http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Camaron/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Camaron en-us Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:52:44 BST Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:52:44 BST Jillian is studying and I have nothing to do.....nbspAsia raquonbspChina raquonbspShanghai By CamaronJuly 11th 2007Camaron Marvel Ochs 2nd day Jade Buddha Temple we had herbal medicine tea saw lotsoBuddhas and I got artsy with my photography. Huaihai Lu walked around the French Concession's fancy shopping Xin Tian Di touristy area with cobblestone everything had dinner at 'Kab http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shanghai/blog-180034.html I made it It was so sad leaving Nepal. I thought I was tired of Kathmandu but when the time came to move on I felt my heart sink a little. At the airport the computer system went down not so conducive to etickets so I had a chance to soak up some last minute Nepali culture securtiy guards playing peekaboo passengers walking behind the ticket counter to try and make friends with the tic http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shanghai/blog-179633.html The Monk and the blondenbspAsia raquonbspNepal raquonbspKathmandu By CamaronJuly 5th 2007Camaron Marvel Ochs So I met Matthieu Ricard. He lives at Shechen Monastery near Bouddanath. It is gorgeous All these maroonrobed young monks running around gold painted walls leaning out of windows playing badminton or balancing sticks in their palms. I think they thought I was pretty interes http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-177419.html Purely PicturesnbspAsia raquonbspNepal By CamaronJuly 3rd 2007Camaron Marvel OchsHappy 4th of JulyI'm wearing red white and blue. Hopefully I can find some sparklers and a 24 pack of Budweiser to really make things authentic...Righthand saluteGood night. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/blog-176694.html Thanks for the messagescomments. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life One minor note I'm in Nepal. Not India. They are two separate countries.Jills made it safe to Shanghai and I'm so excited to visit her. I can't believe how fast time has been going Tomorrow marks my 3 month anniversary...Barbara my new Czech buddy and I went to one of the swimming pools to try and beat th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/blog-172943.html I'm glad you found the blog grandmaSo...The monsoon season hasn't really started... it's just hot. But the wind has made for some clear days with beautiful clouds. I've been in Kathmandu a few weeks now and it's kinda fun to bump into people you know on the street. Thamel tourist area is a pretty noisy place to stay even though I'm at a Meditation Center. At night I fall asleep to cover bands http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-170534.html Dana and Fraser leave for India early tomorrow morning We said goodbye and I watched my fellow Volunteers Villagers drive off in a taxi. My surrogate family is off to see more of the world. We had a great brainstorm before they left about the contents of the website and they handed over the remaining contacts I need to hit in Nepal. I'm so excited for the sustainablevolunteering philosophy behi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/blog-166759.html Here's a few for ya.... http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-164833.html I made it to Kathmandu We are staying in Thamel area where the tourists are which is NOTHING like my previous experience here at the Himalayan Meditation Center. The hotel is attached to a monastery and we do free meditation and yoga in the mornings.Yesterday we met with Mahabir the director of the Nangi voluteer program for dinner. It sounds as if things would have been much more organized http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-164188.html I know the last one was a lot to swallow but here's two cause I forgot to publish one...Sunday More Volunteers Village interviews. Hit a hospital and after trying desperately to explain myself to the front desk I scored a meeting with a nametagged somebody. We sat down in the ER white floors 2 cots and apparently lax rules about the comings and goings of anybody no patients thankfully. Th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-162717.html So Irsquom back in Pokhara and Irsquove got SO much to say. We me Dana and Fraser Canadian couple left Nangi a little early for reasons Irsquoll explain in a second and headed 2 hours over a mountain and 3.5 hours through the Jungle donrsquot worry my thick socks are impenetrable to leeches to hit the Jomson trail. This is part of the Annapurna circuit so the trail is paved wit http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Pokhara/blog-162241.html Third shower in Nangi. Yes Irsquove been here almost one month. Hot water bucket cup to douse yourself between soapshampoo lathers. It felt gooooood. The armpit fuzz is in full swing Sara would be proud. I was meant to shower on Monday but I got sick. Yes obligatory thirdworld funk. After being primed with worstcase scenarios from the US State department and my doctor I basically made http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Nangi-village/blog-157244.html I wrote a long blog and saved on another computer before the power went out so you'll have to wait on that one...I have so many gorgeous pictures of the jungle trails waterfalls and Nepali friends I wish the internet was fast enough here but I am in the middle of the Himalayas che garne what can you doAt night there have been some great thunderstorms with lightning lighting up the whole http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Nangi-village/blog-156369.html The nursery is a plant nursery to clarify. The little kids like to run around our round house balcony at 9am each day. They have few layers of dirt on their uniforms and even more layers of snot running out their nose unless they are blessed with one of those shrewd mothers who attaches a snotrag to their shirt with a safety pin. Somehow they manage to steal your heart just the same. I'm sure I http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Nangi-village/blog-153693.html Sorry for the wait but the internet and phone system and knocked out by storms and there is a storm everyday around 3pm.So I'm in a village called Nangi volunteering. This means I wake up in the morning help out in the nursery eat lunch teach 4th and 5th grade English make dinner then go to the occasional traditional music class or get better acquainted with my fellow volunteers you'd be http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Nangi-village/blog-152502.html After one night in Beni aka shithole we ate a BIG breakfast then headed for the mountains. Mahabir convinced me I didn't need a porter to carry my bags so we switched. Sure his was only 2 lbs but it's a mental load. I went with Mahabir brains behind the Nangi volunteeringdevelopmenteverything one Australian helping advise on possible trekker hostels and a fast Nepali guy. So here's s http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Nangi-village/blog-149211.html I made it Lakeside is sooo beautiful and relaxing. It's kinda lonely by myself though. I made friends on the bus one couple from Oman the only Gulf country to visit a n old Nepali man and one US expat 16 yr old. The 6 hours flew by. Since I am without family I now understand what it's like to be a tourist expensive luxurious and ohsoobvious. When I got here I took a walk around had http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Pokhara/blog-148496.html I survived the New Year's festival. Puspa Pratista and I watched it from the hotel roof a safe distance. It was a huge event people from all around Nepal and the world showed up. People were climbing on top of each other to get a better view. They tie a statue and a piece of wood to the chariot each representing a different god so it is blessing to have the chariot near you home. As the tug http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-148102.html So I guess my pictures are too high resolution for Nepali Cyber cafes...I'll try again in Pokhara but don't get your hopes up. ..Today I went to the one and only fitness club in Bhaktapur to do Yoga with the sunrise. I went with Sanghamitra's primary teacher who runs the hotel I am at. First she had to stop at a couple of temples they are all over the streets to put flowers and incense down be http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Bhaktapur/blog-147030.html I'm in BhaktapurThanks to all the Hindu Gods... Aunt Lori will be able to name all of them soon.I had breakfast this morning said pancakes and tea on a rooftop balcony over looking the five story temple. sigh I could melt this place is so relaxing. I'm staying in a hotel that is run by Prajwal's neighbor the family home is little crowded this week 19 family members to be exact because of http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Bhaktapur/blog-146613.html