NEPAL
Nepal is a constitutional monarchy. It is a small country between India and Tibet. Forests cover 27% of the land. The climate varies according to the elevation. They have rainy summers and dry winters. The indigenous population consists of Indo-Napalese and Tibeto-Napalese. Most of the people are Hindu by religion, but there is alot of Shamanism and Buddhism. The founder of Buddhism was also born here in the town of Lumbini 2,500 years ago. Along with Hinduism and Shamanism and Buddhism there is a small population of Muslims.
The people live mostly in the rural areas of the country. Rice is the staple grain and barley, millet and potatoes are widely used in the Himalayas. Their art reflects their religion. Many temples and shrines are found in the Katmandu region. Music and dance are a favorite recreation. Nepal is one of the least developed countries. It is landlocked and has a rugged terrain with few natural resourses and a poor infrastructure. Economic growth has been slow and the country depends heavily upon foreign aid.
The ecomony is dominated by agriculture. Rice and corn are the major crops. Tourism is a growing resource to the economy and is growing in popularity as a tourist destination, but still has an underdeveloped network of roads. They have no trains except along the Indian border. The main means of transportation is a network of foot paths and trails that interlace the mountains and valleys.
September 22, 2006 - Got up this morning at the Imperial Hotel in Kushinagar. We headed to Lumbini, which is in Nepal. It is 173 Kilometers and takes five hours. We passed more Indian landscapes. People are all over the streets. Boys and men are taking a certain branch from a tree and brushing their teeth with it. People are getting ready for the day. My driver honks at people, sacred cows, lambs that are laying in the middle of the road, cycle rickshaws, motor rickshaws, trucks, buses, and sometimes at nothing. The only thing he doesn't honk at are policemen.
We passed all the morning activity and stopped for teas once. Finally we came to a city that looked different. The people looked the same but the buildings were different. This was the Nepal/Indian border. There was a long line of trucks clogging the street. The driver weasled his way as far as he could, then I had to get out of the car and go to Indian immigration to report that I was leaving India. Since I will be in Nepal for only one day I didn't have to pay for a visa. Then as we inched forward and Raja found a place to park the car. I then had to go to the Nepal immigration office to show them my passport etc: I got a three day stamp. There was a one hour delay at immigration office, so it was suggested that I go over to a nearby resturant and take lunch. I wasn't hungry so I just had a cup of tea. Some friendly guy helped me change some of my Indian rupees to Nepali rupees.
Finally after about an hour Raja was free and we were able to go into Nepal. The road in Nepal has only room enough for one vehicle, so everytime a car or truck came the other way someone would have to go off the road a little bit. After about a twenty minute drive we made it to Lumbini which is the place where Buddha was born. Immediately I hired a guide and a cycle rickshaw to get into the Buddhist site which seemed to be about a half a mile away. It was raining and the guide had an umbrella so he held the umbrella over my head while I took a few pictures.
I went in the temple and saw the pile of bricks and the stone which King Asoka laid on it. The spot where Buddha was born. After that the guide wanted to take me to some nearby temples. We went to two of them; the Nepali and the Tibetian temples. I had seen so many temples in Bodhigaya that I didn't want to see any more, so we came back to the car. I stayed in a hotel in the city of Lumbini and then we came back to India and started for Balrampur.
BACK IN INDIA
Sept. 26, 2006 - After Balrampur and some more Buddhist sites there I stayed over in the hotel and got up early in the morning and started out for Lucknow. Once there I stayed overnight and the next morning met a guide in the hotel lobby and he took me on a tour of the city. This was to last most of the day. He took me to mostly Muslim Mosques. This was all great and everything, but I was starting to get tired of walking in the sun and trying to keep up with a 20 year old. I made him slow down and instead of walking and talking I requested that we sit down in the shade on a park bench, and there he could tell me the story of these ancient sites.
Later in the afternoon this guide helped me onto the train at the Lucknow station. The train ride was 6 hours and I was met at the Delhi station by some TCI agents who took me to the hotel. And here I am in the lobby typing. I have a few hours before a driver will arrive and take me to the airport where I have a long journey back to the United States and everything I know. I will be flying to Singapore again, and then from there we will go to Tokyo again, and then to Los Angelos. Then from there to Seattle. I am tired of touring and am anxious to get back to work and resume my life with many great memories of India and the great people who live here.
Note: I got along fine in India with out knowing Hindi. Everything was understood by using hand gestures and speaking pigeon English and smiling alot. I love it here. The people are great. The culture and the customs are amazing, but I am anxious to get back. I really am homesick for the good ole US of A. Signed, Mike Bailey
BACK HOME AT LAST
Sept. 27, 2006 - I ended up waiting 8 hours for the driver to come and take me to the airport at the hotel in Dehli. I sat in the lobby of the hotel and read and wrote, and watching the world go by around me. The driver and a guide came at 8pm and took me to the airport. Once there I checked my bags in and and waited for the plane. Luckily I was tired because I slept most of the way to Singapore. In Singapore I waited a couple of hours before getting on a plane headed for Tokyo. On the way into Japan I saw Mt Fuji rising up through the clouds. The sun was also a red ball hovering over the horizon. Then it was time for the 9 hour and 45 minute flight over the Pacific Ocean to Los Angelos. Once there I got on a flight headed for Seattle in about 2 hours. Once in Seattle I took a cab home. Now I can resume with my mundane life.
Nepal is a constitutional monarchy. It is a small country between India and Tibet. Forests cover 27% of the land. The climate varies according to the elevation. They have rainy summers and dry winters. The indigenous population consists of Indo-Napalese and Tibeto-Napalese. Most of the people are Hindu by religion, but there is alot of Shamanism and Buddhism. The founder of Buddhism was also born here in the town of Lumbini 2,500 years ago. Along with Hinduism and Shamanism and Buddhism there is a small population of Muslims.The people live mostly in the rural areas of the country. Rice is the staple grain and barley, millet and potatoes are widely used in the Himalayas. Their art reflects their religion. Many temples and shrines are found in the Katmandu region. Music and dance are a favorite recreation. Nepal is one of the least developed countries. It is landlocked and has a rugged terrain with few natural resourses and a poor infrastructure. Economic growth has been slow and the country depends heavily upon foreign aid.
The ecomony is dominated by agriculture. Rice and corn are the major crops. Tourism is a growing resource to the economy and is growing in popularity as a tourist destination, but still has an underdeveloped network of roads. They have no trains except along the Indian border. The main means of transportation is a network of foot paths and trails that interlace the mountains and valleys.
September 22, 2006 - Got up this morning at the Imperial Hotel in Kushinagar. We headed to Lumbini, which is in Nepal. It is 173 Kilometers and takes five hours. We passed more Indian landscapes. People are all over the streets. Boys and men are taking a certain branch from a tree and brushing their teeth with it. People are getting ready for the day. My driver honks at people, sacred cows, lambs that are laying in the middle of the road, cycle rickshaws, motor rickshaws, trucks, buses, and sometimes at nothing. The only thing he doesn't honk at are policemen.
We passed all the morning activity and stopped for teas once. Finally we came to a city that looked different. The people looked the same but the buildings were different. This was the Nepal/Indian border. There was a long line of trucks clogging the street. The driver weasled his way as far as he could, then I had to get out of the car and go to Indian immigration to report that I was leaving India. Since I will be in Nepal for only one day I didn't have to pay for a visa. Then as we inched forward and Raja found a place to park the car. I then had to go to the Nepal immigration office to show them my passport etc: I got a three day stamp. There was a one hour delay at immigration office, so it was suggested that I go over to a nearby resturant and take lunch. I wasn't hungry so I just had a cup of tea. Some friendly guy helped me change some of my Indian rupees to Nepali rupees.
Finally after about an hour Raja was free and we were able to go into Nepal. The road in Nepal has only room enough for one vehicle, so everytime a car or truck came the other way someone would have to go off the road a little bit. After about a twenty minute drive we made it to Lumbini which is the place where Buddha was born. Immediately I hired a guide and a cycle rickshaw to get into the Buddhist site which seemed to be about a half a mile away. It was raining and the guide had an umbrella so he held the umbrella over my head while I took a few pictures.
I went in the temple and saw the pile of bricks and the stone which King Asoka laid on it. The spot where Buddha was born. After that the guide wanted to take me to some nearby temples. We went to two of them; the Nepali and the Tibetian temples. I had seen so many temples in Bodhigaya that I didn't want to see any more, so we came back to the car. I stayed in a hotel in the city of Lumbini and then we came back to India and started for Balrampur.
BACK IN INDIA
Sept. 26, 2006 - After Balrampur and some more Buddhist sites there I stayed over in the hotel and got up early in the morning and started out for Lucknow. Once there I stayed overnight and the next morning met a guide in the hotel lobby and he took me on a tour of the city. This was to last most of the day. He took me to mostly Muslim Mosques. This was all great and everything, but I was starting to get tired of walking in the sun and trying to keep up with a 20 year old. I made him slow down and instead of walking and talking I requested that we sit down in the shade on a park bench, and there he could tell me the story of these ancient sites.
Later in the afternoon this guide helped me onto the train at the Lucknow station. The train ride was 6 hours and I was met at the Delhi station by some TCI agents who took me to the hotel. And here I am in the lobby typing. I have a few hours before a driver will arrive and take me to the airport where I have a long journey back to the United States and everything I know. I will be flying to Singapore again, and then from there we will go to Tokyo again, and then to Los Angelos. Then from there to Seattle. I am tired of touring and am anxious to get back to work and resume my life with many great memories of India and the great people who live here.
Note: I got along fine in India with out knowing Hindi. Everything was understood by using hand gestures and speaking pigeon English and smiling alot. I love it here. The people are great. The culture and the customs are amazing, but I am anxious to get back. I really am homesick for the good ole US of A. Signed, Mike Bailey
BACK HOME AT LAST
Sept. 27, 2006 - I ended up waiting 8 hours for the driver to come and take me to the airport at the hotel in Dehli. I sat in the lobby of the hotel and read and wrote, and watching the world go by around me. The driver and a guide came at 8pm and took me to the airport. Once there I checked my bags in and and waited for the plane. Luckily I was tired because I slept most of the way to Singapore. In Singapore I waited a couple of hours before getting on a plane headed for Tokyo. On the way into Japan I saw Mt Fuji rising up through the clouds. The sun was also a red ball hovering over the horizon. Then it was time for the 9 hour and 45 minute flight over the Pacific Ocean to Los Angelos. Once there I got on a flight headed for Seattle in about 2 hours. Once in Seattle I took a cab home. Now I can resume with my mundane life.
posted by THE REAL MIKE BAILEY at 2:13 PM
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