This was my first night in Chitwan National Park in the South East of Nepal.
Moments before I witnessed this beautiful scene, I had become acquainted with the man who would control the next small segment of my destiny: Surya the Jungle Guide. I suppose that the extremity of the circumstances through which he led me would have seduced me to invest his person with somewhat magical powers, but the surreal confidence that this man possessed as he walked amongst tigers and crocodiles, as well as his uncanny ability to tailor any situation to address his immediate needs, was truly unique.
Surya, my friend, I long to once again beat the drum in your wild circle today.
Booking my air ticket for Kolkata after a beautifully passed month in Nepal was a satisfying moment. I was, of course, a little sad to leave, Nepal being the magical country that it is, but the sadness was accompanied by a feeling of accomplishment - we had endured. And we didn’t bat an eye when the travel agent informed us that Air India was subject to frequent terrorist attacks.
Engadget has just posted the apparently preferred method for servicing an airplane in Nepal: when things aren’t working correctly, sacrifice some goats. Absolutely brilliant. Absolutely fail-safe. Immediately after the ceremonial offering on the tarmac, the plane was again functional and ready to fly. You can’t argue with results. Namaste, Nepal.
This is Bhaktapur, a magical city 45 minutes from Kathmandu and famous for hand carved wood ornaments. I have many pictures of this small, slow functioning city, but the ones below seemed to demand priority posting.
Certainly, the regular ritual sacrifices performed throughout the city are somewhat shocking to outsiders, but for the participants they represent a solemn devotion to and pacification of the Goddess Kali. I had the privilege to witness one of these proceedings, a privilege which I now pass on to you.
Not every goat has the honor of such a death…
The video below is graphic, although very poorly shot. I realized only halfway through shooting it that, not only did I have the camera turned on its side, it was set to the wide aspect ratio. YouTube also had its share of problems taking it, and now the aspect ratio is stretched to the size of the screen. This is a disappointment, although the action can still be seen quite clearly (you can see the goat’s tail wagging as the two devotees carry it around the shrine).
One morning as Gregor Samsa woke from anxious dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin. He lay on his armour-hard back and saw, as he lifted his head up a little, his brown, vaulted abdomen divided up into rigid bow-like sections.
From this height the blanket, just about ready to slide off completely, could hardly stay in place. His numerous legs, pitifully thin in comparison to the rest of his circumference, flickered helplessly before his eyes.
Moments before I witnessed this beautiful scene, I had become acquainted with the man who would control the next small segment of my destiny: Surya the Jungle Guide. I suppose that the extremity of the circumstances through which he led me would have seduced me to invest his person with somewhat magical powers, but the surreal confidence that this man possessed as he walked amongst tigers and crocodiles, as well as his uncanny ability to tailor any situation to address his immediate needs, was truly unique.
Booking my air ticket for Kolkata after a beautifully passed month in Nepal was a satisfying moment. I was, of course, a little sad to leave, Nepal being the magical country that it is, but the sadness was accompanied by a feeling of accomplishment - we had endured. And we didn’t bat an eye when the travel agent informed us that Air India was subject to frequent terrorist attacks.
