Slaughter of the Innocents

At the end of our stay in Nepal, the last country on our Asia itinerary, here comes yet another cultural-religious shock. I never doubted for a minute Asia would disappoint in shaking up our European outlooks on anything from religion to food taste, moulded nice and safe for years within our comfort zone. This was one of the reasons to come to Asia, the land of spice and variety, to touch and be touched by the unknown, the unpredictable and utterly shocking at times. Dakshinkali Temple, 90 minutes by bus from Kathmandu, is one of the places in Asia which leaves a Westerner stranded in the ocean of bizarre incomprehensibility.

Nepali DNA

Astrologers, fortune-tellers and soothsayers – liars with a vivid imagination or individuals with psychic and paranormal skills? The science-oriented Western world perceives them as the former kind; the Oriental civilizations treat them more like doctors or weather forecasters, who have the skills and knowledge to prevent natural catastrophes and personal tragedies. I decided to find out myself. My meeting with a Nepali joshi, an astrologer, was quite an intriguing experience and, if nothing else, I am the owner of a nice, calligraphed birth chart, which looks good framed on a wall.

Happy Himalayas

There are many books written about the Annapurna Circuit trek which focus on the local people, their traditional lifestyle and religious practices. Their authors claim the trek is a spiritual journey within yourself as the breathtaking landscape of the Himalayas together with the amazing, warm-hearted people inhabiting this region reach the deep hidden feelings of compassion, tolerance and love to one another. You start the trek being a self-centred and ignorant Westerner from a privileged part of the world, but complete it as an individual with an open mind and empathy towards the needy although extremely happy people.

Naturally Nepal

In the early light, the rock shadows on the snow are sharp; in the tension between light and dark is the power of the universe. This stillness to which all returns, this is reality, and soul and sanity have no more meaning here than a gust of snow; such transience and insignificance are exalting, terrifying, all at once, like the sudden discovery, in meditation, of one’s own transparence. Snow mountains, more than sea or sky, serve as a mirror to one’s own true being, utterly still, utterly clear, a void, an Emptiness without life or sound that carries in Itself all life, all sound. – P. Matthiessen ‘The Snow Leopard’

Nepal offers a mind-boggling number of trekking and mountaineering opportunities. Everest, known among the locals as Jomolungma or Sagarmatha, is obviously the destination about which the most books were written, but if you don’t have $65,000 to splash there are so many other routes, suitable both for experienced and complete beginner trekkers. The Great Himalayan Trail, stretching from west to east of Nepal, offers a minimum of 6 months of an amazing Himalayan adventure, some parts of which can be tackled individually. In this context, the motto of the tourism year 2011- Naturally Nepal. Once is not enough. – is more than appropriate as many trekkers start planning another trip to this country the moment they come back home.

Kathmandu Stroll

A touch base place for trekkers and climbers. Here you’ll get all your missing gear and find guides and porters for the upcoming mountain expedition. But it’s so much more than Westerner-oriented Thamel and Freak Street. It’s a city of the living goddess, Kumari; people practising a blend of Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism, and amazing architecture, listed in UNESCO World Heritage in 2006.

Ooh Wallah!

Whoever has been to India even for one day has definitely encountered the representatives of two most common, male-dominated professions in this country, namely a chai-wallah and a rickshaw-wallah. An everyday life for an Indian person would simply grind to a halt without these two humble wallahs, who deliver a cup of masala chai and ‘cheap’ transport all day long. If you stayed in India a little bit longer, you would certainly discover a whole lot of other wallahs, more or less useful. These are a few which we encountered in our ramblings around Rajasthan and they prove the Indians really know how to distribute workload.

Rajasthani Razzle-Dazzle

I remember when I heard the mysterious tinkling of Indian women’s jewellery for the first time. It was a chilly early February morning in the Old Delhi. In the morning silence of squalid narrow streets of Main Bazaar silver foot bracelets with little bells and copious bangles on henna-painted hands make a fairytale-like impression. These are the mamis of kids in neat uniforms who accompany their little ones to school. The flowing semi-transparent veils and sequined sarees in dazzling colours flash before one’s eyes like an exotic bird. They make a quick presence and disappear around the corner, leaving a dim tinkle of their jewellery and rich musk and opium perfume in the air. This morning left me with a mystery to decipher: an Indian woman’s attire.

Holy City of Varanasi

‘Welcome to my town, Varanasi, the holy city!,’ greets us a rikshaw driver. In the next sentence he offers us a great inexpensive hotel, which we absolutely must see. When we turn down his offer for obvious reason, which is the commission the driver will get at our expense, we hear that Varanasi people are different because it is a holy city. Finally, we reach our destination in the old town and it’s pay time. What do we hear this time? Easy to guess. 20 rupees more on top of the agreed price. Yeah, Varanasi may be a holy city, but its rikshaw drivers are definitely not!

Khajuraho: Kama Sutra Temples

Explicit sexual images on the architectural junctions of Hindu temples are believed to have had protective properties.

The Roads of India

found on http://delhicatessen.es/2010/09/06/blow-horn/

Getting from point A to B in India is relatively easy and the credit goes to the British and their railway system, making a backpacker’s life so much easier. If only the Germans had built the roads on top of that, India would be a paradise for independent travellers. Theres is no-one else, but me to blame for our personal transport misadventures, which resulted from my slightly overoptimistic attitude to planning our trip around India.