In Kathmandu, Nepal

Here I am in Nepal, finally. I got here yesterday after a short 3 hour flight from Bangkok (I LOVE THAILAND!). I've landed in uber-beautiful chaos. It is unbelivably crowded with people, bikes, motorcycles, cars, tricycles...all going in all directions all the time. And on the opposite side of what I'm used to. Walking around, you have to watch yourself and where you step - open manholes, garbage, shit, cows, goats, dogs, cats, babies, beggars, and people selling you things you never knew you needed...who knew Tiger Balm is so useful?

So I live now at what is called Basecamp - Volunteer Abroad's house in Kathmandu. It is basically a well put together rooming house for the volunteers. Right now there are three from Canada, including myself, all who started with me, and will be placed in different locations here in Kathmandu. The white house is 5 stories tall, each floor has a bathroom and three boarding rooms, a kitchen on one floor, three indoor seating areas, an outdoor rooftop patio (which gets the sun almost all day! yeah! picture to the left), and of course, a computer area with internet. Very important to feel connected. We have a cook here, a cleaning lady, an IT guy, and three volunteers who live here sometimes, who are our guides. They are just absolutely wonderful and we all have quickly become family.

Today was orientation day one, which was a leisurely start - DC, our cook, made us a very tasty breakfast - porridge, bananas, cooked apples, toast and chai tea. Wow, all served to us in the sun on the rooftop patio. Then we began with learning about the house rules (including very specific toilet instructions), culture shock, a tour of Thamel, the tourist area only 15 minutes walk away. And explicit instructions on how to find our way there and home. Did I say that there are no addresses here? So it is "at the Carlsberg sign, turn right, then at the brick wall go through it, then .....finally, turn at the garbage pile cow area, find your way to the green cement walled bar (not the first one, the second one), then a hard right and straight down the road...." very tricky! And that is only a fraction of the directions from Thamel home. We had a test, too, to find our way back - passed! It may feel different when dark, and that is a whole other set of instructions.

We then shopped our way home, there is So Much To Buy! But, yet, restraint, as I have three months to go, and little room in my packsack.

That is all for now....have to share the internet with my other family members!