Thamel Nepal, Bodhanath Stupa, Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

Nepal.

This March Tabi-Chan and I traveled to Thamel, Nepal.  The trip had plenty of ups and downs (including my mood.. sorry guys) and I’m fairly certain I ate my weight in momos and curry. We began our trip from Osaka to Nepal with a SERIOUSLY long layover in China. I recommend if you ever have the chance to enjoy a 15 hour layover in China, AVOID IT!!! Like the plague!!! China was terrible.

Out of the four flights we had to take, three were late by at least an hour or more and the people we had the, I’ll use the word pleasure, to encounter were less than favorable. Then we had the pleasure of sleeping on the floor in the airport for a time (this is where I was MORE than grumpy) and finally we decided to shell out the dough and sleep in a lounge in the airport. Our nice little chairs gave some comfort and eventually I stopped being an ass and fell asleep. If you are in the situation to reserve a flight with China Eastern to save a few bucks, DON’T! Just spend the money to take a different airline and save yourself the headache. Or don’t and suffer the wrath of crazy travelers taking photos out the plane windows (the entire ride….oh look a cloud!), more than rude flight attendants, a grumpy attitude when you have to hang out in an airport for 15 hours (yes…twice), and being ushered through the airport security like you may have some sort of disease and getting yelled at when you don’t understand the Mandarin being spoken around you. Needless to say, I was less than impressed with my experience in China.

Now on the Nepal and the over consumption of curry!

http://www.trekkershome.com/

If you are looking to stay in Nepal for a short time and see some of the local sight, I would highly suggest bunking down in Thamel at Trekkers’ Home Hostel. Run by a helpful group, Trekkers home is a fair priced hostel in the center of Thamel. Surrounded by shops and restaurants, Trekkers Home was a perfect location for a hopping around the city by day and stuffing your face with Nepalese food in the evenings. The owner is extremely helpful and very prompt with communication before and during your stay. He helped us several times with travel arrangements and even spoke a little Japanese! I was very impressed! If you choose to stay there, they provide airport pickup and drop off for a reasonable fee (I think around 5 UDS) but be careful at the airport. We had men take our bags and all they did was put them in the trunk (we could have done this) and they DEMANDED money. They refused to let the car leave without us giving them money, it was rather uncomfortable if you ask me.

After settling in to Trekkers Home and making some arrangements with the owner, we grabbed some curry (of which I could never eat enough) and went to sleep to prepare for the Holi Festival the next day.

 

We were slightly hesitant that morning as we wondered whether or not the festival would start that day. So we dressed accordingly and to our enjoyment, in no time were COVERED in colors and the warm HAPPY HOLI ! of the locals. Holi is a great time of year for the Nepalese and is something they enjoy sharing with everyone. Granted not all Nepalese locals love this holiday, the majority are kind and willing to involve you in the debauchery. WARNING. As a foreigner, you WILL be a target! If you are not ready and willing to be singled out by dirty water, hand fulls of color to the face, and dyed water balloons, I would not recommend joining in this holiday.  We spent the whole of the day walking the streets enjoys the cries of Happy HOLI and being chased by kids with bags full of water. At one point we wandered into one of the squares to find a HUGE dancing mob! Filled with anticipation I was more than willing to dive on in! Unfortunately, people are at time rude and I was quick to leave the mob after being rudely molested by a creepy local guy. It was so offensive and scary that I about hit the man for it.

We continued our day stopping around 1 or so to refuel my curry needs and take a break from being spattered with color. Looking around that day everyone seemed to be adorning some sort of powdery layer, even our poor waiter got attacked by some tourists and ended up half red for the rest of his shift.

The next day, after being assured we would be mobbed by color, we set out to find Swayambhunath, The Monkey Temple, of which I was more than anxious to see. If you are staying in Thamel and don’t mind the walk, it is about 30-40 minutes away on foot and easily found with a little guidance and a map. Most often than not if we just asked people were very kind and pointed us in the right direction. A little lost on our way we eventually made it to a point where we could see the temple atop the mountain and figured if we could see it, we could find it. Walking along the streets I began to feel extremely lucky for all I have at home in the US and in Japan. The rugged buildings (often missing walls) of schools and homes coupled with the never ending mountains of trash in every direction made me realize I could have it a lot worse in life. It’s a great way to think about the simple things that make your life easy and be grateful for all you have.

As we arrived at the temple steps and I spotted my first monkey on a wire, I was a little taken back by the amount of people lining the stairs to the temple peddling goods. This was not subsided as we approached the top and instead of a beautiful temple area with monks and monkeys, I found SHOPS! Lining every nook and taking much of the calm feelings I was looking forward to away. After a turn around the top and a short time trying to decipher what I could ( and it was a fair amount) from the Japanese tour I happened upon, I settled down in a small area off the left of the entrance to watch the ever elusive monkeys bop around in the trees lining the walls. 

After a short time a young girl wandered up toward where I was and with a welcoming smile from me she climbed up to sit with me and chat. Her English was conversational and she told me about her family and her Christian school down the street. When she found out how old I was and that I wasn’t married or had children, she began to lecture me about how people are supposed to get married and have babies. That’s apparently what I’m lacking in life according to an 8 year old. I finished up our chat and left to find my group. The monkey temple IS a beautiful place and I don’t mean to make it seem as though its not worth the trip, however once you get past the monks with iPhones and the merchants practically begging you to purchase goods, it’s a lot less monkey and a lot more pigeon.

MONKEY TEMPLE
A lot less monkey than I would have expected...... 

This monkey STOLE this food from someone giving an offering. They looked offend but he was pretty darn happy 

Hiding with his stolen goods 

Tabi-Chan sees the world. One temple, shrine , and stupa at a time! 

They look happy but it was really hot! 

ah... motherhood 

This isnt at the temple. Its at viewing sight somewhere else that I cant recall the name of.

Durbar Square a Man and His Goat

One of the most mentioned attractions for the Kathmandu City area in most travel guides is something called Durbar Square. To our understanding it was supposed to be a special area that had many shops and sights to see and this was the case, except for the fact the Durbar Square is basically what they call every square area and surrounding shopping. We did however have the chance to see a few interesting local happenings as we walked through the streets and took in the locals and their morning routines.

Some interesting happenings in Durbar Square that morning with a protest against petrol prices, women lining the streets with offerings and a man reading the paper with a goat at his side. It was rather entertaining when he realized the goat was there as well. Shocked is a good way to describe it.

Trying to learn the different ways to use my camera came out kid of cool. 

The ADORABLE dog decided to follow me around and play with me.

LOOOOOKIT him! I would have kept you puppy! 

Inside the stupa area.

Best advertising ever 

 Bodnath

On our final outing of the trip we headed to Bodnath Temple in Kathmandu. One of the most important temples for many Buddhist Nepalese, it is also a place of refuge for Tibetans as they progress toward a life outside of the war torn area of Tibet. A circular temple meant to walked slowly while chanting a mantra or mediating inside the stupa area while soaking in some sun. Much like every other tourist area in Nepal, you can barter some wears from the shops lining the temple and taste some local cuisine at one of the many surrounding cafes.

As far as travel to Nepal, I would recommend that you spend the majority of your time trekking if possible and get out of the city. Unless you are dead set on getting a few good deals on cheap merchandise, than Thamel is where it’s at for you. Nepal is definitely an interesting place to visit. Be your trip centered on shopping, trekking, sights or just some leisure yoga in the birth place of the Buddha. Nepal is worth a visit for any and all types of travelers.

Pashupati.
Just below is where they perform cremations for funerals. I didn't feel right taking a photo of it but I wanted to show the stupa. 

This monkey scared me! I thought he was going to charge at us! He gave us a serious look over before springing down and away. 

Our guest house provided us with a car to drive us around for a few hours for a small fee. It was really helpful. 

Himeji Kodera Toy Museum

This weekend I had the lovely opportunity to visit the Himeji Toy museum near my school in Kodera.

We were taken there by some friends, however it is easily accessed by train and a short walk.
If you leave from Himeji Main Station and take the Bantan Line (usually track 1 or 2) toward Teramai it is 230 yen from Himeji to Koro station. When you exit at the station there is a map just above the walk way to the toy museum for reference. Otherwise it is about a ten minute or so walk (or if you go the wrong way like I did it will take a little longer).

The museum is around 6 small houses filled with traditional toys from around the world and especially from Japan. There is also a small workshop you can take part in where you learn about the shell game called Kai-awasei (http://guide-japan.seesaa.net/article/137579704.html).  WE painted our own shells and played a quick game with some local kiddos, who were far better at it then the adults and FAST! Needless to say children show no mercy.

After taking some time to create a beautiful shell set and playing a round of Kai-awasei I would highly recommend milling about the museums houses and seeing the toys from anywhere and everywhere. I was especially confused by the chicken with actual breast I saw in the gift shop.

In one of the main houses you can take your time and regress into youth a little by playing with some traditional Japanese toys and maybe even buying one or two in the tiny shop.

This museum is fairly low cost at around 500 yen for the museum fee and 300 yen for the shell painting. Luckily we had a friend who got a small discount for us. :) its not really much to start out with but its a great day trip price.

As for things to do after the museum, Kodera is no relatively built up, though you can find small shops for something to eat or a cup of joe before you hop back on the train into town. As for the train a fair warning. Its a local line and the train times are not too frequent, at times only once an hour. Be sure to check the times before you head out and back.  If you find yourself waiting at the station do yourself a favor and walk just across the street to the small bakery and grab a snack. If you come early enough in the day it has many delicious breads and sandwiches to choose from and a nice counter to relax at so you don't have to eat at the station.

Oh and if you are in the cache hunting mood ....there is one there! Helen found it hidden away near the museum. Happy hunting if you do.

Matt and John having WAY too much fun playing with trains. 

A little shell painting to relax. I must say their shells looked WAY better than mine. Maybe shell painting isnt my thing....

Chicken breast anyone...? No idea why this was in the toy museum gift shop, but its Japan...so its normal. 

Meditation and Living room Yoga

I have to start by saying I've only attempted mediation once before, and failed miserably at it. Ive sat in silence and focused on my breathing, thought whimsical meditationy thoughts about rivers and trees, then jumped from those visions to find myself wondering if I left the laundry in the washer or if that really fat pigeon I saw was able to fly far distances.
I am gifted with a busy mind (and body) that haven't stopped moving since I was born. In recent years Ive fought against my need to talk, to move, to be active and interactive, all in vain. In reading and continuing my studies through learning about myself and other I have found that to fight against who I am is simply just another things I busy myself with. Why bother, right? I'm not hurting myself by being social, I don't think I'm hurting the universe either.

I recently again in my life found myself wondering about religions and beliefs, why we have the ideas of God [in any form] and why it creates such controversy. Honestly I have no idea. I believe that in some way all religions are connected in the central idea that there is a great power in us all to be divine and pure in our own lives. But then... religious affiliates are so aggressive in their manners at times that I wonder if they truly understand what they are fighting for. Be fore you turn away an cast the idea my direction that I am some crazy liberal hippy that doesn't know a thing about religion because "how can you know if you havent yadda yadda..." please consider that maybe, I don't know. An d I'm ok with that. I'm ok with not knowing every verse of a bible or chant of a mantra. I don't know what spiritual concepts guide me and I honestly couldn't even narrow down what religion really is. But I WANT to know. This is my new journey.

Ive begun a more continual and daily practice of Yoga stretching and relaxation and I hope to soon find a time in my days for mediation and reflection on the bustle. I wont be scouting down a guru and moving to a temple in a far off land [just yet] but I think it will be interesting to discover what it all becomes as a whole.

I see those around me dashing from here to there, busy in their need to do what ever it is they are doing and wonder why we are always, as a species, so busy. Ive found that the less I talk the more people ask, "are you ok?" like my silence is a sign of a greater illness and not just me listening to what they have to say. I know its weird because I am essentially a compulsive talker, but I need to learn to really listen.

Its strange to think that I suddenly at the age of 26 think its time to figure out what this whole religion thing is all about and decide for myself how i feel about it in an informed manner. ut heck, who knows what Ill find and who knows how Ill feel. I could emerge a devout atheist from this all but who cares really. Its a journey Im ready to take.

Until I know. Im just going to keep reading, trying and doing yoga in my living room.  

February 4 2014

Things are still very cold here in Japan but I have adjust much better this year than I did last year. The weather has been clear some days and others are full of clouds and rain threatening to soak me on my walk to the train station. I've learned to keep an extra pair of socks in my desk just in case it rains. My shoes often get soaked and I hate having cold wet feet all day long. Thing are as usual at school and the students continue to challenge my Japanese knowledge on a daily basis. I enjoy it because it forces me to think about how English is viewed by them and how I as a learner view Japanese. A decent teachable moment for us all.

Thinking about the fact that I only have a few short months left in Japan I have began to wonder if I have made the best of my time here. I know that I have not seen much of the country, but the language and culture of the Kansai area are now a big part of my life. I've become more comfortable speaking with people in Japanese, even if Im wrong and I know I can only improve with time and practice. I have also began to study some basic Spanish so that when I return home I am better able to communicate with students and parents of that linguistic background. It cant hurt my trek through Spain either. I look forward to how being a language learner can improve my views of teaching culturally diverse students and I think it will make me a better teacher as a whole.

Living here alone over the past year and a half has shown me a great deal about myself as an individual. You may never know who you truly are if you do not let yourself be alone sometimes. Away from the normal and easy things in your day to day and trying to survive out of your comfort zone. Its a challenge that I am grateful I had the opportunity to encounter. I feel confident and comfortable in my own skin and I am less concerned with material things in my life. One of the biggest changes I believe I see in myself is my views on relationships and my approach to a realistic and meaningful relationship. Not just with a significant other but with friends, family and peers. I feel as though I understand things a little better and have a lot to grow on as well as reflect on.

Life is a wonderful journey. Im luckier than some to have made it to where I am and done the things Ive done. Many have done more and many have done less, but Im happy with the choices Ive made in my life up to this point.

Its a pretty sweet ride.

Enjoy it

Little thoughts 1.14.14

On any given day I can have 6 classes to attend or (most likely) none. I love my time here but I often wonder, why have an ALT if you are not going to use them for everything? Isnt that a waste?
 I'm not saying ship me home or anything, but being in the classroom more than two or three times a week would be nice. Though for now I simply sit back and enjoy the warmth of the teachers room as I study.
Currently I think I'm crazy as I have been studying Japanese in the mornings, masters course work at school when I don't have classes and now Spanish. Yes, two languages. Japanese because I live here, Spanish because it will best benefit my career in the US as an ESL teacher. I want to improve my understanding and usage of both, though my motivation for it is honestly lacking. I hope I can change that.

I have also recently changed my diet to some degree. As my family and friends know I have been a vegetarian (lacto-ovo) for going on 7 or so years now and I've decided after much research to change again! Nothing too dramatic just a more plant based protein diet, cutting out most of the dairy I consume and focusing more on gaining nutrients from natural and raw foods. It is actually much more fun than it sounds. I wont get into the details of why I changed because, well, I don't want to seem preachy. Its just a personal choice for a better living style. It is challenging to cut sugary food out of my diet because I have a sweet love of them and my soul needs chocolate! But I digress.

The new year has been slow going and uneventful so far but I have great aspirations for where I will end up but 2015. Travels and changes are in order and I cant wait to see what happens because of them. Who I'll meet and the world I'll see are going to be an adventure in their own.

Adventures in food, culture, creation and love. I hope for the best from them all.

Cheers

Miyajima Day Trip

On the 4th-5th of January I headed on a nice once day trip to Miyajima with some lovely ladies I know. We had a great time and I cant wait to go back and see more of Hiroshima this year.

I dont know much about the travel there because Yuka drove us. After a nice 3 hour drive and numerous jam out sessions to Bruno Mars and other epic dance music we found ourselves at a tiny guest house for the night. We arrived in Hiroshima at the guest house around 11 pm and wanted go out to clubs and dance the night away. Sadly, everything was closed because of the new years holiday so we settled in for some drinks at a backpackers bar we found wondering through the shopping district.

When we arrived we were the only people in the humble little bar and not soon after a nice drunken wedding party happened to stumble in. We spent the night chatting back and forth in English and Japanese and I enjoyed every bit of the strange encounters with the less than sober bunch.

After a while we traveled back to the hostel for a nights rest before heading to Miyajima in the morning to see the famous tori gate.

Some Photos :)

Yuka smiles from he bunk at the guest house

Makeup in the morning. Ladies must look their best when hunting down Geocaches and seeing tori gates! 

Hanaco watching some crazy Japanese morning show. I had no idea what was going on but at one point an man in skin tight pants was running about pretending to have a ragging erection. 

This guys kept talking selfies. I couldnt resist taking his photo. though I think the couple behind him thought I was taking their picture and soon after they took a picture of us....weird....

View from the boat

There were deer EVERYWHERE! It was crazy. 

We couldn't help but want a photo 

oh deer......

Tabi and the Gate

Tabi selfie!

Just hanging around 

Miyajima is a small island less than an hour outside the city of Hiroshima. It is most famous for its giant torii gate, which at high tide seems to float on the water. The sight is ranked as one of Japan's three best views.

While officially named Itsukushima, the island is more commonly referred to as Miyajima, Japanese for "shrine island". This is because the island is so closely related to its key shrine, Itsukushima Shrine, in the public's mind. Like the torii gate, the shrine's main buildings are built over water.

(from travel guide) 

Just north of the gate you can enter a shrine area and pray, take photos, walk about and enjoy the general splendor. 

Typical ceremonies at the shrine. 

I kept this photo because I think its the only time I will see people queue properly in Japan. 

A beautiful Kimono I saw

I thought it was lovely so I asked her if I could take her photo. Actually Hanaco asked but ya..... 

Tabi-chan rockin a traditional mask 

Stopped for some Okonomiyaki and a nice break after getting some cute charms in the market area. 

Yuka and Hanaco surprised me with my own charm! I love it! It says Debby in Japanese! 

Hanaco being beautiful

I call this "reflective Yuka" 

Goodbye Miyajima! Mata ne!