Dinner with the sponsors and the kids who are currently in 11th and 12th grade was at Zen Bistro in Maharajganj. It was lively and full of conversation and laughter. It is so great to see them growing up! They are all in school taking classes towards their careers, working part-time and or in apprenticeships in hotel management and even barrista training. 

Our NGO partner staff work hard to make sure the kids are learning responsibility and getting out into the world to learn needed life skills. In Nepal children need to focus on their future career path in 10th grade which is early compared to American children s. The Nepal school system requires children to choose an area of study before entering 11th grade. 

Today was Contact Center day which means the youngest children - about four to seven - who have applied and been accepted as needing support for education or who have been found by staff and invited to apply. The children spend one to two years preparing to join a second or third grade class. They learn English, Nepali, math skills and hygiene - all they need for school readiness in a Montessori-style program six days a week. 

Twenty-nine happy, playing kids sounded like sixty - our ears are still ringing!  Three pairs of children performed traditional Nepali dances for us.  At least one of these will be posted on the website when we return, and it is well worth waiting for.  It’s hard to believe such young ones danced so beautifully.  Then all of the kids danced and sang (yelled, really) another fun tune.

Friday was the last full day spent in the resort town of Pokhara. After breakfast we visited the local Buddhist monastery. We observed the monks in prayer at the beginning of creating a Mandala. It was enchanting to watch them work with bells, candles, and hand gestures while chanting in deep voice. It was a special place that touched all of us. We lit butter candles in honor of our lost loved ones.

We then ventured to the nearby Tibetan camp where beautiful handcrafted Tibetan rugs are made. These rugs are unbelievable works created by true artisans and fair trade items too.

After leaving the resort town of Pokhara, we hiked up 1,200 ft elevation of rocky steps with gorgeous views. Our short trek left a real impression on our travelers. Here Is what they have to say!

Nancy Williger shared her experience.  ”Leaving from Pokhara we exited the van at the small village of Kande. Then one step at a time, we started up the hill.  The path was rocky and much of it consisted of rock steps built into the hill.  Huffing and puffing, we finally arrived at Australian Camp where we spent the night. It was a collection of small motel-looking hotels and a couple fields of tents.  This is the take-off camp for those trekking to Annapurna Base Camp.  No matter how remote, there was still time to shop for Tibetan jewelry. We found a couple of locals selling their wares.

Our group took off for Pokhara to do a short trek to see the Himalayas and enjoy the lakeside town. We stopped for coffee and lunch at Manakamana, the Hindu shrine reached by steep gondola ride and got a real workout in the van trying to keep our seats on roads that feel like speed bumps. We drove along the Trishuli River and the thick vegetation hillsides. Pam Caraffa wrote her first impressions of the  beautiful and enchanting countryside of Nepal.

Today, while Nancy Williger and I met with Yogesh and Leena Satyal of BSF, our partner NGO in Nepal, it was a free day for the travelers. 

They went into the winding twisting roads of Thamel, the market area in the heart of Kathmandu. I think it was “shop til you drop” as they returned smiling and loaded with packages and telling of their adventure. Jacque Richmond, child sponsor, tells the tale. 

“A “free” day in Thamel was anything but free for three intrepid shoppers in the group.  It started out innocently enough with tea at the favorite coffee shop.  But after a successful visit to a nearby ATM, the shoppers found plenty of items to catch their eyes and empty their wallets.  Items for hiking, jewelry, and textiles were purchased as gifts for lucky friends and family — and perhaps there was a thing or two for themselves in the mix. 

From the eyes of our sponsor and board member Pam Caraffa on her first sightseeing experience in Nepal. Enjoy!

Today, we visited Swayambhunath Temple, braving the hundreds of steep steps and dozens of monkeys. We were thrilled to have Ishwori and Anita, two of our older kids join us for the day.  Warned to not look any monkeys in the eye - they are quite aggressive - we snuck careful sideways glances and camera lens at them.  After huffing and puffing, the top of the stairs revealed innumerable large and small temples or sacred spaces, crowds of people, and a spectacular view of huge, sprawling Kathmandu.  The weather was beautiful, but the haze thick and smoky, gave only a faint sense of the close foothills of the Himalayas.

What would it feel like to meet the child you have sponsored for many years for the first time? Our sponsors Pam and Ralph Caraffa did just that. In spite of jetlag and travel delays from yesterday they couldn’t wait to meet Raj who will start college soon and made an instant bond with him. All smiles and excitement in the air. Jacque Richmond who sponsors three young children Januki, Ruplal and Milan spent time looking at pictures on her computer and joking and having fun. Angie Schutz met Anita who she has sponsored for years

After a 4 hour flight to LAX, a 5 hour wait in the airport and a 14 hour flight across the ocean, we arrived in Hong Kong at 6:30 am. An amazing city! We walked 7 miles to reach the cable car which travels to the Peak and offers fabulous views of the city. 

Here in the USA we wouldn't think of not taking our kids for annual checkups,  vaccinations, dental checkups and really anytime they spike a fever or have a rash! But medical care in Nepal is not free and is often scarce especially for low socioeconomic families. Kids suffer from easily cured conditions such complications from diseases such as measles, or common skin and ear infections.