Durbar Square

Time for an update on the state of my gastrointestinal tract. The situation is grim, and the odds are against me. The pills, which ended up costing me $65, did nothing. But now, I have the additional problem of having to run to a toilet every time I eat something. The constant need to be near a toilet makes travel difficult, so I’ll have to see a doctor again in Bangkok. Hopefully the third time is a charm.

Another annoyance is that the cold I’ve had for two weeks won’t go away. My nose is amazingly snotty. Every time I blow my nose with the toilet paper I’m forced to use here, the huge volume of snot overloads the flimsy material, and sprays all over my face. It’s not pleasant.

Even with my convalescence, I managed to make two early morning forays. First to Kathmandu Durbar Square at 6:30 am. The place was tourist and wanna-be guide free, so it was pleasant just to sit around and watch life go by. Lots of Hindus were making their morning puja offerings.

Terry the Monk

Today I got to the big Boudha Tibetan Buddhist stupa at 6 am. Hundreds of people were circumambulating the structure, while working prayer beads, and spinning prayer wheels. And once again, the place was tourist and guide free. Being an early bird pays off.

There’s nothing stopping anybody from buying a monk’s robes, so the place has its share of bums dressed up like monks, begging for alms. I stopped at a store to do some shopping. I tried on the monk’s maroon “skirt,” yellow belt, funky yellow vest, and maroon cowl. Tibetan monks are certainly better dressed than their South East Asian counterparts. After a little haggling, I got a “special price” of 900 rupees, about $11. Now I can be a monk too. Om mani padme hum!