In action and reaction

What a week! Last Saturday we left busy Kathmandu behind to transport equipment (and ourselves) to the village. Early morning we had a meeting with Lotus for the solar equipment, the carpenter for school furniture and the truck driver. With a typical delay of two and a half hours we loaded everything and started our two day journey to Dhawa around 10am. It took around 5 hours on the ‘highway’ to reach Gorkha. The temperature at 35-40oC was only adding to the exhaustion and sometimes I wished we had a little bit of a London weather! We stayed overnight in a local guesthouse, offloaded the truck, and next day morning, equipment(plus cement and livestock food) were loaded to the 4 wheel drive truck for the special mission part of the journey.



Kathmandu to Gorkha transport




Gorkha to Dhawa 4WD transport


On the way, we passed through amazing remote villages and landscapes. The muddy road was only just suitable for using it. Riding on top of the loaded stuff made it an epic journey. It took 4 hours to do 32 kms in the jungle. At most of the journey we were doing rodeo risking falling from the truck to the sides. It was the most exhausting journey but the most enjoyable at the same time! We went through hills, gorges, villages. In fact we were the centre of attention to every local ‘high street’ we passed! Justin was filming and interviewing on the move at the top of the truck, I was taking photographs while making sure stuff remains well tighten and Dita holding us as well as paying attention to low trees for our safety. With very few stops we managed to arrive in Dhawa late afternoon.



On top of the truck while filming




Happy bus passengers




Typical Himalayan mud house




Typical Himalayan enjoyment




On the go, off the beaten track

And a short video of the special mission transport:



It was an amazing feeling, we made it! We arrived at the school’s playground and in 5 minutes we were surrounded by 20-30 villagers and many kids. They were all delighted! We start offloading the truck and all equipment was stored safely to nearby houses. Next, shower to the local tap and dhaal bhat (rice with vegetables) for dinner. This is the only food available in the village and we had it 3 times a day… Meat is expensive (buffalo or chicken) is served only once or twice a month as a treat.



Dhawa_Equipment just arrived




Dhawa_A happy headteacher(plus students and skillfull drivers)




Dhawa_Offloading truck (again)



Next day morning, the kids were waiting for us at the courtyard; when we arrived they all applauded. Giri, the head teacher gave a short speech (in Nepali and English) and we were traditionally welcomed with flowers and a red mark from flower powder on the forehead. It was a very emotional moment for me. I nearly teared, looking at the kids and all the staff school for first time, after months of hard work from London.



Dhawa_Next day morning assembly and small ceremony




Dhawa-Awarded




Dhawa-Awarded in nirvana



The next few days, I surveyed both buildings; LP inspected the building works and arranged for the carpenter and builder to be paid. We went in the jungle to see the wood poles for the transmission between the two buildings and checked the new school building. The roof is badly damaged after a big thunderstorm and almost half of it blew away! Even though we will connect this building with power too it is a setback as we would like to have both buildings ready at the same time. Nature here is sometimes fierce and possibilities for supplies and skilled workers are minimum!



Dhawa_Disastrous storm over the new school building




Dhawa_Giri explaining what happened (dodgy filming practices not using the headphones led to a new cameraman recruit...)




Dhawa_Our new cameraman recruit




Dhawa_Works undergoing




Dhawa_We love school!




Dhawa_Sumita, a Newari young girl in style



After 4 days of village life, it took us another two days (trekking and 4 buses) to leave the village to come in Pokhara where we have power and internet access so we can work. Pokhara is a beautiful, relaxed town next to Phewa lake at an altitude of 1400m. There are many shops, restaurants, internet cafes and trekking agencies to satisfy the large tourist intake most of them arriving here to continue for trekking at the Annapurna Himalayas. It is one of the most beautiful places in Nepal. We will stay for 4 days and then to Kathmandu for the last arrangements for 2 days and then to the village to start installations! Despite all difficulties the project is moving on!



On the way to Pokhara




Ticket conductors' dangerous practices



Pokhara_Phewa Lake-Never Ending Peace And Love NEPAL



I hope all of you are doing well and you are happy whatever you do wherever you are. Life is beautiful, not only in the Himalayas but everywhere in this planet. It is inside us all!


Nektarios



P.S Donations for the Dhawa school are most welcomed! LP is desperately seeking funds for fixing the new building’s roof, buying paint for the refurbished school, improve the wood work and the courtyard as well as building a stoned wall between the building and the road. Funds are also required for school equipment such as additional desks, computers and anything else a school kid has the right to access to. Please visit www.learningplanet.org.uk to see how can you help and let me know so I can give you more directions.

Thank you

On tour~

It has been an explorative and discovering week in Kathmandu and the valley around. I got a bike, drove around and got the most out of the delay we have with delivering the equipment in the village.

We have been waiting the last few days for the muddy primitive road to the village to dry up. The last part of the trip, from Arughat to Dhawa, 3-4 kms, is a very basic and dangerous road that only the village driver can drive it! Equipment (PVs, batteries, inverter, school furniture) needs to be transferred from one truck to the other to do the last bit. There is an idea to offload the staff to a warehouse in Arughat and wait a suitable day to do the last transfer! We cannot sit waiting for very long, as Justin says, we are getting cabin fever from our hotel rooms! :) Things are now underway and the transport is arranged for Saturday morning, we will load the equipment plus ourselves and off we go! We will stay 2-3 days and back to Kathmandu or Pokhara to get prepared for the installations!



PV panels ready to go



Batteries too



Inverter, the core of the system


And some info about the project itself, as promised on first post! Click the link below to open a pdf version of a presentation I delivered in London before I go. I hope you find it interesting!

http://bit.ly/bUpR6o



In the meanwhile, I had the chance to visit Bhaktapur, Bodhnath, Swayambhunath and Patan. All breathtaking places! Bhaktapur is a medieval city in Kathmandu valley with some of the finest religious architecture in the country. I arrived there about 3pm, and it was like I was transferred to another century, in another world! People at the old part of the town seem to be living exactly as they use to be 200 years ago! If you take out the motorbikes then it would be like walking back in time. I was lucky meeting a Thanka student (kind of mandalas with high precision and detail used as a tool for meditation, also made in sand). He took me to the school and saw their work. Amazed to learn they first meditate to achieve the level of calmness and peacefulness to do this detailed work! It takes sometimes years to complete a relatively big one and only made by the same person throughout.



Bhaktapur_Taleju temple



Bhaktapur_Handicrafts



Bhaktapur_Back street



Bhaktapur_Durbar square



Bhaktapur_Amish, the Thanka student



Bhaktapur_Tibetan Thanka art school



Bhaktapur_Thanka art school exhibition



Bhaktapur_Fairtrade



Bodhnath, at the outskirts of Kathmandu, is a Tibetan Buddhists neighbourhood. This is one of the few places in the world where Tibetan Buddhism is accessible and exercised without fear. There is a massive Stupa there, a religious structure of monumental size. Monks, Sherpas and normal people go around it (clockwise) while spinning the prayer wheels for good fortune. I really felt privileged being there. The mystic atmosphere of the place took my breath away realising how spiritually intellectual these simple people are. I had to leave the place, the rain was coming and in fact I ended up soaked wet in a little clothe shop waiting for it to go.



Bodhnath_A temple just off the main stupa



Bodhnath_Buddhists preparing for pray



Bodhnath_Student monks do their round



Bodhnath_Autofocus with a monk on nikes passing by



Swayambhunath is located at a hill at the end of the city. I can see it from the rooftop of the hotel. Mobbed by monkeys at its foothills, a long staircase with ancient carvings into every available space takes you to the top. The smell of incense and butter lamps in the air makes it an intoxicating experience. This temple represents the fine, peaceful and chaotic mix of two religions, Buddhism and Hinduism. People from both religions pilgrim at the same temple! I was already amazed how people from different beliefs (not extremely different) live here tolerant together peacefully but this time I’ve seen the ritual from close and, believe me, it was a staggering experience!


Swayambhunath_Cheeky monkeys, trying to steal your food..



Swayambhunath_Exhausting but rewarding



Swayambhunath_Kathmandu view



Swayambhunath_The stupa(1)



Swayambhunath_The stupa(2)



Swayambhunath_Unifying sculptures



Swayambhunath_Prataputra temple



Swayambhunath_The Thunderbolt



Swayambhunath_Prayer wheels (after a good spin to take the shot)


Last, but not least, Patan or Lalitpur (City of Beauty) as locals prefer it. Once an independent city-state, is now almost a suburb of Kathmandu. The city’s durbar square (something like the high street) includes the finest collection of temples and palaces in the whole Nepal. Amazing Newari architecture, very well preserved. I wondered around for hours, and then sat and watched the world-go-by from the terraced platforms of Vishwanath temple. I had my mp3 player with me and tuned in to some relevant music and tripped away. Again, it seemed to me I am in a time and space far away from 2010, from the busy streets of London or Athens. The world here is different, mysterious.


Patan_ex Royal Palace now museum



Patan_Biyam and Binit (got their emails and promised will send them the photo)



Patan_Amazing wood carving



Patan_Royal Palace internal



Patan_Dancing Kali on sale



Patan_Local street leading to the Golden temple



Patan_Artifacts on sale



Patan_The Golden temple (didn't see gold, probably is hidden:)



Patan_Kids playing at temple



Patan_Please join the queue!



Patan_Proud-to-be students



Patan_Amazing Krishna temple



Patan_Durbar square(1)



Patan_Durbar square(2)



Patan_Autofocus at durbar square



Patan_Off we go! (photo taken by a local miniature statue seller)



Will post news again when back from the village! Real adventure starts tomorrow!

Keep in touch!


Nektarios
+9779849557550





‘The Nepali view of the world is dominated by prayer and ritual where gods are not remote, but present beings that can influence human affairs in very direct ways. The divine is everywhere, from the greeting Namaste which means ‘I greet to the divine side of you’ to the spirits of gods present in trees, passes, sacred rivers and mountain peaks!’ Lonely Planet, Nepal, 8th Edition.