After a pretty good nights sleep, breakfast tastes good. Porridge is a great way of getting today’s energy up.
Katja goes of to Ashtanga class while I pre-pack for the trek. I see I’ve over-packed back home and loose a couple of shorts and a set of trousers that’s hopefully not needed. We’ll be able to load off 10 kg each to the sherpas and I need to sort what to carry myself. I guess a set of dry inner clothes are a good choice to be able to quickly get dry upon arrival at the different stations we’re stopping at. Furthermore the headlamp and utilities and of course any water bottles and camelback. Sunscreen, sun hat, bandana, beanie and gloves are no brainers as well. I’ll probably reconfigure this as we go along, but for the first day it seems like a good structure. Then it’s a matter of weighing all the stuff I set aside for the sherpas and see if I’m within the limit.
There’s several things going on at the hotel we’re staying at today connected to the yoga festival. There’s a farmers market from 10 and people are already setting up around 8. But before I get to scroll through those stalls looking for coffee or chili to bring back home I’m attending a lecture on Ayurveda.
The lady who arrived to give the lecture was late and I had an opportunity to repackage some of my stuff. We’re leaving some things behind as they’re not needed on the trek and getting some of that sorted already saves me time later.
When the lady appears we learn that she’s a doctor in Ayurveda and specializes in gynecology. Weeeeell, a bit out of my normal track , but hey – I’m in Nepal!
She is a very good speaker and keeps talking for about 45 minutes about the need to balance the body and the three main different types of people. It’s all very parallel to my little knowledge of Chinese medicine. Western medicine tends to focus on the symptom and reduction of these, but I guess no one have the sole and complete picture by themselves. I learned a little and if a little of that little stays a little I’m a little smarter. Right?
At the local market by the hotel I bought some local coffee and a Christmas gift. It Easter now so it’s about time to gather the gifts for this Christmas. As a result of the lateness and some miscommunication i missed out on Camilla’s last class at Pranamaya Yoga Studio. I ended up talking to a Norwegian lady Ellen who’s lived in Kathmandu for the past five years. She’s a Key figure in the old Ashtanga community in Oslo, but are now studying Tibetan Language. As Norwegians are not getting entry to Tibet she works with the exile community here in Nepal. An interesting talk indeed. I have to just let you in on a little secret right there. As an avid reader of this blog (I wish!) you probably know that “Prana” is the Sanskrit name for breath or “life giving force”. And Pranayama is the art of breathing in Yoga. Take another look at the Yoga center name: Pranamaya. Nope, it’s not misspelled – “Maya” means “Love” in Nepalese. So it’s just one of those great word plays that I never would have caught without someone to translate for me.
After lunch we do an hour and a half of Yin yoga workshop. Anne, the manager of Pranamaya yoga studio was a good instructor. The time flew by and suddenly it was time to back towards the hotel for the last session. The talk with a Buddhist monk.
Lapsong, a senior teacher from the Kobal monastery gives what is supposedly an hours talk, but with lots of questions we spend about twice that. He’s a funny man with great spirit and energy and there’s really a lot to like about Buddhism. He used Iphone and zooming on google earth as a reference in his explanation. I guess the world has moved forward. Short story: Be nice, love yourself and love others. Be happy for others and lead a good life. Sounds easy enough, but we all know how easy it is to stray from that path. On the way out Hildegunn, our latest addition to the group asked if we got it all. I think I’ll refer to my earlier word about the Ayurveda. It’s about in the same context.
We’re heading out to dinner together tonight at a local restaurant not far from the hotel… At least that was what we were told. Turned out the work in the streets have cut off all short cuts and we walk for 45 minutes before we arrive at the restaurant. It’s a place rund by women who lives in a shelter, so it’s for a good cause. Still we all agree on ordering transport when we’re homebound.
“I just don’t get invited to the same dinner parties I used to like to go to.”
Ron Silver
kogatravel 