Saying Goodbye.

The Boeing 747 taxied to the runway and I could see the Boudanath Stupa off in the distance, a place I visited just a few days earlier with Pranita. Just past the fences of the small Kathmandu airport the busy streets of the city could still be seen. The flight attendants were at the front giving safety procedures. The plane sped down the runway and took off. As soon as we were in the sky I looked out the window to see the Himalayas crystal clear, a rare sight from Kathmandu due to the air pollution. I stared at the massive wall of mountains as they got smaller and eventually out of site. I took a deep breath and said a silent goodbye to Nepal.

My last week in Kathmandu was spent busily running around the city to try and say goodbye to all of my new found friends and to shop for gifts for all my friends back home. The process of making deals and haggling over prices helped me to detach from the sadness of having to leave. I toyed with the idea of extending my flight back home, but knew that I really didn’t have the money. Everyday I met with a different friend, though I was pressured to see some more than once. Most everyone had the same questions. “When will you return to Nepal?” “Will you forget us?” I gave out my contact information, and promised them that I could never forget this place, and I promised to one day return.

My friend Pranita who became quite close during my last month in Nepal invited me one day to Boudanath. I was busy trying to get my shopping done, but decided to take the afternoon off to see her again. We arrived at the temple in mid afternoon when everyone comes to pray. It was very crowded, but amazing at how peaceful and quiet everything was. We climbed to the top of the stupa and sat for a long while. We barely spoke a word and just watched the people praying down below. It hit me then that in just a few short days I would be back in the world of Dunkin Donuts and American Idol. We sat until the sun set. She looked over at me and said “we should go.” I just sighed and said “I don’t want to go.”

On our last day in the city I was able to see all my good friends one last time Nabbin, Suresh, Ram, and Sankar. They all had gifts and they all blessed me with a ceremonial katta (silk scarf), I had six around my neck when I left for the airport. Al and I said goodbye to the Monastery staff and our western friends traveling in Asia, and got a taxi to the airport.

Arriving home it was nice to see family again and to reunite with my dog Lily. But something just didn’t feel right. Bringing a journey like this to an end is not an easy thing to do. I have fallen in love with a far away land, that I hope to return to some day. Theres a lot back home that I will need to readjust to, like the fact that my Starbucks coffee this morning cost me more than 3 meals and lodging in Nepal.

Life is a Journey.

I walk towards the Himalayan Buddhist Center in the heart of Kathmandu after a day of teaching at school. On my way I am enthusiastically greeted by some familiar shopkeepers in Thamel "Namaste Casey! Tapailai kasto Chha?" I reply "Ektum ticch chha! Tapailai?" When I get closer to the hotel some of the street kids run up to me "Casey Casey, how are you? Will we have tea today?" "Maybe later." I tell them. Kamal, the youngest of them, I will pick up and swing him around a few times and then come back to the Monastery. The staff at the center know me very well as I've been living here for almost two months and will sit and talk with me about my day at work while we share tea. I check my phone messages and see that a few teachers have called as well as a few other local friends. I call them back and make dinner plans to have rice at their home. I am constantly surprised at how much my life here has changed from when I arrived.

Three months ago when I stepped off the airplane into Kathmandu, I was a bit overwhelmed. Nothing could have prepared me for the culture shock I received. Though it didn't take long for me to fall in love with the country. But still, I was a tourist and nothing more, I came to Nepal with dreams of Himalayan peaks in a distant land. I never expected things to turn out the way they did. After coming home from Everest prematurely, I didn't think I would enjoy living in Kathmandu for such a long time, and things turned around so quickly after landing the teacher job at Shuvakamana School. Teaching there became the thing that I looked forward to everyday. The amount of welcome I received daily from both the kids and the teachers made me happier than I can ever remember feeling. My friends at the school helped me improve my Nepali to the point where I can speak it very well now. And I've developed friendships that will last for a long time.

The day before I left for Chitwan was my last day teaching at Shuvakamana, I was very sad walking into the school not ready to say goodbye. I was touched when the teachers all came with gifts for me to say goodbye, and the students all made me cards with heartbreaking statements like "we'll never forget you" and "please never forget about us." I took a photo with each class and with the teachers, after my last photo it was time for me to leave. I said thank you to the Principal for my most meaningful Nepal experience. He stood and presented me with a gift then placed a ceremonial Kata (silk scarf) around my neck, hugged me, and then said "Life is a journey. Sometimes we come, and sometimes we go. Friendship never dies." This was very poetic for someone who's English is not very great. I walked away from the school my eyes full of tears.

The street kids and orphans of Kathmandu have become my new best friends. After Huff came to the city he introduced me to a few and it was soon after that I became their buddy. Now instead of begging to me they come up and give me all the local gossip about the other kids and shopkeepers. I will take them out for rice about once a week and have tea every few days. Its a nice feeling to know them all and also have all the inside knowledge that is denied to most tourists. The girls are my favorite, who share the juiciest of gossip, and take me shopping when I need the best deals. On Christmas we all had a big meal together, and each one of them gave me handmade Christmas gifts.

My Nepali friends have become really close and I will meet with some of them every few days. We'll either have dinner at their home, or we will go out for a walk around the villages outside the city. My friends who all have little money go out of their way to be hospitable and pay for everything, they insist no matter what I say, and its insulting to them to not accept. With my time running low here in Nepal, I don't think I have ever had such a busy social schedule. I am meeting with 2 to 3 people per day to say my goodbyes. Each one of them makes me promise that I will not forget them, and that I will return one day. Nepal has quickly become a place that I can call home. With only 5 days remaining I am not sure how exactly to bring it to an end. I think Principal Shiva put it best "Life is a journey. Sometimes we come, sometimes we go."

Safari in Chitwan.

I thought he was joking when the elephant driver looked back and said "okay, now you drive elephant." I jokingly replied with a laugh "okay, sure." I was a bit shocked when he handed me his stick and jumped off the the animal. I hesitantly crawled out of the safety of the basket strapped to the back of the elephant over to sit on her massive head and carefully straddled her neck. The feeling you get when you mount the largest land mammal on earth is not an easy one. The idea that I might control this beast was beyond me, and looking down the 10 or so feet below, I dug my heels into its neck and hung on tightly. She took her first step and her huge shoulder bones pushed up into my buttocks pushing me way off balance. I simply held on tight trying my best not to hurt the creature below me.

Al and I began our safari at Chitwan National Park by exploring the villages of the Tharu people, the tribal peoples that inhabit the terrai region of Nepal. The people here have retained a culture that goes back thousands of years that is tied to the jungles and grass lands that are found here. Agriculture and fishing is the areas main use, the landscape could not be more different from what I have previously seen in Nepal. It amazed me that the country that is home to the worlds largest mountains is also home to this vast flatland of jungle and grass. Most of of the countries crops are produced here in the rich soil and warm weather. We walked through the village watching the people live a simple life in huts made out of mud and grass, happily harvesting crops and chopping wood. Elephants would pass by every now and again with a driver and a load of wood. We came to the Narayani river and watched the sunset over the vast grasslands.

We woke the following morning at sunrise to begin our canoe ride down the Narayani river in hopes to spy some Crocodiles or rare bird species. We were joined by a very nice couple from Bangladesh. The air was cold in the early morning though the water was extremely warm. The water was quiet and many species of birds were seen on the banks of the river. The ferryman whispered something I didn't understand, everyone on the boat gasped, and I was disappointed to find out that a crock surfaced next to the canoe and I was looking in the other direction.

We landed the canoe on a remote bank down the river and disembarked. The Bangladeshi couple looked a little nervous when the canoe pushed away and started back without us. We turned to only see a wall of jungle in front of us. We stepped up the bank and into the wild, following our guide. A few meters into the jungle our guide stopped and turned. "There are few risks on walking safari. If you see rhino, run in zig zag. If you see bear, make some noise. If you see Tiger, pray." This statement was a little disheartening, and our safety seemed a little unsure when our guide presented us with his only means of protection, a four foot long stick. The walk was very exciting, first through thick jungle and then through the tall grasslands. Our guide was very knowledgeable in tracks and signs. He pointed out several rhino and deer tracks and scat, and we found a tree full of claw marks. "This is how tiger marks his territory."

We didn't come face to face with any deadly creatures, though we were startled a few times hearing loud rumbles in the grasses, never really knowing what was out there. The real adventure began after the walk when we finished our walk and climbed onto the back of a full grown Asian elephant. From an elephant is the only real safe way to see rhinos, as the rhinos will not be aggressive to the massive creature, and are generally not concerned with their presence. Our elephant stomped its way through the jungle our driver at the head, hoping to find some of the parks 350+ black rhinos. The driver moved us to an area where he heard some noise and sure enough we were lucky to spot two full grown rhinos. They were unfazed by us and went about foraging for food, and one took the biggest bathroom break I have ever witnessed. We watched them for a few moments and let them be. On the remainder of the safari we spotted several types of deer, but didn't come across any tigers. As it got later, we turned to go back to our lodge for the night. It was then that our driver jumped off handing the wheel to me.