Ouch …owww

Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal.

     I have to tell you, for the way these guys live, and the diet they must have, they are a happy, as well as healthy and in-shape bunch. From a westerners perspective, or at least mine, these Sadhus are a culture unto themselves, no matter where you see them. Always a smile on their painted faces. Always willing to talk and show you their “house”, or corner, or mat is more like it. I spent some time at Pashupatinath, and went back more than once. Get there early and you can watch the morning preparations. It was well worth it, and the more I talked and got to know these guys, the more down to earth they became, from a conversation point of view that is. This was taken right around the corner from my last Pashupatinath post, “The Boys“, and right above “Sadhu Joe“.

     Yes, that is his foot, and yes, that is a fly on his toe. A very “bendable” fella here, who can be seen in the travel galleries of visitors all over the web, as well as in multiple BBC & NG videos and books written about Nepal and the Kathmandu Valley. Seeing him, as well as “The Boys”, in videos on TV always puts a smile on my face. Seeing this shot, and remembering some of the yoga positions they got themselves into, always makes me think “Ouch”.

 

 

The Boys

Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal.

     A few of “The Boys” sittin’ around on the banks of the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath. Some of the more interesting people I’ve met on my travels really. I sat and talked to these guys over a period of a couple of days and they were quite cordial and humorous. A bit more about sadhu’s here. If you read – I would take the article as a general overview, and not quite literally as entirely factual and representative of every sadhu out there.

     These guys here can be seen all over the internet, and most likely in any guidebook to the Kathmandu Valley (there are actually pictures of them on the wiki page linked above). From Lonely Planet to personal photo galleries across the web. All too ready to “pose” for the cameras, they know how to ham it up and have fun. The guy with the rolled up hair I liked to call “Robin Hood” as he did remind me of him for some reason. A good time and a much different experience than whats going on across the river (the burning of bodies, the cornea excision center, etc, etc).

     One of the great reasons to travel really. Meeting cultures totally different from your own and learning about those cultures while actually being immersed in them. …and talking and learning about the lives of people as seen below. It does just fascinate me.

August 13, 2009

Two short previous posts on Pashupatinath: “Sadhu Joe” & “Already Parted“.

Already Parted

Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal.

     For those who haven’t been: Pashupatinath.
     A holy Hindu site along the banks of the Bagmati River in the Kathmandu Valley.
     If your not familiar with the culture, and are headed there, the best advice
     I could give you is to just sit and watch. Take your time, don’t hurry through.
     It’s a fascinating place, in a spectacular setting with some of the most interesting
     people I have ever met.

 August 17, 2009

Sadhu Joe

Pashupatinath, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

Sadhu Joe…
Joe’s his name
Blind’s his game

 August 17, 2009