Chapter 11Early in the morning, a young Japanese woman shepherded the Japanese tourists filing through the lobby of the Shambala International Hotel and onto the coach that would take them the short distance to the Shambalasisa Mountain. Kiku was on a Buddhist pilgrimage with her parents, but being the youngest in this group of geriatrics was definitely too much work and no fun.
Kiku watched her group milling around the Mahabodhi temple rising like a beautifully filigreed stone from the ground, with a miniature stupa and the spire reaching into the blue sky of a perfect day. She watched for signs of distress, someone needing the toilet or a bench to sit on, and was relieved to see that all seemed well. She had already seen the diamond throne and the holy bodhi tree and now stood some dist
