PracticeARTS Healing Arts

Kagbeni

practicearts — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 13:58:00 +0000

A welcome return to a beautiful village. The Red House in Kagbeni felt like homecoming. We were thrilled to see Frank and Greg and Kunzom there, on their way back down from Lo Monthang. We had lots to catch up on over a lunch of fried rice and (of course) milk-tea. Our team who had just arrived would begin treating tomorrow at the Kagbeni community hall, and Frank and Greg would start their way back down. If there was no flight from Jomsom they would have to hike/jeep it back to Pokhara.

We gathered both teams for a walk after lunch. Mataya, Nini and Tuesday had never been to Mustang, so it was fun to see them taking in the sights. One of the highlights of the hike was an old meditation cave, overlooking the monastery of Kagbeni. Here, a monk would perform his 3-year retreat, mediating and never leaving this small space. We all spent some time inside, contemplating the commitment and practice it would take to perform that feat.

Jomsom

practicearts — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 13:15:28 +0000

We were thrilled to fly to Jomsom–one of only 3 flying days in the entire month due to the late monsoon. Jomsom always reminds me of an outpost town in the US old West. Borderland, a place of arrivals, departures and waiting around… a bit seedy, but promising glimpses of the beauty to come…

From here we had to recruit porters to help us carry our 300+ lbs of herbs, needles and supplies to the Kagbeni jeep. Quite a load: we had 8 fully stuffed duffels plus our own personal bag. Once at the jeep station we had to wait for the jeep to fill up. Once there we learned that there was a flooded river crossing we’d have to ford by foot on the way to Jomsom, and then take another jeep to continue on the other side.

Luckily Frank had warned us to bring water shoes (texting from the slippery slopes of the mountain), but transporting 8 giant duffels across raging waters was a bit tough, even for our capable team. A couple locals took pity on us and helped with the last few bags.

Full Moon Festival

practicearts — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 13:02:52 +0000

The Upper Mustang team made it to Kagbeni (after a 24+ hour trek slogging up the mountain) in time for the Muktinath Full Moon Festival and Horse Races. This festival honors the Thakuri family, so Kunzom had to go!

taking flight

practicearts — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:21:08 +0000

I woke to the sound of heavy rains in the middle of the night. We were up at 4:40am for a 6:20 flight. It took us nearly half an hour just to load up our 8 duffle bag all of which weighed at least 50 pounds.

Arriving at the airport at dawn, not much was happening. The airline staff were waiting to see if the clouds would part enough for us to fly. Breakfast and chai were a welcome treat as we settled in to wait. More blue sky meditation and some cloud parting qi gong seemed to be working as the close slowly slowly melted.

By 8:00am we could see the foothills around Pokhara, and by 8:30 the first plane took off to Jomsom. We quickly checked in for the second flight and anxiously awaited its return. The single plane would shuttle back and forth through the mountains for as long as the weather held. The flights loaded and unloaded with great speed to keep ground time to a minimum.

We didn’t know it then, but in the 20 days of the late monsoon season, there were only 3 days of flights to Jomsom. We were lucky enough to catch one.

Momos!

practicearts — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:19:00 +0000

Team morale greatly boosted by fabulous food.

red skies at night…

practicearts — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:12:02 +0000

My biggest worry over the last few days had been weather. I was obsessively checking the international weather news the week before traveling and anxiously following reports from our first team working their way up to Jomsom. No flight had left in the last 10 days. Without that short 20 minute flight through a narrow crack of a valley in the Himalayas we would miss our chance to get up to Mustang. The overland route was simply too arduous and still dangerous due to non-stop rain.

We were thrilled to find the mist gently clearing and to see patches of blue peeking through. Our team took pictures of the blue patches and at our afternoon tea did “blue sky meditation” from the images on our pocket cameras.

Friends and family were sending clear sky thoughts our way, and my Facebook request for good wishes was immediately answered.

Evening fell with clearing skies and a beautiful red glow to the still remaining clouds. We all fervently hoped that “sailor’s delight” would translate to a flight to Jomsom in the morning.

Pokhara

practicearts — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:02:21 +0000

We arrived at the airport to the news that Pokhara airport was closed due to rain. A plane crash earlier in the week meant the small local airlines were being extra cautious about flying. We prepared to organize a jeep to drive the 6 hours up. One couple had been waiting for a flight since 6:30 am! Fortunately, the announcement was made that the last flight of the day would go, and we all scrambled aboard.

Pokhara was just emerging from a weeks long mist and we were blessed with amazing views of Lake Fewa.

KTM

practicearts — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:35:04 +0000

organizing supplies–a necessary task for every trip… this time was complicated by the need to consolidate herbs from GAHP’s previous trip to Nepal in April. A rather dusty chore, and kept us busy on our first day in Kathmandu. We only had a couple of hours to gather what we needed and head back to the airport for our flight to Pokhara.

we had 3 of 4 of our team members already in Kathmandu, so after the Boudha stupa we went to work picking supplies.

The only worry now was: would we fly? Bad weather and late monsoon rains were preventing flights to Jomsom. The upper Mustang team had already spent 2 days just trying to get to Jomsom when their flight from Pokhara was canceled. Two days that we just didn’t have. Text reports back from them described a harrowing trip with mudslides, flooded river banks and dangerous conditions.

early morning prayers at Boudha Stupa

practicearts — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:16:26 +0000

We arrived at the stupa just in time for spiritual rush hour. Everyone was there doing their walk around the Boudha stupa this Saturday morning before starting their day.

I woke at 5:00am after a solid night’s sleep, perfectly attuned to the day. I think the energy from the stupa washed over me as I awoke, and as I got up to open the window I heard the first morning bells.

I gathered the rest of our small group and we walked our circles, giving thanks for a safe arrival and offering prayers for a successful journey to Mustang.

The crowds were joyous, people chatting and praying and smiling at one another. We lit butter candles for good luck.

Transit

practicearts — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 06:45:53 +0000

A modern airport to replace the shoddy ramshackle airport of my last vist to Delhi. Transit it such an odd space–full of human quirks and especially here in India. We met the girl from near Agra working at the concessions stand hoping to land a job as an airline hostess. If verve alone can do it, I expect to see her on my next Air India flight. She pointed out the stewardesses gracefully descending the escalator as her “living dream”. An escalator! and a modern duty free mall, a tea and coffee shop, a foreign exchange kiosk that doesn’t allow foreigners to exchange money, and incessant hammering sounds overhead as busy Delhi airport re-imagines itself.

We arrived to find our flight had been cancelled and thus were in the limbo of the transit lounge with our hostess-to-be waiting for boarding passes to allow us to enter the shiny lights of the new terminal. Lucky for us we got seats on an Air India flight, earlier than our original, which cuts our lay-over in half. It will be good to get to Kathmandu and rest after 20+ hours of travel.