Today started with the breakfast of champions: bread and bottled water.
We're probably being too cautious, but we want to make sure we don't have
any stomach problems before our Everest trek. We toured Kathmandu, stopping
at the monkey monastery (so-named because monkeys hang around, literally)
and the Temple of the Living Goddess. An ancient belief is that the goddess
Kumari temporarily resides in the body of a local girl. A girl is chosen
at age 4 or 5 to be the 'Living Goddess' until she reaches puberty. If
you're wondering what it takes to be a 'Living goddess' the minimum requirements
are: immaculate health, unblemished skin, black or blue eyes, black hair
with curls turning to the right, eyelashes like 'those of a cow,' slender
arms, and brilliant white teeth. Once chosen, the Living goddess lives
in the temple until she menstruates. To maintain her purity, she can't
leave the temple (or even go down to the ground floor) except for religious
ceremonies when she is carried through the streets (her feet can't touch
the ground). We were lucky enough to see the Living goddess when she came
to the window. She looked a little grouchy but she was definitely a cute
little girl. |