We just got back from our trip to the Tarai, which is all along the Southern border of Nepal. We being the students, teachers, and kitchen staff! We visited Lumbini and Chitwan, and both those places are in South Central Nepal. Lumbini is the birthplace of the last Buddha and Chitwan is famous for its National Parks and animals.
In Lumbini we visited the birthplaces of 3 Buddhas. All together there are supposed to be 5 Buddha's, and the most famous one is the last Buddha, Siddaharta. We had the chance to see the area where he grew up and temples that got built in his honor. At the temple that marks his exact birthplace, there was a group of Vietnamese pilgrims. Seeing them got me present to a memory of my mother. She used to take me and my sister to the Buddhist temple near by our house. There would be all of these old ladies in gray robes running around, setting up the altars, cooking food for the people coming to worship at the temple. She would walk up to them, with each of us in her hands, smile and talk with them in Vietnamese. They would be so happy to see her and croon over me and Mary (we were small and cute). Seeing the Vietnamese pilgrims reminded me so much about the woman my mom is--her kindness, her love. She would leave each person smiling and happy, and made such a difference with people. At the Buddha's birthplace I was able to connect with my mommy, across thousands of miles and back several years. Each day I am touched by who my parents are, the love and devotion they have for each other. The birthplace of the Buddha is such an important place for so many people and has so much meaning for them. One of our program staff, Daphure, is Buddhist and he came with us to the temple. He is so grateful, so thankful, and it's inspiring to see him be at Lumbini. Lumbini has three sections: New Lumbini (where the hotels and shopping centers are), the Sacred Garden (where Buddha's birthplace actually is), and the Monastic Region (where there are international monasteries). We got to see the Sacred Garden and the Monastic Region--a wonderful place to visit.
In Chitwan we stayed in a nice hotel--and there was hot water! The first time in a month! But that wasn't the highlight of the trip. We did a whole bunch of tourist-y things like a jeep safari and riding on elephants! Elephants are called haati in Nepali and they were so beautiful to see and be with. There are set of twin baby elephants! So cute, and they looked exactly like me and Mary (just kidding!) They are a big part of tourism in Nepal, and at the Elephant Breeding Center we learned about how they are trained and bred. We also rode on a canoe that's made out of one big tree and took a walk in the jungle. We saw rhinos, deer, bears, crocodiles and birds. The word for bear in Nepali is baalu--just like in the Jungle Book! I was so excited to find that out.
I also celebrated my birthday in Chitwan, and it was wonderful! I woke up to my roommater, Isabella, wishing me happy birthday and giving me a big hug. Then when I arrived at breakfast, all my friends broke out in "Happy Birthday to you!" They gave me a wonderful card and some gifts! At lunch, our kitchen staff (who are incredibly wonderful and loving people, and I'm convinced that they are happy because their lives are all about giving to other people) made me a cake! It was so delicious and had apples on top with a glaze. Tendidaai, the head of the kitchen staff, wrote "Happy Birthday Elizabeth" on a piece of paper for me. It means a lot to me because he, under the guidance of Margie, wrote it carefully. It was a really touching day and I cried twice. I was just so moved by the generosity and love from everyone there. Later that evening we went to a traditional Tharu dinner. The Tharu people are indigenous to the Tarai and are such beautiful and fun people. We started with receiving tikas (the red dot on the forehead) and roti (bread). Then they passed a bottle of raksi around! Raksi is the rice wine that is made in Nepali. Anyways, I took a swig since it was my 21st birthday! For dinner we had sticky rice, snails, and potatoes. The snails were a new taste, but delicious nonetheless. We ended the night with more dancing! It was a wonderful day, a wonderful way to celebrate my life--learning about the lives of others and being with my new community, my new saathis (friends).
I love you all,
Thank you for your prayers and well wishes and love,
Elizabeth
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