Himalayan Diary

DAY 1 : KATHMANDU - 12.APRIL.2010
Today was a long day of delays and we reached Kathmandu in the evening. Tribhuvan International Airport at Kathmandu is a quaint structure of exposed brick, glass and carved woodwork. The topography of the land is flat and undulating. The airport looked too small to accomodate international traffic, yet it did, and quite peacefully.

I found the Nepalese a very calm and contented lot. There was no shouting and no bickering at the taxi stand. The staff at the airport were helpful and always with a smile. I looked back at the airport building as we left for our hotel in a taxi and wished I could have taken a picture of the simple yet unusual structure.

Staff at Hotel Excelsior

We checked into Hotel Excelsior in the Thamel suburb of central Kathmandu. The entry leading upto the hotel scared us initially but on reaching the hotel, we realised that we had come to the right place. Over the next couple of days, the staff proved to be very hospitable and ever-ready to assist : Deb - the young waiter, Naveen - the front office manager & Subhash - the restaurant steward.

Kathmandu is not as developed as I had thought it would be. Excepting for a few main roads that house official buildings like embassies, government offices, heritage buildings etc., the rest of the roads were narrow and teeming with traffic and people.I noticed that there were hardly any trees lining the roads.

We were told that Kathmandu receives just about two months of rainfall in the entire year and no snowfall which explained the dust flying in the air due to passing traffic. Many people wore masks over their noses. The people here are a mixed lot with features ranging from Indian to Oriental, complexion from dusky to very fair, appearance from conservative to modern. There were hardly any fat people to be seen. The youngsters are quite good-looking especially the girls.

Most cars are battered and rusty. Every now and then, we would manage to glimpse a luxury car or an SUV. There was no proper transport system in the city - no autorickshaws and no regular city buses. Taxis and mini-buses did the job.

I cannot believe I am finally in the Himalayan Kingdom and so close to Mt.Everest & the Himalayas ............Pinch me !!

 DAY 2 : KATHMANDU - 13.APRIL.2010

Today was a little tedious in terms of heat and travel.The cab we hired turned out to have practically non-existent air-conditioning. Kathmandu, surprisingly, was warm. We visited the Swayambhunath Stupa also known as the Monkey temple. Ma-in-law and Mum stayed at the base while Nitin, Dad, Pranav & I climbed the 100+ steps to the top where the Stupa is located. The view of Kathmandu city from this height is spectacular except for the scattered cover of smog. There were so many pooches, snoozing in the shade, oblivious to the tourists strolling around. Quaint houses converted into shops displayed a lot of Buddhist curios and music. The area surrounding the Stupa swarmed with monkeys but other than an occasional curious glance from them, tourist were spared their pranks.

We noticed that men and women carried heavy load in baskets hanging down their backs, whose harnesses were strapped around their heads. They carried anything from bricks to soft drink crates up the steps with ease. Excellent cardio-conditioning, I thought !

Our next stop was the famous Pashupatinath temple. The priest performed the Rudrabhishek for us. The main temple is where the Shiva Ling is located. The blessing from the priests there in the inner sanctum was very calming. We could not touch the actual Shiv Ling and therefore had been advised to touch a replica before we entered.

The priests inside the main shrine were dressed very differently in a salmon pink dhoti with a shawl drawn over their heads and held in place with a rudraksh mala strapped around their head. The Rudraksh puja was a very spiritual experience.

I did notice though, that despite the spiritual nature of this religious place, maintenance and cleanliness were lacking to a great degree. Was it indeed that difficult to achieve ?

Boudhanath Stupa

The Boudhanath Stupa is a world heritage site and is much larger than the Swayambhunath Stupa. It is circular in configuration, in the heart of the city and has a spectrum of shops on its periphery. These places had lower entry fees for members of SAARC nations while for those belonging to non-SAARC nations, the fee was substantially higher.

Lunch was at this quaint garden restaurant called 'The Place' close to the British Embassy. The chef turned out to be an Indian and an employee of Saudi Arabian Airlines. He joined this place on a part-time basis when on leave from work so he could pursue his hobby - cooking ! He was happy to demonstrate the intricate preparation of 'momos' to us.

Nitin and I went out for a stroll in the evening past popular restaurants and hotels in the Thamel area like Kathmandu Guest House, Forever Cafe, Northfield Cafe and the Jesse James Bar which were teeming with foreign tourists. It was shocking to see teenagers as young as 12-15 years of age walk up to us to ask for money. Their eyes were glazed with the hashish their system had been abused with. We were told that poor kids had no chance of an education and ended up on the streets working for drug cartels. Begging was rampant during the nights and so were stray dogs.

DAY 3 : POKHARA - 14.APRIL.2010

Our day began early. We reached Kathmandu airport by 0815 hrs and were in Pokhara by 0915. We flew Buddha Air. Nice flight aboard a 40-seater aircraft that was almost full. Those of us who were seated on the right side of the aisle got a spectacular view of the Himalayas as we flew west to Pokhara. The flight lasted a bare 20 minutes. Two stewardesses, a pilot and a co-pilot made up our crew ! Our pilot turned out to be a young woman swankily dressed with a pair of Aviators perched on her nose. There are so many such domestic carriers in Nepal as the rugged terrain isn't always suitable for road travel especially since the country thrives on tourism. We saw aircraft belonging to Yeti Air, Sita Air, Guna Air, Cosmic Air etc.

Pokhara Airport

Pokhara airport was quaint and picturesque set in an undulating valley with mountains all around. The airport functioned surprisingly well with minimum of mechanisation. Kathmandu's domestic airport on the other hand resembled a local bus terminus - crowded, unclean and disorganised.

We had hoped to check into Trek-O-Tel, a resort on the banks of the Phewa Tal that we had selected through the Trip Advisor website. We got to know that our hotel in Kathmandu had already made bookings with Hotel Tulsi which was just off the main commercial street in Pokhara.

Pokhara was a sight for sore eyes - laidback, scenic, free of crowds and chaos, well-spaced and best of all, had broad sidewalks. The shops were simple yet elegant. What I liked about the people here is that most of them had a smile on their face, a welcome change from where I come from ! Each restuarant had its own kind of unique decor that set it apart from the rest. The ambience in most was understated and appealing. The town thrives on tourism.

Gupteshwar Mahadev caves

Our guide Tensing was the cousin of the second receptionist at Hotel Excelsior in Kathmandu. Post-lunch, he took us to the Tibetan school, settlement and monastery where he grew up. We then visited the Gupteshwar Mahadev cave where we had to descend nearly 40 metres bending almost 90 degrees at certain places.The descent was slippery owing to limestone seepage on the walls and it was very cool inside.Unlike in Kathmandu, the entry fee was the same for members of SAARC as well as non-SAARC countries.

We visited the 'Patale Chango Falls', also known as 'Davis Falls' that flow through the cave. The walkways inside the cave were quite scary to walk on. Gave me a very unsafe feeling.

German Bakery 

We had tea at a beautiful waterfront restaurant called the German Bakery on the banks of the Phewa Tal, the 2nd largest lake in Nepal and part of the check-dam that controls the waterflow at DDavis Falls. Begnas Tal and Rupa Tal are the 3rd and 4th largest lakes in Nepal.

Pokhara is 820 meters above sea level and has a population of over 1.5 lakh. There are lots of tourists passing through the location is ideal for treks and mountain flights over the Himalayas. Pokhara is situated at the foothills of Mt.Annapurna and therefore a very popular trekking base camp.

Pokhara has one straight main road that is broad with souvenir shops, hotels and restaurants on either side. It is the main artery for the tourist population to traverse through. There are no high rise buildings in Pokhara and those that are three-storey high, have no elevators. We decided to try out a foot massage parlour. The experience was divine. We wrapped up the evening in style with a delicious dinner at a steak joint.


 DAY 4 : POKHARA - 15.APRIL.2010

 Today began with a lot of anticipation. We would be seeing our first sunrise against the Himalayas. We left for Sarangkot viewpoint at 5.30. The first glimpse of the morning sun, a glowing orb of orange began to show at 6.05 am. A huge cheer went up amongst the many tourist gathered there. From then on, the sun rose steadily and within the next 15 minutes, left the cover of the mountains to rise up in the sky.

It was then that we witnessed the majestic peaks of Mt.Annapurna 1-2-3-4, Fish Tail and Dhaulagiri as the sun's rays bathed them in hues of silver and gold. I cannot describe what I felt at that moment. Here I was actually experiencing the beauty of it all which up until now I had seen only in print or on film. It was very humbling, I felt so tiny, just a speck in this celebration of nature.

This trip has given me many firsts - but none more scary than me agreeing to go up in a micro-light or tryke as they are called. Terrified of heights as I am, I was determined to conquer my fear. With a husband as adventurous as mine, by my side, half the battle was won !

                                 Up in the Tryke

Nitin had been up in a tryke a few years back and had told me that are no parachutes. My heart in my mouth, I said a silent prayer. We got into our individual trykes. Nitin gave me the thumbs up as we took off and that put my nervousness to rest !  Both our pilots were Russian and worked with Avia Nepal, the company that had sub-contracted a Russian firm to handle the operation and maintenance of the trykes. My pilot was the older of the two but the more adventurous as I was soon to find out.

Take-off and landing was smooth. My pilot was very keen that he show me his manouvering skills and as we climbed steadily, he set the tryke into a series of acrobatics glides. With the wind roaring in our faces from the front and the propellor howling at the back, there was no way he could hear me squeak, 'please stop...' Not very good with heights, every dip he made the tryke take got my stomach into my mouth. I kept my eyes away from the altimeter as much as I could but furtive peeks told me we were climbing high. My last glimpse of the altimeter read 7182 feet and after that, I stopped looking at it !

There was a camera strapped to the wing and each time our pilot tapped us, we raised our visors and smiled into the camera waiting for the flash to pop. My tryke was slightly different from Nitin's. I was seated beside my pilot (& I thank God for it) while Nitin was seated behind his. Both our trykes were open on all sides. The only thing that kept us in our bucket seats was a seatbelt. Nitin was cool as a cucumber, holding our camera with both his hands, clicking away at the scenery around. And there I was, wishing I had an extra set of hands to help me hold on to the tryke better. Our pilots let us take control of the handlebar that navigated the plane, for a few seconds.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience no doubt. The panoramic view of the plains and the foothills of the Himalayas was breath-taking. The ride lasted 30 minutes, but I have to admit, I was happy to have my feet back on the ground again !

Our guide Tensing joined us for the day later in the morning. We also met our driver Ravi who would take us to Kathmandu the next day. Our first stop was the Binda Vasini temple. This temple houses idols of Lord Ganesha and Radhe-Shyam. Slate is commonly used here in construction and gave many structures a grey hue.

As we drove to the Mahendra cave, we could see the Seti river meaandering its way alongside. The water appeared grey owing to the slate rocks on either side. This river being situated in a narrow gorge rises at least 6 metres during the monsoons.
                                                 Mahendra Cave

The descent into the cave wasn't as tedious as the earlier ones had been. It was much cooler inside. We prayed at the Siddhivinayak temple and the Shivaling inside the cave.

The Seti gorge was a bit of a disappointment. I had been expecting a miniature Grand Canyon, but was told it does become majestic during the monsoons. The visit to the Cultural museum was very informative and we realised many Nepali customs resembled ours. Danfe (or Munal as it is known in English) is the national bird of Nepal while Rhododendron is the national flower.

Dinner that evening was at this quaint diner called the Olive Cafe and then to Moondance where we went bonkers over the delicious array of desserts ! Then it was back to hotel for an early night and departure for Kathmandu the next morning. 

Footprints

I just got back from the funeral of a little girl named Kavya in the neighbourhood today. She was only 10 years old. She died in a car accident the day before. Her parents and her little brother who were with her in the car never got to say goodbye to her. They were in hospital with compound fractures to different parts of their bodies, injuries that will require surgery and a long recuperation.

It seemed so unreal. I used to see Kavya occasionally when I passed by their house. Theirs was a happy family and Kavya and her little brother were the light of their parents' eyes. As I set eyes on Kavya, at rest in the coffin, I felt cold and numb. I kept thinking - would Kavya's parents ever come to terms with this loss ?

How do parents make peace with the reality that their family is now without their child. A child who lit up their days with joy. The grandmother who was beside herself with grief kept stroking Kavya's still cheek asking her to wake up so she could hug her.

Life can change so cruelly in one instant. I realised how precious every moment is with ones we love, how precious each moment is that we spend on this earth. Each one of us has only so much time in which to leave a footprint that tells others we were here. A footprint that tells its own story of love, of anger, of happiness, of pain, of hope, of despair.........

Hate, revenge, jealousy, negativity become so inconsequential when gauged in this context of time. Today, more than ever before, I acknowledge how important it is for me to say my goodbyes with love in my heart because it could be the last time I do so.

Anna Maria Braga puts it beautifully - If People Convinced Themselves that Today is the Most Important of Days, They Would Have a Greater Chance of Being Happy.

God Forsaken

A boy belonging to a Christian family married a Hindu girl recently. His family is well-educated, well-to-do and considered to be broad-minded. It was later known that the bride-to-be had been asked to convert to Christianity before the wedding took place.

I wondered what the Reverend Father's words to the bride-to-be would have been ? "Forsake your God for ours, my child ?'

I know of  instances where Hindu girls and even boys have had to convert to Christianity in order to marry someone from that religion. One Christian lady I know had the audacity to announce, "My son married a Hindu girl. We got her converted. It was no big deal." How casual can one get about something as deep-rooted as religion ?

Religion is something we begin imbibing from the moment we are born. It is something that gives us our identity, a direction and purpose in life.

Imagine asking / perusading / forcing (whichever you may choose to use) a girl or a boy to give up their identity, their prayers, their perception of themselves just because the religion they are marrying into cannot accept them for what they are. How strong a foundation is that for a relationship to grow on ?

On the positive side, I do have Hindu friends whose non-Hindu husbands have accepted them without religious prejudice. Marriages like these, by all means, are quite rare to come by. My friends are strong-willed and haven't bent under family pressure to convert. They have ensured that their right to religious freedom remains intact and their supportive husbands have stood by them right through.

Deserting religion is unacceptable and unpardonable to Christianity & Islam. Why then are they insistent that others convert when social issues like inter-religious marriages come up ?

The irony is that no one is willing to discuss issues like these in the open. Pleasantries are exchanged in public and small talk made, yet no one has the courage to take a stand. Anything unpleasant is conveniently brushed under the carpet and the smiles are out again.

I am proud to be born a Hindu and have been brought up to respect all religions & faiths. My grandmother used to say, "Live & let live and see how peaceful the world will be."

My children are at an age where they understand the underlying threat that religious intolerance has brought to their world. It upsets them. They ask me, "Is there nothing we can do to stop this ? Why do some people force others to convert ?" I can think of only one answer, "Because we let them."

Childhood Revisited

HUBLI - 13.DECEMBER.2009
The day we were all waiting for came and went with the blink of an eye - the first ever all-batch reunion of our school. Ever since mails had begun circulating about our school reunion, the suspense and the anxiety had been building up. 

I was anxious that, when I finally did meet my classmates after a gap of 29 years, I may not be able to recognise them. I was even more anxious that it may be awkward in case they recognised me !

Thankfully not much of that happened and excepting for very few, I could name most of my batchmates who attended the alumni meet. One would have be there to experience the myriad feelings that all of us felt.

Twenty-nine years is a long time and yet, they never seemed to have existed when we met. Faces hadn't changed much. Our girths probably were wider and our hair greyer or thinner. The childlike exuberance, though, more that made up for all of it.

I realised then that I had never really outgrown my childhood. What I am today was just an extension of that. Meeting our old teachers humbled us so much. We are mature, successful & humane adults today - a fitting tribute to their dedication. It was sad to find that some of them had passed on and sadder still to come to terms with the fact that the rest were getting on in age too.

I couldn't help wondering why it had taken us friends 29 years to reconnect with each other, inspite of the fact that we have lived in the age of the internet for over 10 years. Cities like Bangalore, Hubli & Mumbai have been home to many of us over the years, yet our paths never crossed. All it took was an invitation to attend the alumni meet and in less that a month, around 30 of us had located and contacted each other.

Well, as they say, all is well that ends well. Now that we have touched base, we intend to stay that way and are eagerly looking forward to our next reunion which will be along with our families.