The Traveler sees what he sees... and

the Tourist sees what he had come to see. I read somewhere in the bookstore today! Interesting :))

This quote reminded me of a rather interesting email my mom sent today. She's not on facebook but she reads my blog (miaplaya.blogspot.com... most of you I think read my blog notes on fb because it is all connected, although FB doesn't really updates them, so I suggest reading my blog on the blogger site)... my blog is also then linked to my flickr account where she can view the pictures I upload (unlike again most of you who see them on FB).

Anyway... as you can imagine, uploading photos to FB and to flickr simultaneously can be rather challenging over the modem and in a country where electricity is considered luxury! For every 20min I successfully upload something to the Internet I go through 45min of loss / failure. But, such is life here in Nepal. Among other things, one learns how to practice patience :))

So, I emailed my parents a picture of the room I'm staying in among a couple of other pics, just so they can visualize the place. And my mom writes back: My dearest, thanks for the pics! They look lovely! So glad to see your room is sunny and spacious and colorful. I was afraid you were staying in a small dungeon or something... I'm also glad to see you have a nice garden where you can enjoy reading books and relaxing. Thanks for emailing us and letting us know you are well. We are peaceful now..... love, mom"

Well, yes the picture looked GOOD (as you can see). And, yes, I'm very happy with the room and board, believe me, I'm very practical and simple when it comes to those things. It's awesome if I have a decent bed to sleep in - that's truly all I care about. A huge window is a big plus, and being on a second floor is a luxury (love the views from the top!).

Now, the things that she didn't see were these - and, I'm writing this just to paint the reality of the situation not to rant or complain...

There was no electricity in the Guest House some 16 hours per day every day. During that time the power back-up would be hauling and drumming right below my window loudly as hell! hahaha (I would usually then get up and dance to my iPod to tire myself out to sleep... haha (no electricity to read books).

There was no hot water in the room! yes, I learned quickly how to shower in cold water (all I had to do is try really hard to imagine I was in the Caribbean feeling the HOT Sun;)) one's mind is a powerful thing :)) and also, this is where growing up in Serbia and living through wars comes in handy! ha!

The faucet was so old that I decided to keep the light off in the bathroom whenever I could. And the toilet was a floor-hole-special style ;)) remember those?!! you pray not to fall in the hole... hahaha (oh, i'm laughing as I'm typing!)

The shower was right next to the toilet without a drain on the ground. Instead, there was a bucket on the floor so you were suppose to put the bucket next to you as you were taking a shower to "get rid of the water." I don't think I need to add that the water pressure was "misaona imenica" sto bi mi Srbi rekli... non-existent!

My pillow was so hard that I decided to sleep without one. And my mattress was a tiny bit more padded than the one you have on one of those fold out beds! :))

The chairs in the room were great, and so was the mirror! Hallelujah! ;))

This IS what I call back to the basics!!! Life is not about luxury as you can imagine here in Nepal. Life is purely about SURVIVAL.

... I had a huge rat fall right in front of me from the first floor of one of the buildings while I was walking on the street this morning... I had young men offer me drugs on the street last night... I had men asking me to go to bed with them as I was walking on the street... I had bikers almost run over me on the street... I had tourists asking to take pictures of them in front of famous temples... I experienced a boy giving me a flower while walking on the street... I met a girl asking me to take a picture of her while on the street... I saw some of the most beautiful children while on the street... I saw fashionably dressed nepalese girls, smiling, on the street... I saw little kids laughing on the street... I saw people falling asleep, people begging, hungry, people working, people sweating, people LIVING THE LIFE as they saw it on the street...

That is the REALITY of life experienced by a traveler... that is the REAL picture of Kathmandu by Mia as she sees it...

Curious George is off to India !! ;))

I had another relaxing day in Kathmandu today. In fact, it was what I call a girly day :)) It started off with a cappuchino (that I brought over from Split! Thanks Dragice! you know, one of those in a bag :) and I was a real European in that I ordered only a bucket of hot water and a mug for $0.20, and still managed to enjoy my coffee in the biggest and prettiest garden of Thamel where they charge $2 for a cup of coffee!)

I then checked my email and had a chance to say 'good morning' and chat with my great friend from Boston!:)) exchange a few emails with my mom and dad, read a few lovely emails from Paris, and respond to more notes from my friends. All in all a productive Internet session. There was only me and another Nepalese girl in the cafe. She runs the place - she's really cool (always dressed in their traditional clothes with lots of jewelery but very tom-boyish like).

And then, I was off splurge at the SPA place -- I got a full package today: a massage, steam and sauna, washed my hair and then topped it off with a foot massage! (I traded a continental breakfast for this!! unbelievable!)
And yes,... I feel great!!!
And yes, I feel as if I am melting as I'm typing ...!!! :))))

Snezana, I'm just practicing before you take me to Thailand and spoil me with all-day massages there! ;))) I can't wait!

It's time for some banana and aloe juice :)) and then time to pack and go to India!

Mango ladies - here I come (a dear friend of mine told me one can find the best mango juice in India. And, those who know me, know that I LOVE mangoes!!! I could live on mangoes!!!)

Taj Mahal - the most romantic place on Earth (Dejan says;), and other Parisian people say it would be 'Heaven on Earth' if visited with coucou girls like me;)) - .... Taj Mahal - let's see what you have to offer... ;)))
Here I come!

And... off she goes :))

Have a nice the rest of the week all! Talk to more Sunday!

Srecna Slava familijo i prijatelji! Djurdjevdan!!

Dragi moji roditelji, brate Petre, i sestrice Vera (sa familijom), SRECNA VAM SLAVA!

Danas je Djurdjevdan! Neka vam je dan suncan, srecan i pun tradicije i veselja! :))

Bar da mi je da malo proslavim sa vama... malo supice, mesa, koljiva, kolaca, i naravno vina!!! Uzivajte i za mene!

LJubim vas i volim!

Naravno, cestitam slavu svim ostailma koji danas slave! ZIVI BILI!

Life is a Journey...

Now, there's a handful of you my dear friends who may appreciate my Nepalese notes :)) (they are not religious or anything, merely simple - life related notes)...
So, this is to all of you who are facing new challenges in life (graduating schools, moving, starting new jobs, working on new projects, finishing up pre-schools and starting schools;), or whatever it may be...).

Congratulations to all of you for facing new beginnings and best of luck with mastering them/yourself along the way! ;)))

Here's a few words of wisdom from this short little book I read yesterday called "Keep Going"

"Life is a journey made one step at a time, sometimes easy and too often difficult.
We must make this journey by taking those steps. After all, it begins with a single one. Nowhere is it written that a step must be a certain lenght to matter or to advance us along our path. Nor is it written that our steps must always be strong. Life simply demands that we take one step at a time.

Sometimes we are strong and we can make long and purposeful strides.
Sometimes the road itself is so rough that all we can magnage is crawl, no matter how strong or weak we are. And as we all know, the journey itself can and does wear us down. Yet we are never diminished or set back, no matter how small, seemingly weak, or inconsequential a step may be.

Every difficulty, every storm, no matter how large or however strong it may be, can never defeat even the weakest step, because it is an expression of hope. Every step is a prayer answered. Every step is a spark that defies the darkness of despair.

Defy the darkness!" And, Keep Going!

Silence... peace... Mia's heart is beating tres fort in Nepal!

"The Earth has a heartbeat, and in between each beat a silence. That silence is the time when the Earth's life force gathers strength for the next beat. You must learn to do the same. Use the silence to gather yourself."

Today was such day for me... I woke up early, around 5am. Re-read a few pages of the book "Keep Going" and am re-reading Markesovu "100 yrs of Solitude" (quite appropriate for Nepal you'd think;))

Just around 6am, I went downstairs to the front lobby to check my email. Two of the staff boys that work in the hotel were sleeping on yoga mats right by the computer! I let them sleep and returned to my room to get a scarf as it was still breezy outside so I could go on a morning walk.

Walking around Thamel, a part of Kathmandu where I'm staying is always an adventure. There's only a handful of streets but they all look alike!! It's like one of those jig-saw puzzles where colors and shapes really do like alike! And, it can be frustrating... until... until that moment you start relaxing your eyes, your mind and start noticing different colored signs higher up, way above your head! Okay, there's a pumpernickle bakery (there's only one of those, i know for sure), and there's only one Kathmandu Guest House... there's a hundred and one atms, 101 cafes, 101 bookstores, 101 mountain trekking stores, 101 jewelry stores...

It was early in the morning and you could pretty much only see store owners cleaning in front of their stores and getting things ready for another busy day. Most of the coffee shops were closed but I found Jesse James Coffee place and decided to go in.

The place was spacious with tables outside in the garden. They have lots of little flowers everywhere and of course, prayer flags are hanging from every which direction. Nepal is mighty colorful!

There's this positive madness in the city, btw!!
It surely is hectic... wait - it's MADNESS everywhere you turn. But, there's some kind of a exciting madness in the air!! People are smiling and look enthusiastic despite the ongoing car/bike horns that are tooting, despite the dusty air, despite the simplicity of everything around you and mind I say filthy roads... But, most people are excited -- all they can think of is their trip up to the mountains and the nature! (this may be just me talking :))

I know I can't wait to be in the nature!!! I can't wait to feel the fresh air... to feel cold... to feel sweaty and weary from trekking all day... to feel so tired that the moment you sit down in a mountain hut at night you fall asleep... :))

Anyway, here I was at Jesse James' coffee place, drinking coffee with milk. They refill my cup and 2 flies fly right in. Oh well, they bring another cup and tell me to use one of my postcards to cover the top of the mug. I say - but of course, and smile back ;))

I had a pile of postcards to fill out.... It felt as if I have shared my coffee time with all of you, dear family & friends around the World. That is one of the reasons I enjoy writing postcards! It always feel as if we were together for a few moments... and, I also know that most of you enjoy receiving them, and share those moments in return :))
It is a habit my parents gave me as a little girl!

And, those are some of the moments I also treasure during my travels, like seeing new places, meeting new people, and learning about new cultures! Reconnecting and keeping my family and friends close is also very important.

The manager of the restaurant approached me to introduce himself and ask if I needed anything. He noticed I was writing postcards and asked if I needed stamps. I kindly said yes. He said: No problem, madam, we will bring you as many as you need. And, so they did. I spent another hour reading a book in the sun and enjoyed listening to a group of German guys talk about their descent from the Everest camp. They were all smiles (really!) and among other things said that it was extremely windy. Bring a mask for your face. Will do! ;))

As I was walking back to Acme's Guest House, I decided to get a full-body massage at a spa place I visited yesterday. Ahhh, one hour of pure heaven ;)) Loved it! :)))

I was then off to the garden of the Guest House to continue with reading and reflecting on life, love, and lots of other things....:))

Silence... peace...

And, ... I felt my heart beat tres fort...

Life can give you Strength ("Keep Going" by J. Marshall)

It was awesome to see so many bookstores in Thamel, Kathmandu!! (yes, picture bookstores on those crazy little streets you've seen in pics... in fact, they have all kinds of stores and pretty much everything a tourist would need on a trip far far far away from home). I think if you got here in a pair of shorts, flip-flops and a shirt, it would be possible for you to climb Mt. Everest!! It is unbelievable how much gear and clothes and things they have here! North-face outlet on steroids! ;))

I got a few books, some about Tenzing and Hillary's ascent and some about short stories in Nepal and India (Sidharta style).

While I was getting my hair washed yesterday (there was no water in my room, so I had to get it washed across the street at a "spa" place. Believe it or not, i also got a pedi/meni and a massage, all for $20 total!!;)) c'est la vie! that's what I vall VALUE!!!!
I finished a short book called "Keep Going" by Joseph Marshall III, filled with interesting stories about life.

Here's a short excerpt:

"If we can learn to look back on the difficulties we have known, whether old or new, then we have moved past them, at least in time. That we are looking back at a toufh experience from the perspectve of the present moment means we have survived it. The experience may have taken a toll, as difficulties do, but whatever our losses may have been, we have survived.

Survival is victory because we know, or we are reminded, that it is possible. The experience, the difficulty, has taught us, or reminded us, that we can be strong."

"Facing those storms, those unbelievably hard times, means accepting the REALITY of life. Because denying that bad things can happen never prevents them from happening.

LIFE IS MEANT TO BE LIVED, NOT AVOIDED.

There are no 10 easy lessons, nor even a 100. But to face every day with its set of experiences and circumstances is fuel for the soul and energy for the spirit, because EVERY DAY ADDS TO WHAT AND WHO YOU ARE.

You rise every morning with the opportunity to grow, to add to the depth of your character, to increase your knowledge.

Every experience no matter how meaningless it may seem to be, is a GIFT.
And so is every person who crosses your path, whether friend or foe, because difficult situations and difficult people teach us patience and tolerance."

..... Whatever doesn't kill you - makes you stronger!

Kathmandu - bumping into friends from college, San Fran!!

Just when I thought I was headed to the area of the World where I didn't know anybody, I bumped into my college friends, a couple from San Fran!

Tatyana and Todd (braca Rusi) - we went to college some 8-9 yrs ago and studied finance together.

Tatyana ended up as an investment banker and decided to quit her job in Feb, just like me, and Todd was in consulting and decided to join her on a world tour this year.

They started in South East Africa and slowly made their way to Nepal.

Safe and happy travels and talk to you upon our return "back home" - whereever that may be in a few months!

Katmandu (serbian version) - MESTO PUNO CUDA!

Polubog uzvraca udarac

Planinska visoravan Katmandu nalazi se na 1.300 m nadmorske visine To je ostatak planinskog jezera koje je pre 10.000 godina iznenada ispustilo vodu kroz klisuru Chobar na jugu. Geolozi smatraju da je to isticanje bilo izazvano zemljotresom, ali narod Nevar koji ovde zivi vekovima zna bolje: polubog Manjushri napravio je cudo jednim jedinim udarcem svog svetlosnog maca. Pripadnici naroda Nevar su hinduisti i veruju u prirodu, a uz to su dobre drvodelje, te su izradili umetnicka dela kojima mozete da se divite u mnogim hramovima.

Katmandu ("Kuca od drveta") svoje pocetke je verovatno imao u X veku kada se udruzilo nekoliko sela na starom karavanskom i hodocasnickom putu izmedju Tibeta i Indije. Monasi i trgovci doneli su sa sobom svoje vere, najpre budizam, zatim hinduizam te ucenje tibetanskih lama. Stoga su u Katmanduu vredni graditelji u XVI i XVII veku podiglli tako mnogo razlicitih verskih gradjevina za nevarske kraljeve. Desetine svetilista nastalo je u vreme vladavine kralja Pratape Mala (1641-1674), nedogmatskog mistika.

Daleko od bucnih ulica nalaze se stari delovi Katmandua koji izgledaju kao da se uopste nisu promenuli tokom vekova. Ovde svete krave zvacu smece koje lezi naokolo, a mrsavi psi jure se po ulicama. Stare trgovacke kuce zbijene su jedna uz drugu u uskim ulicama s umetnicki izrezbarenim izlozima, i zajedno izgledaju kao spomenici iz doba dinastije Mala, koji cine muzej nepalske i tibetanske arhitekture na otvorenom. Hinduisticka svetilista pravougaone osnove i krovovi na tri vode smenjuju se sa zaobljenim budistickim pagodama, duhuljastim dvoranama za molitve i paviljonima s likovima bogova i maskama demona.

Na srednini trga Durbar nalazi se stara kraljevska palata Doka sa devet spratova, koja se sastoji od hramova i velikih dvorana za prijeme. Gradjevina je posvecena majmunskom bogu Hanumanu, zastitniku od bolesti. U skloput tog kompleksa iskazuje se i postovanje slonovskoj glavi boga Ganesa, boga mudrosti i bogatstva. Zlatna vrata vode do dvorista gde se krunise nepalski vladar. U jos jednom dvoristu koje se zove Mul Chowk, zrtvuju se bizon, jarac i petao da bi se dobila milost boginje Durge.

KATMANDU JE MESTO PUNO CUDA. U svakoj ulicici naici cete na neku malu tajnu, a svaki hram je prava legenda. Ovaj grad mnogih religija na jarkom svetlu u visokim Himalajima savrseno je odrdiste za zapadnjake, kojima omogucava da privremeno zaborave cistu racionalnost koja vlada u njihovom svetu.

KATHMANDU, NEPAL 2009

Delhi, India was my layover to Kathmandu. While in Delhi, I met 2 girls from the USA (Salt Lake and New York) and a lady from Washington DC. The girls were on their way to trek the Annapurna circle and the lady went off to check out tea-plantations and other cultural sights.

I arrived to Kathmandu on Sunday morning, May 3rd, 2009. Slept all day Sunday, and 14 hours at night. I woke up on Monday at 11am, went downstairs to the lobby to upgrade my room to the one with a bathroom (no hot water though), and then check my email. While checking my mail, I had an opportunity to meet and chat with a group of people from Paris! They were off to tour the valley, and I was off to tour Kathmandu.

As I travel through the World...

... I realize that:

"There was a language in the world that everyone understood. It was the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as a part of a search for something believed in and desired."

P.C.