Kaleidoscope - Part I
There are some places with names so exotic, so poetic, that they evoke mystery simply by their sound. Kathmandu is such a place and I was eager to get there while Nepal was still a lost horizon.
Kathmandu is a crossroads. Visitors gather in Nepal to study the religions, the deities, and the fascinating mix of cultures from India, China, Tibet and Nepal itself. They come to visit the shrines, stupas, temples and palaces and to perhaps view the living Goddess. They come to trek in the Himalayas and the Annapurnas and to conquer Mount Everest. They come to see the art of the woodcarvers, stone carvers and the Thangka painters and to study the birds, the reptiles and the beasts of the Chitwan forest. There are as many reasons to visit Nepal and Kathmandu as there are visitors.
In preparation for my trip, I located a travel agent in Nepal and wrote a complex itinerary which included Kathmandu, Nagarkot, Pokhara, and the Chitwan National Forest. I planned a trip that would allow us to visit Temples and Shrines, Palaces and Stupas, fly around Mount Everest, visit a village in the Annapurnas, stay in a lake town under Fishtail Mountain and ride elephants in the Chitwan Forest. I studied the deities of Hinduism and Tantrism, and reread the life of the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama was born in Nepal). The more I read the more fascinated and confused I became with the many faces and incarnations of the many Gods and their avatars or animal vehicles.
We flew half a world away to visit Nepal and we arrived in the kaleidoscope that is Kathmandu. The myriad sounds, smells and colors are so powerful they are an assault to the senses. Dust flies, hawkers call, horns honk, bicycles beep, chimes ring and bells clang. The fragrance of incense is mixed with the smell of dung. The complexity of ancient wood carvings is a balm to the eyes, the white faced holy men are a fright and the flowing silks of women’s dresses are magnificent. And always, looming above are the Himalayas and Mount Everest. There is so much to see at first glance that it is almost blinding.
We arrived at our hotel after a taxi ride around the city to get our bearings. From the street our lodgings looked like a blank wood face. I feared that in my refusal to stay in one of the well known and famous hotels and to seek out an unknown and historical lodging I had made an error. We opened the wooden door and stepped into a Shangri-La. As the solid door closed behind us the sounds of the street died. The fragrant scent of a light Nepali incense surrounded us, a flutist sat upon a bench at the door quietly playing an exotic melody. We were met at the door by a young woman who placed prayer silks around our shoulders and led us to the front desk where a cold concoction of orange juice and sweet nectars had been prepared to refresh us. We were awed by the incredible woodwork which graces the windows, doors and walls of Dwarika’s Hotel, a living museum of wood carvers art. All of the ancient hand carved teak wood has been lovingly restored in Dwarika’s workshops. We spent the afternoon resting in the courtyard, surrounded by the beauty of woodcarvings and hand made brick.
The following morning we set out for our first exploration of the city, a walk through the more than twenty temples, palaces and shrines of Durbar Square. Each structure is unique; some are of Chinese style, some Indian and some Nepali. The beauty of this impressive square is overwhelming. Perhaps one of the most fascinating of the structures in Durbar Square is Kumari Ghar, the home of the Living Goddess. Her homelike temple was built in 1757 and houses the incarnation of one of the major Goddesses, which Goddess is a question of belief. The Living Goddess is a child, whose absolute perfection and the passage of many terrifying rituals proves her to be the vessel of the Goddess. She is worshipped at Festivals and is carried through the narrow streets of old Kathmandu on her elaborate chariot.
The next day we spent visiting Swayambunath Stupa, Kathmandu’s most important Buddhist Shrine, Boudhanath, the largest Stupa in Nepal, and Pashupatinath, Nepal’s most important Hindu Temple. Once again we were totally overwhelmed with the Stupas and Shrine and with the land on which they sit. Whether you climb up the 360 stairs to Swayambunath, down to the river to visit Pashupatinath or peek into the Monasteries surrounding Boudhanath, the magnificence of these holy places, sacred to Buddhists and Hindus is awe inspiring.
The following morning we were off to Nagarkot and the Club Himalaya Hotel. Nagarkot offers incredible views of the Himalyas and Mount Everest at dawn. It is a place to relax, reflect on the beauty of the earth and to hike. While hiking one morning, I saw an ancient shrine nestled in the hillside below us, the only way to get there was to pick my way through the brush and flowers. I left Thad on the trail and wound my way down to the shrine of the Hindu Goddess Kali, a frightening mother deity who protects her human children. As I entered the clearing surrounding the shrine, I met a young Nepali man who taught me the correct way to enter and to offer a prayer in this beautiful and holy place. He explained that first I must have an offering or gift of a flower for the goddess. Her favorite flower is the red rhododendron. The closest rhododendrons were further down the mountain so I climbed down, chose a perfect bloom and trekked back up to the shrine. On the right side of the shrine was a small rock ledge with red chalk dust, the young man smeared a red line across my forehead and told me to enter and to place the flower upon the alter before offering my prayer. I entered the stone temple and was enveloped by the quiet and peace of this holy place. I offered my gift to Kali and then prayed to my God in the ancient tongue of my people. I believe that a holy place is a holy place, it is determined by its inherent beauty and serenity, not by man. The young man was waiting for me when I left the shrine, he took me to the bell that I had to ring to send my prayer to heaven. The sound of the bell was like hearing a musical amen.
When I returned to Thad at the top of the hill he looked at the red mark on my forehead and he asked me how I could pray in that shrine, I shrugged, “Kali speaks Hebrewâ€, I replied.
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When to go: Avoid May through September, monsoon season. October and November are high season, the air is clear and clean, the crowds are there and prices are high. March was a perfect time for us, the flowers and trees are in full boom. no crowds, no snow on the trekking trails and the air is clean and clear.
Where to stay:
Coming home healthy is important. Stay in the best hotels. Even the most luxurious lodging is relatively inexpensive.
Where to go:
There is so much to see and do in this tiny country, arrange an itinerary that allows for plenty of time in Kathmandu interspersed with visits to the Himalayas and Annapurnas.
Gifts to pack:
Nepal is very poor country. Pack clothing that you can leave behind. As you travel, give your clothes to the needy and fill your suitcases with the incredible things you buy.
Web Connections:
Photographs from Durbar Square
http://www.alovelyworld.com/webnepal/htmgb/nep060.htm
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/nepal/kathmandu-swayabunath-stupa.htm
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/nepal/kathmandu-boudhanath-bodnath-st...
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/nepal/kathmandu-pashupatinath.htm
The Living Goddess
http://www.visitnepal.com/nepal_information/kumari.php
View from Nagarkot
http://www.adsnepal.com/photos/cache/Nagarkot/Mt.%20Lamtang%20from%20Nag...
View from Pohara
http://www.pokhara.biz/pokhara-photo/pokhara1.jpg
For World weather
For Quick money conversions
http://www.oanda.com/convert/cheatsheet
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â€To travel is to See†is a Maasai saying. It means, ‘To travel is to learn’. We learn about ourselves, our fellow men, the creatures with which we share the earth and the majesty of our planet. There is a great difference between a traveler and a tourist. A tourist sees the world with the eyes of his homeland. A traveler sees the world.