Ant Pi, Indeed!

Every time I tell a Nepalese person my name, they giggle. Now I know why: Kyra means "ant" or "insect." So, these are the journeys of "Anty Pi" as my family would say, indeed. They call me "Pi" and the nieces and nephews call me "Aunty Pi" - now it's full circle. Don't ask about the "Pi" part...
Today, the king moved out of the palace. The next question is whether he should be able to keep any of his private property. The Himalayan Times published a speech by the king that was very nationalistic and humbling. It’s amazing to juxtapose this treatment of the king by Nepalese people with the reverence that the Thais have for their king. Public life is always temporary, I suppose. I guess everything in life is.
Kathmandu is wild and crazy. To get away from the smog, noise and pollution, I accompanied a german girl 10 years younger than I on a mountain bike tour around the Kathmandu Valley. We climbed 2,100 meters off-road over stones and mud and were poured upon by monsoon rains on three occassions. It was hard core. The mountains are steep and beautiful and full of rocks. I learned that the flesh on my bum is in precisely the wrong place to make for nice padding on a dirt and rock uphill trail (especially in the three rounds of pouring rain), but no problem. We made our destination and it was a beautiful journey indeed. We went through many villages and saw the way that most Nepali people live. They are poor, hard working, beautifully dressed (the women in bright saris even when working in the field) and very friendly. When we reached our destination of Nargakot, it was so cold that our clothes wouldn't dry. Nargakot is famous for its views of the Himalayas, however the rain clouds obstructed the view. The air was fresh. We both got colds and stomach issues for the first time. It was, however, incredible to ride through the many outlying villages of Kathmandu and to visit the Hindu and Buddhist temples far and wide. My favorite part was passing women just sitting quietly by the side of the road as their goats ate within arms' reach of them. It was very peaceful. It was also a good reminder that I don't like being wet, uncomfortable, cold or travelling uphill.
We visited the oldest town in Nepal, its former capital, Bhaktapur. It was built 700 years ago and has tiny streets wending every which way from giant squares decked with temples and stupas and potters and artisans. You walk down one street and hear the tapping of little hammers on iron or hear the whir of a potters’ wheel or smell the scent of freshly chopped wood, depending on what district you’re walking through. Roof gardens deck many terraces and prayer flags ripple on the horizon. I was inside a Thangka Art School and a gentleman was describing all aspects of the inner journey from the outer material world to the inner world of ultimate peace. This gentleman was a BOY, a young child compared to me, and this was just a part of Nepalese culture. As an American, I often feel like a big giant that has spent my whole life caught up in materialism and achievement, with no regard for spirituality or ultimate peace. Of course, I've marvelled at the miracle of nature many times and volunteered time doing political asylum cases and indigenous land right studies, but to truly seek peace and spiritual development - these things have been foreign to me, the rich american giant. I am glad that I've woken up. I met a guide named Rama who invited me to do a two week tour with him around the Kathmandu Valley - this will be a spiritual tour, starting with the Black Baba and ending in Kopan Monastery. This came about b/c I was asking him five zillion questions about the various incarnations of Shiva and Vishnu and Lakshmi and we were exchanging differences in Hindi vs. Nepali devotional songs. I'm really pleased to have made his acquaintance as the universe has once again responded to my wishes to have a spiritual guide take me to holy sights and explain to me the rituals of Nepalese and Tibetan buddhist rites. I have a friend (Gus) coming to visit from Thailand and hopefully we can do the tour together. We will then head to Chitwan National Park to see tigers, rhinos and bathe elephants, then go to Limbini where Buddha was born. Then, we’ll head to India – Delhi, Dharamsala and Leh. Then, I’ll likely head home in mid-August for Burning Man and Marta’s wedding and a month of work to save money. I haven’t budgeted very well, I’m afraid…
I went to bed early last night to kick my stomach problem. I woke up at 5:30 and meditated, did the ashtanga primary series, pranayama (breathwork), a little bit of reading and some general reflection so early in the morning. For the first time, I saw one of the snow capped Himalayas to the North from my bedroom! The rain clouds quickly covered the view, but it was beautiful! I will definitely return here in October to trek in dry weather as it is stunning!
Per usual, I feel very lucky to be here. Although my stomach is doing somersaults and it appears my elbow is getting a little agitated again (red), I feel peaceful and calm. Life is beautiful!