66days

I have never done so much talking to so many people in a few days anywhere during my travels, even less in half a day. Friendly is a word often used to describe the Nepalese It is 100% accurate. Of course many of them are very friendly because they have a product or service to sell. But many simply say ‘Namaste’ as you walk by. And there are wonderful people like the older man walking near me who asked where I come from and we walked together for a good 15-20 minutes. Kathmandu is chaotic but blame that on traffic. Cars, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians share amazingly narrow streets with no sidewalks. Continuous honking is a survival tool that says ‘get out of the way’. It has nothing to do with lack of patience like drivers ... read more

TODAY is THE LONG AWAITED DAY. True to myself , I kept too much for last minute before I leave for the airport around 13h15. One challenge has been trying to fit some donations for kids in my limited luggage space. After repacking 4 times and it’s a very tight squeeze for 40 tiny teddy bears. I have been unexpectedly calm the past couple of weeks. Instead of worrying, there is a feeling of confidence. With little information about the location where my volunteering will take place, only a few days ago I learnt that Jitpur, located about 11 kilometers from Kathmandu, has no internet. My first reaction was ‘S H I T !’ So used to my computer and checking e-mails a few times a day, and always too much world wide web. What ... read more