I'm in Nepal!

I am finally here! Wow, that was a LONG flight! It was definitely worth it though! This place is fascinating. We are about to climb our first mountain Annapurna, which is right outside of Pokhara, Nepal. It is the largest mountain I have ever seen! I know I will see larger ones, but Annapurna is breathtaking. The Appalachians and Rockies do not hold a candle to the Himilayans!

Right now we are staying in Pokhara. It is a great city. Today I visited the World Peace Pagoda, known to the locals as the Shanti Stupa. It is what I would call a mystical place. World Peace Pagodas are being all over the world. The first one was built in memorial of the atomic bombs America used to take out Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Everyone was so friendly and kind. It makes me loathe my country and what it stands for. I should say I do not dislike America, I just dislike some of its values.

The inn we are staying at overlooks the Phewa Lake. It takes one's breath away to look at it. The locals say that in the middle of the lake is the Barahi Temple. I think I will try to go see it tomorrow. They say it is dedicated to the Hindu god Ajima in boar form. Ajima is said to be a reincarnation of the god Shakti. Despite my traveling to India a while back, I still have a very difficult time remembering all the gods and goddesses. There are just so many of them! It is worse here because there are Hindus and Buddhists, both with their own set names of gods and goddesses.

Well, I better get some sleep! We start climbing the mountain in two days, so I will need my rest!