Mount Kailash is breathtaking !
It makes you go quiet.
There is something different, mystical and, magnetic about this magical mountain.
One can watch it for hours and it looks different every time you glance at it.
We went to our next halt and from here, the 3 - day Kailash Parikrama was to start.
When I had planned on this trip, I had decided to take a pony for this stretch but realized I was in no condition to walk even downhill.
I stayed back and slept, expecting the others on the third day.
It was a bustling place where many others from different groups were on their way up or down and some who, like me, had decided not to go around the mountain.
The next afternoon, our group was back !
The weather had deteriorated in a few hours after they had started their climb, there was a small hailstorm and slight snowfall.
Mount Kailash had vanished behind thick, dark clouds and even the porters refused to predict if the weather would clear.
Nobody can, in the mountains !
From our group, only 2 wanted to go ahead, the rest wanted to come back, so they all started back the next morning.
It was disappointing for them but the weather had been deteriorating for a day.
We started back to Kathmandu and as we kept going down, my headache started to get better.
By the time we reached Kodari, it was almost gone.
The breathing was less laboured but the tiredness was there.
There was a Kathmandu - Kodari - Kathmandu chopper service and we had heard them flying on our way up but not really paid attention.
Now we did !
Six of us chose to take it and it was an awesome experience going between high mountains thickly covered with vegetation clouds running here and there, wisps of mist on some slopes and trees and stunning waterfalls.
The mountains have steep, craggy slopes so there aren't too many fields, just small vegetable patches and narrow pathways going up and down.
The houses are pretty and it was all so picturesque !
I saw many, many rivers and rivulets - Nepal is truly blessed with water.
We saw the place of the landslide from top - there had been a second one in the meantime, We understood its gravity now and it is going to be a long time before they can put it right again.
Kathmandu means a city made of wood and you will see many beautiful buildings with excellent carvings.
We went to the Pashupatinath temple which is dedicated to Shiva.
Pashu means a beast.
Shiva is one who has gained control and mastery over his mental impurities and defilements which, in mere mortals create havoc and make him/her behave like a beast.
Though Nepal is really poor with not much of industry of manufacturing or jobs, compared to our country, the temples or rivulets or city streets are much cleaner.
They seem to have taken correct steps for sanitation too.
No stink anywhere, though things are BAD in Tibet.
The next absolute highlight in the trip was the 'Everest Express Flight ' of one hour from the Kathmandu airport.
We had to come back the first day because the weather was bad and nothing was visible.
We were luckier the next day.
There was a thick blanket of grey clouds as we took off but within 20 minutes, suddenly, there was a mountain top popping here, a range over there !
We saw the Everesr, Lhotse, Gauri Shankar and many, many others.
It was a 20 - seater with windows for everybody and everyone could pop into the cockpit too, for a clear, front view.
So that was my unforgettable trip to Kailash and Manasarovar.
The lessons for me as I mull over it even now are, to take more care of myself and be fit as a rule, not because I am planning to go somewhere.
Regularity, consistency are to be maintained.
To be calm and take things in stride when they do not go my way - which I did, I am glad.
I held myself together enough to not be sent back as I wanted to go as far as I could.
This has shown me my physical limitations that I was so far unaware of and also the strength of my obstinate, pig-headed mind.
:-)))
Well !
I'm glad I did it !
If you are going any time, make sure the tour organizer is reliable.
Make it for 14 days from Kathmandu as it helps you acclimatize.
There was a very interesting question in response to my post on the PLR Convention.
Here it is -
mam, i just could not understand this future process. i thought PLR is about past and future is unknown. Please throw more light on it . What exactly it is ?
This is a nice, juicy question and I will need to explain in detail, so I hope you don't mind, but I shall answer in my next post which may take a few weeks.
You see, I am off again !
To serve at a Vipassana Center and I may not get that long a time to write.
This year has been wonderful, full of travelling and adventure and going inside and getting insights.
You have a great time and take care -
It makes you go quiet.
There is something different, mystical and, magnetic about this magical mountain.
One can watch it for hours and it looks different every time you glance at it.
We went to our next halt and from here, the 3 - day Kailash Parikrama was to start.
When I had planned on this trip, I had decided to take a pony for this stretch but realized I was in no condition to walk even downhill.
I stayed back and slept, expecting the others on the third day.
It was a bustling place where many others from different groups were on their way up or down and some who, like me, had decided not to go around the mountain.
The next afternoon, our group was back !
The weather had deteriorated in a few hours after they had started their climb, there was a small hailstorm and slight snowfall.
Mount Kailash had vanished behind thick, dark clouds and even the porters refused to predict if the weather would clear.
Nobody can, in the mountains !
From our group, only 2 wanted to go ahead, the rest wanted to come back, so they all started back the next morning.
It was disappointing for them but the weather had been deteriorating for a day.
We started back to Kathmandu and as we kept going down, my headache started to get better.
By the time we reached Kodari, it was almost gone.
The breathing was less laboured but the tiredness was there.
There was a Kathmandu - Kodari - Kathmandu chopper service and we had heard them flying on our way up but not really paid attention.
Now we did !
Six of us chose to take it and it was an awesome experience going between high mountains thickly covered with vegetation clouds running here and there, wisps of mist on some slopes and trees and stunning waterfalls.
The mountains have steep, craggy slopes so there aren't too many fields, just small vegetable patches and narrow pathways going up and down.
The houses are pretty and it was all so picturesque !
I saw many, many rivers and rivulets - Nepal is truly blessed with water.
We saw the place of the landslide from top - there had been a second one in the meantime, We understood its gravity now and it is going to be a long time before they can put it right again.
Kathmandu means a city made of wood and you will see many beautiful buildings with excellent carvings.
We went to the Pashupatinath temple which is dedicated to Shiva.
Pashu means a beast.
Shiva is one who has gained control and mastery over his mental impurities and defilements which, in mere mortals create havoc and make him/her behave like a beast.
Swayambhunath is a temple on a hillock which has the Buddha's eyes and eyebrows painted on all sides.
The nose is in the shape of numeric 1 in the Devnagari script.
Some say they are the Buddha's Compassionate eyes, others say, of Intelligence.
I prefer the first interpretation !
They seem to have taken correct steps for sanitation too.
No stink anywhere, though things are BAD in Tibet.
The next absolute highlight in the trip was the 'Everest Express Flight ' of one hour from the Kathmandu airport.
We had to come back the first day because the weather was bad and nothing was visible.
We were luckier the next day.
There was a thick blanket of grey clouds as we took off but within 20 minutes, suddenly, there was a mountain top popping here, a range over there !
We saw the Everesr, Lhotse, Gauri Shankar and many, many others.
It was a 20 - seater with windows for everybody and everyone could pop into the cockpit too, for a clear, front view.
So that was my unforgettable trip to Kailash and Manasarovar.
The lessons for me as I mull over it even now are, to take more care of myself and be fit as a rule, not because I am planning to go somewhere.
Regularity, consistency are to be maintained.
To be calm and take things in stride when they do not go my way - which I did, I am glad.
I held myself together enough to not be sent back as I wanted to go as far as I could.
This has shown me my physical limitations that I was so far unaware of and also the strength of my obstinate, pig-headed mind.
:-)))
Well !
I'm glad I did it !
If you are going any time, make sure the tour organizer is reliable.
Make it for 14 days from Kathmandu as it helps you acclimatize.
There was a very interesting question in response to my post on the PLR Convention.
Here it is -
mam, i just could not understand this future process. i thought PLR is about past and future is unknown. Please throw more light on it . What exactly it is ?
This is a nice, juicy question and I will need to explain in detail, so I hope you don't mind, but I shall answer in my next post which may take a few weeks.
You see, I am off again !
To serve at a Vipassana Center and I may not get that long a time to write.
This year has been wonderful, full of travelling and adventure and going inside and getting insights.
You have a great time and take care -
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