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Nepal
October 13, 2000. We arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal which is located between India and Tibet.
The Kathmandu Valley is south of the Great Himalayas at an altitude of 1,500 m.
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Kathmandu
We have been spending our time in Kathmandu between and after hikes. This city sprawls over a large part of the main Kathmandu valley, is seriously polluted and hectic, but always welcomes you warmly. The main tourist center is known as Thamel and has the monopoly on visitor services, including hotels, restaurants and stores. Here you can find everything from burritos and hashish to bronze statues of Gods and Goddesses. This somewhat insulated little enclave is a mecca for virtually every foreign tourist and trekker alike. You can arrange all of your in-country or onward passage from any of the numerous travel agents in Thamel, prepare and buy all the essential gear for a mountaineering expedition or acquire boat loads of goods and have them shipped home through the many cargo/export houses in the area. Most all of your needs can be met or arranged here.
If it is Art you are interested in, then there is a dizzying array and concentration of shops selling things like Thangka paintings, elaborate wood carvings, fine woven goods and exotic, exquisitely sculpted statues. There are also many street hawkers ready to accommodate your needs or pester you with offers of tiger balm, miniature chess sets or shoeshine! It is always busy and bustling with the narrow, deeply rutted streets constantly choked with polluting vehicles and thick with pedestrians. You have to be constantly alert for oncoming cars, motorbikes and cyclists and as a pedestrian (there are very few actual sidewalks here) you are always considered a second rate citizen by the motorists.
When considering buying things in Nepal, one must always be prepared to enter into the mindset of bargainer. Every tourist here is considered by the locals to be rich (especially if you are American and most certainly if you are Japanese!) and fair game on which to capitalize and profit by. I cannot blame them for doing so, as life here for many is lived from day to day and hand to mouth. Some of the shopkeepers are a little wilier than others and pretty shrewd business people and will not hesitate to jack the price way up high before the haggling process begins. Everything has to be considered in relative terms, but things here for the most part are so much cheaper than what we would find at home. Haggling over the price of something is just par for the course and to emerge feeling like everyone benefited from the experience is the goal. (Annette always leaves this chore to me as being Scottish I am by default a naturally gifted haggler, or some may say just plain cheap!) Its always worth keeping in mind that none of the merchants here would ever go below their cost, so it is just a matter of figuring out where this line lies and settling on a deal that seems fair and appropriate for everyone concerned. It is usually a fairly lighthearted affair.
Thankfully, though, we are not residing amidst the craziness of Thamel itself, but on the outskirts in an area known as Paknajol. Our hotel, the ‘Kathmandu Garden House’ is set back off the main street in a quiet setting that allows us to relax and forget about the madness that exists only a few blocks away. It has a lovely green garden with tables and lawn chairs to relax in and lots of potted plants around, a rooftop area where you can see the high peaks off in the distance on a clear day and a friendly staff that couldn’t be more accommodating if they tried. We have been made to feel like part of the family here and everyone goes out of their way to make us happy and content. There is always a smiling face to greet you day and night. We have come to view this place as our home away from home and the people here as friends.
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Hari Malla is the owner of the hotel and is a wonderful guy whose desire is to create a more unique atmosphere for his guests, where you can relax in comfort and have an experience here that is special and memorable. His entire staff are eager to serve and the foundation of his philosophy is people's happiness. If there is anything that can be done to better accommodate your needs, Hari and his staff are there to oblige. Hari’s 6 year old daughter Samina has taken to a real liking to Annette and whenever she is around the hotel she hangs out with Annette, chatting away in her usual open, curious and vivacious manner. We have been staying here now for almost 3 weeks accumulatively and it will be hard leaving so many good friends behind.
To a lesser degree we have made many acquaintances on the streets of Thamel, different people and shopkeepers that we pass on a near daily basis who always acknowledge us or stop to talk. The Nepali people in general are very friendly by nature, non-aggressive (except in their driving habits!), and attentive and respectful of their spiritual convictions. One of the more profound, eye-opening practices that we witnessed while here in Kathmandu was the Hindu ritual of burning their dead at the sacred Pashupatinath Temple.
Annette, Justin and I took a taxi across town to the most important Hindu temple in Nepal. It sits on the banks of the Bagmati river which is also considered holy (though you may not think so considering the color and foul smell of the water!). As on the banks of the river Ganges at Varanasi in India, it is a popular place to be cremated. Pashupatinath is one of the most important Shiva Temples in the subcontinent and attracts devotees from all over India as well as many colorful, wandering Saddhus (Hindu holy men). At the entrance to the Temple complex there are many vendors selling incense, flowers and other offerings as well as trinket items more commonly directed toward the inquisitive tourist.
We arrived at the burning Ghat just as one of the cremations was about to begin. It is wholly permissible to observe and even photograph the ritual. There were even more Nepali onlookers than tourists so we didn’t feel that we were being too invasive in the context of the situation. The body was laid out on the concrete platform, all wrapped up in pink plastic. On top, offerings were laid in the form of flowers, incense, barley, and money to name a few. Sprinkled on top were the familiar red and yellow powdered pigments associated with daily Hindu worship. The open air burning ghat had only a simple corrugated metal roof for protection from the elements. The further down the river from the main temple that you are cremated the lower your social caste. Next to the laid out body was a neatly stacked pile of logs which would serve as the pyre. Once the money offerings had been collected from the body, the remaining items were discarded into the river along with a couple of items of clothing that had belonged to the deceased. These items were plucked from the river by people whose role was to gather any usable materials that were discarded from the funeral proceedings. They would then be washed and re-sold. From here the wrapped corpse was placed directly on top of the wood and the pink plastic shroud removed from around the head and face. There was a bit of a sigh from the onlookers at this point as the severely disfigured face was revealed. We learned that the woman lying before us had been killed when her house collapsed on top of her. It was a tragic story and a sobering moment. While the deceased woman’s daughter sobbed openly, her son ritualistically circled the body three times in a clockwise direction, holding a small flame. Prayers were offered and then a wick was placed in the woman’s mouth and lit. The main wood stack was ignited from underneath and slowly the yellow flames engulfed the entire mass.
Throughout the next hour as we stood and observed at closer quarters, the men responsible for attending to the pyre kept it burning evenly and furiously. They would occasionally have to poke bodily parts around with a long bamboo pole, to keep them concentrated in the hottest part of the fire. The smell of burning flesh was all too distinct and choked the immediate atmosphere. Although we did not remain long enough to witness this particular scene, the fully cremated body and the entire pyre would ultimately be toppled into the river and allowed to float downstream. Again any reusable logs would be gathered up and be allowed to dry out for another days fire. It was a fascinating event to have witnessed and a window into a world of ritual that we have just begun to understand.
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The following photos were taken in Patan which is a short distance from Kathmandu.
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Some more photos from Kathmandu and Durbar.
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This next block of photos is from Pashupatinath, Kathmandu.
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Being back in Kathmandu has been good for us on many levels. It allowed us to relax and rejuvenate from the hardships of trekking. Without a doubt it takes its toll on you physically, but at times it was every bit as much a mental challenge as well.
So having this period of time to recuperate has enabled us to look ahead with a positive outlook and consider the options open to us in the present and also for the future. In some ways it may have opened the door to the possibility of a new career opportunity. We spent a lot of time looking at Art, in particular the beautiful copper Statues and Thangka paintings produced in Nepal and Tibet and it inspired us to think about the possibilities of bringing fine quality pieces back to the States.
The beautifully sculpted statues of Gods/Goddesses and Deities are cast primarily in copper, then carved, planished and a finish applied. The different images produced exhibit a variety of expressions ranging from peace and tranquility to fiery fury.
They contain so much detail and intricate craftsmanship that is all hand-worked to a high degree of finish. The completed statues are finished in a number of deep, rich patinas or partially/fully gold plated using hand application techniques (not electro-plated). The size of the sculptures and amount of work involved in bringing its full potential to realization can result in months of work. There are numerous outlets selling this type of artwork in Kathmandu and as with most things that are produced in quantity, the quality varies greatly. Being familiar with metalworking and the processes involved in making these icons, I am keenly aware of the differences between mediocre works and the finer pieces.
Annette and I were also privileged enough to have the opportunity to visit a workshop and be shown all the steps involved in making a statue from the modeled wax master copy to the final patinated piece (of which the full process will be described in detail in a later installment). We were both amazed at the sheer amount of work that has to go into their making. Every last detail and square inch of surface has been carefully hand crafted and in essence each piece is 'one of a kind', even though the imagery is replicated with frequency throughout the different work shops in the area. The Thangkas are similar in that they often take many months and sometimes years to paint, depending on the size and intricacy of the work. The themes most commonly depict Buddhist life and its teachings and often the artist creates these pieces as a form of meditation. Taken solely as an aesthetic statement, the finer works are richly imbued with color, texture, theme, lavish imagery and strong visual impact. Often gold and silver paint is employed, particularly in the Mandala's, as well as the stone ground colored pigments.
There are a number of highly qualified people creating some stunning works if you know where to locate them. We spent an extended period in Kathmandu for this reason and acquainted ourselves with people in these specialty crafts and others whose business it was to sell them. Through our networking efforts, we have established relationships with a few unique individuals who are willing to support us in an effort to bring these works to the Baltimore area and beyond. We have acquired several representative works as an initial investment and it is our hope that we will have an interested audience with whom to share our enthusiasm.
CHITWAN NATIONAL PARK, NEPAL
Dec.20th Chitwan National Park is in Nepal with its southern flanks bordering India and is located in the predominantly flat lands known as 'Terai'. Chitwan is a jungle and hosts many animals not commonly associated with Nepal - The Bengal tiger, sloth bear, leopard, wild elephant and rhino to name a few. Its generally hot year round, but in the summertime during monsoon it is a clammy hothouse complete with bloodsucking mosquitoes and leeches and prone to seasonal deluges. It is Christmas time now, but as we sit in the shade of the thatched roof huts that comprise our guest house lodging called 'Lun Tara', it is hard to imagine that it is this special time of year again.
Temperatures are much friendlier now with high 70's through the day and cool evenings. Thick mists cover the green fertile landscape each morning but clear as the sun's warmth bathes the surrounding fields and forest. Mustard plants are in full bloom and a sea of yellow fields surround us on three sides. The community forest (park buffer zone) lies to the north and is only a short distance away. Across the Khageri River, which runs parallel to the Lun Tara camp, is the Government Elephant Breeding Center. We hear the trumpeting of these great animals every morning and evening as they await feeding time. The elephants are a common sight around the Park and surrounding areas and many of the organized elephant rides originate in the small touristy village of Sauraha, about two miles from here. Compared with the peace and tranquility of Lun Tara, Sauraha, with its profusion of guest accommodation commonly referred to as camps, is noisy and hectic. We stayed here on our first night only to move on to Lun Tara the next day.
Our new location more than exceeded our expectations. Lun Tara is owned and operated by Hanna, a German lady who has the only 'woman friendly' establishment in Chitwan (or maybe the whole of Nepal!). In a male dominated society this is a very attractive option, especially for women travelling alone. It is run as a practical alternative to the mainstream lodges and camps; in addition to food and accommodation it offers workshops on art, dance, handicraft, meditation, cooking etc, as well as the usual jungle walks and elephant rides that all the hotels provide. Lun Tara is situated at the far end of the Tamang village of Badrahani, where the setting is rural, tropical, lush and very peaceful. All of the individual bungalows that make up the compound are traditional Terai style mud on bamboo with grass thatched roofs. The open grassy areas between dwellings and common spaces are planted with banana trees, papaya, bougainvillea and canna among others. A fence heavily draped with greenery surrounds the perimeter to keep out the rhinos that sometimes come to graze in the night on the succulent grasses and farmers crops.
We were awoken at 2.30 am on our first night here by the sounds of a rhino chewing on the grass directly in front of our hut, only fifteen feet away. His huge hulking mass was a vague blur through the early morning mist. As I shone my flashlight in his direction he took off thundering back into the cover of night. Every morning we were greeted by the collective song of the resident bird population.
We made arrangements with one of the local guides, Raj, to take us on a one day jungle walk into Chitwan National Park.
The Park is approximately 932 square Km, and was given the protective status of National Park in 1973. It houses several hundred bird species both resident and migratory as well as more than 40 species of mammals, some of which are on the endangered list, such as the Bengal Tiger. The Rapti River defines the northern border of the Park and is a wide snaking ribbon of water that is occasionally broken by sand bars that attract a large variety of wading birds and ducks. Unfortunately on the designated day of our walk (and for the two previous days), Annette was very sick and unable to go. It was a big disappointment for both of us.
I left early in the morning and met my two guides at Raj's small roadside office/hut. Their names were Tila and Narendra, Tila having guided for 14 years and Narendra an apprentice of 1 year. Park regulations state that you must have two guides with you at all times and in addition pay a daily rate of 500 rupees($6.50) per person. We crossed into the Park at the Sauraha boat crossing and were poled to the other bank in a dugout canoe, as the sun's strong morning ray's pierced the evaporating mists. It was a genuinely 'mystical' scene. Once past the Army checkpoint where my guide had to show his credentials and my entry permit, we entered the stillness of the forest.
The lush green canopy and thick underbrush was still very damp from the night's mist. We followed thinly etched trails that were used by humans and animals alike. The trails afforded a quiet pathway through the jungle whereas elsewhere the fallen leaves that carpeted the forest floor would crackle underfoot. We moved as silently as possible, pushing aside overhanging branches and obstacles. For as huge as they are, rhinos can be very stealthy and almost undetectable unless you are vigilant. Their dark grey mass blends nicely in the shadows and thick shrubbery and they are definitely not an animal you want to startle!
I had been given a briefing about what to do if charged by a rhino.
1. Try to get up a sizeable tree as quickly as possible if available
2. Hide behind one and try to remain calm, yeah right!
3. Run like hell in zigzag fashion and try to find a big tree in the process.
Better still hope that you don't have to exercise any of these options by seeking out the rhino first and observing from a safe distance. Chitwan is comprised of 30% jungle and Sal (type of tree) forest and 70% grassland. We moved between the two consistently. There are many native grasses and bamboo which grow to a respectable height and afford a thick protective environment for many animals and birds. The rhinos are well concealed in the dense grassland but are audibly detectable by their thrashing around while searching out the succulent shoots of the grasses. Periodic trees that pop up through the tall grasses afforded us lookout stations for the rhino.
On our first excursion into the grasses we became aware of the sounds of tearing and trampling close by and we stopped to listen. It was unmistakably the sound of a large mammal and more than likely a rhino. We carefully circumnavigated to an appropriate tree that easily accommodated the three of us. From this vantage point it was clear to see two rhinos munching away at the undergrowth. For a while it appeared that they were eating their way toward our direction, but unfortunately moved away and left us with only periodic glimpses from a distance. Rhinos have terrible eyesight but incredible sense of smell and excellent hearing. Even through all of the noise they were making they had still probably detected us by smell.
We moved back into the forest where we startled two spotted deer which bolted into the dense forest. Our path continued alongside a small stream that was bordered by the grasses. Lying there on the muddy banks, sunning themselves were a number of marsh mugger crocodiles, big crocs that wouldn't hesitate to take down an unsuspecting human. We were glad that all four that we spotted were on the opposite bank of the stream. Among some of the birds seen throughout the day were the lesser adjutant stork, green barbets, ruddy shell ducks, golden back woodpecker, goshawk, jungle fowl, black headed shrike, pink ringed parakeets and several pied hornbills.
In some ways this was not the most opportune time to be visiting the park as it was the annual grass cutting period. Typically it lasts for one week and usually begins around January 20th when conditions are drier, but this year the commencement date was pushed back one month in an effort to limit fire destruction. The villagers from the surrounding communities are permitted to cut and collect specific types of grasses used in building their homes, renovation and for making twine and thatching roofs. It is a massive collective effort that utilizes every available hour of daylight for this 7-day period. Steady streams of people can be seen carrying huge bundles of the grasses on their backs, by ox-cart or on bicycles.
After the grasses have been removed, fires are lit to clear the thick stalks and remaining vegetation. This mass clearance also affects much of the smaller wildlife that is unable to vacate the premises. So in an effort to find a balance the Park is trying this new strategy of beginning the harvest and burning earlier in the season. It was interesting to watch this process over a few days, but it also had the effect of limiting the possibility of seeing wildlife due to the disruption of their habitat. These fires also had the effect of creating a slight haze in the atmosphere due to the smoke. The burning grasses sound like fire crackers at times and it's no wonder that the majority of animals would leave the immediate area and seek quieter domains. But we added a few more sightings before our day long hike was over.
We spotted 3
30 yards short, Tila spotted him and motioned for us to stop and retrace our steps. This was a one way path and there was nowhere we could have run, so it was extremely fortunate for us that the rhino stayed put and chose not to pursue us.
Our moment of glory came as we walked back down one of the main trails that led back to the Rapti River and the village of Sauraha beyond. The sun had just dipped below the horizon and cast a pinkish glow in the sky. The Annapurna's could be clearly seen off in the distance. Suddenly out of the bush about 100 yards in front of us a big male rhino leisurely strolled across the road and came to a stand still on the other side. We waited to see how he would react to our presence before moving forward. He seemed indifferent and so we boldly came to within about 30 yards of the great armored beast, all the time aware of the direction we needed to run to find cover if he chose to charge. I had just enough time to take a quick picture before he trotted off down the embankment and into the cover of jungle once more. Tila reminded me how fortunate we had been to see such an animal in the open like this and at such close quarters. I certainly felt blessed and only wished that Annette had been here today to see all these wonderful sights.
Christmas Day
It seemed quite strange to be spending this day in a jungle setting. Gone were all the more familiar things that we associate with this special day of the year. Hanna definitely did her best though to make us all feel at home and get into the spirit of the occasion. She had decorated a small cutting from a banana tree with tinsel and cotton wool and set it in the dining room along with Christmas theme place mats that her mother had sent from Germany.
We began our alternative Christmas day with a walk to the Elephant Breeding Center across the river from Lun Tara and had so much fun interacting with these fantastic animals. We timed the visit to coincide with the elephant's daily walk into the jungle for feeding. First we spent time playing with the baby elephant that was allowed to roam the compound freely. The older ones were chained by their front feet to huge stakes that were driven into the ground. It was a shame to see them restrained in this fashion, but otherwise they would be off loose and potentially dangerous. There are no cages or barriers at the center and you are free to approach as close as you feel comfortable and safe. These elephants are quite accustomed to visitors and have a special relationship with their drivers, but even so one should err on the side of caution and not get too close. The little baby was only about 4 feet tall, but still you could sense his strength, power and determination, especially when it knew food was being handed out - then he would become quite aggressive in his pursuit.
We marveled at these huge creatures for a long time until the two big males were unchained and made ready for their day's walk and feeding in the jungle. Their drivers would bark commands and the elephants would immediately comply, lying down so that a harness could be placed around their necks. These creatures were obviously all too familiar with the routine and actually assisted their drivers by grasping the dangling woven straps and passing them around their necks to the man who fastened them down snugly. He then climbed up on the elephant's back and seated himself as another helper boldly got beneath the standing animal and unchained its shackles.
From the center the two big male elephants with their seated drivers sauntered off towards the river half a mile away. We followed on foot at a safe distance and watched as they descended into the swift flowing waters of the Rapti and waded across to the other side. They quickly disappeared into the thick of the jungle beyond where they would spend a good part of the day feeding on bamboo and grasses. Elephants are enormous consumers and require hundreds of pounds of food daily as well as about 60 gallons of water. The females and young adults came next with babies in tow. We sat on the riverbank and watched this lovely scene until they too had gone.
It was a beautifully clear Christmas day and very hot out in the open. We wandered back to Lun Tara and relaxed for a few hours before our scheduled 3 PM elephant ride into the community forest. Just outside the entrance to the forest there is a tall platform that we had to climb to enable access to a wooden seat on the elephants back. Our eye level view was now about 12 feet off the ground and it was an exciting new perspective on the world. There is a certain sense of security that comes with riding this high on such a powerful creature's back. The only real dangers or annoyances come from the potential of whiplash from branches springing back in your face as the elephant forges a path through the thick under bush. There were three of us on this particular elephant's back with one driver and about 8 elephants in all that comprised our sightseeing tour. We, along with one other elephant party, split with the larger group and followed a separate trail.
Five minutes into the forest and we came across our first animal sighting of the ride. A huge male rhino was lying down in the protective cover of the thick green foliage as we advanced closer. He didn't seem too perturbed by our presence though he did stand up and move away a few feet. The elephant rides into these woods are a daily routine so no doubt the rhinos were somewhat accustomed to being stalked in this manner. We were literally 10 feet away from him and could look down and see every detail of his massive hulking features. It was a thrilling moment to feel confident about our proximity to an otherwise unpredictable and very dangerous animal. Typically a rhino will not charge an elephant unless provoked, threatened or very distressed.
Next we spotted a deer and numerous birds in the course of the 2-hour trip. The elephant moved effortlessly through the jungle terrain like some huge 4 wheel drive machine - nothing barred its path. Our next rhino encounter was a bittersweet experience.
We were quietly coursing through the forest when we heard a commotion off to our right. The driver steered our elephant towards the action and we encountered all the other parties in hot pursuit of a mother and baby rhino. They were literally charging through the forest flattening everything in sight to catch a glimpse of the panicked creatures. People were shouting and carrying on like it was some kind of circus event. This was the very kind of incident that could have so easily gone sour. A protective mother pursued in this fashion can easily turn on its pursuers and gore an elephant - it has happened here before. So, as wonderful as it was to see these great beasts up close, the experience was undoubtedly marred by these scenes of obvious harassment by the Nepali drivers encouraged by certain passengers. Finally the pursuit abated and the rhinos disappeared into the quiet protection of dense thicket.
After this finale, the tour wound down and we all made our way back to the entrance of the forest where Annette and I dismounted and walked back down the little dusty track as the sun was setting. The following day we packed up our belongings and reluctantly said farewell to the majestic setting of Lun Tara and its friendly staff.
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Post script.
The second of our big treks in Nepal, around the Annapurna's, is another fairly comprehensive journal that I just have not had the time to type up. I hope to do so in the future, but for now pictures from this great trek are all that will be available. I have also written a comprehensive account of the metal working in Patan. It includes all the processes, techniques and steps involved in creating the beautiful statues and Buddhist sculptures unique to this region. This too will also become an additional aspect of the Nepal section of the web site in due time.
