Birth Place of Buddha to the Kathmandu Valley - sacrifices and host families

The birth site of Buddha in Lumbini

Lumbini. Not so shortly after we crossed the border, we settled in a quiet town where Buddha has been proven to be born in. Nothing spectacular. A few temples all very dedicated to Buddha from each Buddhist country in the world. We saw China, Korea and Nepal before we decided it was too hot to bike around anymore. Here it was still 40 degrees. Not what we bargained for, weather-wise.

We retreat back into our room play in the shower, aka wash our clothes. It was about time we had fresh clean clothes again. All hand wash, courtesy of the hotel shower. Just don't tell them. Shhh... We head to Kathmandu 2 nights later.

Trinkets in the market

It was a 10 hour bus ride starting from 7:30am and arriving at 4pm. Kathmandu, Thamel. One of Ian's favourite city so far in the trip. It trumps Varkala and Jaisalmer. The gear stores, for one, and secondly, lots of swanky restaurants, bars, and other establishments, straight up our alley. We were starving for meat. We found a Korea BBQ restaurant. How fitting! We're fresh out of Korea, we know the dishes, and we know how to eat it. We had sam kyap sal, and so gal bi. *Drool*

Afterwards, we found a live band playing in the local pub. It happened to be Nepals New Year, and people are still out celebrating. We met a couple of nice Indians and hung out with them for the better part of the night.

The next day, we head out to meet our trekking

Our host family in Kathmandu

guide, Pema, for our 19 day trek to Everest Base Camp (EBC from here forth). We finally get reunited with our climbing gear. 40kg total, including ice axes, harnesses sleeping bags, shells, down jackets, snow pants, boots... etc. The total list is extensive. We organize all our paperwork and discussed about how to arrange the visa extensions that we need and where to meet. We also bought our tickets to South Africa, after much anticipation from Christa's mother. We started all this first because we won't see Pema until after our volunteership.

Monkey temple

This volunteership, we're heading out to Kavre, just a few kilometers away from Kathmandu, but still a small remote farming town. Some nice mountains out there supposedly. Before we get shipped out there, an awesome host family welcome us into their house for 3 nights. We prepared traditional Nepalese food with the family and they taught us some basic Nepalese.

The volunteer organizer, Sujan, showed us around many many temples. "City of Temples" is Kathmandu's name. And it certainly lives up to its name. "Oh, it's a live sacrifice", the Sujan said as we walked by a puddle of fresh blood on the ground. Hindu's in the city were celebrating a festival. We came in when they were getting the cow ready. The goat had already been sacrificed.

Biggest and oldest temple in Kathmandu

The legs were tie up first and then the cow was shoved onto the ground. They made sure the legs were securely fastened. A Hindi Nepalese pulled out a pokcet knife and lifted up the chin. Makes the first slice and the crowd takes a step back as blood sprayed everywhere, his shirt, the temple, his arms and right around the crowd. The cow didn't make a sound, but you could hear it screaming from the eyes.

The Nepalese man took a cup and collected the blood the was spraying from the jugulars and splashed it on the temple. He did it twice. The neck was still attached, but the esophagus clearly exposed and the blood gurgles out as the cow desperately tries to breath. As the cow inhaled, it drew more blood to the lungs and was trying to cough it out. Finally, the Nepalese man fully decapitates the head as he jams the knife into the neck and rips off the head. He places it on the temple alongside the goats head. Cow has been sacrificed.


For more pictures of our trip in Nepal, check out:

India Nepal border, Lumbini, and Kathmand Rd. 1

Below is a picture of the sacrifice. Warning: Graphic content.

Freshly sacrificed cow and goat