One week in

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So I'm now in Nepal. So far in a week I have done so much and next week I will start work (or try to). I've started learning to ride a motorbike which I would think owuld appear hilarious to outsiders - after one lesson I can start the bike, change gears, turn and brake. I think I will definitely need quite a bit more practise though. The backroad to Bhaktapur is quiet and takes you through some small villages and fields which is a welcome change from the dusty highway they are in the process of upgrading to 6 lanes. OH&S seems to be nonexistent here. I don't think any of the construction workers have even heard of hard hats. I walked about Bhaktapur with Puru today, exploring the Durbar Square and the back alleyways. Its a lot more chill here and nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu. We went to the UN yesterday for a security briefing and earlier in the week visited the Australian embassy. It was quite bizarre to see gum trees and Australian Power Points. We saw our first banda (strike) yesterday too. The teachers were striking for better conditions. It is a Nepali thing to do to strike over things they have no control over - it could be as little as having a disagreement at home to a politically fuelled full blown bandha. Our house is a cottage in Lalitpur, a quiet suburb just south of Kathmandu. Contrary to what I told some of you, we do have hot showers here (bonza!!)

Did you know that if you flattened out the whole of Nepal, the land size would actually be equal to North America? Looks can be deceiving. I haven't really been taking many photos but will endeavour to once I get a little more settled in so that you can see where we are living.

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