Sagarmatha-bound

This past week in Kathmandu involved many lessons on doing research, in general and particular to Nepal. One: call to confirm appointments - one man I was supposed to reach didn't happen to be at the World Wildlife Fund after a twenty minute bike ride over there. And then I found out he probably wasn't the best person to talk to anyway! Two: be flexible and patient. It's Nepal. Things run on Nepali time. Three: persistence is key. And a sense of humor. One day things seem utterly overwhelming, and the next I'm overjoyed about all the possibilities for my project and thesis research. It's exciting and difficult and an amazing experience all at once.
Finally got up the nerve to borrow a bike and helmet from SIT and biked home and to and from Thamel with a few friends. With the cars, buses, taxis, motorcycles, and rickshaws, plus the very lax traffic laws (I think the most important traffic signal, if you can call it that, in Nepal is the horn), it was a bit like an obstacle course and incredibly exhilarating. Fast and dusty and fun! Especially the last little, steep downhill to my house, after the corner with the huge tree growing up and around a tiny temple. The tree temple is beyond beautiful, and one of my favorite parts of the walk to school every day.
But barely a week back in Kathmandu, and we're about to leave again! Tomorrow we fly to Lukla, and then we have ten days up in the Solo-Khumbu region. The Everest region. We'll be trekking for several days, living with Sherpa families for five days, and visiting a monastery (where they recently saw a snow leopard). On Friday, an environmentalist at the Kathmandu Environmental Education Project showed us a slideshow about the Khumbu. At one point, a photo of the Tengboche monastery appeared on the screen: a tiny building on a ridgeline against a towering and gorgeous snow-covered peak. We had been a little antsy during the presentation, but at that point we all sat up, started smiling and laughing, and couldn't stop. Because we're going up into the Himalayas - it feels kind of like a dream.

Elephant bathtime

Spent this past weekend in the Terai, in and around Royal Chitwan National Park. Very touristy but an incredible time. Two of my friends illegally trespassed in the park (unknowingly) to go skinny dipping, and then were almost charged by two rhinos that chased each other across the river about 100 feet from where they were getting dressed. When they returned to Sunset Point, where we, along with about 100 other people, were waiting, they got a long lecture from a park official about how lucky they are. Ridiculous story! The next morning we took a safari on the back of an elephant into the park and saw rhinos (they're often called rhinosaurs here - I think because of different emphasis on syllables, but it makes me laugh), wild deer, wild boars, crocodiles, and peacocks. Peacocks can, by the way and to my complete surprise, fly, even with their tails! The first one I saw was perched fifty feet up in a tree, and the second one was preening with its tail spread. But after the safari we got to go give the elephants baths, which was one of the most fun events of my entire life. The entire town turns out to watch the elephants (and tourists) bathe in the river, and it is so much fun! Two friends and I clambered up an elephant's trunk and then were repeatedly tipped into the water as the elephant, whose name was Bijuli, or light, submerged itself. We would then ungracefully climb up its leathery, hairy side and do it all over again. Bijuli also kept spraying us, and I couldn't stop laughing and smiling. The final part of the day was a languid canoe ride down a crocodile infested river (made me think a little of Okeefenokee swamp, just minus the spiders and hysterical family) to the elephant breeding center. There we watched the adorable baby elephants - one just learning how to walk - and two escaped to come play with us!

Springtime

I just got back to Kathmandu from Darjeeling, and spring is here! It's lovely and warm out, and the tree down the street from me has the beginning of leaves on it. Today I am walking around in a skirt and flip-flops, which feels great! Kathmandu also feels much more pleasant after our weeklong trip to Darjeeling, India. We visited Darjeeling because about 80 to 90% of the population is of Nepali descent, and most speak Nepali, but it felt like a vacation. We had a few lectures, and language class most days, but a lot of our time was spent wandering around the city. Which is gorgeous - huge trees, lots of flowers, very steep hill, and a beautiful Hindu/Buddhist temple at the top of the hill where I was attacked by a scary little monkey who grabbed my skirt. On the way back we had to take bicycle rickshaws through lowland Nepal because there was a general strike. Although I felt badly for the drivers, they earned a lot of money, so I felt a little better about that, and the ride was amazing - water buffalo, fields, houses, lots of bicycles on the road, and wonderfully warm. In two weeks, though, we leave for the Everest region (the Khumbu), where I'm told it is very cold. So I'm enjoying the warmth while I get the chance and spending time with my Nepali family. Kriti and I were writing our names in Devengari on the concrete porch yesterday in chalk, and I can now write an entier letter in Devengari! Today in Nepali class we read an entire book in Nepali, which was fun but utterly exhausting. It really lets me know how hard it is to learn to read!