The Update

Today was marvelous, I walked from Boudha to a Gompa (monastery, or in this case a nunnery) in the mountains on the north side of the Kathmandu Valley. The nunnery borders Shivapuri National park, I wandered into full blown jungle just as a rain laden cloud hit the mountain from the south. All the monsoon cloud systems come from the south and the Shivapuri range is the first mountains that they get to. I was swallowed whole by a very wet monster. The forest was beautiful, I had my head pointed downward most of the time, looking for mushrooms.
Just as I reached the nunnery a taxi was struggling through the mud. All the taxi's are small suzuki's and I gave it a heave and pushed it up the last leg. The nun's thanked me, they'd just returned from grocery shopping. I was hungry and asked if there was any way I could get food. I ended up eating a wonderful meal with the nuns. The "Tarkari" (Curried veggies) were mushrooms, and my favorite Nepali spice called Timbour, it's the berries of a mountain plant. It makes ones mouth tingle and go kinda numb, as well as have a tangy flavor. It's interesting but I've acquired the taste for it. Anyways we got talking about mushrooms so while I was hiking i picked at least one of every mushroom I saw, I succeeded in finding a good amount of edibles. I brought them all back in my jacket pockets and went through them with the nuns.
The last couple of days have been just as full of adventure, on Saturday I stumbled upon a group of foreign students who were going on a field trip. I heard that there were free Tibetan Buddhism classes at 8:00 AM and I followed a foreigner rushing into the monastery grounds only to find myself in the street behind the monastery with a big group of foreigners. I just smiled and hung around until someone asked me if I was also a student, I told him how I'd magically arrived and asked what they were doing. He said they were going to Pharphing to see some caves were a tantric Buddhist master was meditating. I asked if I could tag along, he pointed me to the organizer and she said sure, if I was willing to pay 200 rupees. I ended up being bussed around, fed a fabulous lunch and go on a tour of places i never would have heard of otherwise. It was also Mata Kali day, she is the fierce feminine incarnation. She asks for blood from her devotees, normally it is signified by braking a coconut, but on this auspicious day many people bring goats and chickens to be killed in her honor, they're then taken home and eaten. We went to the temple and got to witness the intense puja take place.
Yesterday I saved myself 1100 rupees ($15) in Baktapur. They charge that just to get into the city, I just went in by a side street. I went their because i had a lead on another volunteer organization but it fell through and we didn't even meet up. I swear that when I'm older and have the cash I'll pay all the fees but that's jsut redicoulous to ask em to pay just to wander around the streets. Needless to say the city is beautiful. I got there entirely on public transportation, it took 3 buus changes. I now can get anywhere the Nepali way, including by foot. Today must have been at least 20 KM.
I've made some great friends here in Boudha who have a western style cafe restourant, I've had my first hamburger and pizza since I left the states!