A very dear friend of mine, a talented tattoo artist Kerem, was talking about the full sun eclipse which will be seen very good from Nepal in 2009, while he was working on my tattoo. I was thinking about working as a volunteer and going through every possible web site starting from Africa all the way to South America. So one day I put the words Nepal, Volunteer Work in google and after checking the first page I got to the second page. Somehow I always found what I was looking for in the second pages. A local organization called "Face Nepal" stroke me. The web page was very simple and modest. Prices were too. I filled out an application and emailed it. In a couple days there was an answer. I could decide the date I would go and the time I wanted to stay. This email came to me at a time of my life that, there was no way I wouldn't go. At a time I had to get away, put everything my husband, my house, my life, my concerns behind me for a while. I am glad I realized this. From the moment I told FaceNepal I was coming on 12th May I knew I was doing the right thing. I never doubted it. I am happy I didn't.
I got my ticket with my miles so I had to fly over Delhi where I had a 9 hour lay over. It would be a much better choice to fly over Qatar or Dubail but well it was my first time.
At New Delhi airport, about 4 hours after I was already feeling sick I finally got on the AirIndia flight to Kathmandu. The moment I got on the plane my nostrils were filled with a smell of garlic, turmeric and cori which for a second made me want to give up all the smelling ability I had for the rest of my life. But right after the plane took off watching India from the air made me forget it all. I still didn't feel like eating but the stewardess was concerned so insisted I ate something, well I asked for rice. Big mistake! Among everything I could ask for I chose rice. You will find out why...
When we were near Kathmandu I became breathless for a moment. We weren't even descending yet but the wings could almost touch the mountain tops. We were on the roof of the world afterall. I was looking at 1o of the highest 15 mountains in the world. The breathtaking view took away all the flight fear I ever had...
When I got off the plane I was anxious somehow. I had no idea if anybody was picking me up really. Yes we emailed eachother but I had no idea of this organisaiton and it could even be a prank or something worse could happen. Well I thought life... Visa, passport, luggage, money exchange and I was out of the door. I saw 3 people waiting for me with cardboard wiht my name on it. This is the first time I had my name on a cardboard like this! We met, Shreeram the managing director of the organization, Bhim who was responsibile for the education and the hotel resepsionist where we would stay. We went to Kathmandu city center Thamel, to the Mt. Annapurna Guest House. Kathmandu is a small city but very crowded and crazy. Very small streets full of ricksaws (bikes with drivers), pedestrians, motorcycles, cars, taxis (all suzuki marutti), trafic is on the other side for me and they keep honking the horns constantly and no one cares for the others in traffic.... Streets are filthy full of garbage, the air is dirty and it is very noisy yet there is a kind of peace and careless energy among this craziness. Maybe it is because you know you are in Kathmandu, on the top of the world, on the hippi trail, among temples, insence smells, buffolaoes and gods....
13th May 2008
I got my ticket with my miles so I had to fly over Delhi where I had a 9 hour lay over. It would be a much better choice to fly over Qatar or Dubail but well it was my first time.
At New Delhi airport, about 4 hours after I was already feeling sick I finally got on the AirIndia flight to Kathmandu. The moment I got on the plane my nostrils were filled with a smell of garlic, turmeric and cori which for a second made me want to give up all the smelling ability I had for the rest of my life. But right after the plane took off watching India from the air made me forget it all. I still didn't feel like eating but the stewardess was concerned so insisted I ate something, well I asked for rice. Big mistake! Among everything I could ask for I chose rice. You will find out why...
When we were near Kathmandu I became breathless for a moment. We weren't even descending yet but the wings could almost touch the mountain tops. We were on the roof of the world afterall. I was looking at 1o of the highest 15 mountains in the world. The breathtaking view took away all the flight fear I ever had...
When I got off the plane I was anxious somehow. I had no idea if anybody was picking me up really. Yes we emailed eachother but I had no idea of this organisaiton and it could even be a prank or something worse could happen. Well I thought life... Visa, passport, luggage, money exchange and I was out of the door. I saw 3 people waiting for me with cardboard wiht my name on it. This is the first time I had my name on a cardboard like this! We met, Shreeram the managing director of the organization, Bhim who was responsibile for the education and the hotel resepsionist where we would stay. We went to Kathmandu city center Thamel, to the Mt. Annapurna Guest House. Kathmandu is a small city but very crowded and crazy. Very small streets full of ricksaws (bikes with drivers), pedestrians, motorcycles, cars, taxis (all suzuki marutti), trafic is on the other side for me and they keep honking the horns constantly and no one cares for the others in traffic.... Streets are filthy full of garbage, the air is dirty and it is very noisy yet there is a kind of peace and careless energy among this craziness. Maybe it is because you know you are in Kathmandu, on the top of the world, on the hippi trail, among temples, insence smells, buffolaoes and gods....
13th May 2008
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