left Laxman's house at 7.30 to walk the 3 kilometres for the 9am bus down the mountain. keso (Bless him) caried my rucksack and the walk to the top was not as bad as I had expected - I must be getting fit.
befoe we left Laxman (my brother - didiby) and his wife Sita (my friend - Sati) sat Marianna and me down and painted a tikka (red dot) on our forehead and put a garland of red and white flowers around our necks. the children gave us posies of flowers and prceeded to add more red paint to our faces. I ooked ike a red indian by the end.
Anyway - on the way to the bus the clouds cleared enough to see a good proportion of the mountain ranges - a spectacular sight. I've taken photos but I know they won't portrait the magnificence of these peaks.
Bus arrived and it was nearly full before the crowd who were waiting with us got on. luckily (or not) the 4 of us (Keso and Niamh came with us)got the back seat and we squeezed our rucksacks in and off we went for the mountain flight down. Well now I know why Laxman always says 'Oh My God!'. I thought the ride up was bad but this was just like a flight with really bad turbuence or going over a building site at a vertical angle. The back door was open so we had to hold on to our rucksacks for grim death. I was in the back corner and had my feet on top of them so every time we went over a majorbump I was ifted off the seat. There were bars around the windows so I am now back and blue from being squashed and bumped against them. The trip is only about 13 kms but it took 2 hurs and the locals just stared at these red faced indians in the back who were laughing their heads off at the roller coaster ride down.
Niamh is staying another 2 weeks with the familybut came down with us just to spend one night of luxury in a soft hotel bed and have a hot shower.
I enjoyed my stay in the mountains, despite all the mosquito bites and I know I wil never forget their genuine heatfelt kindness.
Back now in Pokhara for one night and then on to Chitwan - the jungle.
xx
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Thursday 10th - Celebrations
Final day teaching - such a short stay on this project which is sad. We made paper planes with the children and then flew them on the top of the mountain outside the school, then we sang songs and played games before doing the final 'hokey cokey'. Spent the rest of the morning walking down and up the mountain and chatting with Sita (using the phrase book a lot) over tea and biscuits.
My time here has flown and I liked to have stayed with family longer and experienced farm life - hands on. Maybe if I'd stayed longer then I may have seen a clear day when you see the whole of the Annapurna range plus other mountain ranges.
Sita made us Rotis for lunch and I've got really used to the Daal/Bht (lentil soup and rice) for beakfast and dinner. Sita always adds fried potatoes and vegetables which are fresh so it's so different to the Daal/Baht in Kathmandu.
My final shower outdoors and last Grad 2 class - we made masks and had fun.
Back to the house and my brother (didby) Laxman had killed one of the chickens for our last meal with them. Their daughter Srijana was also home from college for the weekend so it was nice to meet her before we left.
Glad you're enjoying my blogs - I hope they're not getting too repetitive as I sometimes forget what I've written.
Love you. Sue xxxxxxxxxx
My time here has flown and I liked to have stayed with family longer and experienced farm life - hands on. Maybe if I'd stayed longer then I may have seen a clear day when you see the whole of the Annapurna range plus other mountain ranges.
Sita made us Rotis for lunch and I've got really used to the Daal/Bht (lentil soup and rice) for beakfast and dinner. Sita always adds fried potatoes and vegetables which are fresh so it's so different to the Daal/Baht in Kathmandu.
My final shower outdoors and last Grad 2 class - we made masks and had fun.
Back to the house and my brother (didby) Laxman had killed one of the chickens for our last meal with them. Their daughter Srijana was also home from college for the weekend so it was nice to meet her before we left.
Glad you're enjoying my blogs - I hope they're not getting too repetitive as I sometimes forget what I've written.
Love you. Sue xxxxxxxxxx
Wednesday 9th - Lazy day
School was good today - we did Astonomy with the older children and Niamh/Marianna had done a quiz on the planets and a crossword plus a trailfinder, then the kids dre and coloured all the planets which we hung ove the blackboard. I wrote out the story of the 3 little pigs for the younger group and taught them to read it. I left words out of the story so that we could check that they understood the story.
The rest of the day was just lazy. I've been watching the pregnant buffalo as she's due any day now - I do hope she gives birth before we go.
The rest of the day was just lazy. I've been watching the pregnant buffalo as she's due any day now - I do hope she gives birth before we go.
Tuesday 8th - Routine day
Am now really in the swing of a 6am rise for walk up the mountain to the library for the 7am class and then back for breakfast at 9.30. The rest of the day is then ours to relax or walk until the evening class at 5pm. Grup 1 (ages 6 - 11) in the morning and Group 2 (ages 12 - 15) in the evening.
Today Sita (Laxman's wife) had a really bad back so I've given her my back support and some strong painkillers. Up to now I've always managed to play the old frail woman and someone always offers to carry my rucksack for me so I thought Sita's need for the support was greater than mine. The family's generosity to us is beyond belief and money is always short but they are genuingly kind people. They received a parcel from Australia containing some books and stuff from a previous volunteer. There were 2 tiny bars of chocolate in the parcel and there are more than 10 family members but they gave one bar to share between me Marianna and Niamh.
Had a shower and washed my hair today which was so refreshing as it's been a really hot day. It's surprising how easily you get used to cold water.
Today Sita (Laxman's wife) had a really bad back so I've given her my back support and some strong painkillers. Up to now I've always managed to play the old frail woman and someone always offers to carry my rucksack for me so I thought Sita's need for the support was greater than mine. The family's generosity to us is beyond belief and money is always short but they are genuingly kind people. They received a parcel from Australia containing some books and stuff from a previous volunteer. There were 2 tiny bars of chocolate in the parcel and there are more than 10 family members but they gave one bar to share between me Marianna and Niamh.
Had a shower and washed my hair today which was so refreshing as it's been a really hot day. It's surprising how easily you get used to cold water.
Monday 7th - My Birthday
Hadn't even thought about my birthday and certainly hadn't told anyone in the village as I didn't want any fuss. We were at school again by 7am and got the children drawing fruit to make a fruit basket for the wall of the library. the time with them just flew.
back to the house for breakfast - usual daal/baht and then off to the spring to wash our clothes as i'm in desperate need of clean knickers. The spring/shower is in the nicest spot that I've washed my clothes - the water flows out of a pipe in the side of the mountain which overlooks the valley below.
When we got back home - I was sat on my 'veranda' when Niamh and Marianna came along singing 'Happy birthday'. They brought chocolate cookies, crisps and sweets and gave me a birthday card which they made and then we played cards and drank coke - it really was a nice surprise. By the way - thanks so much for all your birthday wishes too.
Laxman's wife - Sita came back from the fields carrying masses of corn leaves for the buffalo - t's staggering what the women of Nepal can carry and I wish I'd had my camera handy - they certainly work harder than the men. As soon as she arrived home, she started cooking lunch whch was a real treat - it was fried eggs (straight from the chickens) plus milk tea (milk from the buffalo) so it was my birthday all over again.
I helped Sita in the kitchen a little and she calls me 'Sati' which means 'friend'. Laxman calls me his sister and says I'm now part of his family so I call him 'Didiby' which means - younger brother. In the evening Keso, one of the neighbours, and Laxman brought out some Rakshi (Mongoian brewed fire water)for us to drink. We sang Beatles and Mariah Carey songs and laughed - there was a power cut so we did all this by lantern and torch light. the torch Damian gave me has certainly been used in every country I've been to so far.
We had chicken, rice and daal for tea and then the rains came in buckets so off to bed. It certainly was a lovely way to spend my birthday and one I'll remember for a long time
xx
back to the house for breakfast - usual daal/baht and then off to the spring to wash our clothes as i'm in desperate need of clean knickers. The spring/shower is in the nicest spot that I've washed my clothes - the water flows out of a pipe in the side of the mountain which overlooks the valley below.
When we got back home - I was sat on my 'veranda' when Niamh and Marianna came along singing 'Happy birthday'. They brought chocolate cookies, crisps and sweets and gave me a birthday card which they made and then we played cards and drank coke - it really was a nice surprise. By the way - thanks so much for all your birthday wishes too.
Laxman's wife - Sita came back from the fields carrying masses of corn leaves for the buffalo - t's staggering what the women of Nepal can carry and I wish I'd had my camera handy - they certainly work harder than the men. As soon as she arrived home, she started cooking lunch whch was a real treat - it was fried eggs (straight from the chickens) plus milk tea (milk from the buffalo) so it was my birthday all over again.
I helped Sita in the kitchen a little and she calls me 'Sati' which means 'friend'. Laxman calls me his sister and says I'm now part of his family so I call him 'Didiby' which means - younger brother. In the evening Keso, one of the neighbours, and Laxman brought out some Rakshi (Mongoian brewed fire water)for us to drink. We sang Beatles and Mariah Carey songs and laughed - there was a power cut so we did all this by lantern and torch light. the torch Damian gave me has certainly been used in every country I've been to so far.
We had chicken, rice and daal for tea and then the rains came in buckets so off to bed. It certainly was a lovely way to spend my birthday and one I'll remember for a long time
xx
Sunday 6th - Teaching
Woke at 6am ready to go to our st teaching lesson at 7am. We walked back up the steep path that we had trodden the prevous night to find 9 children there. We'd not had time to plan anything but we muddled through. Back at the house we helped to unravel the silk worm cocoons from loads of ferns as they were going to be taken into pokhara for sale. Then at 11.30 Pradip and Keso took us up the hills to see the view of the Pokhara valley - words can't describe the view of both sides of the valley at the same time and I know that the photos won't do it justice. I've never waked so much up and down the dales - I'll certainly be fit at the end of this leg of my journey.
Had lunch and a well needed kip and then we decided to brave the shower facilities at the public natural spring. In Nepal you have to be respectable when showering and usually the locals where a lunghi but I left my sarong in sri Lanka so I had to shower wearing my t-shirt and a wrap around skirt - it's not easy trying to wash your private bits fully clothed and being watched by the local kids who found it extremely amusing. It was good to feel clean again though - albeit briefly as we had to walk back up the hill in the heat and then back up another hill to the library to teach the evening class of older children - so sweating buckets again!. this is what you call 'Experiencing Real Nepal!'
More tomorrow. love Sue
Had lunch and a well needed kip and then we decided to brave the shower facilities at the public natural spring. In Nepal you have to be respectable when showering and usually the locals where a lunghi but I left my sarong in sri Lanka so I had to shower wearing my t-shirt and a wrap around skirt - it's not easy trying to wash your private bits fully clothed and being watched by the local kids who found it extremely amusing. It was good to feel clean again though - albeit briefly as we had to walk back up the hill in the heat and then back up another hill to the library to teach the evening class of older children - so sweating buckets again!. this is what you call 'Experiencing Real Nepal!'
More tomorrow. love Sue
Saturday 5th - Road of hell to Heaven
At 2pm laxman (the father in the host family) collected us from the hotel to go to his home. Weleft the hotel at 3 to catch the bus 9we thought he was bringing his car - wrong!) and then we were told that the bus leaves at 5pm so we sat outside a local shop chatting to his brother. they gave us a cuppa and I bought a large carrier bag to carry the odds and ends I'd planned to put in the boot of the car -it turned out to be the best buy ever as you'll find out from this story.
The bus set off - the road was a dirty, rocky and muddy track up the side of the mountain, we got possibly half way and stopped 3 times as the bus got stuck in the mud. The locals got off and pushed the bus and we travelled a littl further and got stuck again, they then weighted the back of the bus with rocks to give it some grip and again we moved a little further. Finally we were informed that 'the bus isn't going any further!' and we'll have to walk the rest of the way. first of all we thought they were joking but NO - so with rucksacks, my new bag and all off we set for the long walk to the house. It was starting to get dark too and we had to walk through the wet jungle up the steep hill. Luckily people seem to consider me a frail old woman who needs help carrying her rucksack and who am I to disillusion them, so Laxman carried my rucksack for me. Niamh was wearing a sarong and flipflops and all 3 of us were so unfit but after an hour or so we reached the gates of the village and sighed with relief. Then to add insult to injury we had to walk another 2km to Laxman's house by which time it was really dark. We were dead by the time we got there - it had been so difficult to see where our footing had to go and the paths were rocky and muddy. At one point we had to stand on the edge of a wall (sheer drop) to let the buffalo pass -- Mad mad mad! - I coudn't have made this up if I'd tried.
Anyway we got there and after daal/Baht for tea I went to my room which was above the buffalo shed and got my mosquito net well in place. I had a restless night as the bed was wooden and the mattress was less than a quarter of an inch thick, then the rain, thunder and lightening descended - monsoon season after all so what could I expect. They say humour = tragedy plus time and they are right as you'll see as you read on.
I'm going to write up all of my days on the mountain and hopefully I'll bring you all up to date. Sue x
The bus set off - the road was a dirty, rocky and muddy track up the side of the mountain, we got possibly half way and stopped 3 times as the bus got stuck in the mud. The locals got off and pushed the bus and we travelled a littl further and got stuck again, they then weighted the back of the bus with rocks to give it some grip and again we moved a little further. Finally we were informed that 'the bus isn't going any further!' and we'll have to walk the rest of the way. first of all we thought they were joking but NO - so with rucksacks, my new bag and all off we set for the long walk to the house. It was starting to get dark too and we had to walk through the wet jungle up the steep hill. Luckily people seem to consider me a frail old woman who needs help carrying her rucksack and who am I to disillusion them, so Laxman carried my rucksack for me. Niamh was wearing a sarong and flipflops and all 3 of us were so unfit but after an hour or so we reached the gates of the village and sighed with relief. Then to add insult to injury we had to walk another 2km to Laxman's house by which time it was really dark. We were dead by the time we got there - it had been so difficult to see where our footing had to go and the paths were rocky and muddy. At one point we had to stand on the edge of a wall (sheer drop) to let the buffalo pass -- Mad mad mad! - I coudn't have made this up if I'd tried.
Anyway we got there and after daal/Baht for tea I went to my room which was above the buffalo shed and got my mosquito net well in place. I had a restless night as the bed was wooden and the mattress was less than a quarter of an inch thick, then the rain, thunder and lightening descended - monsoon season after all so what could I expect. They say humour = tragedy plus time and they are right as you'll see as you read on.
I'm going to write up all of my days on the mountain and hopefully I'll bring you all up to date. Sue x
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