Saturday, July
19, 2014
Today, the 19th, was Rhonda's birthday. She was
celebrated in India by the tour company as they had the wrong date and again
this morning with a birthday cake at breakfast (it is the only time that
everyone is together.)
We had a very busy day which started with a visit to the Gurkha museum. The Gurkhas were famously brave and courageous men who have had military presence in most wars from the First World War and even into the Iraq war. They were stealth warriors who were feared for their fighting ability. We did not realize how many wars they have fought in.
We had a very busy day which started with a visit to the Gurkha museum. The Gurkhas were famously brave and courageous men who have had military presence in most wars from the First World War and even into the Iraq war. They were stealth warriors who were feared for their fighting ability. We did not realize how many wars they have fought in.
Gurkha
Scottish Gurkhas
Their motto is, "It is better to die than to be a coward.” There were countless stories of the Gurkhas’ bravery in battle that resulted in their death but saved countless others. In 1997, the Gurkha welfare system began which put retired Gurkhas in charge of natural disasters, food welfare and community rebuilding in 230 communities in Nepal. They went from battle into a peacekeeper role.
The afternoon was spent at the Peace Pagoda which is high atop a hill at 1100 meters which can only be accessed by a long, arduous hike via boat across the lake. The rains and clouds had cleared from the mountains which gave us a wonderful view of Pokhara once we had reached our destination.
Paddling across the lake would be picture perfect except that we knew the water was so badly polluted. We watched in amazement as tourists jumped off the boats into the water, floating in their life jackets and eating chips from a bag. Dysentery, Nepali style. Once we arrived on shore the work began. The walk up was hard, slippery and extremely hot. Leaves and natural debris made the rocks slippery. Our footpaths made of stones and rock were pretty in design but also treacherous with mud. The daily deluge of rain made pathways slick and mud slippery.
The quiet would be punctuated with Julie saying , "You got to be kidding, we are only part way up there?" Then Anita, in her Irish brogue, swearing with a bit of yelp as her feet slipped from her crocs and onto the rock. 1/5th of the way up we encountered a local Nepali who was sitting on a rock, with his umbrella to shade himself from the sun. He decided he was Julie and Anita's self appointed guide and chaperone. Anita had to divest herself of her shoes as they had no grip on the sleek rock.
The views were spectacular as the skies had cleared and in the distance, para gliders could be seen like so many bright birds on the horizon above the lake.
At our 2/5 mark we came across a man who was selling water and pop. He laughed so hard as Anita once again, swearing, pulled leeches from between her toes. After our small break we continued to climb, slip and maybe swear a little bit more when we heard Julie ask if we were almost there, followed by, "You have got to be kidding, what is so peaceful about getting to the peace pagoda?"
We asked about snakes and were told yes, be careful as they are all poisonous. Any rustle we heard in the brush was met with us standing still for a moment or two to make sure we did not encounter any form of serpent.
We met people along the path coming down showing us their battle wounds of bleeding leech bites. We were told that they could not pull the leeches off fast enough before others took their place. We had read of this problem during the rainy season so were thankful that although sweltering in the heat, we were not dinner samples for these blood suckers.
90 minutes later we arrived at the top. The views were breath taking. The Peace Pagoda overlooks the city of Pokhara. From Pokhara all you can see is a white and gold dome just skimming the tree tops. Now that we were at the Peace Pagoda we were able to see the exact opposite view. The Pagoda was erected to commemorate the birthplace of Buddha and represents the need for world peace. North, south, east and west on the Pagoda are recesses in the dome with statues of Buddha. They are very ornate and gold plated.
We were all proud that despite the hardships, Julie, Anita and their chaperone arrived safely at the top. We were sweaty, dirty, grimy and proud as it was really hard work. Unfortunately all was not peaceful at the Pagoda. We had read all sorts of warnings about robberies, etc. along the path (more off the beaten path) and of course, not to hike alone. Shauna had finished taking photos with her iPhone so decided she would change things up by taking photos with her camera. She bent down to her knapsack and exchanged the two, stood up and put her sack on her back. Someone near her was that quick, unzipped the pack and took her phone … it was an unfortunate incident. Rhonda and Leanne had noticed they were jostled by people walking by. Street kids can be a problem and petty theft is common especially in a country so poor. Shauna has hopefully supplied someone with the means for food, not drugs.
We decided to try to get a taxi down the mountain. This was actually a lot of fun. The roads are made of rocks, divots and wandering cows, goats and dogs. We were squished into a midget car. Anita, who is a self-professed big unit, sat in the front with the driver while the other 4 squished together in the back. The cars are not only tiny but the roofs are so low that your chin feels like it hits your knees, especially over the bumps and holes. One part of the road was washed out from a small waterfall that was running over the road and down the sheer mountain face. Speed was not a problem for our driver. As we bumped along, we were thankful that we did not have to encounter any more leeches, and that the weather was clear enough for the beautiful views.
We have an early start tomorrow. We will be visiting three Tibetan refugee camps. One camp has Freedom Fighters and we will be sitting in on a nearly morning service at the monastery. We will have breakfast with a local family, learn about Tibet and their struggles as well as the struggles for Tibetans born in Nepal. We will be meeting a Tibetan doctor who will analyze each of us with his Tibetan medicine and then have lunch with another family in a different village. We are excited about all that we can learn. We have to leave by 4:30 to drive into the mountains with the hope of seeing the sunrise over the mountains. Currently the sunrise may be obliterated by the rain and clouds but here's hoping for the best.
Until tomorrow, and happy birthday Rhonda.
Their motto is, "It is better to die than to be a coward.” There were countless stories of the Gurkhas’ bravery in battle that resulted in their death but saved countless others. In 1997, the Gurkha welfare system began which put retired Gurkhas in charge of natural disasters, food welfare and community rebuilding in 230 communities in Nepal. They went from battle into a peacekeeper role.
The afternoon was spent at the Peace Pagoda which is high atop a hill at 1100 meters which can only be accessed by a long, arduous hike via boat across the lake. The rains and clouds had cleared from the mountains which gave us a wonderful view of Pokhara once we had reached our destination.
Paddling across the lake would be picture perfect except that we knew the water was so badly polluted. We watched in amazement as tourists jumped off the boats into the water, floating in their life jackets and eating chips from a bag. Dysentery, Nepali style. Once we arrived on shore the work began. The walk up was hard, slippery and extremely hot. Leaves and natural debris made the rocks slippery. Our footpaths made of stones and rock were pretty in design but also treacherous with mud. The daily deluge of rain made pathways slick and mud slippery.
The quiet would be punctuated with Julie saying , "You got to be kidding, we are only part way up there?" Then Anita, in her Irish brogue, swearing with a bit of yelp as her feet slipped from her crocs and onto the rock. 1/5th of the way up we encountered a local Nepali who was sitting on a rock, with his umbrella to shade himself from the sun. He decided he was Julie and Anita's self appointed guide and chaperone. Anita had to divest herself of her shoes as they had no grip on the sleek rock.
The views were spectacular as the skies had cleared and in the distance, para gliders could be seen like so many bright birds on the horizon above the lake.
At our 2/5 mark we came across a man who was selling water and pop. He laughed so hard as Anita once again, swearing, pulled leeches from between her toes. After our small break we continued to climb, slip and maybe swear a little bit more when we heard Julie ask if we were almost there, followed by, "You have got to be kidding, what is so peaceful about getting to the peace pagoda?"
We asked about snakes and were told yes, be careful as they are all poisonous. Any rustle we heard in the brush was met with us standing still for a moment or two to make sure we did not encounter any form of serpent.
We met people along the path coming down showing us their battle wounds of bleeding leech bites. We were told that they could not pull the leeches off fast enough before others took their place. We had read of this problem during the rainy season so were thankful that although sweltering in the heat, we were not dinner samples for these blood suckers.
90 minutes later we arrived at the top. The views were breath taking. The Peace Pagoda overlooks the city of Pokhara. From Pokhara all you can see is a white and gold dome just skimming the tree tops. Now that we were at the Peace Pagoda we were able to see the exact opposite view. The Pagoda was erected to commemorate the birthplace of Buddha and represents the need for world peace. North, south, east and west on the Pagoda are recesses in the dome with statues of Buddha. They are very ornate and gold plated.
We were all proud that despite the hardships, Julie, Anita and their chaperone arrived safely at the top. We were sweaty, dirty, grimy and proud as it was really hard work. Unfortunately all was not peaceful at the Pagoda. We had read all sorts of warnings about robberies, etc. along the path (more off the beaten path) and of course, not to hike alone. Shauna had finished taking photos with her iPhone so decided she would change things up by taking photos with her camera. She bent down to her knapsack and exchanged the two, stood up and put her sack on her back. Someone near her was that quick, unzipped the pack and took her phone … it was an unfortunate incident. Rhonda and Leanne had noticed they were jostled by people walking by. Street kids can be a problem and petty theft is common especially in a country so poor. Shauna has hopefully supplied someone with the means for food, not drugs.
We decided to try to get a taxi down the mountain. This was actually a lot of fun. The roads are made of rocks, divots and wandering cows, goats and dogs. We were squished into a midget car. Anita, who is a self-professed big unit, sat in the front with the driver while the other 4 squished together in the back. The cars are not only tiny but the roofs are so low that your chin feels like it hits your knees, especially over the bumps and holes. One part of the road was washed out from a small waterfall that was running over the road and down the sheer mountain face. Speed was not a problem for our driver. As we bumped along, we were thankful that we did not have to encounter any more leeches, and that the weather was clear enough for the beautiful views.
We have an early start tomorrow. We will be visiting three Tibetan refugee camps. One camp has Freedom Fighters and we will be sitting in on a nearly morning service at the monastery. We will have breakfast with a local family, learn about Tibet and their struggles as well as the struggles for Tibetans born in Nepal. We will be meeting a Tibetan doctor who will analyze each of us with his Tibetan medicine and then have lunch with another family in a different village. We are excited about all that we can learn. We have to leave by 4:30 to drive into the mountains with the hope of seeing the sunrise over the mountains. Currently the sunrise may be obliterated by the rain and clouds but here's hoping for the best.
Until tomorrow, and happy birthday Rhonda.
Phewa lake View from Peace Pagoda
Peace Pagoda Nepali
chaperone