Nepal is in the middle of the 15 day Dashain Festival. Over the past few days I've seen thousands of goats being rounded up. The live goats are carried in trucks, in cars, on Motorbikes, and I even saw one carried on a bicycle. Each Hindu household sacrifices one goat to the goddess Durga. Ritual bathing, and drenching of the goddess for days in blood symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Actually the goats did not look very happy about it. Today is very peaceful with ritual singing and family gatherings. The goats have all gone to heaven.
The festival is also known for its emphasis on the family gatherings, as well as on a renewal of community ties. People return from all parts of the world, as well as different parts of the country, to celebrate together.
Today is "Tika day" of the festival, when a mixture of rice, yogurt and vermilion(red) is prepared by the women. This preparation is known as "tika". Elders put this tika mixture on the forehead of younger relatives to bless them with abundance in the upcoming years. The red also symbolizes the blood that ties the family together. This morning I took a small local boat to a Hindu Temple in the middle of a Lake. The temple was the center of a pilgrimage for family members to apply Tika to each other.
Yesterday when I was Mountain Biking, I saw lots of these huge Bamboo Swings called Pings. These swings are constructed with the help of community members using traditional methods which make the use of ropes made from tough grass, bamboo sticks and wood. Heights of some swings exceed twenty feet and one can swing really high. The kids all wanted me to stop and try their swings and get their picture taken (I'll post some in my Nepal Album). Actually, it was kind of fun. I even saw an elderly Hindu lady in elegant silk dress swinging like crazy on one of these bamboo contraptions. She was having a blast.
After returning from 13 days of trekking, I resembled a Yeti, with a thick beard growth. I saw a sign saying "Handsome Parlour" so I thought I'd try this local Barber for a shave. I was glad to see my Barber put a new blade in his straight razor, but was still pretty nervous. For just over $1, I really got pampered. He spent a good 10 minutes lathering up my face and softening the stubble. He expertly shaved my face, and then lathered me up again for a second pass in the other direction. After this he used a cooling alum balm, before finishing up by cracking his knuckles over my head and performing a vigorous head and face massage - eyeballs included. Wow, this was the closest shave I've ever had, and quite the experience.
-Dave
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