Monday, December 30, 2013

Nepal adventure Part I: Nuwakot

Ended my last trip for this year :)
This time round to Nepal with my fun-loving colleagues!

I love all my photos so much I dunno how to eliminate them! Heehee.
Shall split the travelogue into 2 parts!
Arrived in Kathmandu and I am in love with the weather!
(Note: I didn't say I love the place YET!)

Let me tell you why. Okay so the 8 of us arrived after a loooooong check out at the airport.
And some guys came and "snatched" our luggage away to be placed on our bus.
To be fair, we know they didn't do that out of good will.
It's part of their livelihood but we were so tired and excited that we just let them do what they wanted.
But still, we really feel like 菜头 ok?

"Tip, tip, tip!" 
And they gave a really unhappy look when my friend gave him US$4.
$4 very little meh??? It's like less than 5 meter walk from our bus lo!

And so we traveled onto the main road.
The road were so dusty, all the trees were brown.

Shopping.

The kind of roadside stores that we see..

Spilling buses. And many of them just spit on the road randomly.
We were quite taken aback though we were being separated by our glass window.

Checked in and got led to a restaurant by our local tour guide.
Haha I was quite skeptical about him because he looks a little cunning, don't you think?

No price for guessing who's our happy pill this trip!
And my constipated face :(
Cos I was having really bad gastric ever since my BKK trip.
Plus the food we had doesn't help! :(( ROARRRRRR

Haha I was so upset I didn't even bother to take a proper picture. Mamamia~~~

Day 2 - 4 : Trekking, community service at Nuwakot

So we began early the next morning for our trek.
And here's where I began to love Nepal!

After around 4 hours drive..

From this..


To this..


The first Nepalese house we saw when we stop for toilet break. 




I don't know how to put into words but everything looks beautiful every time you step into a place like this.
Be it Sri Lanka, Nepal, Cambodia, there's always this tranquility you never seemed to get back home. 
Time doesn't seemed to bother anymore and I love how I can stop and admire how beauty and simplicity of life.

Overcrowded bus again!



The happy trekkers!


If only our kids can treasure what they have in school..



Before our shoes get really dusty..


Yo bro!

Many of the roofs were just secured by a few pieces of rocks.



We walked hours to reach the bridge that leads to our village. 

Look at the magnificent view!
Need a picture from bird-eye view!



The bridge becomes a link between the villages and a chill out place for the villagers.
But errr... isn't it a little dangerous there?

And finally! Another hour's drive to our home stay!
Look pretty good eh?


The view from our house. #serenity

Sneak peek into our kitchen

And the reason we had to rush back home was because we had to do a visit to the school where we were doing our CIP.

And we were quite lucky the school was celebrating their school anniversary that day (apparently it's quite a big deal cos they appeared on teevee!)
And we became their VIP hahaha!


The next day on our way to school.


And this is what we have been busying in school!



It was a short 3 days with them but we had so much fun together.
Painting, interaction, playing games together.
. I recalled a reflection we did years ago, "who is going to provide the same amount of care and attention for these children when we are gone? Don't give them things you will not be able to provide when you leave."
It's kinda sad, don't you think? But it made so much sense. At least I hope the kids had a little fun with us in that short get together :)

The reason why I love children so much. Their smiles are always so genuine :)


No reason for guessing who my favourite boy is! Hahaha



A very talented kiddo who sings damn well!

So glad these mute children are very taken care of in school :)


A man that I came to respect very much in the trip.
He's the ex principal of the school who was so hospitable and welcome us around the school. He no longer runs the school but is into home stay and resort business with his ex pupils.

I was quite skeptical at first but when I saw how he puts the children first in everything that he does, personally spent the whole day plucking out weeds in school till he's perspiring in the cold weather, teaching the children what to do in school because he feels that he should set a good example for the rest of them. Just when I feel a little inadequate in school, he showed us how he appreciate our presence because it sets a role model to his pupils that if foreigners are willing to come to your home ground to help you, there is no reason why you do not help yourselves.

A reminder to myself when I get back to work!


And finally back to our home to bid goodbye because we are heading back to Kathmandu!

Our hospitable guests :)

Our bedroom. Haha looks cosy rite?
But no one knows we were freezing all night in the room!
Thank god for the HTHT every night and cup noodle that tide us through the long nights :)


Just to show how misty it is in the morning. 
Brushing teeth with mist surrounding you and goats hovering around you!

The bus just get more and more crowded!

And before we left, we received a little blessing from our host.
We had tika placed on our head. It is a mixture of abir, red powder, yoghurt and rice that I believed was to bless us with a safe journey for our trip.

Though I was laughed at for the extra big dot on my head, I thanked them for the warmest hospitality one could receive. And indeed it was the favourite part of my Nepal adventure!
Thank you Nuwakot! :)

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