Coming home Part 2

After we got that first look on Hinduism on October 2nd, it was time to gain some Buddhism-impressions. Ok I admit, I was even more looking forward to that. We went to Boddnath, where we saw this amazing Stupa standing right in front of us. It was surrounded by prair flags. A sight I will never forget.

A Stupa is a totally closed building and at once a "Lieven" imagination showed up, seeing this Stupa. Where is Richard? I don't know, I just saw him checking the inside of the Stupa right before we finished it. Oeps?!?

The Stupa stands right in front of a beautifull monastry, which has an amazing bell, the size Santa hopefully never buys for his raindeer.

As we walked further on the Tibetan domain, I bought my first prairflags and visited my first monastry on the inside. I didn't really feel comfortable, as the Monks were sitting down, doing there prairs and we, the tourists walked easyly around in that same room. People say they didn't bother, so I believed it, still having my doubts. They even offer there "guests" tea, and I must admit, my first salted tea was special, but I liked it. I was cought by Buddhism, the moment I walked into it's monastry and saw the serenity of the monks. I felt myself at ease there and calmed down, just being there. I could have stayed for at least a few hours. Observing, maybe even try to participate, learning and meditating. It was my first physical contact with Buddhism, but at once it made me realise what my life stands for and how I like to spend it. For now, that's for me to know, but some of you will find out soner or later. Who has, wants to know it, will, I trust in that.

We visited "The Monkey Temple", where monkeys really cross you on the ground, without saying namaste, and where Bhuddism and Hinduism are gathered next to each other. It's nice to see how different believes can stand peacefully next to eachother.

We also visited Durban Square, where we went to visit the house of Kumari. She is a girl that is pure, in the purest sence of the word. She may not have lost any blood in her life, for instance, and she has to stand different exams before she can prove being a Kumari.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumari

Kumary was not home, but we got to admire one of the most famous handicrafts of Nepal. The wooden windows, beautifully carved.

Shortly after arriving back at the hotel, we got the news our luggage had arrived. We celebrated with a few beers, knowing that I'm normally not a beer drinker, and prepared ourselves to leave for Pokhara the next day, to go trekking in the Annapurna-region.

In the evening I went into town, on my own. Just trying to meet some of the locals. Since it was Bada Dasain, the biggest festival in Nepal, I met some celebrating shopowners, taxidrivers, press-members, all on the same place. At the street in front of a shop. I offered to buy some more drinks, and we had fun, although I was still very much in my western way of thinking; I have to watch out. Nothing happened, and that opened my eyes again. Trust in the good intensions of people. Don't live your life in fear, because you'll miss so many beautifull feelings!

(end of part 2)

Coming home Part 1

It's strange, but being in Nepal really felt like being home. For several reasons, I felt more at home there, than in Belgium. All my life I've been looking for "my home". A place where I could allow me to be myself, where it felt safe, where people spoke, acted and lived based on emotions. And suddenly it was there. Without noticing it, I slipped into it. The grass is always greener on the other side of the hill, but when I look at my pictures now, the grass just is greener in Nepal.

We, two other Belgian men (whome I first met at the airport in Belgium) and me, arrived in Kathmandu on October 1st 2006. After 4 flights, it seemed that something went wrong with the transportation of the luggage. Result, no luggage and the man behind the counter wasn't really well equiped for making a form to get our luggage back. At least, the airport didn't have the equipment, we're used to in Europe. No problem, it'll arrive tomorrow, or the day after that, or never. Who knows? I just accepted it and it even made me smile. Welcome in Kathmandu. The Nepali man, kept smiling, although he didn't seem to know what to do with the tourists standing around his desk, that I think he brought himself, and some of them getting nervous. He just kept smiling, like most of the Nepalies do. I think it's some kind of Nepali-look.

Coming out of the airport, we met our second part of Nepal: the 1352 friendly people who will help you carry your bags. Being in India, I knew this was gonna happen, but there were 8 people welcoming us and later it seemed, there was only one man who really knew who we were. Always funny those hectic situations. But most important thing was...I arrived in Nepal. Imagine I was left behind in London and my luggage got to Nepal. The welcome in Hotel Thamel was warm and friendly and they even seemed to have beer. Big beers. The Nepalies seem to drink one of those beers together with two or three people. Some of the Belgians thought really different about that and the manager of the hotel seemed very happy with that. After all it stays business, can you blame them? October 2nd, we went to do sightseeing in Kathmandu. First we went to the famous shivatemple from Pashupatinath (Pashupati; the protector of Nepal and the lord of all living creatures, according to the Nepali Hindu's) at the bank of Bagmati river. I must admit, it is beautifull, even when you see corpses being burned in front of it. That's tradition there. They don't burry dead people, they burn them, and after that they throw there ashes in the river. Why? http://www.mailerindia.com/hindu/veda/index.php?death Outside the temple, inside I don't know, because only Hindu's are allowed inside the temple, monkeys were walking around, next to the people and the cows and dogs. Nice to see how everybody lives together on the streets, in the trees and at the bank of the river. You can also find Sadhoes, people who gave up everything and devote there life to the god Shiva. They live of what they get from the people and I think some of them are able to start a carreer as photo model, because everyone who passes them immediately grabs for his camera, and not only to see if its still there. You take a picture of them, to which they coöporate wellwilling, and in regard you give them some money, or food. I also saw my first snake that day, but it didn't scare me. Ok, it was one of them funcky dancing snakes, but previously, even they used the scare the something out of me. To me it was a sign that I was getting more and more self confident and that I was trying to live in the culture of Nepal. I seemed to be able to let go of my western way of thinking and was more attrackted to the Nepali culture of Hinduism and Buddhism. The open emotions and the way people deal with eachother was also a fantastic experience to me. I felt like I finally was coming home. (end of part 1)

I will write down a short note about my trip to Nepal, while preparing to write the whole story. It was a fantastic time, which brought me closer to myself, nature, other people and inner peace. I've been able to discover more about Buddhism being surrounded by people who live it. I met wonderfull people, but one person was really special. Tenzin, a beautifull Australian girl, touched me in a special way. I feel like I found my soulmate in her, and that feels great. During the trekking of 13 days to ABC there were so many fantastic views, contacts, situations,... but most of all, there was no motorised traffic. No sound or sight of cars, plains, motorcycles. That was a unique experience for me and it tastes like more. The cultural choque didn't appear when I was in Nepal, but the moment I came back in Belgium he was there. Conclusion: I feel more attached to the warm, open culture of Nepal than the cold and fake culture of the west. I must say that this is my impression, it's like that for me. Many people get ill from food overthere, for me it was the other way around again: my insides protested when I was back in Belgium. Nepal was a unique experience for me and it left me some friends that I will never forget and maybe see some of them again in this, or an other life. Strange how you can bound with people just by eye-crossing. When you can open your heart and see what's happening around you, you can feel so many joy inside yourself, and that's something nobody can take away from you. Believe in yourself and nobody can hurt you, by calling you names, or giving you bad comments. I once read: Those who care don't matter, and those who matter don't care. I think that's one of the most important lessons I learned during the three weeks in Nepal. I let me be myself, no matter what others thought about it. And you know what? A lot of people accepted me more. Thanks to Tenzin, even rain can't bother me anymore. She made me realise that it's just wet sunshine, another beautifull miracle of nature. About the Nepalese local people? They are pure, friendly and with so much hospitality. Even when they're poor and have not enough food, they will invite you in to have a meal with them. And it's not out of policy, it's because they respect you and eachother. It was one of the most beautifull experiences of my life and I feel that it's just the beginning. The beginning of a beautifull continuation.