TravelStream™ news feed for member mightylongway on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/mightylongway en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:02:14 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1214229540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1214229540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1214229540/tpod.html Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:02:14 -0400 Our adventures living and volunteering in Nepal for 12 months, 2007/08

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Kathmandu, Nepal

It is hard to write our last Nepal blog - partly because we are now far away, relaxing on a beach, far removed from the our life of the last year, and because it is hard to summarise our experience and convey the intricacies of what it was really like.  Whilst we soon found ourselves settled, life was full of so many different experiences and challenges of living in a developing country and positive and negative aspects of being a foreigner.  Realising that we will never fully understand 'it' - the small things that makes a culture and society, we could only live as observers, wanting at times to fit in and be a greater part of such a vibrant and complex society at other points glad that we had another home to one day return.  There was so much the same yet so much more that was different.  We lived comfortably in our large apartment most of the time.  I loved the little things that made living there so easy; having a little market at the end of the street; receiving a surprise plate of food from our landlords; having corner shops literally on every corner; spending a few dollars on a meal; the little child shyly saying namaste and staring up at the white foreigner; the beauty of the temples; the friendly curiosity of the people; and the feeling you get every time you see the mountains rising above the chaos of Kathmandu.  Small things that will perhaps be the things we miss the most once we settle back home.  There will of course be things we won't miss like living without power and at times water, and the stomach bugs that seemed to never really go away.  I definitely won't miss the traffic, the chaotic driving and disregard for other road users, the pollution that gets in your hair and skin and the smell of the Bagmati River; the sewerage stench rising from the black slime running through the city.    12 months is perhaps enough (for now) but we always knew we could leave.  For many there is no choice but to survive and for many, happiness is sought elsewhere.  It was frustrating to watch the progression of politics and the (lack of) government progress to change.  There is so much potential in Nepal, so many passionate people and a country full of people that want a better life. So many times we asked a child their age and were astounded; a child the size of a 5 or 6 year old would be 10 or 12, the malnutrition so bad.  The majority of places have no or little sanitation, one tap for an entire village with erratic water supply and still be un-safe.  Nepal receives so much donor aid yet progress is still so slow.   Perhaps in some small way we made some tiny difference through our work.  Most people were happy, if not a little bemused, that we wanted to come to Nepal and give something to their country.  Many asked why.  It felt good to be giving something, although the experiences Nepal gave us are far more valuable.  We were often asked if we liked Nepal.  It is hard to not like a country so beautiful, so friendly, with so many natural and historic attractions.  It is quite easy to love it in fact.  There is no denying Nepal has touched us and we will one day be back.      I've posted photos of our trek through Langtang to Goisakunda Lakes, across the Laurabina Pass and down to Shivapuri and Kathmandu as reminder of one of the best experiences Nepal can offer, trekking, and the draw of the Himalaya, which will always keep people (us included) coming back for more.  Enjoy. PostscriptAfter leaving Nepal we spent a few days constantly being in awe at the wonders of modern technology and the lifestyle in Bangkok.  Shopping centres, women in skirts and food courts gave us a number of culture shocks!  We then headed to Koh Tao on the eastern gulf where we relaxed with some aussie-nepali friends, dived and ate copious amounts of seafood.  We travelled further south and into Malaysia where we spent more time relaxing on a beach in the Perhentians and more diving.  It was rather hard to miss Nepal at this stage.  Finally we headed to KL and one more island - Christmas Island (or more appropriately, Crab Island) - which is an Australian territory but still doesn't quite feel like 'home', although Michael has found Coopers and Kate drank water from the tap (such a luxury), Michael caught a BIG fish (picture attached), and we explored underwater.  Now we are heading home, with Melbourne as the final destination.  At least for a while.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1211288460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1211288460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1211288460/tpod.html Thu, 29 May 2008 23:00:22 -0400 Our adventures living and volunteering in Nepal for 12 months, 2007/08

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Kathmandu, Nepal

The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal (and other stuff)We have been busy with visitors, field trips and work the last few months; our excuse for not keeping this site updated.  Kate has decided she should be in the running for the title 'number 1 Nepal tour guide' after arranging family itineraries, undertaking two treks and managing the volunteer program for her work.Showing people around did remind us of some of the positive and enjoyable aspects of living here and why Nepal is such an interesting place to visit - striking temples, vibrant and diverse cultures, interesting politics, great shopping, friendly people, awesome mountains and nature experiences.  Our guests also experienced some of the less pleasant aspects though; regular power outages, persistent touts, strikes and blockades, pollution and Kathmandu traffic and the most fun of all, gastro 'issues'.  We did try to ensure they had the full Nepali experience!  I find it interesting how much people (us included) discuss and relate to the experiences had here by comparing them to experiences and lives in Australia.  Maybe we can only understand (or try to) different situations, cultures and experiences by finding a point of relation, however different it may be.  Whilst I think we have become more accustomed to many of the differences living here, there is still so much we don't understand and will never be able to.  I suspect when we return to Australia we will be comparing things there to life here for a while.  So, unfortunately recent events in Tibet caused the cancellation of our trip a week before we were due to leave and with a bunch of visitors with different ideas of what would constitute an enjoyable holiday we needed to come up with some new plans.  Michael and Anthony decided instead of riding from Tibet they would tackle the back 'roads' of Nepal and travel from Kathmandu to Pokhara while Kate, Susan and Beth headed to the Langtang mountains.As an aside, the Tibet border remains closed two months later and there are still protests in Kathmandu by monks and nuns who are often brutally attacked and then arrested by police.  At the celebration of Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death last week we also saw well over a hundred monks on their 37th day of hunger strike.  So whilst changing our plans was a little disruptive we had to remember that people in Tibet were going through a lot and as our travel agent put it; it is a small inconvenience for (hopefully) a greater good.  I won't bore you with a descriptive account of trekking in Langtang - this website provides an excellent overview.   Overall though it was a fairly easy trek with great forests, spectacular mountains, snow (and snowmen), dazzling displays of rhododendrons, a precarious walk across an icy ledge and the frozen holy lakes of Goisakunda.    For anyone looking for a more isolated, less populated (by locals and tourists), nature based trek, I would highly recommend heading to Langtang and Goisakunda lakes.  Michael went mountain bike riding with his brother Anthony (herein referred to as Aff).   Although seemingly much less ambitious than riding from Lhasa to Kathmandu, the back way to Pokhara was apparently quite comparable where the number and steepness of the hills certainly made up for the altitude of Tibet.  It swayed between pleasant, exhilarating and torturous.  Riding up 2000 metres on rocky tracks had its rewards, namely going back down.  Although, after a while your arms and blistered hands hurt more than your legs ever did while going up.  Anyway, enough overdramatised whinging.  We were privileged in getting access to villages and lifestyle that tourists and aid workers don't visit, and enjoying the fascination and surprise from seeing three crazy guys on bicycles.  The kids especially would follow us hills, casually walking alongside while we, well me at least, agonised over every pedal.  Aff, Kate and I also went canyoning, which basically involves climbing, sliding, jumping and abseiling down waterfalls and gorges.  After getting over jumping (falling) five or ten metres into a rock pool after the end of the abseiling rope (intentionally) ran out, we had heaps of fun.  Credit goes to Aff for most of the photos.  Kate also took on the responsibility of managing the Habitat volunteer program for 11 Australians which involved coordinating every activity and meal, responding to every issue and complaint whilst living and working in the very hot and humid Terai on building two houses.  Whilst it was hard work, it was also immensely rewarding and again reminded me of some of wonderful aspects of this country.  The community's generosity and acceptance of a bunch of strangers flying into their lives for 10 days was touching.  We were adopted into their lives and made part of the home owner families.  The conditions were so basic and poor yet the sense of community was so strong.  We were entertained by the local wedding band, offered numerous tikkas (blessings) and most rewarding of all, worked together to improve the housing situation of a few families.During this time Michael went on a two more field trips.  One to the far west and the other to the east.  The far west is by far the poorest part (of the poorest country in Asia and the fourth poorest in the world!)  The thing I really noticed was, no matter what time of the day, most men tended to sit around drinking and playing cards, while the women and children were doing any or a combination of herding animals, carting enormous loads of feed, rocks, wood etc or planting rice.  The other women were probably inside cooking daal bhaat for their husbands.  Some children were sent to the roadside to sell flowers to passing cars (few and far between), for the equivalent of 5 cents.  Many kids aren't going to school for five cents.  The east is more populated and far richer than the west.  As well as tea, there are many industries and trade with India.  In fact it is very very similar to India, some call it a district of India.While in the east I took the chance to head to Janakpur, which is a holy Hindu city, the place of marriage of Rama and Sita (for anyone familiar with the Ramayana).  Lots of photos of here are included.  The palatial temple was filled and surrounded by pilgrims and Indian tourists.  There are hundreds of 'hostels' for the sadhus (holy men) scattered around the town and a re-enactment of the famous Rama and Sita wedding, as well as a few living re-enactments in process. In amongst entertaining guests, riding and trekking we also witnessed Nepal's historic constituent assembly election.   Over 2 months later a second historic event occurred yesterday - the sitting of the Constituent Assembly - 601 members.  The first item of business was the formal abolition of the monarchy and the declaration of the country as a federal democratic republic.  A few tiny bombs threatened to disrupt the occasion but nothing could stop the movement and celebrations.  We were even given a pre-emptive public holiday - republic day - before the declaration was officially made.  It has certainly been really interesting to be here for some of the most historic events in Nepal's history.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1208754900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1208754900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1208754900/tpod.html Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:33:00 -0400 Our adventures living and volunteering in Nepal for 12 months, 2007/08

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Kathmandu, Nepal

So it has finally happened.  The elections for a Constituent Assembly (to write a new constitution and restructure the country) went ahead with outstanding success.  Here in Nepal a successful election means that only a few people died, only about 100 booths were 'captured' and only a few weapons were seized.  However, it also means that around 70% of people voted (many having to travel for days to do so), the vast majority of booths were peaceful and no one is questioning overall whether or not it was rigged.  In fact, with vehicles banned, it was the most peaceful and quiet I have ever seen Kathmandu. The lead-up to the election was a bit tense but quite exciting.  About six bombs went off in Kathmandu in the few days before but no major injuries.  A couple of candidates were murdered and numerous other party workers were beaten or killed.  Accusations that the Maoists were intimidating people were common, from saying that they had special telescopes so they could see who you voted for, to forcefully stopping other parties entering 'their' stronghold areas.  On a mountain bike trip preceeding the election, I noticed one party was not campaigning in the region.  This was because they were told that if they did the Maoists would "break their legs and make widows of their wives".  Fights between party members in the weeks leading up were common and out in the rural areas you could see why.  Other tactics we anecdotally heard about were taking names off the list, telling people not to vote as someone else would be voting in their name, getting children to vote on behalf of absentee voters and the more traditional vote buying (apparently it only costs the equivalent of $2-3 for a vote). Now, contrary to everyone's expectations, including their own, the Maoists (the Communist guerillas only two years out from a brutal ten year civil war) are run away winners.   Regardless of the intimidation, people were excited to vote for the Maoists, for peace and change.  While they had threatened to seize power or 'go back to the jungle' if they lost, people seemed to genuinely support them.  The atrocities of the civil war have been put aside in the hope that they will not repeat the failures of the other parties and the old ruling elite.  The Maoists have been the only party who seemed to genuinely want to include women, low caste and Indigenous people in their party and it has not gone unnoticed.  Everyone, Maoist or not, is excited about a 'new Nepal', as is the slogan of the Maoists.  There are a few worried people, as their youth workers and rebel army are difficult to control, even if they want to, and big landlords and business are running scared, despite assurances that investment will be encouraged and land will not be seized. We have heard that American businessmen are leaving the country and the Americans still class the Maoists as terrorists and so perhaps their aid may dry up to.  Overall though people are positive and it was a vote for peace and a vote for a revolution.  Certainly there was a lot of rigging, but even in Kathmandu, most people voted Maoist. So what the next few months will bring is anyone's guess.  The army sure will not like working for the Maoists, but it seems the desire for peace will prevent a return to bloodshed.  Change will be slow as it is acknowledged that there is not the capacity for rapid change as desired, and a new constitution needs to be written first.  The most important first thing is law and order.  Armed groups virtually control part of the country and many terrible crimes go unpunished.  The (violent) role of the Maoist's quasi political "Young Communist League (YCL)' made enforcement complex.  Also, the shortages of water, electricity, food and fuel are becoming overwhelming, but there are no quick fixes for this.  So big are these problems, the revolutionary agenda may have to wait. The Maoists election manifesto includes the abolition of the Monarchy, a 3-tier federal structure, with states based on ethnicity, land reform, 'industrial capitalism, geared towards socialism', education in local languages and railway lines through the hills (?).  The big problem is that the ethnic states may invite more conflict.  There are no areas with majorities and there has already been some ethnic cleansing.  There is certainly a long and rough road ahead but all in all, the future is looking very positive, although tenuous, and the drive for peace and development now seems unstoppable.  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1198258620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1198258620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1198258620/tpod.html Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:48:26 -0400 Our adventures living and volunteering in Nepal for 12 months, 2007/08

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Kathmandu, Nepal

The other day I went for a ride up to Dakshinkali, which is a temple at the base of a valley.  It is for the God of destruction, Kali and so people go there to sacrifice animals.  I started to wonder what was going on when I kept passing smoldering piles of rubber on the road.  Eventually, as I arrived at the nearest town, Parphing, the road was blocked with barbed wire, logs and burning tires. A rather typical Nepali protest.  The police were rather aimlessly standing around and as I had come all this way, I decided to try and go through and they let me pass because I was a tourist.  From there I rode down to the temple, which was a very eerie experience.  I was glad in the end that I just missed the buffalo beheading - a couple of chickens was plenty.  I rode back up to Parphing, but the protest had progressed somewhat.  Now the crowds were pelting rocks at the police who were trying to charge through in full riot gear.  It was to and fro as the police retreated and then charged, as did the crowd.  There was no way I was going anywhere for sometime.  Unexpectedly, a large group of police then snuck round the back and charged the crowd from behind.  I was trying (unsuccessfully) to take pictures, when I realized I was right in between the charging police and the rock throwing crowd.  I retreated beside a house for cover, but the police followed the crowd down to the house and proceeded to kick down the door right beside me.  They thought some of the men had run inside the house, but they had already gone and it was only full of women hiding from the riot.  I dread to think what they would have done if they had found the men inside.  Anyway, they went behind the house in pursuit of the men, while the other group broke through the barricades and forced the blockade further back.  At this point an old man from an adjoining house made me hide at his house - he was very concerned for my safety.  I tried to watch from his veranda the next stage as the police began to fire tear gas at the crowd.  I was now glad I was at a safe distance.  With darkness descending, and no sign of the crowd calming down, I managed to get past the previous blockade (now guarded by police) with the help of the old man and rode home.   The next day we went to Pashupatinath, a Hindu temple where they cremate bodies by the side of the river.  There was a funeral for an important person as the funeral pyre was decorated in marigolds and there were lots of mourners / spectators for the final rites.    There was another protest blocking off the main road into Kathmandu city on the way.  There seems to be a protest going on somewhere in this country every day which whilst a democratic right and reflective of some of the freedoms Nepal now has, is also perhaps the only way people think/see that things get done.  For example, the villaagers near the rubbish dump keep protesting and stopping the rubbish being collected from across the valley.  It seems like every time the management reach agreement with one group another group appears with new demands.  One group protesting can cause the rubbish of a million + citizens to gather all over the city  creating a stinking mess, not to mention the health problems this creates.  A riot, another protest, some animal sacrifice and a very public funeral. A rather surreal weekend really.  Just before we went to Bangladesh I got to go on a field trip to Western Nepal for four days.  We went to the Terai (the plains adjoining India) where life is much more like India than Kathmandu.  I was immediately struck by how poor even their cities were.  For example, there weren't really any cars - rickshaws and bicycles were the transport of choice, and public transport was a horse drawn cart. For work we visit a number of Dalit villages and settlements.  Dalits are the 'untouchable' caste and have essentially no access to opportunity.  Each group was so honoured to have such esteemed visitors (especially a white person!) and we were given extravagant welcomes and garlands of flowers at each place.  Meetings took place anywhere, from under a tree to on a rooftop.  Days were long - starting out at 6 and finishing about 7 but it was an experience to visit places and meet people that I could never do as a tourist.Michael
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1206280020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1206280020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1206280020/tpod.html Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:45:25 -0400 Our adventures living and volunteering in Nepal for 12 months, 2007/08

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Kathmandu, Nepal

Shiva - the creator, the destroyer, is probably the most popular god in Nepal.  Shiva is worshipped throughout the year, particularly at Pashnupatinath, one of the most sacred Hindu temples, and is associated with a spectrum of events in a Hindu's life from conception to death.   The phallic lingam - a round, long stone, or variations, like the rock that protrudes from the ground down our alley, are respected as monuments to Shiva.  People sprinkle water or put red paste or the petals of flowers on it daily in worship.  Probably the most recognisable image associated with Shiva is the holy man or sadhu.  Dressed in a simple loin cloth, usually orange in colour, dreaded hair piled high on their head, the Shiva trident fork in hand, sadhus live a nomadic life, blessing people in return for alms, studying the ancient texts, visiting important pilgrim sites, practicing yoga (sometimes sitting in a pose for such a long time their body becomes twisted permanently into the position), maintaining a life free of material attachment and dedicating their existence to the supreme deity, Shiva.   That's perhaps the more romanticised understanding of sadhus.  Travelling in India and now living in Nepal, it becomes hard to fully accept that all sadhus are as holy as they may like one to believe.  A lot pester tourists approaching them to place sandalwood paste on their forehead then demanding a large sum for the honour.  Every so often one appears at our gate, banging his tin jar and calling for food or alms.  It is easy to form a more sceptical view that they prey on those that are devoted, although understandably, one has to eat somehow, even a person giving up material life.  There are many legends associated with Shiva, his power (and his passion).  Shivaratri - 'day consecrated to the worship of Shiva' - is a particularly important day for those that worship Shiva, and judging by the massive line of people, snaking around the temple and up and out along the hills behind Pashnupatinath, that is a lot of people.  Foreigners aren't allowed inside Hindu temples so we bypassed the line and headed to the temple complex.  I had heard many things about Shivaratri, how hundreds of sadhus from Nepal and India travelled for distant places to converge on Pashnupatinath and undertake deep mediation and puja to Shiva.  Many people apparently fast all day, bathe in the holy rivers and chant blessings and praises for Shiva.  For one that worships Shiva on Shivaratri may be blessed with a smooth passage to the afterlife.  Worship can be in many forms, and when the deity being worshipped is also associated with a large hookah and puffs of scented smoke it makes for a rather interesting festival. ..    So we got past the lines of people and found our first set of sadhus.  They were some cool dudes. Thankfully the smoky air also lessened their demand for photo money so we could snap away without it costing us a fortune.  We walked past the ghats, smoke of a different smell now wafting above, and squeezed through the mass of people, a tide of human bodies, slowing snaking their way around the complex. So Shiva smoked the green herb, and therefore sadhus are legally allowed to smoke, but what I wasn't expecting was a mini sadhu market with near naked sadhus, bodies painted in ash, showing their devotion through hazy eyes and a bag full of pot for sale. Hundreds of Nepali blokes were also taking advantage of the occasion and the sadhus seemed to be doing a roaring trade.  After trying to squeeze past more people, and getting groped in the process, we turned back and then discovered devotion can come in many forms...  A naked sadhu is not the most pleasing sight to be confronted with, although together with the mini shiva, a splitting image of pictures of the deity, they were doing a huge trade in money-for-photos.    All in all, a very interesting festival!      Next up was Holi.  Basically people throw water and coloured dye at each other all day, or more like all week leading up to the day as I found out when I was attached by kids throwing water balloons on my way to work. It's a bit of a festival gone mad, with many people complaining in the lead up that they can't leave their house or that girls are unfairly targeted by young 'hooligans'.   Thinking we were a little prepared with our bag of water balloons we set our mission to get to the bakery and back. We lasted about 3 minutes before one guy managed to tip a whole bucket of water on my head.  We dodged balloons, ran under houses to avoid the buckets being tossed down and managed to get a good covering of coloured dye before eventually returning home for more waterballoon fights with the neighbours.  It was fun being a kid again.    Credit to Linda, our official photographer for Shivaratri, for the photos featured on this page. Thanks Linda!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1203856320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1203856320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1203856320/tpod.html Mon, 03 Mar 2008 10:26:20 -0500 Our adventures living and volunteering in Nepal for 12 months, 2007/08

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Kathmandu, Nepal

Life has been a little less exciting lately with power cuts, cold weather and cold water taking its toll and giving us reason to question why we were putting ourselves through this experience.  It is a lot worse for the Nepalis though, with massive petrol, kerosene, gas, and diesel shortages adding to their daily toil. People still seem to wait so patiently in the queues despite often returning home empty handed.  I feel guilty that I grumble about the lack of hot water or power as I sit in my nice insulated house with my laptop and food, running water, warm clothes, bed etc etc.  People here have been through so much and yet still don't see progression or change.  Perhaps you get used things never improving and so all you can do is do your best to survive.  Maybe at home we take for granted that our government should/will provide basic services and manage the country so it runs reasonably smoothly.  Or is that not too high an expectation for your government?  We Aussies do seem to like to have a whinge (I won't deny I'm one of them), yet most of us don't know what real hardship is (us included) and increasingly I fell we have our whinge session yet don't try and instigate change.  Nepalis may not complain much but at a crucial point they took a stand and demanded peace and a better future. We may complain a lot more but we rarely take such strong action for change. Perhaps we can learn something from each other.  The progression to democracy has led to numerous groups, previously disinfranchised, now finding their voice and making demands on the government.  This is a positive step towards democratic government, however in Nepal it usually means protests and strikes until the demands are met which has the effect of crippling the nation, depriving people of work, education and basic neccessities.  Even the hospitals ran out of gas and diesel last week.  Watching the process unfold is fascinating and yet so frustrating at the same time.  On a positive note the elections are looking increasing like they might actually be held in April. Although I suspect many believe this will solve all the problems which is understandable as the current interim government is putting a lot of emphasis on it (rightly so) and also deferring many decisions (like hiking the price of petrol so the government can actually afford it) to post elections.  Only time will tell. Things are finally warming up so let's hope the sun shines down brightly on this beautiful country's future.Politics aside, we have still been managing to keep a rather active social calendar and enjoying entertainings guests as well as continuing to slowly explore the valley on our bikes. Slowly being the operative word as most places involve riding up hills.  It is fun to ride down though, although our ride into Shivapuri National Park on Australia Day involved body shaking, bone aching downhills and a lot more uphills than down.  We had numerous stops along the way though including one to enjoy our vegmite sandwiches. We finally made it to Chisaponi, basically a collection of lodges perched on a hill with great mountain views, and that evening, almost like a reward for making it, we were treated to a little snow storm. It made riding downhill the next day a little bit of a slippery experience but lots of fun; us bush kids get rather excited when we see snow :-).     Well it amazingly has already been one year of marriage for us; it has certainly been an interesting year. We took the opportunity/excuse to escape Kathmandu and spend three fantastic days in a lodge inside Chitwan National Park (it used to be Royal but that's not kosher these days). We did lots of jungle walks, elephant rides, and wildlife watching including chasing rhinos through the jungle on the back of the elephant. Our guide got us to smell some dirt on one walk then told us it was the 'marking' of a female tiger on the prowl for some male company. So romantic. Speaking of love, wedding season is here and we've enjoyed a few wedding celebrations with wedding celebrations often stretching over a few days with our invitations often to different parties (brides party, wedding party, grooms party...).  A week or so ago we had the honour of actually being part of a wedding process as Kate knows the groom. We were part of the wedding procession through the old city of Bhaktapur to the bride's house where the wedding ceremony was performed, before escorting the bride and groom back to his family house. The procession involved a marching band and decorated car followed by 50 or so family members and groom's friends all dressed up.  The women looked gorgeous in their saris and there was a rather white belly amongst them (attracting a few stares and some nice comments including a young boy asking if I was Nepali!). After a long walk we watched the long ceremony which involved lots of accepting of food and money, putting tikka on the bride and groom numerous times, throwing rice and flowers in the air, placing silver bangles on the brides feet and taking blessings from the priests (one bride family priest and one groom family priest), and lots of tears on the brides part (she was so upset her mother and sisters had to hold her hands and direct her through the process).   Most people wandered in and out to observe and we were giving a bag of nuts, chocolate and spices to munch on, kind off like bonbonniere I guess.   Finally the bride parted with her family by giving them a special nut, symbolising her breaking ties before being carried to the wedding car by her brother.    We then headed back to the groom's house where his sisters, dressed in their own wedding gowns, received the newly married couple.  It was a long but very interesting day.     
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1199168940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1199168940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1199168940/tpod.html Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:44:34 -0500 Our adventures living and volunteering in Nepal for 12 months, 2007/08

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Dhaka, Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a bit off the regular tourist trail and we had read that foreigners were quite an attraction.  We had also read that Bangladeshis are some of the most hospitable people in the world, but that rickshaw wallahs, taxi drivers and even restaurants would all try and rip us off.  We were expecting lots of stares (ala India), lots of conversations, lots of people (120 million of them) and lots of fresh seafood.  It's certainly hard to not have pre-determined ideas / expectations about a place but it's also nice to be prepared for some of the harder aspects of traveling in a developing country.  So, with a little bit of an idea of what to expect and no final itinerary organised we set off for a quick visit to Bangladesh...We had been warned about flights to and from Bangladesh being delayed so we weren't too surprised when our trip started with a 5 hour delay at Kathmandu airport.  Not the best place to start your holiday.   Kate overheard a western guy ask the GMG Airline staffer for an upgrade to business class when a further delay was announced.... so we took also advantage of the opportunity/generosity (granted perhaps because we were westerners?) and eventually found ourselves sitting in the plush leather seats at the front of the plane.  The Business Class extras stopped about there but it slightly compensated for the delay.   We soon discovered that as a Muslim country, Bangladesh essentially shuts down from Eid (Muslim holiday) through to after Christmas / New Year.  This meant the large crowds, the huge attention and the crazy traffic we were expecting weren't present for our first 2 days in Dhaka and so whilst it was nice to have a peaceful walk through the city, it was also a little boring with few shops open or people about.  We actually wanted to experience the crazy side of Dhaka!  The people that were around often called out "your country?" (often hard to understand but as the question was always the same it was fairly easy to know how to respond) and it was quite amusing to get stopped with this question and then the conversation would end as quickly as it had begun. We headed down to the river bank, which was a landscape of litter, boats and people, and arranged a boat ride past the high-rise apartments, the giant ships and the people washing themselves or cleaning clothes on the murky riverside.  Our boatman, who we had managed to negotiate a 1 hour ride with (for 100 taka - about $1.50) decided to take advantage of the upstream water (which was still dark brown/black and letting off a fine aroma) and did some washing part way through the trip and then thought he would pull over for some food... we realised our trip was going to be longer than the hour we negotiated but weren't in a rush, although we were slightly more bemused when after getting his food, he decided he also needed a bath (in the river of course)!  We eventually made it back and wandered around Old Dhaka more, and visited the (bright) Pink Palace and then headed to the diplomatic area of Gulshan to finalise our Sunderbans trip.  The street kids were quite persistent around this area although the rest of Dhaka seemed to not have the same level of open poverty and slum areas as Kolkata or other areas of India we were expecting to make comparisons with.   Parts of Dhaka are also so much more developed than Kathmandu or many other asian cities, with tall buildings, wide roads and big shopping centres.  It even has KFC and Pizza Hut. The pollution was terrible though and hung in the air like a fog, irritating your eyes and throat and causing the wonderful black snot syndrome. Charming.  Anyway, as there was not much to do we spent most time wandering around and eating seafood.  Christmas we went to the Sheraton for a feast and then caught an overnight bus to Khulna. The next four days we spent cruising through the Sunderbans, which is the mangrove forest of the world's largest estuary.  It is also famous for the Royal Bengal Tiger (apparently less than 500 remaining) and more recently being hit by Cyclone Sidr.  We went on a boat with five English teachers based in Dhaka, two of whom were Bangla.  It was an extremely comfortable and peaceful change to Dhaka, and Kathmandu for that matter.  So quiet and such clean air.  They fed us incredibly well.  Michael achieved his goal of eating a year's worth of seafood to make up for its lack in Nepal.   Some parts of the forest were affected by the cyclone, with one area in particular completely trashed, with most trees felled.   Other bits had been stripped of leaves, but were regrowing already highlighting the forest resilience.  There was still plenty of wildlife, crocs, deer, wild boars, dolphins, water monitors, monkeys, 'bandicoot rats' and birds.  While we didn't see the elusive tiger, we did hear it crunching on bones not very far away.  The forest guards were extremely scared at this point and made as much noise as possible to scare it away.  We were disappointed - we wanted to see the tiger!, although, maybe if it jumped out in front of us we might have had a different opinion.  One of the best bits was walking along a beach where there were fresh tracks for a km or two along the sand.  You could imagine this magnificent tiger going for his morning stroll taking in the ocean breeze!     Once we got back to Kuhlna, we visited Bagerhat, a town of ancient mosques.  It was not very interesting unfortunately although it was nice to see a small village on the riverbanks.  Our tour wasn't that organised with about 3 hours left to pass in a fish market and then eating more fish back in Khulna. Back in Dhaka, we visited old Dhaka again, this time with millions of people, and rickshaws, and quickly tired of it (there are over 20 million people in Dhaka, and apparently over 600,000 rickshaws).  It was New Year s Eve, but to our disappointment we discovered that the police and army shut down much of Dhaka for fear of terrorism (but more likely because they don't want good Muslim's drinking.)  We went to some of the Bangladesh AYADs apartment for a few drinks, but it was a pretty quiet evening finished off with Tim Tams.  We went back to Kathmandu the next day (on time too).Impressions; people are friendly and nice but we didn't get the attention of India, nor is the city as dirty or noisy (less cars) as KTM or Indian cities although air pollution was terrible.  People stared - a moments pause when we entered the eatery, eyes watching us sit down, then back into eating. The staff would serve our meal and then stand back and watch us break the bread and scope up the curry, take a mouthful... drink our tea, then wash our hands..... then wait in anticipation for the tip we would leave. It was nice to see one waiter split the tip though with all the staff something we hadn't seen happen before.  No hassles and tuk-tuk drivers were even reluctant to take us anywhere, and definitely not wanting to bargain.  Rickshaws are uncomfortable, drivers can get up some speed although at traffic lights we were sitting ducks for the beggars who could walk along side us and grab our arms.  Clothes are extremely cheap and alcohol is pretty much impossible to buy. Overall it was a pretty relaxing holiday - mainly because most of it was spent on a boat, but it was interesting to see a little bit of Bangladesh.  As the Bangladesh National Tourism slogan says "Bangladesh - See it before the Tourists do".
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1200475560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1200475560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1200475560/tpod.html Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:35:15 -0500 Our adventures living and volunteering in Nepal for 12 months, 2007/08

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Kathmandu, Nepal

Keeping with the theme of my previous work and inspired by the idea of being able to physically contribute to the building of someone's home, I decided to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity Nepal. Habitat is an international organisation that is dedicated to providing people with the opportunity to have a decent place to live.  The main way this is achieved in Nepal is through working with local NGOs who then work with local communities to establish savings groups.  Each member of the group saves a certain amount of money, usually over 6 months to a year and then Habitat will match the funds with a loan.  The families then contribute 'sweat equity' and help build the houses in their community and then pay back the loan, thus the cycle continues and Habitat can support more families.   I am drawn to the concept as it has many positive elements.  Most of the community savings groups for instance are headed by women, who subsequently develop greater leadership and financial skills as well as lifting their standard of living.  There is a huge success rate for repayments too.   My job is to assist in the management of the Global Volunteers program.  This is a semi-promotional/fundraising arm of Habitat where groups of volunteers go to a country and contribute their time (and $) to working on building houses.  Nepal hasn't had volunteer groups for a few years due to the conflict but last year it recommenced the program which meant there was lots of organisation to do.  We had our first international group from Korean come in December / January and I was able to participate in my first house construction whilst also getting to see more of Nepal - one of the perks/attractions of the job!  The build was in far eastern Nepal, near the Indian border and also part of the Terrai or plains of Nepal.  The first thing that struck me was how flat the country was compared to hilly Kathmandu.  It was also warm which was great - I am really missing Australian summer even if it has been 40 degrees and the hottest summer on record back home. So together with the 17 volunteers, the home owners, the local NGO staff and some local kids we worked daily cutting bamboo using the local Kukuri knife, weaving bamboo mat walls and cementing the floor of one house.  We managed to complete one house (minus final mud covering of wall) which was a really nice feeling. I got a lot of satisfaction from the process, as well as interacting with the students and talking to the local women.   It wasn't hard work - the harder part was managing all the team's needs as this took a lot of my time ensuring they were happy.  The local community members were initially shy and not so sure about this bunch of chatty happy students descending on their village and then working on their houses but after a while they interacted more and the local kids couldn't get enough of the photos.  The families who were building the houses were from the Meche or Indigenous group and their month wage ranged from 1500 - 3000 ruppees a month (around $28 - $50 Aus).  Repayments are very low but house costs are also a lot lower than in Australia.    I love this photo of the boys (and kid goat) doing their homework in front of their old house, minus roof which had been re-cycled onto their new house.  They were still living in this house while the other one was built but they didn't let that stop them from continuing their education.  I tried to help another boy with his English practice but everytime he read out the word 'R-A-B-B-I-T' he would then say the Nepali word for rabbit!  Obviously I am not a very good English teacher. The old man was the 74 year old father of one of the home owners and he worked as hard, if not harder than everyone else every day. We also visited a local school where I was inspired by the locals who had each saved a handful of food from every meal which was then collected by the school and used to feed the students (30% were orphans) or sold to use the proceeds.  It amazes me how people with what seems like so little can be so generous. It's perhaps the only way such communities survive and is a culture so different from our 'me me me' lifestyles in the west.  Maybe we are the poorer people because of it. We had a really nice house dedication ceremony although there is a tendency for a few too many speeches at such events, and then it was back to Kathmandu (and the cold) and planning for the next 7 teams coming to Nepal this year.   Last week I also got to go to Kavre district, about 30 km out of Kathmandu and visit an area where we had assisted with 210 house renovations and new house builds. There were some difficulties getting one finance group leader to bring the loan repayments each month however so we went up to discuss.  After dhal bhaat at 10am (the usual nepali breakfast time) we had a 4WD climb up a steep hillside on a rough track that had us bouncing around and breathing in lots of dust.  After gathering the group and holding the meeting in a tiny tea shop where we gave them options on how to progress, the group decided on a new leader, tea was drunk and then we were give a tour of the houses.    The village was situated on a ridge with spectacular views of the Himalaya.  With goats running around, bright mud covered houses, potatoes growing abundantly in the field and children walking to school it would be easy to be deceived into thinking this was a rather idyllic life but the faces of the locals, weathered with time and hard work and the clothes of the children, held together with pins and shoeless, showed that this was not the case.  We were made really welcome too and offered raksi (liquor) at 11 am and a good deal on local potatoes before heading back to the office. Not quite your average Aussie work day!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1198252501/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1198252501/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1198252501/tpod.html Sat, 22 Dec 2007 03:01:03 -0500 Our adventures living and volunteering in Nepal for 12 months, 2007/08

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Kathmandu, Nepal

Namaste and Christmas greetings from Nepal.This entry will be short and sweet - I promise!We are heading to Bangladesh on Sunday for Christmas and New Years, just for something different!  All rather unorganised (so unlike Kate) but we are hoping it will all work out once we get there.  We have both been busy with work, field trips, social engagements, farewells, fending off illnesses and trying to not get too cold.  Kate is particularly missing Australian summer!  We went to another wedding - the groom was in the army so quite an impressive party at the army club, but we are still trying to understand the practice of arranged marriages (or, as it is so eloquently put, the few times the opposite occurs - a "love marriage"). Politically things have moved about an inch with new demands now on the table before any agreement on elections can be made.  We start three days of 3 hour power cuts next week and the prospect of a cold January with no kerosene for the heater as its either watered down or unavailable.  The mountain views have been great though and make me stop and take in their magnificence and beauty everytime I see them. There is probably a lot more to tell but no time to tell it... maybe another few entries when we get back.Wishing you all a safe and merry Christmas - throw a few prawns on the barbie for us and maybe drink a few Coopers.  Maybe we will see you in 2008...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1195742160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1195742160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mightylongway/nepal/1195742160/tpod.html Fri, 30 Nov 2007 07:49:08 -0500 Our adventures living and volunteering in Nepal for 12 months, 2007/08

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Pokhara, Nepal

One festival ends and another begins; Tihar or Deewali, festival of lights, is one of the most popular festivals in Nepal.  The festivities run for 5 days with each day devoted to worship of a different deity.  Day 1 was for the crow, the messenger for Yama, the god of death (who determines your reincarnation); day 2 for the dog, the guardian of the gates of Yama (to the other life); and day 3 to the cow, mother of the universe.   Dogs are a huge problem in Kathmandu.  Their constant barking at night can make it hard to sleep. Out next door neighbor (a German fella) has a particular problem with them and sometimes resorts to yelling out in the middle of the night for them to shut up.  It wakes us up more than the dogs barking.  Hundreds of dogs roam the streets, many looking on the verge of death, scrounging for food in the rubbish piles and in front of the butchers, getting into fights and/or mating.  With vets unwilling to euthanize even the most rabid of dogs and people unable or unwilling to care for them there isn't much hope for this situation.  But once a year people drape marigolds around their necks, feed them well and put the red tika on their forehead.   Dogs are worshipped as gods on this day to ensure that those loved ones that have passed away have an easy journey to Yama.  The same treatment is afforded to cows although this is less surprising as cows really are holy here.  Dressed up dogs and cows are quite a sight - I even saw one guy drape his coat over a cow resting on a footpath. Maybe it was cold.   Tihar is like Christmas in that lots of shops and houses put decorations and loads of lights around and brothers and sisters exchange gifts.  Kids go around the shops singing a (very repetitive) song and collecting money, women paint clay paths from the gate to their puja room and decorate large Mandalas on the footpaths, and DJs set up on the streets for people to dance.   Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth is also worshipped and it is believed that the lights guide Laxmi to one's house and that she will bring good fortune.  In a mix between religion, tradition and practicality, Tihar also marks the end of the financial year and gambling restrictions are lifted in some villages.Needing a break from chaotic Kathmandu we flew over to Pokhara for the weekend.  Pokhara is nestled below the Annapurna ranges next to a picturesque lake, and makes a great spot for a relaxing few days.  Most visitors, us included, head straight for Lakeside which is basically touristville.  It seemed like half the UN workers and expats in Nepal were also taking advantage of the long weekend.   We feel a little uncomfortable being westerners in Nepal sometimes as it is easy to see that locals can or have the impression that many foreign workers are loaded with money and are only here to live it up and not really assist Nepal (mainly the UN).  We are very privileged financially compared to so many Nepalis but as volunteers on one living allowance we really don't compare financially to most foreign workers here.  Maybe that makes us more cautious about being lumped into this group.  Anyway, a bunch of expats does make for a good night out so we enjoyed the good food, music and drinks and then spent the rest of the weekend lazing by the lake, fishing and doing bugger all.  Being lazy, rich westerners really J.  We did give in to the temptation to fly like a bird and had a fantastic parasailing experience.  It was amazing soaring over the lake, perched only on a hammock like seat, it was about as free flying as you can get.  Michael headed back to Kathmandu for work and I went up to Sadhana Yoga Centre for a week long yoga/meditation retreat.  It was a fantastic place to let go, relax and also push (or is that stretch) the mind and body for a while.  Asanga was a great teacher and I found myself gradually enjoying even the 6 am meditation sessions although mind over matter is highly tested at this hour particularly with two dead legs.   I discovered what 'karma yoga' entailed - helping out around the house, carting sand, building steps! I got 2 blisters as an added bonus.  It was nice to take time out from life - not that my life has been too hectic the last few months.  After a night back in Pokhara I caught the bus heading back to Kathmandu but alighted at Dumre where after a long wait I finally got a jeep up to Bandipur.  Meditation must have calmed any stresses away though as I found myself not really caring about the wait, despite having to sit next to a highway with horn-blaring buses going past for 2 hours.   I talked a bit to the locals - they were very excited to find out I was speaking Nepali (dherai ali ali - very little). Bandipur used to be a major city until about 50 years ago when the trade route was changed and it fell into disrepair.  With help from a EU fund and some determined locals the place is now a pristine, proud town.  It had the most amazing views of the entire Annapurna ranges to top it all off.  The serenity was a little disrupted by post-Tihar picnics being held around the town by kids that had arrived by the busloads from Pokhara and surrounds.  Nepalis sure like to hold a party.  In parks and at the parade ground kids had gathered with amps and cd players and with no hesitation, groups were dancing and grooving to the beats.  Some kids watch a lot of Bollywood clips in their free time too.   I became the resident photographer for a while as each kid lined up for a photo.    They tried to get me to dance but I managed to use my trekking boots as an excuse.  The people are very friendly and all wanted to ask me about Australia and in particular, where my friends were. I had fun being adopted by the locals for a night although trying to watch the sunset was a little hard with about 10 kids all wanting to talk to me.   Back to Kathmandu the following day with a special gift from Bandipur - another stomach bug. The downside to living in Nepal is the increased likelihood and recurrence of stomach problems.  All of the Australian group here have been sick here multiple times, most with stomach bugs although colds are now going around.   Anyway, last weekend was the National Mountain Bike Race and given our great mountain biking experience we and a bunch of the other guys decided to give it a go.  Needless to say we weren't in winning positions; actually to be honest most of us only completed 1 lap... it was pretty tough going, Kate fell off twice (once in front of the video camera). The mountain views were good and the ride through some very poor villages reminded us of the simple life so many people here live .  It was fun, especially as the locals stood along the route and clapped and cheered us along.  Like our own little Tour' de Kathmandu.   That afternoon we watched the Australian election results roll in.  There was some celebration.  It will be interesting to see what kind of Australia we return to. Finally, in our busy social calendar of events we attended our first Nepali wedding - the sister of one of Michael's colleagues.  There is apparently a very long ceremony which only the closest family attend, so we were told to just go in the afternoon.  When we arrived it was a meet and greet the bride and groom and then a Nepali dal bhat before heading back home. Short and sweet.Sadhana Yoga CentreMum's Garden Resort PokharaNanohana Lodge, Pokhara
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