I have never felt more at home, nor more attached to a foreign country than I do to Nepal. From the first few hours I could feel myself begin to relax and connect with the energy of the country Even the hustle of Kathmandu fit just right. The mountains, spirit of the people, non confrontational religions, and culture (religion as the culture) all combined to produce a wonderful energy throughout the country.
Those who know me well know that Lauren in the mountains is a more productive version of myself. Something about their encompassing nature makes me feel empowered, humbled, and protected all at once. I also truly believe mountains hold great energy that certain people pick up on. Hence why people like to hike and camp in them so much! So I guess I have become, or always was, one of those people. Although I complained about my ski suit as a kid I did love zipping down the hill while someone chased after me.
Therefore, trekking in Nepal was no different. It was amazing and I feel in those two weeks I grew (actually I shrank!) more confidence and perseverance than I have my entire journey. But I'll do a longer post on that later!
For those of you who do not know, Nepal has been in and out of political unrest for the past 12 years. In 2001 the Nepalese Royal Family was massacred by Maoist Rebels. This shook the country as many thought the king was invisible and a descendent of the gods. The country tried to switch to democracy as Maoists attempted to control the country and start a civil war. This is still the situation though the Maoists remain at bay. Today they mostly try to control from the government and through bribery in mountain villages. However strikes are a regular occurrence and can become violent. Elections are in the process however their date is a huge issue that needs to be resolved.
This is where I truly fell in love with the people. They are brilliant. Where in many countries the locals would look passively and accept the fate of their nations this is NOT the case in Nepal especially amongst the youth. I had numerous conversions with Nepali's my own age about their political situation. What was interesting was that they did not only look at the issues that faced them but were aware of world politics and what countries they did and did not want to resemble. I was so excited after coming from brainwashed Vietnam that I just wanted to hug everyone! There knowledge ad willingness to participate in strikes, education, and desire to always return to Nepal gave them and myself assurance that Nepal will be a successful, independent and politically peaceful nation in the future.
Moving on to religion and the people...
In Nepal, the primary practiced religion is Mahayana (northern) Buddhism. I recently have become very interested in Northern and Tibetan Buddhism which are very different from southern. Though I would not call myself a Buddhist I find them fascinating and Would love to know more or even spent some time at an ashram. I could go into more detail on the religion but if anyone is interested on what I know send me a Facebook message or write a comment and I will write a post soon enough on what I know and what I learned in Nepal.
I refer to the religion in Nepal as non confrontational because although it is constantly surrounding there is never a pressure to convert only a request to respect. The educational value of this is immense, as someone is always available to help with questions and offer knowledge of the religion whether Hindu or Buddhism. This attitude is not only apparent in the religion but also in the culture. However, it is not necessarily the nature of Hinduism to be non confrontational and is a misconception in the practice of Buddhism too. For example, shop owners still hassled me and I received the occasional wedding invitation. Additionally consider India, which is majority Hindu, and the troubles it faces. Somehow the Nepali People (which hates-I don't use lightly- India by the way) have emphasized this aspect of both religions in their daily lives.
The non-confrontation can be a bit of a problem for the country however. Nepal has a history of being pushed around by its neighbors India and China. Hopefully the invigorated youth that are fighting for a new government will protect against the looming presence of China who already steals so much of its water and stole land from its neighbor, killing thousands and leaving an entire race of Tibetans homeless and landless in Nepal and India.
Though the countries problems may come from its kind nature or its blessed natural environment this has not seemed to hinder the happiness and overall positive energy that flows in title waves.
Hopefully this post is a good explanation of my experience in Nepal. I changed to much in a short time to truly describe how wonderful the country is for me. Its as if everything just worked right and I was able to hold a clear head, working through things quickly that previously has spun round and round in my conscious and subconsious. I know I will make it back and I urge my close friends to find the time to go as well.
Namaste, from the slightly more enlightened Backpacker
Lauren
Those who know me well know that Lauren in the mountains is a more productive version of myself. Something about their encompassing nature makes me feel empowered, humbled, and protected all at once. I also truly believe mountains hold great energy that certain people pick up on. Hence why people like to hike and camp in them so much! So I guess I have become, or always was, one of those people. Although I complained about my ski suit as a kid I did love zipping down the hill while someone chased after me.
Therefore, trekking in Nepal was no different. It was amazing and I feel in those two weeks I grew (actually I shrank!) more confidence and perseverance than I have my entire journey. But I'll do a longer post on that later!
For those of you who do not know, Nepal has been in and out of political unrest for the past 12 years. In 2001 the Nepalese Royal Family was massacred by Maoist Rebels. This shook the country as many thought the king was invisible and a descendent of the gods. The country tried to switch to democracy as Maoists attempted to control the country and start a civil war. This is still the situation though the Maoists remain at bay. Today they mostly try to control from the government and through bribery in mountain villages. However strikes are a regular occurrence and can become violent. Elections are in the process however their date is a huge issue that needs to be resolved.
This is where I truly fell in love with the people. They are brilliant. Where in many countries the locals would look passively and accept the fate of their nations this is NOT the case in Nepal especially amongst the youth. I had numerous conversions with Nepali's my own age about their political situation. What was interesting was that they did not only look at the issues that faced them but were aware of world politics and what countries they did and did not want to resemble. I was so excited after coming from brainwashed Vietnam that I just wanted to hug everyone! There knowledge ad willingness to participate in strikes, education, and desire to always return to Nepal gave them and myself assurance that Nepal will be a successful, independent and politically peaceful nation in the future.
Moving on to religion and the people...
In Nepal, the primary practiced religion is Mahayana (northern) Buddhism. I recently have become very interested in Northern and Tibetan Buddhism which are very different from southern. Though I would not call myself a Buddhist I find them fascinating and Would love to know more or even spent some time at an ashram. I could go into more detail on the religion but if anyone is interested on what I know send me a Facebook message or write a comment and I will write a post soon enough on what I know and what I learned in Nepal.
I refer to the religion in Nepal as non confrontational because although it is constantly surrounding there is never a pressure to convert only a request to respect. The educational value of this is immense, as someone is always available to help with questions and offer knowledge of the religion whether Hindu or Buddhism. This attitude is not only apparent in the religion but also in the culture. However, it is not necessarily the nature of Hinduism to be non confrontational and is a misconception in the practice of Buddhism too. For example, shop owners still hassled me and I received the occasional wedding invitation. Additionally consider India, which is majority Hindu, and the troubles it faces. Somehow the Nepali People (which hates-I don't use lightly- India by the way) have emphasized this aspect of both religions in their daily lives.
The non-confrontation can be a bit of a problem for the country however. Nepal has a history of being pushed around by its neighbors India and China. Hopefully the invigorated youth that are fighting for a new government will protect against the looming presence of China who already steals so much of its water and stole land from its neighbor, killing thousands and leaving an entire race of Tibetans homeless and landless in Nepal and India.
Though the countries problems may come from its kind nature or its blessed natural environment this has not seemed to hinder the happiness and overall positive energy that flows in title waves.
Hopefully this post is a good explanation of my experience in Nepal. I changed to much in a short time to truly describe how wonderful the country is for me. Its as if everything just worked right and I was able to hold a clear head, working through things quickly that previously has spun round and round in my conscious and subconsious. I know I will make it back and I urge my close friends to find the time to go as well.
Namaste, from the slightly more enlightened Backpacker
Lauren
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