Lumbini to Kathmandu

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Saturday - april 2
Awake at 4:30 am to the monotonous beat of a drum from the temple at the World Peace Pagoda. Some sort of chanting may also be going on. I will later discover it is an ongoing chant of "Namyo ho rengo gekyo" for world peace, in which anyone may join. It will last till 6 pm. Happens daily. Today I explore the area around the hotel including the World Peace Pagoda and the Sarus Crane Sanctuary. I find someone to take my photo in front of the huge pagoda. Alongside there is a grave marker of a Japanese monk who was killed by anti-Buddhist extremists at the time the pagoda was under construction. The sanctuary is accessible through the back gate of the Pagoda grounds. When I return to the hotel I have the set breakfast: eggs, a variety of breads, fruit, cabbage and carrot tsukemono-like salads, mango juice and coffee. Chat with the manager who I think is actually some sort of service manager. He is originally from eastern Nepal and previously worked for 7 years in the United Arab Emirates. He was amazed to see the ocean. He has a family in Kathmandu, but his kids don't want to move to Lumbini, so he visits every couple of months. When I'm checking out I meet the real manager, a young Japanese guy from Chiba. My ride is arranged and I wait for my departure in the lobby catching up on email, etc. I am expert at domestic check-in and don't bother to empty out my water bottle since it has never been confiscated. The short return to Kathmandu is equally scenic as the previous flight. A new Raya Tours guy, Sultin, is right there to bring me to the hotel. Some team members have arrived at the hotel, so little reunions occur one after the other. Light lunch at the hotel is followed by a short turn around the surrounding neighborhood. It is sort of a scouting trip for future souvenir and gift purchases. One persistent walking vendor lowers the price of a little Nepali violin to 1 ₨ in exasperation when he can't get anyone to buy. What would he have done if someone had accepted the offer? My room has changed and I am not on the 3rd floor. I can no longer receive wifi in the room, so I'll have to bring the laptop down to the lobby to get connected. Bummer, might make updating this blog a big pain. A good number of the team members are here and we walk to the Thamel House Restaurent which serves Newari food in a tradiitional old Newari style building.

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