October 31 - I flew to Kathmandu and was so happy and relieved to be in the softer, cleaner environment of Nepal. This land has an amazing sacred feel to it and is beginning to feel like a second home for me. I met one of our group members Jay at the airport and our Sherpa guide Phurwa sent a taxi to take him to his hotel. The rest of the group would be coming later in the day. Kantipur hotel is a beautiful, historical building in the center of town and has all the facilities a hotel should have including internet and a courtyard garden. He would be joining the rest of the group in the morning for a tour to some temples.
One of the first things I did was visit Bodhanath Temple; my favorite place in Kathmandu. I circumembulated and turned prayer wheels around stupa 3 times while deeply breathing in the incense and taking in the sounds of the music playing in shops surrounding the temple of "ohm mani ped me hum"--the mantra of the Buddha Padmasambava--a central figure in the Buddhist Himalaya. I ran into many of my Sherpa friends' (from Colorado) relatives there including Lhakpa Sherpa who spent a Summer at my home while healing from paralysis caused by a stroke. We had chai and some thukpa (noodles in broth) and he visited some shops with me so he could help me negotiate in Nepali. He always gets a better price than me and he has fun doing it.
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