Without sounding really over the top, Nepal is like a second home for me. Not only do I harbor fond memories of my time there in 1999 volunteering in Gorkha, but we arrived in Nepal on the onset of the monsoon, and the land was really really green and hilly very much like home. Having spent a sweaty, difficult few weeks getting around India, the friendly welcoming land of Nepal was like a breath of fresh air.
Our 4 day trek from Pokhara to Gandruk to Ghorepani and back was spectacular. Here I am (above) breathing a big sigh of relieve at the top of Poon Hill (above 3000 ft) with the Annupurna in the background - wow, it was so amazing!
Nick with Rhodedendrums and pray flags
Nick in the viewing tower at Poon Hill (over 3000 feet over sea level) and really ill with Giardia!
The view from our guest house bed room at Ghorapani
Stuck in traffic jam!
Meeting the locals!!
Exploring our Spirituality...
Nepal has a huge Tibetan population and Tibetan Buddhism is one of the main religions here. We visited a Tibetan refugee settlement near Pokhara where we met some monks who let us go into the monastery and watch the monks in pray/meditation - it was an amazing experience and very dramatic. We also ate loads of momo's (tibetan dumplings) which is pretty much a staple in Nepal after Dal Bhaat - which translates as 'Lentils and rice' and is eaten by most Nepalese at least twice daily.
Learning to meditate...
We went on a 3 day Buddhism, meditation and yoga course where we learned all about the fundamentals of Tibetan Buddhism and tried to meditate. It was really really interesting and although I feel I could never actually be a fully practicing Buddhist, I have learned basic personal teachings about anger, karma and kindness. The meditation was hard going but I got more and more into it and maybe with a bit more practice I may reach enlightenment - well, maybe not in this life but there's always the next!?
We met some really strange people at the 'commune'...there was a women in her 50's who sat down for breakfast one morning with a bowl of hot water with fresh ginger in it. I asked if that was all she was having for breakfast, and it turns out she hasn't actually eaten solids for 5 years - only juice and fluids!! Reckons its her way of getting closer to God, and judging by the size of her she wasn't kidding...
In the Gumpa with Yeshi (our teacher) and fellow students...
Bodhnath temple in Kathmandu
Tibetan monks praying
Rafting on the River Seti....Really enjoyed a 2 -day river rafting trip on the Seti. Our companions for the trip were Sarah, (fellow american 'spiritual' buddy from the course), our newly acquired friend, Carrie who was the most British person we've met so far since leaving England - brilliant dry sense of humor and has since put us in touch with people in Melbourne. We also shared the raft with 4 'Anglo-Nepalese' guys who were hilarious - they were all trekking guides in Nepal and then 8 years ago they went their separate ways - one to England, one to US, one to Japan and the one to Hong Kong. It was really funny cos they had all taken on mannerisms and accents from their host countries, although essentially they were Nepalese through and through. We had so much fun, we camped, drank lots of rum and coke and went through some brilliant rapids! Monsoon meant the river was really fast... Haven't got many photos of the trip because the camera died but I'll add them later when our Nepalese friends send them through...
Eating pop corn, and sheltering from the rain
It's party time!
Emotional reunions in Gorkha...We arrived in Gorkha only to be confronted by a road blockage caused by Maoist protesters. The bus stopped and I stared out of the window to see if I could see anyone I recognized, although I was really doubtful if anyone would remember me as it had been 8 years since I had worked in Manakamana English School for 4 months, and the only person I kept in touch with was Yacup - who was now living in Quatar...
Anyway, about half an hour passed stuck on the bus, and a guy walked who looked a little familiar.......oh my god, no, it can't be, he's definitely put on a bit of weight if it is....OH MY GOD it is - ITS YACUB!!!??!!
It was SO nice to see him again. He was and still is one of the nicest people I've ever met and welcomed us like we were long lost family. He is now married and has a baby on the way and he invited us for dinner and showed us around Gorkha again..
Yacub!!
Yacub and Nick
Yacub, his mum and his wife - for some reason Nepalese people refuse to smile on photos - its weird cos they were both so smiley and friendly in real life. Yacub, on the other hand is an unbelievably Bollywood - style poser. We spent about an hour going through all his photo albums, which unbelievably are full of pictures of himself posing is really cheesy stances - he's hilarious!
Manakamana School - it only had the ground floor when I was teaching there 8 years ago - they have now expanded although Maoist activity has put the school at serious risk...
Our old house in Sattipipal! - Loads more buildings have cropped up - apparently a lot of ex-Gurkhas have moved back and built new homes.
The brilliant, Mr. SubbaMr. Subba, the headmaster of Manakamana is still going strong despite Maoist threats, kidnappings and huge pay outs he's had to fork out for his own life. He has had to sell the hostel where his family and the boarders lived, and he now sleeps in one of the tiny classrooms in the school. His wife, son and daughter are living in Kathmandu where it is safe. Despite these hard times he is the same old Mr. Subba and has not lost his sense of humour. Nick and I spent most of our time with him in Gorkha - he's so interesting and funny and so proud - he really is a brilliant person and if anyone goes to Nepal - you must drop in on him for a cup of his lovely darjeeling tea!
Mr Subba, Adarsh, his son and me
With King Prithvi Narayan Shah - the first king of Nepal
Nick's new friend, Arjun Thapa - they really hit it off and were enjoying working out complicated maths equations in no time!
Kathmandu...We spent a week in Kathmandu whilst we worked out whether we could afford to travel home across land (hippy trail circa 70s style). Turns out there was no chance money wise and we decided to go to Australia instead to work, save money and do a little more exploring before coming home around Christmas time hopefully.
Kathmandu is really smoggy and polluted but still really interesting just to wander around the tiny medieval streets and visit temples and shrines. Here are some scenes around Durbar Square...
Kali - Goddess of destruction
Hanuman, the monkey God covered up so he can't see the erotic carvings on the temple opposite!
Vishnu - I think...
House of Kumari, the Living Goddess...she appears in the windows once every day - we missed her unfortunately
Mrs. Subba's for tea...We visited Mrs. Subba and Shreeta for dinner one night which was lovely. We were presented on arrival which two large wine glasses full of neat gin! They didn't drink anything - obviously being westerners we are thought to be alcoholics!
Pashmina, anyone?...The following evening we visited Kalpana, another old friend from Gorkha who now lives in Kathmandu with her husband and kids (she's only 23). Her husband works in a pashmina factory and we discussed setting up a business together and importing pashminas - we visited the factory the next day. If anyone fancies a really cheap authentic pashmina do let me know. We had a great evening, again being treated like royalty and plied with neat spirits in large wine glasses and loads and loads of Dal Bhaat...
With Kalpana..
Nick with Kalpana, her husband and her step-son (they married when she was only 17).
With the gorgeous pashmina scarf (they gave to me) I have since lost in Melbourne - gutted!
I'll definitely be visiting Nepal again. Despite the recent troubles, it still remains one of the nicest places on earth and you can learn a lot from the hospitality and kindness of the Nepalese people. If you are planning on going to India or Nepal - definitely pick Nepal - its amazing!
