A Quick Synopsis.
For those that aren't interested in more than "what I did," this blog is for you :)
4/7 Sunday: Arrived Nepal
4/8 Monday: Spent day with friend Brenda seeing sights
4/9 Tuesday: Another day with Brenda and connecting with travel partner and guide
4/10 Wednesday: 6:30am departure, 5 hour bus ride, 1 hour car ride, 4 hour-2000 feet up
hike to Kaulepani village.
4/11 Thursday: Spent time with local children teaching English in the community center and
visited the private school in the village and handed out supplies.
4/12 Friday: Hiked an hour to a government school in a neighboring village and spent half a
day teaching and playing games with them.
4/13 Saturday: Celebrated the New Year with festival, including sacrifices at the temple.
4/14 Sunday: Hiked 3 hours-1500 feet down to a village called Nalma and spent the night in a
rugged guest house filled with mosquitoes and spiders.
4/15 Monday: Delivered supplies, taught a little English and played games with the children in
the primary school at Nalma and then hiked the 3 hours-1500 feet back up to
return to Kaulepani.
4/16 Tuesday: Hiked the 4 hour-2000 feet back down and took a 2 hour bus and a taxi ride to
Bandipur--a popular resting place for trekkers and foreigners. For a crazy story
about this village, you'll have to check out a further post!
4/17 Wednesday: An insane long day in the car! 2 hours private car to Pokhara, 2 hour visit, 5 hour
drive to Chitwan.
4/18 Thursday: Jeep safari in Chitwan National Park, 3 hour private car to a riverside lodge.
4/19 Friday: 6 hour (should have been 3) bus ride back to Kathmandu to meet up with the
medical trekkers for dinner before they headed out the next day.
4/20 Saturday: Rest and shopping
4/21 Sunday: Rest, shopping, and sightseeing before heading back to airport at 9pm.
4/22 Monday: 20 hour layover in Hong Kong
4/23 Tuesday: 12 hour flight back to Vancouver, 2 hour drive home :)
For those that aren't interested in more than "what I did," this blog is for you :)
4/7 Sunday: Arrived Nepal
4/8 Monday: Spent day with friend Brenda seeing sights
4/9 Tuesday: Another day with Brenda and connecting with travel partner and guide
4/10 Wednesday: 6:30am departure, 5 hour bus ride, 1 hour car ride, 4 hour-2000 feet up
hike to Kaulepani village.
4/11 Thursday: Spent time with local children teaching English in the community center and
visited the private school in the village and handed out supplies.
4/12 Friday: Hiked an hour to a government school in a neighboring village and spent half a
day teaching and playing games with them.
4/13 Saturday: Celebrated the New Year with festival, including sacrifices at the temple.
4/14 Sunday: Hiked 3 hours-1500 feet down to a village called Nalma and spent the night in a
rugged guest house filled with mosquitoes and spiders.
4/15 Monday: Delivered supplies, taught a little English and played games with the children in
the primary school at Nalma and then hiked the 3 hours-1500 feet back up to
return to Kaulepani.
4/16 Tuesday: Hiked the 4 hour-2000 feet back down and took a 2 hour bus and a taxi ride to
Bandipur--a popular resting place for trekkers and foreigners. For a crazy story
about this village, you'll have to check out a further post!
4/17 Wednesday: An insane long day in the car! 2 hours private car to Pokhara, 2 hour visit, 5 hour
drive to Chitwan.
4/18 Thursday: Jeep safari in Chitwan National Park, 3 hour private car to a riverside lodge.
4/19 Friday: 6 hour (should have been 3) bus ride back to Kathmandu to meet up with the
medical trekkers for dinner before they headed out the next day.
4/20 Saturday: Rest and shopping
4/21 Sunday: Rest, shopping, and sightseeing before heading back to airport at 9pm.
4/22 Monday: 20 hour layover in Hong Kong
4/23 Tuesday: 12 hour flight back to Vancouver, 2 hour drive home :)
Some day.
Ever since I started working with Free For Life International, an NGO based out of Nashville, Tennessee, that works to rescue girls from sex trafficking, I have been intrigued by Nepal. I kept using the phrase, "some day I'll go." Well, next Saturday is the day. I kept waiting to have enough money or enough time or enough physical health, and I got tired of waiting. Life is short and not guaranteed and I would regret not going. So, I'm going. I fixed the money problem by fundraising for the entire cost of my flight and my trek. I fixed the time problem by saving my personal leave and getting permission to have my student teacher take my classes for 8 days. And I fixed the health problem by focusing on healthy eating and strength training in preparation for the journey. So, here I go. I have no idea what to expect and that is part of the fun and the challenge. Thanks for coming along on the journey with me!
A Long Journey.
We left the house at 5am Saturday morning for the 2 hr drive to Vancouver. I was confident in this journey--until the plane was boarding. It was too late. Here I go. I boarded the plane for the 14 hour flight and was pleasantly surprised when the pilot announced it would only be 13 :) Since the flight was a 9am flight, and there was only two people in my row, 8 hours passed easily with movies and a good book. I paid a little extra to fly on Cathay Pacific, and I was not disappointed. I highly recommend that airline. There was one row in front of me that a man had discovered before we took off was unoccupied. He had taken control of that row and had slept for almost 7 hours of the flight. I was jealous. At one point he got up and sat back in his original seat and I jumped on the opportunity to take the spot. I politely asked, and he agreed to let me have it. I got to occupy that spot alone for the last five hours and slept about 3 of it. That saved me. We landed in Hong Kong at 2pm local time, which was about midnight for me. I had a short layover of about 2 hours which I spent with a young girl I met from Canada that was originally from Nepal and was heading home for her wedding. We boarded our five hour flight to Kathmandu and I found myself sitting next to a man from San Francisco that was headed to Nepal to build a home for a village woman and her grandson. He and I were kindrid spirits and spoke continuously for three hours of the flight. We both agreed we needed sleep and slept for the last two hours. Speaking to him was comforting and inspiring, and since he had been to Nepal before, he became my airport immigration buddy. Here is advice. Bring a pen to every international airport. What am I, some kind of rookie?! I know this, and yet I realized I landed without one. Immigration was chaos and being able to borrow his pen allowed me to stay in line with him while getting my paperwork ready. He even held a spot in line for me when I had to go get something and let me pretend to be his wife so no one got mad. Quite a guy. After paperwork and paying our $25 Visa fee, we headed to pick up our luggage. This was the first time I have ever experienced a security checkpoint INTO the luggage terminal, but because our flight landed outside and you have to walk into immigration, they check you before you technically "return" to the airport. It was weird. We both found our bags immediately, said a little prayer of thanks for that, and then headed out to the chaos of the pick up area. He spotted his friend immediately and proceeded to hug me goodbye, but I hadn't yet found the sign with my name on it. I politely asked if he would stay until I was safe and he happily agreed. In fact, he crossed the road and scanned every sign until he found my guide holding a sign with my name on it. This was the kindness from strangers I realized I was going to need on this trip. I was driven to my hotel, which was really lovely, and checked in without incident. And the best part?! Strong Wifi and an ability to contact home at a moments notice. A blessing that would save me many times in the upcoming days.
What was I thinking? Fear and Regret.
After about 3 hours of sleep from the long journey, I finally realized where I was and what I had signed up to do. What was I thinking?! Trek? In Nepal? Was I a 19 year old on a GAP year like my co-trekker? NO. I was a 42 year old wife, mom, and math teacher. I missed home. I didn't feel well. I couldn't sleep. It was loud outside. The smells and decor were unfamiliar. And did I already say I missed home? The only upside was that it was a 15 hour time change and I could call Eric through Wifi. So I did. And within 5 minutes I was sobbing and telling him I wanted to go home. I wanted to sit on the couch and snuggle Wilson. I wanted comfortable and familiar. And he let me cry. And then slowly started to comfort me by reminding me that all new things are uncomfortable and scary, but that the work was something I've always wanted to do and that I was strong enough to handle it. And I kept crying. For about an hour. And then he sent me the theme song from the Hobbit about going on an adventure (kind of a family inside joke) and I played it on a loop until I fell asleep. And then I woke up about four hours later and repeated the phone call with more tears. And he reassured me again. And told me he loved me again. And that I was strong enough....again. How blessed am I. I know that Eric wanted nothing more than for me to get on a plane and come back home. The courage that it takes to send me across the world even when I'm confident is high, but the courage it takes to convince me to stay through sobbing pleas to come home must have been heartbreaking for him. Bravery isn't the absence of fear; it is continuing through the fear. And he knew I had it in me. Although, I am still not convinced. I still wonder what I was thinking.
True Love and Unexpected Friendship. Tuesday April 9
Eric has been my rock for 23 years. His love surpasses the love I suspect many husbands have for their wives. God blessed me; maybe just knowing that life would take me to places like Kathmandu and I would need his comfort and support 23 years later to accomplish what he needs me to do. That kind of love is rare and I am fully aware that I take it for granted daily. I always tell my students that aside from education, the most powerful thing they can do that will dramatically affect their lives is to marry wisely and to only marry for love. I am so blessed to have married wisely and truly for love.
In addition to Eric, I was also blessed with a new friend with a local Seattle connection. A friend that I train with has a sister that was living in Nepal whom just happened to be in Kathmandu during the time I would be there. Well, actually, I'm pretty sure God had that planned out long before I even signed up for this trek. She and I met my first morning here and I was so thankful to have her show me around and talk to me about life in the villages and answer as many questions as she could. She is learning the language and it was amazing to see her speak to the locals and to navigate her way through her new surroundings. She is a midwife at a Missionary hospital in a village about 2 hours away and has a 5 year commitment. We spent about 10 hours seeing the city and the local temples. We ate lunch at one of her favorite spots and got to have iced coffee overlooking a beautiful garden outside of the Palace grounds. We had dinner at a Turkish restaurant because I knew I would have an abundance of Nepali food on my trek :) She left about 8pm and I was asleep within 30 minutes. It was a great day, and I felt loved and supported and not alone and it was wonderful. But then I woke about 4 hours later and the fear and regret and knots in my stomach were back and I ached for home. And so I called my best friend. And he calmed me again and let me sob into the phone again. This is definitely the hardest acclimation I've had on any of my journeys and I'm not able to pinpoint the reason. But I certainly feel more alone and fearful than I ever have before.
I was able to fall back asleep for a few hours until the noise on the street was overtaken by the thunder and the rain. And real panic set in. What if I have to trek in a thunderstorm?! I have a little known phobia of thunder after living in eastern Uganda for six weeks on the border of the Congo. The lightening there would strike so close that the ground would shake and the booms were deafening. It has definitely given me a mild case of PTSD, and waking to that in my already shaken state was overwhelming. So I called my best friend again. (I told you Wifi was my saving grace). And I sobbed into the phone terrified. And he told me that I certainly didn't have to go if I felt for my safety and it was too much to bear. And I cried at the thought of going. And I cried at the thought of not going. And then I reached out to friends who also reassured me and prayed for my safety, and slowly I started to calm and pray for peace. The sun finally came up, the thunder subsided and I sat outside listening to the rain and drinking coffee, contemplating the reason I was here enduring this. I still don't have answers. And I might never get them. But I'm clearly supposed to be here for some reason. And in this personal storm I am blessed with a true love that provides me strength when I can't find it, friends that I can rely on for comforting words from home, and an unexpected new friend in Kathmandu that are all getting me through this.
In addition to Eric, I was also blessed with a new friend with a local Seattle connection. A friend that I train with has a sister that was living in Nepal whom just happened to be in Kathmandu during the time I would be there. Well, actually, I'm pretty sure God had that planned out long before I even signed up for this trek. She and I met my first morning here and I was so thankful to have her show me around and talk to me about life in the villages and answer as many questions as she could. She is learning the language and it was amazing to see her speak to the locals and to navigate her way through her new surroundings. She is a midwife at a Missionary hospital in a village about 2 hours away and has a 5 year commitment. We spent about 10 hours seeing the city and the local temples. We ate lunch at one of her favorite spots and got to have iced coffee overlooking a beautiful garden outside of the Palace grounds. We had dinner at a Turkish restaurant because I knew I would have an abundance of Nepali food on my trek :) She left about 8pm and I was asleep within 30 minutes. It was a great day, and I felt loved and supported and not alone and it was wonderful. But then I woke about 4 hours later and the fear and regret and knots in my stomach were back and I ached for home. And so I called my best friend. And he calmed me again and let me sob into the phone again. This is definitely the hardest acclimation I've had on any of my journeys and I'm not able to pinpoint the reason. But I certainly feel more alone and fearful than I ever have before.
I was able to fall back asleep for a few hours until the noise on the street was overtaken by the thunder and the rain. And real panic set in. What if I have to trek in a thunderstorm?! I have a little known phobia of thunder after living in eastern Uganda for six weeks on the border of the Congo. The lightening there would strike so close that the ground would shake and the booms were deafening. It has definitely given me a mild case of PTSD, and waking to that in my already shaken state was overwhelming. So I called my best friend again. (I told you Wifi was my saving grace). And I sobbed into the phone terrified. And he told me that I certainly didn't have to go if I felt for my safety and it was too much to bear. And I cried at the thought of going. And I cried at the thought of not going. And then I reached out to friends who also reassured me and prayed for my safety, and slowly I started to calm and pray for peace. The sun finally came up, the thunder subsided and I sat outside listening to the rain and drinking coffee, contemplating the reason I was here enduring this. I still don't have answers. And I might never get them. But I'm clearly supposed to be here for some reason. And in this personal storm I am blessed with a true love that provides me strength when I can't find it, friends that I can rely on for comforting words from home, and an unexpected new friend in Kathmandu that are all getting me through this.
Praying for Peace and Purpose.
It's the middle of the night yet again. I wake with a chill and an ache in my stomach from anxiety each night so far. And I do my nightly ritual of calling Eric. But what will I do for the next week and a half?! I will not be in cell service and there is certainly not Wifi where I am headed. I know I will endure and rise to the challenge, but being without Eric a call away seems impossible right now. And this just isn't like me.
I spent yesterday with my new friend Brenda again and we had a great day shopping at a textile shop that supports local women and all crafts are hand made by women in Nepal. We then headed back to the Garden of Dreams for a relaxing lunch and spent a couple of hours there. We came back in the late afternoon so I could start to prepare for my journey and meet up with my fellow trekker and my guide.
I was getting worried that I had not received a call or an email from anyone at the trekking company and had no idea when I would meet them. I called the man that had picked me up from the airport and he assured me they would come. I didn't know that it wouldn't be until 9pm that evening. I was nervous to meet the people I would walk through the mountains with and spend the next week and a half working with in the villages. But I was pleasantly surprised and we got along instantly. Briadh is my trekking partner and she is a 19 year old on a gap year. She is starting a 12 week journey through several southeast Asian countries and this is her first stop. She is an incredible young woman with a great sense of humor and a wonderful attitude. She plans to study midwifery and has been on volunteer trips before. She and I will get along just fine on this journey. Our guide's name is Ram and he is actually from the first village where we will be staying and working with teachers. I love that we have a connection to the schools and that it seems to be sustainable and continued work with the volunteers that come. We have a porter on the trek that will carry all of the supplies we are bringing to the schools, and we are mainly responsible for teaching lessons in English and letting the students and the teachers interact with native English speakers. We will live in modest homestays with outhouses that most likely won't have heat or power--but I could be surprised. I'll keep ya posted!
We leave at 6:30am and have a crazy, windy five hour mountain drive ahead of us--good thing I brought anti-nausea meds! After that we will trek for about four hours to the village, where we will stay for three nights. From there we visit a government school in another village an hour away before we trek three hours to the third village, where we will also stay for a few days. Now that I am here I can't believe I am really doing this. And that there is no going back. The van leaves in four short hours. I have a GPS and will put the tracking on, which allows Eric to follow my journey and find the village on Google Earth--technology is pretty cool. I pray for peace. I pray for health. I pray for purpose. Here I go.
I spent yesterday with my new friend Brenda again and we had a great day shopping at a textile shop that supports local women and all crafts are hand made by women in Nepal. We then headed back to the Garden of Dreams for a relaxing lunch and spent a couple of hours there. We came back in the late afternoon so I could start to prepare for my journey and meet up with my fellow trekker and my guide.
I was getting worried that I had not received a call or an email from anyone at the trekking company and had no idea when I would meet them. I called the man that had picked me up from the airport and he assured me they would come. I didn't know that it wouldn't be until 9pm that evening. I was nervous to meet the people I would walk through the mountains with and spend the next week and a half working with in the villages. But I was pleasantly surprised and we got along instantly. Briadh is my trekking partner and she is a 19 year old on a gap year. She is starting a 12 week journey through several southeast Asian countries and this is her first stop. She is an incredible young woman with a great sense of humor and a wonderful attitude. She plans to study midwifery and has been on volunteer trips before. She and I will get along just fine on this journey. Our guide's name is Ram and he is actually from the first village where we will be staying and working with teachers. I love that we have a connection to the schools and that it seems to be sustainable and continued work with the volunteers that come. We have a porter on the trek that will carry all of the supplies we are bringing to the schools, and we are mainly responsible for teaching lessons in English and letting the students and the teachers interact with native English speakers. We will live in modest homestays with outhouses that most likely won't have heat or power--but I could be surprised. I'll keep ya posted!
We leave at 6:30am and have a crazy, windy five hour mountain drive ahead of us--good thing I brought anti-nausea meds! After that we will trek for about four hours to the village, where we will stay for three nights. From there we visit a government school in another village an hour away before we trek three hours to the third village, where we will also stay for a few days. Now that I am here I can't believe I am really doing this. And that there is no going back. The van leaves in four short hours. I have a GPS and will put the tracking on, which allows Eric to follow my journey and find the village on Google Earth--technology is pretty cool. I pray for peace. I pray for health. I pray for purpose. Here I go.
Mind Your Head.
Yesterday was a long journey, but that means so much more than the hours on the bus, time in the car, or steps climbed up the mountain. I literally went from the depths--from one of the lowest personal places on a journey I've ever been, to one of hope, peace, joy, and gratitude. I finally had a restful night's sleep here. Maybe the quiet of the mountain? Maybe the 11 hour exhausting trip to get to the village? Or maybe a resignation to accept that I was put on this journey for a reason and I was to embrace it--fear and all--in order to learn something about myself and/or others. They have a phrase in Nepal, "Mind Your Head," because of the low doorways here thanks to a smaller stature of Nepali people. But to me it has meant so much more. I have to be mindful of minding my head--of staying calm, of looking for the good, of being patient with others--with myself, of my health, of my marriage, of my child, and of my faith. Always needing to "mind my head," and yet usually neglecting it and staying in the busy of the Western World. Here, in the mountains and on this journey, I will have to focus on that, and perhaps that was the point.
The day started at 6:30am when we departed for the bus. Only an hour earlier I had been on the phone with Eric, truly in a state of panic, wondering if I should even do this trek. I was talking about just flying home. And then I did something that is quite rare for me. I reached out for help and others reached out to me--also rare. I felt comforted by prayers and support and chose to believe that God had me here for something and that I had to find peace in that. So, I threw everything in my backpack, dried my tears, chose to admit my fear to God and say a prayer for what lay ahead, and headed downstairs. I instantly felt calm set in. And the fear and panic I had felt for days, including minutes up to my departure, never returned. We hopped aboard a bus and left for the five hour journey, which included quick and interesting stops for food and potty, before we got off the bus at Dummre, met up with our porter who was carrying the school supplies, and piled into a car for another hour of driving prior to starting of trek. It was so hot. Briadh and I couldn't believe after the long day we had endured on the bus and in the car with little sleep that we were still facing a four hour hike up a mountain. When we arrived, we started quickly realizing we were going to regret packing so much. It was instantly straight uphill. About 30 minutes in we stopped for a rest and I admitted my bag was so heavy it was going to be difficult to make it for 3.5 more hours in that heat. Ram, our guide, took a small, but weighted bag, off of my backback and tied it to his own. What a blessing that was. That trek was truly tough and we moved from about 1800 feet to 3800 feet to the village of Kaulapani, where we were welcomed with a treat called a KissKkat! Ha, yes, it is a knock off for the more popular Kit Kat, and it tasted awful, but it was a sweet reward. Our journey uphill seemed like it wouldn't end and we realized our home was at the top of the hill and the furthest from the village. *sigh* We finally arrived and was thankful for a safe, lovely home, a cold shower, a change of clothes, and a serving of tea on the rooftop overlooking the Himalayas. This would be our home for the next few days.
Yesterday was a long journey, but that means so much more than the hours on the bus, time in the car, or steps climbed up the mountain. I literally went from the depths--from one of the lowest personal places on a journey I've ever been, to one of hope, peace, joy, and gratitude. I finally had a restful night's sleep here. Maybe the quiet of the mountain? Maybe the 11 hour exhausting trip to get to the village? Or maybe a resignation to accept that I was put on this journey for a reason and I was to embrace it--fear and all--in order to learn something about myself and/or others. They have a phrase in Nepal, "Mind Your Head," because of the low doorways here thanks to a smaller stature of Nepali people. But to me it has meant so much more. I have to be mindful of minding my head--of staying calm, of looking for the good, of being patient with others--with myself, of my health, of my marriage, of my child, and of my faith. Always needing to "mind my head," and yet usually neglecting it and staying in the busy of the Western World. Here, in the mountains and on this journey, I will have to focus on that, and perhaps that was the point.
The day started at 6:30am when we departed for the bus. Only an hour earlier I had been on the phone with Eric, truly in a state of panic, wondering if I should even do this trek. I was talking about just flying home. And then I did something that is quite rare for me. I reached out for help and others reached out to me--also rare. I felt comforted by prayers and support and chose to believe that God had me here for something and that I had to find peace in that. So, I threw everything in my backpack, dried my tears, chose to admit my fear to God and say a prayer for what lay ahead, and headed downstairs. I instantly felt calm set in. And the fear and panic I had felt for days, including minutes up to my departure, never returned. We hopped aboard a bus and left for the five hour journey, which included quick and interesting stops for food and potty, before we got off the bus at Dummre, met up with our porter who was carrying the school supplies, and piled into a car for another hour of driving prior to starting of trek. It was so hot. Briadh and I couldn't believe after the long day we had endured on the bus and in the car with little sleep that we were still facing a four hour hike up a mountain. When we arrived, we started quickly realizing we were going to regret packing so much. It was instantly straight uphill. About 30 minutes in we stopped for a rest and I admitted my bag was so heavy it was going to be difficult to make it for 3.5 more hours in that heat. Ram, our guide, took a small, but weighted bag, off of my backback and tied it to his own. What a blessing that was. That trek was truly tough and we moved from about 1800 feet to 3800 feet to the village of Kaulapani, where we were welcomed with a treat called a KissKkat! Ha, yes, it is a knock off for the more popular Kit Kat, and it tasted awful, but it was a sweet reward. Our journey uphill seemed like it wouldn't end and we realized our home was at the top of the hill and the furthest from the village. *sigh* We finally arrived and was thankful for a safe, lovely home, a cold shower, a change of clothes, and a serving of tea on the rooftop overlooking the Himalayas. This would be our home for the next few days.
Religion vs. Culture and Living in a Hindu State.
While it unfortunately meant that many schools were closed and kids were away on holiday, we did get to be in our village for the Nepalese New Year and the festival the celebrates it. We learned that many make the journey specifically to the village of Kaulepani from the valley in order to worship, sacrifice, and spend the day with their family. Our village exploded in population overnight--it was pretty incredible! We dressed more traditionally and circulated the village in search of understanding and appreciation of this Hindu festival. We visited the temple and witnessed the burning of incense, the giving of money and things on the altar, and the sacrificing of animals in the square. We did watch as three small buffalo were executed and the priest was celebrated and given money for cutting off it's head in one whack of the blade. I won't say it was easy to watch, but it was part of a culture that I have never been privy to and I knew it was important to take it all in. Briadh and I both joked about now becoming vegetarian, but the reality is that these animals were humanely killed and every part of this animal was eaten or utilized by the family that sacrificed it--that's way more than I can say for any animal that is on a plate in the United States or in most of the Western world. So, while it was disturbing to witness, I took comfort in knowing that this animal would have been killed for food regardless, and that it was providing food for an entire family.
While visiting a smaller temple and witnessing prayer and rituals by a local family the day before, I had asked Ram about the differences between Hindus and Buddhists, the two main religions in Nepal. I was not really surprised when he didn't actually address the religious differences, but was only able to describe them by their differences in cultural norms and ritual practices. He spoke about which festivals each of them had, whom sacrificed when, who was vegetarian, and who wore what outfits, but he was not able to speak to the actual religious beliefs of either, really. And then Briadh and I got into a discussion about whether most in the West even know the differences of Christian verses Catholic, as she is Catholic and I am a Christian. We agreed that most do not and that it is even fuzzy for us most times. I did meet a woman at the start of our trek whom was Christian and even showed me her Nepalese bible. Christians are extremely rare in this nation and I asked how she probably came to be Christian. Ram said that there is a few Castes here are are Christian and that missionaries come and run schools and hospitals and that she may have been a convert. He then proceeded to say that he liked Christians and appreciated them in his country. I pressed him on this and he said because they don't drink, then speak kindly of others, they have good hearts, and they do positive things in the community. Well, I love that he has this perception of Christians in his country, but I was again astounded he didn't speak to beliefs, but only to practices. When we grow up in a society that expects us to conform to the norms of those around us, we aren't given a chance to understand and to challenge things for ourselves. I think we all go through this and being Hindu in Nepal because you were raised that way and have a limited understanding of it's actual foundations is probably normal.
I appreciated being able to see a side of life and religion that I would not otherwise get to see, but it did seem that this society revolved around an unbelievable number of festivals celebrating an enormous number of Gods. I am intrigued to learn more at some point.
While it unfortunately meant that many schools were closed and kids were away on holiday, we did get to be in our village for the Nepalese New Year and the festival the celebrates it. We learned that many make the journey specifically to the village of Kaulepani from the valley in order to worship, sacrifice, and spend the day with their family. Our village exploded in population overnight--it was pretty incredible! We dressed more traditionally and circulated the village in search of understanding and appreciation of this Hindu festival. We visited the temple and witnessed the burning of incense, the giving of money and things on the altar, and the sacrificing of animals in the square. We did watch as three small buffalo were executed and the priest was celebrated and given money for cutting off it's head in one whack of the blade. I won't say it was easy to watch, but it was part of a culture that I have never been privy to and I knew it was important to take it all in. Briadh and I both joked about now becoming vegetarian, but the reality is that these animals were humanely killed and every part of this animal was eaten or utilized by the family that sacrificed it--that's way more than I can say for any animal that is on a plate in the United States or in most of the Western world. So, while it was disturbing to witness, I took comfort in knowing that this animal would have been killed for food regardless, and that it was providing food for an entire family.
While visiting a smaller temple and witnessing prayer and rituals by a local family the day before, I had asked Ram about the differences between Hindus and Buddhists, the two main religions in Nepal. I was not really surprised when he didn't actually address the religious differences, but was only able to describe them by their differences in cultural norms and ritual practices. He spoke about which festivals each of them had, whom sacrificed when, who was vegetarian, and who wore what outfits, but he was not able to speak to the actual religious beliefs of either, really. And then Briadh and I got into a discussion about whether most in the West even know the differences of Christian verses Catholic, as she is Catholic and I am a Christian. We agreed that most do not and that it is even fuzzy for us most times. I did meet a woman at the start of our trek whom was Christian and even showed me her Nepalese bible. Christians are extremely rare in this nation and I asked how she probably came to be Christian. Ram said that there is a few Castes here are are Christian and that missionaries come and run schools and hospitals and that she may have been a convert. He then proceeded to say that he liked Christians and appreciated them in his country. I pressed him on this and he said because they don't drink, then speak kindly of others, they have good hearts, and they do positive things in the community. Well, I love that he has this perception of Christians in his country, but I was again astounded he didn't speak to beliefs, but only to practices. When we grow up in a society that expects us to conform to the norms of those around us, we aren't given a chance to understand and to challenge things for ourselves. I think we all go through this and being Hindu in Nepal because you were raised that way and have a limited understanding of it's actual foundations is probably normal.
I appreciated being able to see a side of life and religion that I would not otherwise get to see, but it did seem that this society revolved around an unbelievable number of festivals celebrating an enormous number of Gods. I am intrigued to learn more at some point.
Unusual Things and Natural Healing.
There is no toilet paper in the villages period. They use water to wash, but the lack of training and understanding in hygiene tends to lead to sickness. Many use water to wash for the bathroom, but fail to realize the importance of washing hands with soap and get sick. It is something the medical community is trying to address here. There is also no such thing as a septic system or proper sanitation, so all waste--human and animal flows freely into ditches, canals, streams, and rivers, also causing major sicknesses from the water sources.
While here, Briadh got quite sunburned at the festival and we asked about a soothing lotion, but Ram insisted she rub her face and neck with a tomato that was cut in half. It was funny and unusual, but when she woke the next day, her burn was almost half of what it was! Also, I awoke with a swollen eye with what appeared to be two bites, which I was told may have been from Spider urine--gross! At night, I was instructed to chew up rice and put it under my eye onto the bites. Overnight the swelling was gone and the bites quickly healed. How many things are we convinced need modern medicine and money, when they only need simple things from nature!?
There is no toilet paper in the villages period. They use water to wash, but the lack of training and understanding in hygiene tends to lead to sickness. Many use water to wash for the bathroom, but fail to realize the importance of washing hands with soap and get sick. It is something the medical community is trying to address here. There is also no such thing as a septic system or proper sanitation, so all waste--human and animal flows freely into ditches, canals, streams, and rivers, also causing major sicknesses from the water sources.
While here, Briadh got quite sunburned at the festival and we asked about a soothing lotion, but Ram insisted she rub her face and neck with a tomato that was cut in half. It was funny and unusual, but when she woke the next day, her burn was almost half of what it was! Also, I awoke with a swollen eye with what appeared to be two bites, which I was told may have been from Spider urine--gross! At night, I was instructed to chew up rice and put it under my eye onto the bites. Overnight the swelling was gone and the bites quickly healed. How many things are we convinced need modern medicine and money, when they only need simple things from nature!?
Final Days.
We woke to a gorgeous view of Annapurna and Manaslu and enjoyed a quiet morning with coffee and a traditional breakfast before the farewell ceremony given by Aama and 3 hour--2000 foot hike back down the mountain. Absolutely soaking with sweat and so hot, we hopped on a local bus for the 2 hour ride back to Dummre and then on to Bandipur, but we stopped suddenly about 100 feet down the road when the bus ran out of gas. The gauges don't work so they never know when that will be. Lucky us. The driver ran down the road and got a can of gas and then two boys tore into a water bottle and used it as a funnel to put gas in the bus. We traveled about a mile before stopping to fill the bus at a gas station, and then we were on our way! It was hot, but at least we had seats, as many had to stand for the whole time. When we arrived, we were taken by car up a long, windy mountain road to the village of Bandipur. This particular area of Nepal is a favorite resting spot for trekkers and locals alike, and a halfway point between Kathmandu and Pohkara for those traveling the country. It is quite unusual and looked a little like a Bavarian village. Lots of hotels and cafes and many foreigners leisurely walking through the streets. We left to travel back down to our guide's house to meet his family and have tea. While we were there, the rain started and the wind began to blow. And then the storm hit! We waited for it to calm a little and then headed quickly back up the mountain to our hotel. We arrived soaking wet to have dinner before realizing we had left our clothes on the line! We picked them up soaking wet on the ground and then realized the power was out. Things were flying down the street and breaking, so we headed inside. We started washing our clothes in the dark and realized there were slugs on them!! Ugh. Gross. And meanwhile Briadh somehow disabled her iPhone, which set of a series of events all of its own for the next few days. We happily went to bed and hoped for sunlight! Ah, adventure. Good thing Briadh and I were able to laugh through it all :)
The next day we decided we were feeling left out from all the foreigners going to Pokhara, so I hired a car to take us the 2 hours there. We only had time for lunch and a small visit to Fewa Lake and the famed Lakeside district that draws so many visitors before we had to get in the car for the 5 hour drive to Chitwan. It was a long day in the car, but thankful we weren't on a bus and could just take in the sights (and sounds and smells) of Nepal. We arrived at a lovely resort hotel in Chitwan for the night, where we met the slightly insane--and possibly drunk--owner that was too happy to meet us. But we settled into our room and slept well for our next day of visiting the Elephant Breeding Center and our insanely hot 4 hour jeep safari tour in Chitwan National Park. We enjoyed the rhinos and elephants, but the heat was overwhelming in an open jeep. We borrowed sunscreen from some Danish people on the ride and prayed for shade that didn't come. It was a fun afternoon, though. We decided to hire a driver to take us the 2 hours to the lakeside resort for our last night before returning to Kathmandu and honestly thought we were going to die on that road numerous times, thanks to insane Nepalese bus and truck drivers. But we managed. We stayed the last night in the resort and awoke the next morning for our 3 hour bus ride back to Kathmandu, which turned into 6 hours. That was a long ride! We were thankful to return to Kathmandu for much needed rest before ending our adventure together. We got to go to dinner with the medical trekkers that were headed out for our same route the next day and shared some of our experiences with them and let them ask us questions while we had dinner and played pool. It was a great way to end our adventure.
Well, this trek hasn't been as much about teaching as it has been about learning. I knew we would deliver supplies to village schools, but I didn't realize how little time we would spend in those schools and with the children. We did not deliver uniforms or technology as I was told we might, but rather merely dropped off notebooks, pencils, erasers, and sharpener to five different schools and to less than 100 students. We spoke to them in English, helped them write a little in their notebooks, and played a few games, but didn't do much more than that. If that was the story I chose to tell of this journey, one of false advertisement and disappointment, then I couldn't say I've learned much about life over the past few years. Life is full of disappointments and stories that are told based on chosen perspective. It can be full of "false advertisements" and empty promises, or it can be full of joy and contentment when you choose to look beyond the expected. I've gotten to a point in my life where I no longer even know what to expect and that looking too far in the future can be pointless and maddening. I didn't expect I would get to celebrate the Nepali New Year in a Village with thousands of locals that would make the journey to the mountain to celebrate and to see sacred rituals and sacrifices involved in Hinduism. I didn't expect to be able to spend the week with a wonderful young woman named Briadh, who would be a tremendous travel partner and friend--and who would share my sense of humor! I didn't expect to adore the family we lived with as much as I did and get to fully experience life with Nepalese family, including the late night cries of the one year old :) And I certainly didn't expect to get to see as much of the country as I did in two short weeks. What a trip. Those are the stories I will tell upon my return. That is the perspective I choose to have and to share. I am grateful to all that supported my desire to be involved in this project and to add to my global perspective. This would not have been possible without those that always support my desire to see and understand the world, and to bring that back to my classroom and to share it with the next generation. Until next time.
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