Monkeys.. Many monkeys.. Big monkeys.. small monkeys.. swirming around us.. fighting, delighting in garbage and coca cola bottles.. looking for fleas in eachothers fur...
We are surrounded by these curious and extremely human resembling monkeys in this religious and spiritual place of the Hindu religion; Pashupatinath. It means Animal-husband-leader and is the place of uncountable small temples.. but there is one great.. one that defeats them all in beauty and elegance. The great temple is not accessable for foreigners and non hindus but is stunning on the outside.. It has a top made of gold and 9 silver doors and looks so majestic that it is almost breathtaking...
Pashupatinath is also the place where cremations are happening.. as we pay the entry fee and enter Syambhu we see smoke and as we cross the bridge we see fires burning and a corpse of an old man with a red and yellow blanket put over him lying on the edge of the river that runs through the "Temple City".
We see family standing around the corpse, some with bowed heads, others on knees at the side of the deceased man. We go before they ignite the fire...
After Pashupatinath we take a taxi, that looks like it has been a hundred car crashes, to Boudhanath which is this collosal buddhist temple which a great white circular pyramid with a big golden triangle at the top. On each corner of the temple there are colored papers which have writing on them. I spent half a film just taking pictures of this magnificent temple in all its glory as the sun was at its highest and as it started its descent..
Around the temple we saw buddhist monks who were praying and i even saw a pack of young buddhist monks who were gathered at the foots of the temple and look like they were going to pray. Unlike the hindu temple, the priests didnt ask for money which was nice for a change because i was like a knife in the heart when you saw such a holy man asking for money and posing for a picture.
On the same evening the Global Changers had a goodbye party as most of them had to leave the day after! There were tears as the people at the platform had to say goodbye and received presents from the Global Changers. It was so beautiful seeing Hindu, Buddhists, Muslims, Atheists and Christians having a party together with no quarrels..
I particularly became good friends with a guy from Burma (Myanmar) who had given me a "End Poverty Now" bracelet earlier.. I gave him my bracelet from the Roskilde Festival that i had had for two years and which meant alot to me.. He was so thankful and ended up giving me the traditional legwear in Burma called a Longe which sort of looks like the dress that the samurai wear in "The Last Samurai". To show my thankfulness and to give him something traditional from Scandinavia i gave him my swedish football jersey which made him very happy..
The day after there was hugs from him everytime we met on the platform until he left for the airport at 11 in the morning. He went back to Myanmar to start a new Activista program that he said i was welcome to join..
Everyday here feels like a month.. There isnt a day without action, not a day with restlessness.. I am in love with Nepal and Asia..
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