It took universal peace and love for singer Janis Joplin to cry out Kathmandu. It took humanity for multi-millionaire John Woods to leave Microsoft and open 'Room to Read'. However, it was Dharmashala that made American tourist Asucena Sue Colon come to Nepal. Though Colon had come for Dharmashala, she ended up loving Nepal and enjoying Dal Bhat and Nepali tea.
"I knew about Nepal since I was young, and I always wanted to travel there… Tibet especially," wrote Asucena from Thailand. She has been staying in Thailand since the past two years, teaching in a local primary school. By the way Colon holds Master's degree in education from her hometown Connecticut.
Asucena visited Nepal last April and stayed here for over a month. Even though she was holidaying in Nepal, she didn't waste her first week and quickly engaged in conducting teacher's training at a local Montessori school in Kathmandu. On the graduation day of her students, she wore Nepali Kurta Surwal that she had made for the special occasion. Her trip to Nepal was in itself special. For the first time in over a year, Asucena was not just going to meet her boyfriend Fred but she was also expecting her mother Betty to join her in Kathmandu.
Within two weeks of Fred and her mum coming to Nepal, Asucena was already off to Nagarkot thrice. Alas, her effort to see the Himalayas was repeatedly marred by overcast and clouds. But she did enjoy canoeing in Chitwan and making a bumpy Elephant ride on a jungle safari in Chitwan. Watching the rhino was most probably the best cherished moment she experienced.
The family had arrived at a time when Nepal was preparing to hold its historic Constituent Assembly election but their travel was least deterred. They visited some of the historically important places of Nepal from Sankhu and Budanilkantha to Kirtipur where they revisited the history and apparently saw history being remade.
Hopefully, their decisions to come to Nepal were not marred by strong travel advisory and cautious news about Nepal. Fred was cool about traveling to Nepal, Betty seemed little reserved for the use of the word 'communist' otherwise she was O.K., while Asucena felt 'safe in Nepal and in all the places traveled, both urban and rural side.'
"Definitely do it and don't listen to any advisories- and bring your Lonely Planet (but you won't need it if you meet good friends). Also be very open and enjoy the unexpected happenings along your journey," advices Asucena.
Small wonder this is coming from somebody who has already traveled a bit and seen her share of the world. Asucena has traveled much of Southeast Asia including Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Along with her mother, she had also gone to see the pyramids in Egypt two years ago.
Back in Nepal, the family patiently awaits to see the Himalayas and what better destination to choose than Lang tang. It is the last of April and there are very few chances of seeing the Himalayas. Surprisingly, the family were not only closed in by tracts of snow as near as Kyangin Gompa, the peaks of Langtang Lirung stood tall and in its brightest possible. Along the trail, the three enjoyed playing by the boulders and splashing in pristine rivers, spending nights in wooden huts and eating dal bhat and pizza.
Indeed Langtang turned out to be one of the best places I visited in Nepal, admits Asucena. Other than that she also enjoyed the Buddhist Tibetan Festival and more so just the daily life of the people. "Our guides have been so helpful in showing us around Nepal. They took the time to bring us to local festivals and villages- we were able to see things that most tourists miss along the way. We were definitely taken off the beaten track-which was especially nice."
Each country has their own special qualities- I like them all, sums up Asucena adding, "The Nepali people have a good heart and the scenery is amazing."
Initially, Asucena had thought Nepal would be magical, pristine, clean and serene natural place. "I found the mountainside to be just as I imagined and better. I found the cities to have a great Indian influence and to be very dirty and suffocating. But after a while, you adjust and start to see a rich culture with magical moments. I thought it was interesting that all the infrastructures looked as if they were made 30 years ago and haven't been maintained since that era. Broken side walks, airport etc., looked like you were going back in time. There was obviously great potential and development…….somewhere along the way it was lost," opines Asucena.
Purity is so attached to her name that Asucena could hardly afford to lose it. It was her father who gave her the name, which, as Asucena explained, means White Lily and she likes it to be preserved. Nowadays purity and piety have become objects of rarity. This is what Asucena had sought earlier as she was planning for a trip to Tibet and Dharmasala. But the riots and protests across Tibet in the first week of April that followed its closure had Ascucena change her mind. So the books she had brought to offer to the children of Dharmasala were left behind in Kathmandu.
In just over a month, Asucena and her family had done so many things that she is overjoyed to recollect them all. From wildlife safari to the base of Himalayas, from medieval culture to drinking tea and blabbering politics, all was just a great fun, says Asucena. By the time she left Nepal she had made more Nepali friends than she ever expected. "We loved our trip so much that we do not even want to leave yet. We will greatly miss them."
The White Lily is planning to come back to Nepal with her friends in October. But she still does not have any plans worked out as yet. "Adventure begins when we step into Nepal," she beams.
Expression of Tourism
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