Yoga Nepali Style!

Agreed. This post is long overdue, but I would be remiss if I did not share the zen perfection that is Sadhana Yoga Retreat. 

The 12 days that I was part of the Sadhana family were some of the most blissful in recent memory. Quite serendipitously, I signed up for the ten day yoga holiday, a more structured retreat (as compared to just showing up), offered twice a month and found myself in a group of most spectacular women. That first evening, as I met the four other girls on the holiday, little could I have foreseen how perfectly matched were our temperaments, our humor, our, for lack of a better world "girlyness." Far from being the seriously meditative retreat that one might envision, I danced, sang, laughed and ate my way through a beautiful bubble of time. Introspection, peace, happiness...well I just felt it all in company, which I think exponentially magnified the good.

What follows is a glimpse into this oasis, presented in images worth a thousand words:

The girls, from left to right, Emily, Carlie, Jordana and Karen. An international crew from Australia, U.K., Canada and Norway. 

The view from Sadhana. Every tier of the U shaped blue pagoda had a place to sit, lay or stand in the sun and revel at the beauty of our surroundings.

Every morning, the bell rang at 0530. Rubbing our eyes and tripping in the dark, we began our day in the yoga room with an hour and a half of pre-meditation, meditation, and post-meditation exercises. I had no concept of how incredibly difficult it would be to sit still, cross-legged, for thirty minutes, ignoring the intense pain in my knees, ankles and feet, all the while concentrating on and clearing my mind. The pose in the picture, Shavasana, is at the very end of the exercises, and I had to fight strange giggles as my limbs came back to life. 

Black tea and lemon followed meditation, as we watched the last traces of night creep behind the mountains. Everyday was sunny, with a gentle constant breeze...really.

Neti Kriya, or nasal cleansing in the garden was next. This part was...interesting. Kneeling (in order to avoid splashing all over myself), I tilted my head 45 degrees to either side, then poured lukewarm saltwater up the outside nostril, gravity flowing it through my passages and pourin it out the other side. So basically...

This cleansing was at the peace pagoda during one of our meditation trips. Following the cleansing/drowning, we performed a series of cleansing exercises which were tantamount to spraying everything in your immediate vicinity with salty snot. It was great fun...again, really!

Next we practiced an hour and a half of yoga, including breathing exercises.

We were usually one step away from laughing. Speaking of laughing, we practiced laughing yoga, which involves laughing as hard as you can for three minutes. I LOVED it.

Finally, it was time for breakfast! This usually consisted of porridge (delicious), muesli (divine), or pancakes (delectable). 

What better way to enjoy your full breakfast belly, than to take a steam bath? The next few hours of our day, until a midday session of meditation, were for relaxing, steam or mud bathing, reading, or lying in the sun. What a life...

Following noon meditation was lunch, always a variation of the Nepali national dish, dal bhat. All the healthy, heart, homemade food at Sadhana, was slow cooked and prepared with love. Every morsel was delicious, and wonderfully, there were always seconds.

An afternoon of more relaxing and karmic yoga was followed by masala tea, popcorn and...

Chanting! Although we may look subdued in this picture, chanting was a riot. Oftentimes, spontaneous dancing would ensue, as we all sang at the top of our lungs for an hour. An evening session of yoga, a candlelight dinner, and candle meditation wrapped up the day as we fell into our beds, lulled to sleep by nature all surrounding.

On the 7th, 8th and 9th day of our retreat, we embarked on a fast. Day one: six apples and three cups of honey lemon water. Day two: three apples and three cups of honey lemon water. Day three: three cups of honey lemon water. We were also allowed to indulge in prodigious quantities of herbal tea. Additionally, we spent our last day of fasting in silence, which is the only time at Sadhana I wasn't totally full of joy.

Sadly, our fast wasn't broken with ice cream, candy, pasta or pizza, but with twenty (TWENTY!!) cups of warm salt water combined with intestinally crunching yoga exercises. It was worst than it sounds. The result? Five girls running desperately for the bathroom at least two dozen times over the course of three hours. All I can say is we were, undoubtedly, cleaned out.

Beyond our daily routine, here were a few more moments if total Sadhana happiness:

After a steep hour and a half hike, we watched the sunrise over the Annapurna mountain range.

Walking meditation at sunrise at the Peace Pagoda.

Canoeing across the lake.

Taking a day long, taste sensation cooking class and...

Learning how to not burn my hands making chapati.

Sadhana was beautiful and my time there was filled with joy (except no food and silence day). I miss the friends I made there and the pace of life. Let's all go, shall we?

A Change for Yoga

While trekking and in the meditation of quiet walking, I came to a few long coming realizations on my immediate plans. In a last minute shift (planned and confirmed in the last few hours), I will be heading to Pokhara in a few hours for a ten day yoga, detox and meditation retreat. Although the energy and movement of Kathmandu is enthralling, the pollution, and constant hustling are overwhelming to me. My sense of wanderlust, of seeing new sights, is not quenched and I have had a strong desire to keep moving since returning to Kathmandu on Thursday. Although I regret not working for Animal Nepal, as they are a wonderful and hardworking organization, I have been the initiator of all contact with them, and for some reason, I do not think I will be missed. 

For the next ten days, I will chill out, suspend my movement, and try to find some more clarity on this world exploration. I predict that I will be out of wifi range, so I will continue my Everest saga when I get back (back to where? Not sure yet). 

Aloha and Namaste!

Exploring Kathmandu

It has quickly dawned on me that there is a steep learning curve for living in Kathmandu. These past two days have blurred in a vaguely overwhelming way as I try to ease into a place so unlike anything I have experienced. Traveling to Southeast Asia during my time in the Navy was a reasonable prelude to seeing life in a third world country, but actually living in one was something I couldn't have really prepared for. Despite feeling somewhat lost, both literally and figuratively, I am so grateful and happy to be here, challenging myself and exploring this world of ours.

The night I arrived, I slept a sad four hours, despite the red eye from the night before. Awaking yesterday morning I helped myself to a breakfast of fried potato balls, toast and tea from the hotel, and set out to shop around for a guide to Everest Base Camp. I visited four agencies (there are over 1,000 agencies in Nepal), trying to gather a sense of the personalities and experience of all four. It was like speed dating, asking what I thought were probing questions to get to the heart of the matter. I finally settled on Funny Nepal Treks and Expedition. Fani, the managing director, was polite, straightforward, quick to smile and immediately put me to ease. They have a great reputation, and their name didn't hurt in my bias. Due to our timeframe, we will be able to visit Gokyo Lakes on our way up to base camp. I am so pumped!

Wandering down the street to the Green Organic Cafe, I satisfied my craving for more tofu curry and rice. Sitting on their patio above the busy streets, watching the vibrancy of Thamel swirl past, it felt like an oasis of calm in the busy. After the slow and leisurely lunch, I strolled along, heading towards Swayambhunath, the Monkey Temple. 

Set above the city with sweeping vistas of Kathmandu nestled in the valley, it is a place that invites worship and admiration at the beautiful temples. Administering from above is the Buddhas eyes on top of the stupa. It's name, Monkey Temple, comes from the hundreds of holy monkeys that live amongst the shrines, supposedly descendants of the head lice of Manjushree. Climbing the steep 365 steps to the top, I saw monkeys in their swimming pool, tourists mingling with monks, beggars and offered money swirling around in the hot air. It was an eclectic cross section of life!

As I walked to Swayambhunath, a man started to walk next to me. This had happened quite a few times over the past days, and it's can be fairly difficult to shake some of them from your side. One even waited 30 minutes as I met with a trekking agency, and would have continued to follow me if I hadn't ducked into the Green Organic Cafe. Sumam, however, I had met the day before, as I was lost trying to find my way to my hotel. He had explained that he was a university student who volunteered at a home for disabled children, and he had wanted to show me a mural he was painting for them. I demurred when he showed me a dark entrance into an unmarked building that seemed devoid of children. But he was very polite and nice, so when he started walking with me again on the way to the Monkey a Temple, I didn't mind. He offered to walk with me and teach me about the Temple, for which I assumed I would pay him a certain amount. It helped to have a guide to navigate my way out of Thamel, and Sumam even took me off the regular route to experience more authentic Nepal. We walked past various shrines, and through back alleys where I am sure not many tourists go. 

Sumam is studying the humanities, and speaks excellent English and I was able to receive lessons on Hinduism, the current political situation, trekking, and the state of overcrowding and tourism in Kathmandu. 

It was a pleasant conversation, but I started to get a little suspicious after about the fifth time he brought up marriage between foreigners and Nepalese, his desire to receive an American visa, and many questions on my love life. When he went so far as to ask me if I could see myself marrying someone from Nepal, and if so, maybe him, I had had about enough. Parting ways he gave me his phone number and email. I was hoping to have simply made a friend, but I received the distinct impression I was being wooed (even though he took $15 from me). 

Returning to my hotel in the early evening, my exhaustion hit me, and I decided to forgo dinner for sleep. Reading through my favorite blog on living in Nepal, www.thelongestwayhome.com, I came across the author's wrap-up of life after months of living here. One section seemed particularly relevant: "It's well known that many Nepalese men will actively pursue single woman of all ages from abroad. Not only is there prestige in having a "foreign" girlfriend. There's a clear route to financial stability and a passport to a new life." Right...

Slipping into bed, my stomach, unfortunately, had other plans, and I passed a restless night as my system clashed with Nepalese food. I have tried my utmost to be careful, eating at reputable looking places, and not drinking any tap water. I did however, eat salad and accidentally brushed my teeth with faucet water, but I figure a weird stomach comes with the territory. As long as it is less intense than my sickness on El Camino, I feel like I can deal with this minor nuisance.

This morning I woke and headed to meet with Uttam from Animal Nepal in Chovar. On my map, Chovar looked deceptively close, but the hotel front desk quickly convinced me I would never make it on foot. Even in the cab, it took 45 minutes of insane traffic to make it. The traffic here is unlike any I have ever seen before, even Italy or Guatemala can't compare. Cars, trucks, vans, buses and motorcycles all converge at impossible angles, vying for any advantage or empty space. The swarm of pedestrians crossing wherever is convenient only serve to congest the roads even more. The three cows I saw laying in the middles of the street seemed to be the only thing that slowed anyone down. Barreling along, heading straight into on-coming traffic, my taxi swerved at the last second to avoid head on collisions. Any sort of traffic scheme or sign is pointedly ignored. Yet, there is no road rage, and people strike up conversations with each other as they sit in stopped traffic, smiling and waving as they lay on their horn. 

Animal Nepal has three locations, the administration office, dog shelter and donkey shelter. I visited the dog shelter to meet Uttam, and immediately saw a dozen dogs I would want to adopt. It is set in a quieter part of Kathmandu down a dirt path. This shelter is for sick or wounded dogs, as well as dogs brought in to be neutered or spayed. A little of newborn puppies, their eyes not even opened, were wiggling around in a crate as their mother gently growled at any passing dog. Rollicking puppies bunched around my feet, crying for attention. Uttam was incredibly nice and introduced me to the staff that runs the shelter. I discussed with him my hopes for my time volunteering as well as some of the logistics of living in a Kathmandu. Upon my return from the trek, I will be in contact with him to begin my volunteer work and settle in to a guesthouse in Chovar.

The Most Dangerous Animal of the World

Emily arrives in a few hours and I will be at the airport to greet her. I am so looking forward to having such a wonderful (and hilarious) friend on the trek. The mountain has fixed itself in my dreams, and I cannot wait to see her with my own eyes. Tuesday we will begin our trek and the realization of something long in my heart. 

Aloha Nepal!

A cacophony of noise and a kaleidoscopic crush of colors, all sensors firing and I have arrived to a place destined. Welcome to Kathmandu.

***

My last night in Italy was perfect. Dear friends, clear skies, and this:

Molly dropped me off at the airport Thursday afternoon and I began the two legged journey to Kathmandu. Predictably, I had spent that entire morning finally reviewing the compilation of Nepal websites and blogs I had been stockpiling as survival guides. Nothing beats a state of procrastination that is miraculously devoid of stress. As I sat in Naples, reading what probably should have been read much earlier, I felt nothing but unrestrained excitement. The night before I had re watched "180 Degees South," a documentary that sparks nothing short than the desire to explore open spaces and do good. To quote: "The world adventure has gotten overused, to me, adventure is when everything goes wrong. That's when the adventure starts." I felt like my spirit already had one foot in Nepal.

After a long layover, exacerbated by a delay, in Istanbul, I touched down in Kathmandu at 9 this morning. I felt energy surging through me as we landed. How could I not smile in such a place as dreams are made of? The largely western crowd of passengers deplaned and we boarded busses, packed like sardines, and were transported 20 meters (necessary?) to the airport. 

I was prepared. A sense of coiled calm spread through me as I waited to greet the certain mayhem of the Kathmandu airport. All the accounts I had read promised chaos, hundreds of weary passengers colliding into the confusing visa process, stampeding the baggage claim, before bargaining down a crush of taxis. All this with the backdrop of an airport that hasn't been updated since the 1970s. I was prepared for an hours long ordeal filled with tooth and nail fighting and extreme body odor. Imagine my happy surprise at the well marked visa and visit forms, the long but orderly visa line, and my luggage waiting for me in a neat row beside the baggage claim.

The surprisingly subdued visa line. $100 for a 90 day visa...done.

Breezing through customs, I exchanged $20 and was out the door searching for a taxi less than 90 minutes after touchdown. 

I will admit, that rather than bargain for a taxi, I paid a whopping $6 for the 15 minute ride into Thamel, the touristy district of Kathmandu. From my very first interaction with the Nepalese in the airport, I felt embraced with the unabashed warmth and kindness of these people. My taxi driver inquired into my itinerary in Nepal and seemed genuinely excited that I was going to be in his country for so long. Kathmandu swept pass the windows; dirt paths, colorful yet grubby storefronts, and dogs, men, children and women squatting, kneeling, standing, walking absolutely everywhere. There was no sense of calm or quiet, yet I felt peaceful. 

When I told my driver that I was in the market for a potential guide to Everest Base Camp (after reading a few blogs, it seemed we would be missing out on local knowledge of the Himalayas if we went sans guide...not to mention neither Em or I have any experience with overland trekking navigation), he proceeded to dole out the merits of quite a few trekking companies. Without further ado, and with no additional charge, he took me on a tour of trekking offices to shop around, giving me an opportunity to understand the personalities of the different companies.

Just a bellowing calf walking down the street. 

The Dream Nepal Hotel is base for the next few days until Emily and I head out on the trek. Emily flies in on Sunday evening and I will be there to pick her up. The hotel is set in the heart if Thamel, down a maze of alleys and side streets.

After collecting myself briefly in the hotel and drinking my first cup of masala tea, I headed out into the romance of Kathmandu. Apparently, honking your horn is a sign of creativity, because it is a constant ring along the streets. Storefronts and vendors display goods to be bought, everything from trekking gear to CDs to Yak meat. Pedestrians, dogs, scooters, rickshaws and cars all compete for the precious little pavement on the narrow roads, and I was almost sideswiped more times than I care to count as I was pulled into the crowd and carried from plaza to alley to temple. 

A future rescuee?

My goal was to get a feel for the bustle and layout of my surroundings, since I will be living in Kathmandu for two months upon my return from the trek. My initial sensation of being in the city was as a vulnerable foreigner. Within minutes though, I was in the rhythm of the people. Most everything in the tourist area of Thamel is in English, and there is a curious combination of poverty, and North Face merchandise. Sadly, one of the first things I noticed was the overwhelming pollution. By day's end, my nose was running and I could feel a tightness in my chest. A good percentage of Kathmandu's residents wear face masks or scarves to protect them from the air that is second only to Mexico City for worst pollution. 

My free city map was mostly useless as the streets are little more than alleys, and what seemed to be major plazas were unmarked. After many wrong turns, I eventually made it to Durbar Square, a world heritage site with dozens of unique temples. After being approached by a dozen or more Nepalese in the street offering some trinket or service, I finally decided to take a guide up on his offer of touring the temples. My working knowledge of Buddhism and Hinduism, the two main religions in Nepal, is dismal, so I listened intently as Devi explained all that was around me. The 43 temples, landmarks and significant buildings in this small area are for worship of Buddha, Shiva, Krishna, the Kama Sutra and more. Most fascinating was the temple of Kumari-ghar, the Living Goddess. 

The Living Goddess is believed to be the reincarnation of the goddess Taleju, and right now a nine year old girl lives in this temple with her priestess guardians. When she reaches puberty, a new little goddess will be sought and she will have to undergo a battery of tests to include spending three nights alone in a temple with the bodies of 324 sacrificed animals. Pretty traumatic for a 3 year old. Thanks to Devi, we timed it so that we could witness the Living Goddess during her daily reception of admirers and so wish her Namaste. 

Somehow the cost of the tour went from $20 to 40 Euros during the hour. I compromised with $30. 

The oldest temple, from whence Kathmandu received its name, was built in the 12th century, and legend has it, from a single tree. It is called Kasthamandap, and in Sanskrit, means "wooden house." 

A view of Silyan Sattal from Kasthamandap. 

As the sun began to set, I climbed the tallest temple, Taleju Temple, and watched the bustle of the street market below. This temple was nicknamed the "hippie" temple when in the 1960s many expat hippies came to Nepal and congregated here to get high. The nearby "Freaky" street was another popular hangout. According to Devi, now only "nice hippies with nice clothes and nice cameras" come to Kathmandu.

Legend has it that if your heart is lying as you pray before this destructive manifestation of Shiva, you will die.

Navigating my way back towards Thamel, I heard a loud commotion coming from an uncharacteristically wide boulevard. Deciding to investigate I ran smack dab into a group of armed riot police. In an attempt to dodge them I was nearly ran over by a moped, before being bumped into the crowd protesting in front of a large white building. Adrenaline! Nepal is holding elections this month, and there is political unrest amongst some groups. 

I stayed to linger, but realized I didn't know where I was and it was getting dark. Continuing on, I stumbled upon a cozy and popular restaurant, and ate some incredible Indian food. For whatever reason, I assumed the portions would be small in Nepal, but I couldn't even finish what I ordered. The scheduled blackout for the area descended midway through my meal, and I enjoyed my food by candlelight.

$5 = tofu curry, veggie biriyani, and a pot of hot water with honey and lemon

Leaving the restaurant, the streets still bustling, I figured it would take me ten minutes to find my hotel. An hour later, I was starting to get seriously concerned. Finally, I just stopped in a corner and looked really confused staring at my map. A Nepalese to the rescue! A man immediately came up to me, and instead of giving me directions, walked with me the five minutes to Dream Nepal Hotel. It may have only been five minutes away, but I would never have found it. I was so grateful, and he just smiled and continued on his way. Oh, I may really fall for this place.

Kathmandu is dynamic. She is beautiful and ugly, loud yet serene, swelling but collapsing. I feel so lucky that I will be able to spend this time here and in other areas of Nepal, exploring, learning and maybe having an adventure or two. 

To all, namaste!