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Published: January 31st 2012
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First - Time Zones:
Nepal is actually 15 minutes ahead of Delhi, which means that it is 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of London !
How does that work then ? I always thought that time zones were multiples of an hour ahead or behind ? It got me to thinking about timezones generally. Ignoring political boundaries for a minute, scientifically, if we consider the Earth as a sphere with a circumference of roughly 24,000 miles at the equator (24,901.55 actually), then dividing this by 24 (hours in a day) means that every 1000 miles represents an hour forward or backward ( depending which way round you go ).
Now then, again ignoring policial boundaries, if every time zone was divided up equally (rather like the segments of an orange), then as you move up or down the globe, this distance gets shorter. So, for example, halfway up, or halfway down the globe (from the equator) means that every hour is now only every 500 miles.
Taking this to its logical conclusion then, what is the time at the North ( or South ) pole ?
There seems to be more than one answer. For example:
1. It depends which way you are facing.
2. Every time is correct (eg. 5 past 6 at night, quarter to 3 in the morning,
midnight, are all correct).
3. No time.
4. Now.
Anyway, enough of that.
Day 2 in Kathmandu started with the traditional breakfast before we set off to visit 3 separate places:
1. Knackeredram
The computer repair shop. Before we went in, the guide said whatever you do, don't leave your laptop there, we don't trust them.
Inside computer shop, the conversation went a bit like this (with interpreters to hand):
Them: Leave it, come back in 3 weeks.
Me: No good, I leave in 3 days.
Them: Leave it, come back in 2 days, diagnosis only.
Me: What's the point of that ? It might be dead simple, like the memory.
Them: Leave it, come back in 2 hours, we check memory.
Me:
(Turn laptop over, unclip back, remove memory, total 30 seconds). Let's do it now.
They did. It was. 3500 rupees later (about 30 quid), my little friend was back.
So, knackered RAM. Apologies HP,
grrrr Kingston memory.
2. Bhaktapur
In the olden days, there were three brothers who were kings. They sliced up this area into 3 parts and they all built cities (next to, and copying from, each other). Bhaktapur was the oldest, Kathmandu and Patan were the others. So, they've all got a Durbar Square that contain palaces and temples. Heavily influenced by China, there's lots of pagodas. Heavily influenced by India, there's lots of Hindu temples (most now disused). It was like stepping back in time. People making pots. Blood outside temples from animal sacrifices (now don't curl your nose up, whenever they eat meat, the animal is offered up for sacrifice to Gods such as Shiva or Ganesha and the blood left at the temple. More respectful than the Gods of Tescos and Asda don't you think ). A different world.
3. Boudhnath Stupa
The largest Buddhist Stupa in Nepal, and the second largest in the world, Boudhnath Stupa contains relics of the Buddha (ie. bits of him, though don't know which bits). Its actually only 500m away from our hotel (it's the one that we can see from our room). Again, people come from all
over to pray to Buddha here. Ironically, the stupa is completely surrounded with souvenir shops selling everything from incense to tankas (Buddhist paintings) to statues (though there is a monastery too). After receiving a blessing from the local monk, we bought a beautiful mandala tanka (see picture of sand mandala) and then back to the hotel.
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I said yesterday that everyone seems to be smiling. Are they smiling or is it just wind ? Or is it because they are racially similar to the Chinese ? Or is it that they look Chinese and are smiling because they have wind ?
Does it really matter ? What's the matter with you ? Just enjoy the moment.
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kay matthews
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holiday snaps
Are you in any of these photos?? Is that Moira being blessed?? Is that Joe leaning against that wall looking cool and casual?? Is that possible?? Maybe my eyes are shot or my memory or both. Anyways - photo of you guys please - for recognition and authentication purposes. Looking forward to seeing you in Syders.