Arrival in Nepal

We arrived in Nepal on the 25th of May 2011 (2068 by the Nepalese calender). Arriving around midnight in Kathmandu we wondered what we were getting ourselves in for. Our taxi took us through the dark dirt roads of Kathmandu, street children sat round fires and stray dogs roamed freely.

Daylight brought with it an altogether brighter picture, the streets bustled with life. Hawkers, vegetable stalls, ricksaws and taxis crowded the streets. Small shops of every kind imaginable spill onto the street. Shrines of various sizes and deities are visible everywhere, large stupa (religious shrines) can be found on every corner. Amazingly old buildings with intricate wood carved joinery demand our attention.

With a few days absorbing the vibrancy of Kathmandu we were ready for the peacefulness of the countryside. With the monsoon approaching we opted for the Helambu Trek - a week of trekking through small sherpa villages, past small farms, and through national parks. We were challenged with steep climbs and descents. The highest point at Therepati (at 3600m) was unfortunately in the cloud. But we were rewarded with stunning views of the Himalayan range the following morning. On our trek we experienced the friendly hospitality of the local people, and were introduced to the reality of life in the small, remote villages we passed through. Woman and children could be seen carrying loaded Dokos (basket carried by a strap around the forehead) full of hay or grass for the animals up steep slopes. Many of the villages we passed through have recently had roads built to them, but vehicles only make infrequent visits, and the roads become impassable in the monsoon. No doubt many will wash away. However, these villages are fortunate to be on a trekking route, where the tourist dollar really supports the local economy.

Following the trek we got in touch with CDRA and moved to Banepa - a town of approximately 40,000 people, an hour out of Kathmandu. Banepa is a relativly prosperous town in Nepal as it is situated at the crossroads of highways to both China and India. Yet there are striking differences with the infrastructure and systems we are used to at home. Every day there are power outages (load shedding), many homes do not have running water in the home and hot water is a real luxury, the roads are all unpaved (except the main street) meaning lots of puddles and mud, and there is no rubbish collection. Many locals and surrounding villagers make a living selling vegetables or other goods in roadside stalls. Street kids live in the no-mans land and stray dogs roam freely. This is to be our base for volunteering over the next few months.