Rest

Two and a half hours drive up from Kathmandu, in kilometres not more than fifty, we suddenly stopped coughing. Clean air, and real pleasent green pastures. This was already a week ago we got to escape the hustle and buzzle of Kathmandu valley to a hidden paradise - like mountain resort in the town of Dulikhel. Amazing views to the Himalaya and as the night drew in, a dance floor under a full moon surrounded by a huge sky decorated with millions of stars.

A looong bumby ride further up the spiral roads either leading up or down into even a bumbier ride down a steep gore, on a bus that seemed more like a mobile (un)natural catastropy than a bus. Shaken and stirred we arrive at the next haven of peace and rest: a buddhist temple and a monk school. Quiet humming and drumming, incense filled air, extravagant decorations, paintings and flags in colours of deep red, orange and gold threw us into a feeling of having stepped back in time into some magical myth. Until we spotted a bottle of Coke standing next to some ancient (sacrificial?) items in front of a Buddha. The illusion crumbled a touch more when a monk produced a mobile phone from somewhere inside his robe and started chattering away.

We were amazed and amused, but some nepali visitors were even more amused and amazed by my team with whom they wanted the pose in pictures, nevermind about some common monks and their ancient culture?!