I didn’t want to die on a rickshaw today and I kept telling that to Allynn, over and over as giant busses swerved by us nearly removing my arm or my rib cage as I sat out in the open,wondering what the hell to do. The driver was a thin older gentleman and his three passengers were weighing him down so he would occasionally get off the bike and walk and push his vehicle. We’d been in a taxi for 2 hours, trying to get to the famous Spice Market , which I imagined to be a colorful swirl of sights and smells.
But our driver dropped us at a tea shop. I was so disappointed, I wasn’t sure if he just didn’t want to go to the Spice Market or what! We had an appointment with Sharon’s travel agent early in the afternoon so we were pressed for time. We’d already spent an hour in a taxi, trying to get to the Spice Market and our guide, who was the third passenger,hanging off the back of the rickshaw told us it was the only way to get to the Spice Market- by rickshaw. So here we were, sashaying thru rushour morning traffic and I had definitely had enough! Allynn seemed to be enjoying himself and I wanted to stop the world and get off! Then I saw the driver get down, off his rickshaw and he was pushing it! My God, I thought- what is going on here! This poor man needs a break! I saw a temple appear near us on our left and I called to our guide,hanging out behind us, what’s that? He said oh, Shiva’s temple is over there. And I said- those red towers? He said- that is a Jain temple. I was looking for a good landmark where we could stop! He had just told me we had a 20 minute drive More in the rickshaw to get to the Spice Market. It felt like a bad dream. So I raised my voice and I shouted- we’re stopping here! And jumped down to the street.Holy shit, I was glad to get off that thing! That rickshaw. That was no joy ride- no sleigh ride- a nightmare from Hell!
Then I had my husband to deal with and make a plan B. Right away some guy starts pestering us and warning us that we were in a really bad area- all kind of pick pocketers and thieves are around there. Comforting, I thought as I clutched my fanny pack and zipped up my jacket. I phoned the travel agent, described where we were and he said- I know exactly where you are. I was so relieved. I said we are wearing funny hats.

He didn’t seem to need that information and in about 10 minutes a distinguished looking gentleman appeared, introducing himself as the travel agents’ driver and we shook his hand and happily followed him to his spiffy white sedan parked nearby. There were 2 men in the front seat and it dawned on me that driving around Deli is a 2 person job! And doesn’t everyone need a partner in their job? Yes! At last I could relax and breathe! A moment later my phone rang and I realized the guy in the front seat, who just picked us up was calling to be sure he had the right person. Clever, I thought. I reached over for Allynn’s hand . So good to hold his hand in the good- and the difficult moments in life. We were at the travel agent’s building in no time but we had one more hurdle to face- the elevator. We were waiting at the elevator for a long time.
Allynn and I cheerfully announced we’d be glad to walk- how many floors is it? The man said 12. I pictured a dark staircase and I was relieved when the man said no- we’re not walking. Meanwhile, the group of people waiting for the elevator was growing and another worry came to mind- getting stuck in the elevator! In a far away land of India! Yikes! Then our driver motioned to us to follow him and we walked a short distance to another elevator and got inside. Tiny, I thought- holds 4 people-tops.

The metal door swung open and we had Arrived! – at the office of Shailendra Gupta, Sharon’s friend. I asked if he was related to Sanje Gupta, from CNN. He said no- it is a common name in India. I looked around his dusty office and I tried to relax with our new situation.
We explained our objectives in India- going to Mysore and Rajhastan – and our time constraints. We set our sights on South India now because we have a 6 week chunk of time and we’ll do a 10 day north tour in Feb and wind up in Rishekesh for 2 weeks before we head back to Delhi for our return trip Home. Finally it was making sense of how we could put all the pieces together and this guy-Shailendra was going to help us make it happen. He booked our flights to Mysore on this coming Monday with a return to Delhi on Feb 2- Allynn has a few days of shows with Sharon’s school. So we will be in Mysore for Christmas. I will stop at the Yoga Shala to check out the scene and my plan is to announce my arrival at the Institute ( saying I never got an E mail saying I hadn’t been accepted.) act dumb and see what happens. If they let me in, I would have to decide if I really want to be there a whole month- while Kerala- on the beach is waiting with a jungle sleep over boat ride. Tuff decisions. Things are changing daily. And our friend Shailendra booked us in a better hotel tomorrow- closer to parks and coffee in Delhi and closer to Sharon’s house where we are going on Sunday to get our luggage reorganized. I can get a change of clothes and summer stuff and Allynn can replenish his balloon supplies.
I keep thinking about how this is supposed to be FUN! And Stress Free! Well- we now have a clear feeling about our return home- We will both kiss the ground!
PS We saw something so funny on our everlasting terrible ride around Dehli today. Allynn noticed first, when we were in the taxi and had come to a red light-which are few and far between- but last forever-he saw a guy wipe clean the back of a three wheeled taxi and apply an advertisement on it- sticker style- and when he was done he was looking for the next vehicle to do the same thing to! It was an ad about losing inches at your waist. Strange things are going on here!

We were Very glad to get to the lovely airport in Varanasi -the one that looks like LaGuardia in NYC and the security is endless with the luggage and the pat downs. I was on a quest for coffee – which I was able to find. But it is instant- the packaging says Nescafé – but at least they put hot foamy milk on top and it’s served in a miniature cup . I am Dreaming of Starbucks !!! And we had a tasty samosa with it. A samosa is a fried dough pyramid shaped structure that is best Hot and it is filled with bits of potato and yummy Indian spices and I could had 3 but I stopped at 1. It was a lovely day to fly today . Sunny and warm- about 75 degrees. We flew Indigo Air. The flight was one hour 45 minutes and I had done my hotel homework the day before from my Lonely Planet guide book. Allynn convinced me to leave my-book at home and he bought the E version for the I pad but it was so difficult to use that we wound up buying a New version in Varanasi($35) . Anyway, I poured over the Delhi moderate priced hotels and checked off a few. Allynn tried E mailing one that we liked but our internet at our hotel was spotty and we never got a response.
That was when everything became more interesting. Our flight was smooth and we got a cab to the hotel we had not heard from. We thought we would be fine. If that were full, we’d wander around and find another. Driving thru a noisy, slumy looking neighborhood, I started to get nervous. There were fruit stands everywhere and it was packed with tons of motorcycle and rickshaw traffic. Our taxi driver couldn’t find the hotel but he asked someone on the street who pointed down that way, so we hopped out and got our stuff and went looking for the hotel. There was not much around that looked at all like a hotel and soon some guy came to our aid, saying he’d show us the way. Allynn was carrying our suitcase on his back- back pack style and suddenly we were leaving the area altogether and heading to a busy intersection. Now we were really lost and I didn’t have a clue what we were going to do. Then the guy said- why don’t you ask the visitors office down there, pointing down the block and then he disappeared. We stepped inside and were relieved to meet a friendly, polite gentleman who says he works for the India Tourist Board and could help us. He started showing us hotels on his computer and saying – you need to be in a quiet area. Then he asked us about our plans and he suggested a tour of N India- Rajasthan for 3 weeks. Sounded good to me. He said now is a great time to go- it will be hot in Feb. We had a chummy time with him and he served chai tea- which is standard fare when you are buying something or making a business deal. He set us up with a hotel, had his driver get us to the hotel and we had already been invited by him to have dinner the same day. Things seemed to be looking up! Arriving at our hotel I couldn’t help notice it is Not in a quiet area. But it is ok. Our room is comfortable and we started to make our selves at home- putting things in drawers, etc. By now it was 3:00 ,we were starved and we went to check out the hotel restaurant. We ordered some Indian food that was served in our room and then I laid down to take a nap. I asked Allynn to check out our new friend the travel agent on line, to see if he had a Webb site. It was So disappointing that he had No webb site – no reviews from customers. So I got busy, first calling a lady named Emma that we had a good recommendation for and we had even met her the last time we were in Deli. She sets up tours and we were hoping to do a Rajasthan tour thru her in February . But maybe She could pull a tour together for us for next week. I called her and it seems she is back home in England for Christmas. Then Allynn called our friend Sharon, who lives here in Delhi and we told her the travel agent story. She said to call Her guy – her travel agent who she has known for 10 years. So she gave us his number and a minute later I was on the phone with him and he said Yes- he can put a tour together for us, starting on Monday and he will have his driver swing by and pick us up at our hotel tomorrow at 1:30 pm. Yipee!! To have a meeting about it.
Meanwhile, I’ve got the first travel agent guy showing up to take us out for dinner in 5 minutes! I got on my cell phone, reached him as he was stuck in traffic on the way over here. And I knew I had to be blunt and I told him I needed so time to think about a tour and I was too tired to go out for dinner. Phew! I was relieved when he said No Problem. Then we ordered more food cause by now it was dinner time. More delicious Indian food. So, that has been our day. Kind of exciting ; I would Love to go on a tour to Rajasthan now and be there over Christmas! So- I am Excited!! Life here has many twists and turns. I am so grateful for Allynn being our Road Manager.
Namaste Annie

Sorry to admit – we have had enough of this place. Maybe it was the rain that turned the streets into a mud parade- funny, the same day I noticed a sign for a special Mud skin treatment ! It is possibly the Worst that India has to offer here in this town. Allynn has a keen take on it. He says if they would just get the cows off the street, you wouldn’t be smelling and stepping in cow shit all the time. Good thinking ! We haven’t run into an elephant yet- that will make this scene seem pristine perhaps. So the mud with the cow shit was Hell to us and I took to wearing a scarf over my head with my hat on top so I could cover my nose .
We got in the early morning groove here.There is a gong that starts gonging at 5:15. And we are not in an ashram! It wakes up the community, to come join the early morning sunrise ritual – that goes from 6:00-7:30 every day. And they end with a long session of yoga breathing exercises. I wish they would include laughing yoga. And it is all heavily amplified so you can hear it all a block away- from the rooftop of our hotel. I am always missing coffee because the coffee shops don’t open till 7:00 am – there I go complaining again. So what is there to do here?
Taking pictures is my creative outlet.
It is a photographers dream . There is a sunrise and a sunset and lots of fog and people disrobing, who don’t seem to mind being photographed and the ancient looking stairs and architecture provide interesting backdrops. And there are meals to be figured out and the choices of cafes are limited. We have been eating pizza for dinner and apple pie- so I am looking forward to variety in Delhi.
Also we have been napping a lot. There is definitely a psychic drain being in such a different world. I feel like I am taking a ride on a space shuttle , because everything is so foreign and you feel you have to fend for yourself and figure it all out. And the hotel room is our small world too.
And we kind of get a kick out of that- so we invent our lives each day. Some days I do yoga, some I don’t- I have space here in our room but my stomach has been slightly off kilter. Allynn’s too. I am looking forward to seeing the historical sights and market places in Delhi- maybe time for more retail therapy. I am getting sick of wearing the same yoga pants since we began out trip- the same shirts(2) – oops- complaining again Sorry!
We had a good meditation class back in Kathmandu where it was suggested that we pray for Everyone’s happiness. That is a tall order for this place because so many people look undernourished, dirty and homeless. I offer silent prayers as I pass . I enjoy sending prayers to my family and friends back home; our meditation teacher said it changes your outlook on you own issues. I get that- it helps. So long for now!

Ps I am reading a hysterical book- Yoga School Dropout by Lucy Edge – a better tale than mine about a trip thru ashrams here in India! Oops- complaining again . Namaste, Annie

Mud mud muddy day on the Ganges but life goes on as usual. We had our first rain last evening and we dug out our plastic ponchos and felt
prepared, except for our feet which are old sneakers ( wishing I had brought rubber boots) . So it is even More challenging here but our spirits are up and I am loving the endless opportunities for photos!

Annie

We took an early morning stroll along the ghats before returning to our favorite breakfast place here… then returned to the hotel. My stomach illness is done, Annie’s cough has been gone for a while, but now she has the stomach bug… so she slept away the afternoon as I tried to register us for the International Yoga Festival running in India during the first week of March. It’s frustrating when the site doesn’t include prices and needed details, asks questions there’s no way we can answer, and states boldly that if anything is missing the application won’t be accepted. Add to the frustration the slow internet speed and the power being out in the hotel (the WiFi runs on a generator) so my laptop was almost out of power. I never got it done.
When she woke about 4:30 we thought we’d go down the street to book a train to Delhi for later in the week then get something simple to eat (like soup and noodles or rice). We didn’t know it was raining. The dirty roads were now muddy roads with puddles and cow shit everywhere (there’s a reason these locals wear plastic flip-flops). We made our way to a little hole-in-the-wall travel “office” where a pleasant gentleman sat us down next to his computer and struggled with his server to find us train tickets while he connected to the internet. After a number of tries it looked like trains wouldn’t be our option. The plane would just be over an hour and about $100/each (the train is an overnight 12 hrs and not much less). As he was searching for us he was giving us his philosophy of life and why Varanasi is the best place anyone could live… saying some Westerners come here and complain about the filth everywhere. “The lotus flower grows in the mud! You have to go through shit to be cleansed!” he explained as Annie noticed a rat running across his floor.
Believe it or not, this city is growing on us. it’s not Disneyland but it’s authentic. When we first arrived we were planning on staying maybe a week. The first morning we experienced the shock of this culture and though maybe 1-2 days maximum… maybe less. Now we’re thinking maybe another week? As I said, it’s growing on us.
I’m getting a kick doing balloons with the street kids. They’re hungry and begging, but they are playful.

Our new friend , an American from California named Shivani, has taken us under her wing. She runs a charming cafe and we like her food. I feel it is the safest place to eat, next to the restaurant of our first hotel- Palace on the Ganges . That is the place with the Amazing Indian food. But they don’t serve dinner before 7:00 pm and our bed time is 8:00. So, at the moment , we are seated in a recommended place by Trip Advisor but I do not feel good about it.

My view out the entrance, on the second floor is a pile of tires. Old tires – We have had the tummy bug this week which is not surprising. Allynn got it first and my cough from Kathmandu is finally over. So I have been feeling better. Then as soon as Allynn felt better then I came down with the tummy bug. Our friend Shivani recommended a medication which we purchased and all in all our complaints are mild. I have had a sour stomach, loose poop but not killer symptoms. So I also feel sleepy. Which is not the worst thing either. We have made friends with our hotel. And today we are picking up our clean laundry! We are making plans for the next step on our journey. Two days ago I was at the roof cafe on the top of our hotel where I met a lovely American Yogini from Vail Colorado area. We had such a great talk about being in India. She encouraged me to go to Mysore, after being rejected from the Ashanga Institute, and she recounted her experience at the Bahir school of yoga. She and her boyfriend went there together for a week and were each charged $500 a piece for staying at the ashram . And there was a total lack of hospitality. Our Himilayan ashram was half the price with very friendly staff. Anyway, she said India always bites you! You have to give up your ego and your USA entitlement attitude and open your heart for the process of transformation you will encounter here. Good advice! Also, our friend Eve forwarded an article from the NY Times about terrorism against Americans in Thailand. So we are heading to Delhi in a few days and then after a few days there we will fly to Bangalore and get a bus to Mysore- by Christmas I hope. Even tho I am not expecting to get into the Ashanga Institute , there is a nice , small studio there that is half the price where they have Ashtanga! So I may try to make lemonade. From there there are many options in Southern India and we will return north for a yoga conference in March 1-7 in Rishekesh. Anyone want to join us? www.internationalyogafestival.com
Every morning they have a spellbinding ceremony down by the Ganges to honor the rising sun and we try to go. It starts at 5:30 with chanting by a chorus of costumed women then comes the razzle dazzle part with the boys dressed in gold- the fire dancers – which I have described before- it is an Everyday occurrence! Paid for by the town- quite amazing to us and well attended! We have then taken to walking the Ganges, which is always a fascinating site!
We are sorry to be missing all the Christmas festivities and we are hoping you are having fun and I hope for You it is a White Christmas!! Love Annie

 

I admit, I was petrified to go to Varansai. I’d heard it stunk to high heaven and the Ganges reeks of excrement, even tho it is called the Mother of India. So we had a 45 minute flight from Kathmandu and we had a reservation in a Deluxe hotel with a taxi pick up And a dinner reservation that night in the hotel.
I wanted to be super prepared to meet Varansai. I was trying to buffer myself from the harsh reality that Varansai would throw at us.
I was really afraid to meet the gringiness of India.
Our smooth flight brought us to a large and modern airport. I thought- wait- this is too nice! It looked like LaGuardia airport! Can’t be!! We got thru customs easily and even found our taxi driver holding a sign with Our Names on it! Luxury! I was grateful for Allynn’s advance planning. Once out of the airport the scene changed drastically and I braced myself for a new adventure. The drive was a bit over an hour and by this time-5:00pm it was rush hour and the traffic was like a wild tiger-hair raising! But after Delhi and Kathmandu, I have a new calm- so I might die here- so what.
Checking out our fancy hotel, I was excited to see the view of the Ganges from the deck- if not from our room- as the Lonely Planet guide book- or my imagination described. We were staying at the Palace, after all! But no,that did not happen. The river was not right out the window- oh well- time for dinner. We were really happy with the food- incredibly delicious vegetarian Indian food with entertainment- a 3 person duo- sitar, tabla drummer and a small string instrument that made sitar-ish sounds.The restaurant was quite elegant, with old world charm and the food arrived on a silver platter! In the middle of the round tray was rice , surrounded by 7 small bowls of yummy stuff- yogurt sauce, a dessert pastry, a raw veggie salad,dahl(soup) and 2 delicious cooked vegetable dishes and one exquisite sauce. I thought- this food is so delectable ($8 each) I will be able to get thru anything. Our room was small but very nicely decorated.
And we set the alarm for our 6:00 am sunrise boat ride the next day. After dinner I wanted to go straight to bed, without a stroll outside- I wanted to save the magic for the morning or maybe I didn’t have the energy to meet Varansai quite yet.
Fog and more fog greeted us in the morning and we could barely see as we stepped out the front door of our hotel to meet our guide. We had arranged the night before, with the front desk, to hire a boatman and a guide. Again- I wanted to not waste time and to be prepared! ($20). It was cold at 6:00 am and I was glad to have my chilly clothes that I was wearing the past month in KMD. The first thing I saw, after meeting our guide was a row of shaving stands set up for men- a dapper guy was using a long handled blade and shaving foam to spruce up his customers! Mind boggling- right at the edge of the street. Then I saw a huge cow in the street and piles of cow shit next to a chai tea stand. My stomach was slightly turning by now and our guide said “because of the fog, we will watch a small ceremony for the sunrise, ok?” Sure- whatever! Trying to be in the Go with the Flow thing! We proceeded down a dirt embankment and there before us was an elaborate staged ritual taking place and I was trying to inconspicuously grab my camera! Holy Moly ! What have we stumbled upon and how did This happen! I was feeling extremely fortunate to experience whatever this was- I wasn’t sure What to make of it. Maybe we really lucked out with our fancy hotel- location location.
An ornate set up was before us, consisting of a long narrow stage( actually separate table like shapes) with about 8 young men wearing elaborate gold Indian outfits with turban headpieces- seated along the stage. In front of each were gold objects which light up with fire as they go about their ritual dance like movements, all choreographed and to chanting music pouring out of a loud speaker! Very Busbie Berkley if you ask me! I was enthralled by the spectacle of the whole thing- and just out our hotel room door! There was a load of red plastic chairs neatly set up and filled by an audience by the time we got there . I looked around the crowd- mostly locals and a few Westerners like us. When the show was over t front of each were gold objects which light up with fire as they go about their ritual dance like movements, all choreographed and to chanting music pouring out of a loud speaker! Very Busbie Berkley if you ask me! I was enthralled by the spectacle of the whole thing- and just out our hotel room door! There was a load of red plastic chairs neatly set up and filled by an audience by the time we got there . I looked around the crowd- mostly locals and a few Westerners like us. When the show was over there was a sitar concert on a separate stage and then there was going to be a Yoga class! Had I died and gone to heaven? I pictured myself running back to the hotel for my yoga mat, when I was introduced to the yoga teacher. I saw no place for people to do yoga, so I asked him”are you teaching yoga here?” He said” we are doing pranayama. ” – yoga breathing exercises- which I like- but by now I had my guide still hanging by our sides and I said Time for the boat ride on the Ganges River!
Filled with the magic of the gold dancing fire boys I was ready to throw myself at the frightening scene- come what may of the dirtiest and holiest that India could offer- coming at me! Ready Set Go!
We carefully stepped aboard the bow of a large wooden row boat and found our way to the blanket that marked our seat. ( I was thinking- graceful me- as I daintly traversed the rocky ship , thanks to Pilates classes)and we settled ourselves down for a boat ride into hell.
Fog Fog and more Fog was blanketing us from seeing much of Anything! ( we spent $20 for this?) And our guide explained that December and January are the foggy months in Varansai( I’m thinking why didn’t I plan our trip better!) I was surprised that after an hour on the boat, the fog hadn’t lifted. Wow- serious fog! We could see nothing of the shore and we were having close calls with other boats! We were approached by a boat selling small packets of bird food and our guide bought one and started tossing the food to the sea gulls. I thought – how entertaining of him- stuck with a foggy day,he is doing the best he can! A moment later we had another boat come along side us with trinkets to sell. His boat was a roving gift shop! Horray’ retail therapy time! I bought 2 strings of bright wooden beads which beat anything I saw in KMD! Yippee – and cheap! 50 cents each. Onward sailors! Things were looking up,when suddenly our guide said land ho! We are going ashore! Do you want to see the Golden Temple? I wasn’t so sure- I had signed up for a boat ride-not an excursion! Was I going to be a party pooper? Nope- Ready or Not – here we come! So we are pulling into shore and I am walking over muddy rocks – wondering what I am in for and we start climbing stairs and I am hoping I am in shape for this- I am just a yogi- we’ll see and then I’m seeing piles of wood logs – this is where the bodies are burned and this is where the wood is stored-a lot like Hell and then our friendly guide explains a wall decoration that illustrates reincarnation. It seems that if you are lucky enough to die and be burned here in Varansai, that you will not have to repeat your next life as a human! You will be liberated from the endless cycle of life after life- you can pass Go to Jail and go straight to the blissful world of spirit! Yipee! We start to move upward thru narrow tunnels to see the Golden Temple, passing cattle and motorcycles and standing water and cow shit and guys carrying logs on their backs- reminding me of the movie Ben-
Hur and finally we are coming to sacred territory where no picture taking is allowed and our guide tells us that we are entering the most sacred place in Varansai and thousands of Indiam pilgrims or visitors come here each day. Then we are led into a room where we are to lock up our valuables- cameras and cell phones and anything metal – our whole backpacks went in there- into a locker and Allynn kept the key , then we went thru pat down security! Apparently this was all about terrorism .Then our guide said step up here- pointing to the stone stairs and I did that- and he said see the golden temple? I could certainly see a gold plated roof- tall and rounded- I wanted to see the whole thing-he said that is all you can see of it – really? All that security was for a peek at the rooftop? Whatever- back thru alleyways we recovered our belongings and came upon an odd sight- a French chef with a crate full of croissants for sale!! And about 50 cents each! I gobbled down 2 and I asked him where He came from- France, he said and he said he Lives here- in Varansai now- baffling surprise to me! And were his croissants delicious!! I asked where his pastry shop is and he pointed to the plastic box holding his delicacies.
He’s not ready for prime time. While we were at it, we tried the chai tea at the stand across from the stone wall from where we were sitting. It is sold in tiny plastic cups about 2 inches high- for 20 cents a cup. Feeling fortified we were ready to make our trip Back to the boat and by now I would be able to See the shore and the craziness of the Ganges where everyone goes to wash away their sins, bathe, brush their teeth and do their laundry.
Sun was shining by now and the fog was a thing of the past and as we got back into our boat I was stripping out of my wintry jackets and welcoming summer! Feeing cheery a warm glow appeared over everything as we saw for the first time the majesty of the ancient architecture and temples that line the bank. Stairs and walkways border the historic and ancient Ganges River. I felt overwhelmed to be in this sacred place that I have heard so much about and I was not the least bit disappointed by what I saw. I felt totally in awe of it all and it was a Lot to take in! I was Most curious about how people bathe in the river. Are they really willing to undress in public? Yes- the men are- not the women. And it seems most of the men keep their undies on. Seems to me. Well, making it back to our hotel( by 11:00 am ) I was ready for a Long nap! I was so glad to close my eyes and seal in all that I had just experienced. Rest awhile.
Ready for our next adventure- to find food , I collected my sunglasses and backpack with water bottle and we headed towards the lobby of the hotel. We were stopped by a big blustery American gentlemen surrounded by his Indian servants and handing out money to them looking like an imposing Earnest Hemingway type with charm and an annoying dose of arrogance. He began making introductions to his guides and then he said- oh, the best one- let me call him and suddenly I am talking to some voice on his phone- thinking we are done with the guide thing- the scene that I am interested in is the river and the steps! It is wonderfully simple and goes on for such a long way, you could walk all day and I don’t think you would reach the end of the stairs.
Then he said You just Have to go to the evening ceremony at 6:00 pm. Take a rickshaw and go the back alley way and then when you get there, go down to the river where they have seating on boats docked at the water- that is the best view, and then when it is over, pay the guy 20 rupees- no matter what he says.
We tucked that idea back in our head for later and start walking to a pizza place for a late lunch, when we hear Allynn’s name being called and we realized our friend from the yoga ashram in KMD had found us and we are So Happy to see a familiar face in this strange, far away land. Sharon is a brave solo traveler from Isreal and she showed us to a restaurant called Om cafe,which we would never have found on our own. As you enter and walk up the stairs, each stair has a heart painted on it and the words- free hugs. I am thinking this place is for me!! We had the most delicious pizza with eggplant and all different veggies on it- plus a chai tea and we reminisced about the ashram and KMD. I met the American lady in charge-she refers to herself as a homeless person from California and how she fell in love with the town of Varanasi and has been living here for 13 years. She says she works for an Indian family. It is their place- trying to put the pieces together, I checked out her gift shop, on one floor and I bought lovely floral top that fits nicely. She recommended a medication for Allynn’s upset stomach and where to find it. Her name is Shivani and her Webb site is www.touchoflight.us . shivani@onemain,com. Her place is Aum Cafe and the food is organic and super clean and her teas and coffees are made from filtered water. She is warm, pretty and delightful and she took us under her wing right away. She recommended another hotel as our 2 nights at the fancy hotel where we were paying $120 a nite were nearly over. We followed he lead to see the one she recommended with pretty stained glass windows right over the street, but it didn’t have internet . So we walked a block to another place our guide had recommended. Holy Ganges View Hotel- $16 a nite and we said ok- we will move in tomorrow.
Evening was drawing near and we were planning to go to the big ceremony that takes place on the river- quite a hike along the river walkway from our hotel. We gathered our warm jackets and backpacks and walked out the front door of our hotel where our rickshaw driver was waiting for us! I had my flashlight and water bottle too and we have never done the rickshaw thing before! It looks like a taxi with one wheel that extends out in front and 2 behind. The driver sits in the front and we sat behind. There are no doors on the sides- it is all open but there is a piece of fabric for privacy if you are so inclined. My main concern was what to hold onto as we drove and very soon into the ride I was kicking myself that we could have walked along the Ganges and found the place ourselves- especially because you feel you are on a wild ride from Disney and your senses are totally rattled and motorcycles and bikes are coming at you from every direction and there are no stop lights and it is the determination of the driver to get you there- hopefully in one piece and you feel like you are a pawn in a video game and- this can’t be happening! Our driver slows to a stop and says- time to get out – you can walk the rest of the way. He parks his vehicle and returns to escort us thru the maze of alleyways that I recognize from the mornings’s adventure. But even walking is hazardous because motorcycles cut you off at every intersection, the pavement is highly uneven and occasional cows force you to stop and get out of the way altogether. I am glad I have my flashlight and I can Not imagine returning to our hotel when this thing is over and it is darker! and going back in this fashion in the rickshaw- I am having annoying thoughts about that pompous American at the hotel who said You just Have to do it This way! Oh yea? Not Me! Allynn seemed to be taking it all in stride – he was Enjoying seeing the back alleyways! We finally came to the Gange, where the evening event was taking place and I looked for the boat seating the ugly American recommended. We said good buy to the rickshaw driver, feeling we could navigate our way back to our hotel on our own- via boat or by walking along the Ganges, and settled into our boat with a front row view of the event, which was already in action. A repeat of the morning event , I thought- with the gold guys on their platforms with their props and fire equipment. I looked around at the scene, with folks watching like us from boats and wondered how we were going to negotiate with this guy for the price. I was already restless, as We’d seen this show already and I was contemplating asking our boat guy if he could row us back to our hotel. When I looked around again at the boats surrounding us and I realized we were trapped- no way to get our boat out of the sea of boats . So we patiently watched the spectacle in front of us until we could take no more, and we told our boat guy to take us to shore and we would walk back to our hotel. Easier said than done! We hadn’t navigated the huge walkway in the day light so even tho I had my flashlight, we both felt frightened as we paraded into the warm evening on an adventure we will never forget. All was well and we found our hotel eventually, after a 40 minute stroll on historic pavement that was erie and fine. As we passed folks also strolling- without flashlights, I never felt like I was in harms way or someone might rob us. There is a universal gentleness here between all people, because they are all apart of the Namaste culture, and they all seem to follow the laws of karma- so they wouldn’t do anything bad to anyone else. At least that is my take on the scene here. There is a gentle, caring vibe that permeates everything. And we were both Very glad to get back to our fancy hotel and have another one of those delicious dinners!! What a long and magical day!! We came , we conquered , we survived Varanasi!

For our last day in Kathmandu, I wanted to spend the afternoon in our favorite place , the temple plaza area called Durbar Square. First we were shipping off a huge box of souvenirs back home. We had a big duffle bag full of stuff and our hotel manager said we could ship it with his friend. So Allynn carried it on his back and we followed Babu,the hotel manager on a long walk and down an alley way. I was feeling dubious about the whole thing. Everyone is in the shipping business here,so you can go to several places and compare prices. Another odd thing here is that the more your package weighs, the less it costs! Very Alice in Wonderland. Allynn could explain it- I was just hoping for the best, and feeling more dubious when the guy opened up a big cardboard box and began taping it up. But things were in motion and I just watched nervously as all of our new treasures which I lovingly chose on the streets of Nepal were tossed into the flimsy box willy nilly, along side with some winter clothes we were thru with- we’re onto warmer climates now. The box was taped closed and I ran my fingers over the tape, noticing the spaces where the tape was floating above the cardboard; it wasn’t sticking, and I thought oh well, it is on its way. Price to ship- $150. Time will tell- it is supposed to arrive in 5 days.
On to Durbar Square, feeling lighter and carefree- we resumed our walk on a sunny day towards Durbar Sq- a half hour walk down the arduous and dusty streets of KMD.
There is an entrance gate with a fee of $15.00 per person for foreigners.
And if you wish to return you can search for the special office, which we did the first time and we were given a special card allowing free entry as often as we wished afterwards. So we showed our special card and went inside the gate. We were approached by a gentleman who offers personal tours of the square and made a deal on the spot. He agreed to $5.00 and we were off.
First, he pointed out the three styles of temples on the square. The pagoda style which is the dominant look of the place is the Nepalese design. The softly rounded topped temple buildings are Moslem and
The pointy ones are Hindu. I found his information fascinating and so helpful. Next he explained that Gods and Goddesses control everything in the temples and in the lives of the people. He said there are over 33 Million gods and goddesses! No wonder I found all this goddess stuff confusing! He said there are three main ones-Shiva- goddess of destruction, Vishnu, God of protection and Brahma, God of creation. And Garuda- half man and half bird, who transports Vishnu. Oh yea, that is who that sculpture is of on the plaza- the figure seated with wings- who has one knee up. Ah ha! I’d thought that was a woman. Then he went on to say that of all the millions of gods there are, they are all reincarnated versions of the main group of 3 ! Comforting, I thought . They are all a big family! Our guide ushered us into a museum building that was once upon a time the residence of the king and queen of Nepal, and is now open to the public. We saw the bathing areas, one for the king and one for the queen. They were round pools made of concrete surrounded with concrete statues of snakes and fighting deities to protect the bathers. The windows are all covered with a wooden screen of sorts, so the person inside can see out but they themselves cannot be seen at all. This window treatment is seen everywhere in Nepal and Tibet and it is a distinguishing architectural element. Clever, discreet and captivating and those words are fitting for the next part of our journey at Durbar square.
Recently I picked up a book called The living Goddess. It is a fascinating tradition in Nepal of choosing a special young girl between the ages of 3 and 12 to play the part of being a Kumari- a living goddess. It is said that a mythological goddess takes over her body so the Kumari is powerful. And she is living in Durbar square and makes daily appearances – and we were hoping to see her! She is chosen by the ranking of her family line and by her beauty and clear skin She stays inside,every day with the exception of one day a year when she is paraded around in public for everyone to see. She is protected at all times , for fear that her skin may get a cut , for if she bleeds the mythological goddess will leave her body and when she has her first menstrual period her goddess days are over and she goes back to her home where she came from.;then a new Kumari is searched for.. Her main duty is to appear daily in the window overlooking the courtyard of her home. She is not supposed to smile and from reading the book about her it seems that between appearances she plays with her dolls. Allynn and I made our way excitedly to the house our guide pointed out at 4:00 pm and stepped nervously inside. There above us were three windows in a row and we watched the crowd growing in the courtyard. An announcement was made about no picture taking and suddenly two older women appeared in the outside windows and a moment later a girl wearing a red silk long sleeved dress appeared. I saw her face and I was looking for the red lips that are everywhere in pictures of the Kumari. I didn’t see red lips . She stared out to her public for about 5 seconds then she turned and vanished.wow, we Saw her! Then, suddenly there was some shouting about a camera, and a lady from one of the windows above was pointing across the courtyard to a gentleman near the stone wall. He was shaking his head -no- when a security man rushed to his side and grabbed his camera. He looked at it – I couldn’t tell what was going on too well- and the man was given back his camera and the incident was over. A few minutes later the girl in red appeared again, for the same short time,and I applauded. I was the only one who clapped but it felt like the thing to do. As we exited the stone chamber I saw a new crowd, waiting to enter and I realized this goes on and on! That was our final moment at Durbar Square and we parted, feeling we’d been touched by the magic, We thought -can you imagine this- at Disney!

This was an unbelievable day. I learned so much about the story of the Tibetan people- how they were forced to walk away from their homes into Nepal , Bhutan, or India  because the Chinese wanted the uranium and minerals in the land and they were told they would be returning home – which was all a lie. The Nepal govt. gave the Tibetan people several pieces of land to live on  around KMD and Pokhara, which is where we had a chance to visit several of their settlements . Our guide, Thupten Guyatso, runs his own business-
wwwtibetan-encounter. com   He was named after the  Dalai Lama. And  he is a brilliant Tibetan, doing a great service for his people and  helping to educate the world- one by one.
After a 20 minute bouncy drive over  back roads of Pokhara we pulled up to a huge metal gate and a sign naming the settlement.  We drove into a grassy lawn and proceeded on a walking tour  with our informative guide. He explained how each family was given a house – one room and they are all the same size.- about 12 by 12 ft.  There was a fire place in the center and around that they lived and slept.  It was money from the US and Switzerland that provided money for all the buildings- their homes, all attached in long rows, medical and school buildings etc. And the settlements have been in place for 50 years. In their native country of Tibet the people were accustomed to spending the whole winter living in tents with a fire in the center and their clothes were animal skins . They ate mostly meat and they would
grind barley into a powder which they mixed with butter tea to create a hot cereal- high protein – and the Trekkers of today – they say- carry this powder with them.
Rug weaving
On the porch of the rug weaving shop  were 3 women seated on cushions,  spinning wool.  Our guide said that there is so little pay for what they are doing that their families encouraged them to not bother with it and just stay home. But then they would be so lonely! They would prefer to be sitting together- doing something simple and repetitive with their hands-(yes- like a meditation- where their fingers dance over the  soft fibers of wool and transform it into yarn) and they have each other to Talk to!! Aren’t  they the fortunate ones.
Inside the weaving shop we learned the same thing about these young women who are doing the rug making. There is just spending money- pocket change to be made doing the weaving – but they have children at home and if their kids are sick they just stay home – they have flexibility which suits them. It takes about 4 months to learn how to weave a rug. They sit on a bench facing a loom with a paper nearby with the design they are creating. It looks to me like it takes a lot of concentration  but it too can be a meditation. The rugs they are making are small- about 15 by 15 inches and they sell for $20 in the gift shop. They take 4 days to make.
Noodle shop
The Tibetans have out -of -work teens so they created a pasta making business in one room which some of the kids are running. There is a mixing machine that mixes flour, eggs, and water. And on the drying rack we admired the beautiful  results- an eye catching  abstract  sculpture of semi translucent pasta suspended elegantly, waiting to dry, to be cut, and to be bagged.  Because  Nepal is given money by the Chinese government, Nepal is not allowed to give any rights of citizenship to the Tibetan settlers. Therefore they do not have passports and they cannot leave the country. They cannot own a car, property, or operate a business either, so the pasta business they created sells their product only to the settlement itself and a few other Tibetan groups.
Teen sewing project
Designed for out of work teens, the sewing room is a bag making factory.
We saw traditional woven fabrics being turned into small and large bags with a shoulder strap. Our guide pointed out how the inside layer is a piece of fabric from a used rice  bag. And as the young man was at his sewing machine, cranking out parts of bags, he was watching something on his cell phone.
Tibetan medical consultation
Finding it is odd to be seeing a doctor on a sightseeing tour, I was nonetheless curious and willing to have this opportunity. Can you imagine in the USA, after visiting  an American Indian reservation, they
say- and now for your apt with a witch doctor!  On second thought I would probably welcome that! As I have a condition for which I have found no cure and is one of the main reasons for taking this trip. The lovely Tibetan doctor has spent the morning seeing her Tibetan patients who live in the settlement. We were able to peer into the medical clinic and it was a big open space with no curtains or privacy for the patients. I saw several people laying on their backs with their legs uncovered, with what looked like needles poking into them. Acupuncture?  And all medical services are free. However, Tibetan medicine cannot deal with cuts, injuries, broken bones, things of that nature. Chronic conditions which they refer to as Wind conditions are created by a problem of the nervous system , and they are adept at solving those things.  So, I was curious  when she was holding my wrist and feeling my pulse, I was wondering what she was finding!  I did explain to her as we first met, that I have a case of dry mouth. And I acquired it at my job, where I have worked for 8 years in a hospital with children who have brain rumors. I told her that I love being with the children but I think the stress of observing their conditions is hard on me . She closed her eyes and asked if I have cold hands and feet. I said yes. I told her I have very low blood pressure and she said that I have poor circulation in my legs and in general a weak constitution.  She said she would prescribe a medication to take at bedtime to help me relax, and that it might cure my dry mouth. She said I must keep my lower back warm, as it tends to get achey- which it does- from arthritis- (inspite of  or because of decades of yoga ) And she said ” do not go on a raw food diet, it’s not for you”  and no salad at night-only warm foods.
So now I understand that according to Tibetan thought, which I believe also corresponds with Chinese medicine,I have a wind condition, which has nothing to do with farting but everything to do with emotions – which I know already . But the idea of wind is a bit of a pleasant picture! Next it was Allynn’s turn with the lady doctor. He gave her his wrist and we waited  to see what she would say. First she mentioned that he has a problem with a shoulder (which is true) and then she said he has high cholesterol -also true- and she said he should drink hot water to thin his blood. And he needs more exercise. Yes- I agreed!  Allynn then made some balloons for the doctor for which she seemed most grateful. She said that it was almost the most wonderful gift she had ever received!
Lunch time, finally!
We were escorted into one of the Tibetan’s homes where we were served the basic Tibetan meal which I have come to understand is the same as a Nepalese meal. It is what we had at the yoga ashram for breakfast and dinner and it makes a great lunch as well. And now I was happy to see the familiar mound of rice on a circular metal plate surrounded by chopped greens that taste like collard greens, something that looks like cooked brown twigs and a small scoop of reddish brown paste which I know now to be the spicy stuff. So our usual approach is to mix it all up on top of the rice. And served in a separate small bowl is the soup- made usually out of peas-this time lentils and it was delicious! I poured some of the soup on top of the rice mixture and scooped it up with a big spoon to eat it . The locals use their fingers! I am not going there!  We sat on low wide benches that are covered with the same kind of carpets we saw being made that morning, but our guide told us the families make their own. I could feel how the benches easily transform into beds and I felt ready to test one out- when I was told it was time to go. Off we went on our next adventure but I insisted it was time to shop- as we passed a Tibetan lady with her jewelry all laid out in her own stand. She told me she had made everything herself and I figured her prices would be better than what I would find in KMD. So I took my time, enjoying a moment of retail therapy! By now I was also wanting my tea time, but our guide would have nothing of it! No rest for the weary.
Kindergarten was next on our agenda  where Allynn did balloons for all the kids.  Their classrooms open to a nice grassy lawn with some jungle gyms ( painted yellow red and green) and the teachers brought the kids out to meet the balloon man. Allynn made a balloon head band for each child and for the teachers as well. Lots of laughter and merriment. Our guide said that there are strict laws for the educational requirements for the teachers. And they are paid very well.
Our day is building to a climax as we head off to a Tibetan monastery across town in the little white car (with driver)  and again we pull up to a gate- this time with colorful statues of deer on it.  I recognized the tradional colors- burgundy painted on the fence with gold and yellow. It looked beautiful and exotic . It felt like a dream, like I was entering the forbidden city. I grabbed my I phone to be ready to capture the moment and as we parked and got out of the car, we were high up on a cliff, facing the valley below and in front of us was a tree with some jabbering monkeys. “This way” our guide called. We had an appointment with a monk and should not be late! I surveyed the area for souvenir stands but saw nothing so I dutifully charged on. We approached a huge courtyard with a center garden with a colorful fountain in the middle. Straight ahead I photographed a monastery temple building with large steps. On either side are huge imposing dorm buildings which house the monks.
We sat on the stairs, waiting for our meeting with our monk! It seemed funny to me, like something out of reality tv; we had 10 minutes to find out the private life of a genuine monk.
I felt a little embarrassed by the whole situation but I knew Allynn would take over with this  and sure enough, a young, strapping  football player of a kid showed up, wearing dark red monk pants, red sneakers and a bright orange t shirt. What a winning smile and a warmth he displayed. Of course Allynn makes everyone smile with his winning ways. We heard all about his education which is rigorous . He has all the basic high school classes to attend plus he has to memorize hundreds of prayers and he has to properly recite them in front of all his monk classmates. I asked him about learning meditation and he said that will come later, but they are learning mindfulness meditation. He seemed like a well rounded monk to me- content with the whole scene.  I don’t recall what age he started there- his monk career.
Almost over! My goodness- this is a lot for me to write- on my I phone!  Almost done
Chanting time in the Temple!
We took our shoes off and carefully entered into another world! I could hardly believe my eyes as we were ushered into the inner sanctum of a real live temple, full of the fog of incense and young boys wearing burgundy robes seated on long benches. We sat to the side on cushions with a good view of the action. Music, chanting, reciting prayers and two huge ancient long necked horns were propped up next to us on the floor. The musicians who bellowed into the mouth pieces were teenage boys, with puffy cheeks, looking more like troublemakers than Angels.  I felt like I was seeing something out of a movie. The elaborate paintings of the life of the Buddha  were on the ceiling in big circles  and the decorative painting spilled down the Columns and onto the walls, giving the huge hall a heavenly glow. The young boys right in front of us looked to be about 8 to 10 years old. They were focused on prayer books in front of them. And we watched as one was playfully poking another by his side, but the stalwart young monk refused to react to his neighbor’s antics. I had seen a sign about no video allowed so I assumed still photos were allowed. And I snapped some, secretly.  The monks go to that prayer ceremony twice a day! Am and Pm. Finally our day was over  after one last meeting with a senior Tibetan gentleman where we were served butter tea(salty broth) and warm flat bread with jam and butter -yea !  Home to our hotel and dinner- it was an amazing day and I couldn’t wait to climb under the covers and close my eyes! That day cast its spell on us, as we learned so much about the Tibetan culture and the torture and suffering the people have been thru. I am embarrassed to admit my lack of knowledge of the whole history of these people. And at the  end of our tour I asked our guide a question that just popped into my head and I felt silly but I asked if the Dalhi Lahma is following in the footsteps of the famous Buddha, Siddhartha. And he said yes.

It felt good to return to Kathmandu yesterday… back to the hotel that feels like our home here (we left a big bag of our stuff here during the week we took off for Pokhara).

We wove thru the crazy streets (people, cars, and motorcycles all fighting for Continue reading “Nothing much to say today” →

The other day we chanced to meet a gentleman from Tibet who runs tours of the local settlements for refugees. His passion for these people and their cause sold us on taking his all day tour yesterday.

We visited a monastery where sat for about 20 minutes having a conversation with a Monk (he’s a 24-year old student there… and has been studying there for the past 10 years). We sat in a religious service (taking a few pictures we were later told wasn’t permitted).

We had lunch in a small house with a family there… later we had tea in another along with a traditional paste-type food (a mixture of barley powder with a salty butter tea).

By the end of the day it was like we had taken a college semester course learning about the struggles and hard lives these refugee Tibetan people are having these past 60 years. There is so much we all take for granted that these people can’t even imagine.

 

 

Tomorrow we’re visiting a settlement for refugees from Tibet (some of them have lived here for 50-60 years and they have no rights – They can’t own land, they can’t own a business… not even a car. They can’t become citizens in Nepal (the government here owes big favors to China and can’t anger them by being nice to the folks from Tibet) and can’t leave the country because they don’t have passports. I wasn’t planning on bringing balloons, but we’ll be visiting a local school there…. I think I might get the with-drawals if I don’t have some in my pockets…..

 (Click on image for slideshow)

Arriving by Buddha Air from Kathmandu I was hoping to get a great view of Mt. Everest, all covered in snow, but I was very disappointed that we saw only a faint glimpse of a white mountain far off in the distance. Our easy and smooth half hour flight brought us down to a little mountain town called Pokhara, pronounced POk-hara. It is a lake town surrounded by mountains. And it is a vacation place for the Nepalese. And coming down to land I was looking forward to finding a tiny paradise but Continue reading “Finding Pokhara’s Magic” →

After checking into Hotel Tara, we walked along the Lake… passing grass/bamboo shacks where locals sold all sorts of goodies to eat… until we found the perfect one for tea. A young guy, Robin, from the Netherlands was sitting there playing guitar and drinking a beer. We ordered our teas and I made some balloons (including butterfly wings) for Robin. Soon two more guys joined in… one from England, the other from China. Annie bought some oranges from a woman walking by and passed them out to our new friends. Robin told us how he had spent a few weeks living with Monks at their monastery. He was teaching them English, playing songs for them, and talking about his life adventures – these Monks joined the monastery at early ages and had little knowledge of the outside world.
When he left, Robin gave the balloons to a little girl who was eyeing them.

A little while later that evening Annie and I stopped for dinner at a restaurant along the water. When we were almost ready to leave we were watching people gathering their “shops” to take home for the night… and we saw a little girl walking with her Mom along the lake path… still wearing the butterfly wings.
It’s been a nice day.

Artists who don’t fit labels 18 Nov 2014

Our friend, Sharon Lowen, who is a skilled and accomplished dancer as well as a recognized dance scholar/authority in India, used us in an article she wrote last week.

Lucky we saved this place for Thanksgiving Day for it is a memory like no other that I will always treasure. I had no idea what to expect . We walked from our hotel, about 20 minutes and came upon a land , a kingdom from another time and place. Monumental pagoda- like structures rise up towards the sky that took my breath away. I was transfixed by their splendor and many of the architectural wonders invite you to scale their walls ,with giant steps right up the sides . They are full of people admiring the vista below- the crowds of brightly dressed families, colorful rickshaws circling and motorbikes whizzing by, catching you off guard. Another world is at your feet as you watch Continue reading “Durbar Square” →

I keep pronouncing this place something between “Pocahontas” and “Pokeman”.
As Annie relaxes at this resort to get rid of her cough, I’m trying to figure out the new toys I bought for this trip. I got them both a few days before we took off so I didn’t have time to read the manuals…. but on that point, I never read manuals unless I’m desperate.

When I input the pictures (from the iPhones) onto the laptop’s external hard drive I keep getting two files – one .JPG and the other .AAC (maybe it’s “AAE”?) I never had that issue before. At least I found a way to dump all the non-JPG files in two steps rather than individually.

I thought I could just take the memory card out of the camera to import the videos…. but iMovie doesn’t accept the video format this way and I have about 275 clips so far that I don’t want to deal with individually. I just found that I can connect the camera to the laptop with a USB connection and it seems to be loading everything into iMovie. After about 2 hrs of processing it crashed and I set it up a second time. This time it loaded about 225 clips before crashing, but I think these clips are loaded. After this step becomes “automatic” for me my next step will be dealing with iMovie. I loved the older version – it was intuitive and easy to use. I stayed away from the newer version for years because of the learning curve. However this newer laptop won’t work with the older version and I now need to learn this newer version. I can’t think of a nicer setting to work on this…. oops, more para-hang-gliders are coming down into the field of horses, cows, and goats outside our hotel window. gotta go. Maybe I’ll get to post videos in the next few days?

When you arrive to KMD, the first thing you notice is how odd it looks to see so many people wearing respirator masks which cover the mouth and nose. The guide book says to bring a few from home so I picked some up at Home Depot for fumes; not really knowing what kind to get. What they wear here are the thin kind that nurses wear in hospitals. And there are colorful stylish versions, made out of a thin piece of cloth. You can wear a bandana over your nose too. So I packed that stuff but I never took it out of my suitcase. Just seemed too weird to wear one of those things .
About the third day here, I came down with a runny nose. Then we took a trip out of KMD to a hill town Yoga Ashram. We were there for a week and I developed a cold that felt like a cleansing cold, because we had No coffee there – or anywhere. I really got into using the netti pot because it opens up your nasal passages . I blew my nose constantly and every day we’d walk to a tiny hut type of store for more tissues. We did enjoy our time at the ashram but my congestion was Very annoying! Allynn was the shining star of the place. He Loves making conversation and there were plenty of people to talk to. And new folks were arriving from day to day.. He loved having an audience and the yogis there were mesmerized by him. They adored his balloons and all his great tales of our travels and adventures- the whole time he was holding court I was busy keeping track of my tissue and blowing my nose . It is tough sometimes, having to deal with the complications of having a physical body! The cool temps there didn’t help, especially the last night when I shivered the whole night thru.
Getting back to KMD I figured my problems were over . I finally had a warm bed to enjoy . But my cough persisted and after hearing others cough, those staying in the hotel like me, I figured that what I have is the Kathmandu Cough! So That is why they wear those masks ! I get it now!
I haven’t caved in to wear one yet- I feel pretty rotten 1/2 of the day and I am sure hoping to feel better soon.
Allynn had his own cough, before leaving home. After he got his shots for the trip he started coughing at nighttime, for the month before we left. He has a balloon man cough which seems to go with the territory. And his cough is gone now! Pretty much. Leaving for Pokhara, a little mountain town with a lake, I woke one day with a pain in my left rib cage. I thought – Great! I coughed so hard I have cracked a rib! More fun is coming my way! So each time I cough, I have an intense, sharp pain in my rib. Wondering if I did this in the yoga class the other day! It makes me double over when I cough- it hurts so much!!
So You can see I am feeling pretty miserable!
I am an expert on Bronchitis and what I have is similar but different. I am not coughing up green stuff and I figure there is not much I can do for it, other than drink hot tea and use my netti pot. We bought some Himalayan salt for that, some body oil and some eucalyptus balm. So I am resting in a gorgeous resort at the moment. We walked this town, high and low, checking out the hotel scene and it is so interesting what appeals to the weary traveller when you feel sick and all you want to do is rest.
Pokhara is made up of a tacky jumble of tourist buildings facing the lake. But the lake is not visible from the street because there was no thought to the design of this place.The shops and restaurants facing the lake try to stand up tall with 2nd floor cafes and restaurants. It does have a funky feel and Xmas lights are sparkling randomly everywhere as Dusk hits. Like K M D , you have to be careful where you walk. There are endless construction materials everywhere . They worship bricks here- the little red bricks – and they pop up like Leggos on the lawn – no foundation! They just lay ’em down on the dirt or grass and keep stacking! Bizarre- So it is not a restful vacation place- Every hotel is surrounded by a construction site so- after checking out the funky feel of a $ 6.00 a nite hotel –I (thought a tad Too funky for someone feeling crummy ).we started looking at the “resort” section of the guide book! We hired a cab wto take us from the hotel we had rented for one night- the sister hotel of our digs in KMD- with the great bed – The Family Guest House($30) a night. And we asked our driver to take us to a few places that we wanted to see. And the first one looked Great! Everything here, including hotel rooms is negotiable . And the price for our Riverview Resort came down from $150 a nite to $90.
So much for my Ashram tour- My desire for creature comforts took over and I am laying , propped up on TWO pillows in a great room with simple white and dark wood decor, looking out of huge windows that show the lake with mountains beyond and the field outside the window is where para gliders soar from mountain tops and land in front of my nose!! Exciting- and at the Same time, the locals are carrying mountains of straw on their heads, horses are running wild along with goats, cows and huge black male cows with horns coming out of their heads. The lake view is magnificent and now it is evening and it is peaceful . The Para- gliders are gone and I am looking forward to watching the excitement tomorrow. Hope to be Better Soon! Yours, the Little Match Girl . Want to show up? Surprise us! WWW.waterfrontresortnepal,com
What Culture Clash! Love to You All! Annie

Annie and I spent this Thanksgiving in Kathmandu’s Durbar Square – a place a friend recommended saying, “you just sit having a coffee and watch the world go by.” It’s magical. Here are pictures of us with our Thanksgiving “family”.

Later Annie and I went to a restaurant that was having a “traditional” Thanksgiving diner…. or at least as American traditional as it gets here. We sat with a sweet Frenchman who was on his own, listened to local musicians playing folk music from Nepal… then they surprised us playing “Oh Danny Boy”. The food was also a surprise, it was really very good.

Wishing you all a special and magical Thanksgiving!