Nepal to Thailand

Sawadee from Thailand!!

Wow, what a contrast.  We arrived safely, conveniently and organizedly to Bangkok last night and it's been a breeze ever since.  We had an amazing time in Nepal, as recounted by Eddie, but it was nice to get to a place where there is some sort of organization.  Nepal is full of amazing people, beautiful landscapes and sights, but the two lane roads with 4 lanes of cars, buses, yaks and bicycles going in different directions can get a little overwhelming (not to mention life threatening). 
 
Our last days in KTM were spent with our friend, Chandra (thanks to KJ), who is a mutual friend of a friend in Colorado.  He met us in Pokhara, a small town at the foot of the Annapurna Range (which, unfortunately, was snuggly hidden in the clouds the whole time we were there).  We spent a few days there relaxing and in the serenity away from KTM and then headed to Chitwan National Park to see the "wildlife".  However, we spent more time just socializing with the very friendly people in our group rather than seeing any jungle animals.  We did spend an afternoon tracking and chasing a rhino (I think I saw a glimpse of his shadow, but it could have been my imagination - Eddie actually saw his head).  The elusive tiger never made an appearance.  We had a great guide and bathed with the elephants (more like they bathed us), which was definitely the highlight of the jungle experience.  It could, however, have been the culprit of the following 4 days of diarrhea and excruciating belly cramping I endured in Pokhara (at least it was a comfortable room with a fan and a loyal boyfriend catering to my every whim). 
 
The other bonus of the jungle trip, which, most of you know, is one of my least favorite climates, was seeing a local village, where I made a new little friend, Sasathi, an 8 year old boy, who walked with me, consistently gazing up with curious brown eyes, for about 2 hours.  He even walked us to the boat to say goodbye and kept waving until we could no longer see him.  It was really touching.  I asked if he wanted to come, but he had other responsibilities.
 
Anyway, back in Pokhara, we visited a beautiful Tibetan Monastery with Chandra, where we sat with the monks chanting for a special, once a year, fire ceremony.  They had beautiful colored flour mandalas, yak butter altar statues and soothing sounds with chanting, bells and drums.  It was truly a magical experience and definitely a different spiritual feel than in Beding, where we carried the drunk lamas home. 
 
We then headed to Bandipur, an historical town which was once the center of the trade route from Tibet, perched on top of a hill, again with incredible views of the mountains which eluded us again.  However, we had a really nice couple of days, the highlight of which (for me, at least), was chatting with two young doctors fulfilling their responsibility to treating patients in a rural area after med school.  One of them was very passionate about promoting change and opportunity in Nepal.  It was nice to see that there are people who don't have the same apathy we've seen in some other locations.  It was a bit sad and surprising to find out that most doctors in Nepal make only $150 -500/month, despite paying $30,000 for med school.  Most of them then leave the country for post doc work in a foreign land, never to return.  Hence, the country is losing intellectuals and motivated young people by the day.  It almost seems a hopeless situation, but the young doctor expressed optimism.
 
Back in KTM, we took a mountain flight to see the Himalaya since we are probably some of the only tourists in the world who went to Nepal and didn't trek to the majestic giants.  I must admit I felt a little soft seeing the peaks from a plane, but it was pretty incredible.  There was a high cloud cover, so they rose right from the clouds like from the ocean.  Flying at 25000 feet and seeing Everest towering above was breathtaking.  Next time we might need to get in shape and manage to see them in person.  We did get to see Gauri Shankar, the mountain which towers above Beding, from above.
 
Then we headed to Pashipatinath, a famous temple of Shiva, where Hindus from all over travel to be blessed before dying and to cremate their family members.  It was quite a spiritual experience watching the rituals and seeing the burning of bodies on the banks of the holy river.  We also visited a bit with a Sadhu (holy men dedicated to living esthetically, who are dressed in brightly colored robes and artistically painted faces), who instructed me in sitting on the stone penis of Shiva for fertility.  Apparently, women from all over come to the temple to touch the penis.  No, no plans, but just in case.
 
For the last tourist attraction of the day, we headed to Bodhnath Stupa, the largest in Nepal.  It is a huge, white stupa with prayer flags, prayer wheels and monasteries on every side.  The brightly painted monasteries filled with golden buddhas leaves one with a very peaceful and hopeful view of life.  Inside Bodhnath seems like a tranquil getaway from the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu.
 
So, now we're in Bangkok and have slept well, eaten amazing pad thai on the street for thirty cents, and are heading to the beach tomorrow night on the overnight train.  After a day of shopping and eating in Bangkok, we are sure it will be nice to relax in the pristine waters of the Andaman Sea. 
 
So, for now, we wish you all a happy day.  We're going to attempt to add photos now, but don't hold your breath.
 
Peace, Laurie and Eddie