Sunday, November 20th, 2011
In Pokhara, staying at Kapil's house, at 9:35 PM
I am in Pokhara, a city in Nepal known for its beauty, tourism, and cleanliness. I came here with Bibek yesterday. We are staying for just a few days, on a brief vacation away from Kathmandu.
Arriving here yesterday, phrases like “Heaven on earth,” and “Shangri-La” came to mind. This place is the opposite of Kathmandu in so many ways. The roads are paved, the sky is clear, and there isn't any dust or much noise pollution. The weather reminded me so much of springtime in Pennsylvania that I became inspired. I went to the roof, did some push-ups, and then I came back down and finally shaved off my Everest Beard. Then I got to take a nice, warm overdue shower.
Continued Monday morning, at 7:20 AM
That first night in Pokhara, Bibek and I went to a restaurant and I finally got to try the Everest beer with a rather large hot meal. The taste reminded me of a Heineken. We were the only customers for a while so we got to talk to our waiter. He said he works at least 15 hours a day, and seven days a week. I was startled by the amount of hours he works, but he said it's what he wants to do – to get into the restaurant business. He is Hindi, but he said he likes Christians and believes the Bible and that when he moved to Pokhara a few months ago, he couldn't find any Christian churches to attend. I was pleasantly surprised at his candidness, and before we left we gave him Pastor Kapil's number and prayed with him.
We will be here with Kapil at his house – which is both his school and living quarters – for two nights before leaving early tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. Kapil is a minister and a theology professor here at his school. We are staying in the only classroom, where beds were set up for us. Last night Bibek, me, Kapil and his wife Lily all sat around and drank chia and talked about relationships, theology, culture, and the histories of Nepal and America.
Continued, Monday evening at 6:49 PM
Today we toured Pokhara some more. We ended the day by going out on Phewa Lake in a rowboat. The taxi driver and the “tour guide” (he didn't speak much English) both got on with us, making the boat extra weighty. They didn't seem to know how to row correctly so I helped out. A lot. I got a pretty good work out pulling (yes, I was in the front of the boat) all four of us. Raju, the tour guide definitely helped by rowing in the back, but we kept on getting off course. It was great though, to be on the large lake in a boat, with the white peaks looking down on us.
Then yesterday, we were in Sarangkot (I think it's called that) – a large hill outside of Pokhara – where the paragliders were launching from, and I saw this girl. She was wearing a tee-shirt with a logo. Of all the things this logo could have been, I was startled to see “Phillies”! I immediately talked with her, and found out that she lived in Philly for several years before moving to Rhode Island. She is volunteering in Pokhara for a few weeks at a children's home. It's always great when you run into foreigners who aren't so foreign to your world.
My time in Pokhara has been relief from the dirty, loud, and somewhat stressful life in Kathmandu. It's the perfect getaway, and it ends tomorrow morning. It has been good to take a break from parts of Brian's somewhat forced theology. He spoke to the community the other night, and I felt a little uneasy. He was teaching on some kind of “end times” theology that's hard to explain, much less understand. I was a little irritated as he seemed to be shoving it in peoples' faces (even the kids) trying to have them memorize it. I know, however, that he has a good heart and of course he wasn't trying to do any damage. And he didn't do damage, as everyone was open and gracious, and willing to learn. Maybe I will speak to him about this. Not about his theology; that's the interpretation he chooses to believe. I might speak to him but about the way he teaches. Maybe I can encourage him (he did seem a little flustered that night).
Tonight, Bibek and I had a time of fellowship with Kapil, Lily, and some of their friends. I really appreciate their kindness to us. They have reinforced the child-like faith I see in the Nepali people. If I ever return to Xanadu...I mean, Pokhara, I have a good connection and new friends, in Kapil and Lily.
Phewa Lake at dusk in Pokhara
The view of the Annapurna Range from Sarangkot, just outside Pokhara. The prominent triangular mountain, "Macchapuchre" or "Fish Tail" mountain, has never been summited because of its sacredness
Kapil and his wife Lily preparing an amazing meal
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