SPIN 2001 Day-to-Day Narrative
Please enjoy the following day-by-day account of the experiences of
the SPIN 2001 attendees. As you can tell, the trip has been a soaring
success, both enjoyable and academically enriching! More information
will be added as the trip progresses. If you would like to be included
in a list of people who will receive email notifications when new content
is added, please click here.(NO LONGER ACTIVE.)
If you'd like to jump straight to the student reports from the field,
click here.
(From Dr. Folmar): "In case anyone is wondering, we are having
the time of our lives. Everyone is learning a great deal and is preparing
to conduct individual projects now. Below is a thumbnail chronology
of what we have done so far, this still to be added to by the students."
July
6. "We arrived in Kathmandu after a tiring
plane trip. We freshened up at the Hotel Tibet, had lunch there then
went to an area of town known as Thamel. There the students had their
first close-up view of a Hindu Temple. This one, known as TriDevi Marg
(Three Goddess Square) is attended to by a Brahman family who are friends
of Dr. Folmar (now known as F-1 by the students). The lady of the house
and her three children were thrilled to meet such a fine and large group
of students. She offered us all tea and sold one of her handicrafts
to the group. We then went into the tourist bazaar where we got our
first taste of the seemingly endless variety of handicrafts there: bronze
or wood statues of a whole pantheon of gods and goddesses, khukri knives,
prayer wheels and prayer flags, colorful nose rings, earrings and toe
rings, intricate necklaces and simple bangles, world-renown Tibetan
carpets, incense, shawls, and brass bowls; you name it. Exhausted and
well-fed, we retired early."
July 7.
"After breakfast, we went to the Bouddhanath and to the White Monastery.
Bouddhanath is an enormous stupa, the largest in all of Nepal, an enormous
white dome topped with a tower and a 13-level spire, all dedicated to
the Buddha. Prayer wheels surround the stupa and visitors walk clockwise
round it, spinning the prayer wheels, always, clockwise, if they so
desire. At the White Monastery, we were granted a brief audience with
the resident lama, who reviewed for us the importance of self-realization
and study with a teacher. Later that afternoon, we started our daily
Nepali lessons."
July 8.
"Today's first destination was Pashupatinath, where Lord Shiva
is worshipped with thousands of shrines to him. Pashupatinath is situated
along the banks of the Bagmati, a very holy river where people bathe
to purify themselves. Pashupati is also the site of many cremations,
including the Royal family. Many street vendors and yogis choke the
area, looking to sell their wares or photo ops (respectively) to tourists.
We were impressed with how tenaciously they tried to close each deal.
The Nepalis, though, are so thoughtful that one even chased Dr. Folmar
down to return his ever-forgotten umbrella along with a camera that
had been left behind. After lunch we saw Durbar Marg (Palace Square)
in Patan, one of the three ancient petty kingdoms of Kathmandu Valley.
Durbar Marg has been turned into an exquisite museum, a quiet retreat
from the hustle and bustle of the streets just outside its walls."
NEW Student
Report from July 9!
July 9.
"Today was simply packed with activity. We drove our bus to the
southern part of Kathmandu Valley. On the way to Pharphing, we stopped
to see the gorge (Swobar) through which all the water in Kathmandu Valley
drains into India. Once in Pharphing, home to numerous monasteries,
we climbed the hillside, visited several of the monasteries and took
in the breathtaking view of the Valley. Then, it was off to DakshinKali
(The Southern Kali or Goddess). The shrine to DakshinKali is renowned
as a site to sacrifice buffalo, goat, chicken or duck to the Goddess,
Kali. While we were there, we (well, not all of us!) witnessed a goat
sacrifice. Swayambunath was our final destination. Swayambu is another
stupa, a shrine dedicated to Buddha, set high on a hill with 365 steps
granting access from the front. Our guides from Shambhala Trekking opted
to let us climb it from the backside, which was much easier."
July 10.
"We moved to the home-stay phase of our program today. On the heels
of an evening of nervous anticipation, the groups took our bus to the
village of Bhaisepati, south of the city. Students were paired off and
moved into houses that range from relatively to humble to relatively
modernized. Everyone was quite excited about this opportunity and it
was our activity for the day. We did not forsake our language lesson,
however. We all walked down to a local school and inched our ability
to speak Nepali forward. This is the first opportunity for everyone
to get to know the Nepalese on a more intimate scale."
July 11.
"Wow! This morning we were greeted by our first breathtaking view
of the High Himalayas, hard-edged, vertical and dark grey sandwiched
between softer, horizontal greys of monsoon clouds. In the morning,
we went to see the initiation of Buddhists by His Holiness Sakya Trijin
Rinpoche, who ranks second only to the Dalai Lama. We then traveled
to the market area of Kathmandu, making our way up Indrachok, past Asan
Tol and finally to our bus. This was a time for us to stock up on a
few necessities. When lunch was behind us, we saw a carpet factory and
the process of making Tibetan-style carpets from beginning to end. A
few of the students' parents will get to see the final product firsthand."
NEW Student
Report from July 11th!
July 12.
"Today was a general strike of taxis and busses, so we stayed in
the area we live in, except to walk down to Bungamati, to visit the
village where the master wood carvers live. Bungamati is much less modernized
than most places in Kathmandu Valley, so we got a look at a more traditional
way of life. Simple, however, is not an adjective that comes to mind.
The social system is quite complex, religion and its philosophy pervasive
and traditional work underpinned not only by skill but also by scholarship.
In the afternoon, our gracious host, Padam, treated the group to a festive
lunch and a slide show of his treks to many places high in the mountains."
Student
report from July 12th!
July 13.
Yoga today! At an ashram, we learned of yogic philosophy, health practices,
diet and postures. This is a way of life, not a program of exercise.
We were quite impressed by the ability of some to slide easily in and
out of the poses. NEW Student
report from July 13th!
July 14.
Today we visited the city of Bhaktapur, one of the three original petty
kingdoms of Kathmandu Valley. Bhaktapur, also known at Badgaon, is much
less modernized than the rest of the valley and still prohibits motor
traffic, its residents being the exception.
July 15.
We traveled by bus to Pokhara to day, a 120-mile journey that now takes
only 6 rather than 12 hours, now that the road has been much improved.
However, we were unlucky enough to have our path blocked by a landslide.
So, we holed up in a nice little restaurant, had lunch, played cards
and speculated on when we might move. After arriving in Pokhara, we
spent the night at the Lake View Resort, a lovely hotel facing the lake
(Phewa Tal), had dinner and retired. It had rained heavily for 3 days
by the time we arrived in Pokhara and was raining when we went to bed.
July 16.
It was still raining and raining when we awoke. Undaunted, we toured
the area around the Lake and since the rain lightened up some, we took
a canoe out to a small island on which a Hindu Temple, Tal Barahi Mandir,
sits. Tal Barahi is also home to perhaps a couple hundred pigeons who
are worshipped there. The rain continued most of the day but was much
lighter by the time we went to our home stays in Ram Bazaar. Each family
greeted us warmly and presented us with malla, or garlands of flowers.
July 17.
Our main mission today was to visit the Western Region Hospital, known
to locals as the Gandaki Hospital. We were given a very interesting
tour and were impressed by the practice of letting family in at any
time instead of limiting them to visiting hours. In fact, most patients
have family with them throughout the day and the night.
July 18.
A stunning view of the Annapurna Himalaya greeted us shortly after awakening
today. This is one sight that truly deserves the adjective "awesome".
After breakfast, we went to the Tibetan camp at Chorepatan. There Tibetans
(many of whom fled Tibet in 1959) live in a compound in small row houses,
and worship at the monastery there and work there, making carpets in
the traditional way or selling various handicrafts. Chorepatan also
has a very well-run school, where children are taught in Nepali and
English.
July 19.
Today's destination was the Prithvi Narayan Campus, which is the local
government-sponsored university. The students will have access to the
campus resources for the remainder of their study here. They also saw
the museum on campus, which includes an extensive collection of butterflies
from Nepal, all neatly preserved and arranged in cabinet drawers. Officials
at the campus are eager to discuss an affiliation with Wake Forest University.
July 20.
The morning was spent at the little village of Hyangja, in the northern
section of Pokhara Valley, where we visited another Tibetan Refugee
Camp. In the afternoon, we went to Damai Tol, in the old bazaar of Pokhara,
where all purchased cloth and hired a tailor to sew traditional Nepali
clothing.
July 21.
Today we visited Mahendra Cave and Bat Cave. Otherwise, students worked
hard on their projects.
July 22.
SPIN reaches the half way point today. We did a short trek in the morning,
up from the lake side to the Japanese Buddhist Temple, about 300 meters
ascent.
July 23.
We visited the District Development Committee (Jilla Bikash Samiti)
today. The DDC is a Development Office run by elected officials who
oversee the Development projects for Kaski District, where Pokhara is.
The students availed themselves of the opportunity to have many of their
questions answered.
July 24.
Our last day in Pokhara was spent tying up loose ends, saying goodbyes
to our home stay families and working hard on our projects.
July 25.
We traveled to Sirubari, a Gurung village south of Pokhara. After a
long, hard 6-hour walk (including a 2-hour climb), we were greeted by
locals, who gave us malla and beautiful flowers. A band played traditional
music for us while a dancer danced. The Lama of the monastery also greeted
and blessed us with fragrant water and a red piece of cloth around our
necks.
July 26.
Our trip to Sirubari plunged us into village life. We visited other
local communities of Tailors, Smiths and Cobblers. The evening was spent
in the lcal hall, where we watched and participated in traditional dance.
July 27.
The people of Sirubari had a lovely farewell ceremony for us early this
morning. They gave us malla and flowers again and wished us well. The
walk back to the road was about 5 hours. We spent the night back in
the hotel Lake View in Pokhara.
July 28.
This is the start of our long 8-day trek. Everyone was excited to challenge
the hills and we began eagerly. It was a long walk to our first stop,
in TirkheDunga, where we were introduced to our first experience in
a rustic lodge on the Annapurna trail.
July 29.
What a challenge today's walk was. We started the day at about 5,000
feet and eventually climbed up to over 9,000 feet in about 6 hours.
Tired and hungry, we spent our night in Ghorepani, which gets its name
from its place on the Tibetan-Nepali trade route as a place where trader's
water (pani) their horses (ghore).
July 30.
Today we descended almost 6,000 feet over the course of 7 hard hours
of trekking into the deepest valley in the world at Tatopani, which
sits at a mere 1100 meters and is flanked by two mountains, Annapurna
and Daulagiri which are both over 6000 meters in altitude. Tatopani
is famous for it's hot springs (tato means hot and pani means water),
of which we availed ourselves.
July 31.
We doubled back on our trek, walking towards Ghorepani again, but stopping
after about 5 hours between Sikha and Phalante.
August
1. We achieved our highest altitude today at a pass
of about 10,200 feet on our way to Tadapani. This was perhaps the hardest
day of trekking we had so far, walking a total of over 7 hours as we
gained about 600 meters and then descended another 500 meters over all.
August
2. Gandruk was our destination today, which we reached
in about 3 hours of relatively easy trekking. Gandruk is famous as a
center for the administration of projects focusing on ecology and community
development. It also has THE nicest lodge we stayed in the whole trip.
August
3. The distance from Gandruk to Landruk is only about
1 kilometer, but entails a descent of about 900 meters followed by a
steep climb of about 600 meters. While a good runner can cover this
in less than 3 minutes on a track, it took us 2 hours! From there, we
spent another 4 hours walking to our final overnight at Pothante. The
evening was a treat, too, as the porters and guides arranged a party
for us, in which we sang and danced traditional style.
August
4. Back in Pokhara after a 3-hour hike and an hour bus
ride, we spent the remainder of the day getting laundry done and resting
up after our week of trekking.
August
5. A free day today. Some used it to relax and to catch
up on their notes, while others went into town and conducted interviews.
It was a little sad to realize that this would be our last day in West
Nepal.
August
6. Before we left Pokhara, the staff of the Hotel Lake
View gave us each Kata, or a silk scarf, wishing us well on our trip
back home. The rest of the morning and the early afternoon were spent
riding our bus from Pokhara back to Kathmandu. When we arrived at the
Hotel Tibet again, there were a few remarks about how it felt like we
had come back home.
August
7. This day was spent relaxing, catching up with loose
ends, visiting friends, shopping and preparing to return home. There
are many more foreigners in town now than there were before, reminding
us that Nepal is not just for us!
August
8. Our last full day in Nepal. Shambhala Trekking, who
have guided us through this trip so well threw a farewell party for
us, for which we all dressed in traditional Nepali clothes. We will
surely miss this place.
Student Narratives:
From time to time, students will send their own comments and reports
from the field, which will be posted here. Please enjoy the students'
reflections from this year's SPIN excursion, and keep the great feedback
coming!
Report
from Bo Bergman-July 9th:
The Royal Palace in Patan was built in the 14th century, and currently
is functioning as a museum (the current Royal Palace is in the center
of Kathmandu). The galleries contain many old pieces of art portraying
the many gods of Hindu and Buddhist religions. Outside of the museum
lies many important temples, including several dedicated to the Hindu
god Vishnu. Walking through the crowded streets of Patan we were able
to catch glimpses of some of the 1,200 Buddhist monuments, generally
noticeable by lion statues guarding the ornately wood carved entryways.
Our special surprise of the day came when we entered into a small and
ordinary street-side house to discover we were about to see Kumari,
the Living Goddess---certainly not something everyone gets to do. Each
student individually gave the Living Goddess a "namaste" and
in return received the blessed tika mark on our forehead. There are
several Kumaris in Nepal, and each must be between the ages of four
and puberty, and she must also meet strict physical requirements, such
as eye color, teeth, and voice. One of the most important requirements
is that she must never have been sick or bled before, because as soon
as the goddess bleeds she returns to a mere mortal again, hence her
status ends at puberty.
A busy day traveling, but it did not end upon return to the hotel.
After a Nepali Language lesson, a guest speaker gave an introduction
to Ayurvedic medicine, which is a large part of Hindu life. Unlike our
technologically-filled curative medicine in the west, Ayurvedic medicine
concentrates on living a proper lifestyle, so as to prevent any illness.
The day did not end there, as we had a big night in front of us. We
attended a banquet/dinner party put on by a Nepali Professor who teaches
in the US. It seemed we were in a small fishbowl of important Nepali
people, who were all dressed in "topis" and "saris."
After a filling dinner of food, drinks, and conversations we headed
to the Red Onion Bar for some Nepali music. The group was finally able
to overcome any remaining jet lag by dancing on into the early morning.
Report
from Lauren Carruth-July 11th:
First thing this morning we drove to the Amitaaba Buddha, which was
a giant gold-plated Buddha sitting lotus right on the street. Our guide
mentioned that he was popular for layman Buddhists especially in order
for them to remember and reflect on the Buddha and thereby be reborn.
We were in a district that probably didn't get many tourists, and so
there weren't any people selling crafts. Instead, there were locals,
and people selling food, toiletries, and other common items.
Next we went to the Soyambhu Nath Stupa where we attended a monk initiation
or transformation ceremony. From a quarter mile away, from were we got
off the bus, we could hear the monks chanting. We circled what was an
entire park area filled with temples and prayer wheels. I could see
the attention and energy of the crowds walking around us honing in on
the temple in the distance. We entered through an ornate gateway where
monks drank tea and women held their children. After a few minutes of
standing around we were invited to climb the stairs towards the second
floor doorway of the temple where the ceremony took place. The Lama
second in line from the Dalai Lama was officiating, and he sat in the
center back of the room facing a crowd of rows of monks. He was flanked
on both sides by his two sons, and was being video taped by someone
located directly in front of him and was sitting on giant ornately sewn
pillows. The monks attending the ceremony from within the room were
transforming, or moving up from one level of their Buddhist faith to
another. We had to move on from the doorway to let other people look
in, and moved to the lower floor to watch the ceremony broadcast live
from the videotaping upstairs. We were all served a traditional Buddhist
tea with butter and salt, that was so hot and so rich that most of us
couldn't drink more than a few sips. We were also served (along with
everyone else in attendance) rice with coconut and other dried fruits.
The room downstairs enclosed hundreds of people, mostly women, who were
eating the rice and drinking the tea, talking with each other, yelling
at their kids, and sometimes, on the side it seemed, they were watching
the ceremony on the tiny TV at the front of the auditorium.
We also visited a carpet factory where they made carpets for export
and for sale only in the Hotel Tibet. We were shown all the steps that
a rug goes through in order to look like what sells for thousands of
dollars in the US. Most of the people were likely worn out and overworked,
yet they looked glad to see us and to be appreciated for their art.
They use between a 50/50, 80/20, and 100% Tibetan wool combined with
the cleaner, whiter New Zealand wool (the more Tibetan wool, the higher
the value). This made us all appreciate the amount of work and time
goes into our carpets and rugs; and as a result, many of us bought rugs
they had made on the spot from the factory.
Finally, we went to Durbar Square, a square famous for its history
and architecture, and went shopping in the alleyways and streets nearby.
Like so many other districts in Nepal, this too had store after store
where you could buy handmade crafts for nearly nothing.
Like so many other days in Nepal, I think we all left hot, tired, thirsty,
and full of humility and appreciation.
Report
from Joe Fredo-July 12th:
The day began at 9:00 a.m. at Padham Ghaley's house in Bhainsepati.
Bo and I are rooming together and arrived at Ghaley's house to see him
and two others preparing lunch for later in the afternoon. Goat meat
was being chopped up and seasoning was being grinded into a grind stone.
Our plan for the day is to walk to Bungamati! Today there is a strike
by the Maoists which does not allow anyone to drive or conduct any major
business affairs. Public announcements in the newspapers and radio notify
everyone what day the strike is going to take place. We walked to Bungamati
without any trouble due to no traffic. The Nepalese do not seem bothered
by the strike at all. Some people were still working in the rice fields,
and other people in Bungamati were still carving and selling their handicrafts.
Bungamati is known for the peoples' expertise in carving beautifully
detailed and extraordinary wooden carvings. Most of the carvings are
of religious figures and supply the village with most of its commerce.
Dr. Folmar spotted an intricate five headed God statue which stands
about three feet high. Many students also bought carving of masks, statues
of gods and godesses, among other handicrafts. Little shops were scattered
throughout the village, and women and children were bathing themselves
partially clothed in the open square in the center of Bungamati. Chicken,
goat, duck, sheep, and dogs roamed freely in the village, and also in
many other parts of Nepal.
In the village of Bungamati children generously handed me a ping-pong
paddle to take on contenders. A few of the older children ready kicked
my butt. Despite the poverty throughout Nepal, the Nepalese keep smiles
on their faces and are very warm and welcoming to foreigners. The children
playing ping-pong and other games in the village look so happy and full
of energy! It is nice to talk with the children because they are so
interested in people who are different than they are and most children
can speak some English. They are required to learn Nepali and English
in school. Bungamati was a wonderful place to visit and the day was
great for walking.
Report
from Lindsey Griffin-July 13th:
Today was an early day because we had to meet at 8am to go into Kathmandu
Valley for Yoga. We all packed into a room underneath a hot tin roof.
Each of us had a long mat and our leader/teacher of yoga (yogi) sat
on a platform in the front corner. For the first two hours of our lesson,
we learned about how to wake up in the morning with stretching in bed
and rubbing your eyes. We also learned a lot about meditating and breathing.
When breathing, there are three parts: In, Hold, and Out. "IN,"
you breath very slow through one nostril, "Hold," goes for
an approximate count of 10, and "Out," is 2-3 times faster
release of your initial breath out the opposite nostril, ridding your
body of the toxins.
We also learned there are three parts of the body: muscles, bones,
and nerves. The heart and lungs are the only organs never at rest. Something
I found interesting was learning that the
first eater is the eye. We also are suppose to "eat liquid and
drink solid." You can eat liquid by eating slowly while the food
mixed with salive from your mouth. You can drink solid by allowing the
liquid to rest in your mouth, becoming slightly more solidified with
the mixture of your saliva.
Because we had spent so much time learning a 'good nature of life,'
we barely had enough time to go through some of the yoga positions.
I really enjoyed it, but found some of the positions a little straining
on my muscles. Of course, not many of us were able to complete each
position to its intended use. It was very realizing though.
We then headed back to Hotel Tibet for lunch. After we ate some delicious
chowmein, vegetables, and chicken, we headed to the Tribhuvan University
Teaching Hospital. My family informed me this was one of the best hospitals
in Kathmandu.
We were given a tour of the hospital, learning all sorts of statistics,
visiting the ER, operating area, different hospital rooms, ICU, CCU,
and a lab for testing. The inside was dark, there was a thick layer
of dust on the windowsills, and the equipment (beds, machines, desks,
etc) were not up to date. It was a large step down from the hospitals
in America, but they have done very well with the $1.5 million a year
budget. To enter some of the areas (ex: Operating area), we had to remove
our shoes. I was not very comfortable with the idea of removing my shoes
in a hospital.
The doctors are paid a great amount compared to the $200 (on average)
a person makes in one year. The doctors are paid approximately $500-600
per month. It is very difficult to become a doctor in Nepal as well;
it is very selective. We only had a little over an hour in the hospital,
but it was a very informative hour.
We then headed back to the hotel for our daily language lesson. Afterwards,
we headed back to Bhainsepati for dinner with our families.
|
