May 22, 2001

Now it's the 22nd and I'm trying to remember a few things from the 18th. As I recall this was my touristic day! In the morning we went to Bhaktapur, another World Heritage Site. In former times it was a separate kingdom but now is a close getaway to the past for locals and foreigners alike. It offers a slice of what Kathmandu was like just a few short years ago in that its unique architecture and character are preserved. The other World Heritage Site we visited was on a hill just above Kathmandu called the "Monkey Temple" because part of it is contiguous with the dense forest and it has become a haven for hundreds of monkeys who really are as much a part of the atmosphere as the tourists. This is a Buddhist temple or "stupa" and has the central obelisk with the Buddha's watching eyes painted on the top.After this, Prem took me over to my hosts' so I could grab my gear for a 6:00 p.m. program at the Baha'i Center. There were about 60 people present. I brought four "seekers," Pam, Anup, Bonnie and Raul. Raul is a fellow that we met in Pokhara and who did a performance that evening at the Hard Rock Cafe. I asked him to share something at the Baha'i Center, which he unhesitatingly conceded to do. He sang several delightful songs from the Huichol people close to his home town in Mexico! The Nepalese people were delighted with his persona and performance!!