Nepal and India

Hello.  Here it is, my first blog.  I thought there would be no better place to start than discussing my most significant experience this summer: my trip to India and Nepal.  I'll try and give you the highlights, introduce you to some of my favorite children at the orphanage, and tell you a little about what I learned along the way.

So let's begin...

I left on May 10th, 2011, about 12 hours after I finished my last final, Administrative Law.  I hardly had time to think about the fact that I would be leaving for such an exciting adventure with five finals standing between me and my trip.  Finally, it was May 10th!  Was I ready for this?  Probably yes, but probably no in the sense that I was positive I left something important.  Anyways, I left Cincinnati, OH at around 1-ish, heading to Chicago to meet up with Eric (my travel partner/boyfriend/overall fun person).  We would hop a flight to New Delhi, spend a few days traveling in the area, and then head on to Kathmandu, Nepal. 

We stayed in New Delhi for two nights.  The first day was spent traveling to Agra, India to visit one of the seven wonders of the world, The Taj Mahal.  This might be one of the most incredible things I have ever had the pleasure to see.  After a five hour trip to Agra, we proceeding to walk around the Taj in 110 degree heat with our awesome tour guide.  Eric and I were able to ask every random question we had about the Taj; it was pretty fabulous since we are both somewhat annoyingly curious about things.  The next day we traveled around New Delhi.  We ate fabulous foods, took a rickshaw ride through Delhi, and visited the Gandhi memorial.  Overall, it was very brief, but we felt as though we hit all the important sites.  We were ready to move on to Nepal and start the next leg of the journey, working in the orphanage. 

Finally, we arrived in Kathmandu.  We were picked up from the airport and taken directly to our hostel.  We would stay in the hostel for about two days before heading outside the Ringroad to the orphanage.  Here is a picture from the roof of the hostel.  It was beautiful to be inside the Kathmandu Valley.

We went to the orphanage on Sunday.  I cannot begin to describe to you the feeling of driving along the bumpy, pot-holed road.  I was so nervous!  Would these kids like me?  Would I be fun to hang out with for two weeks?  What was the living situation going to be like, we were out in the middle-of-nowhere Nepal for goodness sake.  As we rounded the corner, I saw a group of children playing in the field.  When they saw the approaching car, all movement stopped.  They stared.  Then, they shot forward, dropping soccer balls, picked flowers, and raced alongside the car, waving and smiling.  I just started laughing, what a welcome! If you ever want to feel like the coolest person in the world, choose to volunteer with 18 little Nepalese children.  They think you are a rock star, and immediately love you unconditionally.  Needless to say, all my fears completely vanished.  As soon as we left the car, Eric and I were covered in homemade flower necklaces and bracelets.  We were given kisses on both cheeks, and our hands were being held by at least five other tiny hands.  As flower petals were being thrown in the air, I heard their sweet voices welcoming the new "brother" and "sister" to their home.  Again, total rock star treatment. 

Here is the setup.  The kids go to school at around 8-ish in the morning and don't return until around 5 in the late afternoon.  During the day, Eric and I would travel to Thamel which is the tourist center of Kathmandu.  We would go there to eat at least one good meal and use a nice toilet.  It's the little things you appreciate when you are living with 18 Nepalese orphans (i.e. a somewhat quiet meal and running water).  While at the orphanage, we traveled to Patan and visited its Durbar Square, climbed the 365-ish staircase to Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple), rested and read in the Garden of Dreams, and experienced Boudhanath on Buddha's birthday.  We were able to see a lot of the area as we volunteered. 

Every night, we would make it back to the orphanage in time for the children to return.  They would race home, anxious to play soccer, color, and play.  We spent two weeks with these little munchkins.  I really connected with a little boy named Dunraj.  He was about eleven years old.  He and his brother Lalit lived in the orphanage.  Dunraj and I spent a lot of time together.  We played soccer, went on walks, and one night he even fell asleep in my lap after homework time.  I fell in love with him.  On the last day, it was miserable to say goodbye to him.  He was crying and would hardly come to me.  It was very heartbreaking to leave him behind.  I constantly think about him now.  I pray that he grows up to be an amazing young man, and is able to accomplish his dreams.  Below is a picture of us together after morning prayer before school.  Isn't he such a cutie?  Again, so in love!

  



Here are some of the other kids at the orphanage.  They are wonderful.  Enjoy!

These children are amazing.  They have so many needs, most of which just involves love and attention.  I hope to one day return to them, to see them again, to hold them again, and to see how much they have grown up.  They changed my life, and I hope that by being with them for even a short time changed them too.  I miss my little loves in Nepal. 

After leaving the orphanage, we went to the Pokara which is about a six hour bus ride outside of Kathmandu.  It sits at the base of the Himalayan Mountains.  We kayaked, read books, woke up at 4 a.m. to watch a sunrise, and visited a Tibet monastery.  It was nice to relax and have no agenda for a few days.  We returned to Kathmandu with only two days remaining on our adventure.  We decided to end with a bang.  We signed up to visit The Last Resort, an adventure resort about two hours outside of Kathmandu where one could bungee jump, canyon swing, complete a high ropes course, or repel down a waterfall.  Seeing as I am deathly afraid of heights, I opted for canyoning (repelling down waterfalls) and gave Eric my blessing to canyon swing (he did it two times, he's insane!).  Below: picture of lake in Pokara, bungee bridge I could hardly cross, canyoning down a waterfall, and the accommodations at the Last Resort. 



Overall, this was a life-changing trip.  I learned a lot about myself as I traveled and experienced all kinds of new things.  I feel as though this only is the tip of the iceberg of all that I experienced, but it is definitely the highlights.  Until next time.