Kathmandu to Pokhara

Michelle writes:
I was warned not to expect to arrive anywhere on time. The 6-hour bus ride to Pokhara turned into 16 hours!  We left Kathmandu at 7 a.m., leaving the city with traffic and pollution for my retreat on the mountainside. The brightly-decorated trucks were rolling into the city. Scooters were jockying in-and-out of traffic, horns beeping.  Pramila walked with me to the bus stop, haggled a banana purchase, and made sure I was on the correct bus. I'm sure I could have taken a taxi and found the correct bus, but it was good to have someone watching out for me.

I had a window seat which was great for viewing the terraced landscape. A gal from Austria sat next to me. She, too, will be attending the 10-day holiday at Sadhana yoga--a small  world, once again.

Apparently, farther up the road, the police had stopped some cars, looking for drugs. The various versions of the story included people being stoned, someone killed, the family demanding money from the police, and the villagers coming and blockading the road. Whatever was the truth, I'm not sure. Luckily for us, we had stopped along the roadside for toilet and food, so we were not stranded on the road in the heat. We had tables and chairs, shade, and food, which eventually ran out. The ice cream went fast! Three buses were there with approximately 50 people each. It was a great opportunity to visit and hear peoples' stories. A French family living in India had a 36-hour trip to Kathmandu which should have been 5 hours, so I have done well. People are not happy with the current government; road blocks and strikes are common.

Now, I am at Sadhana, a beautiful retreat. It is a day of rest, and tomorrow my day begins a 5:30 a.m.
Namaste!

Later: This computer is driving me crazy. BREATHE BREATHE OM OM

The long, hot trip is over, and I finally made it to the studio. It's restful--I feel it already. This place is a whole world away, literally but also energy-wise. There are many women travelers, and it's good to connect with that energy, wisdom, and self-reliance. This is more of a hippee zone then Guatemala was, but very similar: poverty, landscape, colorful houses, vehicles, and religious symbols everywhere, friendly helpful folks.

I'm still negotiating the bathrooms: holes in the floor are common with a water bucket and cup. Toilet paper doesn't exist, and nothing flushes. Showers are often a faucet and another bucket and scoop. In this heat, anything is welcome.

To get a phone you have to show a passport and photo, so Pramila picked one up for me with her paperwork to make my life simpler. I was told that the sim card would register in the morning, but it didn't, and now I have to buy another with my passport. I didn't get the phone under my name, so who knows? Maybe it was a $25 donation to the economy. It was more for convenience than necessity, anyway.

This place is all about lessons on attachment and letting go. We are so orderly in the U.S., and here, you flow, giving up preconceived notions of how it should go. 
Now to experience the yoga classes with nonattachment. The day's schedule is full, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have for internet. The keyboard keeps glitching on me--standard in these cafes. I'm not sure about sending photos, as it is so slow. My iPad is not charging, and I'm not sure why, but I have a couple of other options to try. Everything is challenging compared to our world

Next time you use toilet paper, think of how many squares you use and relish that ease of consumption!