Wat wat wat?
Someone told me a joke which is directions to anywhere is down the street from the Wat and across from the 7-11. This is strangely accruate. I remember begin told that Thailand is obsessed with 7-11s, but I guess I forgot that tidbit. I have to admit they are quite convenient. So those and Wats are everywhere! I walk down the street and check out at least 3 a day and pass up at least 5 others I see. Today I saw a particularly spectacular one.
I ventured out into the new city today and came across a wat with a tall gold buddha outside. There were all these animal statues faced towards the statue in reverence, just like the Lion King, complete with even a donald duck like figure. Even cooler was when you walked up the highly adorned stairs you could look out behind the buddha and feel like you were Simba looking down upon the adoring managare. Inside however was exquisite. Theree were 3 shrines, one on each direction. The left side had 2 center buddhas made of a green luminescent stone I can only guess was jade, and then a bunch of other smaller stone ones as well. Above this shrine was a manadala on the roof and beautiful vibrant paintings of the life of Buddha. The center and right side were gold. Everything was just so beautiful, detailed, vibrant and rich. I was shocked to see that there was no one there though, no monks or guards, just the buddhas. I once again felt inspired to just sit for a bit.
I can't get over how chill it is here. There is so much trust, people are so kind and smiling. The people at my guesthouse trust everyone to borrow the bikes and even motor bikes, we have full use of a kitchen and more.
Ok so now for the food part. Yesterday i took a full day cooking course which was awesome. I think it was really a great choice especially because yesterday morning it raining torrentially. Like the truck we were in had to wade through at least 2 rivers which used to be streets. When i was picked up i was greeted by a truck of European men and they all said "ah our token woman!" they were a fun a group. We all shared all our dishes so everyone got a taste of everything. I have to say I was really impressed at how simple and easy these dishes all were. The most complicated was the curry just because you have to make the paste, and the sticky rice because of the prep time. Everything else is just having he ingredients, which no doubt can be difficult, but I have hope in moving to California that I will able to find the awesome Asian markets.
So i learned how to make a really awesome Penang curry, a rich a vibrant red curry with surprisingly only a few ingredients: coriander seeds, cumin, white peppercorn, chili, shallots, galangal, kaffir lime, coriander root and shrimp paste. I also learned how to make pad Thai! However here they don't use any gooey red sauce, it was really just soy sauce garlic and sugar, and then of course the bean sprouts, garlic chives, peanuts, egg, tofu and prawns. But really you can throw whatever you want in,all done in one wok, 5 min. I also learned how to make spring rolls ( as well as the sauce), chicken and cashew, chicken and basil, an awesome coconut shrimp soup, mango and sticky rice, papaya salad, fried fish salad, toffee bananas, and more. Overall I feel like it was a day well spent. I didn't get the tour of the market cause of the rain, but this morning while wandering around I found the cooking school giving their tour to a new group and they invited me to join. When I get back, I hope to really get a stock of Thai ingredients together, because I love the food so much and it would be so cheap and easy to cook a lot of it if i have the ingredients, and then i can make a Thai feast for YOU as well!
I really love my little street. It is soi 6 off of moon muang road. Every day when I come out of mu guesthouse, there are new stalls or roadside stalls. This morning I found fried bananas, taro and sweet potatoes in a yummy batter that I snacked on for breakfast, I also found some fresh squeezed orange juice. Quick note about the mangos here- they are amazing! I love mangos anyways, but here they have almost no trace of fiber, they are just silky smooth, rich and sweet awesomeness.
I ventured out a little to see where the night market is. I have meant to go every night since i arrived, but I guess jet lag keeps winning the sleeping battle. However, after passing out again yesterday after cooking school, i forced myself to sleep again at 3 am and i slept until 9! So I hope I will solidify my adjustment today. I found the market, though in the day time it is pretty quiet. Maybe I will check out tonight before I go out for the Halloween eve party I was invited to.on today's day trip I found a nice french man at a noodle stall who encouraged me to try the noodles, he said he has been in thailand for 10 years and comes to this stall almost everyday. That was all the endorsement i needed, and indeed they were great, though I have to admit i think my little noodle stall I found near my guest house is better. In fact i am jut waiting to be hungry again so i can go on over and eat some of them again.
So today I just putzed around, but i realize my time is getting short and I need to start doing more things. I found a nice little massage school nearby that i think i will start tomorrow. I am trying to decide if I should do head, foot, or back? I might do two of them, but i don't know if i can afford all 3. Any votes on which I should do? After all YOU will be the ones benefitting from this training, so let me know!
I am also debating whether i should go play with some baby tigers. I am so morally torn. I am just imagining that these poor animals are drugged or tortured like the elephants and i don't want to support any animal cruelty. However I did a little research online and found many reports from supposed European and American vets, zoologists and animal trainers who said that they were actually impressed with how well they were treated and that they showed no signs of being drugged. There are the few reports that claim otherwise as well. That being said...I could cuddle with a baby tiger! I think my compromise to myself is to wait until Tuesday and see how much money i have left, if i have enough without taking out more, i can blow it on the tigers, if not i will not spend an extra $5 service charge to do it. Again if you have any thoughts let me know. I just keep thinking of how cute my new Facebook picture would be cuddling with a baby tiger...
Ok so to recap dear readers: your homework is to let me know what kind of massage you would like/ I should study, and 2 should I go cuddle with some baby tigers and be a totally tourist indulgent? And my homework: to go check out the night market, flower market, and Wat doi soithep ( a beautiful wat overlooking chaing Mai that Keith and Abe studied at).
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Cloud 9
Wow! Just wow.....
So after my last entry I tried to take a nap, but really I just flopped around. I guess I was anxious or something. I tried to sleep because i knew I was tired, but I just couldn't. So, falling into old patterns when I couldn't fall asleep at school...I did some homework-- for that always put me to sleep. I was able to get my suitcase open, and it immediately fell apart. On the up side I discovered that I can easily fit everything into the trekking backpack, and there is still plenty of room for more so i can buy things. I even brought a little backpack lock, so I can still lock up my few valuables that i don't carry with me in the bottom compartment. Crisis averted! and an extra 800 bhat! I also found some thailand tour guides at my guesthouse, so i borrowed one and did some reading with some good ol' fashioned note taking.
After awhile of this, I felt some lethargy sinking in, my room and bed was just so comfortable and I have so many books to read and movies to watch...but I literally wrote to myself in my diary, "Tara. Get UP!" you know like Matrix style.
I got up and borrowed a bike from the guesthouse ( they are very nice and let you narrow them for free) and made my way to Wat Phra Singh, the most visited Buddhist temple here. It is at the end of "Sunday walk road" which is where the huge Sunday market is. Though I have to say, riding a bike is not like riding a bike...at least not for me, however this may have to do with the fact that my bike had no brakes. I got on, started to make my way to this big Wat ( temple ) and saw a small wat on the way. I turned into it, and promptly fell off as I tried to stop. Luckily no one saw me and I only got a little knee scrap. I did a little practicing around the parking lot like I was 6 again before I ventured out into the world again. I realize on this bike ride the city was so much more alive than it was when walked around at 8:45, I guess this is a sleepy town that wakes up late.
The temple was beautiful. At first I thought something special was going on, there were so many monks there. A sea of orange and turmeric crawled over the place. I wasn't sure if i was allowed to enter, but as I hesitantly tip toed up the stairs, a monk smiled at me and waved for me to come inside. I was the only non- monk in there, let alone tourist. I took some pictures of the beautiful gold buddhas, the paintings, and of the monks smiling and chatting to each other, as well as a few who were watching something on their cell phones. In exploring the grounds I found a beautiful room with a smaller Buddha and a woman in white meditating. I don't know what is was about this room, but I felt moved. I sat down and just sat for awhile. And then i heard the monks from the first room start to chant. All the difficulty and frustration from the prior days just melted away.
I started to make my way back to check out various things that I saw on the way to the wat. I got a huge 24 oz mango shake for less than $1, than checked out this massaging school where I stumbled upon a couple from Vermont who were getting a lesson in foot massage. I moved on to check out some paintings, and check out a little market. I can't get over how chill Thailand in comparison to the other Asian countries I have been to. No one has pressured me to do anything. I get an occasional "taxi?" but all i have to do is smile and shake my head! I don't have to raise my voice sternly, argue, or scurry away. When i look at merchandise i don't have merchants holding things to my face, asking me how much eagerly, or even remotely upset when I say i am just looking. In fact, at this little market all the merchants seemed to hardly notice i was there. I was almost surprised to see there was another girl also shopping around. I saw what she was buying and started a conversation. Turns out she is my age from Tennessee and has been teaching English here, but decided that though she loves it, traveling just wasn't for her and she is going home to be back with her family the same day I am leaving. We found some coffee and I made a friend! She invited me to a pre-Halloween party on Saturday with her roommate and some other friends.
We parted ways and I realized I still hadn't eaten much. So I found a little stall where a woman and her two children were playing that had a little sign "pad thai." I figured this was a good place to start. She made the padthai right in front of me, though I didn't know what was in all the unmarked bottles. Her daughter served me water and I wolfed down a whole plate of light, slightly sweet noodles, sprinkled with the light crunch of bean sprouts. It wasn't nearly as oily or saucy as a lot of the pad Thai I have in the US. Satisfied I went back to my hostel where I booked a full day cooking course so I can learn about these mysterious bottles.
After a little rest and cooling down, I decided my plan was to get a massage and then check out the daily night market. There are about 10 massage place just on my little street alone, so I randomly picked one and asked for a Thai massage. 1 hour, $5, not just priceless, heaven. I have never had one before. It was not like the massage we are used to in the US, it is like a full body work out for the masseuse! She was twisting me into all kinds of pretzels, bracing foot and pushing my hip, using her knees, feet, elbows, everything! It was like yoga done on me, and then adding some intense acupressure and a touch of chiropractic cracking. It was all completely clothed and full body. She spent a lot of time on my legs and moved to my arms, back and face! I think at first i was trying to mentally remember what she was doing, but by the time she moved on to my second leg I was in a different realm and abandoned any silly notions of conscious thought. I gotta learn me some of this. The courses are expensive, but maybe I can take a day in just one area like foot massage or head and face! Any requests?
When she was done I was jello. Like Diana recently said, I have never felt like I wanted to pay more than what i was asked, but I had 3 experiences of that in one day! This first being this massage. I sorta stumbled back in the direction of my guesthouse realizing there is no way i am making it to the night market, but decided I really wanted some mango sticky rice to snack on so like a zombie getting a whiff a brains turned around to find some. Like magic, on my road was a smiling boy that had a sign "mango sticky rice" which might as well said "perfection." He gently assessed each mango until he found the perfect one, peeled it, and gave me the whole mango sliced on a bed of fresh warm sticky rice, he then packaged the warm coconut milk in a puffed bag for me to add when I was ready to eat. Again, about $1.
On my way back to my room I stopped because I smelled something amazing. As I backtracked I saw a little stall with some signs like "breakfast" and "Thai food!" I asked for a khao soi, the curry noodle soup that chiang Mai is famous for for carry out. When I got home assembled this little master piece into a wide bowl. One bag had this light but creamy and fragrant yellow curry broth with chicken and spices. The next bag had some fresh pad Thai type rice noodles, booked and tossed in some spices or sauces. Then were some little bags of freshly sliced shallots and lime. After taking my first bite, I literally almost fell out of my chair in pleasure. If Mu is reading this, this should be on her menu. Again...$1. I would gladly pay $20 for this. I am slightly worried that i have found my daily routine...massage, khao soi, and mango sticky rice all for the indulgent $8, a price i am lucky to find a decent sandwich for in the US.
In my sublime stupor, I apparently passed out and just woke up (4:30am). In about three hours I will going to my all day cooking course to learn how to make some tasty treats, and I will see if i can find out how to make that soup!
Thank you for reading this long entry. I don't think all my entries will be this long, everything is just so exciting when it is brand new!
So after my last entry I tried to take a nap, but really I just flopped around. I guess I was anxious or something. I tried to sleep because i knew I was tired, but I just couldn't. So, falling into old patterns when I couldn't fall asleep at school...I did some homework-- for that always put me to sleep. I was able to get my suitcase open, and it immediately fell apart. On the up side I discovered that I can easily fit everything into the trekking backpack, and there is still plenty of room for more so i can buy things. I even brought a little backpack lock, so I can still lock up my few valuables that i don't carry with me in the bottom compartment. Crisis averted! and an extra 800 bhat! I also found some thailand tour guides at my guesthouse, so i borrowed one and did some reading with some good ol' fashioned note taking.
After awhile of this, I felt some lethargy sinking in, my room and bed was just so comfortable and I have so many books to read and movies to watch...but I literally wrote to myself in my diary, "Tara. Get UP!" you know like Matrix style.
I got up and borrowed a bike from the guesthouse ( they are very nice and let you narrow them for free) and made my way to Wat Phra Singh, the most visited Buddhist temple here. It is at the end of "Sunday walk road" which is where the huge Sunday market is. Though I have to say, riding a bike is not like riding a bike...at least not for me, however this may have to do with the fact that my bike had no brakes. I got on, started to make my way to this big Wat ( temple ) and saw a small wat on the way. I turned into it, and promptly fell off as I tried to stop. Luckily no one saw me and I only got a little knee scrap. I did a little practicing around the parking lot like I was 6 again before I ventured out into the world again. I realize on this bike ride the city was so much more alive than it was when walked around at 8:45, I guess this is a sleepy town that wakes up late.
The temple was beautiful. At first I thought something special was going on, there were so many monks there. A sea of orange and turmeric crawled over the place. I wasn't sure if i was allowed to enter, but as I hesitantly tip toed up the stairs, a monk smiled at me and waved for me to come inside. I was the only non- monk in there, let alone tourist. I took some pictures of the beautiful gold buddhas, the paintings, and of the monks smiling and chatting to each other, as well as a few who were watching something on their cell phones. In exploring the grounds I found a beautiful room with a smaller Buddha and a woman in white meditating. I don't know what is was about this room, but I felt moved. I sat down and just sat for awhile. And then i heard the monks from the first room start to chant. All the difficulty and frustration from the prior days just melted away.
I started to make my way back to check out various things that I saw on the way to the wat. I got a huge 24 oz mango shake for less than $1, than checked out this massaging school where I stumbled upon a couple from Vermont who were getting a lesson in foot massage. I moved on to check out some paintings, and check out a little market. I can't get over how chill Thailand in comparison to the other Asian countries I have been to. No one has pressured me to do anything. I get an occasional "taxi?" but all i have to do is smile and shake my head! I don't have to raise my voice sternly, argue, or scurry away. When i look at merchandise i don't have merchants holding things to my face, asking me how much eagerly, or even remotely upset when I say i am just looking. In fact, at this little market all the merchants seemed to hardly notice i was there. I was almost surprised to see there was another girl also shopping around. I saw what she was buying and started a conversation. Turns out she is my age from Tennessee and has been teaching English here, but decided that though she loves it, traveling just wasn't for her and she is going home to be back with her family the same day I am leaving. We found some coffee and I made a friend! She invited me to a pre-Halloween party on Saturday with her roommate and some other friends.
We parted ways and I realized I still hadn't eaten much. So I found a little stall where a woman and her two children were playing that had a little sign "pad thai." I figured this was a good place to start. She made the padthai right in front of me, though I didn't know what was in all the unmarked bottles. Her daughter served me water and I wolfed down a whole plate of light, slightly sweet noodles, sprinkled with the light crunch of bean sprouts. It wasn't nearly as oily or saucy as a lot of the pad Thai I have in the US. Satisfied I went back to my hostel where I booked a full day cooking course so I can learn about these mysterious bottles.
After a little rest and cooling down, I decided my plan was to get a massage and then check out the daily night market. There are about 10 massage place just on my little street alone, so I randomly picked one and asked for a Thai massage. 1 hour, $5, not just priceless, heaven. I have never had one before. It was not like the massage we are used to in the US, it is like a full body work out for the masseuse! She was twisting me into all kinds of pretzels, bracing foot and pushing my hip, using her knees, feet, elbows, everything! It was like yoga done on me, and then adding some intense acupressure and a touch of chiropractic cracking. It was all completely clothed and full body. She spent a lot of time on my legs and moved to my arms, back and face! I think at first i was trying to mentally remember what she was doing, but by the time she moved on to my second leg I was in a different realm and abandoned any silly notions of conscious thought. I gotta learn me some of this. The courses are expensive, but maybe I can take a day in just one area like foot massage or head and face! Any requests?
When she was done I was jello. Like Diana recently said, I have never felt like I wanted to pay more than what i was asked, but I had 3 experiences of that in one day! This first being this massage. I sorta stumbled back in the direction of my guesthouse realizing there is no way i am making it to the night market, but decided I really wanted some mango sticky rice to snack on so like a zombie getting a whiff a brains turned around to find some. Like magic, on my road was a smiling boy that had a sign "mango sticky rice" which might as well said "perfection." He gently assessed each mango until he found the perfect one, peeled it, and gave me the whole mango sliced on a bed of fresh warm sticky rice, he then packaged the warm coconut milk in a puffed bag for me to add when I was ready to eat. Again, about $1.
On my way back to my room I stopped because I smelled something amazing. As I backtracked I saw a little stall with some signs like "breakfast" and "Thai food!" I asked for a khao soi, the curry noodle soup that chiang Mai is famous for for carry out. When I got home assembled this little master piece into a wide bowl. One bag had this light but creamy and fragrant yellow curry broth with chicken and spices. The next bag had some fresh pad Thai type rice noodles, booked and tossed in some spices or sauces. Then were some little bags of freshly sliced shallots and lime. After taking my first bite, I literally almost fell out of my chair in pleasure. If Mu is reading this, this should be on her menu. Again...$1. I would gladly pay $20 for this. I am slightly worried that i have found my daily routine...massage, khao soi, and mango sticky rice all for the indulgent $8, a price i am lucky to find a decent sandwich for in the US.
In my sublime stupor, I apparently passed out and just woke up (4:30am). In about three hours I will going to my all day cooking course to learn how to make some tasty treats, and I will see if i can find out how to make that soup!
Thank you for reading this long entry. I don't think all my entries will be this long, everything is just so exciting when it is brand new!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Finally arrived
So this was not the smoothest of expeditions, but I guess this is what happens sometimes when I try to get the absolute cheapest fare possible.
So I arrived at JFK in the afternoon of Oct 26th. Unlike Keith's awesome experience with Cathay Pacific (which I agree is a great airline) I have discovered that I hate Air China. I guess I have been spoiled the last 4 years of internationally traveling, but i guess I started to think that having individual screens to watch movies and listen to music in economy class was fairly standard. However on this 14 hour Air China flight, not only was there no individual screens to select what movie you would like to see, but only one movie the whole time--the new Alice in Wonderland. No music, no skymall to browse through, nothing. I suppose luckily I brought enough of my own entertainment, and I was lucky enough to sit next to a nice woman who shared an interest in photography and movies and had actually been to Chaing Mai many times. Conversation always seems to pass the time quickly. So for a very long and boring and journey, it actually went by fairly quick.
I always forget how crazy Chinese airports are. I had 45 min to change planes and was led through a maze of at least three different security checks. I made it just on time. I suppose Air China was cheap for a reason, they were both pretty empty flights, and the perk about that was I got to stretch out across 5 whole seats and at least get a bit of sleep, which I admit was really nice.
When I arrived in Bangkok it was 11:30pm, and I was actually quite amazed at how busy it was. My flight to Chaing Mai wasn't until 6:45 in the morning, so I was expecting to putz around the airport or find a nice place to stretch out and sleep some more. However, because my next flight was on Air Asia and their counter was closed, I found that I had to kill 5 hours around the check-in counters, and I wasn't alone. All the chairs and benches had already been claimed by apparently the hoards of other travelers in the same position. I found a little corner that looked cozy enough for a florescent lit terminal, and realized that the clasp on my suitcase was broken! I tried to open it but to no avail. I rushed over to the Air China desk and complained. It became a rather annoying wild goose chase, where they told me to go complain to some desk on some other floor, and when I went no one was there...rinse and repeat. At first I was very calm and thought to myself "at least this is a way to kill some time." But as the chase continued to more dead-ends, and more people who couldn't tell me what was going on, I started to get frustrated. By 3 am I finally got some attention. They offered to fix it for me, but I needed to be in Bangkok for 10 days, when I told them I was going to Chaing Mai in a couple of hours, they offered to pay me 300 bhat (about $10). I told them that wasn't enough and they eventually gave me 800 bhat. I guess it is lucky I brought my hiking backpack as padding. I will see if I can fit everything in there before I look for a new bag...but it was my favorite yellow suitcase :(. RIP
Anyways, I finally arrived in Chaing Mai perhaps 2 hours ago. I found this lovely guest house that Abe recommended called Giant Guest house. They greeted me with hugs, a nice clean room with a fan, drinking water, hot tea, and free internet. I took a little stroll to stretch my legs. Tried some random things wrapped in a banana leaf that was delicious, but I failed in figuring out what it was called. I kept pointing at it asking, "name?" "called?" she replied "pork" over and over again. I nodded, trying to convey that i understood there was pork inside. I pointed to things I thought I knew like "rice" "curry" then pointing to the banana leaf with a quizzical look...but she just put the curry and rice in the bag as well. I said nevermind and paid for the thai tamale and continued my walk.
I think I actually need a nap. Landing is always rough and my body is confused what time it is and where I am. So time for nap, maybe some more walking exploring today, maybe try to figure out my luggage deal, and then...I have no idea.
So I arrived at JFK in the afternoon of Oct 26th. Unlike Keith's awesome experience with Cathay Pacific (which I agree is a great airline) I have discovered that I hate Air China. I guess I have been spoiled the last 4 years of internationally traveling, but i guess I started to think that having individual screens to watch movies and listen to music in economy class was fairly standard. However on this 14 hour Air China flight, not only was there no individual screens to select what movie you would like to see, but only one movie the whole time--the new Alice in Wonderland. No music, no skymall to browse through, nothing. I suppose luckily I brought enough of my own entertainment, and I was lucky enough to sit next to a nice woman who shared an interest in photography and movies and had actually been to Chaing Mai many times. Conversation always seems to pass the time quickly. So for a very long and boring and journey, it actually went by fairly quick.
I always forget how crazy Chinese airports are. I had 45 min to change planes and was led through a maze of at least three different security checks. I made it just on time. I suppose Air China was cheap for a reason, they were both pretty empty flights, and the perk about that was I got to stretch out across 5 whole seats and at least get a bit of sleep, which I admit was really nice.
When I arrived in Bangkok it was 11:30pm, and I was actually quite amazed at how busy it was. My flight to Chaing Mai wasn't until 6:45 in the morning, so I was expecting to putz around the airport or find a nice place to stretch out and sleep some more. However, because my next flight was on Air Asia and their counter was closed, I found that I had to kill 5 hours around the check-in counters, and I wasn't alone. All the chairs and benches had already been claimed by apparently the hoards of other travelers in the same position. I found a little corner that looked cozy enough for a florescent lit terminal, and realized that the clasp on my suitcase was broken! I tried to open it but to no avail. I rushed over to the Air China desk and complained. It became a rather annoying wild goose chase, where they told me to go complain to some desk on some other floor, and when I went no one was there...rinse and repeat. At first I was very calm and thought to myself "at least this is a way to kill some time." But as the chase continued to more dead-ends, and more people who couldn't tell me what was going on, I started to get frustrated. By 3 am I finally got some attention. They offered to fix it for me, but I needed to be in Bangkok for 10 days, when I told them I was going to Chaing Mai in a couple of hours, they offered to pay me 300 bhat (about $10). I told them that wasn't enough and they eventually gave me 800 bhat. I guess it is lucky I brought my hiking backpack as padding. I will see if I can fit everything in there before I look for a new bag...but it was my favorite yellow suitcase :(. RIP
Anyways, I finally arrived in Chaing Mai perhaps 2 hours ago. I found this lovely guest house that Abe recommended called Giant Guest house. They greeted me with hugs, a nice clean room with a fan, drinking water, hot tea, and free internet. I took a little stroll to stretch my legs. Tried some random things wrapped in a banana leaf that was delicious, but I failed in figuring out what it was called. I kept pointing at it asking, "name?" "called?" she replied "pork" over and over again. I nodded, trying to convey that i understood there was pork inside. I pointed to things I thought I knew like "rice" "curry" then pointing to the banana leaf with a quizzical look...but she just put the curry and rice in the bag as well. I said nevermind and paid for the thai tamale and continued my walk.
I think I actually need a nap. Landing is always rough and my body is confused what time it is and where I am. So time for nap, maybe some more walking exploring today, maybe try to figure out my luggage deal, and then...I have no idea.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Off to Asia once again!
So I am once again off to Asia, back to India in fact! With a quick detour to Thailand first. So I am starting this blog again for all those interested in my adventures.
Some basics to start with:
I will be leaving this Tuesday October 26th and will arrive in Chiang Mai in the morning of October 28th to spend a week in Thailand! Then I am off to India for Diwali on November 4th, the festival of lights. I will spend two months there ending with the wedding of my roommate last year. Then I come back to the states on January 5th when I will start the process of relocating to The City of Angels, California.
While I am in India I will have phone numbers and ways I can be reached, however in the meantime I also have a google voice number that you can call and leave me a message that I can get in my e-mail! This will eventually be my "professional" number and it is based in LA. That number is: (424) 226-8272 (which is also 226-TARA)
I love comments but I also love hearing your voice! So feel free to contact me that way.
So just a brief update for those of you I haven't seen in awhile. After graduation I spent the summer working at camp for children and adults with various different abilities (hemophilia, autism, Deaf, Traumatic Brain Injuries, etc). I was hired as the Photographer, but I also made a documentary about it.
Then I traveled to California where I became a wedding planner for a week and attended the wonderful union of Amanda and Pete! As well as had a wonderful time with Rick, Lisa, and miraculously my entire Santa Cruz crew happened to be there at the same time, which was amazing. It was a great and interesting trip. Throughout my adolescence, Santa Cruz has always been a wonderful safe haven where my friends have provided with support and comfort. However this time, all my friends were in various states of flux, and so felt wonderful to give back some of that support I have been so lucky to have for so many years.
Then I was in New Mexico which just completely flew by. I basked in the beautiful aspens changing to gold and the smell of green chile roasting in the air. I caught up with some old friends and even found some Wes friends who had relocated to Santa Fe! I volunteered for a bit with Organizing for America to help support electing a Democratic Governor instead of a Tea Party Governor. And I also made a lovely side-trip to Denver to see yet another Wes friend and the amazing Margret Cho.
I got to New York just in time for homecoming at Wes which I just got back from today. It was so lovely to see so many smiling and familiar faces. I think one of the saddest parts about leaving Wesleyan was realizing that there are so many acquaintances who I never spent a ton of time with but who I loved seeing around, hearing their comments in class, smiling and waving to as we walked by each other or inviting into my house, and that those are the people I won't stay in touch with, but that I sorely miss. Also after being in the "real world" for a bit (or avoiding the real world by traveling), I am once again reminded how convenient college is, everything is just THERE and in WALKING distance. Wesleyan also has some voodoo magic where every homecoming weekend is just gorgeous, the colors were spectacular.
So other than that, I have been gearing up for my travels and for my relocation to Los Angeles! Thanks for reading, and my next post should be from somewhere across the ocean!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Nepalese Politics
So I thought that the trek would be my last e-mail, but apparently more stuff decided to happen. Since the trek went a little longer than expected, the extra trekking days cut into my shopping days. We decided that the morning after my last e-mail would be my major shopping day, as well as going to the Indian airlines office to print out my ticket (since apparently here and in Nepal they won't even let you into the airport building without the ticket, even if it is an e-ticket). However when we woke up we discovered that there was another big strike or protest going on. No cars were driving anywhere, not even bicycles or rickshaws because protesters were letting the air out of tires. Furthermore no shops were open either. We decided to try to go to the airline office anyways by walking. It was so eerie to see these streets of which we almost got run over every 3 seconds on before, now completely empty of wheeled vehicles. The fact that all the stores were all locked up enhanced the eeriness since the restaurants usually blare music and store owners shout after you as you walk down the streets. However now, everyone just walked around as if in a dream, on empty quite streets, looking aimless as if not knowing what to do. It was hard to figure out what exactly what was going on, but I think it was a Maoist protest protesting the current administration. Maoists are not the majority however, but we got the sense that many people were cooperating because they were scared. There were a few stores very quietly open, with their metal grates only half open so all anyone from the outside could were people's feet. We made it to the airline office and then headed back to the hotel since nothing else was open.
The next day we heard from Ratna that there were 25 cars burned. Even though Dad and I felt safe walking around, I feel like I got out of Nepal in the nick of time in terms of at least avoiding logistical complications. Nepal is a very new democracy, so it seems to be going through quite a bit of growing pains right now. On the last day my dad's friend Madu, a thangka painter, came to talk to us because we did not have much time when we first saw him in Bhaktipur. Madu and Dad have a special connection, they just really enjoy each others conversation and seem to understand each other well. Madu seemed particularly concerned with my future relationships and being cautious about who I choose as a husband, as well as my relationship with dad. At times it almost felt like a Nepalese therapy session (meaning the therapist does the talking/ advice), but it was done with purely sweet intentions and I enjoyed getting to know him better. Later in the day we met with Ratna again in Patan. Both Ratna and Madu showered me with presents. I always feel a little embarrassed at the end of trips in Asia because I often get showered with gifts but never know what I can give back. Dad took Ratna and his wife out to a nice Italian dinner in Thamel where we introduced them to some new things, like penne al a vodka and brownies.
This morning I got to the airport 3 hours early ( an hour before the ticket counter even opened) and safely got back to India. The air in the taxi blew on me like a hot air blow dryer and I knew that the monsoons hadn't hit North India yet. I am now at the program center killing time before my next flight back to the states! Apparently another girl on my program is flying out with me. For all of you that want to know, my flight is on Air France #AF 255 from Delhi to Paris and then AF 012 from Paris to NY where I should arrive around 12:45. It is nice to see the staff here again, though it strange to be here without the rest of the group. I found out though that I got the highest Hindi mark, as well as doing well on the rest of my classes. So the next time I see daylight will be in the US, though it hasn't quite sunk in that I am leaving Asia, I feel like I am ready to come back. I'll send out probably one or two more e-mails: one letting you know I arrived back ok, and one more when I posted my pictures.
The next day we heard from Ratna that there were 25 cars burned. Even though Dad and I felt safe walking around, I feel like I got out of Nepal in the nick of time in terms of at least avoiding logistical complications. Nepal is a very new democracy, so it seems to be going through quite a bit of growing pains right now. On the last day my dad's friend Madu, a thangka painter, came to talk to us because we did not have much time when we first saw him in Bhaktipur. Madu and Dad have a special connection, they just really enjoy each others conversation and seem to understand each other well. Madu seemed particularly concerned with my future relationships and being cautious about who I choose as a husband, as well as my relationship with dad. At times it almost felt like a Nepalese therapy session (meaning the therapist does the talking/ advice), but it was done with purely sweet intentions and I enjoyed getting to know him better. Later in the day we met with Ratna again in Patan. Both Ratna and Madu showered me with presents. I always feel a little embarrassed at the end of trips in Asia because I often get showered with gifts but never know what I can give back. Dad took Ratna and his wife out to a nice Italian dinner in Thamel where we introduced them to some new things, like penne al a vodka and brownies.
This morning I got to the airport 3 hours early ( an hour before the ticket counter even opened) and safely got back to India. The air in the taxi blew on me like a hot air blow dryer and I knew that the monsoons hadn't hit North India yet. I am now at the program center killing time before my next flight back to the states! Apparently another girl on my program is flying out with me. For all of you that want to know, my flight is on Air France #AF 255 from Delhi to Paris and then AF 012 from Paris to NY where I should arrive around 12:45. It is nice to see the staff here again, though it strange to be here without the rest of the group. I found out though that I got the highest Hindi mark, as well as doing well on the rest of my classes. So the next time I see daylight will be in the US, though it hasn't quite sunk in that I am leaving Asia, I feel like I am ready to come back. I'll send out probably one or two more e-mails: one letting you know I arrived back ok, and one more when I posted my pictures.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Anapurna trekking
So I am alive! I survived! It has been quite the journey, and I suspect this e-mail will be long. I have so many beautiful pictures of Nepal and mountains, but they will have to wait unfortunately until I get back to the states because the internet here is just to slow to be worth it.
So went to Pokhara to catch a 5 am plane to a place called Jomsom. The flight have to be really early because the wind picks up in the afternoon and is too dangerous to fly in. We were worried because the weather has been kinda bad, basically the monsoons started while we were trekking and so we often battled rain and cloudy weather. The flight was really beautiful with a great view of this huge ice fall/ glacier.
Upon landing, we put on our back packs and started to walk up the mountain right away. Our basic plan was to land in Jomsom, walk about 2 hours up to a place called Kagbeni, and the slowly make our way down the mountain back to Pokhara. Dad planned it out so it would be a nice relaxing trek. We would hike in the morning for about 2-4 hours (sometimes it was only 1.5 hours) and then relax the rest of the day in the village. We planned the trek to be about 8 days, 9 if the weather looked good. We started our trek in the off season, seems to be a trend in my trips. As a result we got rooms at a much cheaper rate, but as a pay off, we didn't see many fellow hikers and we often didn't see the mountains. I was ok with this actually, the glimpses were magical enough and the foothills seemed to be "mountainous" enough for me. Dad however was continually frustrated, but I think he came to a place of acceptance. One thing that I thought was really cool throughout the trek was how environmentally conscious Nepal is about conserving the area. They tell every trekker with receiving their permit not to purchase plastics, to take batteries back so they are properly disposed and to filter your own water. They even have "safe drinking water" facilities along they where they filtered water with an ozone process for a cheap fee so that you didn't have to buy bottled water.
Kagbeni was really neat, perhaps one of the best villages we stopped in. For the hike there, it was a very easy incline, didn't even notice it, and the wind picked up so that I didn't even sweat the entire time. We also walked through a dried river bed which is really rich in fossils. I actually found two just walking, and then proceeded to lug them around with me for the rest of the trek. The area around Kagbeni was a lot like Tibet/ New Mexico, very arid. However, Kagbeni itself was a little oasis with sweeping green fields against this breathtaking backdrop of this peak, Nilgiri. I also made a friend in Kagbeni, a Tibetan woman whose name was the Tibetan version of Tara. The room we stayed in had a great view of the mountain and I got to nap dozing in and out of watching it.
The next day we headed down the valley to a place called Marpha. I got really into the rocks in the river bed, they had so many interesting designs that seemed to mirror the larger peaks on a micro scale. Marpha is known for its apples, and I feasted on dried apples, apple pie, apple crumble, fresh apple juice and apple brandy! In general the trek is so well traveled, it is actually quite posh. Nice rooms and all kinds of Western food all along the way. Dad was just in shock for the few days about the road and how much it changed since he last did this trek in 1980. On the way to Marpha we met an Israeli couple who we found again in Marpha. We got nice and tipsy with them on Apple Brandy and learned a bunch of card games I'll teach you that were really fun.
The next day we hiked to a small town called Larjung where I discovered potato cheese momos. They were basically like pirogies, and delicious. We lost our friends because they were walking faster than dad could. All along the way dad had aches and pains, so we walked slow and he got through them. I was intrigued that the river we were following had black water. This was a really interesting contrast to the clear glacial waters of the Ganga when I was hiking in India's mountains. The next day was a really short hike to Kalopani, "black water," but interestingly enough here the water was no longer black. Kalopani is a town that was built for tourists, it was where people thought there was the best views of the mountains. When we arrived it was cloudy, so we spent the nice in a really nice place. It was like the first real shower I had from a shower head since arriving in Asia. We then stayed till morning hoping it would clear, but no luck.
We then headed towards Tatopani, but decided to stop in this place called Rupse. We stopped in Rupse because the descent down many uneven stone steps really hurt our calves, but more importantly, Rupse was basically a single guest house right under this huge beautiful waterfall. We ate watching the water fall and slept to its rumble. We also met some more friends: a couple from Poland and another couple from Austria. We played a card game we learned the previous night by candle light and all ate Dal Bat. Dal bat is the typical Nepali plate of food, basically a Thali in India. It comes with Rice, Dal, and a vegetable of some sort, but the neatest thing is that it is never ending! When you finish any element they bring you more and more until you are full! We had this usually at least once a day.
The next day we reached Tatopani where there was some nice hot springs for us to soak in. It was hear I started to hear from travelers that there was an uphill climb ahead of us. I went into this trek thinking it was all downhill, so this was a bit of a shock. Dad assured me it was gradual and not that bad. I looked at the map briefly and it looked about the same distance as our previous days, 4 hours walking max. I asked the owner of the hotel how long it would take to get to Gareopani (our next target), and he said 7 hours! As I said before dad walks slower than most 20 year olds doing this trek, so this meant in my head at least 9 hours. I met a trekker who has just come down from Gorepani and he told me that it was a very steep climb, like the whole way. Have I mentioned that I hate going uphill? Especially after living in Mussoorie where I had to hike up hill almost everyday for 30min--1 hr. I was getting grumpy. We got up really early the next morning to tackle our difficult day. At our first rest point I looked at the map again. I realized that we were basically climbing 2000 meters in one day, thats 6600 feet! Furthermore, Gareopani is higher than even Kagbeni! Meaning that the entire week we had hiked down the valley, and in a single day we were supposed to go uphill to a point higher than we had been the entire trek. I started to hate going downhill because I knew it meant I would soon have to regain that altitude by going uphill again. Perhaps needless to say, even with lots of hot lemon breaks, we didn't make it. We stopped in a village called Shikha after 7 hours of uphill climbing with a 30 pound bag on my back with all my stuff and some of dad's (it was actually like 28, but sounds more impressive if I round up). Along the way many people claimed I looked "strong," I'm guessing they were trying to be nice in response to how tired I looked trying to tackle those stupid stairs going up. So in the time it should have taken us to make it to Gorepani, we made it half way, painfully.
In the morning the clouds cleared up and we saw a beautiful view of the mountains as we headed out sorely towards Gorepani, supposedly our last village. Gorepani was supposed to be special because there is a hill called Poon Hill that is supposed to have one of the best views of the Himalayas. After resting, we woke up in the dark and started to walk to Poon hill at 4 am to catch the sunrise. Unfortunately it was a rainy morning. After the extra hour hike up the hill to see nothing (at over 9000 feet) we came down to little glimpses of the range as the clouds started to part. However we couldn't linger because we had to descend the entire altitude we had gained over the last two days. I never thought going downhill would be so painful. At first it was fine. We walked through perhaps my favorite part of the hike. A beautiful rhododendron forest that felt really magical. It felt like elves, fairies, unicorns and gnomes should live there among the numerous cascading waterfalls and speckled wild orchids. However, we soon came upon the dreaded stone stairs. I believe there was approximately 3880 uneven stone stairs we climbed down, it just seemed like they would never end. Normally I love going down stairs, but the unevenness prevented any rhythm to the descent and the 30 pound back pack put a lot of extra weight on to my legs. Furthermore the hard stone quickly really hurt the soles of my feet. In short, it was really rough. We were told it should take about 6 hours to get down to the bus stand. About 11 hours later (not including the hike up and down from Poon Hill), we arrived in Baretanti, completely exhausted. In fact I am still in so much pain from this descent that I am still walking like a 90 year old man, especially up and down stairs. In the morning we did our final short push to the bus stand to get back to Pokhara.
Originally we were supposed to have 2 full days in Pokhara to recuperate and shop, however those two days were taken up by our extra unexpected hiking days. We bumped into almost all our friends while hiking and indulged in pasta, beers and other tasty treats as I bought some new clothes and other little things.
We decided to come back to Kathmandu today so that we had 2 full days to say goodbye to Dad's friends and to tie up loose ends. The buses leave Pokhara about 8 am and get to Kathmandu at about 2 with a break for breakfast and lunch. However, about half way we came to a major road block. Apparently a while ago, this village had a woman who was killed by one of these tourist buses and were demanding compensation. I guess they weren't being compensated, so their response was to set up road blocks on the only road between Kathmandu and Pokhara. We were stuck for hours, and the traffic was backed up in either direction farther than I could see. We made friends with many people on our bus and some of the local guys had a lot of fun trying to teach me Nepali. I starting to entertain the idea of coming back, learning the language and seeing if I can get local prices to things. Everyone says I look Nepali and that my pronunciation is really good. Before we left for the trek I already got access to a temple that dad was denied to because they thought I was Nepali. Anyways, it has been a long day, and over 12 hours after we left Pokhara we finally arrived at our hotel where I am writing you this long e-mail.
Unless something amazing happens, this will probably be my last mass e-mail until I get to the US and upload my pictures. I leave Nepal on June 3rd and then arrive in NY in the afternoon on June 4th. Thank you all for reading and letting me share my adventures with you. It has quite a semester and I am looking forward to an amazing summer. If you have any questions or comments I can't wait to discuss them with you, hopefully in person when I see you shortly.
So went to Pokhara to catch a 5 am plane to a place called Jomsom. The flight have to be really early because the wind picks up in the afternoon and is too dangerous to fly in. We were worried because the weather has been kinda bad, basically the monsoons started while we were trekking and so we often battled rain and cloudy weather. The flight was really beautiful with a great view of this huge ice fall/ glacier.
Upon landing, we put on our back packs and started to walk up the mountain right away. Our basic plan was to land in Jomsom, walk about 2 hours up to a place called Kagbeni, and the slowly make our way down the mountain back to Pokhara. Dad planned it out so it would be a nice relaxing trek. We would hike in the morning for about 2-4 hours (sometimes it was only 1.5 hours) and then relax the rest of the day in the village. We planned the trek to be about 8 days, 9 if the weather looked good. We started our trek in the off season, seems to be a trend in my trips. As a result we got rooms at a much cheaper rate, but as a pay off, we didn't see many fellow hikers and we often didn't see the mountains. I was ok with this actually, the glimpses were magical enough and the foothills seemed to be "mountainous" enough for me. Dad however was continually frustrated, but I think he came to a place of acceptance. One thing that I thought was really cool throughout the trek was how environmentally conscious Nepal is about conserving the area. They tell every trekker with receiving their permit not to purchase plastics, to take batteries back so they are properly disposed and to filter your own water. They even have "safe drinking water" facilities along they where they filtered water with an ozone process for a cheap fee so that you didn't have to buy bottled water.
Kagbeni was really neat, perhaps one of the best villages we stopped in. For the hike there, it was a very easy incline, didn't even notice it, and the wind picked up so that I didn't even sweat the entire time. We also walked through a dried river bed which is really rich in fossils. I actually found two just walking, and then proceeded to lug them around with me for the rest of the trek. The area around Kagbeni was a lot like Tibet/ New Mexico, very arid. However, Kagbeni itself was a little oasis with sweeping green fields against this breathtaking backdrop of this peak, Nilgiri. I also made a friend in Kagbeni, a Tibetan woman whose name was the Tibetan version of Tara. The room we stayed in had a great view of the mountain and I got to nap dozing in and out of watching it.
The next day we headed down the valley to a place called Marpha. I got really into the rocks in the river bed, they had so many interesting designs that seemed to mirror the larger peaks on a micro scale. Marpha is known for its apples, and I feasted on dried apples, apple pie, apple crumble, fresh apple juice and apple brandy! In general the trek is so well traveled, it is actually quite posh. Nice rooms and all kinds of Western food all along the way. Dad was just in shock for the few days about the road and how much it changed since he last did this trek in 1980. On the way to Marpha we met an Israeli couple who we found again in Marpha. We got nice and tipsy with them on Apple Brandy and learned a bunch of card games I'll teach you that were really fun.
The next day we hiked to a small town called Larjung where I discovered potato cheese momos. They were basically like pirogies, and delicious. We lost our friends because they were walking faster than dad could. All along the way dad had aches and pains, so we walked slow and he got through them. I was intrigued that the river we were following had black water. This was a really interesting contrast to the clear glacial waters of the Ganga when I was hiking in India's mountains. The next day was a really short hike to Kalopani, "black water," but interestingly enough here the water was no longer black. Kalopani is a town that was built for tourists, it was where people thought there was the best views of the mountains. When we arrived it was cloudy, so we spent the nice in a really nice place. It was like the first real shower I had from a shower head since arriving in Asia. We then stayed till morning hoping it would clear, but no luck.
We then headed towards Tatopani, but decided to stop in this place called Rupse. We stopped in Rupse because the descent down many uneven stone steps really hurt our calves, but more importantly, Rupse was basically a single guest house right under this huge beautiful waterfall. We ate watching the water fall and slept to its rumble. We also met some more friends: a couple from Poland and another couple from Austria. We played a card game we learned the previous night by candle light and all ate Dal Bat. Dal bat is the typical Nepali plate of food, basically a Thali in India. It comes with Rice, Dal, and a vegetable of some sort, but the neatest thing is that it is never ending! When you finish any element they bring you more and more until you are full! We had this usually at least once a day.
The next day we reached Tatopani where there was some nice hot springs for us to soak in. It was hear I started to hear from travelers that there was an uphill climb ahead of us. I went into this trek thinking it was all downhill, so this was a bit of a shock. Dad assured me it was gradual and not that bad. I looked at the map briefly and it looked about the same distance as our previous days, 4 hours walking max. I asked the owner of the hotel how long it would take to get to Gareopani (our next target), and he said 7 hours! As I said before dad walks slower than most 20 year olds doing this trek, so this meant in my head at least 9 hours. I met a trekker who has just come down from Gorepani and he told me that it was a very steep climb, like the whole way. Have I mentioned that I hate going uphill? Especially after living in Mussoorie where I had to hike up hill almost everyday for 30min--1 hr. I was getting grumpy. We got up really early the next morning to tackle our difficult day. At our first rest point I looked at the map again. I realized that we were basically climbing 2000 meters in one day, thats 6600 feet! Furthermore, Gareopani is higher than even Kagbeni! Meaning that the entire week we had hiked down the valley, and in a single day we were supposed to go uphill to a point higher than we had been the entire trek. I started to hate going downhill because I knew it meant I would soon have to regain that altitude by going uphill again. Perhaps needless to say, even with lots of hot lemon breaks, we didn't make it. We stopped in a village called Shikha after 7 hours of uphill climbing with a 30 pound bag on my back with all my stuff and some of dad's (it was actually like 28, but sounds more impressive if I round up). Along the way many people claimed I looked "strong," I'm guessing they were trying to be nice in response to how tired I looked trying to tackle those stupid stairs going up. So in the time it should have taken us to make it to Gorepani, we made it half way, painfully.
In the morning the clouds cleared up and we saw a beautiful view of the mountains as we headed out sorely towards Gorepani, supposedly our last village. Gorepani was supposed to be special because there is a hill called Poon Hill that is supposed to have one of the best views of the Himalayas. After resting, we woke up in the dark and started to walk to Poon hill at 4 am to catch the sunrise. Unfortunately it was a rainy morning. After the extra hour hike up the hill to see nothing (at over 9000 feet) we came down to little glimpses of the range as the clouds started to part. However we couldn't linger because we had to descend the entire altitude we had gained over the last two days. I never thought going downhill would be so painful. At first it was fine. We walked through perhaps my favorite part of the hike. A beautiful rhododendron forest that felt really magical. It felt like elves, fairies, unicorns and gnomes should live there among the numerous cascading waterfalls and speckled wild orchids. However, we soon came upon the dreaded stone stairs. I believe there was approximately 3880 uneven stone stairs we climbed down, it just seemed like they would never end. Normally I love going down stairs, but the unevenness prevented any rhythm to the descent and the 30 pound back pack put a lot of extra weight on to my legs. Furthermore the hard stone quickly really hurt the soles of my feet. In short, it was really rough. We were told it should take about 6 hours to get down to the bus stand. About 11 hours later (not including the hike up and down from Poon Hill), we arrived in Baretanti, completely exhausted. In fact I am still in so much pain from this descent that I am still walking like a 90 year old man, especially up and down stairs. In the morning we did our final short push to the bus stand to get back to Pokhara.
Originally we were supposed to have 2 full days in Pokhara to recuperate and shop, however those two days were taken up by our extra unexpected hiking days. We bumped into almost all our friends while hiking and indulged in pasta, beers and other tasty treats as I bought some new clothes and other little things.
We decided to come back to Kathmandu today so that we had 2 full days to say goodbye to Dad's friends and to tie up loose ends. The buses leave Pokhara about 8 am and get to Kathmandu at about 2 with a break for breakfast and lunch. However, about half way we came to a major road block. Apparently a while ago, this village had a woman who was killed by one of these tourist buses and were demanding compensation. I guess they weren't being compensated, so their response was to set up road blocks on the only road between Kathmandu and Pokhara. We were stuck for hours, and the traffic was backed up in either direction farther than I could see. We made friends with many people on our bus and some of the local guys had a lot of fun trying to teach me Nepali. I starting to entertain the idea of coming back, learning the language and seeing if I can get local prices to things. Everyone says I look Nepali and that my pronunciation is really good. Before we left for the trek I already got access to a temple that dad was denied to because they thought I was Nepali. Anyways, it has been a long day, and over 12 hours after we left Pokhara we finally arrived at our hotel where I am writing you this long e-mail.
Unless something amazing happens, this will probably be my last mass e-mail until I get to the US and upload my pictures. I leave Nepal on June 3rd and then arrive in NY in the afternoon on June 4th. Thank you all for reading and letting me share my adventures with you. It has quite a semester and I am looking forward to an amazing summer. If you have any questions or comments I can't wait to discuss them with you, hopefully in person when I see you shortly.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Nepalese Delights
I think the first few days of a new place always seem the longest, but the days have started to pick up speed here. In general we have been trying to see all the major sites around Kathmandu while preparing to go on a trek around the Anapurana's starting on Wed. I think the highlight so far has been meeting Dad's friends from 23 years ago. Ratna comes from a family who does this lost wax technique of making beautiful Buddhist statues. Ranta and his wife came to visit dad and mom when I was like 1 years old, so they were super excited to meet me. Strangely enough, Ratna has also been an SIT adviser for Tibetan studies program. Ratna has been really sweet and sort of acting as a tour guide for us. Last night we had a really nice fancy meal where Dad's friend Mohan who is blind and played the Sarod, which is like a mini Sitar. It was really wonderful. Then today we met yet another friend who paints thangkhas, really really beautiful ones. All these friends have been so welcoming, and I am amazed at how they recognize and remember so much about dad from over 20 years ago.
Yesterday we went to Bhaktapur, often known as a medevil town of the Valley. For those of you who have seen "Little Buddha," Bhaktapur is where Siddartha's kingdom was set, so it is the town used to portray Nepal around 500 B.C. For those that remember the scene where Siddartha was watching the potter, I went to that spot and got to try out some ancient pottery techniques. I wasn't really good at it though and my fingernails still have black clay stuck underneath them. I have actually seen many places/ images that I have studied or seen in movies, a strange but neat feeling to be in such places in person.
Nepal is really interesting after spending so much time in China and India. There is a term in India used a lot, "same same but different." Often used to describe things by shop keepers trying to explain small differences such as between pepsi and coke, but usually there were much more significant differences than that. In Nepal I can still read the signs because it is all in Devanagari, but I can't understand anything anymore. There are some of the same snacks but not the ones I usually eat. The mythology has many of the same characters but all of a sudden doesn't make sense. It is all strangely familiar and yet all new.
I feel like Keith says this every time he travels somewhere, but the women here are truly stunning, like everyone of them are beautiful. I think for this reason, among other reasons, I am really experiencing everyone telling me that I look Nepalese as a true compliment. It is really just amazing to me how many people have commented that I look Nepalese or just assume that I am Nepalese. From random shopkeepers, to my dad's friends, to literally people on the street as I get out of a car. There is a really strange welcoming thi creates. Dad seems to attribute to the fact that I was concieved here, and seemed intent on telling everyone we met this little fact until I asked him to stop.
So while sightseeing, we have also been planning our trek. We are planning to have a pretty easy trek. We are flying to the top and then slowly making our way down for 8 days and then spending a recuperation day at Pokhara. I'm sure I'll have the names down by the time I get back, but right now all the names are so unfamiliar and blend together.
I am realizing there is a huge difference between traveling with a group of peers, by myself, and with a parent. I have gotten so used to Asia and traveling alone that it has been a strange transition to travel with dad and see him go through his adjustment to Asia. For example, dad was really proud the other day for bargaining with a taxi walla, and asked me if I liked the way he handled it. I told him if I hadn't argued with rickshaw walla everyday for the last 4 months, I would probably be impressed, but it just seemed like something I do everyday now. It kinda felt like someone turning to me and saying, "you like how I crossed the street?" Just funny to see our different states.
So one last day to get all our stuff together and see some sights. Next update from the other side of the trek!
Yesterday we went to Bhaktapur, often known as a medevil town of the Valley. For those of you who have seen "Little Buddha," Bhaktapur is where Siddartha's kingdom was set, so it is the town used to portray Nepal around 500 B.C. For those that remember the scene where Siddartha was watching the potter, I went to that spot and got to try out some ancient pottery techniques. I wasn't really good at it though and my fingernails still have black clay stuck underneath them. I have actually seen many places/ images that I have studied or seen in movies, a strange but neat feeling to be in such places in person.
Nepal is really interesting after spending so much time in China and India. There is a term in India used a lot, "same same but different." Often used to describe things by shop keepers trying to explain small differences such as between pepsi and coke, but usually there were much more significant differences than that. In Nepal I can still read the signs because it is all in Devanagari, but I can't understand anything anymore. There are some of the same snacks but not the ones I usually eat. The mythology has many of the same characters but all of a sudden doesn't make sense. It is all strangely familiar and yet all new.
I feel like Keith says this every time he travels somewhere, but the women here are truly stunning, like everyone of them are beautiful. I think for this reason, among other reasons, I am really experiencing everyone telling me that I look Nepalese as a true compliment. It is really just amazing to me how many people have commented that I look Nepalese or just assume that I am Nepalese. From random shopkeepers, to my dad's friends, to literally people on the street as I get out of a car. There is a really strange welcoming thi creates. Dad seems to attribute to the fact that I was concieved here, and seemed intent on telling everyone we met this little fact until I asked him to stop.
So while sightseeing, we have also been planning our trek. We are planning to have a pretty easy trek. We are flying to the top and then slowly making our way down for 8 days and then spending a recuperation day at Pokhara. I'm sure I'll have the names down by the time I get back, but right now all the names are so unfamiliar and blend together.
I am realizing there is a huge difference between traveling with a group of peers, by myself, and with a parent. I have gotten so used to Asia and traveling alone that it has been a strange transition to travel with dad and see him go through his adjustment to Asia. For example, dad was really proud the other day for bargaining with a taxi walla, and asked me if I liked the way he handled it. I told him if I hadn't argued with rickshaw walla everyday for the last 4 months, I would probably be impressed, but it just seemed like something I do everyday now. It kinda felt like someone turning to me and saying, "you like how I crossed the street?" Just funny to see our different states.
So one last day to get all our stuff together and see some sights. Next update from the other side of the trek!
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