How being a Hindu made me rich

I am sitting on a terrace, spoiled with a panoramic view that would take a book to describe - but I'll give it a try. Just in front of me, two Nepali men are fixing up some water boiler on the only roof that somehow interrupts the 180 degree view on a blue lake that reflects some Himalaya mountains behind it. On the left, a dozen of kids is playing with the new swing they got installed, apparently a nation-wide custom to celebrate the upcoming Dashain festival.
I inhale.
I exhale.
This is true rest. The two past weeks consisted mainly of getting up early, eating, walking, eating, sleeping.

Graham, Godspeed I found. I found it in Fleur, a slightly over-disciplined Dutch woman who walked so fast that I even had to let her go at the end of the 14 days we needed to get around the Annapurna's (!).
The Himalayas brought me the longest and most strenuous adventure so far.

Godspeed Fleur in action

A cock nearby screams as it would like to have some attention. It works - I look around; the sun is getting lower, like she would like to dip in the lake, and the temperature follows her slavishly. The host-lady of the guesthouse brings me my tea. She drops a tear, her husband had an accident while he was motorbiking to get the goat for Dashain (he was alright, btw, thanks for asking).
When she leaves, I remember some emotions I witnessed in Nepal; men chanting while carrying a deceased person on their shoulder - woman behind, crying. The old man, founder of the agricultural projects in the Mustang valley, who, after he gave me a tour through his house, apples, tea, walnuts included, got angry with other oldies after we gave him some small donation.

Next day, I wake up early. The lake is still cloudy and while still drawing butterflies with the kid downstairs, the parents invite me to join them for a ceremony to inaugurate the construction site of their next house. A Hindu astrologer and a young boy dig a hole, some offers are precisely thrown in while one of the men sings and a few moments later, I find myself with a tika blessing on my forehead... and ten rupies (10 eurocent) in my pocket. Looks like being a Hindu could make me rich!

Inauguration - everybody happy!

And so the story continues. Next day I had a delicious goat-dinner with the family. The goat eventually got home and I witnessed how the men slaughtered the goat by slashing off its head in one move. And that's even nothing compared to the action I saw performed today on a big yak...

Anyways, although Nepal is a country where spaghetti tastes like noodles and vice versa, the nature, the people and the adventure itself getting through it all made it once again an unforgettable part of my life.