Nepal Experience – Day 3
Well, it’s 7:30 am and I’ve managed to survive the night without any food since I overslept dinner (darn jetlag..). I just got back from breakfast and I’m full and yet feel not full, I guess still due to that sushi and raw mushrooms in Ithaca. It’s like you’re hungry but never get full or you’re full but still not satisfied. Anyway it’s messed up. I made a new friend, a nice Nepalese boy. He was very friendly yesterday morning already and today often came to my Table for chit chat which is great considering I’m here on my own… A little later he asked if I had an email address and if we could take a pic so I suggested we take one together with my camera (love that pic), which I’ll send to him later. I swear, he’s like 16 (actually he did say that he goes to college but he seems very young compared to old me) and comes from a village near Bhaktapur, a place in Katmandu valley, built in the 12th century. I think that’s the place my guide offered to take me as one of my options. I was really thinking of doing that just because I would really like to see something nice of Nepal, hear the nature is amazing…
So I just got back from my day trip and wow – the culture shock I thought I had before is nothing compared to the one I experienced today. I mean we went to this Hindi temple, where I for the first time in my life witnessed life and death… literally! I mean ok, different cultures different beliefs, but since this area is considered very holy you an imagine what happens here. My guide told me that different cultures perceive certain things differently… it’s true, I guess I just wasn’t really prepared for that. After that we went to the Buddhist temple and it was so different! The temple was located in an enclosed square; surrounded by cute buildings that the guide told me were Tibetan style. It kind of reminded me of a Le Mont St Michel or Switzerland but more run down. Anyway this temple was peaceful and because it was enclosed in the square it was kind of shielded from the noise and dust, not crowded and the little gift shops were playing Buddhist music, which is quite soothing and pleasant to listen to. I guess it’s not really fair to compare the two, but since I saw them both for the first time on the same day and since I was so shocked by the first experience, I guess I can’t help but do so. Afterwards we went to another famous square with an old palace that is now a museum and also the house of the 13 year old girl that people here in Nepal worship lives. We then went to a place I’ve been longing to see since I had spoken to the woman from Boston yesterday at the Garden of Dreams – Thamel. It’s a place she called the tourist haven, so I really was looking forward to seeing it. The sad thing is the real reason I was looking so forward to it was because I hoping for something more along the lines of what I’m used to from Asian dramas I had seen before. WRONG! It was just as dusty and narrow as any other street in Katmandu with one sole difference: it was crowded and narrow and STILL they permit people to drive there!!! It was actually quite funny, don’t know how often I was obliged to jump into one of the stores located on either side in order to not be overrun. Anyway, I really wanted to see this other ancient village about 20 minutes’ drive from here, only I don’t think that will be necessary anymore because the guide told me that it’s just as crowded and traffic is just as crazy – so I guess that’s that.
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I think Nepal is a country of amazing scenery and nature and definitely worth visiting if you are into trekking, camping, hiking and nature, mountains are absolutely breathtaking! Next time I’m headed straight to the teeny tiny villages that are located somewhere in the Himalayas or near Mt Everest. I don’t regret my visit here though, was amazing and the day trip as well, honestly feel that I have without a doubt seen everything there is to see in the Capital. I suppose I’ll get some rest, set my alarm to wake up in time for dinner so I don’t miss it again and have to sleep hungry, though I doubt that will be the case since I’ve had an amazing big lunch of Momos (my favorite) a Nepalese version of “Gyausze” (Chinese version) – dumplings filled with Boar meat.. and yes, it was sooo good! It’s just a shame I didn’t have anyone to share the lunch with, but I did read in the book about Bhutan I received as a gift that it is common for the host to serve the food and then leave the guest to eat on his own, only to return after s/he has finished the meal. So I guess it might be a culture thing in which case I guess I that’s ok.
So, that’s me in Nepal. I’ve finished packing my bags and am all set to go. Calculated how much I’ll need to change, I’ve decided to change a bill of 50 GBP and 50 Euros, which will give me enough to cover the hotel and agency fees, plus leave me with around 200 rupees for souvenirs (I want to buy one of those cute Nepalese hats for snowboarding). I’m looking forward to Bhutan and am not feeling bad or sad about leaving here, but I did have a great experience, have seen a lot and aside from the culture shock I suffered at the Hindi temple (given the circumstances I think it’s safe to say that my reaction was normal), this place would be pretty cool if it was a bit less dusty, the roads were better, traffic weren’t as crazy and it weren’t so crowded… I would be tempted to visit again, not Katmandu (really do feel the tour was great and allowed me to see everything I would have wanted to), but rather for sure to visit some traditional village somewhere in the valley/mountains… I mean the people are great, extremely friendly, perfect for the hospitality industry, I’m walking away with two new msn buddies ^_^