Annapurna Sanctuary is next. no wifi 4 two weeks..

The days are blending together in a lazy ‘Nepali time’ jumble of smiling faces, honking horns, dust and constantly fascinating scenes of Kathmandu suburban life. Well-dressed teens weave through traffic on sweet little 150 cc streetbikes, while women crouch in the fields tending crops of cabbage, carrots, rice, and peppers along the fertile, garbage strewn river banks. Cows and dogs scavenge and snooze in the shade, while the children seem to always playing games in the streets. Soccer, cricket, giant bamboo swings, and there’s always someone flying a kite made of a bread bag and some sticks, either so high it’s difficult so see who’s actually flying it, or running down the road, Charlie Brown style.  The wind is light and variable, so I haven’t flown mine here yet, but can imagine the scene that will develop when I finally do! 

The other day we went to Pashupatinath, Nepal’s most important Hindu temple, and  also for Hindus around the world. It is also a sacred Buddist  shrine, set on the banks of the holy Bagmati river. Kings have been coming here for centuries, the oldest inscription dated to 459 AD. The cremation ghats are the most dramatic aspect to the uninitiated, as non-Hindus aren’t allowed inside the most sacred temples.  Funeral pyres are built in advance, then the funeral procession brings the body in, more wood is stacked on top, and then after, the ashes are swept into the river. A public spectacle, reminding us of the constant cycle of death and rebirth. I’m not sure what the monkeys have to do with anything, besides being  holy as well, but there are 100’s of them roaming and screeching, waiting for hand-outs, and fighting over the bounty. A peaceful, powerful, and provocative place.

We’ve spent a day and half in Thamel, the tourist ghetto near Durbar square. I stayed there last time I was in Kathmandu, as most travellers do, and am so glad to have the opportunity to stay out in Pepsi cola. It’s so quiet in contrast. Not because there are no dogs barking late into the night, or roosters crowing early in the mornings, but because no one is trying to sell bamboo flutes and bead necklaces, or taxi rides, or t-shirts…It’s like the New York city of Nepal. Prices are so much higher! At the same time, splurging on coffee, cheese omelettes, and sushi is sometimes worth whatever it costs! Su and Raven had lists of goodies they had planned to haggled for. I didn’t really have anything I needed, but after looking in trekking stores for a sleeping bag for Raven, I couldn’t resist a knock-off NorthFace jacket! An exact replica, 3 ply Gortex, complete with a full down jacket liner, for less than $50 Can.  We came back with a bag full of clothes, a -10 down sleeping bag with a separate liner, compression sack, polarized glasses for Raven , prayer flags, jewelry, incense, and I’m not sure what else. All for less than what we’d spend on a week’s groceries at home!  If our bags weren’t full before, they are now!

It turns out that we still have nearly three weeks before school in Salleri will start again. We’re going to get out of Kathmandu, and go trek to the Annapurna Sanctuary. It is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, up at 4100 meters. Surrounded by 7-8000 meter peaks on all sides, a massive glacier running past, it is absolutely stunning. Getting there is the best part, though. Following the valley bottoms through rice paddies, rhododendron forests, and little villages, staying at ‘teahouses’, and even soaking in a hotspring. 14 days with no connections, no traffic, no rush. Nepali time…

Daal Bhat

If you are looking on the map of Nepal, we are in old Sinamangal (new name is Pepsi Cola), near the Kathmandu airport. Yesterday after our lesson we walked over the river with one of our guides to Thimi- a medieval town famous for clay pot making and small temples, like nearby Bhaktapur, without the entrance fee. We ambled through narrow cobblestone alleyways, past open kilns, pottery and plant pots in progressive stages of creation, including being baked in open straw and ash kilns. Age-old corner temples, mini lingams, prayer wheels, and images of gods abound, garnished with grains of rice, marigolds and tikas by the locals.

As a couple Heath and I are expected not to touch in public, and it is proper Nepali if I refer to him as “Raven's dad”, not “my husband”. He wants me to walk behind him like a traditional Hindu wife, but I haven't quite got the hang of that ;) ! We have learnt enough Nepali by now to ask (and answer) How are you? “Tapaai:lai kasto chha?” What is your name? “Tapaai:ko naam ke ho?” etc. I love the fact there is no gender to learn, nor many prepositions and the verb always comes at the end of the sentence. (Your name what is?) We won't be learning the script- just the spoken language.

It is rude to point your stretched out legs and feet at your elders, or touch anything with your feet. Shoes are taken off in every home, temple and many small stores. Most of the people wear slip on shoes or flip flops. It is forbidden to touch people on the crown of their heads. We also should not share food. Heath as a husband, should never take food from my plate, as it will be contaminated. Raven, as a child, may share food from my plate. Our 20-something guides share food at lunch, so it seems this is a tradition the elders hold.

We drink sweet tea at 7 in the morning, then have our substantial meal at 9am. I never knew there were so many ways to make dhal baat. Sometimes the dhal is thick and made with yellow lentils, other times thinner with brown lentils. It always is served with a dollop of curried vegies. The dhal is flavourful, but not spicy, and Raven likes it, too. Occasionally the host mother (Aama- mother- see photo) will make fried rice or 'special Nepalese noodles' (think: Mr. Noodles). I much prefer the dhal baat because it is more filling, tastier and includes protein. The only dairy we eat is a bit of milk in the morning tea. Heath and Raven usually eat chicken at lunch.

'Brown outs' are a daily part of life. Homes have power for a few hours in the morning and the evening, then the neighbourhoods 'loadshare' power or utilize energy from battery or solar power. During the brown out there is enough electricity to light a few florescent bulbs that are on a different circuit, but most of the town is dark.

I am pleased to note that there has been a distinct lack of creepy bugs and critters on our travels so far. Dealing with scary bugs was one worry I had before leaving. Beyond salamanders and a few spiders, we haven't seen too many icky critters. There were some strange cricket-like bugs jumping in the dish water at the orphanage the other day, but I haven't seen them since...

Our first day outside Pepsi-Cola started with hunger pangs, as we waited for our host family to serve breakfast. We’ve since asked them for an earlier breaking of the fast! This is a bit of a trial period for both of us, being their first guests. They are very accommodating, though, so it’s getting easier all the time. We rushed off to our Nepali lesson at the VSN, cramming in a morning greeting with the other volunteers and some email. Then we followed Angela ‘Ji’ through the labyrinth of Kathmandu public transit to Boudhanath Stupa, the largest stupa in Nepal, and the heart of Tibetan Buddism. It’s a little touristy, but is also a very genuine Buddist shrine. First , we stopped for an incredibly indugent lunch at a G Café, feasting on pizza and pop! I almost needed a nap.

 

There are countless monasteries nearby, and many monks walking the clockwise circle around the stupa, spinning prayer wheels as they go, prayer flags flapping in the breeze, the all seeing eyes of the Budda watching over. We entered into two monasteries, speaking in whispers and humbled by the centuries of tradition and devotion we stood before. We spun a prayer wheel 10 ft tall, pounded a drum under the direction of smiling monks. You could feel the reverberations through your whole being. We were given incense to light, had various objects touched to our heads, then received a blessing and necklace from a serene senior monk. The sun sank through the flags and devotees, lighting up the golden tops of the gleaming white stupa. I could spend a whole day there, walking the ancient path, spinning prayers to the heavens. 

 

 I accidently haggled my way into two superb singing bowls, but I’m pretty sure I got a good price.  He started out at 1200 rupees for one, and we eventually agreed on 1500 for the two. I’m getting my negotiating legs back.  The trip back took quite a bit longer, as it was rush hour, even though I hadn’t thought it possible that there could be more traffic than earlier.  We spent some extra time using the internet back at VSN, still withdrawing from the easy, constant access to information we’ve become so used to. The most important Hindu festival in Nepal is starting soon, so the schools are out. They are looking for things to keep the kids from several of the orphanages busy, so I’m going to teach some yoga classes for them. Only 30 mins at a time, but it should be interesting to see how they respond. I can’t wear my yoga shorts here, either. The days are full, as is my head by the end of each day. Full of smiling faces, new phrases, and the challenges of being immersed in a culture so different from ours. Despite the challenges, this is so much more rewarding than simply backpacking around, dancing through a cozy, westernized version of local culture, free to move along at the slightest discomfort or hint of boredom. Raven never ceases to amaze me with her adaptability. She’s taking it all in stride, happier now that she has more kids to be a kid with. I thought she might be more shocked by the poverty, haphazard and reckless resourcefulness, and occasional filth. I seem to remember now that returning home to such a sterile, controlled, and sometimes contrived culture, is where the real culture shock kicks in. I’m not as naive as I once was, and obviously enjoy the stability and opportunity that has allowed us to flourish. I am thankful for the great gifts I have received since last experiencing these vast differences in culture. Since I last returned, I’ve learned most of what I know about family, community, construction, sailing, yoga. I’m just very aware of the influence that the contrast had on me, and can only imagine the places this trip will lead Raven in the next 15 years. Eternally grateful, Namaste.

Oct 13th update

Heath was up and about today- yay! We had a repeat of the language lesson, which was really good, as I need more time for this to sink in my thick head! (“You think mom?”) Ever since arriving here Raven has become increasingly sarcastic. She must be more comfortable now. Partly because the heat and humidity have dropped away, and partly because there are others (including kids) for her to interact with.

It was awesome to see the local kids reactions to Heath this morning- he is a blond giant among small brown people ;)

One little kid today puffed up his chest and sauntered along- imitating H's stride. The others tried to copy, or laughed along with us. The kids at the orphanage also gave me hair advice- “Why don't you use hair oil?”                    

First Impressions, Especially Food

Oct 10. 2012

I knew I would love it here. I love the climate, the people, I love that it isn't as pungent as Malaysia and Thailand, I love how easy it has been so far. The VNS has been awesome. The first week is orientation- they take care of everything, including language and cultural training in the morning and taking us to a local restaurant for lunches. We tried momos- Nepalese dumpling/perogies. Mine was steamed vegie (think vegie curry wrapped in a steamed sticky thin pasta, Heath and Raven had deep fried chicken. I am pretty sure the chickens were running around out back. The restaurant was small, with no windows except for two 10 x 10 cm holes in one side of the bright blue painted concrete walls. The roof was corrugated metal. Hard to find Coca Cola in this part of town, but you can drink a bottle of Slice- mango juice similar to tang. Everything is within a 10 'block' radius in the Pepsi Cola area of Kathmandu. This is a newer area of town- nicknamed Pepsi Cola because of the manufacturing plant here.

Later in the evening the VNS liaison went to the airport and delivered our 'lost' bags to us in our homestay. We are the first placement the The couple are of retirement age, with adult children living in Australia. The husband lived in Australia when he was younger, so speaks fairly fluent English, his wife only a few words. She wears traditional clothes and made a tasty dinner, served at the traditional time of 8pm. The Dal of the Dal Baat dinner was soupier than I expected (served in a small brass bowl on the same brass plate as the rest of the dinner), but tasty, and not spicy- even Raven liked it. White Baat (rice) was served next to a slice of radish (big tuber style radish, not as hot), cucumber slice, and a small pile of spinach. The family watched us as we ate- Awkward! Hard not to feel a little self conscious, but eventually they sat down and chatted with us.

Heath' experience of the first night and day was a little different. While Raven's sick feeling the other day came to nothing (she ended up sleeping it off and not upchucking), Heath went to bed early and skipped dinner because he has come down with the puking/diarrhea 'disease'.

Oct 11. 2012

First full day in Kathmandu. Heath was out for the count- Tea was served at 8am. Teas is like a sweet chamomile tea. The wife (names will come later) brought down some plain cracker/biscuits with it, we ate a few, and thought that breakfast was to be served at 9am. This never happened, so I stepped out to get him some juice boxes for Heath and breakfast for Raven and I. Little corner stores are everywhere- people convert the front of their houses into little shops. We didn't have a chance to change in to Nepal rupees, luckily had some Indian rupees that most stores will take as currency. At 9:45 VSN came to collect us for our lesson. Just Raven and I went, memorizing the way, as we will be doing it independently. Baby steps! Walk straight past the common grounds, left at the goats, right at the sari shop. Random patchy haired dogs are everywhere. Little kids sing-song “Hello! How are you? What is your name?” Soon we will be able to say the same in Nepali- verbs are at the end of the sentence, and they don't differentiate between his/hers. (Yes!).

Lunch was at the same restaurant. We tried the chow mein. It was spicier than Raven liked, she couldn't finish hers, other than that, similar to what we'd find at home.

We learnt that the biggest Hindu festival is soon to occur- this means there will be no going to Salleri for 2 more weeks after our 1 week orientation. We will spend time at the neighbourhood orphanage instead, so we visited for 3 hours today. All the kids love Raven, and have great English- they range in age from 6-18- a few of the 15 year old boys have crushes on her- but don't worry- she towers over all of the kids and staff!

Leaving Raylei was bittersweet.  We were a little sad, leaving such a beautiful oasis, but eager to go explore new places. Krabi was quite nice. There are more choices for food and accommodation, and cheap motorbike rentals. I was a bit anxious at the idea of negotiating the crazy traffic, but after a few minutes the worry lessened, but occasionally returning, as oncoming traffic swerved into available space on our side. Overall, it’s pretty easy to pick up, Mostly stay to the left, and if something gets in your way, go around it!

The next day we started the epic, and exhausting trip to Nepal. Five hours by bus, 15 hours on a train(this time we had sleeper berths, thankfully), half a day in the train station killing time and using the wifi, rapid train to the airport in KL, a five hour flight to Delhi, 12 more hours in the airport, and finally an hour and a half flight to Kathmandu. Our bags didn’t make the flight, but after all the confusion in KL over whether or not we could even make our flight , we were just happy to be in Nepal.

VSN has been just fantastic for making the transition to our ‘new life’ in Nepal effortless. This is day three, and we haven’t even needed to change money yet. Our host family is very nice, the house is spacious, clean and comfortable.  They only have power during certain hours. ‘Loadsharing’ they call it. We are taking Nepali language lessons, then guided sightseeing in the afternoons. I haven’t really done much yet, having gotten sick the first night. I spent the entire second day feverish and nauseous. Today, I’m just weak, trying to fill up on popcorn and juice boxes.

We are staying in Pepsi Cola. That’s right, Pepsi Cola, named after the local bottling plant. Yesterday, Su and Raven went to visit the VSN orphanage, which is very close, as is the VSN headquarters(our only access to wifi). Raven, of course, made some new friends, and had some much needed ‘kid time’. Because of a major Hindu festival, we won’t be going to Salleri for two weeks after our orientation is complete, so we’ll have three weeks to see the sights of Kathmandu, and to visit all of the VSN projects around the Kathmandu valley.

 SIM cards and cell rates are very cheap here, so we may have a phone number here soon.

We Arrive!

We have arrived safe and sound in Kathmandu, picked up by Volunteer Society Nepal chaperones.Our luggage was not so lucky. We struggled with getting our luggage getting sent through India- We sat in airport purgatory for a while (because of no visa and trying to transit the country].  After what seemed like a long wait we got through and prepared to sleep in airport all night. Fun. But here we are!
Had a momo already! yum!

Su got sick

All was going so well. You'd think the vegi meals would be the safest. Something got me. Yesterday we rented a 3-person kayak for the morning- my belly was feeling a little rumbly, and I was already fighting off a cold, but the motion of the kayak had me yaking into the ocean, just off this lovely beach. Was ok for a while, it was gorgeous, paddling around amazing rock formations, but I had to eventually stumble back to the hotel and Rave had to step up and paddle back with Heath. Just over 24 hours later, and I have eaten 5 pretzel sticks, lay down for most of it and we even had to take a boat ride to Krabi, as our time at the resort was finished. Not a great ending, but thankful for Ravens knee on the boat ride, so I could remain prone. Wished I could have done more bouldering- the rocks were amazing. Think I am coming out of it now- can keep juice down, and looking forward to eating some white rice. Think I must be ahead in our belly fat loss contest!

Here's my chance to add my two cents, as it were. As Su mentioned, we're nursing our first decent sunburns, enjoying the AC, and catching up on correspondence. Finally reaching Raylei was one of those moments that you get to reminisce about for the rest of your days. After five days of intense travel, eating transient food, and not sleeping in a bed, or if we had beds, no windows...the fresh ocean breeze and spray coming over the bow of the longtail as the fiery sunset silhouetted the palm cloaked peninsula was Salvation!

Our body clocks are finally adjusted, and the heat is tolerable, if not quite enjoyable yet. We were so blissed out yesterday, that we felt invincible. Unfortunately, the sun gods scoffed at our ignorance. Raylei has four beaches, all within about 15 min of walking. Our resort is on the mangrove side, picturesque, but not ideal for swimming.Plenty of cheap restaurants, travel agents, laundry,etc.
 Ao Ton Sai is the furthest, cheapest, and has the least facilities. You can stay in a basic bamboo bungalow for 200 baht ($6.45 Can). Lots of young, broke climbers. Happy Cake at the restaurant...

Five min from our place is West Raylei, home to a beautiful sandy beach and plenty of swank resorts and restaurants taking advantage of the sunset side.

The trail to the lookout, and the lagoon, is a detour on the way to the last, best beach. Very steep, lush, and sweaty, but well worth the effort.

 Last but not least is Pranang, reputed to be one of the nicest beaches in the world. There is only one discreet 5 star hotel, miles of fine sand, jaw dropping, overhanging limestone cliffs, crystal clear water, and a scattering of lush offshore islands begging to be explored by kayak. At the base of the cliffs, sea caves beckon adventurous swimmers.

We eventually dragged ourselves back to 'our' side for a late lunch. Chicken fried rice, curry soup, coconut shake for Raven, and some ice cold Chang, all for $11 Can. The rest of the afternoon was a bit fuzzy. Raven was so tired, she couldn't even be convinced to go for dinner! To top off an unbelievably great day, I noticed the local Muay Thai school was hosting a free demonstration fight. I left the girls to sleep off the sun, and managed to grab a ringside seat for four rounds of live muay thai! That's a pretty good day. Well, on with the adventure. Until later...

Gringos on the beach

I'd have thought that our family would've had enough collective sun after our Canadian summer, and our first week abroad. WRONG! With amusement we've been watching others walk by with wicked burns. (“First day at the beach, Gringo?”) It's not like we haven't applied sun screen, worn hats, or not sat in the shade, but the sun caught up with us yesterday. Yesterday was magic. This peninsula that feels like an island, is magical. Beautiful. Breathtaking. Stunning. Tropical. Where else can you walk a few minutes from your A/C room (ocean vista, ground floor, steps from the pool- our upgraded holiday-part -of-the -trip concession) to the most perfect sandy beach to do a little bouldering then take an ocean swim to cool down? The water is warm, the sand is made of broken down coral and the view is amazing. Hawkers are not allowed on this beach, so peace is everywhere. Caves lurk nearby, begging to be explored. Our burn, we realized, was due to taking a hot scrambly detour enroute to the beach. We scrambled up the closest jutting mountain formation to the viewpoint, then around and down into the secret lagoon. Almost to the lagoon, because halfway down the path became a slimy 2 metre drop, with a dubious rope to trust your whole body weight to. We probably would have attempted ONE- but we could also see another just past it. Swimming in the lagoon (picture muddy looking water, not TV lagoon blue) was not for us, but the sweaty hike was to blame for our sunscreen washing off. The humidity here creates so much body moisture, sweat beads constantly, welling to the surface of the skin, akin to the hot yoga room. It will be impossible to keep sun screen on.We are now the ones walking around with sunburns, the newest lot of "Gringos" on the beach.

Railay Beach, Thailand

A long-tail boat brought us to Railay Beach, near Krabi town, after another long day of travel, in part due to the tardiness of Malaysian Rail, which promises "ON time every time" except this time, as we were  2 1/2 hours overdue. it was debatable if we'd make our connections in time. Heath bartered a ride with a mini-bus service. Canadian driving is completely unlike Thai road etiquette. Best to not look through the front window if nervous! We made our reservation just at dusk. This gorgeous peninsula is accessed only by boat, due to the impenetrable headlands. We had pre-booked some nights in a resort type establishment. Our room opens out to the pool and a view of the ocean. We are on the cheaper side of the peninsula, as this is the 'mud' beach. The nicer beaches are a 10-15 walk away. or longer, if high tide catches you and you need to walk through the jungle path.