After being here for, what, 3 weeks, I've decided that living and working in Nepal is definitely my favourite "holiday" (I am still working here) that I've been on and absolutely my preferred method of traveling rather than just traveling around. It's much, much more of an experience than simply being a tourist. I also don't feel like people should be allowed to rip me off anymore (and I hope they don't, and no, I don't want hash from the guy peddling it on the street)!
Mukti and Revival!
Well, after being blessed by Surye, the rest of the week was pretty slow until Friday.I had a chance to go to a blues show! Well, a blues-rock show, but Nepali style blues! It was at a small local bar called the House of Music tucked away in a back alley corner of Thamel. Couldn't understand the lyrics except for the cover of "I shot the sheriff" but, damn, was it good! And the Nepalis damn well loved it too! Seeing local bands in seedy local bars is something you don't get to do often in a foreign country!
Saturday, was kind of "meh, saw Monkey Temple again, I prefer the Boudha stupa, but I did get to go eat cake at a cafe that's been open for 40 years! It was on Jochne, or "Freak Street" which was the hippy hangout in the '70s. Have I mentioned I love living here yet? 'Cuz I really do!
Sunday was great though. We (me and a few volunteers) hiked to the Gokarna Mehedev temple which is a Hindu temple nestled in the woods. It has statues of many of the Hindu deities and a pagoda with Newari (the main cultural group of the Kathmandu valley) wood carvings which are just amazing.
The most fascinating part of the temple was definitely a shrine which was demolished by a fig tree which grew from the roof.
From left to right: Nicki(UK), Sebastian (Germany), Jude (Scotland, and Dan in the background with his backpack (also Germany). Oh, and some Nepali guy on the hill!
After that we hiked through the forest-clad hillsides to Kopan monastery, a buddhist monastery at the peak of a hill overlooking Boudha and Kathmandu. It's so serene and breathtaking you don't really want to leave.
Stupa of a Thousand Buddhas.
There they have the "Stupa of a Thousand Buddhas" which is magnificent just to look at but what's even more amazing is that what looks like gold patterns on the steps are actually each a small gold statue of Buddha!
The past week was kind of uneventful, though. On Tuesday there was a girl in the emergency who couldn't have been more than 16. She had drunk insecticide mixed with kerosene. Luckily the family had rushed her to the hospital and her stomach was being flushed by the time I got there. She recovered and 2 days later left the hospital just fine.
I also took over tutoring a Japanese girl in English from another volunteer since he got sick. She already reads and writes English well but wants to practice listening and speaking and improve her vocabulary and understanding, so it mainly involves us just having a conversation. My first lesson was on Thursday and my second was on Monday. So far, it's sizing up to be a great experience.
So I went rafting on the weekend, but I'm leaving that 'til I have pictures. Then I'll put details.
That's all for me for now. Namaste!
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