Lone Gringo...and loving it

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Now I'm really about to babble... Today I went to the offices of Volunteer Nepal. Basically it's a 4 floor home and they rent out the bottom floor. The other girls I met (we met by chance at a restaurant) warned me that I should continue to stay at the hotel (the hotel is only $2.50 a night). I thought I would give the office a shot anyway. I'm glad I went because I really saw some Nepalese culture. The "office" is about 7 miles from the city. I was literally the only non-Nepali person in the area. For some reason, I loved how that felt. There is a family who lives in the office and they insisted that I eat lunch right away. I had to take off my shoes and sit on a mat on the floor of the kitchen. They served me a traditional dish which is a HUGE plate of rice, leafy green stuff, cauliflower, lental soup, and curry. It is disrespectful not to finish what is on your plate, and although it was good, there was no way I could fit it all in. Not to mention, the heat hasn't helped my appetite. I was so full that I thought I might throw up...then they seemed bothered that I didn't want more! The family ate with me and they ate with their hands. The girls warned me that if I stayed there I would get very sick of the same meals and I would also get sick of the bathroom. The bathroom consists of a hole in the ground that you squat over and the shower was a tap about waist high. I decided that my desire to experience how they live was not great enough to want to stay there.

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing. There wasn't any guidance and the people in the office were all either reading or napping. I thought I was supposed to be "volunteering", but we'll see. I took a walk for about 2 hours. I walked slowly to take everything in. The area was much wealthier than in the city. The homes are unique and large--they are just beautiful--and are situated on dirt hills and roads with a clear view of the foothills of the Himalayas and many valleys. Once again, amazing and unlike anything I have ever seen. Boys were playing a Nepalese version of baseball and I was entertained by watching them for quite a while. It was almost like something from a movie. Women were in their saris chopping corn and washing clothes in basins. As I walked, I passed many local children and adults. The children wanted to talk to me and the adults didn't glance my way. No one was going to bother me, so I didn't bother them. I sort of felt like an intruder, but I felt very safe. The whole thing was mesmorizing! I'm guessing I have what they call "culture shock". That experience was much different from being in the heart of Kathmandu, which is where I'm back to now. Here there are many beggers and people everywhere wanting you to buy things...the shopping is incredible! There are also more tourists.

I'm off to do some more exploring.

love,
nikki

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Photos

houses 7 miles from downtown Kathmandu
quite a difference in these homes and the homes in poorer areas