Is there any remedy to overcome this lassitude?
An early morning jogging across the heritage city perhaps helps invigorate the long lost pride of being Kathmanduties; the pride though quickly dies away in no time the moment I pass through a dumpster parked right next to Kasthamandap.
Probably a bar hopping along narrow lanes of Thamel and Jhamel on a Friday evening helps surmount the stress that mounts to its peak every week; the excitement to meet good old friends however dies away slowly, with discussion on politics heating up with every additional sip of chilled beer.
The city is mushrooming with big malls offering several activities one can enjoy within an air-conditioned space. Maybe a window shopping in its dust free air-conditioned environment, a pampering lunch in its food court and a movie in its multiplex helps forget the anxieties. However, the musical numbers staged in its central court gets distorted to a mere cacophony amid unruly crowd making impossible to stay even for a minute. The anxiety rather worsens.
A day trip to a nearby resort away from hassles and bustles of the city in Dhulikhel, Nagarkot or Godawari possibly helps but it in no time gets interrupted by clatters from a bunch of drinking urbanites – similar crowd we see in any bars in the city. The saga remains subdued in our heart.
The continuing search for a retreat one day took me to Kano Dada Namo Buddha Resort, about 70km south east of Kathmandu, up in the hill at an altitude of about 6,500 feet. An hour-long ride from Kavre in a four wheel drive on an earthy track, half of which has been washed away by monsoon rain, was tiring but adventurous. Collapsing on a rustic wooden bench, laying astray on its terraced deck with my back aching due to driving an old Tata Sumo without its suspension working properly, I said to myself I would not unpack my backpack! Spread over 300 ropanies of woody farm with few earthy looking cottages, the resort looked too simple to be impressed in the first instance but with each passing minute, it started mesmerizing me as it unfolded the stock of its rich mystical experiences.
Subtle fragrance of wild flowers blooming and fruits ripening, absolute greenery that extend beyond the horizon, cool breeze blowing without any signs of manmade noises and patches of cloud rising from down below were just amazing. The smiles on the faces of each of the attendants and peculiar but refreshing taste the homemade welcome drink served had were unbelievably hospitable. The earthy looking cottages blended with the terrain and local architecture smartly adopted in each of its creations – be it a slated roof, a rough cut stone wall, a hand cut solid wooden door, a stone terrace or a walkway or a wooden LED tuki like lamppost – were equally tantalizing. It was an out of this world experience spending a night in one of the cottages there, split into two floors with a bed in the ground floor. A master bedroom tucked into its mezzanine were low in height and small in size as in the houses we see in our villages. They were yet equipped with simple but very comfortable local furniture and fully furnished rest room.
I now understand why a meal at Lahana in Kirtipur run by a cooperative of more than 60 households is more of an experience than eating in a fine dining restaurant in King’s Way.
Contrary to what a trekker normally expects for a dinner at the end of a long tiring day, only vegetarian food is served there. Each meal though is artistically garnished, unbelievingly tempting and is prepared from food grown in its own organic farm. It is difficult to believe the wife of the owner, who is from Germany, saying the rice to corn, the vegetables to fruits, the milk to fruit jam and honey they serve are all produced there. Not only the world the German couple has transformed, but also the surrounding Tamang villages and the nearby Buddhist shrines are equally welcoming and friendly.
Every second spent there was tantalizing and reenergized my dying spirit to a new level. Perhaps I found my retreat there! Lesson well learnt! Where grandeur and sophistication do not work, simplicity helps. Now I know why a drink and dance in Thamel House is more relaxing than in any vibrant bars in the town. Now I understand why a meal at Lahana in Kirtipur run by a cooperative of more than 60 households is more of an experience than eating in a fine dining restaurant in King’s Way. Now, I can comprehend why tourists from all over the world visit Nepal to explore our remote villages, to search the moment and place not spoilt by sophistication. The minimalism is what is inherent within us and natural to us. That’s why we adore it and the world loves it.
rajan_pradhan2001@yahoo.com
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