Excellent news, not to worry, I have found them! Many of the stairs from other areas have apparently migrated here.... I can think of no other explanation for the staggering number of stairs around the ashram! (Of course there is the not-to-be disregarded fact that the ashram is perched on a steep hillside.... )
Some of the ashram's stairs...
Here are the rules I have deduced about stairs at the ashram and the area immediately surrounding the ashram....
1. Never have one step when several flights of stairs will do.
2, Steeper stairs are better stairs.
3. All stairs shall be hewn from rock.
4. In the ashram, one level shall contain only one worship area.... so that the twice daily tour of a dozen altars involves running up and down many many many stairs. (Remember those energetic boys from my previous post?)
5 (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT),,,, When designing a flight of stairs, it is critically important to maintain variability. (We would not want anyone to get bored, now would we?) So.... stairs shall vary in height, depth, and surface. Occasionally, five or six steps will sneak in where the rise and depth are perfectly even... but that is just to lull the climber into a false sense of security, and the Nth step is the height of a small wall. Actually, this is more disconcerting when descending the stairs.... after a few even steps, one forgets where one is, looks for the Nth step to be the same as N-1, and oops!!! the actual Nth step is a doozy, jarring loose several old fillings.
6. Surfaces of the stairs shall be stone, or gravel, or sand, or uneven slabs of rock with patches of dirt. Again, variety is very very important.
7. Handrails are for sissies. We don't need no stinkin' handrails.
8. When designing a long, relatively flat path, throw in an occasional single step. It's amusing when people do not realize that the step is there.
I have not used a cane since right after my knee surgery last spring... but man, I made a good decision to bring a cane with me on this trip!!!
And by the way... these are my absolutely favorite stairs. Ever. Note that they go nowhere. Now *these* are people who appreciate stairs. You can never have too many stairs.
Some of the ashram's stairs...
Here are the rules I have deduced about stairs at the ashram and the area immediately surrounding the ashram....
1. Never have one step when several flights of stairs will do.
2, Steeper stairs are better stairs.
3. All stairs shall be hewn from rock.
4. In the ashram, one level shall contain only one worship area.... so that the twice daily tour of a dozen altars involves running up and down many many many stairs. (Remember those energetic boys from my previous post?)
5 (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT),,,, When designing a flight of stairs, it is critically important to maintain variability. (We would not want anyone to get bored, now would we?) So.... stairs shall vary in height, depth, and surface. Occasionally, five or six steps will sneak in where the rise and depth are perfectly even... but that is just to lull the climber into a false sense of security, and the Nth step is the height of a small wall. Actually, this is more disconcerting when descending the stairs.... after a few even steps, one forgets where one is, looks for the Nth step to be the same as N-1, and oops!!! the actual Nth step is a doozy, jarring loose several old fillings.
6. Surfaces of the stairs shall be stone, or gravel, or sand, or uneven slabs of rock with patches of dirt. Again, variety is very very important.
7. Handrails are for sissies. We don't need no stinkin' handrails.
8. When designing a long, relatively flat path, throw in an occasional single step. It's amusing when people do not realize that the step is there.
I have not used a cane since right after my knee surgery last spring... but man, I made a good decision to bring a cane with me on this trip!!!
And by the way... these are my absolutely favorite stairs. Ever. Note that they go nowhere. Now *these* are people who appreciate stairs. You can never have too many stairs.
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