A month to know a country is so little. A month to observe and feel what Nepal had to offer was enough for me at this time. I came back with a very particular feeling of transformation deep down within my soul and this sensation continues to grow. I knew this land would be special.
When thinking of Nepal, this small country stuck between two giants, India and China, and surrounded by the mystical Himalayan range, one imagines green landscapes with a blue sky and fresh air from the mountains. Well, this is not how Nepal welcomes you.
The main port of entry is Kathmandu, a heavily polluted valley. “Airpocalypse” headlined the Kathmandu Post in an article that spoke of the urgency of taking concrete actions to reduce air pollution in Nepal.
The exodus of the villagers to the city with the hope of finding a better earning, the increase of poor quality vehicles, the lack of regulation concerning brick factories, diesel generators used to counter the many power cuts and the wastes that are burned on the streets are all factors that significantly impacted the air quality. The shape of the valley also contributes to a poor dispersion of the air polluant. A context that gradually asphyxiates the 1.5 million inhabitants of this region.
Picture this
At a distance one sees the mountains hidden by a milky veil which envelops the whole valley. The buildings are very nice with their particular architecture in parcel colours.
Many roads are unpaved and in poor conditions. Small taxi cars, loaded trucks conveying heavy merchandise, motorbikes and buses are all trying at their best to avoid the holes, the dogs and even the buffalos that are making their way calmly trough the traffic.
The drivers are keeping their windows closed to avoid breathing the clouds of dust raised by the passage of all this spectacle. The surrounding nature is grey and the shops are coated with a thick brownish veil. Short distances of 12 km connecting two towns in the valley can take up to 45 minutes. On the main roads, policemen in their beautiful blue uniform and white hat are controlling the traffic. They are all equipped with an anti-pollution face mask.
Vendors are pushing their cart full of cauliflowers, chilis and potatoes. Others are selling apples carefully disposed in a large basket on their bicycle. Women are selling stacks of warm clothes on the pavements.
The streets are filled with a succession of small shops, garages and small local cafes. Piles of tires, bricks and rubbish are cluttering the roads. When looking up, an incredible amount of wires and telephone lines are more or less tied together. I can’t help but think of the frequent power cuts that the country is undergoing.
Young children are begging. A girl is reaching out with a baby on her hip. Some beggars are amputated. My heart is reacting. A feeling of compassion emerges. I feel the need to smile at them and to say respectfully “Namaste” especially to the ones I see everyday and to some, to give them an apple I have in my bag.
The world is a mirror reflecting back to us our own inner state.
“In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us.” Flora Edwards
I have seen poverty in the countries I have visited during the last year, but the suffering and destruction of Nepal particularly affected me. According to the International Monetary Fund, Nepal ranks as the second poorest country in Asia and the 17th in the world according to the GDP per capita. I felt fragile, sensitive and deeply emotional to the environment of contrasts of Nepal. While my body was closing itself to the cold my heart was opening up more and more.
Red is the colour
Through this greyish landscape emerges the red colour that brighten up the daily scene. The colour I soon declared to be the one of the country. When I read about the national flag, the only one in the world not to be rectangular, I learned that red is indeed their national colour representing the bravery of the Nepalese.
Red as the 3rd eye of the Hindus, a religious mark placed on the forehead of both men and women as a sign of blessing and protection after a prayer. Devotees also use it this red powder called kumkuma to sprinkle the statues representing different gods at the temple.
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Lady in red would sing Chris de Burgh in Nepal. Women are all dressed in red from the kurta, a long blouse worn with the matching pants, to the dozen of bracelets and necklace. In fact, it is the color that represents their status as a married woman.
I couldn’t resist to ask her for a picture!
Red is also a predominant colour in the buddhist monasteries. The monks wear saffron robes, some prayer wheels are painted in red and it is one of the five colours of the prayer flags. Most of the Nepalese and Tibetan jewelries and many malas, a buddhist prayer beads similar to a rosemary, are made with turquoise and red gems or ornemental stones.
Healing sounds
Despite the famous Tibetan bowls, Nepal put me through many healing sounds.
My mind still imagines the bell of a temple nearby ringing. The bell is rung to indicate your presence to the gods.
My heart now listens differently to the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum“, highly sacred in Nepal. My ears still hear the murmur of the people reciting mantras while walking around the stupa. My body still has goosebumps when thinking of the unique and somehow scary sound of the Tibetan horn (listen to a ritual here).
I can’t stop smiling when remembering the long buse rides with the loud Nepalese and Hindi music on the screen.
And impossible to forget the silence of the mountains.
Each place I visited filled me with a very different energy. Each of those places deserve an article on their own. Coming up next will be my observations about Boudhanath, home of the largest Tibetan community in the country. It is undoubtedly the most spiritual place I have been so far.
Happiness and serenity,
Nathalie
