Sunday 27th March 2016
*More pictures will be added when Parentals get home* :)
*More pictures will be added when Parentals get home* :)
We both had a reasonable sleep last night. Getting up at 6.30 we showered and went for breakfast which consisted of a buffet with a selection of fresh fruit, cereal and accompanied with bread, nam and croissants.
We met our guide Ram downstairs at 8am, our 4x4 was loaded, our cook and porter joined us and we set off on our journey. Kathmandu was busy with lots of poor and damaged buildings all around, but it was hard to say whether or not it was earthquake damage. As it's the dry season, everything is very dusty which made it often hard to see in front. The sun is there but blocked by so much dust in the air.
We head out of Kathmandu and drive slowly on the Nepal/India highway. The road is very windy and steep and we are held up many times. This is the same road we took to Chitwan in 2012 after we had completed Everest Base Camp.
After a couple of hours, we leave the highway and head into the mountains. An hour later we stop in a town to get vegetables before leaving the road and continuing on a dirt track.
Around 12.30pm we stop in small town for lunch where we have the traditional Daal Bhat (rice with curried vegetables and pickle) which tasted good.
Ram and the others sat elsewhere, but Ram came back after lunch to chat. We learnt that he had been with Ace Himalaya for 7 years now but was also studying in commerce. He really enjoys his work at present as a guide but would like to go into banking later. Soon it was time to get back in car and head, still a long way to go.
For the next few hours, it becomes very bumpy and tricky, especially when the track is narrow and you meet a convoy of trucks and buses. Children wait at the side for their school bus, it is exam time.
Passing many villages you see the destruction of the earthquake, there is clearly so much work to be done.
Goats, cows, chickens and children roam the roads. Stopping at the last small town for a drink we see a house more or less on its side. No one was in at the time, which was good.
After a nine hour journey, we arrive at Prem's and Ram's village and we see 2 of the new houses, Ram shows Prem's family home that was badly damaged by the earthquake, no one can stay there now. His brother lives nearby. Collecting the camping equipment at the 2nd house, we head for final destination and camp is set up next to house number four that we will work on. We sit at an old couple's house and are given the traditional red dot on forehead and flowers while we wait on tents being set up.
We later talk to Ram about Nepal, the politics of the country, the work to do on the house etc. We learnt that it was only in secondary school that Ram learnt English, but now English is part of the schooling from grade 1.
There is no water here and it is brought up in metal canisters. While waiting for tea, lots of family members arrived, not sure if they stay at the house or came to investigate us as they rarely see foreigners. We have tea around 7pm and during this we witness a huge thunderstorm, power is switched off and we eat by torch. Our cook had made lovely soup followed by omelette, noodles and veg which was lovely. While we ate, the old woman ground up maize for animal feed which increases the milk they yield whilst the old guy settled to his out door bed.
Once we have finished out tea it's after 8pm and we say goodnight and head for our tent. We will have breakfast at 7.30am to start work just after 8am.
Our first day has been dusty and tiring but also interesting. The real work however starts tomorrow.
