Kathmandu Again

11/2/2011

Arriving in Kathmandu again, eight hours from Pokhara by bus and a Universe away, I am dropped once again into the heart of chaos. Dust everywhere, nothing green to look at, drowning in the sounds of bleeping bus horns & revving motorbikes, choking on traffic fumes. I find myself staring at the pretty girls on the bill boards, who lusciously drink Coca-Cola or model the latest shampoo fragrance, because they are the nicest things around me to look at. The dogs sleep in the dust on the side of the road, next to the roaring traffic, and pick through piles of garbage to find food. I saw several today who were limping.

I decided to take the local bus from the tourist bus stop to where I am staying in Boudhnath, the Buddhist area. Whooo! That was an experience. Here is a metaphor:
While riding the tourist bus, it feels like I am trying to resist the chaos. I am physically higher up than the people in the city, and I mentally try to distance myself from all that I see. This is like resisting an emotion that comes up inside. On the other hand, when I am squeezed into a local minibus with normal Nepali people, I delight in watching the city go by, I savor the taste of adventure, and I actually enjoy the sense of chaos as I ride through it. This is like allowing an emotion to flow through the body, watching it run its course and then letting it go.

When I finally reached my room, I practically collapsed on the bed in tears, just from the sheer intensity of re-experiencing this city. It is a completely in-your-face experience. It's not on a TV screen, not in a picture, it's all around me and it's noisy, dirty, and overwhelming. By allowing some emotions to flow, I released some of the tension my body had been holding, and I felt better. I am glad to be staying in Boudhnath, an enclosed area, where it is a little quieter, and you can hear the Buddhist monks chanting and ringing bells and clashing their gongs.

Don't get me wrong - there are aspects of this city that I enjoy - it's just a love/hate relationship! I am looking forward to going to Nakote village, in the Helambu area in the mountains, where I will teach English for a month or two. I won't have Internet or electricity at that time, but I hope to reconnect with my blog at least after one month to share some stories.

All the Best and Namaste!
Melissa