Moving Day - also, everything gone to pot

I'm posting on a time limit today. We check out of Hotel Moonlight in 20 minutes and head to the house that has been rented for us. I'll try to get as much typed up now, and after that my interenet access will be sketchy.

Yesterday
we met with the most amazing woman Cecile Parush who is the organizer for our pratcicums here in Nepal. She told us her story in a heavy parisian accent for an hour and a half and had most of us inspired and in tears. I'll relate the whole story when I get back, but long story short...she's in her 80's and looks 50. Shw was a fashion designer for Dior and Gucchi and one day felt her life was empty. She spoke with Mother Theresa after much hoop jumping to be able to see her and was given a number of hard tasks to preform in Calcutta. Cecile has helped thousands of children even though she knew nothing about them or how the world really works. She runs an "asam" or home for orphaned children as well as supports past children of her homes as they grow up as adults and go to school.

We had to leave after Cecile's story because the bus was waiting for us. We visited the museum at Patan Darbar (Darbar means palace compound). which is built in an old monestary in the arts district. Here we received an education or various, hindu, vedic and buddist dieties as well as some tantric philosophy. Many of the dieties can be identified by thier body language and hand positions. The more hands and faces represent the more complicated personalities.

We had a traditional curry lunch in the yard and one of the other students peaked over the vine covered brick wall into the yard behind. To her surprise, the weed patch was full of Canibis, literally growing like a weed. I guess it is a holy plant for one day of the year because Shiva was a big fan. I kept my eyes open for the rest of the trip, and sure enough, the stuff grows everywhere, even out of the ditches at the side of the road.

After lunch we traveled to Pashupati, the holiest place in the Hindu religion. Every hindu needs to visit it once in their lives. Pashupati is a temple where Lord Shiva left an artifact thousands of y\ears ago. It is also the place where there are piers built next to the holy river and the dead are cremated and sent off down stream. We watched one get lit in a very solemn ceremony from the other side of the river since we were not allowed on site. The area is crawling with monkeys, dogs and cows which are all sacred animals to Shiva and protected by law.

The temple is so important because a special stone fell to earth here and is a source of fertility and where people and animals origanate from according to Hindu philosophy.

From there we visited a Buddist Stupa which is a large dome with the eye of buddah painted above it. Prayer wheels surround it and monks and people were walking around it three times in prayer. A monk was prostrating himself (laying face down and kissing the ground) every step he took and many tibetans were present.

More than any other holy place I visited, this one actually felt special. Like there was enlightenment in the air. It opened up and rain on us before we left.

Love and hugs. I miss you Liam and Teresa!