Monday, April 24, 2006

I Think I'm Going to Kathmandu. (Or Maybe Not) I read somewhere that Nepal stands for Never-Ending Peace And Love. And, on my historic voyage through Nepal in the waning months of the last millennium, I'd have to agree. Despite being one of the poorest countries on the planet, the people were friendly and open. Amid the dust and grubbiness were the bright flashes of prayer flags, freshly painted Buddha's eyes and pagoda rooftops that glowed red in the sunset. The mountains were tall enough to be the homes of gods, but they actually lived around every corner in small shrines and neat monasteries among the smiling monks with shaved heads and saffron robes. It was enough to bring a lightness to a heavy heart that had recently been through lost loves and lost jobs. At the lowest point in my life, I was able to stand face to face with the highest point in the world. The experience has turned to blood within me. Kickin' on the rooftop, Kathmandu-style in '99 On May 5th I'm scheduled to return to Kathmandu where we'll then hike into Tibet and on to its capital city, Lhasa. But due to the continuing political unrest, it looks like the trip may have to be cancelled. I'm assuming you know a little bit about the situation, because any time my dad is able to discuss world events beyond a FOX News-level, I assume the rest of the world knows too. Here's your nutshell: Under pressure, King Birenda restores democracy to Nepal in 1990. In 2001, drunken gun nut and crown prince Dipendra massacres the king, queen and a dozen other royals. Prince Gyanendra becomes King Gyanendra, disbands parliament and assumes total control over the country. He says his strong hand is needed to defeat the Maoist rebels in the hills who want to establish a Communist republic and have killed 13,000 people over the past decade to get their point across. The Maoists and the seven political parties decide they all hate the king, so they form a loose pact to oust him. People speak out against the king and are arrested. Which pisses off more people. Which leads to curfews. Which leads to a strike in Kathmandu that essentially shuts the whole city down. More and larger protests are met with more brutal and deadly force by the outnumbered and beleaguered security forces. I think this cartoon sums up the situation rather well: Now it seems like just a matter of time before the monarchy is toppled. Hundreds of thousands of people are taking to the streets and seem intent on storming the Royal Palace. I'm entranced by the spectacle of ordinary people willing to face beatings and death to create a political change and perhaps a better life for themselves. I can guarantee that when (and it's going to be a matter of when, not if) elections are held, there will be a higher turnout than any election held here in our country. Unfortunately, a shoot-on-sight curfew and machine gun toting communist zealots--branded terrorists by our government--seldom make for a fun spring getaway. Apart from the obvious safety issues, it totally buggers the logistics of getting supplies for the trek or even getting out of town to start. I can't believe a trip I've been planning almost a year for is being ruined because the last Hindu King in the middle of the Himalayas refuses to give up his Lincoln Towncars. As of yet, he hasn't responded to any of the emails I've left at his MySpace site. Sigh. I've just received an email from Warren while I was typing this. Our trip is officially cancelled. It's a big world. There are plenty of places yet to explore. And right now I have itchy feet and a loaded pack. All I need is a direction. 2:42:42 PM    Say it don't spray it... []

© Copyright 2007 Scott Jorgensen. Last update: 1/4/07; 8:58:13 AM.