Nepal tour
By Kim Jin-hyeon
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Last January, I traveled with friends for 10 days in Nepal. Although I am relatively well-to-do and diligent, I have always felt stressed. Thus, I wondered how the Nepalese, who have much less than I have, enjoy one of the highest rates of life satisfaction in the world. I decided to visit the country to find out why they are so happy.
After our plane landed at Kathmandu International Airport, we traveled to the city of Pokhara by plane. There, I saw the gigantic Himalayan Mountains that stretched over thousands of kilometers from east to west. The snow-covered mountains looked like a colossal ice fence.
After staying at a hotel in Pokhara overnight, we made our way to the Annapurna Base Camp. We began to trek from the village called Hille (1,470 meters above sea level) to the Punhill observatory (3,193 meters above sea level), which is known as the best place to observe the Dhaulagiri (8,167 meters above sea level) and Annapurna (8,091 meters) mountains for three days and two nights.
A porter advised us to walk slowly for the long journey, allowing us to observe the villagers' faces and the landscapes. I saw the sunset and sunrise over the Punhill Mountains. The harmony between the giant mountains and the sun caused me to be silent and humble.
At Swayambhunath Temple, we saw huge Buddha statues on a hill; the statues, a landmark of Kathmandu, face the four directions (i.e., North, South, East and West). Around the statues were many pagodas, Hindu shrines and Hindu and Buddhist worshippers. A Nepalese person told me that Buddhists also believe in Hinduism.
One day, I went to Thamel Street in Kathmandu by taxi. On the way, cars often crossed over the center line, but they ran without collision. Soon, buses, trucks, motorcycles, passengers, and even cows passed along the road. While the traffic scene looked confusing, everyone looked calm and relaxed.
Patan, a city about eight kilometers south of central Katmandu, is famous for its traditional crafts and artistic structures made by the Newar people, like the numerous Buddhist pagodas, temples (including Hindu temples) and a museum including the one at Patan Durbar Square. Each structure had magnificent architectural splendor and unique artistic beauty, indicating how advanced Nepalese civilization is.
As a Hindu cultural area and the birthplace of Buddha, Nepal enables the two religions to flourish. While Hinduism and Buddhism have remained separate, they are both rooted in the lives of the Nepalese people. In addition, the mammoth Himalayas instill modesty in the Nepalese. Numerous races have immigrated to Nepal, from Asians to Indians and others as well. This has led these people to coexist and be considerate of each other.
These cultural conditions may have helped the Nepalese people concentrate on leading a spiritual life, a stark contrast to the society in which I live, which focuses on materialistic values. Thus, I think that my daily life will be more comfortable if I balance my fast-paced lifestyle with the Nepalese people's slower, spiritual one.
The writer (shinykim60@hanmail.net) works at Yeosu Chungmu High School in South Jeolla Province.