Last night wasn't the best sleep I've ever had. Liam slept well, however the street dogs wouldn't stop bloody yapping all night long and I struggled. Howver strangely enough that was the only sound coming from outside considering we're in a main city.
We went to meet Surita at about 9am, and walked through the streets to the main headquarters of ehn. The traffic is still pretty crazy but it's s little tamer here than India. I've also felt an instant connection with the Nepali people which I didn't feel in India which is quite odd. Their office is a small thing, but that's all they need for now as they're a baby charity of 2 years. The work they are doing and planning is amazing and inspiring. They have been through a number of trial orphanages and day car centres to help set up some charity work however theyve found issues with every one some more sinister than others. For various reasons they've decided that the best way to ensure they know the money is going where it should and every in is legitimate they're going to set up their own, doing interviews right now for staff. Theyre planning talks with poachers of endangered animals to try and set up an agreement whereby if they turn into guides they will be paid a wage to take tourists to see the animals rather than poach for the money. They're planning projects with street children and as well as planning they also have a number of projects on the go...one of which we're doing!
Liam had a breakfast of fried rice, I had omelette because we will be eating rice 2-3 times a day for the next 3 weeks! We then took the public bus to patan and saw various temples and lovely ancient monuments. Everything has a bit of a mixture of hindu and Buddhist architecture. We went through Durbar square where there was a show going on so there were lots of nepalis out watching it. The market stalls are wonderful and you're not bothered by people which is great!
We then took another bus ride to the monkey temple, it's a Buddhist temple set really high up so that you have a great view of Kathmandu and of the mountains behind it. Even with the clouds the view was stunning. The temple was beautiful, it had a kind of Tibetan feel to it with monks walking around ringing the bells and standing in lines chanting up to the shrines. It's called the monkey temple for a reason....there are lots of monkeys! All over the place, just wandering around. Kind of like trentham but 10 times better! Must have taken hundreds of photos, need to delete a load! After spending ages there we had a lunch of momo and very hot sauce before taking another bus back. This one was a standard Nepali bus, a kind of mini van that you would get perhaps 10 people tops in at home but they manage to squeeze 25+ people in here! It was an experience and fun.
We got back to our area in Kathmandu and went to a temple tea house, which is a little dark cranny hidden away that if alone we would have avoided. But it's a lovely simple shrine where a couple of people sit all day and serve hot tea to people. We were going to have food but we wernt hungry so when we met with phil and another volunteer called Alex we just went to a place for tea and cake! I had the biggest slab of chocolate cake ever for like 80p and Liam had a big cinnamon swirl thing. The two guys seem really great, Alex is 21 and has been here 2 months and has another 2 to go. He's never done anything like this before but wants to enter the army so wanted something to set him apart. He's spent time with some of the ghurkas here and all sorts.
After wandering around, sometimes with light, other times without due to power cuts, we finally got back to the hotel where we went up to the roof terrace which over looks the whole city. It's great because you can see what's going on, which is all sorts, but it still feels peaceful.
We spoke about the home stay Liam and I will be going to tomorrow. It's in a tiny rural village which is over an hours walk away from anything remotely town like so we won't be online for a while! We get there by public bus much like the one that seated 24 people today, our backpacks or us will be on the roof! There are only certain things we need to be careful of, the standard taking your shoes off even though the house is made of mud! Don't whistle in the house as they think it's summoning ghosts. And get used to eating with your hands and being around noisy eaters.
The man of the house has gradually been improving his English since they started keeping volunteers so he will be my translator at the medical centre. He's got a bad eye infection at the moment though so I might not be there just yet. I havnt heard very positive things about the centre, the staff aren't trained properly and give all kinds of medicines to anybody without knowing what they do, use dirty instruments etc etc. my main job there will be to work there, observe and make a report as to where the problem areas are, then produce lesson plans in health nutrition and hygiene for the area. If its good enough they will want to roll it out as a general lesson plan to other projects due to general poor hygiene in Nepal.
We will also be helping out on the farm, working in the school, doing a 4 day trek. The office really want Liam back Kathmandu for a day or so before we leave to use his many skills in ict to get their website better and other pc stuff that goes over my head. They also keep talking about us staying a few days longer due to dashain and all of the festivities but Im not sure we will. We will also be missing the kumari coming through kathmandu which is their living god. She is a little girl who they put through rigorous tests and she then becomes the reincarnation of the goddess durva until she either becomes very ill or starts her period which means the goddess has left her. Then it starts all over again to find the next little girl!
Anyway it's bed time for us now, so wish us luck in rural Nepal (water purifying tablets and antibiotics and antibiotic soaps at the ready) and we will see you again soon!
Me: no more bites since last update
Liam: 14 bites in total since start of trip
