Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Just a quick blog to say a big Nepali Happy Christmas and a happy New Year to you all. Sorry I haven't blogged in such a long time but it is still very busy here and access to the internet is difficult.

I have just finished a 4 day small trek and I'm in Pokhara now, the second biggest city in Nepal. It was a great trip, quite relaxing not too strenuous with amazing views. I shall be updating the blog properly within the next few weeks with lots of pics and stories.

But for now I wish you all a great festive period and look forward to seeing you in 2008. My best wishes to you all!!! :) Ho Ho Ho!

The picture is from my recent trek!

More Wonderful Views from Bandipur

Hi All!! Sorry for the delay in updating my blog, but I have updated with loads of blogs at one time, plenty for you to read over the next week. There are many reasons why, first I've been very busy sorting out new schedules for the children's activities from the computer class and second the internet café here has been having problems. But please read the blog below for more details of what I've been up to the past few weeks and please view the blog beneath it, which is dedicated to all those people who have donated money for creative bits for the kids and for those visitors to the Bandipur Old Inn who have donated the colouring books, pens, toys and clothes, the children have loved them all!

6 weeks since leaving British soil!

On one hand it feels like time has stood still, then on the other it feels like it's gone very quickly. I think because I have seen and done so much, England feels like a long way away and my mind has been absorbing so much in the past 6 weeks. But I do miss home, my friends and especially my Mum, Dad and big Sis. I'm missing you lots and lots! Xxxx

So where shall I continue?? since I last posted, much has happened. I'm now on my own in Bandipur the other 2 volunteers left over 2 weeks ago and it's just me to hold the fort. I was nervous to begin with, but as the days have passed I've felt more and more at home. My relationship with the people and the kids has grown considerably and they are making me feel part of the family even more and I'm starting to become attached. I have even been given a nickname at the Hotel where I eat, 'Bhok lageyo', which when translated means, 'I'm hungry' and for those of you who know me, you will understand that interpretation :). If there's food I'll eat it!

In terms of where I'm volunteering, things have changed, something I'm becoming part of here in Nepal. It's not good to make long term plans here, the life is just living day to day, which I'm really beginning to enjoy, although still find it hard sometimes, due to my organisational nature, but it's good for me, I'm sure of that.
I am going to stay here in Bandipur for the remainder of my volunteering. You may remember in my last blog I said I'm looking forward to be sent to the other place, Trisuli. However, 2 things have occurred, first, a volunteer who has been their for the past few months is possibly staying their till January, meaning as there is no one replacing me here, then why should I leave, and the second is personal, because since the previous volunteers have left, I've really got my head into things and have set up a completely new teaching structure for the computer class and much more, see the blogs below.

Also, my school teaching schedule has changed. I dropped the teaching in the morning at Thudikel Primary and kept the afternoon Grade 5 at Dill Primary. Though, at the beginning of this week I was on the verge of giving this school up too! I just was not having luck, a lot of the children could not understand me fully and they could not keep attention and misbehaved. I felt so low on Sunday, really down, but on Monday I had a chat with an amazing American woman who was staying in Bandipur, for the second time this year. She gave me inspiration and most of all sincerely listened to me which was what I needed, especially because I'm on my own here with no constant natural English speaking people. I can't have an intimate conversation with one of the locals, because of the cultural and language barrier.

But after that warming chat, I was convinced to give up the school and concentrate on my other bits. But I would do one more lesson and this time I was adamant to have a Nepali teacher with me in the room, so that happened and all was different, I had some extra word games planned to use and because the Nepali teacher was their they were so much better behaved and the lesson was excellent!

What a difference a day can make and today I have started doing a Class 3 (8-10year olds) English, on request of the Nepali teachers. So I have to say a MASSIVE Thank You to Jane for listening to me and being there just when I needed it, I shall come and visit you in California! Or we may even meet in the UK?!

Well, I have written a hell of a lot today plus I have more to write more below, so I hope you are still with me and I look forward to hearing from you guys. Lots of love, the Tall guy! x :)

Thank You for Your Donations & Gifts!

As mentioned at the top, this blog is first to say Thank You, to all you guys who came to my leaving dinner in Luton and the money you donated, which enabled me to buy and send a 10kg box of goodies for the kids, you can see some of the stuff in the picture above taken in my bedroom. I will be updating with more pictures in the coming weeks, when they use there craft sets.

This blog is also to say Thank You to those tourists who have been to Bandipur and donated anything from pens to pencils. And a big Thanks to the Spanish guests from The Old Inn who donated lots of colouring books, pens, crayons, toys and even some clothes, they are greatly appreciated and the kids have had so much fun with the toys and especially the colouring books, I can't keep them away from them! :)

I also want to say a last big Thank You to Andrew from Radlett, UK who not only donated 1000 rupees to our 'Keep Bandipur Clean' campaign(please see blog beneath), but got up early to join us on one of our rubbish collections as well, Thank You!
All your help and donations mean so much to the children and people of Bandipur :)

'Keep Bandipur Clean!'

With the help of Ramsaran, the amazing manager of 'The Old Inn', the hotel which looks after my dietary needs and general wellbeing including the use of the showers and the most important of all their great company and friendship, I have set up a 'Keep Bandipur Clean' campaign.

Well actually Ramsaran and I discussed it a few weeks ago and it's only just starting to develop, but I'm hoping for it to grow and have an impact, I'll at least try my best. The idea came when I mentioned to Ramsaran that Bandipur has one of the cleanest High Streets in Nepal(See picture above during the recent Tihar festival), but as soon as you leave the High Street towards many of the different scenic routes, rubbish litters the paths everywhere. So I said can we get the kids involved, and he said yes. And when I looked at their computer class schedule and saw they were in their 6 days a week, I thought it would be a great idea to break up the week. So Wednesday, being the middle of the week, has become the 'Keep Bandipur Clean' day.

Actually, we start at around 7am armed with big empty rice sacks and go and find a route to clean. I am amazed with the turnout, some of the children are very enthusiastic. Today was the 3rd time of trying and so far we gone from 12 children on the first, 15 last week and 21 today out of 29 children I teach daily, which is great. As a thank you, they are served Nepali tea, some bread, a banana and a chocolate éclair afterwards :)

You can see a photo of today's gang above, just finished cleaning a beautiful hill spot called Thani Mai, it has a small Hindu temple on top and has panoramic views, where most of my view pictures have been taken.

Finally, I'm hopefully going to make a website for the campaign and start trying to raise money to buy more bins, create signs, buy gear and keep the children happy :) I will give you more details sometime in the future and hopefully you guys can contribute :)

Getting and keeping the children fit!!

I have yet added more things for the children I work with to do, this time it involves something I really enjoy, not that I don't enjoy teaching the kids and picking up litter :), and that is, Exercise!!

There is no school or computer classes on Saturday, so I took advantage of this free time and asked if any of the children would like to do some circuit training on Saturdays mornings and the response was pretty good, especially from the teenage boys and we all know why, and is one reason why I decided to start this with them. They don't really get to do any exercise at school, there just aren't the facilities, that is in the local schools. It's a totally different matter for the private schools.

So I've started this activity morning and their eager, those who want to do it, we start at 7:00am. We have only started it last Saturday, but it went very well. We did it on one of the most beautiful spots around Bandipur, with 360 degree views of the Himalayas and surrounding valleys, beats a smelly gym :) You can see 2 pictures above, one with us doing press ups, the other with the boys doing a Tug-of-war, which was great fun.

As Saturday went so well and there are now no computer classes on Wednesday afternoon, I thought I should fill the gap with more activity, which the boys happily agreed with. So we are now training twice a week, no complaints their!

Finally volunteering :)

Well I have finally arrived in my first destination the beautiful village of Bandipur situated on a hilltop with a view of the Himalayas(the Annapurnas). I arrived here last Sunday after a great weekend of rafting, which was so much fun. Our guide Dill, the one in the picture above was so much fun and he kept pushing everyone in and in the end we were diving off the raft in between rapids.

My first week has been a great one, luckily there are 2 volunteers already here, so they have showed me what's going on here. The daily schedule is generally as follows. Get up about 6.30am have a cup of tea then opposite where I'm staying is a small room in an old building where there are 2 computers for teaching computing skills with English to some of the local children. It is here at 7.00am I have my first class, young age mixed boys and girls. Then at 8.00am another class of about 6 students mixed but older, in teens. Then between 9-10am I have breakfast and at 10.00am I go to one of the local schools to teach English, one class level 5, 10.15-10.45am, the other level 6, 11-11.45am then break for lunch and at 2.00pm I do an hour teaching at another school. Then 2 hour break and between 5.00-7.00pm 2 more computer classes. Dinner at 7.30pm and bed at 9.00pm.

It's so funny here everything is all shut up by 9pm, they are all in bed, well most that is. On the other hand most people are up between 5-6am.

The kids have a lot of energy and are a mixed bunch but are affectionate, which I think is part of the culture here. I'm starting to bond with a few already, but some of the children I'm working with are not as under privilged as I was expecting. Though it looks like I'm only here for a few weeks and they are sending me to a place where I'm more needed, which sounds good!

The people in the Hotel where I live next to and eat are fantastic and I get on really well with them already. Again all the men are really touchy feely with the men and same with the girls with the girls, but not the girls with the boys. But again I have no problem with that and have fitted in really quickly, so I'm hugging all the guys and stuff, a very friendly ambience.

Well I must go for now, will hopefully be uploading next weekend. Oh before I go, I have to rub it in, but the view is amazing and since I've been here I've not seen the mountains until this morning. The mountains have been hiding behind the clouds for the past 3 weeks, but there was a stoem last night and it rained and the locals said when that happens you get to see the mountains. And this morning at 6am, what a sight, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I walked up a hill at 6 this morning and took the photo of myself, the one you see at the top. So if any of you decide to come to Nepal some time in the future then please visit Bandipur, it's very beautiful, as the locals say...

...Ramro Sunda!!!

Kool Kathmandu

A few days have past and I can say, as expected, I'm very happy to be Nepal. The difference between India & Nepal is obvious, everything here is that little bit calmer. There are a lot less people in your face and they expect less from you. Of course there are still beggers, people trying to get you into shops and selling drugs, but all of that is a greatly reduced version of what I experienced in India, so it doesn't bother me at all :)

I have to cut this blog short for the minute as I need to go to a nepalese lesson. This blog is just to let you know I'm well Mum & Dad and I'll try to phone you very soon!! :)

Hello again, I'm just quickly updating this blog with some pics and to let you all know, it's going to be hard for me to get to the internet over the coming weeks. So I may not be posting for a while as where I'm going is beautiful but small and may not have internet. But just to let you all know that Nepal is great, already seeing the laughter and fun in people especially children. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

I hope all is going well with you all back home. I'm sorry if I can't reply to emails or any blogs, the time here in Nepal so far is very busy with the volunteer group. But I'll hopefully be in touch in the coming weeks :)

One final word for my Mum, thank you for your message, I'm missing you and Dad lots, I hope your Ireland trip went well and like I said, I'll try and ring when I get the chance, lots and lots of Love xxx :)

Nepal here I come!

I'm now in my final day at Varanasi and I'm a bit sad, I like it here and have met some really nice people. The hotel I'm staying in has a good ambience and there's a communal area where we can eat, read or chat. Time here has gone too quickly. You can see some of the guys I met in the picture above.

There's something about Varanasi that's special, even with the madness and dirt. There are some amazing little alleys and back streets, but many are full of rubbish and animal manure releasing not the most pleasent of aromas into the air. But there's just something here that makes me want to stay longer. I think one reason has to be the spirituality of the city and its people, which is all down to the Mother Ganges, the reason why millions of Hindu tourists/pilgrims come to Varanasi every year! And there's no doubt I will come here again sometime in the not to distant future and please, anyone is welcome to join me on my voyage, an experience you will not forget :)

On the other hand, this time tomorrow I'll be in another Hindu country. Although not wanting to leave Varanasi, I can't wait to get to Nepal. So, keep an eye on my blog to see how the home of the tallest mountain in the world leaves its mark on my body, mind and soul!!!

The Holy Varanasi

I have now comfortably arrived in the holy city of Varanasi after an epic 15, hour 2 train journey. However, the trains were both sleeper trains with air conditioning and very clean. I haven't decided to go it real and hang out in 3rd class just yet, one step at a time :)

My final day in Agra was one of the best, I finally got to experience some real Indian culture. A rickshaw driver approached me on Tuesday as I was leaving my accomodation, and as always asking 'Where can I take you?' As I needed to get into town I said yes to him. And again as usual they try and take you to shops as they get commission and the shops they usually take you to are very expensive. But the driver I had was different, he was honest with me and said, 'I would like to take you to a shop, you don't have to buy anything, but I get 20 rupees(about 30p), just for taking you their'. So because he was honest, I agreed to help him make some money.

I then decided for my final day in Agra(Wednesday), I would ask the rickshaw driver to drive me to see the Taj Mahal from the back of the river and the baby Taj(see picture above). Then after lunch I said to him to take me to lots of shops where I wouldn't buy and he would make money. By late afternoon he had made about 150 rupees, which is very good for him. He kept saying how happy he was, and I had fun looking at expensive items and having the best sales tricks fed to me, always to leave empty handed.

After I had dinner at a restuarant, we went back to my accomodation to pick up my bags for him to take me to the Train station. Before we left I paid him for the days work. and because he was such a nice guy a gave him 1 US dollar each for his wife and 2 sons, who he told me about, and because I liked him so much I gave him a 10 dollar note. He was so happy, he asked if I would like to go and see his family. And of course I said yes. His family were so nice his Dad spoke very good English and they gave me food and drink. His youngest son was fascinated with me, you can see him with me in the picture above. This was the best experience so far, being with an Indian family away from tourists, they were so hospitable.

On my journey to the Train Station Vijay the rickshaw driver said to me 'You are not my friend, you are my brother'. And asked for me to come again to Agra and bring my Mum & Dad and sister and we could stay at his house for free and he would show us Agra, he was so happy, and so was I, it was so nice. So mum, dad and bec's, next year we are going to stay with Vijay in India :)

This blog has gone on far too long, I still have lots to say, but it will have to wait. I hope you are all well and I hope you are enjoying reading so far and big thanks to everyone who have made comments and to just read and see my pics!! :)

P.S. The picture at the very top is in Varanasi looking onto the Ganges, outside my hotel, which is cool, tell more soon...

Hello from the Taj Mahal

Thank you for your comment Mum & Bec on the previous blog, I'm missing you guys too, lots of Love.

It's been harder to get to internet here in Agra, but finally had time to get to a place today.

The train journey on Sunday morning was great, better than most trains in the UK. There was air conditioning, lots of leg room and we were fed and watered. Though, looking out of the windows on the journey to Agra wasn't pretty, the poverty's very bad, people living in horrible conditions. The crazy thing here is that money and poverty often live side by side. There can be a house/flat that's looks very middle class and next to it is a 3 metre squared shack housing a whole family of 6.

I can't put any pictures up just yet, not possible in this cafe, but will put them up when I can. I will also try to put up some albums on Facebook or Flickr when I have the time.

I went to the Taj Mahal on Sunday for sunset, wow! what a beautiful building and built in the name of love. You can't really appreciate it until you see it. But the only downside was that there were so many people there you couldn't take it in, I tried pushing on my ears to block out the sound and tried to ignore all the people, worked for a few seconds. But still, a magnificent building.

I also went to Agra fort, which also had some beautiful architecture. But again, the roads here in India are crazy, vehicles, people, animals all going in any which direction they wish. We were waiting at a roundabout for our driver and what we saw just kept us laughing in disbelief. One of the funniest was when a dog stopped in the middle of the roundabout and did a poo whilst the traffic went around him! :) Hopefully I may get some videos up one time.

That's it for now, just before I go I'll let you know I surcome to a Delhi belly, but funny enough not in Delhi. Thank god for Immodium, I'll stay away from the graphic details.

I'll probably won't blog again until Varanasi, which will be on Thurs/Fri. I'm taking the overnight train on Wednesday, I tell you how that goes then!

Hope the weather's not too bad there in England! :o)

Last day in Delhi

Final day in Delhi was a bit of a chilled one, went to see the Gandhi museum and memorial and you can see in the picture above, me at the sight where Gandhi was cremated.

But before that, I went to get myself a new camera SD card because, can you believe it, but yesterday when I was trying to transfer some of the images from my camera card it crashed and all my pictures from the first 2 days are gone :( But hey, these things happen :) Luckily, another traveler who was with me took similar photos and he said he would send me a copy. I only managed to salvage about 10 or so.

Anyway the Gandhi bits were great and the weather again today was amazing 34 degrees, but still quite comfortable, it's quite bizzar, the heat of the sun isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I've not seen a cloud since the UK.

I'm looking forward to tommorow will be getting a 06:15 train to Agra to see Taj Mahal, will have pictures in the coming days, hopefully!

Come on England and Dad if you read this please text me the result as I may not get to see it, thanks and bye for now...

My second day!!

I'm very lucky at the moment have a great internet cafe right by the hotel. There is one in the hotel, but it's not so good. So I'm able to blog every day so far.

Today's a lot better all round, finally done some sightseeing and not so much hassle from people and even if they do, they're pretty harmless, and I've worked out that the best thing to do is say hello to them in Hindi and smile. Gets the best reaction, 'A smile goes a long way' :)

Hi Bec's, in response to your ? The temperature is just right, not overpowering, a surprisingly comfortable 32 degrees. And as for the food, so far it's been very nice and so cheap. Last night I had a lentil curry, plain rice, naan bread and a mint tea all for the crazy price of 50p.

Today I've been to the large Red fort, India's largest mosque, where myself and another traveler were the only non locals in a restaurant and we ate with only our right hand and no cutlery, so much fun, just like being a kid. We were constantly being looked at by other diners, some with blank faces, others with smiles.

The afternoon was great, we walked up some amazing, hustling and bustling streets(checkout the pics). One of the best bits was going to the Spice Market, the smells were so overpowering, what an experience, I'd recommend anyone going to Delhi to go their!

As for the cows Clare, they seem to be treated just like us humans and they don't seem to belong to anyone, well at least that's how it seems. They just roam the streets and do what they like, people put buckets of water out for them.

Hopefully I can get some pictures up, but having problems with this computer, let wait and see! :)

My First Day in Delhi!

Well, I have finally left the UK and have firmly landed my feet in India. Good for me that the hotel I'm staying in had a driver pick me up from the station, the culture hits you straight away! The streets are amazing, nobody seems to drive in straight lines, horns constantly hooting and just about anything is on the road, cows included!

It's been hard work, you can't trust anyone, they all try and be your friend and then try and sell you something or take you to a shop or travel agent. You just have to persevere and be polite and they finally move on to someone else.

Trying to get my rail tickets was a mission too, there are so many people at the station telling you to go here or their, of course none of them tell you where you want to go. But I prevailed and found the tourist ticket office and booked my tickets to Agra and Varanasi.

I haven't slept yet, so off for a kip and then get ready for a second day in Delhi, hopefully do some sightseeing!

Here's a few photos for you!

Hello everyone, I'm saying bye to the West!!

For 6 months that is. Less than 2 weeks till my departure and I'm getting excited and a little anxious. As you may know, I have set up this blog for all of my family, friends and some occasional passers by to see what I'm up to whilst on my trip to the East. All the highs and hopefully not many lows :) So please, do reply to any of my blogs, ask questions and let me know how you are all getting on, I would love to keep up with the news from home!