In search of mountains – a trip to Nagarkot

With my end of service date confirmed (as the 31^st October) and the end of my year in Nepal in sight, I am determined to make the most of the dwindling time I have left here. I have however come to realise that in order to enjoy the true appeal of Nepal, escaping the sounds, sights, and smells of Kathmandu is essential. I feel bad saying this but it’s only really when you distance yourself from the rotting mounds of rubbish, the angry, intrusive traffic and unavoidable, persistent barking dogs barking and honking horns, that you remember how stunningly beautiful Nepal really is. And fortunately you really don’t have to travel far away from Kathmandu to experience this.

Sam, Sarah, Sarah’s colleague visiting from London and I decided to head for Nagarkot last weekend, a popular destination in October/ November and March due to its reputation for spectacular Himalayan views. August really isn’t the time to go for a glimpse of the mountains thanks to the monsoon, but the rolling hills and lush green fields make for an impressive sight all the same.

We arrived an hour and a half after leaving the smog and dust of Kathmandu behind us and had lunch outside while taking in the view of the valley. After much bargaining we found a place to stay and immediately set off towards the view point tower. This is located 2300km above sea level and offers a pretty impressive view, despite the lack of mountains.

On Sunday, after having a late breakfast we made our way to a little place called Telkot which, after persuading the bus boy to let us ride on the roof, was a short but scary bus ride away. From there, we hiked up a winding hill, through some very English looking woodlands, a couple of more authentic villages and numerous corn fields, to Changu Narayan temple. This temple is a Unesco World Heritage site and is probably the most intricate and stunning temple I’ve visited in Nepal. And I feel like I’ve visited a lot!

After looking around we found a little rooftop café offering dal bhaat – just what we needed after two and a half hours of walking! From here, we set off towards home, this time walking down some pretty steep hills, through amazingly vibrant paddy fields and eventually meeting a main road, upon which we jumped on to the first Kathmandu bound bus that hurtled past.  We eventually reached Kathmandu grubby and exhausted, but happy.

I’m so glad I got out of town this weekend and escaped the usual cycle of socialising-hangover- socialising- hangover, and I now can’t wait for our next out of town adventure.

I’ve got another busy week coming up with International Youth Day celebrations dominating Wednesday and Thursday as well as lots of other work to start/ finish. Now that I’ve got limited time left, I seem to be in demand. I’ve been helping another VSO partner organisation with their website, and after a governance meeting last Thursday, I’ve somehow been roped in to helping out another 2 at least, time permitting, and I need to start thinking about what I want to do when I come back to London…

Sweating it out in Xi’an

After a very non eventful but sleepless journey, I arrived in Xian on Saturday morning and was met at the airport by Nick who had arrived the previous evening. As I hadn’t managed to get any sleep at all during the night flight, Saturday was a bit of a write off so we just chilled out at the hotel. The hotel was lovely and I had my first bath in 9 months.  Amazing.

In the evening we ventured out into the centre of town and wandered around the Muslim Quarter which is a maze of back streets mainly filled with market stalls and shop selling random looking things to eat like animal feet, dried meat, more walnuts and dried fruit than I’ve ever seen, and of course, the obligatory tourist souvenir tat. This became my favourite part of town as it’s the most interesting and authentic place in Xian, but clearly not the most appropriate area for fine dining when you can’t speak the lingo!

After traipsing around for ages looking for somewhere with an English menu, we eventually came I across a restaurant with English writing on the window. Result! However upon hungrily opening the menu we discovered that again only Chinese was offered, along with photos of dubious looking dishes to help us out. After much pointing from us and giggling from our waitress we finally managed to order a few dishes that, when produced later by the still giggling waitress, were actually pretty tasty.

Both slightly worried by the lack of English spoken and wandering how we were going to get around this, we decided to head for the tourist information point the following day (Sunday).  Now I am far from those annoying tourists who expect everyone in the world to speak perfect English, but you’d think a basic command of the language might be a pre requisite of working in a tourist information centre. No? Silly me. Eventually after more pointing (from us) and giggling (from them) we managed to book a tour for the next day which promised to take us to a museum, a tomb and the Terracotta Warriors.

After exploring the city a bit more and battling against the heat and humidity we spotted a nice looking café hidden away in one of the many air conditioned shopping malls. As most of the cafes and bars we found around the city, the décor left something to be desired but the smoothies were too good and the sofas too comfy, and we ended up whiling away many hours here throughout the course of the week.

Both Nick and I were very excited on Monday morning, in particularly about seeing the Terracota Warriors – the main reason we decided to visit Xian. The first stop of the tour, which was led by a young Chinese guy with such tenuous English that Nick had to translate for me, and 8 other tourists. The first stop was a museum followed by a factory which was basically just a massive shop. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many hideous things to buy under one roof and although it was funny wandering around taking the piss out of the terrible things on offer (ranging from neon globes, cuddly panda hats, child statues and carpets) we were both pretty annoyed that we’d paid for a tour and had essentially been bought to a gift shop.

Next stop was the Tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuang. However, on arrival it was fairly obvious that all was not quite right. As we were led into a dark room full of random statues, model buildings and gaudy neon lights, we were informed that this was not actually the real tomb, just an imitation. The real tomb apparently was 1km away but as they don’t have the technology to excavate it we’d have to make do with this model of what they thought the real thing might look like.

So far we’d been taken to the dullest museum ever, a massive gift shop and a dark room with fairy lights. However we managed to laugh this off due to our confidence that the best was yet to come in the form of the mighty Terracotta Warriors. Famous last words.

The actual pits where the warriors were discovered have been protected inside a huge building which is then surrounded by what can only be described as a sort of theme park. Shops and stalls selling anything and everything (why anyone would want to buy a suitcase or a fur stall whilst visiting the Terracotta Warriors is beyond me), massive advertising bill boards and cafes and restaurants dominate the surrounding area which unfortunately overshadows the actual point of interest. There is even a museum which shows the history of the museum. Why oh why??!

I can’t decide if it was just our cynicism fuelled by the tour so far or the fact that the whole place was actually just a bit of a farce but the photos I’d seen of the warriors, teamed with everything I’d heard about this so called archaeological sensation, bore no resemblance to what stood before us. I was expecting to be blown away by the sight but the Warriors were not only smaller than I expected but there were fewer as well.

Despite all of this, Nick and I managed to laugh off our disappointment and the day was actually one of my favourites as it continued to provide amusement for the rest of the trip.

After a very lazy day on Tuesday, followed by great excitement in the evening when we stumbled across a street of bars (which we later called the film set due to the hideous lights and décor, random statues adorning the street and the way in which the road appeared to abruptly end), we decided to have a more active day on Wednesday.

We walked quite a way out of the city centre to the Temple of the eight immortals. This is the biggest Taoist temple in Xian and boasts some beautiful Chinese architecture and interesting history. We then wandered to find a park nearby which was beautifully maintained – a far cry from the litter filled water starved parks of Kathmandu – and cruised around the lake on a pedalo. After a very long and sweaty walk back into town, we made our way to the film set for some much deserved pizza and cold beers. A perfect day.

On Thursday we visited the bell and drum tower which are two landmarks in the city centre. After yet another visit to our café for a smoothie, we headed for the south gate of the city wall in search of bikes to hire. 45 minutes later, having cycled once around the 14km wall on a tandem bike (yes, we did look ridiculous but so did everyone else!), we were possibly two of the sweatiest people in China!

On Friday we visited the Great Mosque which is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China and is full of beautiful architecture. In the afternoon we jumped in an air conditioned taxi (heaven) to see the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. This is a holy place for Buddhists and the building is surrounded by some beautiful parks with impressive fountains.

By Saturday we had both had enough of battling against the heat so we spent the majority of the day in our café, squeezing in one last smoothie and escaping from the humidity of the city.

I got back to Kathmandu late on Sunday night and was greeted by dried up earth worms in my hall way, rat poo in my bed room, mould in my kitchen and the news that power cuts have gone back up to 8 hours a day. However this all makes my time in Xian all the more special. I feel so lucky to have had the chance to visit such a different city and this trip will go down as one of the highlights of my year away.

Xian was the perfect holiday from Kathmandu.  Although it was a bit of a culture shock at first, I can’t describe how much I appreciated a break from the noise, pollution, the constant starring and hectic pace of life of Kathmandu, and the cleanliness and the affluence of Xian. I’ve only got three months left in Nepal, but after having a brief taste of luxury, I can’t wait to get back to my home comforts!

Treading water

I haven’t written about my day to day life in Kathmandu for a while now. Whist I continue to be amazed and amused by the tiny details of life here, the bigger picture can be so uneventful that I’m beginning to find weeks and weekends merging into one. Which has sent me into a sudden sense of panic.

That isn’t to say I’m not doing anything or having fun, its just that I’m aware that I could be doing all of this in London: hanging around in cafes with friends, going out for dinner and drinks in the evening. I am determined to do more exploring of the valley when I’m back from China and to spend more time with my Nepali friends.  I came here to experience things I wouldn’t normally experience. I have all the time in the world to go out partying when I’m back in London but this experience will be over before I know it. I need to stop treading water and get on with making the most of things before I find myself sitting on a plane back to England wondering why I never got round to going to that place or doing that thing!

I’ve been enjoying being at my office a little more recently and I’m appreciating just hanging around, observing things and chatting with my colleagues.

Last week we had a party after work for Shanta, a colleague who recently got married. She dressed up in a sari (she looked amazing!), and didi cooked a big meal for about 20 people who gathered to eat together and give Shanta and her new husband gifts. Whilst I couldn’t understand a word anyone was saying, it was still interesting to watch everyone enjoy themselves and nice to be included in a physical if not social sense. I really like my colleagues, they have all been so friendly and kind to me, I just wish so much I could join in their jokes and banter and get to know them better.

I had a lovely day at work yesterday. It was the first Monday of the Nepali month of Shrawan. On this day Hindu women wear red clothes, green and yellow bangles and Mehndi (henna) on their hands. Typically women visit Shiva temples such as Pashupathi to worship Lord Shiva where married women pray for the long and prosperous life of their husbands and unmarried ones pray for a good husband.

In the morning Bhawana gave me some bangles (which I must wear for the entire month of Shrawan – 17^th July to 15^th August) and tikka. All the girls spent the afternoon doing henna on each other which I loved watching. Some of them are brilliant at it and I’m now sporting a lovely pattern which runs along the back of my left hand and my palm. Whilst this is being painted on, I was told to think of the person I love and when the henna is dry, apparently the darker it is, the more they love you! (Mine is quite dark, much to the amusement of my colleagues!!)

The monsoon is in full swing now and I am really enjoying it! I thought it would be horrible, damp, hot and dirty, but instead it feels cleaner, cooler, more alive almost. My new favourite feeling is being safe inside my house at night when it’s pouring it down outside.

And now after counting down for the last two months, the moment has almost arrived – I fly to China on Friday evening and I can’t wait! I am so excited at the prospect of exploring another strange city and culture and seeing Nick. I’ll let you know how it goes…

Getting a ‘do’ in the Du

I got my third haircut in Nepal today. Or rather I should say, I got my hair hacked off with a huge pair of kitchen scissors today….

There is a little beauty salon near my office that my colleague Rupa took me to for my first haircut back in March. That occasion was fine. In fact it went rather well (I’m guessing the translation helped). So well that I decided to go back for more. I thought it best to return to the same hairdresser in the hope that she would remember me, which of course she did. I must be the only non fluent Nepali westerner stupid enough to brave getting a haircut in a local salon. I must be gluten for punishment but when it cost the equivalent of 80p and you’re a poor volunteer like me, I just couldn’t refuse!!

So in I squeezed, next to a lady having a facial and popped myself onto a stool managing a few sentences of very poor Nepali, including, ‘just a trim please’. And that’s when the hacking began.

Half way through the lady next to me sat up from her finished facial and leaned right into me to have a good old look at the strange girl and her (quickly vanishing) strange hair. And then another girl appeared at the door way, just to have a look, and then another one, and all of a sudden, I was surrounded by 4 women, all completely enthralled by what was going on.

This did not deter the hairdresser however and my hair was not only getting shorter, but wonkier, which then meant she kept having to even the sides out, meaning it got even shorter. The more she cut, the more I sweated. And sweated. And sweated a bit more.

Eventually she stopped and stood back to admire her handiwork. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry but managed to refrain from either for fear of amusing my avid audience even further. Instead I lept up, bushed the hair off me, with the help of 4 eager pairs of hands, and made a quick getaway.

Back at the office my female colleagues were pretty amused by my new hair, or lack of it. They all have beautiful long thick black hair, but assured me it looked good. I was not convinced, especially when Madan added that I looked like a ‘cute baby’. Great, just the look I was going for.

So there it is, my haircut hell. It may be classed as a huge disaster, and I may have to hide in my dhera until it grows, but I can’t help feeling a tad pleased with myself that I kept it local and didn’t succumb to the familiarity and ease of getting it cut at a hotel.  Will I learn from this and go to a different hairdressers next time? Probably not!

Kathmandu – malaai timilaai maya garchhu!

As I was sitting on the bus the other day, mindlessly watching people go about their daily lives, I suddenly realised that I’ve been so busy focusing on the things I find difficult and frustrating about living in Nepal, I have completely failed to recognise all the wonderful and beautiful things that I love about being here.

So, while my last few blog entries have been verging on the negative side, I decided its time to look at the things that make me happy about my life here in Kathmandu:

The different sights, sounds and smells each day brings: although my daily routine remains roughly the same, I feel like I’m always seeing something new, or different, or just plain strange that makes me stop and smile for a moment. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to cows wandering around in the middle of the road or seeing a whole family crammed onto one motor bike!

The food: kasto mitho chha! Fruit and veggies that haven’t been pumped full of chemicals, (it’s mango season at the moment and they are the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten!) the chiyaa (sweet, milky tea), chilli momos, and Tibetain then thuk – it’s all so delicious!!

The colour and vibrancy of life: from the beautiful saris, to the brilliant red tikkas to the brightly painted buses. These colours will definitely be missed when I return to the greyness of London.

The music: hindi tunes blare out at every opportunity, on the bus, in the temples, from a little shop by the side of the road. No one complains or minds, everyone just enjoys it.

The people: Nepalis are so hospitable, kind and friendly. I’ve made some brilliant friends, and met some really interesting people who I hope I will know beyond my time here.

The Himalyas: without a doubt, the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. I think even if I lived here forever I would never get used to seeing them, absolutely breathtaking.

The nights out: I just couldn’t get away with sneaking into a hotel pool for a dip at 2am, or ending up in a casino at 4am on a week night anywhere but Kathmandu!

The buses: I love how you can flag a bus down anywhere, take a run up and jump on without it even stopping.  I love how the bus boy bundles as many people as possible, but taking care to ensure people get on safely. It’s so different to overcrowded London buses where no one even looks at another person. Here people sit on each others laps, help people with their bags and chat to whoever they find themselves sitting next to.

The sunshine, the kids, being able to live on my own, working with and meeting people I would never have had the chance to meet otherwise. This list could, and I’m sure will, go on…

Football fun

Sarah got back last week and I met her on Wednesday for a catch up over dinner before meeting some other people to watch the football. After the game finished they turned off the big screen and put on a strange mixture of house and hindi music. Until then I had really been craving an English pub to watch the football in. I missed the pints, the chavs, even the beer/ fart/ stale smoke smell. But then I realised, you just don’t get an entire audience getting up to dance to hindi music after a football match in a London pub do you?!

Friday was Helle’s last night, between coming back from her holiday in Thailand, to leaving Nepal for good. We went for dinner and then onto a party hosted by someone who works for the American embassy. I’m not really a fan of going to house parties where I don’t know many people but in Kathmandu it’s totally normal for people to turn up to a party without an invite. I suppose it’s because the expat community is so small you’re always going to know someone who knows the host. At first I felt a bit conspicuous among the ‘important embassy people’ but after getting stuck into the free bar with great enthusiasm (oh yes, a free bar!) the party got going and I eventually made it home at 4am having had a brilliant night.

On Saturday afternoon I met Sarah in Patan, however the monsoon humidity that has hit Kathamdu recently combined with an almighty hangover (free bar not so great now!) meant that our cultural afternoon in Patan Durbar Square wasn’t quite as cultural as we’d planned. It was lovely wandering around the back streets and drinking tea whilst overlooking the square, however.

I spent Sunday finishing some work and sunbathing and in the evening met Sarah again for more football. This time we went to a different bar, where for some reason all the Nepalis were supporting Germany. Not great when the game ended the way it did!

At work I’ve been asked to write a leadership training manual for my organisation which I’m currently battling through despite having no previous experience of leadership training whatsoever. Like most of the other things I’ve been asked to do here, it’s completely new to me and I’m finding myself yet again blagging my way through it. Frustrating and challenging as it is, this is another great learning opportunity so I may as well just get on with it and do my best.

It’s all about work

Whilst my social life had taken a definite turn for the worse things are definitely looking up work wise.

I may have spent the last few months complaining about my lack of work, but now as if my magic I’ve got so much to do I even need to write a ‘to do list’, and you know how happy I am when I’ve got a ‘to do list’ on the go!

This is mainly thanks to VSO Nepal’s country director, Arlene. She is working closely with the governance team as we have just applied to extend the funding we receive from the EC for another year which means lots of new projects in the pipe line. It will be fantastic if we are granted this extension as one of the proposed projects is a gender needs assessment in rural areas of Nepal. This will involve my organisation, plus two other VSO Nepal partner organisations and will be an amazing opportunity for me to build my experience in research and gender work. Fingers crossed it will be approved!

As well as this I’m helping Arlene out with a few things, as well as putting together the Governance newsletter. I also had the fantastic news this week that Leaders in Community, the London based youth organisation I found to partner Youth Action in an international exchange programme, has already raised £4,000 so it looks like they will be coming to Nepal in September. The challenge for me now is to secure some funding for young people from Youth Action to visit LiC in London, which I’m hoping will happen some time next year.

I’ve without a doubt learned a huge amount about myself and other people since I flew out of Heathrow in November and now I feel like I’m finally learning new skills in a professional sense. I would never get the chance to do such a wide spectrum of things in one job in the UK, so this is really positive. This has all come along just at the right time as well as I’ve become a complete hermit, so having work to do at the weekend is quite frankly a bit of a god send!

My cosy group of lovely expat girl friends has dispersed somewhat abruptly. Sarah and Sam are in the UK on holiday, Helle is in Thailand, and then back off to Denmark, and Fuseina and Sharon have gone home, leaving me here all alone pining for the good old days when we were too busy causing mischief in the early hours of the morning to worry about anything else. Now I know you’re probably thinking, just go and make some new friends, but in all honestly I can’t be bothered (that sounds awful I know!). I am considering this a down period where I can save some money, or rather not spend money, and concentrate on work. I can’t wait for Sarah to come back though!

One thing that has been keeping me going is that I’m going on holiday! I’m going to Xi’an in China for a week at the end of July with Nick and I am SO excited about it. For some reason I feel slightly guilty that I’m going on holiday but I also feel like I need to make the most of being here, and take the opportunity to explore this part of the world as much as I can. I think it will do me good to get away from Kathmandu for a bit. In an ideal world I will come back feeling refreshed and loving life in Nepal again!

A day in the life of a VSO governance volunteer

This is an article I’ve just finished for the VSO Governance newsletter which I thought I would post on here (for lack of actual news!!).

My day abruptly begins when my alarm wakes me up at 5:20am. I used to wake up naturally due to the various activities occurring outside my window (dogs barking, women starting their long list of chores for the day, traffic horns beeping…you know, just the usual sounds that characterise Kathmandu) but these days I have had to enlist the help of ear plugs to block out the sound of the rats scurrying around my bedroom floor (yes, rats. I’ve seen them.)

I join the other early morning joggers for a run around the palace wall. The roads are relatively quiet at this time, but the streets are full of people; women in their funny mix-matched outfits of trainers and fancy kurta surwals furiously power walking and gossiping, joggers, people going to work and street sweepers. Funnily enough this is the time when I get the least stares which baffles me somewhat. I think if a strange, sweaty, red in the face person chuffed past me, I would stare!

As I’m up so early, I have about an hour and a half to make breakfast, get ready, and do some washing etc before heading off to work. I enjoy the 40 minute walk to my office although sometimes I’m amazed I make it there in one piece. The journey is often dominated by traffic, noise, dust, people staring not so subtly and lots of negotiating my way through heaps of rubbish and past cows. And I wouldn’t like to begin to count the number of times I’ve nearly been taken down by a bike, car or bus!!

I’m often the first to get in, and head straight to my desk to check my emails and Facebook. The regular contact with friends and family back home keeps me sane and happy, especially when I’m finding communication with my colleagues particularly hard. Depending on the load shedding schedule for the day, my colleagues will either be reading the papers or they’ll be at their desks frantically making the most of the power.

At the moment I am working on a few different projects, some for VSO and some for my organisation. Daily tasks may include updating the website with news and events, updating the Facebook group, and editing reports written by our interns.

As well as generally supporting Youth Action’s volunteer group, Friends of Youth Action, I suppose my main project at the moment is an international youth exchange visit between a UK based organisation and Youth Action. The UK group are hopefully coming over in September so I’m currently trying to work out the programme details, as well as attempting to write my first ever funding proposal to try to secure funding for the visit to the UK.

Lunch is usually around 2pm by which time I’m absolutely starving. In my last job in London I was renowned for snacking at my desk all day long, so the 6 and a half hours between breakfast and lunch is a real breakthrough for me! Luckily we have a lovely didi who cooks for us all, usually aloo, takaari, chuira, or sometimes pasta or noodles, with a cup of sweet kaalo chiyaa in the afternoon to keep me going.

My work day finishes at 5pm. If I’m staying in for the evening I will pick up a load of lovely fresh vegetables on my way home. This usually sets me back about 40 rupees which always amazes me! I’m currently working my way through the box set of The Wire, an American TV show which I’m hooked on and thanks to a decrease in load shedding I’m making rather alarming progress on. I’ve also read a ridiculous amount of books since I’ve been in Nepal and seem to be averaging around one every three days!

If I go out to meet friends, it’s usually somewhere in Thamel or Lazimpat. My favourite haunts are Upstairs Jazz (especially on a Wednesday), OR2K, Sam’s bar or Lazimpat Gallery for the weekly film showing.

I go to sleep at night (early – those 5:20am starts are a killer!!) occasionally wishing I was in my lovely comfy bed in England, but mostly reflecting on my day. I find it impossible here to get through a day on auto pilot, as would sometimes be the case back home. Every day I feel like I see something new, feel something different, or learn something more. Whilst I find it exhausting at times the frequency at which my emotions can change from being up to down, to back up again, I feel grateful for having the opportunity to really experience this.

With only 4 full months left until my end of service, I find myself thinking about home a lot. What it will be like when I get back, what I will miss about being here. I don’t think I can really answer those questions until the time comes. All I know is that my placement has gone so quickly and I need to make the most of this amazing experience before it becomes a surreal and distant memory…

Half way through…

After the very stressful gender and inclusion workshop that I worked on in March, I vowed never again to get involved in a VSO workshop again. So how I ended up on the planning committee for the VSO Annual Volunteer Conference I do not know!

Every country that VSO operates in has an AVC which is organised and run by the volunteers, for the volunteers.  Because I am one of the few volunteers in Kathmandu, I somehow got roped into being part of the planning committee, along with 5 others.

Despite starting the planning about two months ago, in true Nepali fashion (even though non of us are Nepali – we’re clearly adapting well to the culture!), we left most of it to the last minute and it was all a bit frantic. It didn’t help that I came down with a throat infection the week leading up to it.

Without boring you with the details, we managed to pull off a pretty good conference, despite the usual complaints (I guess with 45 people from many different countries with different personalities, we were never going to please everyone). It was held at a lovely hotel just outside Kathmandu and while I managed to enjoy the food (of course) and made good use of the swimming pool, I couldn’t really kick back and enjoy it as much as the other volunteers. Instead I spent most of the time running around, being bossy or stressing about something!!

The whole thing was exhausting but I learned a huge amount and it was yet another completely new experience in Nepal that I won’t forget. I even hosted the talent show ‘VSO’s got talent’ (cringe!!) and helped facilitate a few sessions– quite an achievement for someone who hates public speaking!

I am off work again this week as we are in the midst of our language refresher course which im really enjoying. It’s good fun this time around as we can actually have conversations with each other and our teacher. I have to say, my language is better than I thought! Today our teachers took us to Patan Durbur Square which is beautiful and made me feel happy and grateful to be here again, which was much needed!

For the last few weeks I’ve been experiencing a bit of a ‘down patch’ in that I’m finding life here frustrating, draining and just hard work! I think having my friends here and reaching my half way point has thrown me off kilter a bit. My dhera has a mice/ rat problem which is keeping me awake at night, work is really slow and I’m starting to wonder why I gave up my job at Raleigh to do nothing all day. Kathmandu is just so expensive and the allowance I receive from VSO makes it so hard to sustain a comfortable lifestyle. It’s enough to get by but not enough to socialise as much as I would like. It’s pretty miserable staying in every evening, especially when there is no power. I’ve given up the gym and have started going running outside in the morning, but this means I have to get up at 5.30am otherwise there is too much traffic. I guess I just feel a bit drained by the city, nothing seems to be easy and for some reason what used to fascinate and amuse me, now just irritates me slightly.

The good news is that the three main political parties have agreed to extend the term of Constituent Assembly for one year. The prime minister has agreed to resign and a national unity government will be formed within the next two weeks. This does not however mean that Nepal’s problems are sorted, far from it. I’m not sure what is going to happen but I’m not convinced by the parties being able to work together. Watch this space!

Bandh boredom : surviving the strike and a visit from friends

What a crazy two weeks it’s been! Bad things certainly happen in threes. First Kerry and Nick’s flight was cancelled due to the volcanic ash, then when they eventually got a flight, due to arrive in KTM 9 days later, their flight was diverted back to Delhi because of bad weather conditions. And when they finally arrived on Friday, there were greeted by the news of a mass protest on Saturday followed by an indefinite strike.

The Maoists want the current prime minister to step down so called an indefinite bandh until an agreement was made. This is not uncommon over here, strikes happen all the time, but usually only last one day. All shops and businesses are made to close and transport stops running except government and UN vehicles and tourist buses.  It’s rather eerie to see the usually hectic city come to a complete standstill.

So when I went off to the airport on Thursday to pick up Kerry and Nick I wasn’t expecting to leave three hours later without them. Still, they arrived safe and sound 12 hours later and despite feeling tired and a bit fed up, they were happy to have finally arrived.

We had a lovely night out on Friday and spent Saturday by the Shanker hotel pool to avoid the protests. We did catch a glimpse of the crowds marching through Lazimpat Road shouting slogans and waving their red flags which was interesting to see but I wouldn’t want to get caught up in it!  

I had been advised by VSO to stay in doors during the bandh as well as stock up on at least one week’s worth of food, water and anything else I might need. I think if I had have been alone I would have stayed indoors and slowly gone a bit mad, but because Kerry Nick and Paul were here, we chanced going out and seeing some sights. We managed to get to Pashupathinath, Boudha and Swayambu – in my opinion the three best sights of Kathmandu. The roads were empty of traffic, a rare sight, but full of protestors. We kept as low a profile as a group of foreigners can over here, and there was no trouble.

On Wednesday we managed to get a flight to Pokhara. Although we hadn’t witnessed any violence so far, the atmosphere in Kathmandu was starting to turn and I could detect growing tension in the air.  People were starting to run out of things, and those who had been brought in to the city from their villages were starting to get restless…

As soon as we got to Pokhara we knew we had made the right decision. It is such a lovely place and although nearly all shops and restaurants were shut, just being away from the rubbish, pollution and dogs that characterise Kathmandu felt like being on holiday.

There wasn’t a lot to do due to the bandh but as Paul was staying in a lovely hotel (me, Kerry and Nick stayed in a guesthouse) we had a few days by the pool. One day we got a boat across the lake and climbed up to the World Peace Pagoda which is a huge Buddhist stupa. Despite not being able to see the Annapurna range, the view from the top was beautiful. As well as this, the others managed to do some paragliding which they said was brilliant. Me being the dedicated volunteer I am stayed behind to finish some work!

Just as I was starting to get really worried about the strike, particularly after seeing reports of violence in the news and having received an email from my friend at the UN about the possibility of curfews and the cutting off of mobile phone networks, the bandh suddenly finished on its sixth day! Despite this none of us were looking forward to coming back to Kathmandu on Sunday afternoon. In fact I was dreading it slightly, but to my surprise it felt lovely coming back to my little dhera. I was pleasantly surprised by how much it now feels like home.

Whilst I have no control over the political situation in Nepal, I can’t help feeling slightly responsible for the way things worked out. I think the others had a good time, but we did have days of frustrations and it’s such a shame we didn’t manage to visit some of the places I wanted to take them to. I suppose it all just reinforces the fact that you really can’t plan things in Nepal. Anything could happen and you just have to shrug your shoulders and accept it.

This week I am back at work and frantically trying to sort things out for our VSO annual volunteer conference which is taking place from 24^th May. Unless there is another bandh of course…

See my pics of Kerry, Nick and Paul’s visit on Facebook -  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=170832&id=501147897&l=0fba6825e8

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=170826&id=501147897&l=d487bb9808