football fever in Nepal...

Cola deliveries advertising the football...

using buddhism and noodles to advertise the football...

some t-shirt that was in the temple museum, stating their preference...

some monks playing a rematch between SA and Mexico

All eyes glued to the screen....

It is nice to see signs at some of the shops, advertising the football World Cup in South Africa – it kind of brings home just a little bit closer.  On the sides of trucks delivering the worlds favourite Cola drink, as well as on posters trying to sell noodles... I think the best was watching some monks at Namo Buddha playing a rematch between Mexico and South Africa, with only 2 a side as the courtyard was quite small.  Kenna (from Mexico) and myself (being South African), were the strong supporters on the sidelines – unfortunately in this case it was not a draw, but an outright loss to South Africa...mmm another rematch?  And then later in the evening watching the games on TV as it was their day off.  The rest of the days they are busy studying and doing puja(prayers) so don’t get to watch.  The best part of watching the football with the monks, was watching the monks watch the football!  The things they find the most hilarious are peoples facial expressions – especially when they are shown in slow motion.  Kenna and I were probably the loudest people in the room as we cheered on Nigeria.

Right, now i am off to watch the game... SA vs France!!!!!

The Journey out of Nepal

view from the top... of the bus

The wheels coming off the bus... LOL!

view of a village along the way...







I spent my final few days in Nepal in Namo Buddha, i really needed the peace and quiet and the beautiful surroundings. I decided not to head back into Kathmandu to catch a bus, but decided to just wing it from where I was. The day started off with a challenge of the bus being full to the brim (bursting in fact) – there wasn’t even space on the roof. So my friend who was travelling in with me on the first leg of the journey, and I decided to walk to the main road – which is about an hour and a halfs walk... Remembering I had all my lugguage... and it was hot, despite only being 9am in the morning. We walked half way before we hitched a ride on the back of a truck with some local people who were delivering milk, they dropped us off at the main road and from there Kenna and I were going in different directions. A bus was there ready to take her to where she wanted to go, but i had to wait about an hour before a bus came that was going in my direction.
A local Nepali woman with her 2 year old son, were waiting with me and she was heading in the same direction, so she said that i was to catch the same bus as her as her bus went to Bardibas. So a bus arrived and i hoped on, saying where i was going, but no-one was paying too much attention. I decided to sit on top of the bus, as it was jam-packed inside, and i was a bit nervous about my luggage being on top with many people, so for four and a half long hours, i was perched on top, catching a tan. The views from up there were spectacular – this bus was taking me on a tour of the back-valleys. The road was a single track dirt road with sheer cliffs on one side and steep ups and downs, and at one point we had to reverse the bus in order to gain momentum to get up the hill. At this point I was contemplating death, and quite calmly saying my Om Mani Padme Hungs. There was nothing i could do, so there was no point in being anything but calm. During the journey, i discovered that the bus was not going to where I wanted to go, and they were asking double what the Nepali woman had told me the price was. So i did contemplate just going back to Kathmandu and starting again, but then just decided to keep going on the path i had already begun. In some places the road is under construction, so we had to drive along the river bed. I continued to enjoy the scenery and the increasing amount of space that was opening up on the roof of the bus as everyone was getting off. Finally we came to a little village, and i was pointed in a direction where a lot of other people from the bus were walking. This was where the bus was stopping, and in order to carry on in the direction that i was going, I would have to walk for over an hour – still with all my luggage and still very hot. A kind Nepali guy took it upon himself to show me the direction of the bus, and even carried one of my bags for part of the way. He was suggesting that i stay at his house for the night and continue my journey the next morning, but i decided that was not a very good idea, so i remained insistent that i would continue with my journey. Once again, I managed to get a ride for the last half of the walk with the construction workers. They dropped me and my Nepali friend off in the nearby village where we could catch the bus heading towards Sinduli, where i could then catch another bus to Bandibas, where I could then catch a further bus to Kakarbitta, which is one of the borders between Nepal and India. I had two seats to myself in this bus, and watched the scenery from my window – just as well, as we had entered monsoon territory and it was raining slightly. This bus terminated in Sinduli, and when i wanted to catch the next bus i was told that there were no more busses that day – it was 7pm – so i would have to spend the night here. I was kind of hoping to have gotten an overnight bus to the border, but that was not to be.
Finding accommodation proved to be very interesting... This area is not really visited by tourists, so i had a lot of people starring open mouthed at me as I walked down the street looking for a place to stay. Every place i went to said they were full, which i believed initially, but then i started noticing the pattern. No one wanted me staying at their hotel, except one place but they were wanting to charge me NR500, which is just an absolute rip off. When I tried to negotiate, they were not having it, and as they were the only place taking in tourists they could stand firm on their price. I moved on thinking i would find somewhere else... Time is moving on, darkness is approaching and I am still carrying all my bags. I ask a Nepali woman if she knows where i can stay, she sends two young girls to take me to a hotel. When I get there, the owner ignores me initially as he says good bye to his customers – which i take to be good manners on his part, not giving tourists any special attention. When he did finally look at me though, and I asked him for a room for the night, he said that he was full. Now i could see the key holders behind, him and there must have been about 20 rooms... but he was full... so i carried on walking down the street, really feeling the strong sense of rejection and not being wanted. By now i was starting to get emotional, but continued to walk in the dark until a Nepali girl came to me and said she would take me to a hotel, and if we couldn’t find one that would have me then i could come to her house. I was really grateful for her being there, and she took me back to the NR500 place – I once again tried to negotiate, but they were not interested, so i swallowed my pride and took the room at the high price.
I was grateful to have a place to sleep tonight, although i am feeling a bit had. I get a feeling that i have stumbled upon a strong Maoist area, where tourists are not wanted, and if they are going to be here then they will get the most out of them. It is just such a different experience than what i have had in other parts of the country, although i did sense an undercurrent of it in some places. This was just blatant though.

Sindhuli to Siliguri
As i had paid my accommodation the night before – due to their paranoia that i might run off without paying – i got up early and let myself out of the building, making my way to the bus station amidst stares suspicion. Arriving at the bus station the first bus i saw, gave me a feeling of death, but i asked them anyway where they were going. They were going to Bardibas which is where i was heading, so there was not much choice but to get on it. About half way through the 37km journey, the bus driver was finding difficulty changing gears, then after looking in his wing mirror, abruptly stopped the bus. Everyone got off very quickly, and I followed, only to discover that the wheels had come off the bus – quite literally!! One set of back wheels had come out so far that there was not much left to hold the bus up, so if we had gone a little bit further, it would have been a different story that i tell... So i waited half an hour for the next bus to come by – and of course they were full, so i decided to sit on top where there is fresh air and more space. When we came to a police check post, we stopped about 100m before it and everyone on top had to get off and walk past the police... and then about 100m after the check post the bus stopped and we all got back on again. Apparently we are not allowed to travel on the roof tops of busses. I was then dropped off at Bardibas where i spent 2 ½ hours waiting for my next bus. This next bus was to take me direct to the border post of Kakarbitta, where i could cross into India near Darjeeling and Sikkhim. Once again this bus was full, so for the first 10 minutes until it stopped for lunch, i was crammed inside – after lunch i was back on the roof. It was a different experience being on the roof this time, as the bus was going a lot faster and therefore the wind was much harder. Nonetheless, i stayed there for six hours until we hit our second rain shower and they brought all of us and our luggage inside the bus – this was when i realised that there was actually space inside, so i stayed there for the next half an hour until we reached the border. Crossing the bridge at the border was really beautiful – it is a long bridge, maybe 700meters and on either side is a beautiful valley, people were crossing on bicycles, rickshaws, motorbikes and the occasional car and truck. I had no hassles crossing, and so i made my way to the bus stand to catch a bus to Siliguri – it was now 6.30pm and they said it only takes an hour, i think it took a bit longer because of all the stopping and starting. So I arrived in Siliguri at about 8pm and started looking for a place to stay.
Once again i came upon many places telling me they were full. Then i came upon one place that told me they had room for Asians only. This was a very interesting experience for me, for someone to be so openly racist – and yet i was grateful for the openness, as there was the possibility that i was just being paranoid. I asked him why he only allowed Asians, but he didn’t answer and carried on chatting and laughing with his buddy. Being a white person from South Africa, I have never really experienced how black people must have felt during apartheid, the constant feeling of rejection and not being accepted/wanted – so it was very interesting.
I then managed to find a place and we negotiated a price for a single room for two nights, and then he proceeded to tell me that he had no single rooms, only double – and the price was double too – so i left. I was very hot and tired of carrying my luggage, but once again my stubbornness got in the way and i carried on. I then managed to find a few more hotels that were willing to have me stay, but at a price... still i carried on walking. Finally i found somewhere that was in the middle of what i wanted to pay and what everyone else was asking from me – it was also 9pm, so i had decided to stay here no matter what the price! I will spend 2 nights here so that i can organise a permit for Sikkim as well as catch up on internet stuff, like changing my flight and many many e-mails!! I will now only leave India on around the 5th of August.

Around Kathmandu...

Shaving day  and prayer flags

Pashupathi, where they cremate the dead

They don't call it the monkey temple for nothing...

Swayambu temples

in front of the illusive Guru Rinpoche cave

the roof top crowd before the wires

trying to avoid the wires on top of the bus...

Upon my return to Kathmandu, i had decided to take some time out to do some sight seeing instead of just hanging out with friends in Boudha.  So the first place that i visited was Kopan monastery, which is quite well known as it was home to the Spanish boy who was recognised as a reincarnation of Lama Yeshe.  Nowadays, the Spanish Lama is no longer there, but it is still home to many monks and a few westerners study there as well.  From there i took a long walk (2 and a half hours) up to Nagi Gompa, this is not recommended to be done alone, but hey.  I was just really grateful to be out walking again – it felt really good! At Nagi Gompa i watched one of the head nuns have her head shaved, and then attended a puja for 3 hours.  I then decided to head back into town, and joined another traveller who was heading in the same direction. 

The second place that i visited was Pashupathinat, which is the Nepali version of Varanassi – this is where they ceremoniously cremate their dead along the river.  I had decided to walk there instead of taking a bus or taxi – as this would give me a better sense of Kathmandu.  Unfortunately the map in the Lonely Planet guide is pretty lousy, so i got myself horribly lost and instead of it being a half an hour walk it turned into a 2 and a half hour walk – and it was boiling hot! Nevertheless, I found it in the end, and then i spent a long time contemplating life and death while watching the cremations on the other side of the river.  At this point i must just stress that the river at this time of year is probably about a meter wide in this area, and is filled with so much rubbish.  There are also many monkeys and playing on the dry river bed, and some scavenger dogs looking for something to eat.  It is very much a production line, as once one cremation is complete and all the ashes are pushed into the river, new logs of wood are placed on the platform and then the next body is brought out and placed on the logs.  I watched as the body of a woman was placed on the logs, - i wont go into too much details, as some young kiddies will be reading this – and her family walked around her body 3 times with the flame before beginning the cremation. It was quite a surreal experience!  After spending too much time sitting in the sun, i then walked back to my hotel, and this time managed to find the right road and i was so surprised when it took me such a short time!!

The other place that i visited was the Vajrayogini temple near Sankhu.  I took a bus for about half an hour and then had to walk through the village and then up many stairs – though not nearly as bad as on the trek – to reach the temple.   On the way up the stairs was a group of Nepali men and they had just killed a goat and were busy cleaning it on the stairs.  I wasn’t quite sure if they were doing this as a religious offering, or if it was just a convenient place for them to do their butchering...  By the time i came down the stairs, the carcass was all but gone and they were busy clearing up the last bits... i found this very odd!  Vajrayogini is revered in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions, and this temple was very much a Hindu temple – due to my ‘not wanting to disturb anyone’ complex – i failed to see an important part of the temple which was nearby.  Moral of the story – always ask for guidance when unsure!!   Nonetheless, it was a lovely walk and what i saw was interesting.  When i my bus arrived into Boudha, I decided to take a walk to Thamel, which is a very touristy area of Kathmandu, but also where they sell beautiful Thangka paintings. By the end of the day i was totally exhausted!

The following day i went into Thamel again, this time sharing a taxi with a friend, thereafter i walked to Swyambunath, which is a very important place for Buddhists – although i wouldn’t be able to tell you why.  Legend has it that this hill arose spontaneously out of the surrounding flat land... There is a big stupa on top of the hill, with many monastaries around it, and at the bottom of the hill they have some giant statues of the Buddha, Guru Rinpoche and Green Tara (????).  This temple is also known as the Monkey Temple and in one area there is a pond that they monkeys have adopted as their swimming pool, and they have a lot of fun running and chasing each other in and out of the water.  I met a lovely 80 year old lady who was full of life from France, and she had just come back from trekking!!! Another moral – live life fully, don’t let your age define you!!

Namo Buddha

view from the top...

decorations on the temple buildings

Thrangu Rinpoche leaving to go to Canada

My nomadic friend, Angela






It was recommended to me by a couple of people that i try and make it up to Namo Buddha. It is only about an hour and a half by taxi from Kathmandu – about 3 and a half hours and a sore neck by bus... :\ So, i decided to head up there for a kind of self-retreat, remove myself from tourism for a while.
Namo Buddha is an important pilgrimage site, as it is said that in the historical buddha’s previous life he came across a tigress and her five cubs that were in the process of starving to death. What he did was he fed himself to the tigress, and so the tigers were able to survive, and in his next incarnation he became what we know to be the historical Buddha shakyamuni.
The Thrangu monastery where i was staying at Namo Buddha, is perched on a hilltop, from where you are able to see all the surrounding villages, and on a clear day the snow-capped Himalayas (these i did not see because of the haze and clouds).
Looking out onto the valley is like being inside a painting, where one section is on pause while the other is able to be on play – there was a time warp kind of feel to the place. On one of the days that i was looking out at the scenery, two 100meter long string of prayer flags had come loose at one end, and were suspended in space across the valley, trying to reach the other hilltops until the wind could hold them no more and they gently came back down to earth.
I was fortunate to meet Thrangu RInpoche while there and receive some teachings from him in the form of a transmission to begin the preliminary practices. I also met some other wonderful people there including fellow nomad, Angela, who helped me realise my inner nomad and to embrace that aspect of myself. Angela is retired and is currently teaching English and computers to the monks at the monastery. Angela and her students are busy making a DVD to show potential sponsors what a day in the life of a monk is like – as they are needing people to sponsor a monk for a year.
While I was there, they were filming part of a Bollywood movie – fortunately not the part with all the singing and dancing!! Some of the monks were extras, and the rest were fixated on watching the goings on.
There were some amazing thunder storms while i was there, and i really got a sense that the monsoon is on its way... this will be my first monsoon experience... ;-)
I enjoyed my time there so much that i am contemplating spending another week there before i leave Nepal. Right now though, I am back in Boudha in Kathmandu, and am going to venture out a bit more this time and see what else there is to see in the surrounding valley.

Boudha (Bodnath), Kathmandu

the Bodnath Stupa

a puja on the Stupa

painting the stupa on Saga Dawa

The Thangka that i bought of Amithaba Buddha









I was looking forward to getting to Boudha as I was meeting friends from Dharamsala, and while there I also bumped into some other people I had met in India, so there felt like a lot of familiarity even though I had not been to the place before.

Boudha is a big Tibetan settlement, and is home to the worlds largest stupa. I happened to be here at the time that Nepal celebrates the birth of Buddha (Saga dawa in Tibetan), so the whole place was heaving, as many people came to do kora (circumnavigating the stupa in a clockwise direction) around the stupa. To do kora on this holy day is said to be of great merit, so i got up early (4.30am), along with many others, and did about 160 prostrations around the stupa. During the remainder of the day, I attended a local Guru Rinpoche puja and did a lot of walking kora around the stupa – hopefully gaining alot of merit along the way... ;-)
The most humbling sight during this day was seeing Khandro Rinpoche (she is the oracle to the Dalai Lama) doing prostrations around the stupa after a heavy rainfall. Her devotion to her practice was unquestionable - and her robes sopping wet!
I had bought a Thangka painting of Amitaba Buddha the previous day, and it arrived in the evening on Saga Dawa – so very auspicious!
Since arriving in Kathmandu, I have not visited anywhere else except Boudha, so upon my return i will have to do a bit more exploring.

Lumbini – The Birthplace of the historical Buddha

"The" birthspot of buddha...

the moiyu wooden instrument played during pujas

about as close as i will get to a tiger...this was at the Vietnamese themepark... I mean monastery

 'Frog in lotus pond'

The bus ride from Pokhara to Lumbini involved narrow windy roads, high temperatures and a strike about 2km from my stop – which meant they weren’t allowing traffic through, so walking was the only option.  Having recently been trekking – you would think I would be keen to do the walk – but now I had all my luggage and it was easily 43 degrees.  So no, not so keen, but if i wanted to get anywhere that was the only way  - well there was also the persistent rikshaw man, but i was not doing that again!

I stayed at the Korean monastery, which cost me all of £2,50 per day including 3 meals.  Okay it was the same dhal bhat 3 times a day but how could i complain.  While i was there the Koreans celebrated the birthday of Buddha by doing a puja (ceremony) at the actual site.  I must admit to not feeling much at this pilgrimage site, except for curiosity, wandering whether this was ‘the spot’ where he was born 2500 years ago... I think I was a bit sceptical and too aware of the tourist potential that was being harnessed.  There are many monasteries from different Buddhist traditions around the world, many trying to outdo the other and some going to extraordinary lengths to give their monastery a theme park feel – in particular the Vietnamese monastery.

I tried to visit all the monasteries in the area to get a sense of the different traditions.  I attended a puja at the Chinese monastery, which was beautiful. There were 2 monks and a nun, and the chanting is very melodious and pleasing to the ear. One of the instruments they used in their puja was called a moiyou, which is a giant wooden... i can’t describe it, but you will see the pic i took of one of them at the Vietnamse monastery.  Other than that, everywhere else was really just for the tourist... so pretty lifeless.

I spent 3 days here before moving on to Kathmandu, where friends from Dharamsala were waiting.