Man vs Nature: A reflection on the Annapurna and Provence

In the summer of 2010 I went to 2 totally different but very fun trips. Trekking in the Annapurna Himalayas in March and did the south of France in May. Both were my dream destinations. I always love Nepal and walking those mountains, and I had heard so much about how pretty Provence was.

Near Pokhara in Nepal, to be among those majestic and ancient mountains was like to be in paradise. I remember I saw a documentary once about a photographer who went into the Yellow Stone National Park in winter when there was practically nobody there because it was covered with snow and cold. The photographer said that he was in his temple because he was all alone, at times braving the weather, at times being elated by the pristine scenery. Some nights he was sleeping in his tent amid a snow storm but then in the morning everything was calm and peaceful again. I so got the idea of being by yourself among great nature. You do learn a thing or two, not about the place, but about you.

I have been lucky to have found "my temple" among the Annapurna. My walk compared to that of the photographer's was a piece of cake. But I did sweat like a pig and bet my wellbeings on my physical strength, which you have to admit was quite crazy. I am after all a middle-aged woman without much of a muscle and who do not really exercise regularly, whose body is frail a little more every day. But I survived the walk, no I completed it with zest; on the last day I didn't want it to end! I just wanted to keep walking. Walking and having "conversation" with that kind of scenery is the best meditation I know. While you felt that your body was going apart, your mind was set and focused. You were without worldly distractions, and what a wonderful state that was. This must be like when Lord Buddha left the palace and tried to find out about life. You learned so much about yourself and your relation to the world by being alone with nature. This is why nature is a great teacher. It fulfills you spiritually, which is the most gratifying way to be fulfilled.

Then in Provence, my mind was blown by the glory of those medieval towns such as Avignon and Arles, as well as isolated yet romantic medieval villages such as Les Baux, and Gordes. They are human legacy that stand the test of time. You are in awe of those people who built these castles and chateaux and are mesmerized by the beauty of their artistic expressions. You "ooh" and "ah" at the arts, the architecture, the craftsmanship. Man has put his marks like these at every corner of the world, Provence being but only one example.

But between the 2 trips, I more often in my mind go back to the Annapurna. I know, they are 2 totally different places that can't be compared. But by God, I think nature beats it all. Nothing can be more ancient and captivating than natural settings. If you put the 2 things to a fight, between nature and manmade things, I vote for mother nature. Nature stays with you more deeply, it is very stubborn and refuses to leave.

This is the house my parents started their family, oh...probably more than 50 years ago. Nobody lives there. It hasn't been occupied for more than 20 years. But it still stands. We can all visit and we occasionally do. The rest of our immediate family: my parents, one already left us, and my 2 brothers, also one gone, had and have had history there. They all had lived in this beautiful house. I was not lucky; I was born when they all moved into town. But the weird way of life is that whenever I visit this place, I can feel so connected to it; it is our history, my history.

To know where you come from is an essence of a person in the world, at least that's what I believe. How can you have a sense of who you are without knowing about your root ?

People in a country is the same way; we need to know our collective history, where we all come from as a nation. I know it's social constructed but it serves a great purpose. People without roots have no sense of who they are, how they should interact with others, and they have no compassion. They think only of themselves: me, me, me, now, now, now. At times they become selfish and ugly.

History sounds boring to many; it took me almost half a century to realize the opposite. Your history could make you a better person.