| A mahout took me into the forest to cut leafy branches for feeding the elephants. Going there and returning to camp, I rode an elephant bareback. It was so tender and remarkable being on top of this huge beast that is at the same time so agile and delicate. It was one of those special moments when you connect with nature.
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The point of the story is how this ancient culture is changing so quickly because of outside Western influences, especially from America. That was a hard thing for me to observe. What’s even worse is that we aren’t spreading the best parts of our culture. It’s an abundance of superficial behavior and cultural movements found in music and movies. Those things start to change the way people look at life and think of their own culture. Sometimes I feel as if the West is a predator on other cultures. It’s astonishing to me, and I really lament it.
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Nepal is a very spiritual place, and I felt that more and more while I was there. One overcast foggy afternoon, I was sitting on the porch when I happened to look up. In that instant the clouds parted in a triangle to reveal the sun, and a beam of light shot out and traveled across the sky to another point in the fog. It was extraordinary! I’d never seen anything like it before and could only imagine that it was some kind of light refraction. It lasted about a minute before the clouds covered the sun again, but during that time I couldn’t take my eyes off it. It was one of those things that make you feel that moment was for you and you alone. Nepal is like that. |
