HI everyone,

This is the start of a new adventure. Seems hard to believe that in exactly one weeks time we and all this stuff will be  between KL and Kathmandu.
Hopefully I have linked this blog in with my timeline on Facebook so you will get alerts.

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These first few pictures are of Ken's latest trip to Garambesi and the Sahodar meeting. This is the official sign being carried in on Chanman's back. Ken was quite pleased as he had left his umbrella behind so was able to use Chanman's!

Above is Chanman and the lady who originally employed the family. She and Ken were given the honour of unveiling the official sign which is now hanging outside the church. It is a copy of the one that is in the Pokhara office.

This is part of the group who attended the meeting and Tuk translating for Ken when he spoke.

These were rice paddies we saw fairly early in the journey. We didn't realise but they have several rice crops in a year, so although they were busy planting in some fields, they were harvesting in others. The buffalo we saw this time had a basket tied over their noses to stop them eating all the profits. We also saw rice lying along the side of the road. We thought that they were drying it there  because the ground is fairly damp underfoot, but Sue explained that they do this so the car wheels will thresh the rice!  I'll be making sure ours is doubly washed from now on!

This is one of the worst parts of the road. Pure mud and for a very short section one lane only as they work to complete a new bridge. We watched the motor bike slip and slide as it went through ahead of us. We had a fabulous view - front seats on the left hand side. There were places going up the final hill into Kathmandu which were nearly as bad.

This buffalo team is working in muddy water- we wondered how they don't get hoof problems.

There was an unusually large number of people crossing the muddy waters beneath.

Whenever we were awake we noticed people everywhere busy with the rice. Turns out we had chosen to travel on a national rice planting festival day.

Corn planted in the paddies.

These are two pictures of the final hill into Kathmandu. You should be able to make out the route zigzagging across the hill in the top picture.  At that point it flattens a little as it reaches the top.

Around Pokhara

This was some hot tar sealing that we came across on our walk to the Mountain Museum. All the 40 gall drums were belching black smoke and later in the day when we returned from Lakeside by taxi, we could see the smoke in the distance. At least there was some kind of mechanical mode to transport the hot tar. They usually just boil the stuff in the drums and spread it all by hand. The guys doing the sweeping and raking had tools with long handles too- another first.

These are all shots of the International Mountain Museum. We did a recce there one Sunday, and last Thursday I took the class for a picnic there.  This is the main path from the parking ground to the cafe, or should I say Clayton's cafe- we had trouble even buying a bottle of water.

A model of Mt Manaslu- which has a top that looks suspiciously like Fishtail. There is a path up that the kids all climbed. In the foreground is a yak.

The museum itself. We went through in August. It has got lots of Hillary memorabilia and information and some great models of the mountains. Probably should go back and have another look at them now we have been amongst them.

We did not pay to go into the museum with the children (quite expensive) so I directed activities from the lovely shade of this gazebo, while the parents walked around and did treasure hunts etc with them! It was an absolute scorcher of a day too.

A memorial to all those who have lost their lives climbing in the Himalayas.

Bits and Pieces

This was sunrise on the birthday morning. It was only the second time this month we have had any view of the mountains (the other day being our wedding anniversary). I woke well before 5 and realised it was going to be clear so we went up on the roof and stayed for ages enjoying it. The top picture is Maccapucchre and Annapurna III and the bottom is at the far eastern end of the Annapurna Himal. It is Lamjung Himal and is the one that is, more or less, directly behind Garambesi.

These are pictures from the opening of the Sahodar Office in Pokhara. It is in Tuk's empty house. You will be able to recognise both Chanman and Shrison in the bottom photo.

This is the view from the deck at Happy Home. We understand the henhouse was built by Jono and the team when they came over.  Usually in the distance there is a complete arc of the Annapurna Himal, but too cloudy on this occasion. The buildings in the distance (two brown houses) are part of the Green Pastures Complex. The blue one beyond, partially hidden by trees, is the main INF office in Naya Gaun.  To the right of that and hidden by trees even further back is the school.

This was a special meeting at Happy Home that Ken was invited to. We understood it to be a farewell for Year 12 children.

These are two pictures from our Mustang walk.  The outfit was not for effect- very necessary for being out in the howling wind.

This was a local woman. We stopped at her place for lunch on the climb up and enjoyed the fare so much that we returned the following day on our way down. I saw a woman in the lane yesterday busy sweeping with her baby in the same position and another mother who had reached home with her school age daughter untying the bundle and dropping her off.  We have also seen a few western style baby carriers too. On Wednesday when we were out in the school bus I noticed a male (unusually) with a baby fast asleep in a front carrier. I looked closer and realised the man was blind, as where his two companions. They were all standing holding each other at the edge of a busy road, so hope they were not going to try to cross it.

Naudanda

At Naudana. Ken and Dinesh waiting for Shree.

Not long until he came up from his house to lead us down.

Looking down to where we had the school picnic.

This is where our meal was cooked. There were tree branches stacked at the end of the verandah outside ready for the fire.

Someone was glad that bideshi are fussy eaters.

These are the buffalo that provided the yoghurt and milk. Taste was different from cow's milk but quite pleasant.

A  view from further up the road. Hope you can see Lakeside at the top end of Fewa Tal.

This was the view on the opposite side of the road as we walked back to catch the bus. You should be able to pick out buildings at Dhampus on the skyline. We stayed in Dhampus the last night of our ABC trek.

As we walked past a row of houses on the way home we saw a woman cleaning fish, no bigger than sardines, a man knotting a fishing net and this woman spinning. Much harder than our way. She turns the handle with one hand and holds the wool with the other. She was producing fine, even wool.

Around Pokhara in May

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Some views of the school I am working in on Wednesday afternoons.

Getting Cinderella ready for the ball. I did go out before this to buy some jilly milly shoes to complete the outfit.