My Nepal Log
My note while tripping around Nepal .. Nepalmaa Swagat chha! Malaai ali ali Nepali aauchha!
For those who wonder how my Nepal trip was like.. lol
I went to the town to find photo printing store but unfortunately.. there is no instant photo service!? All they do is collect the order each day n send to the photo lab next morning. V__v But I just need it right now! cause today is my last day in Pokhara and I promised to children at the happy home that I will give them pics. Finally I printed out in black n white at internet cafe… better than nothing. I went to happy home then out for whole day.. I got an appointment with one pony..
I booked a pony yesterday. Yeah.. I gotta ride a little pony named Changba! ..never ride horse or pony before =_= It’s a bit freaky when he runs fast but after 10 mins, I got used to it :D
Changba .. continue
Yeah.. I fly..
I got to do paragliding today!! I knew I gotta love it and yes I love it so much!!
check it out: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?fbid=465325869799&set=a.428372764799.198170.790899799
The location is Sarangkot, a beatiful mountain near Pokhara. It’s famous for sunrise/sunset here and paragliding during the day. Here we can see Phewa lake and many mountains… If the weather is clear, we can also see the Himalayas.. but I’m not that lucky. It has been very cloudy and foggy this whole week. Anyway, I did a tandem flight with Greg, New Zealands guy and he did awesome! This is his last flight before he back to his country.. He’s been here for 3 months now.
I went back to Pokhara, had lunch, and go to the happy home. I and other volunteers went out for dinner at 8. This meal is also Italian! I think Italian food is pretty good here, better than in Bangkok. I back to the hotel at 11 and .. yeah nindra laagyo (sleepy) Zzz
I feel like i did nothing today!!!?
I got up late, like 10am and went for a breakfast.. I started to have congestion T T, walked around in town, go to the happy home. There were more volunteer here today. They come for trekking starting on this Thursday. I went out for dinner with them at ‘Once upon a time’. It’s quite a good Italian restaurant.. We shared pizza, pasta, and chicken.. awesome and pretty cheap! (350 Rs. pax)
I took a pill before go to bed and it did knock me out for 10 hours…
I went to the happy home at 7 morning, played with the children and help them washing things in the kitchen then came back to my hotel. I fell asleep and woke up again at noon. I went out to have breakfast (at 1.30!) with Chris.. I was really hungry and in bad mood since he was always talking with other people including me but all I want is just the food!! I feel like I’m a bunny in my favorite Pixar movie, Presto, now! T T
After two omelettes, I became happy and ready to have conversations :P I spoke Nepali with Nepali ladies… ali ali (a little bit) Then rented a canoe boat and row into the lake. We took more than 3 hours on the lake till the sunset. It was very nice sceneric but so foggy today T T. We don’t get much photos. I had dinner but didn’t go to the happy home this evening since it was too late to go. I stopped at internet cafe for an hour and back to the hotel… going to have a nice long sleep!
I helped with the children to get ready to the school… actually they don’t need much help, just prepare foods and clean things. They don’t need shower in the morning. There is a poster on wall said “remember to shower once a week”.. I don’t really know whether it means a minimum or maximum for them. Anyway.. it’s soooo rarely.
I walked with children to their school. In Nepal, only Saturday is a holiday. So they need to go to school 6 days a week. The class starts at 10 o’clock. I’ll then be free till 4pm that they got back to the happy home.
All volunteer girls here are so tall! I’m the shortest one lol. I met my roommate today, Caroline. She is from Germany… very beautiful and sweet! She just back from the village today. I don’t have much chance to talk with her as I’m moving out..!!
I went out for my breakfast (or lunch) and walked around to find hotel… I decided to move out and stay by myself since last night I found a cockroach on my bed!! And even I slept inside my new sleeping bag, there are many mosquito or bug bites on my whole legs! T T They are not really clean as I helped them with their breakfast, every veggies is just put together and boiled without any wash and dish washing cloth was so dirty. I don’t think they use soap when wash tea cup though.
Children there in happy home are so pity but they really happy! They love each other so much, always play together, stay together. I back to the house at 4 for a little while and went out again to find the hotel. Chris, American man I met yesterday helped me with that. I got a nice room at hotel he stayed last night. (He just moved out to another cheaper hotel today.) I back to happy home to get my backpack and out for dinner with him.
It’s good to stay outside so I don’t have to worry about the time I get back. Last night I came back at 10.30 and everyone already slept. I got only one week here so it’s my willing to explore as much as I can. Anyway I feel a bit guilty that can’t stay in same place with other volunteers. They are all European, from rich country, can stay with poor children and get dirty with them. I’m not rich.. but can’t stand with the uncleanness. Btw I will still go there in the morning and evening to assist them with the housework.
There was so foggy and a bit freezy in the morning. So I canceled my bird watching program. (I’ve already seen some of them while kayaking yesterday.) I had breakfast and talked to the staff. They are very friendly, helpful and polite. It’s a big difference between these polite staffs.. with good education.. and local people at markets.. without education. They are sometimes rude and always try to sell things. I’d love to talk to any kind of people that won’t try to get money from me!
A Holland girl went to my room to say good bye.. I took a photo of us and print it out (by my little Polaroid) for her. Then I got to the bus and took horrible 5 hours to Pokhara. Nepali people on the bus always talked loudly. I sat next to the driver. It was sunny and so poky for me. The bus stopped at one roadside restaurant. I had a buffet there… really really tasty!! I was back to good mood before continue terrible hours on bus again.
A staff from Happy Home picked me up at Pokhara bus station. Happy Home here is the place I will do my placement (volunteering) for a week. There were a lot of kids having lunch when I arrived there. I had lunch with them again then walked out for sight seeing… It is very beautiful big lake and mountains in Pokhara. I spend more than hours sitting at the lakeside. Then I did some shopping as I need slippers for the house.. and sleeping bag for tonight.
I met an American man while I was looking for sleeping bag at one shop. He is photographer. He took me to a good-price sleeping bag shop and had dinner together. I then realized that I got lost!! totally forget the way back to happy home.. We tried to find out for half an hour and spoke to many Nepali guys. No worried.. it’s my routine to get lost somewhere and take like 3 times to remember directions lol.
There was a morning call at 6 o’clock. I got up and ready for breakfast in next hour. Then I went to kayaking with a Holland girl. She just came from Pokhara.. She is also a volunteer and did work there for 8 weeks. She really loves nature and looks always exciting with any kind of animals >_< really nice.. beautiful mind lady.
We did a jungle trekking after then for around 2 hours. It likes we walk follow the rhinoceros footprints lol. Our guides were always looking for them. I’m not really excited about rhino but yes it really is for European people. We went back to the resort and took a nap till the lunch time.
I and Holland girl took a walk in the village together in the afternoon. We shopped some souvenirs. I got a postcard to send back home and nice bracelet. Then I did an elephant ride at 3pm. I took almost 2 hours in the jungle. Fortunately, there were many animals to see… spotted deers, crocodiles, monkeys, two rhinos (mother and a baby).. My elephant was really big (maybe the biggest one they have). She walked across the river twice and I were at the meeting point safely.
After dinner, I was supposed to go to cultural show in town but I was late.. (actually the show begins before time).. They won’t let me in so I have to wait for another round. My guide brought me to see the camels.. They were sleeping in the dark, so quiet. I went to the internet cafe and back to the show… I was late again but got in and see the last 10 minutes… It’s Tharu dance (fire and cultural dance). Foreigners were invited to dance on the floor in the end but I didn’t want to lol. I back to the resort, tried local ice-cream and went to bed around 12.
I took a bus to Chitwan.. it took around 6 hours to get there… really nice beauty nature besides me along the way. I got an activity package at Adventure Resort. I didn’t really know much details before I arrive there cause REAL Nepal made it for me. The resort let staff picked me up at bus station. I had lunch and checked in. An hour later, a local guide brought me to a safari walk… There were south Asia elephants and a big rhinoceros. I was watching a sunset at one of best place there and having chocolate shake. The dinner at resort was awesome.. pretty sure that I will have nice foods these couple of days.
I talked to a Vietnamese girl while having dinner.. she is doing her master in Australia. So we were in the same continental and did same funny thing when we were coming here.. cause 15 degree temperature in Australia is very freezy, we think it would be the same in Nepal and brought lots of warm clothes here. Now we’re crazy and don’t need any of them!! It’s really warm even at night time.
I tried to sleep early.. but there was so noisy outside till 12 midnight. And everything starts again at 4 morning. sad.. can’t sleep at all… T T
I felt not so good and slept longer till host family came to wake me up. It was around 10. I went upstair for breakfast and down to pack stuffs. Other 2 girls went ahead to volunteer office but I got a sight seeing at Swayamabhunadh Temple. It’s mixed style between Hindu and Buddhist. After an hour, I was setting at the office and ready for language lesson. It was really fun today! I remember more words and know how to make a sentence.
Ranya: Mero taaukomaa kehi chhaina? (Is there anything on my head?)
Staff: Chhaina.. ke? (No.. what?)
Ranya: Mero taaukomaa gobar cha? (#$%@!!… [don’t know, I was told to say this])
Staff: Chaa! Chha! (Yes lol)
Ranya: Maile bujina =_= (I don’t understand)
Staff: It means there is some dung on your head!!
Ranya: !! Malaai baal chhaina!!! (I don’t giving a shit!)
Staff: $%#$%&#@$#$# (who taught her that!? haha)
Ranya: Kere kere, Bistarei bolnus (what’s that? speak slowly man!)
Staff: #$$%^#$!@#$@
Ranya: Malaai matlab chhaina.. (Ok I don’t care…)
Staff: Cool, never heard that from our volunteer before! lol
We had lunch then took a walk around Durbar Square and Thamel which is just around there. My teacher bought new camera and I bought a sim card… Yeah! Finally I got my mobile working and edge works on it! We back to the house at 7 something and still awake till 1am.
