The wheel came
off the van in which I was a passenger this morning. - the left rear wheel in
fact. It came off suddenly and whilst we were driving a fair speed. It was a
bit scary but it could definitely have been worse. A lot worse. No one was
hurt. I was in the van with my friend Bhim and his wife Sasawarthi and their
three children Aishworya, Jasmine and Krishnan. We were on our way to Bhaktapur
- we were heading out for a family outing.
The wheel has
come off a vehicle in which I was a passenger in Nepal once before. It was
therefore not a new experience. I didn't like it then either The first time
this occurred was a couple of years ago. It happened on a very steep and slow
curving mountain road near a place called Katunje. That time I was on the flat
bed at the rear of a large truck and it all seemed to happen in slow motion.
Actually it was in slow motion. We were crawling up a very steep mountain. It
could have been worse then too.
Much worse.
Today we were
driving in downtown Kathmandu when the wheel came off. It happened very
quickly. One moment we were just driving along and the next we were sliding
along then nearly tipping over. I was more shocked and scared about half an
hour after it all happened - mostly thinking about how worse it could have
been.
Don't worry
Mum. Chill out. Relax. I am alright. No-one was hurt and everything is OK. We
hired a better and safer van from back at the hotel. It was a mini bus
actually. It had seat belts and we still had our day out in Bhaktapur.
It was very
nice.
I am not sure
what I have written previously about Bhaktapur and I couldn't be bothered
reading back to check. Suffice to say it is one of the four ancient Durba of
Kathmandu. These are the palaces and temples of the old city kingdom. Bhaktapur
is outside of Kathmandu city though. It is a city unto itself. All four
of the Durba are spectacularly beautiful. The temples and palaces of the
Bhaktapur are however my favorite.
Here I am in
Bhaktapur. I am soaking up the pleasure of being here. As you can see the
deities of Bhaktapur are shining their divine light upon me.
Here I am a
few seconds later at the same temple. I am looking a little shocked because the
deities had suddenly switched off their divine light.
I will perhaps
put up some other photos I have taken today of Bhaktapur but I will write very
little more about the city. It is one of those places that is better seen than
described - that is best experienced actually. Total immersion is indeed
recommended for Bhaktapur and for all of Nepal. It will invade and captivate
all of your senses if you allow it.
Nepal will
delight and enthrall you.
Here is a
picture of me taken by Bhim with his wife Sasawarthi and his daughters Jasmine
and Aishworya. They are as beautiful as the temples of Bhaktapur.
Bhaktapur is
World Heritage Listed by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organisation which is otherwise known as UNESCO.
The whole
city.
It's history
is long and colorful and fascinating. Up until the fifteenth
century Bhaktapur was the capital of the Nepali Kingdom. The streets are
narrow and cobbled and ancient and they randomly twist and ramble. You stoop
and then step through tiny wooden doors and emerge into squares and courtyards
and secret gardens. They are full of stunning temples and stupa and
monasteries.
They are
breathtaking.
The buildings
of Bhaktapur are as much carved as they are constructed. They are carved and
chiseled of wood and stone. The craftsmanship in the detail and intricacy of
the architecture is outstanding. It is more art than craft and try as I might I
can not adequately describe it. Words wouldn't do the beauty sufficient
justice. Google it or go to Wikipedia or better still go there. Every one
should do the 'Du at least once in their lifetime. It is a wondrous and
wonderful city in a stunningly beautiful country.
It really is.
Here is a
picture of a mobile temple. It is a very big one with wooden wheels and it is
not something you see every day. When I asked Bhim how many buffalo were
required to pull the temple around he laughed and told me that no buffalo were
used. He told me that people pulled it. Monks actually.
Lots of monks.
There was no
evidence of any festivals today in Bhaktapur - nor indeed in Patan where I am
staying. This is unusual. The Hindi calendars are full of festivals for their
many gods and goddesses and Buddhist holy days are also many.
When he is
working as a guide my friend Bhim likes to take tourists to watch the animal
sacrifices that are conducted during many of the Hindi festivals. He told me
that the tourists liked it too. Bhim told me that the European tourist
backpackers in particular were fond of the blood rituals that are involved and
that they took a lot of photographs.
The act of
sacrifice is a very ancient one. It is an offering of something to someone who
is considered divine. It is sometimes offered just for thanks but more often
though it is offered in hope. In some instances this offering involves killing.
It is the offering of a life - an animal life. In Nepal anyway. I don't think
the Nepali Kingdom has ever offered up human sacrifices. This was mostly an
ancient Greek and Incan thing - and some African tribes.
Our modern day
take on sacrifice is a bit different. We sacrifice when we give something up
for someone we love. We do without for them. We give up our time or an
experience and sometimes bits of ourselves for someone or something we care for.
These are things that we sacrifice in the modern western world. The people for
whom we sacrifice might not be divine but we adore them regardless.
We cherish
them.
We do this
most often for our children. We have all done it and we should probably do more
of it.
The world
would be a better place.
Bhim knows
that I am not a big fan of watching animals being slaughtered. He knows that I
have an aversion to blood and it makes me squeamish. I have also told Bhim that
I certainly don't want any animals sacrificed for me. He has offered before.
The act of animal sacrifice in Nepal is both spiritual and very real. The flesh
of the animals sacrificed in Hindi rituals is not always eaten. This is a
sacrifice indeed for the many hungry people here.
Apparently the
bigger the animal sacrificed the better. A buffalo carries more weight than a
goat and a goat more than a chicken.
And so on.
Bhim once told
me, a long time ago now, that the sacrifice of a coconut - by cutting it
in half with a machete - is also an acceptable offering at a Hindi shrine. I
have told him that I thought that this would be the best way to go for me.
Bhim told me
today that when he goes back to his village for some special festivals he
always now sacrifices a coconut for me and my brother Richard. He sacrifices one
for each of us. I told Bhim that I feel both blessed and honoured by this but
that it wasn't really necessary.
I
told him that I am blessed simply by having him and his family as my friends.
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