Overseas Adventure Travel – Page 13

Six Days In Happy Land

We are now in Nepal; quirky Internet connectivity made it difficult to do justice to beautiful Bhutan, so this post will be a quick collection of photos and memories of Happy Land.

THIMPHU

A few years ago, Rio’s Christ the Redeemer was chosen as one of the seven new wonders of the world. Thimphu’s gigantic Buddha didn’t exist at that time. If it had, I’m convinced Buddha would be giving Rio’s statue some serious competition.

The base of the statue contains a temple, filled with hundreds of thousands of smaller Buddhas, butter lamps and butter sculptures. Yes, you read that right–sculptures are made of colored butter!

Just the artwork on the base would get MY vote

Dedicated to teaching Bhutanese arts and crafts, this school focuses on 18 traditional crafts including painting, woodcarving, metal work and embroidery.

Whenever I visit a country, particularly one whose economy is dependent on the tourist trade, I like to drop some dollars by buying gifts, so a stop in the school’s small shop was a definite requirement.

Handmade paper is another traditional Bhutanese craft. We watched the entire process: the raw materials being delivered, heated, compressed, made into sheets and dried.

Notice how hard these young women are working? They were all smiling as they were lifting those heavy bundles! And yes, I most certainly did make a purchase at their tiny gift shop.

The modern world is rapidly creeping into Bhutan. Construction is everywhere. But it isn’t just new buildings and new technology. Since the introduction of television in 1999, the western world has slowly been influencing Bhutan’s youth.

Thimphu’s clock tower plaza, right beside our hotel was the site of what looked like an auto exhibit, but it was a whole lot more.

Young Bhutanese shed their traditional clothes, donning jeans and tee shirts to dance to Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face”. Unfortunately, my camera’s software is incompatible with my iPad, so you won’t be able to see the beautiful young girls I videoed dancing, but with any luck, I’ll be able to link a YouTube video of the boys doing their hip hop routine when I get back home.

You may be wondering what kind of audience the entertainment drew. Well, wonder no more, because when my personal paparazzi used his long lens to capture me unawares, he also photographed the crowd.

A bit sparse, no?

PUNAKHA

Much of the road between Thimphu and Punakha is under construction, making travel slooooow and very dusty. We stopped at the Dochula Pass on the way to and from Punakha.

The Dochula Pass memorial honors the 15 Bhutanese that were killed fighting the Indian separatists from Assam. The separatists were creeping across the Bhutanese border, creating training camps. The fourth king actually led his troops into battle and was victorious. No wonder he is so beloved!

The pass is 10,000 feet above sea level, so Tashi thought it would be good practice for the Tiger’s Nest if we took a hike in the Royal Botanical Park that adjoins the memorial.

The rhododendron were in bloom–they weren’t bushes, they were trees.

The jacaranda were also in bloom, outside the Palace of Great Happiness.

Notice the covered wooden bridge in the distance.

This is the entrance to the Palace’s temple. Inside Tashi gave us a fantastic lecture about Buddhism, using the artwork that covered the temple walls as an ancient Power Point Presentation.

I was so glad to see these monks, enjoying themselves by the river bank outside the Palace of Great Happiness.

We also visited a nunnery located atop a mountain, where I purchased some bracelets from this sweet 21 year old nun, who spoke perfect English.

Marilynn from San Francisco on the right, bracelets on the window sill on the left.

No visit to Punakha would be complete without a stop at the Chhimi Lhakhang Monastery. To get there you need to hike through rice fields, a village and up a hill.

The shingles on roofs are held down with stones instead of nails.

These sweet villagers were happy to pose for me

This monastery was founded by Drupka Kinley, the Divine Madman, whose “Thunderbolt of Wisdom”, also known as his “Flaming Thunderbolt” , brought his own special form of enlightenment to local women. Infertile couples visit the monastery where the woman is doinked on the head with a huge wooden “thunderbolt”. Could that be the Bhutanese version of IVF?

The Divine Madman is the inspiration behind the artwork that festoons the area’s houses.

Although not part of the “official” itinerary, our wonderful guide thought we might enjoy a visit to the 17th century village of Rinchen Gong. These villagers are definitely not used to having visitors! Our arrival was quite an occasion, especially for the children, who chased our van up the steep dirt road.

Like me, Jim enjoys photographing the locals

Shy at first, they warmed up when they saw the shots.

Our last stop was in Paro, where we climbed to the Tiger’s Nest and visited Bhutan’s very first temple. It was built in the 7th century by Tibet’s great ruler, Songtsen Gampo, and it is where he pinned the left foot of an ogress who once covered all of Bhutan and part of Tibet.

Jim, spinning the prayer wheel outside the sacred Kyichu Lakhang

The Cast of Characters

The Cast of Characters
For those of you who expressed concern about my traveling alone, after Mike and Greg had to cancel, have no fear. I now have five new friends. Here we are at the National Memorial Chorten, which was built to honor Bhutan’s third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk .

first row: Jim, Peter, Marilyn, Marie. Back row, Dick, me

Jim is a former hotel and restaurant owner from the greater San Diego area. His family used to own Marty’s restaurant and hotel, an establishment frequented by yestereyear’s stars, such as Lucy and Desi, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin.

Peter and Marie are from the greater Boston area. They retired from the financial industry, and have been traveling the world ever since. Prior to arriving in Delhi, they had taken another OAT tour through the Balkans, then spent a few days in Dubai. Jim, Peter and Marie will be heading home after Nepal.

Marilyn, a retired nurse from San Francisco, is like the little energizer bunny. She walks faster than I do!

Dick, from Seattle, retired from Boeing. He’s the most widely traveled of our group, having been on 27 OAT trips, plus tours with numerous other companies. Marilyn, Dick and I are the only members of the group that will be visiting all three countries. In Nepal, we will be joined by three new travelers.

Although not actually traveling with us, we see the royals EVERYWHERE. Photos of them are on hotel and restaurant walls, on the sides of buildings, in museums and temples. This official portrait is of the fourth King, known as the “Royal Fourth” with his four wives ( all sisters), the ten children they produced, (including the “Royal Fifth”) and the first grandchild. Since that photo was taken, the Royal Fifth has married. He and his stunningly beautiful wife have produced an heir, the Royal Sixth.

Tashi has identified which member of the royal family is in the motorcade when they go whizzing by. So far, we have seen one of the four queens, and a royal uncle.

This photo of Tashi was taken at the Memorial Chorten. He’s instructing us on the proper way to circumambulate a prayer wheel. Walking in a clockwise direction, you give each wheel a good spin as you pass by. If we had been carrying rosaries, we would be using them to keep track of our prayers while we walked.

As with all mountain roads, Bhutan’s have their fair share of hairpin turns. What they don’t have are guard rails. This tour is NOT for the faint of heart or the queasy stomached. We have come so close to passing vehicles, we could have flossed the other driver’s teeth. What a relief to have an excellent driver like Gembo getting us to the top of the mountain and back down again.

An unexpected delight was the owner of our hotel in Thimphu. Her story deserves an entire post, but that will have to wait till I get home, or until YOU stay at the Thimphu Tower.

Jim and Tshering, the owner of Thimphu Tower

A Day in Delhi

Might one of those peaks be Mount Everest? Your guess is as good as mine. One thing I know for certain, those babies ARE the Himalayas and the view from the left side of the plane, even from my middle seat over the wing, was majestic. But I’m getting ahead of myself. This post is supposed to be about Delhi, so I need to back up a little. Truth is, I just wanted to use the photo.

On my flight to Delhi, my intention was to get to sleep as fast as possible. That quickly changed when I realized my seat mate was quite fascinating. He was starting a speaking speaking tour in several cities throughout Asia about the “soft side” of medical care. If that weren’t interesting enough, his son, Ashok Rajamani, wrote “The Day My Brain Exploded” a memoir about his stroke at age 25 and his come back when he emerged from a coma. The end result? I got so engrossed in our conversation, it became too late to take a sleeping pill, so I landed in Delhi a bit more jet lagged than I’d hoped.

For those of you that view me as being organized, I have a confession to make. I forgot to bring my hotel confirmation with me, so I didn’t have its exact address. I figured that would be no big deal, given that the Pride Plaza Hotel was right at the airport. Wrong. The cab driver had no idea where it was, so he stopped periodically to ask random people for directions. You might suspect it was a ploy to run up the meter, but the fare was prepaid. What’s going through my jet lagged, brain while we are driving aimlessly around, chatting up strangers? I’m thinking it’s a good thing I’m not in The Amazing Race. For sure, I’d be hearing Phil say, “you are team #10, and I’m sorry to tell you, you have just ‘bean’ (yes, that’s how he pronounces it) eliminated.”

When we finally made it to the hotel, I was pleased to discover that it was quite lovely, and I congratulated myself on my decision to arrive in Delhi a day before the start of the OAT tour, to allow myself time to acclimate. I am very aware that a well rested me is a happier me, and an overtired me, well, let’s just say it isn’t pretty.

Delhi is chock full of amazing temples, tombs, museums, bazaars, historical and cultural sites. One could easily spend a day visiting Humayun’s Tomb, the India Gate, the Lotus Temple, the Red Fort –the list goes on.

I did none of that.

One huge benefit of retirement is I finally figured out I don’t have to cram everything into one day. No, I have EARNED the right to be selective and to do fewer things, but to choose the things that put a smile on my face.

So, what did I choose? Well, I toddled over to the Delhi Dance Academy’s Gurgaon location to shake, shake, shake in my best Bollywood fashion with my charming dance instructor, Vishnu. Marcus, Pride Plaza’s very knowledgeable concierge, arranged for a hotel driver to take me to Gurgaon, wait the 2 hours I was there, and bring me back–all for about $25. After the night before’s taxi experience, I figured it was the best, nay, the ONLY way to travel.

Next question– how’d it go? Well, although I had thought I would be joining a class, I discovered that the Delhi Dance Academy had arranged for a private lesson. For about $30, I got a welcome ceremony, refreshments, instruction in three different dances, and lots and lots of laughs. I’m supposed to get a video of my endeavors within the next couple of weeks. I’ll be sure to post it so everyone can share in the fun.

And now some lessons learned, for future OAT travelers taking the Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet trip.

Prepay for your taxi inside the terminal. It is a whole lot easier if, unlike me, you have the actual address with you.
i wasn’t the only one with a clueless cabbie. Even WITH the hotel address, one of the other travelers had a similar experience, stopping several times to ask for directions to a hotel that was in the bloody airport area. Don’t panic if it happens to you.
The ATMS in the terminal are not as user friendly as they are in other countries. At least they weren’t for me. After having difficulty with two different ATMs, I ended up using the currency exchange at the airport. Not the most cost effective choice.
I probably COULD have paid for the taxi with dollars. The guy at the terminal’s taxi desk told me he would have given me a much better exchange rate. Who knows?
Our flight to Bhutan was scheduled for a 5 AM departure. We had to be in the hotel lobby at 2 AM to be sure we’d get through passport control and security in time.
if you CAN go a day early, it is well worth the additional cost of the hotel room. And the hotel can help you do whatever puts a smile on YOUR face.

The Ultimate Packing Challenge

Ultimate packing challenge??? Well, at least it is for me. I’ll be gone for a month, visiting countries that have temperatures ranging from Lhasa’s average low of 31 F to an average high of 105 F in both Delhi, India and Chitwan National Park. Fortunately, I “met” a new virtual friend via OAT’s Forum. She gave me lots of helpful hints, and most importantly, clued me into the existence of laundry facilities that are plentiful and cheap. Thanks to her advice, I am able to be safely under the airlines’ 44 pound checked luggage maximum.

In the spirit of giving back, this post is all about what I’m packing. Maybe a future OAT traveler to Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet will find my information as helpful as I found Janet’s.

There’s nothing like a visual, right?

Being your obsessive compulsive kind of gal, I start packing many days before departure, loading articles on the bed in our spare room. I use a paper list and check off as I go.

One of the many nice things about OAT trips is no one cares what you look like. No one dresses to impress–it is all about comfort and adventure, so you will notice a total absence of makeup, jewelry, fancy clothes and dress up shoes. But then, my family would tell you that’s how I normally roll.

Checked luggage:

Toiletries: toothbrush, paste, floss, shampoo, conditioner, brush, comb, moisturizer, deodorant, soap, face cloth.

I’m not bothering with a hair dryer because some of the places we will be visiting won’t have electricity. I let my hair grow just for this trip, so I can pull it back and forget about it.

Miscellaneous: binoculars, sunscreen, Insect repellant, anti itch gel, lip balm, lotion, Ibuprofen, Pepto bismol, gasex, Imodium, Hydrocortisone, Bandaids, bonine, moleskins, z-pak, granola bars, small duffel (supplied by OAT).

I’m hoping I won’t need any of the medications. Whatever I don’t use on the trip, I’ll give to the trip leader. Might as well have someone make use of it before the expiration dates.

Clothes: Rain jacket, down jacket, Sun hat, Sweater, Underwear (14 days),
socks (10 ), long underwear (2), Pajamas (2), Shorts (2), Short sleeve tops (7), long sleeve tops (5), Long pants (4), capris (1), Sneakers, flip flops, keens, bathing suit, buff, chill band.

For the colder parts of the trip, I figure I can wear long underwear beneath my lightweight pants. No need for corduroys. I’m counting on layers to keep me warm.

My goal is to get by for at least a week, maybe two, without having to do laundry. I may have packed more than I need; I will report back after the trip is over, identifying anything I took that I didn’t need, and anything that I didn’t take, but wished I had.

As with other OAT trips, we will be visiting a local family, so I packed gifts. Our guide told me that warm socks are always appreciated for the cold winter months, something I never would have thought to bring. Of course, I had to include toys for the kids, plus an inflatable globe.

On our OAT trip to Africa, we discovered that a duffel holds more than we ever imagined possible. We also learned there is no need for those fancy packing cubes. My jumbo zip lock bags work just fine, allowing me to pull out only what is needed. Take a look.

Shoes in the bottom, along with items I expect to need at the end of the trip.

Yep. It all fit and I even have a tiny amount of extra room.

I know you’re wondering, so yes, that white decoration on my teal LL Bean duffle was my very own creation. Nobody is walking off with MY bag and claiming it was a mistake!

Because I have a direct flight to Delhi, I don’t need to pack a change of clothes into my carry on. Here’s what’s going inside.

Backpack: Money, credit card, passport, etickets, travel info, camera, batteries, charger, iPad connector, iPad, ipod, Bose headset, sleeping aid, Wipes, hand sanitizer, Glasses & case, water bottle, cell phone, pens, pencils, notepad, gum, cough drops, copy of passport.

That little black bag with the white decoration? That’s my “comfort case”, which holds the small items –cough drops, pens, gum, etc. so that I don’t have to rummage through the many pockets of my back pack.

The good news? I did indeed score the first class upgrade I requested back in November, so I probably won’t need to be digging into that comfort case the way I would have if I were back in economy. United, you have been forgiven.

The sad news? Because of some late breaking events, Mike and Greg won’t be able to come on this trip. Thank heavens for trip insurance!

Follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Roof of the World – Part 3

When you hear “Seven Years in Tibet” what comes to mind? The movie starring Brad Pitt?

Well, I never saw the movie but I HAVE read the book by Heinrich Harrer, and I must say, it was pretty phenomenal. Harrar escaped from a British POW camp in India during World War II. Interestingly enough, POWs back then were able to keep their money and supplies, so when he escaped, he had a rucksack, some provisions, and enough money to trade with Tibetans as he made his way through the Himalayas to Lhasa.

The Tibetans were gracious hosts, providing Harrer and his traveling companion, Peter Aufschnaiter (another escaped POW) with shelter and, when they ran out of money, gifts of food. Harrer and Aufschnaiter were able to repay this kindness by generously sharing their scientific and engineering knowledge with a country that at that time was closed off to the rest of the world. In addition to helping with flood control, translating foreign news, providing agricultural advice, they also introduced the Tibetans to a new sport,”walking on knives”, what we call ice skating. Eventually, Harrer met the young Dalai Lama, becoming a trusted friend and tutor of the isolated adolescent. Harrer not only oversaw the construction of a movie theater in the Dalai Lama’s summer palace, he also created the films that were shown there, using a 50’s era movie camera to photograph Tibetan festivals.

After Charlie Carroll discovered Seven Years in Tibet in his elementary school library, he became fascinated with this remote Himalayan kingdom. It was a bit like me and the Wizard of Oz, except HE could actually visit HIS magical kingdom. And he did, in 2009. The end product of his journey is the wonderful narrative Peaks on the Horizon. Two parallel stories alternate chapters, chronicling Charlie’s travels, and that of a young Tibetan refugee he met just before leaving the country.

Seven Years in Tibet and Peaks on the Horizon are great introductions to Tibetan religion, history and culture. Although I quickly skimmed through Demystifying Tibet by Lee Feigon and Conversations with the Dalai Lama by Thomas Laird, I found them more difficult to get through and not as entertaining. I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for the personal narrative.

So, if you have been following along The Yellow Brick Road to Asia, you know that now is the time for ten very random, fun facts uncovered through reading about Tibet:

At 13,000 feet above sea level, Tibet’s nickname, “The Roof of the World” is fitting. It is the highest inhabited area in the WORLD. Yikes. I’ve packed a supply of Diamox to make sure I don’t have a problem with the altitude.
The first major character in its recorded history is Songtsen Gampo, who conquered and united a multitude of tribes to create the nation of Tibet. Sources claim he became king at the age of 13. I guess during the the seventh century, they dealt with adolescent angst by sending the boys off to pillage, plunder and start a new nation. Before he died in 649, he managed to acquire one wife from China, one from Nepal and four from among the local girls. There are two versions of the Chinese bride story. Songtsen Gampo ordered the king of China to send him one of his daughters and when his “request” was refused, he attacked and pillaged. Version two describes Songtsen Gampo as a lovesick warrior who became a vassal of the Chinese emperor to obtain his lovely wife. See if you can figure out which explanation belongs to which nation.
But it wasn’t ALL fun and games. Songtsen Gampo is also credited with bringing Buddhism to Tibet (and to Bhutan). He built the first Buddhist temple in Tibet, the Jokhang, to house the statue of the Buddha his Chinese wife, Wencheng, brought from China as part of her dowery. One account mentioned that the Nepali wife also brought a Buddha with her, but the Chinese one appears to be more sacred and more famous. it will be interesting to see what we are told when we are in Lhasa.
There was a gap of almost a century until the next important emperor came on the scene. Trisong Detsen (755-797) conquered the areas along the Silk Road. But he too was more than just a warrior. He also built Tibet’s first monastery at Samye and invited Padmasambhava (Remember him from the Nepal post? Also known as Guru Rimpoche, he emerged from a Lotus in a lake) to come to Tibet to help spread the word about Buddhism.
Unfortunately, Trisong Detsen met an untimely end. Rumor has it that he was poisoned by his wife, who may also have disposed of her son in a similar manner a mere two years after he was crowned. Talk about dysfunctional families. Even Dr. Phil would have had trouble fixing THEIR problems.
The next notable character appears in 838. Lang Darma joined with members of the Bon religion to strangle his brother, the current king. He tried to reinstitute Bon, the local religion, by suppressing Buddhism. Here’s the interesting part. Lang Darma was thought to be a devil, complete with horns on his head. After forcing girls to comb his hair, he used his horns to kill them, then ate them. Lhalung Palgyi Dorje, a monk, came to the rescue, killing Lang Darma by shooting an arrow through his heart.
Remember Ghengis Khan and the Mongol Hoards? I sure do. I have a strong visual of him and his buddies, galloping across the steppes, flags flying in front, long hair streaming behind. So, what has that got to do with Tibet, you ask? Well, bet you didn’t know that the term “Dalai Lama” came from the Mongols. I certainly didn’t. Altan Khan, who ruled Mongolia in the 1500’s (yes, we’re skipping WAY ahead!) invited Sonam Gyatso, the abbott of Tibet’s largest monastery, to his country to spread Buddhism throughout Mongolia. Dalai Lama is the Mongol translation of Sonam Gyatso’s name, which in English means “Great Ocean”. Tibetans, however, refer to their their spiritual leader as “Kundun”, which means “the presence of Buddha”, but since I’m not Tibetan, I’m going to stick with Dalai Lama.
Tibetans believe they are descendants of Chenrizi (also spelled Chenrezi, Chenresig and Chenrezig, depending on the source), who took the form of a monkey to seduce a demon. The demon gave birth to six “long haired children” complete with tails (the first Tibetans) that disappeared when they grew to adulthood. The Tibetan creation story explains human behavior by uniting the pure (Chenrizi is the Buddha of compassion) with the animalistic (the demon/ogress). And all we westerners get is a talking snake and an apple. I like their story better! It even has evolution going for it.
The current Dalai Lama is believed to be the fourteenth reincarnation of Chenrizi. The THIRD Dalai Lama was the first granted the title by Altan Khan. That Dalai Lama decided to declare his two deceased predecessors as the first and second Dalai Lamas. After the third Dalai Lama’s death, Altan Khan’s grandson (surprise, surprise) was declared to be next reincarnate — the fourth Dalai Lama. He didn’t last long–he was dead before he was 28.
The NEXT Dalai Lama was a powerhouse. The “Great Fifth” started construction of the Potala, Tibet’s iconic building. He died before the building was completed, but his death was kept a secret for 10 years to ensure that construction would continue. This huge complex is 13 stories high and contains color coded administrative (red) and religious (white) sections, which include the winter quarters for the Dalai Lama, prison cells, torture chambers and stupas where prior Dalai Lamas are entombed.
Yaks are as important to the Tibetans as Buffalo were to the Native Americans. Yak butter is the main ingredient in yak tea, which is consumed by everyone, many times every day. Yak butter is also used for the candles that are burned throughout all three Himalayan countries. Yak dung is burned for fuel and is also used as an ink substitute. The burnt yak dung becomes soot, which was used as ink for books during Heinrich Harrer’s seven years. By the time Charlie Carroll visited a few years ago, Yaks had become endangered. What is common now is a cross between a yak and a cow, called a dzo.

How’s that for random facts?

There is so very much more to say about Tibet, but as with the posts on Bhutan and Nepal, I need to save something for when we are there, don’t I?

Follow The Yellow Brick Road- Part Two

You ready to climb aboard the bookmobile express for a trip to Nepal?

A few years ago, when Borders broke my heart by going belly up, I softened the blow just a tad by randomly grabbing books from the travel section, one of which was Snake Lake by Jeff Greenwald. At that time, I had no idea the book was about Nepal. Not only that, but the thought of visiting Nepal never crossed my mind. I didn’t even have the vaguest idea of where it was. As I mentioned in the last post, elementary school KILLED any interest in geography. Good thing I’m a firm believer in lifelong learning!

Snake Lake is about Nepal’s political turmoil, starting with the student riots in 1979, thru India’s 1989 trade embargo, ending with the April 6, 2000 protest at Ratna Park. It’s about more than just politics, though. This very personal account has it all— romance, loss, and a spiritual journey that allows you to view Buddhism through Greenwald’s American eyes.

Two Australian writers, Amy Wilsee and Mark Whittaker, were fascinated by the 2001 murders and suicide of Nepal’s royal family. Their quest for the back story leading to that gory night is documented in Life and Death in Kathmandu. What I found most compelling, however, wasn’t the main event, but two of their interviews: one with a former Kumari (a living goddess- more on that later) and the other with a Maoist guerilla. Initially, the Maoists were a group of committed idealists, focused on stopping the corruption and violence inflicted on villagers by the power structure. Over time, as more joined the movement, the Maoists devolved into an unruly mob that inflicted as much violence and terror as they had initially fought against.

Although Jeff Rasley’s book Bringing Progress to Paradise raises some interesting questions about the ethics of culture change and the impact first world intrusion into third world has on these remote villages, I don’t recommend the book. Much of it chronicled his trek to the remote village of Basa and quite honestly, I thought he was a bit of a jerk to the friends that made the trek with him.

Little Princes by Conor Grennan, is a better choice if you want to learn how good intentions can sometimes lead to undesirable consequences. After graduating from college, Conor decided to volunteer in an orphanage outside of Kathmandu. Over time, he was surprised to discover that the children actually weren’t orphans at all.

During the political turmoil, the Maoists had been entering the villages, abducting children and forcing them to fight. When approached by a man who offered to bring their child to safety, families scraped together money, selling what little they had. Unfortunately, the man who promised to care for their children was a trafficker who either sold them to be servants, or forced them to beg on the streets of Kathmandu. The children were told that their families had all been killed. Little Princes describes Conor’s efforts to return the children to their remote villages so they could be reunited with their families. The book also made it clear that well-meaning tourists can inadvertently contribute to the problem by giving money and clothing to the child beggars. Many times the children are forced to turn everything over to a trafficker, so the tourists are unwittingly contributing to child trafficking, making it profitable for the trafficker to continue. Little Princes was a thought-provoking book that gets to the heart of the issue that many travelers to third world countries face–how to help without creating unintended negative consequences.

So, what did I learn from my Nepali reading? Well, I’ll share 10 of my discoveries now, again, not in any particular order–just random facts that caught my attention. There’s much more, but like my Bhutan post, I will save the rest for when we are on site.

Nepalis believe the goddess Taleju takes up residence in a young girl (who then becomes known as a Kumari ), until the girl reaches puberty. At that time, the goddess moves on to inhabit the body of another pre-pubescent girl. What happens to the dethroned goddess, the young child, who had been taken from her family, placed in a palace, her feet not allowed to touch the ground, carried through the streets during festivals, decked out in red, with a third eye painted on her forehead? Why she becomes mortal again, returns to her family and is expected to live a normal life, happily (?) ever after.
What are the job specifications to become a goddess, you might ask? Well, for starters, this 2 or 3 year old girl needs to have: a neck like a conch shell, a body like a banyan tree, eyelashes like a cow, thighs like a deer, a chest like a lion, a voice soft and clear as a duck’s…there’s more, but you get the idea.
While in the Kathmandu area, we will be staying at the Gokarna Forest Resort. Gokarna Forest used to be the hunting reserve for the Nepali royal family. Not only that, but at the entrance to the Resort, there is a 200 year old pipal tree, where, in the very sappy movie, Little Buddha, under that very tree, Keanu Reeves was tempted by the demon Mara.
Yes, I did indeed borrow the Little Buddha DVD from the library, and sat through the whole thing, including Keneau Reeves portrayal of Buddha, complete with his pre-enlightenment long, stringy hair. What can I say? It was a cold gray day. I had nothing better to do. The sad part? I didn’t learn about the pipal tree until AFTER I had seen the movie, and trust me, I wasn’t going to go back to look for it.
Swayanbhunath, also known as the Monkey Temple, is one of the oldest Buddhist sites in Nepal. As you might guess, wild monkeys have inhabited the temple complex for many years. And why not? The food offerings that the pilgrims leave are mighty attractive. Unfortunately,the temple was damaged by the 2015 earthquake, so I don’t know whether we will have the opportunity to visit it when we are in Kathmandu.
Speaking of offerings at Swayvanbhunath pilgrims always leave a portion for Hariti, the world’s grandmother and protector of children. Legend has it that Hariti originally was an ogress who lived during Buddha’s time. To feed her 500 children, she kidnapped other people’s children and turned them into dinner. Buddha decided to teach her what it felt like to lose a child, so he kidnapped her youngest. (With 500 kids, I wonder how she realized one was missing–but maybe that’s just me?) After Hariti learned her lesson about compassion, Buddha returned the child, then helped Hariti with her food problem by sharing with her the offerings from his followers, the start of the practice that continues to this day.
Another Buddhist legend tells the story of the birth of Padmasambhava, who was also known also known as Guru Rinpoche. Padmasambhava means “lotus born” because he emerged fully formed from a red lotus blossom that appeared in the center of a lake. The Lotus is the symbol of enlightenment. Preview of coming attractions: You will hear about Padmasambhava again when we get to Bhutan.
The oldest Hindu Temple, Pashupatinath, fortunately was not damaged by the earthquake, so if we visit it, I’ll be sure to look for the magnificent sculpture of Nandi, the bull that Shiva rides. Hindus come to this temple when they are ready to die, believing that dying on this sacred site guarantees that they will be reborn as a human. Cremations take place on banks of the Bagmati River, which flows by the temple.
The royal family’s palace is now open to the public. It is a rather dismal abode, with lots of animal heads hanging from the walls. (Most likely the animals they killed in their royal preserve at Gokarna Forest, which would seem to be a violation of Hindu–and Buddhist beliefs.) Anyway, the palace sounds like a major disappointment–sorta like Graceland, not at all what you would imagine– which may be why it didn’t make it into our itinerary.
Chez Caroline’s, a restaurant that was mentioned in one of the books I read (I can’t for the life of me remember which one), still exists. According to the internet, the restaurant is in a “historic Rana Palace”. I sure hope it isn’t the one with all the stuffed dead animals! Who knows, maybe on one of “dinner on own” evenings, we’ll venture there. If we do, I’ll be sure to report back.

Well, I warned you these were random facts that caught my fancy.

Our last and final stop along the yellow brick road will be Tibet. Hope you come along!

Follow The Yellow Brick Road, Part One

I’ve been traveling all my life. I can’t remember whether my first trip was to Neverland or to Oz, but I DO know that I returned to both places countless times.

For many, many years all my travel took place solely between my ears. Although school did its best to smother any interest in geography by forcing us to memorize products, capitals, and other bone crushingly boring trivia, I never lost my enthusiasm for the exotic places I discovered through our local library. Books were my magic carpet, whisking me to wondrous places a small town girl like me never dreamed she’d ever be able to actually visit.

Maybe that’s why today, before I set foot in another country, I try to read as much as I can about its culture, religion, politics, history and yes, even geography. I want to experience in it my head first. It sounds crazy, even to me, but a place seems more REAL if I have read about it.

Our next trip will be to the Himalayan countries of Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet. Here’s a map courtesy of Overseas Adventure Travel, roughly showing where we will be easin’ on down the road. Notice the red line stops at the Seti River? That’s where the rafting starts, because there ain’t no road to get where we are going, yellow brick or otherwise.

So about those books I’ve been reading– lets start with Bhutan.

My interest in that country began several years ago when I stumbled across The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner. It introduced me to Bhutan’s concept of Gross National Happiness. Also around that time, we’d had the good fortune to meet and travel with Dr. Peter Steele. In 1967, at a time when it was closed to most of the western world, he and his wife were invited to visit Bhutan by the royal family. After reading his account of the trip, Two and Two Halves in Bhutan, I became even more interested in visiting that fascinating country.

OAT provides a list of “additional resources” for each country on the tour. That list was my starting point, supplemented by what I could find on Overdrive, an online resource available through our library and of course, by random internet searches.

What follows is nothing even close to a book report, mainly I am somewhat lazy, but also because you will get better summaries by clicking on the blue words in this post. The Amazon and Good Reads reviewers will do a much better job filling you in than I would have done.

I had no idea that in addition to Peter Steele, Shirley Maclaine also visited Bhutan in the ’60s. In her 1970 autobiography, Don’t Fall Off the Mountain, she explains that she had gone to India to learn to meditate, and while there met the new Prime Minister, Lhendup Dorji. He had assumed that position after the prior Prime Minister (his brother) was assassinated by a member of the military. She accepted Dorji’s invitation to visit Bhutan, but unfortunately there was still political unrest in the country, so her visit was cut short. Still, she was there long enough to give me a feel for what Bhutan was like during that period. Plus, she DID make it to the famous Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Paro. And so will I.

Jamie Zeppa’s book, Beyond the Sky and Earth is a wonderful description of life in Bhutan during the late ’80s. She spent two years as a teacher, first with elementary students in a remote village, then teaching college students at Sherubtse College near Trashigang. Yeah, I’d never heard of those places either.

Jamie married one of her students,Tshewang Dendup. Why did I feel compelled to tell you his name? Well there is a reason. In 2003, he had a starring role in the lovely Bhutanese movie, Travellers and Magicians. I got the DVD from my library; it’s a great way to sneak a peek at the beautiful Bhutanese scenery (and to check out Jamie’s ex- husband, if you are so inclined.)

Lisa Napoli”s book, Radio Shangri-La is about her volunteer work at Kuzoo FM, Bhutan’s “youth based” radio station. Established in 2006 as one of the king’s projects, Kuzoo broadcasts in both Dzongkha and English. Lisa’s several years with NPR made her a valuable resource for this young radio station.

Those 4 books gave me glimpses of Bhutan’s evolution from a closed Himalayan kingdom of the ’60s up to around 2009. What did I learn from my reading?

Ten Fun Facts About Bhutan (Not in order of importance, or any other kind of order, for that matter)

Bhutan is also known as Druk Yul, the Land of the Thunder Dragon
Marijuana grows wild in Bhutan, and is fed to the pigs because (surprise, surprise) it increases their appetite.
Ara is the local moonshine; its a clear wine made from rice. ( Now that we’ve gotten the local stimulants out of the way, let’s move on)
All doctors visits and health care is free
Drukpa Kinley, a Tibetan monk who lived in the late 1400’s, made his way to Bhutan. He was also known as the Divine Madman who used his “flaming thunderbolt” to bless women and to bestow “enlightenment”. He was so successful in his endeavors, he became the patron saint of fertility.
Thanks to the Divine Madman, many Bhutanese houses sport paintings and sculptures of phalluses. Who knows, photos of the artwork may be a coming attraction of this blog.
Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the 4th king of Bhutan, voluntarily gave up absolute power in 1998. (When does THAT ever happen??) He guided the nation from a hereditary monarchy (which had been established in 1907) to its current status as a parliamentary democracy.
Okay, so now the”People Magazine” type information: The 4th king had 4 wives, all of them sisters.
His son, the 5th king, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, was crowned in November of 2008. That king has only ONE wife, who he met at a picnic when he was 17 and she was 7. According to legend, he said ‘When you grow up, if I am not married and if you are not married, I would like you to be my wife, provided we still feel the same.’
Men wear the Gho, and women wear the Kira; these two articles comprise Bhutan’s national dress. Jamie’s book mentions that all Bhutanese were required to wear the national dress. This dress code was an issue for the Nepalese immigrants living in the southern part of the country. I don’t know whether the requirement still exists today, but it will be pretty apparent once we get there whether it does or not.

I actually learned a whole lot more, but I have to save SOMETHING for when we get there, right?

Next stop on our book tour – Nepal.

Two Hours Till Blast Off

Remember that standard issue duffel bag? The one that all OAT travelers get? I decided I didn’t want to waste time at baggage areas determining which of the identical bags belonged to me, so I did a bit of “bag enhancement”.I know, I know…I probably should have given it some thought BEFORE I went wild with the sharpie markers, but hey, I figured I dramatically decreased the odds that this bag will be stolen. What self respecting thief would want to be seen dragging this along? Besides, a smart thief would suspect the bag’s contents would be equally jumbled and lacking in style.

I very thoughtfully had a “go” at Mike’s bag. A bit less exuberantly, but enough to provide the afore mentioned advantages.

We will be flying almost 8,000 miles. To put that into perspective, it is the equivalent of 2.5 flights from NJ to California, and it will take about the same length of time–15 hours.

We spend the night in Johannesburg then leave the following morning for Karongwe, a game reserve close to Kruger National Park. For all the map lovers, here’s a visual.

Three nights later, we return to Johannesburg. If I’m lucky, I’ll have wildlife photos to post.

Over and out!

Packing for A Month in Africa

OAT’s (Overseas Adventure Travel’s) wonderfully helpful website is loaded with lots of hints from those that have gone before. Thanks to them, I have a good idea of what to pack, and equally important, what NOT to pack.

I need to be prepared for cold mornings and evenings, high mid-day temperatures, and a school visit. Then after the tour ends, Mike and I are on our own in Cape Town for several days.

Suggestions for what to bring for the school visit included uninflated soccer balls and flip-flops plus the usual books, crayons, paper, pens and pencils. I also like to bring along a few frivolous things, like small stuffed animals.

The camps do our laundry every night, so 3 changes of clothes will do the trick, but I also needed a warm jacket, a hat, gloves, plus shorts and tee shirts and a bathing suit. Dressing in layers is key. I also need to plan for our time in Cape Town when we will be without daily laundry service.

I found jumbo zip lock bags at the supermarket and am using them to organize my wardrobe. But will all this, plus toiletries, fit into the duffel bag?

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to. One traveler suggested putting the duffel inside a much bigger bag, then packing everything into that one large suitcase. I tried that, but I easily exceeded the 50 pound weight limit. THEN I decided to check out South African Air’s luggage rules and was very excited to learn that in addition to my carry on, I can have TWO checked bags!!! I’m so used to the United Airlines restrictions, it didn’t occur to me that another airline’s checked baggage policy could be more liberal.

Being able to bring that second bag meant another trip to the Dollar Store for toothbrushes, combs and LOTS more school supplies, plus any odds and ends that I thought might be useful. I packed it all in an old suitcase that I plan to leave in Africa.

So, now my duffel will only contain MY stuff–plus another small duffel that I will use to bring back any purchases I make–good news for sisters, hermana preferida, cousins and other loved ones!

Geography Lesson

Geography was never a favorite subject of mine. Memorizing capitals and products was excruciatingly mind numbing. At the time, knowing where to plop countries on a mimeographed map didn’t appear to be knowledge I’d ever find useful. Back when I considered a one hour trip to Boston a thrilling excursion, it was hard to imagine that I would ever be lucky enough to set foot any place outside of the continental USA.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t disappointed when Sister Pauline explained that there was no point in studying the geography of Africa, because everything was changing. How sad that statement is one of the few things I remember from my geography studies!

Fast forward a half a century. I will soon be filling that gaping hole in my knowledge of the world with a trip to that continent I didn’t have to learn about in elementary school. Well, only the southern part of Africa. But you gotta start somewhere.

This will be the first trip that Mike and I take with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). Although we have had wonderful experiences with Road Scholar, and RS has a similar trip, we decided to go with OAT for the following reasons:

If you pay the full amount in cash a year in advance, you get a 10% discount (and I SO love a bargain)!
If you take another trip with them within the next 12 months, you get a 5% credit.
They have an amazing website, with very informative reviews and an incredibly helpful forum in which travelers share information and helpful hints.
They offer options: you can do only the trip, or you can add pre and/or post trip excursions.
There is a maximum of 16 participants

Mike and I figured if we were going to shell out the money for airfare, and subject our bodies to a total of 30 hours (round trip) in the air, we might as well stay a while, so we are doing the pre and then visiting Cape Town on our own. Who knows if we will ever be able to get back to this part of the globe?

We start in Johannesburg, then fly to Karongwe Game Reserve for the pre-trip. Four days later, we return to Johannesburg for the main trip, going first to two camps in Botswana, then one in Zambia, one in Zimbabwe, ending with a few days in Victoria Falls, before we fly back to Johannesburg. At that point, Mike and I will leave the tour and fly to Cape Town for a few days on our own, before returning to Johannesburg for a flight home. All told, we will be gone for 26 days.

Oat created this very helpful map, with the trip extensions in the insert.

While on safari, we will be staying in tents in the national parks. WiFi will therefore be limited to the few times we are in cities. (So, sisters and cousins, when you don’t see a post, it will not be because I have met with foul play…it will just mean I am still off the grid).

We will be flying in very small planes, which limits both the weight and the type of luggage allowed. One duffel bag each, without an internal frame, weighing no more than 44 pounds, plus one carry on. Here’s a visual of my duffel bag, supplied by OAT, and my new (larger) back pack. Previous travelers had experienced problems with the duffel splitting open (I told you the forum was helpful), but fortunately that appears to be old news. Nevertheless, I’m packing some duct tape…just in case.

Years of business travel trained me to travel light, but we will be visiting a school, so once I assemble the minimum amount of clothing and supplies needed, I’ll be cramming books, pencils, crayons and other odds and ends into the remaining space up to the weight limit.

Next post will be about pre-trip readings.

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