6
o'clock in the morning.
With the birds singing
out of tune and the dogs barking, there’s no way I’m going to get back to sleep.
An early morning walk being better than fruitless attempts to get some shuteye,
I set out across town for the first time in search of some breakfast.
I turn left once, right
twice and I’m lost. There's no way I'll find my way back on an empty stomach.
Craftsmen, traders,
masons, students and devotees all point me towards a nameless tea room. The
suspicious looks I attract - due to the fact there aren’t many tourists here - rapidly
turn into a warm welcome.
The owner realizes that I
am at a loss in front of the shop window and recommends a few pieces of some
delicious bread with some traditional tea. Baguettes had better watch out.
As I leave, I remember that I have still not come accross any Budokai-Do clubs (a Nepalese martial art no-one
here seems to have heard of). I am
curious and ask about it whilst searching for the few rupees that will suffice
to settle the bill.
"Maha Guru is a
childhood friend. Come back after midday and I’ll take you to his school".
Master Sagar Shrestha
story is incredible. It was while fighting in the street that he
developped a martial art based on ducking
and the opponent’s imbalance. Over the years, he honed his movements to create
a style that is unique in its genre. He is now recognized as the official Budokai-Do
founder.
I take a picture of the
facade to be sure not to miss the appointment and in the process, capture a customer's
daughter smiling. I also get the phone number of the owner, Prakash.
So here I am on the way
back knowing full well that I have no idea where I’m going. I don’t really
recognize the few landmarks I should and soon enough, I am climbing stairs I
never went down. At the corner of the first street, I ask a man in a residence
for directions.
It was our guard and it
was our house. That’s a lot of coincidences for a walk that only lasted a few
half-hours.
Or maybe it was just a dream.
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