Two Weeks in the Himalayas

This past spring, I voluntarily endured 41 hours in the air, another 42 hours in airports (in many of which, I didn't speak the language), and countless hours on a very bumpy bus traversing mountain roads with devastatingly steep drop-offs and no barriers, all with a group of people I hadn't met until I landed halfway around the world in Kathmandu, Nepal. I had decided I was ready for a great adventure, "something outside my normal box," and something memorable. And wow, I got it all and much, much more. Many of you who know me know I love to meet new people, and often love to travel independently or with Larry and our two guide dogs. Nepal, however, was not on Larry's "bucket List" nor was it advisable to go there with my guide dog, as the water is unsafe to drink, rabid dogs and monkeys roam the streets, and the weather conditions vary from extremely hot to torrential rains, depending on the hour. Additionally, I quickly learned that traffic, as we know it, follows no rules, involving a continuous cacophony of honking horns, vehicles of all types dodging in-between any number of items on the street (from cows to couches), and uneven and rocky terrain, making accessible and independent travel nearly impossible.

I chose to meet up with a group out of the UK called Traveleyes, which provides travel holidays to blind and sighted alike, with the sighted travelers acting as guides and audio-describers throughout the entire excursion. It was something I had never experienced before and found it both fun and liberating in what would otherwise have been a chaotic and stressful experience for me. My entire trip lasted two weeks, and included 4 days in Kathmandu (Nepal's capital city), 4 days in the Chitwan National Park (in the South near India), and 4 days in Pokhara (in the West and of Nepal at the base of the Annapurna Mountain Range). Each destination was unique and offered a plethora of multi-sensory experiential delights. Nepal is composed of both Hindu and Buddhist faiths, each of which brings a colorful and unique landscape to the area.

In Kathmandu, we had the opportunity to visit several Buddhist temples and stupas, including Swayambhunath Stupa, a UNESCO World Heritage site, locally known as "The Monkey Temple." The peaceful ambiance of this grand temple, complete with hundreds of colorful prayer flags, prayer wheels, and singing bowls and bells offered an awesome backdrop to the lively monkeys who claim this lovely sanctuary as their home.

A visit to the Kopan Buddhist Monastery offered a glimpse into a working center of Buddhist monks and nuns, who live, study, and practice their faith while offering retreats and a spiritual path of meditation and fasting to students from around the world. We also learned about Hindu traditions and visited the palaces of Durbar Square, most notably the home of the Living Goddess, Kumari, a young girl whose feet never touch the ground until she leaves the temple when reaching puberty. She came to the window and peered out at us during our visit, which offered a glimpse of her red dress, young age (7 or 8), and many adornments.

Our 4 days in the Chitwan National Park included two days on a Jeep safari, where we spotted numerous species of deer, rhinos, crocodiles, wild boar, birds, and elephants. While in the heart of the park, I asked my Jeep-mates for a minute of silence and recorded the symphony of bird sounds on my Iphone, which I was able to later share with Larry and still enjoy listening to.

The highlight of my time in the Chitwan National Park was spending a day up-close and personal with a couple of elephants: A very playful elephant allowed me to ride on her back in return for many trunkfuls of river water in my face! She made the mechanical bull look like child's play! I also sat with a resting elephant in the river while she put her powerful trunk in my lap and gently blew hot air at me, which felt amazing. I felt very connected to both of these incredible animals and hope I never forget that feeling of being invited into their lives.

In Pokhara, we visited a Tibetan refugee camp and had an opportunity to talk with residents who welcomed us into their community. Many of them create exquisite hand-crafted rugs, scarves, and jewelry, which they sell for their livelihoods. I found these Tibetan refugees especially gracious, kind, and inspirational, and wished I could have spent more time learning from them. One gentle woman, named Karma, showed me how to make the Tibetan bowl "sing" and I will always remember her patient and encouraging tutelage.

Our trip would not have been complete without a 5 A.M. visit to Sarangkot and a hike up the foothills to a viewing point, where we watched and felt the sun rise above the Himalayan mountain range. This was truly a moment of awe and inspiration, listening to the awakening birds and pondering the magnificence of this massive ball of heat as it illuminates and warms our entire Earth.

This trip brimmed with moments of wonder and enlightenment. I witnessed incredible patience, generosity, and respect, along with incredible poverty, suffering, and hardship. It was humbling to see how people with so little are willing to give so much of themselves and value what we often take for granted-human kindness, the beauty of nature, and the universality of a genuine smile. I learned and gained more than I could ever express, and am grateful to my many Traveleyes guides, tour-mates, and the Nepali people we encountered for making this such a memorable and extraordinary experience!