Monday the 15th was another holiday, The Festival of the Horse, and I had some free time doing the day and ventured into Thamel as the Downtown core of Kathmandu is called, about a half hour fast walk which is sometimes impossible because of traffic, since there are no sidewalks anywhere. It was my first time on my own, I find it a bit challenging for the reason that everything still looks the same to me, with a million signs and little shops everywhere, and a lot of streets divide in two and I might as well toss a coin as to which one to choose at times, but I made it there after first going the wrong way which lead me to a street where raw sewage was running beside the road, in cases like that it would be nice to not be quite as sensitive to aromas especially that kind. I was walking around watching people do offerings to their God and taking pictures, which by the way I still can't get to work, hopefully one day, so you can get a better idea of how it looks here. I went to see the palace where the Prime-minister came that day and he arrived as I was there so an astronomical amount of people came to see. After wards I walked along very tiny traffic congested streets to get to the big Temples, from the 17th century made in the Malla period, Krishna, Bisnu, Shiva, Kathmandu Temples and Lavmari House. I meet a young University student who showed me around for a couple of hours to the different temples. Walking back I wasn't a 100% sure which way, but all of a sudden when I was really doubting myself came one of the guys from the hotel on his motorbike so he gave me a ride the rest of the way, what a relieve, who knows I might still be walking around if not for him. My throat is hurting now after all the dust and smog, my poor lungs inhaling all that everyday, not good if you are a bit of a health nut as me, there goes 30 years of hard work right down the drain.. uhhhh... The Orphanage: I really like it here the people working here are super friendly and nice, two men and two women and Christina who have been showing me around and telling me everything so far left last night Tuesday the 16th, I will miss her. There is a young man Karna who is more or less in charge of the place and is also a teacher at one of the schools where the kids go, he is super nice and makes me feel right at home and his english is really good, then there is the cook Bisnu, who is a younger maybe mid twenties guy who also does all the shopping for the Orphanage, he is really nice as well, but at times hard to understand, then there is Enjana who sews and fixes all their clothes and helps at meal times, she is very shy and does not talk that much but sweet , and last Indira who is really sweet but barely speaks any english, she cleans and cooks as well an helps at meal times so it is all good. They all sleep with the kids I am the only fortunate one with my own room. everything here is run really punctual and strict, but the kids are really happy, appreciative, always smiling and very well behaved.They tell me it is not always so. Today I was in Paradis, found a place in Thamel amongst all the craziness called the Garden of Dreams, there are big brick walls or nice old buildings all around it and then a beautiful quiet garden with very few people because there is an entry fee, so a lot off my free time when the kids are at school will be spent there I think, reading books, so relaxing, pretending the air is clean at least.
Tonight I am invited to Kaji's house for dinner, he is the owner of the Hotel I stayed at and the guy who started the orphanage with Vibeke in 2003.
All for now Mamaste Inger
