A Vacation From a Working Vacation: Segment Two

Estrogen packed Hindu holiday

The morning after our three person party with Nabin we set off again in the direction of Kathmandu. There is construction on the highway between Kurin Ghat and Kathmandu so we anticipated a slow trip...we got it. I felt really bad for Kristen during the trip which is not what I expected. You see, I can read on the road, and in fact I must in order to maintain my sanity, whereas Kristen would join the Nepali women in their vomiting if she tried it, although I dare say not as discretely.  We would stop for a while and Kristen would eventually get out her book to read and without fail we would begin moving again and Kristen would put her book away. It worked like a charm. She seemed to think the trip was terribly long, but my journey could be described by saying "120 pages of George Orwell and we were there." 

We stayed one night in Thamel (the tourist district) where we indulged in food that has not been heard of in Lamjung province (of which Besisahar is the Capitol). We also did a little shopping and I managed to find "How the West Was Won" by Louis L'amour, which I promptly purchased in preparation for the next day's holiday. In the afternoon we headed to Jharuwarasi to celebrate Tij, the Nepali women's holiday.

This holiday, although claimed to be in honor of husbands or future husbands, is really all about the women. The idea is that you eat a large feast the night before to prepare the women for fasting the next day "for their husband or future husband." On the day of Tij the women fast, (although there are myriad excuses not to), go to temples to dance and gossip (no one tries to get out of this), and go to the river to cleanse themselves of their impurities with sticks (no idea what the sticks have to do with bathing). I will keep my commentary brief but I do have some perspectives I would like to share:

1. The fasting is what is supposed to honor the men, but only 1 or 2 of the women in the house actually completed the fast all with different excuses, but it would be inexcusable if the jewelry and fancy clothes, bought and made by the husbands and potential husbands for the occasion, were to be skimped on. 

2. I along with the other men were very bored and a bit hungry. I did get through half of my book, but this was because I was all but deserted for the day. 

3. Most importantly Kristen gets grumpy when she gets hungry so I would prefer if she never fasted. 

The other interesting thing that happened there was the baby naming ceremony. Nepalis do not give baby's their name until they are 12 days old. Then, they have a ceremony to give them a name that is secret, because if someone were to know that name they would have some sort of power over them or be able to cast a spell on them. I still don't think the kid has a name that people can call him. I don't understand, but its not the only thing I don't get over here. The really exciting thing is the secret name giving ceremony itself. Here is what I saw: An old man who is a Hindu priest came in and built a small campfire in the middle of the master bedroom. He sat there with the child's grandfather doing some chanting and placing leaves and water in various places in and around the fire. After a little while the mother came in with the baby and sat down. With more low chanting, the priest handed the mother some oil with which she repeatedly doused the baby. If I didn't know better I would have thought they were about to barbecue the poor little guy.  After he was good and oiled up they took him outside and lit a candle in the middle of some fresh cow dung that magically appeared in front of the front door. Someone that night stepped in it by accident, as was evidenced by the big brown streak down the porch in the morning. 

That was the end of the excitement in Jharuwarsi. 

Stay tuned for another night in Thamel, elephants, rhinos, and air conditioned rooms! 

Monsoon Mayhem at the Besisahar apartment!

       

Kristen and Thor on the Trisuli River

Kristen looking over the Trisuli after canyoning.

Can't get away from the river.

Women visiting the temple during Tij

Kristen and Sapana in their new digs for Tij

ride the elephant ride ride the elephant!

Sunset in Chitwan

Thor getting a shave and a back massage at the local barber shop.

A Vacation From a Working Vacation: Segment One

Since my last post ages ago Kristen and I have been extremely busy.

We took a vacation from our life in Besisahar and went on 3 consecutive excursions, (canyoning, witnessing a couple of Hindu Ceremonies, and going to a national park) I went through two Louis L’amour books and George Orwell’s 1984, and began reading a book about Buddhist Yoga.

Although I have little to say about the reading other than it was very entertaining, there is too much to say for one post on the rest of our activities. So here is the first of three installments.

Canyoning and a rafting camp:

From Besisahar we took the public busses (my favorite mode of transport) to a rafting camp about halfway to Kathmandu. Thecamp is about a 10 minute walk from the highway and is right on the Trisuli River with a relatively large beach and nice swimming spot. I lusted after a nice looking surfing wave in the middle of the river but could not indulge as our real reason for staying at the camp was to go Canyoning. Although it is not rafting season yet, it is fast approaching and staying at the camp gave me a great opportunity to make contacts. Not only did I meet a couple of the guides, but I was able to meet the owner of the company. We chatted over dinner and into the night about glorious and disastrous rafting trips, drinking rakshi all the while. I’ve been wanting to sample Himalayan whitewater, so I told him all about my experience and he invited me come and kayak along with a rafting trip to “see how I paddle”. I informed him that I was much better with oars in my hands than in a kayak, but they only have oars on their gear boats and none of those are going out at the moment. However, a quick look at the river reassured me that my kayaking skills are quite up to the task. I have sent him an email and hope to hear back soon so that I can go either this weekend or next.

Future prospects aside, canyoning was the order of business for this visit. Canyoning, unrecognized by spell check, is rappelling and abseiling down a steep canyon in and by waterfalls. It was a blast, quite literally. Above the starting point is a waterfall that is at least 100 ft. tall, when you try to approach it in the pool below the wind is so forceful that the pain caused by the pelting water ensures your swift retreat. There were about 6 waterfalls in all, the biggest at about 40ft. and the smallest about 5 feet.Ironically it was that smallest of the slides on which Kristen and I both incurred some bruises. This was because you are attached to no rope and slide down the rocks above like a natural waterslide and over the edge into the pool below. The last waterfall is about 15 feet and you have the opportunity to just jump off from 2 different places: the big jump, and the chicken jump. I opted for the full experience while Kristen weinied out and did the small one.

Sunset on the beach at Camp Adrenaline Rush. (In a full Nepali squat)

One long bike ride

The school is having their quarterly exams this week. (I thought the testing system in the states was bad, but this system is ridiculous. 4 times a year the kids are tested on 8 subjects with a whole day for each subject, the results of which determine the entirety of their grades.) I was not about to go in so that I could watch kids take tests so I have the week off. I got the itch just sitting around in Besisahar and I was distracting Kristen from her work so I decided to take off. I thought of going up the Annapurna circuit trail a few days, to investigate the accuracy of a map that I bought describing biking it. However, I was missing english conversation with random strangers, so I decided to ride my bike on the highway to Pokhara, the tourist hub of western Nepal. I left at about 9:45 AM yesterday, thinking I would arrive in Pokhara around 4 o'clock. The ride turned out to be more of an unterdaking than I anticipated and I did not arrive until 6:45, just as the sun was setting. I considered myself extremely lucky that Pokhara was not another 20kms further because not only would I have run out of time, but by the time I pulled into town my legs were about to give out, my quads were throbbing, and my back was quite sore as well. 

The 105kms in all worked out about like this:

- The first 40kms out of Besisahar was a steady pattern of up and down with no extended climbs or descents. The road runs parallel to a river and dips to each tributary stream then climbs again to go over the next hill. This pattern makes for a nice riding rhythm, but being at the start of the trip, the rhythm was constantly being interrupted by stops to adjust my gear making which made for slow going. 

- After a 45 minute lunch break I started out again. Before I stopped to rest, even for a second, I had gone 30kms that included two climbs of 7 and 9kms gaining roughly 300m of vertical each, an exhilarating and refreshing 8 km descent divided the two climbs. I had a huge smile on my face the whole way down, and as I passed the school kids on their way home I would throw both hands in the air and yell "aaabiiiiii" meaning I'm terrified, eliciting huge giggles. The last part of this section was a deceptively flat 10km slow climb. Already exhausted from the two climbs before, I cannot count on both hands how many times I thought "Just push a bit further and rest at the top, it has got to be just around the next corner." 

-From this break the ride was either flat or downhill for the next 15kms, but I still pedaled hard to make good time, because at this point I was realizing that my timing was going to be tight. 

-After a short stop to eat some keraa (bananas), hydrate, and talk to a 10 year old boy with curiously good english, I set off to tackle the final 20kms. The report from the boy was that the road was "neither up nor down" and that was mostly true. It was flat but never downhill flat, always a slight incline, forcing me to pedal continuously for the entire ride. After a full day of riding it felt brutal. 

 Finally I arrived checked into a hotel, ate dinner there,then waked down to the lake front to have a couple beers. I met a couple of  friendly German fellows, both named max and we watched a Nepali cover band playing rock songs from bands like The Red Hot Chilly Peppers and Nirvana. Music here has to stop at 11PM by law and the bar closes soon after that. At which time I was ready to head to the room and crash. 

Today I am sitting lakeside, eating enchiladas for lunch, drinking iced coffee, and considering renting a kayak to paddle around the lake. After all I worked my legs yesterday but neglected my arms and the cool water seems so inviting.

The view from Mikes Restaurant looking north over Phewa lake. On a clear day you can see the peaks of the Annapurna range of the Himalayas.  

Arrival in Besisahar

Although I thought I would be fine riding my bike to Besisahar, Kristen insisted that I ride a micro van. It would have likely taken a day and a half on the bike and only about 5 hours in the bus, and it turns out Kristen was probably right as the last 40k was mostly uphill. Although the microvan was hot and miserable as expected, the bike ride would have been grueling.

 Since arriving here 3 days ago things have gone very well. The apartment is very nice. Many places here are dingy, dark, and dirty. This apartment however, has stone floors, marble counters, a western toilet, a shower and large windows in all but one room. It feels open, airy and comfortable. Very nice! I like!

I also found an excellent volunteer opportunity at a public school on the hill above the main part of town, that is to say that Kristen found it for me. The school is 1-10 and government funded. The children stay in their classroom and the teachers travel from room to room for each of their 8 40 min. periods in a day. I will be helping, teaching, and sharing ideas with other teachers for about 15 periods per week, including 6th and 8th grade english, 5th grade math, and 4th grade art. Although I am very excited about being in a school, the first few classroom experiences were baffling and exhausting. Two times I was introduced and told "teach them art/math" and promptly abandoned (In math I was given a textbook page and in art, nothing). Another class, 8th grade english no less, I showed up to meet the class and watch, but the teacher did not. So there I was in front of 40 something 8th/4th/6th graders with no plan, and on top of it very limited communication options. One class, the teacher was very helpful and said "I will teach today and tomorrow, you teach." Fortunately tomorrow is today and it is a holiday. I only have one class period tomorrow so it should not be so bad. Hopefully in the near future I will have a little more support. 

Right now I am going on a bike ride great trails around. Wish me luck.

The view from our porch. 

Cliff Diving Monkeys, a Bossy 10 Year Old, and Local Bike Racers

This week was mor entertaining than last. It was filled with a random assortment of curious, amusing and frustrating events took place.

Frustrating:

- I decided to do my laundry by myself and went outside to do so. I had changed to my shorts that i bathe in so that i could wash the ones i had on and with a pile of clothes in my arms noted that my cell phone was still in my pocket. "OK, just take it out before you wash these" I thought to myself as I walked outside and began. Soon, the neighbor girl came over (possibly the bossiest 10 year old girl i have ever seen, this coming from someone with two little sisters, and taught 4th grade for two years) and immediately started to tell me that I was doing it wrong. She would tell me "no not like that, like this" and begin to do exactly what I was doing in the first place. Extremely frustrated after about 5 rounds of this I told her "Fine timi dhunus" meaning "you wash them" to my amazement she did. As I looked away 30 seconds later, still frustrated because I really did want to do it alone, she put every last piece of clothing into the washtub. Just like that, put one more on my total of cell phones I have ruined via 

Curious:

- I locked my bicycle at the language school where some of my lessons are and had the key to unlock my bike when I left. Sometime between unlocking my bike and mounting my bicycle the key must have vaporized ( I think this is my x-man power, vaporizing keys that is, now if I could only harness it and then learn to make them reappear where I need them.) I emptied my pockets, and backpack, and scoured the surrounding area for fifteen minutes, so the only logical explanation is instant vaporization. 

Amusing:

- I have been riding the same 10 kilometer stretch of road twice a day 6 days a week for two weeks now. As I expected people recognize me now. I do not know what they say about me but I know that they are talking, because now as I pass certain spots on my route random teenage boys on bicycles will burst onto the road on a bike, pedal as hard as they can for 50 to100 meters sprinting past me. Once five or ten meters a head they peel off turning around in the road to go back downhill. The bes part of the whole thing is the look on their faces as they turn around. They stare me down as if to say "See, you aren't so tough. I can pedal faster than you." I have found myself looking forward to this everyday when I ride home. 

-For my last day of language class with Rabindra. I asked him to take a field trip with me to Swayanbu Naath or what most white people call the monkey temple. It is a Buddhist temple (below) with some Hindu parts to it, but the best part are the monkeys. There have to be over a hundred monkeys living on this hilltop temple. When we got to the temple the first thing we saw was the monkey swimming pool where they were jumping in from about ten feet up. The video ( to come when I can figure out how to get videos up)  shows better than I can describe but it made me jealous, I wanted to jump too! Rabindra warned me then to watch my belongings as the monkeys are clever and will snatch things out of your hands. I believed him, and soon returned my I-pad to my backpack. After we walked around the temple grounds I saw a fruit stand and bought a plate of pineapple. We sat and enjoyed the fruit as Rabindra commented on how peaceful the place was. As soon as he said this SNACH! 5 pieces of pineapple on the ground and one in the happy monkeys hand on the wall behind us. Part of me felt violated, and used but I also admired the monkey's stealth and swiftness. I was glad I could feed a monkey in exchange for the video I got of his cousin, and after all they are probably Buddhist monk-ies. 

water. 

The Kathmandu Blues

The last week in Kathmandu has been ho-hum. Living in a completely different culture and having limited communication skills is proving to be extremely exhausting. My brain seems to be always spinning, with little information coming from anywhere but my own intuition. Homesickness and loneliness are common emotions, punctuated by moments of pride and glory when my feeble mind actually understands what another human is saying to me.

 I have fallen into a routine based around learning Nepali. A typical day consists of waking up around 8 AM, having tea, studying or reading for an hour, eating breakfast around 9:30 or 10, heading to one or two language classes, having lunch in Kathmandu and returning home the 10 kilometers on my bicycle to Jharuwasi where I again study and read. Dinner is served around nine after which everyone promptly retreats to their rooms and goes to bed. 

My language skills are improving quickly and I think that my teachers are impressed with me, although neither knows that I am also taking classes from someone else. There are looks, from both teachers, when I say something that we have not gone over together, but I don't think either is suspicious. I have not told them because Nepalis seem to be jealous people. When I mentioned to one that I may take lessons from two people at once (while setting out terms) she became very defensive tried to convince me that it would be confusing and would not let it go. I just told her I probably wouldn't do that and never brought it up again. 

 I think Nepali family structure may be interesting to those of you back home. The house I am living in seems to be typical of most Nepali  homes. It consists of a mother and father, their adult son and daughter (currently working with Kristen in Lamjung, I am staying in her room,) the eldest sons daughter (Nisham pictured in an older post,) and the eldest son's wife. He is currently in Haiti on a UN mission. The wife is referred to as Baoju and does all the cooking and cleaning. When I first arrived, I felt very sorry for her because she seemed to be a servant, however after a day when I remained home because I was sick I realized that most of the day is her own. When everyone else is working she has little to do, but when others are home she is very busy. 

I am headed to join Kristen in Lamjung on Saturday. I think my Nepali is nearly up to snuff and I plan to continue studying hard. I think that Kristen's Nepali isc proficient and I am trying hard to catch up. The next step for me is to practice all of the academic knowledge that I have acquired in real world situations. Wish me luck in the Nepali "real world." 

Sorry no pictures this time.