Still unwell. I take it easy, just visiting some fiends not far from my hotel. Raju and his brother Caddie are renovating the hotel, made more difficult by having customers here. It’s a sign of confidence in the tourism industry. The industry is picking up after last year’s earthquake and the fuel blockade.
Purna invites me to visit his church again, well, it’s an open invitation but only possible if I’m in Kathmandu. It’s nearly an hour’s walk there from my hotel and in the heat of the day. I choose to walk dispite being unwell because I have an aversion to taxis, not just Brpal but worldwide. They rip you off!
I find the church easily and the congregation is very small today. There are only four of us as audience with four up on the stage singing and playing acoustic guitar and drums. Lightness of numbers is no measure of the level of enthusiasm in the hall. This small group are so passionate about their faith. The singing and music is fantastic. Most of the session is song. I’m given a book to sing from and I’m comfortable being genuinely interested in what is going on here. And I completely surprise myself by becoming seriously tearful while singing along to their songs. I can’t explain what that is about at all. They are all so friendly to me and are interested in my Christian upbringing. I’m embarrassed to explain that I’ve made very little effort to participate in the faith I was born and raised into. They have heard of the Presbyterian Church. We have tea after the service. I can’t help thinking that Christianity is a far healthier faith to follow than Hinduism and it’s supporting of the caste system. In Christianity, everyone is equal.
I walk home through the streets of Jathmandu in the dark. Kathmandu is an interesting place. It’s a busy, dusty, littered place with fouled waterways and people struggling to get on with life. It’s one of the top three most polluted cities in the world. But dispite it’s people being poor and probably desperate, I never feel threatened here. I’m comfortable walking the streets alone, even at night. I would feel more at risk in Cairns. The biggest threat here is falling into a pothole. I get back to the hote around 7.30pm.
angusmccoll 