Postponed November 27, 2006
Posted by gurfheffalump in Nepal.Tags: kathmandu, Nepal, nepal country side, shangri-la, traveling, trekking, village
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So I’m supposed to be on my way to high altitudes and adventure by now. I am not.
My tour guide, Mony, couldn’t take me because the night before our planned departure date, his family scheduled him for a meeting with his future wife. See, in Nepal, most marriages are arranged and there were no such thing as love marriages until recently (with love marriages being ‘fashionable,’ as it was explained). There’s hardly any divorce here as well, with the divorce rate between 1-3%. This morning I spoke with Mony and I couldn’t be happier for the 28-year old bachelor. He’s highly educated and has put off this fateful day for a while. Most people here in Nepal get married between the late teens and mid twenties. Mony’s mother was married at 12 years old, her mother was married at 7.
Wait wait, the most exciting piece of news is that I am invited to his wedding! I really hope that my schedule works out for his intended date. Mony explained that he would have to be married in 19 days because it is considered favorable to be married by the end of this month (the Nepalese uses a different calendar).
… … … …
Yesterday Hari took me to a really local drinking hole for Tomba. Tomba is a Tibetan drink that comes in a miniature barrel filled with a red grain. Hot water is poured over the grain and the warm elixir resembles the taste of faint red wine mixed with beer. It was absolutely perfect for the chilly weather. And I truly believed the ambiance added to the effect of the alcohol; the ‘restaurant’ is easily missed if one is walking down the grim, empty street. The tiny door is a single piece of cloth that when peeled, reveals a very dimly lit treasure trove of wooden tables, stools, and locals, all cramped in a miniature wooden room. You have to duck your head to walk around because the ceilings are a little low. The entire room is dark except for the warmly lit tables. The ebb of shadows from faces crowded around the tables loom between the line of visibility. If someone told me I dropped into a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean, I would have had a hard time not believing it. The whole experience was enchanting and magical and I really did feel that I was in a hidden pocket of the world, forgotten by time and untainted by the Western Winds of change.
While caution is a necessity when traveling, it should not become an obsession. A healthy dose of skepticism should accompany travels, but not so much so that it starts taking away from an experience. There are the few that will take advantage of a crediulous heart or a novice traveler, but we shouldn’t let those few taint and rob our experiences with the majority of honest and warm-hearted locals. So far, my experiences with Nepal have been educational, warm, and eye-opening, and it wouldn’t have been possible if I approached every encounter with my mind already made up. I’m feeling like I’m allowing the Nepalese wave take me wherever it may be; I may stumble upon a paradise or I may find myself lost and exhausted, but I will never be so far out that I lose sight of the shore I left.
Since I’ve had some down time, I’ve painfully loaded more photos of Kathmandu.
Babble blah, Babble blah November 26, 2006
Posted by gurfheffalump in Nepal.Tags: kathmandu, Nepal, nepal country side, traveling, village
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Caution: this is a babble entry.
On my very first night in Kathmandu, I went out with the guesthouse staff and another traveler to a bar called 007. It’s a bar with a stage and female dancers move seductively to a combination of western and Nepali songs. There’s no stripping but the girls are in pretty scanty outfits. During the night, one of the guys from the hotel staff signaled for a girl to sit next to me and instantly, I mean without hesitation, she sat next to me and pulled my face in and started sucking on my neck. Now admittedly, I didn’t pull away as fast as I could have because it wasn’t exactly the most unwelcome act. Ok, yeah. I kind of liked it. But still, I pulled away just a few seconds too slow and Hoover had left her mark.
Since then, things don’t seem to be slowing down. I’ll try to do a recap of the last 48 hours.
Yesterday I took a trip to a temple. It’s a temple dedicated to worship Shiva, the god of destruction and rebirth. While I was there, I hired a guide that took me around the site and one of the first things he explained was the large platforms on the side of the river. These large stone platforms, or ghats, are used for cremation. People are burnt on the ghats and their ashes are dumped into the river that eventually meets the Ganges River. While I was there, a body was at the finishing stages of it’s creation. The family members had started to fling the debris that was on the ghats into the river which launched the ash from the cremation into the air like little parachutes all over. The disturbing thing was, the whole time I was breathing ashes from the cremation of someone’s dead relative. There were also snake charmers in the temple as well as the man that could pick up 70 kilos with his penis.
After the temple, I took a few hours of rest and went to Dubar Square to exchange some knives that I bought earlier. While sitting on a little stool in the square talking to one of the merchants, a healthy flight broke out just a few feet away from me. A drunkard was bothering the merchant who’s stand was right next to where I was sitting and it seemed that without much warning, the merchant pushed the drunkard into a trashcan. Because only the drunkard’s head and feet were sticking out, he was stuck. The merchant continued to deliver a barrage of punches to the face and kicks to the body when he finally rolled out. The fight lasted about 1 minute and happened no more than 5 feet away from me, but I didn’t even get up the whole time. I didn’t feel sorry for the drunkard either. I was so emotionless I think my heart rate stayed the same throughout the disturbance. I just observed. Maybe I don’t have a heart, or maybe lack compassion; I can’t explain why I was so stoic and didn’t do anything. After watching the fight take place that close, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed. I mean, where was the sound effects? There was no WWF stomping, heads didn’t snap backwards or to the side, there was no moaning… there wasn’t even the obligatory ‘pshhh’ sound of a punch. I only heard a faint whisper of a slap every time he got punched. It sounded a little like slamming a marshmallow on an asphalt floor. The whole thing was like watching a movie on mute and in slow motion.
After the incident, I had some hot milk tea with the merchant to celebrate the success of our business deal but for some reason I felt that in his head, behind his smiling face, he was celebrating the guiltless butchering of a dumb tourist. Anyway, I walked around for a bit and met Hari, a 28 year-old guy who owned a clothes shop on Freak Street (The Beatles smoked hash here once). He asked if I ever had Nepalese Wine. My eyes sparkled and I started to get noticeably excited, so he went and bought some of the delightful sounding potion know as Nepalese Wine. A few minutes later I found out that Nepalese wine is basically a synonym for hard alcohol and coke. After the impromptu drinking session, we made plans to go out to a bar. The bar turned out to be a disappointment so we went back to 007 with a few of the hotel staff. After a while, I met Suba, one of the dancers there, who was a friend of the guys of the hotel staff. She also happens to be extremely HOT. Sitting there talking with Suba in the dark, with music and alcohol, I swore she was the hottest girl in Nepal and that I was momentarily in love (love.. lust, same thing.). After she changed into her costume and it was her turn to dance on stage, I KNEW she was the hottest girl in Nepal. Her body was Britney Spears pre K-Fed and she danced both seductively and adorably to Napalese tunes. At one point in the night, Hoover came by from behind and grabbed me again, but Suba quickly slapped her away. However this afternoon Suba came by the hotel and I found out she can probably out-hawk a pirate in a loogie spitting contest. I couldn’t believe such ugly noises I once only associated with fraternity knuckle-heads could be made by such a beautiful, feminine female. Oh yeah, Suba’s nickname or stage name is Cobra. They wouldn’t tell me why but I’m sure it has something to do with how if one isn’t careful, they can end up on the wrong end because she could be fatal with a guy’s heart. If she were to ask for my wallet, passport, and what’s left of my soul during those dark, dark nights, I would have happily obliged and handed anything her purdy heart requested.
In 2 days, I’ll be going on a 10-day trek that’ll act as a detox period. Local law requires that trekkers have guides so I’m flying and busing my guide to the mountain from Kathmandu. I’m really looking forward to the detox period because in the last few months my body has been a piñata for alcohol, cigarettes, and fried foods.
Also, the internet in Nepal SUCKS. I probably wouldn’t be able to post pictures for a while because of this.
Magic November 24, 2006
Posted by gurfheffalump in Nepal.Tags: kathmandu, Nepal, nepal country side, peace, traveling, trekking, village
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I’ve always believed there was such a thing as magic. I’m not talking about the hocus pocus type of magic, no no, I’m talking about the stuff that makes humans human. I’m talking about the incredible, the emotional, the spiritual, the indescribable and immeasurable, the things in our life that motivate us to take on the unreasonable, no matter what the odds. It’s the romantic. I’m talking about the stuff that’s capable of causes a tingling, shooting sensation through your body. Moments so powerful the emotions released from them seem to tear a rift in time and space.
I’ve always thought music was capable tapping into that realm, especially when combined with film. I’ve always thought a parent’s love for a child was magical because no matter how much a child loves their parents, it won’t be as much as they love us. That I’m sure of. That love is magical. There’s magic in falling in love for the first time. I also believe there’s also something magical about Nepal.
I’ve only been in Kathmandu for a few days and I’ve already begun to feel something I’ve never felt before. To me, this place has something mystical and kind. It’s in the air. It’s the type of place that’s closer to the human spirit; it soothes your insides.
If I had to describe Kathmandu at this time, it would be a canvas full of browns and burgundy with lively dashes of blues, yellows, reds and forest greens all illuminated by the type of sunlight that would be suitable for higher and holy beings. My room is on the 3rd floor next to a busy street and I’m always fed a constant stream of noises from the street. Below me the music store plays the incredibly tranquil music of monks chanting while the sounds of motorcycles and horns seem to melt into the same noise. It’s the soundtrack of Kathmandu. The sharp, brisk air is a highlighter that accentuates the charm of the already charming city.
Amid a dusty city where the streets are covered in spit and the traffic is just as rampant as the dead rats, I’d never thought I’d find such peace.
Of course, this is my take. But sitting on the balcony looking down from my window, I had to believe that Shangra-La is not an actual place; it’s in the mind of the traveler. Travel is not about places, but about experiences. For me, Nepal is magic.
First Night in Nepal November 22, 2006
Posted by gurfheffalump in Nepal.1 comment so far
After riding on a plane that smelled like a animal pen in a barnyard, I am finally in Katmandu. I showed up without a guidebook, Nepalese rupees, or any idea how I can get to the hostel/guesthouse that I haven’t bothered researching yet. But I’ve learned that, as always, things find a way to work themselves out when they are a real necessity (I’m not talking about the Louis Vutton type of necessity, but things such as transportation and shelter!).
Luckily, I met Andrew, an eccentric 65 year-old man. He confessed he couldn’t hold down a job for more than a year and a half (sound familiar?) because he gets bored. He’s been all over the world and speaks 5 different languages, including Nepali. He’s also a PhD who after a few years of being a doctor, decided to say fuck it all and has been traveling since. When I told him about our parallels and of my story, he asked me how old I was and said, Ah! You’re doing well!, which is why I like him. He’s also Canadian, but given the other dots on his resume, I can over look that. We managed to find a guesthouse and had buffalo dumplings and tea, all of which costs around a US dollar. Kathmandu is just what I needed. It’s so different from the places I’ve been and I love that. I love the giddy feeling I get when I first arrive at a totally foreign place. I become the kid that’s just tasted his first jolly rancher. It’s intense and overwhelming in such a sweet way. And what’s even more awesome, the weather is chilly and crisp. After a few months of sweat and humidity, I appreciate that to the fullest degree, and every degree.
After a decade of civil war, the Maoists and Communists have reached peace and signed a treaty a few days ago. Nepal is a country that is almost totally dependent on tourism as their means of income. Because of the war, the tourists have stopped coming and it’s been quite hard for people in Nepal. With my few hours of experience here, the people are very friendly and sweet. Right now, I don’t think there’s ever been a better time to visit Nepal.
Speechless November 21, 2006
Posted by gurfheffalump in Taiwan.2 comments
I wish I can write something that captures just what this month has meant to me, but I’m not capable of that at the moment and I know it. In less than a day, I’ll be catching a flight out of Taipei and to Nepal. A million thoughts are still on my mind, most unresolved. But I think its fair to say that this month has been one of the most meaningful months of my life. I just need some time to process the experience.
All I can say right now is that it felt so good to put the camera down for a month, to neglect the blog more or less, and take the moments as they come. I’ve had incredible moments here, moments I would usually try to take a picture of or try to write about, but I’m proud of myself that I didn’t. They are only in memory and that’s a good thing. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’d like to express what’s been going through my mind about a lot of things, but as I said, for now I can’t. I’ll just say that I think because of the time I spent here, many things have changed, including my plans for this trip. But for now, I’ll take the easy way out and post a video of my beloved and beautiful cousin’s wedding and cut and paste an e-mail to a friend and perhaps it will help to express myself.
– Kit,
Sorry for such a rushed e-mail earlier. My cousin (who I don’t know well at all) walked in pretty much almost naked. I want to explain what’s going on.
I’ve been looking into booking my ticket to Nepal, and going on to the places I’ve told you about. But lately, with my parents here, being around family, and just being in Taipei for so long, my thinking has changed. I found that responsible side kicking harder and harder in my head. I’m listening to my parents and their advice. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know family members that were little more than just a name to me a few months ago. And most of all, I think I fell in love with Taipei.
I’m thinking about scratching my trip, or at least the latter half of it. That means S. America mostly, probably more, I don’t know. It hurts to say. I’m confused about what to do, and I’ve put off buying a ticket out of here even though my visa is up on the 23rd.
It’s a juggling act with a bunch of things right now… money, family, my trip and my dream, wanting to be here to learn Chinese, and just loving it here. I have a lot to think about and I don’t know how much time I have to think about it.
I want to tell you above all, that I really really really appreciate you doing those little things for me. I appreciated it even when in the beginning you were offering and supportive. I mean, you don’t really even need to do anything at all because I feel like you are one of the few that understand all this, you know, I’ve told you this before.
Thanks for everything.
