I feel a soft breeze against my cheeks, as leaves rustle and whisper amongst each other. The sunrays, playing a game of hide and seek with the large overhanging trees, are lost and found again in the beautiful shadows painted over the grass. I feel safeguarded, in peace, and far, far away from the bustling city, the noise, and the chaos. Everything here seems to be moving so slowly, at its own pace and at its own time. Everything seems to be effortless, simply falling into shape.
As soon as I finish my observation, my words seem to immediately lose their integrity. Buses of people, singing, shouting, and talking over each other flood the open park. Young mothers, with newly discovered excitement, pile out holding bags of pots, pans, and plates. The fathers, on the other hand, heaving cooking stoves and tarps in both hands. The little kids seem to be jumping all over the place, obstructing this relay race of unloading the bus. In a minute’s time, it seems as if the whole city’s relocated into this small forest at the edge of the valley. Stalls begin to open up and litter the bus park nearby, providing everything from steaming chai to vibrant pink cotton candies to the picnic-goers.
The final bus stop for all passengers traveling nine kilometers west of Sadobato, this place seems to be where all Nepalis are coming this weekend. I walk a little further down the road; a large school opens to my right, built with attention to detail and with ties to old architecture. It adds to the beauty around. A Jesuit school at heart, it was once the most famous school in the valley, before a branch of its institution shifted to central Jawlakhel and became even more famous. I look up and around, majestic hills encircle the area as if to protect and hide it from the cities afar. It makes me feel tiny, yet a part of something larger than life.
Further up is a hill where you jump off into the sky and glide in colors of red and blue. A euphoric moment, where weight ceases to exists for a fraction of a second as you feel the wind in your hair and a smile streaks across your face. Fresh and clean air fills your lungs, as you slowly breathe in and breathe out, all the while your heart runs a million laps. Adrenaline rushes through your body in speeds you’ve never experienced before, as a tickling sensation starts under your skin.
Another main attraction of the area is a large enclosure of uninhibited greenery, blooming with delicately painted white roses swaying to the familiar sound of a rushing brook. Trees shade the winding paths leading to cacti gardens and overlooking glass greenhouses glaring in the sunlight. Not far away, small ponds house pink lilies with miniature tadpoles swimming underneath them. People are in awe of the difference in life in this small world that they escape to every time they get a chance.
