I still can't believe how quickly everything is going! Although I am so excited for our trekking week in Pokhara, that, too, will fly by very quickly and before I know it, I will be flying to my home in the States.
On Monday, Dai and I woke up at 6 am to hike to the Shiva Temple and, let me tell you, it is quite a climb! I consider myself fairly athletic, strong, with plenty of endurance, but Nepal has proven me wrong numerous times! I struggled to keep up with Dai, breathing heavily, sweating profusely, feeling like my lungs were going to fail me! I hate to admit it, but I felt some relief when I heard Dai breathing heavily as we started to climb the steps and, sadly, I felt some level of satisfaction that I wasn't alone in this strain of energy levels. Frankly, we were working very hard on empty stomachs and I wondered if I would collapse just trying to climb the 300 some steps to the temple, let alone the rocky hills and inclines we faced along the way!
It was the second time we had been to this temple, except this time it would be very much alive with Shiva devotees. You see, this month is dedicated to honoring Shiva. Women will wear green and yellow bangles (the colors that represent Lord Shiva), and green cloths. They will fast on Mondays and offer whatever fruits, flowers, rice, and water to the god in the temple. There are three or four stairways that lead up to the temple, each avenue about 300 steps toward the sky and there were long lines monitored by a Nepali police officer on each stairway. Even in times of humility, prayers, and offerings, devotees can be highly energized and become disorderly, eager to present their offerings to Shiva.
Men, women, children, elders come in their best dressed, women wearing stunning and immaculate saris, bangles, make-up, perfumes. There were little shops and makeshift stands to sell a collection of offerings on the holy leaf, including coconuts, flowers, bananas. I even saw a woman bringing one tiny apple. I wondered if that was her only piece of fruit she had at home and what kind of personal sacrifice she was making by offering it to Shiva.
Outside of the entrance to the temple, there is a pit where devout Hindus will set fire in the holy leaves and I asked Dai "why the fire?" to which he replied that those who expose themselves to the heat of the flames (without burning themselves, of course!) expel all of the evils and impurities from within before they enter the temple to present their offerings, say a few prayers, and head to the holy men, or priests, to receive tikkah on their forehead as a sign they have been blessed by Shiva before they leave and head home to conduct the rest of their day. Others will stop by a small statue (at eye level) of Hanuman (the favored monkey deity), placed tikkah on his forehead and also take tikkah from Hanuman and place it on their forehead. Others will do the same to a statue of Nandi, Shiva's bull and vehicle. Others light small lamps filled with oil as they offer prayers.
All the while, you can hear constant sounds of life such as chatter and conversations in Nepali, bells constantly being rung to command the attention and presence of the deities so their prayers may be heard, babies crying, mothers comforting their babies, fathers holding their children, excited to have a child in their arms and a part of this celebration of Lord Shiva. There was some Nepali music playing upon our arrival, but then one of the holy men took control of the microphone to organize the lines, keep people focused, keep the lines moving, etc. Since Dai and I weren't devotees, we were able to surpass the lines and at first we went to the temple's edge, where you really feel like you're on top of the world. You can see all of the villages below, rice fields, terraced lands, and on the outskirts of the villages, the huge city of Kathmandu and all of its tall buildings. From there, Dai and I found a bench and sat down, my weary body so thankful.
We observed for a while before heading back home for our morning chai tea, followed by dhal bhat and then rushed for showers and got ready. I needed to head to school, Dai needed to drive his motorbike into Thamel for his shop. It was a great start to the morning. So much to take in, religion-wise, and contemplate the depths of the belief systems that are so grounded in the Nepalese communities!
We will hike a local mountain one of these mornings, but will need to rise at 5:15 am to leave by 5:30- can't wait!! Oh yes, and watch out for those leeches!!
NamoBuddha Pilgrimage
Have you ever heard of the story about the King Bayan Deer? It tells a story of sacrifice, compassion, generosity, and even suffering as the King discovered empathy through the actions of others. There are so many symbolic icons and representations in the Buddhist and Hindu faiths, it is extraordinary and inevitable to examine our own thoughts and actions.
Buddhist Prayer Flags
Traditionally, Buddhist prayer flags can be found in the Himalayas Mountains, along rooftops, even embedded in the flora of a country. They are hung to bless the countryside, those that are living nearby, and serve many other purposes. They traditionally come in five colors, which represent the Five Elements: sky (blue), air/wind (white), fire (red), water (green), Earth (yellow). Tibetan Buddhists believe that once all of the elements have reached a balance, good health and harmony will follow. Although many believe that the flags carry prayers, that is a common misunderstanding. In fact, there are mantras written across the prayer flags and in addition to saying the mantras, prayers are offered up for those that hang the flags for lifelong blessings. The best time to hang the flags is in the morning, preferably when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing; therefore the wind can carry compassion and good will to all within its reach. After traveling through Buddhist communities, I noticed that some prayer flags looked brand new while others were old, tattered, and faded. Just as Buddhists have accepted the journey of life through aging, so the flags are treated the same. Alongside of old, faded flags will hang new ones. The old ones are not taken down, burned, or thrown away because of the sanctity of the mantras and symbols. Each colored flag has an image or a name of the four powerful animals, better known as "Four Dignities". Perhaps you can see them on various Buddhist flags, but they are the dragon, garuda, tiger, and snowlion. How colorful and beautiful!
One-horned Nepali Rhino Mother and Calf
Truly an opportunity! Rare, but this is why you ride an elephant through the jungle because the elephant can navigate through dense jungle pathways and conceal the human scent in order to capture this wonderful occasion of observing one of Nepal’s species that are on the rebound in re-populating numbers, previously close to extinction!
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Friday, July 25, 2014
Canoe ride, jungle walk, and, yes, the elephant charge...AGAIN!
I must first apologize to my readers as I have been without Internet for the past week, no phone service, just isolation. So I'm not slacking on my updates, but rather could not post them. This one is lengthy, but hopefully you will enjoy!
So after our evening of observing a Tharu Cultural Dance performance, seeing local garb, dances for both men and women, and an opportunity to complete the finale with audience participation, some of us purchased some bracelets, T-shirts, drinks, etc., it was time for bed to rise the next morning for our canoe ride through the jungle on the Rapti River. For as stifling hot and humid as Chitwan was, the performance center was air-conditioned, a gift we were all so very grateful for, and double the blessing when our fan and air conditioning unit worked in our resort rooms. There was no need to draw the mosquito nets as we had none in our rooms- another blessing!! I slept like a baby, and rose around 6:30 am, still feeling like I could've slept much longer!
We headed to breakfast and shortly after, some of our group changed into longer pants and sleeves because our guide told us the mosquitoes were really bad. So we doused ourselves in repellents and were on our way back to the elephant center. Sure enough, more eager tourists were mounting the elephants and we watched them venture off into the jungle, a routine, I imagine, I would tire of so quickly. I wondered how many years these beautiful creatures succumbed to the repetitive cycle...
So our guide was a very serious, but genuine Nepali man, who has been a guide for over 30 years and carried such a wise way about him. Not only was he very knowledgeable about the different species, flora and fauna, in the water and on the terrain, but he also exhibited a level of seriousness when it came to our jungle walk and staying quiet while in the canoe. The canoe was carved from a local Nepali tree, protected in Chitwan National Park, reminding me of the Algonquin canoes. They were long and narrow, with little wooden seats for us to sit upon, with our legs stretched forward straddling the next person in front of us. After we all filed into the canoe, a different Nepali guide directed our canoe ever so quietly. All we heard were the sounds of the jungle, the oar sifting through the water, almost as if a nature CD was playing in the background, except...it was the real thing! Perhaps to the guide's dismay, I could've stayed in the canoe all day long. I was truly at peace.
As we glided along the water, the canoe was quite low, and so were our seats, so it was almost as if we were at eye level with any creature that may meet us in the water. The guide brought our attention to two or three native alligators and two marsh muggers (crocodiles native to Southeast Asia, especially Pakistan) and just as appealing as their name sounds, their faces were even more unsightly and, I'll say it, ugly. We heard all sorts of birds on both sides of us, especially the 38 cm Nepali kingfisher, which sounds like it was laughing at us and as its call was quite hilariously contagious, I found myself laughing along with it, even if we were the butt of his joke! I just couldn't help myself!
Although our canoe ride came to an end after about half an hour, we were ready to begin our jungle walk, led by our guide. We were told to keep watch for leeches, ticks, the likes, and to be quiet because the quieter we were as a group, the greater the chances of seeing the inhabitants of the jungle. To see a tiger is a rarity as they are so shy, so I wasn't expecting much. So I followed directly behind the guide because I wanted to hear everything that he said. Our guide was such a wealth of knowledge and had a sharp eye for things we weren't conditioned to see. As soon as we began our walk, we saw more Touch-me-Nots, and then came upon a tree with many tiger scratches on the bark, some new, some a few days old, but that was almost as cool as seeing a tiger. At least we saw its tracks of existence!
As vulnerable as we may have been in the middle of a very dense jungle, I felt no fear, but rather a sense of bewilderment, excitement, and awe. It was the first time I've walked through a jungle and shortly after, we heard rustling high up in the trees above us. Berries were dropping from high above. Yes, there were monkeys, but as they are very human shy as well, they were very skillful at staying hidden in the canopies as we searched frantically, cameras ready, but to no avail. They were gone and all we had were shaking leaves and berries at our feet.
As we continued, we heard what sounded like a different kind of bark. It was a barking deer on the other side of the jungle, another sound we had no visual to, so we continued. I have to look up the official name, but we came across a vine that wraps itself around the bases and trunks of trees, sucking the nutrients and water from the tree, allowing the vine to grow bigger and thicker while the tree dies. They just wrap themselves around these trees like a boa constrictor its prey and never let go. Quite an entanglement to behold.
We started to move into thicker grasses, many of them as high as my chest, so, not really interested in what lies beneath the grasses, I walked with my hands in the surrender position and continued to listen to our guide. We were heading into the territory of a mother tiger and her two cubs. There were spots where she had urinated to mark her territory and her urine is so potent that it kills the grass almost immediately and the grass turns black. How cool would that have been to see her and her babies? I wondered if we were being watched as we continued to penetrate the thickness of the jungle. As our group was rather large and not the quietest by nature, seeing the mother and her cubs was out of the question, but it was energizing to imagine what they looked like!
We came to a small clearing by a rhino watering hole and took some goofy pictures as a group, but as I went off on my own on this narrow stretch of land, I saw two of the most regal eagles, golden tips on their black wings and their cries so piercing, but serene all the same. As we continued and moved through the thickest part of the jungle, seeing many termite hills and structures, something that the sloth bear will rub its back against to break the structure and feast upon the millions of termites throughout, we soon came into an open clearing. We were approaching the elephant breeding center. There were large trees throughout the clearing and we saw more markings on the trees, except they didn't belong to a tiger. They belonged to the wild bull elephants.
So the breeding center will let their cows (female elephants) go out to this clearing where they will be met by the more dominant bull elephant that lives in the wild. That's why the bark was shaved off of the tree. He uses his tusks to mark his territory and the younger, less dominant bulls have no chance at the females. Once the elephants mate, the females are brought back to the center. This was the point at which I wished I could have turned around.
As we approached the information center, someone fell victim to leeches because there were small pools of blood on the concrete floor. We all checked, but you will know if you have a leech. It's no surprise. You'll feel a little burn and then it starts to itch. We were lucky.
There were different placards that displayed different components about the elephant breeding center, such as why they exist and the benefits of elephant re-population, different ways in which they will use the work elephants, such as for tourist reasons, to help rescue people during flooding or mudslides during the monsoon season, and so on. They also showed the physical nature and anatomy of these giant species, tools used to train the elephants, and the diet of the elephant.
Although it sounds effective and useful for those who need rescued, something still did not, and does not, sit well with me. When the elephants are born, shortly after, the calves are chained to a wooden post. These shackles, if you will, cup the feet of the animal. Usually just one foot is captive, but I witnessed two feet keeping the elephant anxious, unable to move comfortably, or at all, and I just wanted to cut them free. I couldn't watch their nervous behavior, just like one would see in a zoo for very active, free-roaming animals that will just nervously pace up and down, side to side, clearly NOT in their natural environ. Well, here's the scoop with the chained calves. If an elephant, from a very young age, is chained to a wooden post, every day, he starts to believe that he cannot break free of the chain or the post. As this calf grows into an adult elephant, he is still chained to a wooden post, a bit larger, but nonetheless nothing that could withstand the brute strength of this species. However, since he has been conditioned to believe it cannot break free, it simply doesn't even try. Well, seeing the elephants lined up in their chains, moving anxiously was not a sight I wanted to see. Okay, so they rationalized that from 12-4, the chains are removed and the elephants are taken into the jungle to eat, drink water, be in their natural environ, but that doesn't account from 8am-noon, where they are on display for tourists to take pictures, they can be accounted for, and it's a daily routine of thought control of some of the most intelligent species, emotionally and intellectually.
So, this is where my somber state of mind had an instant rush of adrenaline. As I was observing these captive elephants, I lingered behind our guide and the rest of our group. Steph was nearby and Natalie was near me. Natalie and I just had a conversation about how this trip to Chitwan really ended on a disturbing note. As we walked casually along the path, off to our immediate left was a small group of Chinese tourists taking photos next to a free-roaming, 2-year old male calf. I thought it was a bit risky; Natalie and I stayed on the path. The Chinese tourists moved further ahead and Natalie and I watched the calf playing by himself, heading towards a wooden structure and found some clothes on a clothesline he thought he would play with. Well, just as soon as he took the clothes from the line, a man came running after him with a rather large stick. The calf dropped the clothes and took off. The man continued to pursue the elephant and as much as it pained me to watch, I knew what would happen next. He really wound up his arm and whacked the elephant on the back right leg. He hit so hard, the smacking sound went through me. Dust flew off of the striking site and the man casually walked away while the elephant, at first seemed upset he was punished, but then he kept stretching the struck leg backwards, curling his tail, and letting our numerous sounds, flattening his ears. Natalie and I continued to watch, upset at the whole scene, but I had a feeling that the calf's new responses were not responses of shame, but of anger. He was angry and the guide yelled across the distance that the elephant was mad and we needed to keep moving.
I'm no mathematician or physicist, but I knew that if we headed towards the guide with this calf in his infuriated state that it brought us closer to the elephant than if we headed back in our direction. Well, just as I was processing distances and anticipating our next move, the calf turned towards us and started charging. Natalie grabbed my arm, saying 'Holly....Holly...' and I was ready to bolt, thinking Natalie was coming with me. Little did I realize at that moment in time, Natalie froze. I could pull all I wanted with her hand gripping my arm, but her feet were stuck in concrete as the elephant continued to run in our direction. So, I guess you could say natural instincts kicked in and I pulled away from her grip and ran in the other direction. Seeming the fence was directly behind us, and all of the elephants behind the fence, there were very few options to take. As I ran, the elephant turned his focus on Natalie and as I stopped and looked at her, her eyes had no sense of urgency, quite blank really, and she moved in slow motion, processing what was occurring was on a serious delay.
Our guide stayed where he was and yelled instructions to Natalie, telling her she needed to hop the fence, come in his direction, hop the fence again. That sounds really nice, but it makes no difference if you've frozen. I didn't stray too far, but I, too, was trying to help Natalie with directions. As she closely climbed the fence, unsure of all of the adult elephants chained behind her, she pulled one leg over, but by that time, the calf caught up to her and pinned her other leg against the fence, rubbing his body on her leg, and disallowing her to move any further. As it was an effort to pull her other leg over, she managed to do so, and safely, and gingerly walked on the side of all of the other elephants, much larger than this 2-yr old calf. As she walked, the calf followed. He pretended he was eating grass, looking elsewhere, but the moment she moved, there was her elephant shadow. The guide kept telling her to run, hop the fence, very unrealistic instructions for the situation, but up ahead, there was a huge puddle and she had to take her chance.
As Natalie climbed the fence, still with a disconcerting blank stare on her face, I walked with her and the calf stayed behind. As we continued along the path, along with the guide, Ganga's wife, Madhavi, Sam, and Brittney, just as we looked up, another free-roaming calf was charging our way! Sam and Brittney grabbed each other and pulled off of the path, the guide and Madhavi pulled aside, and the calf, 3 yrs old, came right for us! Again, Natalie grabbed my arm, saying 'Holly...Holly', I broke free again as she temporarily froze, but then her instincts kicked in and she ran, dropping her pink bag as a distraction. I jumped over the ditch and found myself in a basketball defensive stance, as if I was ready to do rapid fire. My adrenaline was kicking high and I was ready to bolt across the field if I needed to, even on limited energy reserves from rice and lentils.
In hindsight, I realized that we totally lost sight of the first charging calf when the second one charged us, which could have been a lethal mistake. Make no mistake about it, don't ever underestimate the strength and power, even of 2 and 3-year old elephants. The guide told us that someone last year was charged by a young elephant and he managed to break her leg. Even worse, if any one of us tripped and fell, the elephant can easily trample, smother, and seriously injure someone. As my adrenaline was still shooting throughout my body, I also wondered how much young calves charging a threat or an easy target can rile up the adult elephants. Could they really realize their strength when a younger member of their family is in distress??! Elephants are very close familial units and feel the energy of one another and respond in any way that is needed. I didn't even look back or observe the energy of the adults. As vigilant as I usually am, I found myself acting on instinct, eyes only on my immediate threat. A serious lesson to learn, especially around large, and potentially very dangerous, animals. I found my knowledgeable guide to be of no help during these two charges, but when one is in these circumstances, it rarely matters what someone else says- it's up to you to call the shots.
So after our evening of observing a Tharu Cultural Dance performance, seeing local garb, dances for both men and women, and an opportunity to complete the finale with audience participation, some of us purchased some bracelets, T-shirts, drinks, etc., it was time for bed to rise the next morning for our canoe ride through the jungle on the Rapti River. For as stifling hot and humid as Chitwan was, the performance center was air-conditioned, a gift we were all so very grateful for, and double the blessing when our fan and air conditioning unit worked in our resort rooms. There was no need to draw the mosquito nets as we had none in our rooms- another blessing!! I slept like a baby, and rose around 6:30 am, still feeling like I could've slept much longer!
We headed to breakfast and shortly after, some of our group changed into longer pants and sleeves because our guide told us the mosquitoes were really bad. So we doused ourselves in repellents and were on our way back to the elephant center. Sure enough, more eager tourists were mounting the elephants and we watched them venture off into the jungle, a routine, I imagine, I would tire of so quickly. I wondered how many years these beautiful creatures succumbed to the repetitive cycle...
So our guide was a very serious, but genuine Nepali man, who has been a guide for over 30 years and carried such a wise way about him. Not only was he very knowledgeable about the different species, flora and fauna, in the water and on the terrain, but he also exhibited a level of seriousness when it came to our jungle walk and staying quiet while in the canoe. The canoe was carved from a local Nepali tree, protected in Chitwan National Park, reminding me of the Algonquin canoes. They were long and narrow, with little wooden seats for us to sit upon, with our legs stretched forward straddling the next person in front of us. After we all filed into the canoe, a different Nepali guide directed our canoe ever so quietly. All we heard were the sounds of the jungle, the oar sifting through the water, almost as if a nature CD was playing in the background, except...it was the real thing! Perhaps to the guide's dismay, I could've stayed in the canoe all day long. I was truly at peace.
As we glided along the water, the canoe was quite low, and so were our seats, so it was almost as if we were at eye level with any creature that may meet us in the water. The guide brought our attention to two or three native alligators and two marsh muggers (crocodiles native to Southeast Asia, especially Pakistan) and just as appealing as their name sounds, their faces were even more unsightly and, I'll say it, ugly. We heard all sorts of birds on both sides of us, especially the 38 cm Nepali kingfisher, which sounds like it was laughing at us and as its call was quite hilariously contagious, I found myself laughing along with it, even if we were the butt of his joke! I just couldn't help myself!
Although our canoe ride came to an end after about half an hour, we were ready to begin our jungle walk, led by our guide. We were told to keep watch for leeches, ticks, the likes, and to be quiet because the quieter we were as a group, the greater the chances of seeing the inhabitants of the jungle. To see a tiger is a rarity as they are so shy, so I wasn't expecting much. So I followed directly behind the guide because I wanted to hear everything that he said. Our guide was such a wealth of knowledge and had a sharp eye for things we weren't conditioned to see. As soon as we began our walk, we saw more Touch-me-Nots, and then came upon a tree with many tiger scratches on the bark, some new, some a few days old, but that was almost as cool as seeing a tiger. At least we saw its tracks of existence!
As vulnerable as we may have been in the middle of a very dense jungle, I felt no fear, but rather a sense of bewilderment, excitement, and awe. It was the first time I've walked through a jungle and shortly after, we heard rustling high up in the trees above us. Berries were dropping from high above. Yes, there were monkeys, but as they are very human shy as well, they were very skillful at staying hidden in the canopies as we searched frantically, cameras ready, but to no avail. They were gone and all we had were shaking leaves and berries at our feet.
As we continued, we heard what sounded like a different kind of bark. It was a barking deer on the other side of the jungle, another sound we had no visual to, so we continued. I have to look up the official name, but we came across a vine that wraps itself around the bases and trunks of trees, sucking the nutrients and water from the tree, allowing the vine to grow bigger and thicker while the tree dies. They just wrap themselves around these trees like a boa constrictor its prey and never let go. Quite an entanglement to behold.
We started to move into thicker grasses, many of them as high as my chest, so, not really interested in what lies beneath the grasses, I walked with my hands in the surrender position and continued to listen to our guide. We were heading into the territory of a mother tiger and her two cubs. There were spots where she had urinated to mark her territory and her urine is so potent that it kills the grass almost immediately and the grass turns black. How cool would that have been to see her and her babies? I wondered if we were being watched as we continued to penetrate the thickness of the jungle. As our group was rather large and not the quietest by nature, seeing the mother and her cubs was out of the question, but it was energizing to imagine what they looked like!
We came to a small clearing by a rhino watering hole and took some goofy pictures as a group, but as I went off on my own on this narrow stretch of land, I saw two of the most regal eagles, golden tips on their black wings and their cries so piercing, but serene all the same. As we continued and moved through the thickest part of the jungle, seeing many termite hills and structures, something that the sloth bear will rub its back against to break the structure and feast upon the millions of termites throughout, we soon came into an open clearing. We were approaching the elephant breeding center. There were large trees throughout the clearing and we saw more markings on the trees, except they didn't belong to a tiger. They belonged to the wild bull elephants.
So the breeding center will let their cows (female elephants) go out to this clearing where they will be met by the more dominant bull elephant that lives in the wild. That's why the bark was shaved off of the tree. He uses his tusks to mark his territory and the younger, less dominant bulls have no chance at the females. Once the elephants mate, the females are brought back to the center. This was the point at which I wished I could have turned around.
As we approached the information center, someone fell victim to leeches because there were small pools of blood on the concrete floor. We all checked, but you will know if you have a leech. It's no surprise. You'll feel a little burn and then it starts to itch. We were lucky.
There were different placards that displayed different components about the elephant breeding center, such as why they exist and the benefits of elephant re-population, different ways in which they will use the work elephants, such as for tourist reasons, to help rescue people during flooding or mudslides during the monsoon season, and so on. They also showed the physical nature and anatomy of these giant species, tools used to train the elephants, and the diet of the elephant.
Although it sounds effective and useful for those who need rescued, something still did not, and does not, sit well with me. When the elephants are born, shortly after, the calves are chained to a wooden post. These shackles, if you will, cup the feet of the animal. Usually just one foot is captive, but I witnessed two feet keeping the elephant anxious, unable to move comfortably, or at all, and I just wanted to cut them free. I couldn't watch their nervous behavior, just like one would see in a zoo for very active, free-roaming animals that will just nervously pace up and down, side to side, clearly NOT in their natural environ. Well, here's the scoop with the chained calves. If an elephant, from a very young age, is chained to a wooden post, every day, he starts to believe that he cannot break free of the chain or the post. As this calf grows into an adult elephant, he is still chained to a wooden post, a bit larger, but nonetheless nothing that could withstand the brute strength of this species. However, since he has been conditioned to believe it cannot break free, it simply doesn't even try. Well, seeing the elephants lined up in their chains, moving anxiously was not a sight I wanted to see. Okay, so they rationalized that from 12-4, the chains are removed and the elephants are taken into the jungle to eat, drink water, be in their natural environ, but that doesn't account from 8am-noon, where they are on display for tourists to take pictures, they can be accounted for, and it's a daily routine of thought control of some of the most intelligent species, emotionally and intellectually.
So, this is where my somber state of mind had an instant rush of adrenaline. As I was observing these captive elephants, I lingered behind our guide and the rest of our group. Steph was nearby and Natalie was near me. Natalie and I just had a conversation about how this trip to Chitwan really ended on a disturbing note. As we walked casually along the path, off to our immediate left was a small group of Chinese tourists taking photos next to a free-roaming, 2-year old male calf. I thought it was a bit risky; Natalie and I stayed on the path. The Chinese tourists moved further ahead and Natalie and I watched the calf playing by himself, heading towards a wooden structure and found some clothes on a clothesline he thought he would play with. Well, just as soon as he took the clothes from the line, a man came running after him with a rather large stick. The calf dropped the clothes and took off. The man continued to pursue the elephant and as much as it pained me to watch, I knew what would happen next. He really wound up his arm and whacked the elephant on the back right leg. He hit so hard, the smacking sound went through me. Dust flew off of the striking site and the man casually walked away while the elephant, at first seemed upset he was punished, but then he kept stretching the struck leg backwards, curling his tail, and letting our numerous sounds, flattening his ears. Natalie and I continued to watch, upset at the whole scene, but I had a feeling that the calf's new responses were not responses of shame, but of anger. He was angry and the guide yelled across the distance that the elephant was mad and we needed to keep moving.
I'm no mathematician or physicist, but I knew that if we headed towards the guide with this calf in his infuriated state that it brought us closer to the elephant than if we headed back in our direction. Well, just as I was processing distances and anticipating our next move, the calf turned towards us and started charging. Natalie grabbed my arm, saying 'Holly....Holly...' and I was ready to bolt, thinking Natalie was coming with me. Little did I realize at that moment in time, Natalie froze. I could pull all I wanted with her hand gripping my arm, but her feet were stuck in concrete as the elephant continued to run in our direction. So, I guess you could say natural instincts kicked in and I pulled away from her grip and ran in the other direction. Seeming the fence was directly behind us, and all of the elephants behind the fence, there were very few options to take. As I ran, the elephant turned his focus on Natalie and as I stopped and looked at her, her eyes had no sense of urgency, quite blank really, and she moved in slow motion, processing what was occurring was on a serious delay.
Our guide stayed where he was and yelled instructions to Natalie, telling her she needed to hop the fence, come in his direction, hop the fence again. That sounds really nice, but it makes no difference if you've frozen. I didn't stray too far, but I, too, was trying to help Natalie with directions. As she closely climbed the fence, unsure of all of the adult elephants chained behind her, she pulled one leg over, but by that time, the calf caught up to her and pinned her other leg against the fence, rubbing his body on her leg, and disallowing her to move any further. As it was an effort to pull her other leg over, she managed to do so, and safely, and gingerly walked on the side of all of the other elephants, much larger than this 2-yr old calf. As she walked, the calf followed. He pretended he was eating grass, looking elsewhere, but the moment she moved, there was her elephant shadow. The guide kept telling her to run, hop the fence, very unrealistic instructions for the situation, but up ahead, there was a huge puddle and she had to take her chance.
As Natalie climbed the fence, still with a disconcerting blank stare on her face, I walked with her and the calf stayed behind. As we continued along the path, along with the guide, Ganga's wife, Madhavi, Sam, and Brittney, just as we looked up, another free-roaming calf was charging our way! Sam and Brittney grabbed each other and pulled off of the path, the guide and Madhavi pulled aside, and the calf, 3 yrs old, came right for us! Again, Natalie grabbed my arm, saying 'Holly...Holly', I broke free again as she temporarily froze, but then her instincts kicked in and she ran, dropping her pink bag as a distraction. I jumped over the ditch and found myself in a basketball defensive stance, as if I was ready to do rapid fire. My adrenaline was kicking high and I was ready to bolt across the field if I needed to, even on limited energy reserves from rice and lentils.
In hindsight, I realized that we totally lost sight of the first charging calf when the second one charged us, which could have been a lethal mistake. Make no mistake about it, don't ever underestimate the strength and power, even of 2 and 3-year old elephants. The guide told us that someone last year was charged by a young elephant and he managed to break her leg. Even worse, if any one of us tripped and fell, the elephant can easily trample, smother, and seriously injure someone. As my adrenaline was still shooting throughout my body, I also wondered how much young calves charging a threat or an easy target can rile up the adult elephants. Could they really realize their strength when a younger member of their family is in distress??! Elephants are very close familial units and feel the energy of one another and respond in any way that is needed. I didn't even look back or observe the energy of the adults. As vigilant as I usually am, I found myself acting on instinct, eyes only on my immediate threat. A serious lesson to learn, especially around large, and potentially very dangerous, animals. I found my knowledgeable guide to be of no help during these two charges, but when one is in these circumstances, it rarely matters what someone else says- it's up to you to call the shots.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Chitwan National Park Part II (the Elephant Ride):
So, I must first apologize to all of my readers as time has escaped me after I promised a part II to my journey to Chitwan. That, and load shedding has really frequented power and Wi- Fi loss. So, here it is. I hope you're ready.
As soon as we got out of our micro-bus, we were met by the guides that orchestrated our one night, two-day stay at Chitwan. We stayed at the Rhino Resort and set our bags down and headed to lunch. Following lunch, and many cups of Nepali tea for me, some of us ventured further on the grounds of the resort, observing some of the largest water buffalo, appearing so docile, but natural instincts told me to keep my distance anyway. It was so incredibly humid, even from the moment we opened up the bus door, that it almost steals your breath until you adjust. We had some time to burn before our elephant ride through the jungle, so we continued to explore through the humid outskirts of the jungle, just along the river, where we saw docked canoes, tiki bars, many water buffalo and small bird fowl that coexist symbiotically. The buffalo let them perch on their backs, or heads, to pick bugs, ticks, etc while the birds receive their nutritional supply. We took many pictures of exotic insects, beautiful butterflies, two wild elephants in the distance, and the VERY COOL Touch-me-Nots, which are jungle flora that, when lightly touched, shrivel up, then later open up again into its beautiful form.
When we returned to the resort, after a long time of sweating through many layers, not even noticing the sweat dripping from our entire beings, it was time to head to the elephant ride. We hopped in the back of a truck that had benches for sitting and we took our rickety ride to the elephants. As this was my first time seeing an Asian elephant in person, I had so much excitement and anticipation, remembering their very unique markings on their ears, faces, and trunks. Perhaps it was because of my encounter of a 60-African elephant herd while in South Africa, being charged by the matriarch while in a tiny Toyota Camry that made me stare at the elephants and think, "wow, how small!" That impression was short-lived as we climbed steps to get leverage on our elephant (only 3-4 passengers per elephant) and quickly placed ourselves in the wooden crate/box-like platform. I had the back left corner of the elephant, so as soon as her hind leg moved, climbed upward, dipping downward into the river, I moved as well, so I wrapped my legs around the corner wooden pieces and stayed like that for a good two hours through the jungle. It was no wonder I had bruising on my thighs upon our return.
Everything seemed so surreal; were we really on top of an elephant? And this one wasn't angry at me? I couldn't see much of the elephant as I faced backwards, but I was able to see everyone else on their elephants. It was so peaceful so high up as the elephants quietly, and cautiously, continued on our journey. Even now and then, the elephants were stopped because the passengers, leaning more one way or the other, started to look a bit lopsided and the elephant mahout would stand on top of the elephant and re-adjust the fixings to straighten out the platform for the passengers' safety and the comfort of the elephant.
And that's when it happened. I heard the crack! Our elephant mahouts, those that direct and ride the elephant, typically given that elephant at a very young age and bonded to it for quite some time, kept these elephants under tight, and, what I perceived to be, abusive scrutiny. Never did I feel like our elephant was going to veer off into her own direction, or buck us off, or even drown us all, but I still heard the crack of a stick that the mahout uses to whack on their head. As we ventured further into the jungle and some groups took different routes, you could still hear the crack on their skulls. They also had the Ankusa, which is the metal training tool with the hook, which they may use to stab in the head, ears, and mouth (the most sensitive areas of the elephant). Most mahouts had ankusas with them, but they just used the sticks through the duration of our ride.
When I heard the crack on other elephants and my own, I had a gut-sickness as that method of controlling the elephant went right through me and I began to regret that my money sponsored this kind of behavior. Not all mahouts were abusive and some more than others, but nevertheless, as cool as the ride had been, seeing the depths of the jungle at a safe height, even seeing the endangered Nepali rhino and her calf, and feeling so charmed by the unique beauty and grace these elephants exhibited, all I wanted to do was free them and let them roam in the wild for the rest of their lives. It hurt me to witness this cracking on the skull. I wondered if it even hurt the elephant as their skulls are so thick and massive, but abuse is abuse is abuse!!!! Had I know that kind of treatment would be administered, I know I wouldn't have opted to ride an elephant.
One of our mahouts was especially skilled in tracking animals, taking us through the jungle to see them, one being the two rhinos and a calf at the tail-end of our ride (no pun intended)! We came across three species of deer, including the barking deer, a family of wild boars, and sitting nice and tall, my face caught a lot of spider webs, leaves, some tree branches, and one branch almost stripped my shoe right off my foot. It's no wonder that one of the Hindus' favorite deity is Ganesha (elephant-headed god), son of Lord Shiva and his wife, Parvati. Ganesha is known for many types of blessings and gifts, but is commonly known as the "remover of obstacles". Think about it! How can one tell where an elephant has been in a jungle? You follow the trail of broken branches and clearings made by their massive girths and weight. So, for a Hindu, they may pray to Ganesha to remove obstacles, burdens, temptations from one's life. It all came to mind while we trudged through the jungle, quite graciously I might add. I found a peace within just by staring and really watching the faces of the beautiful giants behind us. There's such a peace found within their beauty, their unique markings, the way they move, and the only time I fell out of that stupor of awe was when I heard the 'CRACK!', again...
As one of the mahouts located rhinos, all mahouts have a unified holler to communicate with each other, the elephants picking up their paces, and as we came out of the jungle and into the clearing, there they were, a mother rhino and her calf. I've never seen anything like them! I've seen the rhinos in Africa, but the rhinos in Nepal reminded me of some prehistoric dinosaur, like the Stegosaurus, or even the Triceratops (to a degree). These rhinos looked like they had plates of armor fitted around their enormous bodies. They were absolutely gorgeous and quiet in their eating and maneuvering around the grasses. It was like I couldn't take enough pictures. They were too magnificent to take my eyes off of them. It was absolutely incredible! This experience was unforgettable for many reasons, but also because these sightings are rare and although the rhino population is starting to climb again due to conservation efforts, one is not guaranteed to see one, even on a two-hour elephant ride.
As our elephants ventured forward, we came across one more rhino and as the sun caught the top of his head, the tufts of hair on his ears reflected red through the sunlight. What spectacular features!
As our ride came to a close, and at least ten elephants with passengers lingered behind us, we disembarked from our wooden platform with careful steadiness and climbed back down the stairs. Our mahout directed our elephant over to us and that was the first time I saw her gorgeous markings and serene face. She brought her trunk over the fencing and that was the first time I touched an elephant's face, trunk, and ears. I felt like I needed to thank her for dealing with us as passengers and putting up with, what I perceived to be, needless cracks of the stick. Her eyes were so calm and she stuck around for us to each take pictures with her, pet her trunk, which was so much rougher than I thought, and hairy! But she was beautiful, hair and all!
So, for those of you who were so enthralled by my opportunity and want to know, "how was it"? Honestly, my answer is bittersweet. It's obvious of the bitter part of that sentence, but the sweet experience was my seeing a certain natural serenity in the danger and the ecosystem that exists within the depths of the jungle, but I also feel so touched to have witnessed and felt the grace and beauty of an elegant animal, so intelligent, so unique, and so gentle in its purest form. A disposition I will never forget for as long as I live!
As soon as we got out of our micro-bus, we were met by the guides that orchestrated our one night, two-day stay at Chitwan. We stayed at the Rhino Resort and set our bags down and headed to lunch. Following lunch, and many cups of Nepali tea for me, some of us ventured further on the grounds of the resort, observing some of the largest water buffalo, appearing so docile, but natural instincts told me to keep my distance anyway. It was so incredibly humid, even from the moment we opened up the bus door, that it almost steals your breath until you adjust. We had some time to burn before our elephant ride through the jungle, so we continued to explore through the humid outskirts of the jungle, just along the river, where we saw docked canoes, tiki bars, many water buffalo and small bird fowl that coexist symbiotically. The buffalo let them perch on their backs, or heads, to pick bugs, ticks, etc while the birds receive their nutritional supply. We took many pictures of exotic insects, beautiful butterflies, two wild elephants in the distance, and the VERY COOL Touch-me-Nots, which are jungle flora that, when lightly touched, shrivel up, then later open up again into its beautiful form.
When we returned to the resort, after a long time of sweating through many layers, not even noticing the sweat dripping from our entire beings, it was time to head to the elephant ride. We hopped in the back of a truck that had benches for sitting and we took our rickety ride to the elephants. As this was my first time seeing an Asian elephant in person, I had so much excitement and anticipation, remembering their very unique markings on their ears, faces, and trunks. Perhaps it was because of my encounter of a 60-African elephant herd while in South Africa, being charged by the matriarch while in a tiny Toyota Camry that made me stare at the elephants and think, "wow, how small!" That impression was short-lived as we climbed steps to get leverage on our elephant (only 3-4 passengers per elephant) and quickly placed ourselves in the wooden crate/box-like platform. I had the back left corner of the elephant, so as soon as her hind leg moved, climbed upward, dipping downward into the river, I moved as well, so I wrapped my legs around the corner wooden pieces and stayed like that for a good two hours through the jungle. It was no wonder I had bruising on my thighs upon our return.
Everything seemed so surreal; were we really on top of an elephant? And this one wasn't angry at me? I couldn't see much of the elephant as I faced backwards, but I was able to see everyone else on their elephants. It was so peaceful so high up as the elephants quietly, and cautiously, continued on our journey. Even now and then, the elephants were stopped because the passengers, leaning more one way or the other, started to look a bit lopsided and the elephant mahout would stand on top of the elephant and re-adjust the fixings to straighten out the platform for the passengers' safety and the comfort of the elephant.
And that's when it happened. I heard the crack! Our elephant mahouts, those that direct and ride the elephant, typically given that elephant at a very young age and bonded to it for quite some time, kept these elephants under tight, and, what I perceived to be, abusive scrutiny. Never did I feel like our elephant was going to veer off into her own direction, or buck us off, or even drown us all, but I still heard the crack of a stick that the mahout uses to whack on their head. As we ventured further into the jungle and some groups took different routes, you could still hear the crack on their skulls. They also had the Ankusa, which is the metal training tool with the hook, which they may use to stab in the head, ears, and mouth (the most sensitive areas of the elephant). Most mahouts had ankusas with them, but they just used the sticks through the duration of our ride.
When I heard the crack on other elephants and my own, I had a gut-sickness as that method of controlling the elephant went right through me and I began to regret that my money sponsored this kind of behavior. Not all mahouts were abusive and some more than others, but nevertheless, as cool as the ride had been, seeing the depths of the jungle at a safe height, even seeing the endangered Nepali rhino and her calf, and feeling so charmed by the unique beauty and grace these elephants exhibited, all I wanted to do was free them and let them roam in the wild for the rest of their lives. It hurt me to witness this cracking on the skull. I wondered if it even hurt the elephant as their skulls are so thick and massive, but abuse is abuse is abuse!!!! Had I know that kind of treatment would be administered, I know I wouldn't have opted to ride an elephant.
One of our mahouts was especially skilled in tracking animals, taking us through the jungle to see them, one being the two rhinos and a calf at the tail-end of our ride (no pun intended)! We came across three species of deer, including the barking deer, a family of wild boars, and sitting nice and tall, my face caught a lot of spider webs, leaves, some tree branches, and one branch almost stripped my shoe right off my foot. It's no wonder that one of the Hindus' favorite deity is Ganesha (elephant-headed god), son of Lord Shiva and his wife, Parvati. Ganesha is known for many types of blessings and gifts, but is commonly known as the "remover of obstacles". Think about it! How can one tell where an elephant has been in a jungle? You follow the trail of broken branches and clearings made by their massive girths and weight. So, for a Hindu, they may pray to Ganesha to remove obstacles, burdens, temptations from one's life. It all came to mind while we trudged through the jungle, quite graciously I might add. I found a peace within just by staring and really watching the faces of the beautiful giants behind us. There's such a peace found within their beauty, their unique markings, the way they move, and the only time I fell out of that stupor of awe was when I heard the 'CRACK!', again...
As one of the mahouts located rhinos, all mahouts have a unified holler to communicate with each other, the elephants picking up their paces, and as we came out of the jungle and into the clearing, there they were, a mother rhino and her calf. I've never seen anything like them! I've seen the rhinos in Africa, but the rhinos in Nepal reminded me of some prehistoric dinosaur, like the Stegosaurus, or even the Triceratops (to a degree). These rhinos looked like they had plates of armor fitted around their enormous bodies. They were absolutely gorgeous and quiet in their eating and maneuvering around the grasses. It was like I couldn't take enough pictures. They were too magnificent to take my eyes off of them. It was absolutely incredible! This experience was unforgettable for many reasons, but also because these sightings are rare and although the rhino population is starting to climb again due to conservation efforts, one is not guaranteed to see one, even on a two-hour elephant ride.
As our elephants ventured forward, we came across one more rhino and as the sun caught the top of his head, the tufts of hair on his ears reflected red through the sunlight. What spectacular features!
As our ride came to a close, and at least ten elephants with passengers lingered behind us, we disembarked from our wooden platform with careful steadiness and climbed back down the stairs. Our mahout directed our elephant over to us and that was the first time I saw her gorgeous markings and serene face. She brought her trunk over the fencing and that was the first time I touched an elephant's face, trunk, and ears. I felt like I needed to thank her for dealing with us as passengers and putting up with, what I perceived to be, needless cracks of the stick. Her eyes were so calm and she stuck around for us to each take pictures with her, pet her trunk, which was so much rougher than I thought, and hairy! But she was beautiful, hair and all!
So, for those of you who were so enthralled by my opportunity and want to know, "how was it"? Honestly, my answer is bittersweet. It's obvious of the bitter part of that sentence, but the sweet experience was my seeing a certain natural serenity in the danger and the ecosystem that exists within the depths of the jungle, but I also feel so touched to have witnessed and felt the grace and beauty of an elegant animal, so intelligent, so unique, and so gentle in its purest form. A disposition I will never forget for as long as I live!
Friday, July 11, 2014
Our Journey to Chitwan National Park!
To say that our drive to Chitwan National Park was very scenic and serene is an understatement. In fact, there are no words to describe the depths of the majestic mountains that we drove alongside of, climbing, descending, never fully able to capture the moment in a photo, not because we couldn't find the right shot, but, simply, it was very difficult to take a steady picture as our driver wove in and out of traffic, passing large transport trucks along the way and creeping along hairpin bends of the mountain's side.
When I first went hiking with one of my best friends in the Catskills, he told me that if I wanted to get out, take a picture, look at something and explore, just shout out. I could only wish that our driver had the same conditions. I would probably never arrive in Chitwan because I would have pulled over so many times because the beauty is so overwhelming! I couldn't fathom how many pristine photos I would have to choose from, but nevertheless, we took various shots of rice fields, the terraced mountains, the raging river alongside of our travels, muddied by the constant rains, and temples we saw along our way. One of our travelers asked how many temples we thought Nepal has and from the looks of it, big or small, the temples are endless and I just don't think I can count that high!! They are all unique, adorned, and sacred in their own way, but I never feel like I'm looking at the same temple twice!
Prior to my departure from the states, I spoke with one of my colleagues and we were talking about my levels of excitement and I shared with him that I wondered if the mountains were so high I would have to throw my neck back and stare straight up to try to see the peaks. Well, my curiosity was answered today and yes, the mountains are so high they will even extend into the clouds and you cannot even witness the tops of their peaks. We even passed our equivalency of a ski lift and it extended over the river, up alongside the mountains, and into the clouds. I couldn't even take a picture because the people looked so small against the mighty cliffs that the camera couldn't capture such minute detail. I totally think Jurassic Park could have been filmed here as the scenery looked the same as the helicopters arrived on the isolated island.
There were various walking bridges that extended across the river, which also served the residents of the mountain, allowing them to reach civilization. I'm not quite sure how they traveled to the bridge, which looked flimsy by nature, but a father and son crossing disproved my premonition as I watched them travel across safely. There was also a huge pipe that bridged the gap between the mountains and there were leaks springing from various angles. The solution? A man sat atop of this pipe working on it nonchalantly as the river raged beneath him. One wrong step, loss of balance and concentration would send him helplessly into the river's mouth. What a sight to see!
We arrived in Chitwan within approximately 4.5 hours and it is very humid here. I've sweated through two and three layers this afternoon already. Sweating happens so consistently that I almost don't even notice it. It drips down my face, it drips down my back and all I can do is get wrapped up in the beauty and the stimulation and the communities that surround me!
One of our volunteer's birthday is on Sunday and I hope she has had the time of her life for her 21st! I think the elephant ride was a really cool way to spend her birthday weekend and I'm so glad we could all share a wonderful day together! Happy Birthday, Sam! I know there was no cooler place to celebrate your day than here in Nepal!!
Well, more later on Chitwan. There's much more to share about today's adventures! Until then, shubharahrti!
When I first went hiking with one of my best friends in the Catskills, he told me that if I wanted to get out, take a picture, look at something and explore, just shout out. I could only wish that our driver had the same conditions. I would probably never arrive in Chitwan because I would have pulled over so many times because the beauty is so overwhelming! I couldn't fathom how many pristine photos I would have to choose from, but nevertheless, we took various shots of rice fields, the terraced mountains, the raging river alongside of our travels, muddied by the constant rains, and temples we saw along our way. One of our travelers asked how many temples we thought Nepal has and from the looks of it, big or small, the temples are endless and I just don't think I can count that high!! They are all unique, adorned, and sacred in their own way, but I never feel like I'm looking at the same temple twice!
Prior to my departure from the states, I spoke with one of my colleagues and we were talking about my levels of excitement and I shared with him that I wondered if the mountains were so high I would have to throw my neck back and stare straight up to try to see the peaks. Well, my curiosity was answered today and yes, the mountains are so high they will even extend into the clouds and you cannot even witness the tops of their peaks. We even passed our equivalency of a ski lift and it extended over the river, up alongside the mountains, and into the clouds. I couldn't even take a picture because the people looked so small against the mighty cliffs that the camera couldn't capture such minute detail. I totally think Jurassic Park could have been filmed here as the scenery looked the same as the helicopters arrived on the isolated island.
There were various walking bridges that extended across the river, which also served the residents of the mountain, allowing them to reach civilization. I'm not quite sure how they traveled to the bridge, which looked flimsy by nature, but a father and son crossing disproved my premonition as I watched them travel across safely. There was also a huge pipe that bridged the gap between the mountains and there were leaks springing from various angles. The solution? A man sat atop of this pipe working on it nonchalantly as the river raged beneath him. One wrong step, loss of balance and concentration would send him helplessly into the river's mouth. What a sight to see!
We arrived in Chitwan within approximately 4.5 hours and it is very humid here. I've sweated through two and three layers this afternoon already. Sweating happens so consistently that I almost don't even notice it. It drips down my face, it drips down my back and all I can do is get wrapped up in the beauty and the stimulation and the communities that surround me!
One of our volunteer's birthday is on Sunday and I hope she has had the time of her life for her 21st! I think the elephant ride was a really cool way to spend her birthday weekend and I'm so glad we could all share a wonderful day together! Happy Birthday, Sam! I know there was no cooler place to celebrate your day than here in Nepal!!
Well, more later on Chitwan. There's much more to share about today's adventures! Until then, shubharahrti!
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Deer Farm, Botanical Gardens, & Shanti Ban...
Today, Sunil (Dai), Heather and I went to see the deer farm, the botanical gardens, and then Sunil and I ventured further and trekked to visit the Shanti Ban Buddha temple. En route to the deer farm, we passed a Buddhist monastery and were allowed to go inside to the main campus, where young Buddhist monks-to-be were playing soccer with a ball about the size of a tennis ball. We took some pictures, walked around a bit, smiling and saying hello to the young monks-to-be and ventured further on to the deer farm. After trekking through the open greens, listening to the sounds of nature, passing a few homes and many chickens along the way, we had to stoop and pass through a very small door- I felt like Alice in Wonderland- and onward we went. The entrance to the deer farm was locked, so we walked alongside of the electric fencing and our journey was abruptly ended when we were invaded by leeches. Watching Sunil and Heather pull them from their toes, ankles, feet, legs, I thought I was safe as I wore my hiking boots and my long, athletic pants. I saw one on my boot and I just could not pull him off my boot!! We turned around, started heading back when I felt this numbing, pinching sensation right behind my ankle. I pulled up my pant legs and I must have had at least five small leeches around my ankles, at the bottom of my legs and Sunil helped me pull them off. We walked another 15-20 minutes and I felt the same pain again, so I pulled up my pant leg and I had two more, one really fat one just behind my ankle. My first experience with leeches and they loved my blood!!
We ventured further down the hill, making a right and heading to the botanical gardens. A very serene and beautifully decorated place with flowers and trees, and greenhouses! Many people come from different places to visit these gardens and have their pictures taken, all dressed up, and there was even a film shooting at the tail end of the gardens in the lily gardens. Very peaceful with little running brooks and streams- so serene!
We continued moving to the end of the gardens and made our way uphill, through a tiny village that was gathering for a wedding ceremony. The woman was beautifully adorned and the man was accessorized as well and it was so amazing to see how this event draws in the entire community! As we made it to the top, Heather took a micro-bus home since she has been to the Shanti Ban a couple of times and Dai and I continued on our way. It was like trekking around the mountain, climbing higher with each turn, through muddy sections, rocky and stoney sections, and if I wasn't cognizant about looking out from where I was, I would have missed the plethora of breath-taking views of the Himalayas and of Nepal!
After climbing upwards for quite some time, passing very poor villages, many religious coming down from the Shanti Ban, we arrived. The steps to climb were almost straight up, meant for smaller shoe sizes, and as I tried to climb and take a picture at the same time, I almost fell back! It's amazing what that steepness can do to one's spatial awareness! When we reached the top, I was breathing quite heavy, sweating so much, but it was totally worth the effort of reaching the top! The Shanti Ban is incredible and I couldn't help but find myself staring at it for such a long time. You hear of these temples and how elaborately adorned they are, but until you stand before its monstrosity, you never really have an idea! They had just lit a candle, which you can see in the front of the statue and laid flowers before Buddha as an offering. Once I stopped taking multiple pictures and fully letting myself behold what sat before me, I turned around to face Nepal and, although pictures can tell a thousand words, I still don't feel like the picture truly captures what its view is conveying to its beholder, but a photo is the closest we'll get until you actually come! It started to rain again, so we started to descend and head for home.
In total, we trekked about three hours and forty minutes and the sweat was just pouring off of me. We crossed through little alleyways, walked through a home after its hosts invited us to pass through, and as we continued to descend, we passed the materials that mold multiple Buddha statues. The body piece was about as big as a standard above-ground pool, perhaps deeper. As we came to the end of our trekking journey and walked through the door, I pulled up my pants and I already had my boots off, and my sock was drenched in blood from that fat leech, and, apparently, a leech crawled up my pant leg and had a feast on my knee. I couldn't find the leech, but my knee showed he was there and I couldn't get it to stop bleeding. It was another perfect little circle from where the leech attached itself. Good stuff!
After showering and receiving much needed roti bread and tarkahri (vegetables) and washing it down with the most delicious chai tea, I feel like I am ready for bed. It's only 4:30 pm. The little girls next door want me to put 'medicine' on their cuts on their hands and put a Band-aid on so they can do their homework, so I may play doctor and then finish up my lesson plans for our return to school tomorrow. Until then, 'shubharahtri', which is Nepali for goodnight~
We ventured further down the hill, making a right and heading to the botanical gardens. A very serene and beautifully decorated place with flowers and trees, and greenhouses! Many people come from different places to visit these gardens and have their pictures taken, all dressed up, and there was even a film shooting at the tail end of the gardens in the lily gardens. Very peaceful with little running brooks and streams- so serene!
We continued moving to the end of the gardens and made our way uphill, through a tiny village that was gathering for a wedding ceremony. The woman was beautifully adorned and the man was accessorized as well and it was so amazing to see how this event draws in the entire community! As we made it to the top, Heather took a micro-bus home since she has been to the Shanti Ban a couple of times and Dai and I continued on our way. It was like trekking around the mountain, climbing higher with each turn, through muddy sections, rocky and stoney sections, and if I wasn't cognizant about looking out from where I was, I would have missed the plethora of breath-taking views of the Himalayas and of Nepal!
After climbing upwards for quite some time, passing very poor villages, many religious coming down from the Shanti Ban, we arrived. The steps to climb were almost straight up, meant for smaller shoe sizes, and as I tried to climb and take a picture at the same time, I almost fell back! It's amazing what that steepness can do to one's spatial awareness! When we reached the top, I was breathing quite heavy, sweating so much, but it was totally worth the effort of reaching the top! The Shanti Ban is incredible and I couldn't help but find myself staring at it for such a long time. You hear of these temples and how elaborately adorned they are, but until you stand before its monstrosity, you never really have an idea! They had just lit a candle, which you can see in the front of the statue and laid flowers before Buddha as an offering. Once I stopped taking multiple pictures and fully letting myself behold what sat before me, I turned around to face Nepal and, although pictures can tell a thousand words, I still don't feel like the picture truly captures what its view is conveying to its beholder, but a photo is the closest we'll get until you actually come! It started to rain again, so we started to descend and head for home.
In total, we trekked about three hours and forty minutes and the sweat was just pouring off of me. We crossed through little alleyways, walked through a home after its hosts invited us to pass through, and as we continued to descend, we passed the materials that mold multiple Buddha statues. The body piece was about as big as a standard above-ground pool, perhaps deeper. As we came to the end of our trekking journey and walked through the door, I pulled up my pants and I already had my boots off, and my sock was drenched in blood from that fat leech, and, apparently, a leech crawled up my pant leg and had a feast on my knee. I couldn't find the leech, but my knee showed he was there and I couldn't get it to stop bleeding. It was another perfect little circle from where the leech attached itself. Good stuff!
After showering and receiving much needed roti bread and tarkahri (vegetables) and washing it down with the most delicious chai tea, I feel like I am ready for bed. It's only 4:30 pm. The little girls next door want me to put 'medicine' on their cuts on their hands and put a Band-aid on so they can do their homework, so I may play doctor and then finish up my lesson plans for our return to school tomorrow. Until then, 'shubharahtri', which is Nepali for goodnight~
Friday, July 4, 2014
Our 4th of July Celebration...
I'll bet many of my readers were thinking that I wasn't going to celebrate the 4th of July here in Nepal, right? Well, on the contrare! Ganga, our field director, has graciously opened his home with the assistance of his family, friends, and the hostess with the mostest, Mary. We all came from our respective homes, some bringing additional foods, American-style, such as pastas, watermelon, Pringles, Oreo cookies, s'mores!, and the rest of us came to partake in the festivities.
Traveling by micro-bus, it was completely empty upon my getting in and within a few stops, I think my face was pressed up against the window and I had two children half sitting on my lap as we had to continue to squeeze like sardines. When it came time for my stop, the bus was so packed that I could barely squeeze out of the micro-bus, so how did EVERYONE help me? They all "gave me a hand" hoisting me out, multiple hands cupping my behind. Any other time, I would have probably turned around and slugged someone for doing so, but in this modest country, everyone throws in a helping hand and has no additional agenda.
It was so nice to reconvene again with our volunteer friends and those we lean on when times can be confusing, challenging, even frustrating. Knowing they are there by our side just makes the experience even more encouraging for all of us! Many of us sat in different rooms, as our group is rather large in numbers for one room, eating, drinking, laughing hysterically, and just sharing, even playing the "fan game"! It's amazing how close we have become already and how easily we have gelled since our first week in Thamel. But nevertheless, our 4th of July was a way of enjoying each other's company, decompressing, letting our guard down and just being ourselves and we all know that there is no better way to embrace those experiences around you!
I'll admit, we did not have fireworks, but we did have camera flashes in the pitch black of the night, taking pictures of our group on the multi-level rooftops! Some arrived in festive, Uncle Sam colors and we had a very welcoming 4th of July poster! Alright, so you might be saying that that was not a true 4th of July celebration! No fireworks?? No grilling of hot dogs and hamburgers?? No patriotic songs?? I completely disagree. The 4th of July is about being with family and friends, sharing an appreciation for our country and the sacrifices made to establish the kinds of freedoms we enjoy. It's remembering 'back home' when, in fact, you may be far away in a distant land called...Nepal?? No matter where you are, no matter who you're with, the 4th of July can always be celebrated from within one's heart!
Being in Nepal and having traveled to Africa continues to reinforce my appreciation of the gifts and the freedoms and luxuries we have in the United States of America. They are not to be abused nor taken advantage of, nor used as bragging rights, putting other international communities down in a condescending manner, but, rather, they should be appropriately expressed, embraced, maintained, and shared with those around us, always remembering those who made incredible sacrifices, those who laid down their lives, those who are courageously serving now.
I hope you all had a great 4th of July holiday!
Traveling by micro-bus, it was completely empty upon my getting in and within a few stops, I think my face was pressed up against the window and I had two children half sitting on my lap as we had to continue to squeeze like sardines. When it came time for my stop, the bus was so packed that I could barely squeeze out of the micro-bus, so how did EVERYONE help me? They all "gave me a hand" hoisting me out, multiple hands cupping my behind. Any other time, I would have probably turned around and slugged someone for doing so, but in this modest country, everyone throws in a helping hand and has no additional agenda.
It was so nice to reconvene again with our volunteer friends and those we lean on when times can be confusing, challenging, even frustrating. Knowing they are there by our side just makes the experience even more encouraging for all of us! Many of us sat in different rooms, as our group is rather large in numbers for one room, eating, drinking, laughing hysterically, and just sharing, even playing the "fan game"! It's amazing how close we have become already and how easily we have gelled since our first week in Thamel. But nevertheless, our 4th of July was a way of enjoying each other's company, decompressing, letting our guard down and just being ourselves and we all know that there is no better way to embrace those experiences around you!
I'll admit, we did not have fireworks, but we did have camera flashes in the pitch black of the night, taking pictures of our group on the multi-level rooftops! Some arrived in festive, Uncle Sam colors and we had a very welcoming 4th of July poster! Alright, so you might be saying that that was not a true 4th of July celebration! No fireworks?? No grilling of hot dogs and hamburgers?? No patriotic songs?? I completely disagree. The 4th of July is about being with family and friends, sharing an appreciation for our country and the sacrifices made to establish the kinds of freedoms we enjoy. It's remembering 'back home' when, in fact, you may be far away in a distant land called...Nepal?? No matter where you are, no matter who you're with, the 4th of July can always be celebrated from within one's heart!
Being in Nepal and having traveled to Africa continues to reinforce my appreciation of the gifts and the freedoms and luxuries we have in the United States of America. They are not to be abused nor taken advantage of, nor used as bragging rights, putting other international communities down in a condescending manner, but, rather, they should be appropriately expressed, embraced, maintained, and shared with those around us, always remembering those who made incredible sacrifices, those who laid down their lives, those who are courageously serving now.
I hope you all had a great 4th of July holiday!
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
My first invite for tea...
A very kind and genuine teacher has invited me and a volunteer from Milan, Italy to her home for tea this afternoon. In Nepali culture, it is an ultimate gesture of kindness and hospitality to be invited into someone else's home. Tomorrow is also Irene's (Italian volunteer) last day in the schools before she departs for home on Sunday. Irene is a volunteer from EVS (European Volunteer Services), which is akin to the U.S.'s Fulbright program, so she has been in Nepal for 5 months with three other volunteers (one from Italy and two from Spain) and is very sad her journey has come to an end here in Nepal. She will venture next to Paris, France, where she will study for a two-year Master's degree in Human Rights and may begin one of her first courageous internships in the Middle East. I have worked with Irene in the classroom with my level 3s and she has been nothing but kind and caring. She is not a teacher, but has come to work in the orphanages, which are so plentiful here in Nepal, especially since the Maoist insurgency era. So not only has she touched my life and the children with which she has worked, but also Sangheeta's, who is very sad that she will be leaving soon.
Sangheeta is a teacher and teaches English at the 7th grade level amongst other courses and has been doing so for 25 years, exhibiting such care for children with very difficult home situations, mental anguish, embracing the innocence of young children. She has hosted Western volunteers before and embraces them as her own children, as she had done with us this very afternoon. We were invited for tea and she prepared a smorgasbord of food and drinks, finishing with hot tea. (Tato chia!)
We met her husband, who is also a teacher at the school down the road, her two daughters, her daughter's childhood friend (who is applying to study abroad in the U.S.) and her son. What a lovely family and her children have such a great sense of humor and zest for life!
They mentioned how everything is so much bigger in the. U.S., including the people, the food portions, the size of toothpaste!, the size of sodas, etc. and just how expensive the states are in general. They said when they visit the states, they are told that they look like malnourished children who have not eaten much in their lifetime. They said most Americans look older than they really are and it's so deceiving because of how large they are in size!
I couldn't help but agree with most of what they were saying and always wondered what impressions other cultures have had of America. However, and I'm not sure how much I believe this, they said I look much younger than I am and I don't look like many of the Americans they have seen. I'm pretty tall for a female and built kind of broad and don't think I look that young. My level 12 class concurred that I don't look OR act my age, but I'll just take that as a compliment of someone who embraces youth. That's what I'm going with anyway!
What a most enjoyable visit with Sangheeta's family and a time in which I've really enjoyed myself and the people around me. When you can let your guard down in another country, in a very different culture, you are able to just embrace the purity and sincerity of the human connection. What an incredible experience to feel, observe, and be a part of!
Sangheeta is a teacher and teaches English at the 7th grade level amongst other courses and has been doing so for 25 years, exhibiting such care for children with very difficult home situations, mental anguish, embracing the innocence of young children. She has hosted Western volunteers before and embraces them as her own children, as she had done with us this very afternoon. We were invited for tea and she prepared a smorgasbord of food and drinks, finishing with hot tea. (Tato chia!)
We met her husband, who is also a teacher at the school down the road, her two daughters, her daughter's childhood friend (who is applying to study abroad in the U.S.) and her son. What a lovely family and her children have such a great sense of humor and zest for life!
They mentioned how everything is so much bigger in the. U.S., including the people, the food portions, the size of toothpaste!, the size of sodas, etc. and just how expensive the states are in general. They said when they visit the states, they are told that they look like malnourished children who have not eaten much in their lifetime. They said most Americans look older than they really are and it's so deceiving because of how large they are in size!
I couldn't help but agree with most of what they were saying and always wondered what impressions other cultures have had of America. However, and I'm not sure how much I believe this, they said I look much younger than I am and I don't look like many of the Americans they have seen. I'm pretty tall for a female and built kind of broad and don't think I look that young. My level 12 class concurred that I don't look OR act my age, but I'll just take that as a compliment of someone who embraces youth. That's what I'm going with anyway!
What a most enjoyable visit with Sangheeta's family and a time in which I've really enjoyed myself and the people around me. When you can let your guard down in another country, in a very different culture, you are able to just embrace the purity and sincerity of the human connection. What an incredible experience to feel, observe, and be a part of!
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My Parting Gifts
A parting gift from two of my students that worked so hard to create this beautiful piece of art that I can't wait to hang in my room next year!! Thank you so much for a wonderful year! You have touched my heart immensely!
Ganesha Chair
What a gorgeous expression of art! Thank you so much!
Map of Nepal
