Rural Nepal Here We Come - From Pokhara to Village Life in Mulkharka

Nepal Trip Day 12

From Pokhara to the First Steps Himalaya Project 

Today we were up bright and early for our flight back to Kathmandu. It was muggy even at 8:15 a.m. when we were packing in to the van for the airport. 

At the Pokhara Airport waiting for our flight!

The rescue helicopter that we saw while on the Annapurna track rescuing hikers from the Annapurna Base Camp

Randall was particularly withdrawn this morning, but when we got to the airport it became evident that he was sick again, and much worse this time. While the rest of us enjoyed the scenic flight back to Kathmandu and views of the snowy peaks out our window, he was barely hanging on, trying valiantly not to use his air sickness bag.

We arrived with a little dread into Kathmandu domestic terminal. Such a madhouse, but with Durga on point and the kids on bag duty we managed to get everything on trolleys and out into the car park.  Not for the first time on this trip we are so glad that we have a local guiding us. Navigating this system as a foreign woman with a bunch of kids on my own would be stressful to say the least.

following the car with all our bags through the outskirts of Kathmandu

But travailing Nepali style will always have it's challenges. The 4wd car we are using to get to the next phase of our adventure is stuck in traffic - leaving us to wait in the hot car park watching monkeys climb along overloaded power lines and guarding our baggage from ambitious taxi drivers trying to get our fare. Poor Randall. Sigh, it's all part of travel.

Once both the cars arrive we pile in and head off onto the "Tibet Road" towards the project villages, thankfully skirting downtown Kathmandu and the worst of this chaotic town. At least we are acclimatized and ready for it now!

heading into the hills - local bus service... I like the natural air conditioning!

One thing you really get the feel of in Nepal is the amount of Western Money that has poured in here. It's big business. All improving the lot of the country, but it seems a bit strange to drive along a road leading to Tibet that is built by the Japanese, past buildings built by the Germans and later through a forest that was replanted by the Australians and heading to a school project mainly funded by New Zealand. Nepal is like many developing countries where there are an abundance of eager aid projects ready and willing to lend a hand to bring the third world up to scratch. But does it do any good?

We shall see. It seems that "progress" is certainly inevitable. And, in principle, I am definitely for uplifting the plight of the poor where possible, but my personal jury is still out on the blanket aid that takes money from the west and dumps it into a country that isn't ready for it, or doesn't know how to use it. It seems to create a nation of beggars, rather than uplifting their plight. And who doesn't want to have pride?

I'm not fully getting that feeling here in Nepal, and one of the things that attracted us to the First Steps Himalaya project is the grass roots aspect. They're whole focus is on teacher training and empowering the locals with a good Nepali educational system. Not fancy things, but fundamentals. We shall see if it can do anything to make me feel better about the modern concept of charity.

buying some last minute fruit before heading into the hills north of Kathmandu

We drive out of the city of Kathmandu and soon the suburbs fall away as we wind through the mountains and past increasingly rural towns. The smog and congestion gives way to rice fields and the traditional mud brick houses. After three hours of winding our way through the back roads and up into the hills we finally stop at the First Steps Himalaya flagship project.


The husband of one of the teachers has laid out a lunch of spicy pumpkin soup that we eat on the clay floor of his house. And Randall finally gets to rest in their spare room. He's done well to hang on this far!

Once we are done with the soup, the kids, Fiona and I walk up to the local state run primary school. It is an interesting thing to ponder that education has only been legal in Nepal since 1953. Before that it was illegal and reading and writing was strictly for the upper or ruling class. When Nepal started opening up to the outside world the westerners brought their ideas of education for all, changing the cultural dynamic here forever. But although the idea that all children should get an education has arrived, the knowledge of how to actually teach hasn't shown up yet. And the adult literacy rate is still only 60%.

As we walk up the dusty road the children are all just returning from lunch and our kids cause quite a stir. We are WAY far off the tourist track and to have a bunch of blond and red headed children to gawk at is irresistible. At the end of the road is a school of concrete classrooms with wooden shutters. The children all pour in to their allotted classrooms, presentable in their official blue uniforms.

Ever the intrepid adventurer Clara wants to jump right in by herself and we leave her in a small cement box classroom with the other children her age. She only lasts a few minutes before coming to find us. Liana, Liam, Jaimie and Rhona go into the year eight class who are studying science. In fact, the teacher is actually shouting facts at the children who are obviously used to this and aren't paying much attention. None of our kids last long and soon we walk down the hill to the preschool that sits below the state primary school. Here is something more along the lines of what we westerners are familiar with. 

Liana, Liam and Jaimie join in a year 8 science class at the local school

First Steps Himalaya have done a good job of setting up a preschool here on site and as part of their strategy of working their way up, have recently taken the year ones down to their building and paying for a trained teacher as well. The idea is to build up one year at a time. The biggest thing is to educate the teachers on how to teach and they are trying to lead by example, showing what proper teaching can achieve at a preschool and year one level will hopefully trickle upwards. Seems basic but it's got to be first steps just as their charity's name implies. Smart.

Clara and Juliet have a ball joining in the year one class. Juliet leads them in a song and Clara assists in the English lessons. It just goes to show that all children have something in common, it's only as we age that we layer the judgmentalism of our cultures onto our view of the world.

Clara and Juliet enjoy their afternoon in the FSH flagship preschool classroom

We spend the most part of the afternoon here, but the hall of the mountain king is rumbling again and the nearby mountains are threatening us with another deluge. We need to get moving, before the rainstorm keeps us from getting to our accommodation for the night. Think - all dirt roads from now on.

Hiking back through the village we stop for a quick peek at the flour mill where ladies haul up huge bags of rice from their farms to be turned into flour. The lesson for the kids was big when it comes to how much work these people put into just the daily necessities of life. And that this is not very far removed from what village life would have been like for our ancestors as well.

Grinding rice into flour

Covering the hay before the nightly rainstorm

We return to the cars to find Randall somewhat improved after a long lay down and we continue on to the turnoff to Mulkharka, the (even more remote) village where we are to be staying with a local family. 

At the turn off we walk the rest of the way while the one car takes all of our bags (the non 4wd wouldn't make it down the rutted dirt road) it's a twenty minute walk and we are followed by the local children and some young women curious about these strange foreigners in their very closed neighborhood. We must look so strange to them. The girls are dressed so beautifully in their colorful dresses. They shyly wave at us and giggle when we try to speak to them.

Finally reaching the house of Gyan Tamang, our host in Mulkharka

The family we are staying with are absolutely lovely. Gyan is of Tamang descent, a tribe that immigrated over the Himalaya's from Tibet many years before. His house is traditional in every way. It is obviously the families pride and joy to have this house and it is pristine and the food is amazing. Dal Bhat of course! The kids are spread out through the bedrooms and Randall and I get a comfortable room up the ladder on the second floor, above the kitchen. There is a cement outhouse behind the house that boasts a western toilet and even a hot shower!

From our window we can look down the valley at the terraces of crops. Not too far below us is another little farmlet which belongs to Gyan's parents. Gyan and his wife have a son who is in Kathmandu and a daughter of ten. She is home from boarding school for the occasion of having western house guests. Her name is Sumi and Clara, Juliet and Sumi are instantly best friends!

The night brings thunder and lightning and with no power brings the evening to an early close. We all keep our flashlights near so that we can navigate the wooden ladder in the dark. The sounds of the night surround us and lead to a dreamless sleep...

Tomorrow we will be working in some of the more impoverished schools. 

Goodnight. 

Peace Pagodas in Pokhara

Nepal trip day 11 - Pokhara

Not much rain last night so we wake up to a whole lot of haze and humidity. The monsoon will be here in about two months and this is the pre build up. Boy, it sure is hot and muggy!

After gorging on a thoroughly western breakfast with all the other expats at the hotel we head out onto the streets of Pokhara again. Even the water buffalos seem to be feeling the heat as they sit staring at us from the middle of the road. Bored with the shopping we decide to rent a little boat and head out onto the lake. 

Fewa lake, pretty from a distance, is a dirty lake. Surrounded by a dirty city you can't be too surprised. The people don't seem to get the concept of rubbish and pollution, like the concept of non biodegradable materials hasn't entered the lexicon of their understanding yet. Hence the lake with floating plastic bags, bottles and other various detritus that the recent rains have washed into it. If you can look past the rubbish the setting is really stunning. The hills are covered in greenery, with birds and monkeys scampering around. If it weren't for the heat haze the splendours of the Annapurna range would be crowing the distance, giving the lake a world class rating. It is truly a beautiful setting, but it is really upsetting to see an environment so uselessly trashed.

We rowed past a little island filled with people ringing bells and enjoying a little Hindu temple. We aim for the bank across the river where a little pathway leads to the peace pagoda at the top of the mountain.

On another boat near us in the lake there is a Chinese couple, beautifully dressed in formal wear and being followed by a boat full of men with cameras. Chinese paparazzi, a photo shoot or a wedding party trying to get just the right shot? They seem so out of place in their formal wear and heavy make up floating around in the lake!

It's a long, sweaty, hot, sticky hike. Somehow harder than Poon hill, probably because of the heat! No, not probably, definitely. The trail is mainly stone steps and winds it's way up the hill, past small temples and and around houses. A few children come out and quietly ask for chocolate, whispering it so their mother doesn't hear them. It shows how many outsiders hike this trail. The well meaning tourists have taught these children's the delights of the western sugary ways, but without the knowledge of dental hygiene, the introduction of sugar is a real problem. Those beautiful white teeth won't stay white for long. Like most things in this world it's about education. Education of the local people, but also education of the tourists. It may seem like a nice thing to do, come to a country and hand out sweets to the cute little kids, but if you stop to think about it, the act really only brings destruction and is device to the culture that you are visiting.

Finally, red faced and sweating, we make it to the top. The peace pagoda is a Buddhist Stuppa and is dedicated to bringing together all the peoples of the world, regardless of their religion, to focus on the search for world peace. All four sides of the tall Stuppa has a story of the Buddha's life, each with a different cultures' take on it. It's a beautiful sentiment and the location is stunning. This far above the lake you don't see the floating plastic and it appears like an emerald below us. During the non monsoon time you would see the peaks of the Annapurna in the distance behind it. I can see why it is so highly rated!

After consuming several bottles of water was hike back down and row across the lake again. Heading back to our hotel to cool ourselves in the pool and repack our newly laundered clothes. 

We spend the evening in a local pub called the Maya. Premier league soccer plays in the background and the kids learn to play snooker with a local (drunk) expat and we enjoy some last western food. Tomorrow we fly back to Kathmandu and from there begin our First Steps Himalaya adventure into the Nepali educational system. We will be driving nearly to the Tibetan border and living with a family while visiting and helping out in the First Steps Himalaya school projects. l am so excited for it, and ready to immerse  ourselves back into the real Nepal.

With thunder in the skies it's our last night with Western luxuries for awhile. I take two showers just because I can!!

Namaste!

To the Mountains We Fly!

Nepal - Day Four - To the Start of the Annapurna Track!

Sorting bags at the Kathmandu Airport

Again we are awake with the birds. I like the rhythm of sleeping with the sun. But maybe not the barking of the dogs at all hours of the night. Oh well, breakfast in our colonial retreat is lovely with fried eggs and croissants. It is a good idea to fill ourselves up before heading to the airport to catch our flight to Pokhara, the second largest city in Nepal, and the starting point for our five day Annapurna Trekking Adventure.

In the end, we take two separate taxi's - plus Durga's truck - to get the ten of us and all our luggage to the airport. After honking and weaving our way through the morning traffic we find ourselves deposited at the front of the Kathmandu domestic terminal. And what an experience it is. Something one should experience at least once in your lifetime, at least if you are adventurous. The utter chaos. The lines. The dirt. The lack of any signage. But we do it. Ten people with all our baggage - and twice the baggage as what we would normally have because we have separated out our trekking gear to make matters simpler on the other end. Well, let's hope so, because getting it all through the crowds is a challenge. But somehow we get our bags checked in, go through the segregated male/female security lines (the girls and I were frisked by a small Nepali police women, Liana was not impressed)  and find ourselves in the waiting lounge for our Yeti Airlines flight to Pokhara.

The Yeti Girls

Waiting in the terminal turns swiftly into an entertaining experience when our little girls are spotted by the "Yeti Girls". Beautiful make up and dresses, they are glamorous ambassadors for the Yeti Airlines. At first it starts with them asking Clara for a photo, then another one with Juliet. Then they want a photo with both girls. Then a couple of Chinese tourists get in on the action and take photos of the Yeti Girls having photos taken with our girls. And then the whole scene complicates with irony more when a troop of Buddhist monks see the commotion and come over to get in on the action. The head monk jumps in to photo bomb a picture with our girls and the Yeti Girls while his monk friend busily uploads the whole scene to Facebook on his iPhone. It's a full-on paparazzi scrum, with our exotically fair girls in the middle. Then our flight is called and we tear ourselves away, but not before the girls get chocolate bars for their trouble.

Post paparazzi scrum

Up, up, up we go. Out of the stench and foul air of Kathmandu. It's a relief to get away from the city. And during the 25 minute flight to the West we are treated to fleeting glimpses of the highest peaks in the world. Each peak loftily looking down on the clouds below peaking out from beneath shawls of white snow. Juliet convinces herself that each one is Everest. I don't think Everest is to be seen on this route. But it doesn't matter which one is which. They are all equally majestic.

We arrive in Pokhara and start the process of weeding through the bags. Those going with us on the trek get thrown on top of the land rover type vehicle. The bags staying at the hotel in Pokhara get crunched in with us. It's a tight fit, but we only have about five minutes to drive. Besides, we are getting used to the sardine thing!

It's not really possible to give an accurate impression of Pokhara from the few minutes we spend sorting out the luggage and driving through on our way out. But it is a whole lot quieter! The streets are not as frantic, and the pace seems more relaxed. There is a lake, but it's quite dirty. The tarmac cows are still around, but they have the company of a few Water Buffalo's.

After a quick drop at the seemingly plush hotel, The Temple Tree, we say goodbye to western conveniences and start our journey to the trail head.

The "Annapurna Cicuit" is one of the most famous hiking trails in the world and circumnavigates the Annapurna range of the Himalaya Mountains - home to six of the world's top ten highest peaks. To do the full trek is about 200 kilometres and takes about three weeks of hiking, with altitude up to 5,400 meters. Obviously this would be far too strenuous and too high of altitude for the children at this point in time, so we are doing an abbreviated five day tea house trek to get a flavor of the region and get a taste for this alpine region. 

From Pokhara it's a two hour drive to where we start the hike. It's a good thing we were acclimatized for the driving in Kathmandu, because the farther we go up the (increasingly narrow) roads the driving gets more harrowing. The roads are just wide enough at some point for the oncoming traffic and there don't appear to be lanes. The buses overtake just as much as the cars. Each with their own special brand of horn. And to make matters worse our driver is on his mobile phone the ENTIRE drive. How many people does this guy know?? At one hairpin turn, while his right hand keeps the phone plastered to his ear, his left hand is changing gear and all I can see is the cliff ahead of us with no hands on the wheel. His knees manage the turn the car, I'm still alive to write this tonight, but what the heck! I do start wondering who he is talking to and start various scenarios in my head. (It's better than the fiery plunge to death alternative.) My favourite is that he is actually one of those tech support people you get on the phone to help you with your "IT" questions. Since all our calls get routed to India, maybe all of India's calls get routed to Nepal? Anyway, it's a theory. And we didn't die on the road.

And long story short we do make it to the end of the road. Literally. We go through a village, lodge the trekking permits and photos, cross a river and then another bridge and the car can go no more. So out we get, unpile the luggage and settle in at the local tea house restaurant called "The New River View Lodge and Restaurant" to have lunch and wait to meet up with our porters. Having seen the scooter carrying a couple dozen white, headless chickens through the muck and dust on the road behind us, I am solidly vegetarian on this trek! And the lentils and rice are really very tasty!

The end of the road....

And, just quietly, for anyone going this way, they are PORTERS not SHERPAS. You quickly get told off for the distinction, there is obviously some jealousy between the two. Sherpas are a local people who inhabit the Everest region of Nepal and who specialise in the very high altitude climbing. They, as a people, have gotten some fame and a little (relative) fortune since good old Hilary and Tenzing climbed Everest back in the 50's, so I get the jealousy. Our porters are from the local tribes, and we are lucky to have five of them meeting us today.

It's so picturesque sitting in the open aired patio. After the blaring horns of Kathmandu, it's a pleasure to be surrounded by the sounds of nature. With the rushing mountain river below us and the terraced valley all covered in humid pre monsoon air it feels like we are sitting in a huge hanging garden. Well, in truth, we are. Just on a very grand scale. Nepal sits right on the edge, a country that starts in the flat Indian sub-continent and ends at the top of the world tallest peaks - all in the approximately the same land size as the South Island of New Zealand!

Namaste - We are off on the trek.

It's hot, mum.

Soon the porters arrive. Sujendra, our head porter, has brought his thirteen year old son to start learning about his fathers trade. Up onto their heads go ropes to strap our bags to, and once tied in they take off in single file line through the stone pathway that leads up and out of the village. We will see them at some point tonight, once we ourselves have hiked up to Hille. Tonight's tea house stop.

So, after a last cup of "milk tea" - a kind of chai spiced tea boiled up with milk - we are off ourselves.

The afternoon heat is just awful. It's a shock to the system to be going up hill after so many days of inactivity. The road that we take out of the village is dirt and only wide enough for one vehicle. We don't see any and I think this is probably used only by rich tourists wanting to get a head start.

At the start of our Annapurna Trek

Water Buffalo checking us out.

I am fascinated by the walk. We are certainly in a tropical, or at least sub tropical climate here. The air is thick and heavy. We follow the course of the river up. Humans are an ever present part of the environment, like they have always been here. I guess they have been - for millennium at least. At one turn there is a boy herding his goats above us in the trees, and every few hundred meters is another farm house made from the slate of the surrounding mountains combined with dirt and wood. Most have their resident water buffalo wandering around either in the field or in it's own little barn. And the higher we go, the more fields we see. Mainly corn from what I can tell so far.

We reach a very small little village and all the locals seem to be engaged in fishing. They have part of the river partitioned off so that the fish have to swim into their nets. The fish are only about the size of Juliet's thumb - so it's a little bit like white bait! I wonder if they fry them up into fritters?

Taking a cue from the locals we call a halt to our upward march and spend an hour soaking our feet in the icy cold river. Liam discovers that they have "cleaner" fish here, who will swarm your feet and eat all the dead skin off. Not unlike the fish pedicure shops that we visited back in Santorini two years ago. Funny that. At least in Nepal it's free!

Cooling off in the river

With the clouds suddenly coming over and the sound of distant thunder we decide to move on. Straight up a hill. Goodbye river, we are headed up into the mountains. And I mean straight up. It's a long hour slog up, step after step, but the scenery is breathtaking, although I suspect that it will get more so with each day. There are no lofty peaks to see, yet, just sharp valley walls and green terraced fields. At a few corners we encounter women sitting on the road breaking up rocks.

This is why we are here, says Fiona, speaking about her mission with First Steps Himalaya, and their educational push in the rural villages. They want the people to have a fighting chance in this new modern world. And education is a powerful tool that can be used, not only to prosper, but also retain your culture, if done properly. I look forward to seeing their school projects later in the trip.

Finally, just as I think the girls are not going to make it, we hit a flight of rock stairs that seems to go on forever. But the good news is that when that final ascent is made we pop up into the tiny little town of Hille, perched precariously on the side of the cliff. There are a few tea houses to pass before we find ours. The porters are all sitting outside - enjoying having all of our bags off of their heads I'm sure! The view is immense.

Within minutes Liam has found the local boys, and while I am showing the girls how to navigate a Nepali toilet (squat) he's off down in the village playing football with the local kids. That's what I love about childhood. There are no barriers, no preconception, no analyzing. Things just are. A bunch of kids. A ball. OK then, we all play football! Well.... until he came back up later to report that the ball had been kicked over the edge of the cliff and half the kids were off to retrieve it - a half hour walk each way. Something tells me Nepal may be a little too steep for much Football!

Our Tea House in Hille

While we wait for our dinner we all eat popcorn and drink ginger and lemon water. Simple and very yum. It's a great way to hydrate after all the hiking. And all the kids jump in on it. Waiting for our dinner of Dal Bhat, pancakes and fries Clara and Randall sing and play guitar with the porters while the rest of us sort out the rooms.

In the Village of Hille - Freshly harvested Potatoes at our Hille Tea House

The "Tea House" that we are staying in is so quaint. It's a two story structure made of wood and plywood. (With many gaps between.) We are separated into several rooms and we each have a wooden bed with a very thin mattress to put our sleeping bags on. Nice and hard after all that hiking. And luxury of luxury there is a sort-of hot shower downstairs that is just heaven.

Just as dinner is finished we send our flagging kids straight to bed, and there is not one single complaint, despite the fact that it is only seven o'clock. As the night wraps itself around us the lights of the local houses twinkle on like a canyon of glow worms. Randall and I share a beer and just sit in silence as we take it all in. It doesn't take long before the lights go out - power cut, again - and then the lightning and thunder storm moves in.

Climbing into the sleeping bag that my mom bought me when I was ten I'm falling asleep with the thunder roaring in the halls of the mountain king.

How far will we be hiking tomorrow?

Krazy Kathmandu - Buddhist Temples, A "Break Down" and Dal Bhat

Nepal - Day Three - Kathmandu

Just as I fell asleep to the sounds of the night, so I awoke with the sound of the morning. Before dawn the little birds started rousing, then the larger birds, until finally the day was started. It was still before six, but we were all awake, so out we went to see if anyone else was stirring at the hotel.

Up nice and early as well are our new friends, and hosts for most of the trip - Fionna, Rhona, Jaimie and Durga. The family hail from Nelson and Rhona and Jamie are eleven year old twins - just the perfect age to mesh with our kids. Durga, their father, who grew up in a poor rural Nepali family, managed to pull himself up out of the poverty and now runs First Steps Himalaya, the grass roots charity organization that we've come to Nepal with. The aim of the organization is to bring a higher standard and awareness of education to the rural countryside and I am really excited to be a part of this kind of charity work. (More on this part of our adventure later, I promise!) Fiona and I hit it off right away. Both of us foodies and travelers, it's going to be fun to learn about Nepal through their eyes.

The kids take to each other as most kids do, seeing the sameness in one another. Liam is so immensely pleased to be doing this trip with another eleven year old boy. And it would be my guess that Jaimie is similarly pleased!

After breakfast we all pile into Durga's pick-up truck again. This time with no luggage he puts the four older children into the back (which the kids think is the most amazing thing that's happened so far) and the rest of us crush into the cab. I am a bag of nerves having my babies out there in the elements, but really, I just need to get over it. They are fine, apart from asphyxiation from smoke fumes! Out we go into the city. It's just as crazy as the day before, but with a full night of sleep it seems just a bit more manageable. The heat is starting to build, quite a bit hotter than when we first arrived.

lining up for petrol

I know I mentioned it in my last post, but the driving scene here is just absolutely chaotic. No one uses lanes. Monkeys scamper along the overloaded power lines. Pedestrians walk calmly through the cars. Smoke and smog and god knows what else is being kicked up into the air. Cows sit in the middle of the road dully chewing their cud, obviously on some kind of bovine power trip.

Our destination this morning is just a bit north of the city. We are going to Boudhanath, a holy pilgramage sight for Tibetan Buddhists. 

 

As we leave the safety of the car and walk down a narrow alleyway, I have to admit I'm wondering where the heck we are going. But then suddenly we emerge out into the square where the giant stupa of Boudha dominates the skyline, the eyes of Buddha stare down at me and the smell of incense overpowers. It's like we've stepped back in time and entered another world.

 




This stupa is on the ancient trade route that led from Tibet down into Kathmandu and has been visited for more than a thousand years. There are some conflicting dates but it seems it was first erected about 500 AD, with the stupa we see today dating from around 1500 AD. It's 36 meters and widely rimmed by buildings some six stories tall housing monasteries, restaurants, guest houses and the usual array of stores selling incense, prayer flags and the like. 

The kids join in the prayer wheel spinning

Inside one of the monasteries

Tibetan women at Bouhda

 

Boudha stupa is a massive whitewashed structure with a large dome and topped with the eyes of Buddha looking out in four directions. Prayer flags gently flap in the wind leading the eyes up to heaven. While at the base are many shrines burning incense and prayer wheels set into the lowest walls of the stupa, ready and waiting for the faithful who spin them as they walk around in a clockwise fashion saying prayers.

Clara, Liam, Jaimie, Rhona and Juliet on the first tier of the stupa

When the Chinese took over Tibet in 1959 thousands of Tibetans fled the country to escape the religious persecution of the Maoist regime. Many followed the Dalai Lama to India, but even more settled here, around this most amazing temple. Now there are something like 50 Buddhist monasteries surrounding Boudha and as we walk out into the crowd over half seem to be local Tibetans, noticeably different in dress, and intent in their prayers. The sounds of bells being rung and the sound of chanting coming from the monasteries fills the air. I'm not Buddhist, but I can feel the peace that the cloud of intense meditation around me brings. 

While Buddhism is not the main religion of Nepal (the majority are Hindu) it is interesting to know that Saddhartha Gotama - later known as Buddha - was actually born here. I've always been intrigued by Buddhism as it is more of a philosophy than a religion. No "holy wars" have ever been waged in the name of Buddha, and he never claimed to be a god, or to take his word for granted. Please question all my teachings is his commandment. More like a philosopher or a scientist than a holy man. For over 2,500 years his teachings have been a strong part of this world, and it seems that even in this day and age of ultimate greed and gluttony, his teaching ring true. 

I find it interesting to watch the faces of the Tibetan devotes as they go about their morning prayers and we spend quite a bit of time circling the stupa. We are allowed to walk up to the first level and end up walking around the entire dome with our mid line view. The dome above, and the devotees and prayer wheels below. There aren't too many crowds and no westerners (besides us!) to be seen. 

Bouhdhanath

Lemon Soda on the rooftop restaurant on the square is our next order of business. At nearly eye level to the giant eyes of the stupa, you get a bit of a birds eye view up here, and have a quiet break before descending down. After the obligatory stop in a Thanka studio, the Tibetan religious artwork, and a demonstration of a Tibetan singing bowl, (ohhh soooo, coool) we leave the peaceful Bhoudhanath and re-enter the Kathmandu crazy traffic.

Very Fancy Dal Bhat - Lentals, Rice and Veggies

Luckily we were headed back to our hotel for lunch. I decide on the traditional Nepali meal of Dal Bhat - lentils and rice - even though I know I will probably be sick of it by the end of the third week. I'm keen to give it a go, and, spoken as a true foodie - YUM. It's not spicy the way that Indian food tends to be, but with enough kick to feel that you are getting a digestive kick. 

With jet lag hitting everyone we decide to spend our afternoon enjoying the tranquil poolside environment that our hotel, The Summit Kathmandu, provides. With the buildings creating a shelter from the honking traffic and the trees and flowers providing a pleasing view, the coolness of the pool refreshing all of us, we spend a languorous afternoon. It makes me feel as if I'm floating in some colonial British dream - India circa 1880. But then I realize, oh no, I'm in the 21st century. Dream time has to pass.

It's good Friday and we are meant to be shopping for goods to take with us to the "project" later in the trip. The "project" being the region where First Steps Himalayas have set up their operation, introducing proper teaching and classrooms into the disadvantaged local schools. I have some money generously donated by friends back in New Zealand to provide classroom materials and with things being so much more affordable here, I am happy to spend the afternoon choosing books and games for the centers.

And amazed I am with how far the money goes. 1 New Zealand dollar is worth approximately 85 Nepali Rupees. But many of these games and books are just a couple hundred Rupees. We leave the bookstore with boxes of books and early childhood games. It will be interesting to see how they get distributed later on in the trip. 

Car trouble?

After the book store we need to make a quick stop at the French Embassy so that Durga can pick up his passport, but alas there is no parking. So, what do we do? In good Nepali style we "fake" a breakdown outside the embassy and while Durga is inside getting his paperwork sorted Randall and Fionna peer under the hood of the car as if something is wrong. No one questions us. It seems to be normal procedure here. Ah well, sometimes you just roll with the local customs. 

We end up back in Thamel for an amazing Maharaja style Indian dinner. I must say that I was a bit skeptical of going back to Thamel after the craziness of yesterday, but today it seems calmer and more manageable. I guess after 24 hours we are getting into the rhythm of this new country.

The last drive home does feel like forever though, partly because we are tired, and partly from the manic driving. As we weave through the narrow alleyways and congested streets of Thamel, one of the kids leans over to me and says in a quiet voice "I miss New Zealand driving".

Amen. 

Tomorrow we are leaving Kathmandu and heading off by airplane to start the trekking part of our journey. So for tonight, it's goodnight and sweet dreams.

 

Kathmandu, Nepal - exploring Thamel

The alarm was set for 6:30 am. 

At 4:50 am my eyes pop open. 

In the bed next to me both Clara and Juliet are wide awake. I try to make us all go back to sleep, but that only ends up in fits of giggles! I guess it is 11 am back in New Zealand and our bodies just refuse to accept that we should be sleeping. So we make an early morning of it. The breakfast at the hotel is basic but fast and filling. We catch the 7 am shuttle to the airport and are the only ones in line for our flight. With two hours to spare we wander the relatively empty shopping mall, oh, I mean airport, finally settling on another food stop. Mangos and sticky rice to fill us up. The girls eyes pop open when they discover this Southeast Asian delight. Mmmm, mmmm.

Suvarnabhumi Intl. Airport, Bangkok

After practicing yoga, drawing pictures, wandering around aimlessly, and people watching we finally board a bus that takes us to the outer reaches of the airport where we climb aboard our plane. I'm tired and we haven't even taken off yet.

In front of us are two Buddhist monks. It's quite the picture to see the humble robed figures climbing the stairs next to a huge jet engine which is being prepared to propel us through the atmosphere to Nepal. I don't know. Maybe it is a statement that the old and the new can live in harmony, we just have to take the good and practical from each.

After three hours we descend into Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, keeping vigil for the snowy peaks of the Himalaya mountains which surround the Kathmandu Valley. From the air the city is blanketed in haze and mist, just like the Himalaya mountains that peek out at us from behind their own sheets of clouds. It's a smooth landing and we walk down the moving stairway onto the tarmac just behind the monks. Even though the air looked hot and humid from the plane, when we get off we are surprised by a cool temperature, sadly a testament to the air pollution of Kathmandu.

So much paperwork!!!

After clearing the visa office, then the immigration office, then customs office (where they didn't even look at the six forms that were required of me to fill out before we landed!) we reached the other side and are out into Nepal for the first time. Durga, our ride to our hotel, host for most of the trip, and co founder of the charity "First Steps Himalaya" is right there to meet us. (More on FSH later in the trip.) 

Smiling and waving to us from the middle of the road he seems oblivious to the honking horns and traffic moving all around him. We are soon to learn this is normal pedestrian behavior here in Kathmandu, something a little daunting to watch until you get used to it! We load into his five seat-er pick up truck (you do the math, we were squashed) and off we went into Kathmandu craziness. 

Kathmandu can be quite a shock to the system if not properly prepared. It's a city with huge growing pains, having gone from 1 million souls ten years ago to nearly 3 million today, mostly Nepali people who have moved to the city to make their fortune, only to live in squalor. Sigh, the story of so many a city and country. 

The kids are a bit horrified at the first impressions. The smog, the traffic, the rubbish everywhere. It is complete mayhem on the roads with no one using the lanes. No traffic lights, cows, dogs, people, motor bikes, monkeys, cars, buses all competing for space on the road. And then there is the smell of the Bagmati river which runs rife with human sewage (not to mention hospital sewage!). Frankly I am a bit horrified myself! But I believe it is good for us to experience life on the other side. It is so easy to be spoiled by soft living in a country such as ours. 

Nepali power lines

Durga successfully navigates us to our hotel, The Summit, which is an absolute oasis in the chaos of the city. With a long driveway and large inner courtyard of grass it is quiet and peaceful. It's nice to know we will have such a place to come back to when we can't take the filth anymore. But for this afternoon, it is much too early to just hang out.

We only have a finite time here in Kathmandu before heading off into the countryside, so after dropping our bags and changing clothes we are back out into the chaotic Kathmandu. Durga offers to drop us in Thamel, Kathmandu's touristy shopping area, before heading off to pick up his wife and kids from the airport. So after another crazy car ride, a few directions, and advice that haggling is important, we are standing on an alleyway corner between a textile shop and a knock-off North Face stall dodging screaming motor bikes, honking vans, chiming bike taxis and a myriad of other vehicles who all seem to driving in an exhausting confusion. 

But we get our rhythm. The kids just naturally fall into our "formation" that we drilled them on when in the Middle East, our last big adventure. And we learned that while the traffic has absolutely no rhyme or reason to it, no one seems to get hurt and truth be told they don't drive so fast that you can't side step whatever is coming at you, or behind you, as the case may be!

Thamel

Thamel is Kathmandu's touristy shopping district filled with all manner of stores. This part of the city became popular forty some years ago as part of the "hippie trail" where it was almost obligatory for sensitive souls to come and practice their art while journeying through th area. The hippie trail was a journey that many alternate people took between the 1950 and 70s that lead from Europe through India, ultimately culminating in Nepal. As the name implies they were the "counter culture" bringing with them a longing to escape the times with a new way of living, oh, and a lot of pot smoking. The so called Hippie trail stopped in it's popularity in the late 70s when the political climate changed leaving the hash houses out of fashion, and/or illegal in some countries. But Thamel lives on in the modern tourist, here now more for the mountains and the cheap shopping.

Navigating the alleyways of Thamel

So here we are in Thamel, once a hash heaven of the hippie trail, now a tourist bargaining epicenter, negotiating over some little items that we wanted to buy for our trek. Nothing is of very good quality, but boy is it cheap. Many a tourist to Nepal comes here to buy cheap gear before heading out into the mountains. Not to be left behind Randall gets a walking stick, Liana a dress as well as a few gift items. The best bargainer of the day was Cara who got  Juliet a pair of cotton pants for 200 rupees - that's just over $2 NZ!

Exhausted by the days of travel and the six and a quarter hour time change (still haven't figured the reason behind the quarter!!) we found our eyelids drooping and interest waning for the goods on display. We managed to delay the kids till five before heading off to another of Durga's suggestions, a hidden away pizza place that hit the spot perfectly. 

With the kids falling asleep on the table we head out and Randall valiantly finds us a cab. After finally throwing in the towel for finding a bigger taxi we have to settle for the ubiquitous Indian made taxi which is only half the size of the last car we piled into. Certainly not meant for seven people, but hey, we are in Asia, this is what they do. So we pile in and honk our way back to the hotel. Pedestrians calmly walking into the thick of the traffic, one hand out and head bobbing back and forth make it across the streets ahead of us. Cows, dogs, cats, monkeys and crazy motor bike all made it safely past and no one was hurt! I'm beginning to get a feel for this place. 

Cheers!

Now it's eight at night and the kids are fast asleep. Our little apartment at the Summit is on the outside of the hotel and I can hear the life of Kathmandu going on around me in the gardens and apartments that are our neighbors. Some neighborhood dogs barking, earlier the clucking of a big bird (a chicken I hope) going to sleep somewhere in the garden below my window, the couple in the apartment to our right chatting away, and the clanking of dishes from the one directly in back. Life goes on. It's all part of it. And we are part of it. I'm looking forward to getting to know more about what makes this city and country tick. But for now my eyelids are drooping... must sleep.....