Hey everyone,
Wow, so much to catch up on. We’ve been here a week now, and have seen a lot of great places and have also been exposed more to the less attractive yet realistic state that Nepal is currently in. Our days usually start off with a ride in a micro into the city, where we meet up with someone to take us around and tour the city. A micro is basically a van that looks much like the old VW dead-head vans, and they are consistently crammed with at least 20 people. Our record so far is about 26…personal body space is definitely something you have to learn to give up. I’ve actually had a lot of great interactions with some locals on these rides though, and it’s a lot of fun making small talk to pass the time while sitting in each others’ lap.
Kathmandu Valley is made up of three ancient kingdoms which are now just three cities right next to each other: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan. After being up in majestic Godavari, I’m much more aware of the noise, pollution, and craziness that comes hand in hand with Nepali city life. People everywhere with make-shift stands selling everything from fruit to underwear to q-tips to belts, right on the side of the road. Buses and trucks coughing out black soot after every gear change, trash piles on nearly every corner waiting to be picked up or burned. The pollution down in the valley is so bad that it’s actually destroying the buildings, roads, and sidewalks, and you can see the effect its had everywhere. It’s pollution you can feel on your skin, and I have. It’s always so wonderful to take that micro ride back up at to Godavari at the end of the day. Don’t get me wrong, the city has been great to explore and experience, and there are so many wonderful things about it. It’s just so congested with people, cars, and shops that it can often be a little overwhelming.
Ok, so now I’ll try and break down the last few days:
Wednesday was Gai Jatra, a holiday where everyone who has had a family 
member die in the past year comes out on the streets for a parade to celebrate the loved one and pray to the Gods that a cow be waiting for their soul to lead them and protect them on their journey to the gates of judgement. The cow is also the one that opens up the gates where thousands upon thousands of souls are waiting for judgement, so it’s pretty important for a family to ensure that their loved one got there and will be able to enter. The festival was in Bhaktapur, which is one of the most well preserved cities; that’s because you have to pay about $10 to get in. All the money goes towards restoration and keeping it clean, and you can definitely tell the difference. The streets were lined with families carrying these poles dressed up like cows with a picture of their loved ones, and then following each family were dancers, musicians, children doing these intense dances with sticks and slamming them together to the beat of the music, and people carrying incense. It was a lot of fun and there was so much to see and the whole area was jammed with people watching and participating.
On Tuesday we went with Cappy, Fr. Casper Miller, the In Country Coordinator (our support person) to Pashupati and Boudanath, two very important Hindu and Buddhist sites. Pashupati is a place where most of the cremations are done, and it is an honor to die there and be cremated. It’s considered the holiest Shiva site in the world, and many old people either flock to this site to die, or are dropped off by families who can not afford to take care of them any longer. We visited the Social Services Welfare Center which was basically like an old folks home. The elderly get food, clothing, and shelter, but the conditions they live in were pretty hard to experience. It’s weird to think that that was better than what they would be getting elsewhere. Everyone was very friendly, and would get up out of their bed to say Namaste as we walked through the long corridors of beds. For them it is an honor to die at this holy site.
We didn’t actually go in to Pashupati because Cappy refused to pay (we’ll get in free once we get our school I.D’s) but we did walk around the outside for a bit. We were actually there during an important Shiva holiday, Janai Purnima. 
This is the day when the Brahmin and Chetri castes receive new ropes or braids to wear under their shirts, only to be replaced once a year. Brahmans, For anyone not of this caste, you can get a tie one your right wrist as a symbol of protection, and then some Tika on your forehead, which is basically a red splotch symbolizing a blessing. After that you pay them a few rupees. Cappy, Grant and I all did this, and then this Holy Hindu lady came over and started yelling at us, saying it was wrong for us to do it since we weren’t Hindu’s. The Brahman giving it to us thought differently though…it was pretty funny.
So on this day also the Shamans, or faith healers, come out of their homes and show themselves, and gain the energy necessary for the rest of the year. They believe they get their strength through the trance of beating drums, so they walk down the street and they and their followers are beating drums and dancing and whatever else. They came right by us after we got our Tika and protection band, and I got up on a stoop so I could get an overhead view of their circle. This guy came up to me with a bowl full of Tika, but he didn’t speak any English. I pointed to my forehead and told him I already had some, but he kept pointing to the Rupees on his Tika bowl. I then said I didn’t want any, but again he kept insisting, so I told him I didn’t have any Rupees. He kept shoving the bowl closer to me, and by that time I was thoroughly confused. With no idea what to do next, I thought he might want me to put it on his head, so I dipped my fingers in the Tika and started going for his forehead. He got pretty mad at that, since that job is usually meant for the Brahmins, the highest caste. I was totally lost, so I just threw it back in the bowl, figured I’d ignore him, and looked over to everyone else in my group who were so graciously laughing at me. It was pretty funny.
After that we went to a Buddhist Stupa, or temple, called Bodanath. They too were preparing for a celebration since it was a full moon that night. It was 3 ruppees (5 cents or so) to light a candle, and then later on that night all of the candles would be brought up to the top, along with others, to light the entire Stupa. You can actually walk around on top, and the views are pretty incredible. I met this little boy up on top, and he walked around the whole thing with me. His face lit up when I said Namaste to 
him, but I was hesitant to talk with him because I thought he’d ask me for money. When we were about to finish the loop, and he hadn’t asked me for money, I started up some small talk. I commented on how hot it was (I was dripping, big surprise), and then he pointed to his long sleeve shirt and agreed. I ask him his name, but I couldn’t understand it a bit. He was really cute and friendly, and stayed on top as I walked down. As I got to each new level, I’d look back and he’d be watching me, I’d wave, and he’d wave back. It was a really neat couple of moments…he looked so excited and happy at every wave. I told the others about him when I got all the way down, and we all waved goodbye as we left.
That night was another celebration called Raksha Bandahan (sp), a ceremony which is actually Indian but has unofficially made its way up to Kathmandu. It’s a day when sisters honor their brothers by tying another band to their right wrist and say a blessing. I didn’t really know we were going to be doing this, and that night I finished unpacking and straightening up my room. Right after I finished, I sat down to journal, and heard all these guys’ voices. Deeraj, Luxman sir, Vicki, and Rabin all came over for the evening. To me it was totally spontaneous, but I guess everyone else knew it was going to happen. So everyone came in my room, since I have my own, and pulled up some mats or pillows and sat on the ground. We drank tea and whiskey, and then the girls brought in Quati, a traditional nine bean soup that you’re supposed to eat on this day. After that, all the guys sat in a row and received the bracelets. 
It was really cool, a neat to experience it with Nepali men. When we got in the row, I started singing that Sesame Street song: “One of these guys is not like the other.”
After that we just sat around and played guitar and laughed and talked. I started throwing in the few Nepali words I know to the songs I was singing and the guys got a big kick out of that. Half way through the night I remembered I had a kazoo and a harmonica, so we busted that out too and rocked Keshar Mahal. The Nepali’s had never seen a kazoo before, and their reaction was priceless. The older the guy was the more childish their reaction…it was great. So the rest of the night was filled with the buzzing of kazoos, it was great.
Other than that we’ve been doing some smaller things like walking around the city, shopping for odds and ends, and just becoming familiar. I’m doing a little better at learning the layout of Kathmandu, which was hard at first but makes a lot more sense now.
We start language school next week which I’m pumped for. 2 hours a day in the group and then 2 hours individual. I can’t wait to be able to chat with the locals.
Alrighty, have to run. The kids have their parent’s day festivities today. I swear, every day is some kind of holiday or celebration or something, it’s great.
Love ya’ll, keep me posted,
Kvin