The flight out of Kathmandu was probably one of the most picturesque I've been on - only comparable to our flight out of Lukla. Thanks to Dad secretly pre-booking the best seats again, I was treated one last time to a wonderful view of the Himalayas, in their full splendour. The view was better than it was coming in, with the mountains apearing closer this time around. Or maybe it was because after all that trekking and talk from Ngwang, I've learned to recognise at least some of them. :)
Nepal is good training ground. Not just physically, but mentally and spiritually too. As much as I'm glad to be back where wifi, western toilets that can flush with toilet paper, good showers - just to name a few - aren't a luxury, I can never be more thankful for my time in Nepal that I've already started to miss. I'll miss experiencing the raw grandeur of nature at its most beautiful and powerful, and treasuring the innocent joy captured in the smile of a child living a life unadulterated by materialism or technology. I'll miss witnessing the strong Sherpas carrying their heavy loads over mountains like it's nothing too difficult and being with Ngwang, quietly and sometimes openly laughing at his antics, and him, at mine. I'll miss the sound of the prayer wheels spinning and the bell that sometimes accompany them, the colours of prayer flags decorating the wind, the long mani walls to ponder on and even seeing the drunk monk in action, chanting his prayers sipping his beer/rice wine in between. I'll miss only being concerned about the weather at the start of the day and being able to walk at my own pace and not the world's. The simplicities and beauty of life are so apparent in Nepal. They put so much into perspective for me. I just have to let the picture they're painting in my mind, settle before I can fully reflect and understand.
Namaste!
"I understand once again that the greatness of God always reveals itself in the simple things."
-Like the Flowing River, Paulo Coelho
