Flame Vine

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the climate of Kathmandu Valley is actually subtropical (despite its high altitude). Throughout my time in Nepal, I kept coming across a beautiful vine in full flower that was equally happy rambling up a desolate wall, sublimely ascending an ancient stupa, or tranquilly showcased in stately formal gardens... It was the flame vine (Pyrostegia venusta), a native of South America...

Here are several pictures of a flame vine growing on a home in the Lalitpur countryside (taken on our walk upon leaving the botanical garden)...

Flame vine close up detail

We next boarded a bus (more like a small van with a sliding door) on our way to the next destination... Unfortunately I did not take any pictures during the transit, but it was quite an enjoyable experience (rather like the game of sardines in which the van became more and more packed as the journey progressed). I think I have a picture of a similar bus that I will post later...

Buddhist Monastery

Although Nepal's population is predominately Hindu (some 80% or so), there is also a sizable Buddhist minority (accounting for just over 10% of the population. Nepal is believed to be the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama (founder of Buddhism) and all three major branches of Buddhism are represented among the population. However, the surge of Tibetan refugees over the past few decades has increased the proportion of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in relation to the others...

Approaching the monastery

After leaving the botanical garden, we passed by a Buddhist monastery. We stopped to see if it might be possible to go in and look around. The devotees graciously welcomed us and even allowed us to enter the temple (though they did not permit pictures inside). We learned that the monastery was known for taking in young boys who lived on the street and was well-regarded by its community (they were even expanding it by constructing an addition, as evident in some of the pictures in the slide show below).



The young boys were eager to meet us and were quite good at hackey sack!

I greatly enjoyed viewing the beautiful prayer flags (which indicated that this was, in fact, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery). Prayer flags are brightly colored rectangular fabric panels that are woodblock-printed with Buddhist scriptures, prayers, and/or imagery. They are typically crafted in five colors (blue, white, red, green, and yellow), which represent the five elements, are hung in sets of five, and are replaced annually during the Tibetan New Year. It is believed that when the flags are hung in the air and as they flutter in the wind, the prayers immerse the surrounding landscape as they waft their way towards heaven... Throughout the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau, these flags are hung on mountain peaks, temples, and other auspicious locations so as to cast their blessings on the surrounding countryside...

I found them to be quite beautiful works of art. The contrast of the bright colors hung together was most vivid...

Carrying Wood

Walking on the street after leaving the botanical garden, we came across some women and children carrying wood and leafy vegetation on their backs. I was told that the wood was probably firewood and the foliage was likely livestock feed. The materials were collected from a nearby forest preserve that was established to enable the local people to continue their traditional foraging practices within government sanctioned areas with the goal of alleviating the strain on the surrounding forests and to preserve the biological diversity...

One of the girls saw that I was taking a picture, so she kindly stopped to pose. Although what she was carrying was obviously heavy, the basket suspended from her head appeared rather ergonomic and didn't seem to cause her any trouble...

When You Gotta Go...

While strolling through the botanical garden, we were impressed curiously enough with a detail of the restrooms! Not the actual facilities, mind you, but rather the building itself... Had Bishav not pointed it out, I may not have noticed it, but the grout between the stones was carefully crafted and painted red to indicate the gender for the restrooms. Because it was so interesting, I thought it deserved its own post! Haha...

 Women's

Men's

Coronation Pond & Nepal's Royalty

One of the most distinctive gardens within the National Botanical Garden that was evidently no longer maintained (at least not to the extent that it once was), was the Coronation Pond. This garden commemorated the coronation of King Birenda Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal (who reigned from 1972-2001). The stagnant and dilapidated condition of the garden was only an eidolic memory of its former glory. It, in many ways, served as a visual depiction of the changes that the country of Nepal had experienced over the last decade or so...

I heard anecdotally throughout my time in Nepal about what was referred to as the "national disgrace" or "shame of Nepal" (the assassination of the Nepali royal family in 2001).

On the 1st of June, 2001, in the Narayanhity Royal Palace, the Crown Prince Dipendra allegedly shot to death his father and mother (the King and Queen), brother, sister and five other royal family members before turning the gun on himself. In total, ten members of the royal family (including the alleged perpetrator) were killed and five others were injured. The assassination of the popular king and his family came as a great shock to many and set in motion a series of events that eventually led to the overthrow of the Nepali monarchy. After the massacre, the king's brother, Gyanendra, assumed the throne under a cloud of suspicion (many in Nepal believed that he was in some way behind the massacre)...

Shah Coat of Arms

Due to King Gyanendra's unpopular imposition of direct authoritarian rule, as well as numerous other unpopular actions, and due to the pressures of the Maoist insurgency in Nepal, the monarchy was officially abolished on May 28, 2008, and replaced with a secular federal republic. The relatively peaceful deposition of the monarchy not only led to Nepal becoming the world's newest republic, but also signified the fall of the Shah Dynasty (which had united Nepal during the 1760s and reigned continuously ever since).

Himalayan Pines

One of my favorite things to see in the National Botanical Garden were the stands of Pinus wallichiana (Himalayan Pine). Although these beautiful trees are now grown around the world and can be seen as treasured specimens in many public gardens, seeing them in their native range was quite exciting. I was subsequently able to see quite a few of them during my time in Nepal...

One of the elegant specimens

National Botanical Garden of Nepal

For my first full day in Kathmandu, I was quite excited to be able to visit the National Botanical Garden at Godawari, Kathmandu (formerly the Royal Botanical Garden). Junni's brother, Bishav, and sister's brother-in-law, Praful, served as my tour guides for the day. However, they later joked that I was really touring them around (due to my knowledge of plants).

Main entrance gate at the garden

It was a fascinating garden with many beautiful vignettes. However, it was apparent that the political turmoil and civil strife over the last decade in Nepal had taken its toll on the garden (due to the minimal maintenance in much of the garden)... I was eager to view the conservatory, but as we approached, it appeared abandoned. In fact it reminded me of the abandoned facilities in the sequel to the movie Jurassic Park, The Lost World...

Approaching the conservatory

Unfortunately, the hothouse was locked and was not open to the public. I went to all four sides, and sure enough each door was padlocked... It was evident, however, that the plants inside were still maintained since there was humidity on the windows (indicative of regular watering). Next time I go, I hope to be able to enter inside!

In the same general section of the garden, there was an old temple that was being restored. I was told that it was the ancestral hall of a particular family, named Bista, and it was interesting to see the signs of restoration... in a way it conveyed a feeling of optimism and hope for the future of the rest of the gardens.

In front of the temple

One of the most alluring viewsheds in the garden was a stream that wound its way throughout the core of the garden. We had to stop to get a picture...

It was quite a relaxing excursion...

Shagun Ceremony

On my first evening in Nepal, Junni (the bride) and her immediate family were invited over to visit a neighbor's house for dinner. They asked if I would like to attend and I eagerly joined them... The house we visited was in the same development (or 'colony') as the bride's family home (across the street in fact). This particular family had developed a close friendship with Junni's parents and were considered to be family. Prior to dinner, the lady of the house performed a Shagun (luck) ceremony for the bride, which consisted of several rituals of blessing given to the bride before her wedding day...

Traditionally, this ceremony is reserved only for family members to perform. However, due to the close friendship between the two families, the ceremonial rules were expanded a bit to allow the neighbors to also wish luck and express their well-wishes through Shagun. Part of the traditional ceremony is the presentation of clothes, food, and fruit to the bride as part of the blessing. However, in keeping with the needs of the bride and groom, the tradition was slightly modified in that money was given in lieu of the clothes...

The beginning of the Shagun ceremony

Actually, I came to learn that many of the traditional wedding customs and rituals are modified to adapt to technology, changing societal dynamics, and other modern pressures... For another example, the bride is traditionally expected to visit the homes of all of her aunts and other extended family members in order to receive a Shagun blessing from each prior to the wedding. Junni was supposed to do this that morning. However, due to her exhaustion and the distance that she would have had to travel, she visited only a few select homes that day. However, a condensed shagun was performed by the rest of her aunts a few days later (before the wedding), when they were gathered together at her home...

The bride receiving the tika on her forehead

A component of the shagun was the application of tika (known as tilaka in Hindi) to the bride's forehead by the woman offering the blessing... The tika consists of a mixture of red powder (abir) derived from flowers such as Hibiscus or marigold (Tagetes) as well as yogurt and grains of rice. The tika was traditionally applied to represent one's "third eye" or "mind's eye" as associated with the idea of spiritual enlightenment, but is now mainly viewed in ceremonial terms, depending on particular customs. The application of tika was a frequent occurance throughout the week of wedding festivities and was applied to family members (and friends in my case) as well.

The bride's mother applying tika to my forehead

Part of the ceremony also consisted of the neighbor offering several foods including dried sardines and hard boiled eggs to the bride to eat. The remainder of the shagun food was divided up for the remaining family members to eat. Enjoying a couple of appetizers, most of the family also partook in a drinking game (Nepal is a drinking culture)...

Tequila shots

Afterwards, we enjoyed a fine dinner.

The mother of the bride and me

Rendezvous Kathmandu!

Finally! I made it to Nepal!

After disembarking the plane, I followed the stream of passengers across the tarmac toward the airport... Immediately I was struck by how warm it was. I knew that Kathmandu Valley's climate was subtropical, but I had still expected it to be a bit colder than it was. Sure, it wasn't warm like summer, but I was quite pleased to discover that the light sweatshirt I was wearing provided sufficient warmth and negated the need to put on the coat I was holding. It was certainly a nice respite from the cold weather that I left in the States...

Entering the Tribhuvan International Airport, I immediately proceeded to purchase my visa so that I could clear customs and retrieve my luggage... However, there was a bit of a snafu related to acquiring a visa... It was actually a pretty straightforward process, except for one thing... I didn't realize that I would need to pay cash for the visa (looking back, I should've known!). I therefore had to go to the money changer to cash a traveler's check. After receiving the balance (minus a fee) in Nepali rupees and returning to the visa clerk, I learned that he wanted the money in US dollars (otherwise I would have had to pay more). I therefore went back to the money changer to exchange some of the rupees for dollars (again having to pay a fee). Finally, after a chuckle, I was able to purchase the visa (for only US $30, including both fees -quite a bargain actually) and legally enter Nepal for the first time!

Greeting me on the other side of the doorway was my friend Junni (whose wedding I came to Nepal to attend), as well as her brother (Bishav) and aunt. It was great to finally see Junni in Nepal and I looked forward to meeting her family. However, first we had to run a quick errand and we stopped to purchase some dried fruit and nuts before heading back to her family's home...

Alleyway location of the dried fruit shop

When we arrived at the house, I was intrigued to learn that they lived in a single-family home in a gated community, reminiscent of one you might see in the Southwestern US (think Phoenix or San Diego)... Junni told me that her family had moved into this house only a few years before (their older house was more centrally located).

Entrance to the gated community

Most of the family were gathered up on the rooftop terrace when I arrived, so we proceeded through the house up the stairs (removing our shoes at the doorway of course)... It was great to meet Junni's parents and some of her extended family. I was actually so nervous that I totally forgot all of the Nepali phrases I had tried to learn on the long journey (chalk it up to jetlag I guess). Most everyone was gathered in a circle chatting and sorting various dried fruits, nuts, candies, and spices into carefully measured piles before putting the piles into individual ziplock bags. I came to learn that the mixtures of goodies, known as masala poka, were a traditional party favor (of sorts) that the bride's family traditionally gives to the members of the groom's family when they visited (more on that in a later post). Though the family members were concerned I was exhausted and kept asking if I would like to lay down, I was delighted to be able to help them sort and bag the congeries.

Sorted piles of masala poka

Later in the day, I helped place the masala poka bags into special red velvet bags emblazoned with the names of the new couple.

The finished products

Approaching Kathmandu (काठमांडौ)

After departing Singapore, I was off to Kathmandu! However, by that time, the length of the journey had started to catch up with me. It was going to be a relatively quick 4-5 hour flight, but I was having trouble keeping my eyes open and started to nod off. After a period of time, I glanced out the window and snapped this photo:


I was able to guesstimate that the plane by that time was somewhere over Myanmar (Burma) or Bangladesh. Seeing the mountains caused me to become quite excited... I love mountains, but the main reason was because I was reminded that I might be able to catch a glimpse of the Himalayas as we flew closer to Nepal...

After nodding off again, I awoke and again glanced out the window. Unfortunately, there were clouds everywhere. The ground was barely visible through the dense clouds. Hoping that the sky would clear before we neared the Himalayas, I fell back to sleep... Awakening awhile later, I looked out the window and, to my dismay, the clouds had not only failed to thin but had actually become even more dense. Clouds were all that were visible for as far as the eye could see. Thick, impenetrable clouds that clothed the ground like a flocculent down blanket. Resigning to the fact that I may not be able to see the mountains under the current conditions, I slipped again into a light slumber...

Sensing the rustling of landing gears and feeling the declination of altitude, I realized that we were approaching Kathmandu. Suddenly completely alert, I looked down from my window and again looked at an opaque cloud layer. Quite disappointed, my gaze began to rise... higher, and higher, and higher once again, before my breath was taken away -what a surprise indeed! I could see them!! The Himalayan range was towering in front of me; obviously an immense distance away for sure, but there they were, proudly standing high above the clouds...


Looking at a map of Nepal prior to my trip, I had noted the central location of Kathmandu within the country. Since the Himalayan Mountain Range formed the northern border of Nepal with Tibet (西藏), I did not realize how evident the Himalayas would be throughout the country -a testament to the sheer immensity of the peaks.

Map of Nepal (from Lonely Planet)

As the plane descended towards the Kathmandu Tribhuvan Airport, the pilot announced that the visibility was low and he would therefore have to regain some altitude and circle Kathmandu Valley for awhile before attempting the approach again. Setting aside any fears in my mind related to the situation, I was delighted for the opportunity to view a more panoramic view of the valley while also gaining a closer look at the captivatingly magical Himalayas as we circled closer to them.

Aerial view of Kathmandu Valley

Singapore Segue

Imagine...

You just completed a 12-hour flight... the third (and longest) leg of your four-leg flight itinerary is now behind you... after spending 30 hours in transit so far (including flying time and a 7-hour layover in JFK), the last thing you would ever want is to have another layover -you just want to finally get there... but alas, you know you've got just one more... just one more layover, just one more city, and just one more flight before ultimately reaching your final destination... but now arriving at the airport you must pass through before reaching your journey's end, you exit the plane, walk through the jetway, and enter the transitory terminal to see...

The Orchid Garden in Singapore's Changi Airport, Terminal 2

Suddenly, spending a few-hours in layover isn't so bad!

One of my favorite things about flying in and out of Singapore is the time spent in Singapore's beautiful Changi Airport. Unlike many other airports in which layovers are a chore and the activities inside are more reminiscent of livestock herding than anything else, visiting the Changi Airport is more like visiting a resort. There are after all spa amenities, entertainment options, and beautiful gardens galore, all inside the confines of the airport's three terminals.

White Phalaenopsis orchids

In fact, the airport even has it's own orchid commemorating it's hospitality to weary travelers (Dendrobium x 'Changi Airport'):

The Sites Ahead

Well, it has certainly been some time since I last posted! After completing the adventurous research trip, and finishing the thesis, I have definitely kept busy. In fact, I have had quite a few other travels since my last posting and hope to post some pictures from those places in the future, but there is now a more pressing matter at hand. A visit to Nepal!

Stay tuned for some pictures documenting the sites ahead...