Friday, October 15, 2010

After Bhaktapur (which I still haven’t told you about)

We drove to Nagarkot, a small village situated 2,195 meters above sea level, giving astonishing views of the Himalayas and Everest. The drive was gorgeous, the air fresh and cool, and it reminded me of New Zealand with the steep winding roads and greenery everywhere. Until we came across the buses -

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Not so kiwi.

And then it started to rain. And while Nagarkot was amazingly high, the clouds had settled in for the evening, and then the morning. So we didn’t get to see the Himalayas, (the photo above is from google) but when I got back to Bungamati, I discovered I can see them from the orphanage! How awesome is that?

We did drink a bottle of wine though! And then found out it cost $50!! For Linderman’s!! THAT’S THE MOST EXPENSIVE BOTTLE I’VE EVER BOUGHT, and it was fine. Because we were happy, and it made for great conversation. Religion and politics has come up a lot here in Nepal, almost every conversation I’ve had. Either that or food. But I will write about that another time!

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I got extremely sunburnt this day.

In the morning we walked down the hillside through the village area, past the farm houses freshly mudded up for the festival. Red mud from the hillside is carried for a few miles to the house then plastered on the house to create the striking colour. There were chickens, goats, ducks, dogs, cows and children everywhere. We saw the rice wine/whiskey being made, people cleaning up in preparation for the festival,  and the poverty that accompanies some of the people in Nepal. 4 or 5 people living in tiny one room shacks, sharing with the animals, subsistence.

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The people there are mainly from the lowest caste, and have to work the land very hard to make a living. They sell their vegetables to the hotels at Nagarkot and some are taken into Kathmandu.

1 comment:

  1. Hey beautiful girl,
    Bodhnath Stupa looks pretty mindblowing! All of these places seem so much more vivid to me knowing that it's you trekking through it all. Basically you have mad blogging skillzz. Am back in Gis for a few study days. I don't think I've ever been more grateful for fruit, quiet and shorts and teeshirt weather! Eee. Thinking of you. Stoked that your Mama's there too.
    Ab

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