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.

Juli's wedding

The Garambesi Wedding Band. Sometimes the ends of the horns were turned the other way so they became a giant C. Some of you will recognise the school teacher framed between the two horns.

After they were officially married they tied this greenery around each others neck. You will notice that even then their eyes don't meet!

The two young cousins doing their dance. Juli and her husband are sitting closer together than at the start of the ceremony.

And outside ready to greet guests.

The wedding breakfast outside the church.

This is the bridal car ready to take Juli, her husband and the Garambesi folk back up the valley.