I Lift My Eyes

School is closed for fifteen days for the Dashain holiday. So far my main response to this holiday, the biggest of the entire Nepali year, is one of confusion. There are so many rituals, sacrifices, and traditions that I just don't understand. I'm certainly enjoying the time of physical rest with my host family, but mentally and emotionally it is clear that I'm still living in a foreign country.

Fortunately, I was able to spend the first several days of the break taking some time just for myself. I travelled to the hilltop town of Nagarkot which is almost purely a tourist destination. Nagarkot is most famous for its spectacular views of the Himalayas. Unfortunately, monsoon season has extended itself much longer than usual this year so I spent a lot of time staring at far off white shapes wondering if I was seeing clouds or mountains. Despite the clouds, the landscape was magnificent and it was a nice time to relax.

As if that wasn't enough, five of the other ETA's made the six hour bus trip from Gorkha to come join me in Nagarkot. It was beyond wonderful to spend time with great friends, to laugh about the daily miscommunications of Nepal, and to reflect on our time so far.

At the end of the weekend I had filled my camera's memory card at least twice. Here's a brief sampling of what you can see even under less than ideal conditions in Nagarkot, Nepal.

Wondering where the spectacular Himalayan view could be?

Even without the mountains the sprawling landscape is still beautiful.

 



First sunrise attempt: fail, too cloudy

When I finally saw the mountains!