On the Road to = Kathmandu?

On the Road to Kathmandu?

In the vedas long long ago it was = written in=20 prophecy the signs of the initiation of the rule of Kali - = She=20 dances fiercely with sword in hand and the heads of many around = her neck,=20 nothing can hide from her firey eyes, the cycle of chaos and = spiritual=20 awakening is upon us . . . . from the west will return the Aryans = - not as=20 conquerors not as the holy Brahmins but clothed in the rags and = versed in=20 the ways of the untouchables . . . justice will be = served.

It=20 seems like a dream to me now . . . . a foggy yet at times such a = vivid=20 dream. The days of tales from the infamous pudding shop in = Istanbul about=20 the high adventures on the road to Kathmandu. I welcome fellow TIME=20 TRAVELERS to share a story and scan what you can. I = believe we=20 can collectively weave a piece of living history at = RanchoBozo.com, alive=20 within virtual space. The cyber back pack will be opened. We're = waiting to=20 hear from those who lived to tell about it. Peer through the doors = of=20 perception . . . . . words and photography by wayne elkin . . . . = BOM=20 SHIVA SHANKAR

[RanchoBozo]=20 [SONGS] [FIREpit]=20 [ramblings]= =20 <= B>[InTown]=20 [COOL = LINKS] [ELKINsDIET]=20 [scie= nce]=20

KATHMANDU in=20 73

walking=20 in Kathmandu=20

NAMNASTE'
The Who abandoned = their PA=20 system and generator to sustain the full moon fire dancing = madness of=20 Anjuna Beach, Goa, India. Was there truth to this or any of the = other=20 legends and rumors? All tropical possibilities ride on only a two = week=20 trek with a second class ticket on the Tehran Express (the = Istanbul=20 Express heading East belching smoke on frozen tracks) assorted ox = carts,=20 camels, jam packed buses, and taxis on treacherous mountain roads = in the=20 dead of winter. Sleeping vertical and eating solid hard eggs fried = in=20 motor oil never felt or tasted so good. Who could you trust? = Anyone?=20 Everyone? the sounds-the smells Anyone? Everyone? Look deep into = those=20 hollow heptic eyes next to you. Yet we came to Kathmandu like moths to = an=20 unfrosted light bulb in the darkness of night.

THE STATELY COURTYARD of the = KATHMANDU=20 LODGE (my abode)

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Kathmandu is the capital city of = Nepal; the=20 most sophisticated populated modern cosmopolitan city in the = entire=20 theocracy. The Kathmadu Lodge was in the heart of the city. The = hotel=20 opened up into a beautiful courtyard. Buildings were often = hundreds of=20 years old. The Kathmandu Lodge was excellent (always serving = boiled=20 water). Rufus the rooster provided daily wake up service. The = lodge had=20 two real working showers with hot water and served perfect soft = boiled=20 eggs for breakfast (see [ELKIN's=20 DIET]). When I think about it now the Kathmandu Lodge was like = a Rancho=20 Bozo for three life altering months.

A TEMPLE AT EVERY = CORNER

Lord Shiva the greatest of all = Sadus=20 meditates at a temple built in his honor. There are more temples = in=20 Kathmandu than there are any other type of public structure. Which = is what=20 one might expect in a theocracy. Kathmandu is ruled by her king an = incarnate of Vishnu the Sustainer. Vishnu? nothing, Vishnu with = you?* With appologies to Vishnu the originator of that line. = Nepal is=20 a very Holy place embracing Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity = for=20 centuries. The theocracy of Nepal has protected and supported = Tibetan=20 Buddhist refuges for a half of a century (commendable for a = country as=20 poor as Nepal). Please pray daily for the people of Nepal. They = pray daily=20 for all of us. Don't you rebels = listen=20 to John? "if you carry pictures of Chairman Mao your not going to = make it=20 with anyone anyhow" * actually from the National = Lampoon=20 Radio Dinner LP

The TEMPLE is a part of=20 nature

There is an organic quality in the = temples=20 of Kathmandu. The weathered earth tones of the temples and rich = patenas on=20 the bells and gongs look as though they grew slowly from the = ancient earth=20 itself. The people use the natural shelters in every way = imaginable. Giant=20 stalagmites of colored wax grow from the thousands of devotional = candels=20 lit year after year. Every moment day or night a distant temple = bell=20 chimes somewhere in the great city of Kathmandu. After all Vishnu = is their=20 King.=20

WHY WE ARE VEGETARIAN (the=20 logic)

All living things are respected as = a=20 physical manifestation of God. Cows are living things more over = cows=20 provide the milk for Krishna's milk maids. Is more needed to be=20 said?

WHY WE ARE VEGETARIAN? Holy=20 Cow!

There is a sacred quality of the = mother=20 child relationship be it gods, bovine, or human. Cows still and = always=20 will wander the city streets in the hard pack pastures of Nepal = and India. If cows run free = then why=20 can't we? How does it veal?

=20

The story of Ganesh was revealed = after=20 having lunch with Vikash my supervisor at Goodman Building Supply. = According to Vikash, Shiva who perfered solitude and meditation = did not=20 want to give his wife Parvati a child. Parvati rubbed herself with = an=20 ointment of the gods and created Ganesh . . . Shiva was upset when = he=20 found a strange young man was guarding his bedroom door . . . a = fight=20 ensued and Ganesh lost his head his replacement head was from an = innocent=20 elephant bystander . . . Shiva soon adopted Ganesh. Genesha became = the god=20 of overcoming obstacles, new beginings and the god of wealth. = Ganesha is a=20 very popular god of modern Hinduism.

There was a little web = exploration=20 and it is clear that the once infamous book The Road to Katmandu is now = religated to the=20 silicon dusty confines of back water regions of cyber space and = yet.=20

. . . . still writing like a rebel without a clause . . . = . was it=20 a hippy trail to=20 paradise?

This photo is unsetteling (yeah, = the poor=20 guy looks like he's lost his head when you tilt your's while = watching an=20 LCD screen) . . . I shot before asking questions . . . this is the = outskirts of Kathmandu . . . just past the Bagmati River . . . . =

=20

The road to Kathmandu is dotted = with=20 roadside buisnesses TATA = truck=20 repair, chia and snack shops, and plenty of trinketts and bobles = that=20 rarely go bling bling?

On the road again . . . satchel in = hand=20 departing from the metropolis near the top of planet earth . . . = Will=20 he ever return to Kathmandu? I never have . . .

[RanchoBozo]=20 [SONGS] [FIREpit]=20 [ramblings]= =20 <= B>[InTown]=20 [COOL = LINKS] [ELKINsDIET]=20 [scie= nce]=20

=A9 2008 Wayne = Elkin – SuburbianCowboy@RanchoBozo= .com=20