.. or I would like to tell you all the Nepali name, but I forgot, and anyway it's really hard to spell ;)
Today a did a really amazing and wonderful thing: I got myself completely lost in Kathmandu! You won't think it possible, but yes I did it :D Kathmandu is a really big valley surrounded by "hills" and is more than just shops and people! So I spent the afternoon at the Monkey Temple looking out over the valley and enjoying the view even though there was a lot of clouds today! But I could imagine the size anyway so it was worth all the way up the stairs ;) Up there I met the first friendly Nepalese guy who didn't try do sell me anything! That small experience is worth telling of ;) But I found that he studied English and was very interested in Europe and European culture - we talked a lot! But THEN! On my way back to the hotel in Thamel something awful happened! While I took the wrong way back from the temple I got hidden by a huge wave of pride which wouldn't let me turn around! So instead of taking the right way home I went a HUGE "shortcut" around the river and used more than an hour to get back! (it should only take half an hour in normal tempo). But from all this great despair for myself I have been able to draw something good: the knowledge that no matter how far away I get myself lost, I will always be able to find my way back! And that is actually a really good thing to be sure of :)
Unfortunately Matilde had a really bad head ache this evening, so she couldn't join me :( But before I went on my adventurous tour we met with Manoj - our local contact in the village where we're going to teach - and that was also really great! He's a fine man and very helpful and generous and we're looking so much forward to meet his family in the festival of Dashain in the end of September! We also talked about the teaching we're gonna do in Kantipur and Ayodhyapur and it all sounds good, so I'm sure we gonna enjoy our time there :)
The evening we spent at the hotel eating dinner and drinking beer and I learned that I will be affected by alcohol even though I'm far away from the normal habits of the Danish youth :)
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Dear Ann Katrine, Namaste.
SvarSletYou are a good storyteller. It's wonderful to read how you got lost. Did you pass by three gigantic golden Buddhas at the remote side of the Swayambhunath :-) hill? I'm told about them, but I never saw them myself. So next time I definitely go there again. Why in h.. they've put them on the backside?
It can be a very good experience to get lost. You see a lot of things you would'nt have seen on the beaten path. In most of Kathmandu, in daytime, you don't need to worry. Everybody you ask for help, will help you. And you can always get taxi.
I'm so glad you met Manoj and like him. I hope you'll have a great time in his home in Kantipur. I don't have any idea what Dashain will be like. It's the most important of all nepalese festivals. You are very lucky to stay in nepalese home, so enjoy every minute. Don't forget to take some photos for us.
My best regards for both of you. Love Lone
Thankyou so much - I'm doing my best :)
SvarSletI think we saw the big Buddha's, they're on the east side right?
Today I found that I didn't really got lost, I just though I did and THEN I got lost ;) typically :P
We're also looking very much forward to see and experience Dashain and will take at lest a thousand pictures ;)