Before we get into all this Nepal business, we wanted to tell you about our favorite people from Phnom Penh.This is Ka, the manager of Sinh Foo Guesthouse where we slept in Phnom Penh. On our last night, Ka, Ty, and I went out dancing at the hottest Cambodian disco in town. We had a blast. On the day of our departure, the whole staff came out to wish us farewell. They gave us parting gifts including kramas and keepsake pewter Angkor boxes. Truly amazing people that we will miss very much. Thank goodness for Facebook right Ka!?
On one of our first days in Phnom Penh, this gentleman, like many others, tried to sell us some books. Like usual, we said no because of our tight budget. Regardless, each day, we were greeted by his huge smile, jokes, and attempts to sell us those books of his. Despite the fact that he spoke no English, we quickly became friends and even bought a book after we sold some that we had finished. He was delightful and had one heck of a sense of humor. Sometimes, he would sneak up on Ty and put his arms around her neck - BOO! At one point, he was really interested in an energy drink I was sipping called "Sting." I bought him one and popped it open for him. He did a little gig as his body began buzzing from the caffeine and sugar. It's safe to say he was a fan of the Sting!On our last day, he pulled this photo from his bin and gave it to us as a little gift. We printed one for him too. One more big, warm, hug, and it was another sad goodbye. We'll miss his spirit, smile, and kindness.
This is Borey. He's the dude who took us to see the orphans. He was the first person in Cambodia to memorize our names. After a week of being out of town, we came back and he greeted us. "Hey Nick and Ty! Welcome home!"
He dug polo-style shirts, so I gave him my orange Express polo. The next day he rocked it hard and looked better in it than I did.
We ate most of our meals at this place where we met Him. Him always greeted us with a smile and a handshake as we walked past. If it wasn't busy while we ate, he sat and talked with us. We gradually became his "brother and sister" from America. He too gave us a picture of himself before we left. He told me, "I've never had a brother, I'm very happy to have one now, and very sad that you leave."
Him is learning English from a poorly written book he bought from a language school. We offered some free lessons, but he works 7 days a week and about 14 hours a day, sleeping at the restaurant at night. No time for English lessons! We'll miss you Him.
This is Srun. I often drank my morning Red Bull while sitting in his parked tuk tuk and we had some laughs and talked about family. He had a pretty brilliant sense of humor and liked Ty and I even though we didn't really use his services. Sorry Srun!
The people of Cambodia, more than anything, made it one of the most wonderful experiences we've ever had. Someday, we hope to return and visit our friends again.
By the way, it may please some of our readers (cough, Karalyn and Claudette) that a unanimous decision was made by our Cambodian friends that we're not allowed back in the country without a baby Andersen in our arms. We'll see what we can do guys!
One final tuk tuk drive with our friend Leang and we were off on a 1 hour flight to Bangkok for a 12 hour layover. Sleeping in the airport chairs wasn't that bad! We felt like Tom Hanks in that one movie everyone forgot about.
Our first glimpse at the Himalayas! YES!
From the moment we stepped off the plane, Kathmandu was sensory overload. It made Ho Chi Minh City seem like a walk around the Mill Creek Town Center. So many new things that we didn't understand to see, hear, and smell! Motorbikes, micro-buses, cars, taxis, rickshaws and pedestrians all jostling for space within the same narrow streets.
Kathmandu is an explosion of color. Prayer flags, rainbow facades, flowers on ornately decorated rickshaws and a myriad of shops selling yak's wool textiles spanning the entire color spectrum. WOW. We can't believe we haven't been hit by a car with so much to look at, be distracted by, and wonder about.
Kathmandu is the most ethnically and religiously diverse (and tolerant) places we've ever been. There are hundreds of religious sights sprinkled throughout the city. In many areas Buddhist monasteries and stupas mingle with Hindu shrines in the same area. Also, there is a small Muslim presence near India and Shamanism is practiced in the mountains!The colorful patches hung from the stupa are prayer flags; they are all over Kathmandu. It is believed by Himalayans that the wind will blow the flags and spread compassion, blessings, and goodwill. Eventually the prayers fade and become part of the universe. At that point they are replaced with new prayers.
Walking around Kathmandu is a non-stop adventure for the eyes and spirit. We've met several people that are Hindu by religion but practice Buddhism. Buddha is not a God and Buddhism is not a mono-theistic religion; instead it is considered by many to be simply a philosophy and a way of living. So far, people have been very gracious with their willingness to teach us and answer our many questions about the things we see.
Hindus are often seen sporting tikas, a symbol of blessing from the gods; they represent the omniscient 3rd eye.
Traditionally, they're given by Sadhus (Hindu holy men). In Kathmandu, tourists are often stamped with one and then expected to pay a tip. Ours was free and applied by a citizen in a gesture of friendliness. I think we look kind of spiritual in them personally.
As our budget dwindles, our willingness to try various cheap street food expands. This particular dish, although we never learned the name, was dang delicious. Kathmandu is much, much more expensive than we thought, so scoring lunch for less than a buck was a revelation. Nice.
We almost consumed our entire lunch before noticing this creature awkwardly ogling up at us. How do you eat an entire meal and not notice such a strange goat?
This is a Buddhist monastery adjacent to a nunnery. We thought the building was beautiful.
At the base there, you can see the round mandala paintings. We wandered in and received an impromptu detailed lesson on the significance of the various styles from one of the novice art students.
So, along with expensive food, the occasional beer has also been eliminated from our list of indulgences. We were happy to find this cheap local substitute called tongba.
How it works: you get a tube filled with dry fermented millet grain, and then you pour boiling water over it releasing flavor and a little bit of alcohol. It tastes a touch like hot sake and hits the spot when the nighttime temperature dips to around freezing.
Tea and tongba are real lifesavers in chilly Nepalese restaurants!
On our second day in the city, we made the journey by foot out to Swayambhunath Stupa (a.k.a Monkey Temple). Along the way we noticed quite a few cows casually sauntering about the streets (I've never seen cows in the city). In a land where cows are worshiped and not consumed, these girls have it pretty good!
Swayambhunath Stupa in the distance.
We wondered if the temple would live up to its namesake and actually have a monkey or two. Also, we weren't sure if we could shake off our two weeks worth of Phnom Penh lethargy and physically make it to the top! It was just as far as it looks.
Along the way, were were rewarded with some expansive views of huge Kathmandu.
And then, more stairs. Now I know what you're thinking, can we please have another fascinating video of you guys climbing stairs?
The answer is lamentably, no. I'm sorry to let you down.
It was worth the climb. And true to it's namesake, alas, there were monkeys. Lots and lots of monkeys.
Unlike the furry-jerk Vietnamese variety at Monkey Island, these dudes at Monkey Temple were a little less hopped up on beer and caffeine and consequently a little more docile.
They preferred oranges to suds and seemed to be slightly pacified by the tranquility of the temple.
I'm not kidding about the oranges. Professional voice over courtesy of yours truly.
I hate to say it, but I kind of fancied them cute. This, in no way, is a retraction of my earlier sentiments. I still find most of them to be quite cheeky, high strung, and frankly, arrogant.
Buddha's three eyes (the third symbolizing the insight of Buddha) are painted on the stupas to look out into the world from all four directions. The swirl under the eyes is the Nepali number ek, meaning "one" and symbolizes unity.
Depictions of these Buddha faces on stupas are found all over Kathmandu.
More monkey pics. These guys pretty much own the place and they know it.
Never underestimate the power of familial bonds. Tim, Chris, will you eat the bugs out of my hair?
This picture was taken before an all out gang-style turf war ensued. Hooting, hollering, barking, gnashing teeth and all. Quite the ruckus.
I really am a slow learner aren't I?
Remember the cute little scooters in Thailand? The Nepalese blast through town on these beasts - they don't drive slowly and they're not afraid to use those horns.
Many are equipped with burly metal grills that we can only assume are pedestrian bumpers.
More of these crazy cows. They graze not on fields of grass, but on heaps of garbage.
We leave you with the "Peace Pond" at the base of the monkey temple. This was found next to the designated monkey swimming pool (I'm not kidding) of the same shade. I have no idea how it retains this particular shade of jade and I wasn't exactly tempted for a refreshing dip, but I can still appreciate the message!
We're having an invigorating time here in Kathmandu so far; it's been a mind blower and we already have more stories and pictures for the next blog! We can't wait to share it all with you!
Kathmandu is so fascinating, that we'll probably stick around for another week or so to explore the valley and some smaller surrounding areas. We're hoping to learn more and meet more enlightened cats to help us understand this complex and fascinating city. After that...who knows.
We hope everyone is doing well at home. Please don't hesitate to email us and tell us how you're doing as we haven't heard from many of you lately and Skype is sketchy at best. We miss everyone dearly as usual!
Nick and Ty
