Kathmandou City. Hotel Anapurna Reception and Orientation

Day 1
1 October 2010
Kathmandou City
Our first day was one seeing arrival of others to the touring party.

This tour had been set up through much networking of the tour leaders and as it finally came together there were 28 women on the expedition each would later be divided into teams of four.

Members represented 9 countries. One woman was from the Ukraine, some from Israel, some from India and Australia, four girls who had experienced various competitions as a team, each highly athletic, came from Holland. There were four local Nepalese women and of course,  Hilary and I, the only mother and daughter pair, from South Africa. One member came from China and another from Mayanmar. Several came as friends but for us all, there was great interest value in meeting women from other nations and setting up communication and friendly rapport as we planned for the next ten days together. Our commonality was the enthusiasm and the fact that everyone could speak English very well. Our first evening we climbed into rickshaws and were taken to a delightful informal restaurant with a courtyard and everyone was asked to sit beside someone they had not yet met. The fun started on our return to the hotel with one Dutch girl member took over riding the rickshaw bicycle for its owner.

The following day was officially the start to the trip. There were a few members still to arrive through the day but for those already there we had an early morning meeting where we were given an orientation talk by the tour leaders Suzi and Smadar and we received the clothing, backpacks, body care products made from Galilee herbs by Moraz, some utensils and we were told of the grouping arrangements. Teams of four were named after Napalese gods such as Ganesh, Hanuman, and Tara. After Nepal's mountains, Everest and Fishtail and the river Trisili. We had a team Sherpa as well. Sherpas were our support through much of the trip which involved hiking. Sherpers proved to be strong men, smallish stature as is the general build of the Napalese but, they have great tenacity and endurance and ability to tolerate high altitudes.

We left in a luxuary coach for a tour of the city Kathmandou which is nestled in a valley, seemingly with little city planning and of course there were the unworried cows and ever present whizzing motor bikes busy with their taxi service. Houses opened onto streets with shops in the entrance to the house and merchandise spilled onto the pavement or was set up on tables or shelves for passers by to make ready purchase from the pavement. Peering into many of these buildings, they seemed dark, simple and unlovely. Yes,  poverty was evident. I was soon to learn that this poverty was that of the daily living and was relative to western culture and the contexts from which we the tourist had come.  There was great spiritual wealth and a strong cultural heritage. We were about to uncover some of this.

Our coach dropped us off at  Soyambunath dome, Swayambou where we saw in very close proximity both Hindu and Buddhist temples, on top of a hill within the Environmental Park. It was busy! There were throngs of devotees and always tourists. There were priests, spiritual offerings and lamps which santified and mystified the holy place. We were given some information on the religions by our tour guides Suzi, Smadar and the local guide Ramila. Colourful flags strung between buildings and across spaces were colourful and gay, though they held deep spiritual meaning for those who had erected them. These are not taken down and remain until they disintegrate. In the centre was a large circular structure with Buddhist prayer wheels. Visitors touched to spin each wheel with the right hand, circumnavigating the building, always clockwise, as the mantra - one which we were going to hear all over Nepal - was said:  Om Mani Padme Hum

Hilary like others in the group, has received a Budhist blessings.

and given red powder to her forehead and has the scarf placed around her neck.Carolyn from China, touches the prayer wheels as she walks around the building.

Colourful prayer flags

A devotee leans into the shrine to place an offering for his intention.











We made our way down the steep and long flight of stairs and took taxis and did some walking to Dubar Square and the Hanuman Dhoka Square where there were the royal palaces of Malla Kings and then these were taken ver by the Sha Kings in about 1769. In 2001 King Bir Bikram Sha was the king.

Lunch was had in the restaurant overlooking the square and teams had to design and make flags and banners to be used on the trip. Team Tara was ours! It was comprised of Marian and Cho Cho, Hilary and myself. After lunch we had a team challenge as we were sent on a trail finding our way between the temples in the city, using clues and talking to the locals. We were now working together as a team and who was highly competative? Team Trisili - the Dutch girls!