trip to the mountains

 My friend Andrea once said, “the key to blogging is to do it frequently…that way you don’t get overwhelmed”.

The advice was wise and true and because I have not followed it I feel…overwhelmed.

Over the past two months I have gone to Delhi India and back, passed my official language test, and spent almost 3 weeks in the middle of the Himalayas. So where do I start? I’m going to start with the most recent. It is fresh in my mind and if I don’t get it out know I may miss a thing or two.

The goal of my trip was to take three American University students to a few villages where they would be teaching how to teach.

I’ve been told before that this time of year (rainy season) is a bad time of year to go up into the mountains but my leaders chose this particular month and well…they are my leaders.

The morning we arrived the weather was beautiful…sunny and blue skies. The hike was only 2 hrs and although the last hour was up it was not so bad. The trail was pretty muddy but the morning sun had done a good job of drying it up. The area that we were going to is far off the tourist path so the place we stayed at was a friend’s home. We reached our friends house around 1:30 just as the clouds started to roll in. You see, this time of year in the mountains the clouds and fog start moving in around 1 and by 5 it feels like you are living in an actual cloud.

The house we were staying at is a Sherpa’s home. If there were ever a worldwide hospitality contest I’m pretty sure that Sherpa’s would win hands down.

When you enter a Sherpa’s home a cup of tea is placed in front of you. After a few sips of the tea your cup is topped off. When that teacup is empty it is filled up again. You will easily drink two cups of tea when you first arrive.

Food plays a large role in this culture as well. “Breakfast” was usually around 10 and it most often was a big bowl of top ramen. Because we are “big foreigners” the bowl was two servings of ramen with egg and veggies thrown in for good measure.

We just so happened to be there right in the middle of the corn harvest. Every day our host gave us a “snack” around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. This consisted of a pile of boiled corn on the cob and a pile of boiled potatoes. Not to brag or anything but I can put away 4 cobs of corn and about 3 boiled potatoes.

At dinnertime the traditional dhal bhat (rice& lentils) is served. Your plate is pilled high with rice and on the side are curried vegetables and a bowl of the lentils. Just as you feel like you are making progress and putting a dent in the large quantity of food the hostess comes into the dinning room with more rice, veggies, and lentils…it is rude not to take a little more.

A lot of times people assume that living on this side of the world and hiking would cause me to loose weight…but thanks to my steady diet of carbs I’ve yet to get skinny. 

There is so much more to write about and as readers I don’t want to wear you out so I will call it a day. I do however leave you with the promise to write more. 

the last entry about my vacation in April

For our last day in Rome our main goal was to see the Sistine chapel.

Now, in case you should ever visit just know that this place is HUGE and could take all day. Our goal was to just make our way to the Sistine chapel even though there  is much much more to see. 

Even with this as our only goal it took about an hour to wander down the ornate hallways that lead you there. The hallways are literally covered in images either painted; woven, or sculpted…it is amazing.

The hallways are large open and bright thus making the Sistine chapel feel a bit cramped. It is truly just a little chapel that happens to have every last bit of it painted.

The Vatican security is big on “respecting” this place and maintaining a freaky sort of “worshipful” attitude…i.e. no photographs and no talking.

So, as my friends and I milled around this room packed full of other tourist we would hear the two guards constantly say

“NO PHOTO”

“NO VIDEO”

“SALENCIO”

“SHHHHHH”

a few minutes would go by and again the guards would say

“NO PHOTO”

“NO VIDEO”

“SALENCIO”

“SHHHHHH”

Thank you Italian guards. I know your intentions were that of garnering respect and reverence but ya kinda did the opposite

With that said, the paintings that fill that room are truly amazing.

After milling around the room for a good while found the rests rooms and then attempted to make our way out..this was no easy feat. Who knew we would need a tour guide to point us to the exit.

Once out we made a few last pit stops at the

Treve Fountain

I threw in my coins thereby guaranteeing that I would one day return to Rome.

and the Spanish Steps

It was an amazing trip. There were times when I felt as though I was standing in the presence of greatness past. History became real in a way that a textbook could never do.

To top of this trip it was made great by my traveling companion. Thanks Cousin, I would have never done this trip had you not agreed to go with me! Thank you Amber and Camille for getting the ball rolling and allowing Beckie and I to tag along. 

As you may have noticed I have not blogged for a while. The reason for my lack of blogging…I have not felt like it.

The summer has been crazy busy. Between my time with volunteers and trips up into the mountains I have not been home much. I have however been back in Kathmandu for almost a month and truth be told I just did not feel like doing much of anything for those first few weeks. Because of my lack of motivation I allowed things to pile up leaving me to play catch-up as this month comes to an end (Can you believe it’s almost July)

To make matters worse my camera finally died during my last village trip leaving me picturless. Have no fear another one is on it’s way from America

I write all this to say, “Friends of my blog, I will try to catch up and post something worth reading soon”

Here are the last few pictures I took with my now dead camera...may it rest in peace. 

how fitting that I should have a picture of an airplane. since April I have ridden on 14 planes. 

This can be found at the City Center mall in KTM. I guess "bothering" your neighbor is a problem here

Fathers Day

Growing up my Mom hated the Simpsons. When I was younger we did NOT watch the show. Understandably, Mom did not want her already sarcastic daughter influenced by Bart Simpson. A few years later the Simpsons went into syndication and can still be found on some random channel every evening around 5. As I got older I was given more leeway with what I watched…that and Mom did not usually get home until 5:30 or 6pm. This is when I would watch past Episodes. Now, even though a couple of years had past, Mom still had no appreciation for the show but I must admit Dad and I had a few good laughs over Simpson’s episodes.

In honor of Fathers Day here are a few things I learned about Fathers from Homer himself.

6 things that the Simpsons have taught me about Fathers.

They are good at explaining those random things in life

Lisa: Dad, what's a Muppet?

Homer: Well, it's not quite a mop, it's not quite a puppet, but man...

[laughs hysterically]

Homer: So to answer your question, I don't know.

***teaches you about God

Homer: God is teasing me. Just like he teased Moses in the desert.

Marge: *Tested,* Homer. God *tested* Moses.

***insight into love and relationships

Homer: [Bart has offended Lisa, and he's surprised she's visibly angry at him after saying that nothing is wrong between them] Son, when a woman says nothing's wrong, it means everything's wrong. When a woman says everything's wrong, it means everything's wrong. And when a woman says that something *isn't* funny, you'd better not laugh your ass off!

They encourage education and higher learning

Homer Simpson: Books are useless! I only ever read one book, "To Kill A Mockingbird" and it gave me absolutely no insight on how to kill mockingbirds! Sure it taught me not to judge a man by the colour of his skin... but what good does *that* do me?

They know the importance of Moms

Homer: Son, I just want you to know I have total faith in you.

Bart: Since when?

Homer: Since your mother yelled at me.

They encourage you to understand the meaning behind your words.

Marge: [sings] How many roads must a man walk down / Before you can call him a man...

Homer: Seven.

Lisa: No, dad, it's a rhetorical question.

Homer: OK, eight.

Lisa: Dad, do you even know what "rhetorical" means?

Homer: Do *I* know what "rhetorical" means?

They are jokesters…Dads love a good laugh. 

Homer: Well crying isn't going to help. Now, you can sit there feeling sorry for yourself or you can eat can after can of dog food until your tears smell enough like dog food until your dog comes back, or you can go out there and find your dog.

Bart: You're right.

[Gets up and leaves]

Homer: Rats. I almost had him eating dog food.

Happy Fathers Day!

Egypt

Egypt was the only port where we actually arranged a private tour upon arrival.

Our ship sailed into Alexandria and the famous pyramids were a few hours away in Cairo. All of our tour books recommended that we higher a guide so, thanks to the internet we found a great tour group and signed up.

we were excited to have an official tour guide

Egypt reminded me a lot of South Asia but with a Muslim twist. The traffic, buildings, smells, and sounds all reminded me of the part of the world I live in..the women however, were in burkas or fashionably covered from head to toe.

The pyramids were pretty much the only thing on our tour so first stop…The Pyramids!

I’m not sure how to explain or describe what I saw. They are as amazing just as you think they would be. Standing next them makes one feel small. I was in constant awe as to how they were built.

 I look big but felt small

Our tour guide was great and although he gave us lots of information he also gave us space to take out time and look around without him talking in our ears.

At the Sphinx we met some girls who helped us take interesting pictures. My friends and I were all in agreement that these girls reminded us of Slum dog Millionaire.

At our special “Egyptian Buffet” lunch we were a little disappointed with the lack of “local” food. This place obviously catered to foreigners such as myself but this was made most evident when I received my “Egyptian tea” at the end of the meal. Placed before me was a teacup full of hot water and a Lipton tea bag inside. I quickly looked up and asked the waiter “is this Egyptian tea?” He replied with a firm and unwavering “Yes”

I then felt the need to inform him “this is not Egyptian tea. This is Lipton tea. I can get this anywhere…ie. I can get this in Nepal” The waiter's fix for this little mix up was to say “put lots and lots of sugar in it…then it will be just like Egyptian tea”

falafel are the round brown things

After lunch our guide asked what we thought of the buffet. We told him that it was nice and that the food was good BUT that it did not seem like local fair. This discussion lead to the fact that Egyptians love falafel. Now, you should know that our cruise specifically expressed NOT eating local food or purchasing local water. In fact if you signed up for the cruise’s tour they provided you with a sack lunch. Well, it just so happens that my friends and I laugh in the face of such rules. So, we got our tour guide to take us to a local spot where we ate some of the best falafel that I have ever had in my life! I am happy to say that no one became sick from this little adventure.

Our first day in Cairo was long yet fulfilling. We saw so much, experiences some local culture, and had a good time with our tour guide and driver. Before we knew it the sun had set and we were walking back onto our ship for a good nights sleep.

The next morning we took our time getting ready and decided to head out to the Alexandria library. As you may or may not know Alexandria's library was a great library in the ancient world. I’ve been to some pretty large libraries in my time but I would have to say that not only is Alexandria’s  one of the largest but is has the most displays and security that I have ever seen. 

for it being "ancient" the architecture sure is modern

When we made it back to the boat our cabin attendant gave a sigh of relief as he did not like the idea that we were going out into the city "alone". Not very many "cruisers" go out alone thus making every one around us think we were a bit of an oddity. 

people kept asking if we worked on the cruise 

I am happy to mark Africa off my list of continents visited. I am also very happy to mark the pyramids off of the list of things to see. I would highly recommend that if given the chance you see this "wonder of the world." If you want maybe we could plan your trip together over some falafel.

I’ve recently been posting about my vacation to the Mediterranean. I only have a few more post to go before finishing but I thought I would take a break to tell you about my birthday…

My Birthday.

As I get older and further away from home I have learned something about my birthday…if you want it to be a good day then you have to plan it yourself.

A few weeks before the “big day” I was feeling a little unfriendly towards the quickly approaching 33. Let’s be honest, being single and turning 33 made me feel a little bit like Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinney when she yells, “my biological clock is ticking”

However, after reading a bible study on God’s promises and faith I realized that this whole “future” “biological clock” thing was in His Hands. I decided to find joy in Him and get over this pity party. 

I e-mailed my friend Kristin and asked if she would be my birthday buddy on June 8^th. Her husband graciously agreed to take care of their twins and the day was ours.

We started out the day with donuts. Now friends, you should know that until just recently there was no place in this entire country to purchase an American style donut. Kristin however, stumbled upon a newly open café who makes chocolate covered goodness.

 these are the real deal!!

Next on the birthday list was a 2-hour massage. Oh bliss!

They start out the massage first by washing and massaging your feet. The first hour is dedicated to your back and the second hour is all the other misc. parts. The best part is that not only is it an amazing massage but it only cost 15$.

Our massages built up our appetites so we were off to my favorite French restaurant. My previous roomie (Andrea) made going to this place a birthday tradition so it felt right to go there.

Andrea and I on my 27th birthday

Kristin and I decided to forgo the restaurant’s dessert and head strait to Baskin Robins for some ice cream. Crazily enough Baskin Robbins was the first chain store to come to Nepal.

We decided to go to a movie but had some time to kill so we headed over to the largest store in town to peruse and pick up a few diet cokes. Along the way Kristin and I found some offensive “African art” and some amazing coffee mugs, which are now my birthday gift from the Parker family.

the Nepali store closely resembles the 1$ store

 yep, it's a naked man and it's my birthday present

Finally it was time to watch the movie Shrek in 3D

The funniest thing about watching an American movie with Nepalese is that we laugh at totally different things. When Kristin and I were belly laughing the rest of the theater was silent…this only made us laugh more.

After the movie we swung by Pizza Hut to pick up some dinner for us and the rest of the Parkers. After Pizza Kristin made me some “happy cake” (cup cakes) and they sang a move ya to tears rendition of Happy Birthday.

please tae note of the awesome birthday candle 

 Gracie getting in on the happy cake action

I should also note that at the Parker's house was a package from my Parents and Sister full of goodies from the good ol USofA

All in all it was a pretty fantastic day. As I think through the day I feel as though I need to revise my earlier sentiments. Yes, as you get older one has to often take charge and plan your own birthday but more importantly one has to invite others to celebrate with them.

Thanks to facebook I have 332 “friends” that know it’s my birthday. It is however up to me to connect with those near me and say “I want you to share this day with me.”

I had most of the day planned but it was all Kristin’s idea to purchase me awesome coffee mugs, to make me cupcakes, and for their family to sing happy birthday. Those few things were just as sweet of a memory as my massage and donuts.

 God has lavished his love upon me and is constantly showing His love through my friends. So Happy Birthday to me!

Turkey...and I'm not talking about Thanksgiving

Turkey

Going into Turkey our goal was to see Ephesus. The tour books had a few other small suggestions but we decided to invest in once place and do it well.

The ship ported into a very touristy area of Turkey full of vendors vying for ones attention (more about that later). We easily found the taxis and before we knew it we were off to Ephesus. The drive there was about 35-40 minutes. One thing I really likes was that Ephesus was outside the city. For some reason it seemed more protected with it being away from the hustle and bustle of every day life.

 please note the guide book in Beckie's hand

We decided to for go a translator or audio guide. I’m not sure if this was a good idea but this far into our trip we were sort of “history out”. In other words we were just ready to look at old buildings read a few things in our tour books and call it good.

the library

                                       

public toilets

For me personally it was pretty amazing to walk through a city that I have been reading about for so many years. I knew that the book of Ephesians was a letter from Paul to the believers there but walking through the city brought a whole new reality to the bible.

   heart mosaic found in a house

                           

Some of the buildings and ampatheaters were pretty amazing and just plain beautiful.

I wish this blog could describe the feeling one gets when they walk through an ancient city. It’s pretty surreal to walk through their homes, libraries, and gathering places. History suddenly becomes alive and you are granted a connection to the past. It’s pretty cool.

the big ampatheater 

I was surprised to see graffiti on some of the buildings and could not stop myself from taking pictures of other tourist. I applauded after the cheesy gladiator reenactment and took time to let my imagination run wiled.

All in all it was a pretty great experience.

 tourist!

part of the cheesy gladiator reenactment 

Once we returned to our port city our goal was to eat some local food. After I lead our group down a sketchy ally (sorry girls!)We finally made our way to some local restaurants. We did our best to order what we thought was “local” and it was not so bad. The Turkish specialty came when they served us Apple Tea at the end of our meal. Friends, let me just tell you that it was GOOD! I’m thinking about writing an ode to apple tea right now…but I will focus and press on with this blog.

 apple tea

From what I could tell the Turkish people were pretty friendly…if not a little too friendly.

The men in the market where pushy to say the least. As the four of us ladies walked by we would here things like “hey lovely ladies come into my shop”, Or “My name is Akim, remember that for when you decided to come back”, and my all time favorite was “hey soul sist’a come here”

If you know me and my friends then you would know that although this made us laugh it also made us run away from the bazaar…but not before we found a little ally that housed a bakery, which in turn housed some fresh baklava.

 just a few of the things vendors were selling

My time in Turkey seemed short but I enjoyed what I saw. If you want to hear more maybe we could talk about it over some apple tea and Turkish baklava.