All!
40+ hours of travel and I made it to Kathmandu today! I'm so lucky to be working in Nepal (dream country!) with Heifer International (dream organization!) for about 11 weeks. I'll be conducting a Value Chain Analysis (VCA) of backyard chicken in the Jhapa district, which is on the Indian border in the very southeastern corner of Nepal. Jhapa district is in the Terai valley, which is flatland. Close to zero elevation mixed with the rainy season is why I've been on antimalarials, which by the way, cause extremely bizarre dreams...that is worth a whole other blog.
The journey here was long but actually really enjoyable. On the international flight I sat next to a sweet woman originally from India who now lives in West Virginia. She told me about all the foods I need to eat and the cultural norms I need to be aware of. She showed me pictures of her grandchildren, and like a proud aunt, I bombarded her with pictures of Shepherd. I was also lucky to have met my new pal Ms. Raza in Delhi. We both had a ten hour layover in the Delhi airport before headed to Kathmandu, so we spent that time chatting, drinking coffee, walking, walking, walking, napping, etc. Raza is trekking in the Himalayan mountains for two weeks. In the final flight headed to Kathmandu I sat next to a couple who happened to be continuous givers to Heifer. They like to purchase water buffalo. This is a picture of the Himalayas as we were flying into Nepal.
As for KATHMANDU, I absolutely love it! I'm in a vibrant area called Thamel. My hotel is super basic but super cute. It, like many of the buildings in the city, has little courtyards and open-air sitting and eating areas. The weather is amazing--warm and windy--so everyone keeps windows open. On the main streets like in this picture, the dust is really bad, though. Many people wear masks and storekeepers are constantly dusting their products.
The journey here was long but actually really enjoyable. On the international flight I sat next to a sweet woman originally from India who now lives in West Virginia. She told me about all the foods I need to eat and the cultural norms I need to be aware of. She showed me pictures of her grandchildren, and like a proud aunt, I bombarded her with pictures of Shepherd. I was also lucky to have met my new pal Ms. Raza in Delhi. We both had a ten hour layover in the Delhi airport before headed to Kathmandu, so we spent that time chatting, drinking coffee, walking, walking, walking, napping, etc. Raza is trekking in the Himalayan mountains for two weeks. In the final flight headed to Kathmandu I sat next to a couple who happened to be continuous givers to Heifer. They like to purchase water buffalo. This is a picture of the Himalayas as we were flying into Nepal.
As for KATHMANDU, I absolutely love it! I'm in a vibrant area called Thamel. My hotel is super basic but super cute. It, like many of the buildings in the city, has little courtyards and open-air sitting and eating areas. The weather is amazing--warm and windy--so everyone keeps windows open. On the main streets like in this picture, the dust is really bad, though. Many people wear masks and storekeepers are constantly dusting their products.
I walked around today to explore! I did come across a Bill Clinton biography in a used bookstore. I took a really long nap (thanks jet lag!) then ate dinner with Alina, a sweet girl who works at Heifer Nepal. Nighttime in Thamel is exciting with lots of lights and live music and people everywhere. This weekend I will mostly do touristy things since I'll be leaving Kathmandu for Jhapa in about a week. Looking forward to an exciting weekend and learning more about Nepalese culture!
Wonderful pictures! Keep the posts coming as long as you can before you fall of the map ;).
ReplyDeleteLooks amazing!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures and reporting. I love the irony of eating pizza in Nepal!
ReplyDeleteNamaste.