We decided to go into Pokhara on Saturday afternoon as there would be no buses on Sunday, and possibly Monday and Tuesday. Accompanied by Helen, Lucca and one of the young monks we walked down to the road and a bus stopped for us. It was very crowded so all of us, except Helen, scrambled onto the roof with other passengers already there. Lets say it was exciting, and I still have the imprint of the luggage rail in my lower back. We passed some trucks and a bus being washed....they drive them into the river then splash the water up on them. The bus belonged to a school: the Cosmic Galaxy School. The bus didn't go all the way to Lakeside, where the orphanage was, so we changed to a taxi. Five of us in the taxi.

At Lakeside we visited the orphanage. Everyone was very pleased to see us and we were pleased to see the quilts had arrived and every child now had warm bed clothes(thanks Kerrie and Stuart). Then we went for lunch but afterward Luca, the German girl became ill. Helen and the monk took her home in a taxi while Amanda and I went to spend a little time at the orphanage. After they left we realized we didn't know the name of the monastery or the village it was in. We decided to go back to the motel as our organizer there would know, except when we got there he was out at the airport....so we had to wait.

Dan, Tess and Maya had planned to come out the next day to visit but, again because of the strike, they decided it was better to come with us that night. After a few phone calls it was all organized. A taxi took us out to the monastery at about 9.30. The gates were locked. After much fuss several monks and the Lama came out to the gate. The lama quizzed us about the monk that went with us saying he hadn't returned yet. He made no move to open the gate and kept expressing concern about us losing the monk. I think some of us were getting worried that he wasn't going to let us in........but then his face broke up in a big smile and we realized what a sense of humor he had. He actually escorted the new commers up to their rooms and made sure they had towels and bedclothes.

Although we got to bed late I woke up at 3am. I couldn't sleep and since I was sharing a room with Dan I sat in the bathroom reading a book until after 5. I took Dan down to the morning prayers ad nd I went to watch the juniors at prayers. When I realised they did prayers in their classrooms I went down to have a look in the kitchen. I watched the cooks preparing the Tibetan bread, and making Tibetan tea, which is salty and made from butter and tea. I also helped two of the senior students clean out the butter candles. They clean these out and make new ones every morning (if I have understood them correctly). We chatted away about where they came from, soccer and cricket, they all know Ricky Ponting.

After breakfast the volunteers went for a walk up to the Tibetan village/refugee camp. The Lama sent one of the senior students to guide us. It was interesting because there is another monastery there, bigger than ours and with a huge temple. We had a good walk around and took lots of photos. There is also a village school with a central oval. The monk told me a big (four teams) soccer tournament was played there. The goals aren't the same, the ground is uneven and very rocky. We also visited the Tibetans selling handicrafts, somehow I became the chief haggler, but I was able to get everyone very cheap deals on their purchases, everyone else anyway. Dan bought a singing bowl, and all of the girls bought rings. The village is fascinating and on the edge are houses which can only be described as hovels, yet the people are all smiles and happiness. In the afternoon we took another walk along the river beside the monastery. Many of the older monks head down here to wash their clothes and bathe, as do many of the locals.

***note this post was created by Robert but posted on his behalf by Amanda