Nepal- Week One
Kathmandu, Nepal
November 13, 2017 to January 9, 2018
I am in Nepal for 8 weeks, teaching for the World Academy for the Future of Women. I will be teaching college women how to be global leaders with the focus on the UN Sustainable Goals. I am going to travel a little bit during this time. This should be an enjoyable 8 weeks.
Monday, November 13- I leave today and I am filled with anxiety. I have too much stuff. My luggage has to weigh over 50 pounds and I am going to have to pay a penalty and that will throw me off, piss me off, set my trip off on the wrong note. I am going to stay at a hotel near the airport tonight so that I don't have to fight rush hour traffic tomorrow for my morning flight.
Tuesday, November 14- Not only do I get a seat by the window and I get all three seats in my aisle. I guess not a lot of people want to go to Qatar today. The food is good. I didn't get much sleep but I did get to level 11 on Bejeweled. I crossed the International Date Line.
Wednesday, November 15- I arrived in Kathmandu around 4 in the afternoon. I am met by Nirmala and Jebin, each in different cars. So one woman takes one suitcase each and off we go. I don't know either of these women so I hope my instincts are right and these two won't steal my things.
I meet Laura, the woman I am replacing. Nirmala, Jebin, Laura and I go out to dinner and on the way home, we have a slight fender-bender. Jebin's car is scratched and an hour discussion at the police station pursues. Jebin won the debate and she leaves with the equivalent of $20 as restitution for damages done.
By this time, I have been up for over 30 hours and I am done. I am shaking with fatigue. I crash in to bed and wake up 10 hours later.
Thursday, November 16- the day is spent trying to catch on to where we are in this program. Laura gives me a tour of the kitchen, the bathroom, the WIFI and electrical system. We walk up to town to the local grocery store and she gives me the low down on foods that she has tried.
In the afternoon, Nirmala helps me make arrangements to go to Chitwan National Park. I had wanted to go here 20 years ago but I couldn't make it happen. So I was determined to go on this trip. Nirmala also suggests that I go to Polhara. I agree to the idea even though I am not sure where I am going but Nirmala, Laura, and the travel agent all think it's a good idea so now I will be gone for a week rather than just 4 days.
Friday, November 17- A taxi comes to get me and take me in to Thamel in Kathmandu. I have been here before but I don't remember much of it. I check in to the Ambassador Garden Hotel and then quickly hit the streets. I am on a mission to find a massage. Within five minutes I find a place that gives me a facial and a lower back massage. The woman asks, "Are you comfortable with a man?" I tell that is fine with me. A handsome, young man comes in and proceeds to give me an hour butt massage. The receptionist must have thought I was an old cougar.
Saturday, November 18- I catch a 6:30 AM bus to Chitwan. The ride is 7 hours and most of it is bumper to bumper through winding mountain roads. We stop every two hours for a break at roadside restaurants. The restrooms are dirty. The food is mostly junk food and the roads are dusty. So I mostly stay in the bus on these breaks.
As I am five hours in to the trip, it dawns on me that I have not secured all the information I may need soon. Specifically, when do I get off the bus? Which stop is mine? I try at get answers from the bus attendant but to no avail. I decide to stay on the bus until the other white people get off. While we may not have spoken the same language, I am sure we are all tourists going to Chitwan.
I take the bus to the end of the line and there is a man with a jeep waiting for me. He takes me to the Chitwan Camp and Lodge where i find lunch and a beer and i am one happy bitch.
In the evening, we head off to a sunset on the river and a tribal dance performance. My guide walked me to the event and told me how to get back to the lodge, "I have seen this so many times, is that OK madame?"
Sunday, November 19- We start the day with an early morning cruise down the river. The moment is lovely but I am focused on the fact that this wooden canoe is paper thin and we are all ramped in together and I am never going to be able to get up without causing some sort of awkward scene. My knees are going to be locked in place and in agony.
We see alligators and kingfishers and swallows and herons and so many other birds I have never seen before. They are all beautiful.
I survive the ride and we go off to the elephant training camp. It's hard to watch the elephants chained up as part of their training. But it's easy to pass judgment when you don't have to use elephants to enhance your livelihood.
We head back to the river and watch how the elephants are bathed in the river. Rocks are used as an exfoliatent and every inch of these massive bodies are scrubbed.
The highlight of the day was in the afternoon. We took a jeep ride in to the bush and only traveled a few minutes when a Bengali tiger strolled right out in front of us. I couldn't believe!!! Everyone told us we wouldn't see a tiger and there was one right in front of us. He walked ahead of us but stopped and turned his massive head and looked at us. He moved on a few more feet and we followed him ever so slowly. He stopped again and so did we and he looked at us again and we held our breath. He moved on again and we followed him again. He stopped again and looked one last time and charged off in to the deep brush. It was thrilling.
Kathmandu, Nepal
November 13, 2017 to January 9, 2018
I am in Nepal for 8 weeks, teaching for the World Academy for the Future of Women. I will be teaching college women how to be global leaders with the focus on the UN Sustainable Goals. I am going to travel a little bit during this time. This should be an enjoyable 8 weeks.
Monday, November 13- I leave today and I am filled with anxiety. I have too much stuff. My luggage has to weigh over 50 pounds and I am going to have to pay a penalty and that will throw me off, piss me off, set my trip off on the wrong note. I am going to stay at a hotel near the airport tonight so that I don't have to fight rush hour traffic tomorrow for my morning flight.
Tuesday, November 14- Not only do I get a seat by the window and I get all three seats in my aisle. I guess not a lot of people want to go to Qatar today. The food is good. I didn't get much sleep but I did get to level 11 on Bejeweled. I crossed the International Date Line.
Wednesday, November 15- I arrived in Kathmandu around 4 in the afternoon. I am met by Nirmala and Jebin, each in different cars. So one woman takes one suitcase each and off we go. I don't know either of these women so I hope my instincts are right and these two won't steal my things.
I meet Laura, the woman I am replacing. Nirmala, Jebin, Laura and I go out to dinner and on the way home, we have a slight fender-bender. Jebin's car is scratched and an hour discussion at the police station pursues. Jebin won the debate and she leaves with the equivalent of $20 as restitution for damages done.
By this time, I have been up for over 30 hours and I am done. I am shaking with fatigue. I crash in to bed and wake up 10 hours later.
Thursday, November 16- the day is spent trying to catch on to where we are in this program. Laura gives me a tour of the kitchen, the bathroom, the WIFI and electrical system. We walk up to town to the local grocery store and she gives me the low down on foods that she has tried.
In the afternoon, Nirmala helps me make arrangements to go to Chitwan National Park. I had wanted to go here 20 years ago but I couldn't make it happen. So I was determined to go on this trip. Nirmala also suggests that I go to Polhara. I agree to the idea even though I am not sure where I am going but Nirmala, Laura, and the travel agent all think it's a good idea so now I will be gone for a week rather than just 4 days.
Friday, November 17- A taxi comes to get me and take me in to Thamel in Kathmandu. I have been here before but I don't remember much of it. I check in to the Ambassador Garden Hotel and then quickly hit the streets. I am on a mission to find a massage. Within five minutes I find a place that gives me a facial and a lower back massage. The woman asks, "Are you comfortable with a man?" I tell that is fine with me. A handsome, young man comes in and proceeds to give me an hour butt massage. The receptionist must have thought I was an old cougar.
Saturday, November 18- I catch a 6:30 AM bus to Chitwan. The ride is 7 hours and most of it is bumper to bumper through winding mountain roads. We stop every two hours for a break at roadside restaurants. The restrooms are dirty. The food is mostly junk food and the roads are dusty. So I mostly stay in the bus on these breaks.
As I am five hours in to the trip, it dawns on me that I have not secured all the information I may need soon. Specifically, when do I get off the bus? Which stop is mine? I try at get answers from the bus attendant but to no avail. I decide to stay on the bus until the other white people get off. While we may not have spoken the same language, I am sure we are all tourists going to Chitwan.
I take the bus to the end of the line and there is a man with a jeep waiting for me. He takes me to the Chitwan Camp and Lodge where i find lunch and a beer and i am one happy bitch.
In the evening, we head off to a sunset on the river and a tribal dance performance. My guide walked me to the event and told me how to get back to the lodge, "I have seen this so many times, is that OK madame?"
Sunday, November 19- We start the day with an early morning cruise down the river. The moment is lovely but I am focused on the fact that this wooden canoe is paper thin and we are all ramped in together and I am never going to be able to get up without causing some sort of awkward scene. My knees are going to be locked in place and in agony.
We see alligators and kingfishers and swallows and herons and so many other birds I have never seen before. They are all beautiful.
I survive the ride and we go off to the elephant training camp. It's hard to watch the elephants chained up as part of their training. But it's easy to pass judgment when you don't have to use elephants to enhance your livelihood.
We head back to the river and watch how the elephants are bathed in the river. Rocks are used as an exfoliatent and every inch of these massive bodies are scrubbed.
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