Nepal was still on strike when we were to fly from Pokhara to Jomsom. The strike didn’t officially start this morning until 6:00 am, so our hotel van dropped us off at the airport in time to get back to the hotel before 6:00 am. Continue reading On to Jomsom
The general strike in Nepal was brought on because the government couldn’t agree on a Constitution and had missed several deadlines over a seven year period. A new deadline was fast approaching and the people were angry and on strike, warning the politicians of trouble to come if they didn’t get their job done this time. It began while we were leaving Kathmandu. The roads free of traffic except taxis and vans serving the tourists. All businesses were closed except, again, those related to the tourism industry. We caught our (late) flight to Pokhara and found the city totally shut down. The strike meant there were absolutely no motor vehicles in use, and all businesses were closed except hotels and restaurants. Continue reading The Strike
“Wayan. Look at that chicken truck. Those guys are probably really ready to have their lives end. If they knew where they are going and that this is the last day of this life, they would probably be happy. Look at them. Stuffed into cages 8” high, one cage per level, 100 chickens per level, 12 levels high on the back of a pick up truck. Chicken soup by morning. What will they be next life? What could they have learned this life that could kick them up a level in karmic evolution? Hatched, left in cages, fed hormones for 28 days and voila! Ready for the pot… Eat, grow, get eaten. Will they be dogs next time? Not likely. If they could talk to each other they’d be saying,’Whew, thank god this one is over. Better luck next time, sister.’“ Continue reading The Chicken Truck
It takes time to sink into nature, rather let nature sink into me, I have found the fourth day is usually a turning point from letting go of normal life and allowing nature to do its magic. On this Poon Hill Nepal Trek, day three I found myself stopping along the trail to just gaze at the forest and rocky streams. I felt an easy smile of pleasure spread across my face more and more often from the joyful pleasure of simply being in the Himalayas again. Continue reading Nature Takes Time, Poon Hill
I’ve written about the challenge, the discomfort, and the fear. I think you feel the pain and the dirt but you aren’t fully with me in Mustang yet. There is a space of exultation to which I want to take you. Pain, dirt, and gale force winds are a simple counter-balance to the often overwhelming feeling of joy and freedom I knew each day, all day. Continue reading The Accomplishment
Everyday we were hammered by the unrelenting afternoon winds that tore through the valleys and up through the passes, gaining strength the higher we climbed. The ragged 40 mph winds pushed us roughly from behind the first few days with blasts up to 70 mph. They pushed, but with an uneven hand, throwing us off the narrow trails every dozen yards. Picked up by the wicked winds, the sand and dust were joined by small stones as we neared the tops of many passes. More than once we had to hold onto each other to keep moving up the scree covered trail to the pass. Continue reading The Hardest Day