SHARING ALL: WEALTH OR POVERTY DOESN'T MEAN YOU CANNOT GET ALONG

AN UNBELIEVABLE DAY!!!!

RELIGIONS, ETHNIC GROUPS, REFUGEES & CASTES and more all share spaces in the temple, shops, transportation, taxis, water sources, schools, cafes, etc. There is a lesson to be learned here.

Nepal is considered the poorest country in the world per UN. Water available somewhat, 4-5 total traffic lights & no street lights in Katmandu valley of 4Million people. A big annual festival starts in a week or so: Festival of meat. Lots get misunderstood in translations, but this I did hear correctly & verified with my English speaking guide: This upcoming Festival will serve buffalo, goat, and dog meat as delicacies. Never cow or pork.

Lovely young guide, a gal in early 30s who speaks English and Japanese, met me here @ Hotel Shangri-La. We visited numerous temples: Buddha & Hindu share much of same space for 100s of years or more. I shared with her the Temple Mount in Israel & she asked: Do they get along there? She says Nepalese are proud of having others (Bhuddists) on the same grounds. The Golden Temple of Buddha has Hindu statues on outer pillars. Visited Hindu Cremation center along the river bank. Not even photos of a few pyres give the full impression.

Biggest Bhudda in Nepal

A typical bus transport. We took on from the airport with rack on top.

On Temple Grounds

Near entrance to Home for Elderly.

Hindu Crematorium - see pyres across the river.

Burning the dead, then ashes wrapped in lotus flower leaves to be set in the river.

Waiter at lunch. Many German tourists come to this area.

school girls

Adorable school girls who laughed heartily after I showed them this photo.

At Golden Temple near Tibetan Singing Bowl shop

Then off to Home for Elderly set up by govt for those who have no one. A special ward for the disabled and deformed. Meals, a cot, and TV on veranda showing Nepalese talk shows. I took a bad fall on wet cement but am OK. I watched 3 people plus my guide walk across wet cement in flip flops, I tried it in my boots and went right down. My “good” knee is banged up a bit yet I sit here with ice. I cannot come all this way and become a liability to Habitat. Gawd! I would hate to be assigned paperwork. Yuk! Nothing is broken I am sure. I am really lucky on this one.

We spent time in countryside in historic Bhatktapur hometown of my guide. I did have a small beer @ lunch & she offered---her family home to rest if I got too sleepy from the beer & could not continue sight-seeing.

My nails got all black on top. I looks terrible and thought it was just dirt; but it happened to be wax from touching batik fabric in the shops with wax not fully washed out. We found polish remover today to take it off.

At the Golden Temple in Patan, my guide took me to shop of a Tibetan Singing Bowl Healer. He treated my knee by hitting a 7 metal hand-shaped tonal bowl set on my knee to generate specific vibrations. Both he and my guide expected it would help; which it did somewhat. Actually I had more faith in taking 10 minutes to sit down in his shop to rest my knee from lots of walking. And the $50 US reduced price of the bowl diminished it's powers for me.

Visited lots of crafts production places such as pottery, stone masons, brass works, paper-making, wood carving. We skipped the Tibetan refugee camp that now houses rug-weaving. Apparently the Tibetans who fled to Nepal in the 60's (or was it the 70's? when the Dali Lama was tossed out) have shown to be most resourceful and successful in their new land

Sat morning I get up early for a 9 am flight on Buddha Airlines to Pokhara—I am so excited about beginning our project. Opening ceremonies are Sat afternoon.

Skies were beautiful, cloudy & fast 20 minute rains today, hope it will clear so I can view the mountains tomorrow. I have only seen the lower mountains thus far.

Bye for now. Write back.!!!