After a long journey, including a layover in Hong Kong that gave us enough time to take in some scenery and street life, we have arrived in Kathmandu. It was great to be greeted at the airport by our friends from Action Atonomie Nepal.
Our first day was spent meeting and organizing with our hosts, touring Thamel, the area of Kathmandu where we are staying for the first few days, and visiting Durbar Square, the heart of Kathmandu. Durbar square includes an ancient temple constructed from a single tree.
It is striking how much construction has happened in the two years since we were here. New roads and refurbished temples seem to celebrate Nepal’s 2011 year of tourism.
Today Cecile Pelous spoke with the students about her work. Cecile has a 25 year history of working to improve the lives of children in India and Nepal and is a founder of our host agency, Action Atonomie Nepal.
The afternoon was spent at Patan Museum, Pashupatinath temple – one of the holiest temples of the world where both Buddhists and Hindus worship and we ended the day with a visit to a Bhuddhist temple.
Tomorrow is a day for packing and moving and getting settled into housing for the remainder of the trip. Students will be moving into a house located in the suburbs of Kathmandu, in a neighbourhood full of family homes, small shops and gardens.
We’ve been enjoying great food, temperate weather, and are looking forward to the rest of our trip.
Patti and Robin
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