years exposure to it on and off – have a difficult time.

Anyway back to the Mahabodi temple. There were many monks from all the temples around the Lumbini area who sat together outside and chatted in the sun before lunch. Then they were invited to come inside and sit at  two long tables facing each other across a wide space in the centre. We three women stood around wondering what they were going to do with us. Finally three chairs were placed on the opposite side of one table facing inwards to some young Tibetan monks, who I had a little chat with. They were a bit shy and didn’t speak much English. It was very dark in this room and hard to see much less take a photo. But the Sri Lankan monks together with some Nepali workers handed out a variety of dishes to all the seated assembly, including the women. It was the first time I had been waited on by monks – they were very gracious. I also was given, as all the guests were 2 cakes of soap – Lifebuoy and Camay  - and an envelope containing 100 Indian rupees A few speeches in Singhalese, Nepali and English finished the official activities, which were followed by the old monk embracing and sometimes kissing the hands of other monks – his farewell gesture - very sweet and moving. He also came up to me and asked if I had a good time and everything had been ok.

So now all the partying seems to over and it’s down to the daily routine of lunch here every 11.30am – I start half and hour after the yogis. I also get to eat after 12 if I feel inclined, and to help myself to whatever. I haven’t really taken much advantage of this but the occasional snack in the afternoon has been in order – a piece of cheese, a cup of black tea and a sweet biscuit – not too many luxury food items to be had. A trip to the local village can provide a coke, a packet of chips – mostly spicy flavoured  - and perhaps, although I’ve yet to se one, a chocolate bar.

I desperation arises for something more exotic to eat there is always the guest houses a bit further out – lunch one day there might be the go if I crave for more “western” food. Or a trip to the big smoke of Bhairahawa - a town lacking in charm, and with a very Indian vibe typical of the plains of Nepal. Hope to get there before Christmas to buy a few decorations to make a yogi or two smile - oh and hopefully a new pillow - so I can give my head a break form the rock masquerading as a pillow that sits at the top of my bed.

Lumbini at last - more photos

Have to add photos a few at a time  - email cuts out regularly!

Lumbini at last photos

Lumbini at last

I’ve finally arrived in Lumbini – a few adventures, a bit of gastro and some slight procrastination about whether I was doing the right thing means I have taken 3 weeks to get here. The evening before flying out of Kathmandu the sky was streaked with pink - perhaps a good omen for the time to come or at least the weather for next day’s flight. It was a clear morning, although winter felt like it had arrived and the heater was lit in the dining room at breakfast.

The day before I went a last walk around Thamel and into ‘The Garden of Dreams” a walled garden that once belonged to a member of the Nepalese aristocracy but had been badly neglected for many years. Its restoration took place a few years ago and it is now a public (for a fee) space. I didn’t have my camera with me so no photos – but is quite lovely  - a formal layout with lawns and ponds and fountains and statuary and elegant buildings – one of which is a restaurant.  So I indulged in a steak (a T-bone from Australia!) – had a bit of heavy protein craving since I regained my appetite. There are lots of little alcoves with benches and a raised walkway with seats dotted along the way – they seem to be a popular place for young Nepali couples. It is wedding season at present. This means the traffic can often be held up by a slow procession led by a brass band wearing a mismatched assortment of uniforms and playing with wild abandon, followed by the bride and groom in a car decorated like a Christmas tree and the relos trailing behind in various vehicles or on foot.

One of the pros of travelling alone is that I get to meet and chat to lots of people – although most I will probably never see again I get to have some interesting conversations. So while waiting for my steak I spoke to a Danish couple – the women works for some big Danish beer co. and she has been offered the GM’ship of the Nepali branch. So they were checking out the local scene  - houses, schools etc. - to decide whether to take it up. The other option was Hong Kong – a bit of a difference! Of course the down side is not always having someone to share experiences with and feeling a bit lonely at times.

So my flight arrived safely in Lumbini despite having to sit in a rickety bus, the luggage on an attached rickety trailer, waiting on the tarmac watching some giant planes land and take off for a while because the pilots were running late. Yet again another great view of the mountains from the plane, then into a taxi for the 25 kms. drive to Lumbini - along a road which has become very familiar – passing small villages and farms and not a few factories, the bane of Sayadaw’s life.

Feeling a little like a fish of water I sat in my kuti surrounded by all the stuff I had brought and wondered what to do. Fortunately there was a talk that evening so went to that – not Sayadaw’s best – he sounded and looked a bit tired but as usual the Q & A session was animated and interesting. Then had a big chat with Sayadaw and Sayalay to catch up on all the news and see what they thought I was doing here. It feels like I am on a sort of helping holiday but I’m sure there’s something in store – just not too immediately.

My first “duty” was to attend the opening of the Dilgo Khyentse memorial peace stupa with  invitation in hand  – representing the centre with another helper – a young Burmese woman who doesn’t speak any English (Burmese for me vice versa).

It could have been quite boring for the first hour while we waited for the Grandmother of the Bhutanese king to arrive with the rest of the official entourage (also saw her in Kathmandu when at Shechen with Lesley), including the French Ambassador and Minister of Culture. I amused myself by walking around the compound taking photos and chatting to various people, including two friendly Bhutanese guards in traditional dress. The was a lot of ritual and ceremony both Buddhist – performed by Dilgo Khentse’s incarnation, a young and obviously high revered Rinpoche - and official speakers. I also got to see a lot of the local sangha, monks and nuns from the various Lumbini monasteries, including some cute young samaneris and samanaras. After all the ceremony a very flash catered Indian vegetarian meal was served in an adjoining marquee by by waiters in flash red waistcoats from silver platters full of various vego curries -  and everyone tucked in – me in line with the Theravadan sangha.

While there I met a friend from the Blue Mountains who was travelling with a group led by Ven. Mahinda and Sister Sumitra from Alokha in NSW. She was one of 250 who had taken their novitiate while doing the pilgrimage sites – it was great to see her, if only briefly, as she was swept away to the next venue. I also had a chat with the Venerable who I had not seen for about 20 years. Hope to catch up with Maureen in the next few days

Manang and beyond

The blog is a bit tricky to set up with the vagaries of Nepalese internet  - having it dropping in and out - and with my novice status as a blogger  - hence the photos following the text after one aborted attempt to put them together. But hopefully things will improve with both me and the connectivity at Lumbini.

But maybe you get the gist of the scenery on the trek.

I spent two nights in Manang – a busy tourist spot  - and on the second night ventured out to the local movie house to see Into Thin Air – the reenactment of a disastrous climb to Mt Everest – not perhaps the ideal movie for those about to head over  Thorung La – the highest pass in the world. The movie house was great – a small space with tiered cushioned wooden seats and a wood fire burning in the centre of the room. About half way through the movie the lights- a single globe - came on and while the movie continued to run black tea was handed out in metal cups together with a bag of pop corn. I walked back to my hotel in the dark under an incredible star filled sky. It was a great night.

A half day walk from Manang up the side of the glacier was also great – with amazing views down over the glacial lake and the town and up to the giants. The walk up was steep and icy – the walk down was frightening – with white and black ice underfoot and sheer drops off to the side – I clung onto Kalu a lot. 

Then headed back to Humde – three hours down the hill – stopping off for tea at Braga. That night in Humde involved some nice chats with a few others flying out the next day  - including a NZ doctor who had just finished a two month volunteer stinta the local clinic (Including wrestling down and treating a yak that had been attacked by a snow leopard) –throwing up on my shoes and many trips out of a warm bed to go outside and along the verandah – where the water in the rinsing bucket was full of ice.  So good timing to head out by plane for a bit of a rest.

The flight was to Pokhara in a ten seater from a dirt runway down the valley– a bird’s eye view of the peaks. Pokhara was another world – full of shops and action. I was picked up by Bim a hotel owner and driven on the  back of his motorbike to a room with hot hot water and a bath. So for three days rested, read, sat by the lake and visited a clinic  - again on the bike with Bim to get some drugs. While in Pokhara I indulged in a massage at Seeing Hands – an organisation set up to train blind Nepali students in this profession. It was pretty good.

Then after some procrastination I indulged in another flight  - back to Kathmandu -  rather then endure a gruelling 8 hour bus trip. Spent two days in Boudnath at Shechen Guest Houseby the monastery and hung out with Lesley, doing a walk in Gorkana forest – the hunting grounds of past kings - a oasis of green and giant trees a short drive from Boudha - where we saw spotted deer and macaques. Then a few circumambulations around the big stupa where we lit candles and bathed in the glow of thousands of butter lamps.

Now here I am  - antibiotics finished, eating well, dodgy leg healing, indulging in a few comforts  – seems like time for Lumbini. And as usual photos appear in odd spots but hope you get the idea.

Manang trek photos

Manang and Back -

Here I am back in the Hotel Ganesh Himal a little bit worse for wear after a few adventures. It seems like a long time has passed since I was here last when in reality it has only been maybe two weeks. Apparently it is December the 6^th today – just been told by a tourist reclining on the lounge next to mine on the hotel roof-top. The weather has been very clear and even now in smoggy Kathmandu in the late afternoon I can see the tops of the high mountains peeping over the Valley rim of hills. I can also look over to my left and see the Swayambunath stupa glowing on its hill.

I returned from a great trek to Manang with a dose of bacterial gastro, and am just finishing off 5 days of antibiotics – also managed to get bitten by some strange thing and have an allergic reaction that has made the inside of my right calf look a bit dodgy – but all seems under control. A visit to the doctor in Pokhara got me sorted or at least under way to recovery. But I’m getting a it ahead of my self. Back to the trek . . .

I took notes on the way but had no computer so will do a brief trip summary and the photos should take care of the rest. The trip started with a 5 and a half hour car ride to Besirahar - a little town off the main highway between Kathmandu and Pokhara, - with three road accidents on the way. The road is narrow and often steep with many blind corners and is full of cars, buses and trucks – the main highway to India. My guide Kalu and I walked for about 2 hours to the first night’s rest stop – Bhulebhule -  a small village surrounded by paddy fields and farms. There were a couple of crossings of the Marsyengdi River over very rough bamboo “bridges”  - a bit unnerving   - even more so than the slightly edgy river crossings later to come over a number of suspension bridges high above the raging river as we followed it along the valley back to its source in the high mountains.

Each day took us higher into the mountains  - we walked about 6 hours a day – up and down (but mostly up) and the vegetation gradually changed from paddy to open pine forest to rugged dry high desert, which apparently is green and flower filled during Spring. The track initially was part newly constructed dirt/rocky road, part rough dirt track, which became quite narrow at times with steep drops down to the river. Mule and pony trains or flocks of sheep and goats would confront us coming from the opposite direction – often perversely at these most narrow points, which meant I had to find a suitable niche to squash my body against to let them pass. There were plenty of rest stops and tea breaks and a good long time for lunch. Met lots of interesting people from all over the world. The weather was perfect – clear and sunny – although higher up the wind would spring up early afternoon.

As we climbed higher the big mountains appeared -  Manaslu, the Annapurnas 2 3 and 4, Pisang, Tilicho, Ganagpurna  - ranging from around 6000 to 8000 metres. The most spectacular views on the trail were from Pisang to Manang with Annapurna 2 rising straight up from the trail. And at Manang I walked above the town up the side of the glacier looking down into the glacial lake and up to so many amazing mountains.