Millie & Vikki in Nepal

Monday 13 September 2010

Right, we will cntinue with the posts about our time in the hills soon. They are quite special memories so it will take a bit of time holed up in the manky Internet cafe so bear with us.
We'll just quickly update you with what we've been up to in Kathmandu, just because we know the parents like to be in the know ;)
On Sunday we just crashed. The result of an uncomfortable overnight bus and 3 days trekking. Our only real achievement was dropping off our disgusting sweaty clothes which after 3 weeks, had developed a disgustingly inhumane smell. Pleased to report that we got it all back today and they are smelling ffffrrreeessshhh. They won't have to evacuate the plane as soon as we step on board. Caught up with the wider world. Didn't miss much really. Queen is still alive. We still live in a democracy. Andy Murray failed to win a slam.
That evening we went to "the comfort zone", a Korean style restuarany which was kind of an inside/outside loft. They had incredible frozen cocktails. And acoustic Nepalese music. It was good.
Today, after a hot(!) shower (!) in our bathroom with a sit down toilet. (this is the thing we appreciated most when we returned, and a huge breakfast, we starts our day of hardcre sightseeing. Started at monkey temple where there were so many tourists. We have been usEd to being the only westerners within 100 miles for 3 weeks, so it felt weird that people WERENT staring at us. There are far more tourists in Kathmandu than when we left, because the monsoon is now tapering out so much less rain and more sun (30 degrees!). We the headed to boudhanath, another Buddhist stupa which is one of the biggest in the world and incredibly impressive. We walked round 3 times with our incredible guide petemba, who skillfully switched from mountainguide to tourist guide in a few days. We filled up on our new favourite mono, befOre heading back to thamel for another stupa. We visited 324 in total, as there are 107 extra small stupas at each site, as 108 is an auspicious number in Buddhism.
Now utilising the free wifi at our new favourite restaurant,"or2k" where we ordered far too much food, sat on cushions on the floor and drank more cocktails. Sorry mum!
Mad shopping planned tomorow, plus trying to find somewhere to make us some clothes.
Miss you all,
Vikki (and millie, who is eating!)
XXXXXXX

1 comment:

catherine13 September 2010 at 12:03
Well done Millie and Vicky. Glad you had a good trip and thought the experience worth while.
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About Nepal in Need

Nepal In Need work high up in the Arun Valley of Eastern Nepal providing basic health care to the indigenous Rai and Sherpa people. This is an area of steeply forested valleys, rushing glacial rivers and soaring peaks. Immense beauty and enormous logistical problems.In 2008 Catherine Blaiklock and Gyaljen Sherpa funded and set up the Khenpalung Community Health Centre in the Sankhuwasabha district . This is an arduous three day walk from the nearest road. The centre is staffed by two doctors and two nurses. A further health post has now been set up in the Sherpa village of Gontala, two days higher up . Previously, there was no provision for health in the area so sick people had to be stretchered down to the district capital and this took three to four days. Many died especially children and babies. Now for the first time children are receiving innoculations, women are being treated for the many gynaecological problems and antibiotics are being prescribed for TB.

LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS There is no electricity in any of these villages - it took four men, five days to haul a generator up to our health centre: across ragged cliffs, over high passes, sometimes balancing on precarious bamboo bridges and through jungle. 52 porters carried up an x-ray machine, solar panels, drugs and equipment.

FUTURE PLANS We would like to build many more health centres in Nepal. There are thousands of villages in this area alone with no access even to an aspirin. A small health centre can be built and equipped for £5000. A barefoot doctor costs £80 per month. Most generic drugs manufactured in India cost a matter of pence and can save a life. There are schools with no books, no stationary and no pens. There are no maps or posters; the blackboards are painted on mud walls making it difficult to read the chalk lettering. A number of schools have no toilets. We have 70 houses that are 9km from a water source. Can you help us solve any of these problems?