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November
4, 1999
Hello, this
is Chanda Baggarly calling in for Team Around the World 1999. Today is
November 4 and this is our last day in Kathmandu. We decided to take
another rest day here to get caught up on some very important stuff like
laundry and car repairs. And, unfortunately, it seems like at least one
of us is ``under the weather’’ at any given moment and this time it would
be Earle and Jeff's turn - so another days rest will go a long way for
all of us.
Today felt
like a long day. I'm guessing it was because we actually had some free
time to do absolutely nothing - which is nice every now and then. I
finished up the laundry chores early and spent some time reading up on
the history Kathmandu. I learned that Kathmandu was established in 723
and was ruled for centuries by the Newar people (who I believe came from
Russia?). The city was captured in 1768 by the Shah dynasty and became
their capital. From 1846 to 1951, the very powerful Rana family ruled
Nepal from here as hereditary prime ministers.
Religion in
Nepal is a unique mixture. While Nepal's rulers have long been Hindu,
Buddhist sites such as Swayambhunath flourish. The people of the
Kathmandu Valley practice a combination of Hinduism and Buddhism, while
in the Himalayas, Tibetan Buddhism is prevalent, as are shamanism and
local religions.
The result
is a mixture of religions that occasionally overlap and ensures that a
temple such as Swayambhunath meets everyone's needs. So, Hindus might not
see anything unusual about worshiping at a Buddhist site, for example,
because the Buddha sometimes is considered an incarnation of the Hindu
god Vishnu. Some Nepalese Buddhists, meanwhile, see the Hindu trinity of
Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva as incarnations of the Buddha. Got it? In
general, the strict definitions that often separate various sects and
denominations in Western religion are not present in Nepal.
Another
belief that overlaps many religions in the area is in the existence of
the Yeti. In fact, as I read more about this Yeti creature, I found
myself quite curious. The Yeti, which is also known as the Abominable
Snowman, is the legendary ``wild man’’ of the Himalayas. Reports of
sightings have come from Nepal and from parts of China, Siberia and other
areas in Asia. Sightings also have been reported in North America, where
the Abominable Snowman is called Bigfoot in the United States and
Sasquatch in Canada. These creatures are said to be very hairy, heavily
built, apelike, foul smelling and elusive, with facial features
resembling those of a human being. They communicate by grunts, cries or
whistles. I can think of a few people who fit this description back home
...
I finally
put my history book down and decided to do a ``search for the Yeti at the
last minute’’ expedition. In Kathmandu, you can't go too far down a
street without seeing the word ``Yeti’’. There is the Grand Yak and Yeti
Hotel, Yeti shops everywhere, Yeti restaurants, Yeti travel services,
Yeti burgers, Yeti, Yeti, Yeti ... I stopped at the first shop that was
selling Yeti expedition packages. The trips were at least three days long
in weather too darn cold for me and they offered no guarantees of ever
seeing the creature. They did have some cool pictures of the Yeti,
although they were fuzzy and a little difficult to make out. As my next
plan of action, I spoke to some locals. Everyone that I asked said they
had never seen the Yeti. One man said he heard the creepy howls of the
Yeti a few years ago on a hiking trip, Most had seen footprints. You
really don't have to go far to see Yeti footprints around here. Some
shops will sell you a ceramic cast of them cheap.
I guess I
am a skeptic about the Yeti. I have only spent a few days in Yeti
country, but the Nepalese people have walked the Himalayas for thousands
of years. If there were big hairy Neanderthal-like creatures living among
them, they would know.
This is
Chanda signing off for Team Around the World 1999. Safe travels to you.
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