NEPAL, A BUCKET-LIST ADVENTURE
WELL…I have been to Nepal and my heart is full. My children and grandchildren have lived in
Kathmandu for the past five years, loving on and serving the people whom they
call family now, with determination and compassion. I have followed every step they have made
with awe and sometimes shock. As they
relayed stories of their lives and those around them, I’ve had a growing desire
to see this strange and wonderful land for myself. My curiosity was two fold – one was to set
foot on this third-world country, see with my own eyes the exotic and ancient
sights and vivid colors, hear the incessant honking, gonging, and chatter of
different languages, and smell the odd – sometimes lovely, sometimes not so
much – wafts of street food, mixed with incense, spices and honestly,
dirt. The second was that I believed in
the work my children were doing among this beautiful people who were created by
God to be culturally different, and I wanted to be a part – be it small – of
that work. I guess there was the third
reason that should go without saying – I wanted to hug and kiss my children and
grandchildren in their adopted homeland.
I have been to Asia four times now. We visited Lacey as a young, single overseas
worker in Darjeeling, India several years ago.
We went to Indonesia to help some friends with childcare and then I went
to southern India when our fourth grandchild was born. There are some things that are just expected
in Asia like the piles of shoes by the front door, as wearing outside shoes
inside is socially unacceptable. As, I
stated before, Asia is full of exotic sites and sounds to enjoy, unlike you
find in western countries. Navigation of
streets and sidewalks is a skill that is developed from a very young age – call
it defensive, if you will – as people walk and drive aggressively to their
destination without major accidents in overcrowded narrow pathways and
alleyways. And then there is the random
cow that saunters down the middle of the street alongside you, only to stop and
eat from a local trash pile! These are things that are strangely endearing to
me as I have experienced Asia. Then
there are the people – beautiful people with varying shades of dark skin, rosy
cheeks and inviting smiles. They are a
kind and friendly people with curiosity about the west and although they might
speak in very broken English their communication skills are practiced and
effective. They will sell you their
goods at whatever price you are willing to pay and delight at your poor
bargaining and haggling skills!
This trip was different from the others I have made to
Asia. Though the torturous 15-hour plane
ride was the same, the difference was clear as I gazed across the isle and
peered through the open window of a fellow passenger with a clear view of the
ice capped Himalaya Mountains. I had
seen the Himalayan hills before, but never the majesty of such grandeur as
these tallest mountains in the world presented on this blindingly sunny
day. Though the brightness was
overwhelming, my eyes were continually drawn back to the view in awe. Even though weary from the strenuous travel,
excitement built within for the adventure that lay ahead. And we were almost there!
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