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Published: January 12th 2008
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Pokhara
view of the lake No electricity…again. I feel like I go more without it than when I have it. And of course this morning it went out as Ken was telling me about his father’s bypass surgery this weekend. Aargh! Luckily Ken is used to it by now…me cutting out in mid-sentence and disappearing for hours. But just when you need it most…
We got back from Pokhara late yesterday afternoon, after another bus ride that made me feel like I was beat up. The scenery was beautiful—driving through all of the little villages, over rivers and through the foothills, but it was so tiring on my body just to keep myself from being thrown out of the seat that I felt exhausted afterwards. I’m going to yoga for the first time in a couple weeks to try to loosen up a bit this morning. And later this weekend I am definitely scheduling another massage.
The last day in Pokhara was really laid back. We took Ranju to the Mountain Museum, which I found a bit boring—story boards about all of the men (and one or 2 women) who have summitted Everest. I mean, yeah, that’s an amazing feat, but why do it,
Pokhara
the Himalayas--they truly are breathtaking really? To say you can? An ego thing? Look at how many people die or come back with missing limbs or fingers. Is the thrill of being up there really long-lasting enough to make that worth it? Or is it the ability to just tell the story? Not for me, it wouldn’t be. But I guess for some people it’s the satisfaction of pushing your body to the absolute limit—like those who run double marathons and such. I’ve been known to be a sensation seeker, but to me that’s just crazy.
And then I saw in the news that Sir Edmund Hilary, the first guy to summit Everest, died at age 88. The irony…
Even though the museum was boring, the panoramic view of the mountains from the one side of it was so picturesque. I sat there just looking out most of the time. A skinny security guard came over to me, “Hello! Which country? How you like Nepal?” but then left me alone to sit there and just take it in.
I did a lot of that these past few days—just sitting still and doing nothing. I guess it’s a sort of meditation. And I
Pokhara
Kiran, our "guide" and friend find that the more I do it, the more comfortable it feels. I’m not one to sit still—I even find stuff to do during TV commercials—but I’m learning to just sit, stare off into space, and clear my head. Doing that also allows you to take in other things you normally wouldn’t have noticed. Like the other night, I was back at Maya for a cup of tea and sugar/lemon crepes (which sound better than they were). The electricity was out (of course), so I was sitting there by candlelight in the open entrance above the sidewalk of the main street in Pokhara. The servers had lit incense to bring in good business for the evening, and a CD called Indian Vibe (which I will have to find a copy of) was playing on the stereo. I was alone, drinking tea, listening to music, watching the flame of my candle and the people passing by, and just being at peace. It felt so nice. I think when I get back to the U.S. I have to learn to incorporate moments like that permanently into my schedule.
So maybe I am achieving my overall goal of becoming more balanced—learning to
Pokhara
cow shed let stress and anxiety go, to be comfortable with less, to revel in the moment. This is why so many people love Nepal—it is a place where you can do that without feeling like there are hundreds of other things you should be doing instead. Mary and I asked Kiran, who has traveled to Japan and Belgium, if he ever wanted to leave Nepal, having seen what the Western world has to offer.
“No, they work too much. Always busy busy,” he said.
I was worried Kiran was bored during these 5 days, tooling around, reading the paper, not doing much of anything. But for him, that’s normal. But on the flip side, he sometimes practically starves over the cold season if the trekking season didn’t bring him enough income. Mary and I were worried about this, which is why we employed him as our “guide” for 5 days, even though we could have easily navigated this trip ourselves.
So I have a clear head and new attitude to get me through the next 2 weeks before going back West for a month. I’ve got a (short) to do list for my research, various lunches scheduled with
Pokhara
How would you like to wake up to this view every morning? friends, yoga class, the end of my Nepali lessons, and more hours devoted to just spacing out. Let’s hope I can sustain this new attitude. And the weather seems to be getting slightly warmer—only needed 1 layer of long underwear to sleep comfortably last night.
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