Amongst power clicking on and off at strange hours and a
work schedule that kicks everyone’s butt, it is certainly hard to get to
posting. Add to it that everyone in the
clinic jumps onto the internet when we have electricity and the garbled waves
cause it to be as convenient and speedy as snail mail....ok, exaggeration.
But anyway. Here I
am.
And here's the recap....
Monday:
Elissa and I headed to Champi with our interpreters, Prajwal
and Mishal. We heard loudspeaker
chanting and music across the valley as we hiked up to the village. Arriving, we hear that it is a day for puja,
this celebration nine days in length.
Our lunch break consisted of hopping over to the tent where we had
tikkas placed on our foreheads and were made to dance. I loved the feeling of being so
welcomed.
Tuesday:
Normally one practitioner goes by motorbike to Godhavri but today we were two. Reason?
To leave early afternoon, meet other team members in Sathobado and taxi out to Boudha where we would have
dinner, crawl into bed at a decent hour and arise the next morning at 5:30 to
meet the jeep and taxi who would take us up to the stairway leading to Nagi
Gompa, where we would then climb to the monastery and commune in ceremony with
the nuns, offer a kata to the Rinpoches, get bonked on the head by what looked
like a deck of cards by Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and brother, receive an “empowerment”,
eat Tibetan breakfast, meditate over yak butter candlelight while we are tied
in by katas that connect the entire room of two hundred people, descend back to
Boudha and find our way back to Chapagaon by evening. That was a description of....
 |
| 'stairs' to the gompa |
Wednesday:
Thunderstorms break out early morning, which bring a soggy
adventure ascending to the Gompa, taxi getting stuck in the mud, which allows a
little hiking, yay. All transpires what
was said before, it’s beautiful, comfortable, colourful! Windy, cloudy, rainy all day, the likes of
which is strange at this time of year. I
elect to brave the motorbike back ‘home’ to Chapagaon with Tsering, and am
happy to not shop, save for a scarf to replace the one I lost at the Buddhist
temple. I hope a nun is keeping her neck
warm by it.
Tsering takes me to his aunt and uncle’s abode in Boudha
where we are picking up a bag of Tongpa, fermented millet that is steeped in hot
water and refilled, a warm alcoholic specialty that is drunk in the cold months
(and perfect for a rainy chilly day).
Tsering cordially declined any being the driver. His uncle made us Thukpa (noodle soup), the
best meal I’ve had yet in Nepal, with buff meat. We had to wait out the rain, and crossed the
city in perfectly dry air, over muddy streets, making it home before the rain
began again, soaking the night.
Felt huge shifts in body and spirit before and while
sleeping.
Thursday:
Awoke, a new person. Just like any other day...
Treated 23 patients.
Felt pretty good.
In the evening had a party for Alison, our team leader, who left
us the following day. Drank Tongpa, my
new favourite! And red wine, which is a great
treat in this part of the world for us westerners.
Friday:
Treated patients again, all day, said goodbye to Ali at lunch :(, hit a wall in the
afternoon, wasn’t sure I could continue for a minute but made it through. Kept calm through it, good good.
Saturday (today):
Adventure walk down the road, taking pictures of dwellings
and landscapes. Finally encountered the lake we were told to find, where we
would also find food (or beer, or tongpa! In my case) at one of the restaurants
surrounding. Followed the nose towards
home, through fields of spring onion, wild mustard and the brick yards, getting
stares from the locals. Slightly nervous, hoping to find the right road, but knowing we were headed straight for Chapagoan, companions
naming me the human compass once we found our way to a familiar spot.
Sunday (tomorrow):
Treating in Godavri, beginning the week of packed patient
schedules. Wheeeeee!
Until next time...
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