A (Return) Passage to India ... or "Dear God WHAT was I Thinking???!!"

Hey,

Well, I am back in India … and wondering why I wanted to do that!!  It was not a very smooth re-emersion.  However, things are going better now.

I am not even sure where to start … since I last wrote I have been doing a fair bit of wandering about. 

After giving in to my sloth for weeks, a friend and I decided to go on a trip away from Kathmandu for a few days.  We went to Bhaktapur – a beautiful old town in the Kathmandu valley.  It has cobblestone roads, stunning old buildings from the 12^th to the 15^th centuries, and best of all NO traffic.  We stayed with a sweet Nepali family I had made friends with through the painting school (so I guess it hadn’t been a complete waste of time). 

 

The next day we went for a short hike up a hill to see a temple – Changu Narayan.  The temple itself wasn’t all that special to look at (and there were lots of annoying kids trying to make us buy tickets) but the walk there was lovely. 

From there we walked part of the way up to another town – Nagarkot.  Nagarkot is famous for views of the Himalayan mountains.  I had very little hope of being able too see anything as it is definitely monsoon time here now and was told the chances weren’t good.  But we got very lucky!!  For only a few hours in the very early mornings (not my favourite time of day!!) we had amazing views of the mountains.

Mostly though, we spent a few days in Nagarkot sitting around reading books, enjoying the cooler weather, and having naps while it rained.  Traveling is sometimes such hard work ….

Then back to Kathmandu   I started to realize that the chocolate cake alone could keep me there for much too long!!  I was also spending much too much money at all the stores.  Mostly though, I wasn’t sure how long I wanted to spend in some of the other places in Nepal and my visa was only good for a few more weeks so … off I went towards the west of Nepal. 

My first stop was Bandipur.  It was absolutely lovely!!  I think it was my favourite place in Nepal in many ways.  It was the most peaceful, quiet place, and it looks and feels very much like a living museum.  It was also so nice because the people were absolutely wonderful – helpful and friendly without being oppressive or pushy.  The village is also known for views of the Himalayas but I was not as lucky this time and was merely teased by the tops poking out from behind the clouds from time to time.

I was lucky and met with a group of young people there on a cultural exchange program and joined them for a day hike to a tiny ethnic village called Ramkot.  It was a beautiful walk and the villagers there, while not used to seeing foreigners, were welcoming and friendly.

I only stayed a few days before heading off to Pokhara.  Pokhara is Nepal’s “second city”.  It is primarily a base for treks to the of the Himalayas.  However, once again, there was a lot of rain and this time I had no luck at all and saw absolutely nothing.  I had intended to spend a week or so there but with constant rain there didn’t seem much point in hanging out.  The place had a weird, empty, off-season feeling that I didn’t really enjoy.

My next stop was Lumbini.  This is the birthplace of Buddha.  There is a very bland building built over what is believed to be a stone laid there in the 3^rd century BC to mark the ‘exact’ spot of the birth.  Other than that, there is a collection of large modern and exceptionally dull monasteries built by countries from all over the world.  I rented a bicycle and went around for most of a day.  The next day I was ready to leave. 

I had very mixed feelings about coming back to India.  Nepal is much calmer, more peaceful, less aggressive and pushy, and also significantly cleaner.  I had also really enjoyed my time in Nepal.  I met a lot of great people, ate a lot of great food, and also bought a lot of cool stuff.  There are, however, a few things I still want to see in India – things I would feel awful if I missed. 

It was a frustrating return, mostly due to transportation challenges and being lied to and cheated by the first few people I encountered.  I had even tried to be organized and few things are more frustrating for me than when I put in effort and think it is all sorted it and then it all goes wrong.  Grrrr.

My first stop back in was Varanasi.  It is one of the most sacred cities in India.  It is on the Ganges river and is famous for being a place for cremations and putting the dead into the river.  I had heard a lot of stories about how filthy the river was and that the bodies of those unable to afford cremation just float by.  I saw none of that.  I think that is mostly due to the fact that the river was at very high levels.  It just rained and rained.  I think I read in the paper that over 110mm of rain fell in less than 24 hours my first day. 

Varanasi is an interesting city with an interesting feel but not really what I had expected.  I guess I had just seen so many photographs of women drying brightly coloured saris on the steps.  Unfortunately when I was there, there were few steps ... just lots of brown water. 

I treated myself to a classy air conditioned train ride to Rishikesh where I am now.  This is another sacred city on the Ganges.  Being further north and near the source however it is a much cleaner river.  Rishikesh is also known as the Yoga capital of the world. 

In that spirit …I am off to a yoga ashram tomorrow for 10 days.  I am unsure of Internet access and availability, so don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for the next few weeks.

Hope all is well for everyone,

K