Hi Everybody,
So sorry that I haven't written anything on here for years it seems...everything is just moving so fast! Already I am halfway through the program. Its been exactly 2 months since I arrived in Nepal, and I have about 2 months left. We came back from the Tarai region a few weeks ago, which is where I last left off, so I'll do a quick summary of that: Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, was pretty cool, kinda, haha. The area was very underdeveloped, though many countries such as China, Singapore, Japan, and Germany have built some incredibly beautiful temples and monasteries in the area. We were able to walk through the ruins of the palace where the Buddha grew up, and then we visited the various landmark raised by different historical rulers in commemoration of the Buddha. We then left for Chitwan National Park, where stayed in this really fancy hotel (it had toilet paper and hot water- SAY WHAT?!), climbed elephants (via their faces - place one hand on each ear, step one foot on the trunk just below the eyes, and just...pull yourself up!), walked quickly and determinedly away from a potentially angry rhino in the Chitwan jungle, and ate snails with a local ethic group called the Tharu people. Dang those snails were good! But I couldn't master the art of slurping them out of their shells. I had to resort to crushing their shells with my teeth and then pull the meat from the shards.
Yesterday we just came back from another trip to Pokhara, a very touristy town where you can see the beautiful Annapurna mountains, and canoe across a crystal clear lake. It was probably the nicest town I've seen in Nepal so far (thank you, tourism industry!). However, the best part of the trip was a three-day stay in the small Gurung village of Tang Ting, set on the steep slopes of the mountains surrounding Pokhara. It was incredibly beautiful there. As I walked along the stone paths lining the village, or threw rocks off of bridges with my little Gurung brother, all I could think of was Totoro, that awesome Japanese film of my childhood. I wish I had grown up there - my little brother spends his days catching fish in the nearby stream, or running up to the top of the mountain, looking for the monkeys and birds that live in the area. So beautiful, so beautiful. And the food was so good!!!!!
Tomorrow my friends and I are leaving for the Lang Tang area, which is actually very close to Pokhara. We are going on a 5-day trek on the Tamang Heritage Trail. It should be fun, and I'm excited to get to know my friends a little better. We are also going with one Nepali guide, and one Nepali porter. I hope that we will be able to talk to them a lot in Nepali. We need to practice!
Anyway, I should probably go...so many things to do!
Love,
Kori
So sorry that I haven't written anything on here for years it seems...everything is just moving so fast! Already I am halfway through the program. Its been exactly 2 months since I arrived in Nepal, and I have about 2 months left. We came back from the Tarai region a few weeks ago, which is where I last left off, so I'll do a quick summary of that: Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, was pretty cool, kinda, haha. The area was very underdeveloped, though many countries such as China, Singapore, Japan, and Germany have built some incredibly beautiful temples and monasteries in the area. We were able to walk through the ruins of the palace where the Buddha grew up, and then we visited the various landmark raised by different historical rulers in commemoration of the Buddha. We then left for Chitwan National Park, where stayed in this really fancy hotel (it had toilet paper and hot water- SAY WHAT?!), climbed elephants (via their faces - place one hand on each ear, step one foot on the trunk just below the eyes, and just...pull yourself up!), walked quickly and determinedly away from a potentially angry rhino in the Chitwan jungle, and ate snails with a local ethic group called the Tharu people. Dang those snails were good! But I couldn't master the art of slurping them out of their shells. I had to resort to crushing their shells with my teeth and then pull the meat from the shards.
Yesterday we just came back from another trip to Pokhara, a very touristy town where you can see the beautiful Annapurna mountains, and canoe across a crystal clear lake. It was probably the nicest town I've seen in Nepal so far (thank you, tourism industry!). However, the best part of the trip was a three-day stay in the small Gurung village of Tang Ting, set on the steep slopes of the mountains surrounding Pokhara. It was incredibly beautiful there. As I walked along the stone paths lining the village, or threw rocks off of bridges with my little Gurung brother, all I could think of was Totoro, that awesome Japanese film of my childhood. I wish I had grown up there - my little brother spends his days catching fish in the nearby stream, or running up to the top of the mountain, looking for the monkeys and birds that live in the area. So beautiful, so beautiful. And the food was so good!!!!!
Tomorrow my friends and I are leaving for the Lang Tang area, which is actually very close to Pokhara. We are going on a 5-day trek on the Tamang Heritage Trail. It should be fun, and I'm excited to get to know my friends a little better. We are also going with one Nepali guide, and one Nepali porter. I hope that we will be able to talk to them a lot in Nepali. We need to practice!
Anyway, I should probably go...so many things to do!
Love,
Kori
Dear Kori,
ReplyDeleteYou are a badass.
Love,
spang