Chobar Mountain

Kathmandu may be nice during the day with highs that probably reach 70-80F, but when the sun goes down, it's pretty chilly. So, you can only imagine what the inside of a concrete house with no heat would feel like. Yep; you guessed it; cold!! So cold, I can't sleep. Last night I put my winter jacket, scarf, gloves, and hat on before getting into bed. But of course, if you don't have good blood circulation to begin with, no amount of jackets and blankets can help you. I sure do miss my warm home in Korea. And to think, I didn't use to think that was cold. And of course, this gas isn't working all that great, so my showers aren't hot either. Brr!! I think I finally feel asleep a while after the sun came up, about 8am, and slept until 11am. Well, off and on. I really miss my floor heat in Korea. A luxury I will definitely miss when I leave.

I ate an apple and some almonds with a cup of hot milk for breakfast. It took me a while, but I've gotten this process down. First I boil water, then I put skim milk powder, sugar, and a small amount of freeze-dried coffee flakes into a coffee cup. Next, I put some filtered luke-warm water in first and stir the contents until smooth. And last, add the boiling water. Nice. I love it. Yesterday when Dede was going to wash our clothes because the electricity was on, there wasn't any water, which meant she had to wait. So my clothes haven't completely dried yet, but I've borrowed some socks and wear the same thing each day. Nepal, like Korea, has flat roofs for lounging, picnicking, or what not, so that is where we hang the clothes during the day. At night, we bring them in and hang them on a string that goes from one window to another across the room.

Soon Ms. Teresa and I were off to Chobar Mountain. It wasn't a big day-long hike, or even a small strenuous one, like I've done in Korea. We just walked over to the mountain and walked up what Rendell says is 300 steps. We even crossed the river of filth via a small cable bridge, that ws apparently for both cars and motorcycles, on the way. Sometimes there would be two motorcycles trying to pass each other on this ridiculously narrow bridge, and two more behind and/or in front of them. All I knew is that I definitely didn't wanna fall into that river. On the way up the mountain there were several Hindu shrines, and at the top, an age-old Hindu temple, and small village. This temple had "prayer wheels" with bells outside. After someone makes an offering, they would walk around and ring a bell to ward off evil and spin each prayer wheel, each earning them one merit into heaven. There were many medal pans or platters nailed to the walls around the temple, all of different shapes and sizes, signifying the death of a loved one. Hinduism, along with the cast system, is unfortunately alive and well here in Nepal. Skin color, as well as occupation, determined your cast and importance. I couldn't really explain Hinduism and all it's gods because, to be honest, it is quite confusing. In fact, I'm not sure everyone who is Hindu really understands it either. I have a South African friend who is Hindu, and when I ask her about it, she never really gives a clear answer. Buddhism is also popular, but somehow different from that of Korea or Thailand. Who knows.

Remember the girls and little boy Ms. Teresa and I walked with the first day I came? Remember how poor they are? Well, I really wondered where they got their drinking water. Today I found out. A long ways from their house is some sort of well that the whole community of people use to both get drinking water and bathe. Across from this was a large pool where many people came to wash their clothes. Ms. Teresa says that she has seen that water changed before, but not often, so it was murky with soap and soil. And apparently I was wrong about the river of filth. People was their clothes and hair in a run-off spring of some sort, but still, this isn't great either.