I've been in Nepal for a week and two days but have I even attempted updating my blog before now? Yes, once, but it sounded like complete crap so I just deleted it all and and currently rewriting it (like all my college essays). But boy oh boy is there a lot of stuff that happened in these past nine days-let's see how long this one blog post ends up being with me explaining it all.
To be honest, when I first arrived in Nepal, the trip was not off to a good start. I'd been feeling sick the whole plane ride and was in desparate need of some good sleep and good food. Luckily, I'm always fed well when I'm in Nepal, so I was set with the food, but since we arrived pretty early in the morning, I had to stay awake another 12 hours so as to stave off jet lag. Oh goodness, that combined with the troubles between my grandparents and their youngest son (an uncle I've only met a few days ago), concerning the care of his daughter, and the tensions over the care of my grandparents on my mom's side had me stressed and sad the whole first week.
Luckily, my aunt was adamant about having us explore the tourist aspects of Nepal this year rather than sticking around family the whole time and getting ensnared into more problems. She planned a vacation for us to Lumbini and Chitwan National Park with the works--her friend is a travel agent and gave us a three day package with one day in Lumbini, with tours and rides set for our whole time, and two days at a resort in Chitwan National Park, with excursions including a Jeep safari ride, elephant rides, and canoeing. Honestly, this was the first vacation we've taken in years...I think the last time we ever went anywhere for fun was Disney World back in 2008.
We left for Lumbini by plane Sunday morning, and luckily the flight was bearable this time. It also helped that it was only 34 minutes long, and my sister and I were sitting next to two adorable little girls, who were understandably doted on by the air hostess and given a cup full of candies, which they turned and shared with us! AND OH. ON THE FLIGHT. I SAW MOUNT EVEREST FOR THE FIRST TIME. MOUNT. EVEREST. Can't say I've climbed it yet (for anyone who asks as soon as they know I'm Nepali), but one day. I will reach base camp. Not the top. Nope. Can't. But the base. Good enough for me.
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT MOUNT EVEREST RIGHT THERE
We arrived to (some pretty sweltering heat not gonna lie and) a driver waiting for us with a sign with my dad's name on it like in the movies when they have someone pick you up from the airport it was so cool and pretty sad how excited I got over it. From there, the driver took us to our hotel (Peace Palace!), and from there it was our first exploration of Lumbini.
Lumbini is the birthplace of Buddha, born into the world as Siddhartha Gautama. His father's palace, the site where his son was first ordained, and many relics and artifacts of his time are found there.
Our first stop was Kudan, where the Buddha came back to meet his father after leaving for all those years, and where his son Rahul joined his father in becoming a monk (I don't think I used ordained correctly in the last paragraph but ah well).
Stupa at Kudan
From there we went to Kapilavastu, the ruins of the palace where he grew up. It was amazing seeing the actual bricks that the Sakyan empire had used to build their boundaries from centuries ago, buried deep within the soil.
Floor plan of one of the palaces in the compound
Last stop was a museum filled with dug up artifacts from Buddha's time, including thousands of copper and silver coins, terracotta pots and plates, animal and human figurines, and sculptures of gods and goddesses. Fellow Honors Humanities students, you're gonna enjoy these.
AND THEN. Oh dang this part may take up a few pages but HOLYYYYYY MOLy okay so we went to all these amazing historic sites where science and discovery came together right? And then we went back to the hotel and from there we took an auto rickshaw (apparently it was electric!) to the main shining jewel of Lumbini-the temples! The auto rickshaw took us into this lotus flower decorated gated park, where we first visited a golden Buddhist temple from Myanmar.
So pretty...but the gold did nothing to help the heat my bare feet were burning off the reflective ground
Then we went to another temple, this time a Thai one.
I'm pretty freaking proud of this picture
That's when I asked our auto rickshaw driver why there were Thai and Burmese temples here, and he explained that the WHOLE GARDEN was filled with Buddhist temples sponsored by different countries. Foreign countries would provide the funding to build a temple in their name and style, giving millions for grand and beautiful Buddhist sanctuaries of peace and meditation.
Germany's Buddhist Temple (the inside was insane but no pictures allowed D: )
Oh mannnnn that's when my life changed. We went to a fantastic German temple, intricately and explosively decorated, a simplistic and modern and breath-takingly introspective Nepali temple, to an oddly familiar feeling Canadian temple, with an attached dormitory for nuns where I saw a few brushing their teeth and others walking into the temple to pray, to a otherwordly Chinese one where I met an adorable dog and her friend, to a still in progress Korean temple, each swirling detail being painted by hand right in front of us, to a storybook Australian temple, and finally, to Japan's gorgeous World Peace Pagoda, which lay right across the water from the Eternal Flame. Being able to step into each of these temples and feel a sense of peace and belonging in each and every one was the most wonderful and freeing feeling. I may not be religious, but Buddhism holds a special place in my heart as a philosophy--my way through this struggle we call life (speaking of, I saw a taxi with "Life is a struggle" written across the back. Don't worry-I took a picture of it).
View from the steps of Nepal's temple
Japan's World Peace Temple
Finally, we went to the Maya Devi temple, which held the actual location where Buddha was born, along with the tree that he was born under. We walked around and sat there for what felt like hours, until the sun went down and the candles were lit. This was a magical, magical place. I didn't want to leave.
Maha Devi (Buddha's mother's) temple
That day was a really good one. I felt relaxed and content (albeit drenched with sweat from walking around in the 100+ degree weather). Better yet, when our auto rickshaw arrived back at Peace Palace, there were some dogs loitering out at the front that immediately came up to me, and without knowing me, jumped all over me, licked me, and nudged their heads under my hand to be petted. I really love dogs you guys. Animals are so good. So pure.
This is Nanu (yes I gave her a name), in the morning when I had to say bye
All right, now this post seems to have gone on too long, even for me, so I'm gonna call it a day (actually call it a night I gotta go sleep) and be done for now. There will be more to come about the rest of my trip, and more updates in general (I hope. If there aren't, bug me until I come to my senses and actually write something). As always guys, please leave any questions or comments below (especially if I've got any spelling and/or grammar mistakes it's midnight I care but not enough to read through this mess again). I miss you all. Big hugs.
