Around our Kathmandu home

Often I see this Tibetan woman drying her hair in the sun.

Temple to Ganesh which is right on our corner.

Rebuilding the wall along the road

Cuties on their way to school

The fruit seller and his bicycle.

Do not hit a cow.

The pharmacy near our house. You can get everything.

I never know what I will discover when I step out of our yard.  Right on the corner near our house there is a shrine to Ganesh, the elephant faced Hindu god, and each morning there are fresh flowers scattered at his feet and he is covered in red and yellow powder. Sometimes I am lucky and a worshipper is kneeling by the statue and then rings the bells that surround him on four corners. I usually pass students in uniform going to and from school the various schools that are near. All the roads in Kathmandu are being widened at once it seems and so road crews are out tearing down walls and then building new ones. As it is, roads are barely wide enough for one car and so when faced with another car, or motorcycle or even a cow, watch out. Pedestrians beware.

Takshashila School Call me "Sandi mam"

I am grateful to have the chance to volunteer as an English teacher two days a week at Takshashila School, a private Nepali school. Many of the students (120) at the school are sponsored by Little Sisters Fund. www.littlesistersfund.org
Without a sponsor, these bright, capable girls might not have a chance to attend school. When I first came into their classroom, they were shy and most lacked confidence to speak and express opinions even though their level of English is quite good. I've planned lessons that encouraged them to retell stories and to role play Nepali stories and Aesop fables. Last week the girls created their own stories with lessons to role play before the class. They brought tears and smiles to my eyes.
One particular group told a story of a mother, son and daughter. The daughter wanted to go to school, but the mother would only allow the son to attend school. The mother said"You must learn to work hard because that is what you will do in your husband's home." The son was lazy and only wanted to play with his friends while the daughter (busy scrubbing and washing clothes) begged her mother to let her study. The mother only beat the girl harder.

Usha and I kept glancing at each other as the girls were acting this story. Maybe you can guess the ending.....the son ran away and the mother realized her daughter was smart and so sent her to school so she could learn and take care of her mother in her old age! Out of the mouths of babes.

Nepali New Year

Happy 2069! Folks here told us that Bhaktapur, one of the three towns that makes up greater Kathmandu, is the best place to experience Nepali New Year. So we set off early Friday morning to have the joy of driving through quiet Kathmandu streets. It actually felt like New Years' Day with   shuttered shops and empty streets. We arrived in Bhaktapur before 8a.m. which allowed us to savor the quiet of Bhaktapur's Durbar Square. Women in red saris were bustling through the narrow streets carrying brass trays with rice, raw eggs, marigold flowers and red powder. They paused before each little temple to Ganesh or Shiva and scattered rice, flowers and vermillion powder. It seemed important for the women to pause before each and every temple.....and there are many temples, big and small, scattered all over Bhaktapur.
Soon we passed men and women carrying live chickens along with the brass trays. Curious, we followed the crowd to another square where a huge wooden chariot was standing. It had been hauled through the winding streets a few days earlier and stood ready to be blesssed with the food offerings and blood of the chickens. We watched as a woman offered her squawking chicken to one of the young boys manning the chariot. The teenager then quickly cut the chicken's neck and let the blood drip all over the chariot. Not a scene for the squeamish. The boy then handed the chicken's head and body back to the woman who simply walked off. This scene was repeated over and over. We assume this must be an offering for prosperity in the new year.

She is making an offering to Ganesh which is carved in the door of the temple.

The boys are in charge of the chariot.

Mama and daughter in party clothes.

It appears that this holy man had an exhausting night.

Red is THE color.

Devotions to Ganesh

The Bhaktapur boy band

They are getting ready to dance. Gorgeous

One wheel of the chariot

An offering of egg, rice, vermillion powder and lentils

People were dressed in their finest...red was the dominant color for women and little girls were wearing frilly party dresses while many little boys were dressed in traditional Nepali pants and long shirts with vest and hats (topis). Men gathered  in the shade playing card or dice games. Women sat on narrow stoops to chat and stare after their pujas (devotions to the gods) were complete. The sounds of cymbals, drums and flutes filled the air. Various small groups of men would parade past... clanging  cymbals, beating drums and tooting on flutes.The flute and balloon sellers were having a big day. Little girls had their hands stamped with henna designs while the boys crawled on the chariot. The mood was completely festive.We felt welcome. After six hours, the combination of sun, crowds and newness left us tired and so we headed back to our quiet home with its peaceful garden. We are fortunate.

Muktinah to Jomsen

Muktinah is a sacred shrine and pilgrimage spot for Hindus and Buddhists. A group of pilgrims from Chennai were there to bathe under the 108 boars' heads taps because they believe the water grants them salvation after death. The temple is dedicated to Vishnu because the boar was the third incarnation of Vishnu. (Vishnu has had 10 incarnations). Buddha was one of the incarnations and so that explains why there is such tolerance between Hindus and Buddhists here in Nepal. We finished our trek with a jeep ride to Jomsen....just as at the start we had to wait for the jeep to fill. So we sat for about 45 minutes at the jeep stand until 15 people had gathered. It was super people watching. The heavy Indian women who couldn't walk up to the temple had procured rides on the backs of motorcycles. But the women had great difficulty getting off the bikes while preserving their dignity and not pushing the bikes to the ground.

Day Nine Crossing Thorung Pass to Muktinah

Rick, Bikas, Sandi and Tanas at 17,000 feet Thorung Pass

At 4:30 in the morning the sky was clear and filled with stars. The mountains were shining against the dark sky. We bundled up, Rick ate his omelette and I tried to eat porridge with honey. As quickly as possible, we started slogging up  through the snow with our headlamps showing the way. It was up, up, and up....one foot in front of the other. The wind was blowing and my fingers were aching. We trudged single file along the track behind the Japanese group. They were going even more slowly than I was, but, thankfully, they stepped in a little hut for tea and Rick and I kept walking. Sunrise was a blessing because our backs were warmed even though the wind continued. Finally, two and one half hours after leaving High Camp (16,000 feet) we reached the pass. Bikas brought us steaming mugs of lemon tea from the little tea hut and it warmed my fingers. After pictures at the top  with Bikas and Tanas we headed down the steep pass to Muktinah. That trail was icy and then muddy, but at least my fingers were warm.

Day Eight Yak Kharkha to Thorung High Camp

Trying to stay warm in my bed at Thorung High Camp

Garlic and onion soup with trekker friends at 15,000 feet

The slippery trail to Thorung Phedi

Morning snow at Yak Kharka guest house

We woke to about 5 inches of snow and at first it appeared as though the snow would continue all morning. However, as we were eating breakfast patches of blue sky appeared and we hoped the lama's blessing had worked. The blessing did the trick and our morning trek to Phedi (the camp at the base of Thorung Pass) was beautiful in the snow and sunshine. The steep and icy spots were quickly passed. We had lunch with our trekker buddies at Phedi sitting outside at a table covered with a yak blanket. We decided to continue climbing up the 400 meters to High Camp. The one hour afternoon climb meant that we would not have to attempt the climb the next morning. Even though it was bitterly COLD at High Camp, it was worth getting the climb behind us. Our room was the most spartan yet...stone walls, two wooden beds with foam mattress. Toilet was next door and the water for flushing was frozen and so a steel rod stood next to the bucket to break through the ice. Brrr.....There was no fire in the lodge as there was no fuel around so folks sat with all gear on, slurped our soups and then cuddled in our sleeping bags. It was very difficult to sleep with racing hearts and we were ready for the 4:20 wake up so we could get started on the climb over the 17,000 foot Thorung pass.

Day Seven Manang to Yak Kharkha

Sunrise on Gangapurna

Prayer wheels in Manang

Rick crossing a suspension bridge

Snowy yak

Gangapurna in our background

We were greeted with another gorgeous sunrise with the light on Gangapurna. The previous afternoon had been drizzly and so we snuggled in our sleeping bags until dinner which was delicious and warm in the little room with pot belly stove. Rick had yak chili and I had hot and sour soup. Perfect. We were on the trail by 7a.m. because we had learned that the clear blue skies are in the morning. The trail climbed steeply out of Manang and the views were timeless. The evening rains had softened the soil and so everyone seemed to be out ploughing and planting the spring crop in the terraced fields. The oxen were pulling the ploughs and women then scattered barley seed into the furrows. The oxen come around again and the seeds are tamped down. A small fire of juniper branches for good luck burned in the middle of each field. The vegetation became more scrubby and alpine as we left the Marsyangdi river valley behind and headed towards Thorung Pass. We again passed Tibetans selling jewelry spread out on blankets. I looked, but didn't buy. Our room at Gangapurna hotel was basic....two wooden beds and foam mattresses, a clean squat toilet, but no running water. We had a full bucket for washing and flushing. It was too cold for showers anyway. The snow began mid-afternoon and continued all night. All the trekkers gathered in the small dining room where the little stove gave some warmth. As usual, it was a friendly group...a mix of French, German, Korean, Brits, Dutch, Belgian, Slovaks and a few Americans. At 13,000 feet we were cold and slept with all our clothes. The altitude made breathing a challenge and we both tossed and turned with every breath it seemed. However, we had no  significant altitude sickness symptoms.

Hike to Praken Gompa

Sabrina, Rick, Bikas and Tanas and I hiked up, up and up to the monastery nestled in a cliff where the 100 rupee lama lives. For 100 rupees, he will bless you, give a necklace made of thread and offer tea. Each of us knelt and received the necklace as he mumbled and touched our head with a soft eraser-like cushion. He blessed us for the hike over Thorung Pass. The lama is 96 years old and claims he is the oldest person in the Manang area. He was seated with legs covered by a maroon sleeping bag. Under his maroon monk's robe, he was wearing a red down vest. His elaborately stitched silk cap with fur lining was frayed and dirty, but he was dignified in his tatters. His face was leathery with a white wispy chin beard and droopy, kind eyes. The tiny room was covered in old, smoke covered thankas. On one wall stood a chipped orange cabinet with pictures of the Dalai Lama and small passport size photos of folks he may have blessed. A clock in the shape of Australia sat squarely in the middle of the shelf. We are not sure how many visitors he gets each day, but his Tibetan trader genes encouraged him to try to sell Rick a 500rupee necklace.

Hauling hay for the animals

The lama of Manang

Rick is blessed and receives his necklace.

Each day is a reminder of what a hard life these people have. I followed a man walking through the narrow stone street of Manang carrying bundles of hay on his back. Three women were bent and scratching the rocky soil with wooden hoes.

Day Six Acclimitization Day in Manang

Prayer wheels

Sunrise on Annapurna III

Burning juniper branches for good luck

A gompa with Himalayan background

Old Braga village

We were so fortunate with the weather. Again we awakened to blue skies and Annapurna III posing right outside our window. I was awake early and just watched the sun brighten the mountain from the top down. It looks tempting to just grab the poles and start hiking up. Rick, Sabrina and I walked through the old village of Braga which was similar to a Pueblo or Anasazi village. Houses are built into the steep side walls and ladders are used to move from one house to another. Men and women were painstakingly moving stones from an old house so they could rebuild in another location. Women carried the stones in braces on their backs. An old woman lit juniper branches in a coffee can and was waving the smoke around in honor of spirits of dead relatives. Juniper burning brings good luck for crops as well and we have seen branches burning in the fields as the plowing begins. Religion permeates life in Nepal with a mixing of Hindu and Buddhism. There are chortens, manis, stupas and prayer flags. Walk to the left of the mani so that the right hand can spin the prayer wheels.

Day Five Pisang to Braka

Annapurna II in the morning

Annapurna II in her glory

Swiss friends Manuela and Sabrina

Ceiling of a passageway

The trail from Upper Pisang to Manang

We convinced our guide, Bikas, to follow the high path from Lower Pisang to Manang. Though we added several hours to our trekking day, the views were stunning. We set off with Swiss friends, Manuela and Sabrina, and at first the walk was gentle through a forest with up close and personal views of Annapurna IV in the sunshine. Anna IV was reflected in the water of a small pokhari (pond) where we gathered to take photos. Quickly the trail went straight up for about an hour and a half until we reached the stupa of the village of Ghyaru. Nobody talked much...just one foot in front of the other. Words don't do justice to these Himalaya mountains....stunning, magnificent, spectacular. Silence and a sense of awe give meaning.  As we walked northwest, the terrain became drier with fewer trees. Lunch of onion garlic soup and chapati was delicious. Local lore tells that garlic soup is an antidote to altitude sickness so many of us are slurping the soup on a daily basis.