Today I asked Kamal, the caretaker at Deki Lodge, where Mount Kanchenjunga lay. Not to my surprise he pointed behind me. So it seems that, unlike the title of one of Sangharakshita's memoirs, I am backing on to Mount Kanchenjunga of which I have only once caught a brief glimpse in Darjeeling.
Not that I am too bothered. Over the last two days the mist has started to clear a little (Kamal says it would require rain to dispel it altogether) and I have been able to sit on the divan on my balcony and look at the partially revealed hills emerging before my eyes. The sky to my left generally is already much clearer and a summer blue, the prayer flags waving in the wind and strangely reminding me of Fleetwood, Lancashire. This may be because the only other flags I generally see fluttering are those on a golf course and Fleetwood has a good links (?) course (and pitch and put!). It's probably not that simple.
ANYWAY, I have enjoyed sitting on the balcony today, reading the Poisonwood Bible, meditating and practicing doing nothing in particular. I have noticed the sounds, the inevitable and pretty constant car horns, the loudspeaking of Indian music, the babble of voices, birdsong that does not belong to pigeon and crow and that which does.
I had a good breakfast of vegetable omelette, coffee and toast this time with a bonus plate of fruit. I've not eaten much fruit this trip and this was a good opportunity for me to use my specially purchased swiss army pen knife to peel the apple. Wholly unnecessary I'm sure.
Later in the afternoon I went in to town to have tea and cake at the 3 C's (I'm not sure what the third C, at least, is) and to purchase yet another prayer flag (I'm really into these things!). I also bought what looks like a dog lead for my yoga practice (don't ask). I've been considering buying a rupa (statue) of Padmasambhava (semi mythical figure important in establishing Buddhism in Tibet) and some Thankas (Buddhist religious art), too, but have not committed yet. It's so hard to know what I 'should' be paying, though Kamal has been helpful this evening.
That's about it for today, you may be relieved to know. I'm enjoying 'The Poisonwood Bible' but also fearing it too. I'm relating to being out of my depth in a foreign land, though I don't think I have it quite so bad as the Price family in the book, whose father is a christian missionary in the Congo.
I hope that Christmas preparations are going well for those who are preparing for it. For everyone else, Happy Christmas (ha!!)
Love
David
