She looked at me. Her stare was gentle but confident. She watched me as I walked down the streets of Patan past the vendors. In America, she may have been scolded in fear of making me (the victim) uncomfortable, but I felt welcome as she smiled.
We followed a stone staircase up off the street to the rooftop. She ran from her post with the other children to greet us as we approached the top. Her words came flooding out of her mouth. I knew she was asking questions, but what good was an English answer that most likely didn't confront her question. I smiled instead, but all I really wanted to do was talk with her.
We could see from the rooftop the ancient temples of Nepal.
On foot, you cannot travel more than a few feet without the presence of a temple/shrine, holy water, pictures of gods & goddesses plastered on home and business fronts...every part of daily life is surrounded, encompassed by religion. Prayer is never forgotten and karma is always present.
Boys play in the holy water, while some come to drink and gather it in jars, others simply take a moment to step in and rinse the dust off their feet
We found that everywhere we would travel to in Nepal, we would be warmly welcomed. The people have a generosity and kindness that is baffling at times. I loved being amongst the Nepali people, but my heart broke for them. They are surrounded by a religion, yet they themselves rarely experience love.
I love the kite photo!
ReplyDeleteThese Nepal photos are amazing.
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