WORLDSCAPES

While waiting at the airport in Qatar, I found a small bookstore that sold journals. I remember thinking to myself, maybe I should buy two, they’re only 50 pages…I was on my way to Nepal, and had great expectations of sitting under the terraced roof of an ancient temple, breathing the fresh mountain air, relaxing, reflecting, observing…writing freely about all of the interesting things I would see and feel in this unique country…I wrote nothing.

Even after months of reflecting on the experience, I’ve had a hard time talking about the trip, much less writing about it. And I’ve tried…many times.

I fully anticipated this trip to be different than all of the rest. I expected to find myself far outside my element, surrounded by many things that I had never seen before, and that I would not fully understand. What’s amazing is just how far off I was on every level. Nepal literally stunned me, instantly shocking every one of my senses in a way that I had never experienced.

As I stepped off the plane and onto the tarmac at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, I was grinning ear to ear. With a fair amount of confusion, I paid for my temporary visa, cleared customs, and managed to find the van from my guest house waiting for me outside. Three men, all crammed in the front seat of a tiny van, greeted me with huge smiles and an enthusiastic “Namaste!”, the common spoken greeting or salutation used all over India and Nepal. The Sanskrit word, “Namaste” actually means “The divine in me recognizes the divine in you and acknowledges we are the same.”

As the van sped out of the airport and onto the crazy streets of Kathmandu, the grin I mentioned earlier quickly turned into a slack-jawed, wide-eyed look of complete confusion and awe, an expression which I became very accustomed to wearing while in Nepal. Riding through the city is like being thrown into a giant kaleidoscope — the colors, smells, sights, and sounds are nearly overwhelming. A chaotic and smoggy sea of motorbikes, rickshaws, buses, taxis, and trucks move in every direction…somehow always dodging fearless pedestrians and yes, holy cows. There are no street lights, no speed limits, and no designated lanes. A normal drive around town goes a little like this…one second you’re moving along in a “lane” with everyone else, the next second a giant truck is driving directly toward you in that same “lane”…no worries, just swerve onto the sidewalk/muddy shoulder, dodge a few dogs, a street vendor, a child; assume original position; and repeat. It’s an unmitigated free-for-all that somehow seems to work perfectly. Pure synergy!

I was dropped off at the Kathmandu Guest House (KGH), where I had made reservations for the next four nights. KGH was one of the first hotels that opened in Thamel (a district within Kathmandu), just after the government opened its borders to foreigners in 1950. Over the years it has become an icon…attracting wandering backpackers, famous mountaineers, and celebrities from around the world. A room at this storied hotel will cost you a whopping US$12. That’s right, 12 dollars a night. To say Nepal is a cheap place to visit is an understatement. You can easily survive here on $20 a day…including a hotel, three square meals, a couple of beers, and transportation around town.

I spent the first day exploring the streets of Thamel, its narrow maze-like streets confusing me more and more with every turn; taking pictures of nearly everything I saw while hopelessly attempting to fend off the swarms of hagglers, beggars, and the incredibly cute but tenacious street children.  I found myself becoming frustrated by the fact that I couldn’t spend two minutes alone without being asked for something.  It can be overwhelming at times, but to travel here one must understand the harsh realities that people face in this country.  Poverty here is rampant.  With an average GDP of US$260 (less than a dollar a day), Nepal is the poorest country in South Asia and the twelfth poorest country in the world. Of the 29 million people living here, half of the population is jobless. Knowing all of this makes it hard to say “No”, but due to the huge number of people asking for something, it is unfortunately the only answer.  After dealing with this issue for a few hours, I was in dire need of respite. Luckily, this is when I met Ravi — a 15-year-old kid with a genuine smile and wise eyes. We sat and talked quietly for a long time, and when he offered to show me around “his” city I decided to go for it. This turned out to be my best decision of the trip, as the rest of my time in Kathmandu was spent with a local who quickly became a good friend.

Each morning Ravi would meet me outside of my hotel, we’d explore the city for awhile, then visit his family during the afternoon rain (an everyday occurrence in June) and in the evening he’d tell one of the taxi drivers to send me back to the hotel…it was perfect. Ravi’s entire family — about 15 people, including his mother, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, etc. — were incredible people. They immigrated to Nepal from rural India, looking for a better life in the city. They settled into a camp consisting of small, wall-less tents made of bamboo and tarps…near a beautiful rice paddy just below the famous Boudhanath Stupa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boudhanath). As Ravi’s mother prepared tea and naan bread for us on an open fire, I quickly realized that I was getting a very unique opportunity to experience real life in Nepal. Spending time with Ravi’s family was an extraordinary experience. Coming from the western world, one is inclined to think that these people have nothing…yet with a bit of observation you realize they have nearly all of the things that truly matter in life…supportive family and friends, compassion, pride, vitality and grace. It was rare to see any of them without radiant smiles on their faces and there was definitely no shortage of unfettered laughter. I cherished every moment I was given by these kind people, and still think of them almost every day. The photographs that they encouraged me to take while I was there turned out to be some of my all-time favorites, yet I returned with much more than good pictures…I went home with a completely different attitude, a greater appreciation for life, and an understanding of the word “simplicity.” I will never forget the smiles, laughter, and interactions we shared.

After four amazing, but exhausting days in Kathmandu, I packed up and headed off to Bhaktapur. Ravi had arranged my transportation the previous evening…a two-hour taxi ride for 300 Nepalese Rupees…that’s 4 U.S. dollars. Nearly everyone I meet in Kathmandu had told me I had to get out of town and see Bhaktapur, as it was supposed to be a great place to relax and escape the noise and smog of the city. One of the three original royal cities of the immense Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur is an ancient city that is believed to have existed since the 9th century.  This incredibly picturesque city lies at the foothills of the Himalayas…in the shadow of Mt. Everest…which is less than 150 miles to the northeast. Arriving in Bhaktapur must be close to what it would be like to time travel, I instantly felt like I had gone back 2,000 years. You get the feeling that you’re in a living museum as you walk through the serene atmosphere of crumbling brick buildings, enormous wooden temples, and intricately carved stone shrines. Bhaktapur literally means “the Town of Devotees,” and that it definitely is. People are practicing their religion here at all times, Hinduism and Buddism intertwined into a harmonious celebration of life.

The two days I spent in Bhaktapur passed too quickly, and regrettably, it was time to return home. I left the cool mountain air of Bhaktapur and headed back down into the frantic valley to spend my last night in Kathmandu. Luckily, I was able to see Ravi and his brother Biru just before I left for the airport the next morning. I was sad to say goodbye, and we promised to do our best to see each other again someday….which is actually in the works as I write this!

One thing is certain about traveling — whether it is within your own country or to some far-off land — it always seems to change us. Depending on one’s ability to open up to new surroundings this change can either be positive or negative. To me, this was a trip about self exploration.  A trip where I forced myself into uncomfortable situations, because I’ve found that it is in these moments of uncertainty I am able to get one step closer to knowing who I really am. And even more importantly, understanding this amazing world in which we live…

“To understand everything is to forgive everything.“

~ Siddhartha 563-483 B.C.

Check out some of my favorite images from the trip in the two post below…