Meditation - Time out

Welp, its that time of the year (for me, anyway). I am registered for a one month meditation retreat (finally) here in Kathmandu at Kopan Monastery, www.kopan-monastery.com. I start tomorrow, the 9th of November and am out, on the 9th of December. I'm very excited and a bit anxious especially since I find it hard to believe that I can sit still and think about nothing for more than 10 minutes. If they don't throw me out for shooting spit wads or yelling "FIRE!", then I will reap great rewards. Otherwise, I'll have a long walk home.

Wish me luck and consider this blog, TBC (to be continued). Yep you guessed it, I'll have no access to all those lovely technologies we think we can't live without; TV, radio, music, cell phone, internet, satellites, GPS, computer, alarm systems, and my favorite, TRAFFIC! I will rest on a wee hill outside of Kathmandu and contemplate man's future (well, really mine) & see if I can find a cure for bird flu. Other than that, I am healthy and alive and living life here in Nepal as best I know how. Hope everyone is fine and I'll bring out the next blog edition sometime after December 9th. Stay tuned. . .

Namaste!

Pokhara

No folks, its not a type of dance - this is the second largest town in Nepal - port of entry for the Annapurna range (Himalayas). Quite a change to the congested Kathmandu, Pokhara is fairly quiet, relaxed, with fresh air and beautiful views nearly surrounding this quaint large village. The people are nice and an extra bonus, almost no traffic! It is easy to come here and fall in love - I mean, with the place, of course!

The mountains here range from 6,997m and above - no doubt they look that high too as I believe I sit only at 1,441m, roughly. My mouth nearly dropped as I caught my first glimpse of the fishtail peak - I don't think an artist could concievably paint a more perfect mountain peak than this one - ok, maybe the Matterhorn might be considered perfect but hey, you get the picture. As one sits and watches them, you can see the aftermath of what must be high winds sweeping the snow off into the upper stratosphere. Prestine. Powerful. Scarry! Trekking here is a different line of work compared to our simple Rocky Mountains for these rocks beckon anyone who dares to take them on. Just a few weeks ago a French & Nepali trekking party perished in a surprise avalanche that ripped through their base campsite as they slept for the night.

A unique valley lay below these mountains full of jungle, banana & papaya trees, army ants, rice fields & unfettered Nepali culture. The homes on the hillside and in the valley are so simple yet beautiful and clean. Everything looks so organized all the way to the rice fields and how they lay down the grasses in order to dry which gives all the various colors if you view from the sky (rhyme not intended). So many ways of these peoples that help them survive and maintain their happiness.

I'll take shopping for one hundred.

What can you buy in Kathmandu for under $100 (or really under 50)? The answer, anything! Well, except for a mandala I overpaid for - Doh! This place (neighborhood of Thamel) will knock your socks off. Or at least mine coming from from sweet, innocent Bouda. Signs and shops all over the place selling anything under the Sun that won't rot. I found it's just not the quantity of shops but rather the quality and colors and workmanship that caught my eye. Leather purses with hand-stitched embroidery to full-on North Face clothing. Wait, is this really North Face, I asked. Apparently so; made in India or Nepal according to a fellow Italian traveler that comes here year after year to trek. It's like candyland here and the days just go by as if your bank account hasn't ticked.

Sights? Temples? Oh yea, guess I better do that too. I've spoken with other travellers that had the same thing happen - they forgot what day it was and missed out on some of the temples or other highlights of Kathmandu valley. Ooops. Hanging out with a nice gal from Switzerland didn't help me either. Its so much more fun to shop with another girl!

Tourist-oriented Thamel has alot to offer also with food and cafes! Almost any kind of food you want is available. Continental, Japenese, Nepali, Newari, Indian, Italian, Thai, decadent desserts abound on every street corner. Add to this the cycle rickshaws ringing bells, motorcyclists, taxi honking, narrow alley-like streets, loads of people, the continued presence of the toy violin (or whatever you call that thing) sellers & tiger balm sellers, stray dogs, the ocassional cow or bull and one of the top world's most polluted cities and you have mayhem.