Namaaste

Back in Kathmandu after an exciting few days in Lumbini! It's hard to describe all of the amazing sights and experiences - it is all so different! Lumbini has a very sacred feeling and with over 1000 monks there it was a special time. Walking around I feel like an alien in another world - a priveliged alien!!!!
12 hour bus trip back to Kathmandu - at about 3 in the afternoon I saw the 100km to Kathmandu sign - 'not long now' thinks the ignorant alien!!!! 4 hours later we were still ducking and weaving thru trucks and tooting cars, motor bikes and pedestrians. The river and valley views were breathtaking - and watching people live is so foreign to us. Pumping water by the street, washing and cleaning teeth, getting a shave, hair cut, toileting, checking out each others hair, eating, cooking, dressing, cutting grain - lives go on in public. Saw a lot of very natural village scenes from the bus - mud homes, thatch roofing, cows in the yard all centered around the hand pump for water. Hay stacked so high on carts it is miracle they get anywhere without an accident!
Life here in town is centred around the Buddhist Stupa - and from early morning the Tibetan people are out and about doing 'Kora' - walking around the Stupa chanting their mantras and prayers. They are very dedicated and it is so special to be part of the 'wheel' walking around and around caught up in the movement.
Thismorning I sat and had a coffee and just watched the world go by - the beggars, street cart vendors, delivery men with four large bottles of water balanced on a push bike, women with woven baskets of vegetables for the market on their back and strapped across the forehead, the Tibetan women in their traditional dress, some with many rings in their nose, the old men in their baggy pants and Tibetan jackets - all carrying their mala of beads. Of course the tourists add to the scene! I watch them deal with the beggars and the salesmen. Very good salesmen! Bought some woven little doo dads thismorning to hang from phones etc - walked away thinking I paid way too much but at the time the guy had me convinced I was cutting his profits so cruely! Of course - they were very inexpensive anyway so have to laugh at how good they are at their job!!!
Time to move. Nice to chat - hope you are all going well at home. Wish I was good at puting up photos - next time! Alice and Russ have sent out all of the orders so hope you are enjoying your magazines!!!! Talk soon. Cheers. Joy