This blog chronicles our seven weeks in Nepal. It began when Amanda decided she was going to do volunteer work in India or Nepal. And when I said "I'll go with you". Many emails later to 'Hands for Help Nepal' and finally convincing them that there were 7 weeks between 27th November and 19th January, not 2 weeks. We requested half of our time working in an orphanage and half in a monastery. In the orphanage we are looking after the kids and in the monastery teaching english to the monks. We hope to spend a little time in a school as well. So this is the plan.
Amanda organised cheap flights, flying out of Melbourne. I got a passport and visa, had my 10 needles and collected various medicines, lotions and remedies to take with us. I skimmed the guide books and internet and spoke to people who had been. All of the advice was conflicting. The day before I packed.
On the 27th November I boarded the bus at Parkes and slept a good part of the way to Cootamundra. There I changed to a train. Of course the air conditioning was broken, but this proved handy because at Albury I was moved up into first class. I shared a carriage with a fellow who used to be in National Service and then the army band. It was a long trip but I now know every tune he ever played and what happened to his house when his mother died.
I spent that night with Kate in Melbourne and then final shopping the next with Kate and Amanda. After our last meal in Australia....Greek we were dropped at the airport at 10 that evening. We lined up and booked in, and breezed through customs to wait in the lounge with a group of school kids from Adelaide....they were going to Vietnam.
At 1.30 we boarded and took off. The seats were narrow and there was little leg room, but it was only going to be ten hours. I spent a lot of time standing up at the back of the plane. Amanda tried to sleep, contorting into a multitude of positions, including sitting on the floor with her head on the seat. This worked until she got stuck. But we did get some sleep.
Landing in Kuala Lumpur our bags seemed to be last to come out on the conveyor belt, but at least they did come out. Amanda had been terribly worried about customs...based on previous experience. We were expecting a long delay and having to unpack everything. However we wound around corridors and up hallways to find that customs was EMPTY. Yep...straight through and onto the street.
We found information to find that we had to depart from the main airport not the one we were at. Our first meal was breakfast....McDonald's. Then a bus into the city to find a motel, as we had 24 hours before taking off. We bought bus tickets and sat in the bus for an hour before it moved. It drove through the countryside....lots of palm plantations, and I fell asleep before reaching the city. Suddenly the bus stopped in traffic and the drive kept yelling something. Everyone jumped up and got off....so did we. But it proved right. We found a motel....about $30 Australian dollars for the night. Then off for a walk. We were at China Town. It was hot, sticky and a little smelly. they were setting up for the afternoon/night markets. The people were very friendly, and wanted to sell you everything. I bought two T-shirts. Lacosse. About $17 Aussie dollars for the two. Then our first meal. Amanda played safe and had spring rolls. Not for me....I had deep fried frogs in ginger. Fantastic.
In the late afternoon another short walk, but we didn't find much, probably because of the area we were in. Amanda had McDonalds for tea, while I had a curry from a street vendor. It was hot but OK. The pet shops were interesting. Lots of turtles, lizards, big mice and birds of all sorts. The markets had grown into an amazing sight. Everything for sale. They called me cowboy because of my hat and tried to sell me DVDs, shirts, watches, belts and perfumes.
After an early night we had rice and curry for breakfast. I enjoyed the bits of kidney in the sauce, and the chicken was nice. I also enjoyed the coffee. Everyone was friendly. All the customers helped us with our order and chatted to us. Off to airport now...but checked to find don't fly out till 8.40 tonight.