Torch

It was late. We meant to arrive about 3 hours earlier, but the motorbike’s flat tire caused quite a delay. It could have been fixed faster. The repairman only lived an hour away, but the truck he hitchhiked on broke down, then the bus that picked him up had a flat. Hence the three-hour delay.

Also, the family we were visiting wasn’t expecting us. Though they’ve got no electricity or phone lines, they have a mobile phone. Only the battery was dead. That means surprise.

Having guests surprise you in Nepal is pretty common. Anytime during the day is ok, but to show up at 9 pm is quite a surprising surprise.

We got to the end of the navigable path at 9 pm. We weren’t there yet. Everyone at the first cluster of houses we came to was awake. Motorcycles don’t come here often, so they all stepped out of their elevated mud huts and climbed down the ladders to see who the visitors were. It was at this point I wish I had a film crew with me.

We hadn’t yet met the people we came to see, but these families were all friends. They instructed us to park our motorbikes underneath one of the houses for the night. I’m not sure how many times they’ve seen Caucasians, but it’s doubtful that any have come to their houses, much less this late at night. The kids walked right up to me. The adults squinted in the low light and held up their torches to get a better look. (in international English, a torch is a flashlight…but I mean real torches)

We didn’t know the way to our destination, so one of the elderly ladies offered to have her teenage granddaughter lead us there. We complied. She picked up her torch, lit it and started down the footpath. I followed and behind me were 5 kids from the first cluster of houses. They wanted to spend more time with the foreigner.

We were lead through brush – I thought a machete would’ve been nice, jumping over streams and through the jungle. It was not a well worn path. Perhaps the normal path was flooded or washed out.

It was well after 9 pm when we arrived. The family we came to visit was still up. They were quite surprised when my entourage showed up. Though they were preparing for bed, they eagerly welcomed us with lengthy conversation (all in Nepali) before giving us their only beds. They’ll sleep on the porch.

I think there’s a business opportunity in here somewhere: StormTrekkers Adventures.

Two Wheels

Two wheels are better when it comes to getting around Nepal. Bikes for shorter distances are great, but for mid-distance travel, motorbikes are nice (for long distance, take a plane if possible). Motorcycles provide ample leg and head room. There is no annoying music emanating from blasted-out speakers. Oh, and no strangers are sitting in your lap. The aggravations of standard Nepali bus travel are safely left behind. Bliss.

While in mid and far-western Nepal, I rode a borrowed motorcycle for 550 km (341 miles) in three days. This was no Honda Goldwing, but the sore buttocks were worth it. It should be stated that these roads are Nepali roads. Even the pavement is rarely that. There were two washed out bridges on the main 'highway'. There were two other places where the monsoon rains had flooded the highway. Fording a small river on a motorbike is fun! There were landslides that covered the road. There was road 'maintenance' underway in a few places. A few of the roads we took weren't even roads at all; just paths normally used for walking. Thankfully there were no strikes on the roads that we drove on. Freedom of travel is much appreciated.

Many of those kilometers were through Bardiya National Park. Nepalis are leery of driving through there on a motorbike alone in the early morning or late evening. There are stories, fairly recent, of tigers pulling people off motorbikes and angry elephants using the highway for their travels. I think these stories sound fantastic, but the Nepalis shudder at the thought.

The wildlife that I saw from the motorbike includes: 6 spotted deer, 1 jackal, 1 peacock, 1 snake, 15 monkeys, 3 mugger crocodiles, and 5 gharial crocodiles. All free of charge.

A Visit to the West

This past week I traveled to Nepal's Mid-Western and Far-Western regions. The purpose of my trip was to visit some more people who have been trained in Kathmandu (see 'A Visit to the East' from May 4). I was able to visit 5 of them, though there are more in that area.

Another reason that I went was to visit a Kamaiya community. The Kamaiyas are people who were bonded slaves, but are now freed. When they were freed, they had nothing, so the government provided them with a small patch of jungle to call home; a place to build their village. Their village had been there for 2 or three years. This village is not unique. There are several other places in Nepal where the landless have been given some portion to live and grow their food on. One way to think of them is internal refugees.

I was visiting the village to check out their school. ServLife is exploring an opportunity to be involved. Right now, they have a two room building built of mud bricks and a grass roof. Depending on the agricultural season, there can be over 100 students at the school. Besides the building, they have nothing. There is no water supply or toilet. There are no blackboards, books or desks. The teachers volunteer their time. This school is the only educational opportunity for the children of 500 families that live in this Kamaiya village. This is a great opportunity to help out children in need.

This trip was adventurous...more later.

Dream of Justice

ServLife has launched the Dream of Justice campaign, and all are invited to check out the new Web site: www.dreamofjustice.net.

We believe and hope this site will be a great resource and inspiration for you and a place to hear stories of people who are dreaming and desiring to see the world become a place that God intended.

Share the ways you can see change happen in your community and these changes can become a ripple effect that can spread throughout the world.

Dreaming is our God given ability and not reserved for only a few.

Jenn and I were recently featured on a podcast posted to that site. If you want to hear it, click on this link. If you want to download it, just right click on the link and select the 'save link as...' option.

The Toilet and the Monsoon

First I must comment on yesterday's general strike across Nepal. It was absolutely ridiculous. Of course, none of the strikes make sense to me, but the strike on June 18 was just silly.

A government minister reprimanded an official that worked under him. The official was apparently operating an illegal quarry. Instead of going through official discipline channels (fire him, have him arrested and face trial- surely you can be arrested for something like this), the minister decided to lock the official in the bathroom for an hour and a half. I think he got off easy, he should be in jail. However, this bathroom must have been particularly filthy, because he complained to the media.

Because of an illegal quarry and 90 minutes in a government toilet, the nation sat on idle. No buses, taxis, cars, motorbikes.... Shops were closed, people were stranded.... People who violated the strike had their keys taken from them... Two wrongs - or 10 - don't make a right.

-also-

The monsoon is here. I think it officially came on June 1. But for the past two days, it has been unmistakable. Clouds, rain and a slight chill are welcomed this time of year. It makes getting around town tough, but it knocks the heat down quite a bit. It's not so bad.

Loss

We had to say goodbye recently to some friends of ours. They were foreigners here in Nepal teaching and coaching some Nepali youth. Unexpectedly, their work visa was rejected. Since they had run out of tourist visa days, they had to leave immediately, paying a pretty stiff fine. They were forced to leave 4 days after finding out their visa was rejected. They may have been forced out earlier if they didn't scramble and try 'one last time' to get their visa approved.

We are incredibly empathetic towards them and their situation. We are trying to work through our visa issues as well. If things don't go right - as in their case - we could find ourselves having to leave too. We're praying for a smooth ride for our paperwork and visas.

We miss our friends dearly and look forward to their return.

Scrumptious

...inside their stomachs was an extraordinary number of plastic bags. "More than 50, 60 bags," per cow...

That is an excerpt from an NPR story about the fate of cows in modern day India. In Nepal however, cows are more health conscious. I often observe them mixing some cardboard and newspaper in to have a well balanced diet. Everyone knows all those additives and free-radicals that you find in plastic bags are bad for you...even if you do have four stomaches.

Empty Palace

Today, former king of Nepal Gyanendra Shah left the palace for good. Here in Patan, a city bordering Kathmandu to the south, you couldn't tell. No protests, no jubilation...just business as usual. I guess the Nepalis are serious about this democracy thing.

Other big news around Nepal are oil prices. Yeah, it's expensive in the States too. I hear it's $4 a gallon around there. Compared to much of the world, that's cheap! In Nepal, the previous price (set by the government) was 80 rupees per liter - about $4.50 per gallon. Now the price per liter is 100 rupees - about $5.60 per gallon. Good thing I don't have a car.

Yeti Found

Local legend says that there are many yetis living in the Himalayas. They apparently are large enough to snap a yak's neck whenever they feel inclined to do so. There are several books that outline their existence and offer eye witness accounts. Every now and then, there will be some press release detailing evidence found by some research team like hair, footprints, scalps....here's the latest article.

Export Quality

The other day we were hanging around with a mixed group of foreigners and Nepalis. Usually, when we hang out with anyone, Solomon steals the show. The effect is exponential when Nepalis are involved. And of course, nobody likes to see a baby get hurt...again, exponential. So the other day when we were standing around talking amongst the group, Solomon was doing the same. He loves to stand, walk and run his mouth; much like us adults. But Solomon falls, often.

I was speaking with one Nepali fellow when he abandoned our conversation and dove to catch a bumbling, unsteady Solomon. He seemed scared for Solomon's life... and I was looking for more tea. I told the guy that it is okay if Solomon falls, as he doesn't fall far, his diaper pads his landing, and besides, the concrete floors around here are soft. The Nepali man was helping my son back on his feet and he looked at me and said, "Oh, he is export quality." I agreed, and Solomon got a new nickname.

Export quality is a term used around Nepal to describe something as well-built and dependable. I suppose that says something for goods built and intended for use in Nepal.

Tinkering Around

I've been tinkering around with the blog for a few minutes tonight. I thought it might be cool to change the background (not the title this time). None of the available colors interested me, so I digitally flipped through my photo album of life and found this image. It is a picture of the ground in Death Valley NP that I took while backpacking in 2003. It is, of course, subject to change.

The picture in the title box is the village of Sanne, in the hills of eastern Nepal. Sanne is where I'm hoping to get more involved by starting a ServLife program to offer micro-loans for micro-businesses. That program is still in the development stages right now.

Welcome To the New Nepal

In case you haven't heard, we are no longer in a 'kingdom'. As of May 28, 2008, Nepal is officially a republic. The vote eventually went down yesterday - after a 12 hour delay for some more political posturing - to sack the king.

According to one news website, the proposal states that Nepal is now "an independent, indivisible, sovereign, secular and an inclusive democratic republic nation". That's a powerful statement, let's hope it holds true and is lasting.

The vote passed with 560 out of 564 members voting for the proposal. The king has been given 15 days to leave Narayanhiti Royal Palace, which will soon become a museum. Everyone is hoping that this transition goes smoothly, but many people have doubts. I'll buy a ticket to see this new museum when it's ready.

As for us, we can't tell a difference. There is still no rule-of-law or any authority willing to enforce the laws that are in place. The government is occupied worrying about themselves and their alleged authority. The holy Bagmati river still smells to high heaven. Life goes on.

We're staying healthy and leaving the monkeys alone.

Taking Things For Granted?

I'll have you know that you probably do take things for granted. We do too, to be sure. Though, we thoroughly appreciate a long, hot shower.

We've been back to Nepal for just under three months now, and until this week, we had no hot shower. Yes, we had a shower. Yes, we can make water hot. But putting them both together is a magical thing.

Having a hot shower now is all fine and dandy. It just might be a lifesaver come winter time. Thank you, God, for hot showers.

Twinkle Toes

We have received just a glimpse of what is to come. Tonight Solomon walked back and forth between mom and dad several times. I would not go as far as to say that he is walking, but he is oh, so close. I think he's put 4 or 5 unassisted steps together many times now.

We are a little worried, however. His feet move so fast, and have done so since day one. I'm afraid that when he gets it figured out we won't be able to stop him.

A Visit to the East

Below I have posted a few scenes from the Eastern region of Nepal. I took a trip there to visit some of the people that have been trained in Kathmandu over the past year. I was also looking for an opportunity to start a microfinance pilot project in one of the villages out there.

Squat toilets were the norm. I should count my blessings however, because many places in Nepal don't have proper toilets at all. By 'proper' I mean a ceramic bowl or at least something shaped like a bowl with a hole in the bottom.

Daal Bhaat was the norm as well. That's rice and lentils for those who are not familiar. Thankfully, I was spared breakfast. In the morning, instead of Daal Bhaat I had quite the variety including Ramen noodles, toast, and glucose biscuits.
This is a village outside of Hile. The elevation is just over 6000 ft. At the moment, no roads lead there, just a footpath.


In Eastern Nepal, raising pigs is not that uncommon. It's a source of meat and income.


This is the typical settlement on the Terai, the lowland plains that stretch the length of the country. The elevation here is around 300 ft.

Nepal Election Success

The election is over, for the most part. There are 33 constituencies that have had their vote rescheduled because of violence or murder leading up to the polls. I'm surprised it wasn't more, because every day the paper mentioned fresh violence and had pictures of bloody candidates in a hospital.

Well, Thursday, election day, was very peaceful. As I walked around, I noticed empty streets , clean air, and smiles on the faces of Nepalis. There was zero traffic because of a ban on motor transportation for the whole day. The newspaper reports that traffic police confiscated 231 motorbikes that violated the traffic ban. People were dressed up in fancy saris and topis (formal Nepali hats that men wear) to cast their vote. Most people I encountered were excited about the vote.

The night before the election, there was an all night prayer vigil for the elections and Nepal in general. I feel that the prayers were heard. There was no violence in Kathmandu, though a few isolated incidents occurred at a few polling stations in the Terai.

Here are some photos of a polling station near our house.

Post Here

Posting here should be somewhere near the top of the priority list.  Communication is important for us, and stormtrekkers.com is important part of our communication.  That's just a reminder for me.

On Friday night around 8 pm or so, a few bombs went off in Kathmandu.  We heard a couple of them.  Being close enough to hear them is a scary thought.  But on Saturday morning, it was as if nothing had happened at all.  The Nepalis don't seem concerned, and the foreigners only talked about that for a day or so.  They were just small bombs, you know.  The good news is, there were no bombs in Kathmandu today.  

On a related note, there will be elections on Thursday.  On that day, and perhaps a few more, there will be an official vehicle curfew in town.  This is supposed to thwart anyone who has in mind to disrupt elections.  That's what the bombs were all about on Friday too.  Many people think that those loyal to the royal government will try one last time to stop democracy.  

Then there is the possibility to a violent reaction to results of the polls.  These pre-election, election, and post-election concerns have us in a protective posture.  Hopefully we won't need to out be on the streets at all for the next few days.  Even better, all these precautions will amount to nothing more than precautions - kind of like the Y2K bug.  

On a much lighter note, we've been back into Nepali studies for 2 weeks.  At first, it was very humbling when we realized how much we have forgotten.  Now, we're encouraged.  We're quickly getting back up to where we left off.  

Solomon is a rugrat.  He crawls, he stands he grabs things you don't want him to grab, he plays with pots and pans, he pulls the dogs hair and he refuses to do any of the chores around the house.  Kids these days.....

He's adorable.

In the News

My bike was in the shop today. The back wheel was bent, not tacoed, but slightly out of alignment. To pass some time while it was being repaired, I visited a local bookstore to buy a map of the country (helps me tremendously when learning about people groups and what news is happening where).

As I walked from the bookstore back to the cycle shop, I came across quite a scene. Tibetans were causing quite a ruckus in front of the United Nation's Nepal office, the UN House. They were mad, not what I typically get from greeting Tibetan exiles on the streets of town. I found out that these mad Tibetans were just a straggling, four-woman offshoot of the main protest that was proceeding down the street.



The protest was quite vocal. I saw one protester yelling as he was carted away in a police van. Further up the sidewalk was a group of about 15 protesters actively being pushed down the street, away from the UN House, by a group of about 3 riot police.

I've seen some protest marches before from the Maoists, right down the main roads of Kathmandu. For those protests, the police just sit around and watch. Almost as if they are scared to take control of law and order. This protest was different, however. These police officers were out of their comfortable squatting positions. Has the culture of the police force changed? Or is China somehow influencing Nepal's actions?

Play Time

Solomon is playing with our guard dog. Solomon laughs when the dog takes a toy in her mouth and wildly swings her head, trying to tear the toy apart. Our boy mimics that often at the dinner table.

Baby Steps

No, not real baby steps. Give us a few more months for that blog. I'm talking about changing cultures. We're taking baby steps to integrate ourselves. The photo is of Jenn preparing our first meal out of chicken from a Nepali butcher shop. Normally, the butchers just hack away at the poor bird and you end up with meat hardly fit for soup. Our friend took Jenn to a butcher who knows how westerners like their poultry cut. You have to ask for big pieces. In the photo, Jenn is trying to remember her high school biology so she can identify this chicken part. Finding the neck was easy.