...and Mt. Albert, I probably would have never made it up the "hill" I almost passed out on today. They took us to Lamatar, a quaint little village about a 45 minute drive from KTM. We stayed with a very pleasant gentleman and his family. He took us on a stroll about his community, showed us the orphanage (I must mention how refreshing it is to see such happy little faces who are more than content just practicing their English with visitors), fed us daal bhat (lentil soup with rice, taken twice daily in Nepal), took us for tea and cookies, and set up a program where we got to see native Nepali dancing. It was so wonderful to escape the city for a bit. This morning our host, Sulav, woke us up at 6 am to go on a five hour hike. I know, I know, it's no Everest Base Camp, but I think we did roughly 1000 vertical meters. You must believe me when I tell you it was dang tough!
Friday, we went to another little happy town called Chobar. It lies a bit outside of the city and has the Bagmati River running through it. We had a very knowledgeable guide who knew all sorts of trivia about the area. After we gazed at the beautiful, bountiful fields, they took us for tea on a rooftop cafe. The tea here is probably one of my favorite parts of the day.
Tomorrow, we leave for Chitwan. We'll spend until Wednesday rafting, riding/bathing elephants, and spotting one-horned rhinos (I hope I'm so lucky)! That will conclude my cultural orientation, and I'll begin my project as well as move in with the host family. I really, really can't wait to get into the hospital.
Hawasta!!
This sounds so unreal reading this! I'm glad your having a good time and made it through your hike alive. :)
ReplyDelete-Dj
ha! remember that chick wearing heeled sandals and drinking a coke that dusted us on mt. albert?!
ReplyDeleteTea time would be a favorite with me too -- neat that they practice it in Nepal too. I always thought we needed an afternoon pick-me-up tea time in the US, if one didn't have a huge lunch. Better for the metabolism to spread out the meals anyways, and you know me, gotta have something to nibble on every 2 hours!
ReplyDeleteYes I remember Mt. Albert, and I also remember hauling someone in a baby backpack at the time, while lugging you whiney kids up those boulder steps just to see a dratted single caribou on the whole durn mountain! But it was fun :-D Little did you know it was to prepare you for the base of Mt. Everest ...
ReplyDeleteHaha I'm far from Mt Everest. Supposed to go to Pokhara with the boys, and Lumbini with another volunteer from Ireland. Not sure of the timetable yet. I miss you mom.
ReplyDeleteDJ, the hike was utterly, utterly ridiculous. Hope the job hunt/job is going well.
Selena, I just thought of the time that boy at the Grand Canyon had those funyuns. What I wouldn't do for a funyun about now...