Just Another Day

You may have noticed that I'm not particularly good at maintaining my blog.  Consequently, when I do get around to it, I only cover major events.  This post is dedicated to the little things I wouldn't otherwise share.

7-day "home stay" training, where we learned how to make "foreign" food, some of which even tasted good.

Digging a huge pit for rain water harvesting.

As long as the tractor was here, we might as well dig a new road.  It provided amusement for all.

Aama churning milk to make ghee.

Planting more coffee seedlings in our plantation.

A new bell was donated for the temple and so people from all around came bringing animals (chickens, goats, buffaloes) to sacrifice.  It was a bloodbath.

I built a solar oven and now bake bread all the time.

My niece and I are pretty much best friends right no

Sending my brother off to Korea to work.

Preparing for another feast.

Family Visits

In March my sister arrived for a week or two of adventure.  A week or two goes by really fast in Nepal, but we did have the awesome opportunity to go on a trek up Poon Hill.  If you ever find yourself in this part of the world, I definitely recommend reserving a few days for a trek.

The trail took us from bustling roadside towns, through small rural villages, and then into lush forests.

Somehow I thought living in Nepal for the past year and a half and walking everywhere would leave me if relatively good shape.  I was wrong.  Turns out I've gotten really old and don't enjoy pain like I used to.

All the same, we made it to the top without dying and enjoyed spectacular views and the knowledge that (theoretically) things should be downhill from then on.

We also experimented with See's chocolates as a trekking food.  I can't say my stomach always appreciated it, but it was great motivation to to wake up every morning.

Following our trek, we spent a few days in my village, took a whirlwind tour of Kathmandu, and then we parted, giving me just enough time to pick the parents up in Pokhara and head off with them to my village, where they got to enjoy a true Nepali experience.

 

And then we were off to see the world, or at least a very small part of it.  We started off in Chitwan National Park, visiting the crocodiles in the river and riding around on elephants.

And then I dragged us all around Kathmandu.  I may have a slight tendency to  insist on walking everywhere and taking the roundabout path.  Some people might call it getting lost, but I call it going on an adventure.  Either way, my parents were troopers.

If you're going to be in this part of the world, you have to visit the Taj Mahal, right?  So we went off to India for two whole days.  We saw beautiful things, but if you really want to experience India, you should probably take a little more time.

By the end of the trip, Mom and Dad were practically Nepali (which is why they're trying really hard not to smile).