Blogs from Boudhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia - page 3

Namaste meine Lieben! Nun bin ich gerade mal 1 1/2 Tage hier und bereits von zahlreichen Eindruecken und mannigfaltigen Begegnungen erfuellt. Nepal vereint tatsaechlich die Mystik Tibets mit der farbenfrohen Sinnesintensivitaet Indiens. All dies will erst einmal verarbeitet werden. Aber erst einmal vorn vorne: Nach einem sehr emotionalen Abschied von Patrizia, 18.8 kg Reisegepaeck (Schwein gehabt), einer 20-stuendigen Reise und ebensowenig Schlaf bin ich am Flughafen von Kathmandu angekommen. Visa in den Pass und ab nach draussen - ist tatsaechlich jemand vom Hotel "Khumbu" da? Und ja, es hat prompt geklappt, ein junger Tibeter steht mit einer Tafel mit meinem Namen da und lacht mich schon von weitem an. Das Hotel befindet sich genau gegenueber der grossen Stupa von Boudnath, Weltkulturerbe und eines der wichtigsten buddhistischen Heiligtuemer ueberhaupt. 80% der Einwohner der umlie... read more

"Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime." i am not fully sure how to describe the events that took place yesterday.. i only wish i had my camera.. the day started as most days in kathmandu seem to slightly bored of the place, strolling around the streets iv walked many times during my short stay, when, semi-expectantly i see a man iv spoken to on several occasions, Raksh, a local shoe shine who frequents the thamel area in search of shoes to shine and people to speak english with.. i met Rakesh on my first full day in nepal, at that stage i did not understand the nepali people, it caught me by surprise that when i declined a shoeshine, he asked if ... read more

Bungamati is described in the Lonely Planet guide as a medieval village. I'm sure things have changed subtley since then but Bungamati remains a lovely quiet village with a rural feel, albeit only about 30 minutes by car or bus from Kathmandu. I would recommend this place for a visit as, according to my guide, it more representative of the Nepal in which the vast majority of the Nepali population live in besides the relatively developed Kathmandu. We arrived early one morning when the village was having a new year celebration. We were given tikkas and red ribbons around our necks as part of the festivities. I have never seen such beautiful smiling faces. The whole place had such a serene laid back feel and the sense of community here was also something palpable. Families milled ... read more

What an amazing two weeks I have had. The first week was a Buddhist Beginners course and was mostly wonderful. I have decided that the easiest thing to do is to give you parts of my diary entries that I made. They have been edited though to protect the innocent - me! Sorry it’s rather long, but then it’s up to you if you read it. An amazingly beautiful place in the hills just outside of Boudhanath. The gardens are lush and wonderful for a quiet stroll with views of the Kathmandu valley from every point. My room is on the 2nd floor of a building overlooking Kathmandu and the mountains beyond. Stunning! It’s also on top of the gompa where we will have all of our classes. I am the first person in the ... read more

Day 521: Wednesday 2nd December - A very public cremation The last time I was in Kathmandu I got food poisoning and something I ate last night gave me stomach cramps throughout the night. The food in Nepal is probably the most westernised cuisine I’ve had anywhere on my trip outside Australia and New Zealand but I very much doubt the hygiene standards are of any, well, standard, apart from that is inadequate. I’m almost afraid to eat anything now in Nepal and I’ve never had trouble with the food anywhere on my trip apart from here. I’ve had food poisoning, illness on my trek, lack of energy in Pokhara and now stomach cramps and my finger is pointing firmly at the food hygiene in every case. Because of this it takes me a while to ... read more