So long, Bob!

Tonight is my last in Kathmandu for a while. The sightseeing has been wonderful, and my new friends will be missed. But, the 5'9" doorways and being 6" taller than everyone else is sure to follow me wherever I go in this country. We have visited more of both Hindu and Buddhist temples since those are the main attractions in this city. It is certainly different being in a country where 90% of the people have the same religion. It's very peaceful, but at the same time, leaves very little room for skepticism. The rest of the country is pretty much Buddhist, and the two groups live very harmoniously, visiting each other's temples. I've talked to Hindus about their religion, and the beliefs they have can either serve the some of the same functions as ours in the West or be seen as being entirely different. Reincarnation, for example, can make you want to live a good life and serve your god(s) in order to receive a good next life, and it can make you feel like life on earth is the only life there is (and eternity for you will thus be spent on this earth), which may or may not be a peaceful thought depending on the life you live. I'm not an expert enough to go much deeper into such discussion, so I will stick to what I know.


Today, Rabyn, my volunteer coordinator, took me around the city on his motorbike to visit one of the local orphanages that some of the goods and donated money will go towards. There were 11 beautiful children sharing four rooms and a stairwell. The volunteer there has painted some of the walls with children's art to make it pretty. The plumbing is poor and the floors need carpet, so Rayn thinks we can put some of the $540 towards that. He will be able to let us know how all that money will be used after he talks to all the orphanages. We've divided up the donated goods about half and half for the orphanages and schools, and it will be distributed next week. Again, I can't thank you guys enough for all the donations. The good it is doing here is beyond words.

My time here thusfar has been unforgettable. Taxi rides are an adventure. They are all miniature Suzukis, and taxi drivers really only need about half an inch to between themselves and the car or motorcycle that they are passing or is coming from the other direction. You use your horn instead of a blinker so you don't run over anyone around the corner. They're aren't any traffic rules. Just every man for himself, and if a byway doesn't look too muddy, go ahead and take it. I would love to try my hand at it myself if I could drive stick better. I've gotta wear a bandana over my nose and mouth whether I'm on a motorcycle or in a taxi because the air pollution is so rough on my allergies.

I leave for my placement tomorrow, so I will be only able my blog every so often since Sarangkot is somewhat isolated, and I only get one day off a week. I've not adopted the "water wipe" technique (yet), so I'm packing toilet paper. On a cleaner subject, I've been labeled with the name "Chinni Raja" (meaning Sugar King), and supposedly I have 500 wives in Chinni Land. Lord Krishna's birthday was celebrated over the past 2 days, and he has 1600 wives, so they think we would be good buds. The festivities included a lot of dancing and singing. It was a very joyous time for the city. I also saw some incineration cremations at a Hindu temple. It occurs right on the river banks, so they just knock the ashes into the river. I attached pictures for y'all to see.