LAST DAYS

At lunchtime Joti cooked a good bye lunch....it was a feast. I ate far too much. So much for losing weight.


Well finally on the last day of my visit to the children's home the books arrived from Australia. They were a big hit with the kids. They sat reading them the whole time until I left. Including some bigger Nepali fellows who were visiting. Thanks to Parkes Rotary for sending them, the kids couldn't be happier.


Finally it came time to take my leave. The kids decked me out in flowers. Then Joti started crying, then one of the kids, then another. Soon there were five or six of them sobbing. Hugs all around. It was sad and difficult to get away.



It was good that Amanda was able to extend her visit by a month. They were appreciative of the work we had done and of the work Amanda was still doing. Bob was putting her up at the motel for the motel for free...or at least cheaply. We looked at all that had been achieved by us and other volunteers in the six weeks and were surprized. In that time the frig and the stove had been fixed; we had supplied a huge pressure cooker, matresses, blankets, pillows, toothbrushes, shoes, books, some clothes (mainly Amanda's she had given away) and head torches. But we had also provided fun and love. Amanda had also purchased a web site and was setting this up, and was busy looking for money to get the kids into private schools. A lot had been achieved. Thanks to those who supported us and who have provided money or have offered money towards the kids schooling......we can promise it is going to where it is needed. I am proud of what Amanda has started.

For me all that was left was the bus back to Kathmandu, shopping and the three days flying home. I did bump into some of the volunteers in the streets of Kathmandu....and yes, thanks to them, I ate too much.