Where ever you go… There you are.

****First Pictures!!****
Tibet!
I have also added a link to my nepal pics on the right hand side of the blog, in the future I will have them all nice and arranged, at least someting in my life will be organized 🙂

So it ended, after a few days at Grandmas’s house, we made for the border. Happily heading towards warmer skies, trees, Dahl Bhatt and kind smiles from the Nepalese people.

Being out of Nepal for a bit made me realize why I am so in Love with this country, could it be the happy people, or the waterfalls or mountains, or the no nonsence pleasure of taking a local bus, I am not really sure but a combination of all these things make it so darn irrestible.

I have been back in kathmandu over a week now, spending most of my time with ram-daii and his family. Ram owns a tiny little chai shop on Freak Street, (where I stay) not to worry mom and dad the “freaks” moved out in the late sixties… Now it just houses some of the smater travellers not willing to stay in uber touristy Thamel..

Indeed the size of a westerners closet. It is a hub of activity and the scenery is always changing.

I love people watching, sitting on a reed basket chair, drinking chai, watching the chess game of the shop owners, relaxing in the sun, as the world goes by.

old men with bright yellow tikas on their foreheads, walking with a cane eyes always down on the dusty street,

the mother sitiing with her son, and everyone doting on him

the sadhu with a big basket brimming with artifical flowers, extends his alms can hoping for a rupee.

Men in the back shout, and drink whiskey, waisting away the day betting on poker games

relaxed calls on mobile phones, from the shop owners also basking in the afternon sun

women with enormus baskets on their heads weave delicatley through the traffic,

mangy dogs piss on shiva’s lingum

workers piling dirt into a porter’s reed basket, he will bear the weight on his forhead and in with an extreme forward bend he will shuffle down the street,

I could stay here for ages and not get bored, but I need to get to India soon to meet Ninja Adam from London, so it would only be proper that I see a few things before I head that way.

I have a ticket to Pokhara tomorrow, from there I will head towards the border to Lumbini (buddha’s birthplace) to spend Christmas.

In Pokhara I intend to rent a bicycle and ride into the hills, taking in the mountains and peaceful atmosphere..

In Lumbini, I intend to hand out with monks and do all the neccessary koras. I thought I’d be sick of Koras and the like after Tibet, but I am still up for more, as a matter of fact this afternoon, I am going back to the Boudha stupa here in Kathmandu.

YAY! Koras

I just can’t seem to get enough of a good thing.

And I can think of many more things that are worse to be addicted to.

Until next time..

miss jessica

So the next two days, were in essence a race to the border, upon arrival we realized that there wasn’t much to do besides gaze at the moutains and find shelter from the dust storms.
It only made sence to get ourselves closer to the border since our Tension visa was almost up.

Luis and I made our stand outside, waiting once more (which would be our last waiting) for the damn bus, and when one did arrive, it was during such a furious dust storm that we ran gaily to the yellow beacon, sending sheep and yaks running.

Once aboard, our happiness deflated immeaditaly when the Chinese driver demanded 5 times the going rate for the trip to Nyalam. We pleaded, I put on the best pouty face possible, and begged… This was met with the helper opening the door and with the wind and dust outside still thrashing about, he made to throw our bags out.

NO!!! Guchi, Guchi, Please!! Please!!

Somehow we got the symathy of the passengers and begrudginly they lowered the price enough that we could still ride on. Luis had to stand the 2 hours and I sat on a little basket in the isle. Still we knew we were very, very lucky, and happy that we were not going to have to waste another day waiting for the bus.

I would have to say despite the poopy way in which it began, the ride itself was the most scenic and beautiful I have ever experienced, with the two passes to cross you are then faced with the most magical view of the Himalayas.

Once in Nyalam, we meet a woman who is leading her Yaks home. She gives us the you come sleep at my home sign language and we follow her home.. For 10yuan a night we are a guest at Grandmas house, everything you expect to have at grandmas too, plates of sweets, tea, tsamapa, and we even get tucked in at night. With thousands of blankets almost crushing us under the weight. Oh the love of Grandma..

Our last day in Tibet was spent on a mission to Mileripa’s Cave (the great Tibetan mystic of the 9th century who became an alchemist in order to kill is uncle who stole land from his family. And spent 6 years meditatiing in this cave living only on local weeds as a diet and wearing nothing but a cotton robe the whole time) The walk was 10km there and 10km back, of course someone would give us a lift one of the ways, but alas no one did and we ended up walking the full 20km, in the raging wind to see Mileripa’s cave which was not in my point of view worth it, but it was a lovely walk.

And sometimes I love complaining, but kind of fitting for the end of such a bitter-sweet month in Tibet.

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