Kathmandu

Wanted to share that we landed safely in Kathmandu, Nepal yesterday, and already have experienced one of our greatest days traveling. Kathmandu is spectacular in so many ways, and this is the sort of traveling that I have been searching for. There is a presence of deep spirituality here in the culture, and I feel so grateful to be here now!
Yesterday, we flew in with a fellow Canadian named Udsaki (spelling?), who has been to Kathmandu many times for business (he's a true importer/exporter living in Ottawa). We actually met him in Ubud, Bali, at one of our favorite local restaurants, and he has taught us so much about the business of importing/exporting. When we were concerned that we paid too much for shipping and handling costs in Ubud for the furniture that we bought, he assured us that we got a good price, which calmed the nerves down considerably. He brought us into one of his favorite singing bowl shops here in Kathmandu, and B and I were exposed to some of the most beautiful sounding bowls including old antiques and bowls 3 feet in diameter! I cannot explain how powerful these bowls sound. The ones you find in the States or Canada are usually factory made. This store contains hand made singing bowls that sound completely different. Typically, these bowls have upwards of 3-4 different sounds that are possible through varying methods of striking and holding the bowl. Some bowls are placed over the head (kind of like a hat) that sends the vibration all the way to your feet. As I drank my chai tea (shop owners love to share their tea with you) I watched in awe as the shop owner demonstrated all the different tones, frequencies, and levels of resonance possible. Truly an amazing experience for my soul! We walked out of the shop (pictures coming soon) feeling so grounded and clear minded. We plan to buy many bowls here and use them as healing modalities in our naturopathic/acupuncture practices. Next week when Udsaki returns from a meditation retreat in Pokara, Nepal, we are going to join him in a chakra balancing singing bowl session above the singing bowl shop. We are looking forward to this.

BTW: it's freezing here! We went from constantly sweating in Thailand and Indonesia to wearing every article of clothing we own to stay warm. There is no heat in our guest house, and it reached freezing temperatures during the night and morning. Luckily, we had lots of blankets to snuggle under. Today, we bought some down jackets (for ridiculously cheap prices) and polar fleeces to keep us warm and cozy.

BUT...I cannot complain because the Chai is so tasty and warming!