It is our 5th night in Nepal, and we have hardly stopped. The in country management team have lead us through a series of briefings at the Au Embassy and the volunteer management office. We have meet so many people that our heads are spinning! The level of help we are receiving is brilliant.
We have also had our first 2 Nepali classes; really tough going for me.
We have also had our first 2 Nepali classes; really tough going for me.
The big difference we note between our 2015 visit (just before the earthquake) and now is the dust. The face masks we received in Melbourne are receiving a solid workout. Fortunately our comprehensive medical kits have not been opened as yet.
Yesterday we visited Patan city centre (Kathmandu's southern twin; now a suburb) and it was disappointing to see the destruction of World Heritage buildings (above) but encouraging to see restoration has commenced.
The iconic Boudha Stupa that was completely destroyed in 2015 has been rebuilt and reopened this month (February 2017).
The area around it is again a thriving tourist area with a strong Tibetan presence in shops and a temple.
We spent a few hours out learning how to use public transport in Kathmandu! First up was a Tempo; an over grown tuk tuk!
Although we only had 5 down our side against the standard 6. This does not please drivers as they get paid Rs 15 (about 20c AUD). The roof line is so low that it is hard to see out, and you are constantly in danger of the banging your head on the metal roof.
Time for lunch at Cafe Soma.
Changing a tyre the old fashioned way! A long time since I have seen this process.
