Mashed potato, the island temple, and Bandipur

Well, it's time for another update.
We had our Nepali friends over to prepare typical Western food .... it was actually quite difficult to find all the ingredients to make a tuna melt sandwich and mashed potatoes. We gave up on a more glamorous desert, instead locating over-priced chocolate chip and oreo cookies/biscuits. The cost to prepare this 'feast' was actually more (way more) than if we had just taken them to a nice tourist restaurant for a pizza and a cold coke ... but oh well. One of the complications is (as in all Nepal) there is only periodic power - sometimes we have if for most of the day, and at other times for just a few hours. It pretty predicably goes off at around 8pm each night. Therefore, there is no refridgeration in our apartment. Bigger places and some stores/restaurants have a generatoR (and we have one at the clinic that we have got quite adapt at hooking up when there are paying tourists!), but you have to be careful ... so no fresh cheese, butter or ice cream or the like while we are here. Anyway the meal was (we think) a success. They seemed to particularly like the Cadbury's hot chocolate we had managed to discover!!!

Since then, we have been busy at the clinic with training and helping the running. The local manager has been out due to a family emergency, so we have also been managing the books and the cash. Bit of an adding error certainly added to the stress! But the mistake was discovered (phew). The students complete their big test for ending a complete unit tomorrow. This is important to them as it is linked to their continued scholarship for the training. We have also been doing some additional tuition with one of the students, practising English skills and helping the organizational parts too. The clinic has been quite busy, with the three qualified therapists getting quite booked up. So all is going well.

Other news ... one evening we hired a row boat to take us to the Varahi Mandir temple, which is on an island in the lake - dedicated to Vishnu in a boar incarnation. We ran into Yudon the Tibetan refugee (she recognized us!) and chatted for a while. The temple trip was quite fun except for the drunk Western tourists who thought it was all a bit of a laugh and kept shouting 'ommmmm' to the worshippers.

Actually working alongside the Nepali people, it is quite amazing how ignorant, rude and stupid some Western tourists are - I have been shocked sometimes but held my tongue (itself quite shocking, I know) as we don't want any negative image for the clinic. The therapists just shrug it off with a smile, and seem to be surprised we would think it would be any different ... is that sad or wise? You decide. But we have also met some very sweet and caring tourists who seem to be doing what they can to help too, bringing in other tourists, passing on marketing leaflets and writing to Lonely Planet to tell them about us. Evan and one of the therapist spoke at length to a free lance journalist who is writing a piece for a Canadian publication ... and Evan may also be on Nepali radio later this week too ... we'll see!!!

Today, (our weekly day off) we hired a car to visit the ancient town of Bandipur - it is quite time consuming to get there by public transport, and would take 2-3 days to be able to visit. So we haggled and bargained and got a car to take us the 2 1/2 hours there to visit - it was great! The town is up in the mountains, and no cars/vehicles are allowed inside the town. The buildings are all old Newari style that are very old but are being restored and protected with the proceeds from the light stream of tourists that actually make it there. We were able to take one of the therapists with us and had a great time exploring and describing it to him. He seemd to enjoy feeling the intricate wooden carvings and visiting the different temples we saw, including one that houses a 16th century sacred sword brought out once a year to sacrifice some sheep. There were some ominous lookiing chicken feathers stuck to the doorway at the entrance to the temple ...

After being quite adventurous with sampling bits and pieces from local stalls (had a little bit of water buffalo today to try for example) we had decided to now exericse a little more caution over the next week ... (enough said!). One of the great things about being here is that we are getting to know the local people well, and now seem to spend time each day talking and laughing with the local waiters and money changer and shop keepers. A really rewarding and enriching experience.

Anyway, enough for now. Always more to tell. Bag shopping in the local bazaar (Ev got a Disel knock off for about $5); trying local dishes; birdwatching in the park; contacting local orphanages and charities (should be visiting one or two orphanges later this week - hope to use some of the donation money from friends and family there) and of course the news of Evan going national!!! Next Time!!

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"Nothing is exciting if you know what the outcome is going to be." (Joseph Campbell)