Author: Meg Noble Peterson Page 2 of 30

Part 2 of our visit to Namo Buddha Resort, Dec. 13 – 22.

There is a lot to see around Namo Buddha! Ingrid put us in touch with her favorite guide, Binod, a delightful young man who took us on two challenging hikes out of the resort. The first was down a steep trail through the woods. We passed a simple rock stupa in honor of Rudi, Ingrid’s husband, that overlooked the hills and valleys. A moving memorial to a man who loved this land and culture so deeply.

As we continued down the hill, Binod pointed out numerous native plants as well as invasive pine trees introduced into Nepal by Australia years ago for reforestation. But they have created fire hazards and negatively impacted the water supply. There were native trees covered in epiphytic orchids which would be spectacular to see blooming in the spring. Cary enjoyed sharing observations and ideas with Binod, since she, like him, is an organic farmer.

Click on photos to see full-size.

Epiphytic orchids growing on the trees

Soon we headed up a hill overlooking a small village dotted with houses, gardens, and a plethora of farms animals.

Binod showed us a native fruit that was used as soap up until modern commercial soap was available.

The people we met while going through town were cordial and always wanted to know where we were from. At one point we sat down for a rest, and a man at the house nearby brought us a plate of fruit. When Cary offered some rupees, he declined to accept them. It was a very friendly atmosphere, all the more because of its spontaneity.

Notice the fruit in the foreground!

Lots of animals everywhere

Typical road under construction

In the village, we passed two elderly women sitting by the side of the road. Binod laughed when one of them pointed to me and said in Nepali, ”Look at her. She is old, but she is walking.” I realized how much I take for granted: my good health and the fact that I am, indeed, walking!

We climbed up the other side of town and stopped in a small restaurant overlooking the valley. We ordered tea and chow mein (“no spicy”). Our repast was eminently peaceful and relaxing, fulfilling our highest expectations.

The next day we ventured further afield. This time we left the resort through the main entrance and turned into a narrow dirt road we had not yet explored. After some ups and downs, we passed an almost-completed huge luxury hotel & time-share complex, which has caused a great deal of consternation among the locals and the ecologists. The concern is about the impact that this resource-intensive operation will have on the groundwater supply for the whole area. Next to the hotel was farmland that had been bought by an urban Nepali, and fenced off for their residence. We had never seen such an imposing chainlink fence, and it showed the stark difference between the rural community and urban newcomers.

We wandered up and down hills and enjoyed the views of the terraced farmland, so typical of Nepal.

One of the interesting stops along the way was an area with a small stupa and one-story school. We arrived as some students were heading home shortly after noon. Binod told us that they were third-graders who had just finished their exams for the day. Exams in the third grade? I don’t remember that!

Stupa at the bottom of the hill

Village stupa

With protectors at each corner

Looking at the one-story school

Third-graders on their way home

Along the road we noticed more and more colorful stucco houses.

At last we reached Binod’s family home, nestled with a small group of houses (owned by many of his relatives), and surrounded by beautiful flowers and an extensive organic farm. Getting there was probably our most strenuous hike of the trip!

Upon our arrival, Binod ushered us onto his rooftop.

View from the roof

Honeybees

Dried corn

Binod then proceeded to climb up a passion fruit tree, pick the fruit, and make us a delicious drink. It was, indeed, special and had a most unusual taste.

Find Binod in the tree

Inside of a passion fruit

Yum!

Prost!

He also cooked us potatoes and onions from the garden, seasoned with tumeric and cumin, and topped with churro rice (rice that has been rolled out like oats). So simple, and so delicious!

Delicious!

Potatoes and onions

Rolled churro rice

After lunch, Cary and Binod spent a lot of time checking out the wonderful diversity of plants…sugar cane, turmeric, ginger, yams, passion fruit, and tree tomatoes to name a few.

Farm view looking down from the back of the house

Goats

Pointing out interesting plants to Cary

Looking down at the farm from the front of the house

Marigolds, onions and sugar cane

Looking towards the goat shed

Lots of onions!

Onions just planted here

Daikon radish

Luffa sponge plant

While Cary and Binod were exploring the garden further, I spent my time getting acquainted with Anju, Binod’s lovely 22-year-old niece. We talked while she washed our dishes at the outdoor pump. Having just graduated from college, she was taking exams in the hopes of winning a scholarship to graduate school. Her interests were in the field of language, literature, and general liberal arts, and, eventually, she hoped to become a teacher. I have no doubt that she will succeed.

Our conversation was shortened when Binod realized how late it was and said that needed to head back so we could be home before dark. He called a taxi, but the price was ridiculous and we chose to head to the road to see what came our way. Off we started…just maybe we’d be lucky.

On the way, we visited Binod’s father, who lived close by. We had fun interacting with the school children hanging out at the brightly colored community mill, and then walked through the village on our way down to the main road.

Binod and his father

Community mill

Suddenly, Binod, ahead of us, spotted the school bus that carried his youngest son home from school. It was stopped lower down on the hill, letting children out. Since he knew the driver and felt he could intercept the vehicle, he started running, and was able to flag him just in time. Cary and I began to run, too. Whew! We could not believe our incredible good fortune! As we stepped into the bus, a gaggle of excited children surrounded us enthusiastically. It was total cacophony. Never had I felt so welcomed!

Two teachers sat near me and were eager to hear about our time in Nepal, and one said his mother was my age but couldn’t walk. My age seemed to be a focal point wherever I went. Each time we stopped, the children who left waved at us and some even shook my hand. We were finally left with two little boys who enjoyed practicing their English with us.

I felt exhilarated and peaceful at the same time as I trudged up the steps to the resort. This was a day of surprises and great joy!

We enjoyed occasional interludes with the World Cup during our trip. I have never been a dedicated fan who can sit for hours watching any sport on TV, but I have to say that the excitement and energy produced by this particular passion for football (soccer) was catching and I couldn’t help getting a bit carried away when certain countries were matching with others. History played a role in loyalties and the rivalries were particularly riveting…especially the run that Morocco had against its former colonial invaders. After triumphing against Spain and Portugal, alas, it was beaten by France.

The final was during our stay, and evening festivities were held in Lasho Hall (the conference meeting hall) where an enormous screen had been set up. The fun was watching the reaction of the Nepalis, who were divided in their loyalties and gave a rousing show as the game progressed. They were almost more fun than the game! The dance celebration after Argentina won went on a long time!

Some of our most relaxed times were while we were sitting at a long table on the porch off the upstairs library above the dining hall, reading and writing.

The sky was blue, the clouds stunning, and the sun soothing, I just sat there and feasted my eyes on the lush forest surrounding us. No noise, just a few birds flitting about. I must say that the birds fascinated me, especially the blue-throated barbet that lived in the fig tree.  It had a big yellow beak, brownish chest and back, greenish-yellow underparts, and blue-blackish head. Just imagine its piercing call, lasting more than a minute, at which time it often elicited an answer of the same duration from another barbet a short distance away. We had fun timing the birds and wondered if this was a mating call or just joy at eating a delicious fig! What a treat to find such peace and humor in this chaotic world.

Ingrid did not forget her promise to teach us how to make the pumpkin soup we so enjoyed. On our last day, we were invited to the kitchen to watch the chefs expertly chop, saute and make the soup. Secret ingredient? Cashews added to the garlic, onions, celery and ginger, which was sauteed before the pumpkin was added. We left it simmering on the stove to enjoy later. Cary is now on the search for the lighter-colored, firm variety of winter squash they used (which they call a pumpkin). Here are the steps…

A Nepali pumpkin

Light firm flesh

Cleaned

And chopped into small pieces

To onions, celery, ginger and garlic

Add a handful of cashews

Quickly saute cashews, and then other ingredients

Add pumpkin

Cook up

Add more water and simmer

One of the absolute highlights of our stay was meeting the other guests, who came from all over the world.

We met several Nepalis who lived abroad, but came home regularly to visit family, especially so their young children could visit their grandparents. Suman and Prativa lived in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Breakfast was extensive and a great time to get to know people.

Cheryl and Gillie, two jovial women from Brisbane, Australia, each had two sons ages 17-20. They were very excited over the fact that the boys were climbing together in the Khopra Ridge area of the Annapurna Circuit while they were at the resort. It was so much fun to show them our photos from 2018 when we did the same trek, and share where their sons were.

Two young German women, Anna and Katye with whom we spent several hours talking…at dinner and by the fire…are both involved in peace programs in their professional lives, and aware of the dangers inherent in the rise of right-wing parties in their country, as are we in our own country. They were also extremely interested in hearing about why I went to Germany in 1949 with Quaker workcamps to help rebuild after the war, and the people I worked with during that difficult time. It is admirable, I think, the way Germany has faced its past and the years of the Third Reich, rather than pretending it didn’t happen or wasn’t as bad as it was, as we have done with some of our egregious mistakes going back to slavery. But with all the serious conversation and expression of deep shame over the past, both women displayed a spontaneous sense of humor, and filled the atmosphere with joyousness and optimism wherever they were.

Anna and Joe, from England, are an energetic couple who cycled to the resort from Kathmandu (yikes!) in all that traffic, followed by steep climbs. Joe feared he was going to die. Anna, who is determined, and a bit of a daredevil, like Gillie from Australia, had to admit that it was a rather perilous experience so agreed to go back in a jeep. Anna has taught in a private international school in Kathmandu for seven years, and Joe is a teacher in Dorset. Our conversations ranged from politics in the world today to the making of gingerbread houses at Christmas, a specialty of Cary’s years ago. It’s as if we had known each other for years!

These relationships were brief, but not superficial, which made them that more meaningful. We hope to keep in touch over the years.

Thus ends our epic stay at the Namo Buddha Resort. We close with a photo of us with Ingrid, who we so enjoyed getting to know, and look forward to seeing again on a visit in the future!

The final blog post of our travels in Nepal will be about more of our adventures in and around Kathmandu. Namo Buddha will always be in our hearts!

Before we share about our wonderful stay at the Namo Buddha Resort, we want to let you all know that we are back on Whidbey Island! We returned Dec. 27th and have spent several weeks readjusting. Now we are catching up on our last few weeks in Nepal. Enjoy!

“Oh no, we’re not going through that traffic, again,” I said, as the driver headed toward Dhulikhel on the way to Namo Buddha Resort at the foot of the Himalayas. I didn’t think I could endure another draconian ride over Mahankal Road, still filled with potholes and teaming with cars, motorcycles and intrepid pedestrians.

“Not a problem, Madam, I know short roads.” (I assumed that was a short cut.) And down a nearby alley he shot, making his way, skillfully, through incomparable traffic on the narrow, winding streets. I felt like a passenger in a getaway film. If I’d had a million dollars I’d have given it all to him! I was discovering that there’s nothing like a skilled Nepali cab driver. Bless them all!

We circumvented Dhulikhel and turned onto a curving road through lush countryside. In just over an hour we had made our way up a hill to the entrance of the most luxurious resort of our trip. Now the fun started…climbing from a simple dirt parking lot up a series of steep, hand hewn stone stairs, through a labyrinth of paths leading to picturesque cottages nestled on natural terraces in the woods. Thank heaven there were rustic railings on most of the stairs.

What a view of the Himalaya greeted us on a gloriously sunny clear day!

I was intrigued by the beauty of the walkways and the artistry of the buildings, all in the Tamang tradition, that the owner, Ingrid, and her husband, Rudi, had conceived and built fifteen years ago. Read more about their vision for a sustainable resort HERE (pg. 32.)

At first I had thought these were Newari. To my untrained eye, the architecture reminded me of the houses, painted coral on the lower half and cream on the top, with carved wooden roofs and shuttered windows, that I had seen on several treks in the mountains. Now I know that style is from the Tamang, a Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group of Nepal, Southern Bhutan and North India constituting just over five percent of the Nepalese population.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Our cottage door!

See more photos on the Resort’s website HERE.

With great joy we stepped into our beautiful cottage. This was the beginning of an amazing nine days!

Having left behind the crowds at the Boudha Stupa and the congestion in Kathmandu, it was sheer delight to return to the peacefulness of the woods. We couldn’t wait to explore this elegant setting. After settling into our cozy cottage, where I slept on the first floor and Cary had a large room in the upstairs loft, we made our way to the fire pit. Here guests gathered to get warm and socialize while waiting for dinner.

Ingrid and her staff were the epitome of hospitality, and, after half an hour of warming ourselves by the fire, ushered us into a comfortable dining room where exquisite vegetarian food was served. It couldn’t have been better, from the imaginative soups and entrees to the pie and homemade ice cream desserts. Ah, finally “no spice.” We neglected to take photos of the artistic entrees as we were too busy eating them!

Walking back over a gently-lit walkway, closing the shutters of our cottage, and snuggling into our beds, we knew we had found a home away from home. And we didn’t have to cook! Breakfast was ample enough that we made sandwiches from their home-made sourdough bread, omelets, and yak cheese for lunch, sometimes accompanied by a salad fresh from their garden.

Breakfast on the patio

Fresh-squeezed mandarin orange juice

The next day was spent getting to know the territory. Cary had read about the water buffaloes on their website and was eager to see them. We soon learned that you don’t want to get too close to water buffalo unless you want to get sprayed when they snort!

Getting in and out of the cottage took a little doing as the locks were traditional Tamang style – with a rod at the bottom of the door. Good for keeping limber.

Namo Buddha Resort is also an organic farm, with their vegetarian menu based on the seasonal produce. We loved their “pumpkin” soup so much that we wanted to learn how to cook it. Stay tuned for this cooking class in our next blog post. Cary was very impressed by how the farm integrated into the landscape, and how well cared for it was.

Lettuce & onions

Oranges

Grapefruit

Spinach

Watering the crops

Bokchoy in the hoophouse

Our first long walk was to the famous Namo Buddha pilgrimage site and adjoining Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery. The walk was partly in the woods and partly on dirt roads. A colorful archway marked the entrance to the monastery.

We climbed the hill of steps and wound around, arriving at the historic place where an early incarnation of the Buddha was purported to have been eaten by a tigress to feed her hungry cubs. An example on his part of ultimate generosity and compassion.

We also circumambulated the stupa at the very top of the monastery.

A short walk away was the mother tiger’s den where she lived with her cubs. We sat a long while, breathing in the tranquility of the moment. It was such an entrancing place that we forgot to take a photo of the larger than life-size diorama depicting the Buddha offering his body.

Reluctant to leave, we finally made our way down, eventually finding the original stairs built before the monastery was constructed. They were cut into the hillside, covered with moss and ferns, blending, perfectly, into the deep, dark forest.

Namaste!

After we reached the bottom, we walked through the small town of Namo Buddha, with a stupa, and teaming with restaurants, guest houses and small stores.

As we approached the end of the main street, a thoughtful young man noticed me and offered me a seat at a small table covered with jars of pickles made by his mother. He brought me a cup of tea from his shop. Just what I needed at the end of a long walk! Age is sometimes very helpful.

In our next post, we will share about other hikes we took, the marvelous people we met, and more!

This year we tried something we’ve never done before in Nepal: stay in an AirBnB. We lucked out big time. In a small neighborhood near Swayambunath and Thamel, we found one that was the entire ground floor of a large 3-story home, complete with garden, lawn, parking area, and staff quarters. We had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining area, and gorgeous living room…all for $24/night. See the listing for the Manjushree Apartment here. The hosts, Devendra and Rama, are AirBnB “superhosts,” and indeed they were. Their hospitality couldn’t have been better. Cary was hoping for a local Nepali experience different from staying at guest houses and hotels. Here we had a whole apartment! It was in an area that didn’t cater to tourists, so we really had an experience of how urban Nepalis live.

Devendra had an amazing green thumb. Adjacent to the house was a large vegetable garden. On practically every free surface around the house were pots of vegetables and flowers. On the roof, he had numerous cactuses growing dragon fruit, something I’d never seen. He was diligent about composting and saving seeds. It was a marvelous example of urban agriculture.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Wonderful garden!

Great winter veggies

Pots everywhere

Dragon fruit

Breakfast on the rooftop

They invited us to a sumptuous breakfast our first morning, and each morning after that brought us delicious coffee. We also enjoyed superb veggie momos made by their neighbor.

Rama, Cary, me and Devendra in front of the entrance to our wonderful apartment.

On our first morning we met Buddhi, our favorite guide from Crystal Mountain Treks, to go visit Swayambhunath, often referred to as the Monkey Temple. Unfortunately, the taxi driver brought us to the back side of the stupa, which doesn’t have the steep stairs we wanted to walk up. But, we failed to remember what we had been told in Lumbini about Saturday being the Nepali day off. Upon arriving, we were swept up by a crush of locals out to enjoy the beautiful afternoon at a holy place. Partway up, it was obvious this was not the right time to see the stupa, so we retreated to have lunch at a lovely coffee shop.

From left to right: Chenrezig, Buddha, Guru Rinpoche

Saturday crowds

So many motorcycles and cars!

With Buddhi at the coffee shop

We returned to the stupa two days later, and directed the taxi to drop us off at its front entrance.

Lighting butter lamp

Start of stairway up

So many stairs

Halfway up

Almost to the top

We made it!

They don’t call it the Monkey Temple for nothing!

Monkeys everywhere!

This woman sat for a long time communicating with the monkeys.

At the top, the main stupa was ringed by many smaller stupas and structures, and by people selling religious items and souvenirs. So many nooks and crannies! Prayer wheels abounded, and incense and butter lamps burned. This is one of the most elaborate stupas in Nepal. There were many people quietly doing kora, and others spinning the prayer wheels. I remembered standing and looking out at the Kathmandu valley in 1986, and having such a sense of awe.

We left the stupa by going down the back way, and returned to our new-found coffee shop. What endeared them to us was that they actually left the spice out of our lunch….best spring rolls so far!

Next stop, Thamel. I was eager to get back to the hotel I remembered from 1986 when I took my first trek to Everest Base Camp. Sure enough, there it was, the Potala Guest House, better than ever. It has been refurbished and has an excellent restaurant. The manager who greeted me had been there as a young man when I first came to the hotel.

The shops adjacent to the hotel were still there, but the number of taxis and motorcycles had definitely multiplied. To wander around Thamel you need lots of time and lots of fortitude. After about an hour of shopping, bargaining, and navigating narrow sidewalks with traffic brushing too close to our legs, we decided that we had had enough of Auld Lang Syne. I was sorry to spend so little time in Thamel, but it has changed a great deal and is far too busy for me. But I was really gratified to see a couple of the old multi-colored rickshaws pedaling their way through the streets. Had I decided to stay longer, I would definitely have taken a ride. I always feel connected to the people that I meet there, and enjoy the interactions with the shopkeepers. We all love the sport of bargaining!

The inner courtyard

More traffic

On the first evening of our stay at the airbnb, Devendra helped us find a little family-run restaurant around the corner. After the first meal, we decided that “The Dhaba” was our go-to place. It was run by Rajiv, a jack-of-all-trades, and Sunita, his wife, who made the most wonderful butter naan and chapatis. We also became friends with the jolly chef who listened to us when we said “no spicy, no pepper.” He would come out after he had cooked the meal (in record time!), and make sure everything was all right. We ate there every night. Most of their business was for breakfast and lunch. We were one of their only customers in the evening, so we had plenty of time to talk and get to know each other. They put up English Al Jazeera and CNN news for us on the TV, and when Cary wanted palak paneer they went out and bought the palak.

Kusum

As we had seen in Sanu’s family in Lumbini, the baby was cared for by all members of the family. Kusum, who was only 12-years old, but seemed more like 19 to me, spoke excellent English which she had learned from her father who had worked in Dubai. She talked with us at great length about her plans for her education. Like several young women we have met during our trip, she was interested in business management and finance. Kusum impressed us with her energy, her drive, her intelligence and her joyfulness. Hers was another of the loving families we have met during this trip.

Rajiv and Kriti

Our chef

Kriti, Sunita, Rajiv and Kusum

Sunita made the delicious butter naan in the barrel outside the restaurant.

This is another family who touched us deeply, and with whom we plan to keep in touch.

After our stay from Dec 2 – 5, we returned to Boudha.

As you read in our previous post, it is challenging to cover the number of temples that have been constructed in the Lumbini Complex to showcase Buddhist traditions from many countries. All of these attract a crush of world travelers, which can sometimes detract from the spiritual energy that pervades.

One of the most moving structures was the Peace Pagoda, built by the Japanese monk Nichidatsu Fujii, who, after WWII, spearheaded the building of 80 Peace Pagodas throughout the world. The Peace Pagoda in Lumbini was built in 2001.

Click on photos to enlarge.

The Peace Pagoda is on the north end of the Lumbini Complex, which was designed by the Japanese architect, Kenzo Tange. From there, you can look south along the center axis; the Maya Devi Temple is at the southernmost end.

Next to the Peace Pagoda is the Crane Sanctuary… cranes also being a symbol of peace. Sarus cranes are sometimes difficult to find, but Sanu knew where to walk to see them. If you look closely, or enlarge the photo by clicking on it, you can see them in the center.

On the way back, we saw local villagers illegally cutting grass for thatch roofs. The area is an ecological sanctuary, but it also displaced locals who still come and harvest what they need, with the authorities often turning a blind eye.

The Drigung Kagyud Temple, built by the German Tara Foundation, is one the grandest temples. With immaculate grounds and figures depicting the Eight Great Events in the Buddha’s life, it has a Disneyland feel. The interior and exterior of the temple are elaborate and impressive. Because of this, it is the second most visited temple after the Maya Devi Temple.

Painted dome in the interior of the temple

The outside walls painted with the Wheel of Life

Guru Rinpoche and other deities on outside wall

Depicting the death of the Buddha

The outside walls elaborately painted

Depicting the birth of the Buddha

Depicting Buddha being challenging by the Maras

One of the wall murals depicted the Buddha, in a previous lifetime, offering his body to a starving mother tiger. Little did we know that later in our trip we would go to this very site, called Namo Buddha.

It was very hot. I was afraid I’d pass out from the heat….time for a tea break! Thankfully, Sanu took us to the tea shop where his wife worked. It was located on the southernmost end of the canal bisecting the monastic zones, at the beginning of the promenade that led to the Maya Devi Temple.

The architecture has the distinctive Lumbini barrel-vaulted arches.

At the base of the canal, in front of the tea shop, was the eternal flame, another symbol of peace, particularly beautiful at night.

On the way to the Maya Devi Temple was a large statue of the Baby Buddha with his finger pointing upward, donated by Thai Buddhists.

The next day we continued our tour of the Western Zone. On the way, we passed large tarps of rice drying on the side of the road. Plus, the inevitable trash. Alas.

There’s a certain gratitude you have when people are interested in your name and country and age, but when you are pushed and pulled and have cell phones shoved in your face multiple times a day, you run for cover! To many people, our height and the color of our skin made us celebrities since there were so few of us. We were trophy photos. Massive groups of Indian students on school field trips mobbed us. People would rush over and want selfies or group shots with us. If this is what it means to be a celebrity, I wish to have no part in it!

We were flattered that many of the teachers wanted to know where we were from, and talk to us about various subjects, but then it often morphed into picture taking which I soon called “photo mania.”

For some measure of sanity, and to remember this phenomenon, Cary asked Sanu to take photos of the people taking photos of us.

Mobbed at night by school children

Even the teachers got into the act

Sanu protecting me while I hid from the school children.

By the last day, we would run and hide when we saw school groups at temples, and this curtailed our visits. For the first time, we experienced the paparazzi! Sanu started protecting us, saying forcefully, “No photos!”

In addition to selfies, Tik Tok has become a rampant plague in Nepal. Monasteries have taken to putting up signs forbidding Tik Tok videos on the premises. Here is such a sign on the Cambodian Monastery grounds.

Dodging the school groups, we still managed to visit many of the temples built around this large body of water.

Singapore Temple

Inside of Vietnamese Temple

Lily pads & lotus flowers

Vietnamese temple with French statue of the Baby Buddha

Shechen Monastery Garden

Nepali temple in the distance.

The Newari Vajrayana temple was profoundly peaceful in its simplicity and elegance. It was one of our favorites.

The Korean temple was massive and imposing, and the interior was still unfinished after a decade of work.

The Korean temple was not the only unfinished temple. Many others were under construction, as were the roads. I’m sure every year will bring new surprises and satisfaction to those who visit from around the world. I, for one, will be happy when the temple complex roads are paved!

A few final words about our wonderful hotel, the Buddha Maya Garden. Its name doesn’t include Garden for nothing. A well-tended organic farm behind the hotel provided fresh veggies to the restaurant. Fruit trees planted 25 years ago are now mature and productive. We’ll have to return in mango season! Particularly fun was to see the huge wild bee nest in the tree next to the restaurant…lots of pollinators!

Mango trees

Wild bees

Organic farm

Staying for a week also meant we got to know the staff, who were so helpful.

On the last day, Sanu picked us up at 5 pm to take us to his home. We had grown very close during our week in Lumbini and were eager to meet his family. We started on the bumpy road to Lumbini Village and stopped in a small market to buy fruit as a gift for the family. We had been surprised to find the town so run down, but as we approached Sanu’s home, the road changed to a recently built narrow, smooth concrete road winding through a labyrinth of square one- and two-story concrete homes with large doors open to outside porches. The neighborhood children ran out to greet us enthusiastically.

Being greeted by the neighborhood children.

Sanu and his family

There were endless relatives, all eager to greet us. I was inspired by the love and care Sanu’s family had for one another.

In this video below, Sanu introduces his two children, Prinsa and Prince, and wife, Jyoti, as well as his extended family. Little 7-month old Elen is the daughter of his sister-in-law, who was cooking. The sisters-in-law alternate cooking duties, which they said was good for family harmony, and everyone looks after the baby.

Sanu’s grandfather had bought the land, and all the relatives contributed towards building the home they now shared. I really loved the grandfather, who had just came in from the fields where he tended the water buffalo. He was handsome and gentle. His wife, who had generously given Sanu the money to buy his tuk-tuk that helped with the family income, was also charming and personable. There was much hugging all around.

Next came a delicious dinner of dal bhat (no spicey!). Dal, rice, veggies and egg were cooked on outdoor stoves in the back yard, and Grandma made the chapatis. Sanu sat cross-legged with us, and tried to show me how to eat with my fingers, but I was hopeless. They kindly provided Cary and me with spoons. Needless to say we had a great time eating and socializing. As in most eating situations in Nepal, we have discovered that the guests go first, and that has always made me slightly uncomfortable. But that is my problem. They feel it’s a privilege to honor us, and we certainly felt their hospitality.

Cooking outside in back yard

Grandma making chapatis

What we’ve most enjoyed about this trip is sharing in the strong, loving ties within the families we’ve met.

The ride home was chilly and a sadness washed over me, knowing that I might never see Sanu or his family again. But we are connected by WhatsApp, and I plan to keep in touch. This night will stay in my heart forever.

We left the next day for Kathmandu.

Goodbye Terai….
Hello mountains!

It took a 35-minute domestic flight on Buddha Air to get to Lumbini, and we only needed to arrive one hour before flight time. Security was the most casual we’d ever experienced. In the domestic terminal, instead of separate gates for each destination as in our large American airports, there was one waiting room for everyone. When they called our flight, we boarded a bus and were driven out to the plane on the tarmac. Efficient and simple!

It was a beautiful flight, with the western Himalayan range out our window the whole way. What a jolt it was, upon arriving, to find ourselves surrounded by flat land as far as the eye could see. But what did we expect? This was the Terai, the breadbasket…rather, ricebasket…of Nepal! We were struck with how it felt more like India than the Nepal we were familiar with.

Here we could see up close the burned fields of rice straw, an agricultural practice that contributes to the polluted hazy air throughout Asia every winter.

The road from the airport to Lumbini had recently been upgraded for both tourism and ease of transporting agricultural exports to the new air cargo center. It was smooth and had two lanes with a median strip the whole way. Ample room for the light traffic that now included bicycles and animals. Right away we felt a relaxed and unhurried atmosphere.

Our room at the Buddha Maya Garden Hotel was complete with balcony and view of palm and fruit trees, and could not have been better.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Minutes after we arrived, we decided to go see the Maya Devi temple. It seemed so simple…walk one kilometer along the road to Gate 5 of the Temple Complex, then turn left and walk another kilometer to the temple. Besides, once we turned off the highway, there would be no vehicles allowed on the beautiful wide stone walkway through the wetlands and native forest.

When we arrived at the Maya Devi temple, we discovered that not only did foreigners have pay a husky fee to enter, but everyone had to remove their shoes and leave small backpacks behind. Plus the sun would soon be setting….better to head back to the hotel!

On the return walk, the realization dawned that one km in Lumbini is a lot longer than we imagined. Could it have been the unexpected steps, drainage holes in the sidewalk you could pitch into if you weren’t attentive, and other uneven surfaces? You bet! Walking took time and, to coin a phrase, extreme mindfulness. We were used to this in Kathmandu, but didn’t expect it in Lumbini. Our dreams of doing a walking tour of the temple grounds soon dissolved.

The Indian cooking which was heavy on oils and spice laid Cary out for about a day. Once again we had to be wary of the mouth-burning tendencies of this area. Thus began the training up of numerous helpful waiters with whom we formed friendships, to help us communicate our need for “no spice! no pepper!”

Saturday is like our Sunday when schools are closed and many people have a day off. Not a good day to visit the temples! Fortunately this coincided with the day Cary was down for the count.

Sunday morning, the hotel connected us with Sanu Chaudhary, an electric tuk-tuk driver who became our superb guide. He knew his way around and was able to expedite our journey through the complicated labyrinth of temples.

Many countries in the world have built temples at Lumbini in the style of their Buddhist tradition. Read more info HERE. Sanu started our tour in the Eastern Monastic Zone.

We had to take our shoes off before we entered every temple, and I was really nervous, having had new shoes stolen in Dharamsala at the Dalai Lama’s teachings in 2007. So far, so good…I still have my shoes!

Myanmar Golden Temple

Click on the photos to see captions.

Nepali temple

Inside of Nepali temple

Outside Nepali temple

Fence outside Sri Lanka temple with Cambodia temple in the distance

The Cambodian temple was one of the most enthralling and stunning in the complex. The design, artwork, carvings, and colors were exquisite.

Cambodian temple

Inside temple

Last temple of the day was the Thai temple.

Thai temple

Inside of Thai temple

Buddha just after birth pointing to the heavens – Sanu’s idea of an irreverent joke!

On Monday, we finally returned to the Maya Devi Temple. Sanu knew a back way where we could get close without a long walk. First to see was the oldest temple adjacent to the Buddha’s birthplace, a Shakya temple with connections to Mustang, where there was a day-long ceremony for lay people to take the Pratimoksha vows. A Nepali temple was next to it.

Shakya Temple

Nepali temple

Inside Nepali temple

Traditional Nepali woodwork

Tranquil gardens

A short walk to the Maya Devi Temple

It was only a short walk from here to the Maya Devi Temple, the actual site of the Buddha’s birth.

First we needed to purchase a ticket (600 Rs for foreigners, only 20 Rs for Nepalis), and then stash our shoes with someone who gave us a number for safekeeping. This removed my concern about losing them. I must admit, however, I found it uncomfortable to walk over some of the walkways in my stocking feet.

In ancient times, a temple was built around the spot where Maya Devi gave birth to the Buddha. The white structure was constructed to enclose and protect the site in 2003. For more details on the archeological history click HERE.

A wooden walkway went around the inside, and it was fascinating to look down and see the original temple walls that had been built around the holy site. Several people were busy cleaning the rocks and collecting money that was thrown as offerings onto the foundation. There were long lines of people waiting to see the stone marking the Buddha’s birthplace, and view the bas relief of Maya Devi. No photos were permitted inside.

Neither Cary nor I understood the exterior design of this special place…it looked like a hotel or an ocean liner. But the deep peacefulness of the grounds and the actual marker stone rendered any architectural questions insignificant.

Next to the temple is a sacred pool, marking the place where the Buddha was first washed after birth. To the north of the building is the pillar set by Emperor Ashoka in 249 BC memorializing the Buddha’s birth place.

Sanu told us that dusk was the best time to visit. Many pilgrims would be chanting and worshiping. We took his advice, and, indeed, it turned out to be our favorite time.

How wonderful to be able to experience the calmness that prevailed in this holy place in the evening. There were no crowds. There was no confusion. There was just peace.

Pipal tree (later known as Bodhi tree)

Moon above the prayer flags

Prayers at the Ashoka pillar

Large Vietnamese prayer ceremony

Lighting a butter lamp

I think you’ve had enough temples for today! So, we’re saving the last batch, plus our final days in Lumbini, for our next post.

I first met BP Shrestha in 1986 when he was running a small guest house off the main square of Dhulikhel. A close friend, Amy Noel Wyman, asked me to deliver a donation to him for his work with school children in the rural areas. This was the beginning of our friendship. I reconnect with BP every time that I return to Nepal, and this year, once again, I was able to see innovation, progress and change in his community.

A book has been written about his accomplishments: “Bel Prasad Shrestha, The Man Behind Dhulikhel,” which you can read HERE. The book is a collection of essays about his work, and includes the chapter I wrote about him in my book.

BP was mayor of Dhulikhel from 1987 – 2003. With the vision of making life better in his village, he recognized that without clean drinking water no other development was possible. He gave us a detailed description of the hoops he had to jump through to get a drinking water system for his small community, when even Kathmandu had not been able to accomplish that. He shared that Dhulikhel did not have a lot of money, but he realized that it wasn’t the amount of money they had, but the determination they had to fulfill the goal. There were people from Germany who listened to him, looked at what Dhulikhel wanted to accomplish, and decided to help. “They recognized our need and our deep belief in the possibility of accomplishing our goal,” he said.

Once the water treatment plant was up and running, this made way for the founding of Kathmandu University and the Dhulikhel Hospital.

BP was instrumental in bringing tourism to Dhulikhel when he launched the Himalayan Horizon Hotel in 1982. During the pandemic, a beautiful new wing was added overlooking terraces, the infinity pool, and the mountains. Interestingly enough, many hotels in Nepal took the opportunity to build or remodel during the pandemic, when there were no customers.

Click on photos to enlarge.

How’s this for luxury?

The new wing

View from the outdoor dining terrace

The highlight of our tour of Dhulikhel was the stunning, recently built, Nepal Technology Innovation Center where we were lucky to have the project manager show us around. All the furniture and laboratory equipment were scheduled to arrive the next week. Part of Kathmandu University, this will be where intellectual and academic ideas and research will be transformed into practical solutions that are then tested and grounded in real-life applications.

It was a fascinating design incorporating outdoor space between the buildings with walkways and terraces. What a inspiring place for research!

Front entrance incorporating wheelchair access

Laboratory space

Walkways between buildings

View from walkway

BP and Dipendra KC, project manager

We were thrilled to get a chance to meet with students from the Shree Shree Khandapur Secondary School. They were still using quonset huts, built after their school was destroyed in the 2015 earthquake, but the new school had been rebuilt. The students welcomed us enthusiastically and were thrilled to meet us and practice their English.

The director and teachers with the new school in the background.

These were just a few of the places we saw on our tour through Dhulikhel this year!

We can’t thank BP enough for his hospitality, and are looking forward to when we get together again.

Who knows what BP will come up with next year!

We read a lot about the Prakriti Resort and Organic Farm in the foothills of the Himalaya, where we planned to spend a week. They told us about their wonderful organic farm and their hiking trails. But we didn’t read their website closely enough to be aware that to get there, we’d have to drive through the Shivapuri National Park over bumpy roads that rivaled the rutted grandeur of Mongolia. They did not say that a neck brace would be helpful. Cary, who heard me say yet again “This is the worst I’ve ever experienced in my whole life,” rocked and swayed from side to side and went with the flow. We were told by the driver and those who ran the resort that the roads were not paved so as to protect the wildlife habitat in the park. I took it in, but thought to myself that trying hard just to stay alive doesn’t give you much time to appreciate the wildlife they are hoping to preserve. But this discomfort soon passed when we stepped onto the grounds of the resort, and into our wonderful, peaceful room with its exquisite view of the mountains. As we arrived, the air was redolent with the smell of marigolds, something I had never before experienced.

Click on photos to enlarge.

It was obvious by the end of the first day that this resort was a very popular spot where Nepalis could go to get away from the city and enjoy good food, companionship, celebrations, and parties. The BBQ room had an unusual open flame grill where we joined some parties, energetically dancing to lively Nepali music, as well as sipping local tongpa, a fermented millet drink. We had the fun of joining several groups who, when they found out my age, started clapping, pinching my cheeks, hugging me, and calling me Grandma. I continued dancing ’til I thought I would fall. The next morning when I arrived at breakfast, I greeted my new friends with “Good morning from Grandma,” to which they applauded. I don’t think I’ve ever met a more friendly welcoming group of young people. I was more than happy to be their “Grandma.”

My new crop of grandchildren.

I was all excited about going on some hiking trails, but discovered that, since the resort was built on the terraces of a steep slope, the trail going up started with a narrow, frightening rocky section. However, with the help of our guide, Ram, I made it and the trail was easier after that. Eventually, it became an unpaved road. Halfway to our destination, a reservoir made out of a wetlands, called Lake Pokhari, we started picking up small bits of trash along the road, thinking that there was a dustbin (trash can) at the reservoir. Unfortunately when we got to the lake, there wasn’t a dustbin in site. Alas, we had to put the trash in a hole and hold it down with rocks. It became my mission during the rest of our stay to talk people into putting a dustbin at the reservoir and pick up the trash, or even better, put up a sign “Do not litter.” I’ve been on a campaign about litter since my college days, but my suggestion went nowhere here, and I gave up. You can’t win ’em all!

On another day, we opted to walk the 6 km to a trout farm and tea plantation. We found it delightful…blooming trees in winter, unusual hay mounds, and a herd of goats scampering up and down the hill much more easily than we! However, after a Nepali 10 minutes (ha ha!), we decided we didn’t want to walk on the rutted roads any longer, and left them to the goats and their shepherd.

It was wonderful to have a chance to read, get up early and see the sunrise over the Himalaya, and veg out on our porch in the sun.

Once we had trained up the chef not to add chili or pepper to the food (“no spicy, please!”), we enjoyed our meals in a little covered alcove outside the dining hall.

Breakfasts were outstanding, and more than ample. For lunch, two things we liked the best were the fresh salad, straight from the organic farm, and the homemade mushroom soup with garlic toast. We ate it almost every day.

It can’t get any better!

Cary enjoyed exploring the organic farm on the terraces of the resort. She was fascinated to see what is grown at different times of the year, and winter here is a far cry from winter on Whidbey Island. Read more about their commitment to sustainable agriculture and tourism HERE and HERE.

She was quite amazed to see strawberries flowering, but we sure enjoyed them in our garden salad! Tucked in little patches on the terraces were familiar veggies like beets, bok choy, mustard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, carrots, cilantro, lettuce, and more. Potatoes had just been sown, and young radishes and greens were germinating. Kiwis and vines were integrated into the terraces to provide shade and layered production. Also fascinating to see were the more tropical plants like turmeric, taro and squash varieties growing at the 2,000 meter altitude.

Insects were everywhere. It was quite the thrill to see a praying mantis right at our feet in the outside dining area, which shouldn’t have surprised us considered the unspoiled environment around us. After years of living on the East Coast where insect noises were part of the flavor of evening, it was fun to hear them again as the sun set. Bees accompanied us as we sat next to the marigolds on our porch, and we finally caught a photo of a butterfly as it rested the sun.

One of the highlights of our stay was our friendship with the staff. Being long-term guests made all the difference and we got to know everyone. They couldn’t do enough for us! We felt like part of a family.

Prem Giri, Manager

Keshab Giri

Kapil Lakhe

Shailendra Gurung

Dipess Limbu

Nirmala

From meals, to room service, to helping us keep warm on a cold evening, the staff was wonderful.

I won’t end this post with the bumpy ride home, for I’d rather leave you with a few more photos of our week in heaven.

Sunset over the Himalaya

To say that my arrival in Kathmandu, my entrance into the small familiar airport, my standing in a long line to pay for my visa, and my being greeted by Ramhari, the manager at Crystal Mountain Treks, made me feel that the world was, once again, normal, may seem crazy after four long years of a reality that has been turned upside down by politics, pandemic, and war. But here I was, bumping over Mahankal Road, still unpaved, and immersed in chaotic traffic unlike anywhere else in the world. And I was happy!

Soon I was unpacking and settling into my home-away-from-home, the Shechen Guest House, next to the Shechen Monastery, where my spacious room cost 2450 Nepali rupees ($18), and I was surrounded by beautiful gardens and a peacefulness tantamount to my fondest dream, the Garden of Eden.

Those of you who have followed me and my travels over the years know all about this oasis near the Boudha Stupa. You know about the great vegetarian restaurant and the folks from around the world who come here. On any day you are likely to bump into Italian ayurvedic practitioners, French Buddhists, dentists working for an NGO, or a venerable monk like Matthieu Ricard, meeting with colleagues or teaching at the Monastery.

But don’t misunderstand me. There were changes everywhere and many for the better. During the pandemic, major improvements were made at the guest house and next door at the monastery. The damage that we saw after the 2015 earthquake had been repaired. The monk’s housing to the left of the temple was completely removed, and a grassy field planted, which opened up the view to the stupas celebrating the Eight Miracles in the Buddha’s life. New dorm rooms were built as a third floor on top of existing housing. Even the walkways and roads leading to the Boudha Stupa had been improved. But just so you know that all was not perfect, we still had to dodge the wild frenzy of noisy motorcycles threatening our very existence every time we walked to the stupa. I do not exaggerate!Of course, our first day was spent at the Boudha Stupa, doing kora. We also discovered great lattes at the Himalayan Java Cafe. How wonderful to enjoy them while looking out the window at the stupa!

Cary and I spent our first full evening having dinner with Jwalant Gurung, Director of Crystal Mountain Treks, at the Roadhouse Café, also overlooking the stupa. As you know, we’ve taken many marvelous treks with Jwalant’s team. Not only did Jwalant help rebuild destroyed schools and houses in the aftermath of the earthquake, but during the pandemic, he raised $150,000 for medicines and protective gear, as well as for setting up a COVID ICU at a free clinic. I encourage you to click HERE to read about these activities, sponsored through his charitable organization 3 Summits for Nepal.

Ten years ago, I was first charmed by Aashika, the daughter of Pasang Lama, a guard at the Shechen Guest House. She was into everything, a charming scamp, eager for the chase and eager to speak to me in English. As years went by our friendship grew and she began showing me her school work, which led to our reading books together.

Time passed and Aashika’s sister, Asmika was born.

Pasang delighted in our friendship and I was always invited to their home, simple, small, but loaded with books and efficiently organized. I soon realized that education and excellence were the goals of this family. Pasang is devoted to his wife and children, and they’ve been able to survive and flourish during the most difficult of situations… a Nepali virtue.

Both girls have now qualified for private school and talk, excitedly, about their future goals. This year Cary and I walked up the steep stairway to their small apartment to be greeted by Pasang’s wife, Ranjita, who prepared a feast for us while we conversed non-stop, using Aashika as our interpreter. I am amazed that someone so young could have such a grasp of our language. She used words that are complicated even for an American student, and her thoughts were beautifully formed. We had such a wonderful time together, and we plan to see each other again before we leave.

As we left to take what seemed like a 20-minute ride back to the guest house, a trip through circuitous, congested alleys, we asked Pasang how long it took him to walk to work every evening. His answer… “10 minutes!”

You can walk anywhere in Nepal in 10 minutes!

Good heavens, you mean it took us all this time to learn this simple truism? Suddenly we realized that this was not the first time we had heard this answer, and thought back to all the times we had been told that the place we were going was a mere 10 minute walk. In fact, the very next day we fell for it again when the ticket agent at the Qatar Airlines office where we had gone in the hope of getting an upgrade on our return ticket (no chance!) told us it was just a 10 minute walk to the CIWEC clinic in Lazimpat. After the harrowing taxi ride to the airline office, I was pretty exhausted and said, Are you sure? Oh yes, m’am, he answered. And off we went.

Walking on the sidewalk next to the Palace wall, with the road packed with cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles cheek by jowl, a traffic situation that would have Americans in apoplectic road rage, I was the apoplectic one. Thirty-five minutes later, Cary is desperately trying to keep me from becoming completely hysterical, especially when we had to cross an impossibly busy street to get to the clinic. There was no traffic light or crosswalk, and I said I’m not crossing the street. Cary said, yes you are, whereupon she stepped off the curb and waded out into the middle of traffic holding up her hand and making direct eye contact with drivers. I’ve never been closer to freaking out in my life! We made it across the sea of motorcycles swarming toward us. They seemed to magically part, and let us through with nary a glance. I needed every doctor in that clinic by the time we reached the entrance. 10 minutes, yeah, right.

Having survived, we returned to Boudha. Next we will head off to the Prakriti Resort and Organic Farm in the foothills of the Himalaya.

Cary and I arrived in Kathmandu and returned to the Boudhanath Stupa on November 11th after four long years punctuated by COVID. Here are a few photos to let you know where we have been. We’ll have lots of details to share with you, soon!

Here I am in the foothills of the Himalayas enjoying tranquil mountain views at the Prakriti Organic Farm Resort. This is the extent of our high-altitude trekking for the moment.

A selfie in front of our cottage at Prakriti

Before and after our week in the mountains, we had whirlwind visits with friends in Boudha and Dhulikhel.

On November 25th, we flew to Lumbini, birthplace of the Buddha. We are taking a week to see the sacred sites here, including stunning temples built by the myriad Buddhist traditions from around the world.

Here is the site of the Buddha’s birth in the Maya Devi Temple.Much more to come….