I will write about Lumbini in my next entry; so many temples I will have to organize my photos and diary entry, but Buddha's birthplace is amazing.  I thought today I would show you some of our day to day life.  While in Lumbini we were about 13.4 miles/20K from the Indian border and there is a strong Indian influence in this part of Nepal.

Our driver/Guide Krishna also helps manage a hotel at the Chitwan National Park, where we will all be next weekend.  While we were touring Lumbini - the miles and miles of it he spotted some other volunteers who had stayed at his hotel and he invited them to join us for dinner as they were staying at the lodge next door on the only street in Lumbini and are volunteers here in Rampur where I used the internet.  They initially were on a conservsation project which was grossly misrepresented on the website.  When they arrived at the project they were volunteer weed pickers.  They are now at the orphanage here in Rampur.

Krishna walked us the around the corner to a Nepali style restaurant at 7:30 p.m..  We were outside for about 15 mins. before the Monsoon came.  We made a mad dash into the restaurant, candles in hand because the electricity was on and off all night.  Our waiter was from another planet - totally stoned!  He could hardly speak and stood about 5 feet away from the table when he talked to us.  We ordered some Nepali beer - Gurka - pretty good; it came in pint bottles so we shared; he took our food order and then we didn't see him for about 90 mins., so we helped ourselves to the beer refrigerator; by the time the food arrived - about 9:30 - and not all at once, we had consumed 6 pints between six of us.

Also at the restaurant were a Swiss couple who come once a year to visit the two Nepali children, a boy and girl, that they sponsor.  They were fluent in English but myself and Alex (from Frankfurt) occassionaly spoke French with them.  The other volunteer who joined us was Lek a high school chemistry teacher from Singapore.  He and Alex met on the conservation project and are now great friends and heading to Anapurna after to do the trek to base camp - impressive.

We left Lumbini this morining at 5:30 a.m. and arrived back at the monastery at10; I had told the young monks that I would bring them a surprise from Lumbini - unbeknownst to them I brought them all mala (prayer beads); the 4 older boys (15-16) polished sandalwood, the 5 13 year olds - sal wood -the tree Buddha's mother hung onto when she was giving birth, and for the little ones 10-12 I bought bone malas.  Needless to say, that took precendence over the lesson "Numbers in Words."

Will write about Lumbini tomorrow.