City Tours

7:00 AM:  Woke up on my own.  That usually happens, when I’m anticipating a wake up call.

8:00 AM:  Wake up call.

8:30 AM:  Joined Lily, Sharon and Tim for the breakfast buffet at the hotel’s restaurant:  eggs, bacon, 2 chocolate croissants, mashed potato patties and 3 shot glasses of watermelon juice.

8:45 – 9:15 AM:  Waited in hotel lobby for the group to gather.

Our tour guide “Archie” took us on a tour of Patan/Lalitpur, meaning “City of Beauty”, known for metal working.  Our large tour bus was restricted from driving down the narrow streets to the palace, so we all had to disembark and walk about 10 minutes in the heat to the Palace (now a museum) site.  Much groaning was heard, to which Archie commented that we’ve recently walked more difficult paths than these streets.

On the way, I was walking next to David.  Looking around at the ancient sooty dilapidated buildings, David commented to me, “How’d they come up with ‘City of Beauty’?”

Judy:  Maybe it will be beautiful once we get to the palace – unless it’s like Iceland and Greenland…

David:  Maybe it was a marketing ploy to get people to move here.

We gathered in front of the Palace, which had yak intestines draped across the entrance, to hear Archie identify the different buildings of the city of Lalitpur.  Before stepping through the entrance to the center courtyard, we were given stickers to wear to show we paid our entrance fee.  By majority vote, our group decided to return to the museum on our way out, as it seemed there was great interest in the gift shop, which could prove heavy to carry throughout the heat of the day.

We stopped at a Thanka (pronounced “Tonka”) School, where the master explained the craft and showed us works of art by his students.  As with every end of the talk/cultural tour, sales ensued.  I almost purchased a “Life of Buddha” thanka, but a golden dragon with red background caught my eye.  I bought it for $25 USD (down from $30 USD).  I was told the dragon is the protector of earthquakes.  Perfect: I like gold dragons, the color red and I live in the Bay Area near the San Andreas Fault.

In my opinion, the highlight of the tour was the Golden Temple.  It is under perpetual repair/construction and is full of gold leaf work.  There are locals who volunteer their skills to construct it and those who have no skills, take turns cleaning the area.  I didn’t see anyone worshipping the plethora of deities found all around the temple, mainly tourists taking photos.  There were some beautiful works of art to be seen here.

We made our way back to the museum so that Songmee and Annie could check out the gift shop for posters.  While the rest of us were waiting in the shade of the heat, Chelli said to me he was feeling “quite peckish”.  I was getting a low blood sugar headache.  Some water helped a little.

Our hike back to our bus was highlighted by many of our group sticking their entrance ticket on Derek’s back.  A local elderly woman told Lily, “You’re a bad woman for putting your sticker on that old man!”

Back on the tour bus, Annie asked, “How many want to go to a carpet manufacturer?  It’ll be an hour stop before getting back.”  Lily hollered, “No!”  I voted “no” in solidarity to Lily.  I really didn’t care, because I ate a nutrition bar to tie me over and to settle my low blood sugar headache.

The carpet place was expensive, but had air conditioning and a clean flush toilet.  While I was in the jewelry section of this vast department warehouse, I stepped next to Bob at the diamond rings area. 

Bob dropped to one knee, and melodramatically asked, “Judy, will you marry me?”

I playfully replied, “Can I see the ring, first?”

Bob [standing up]:  “Oh, that’s how it is….”

Because the “Ceremony of the Parties” was today, it took extra long to get back to our hotel.  I drifted off to sleep in the dusty heat coming through the open window.

Approximately 2:00 PM:  Arrive at the Shangri-la Hotel.  I went straight to my room to wash the dust off my face and neck.

I stopped to knock on Lily’s door for lunch.  We joined Sharon and Tim on the restaurant patio for some lemon soda, chicken marsala with naan and shared half a bottle of pinot grigio with Sharon.

4:00 – 5:50 PM:  Lily and I went poolside for some cooling off in the cool water.  I settled into a lounge chaise on the grassy hill above the pool to read some more of my book and drifted off to sleep in the heat.

Lily called me to remind me it was almost time for dinner.  We headed back to our respective rooms.  I showered, put on some makeup and left my hair down.

6:30 PM:  Our group met in the Horizons Lounge.  Ted and Annie invited us upstairs to one of the hotel’s board rooms for a slideshow of our trip, which Ted put together with music.  It was well made.  I asked Ted for a dvd copy.  (Still waiting for it.)

7:00 – 9:30 PM:  Dinner.  We were supposed to go to separate tables, but we requested one long table like last night’s set up, so we could have one last dinner together.  Ted and Annie presented Sharon and Tim a bottle of 2007 Syrah, which they generously shared with me.  The buffet featured Chinese food:  fried rice, noodles, chicken, parsley potatoes and coconut ice cream.  We had a lovely night remembering the trek and making plans to see each other in the future.  Bob might join us, when I visit Toronto in the Fall.  Lily and I may converge on the Colorado friends when we visit Craig’ bed and breakfast in Colorado in the Spring.  What’s the next big trip?  Bob may attempt Mount Everest…

10:00 PM:  Back in my room packing for departure tomorrow.  How are the kids?