Namaskar Nepal! The first impressions before setting off on my expedition to Okhaldhunga

After a long and tiring journey from Poland, finally I arrived in Nepal safe and sound. I have never been to this country before. It was the end of February in Kathmandu. I felt excited, I had just started my five-month EVS adventure! A member of VIN's staff picked me up from the airport and took me to the hotel in Thamel district. I met other volunteers there. We spent a whole week together in the heart of the Nepali capital. We were hosted in the VIN's office everyday where we received many useful tips and advice concerning the healthcare system in Nepal, the cultural differences, the most important information about project. Moreover, I had some time to get used to a new environment, find out more about the Nepali culture and get to know interesting people. We had many ice-breaking workshops as well. Additionally, I started learning Nepali language. Definitely, it was an occasion to prepare for my future work in a rural area in Okhaldhunga Region. Apart from that, our group of volunteers got a chance to take a jeep and experienced the truly bumpy roads in this beautiful country. First, we went to a farm on the outskirts of Katmandu where the owners showed us some methods of planting vegetables and told us about the irrigation systems they use to make them better. Then, we visited a kindergarten and a school. We met some teachers who invited us to the classes. We could play with children, spoke English to them, told others about Europe and places we come from. All students turned out to be extremely friendly and interested in our stories, we had a lot of fun there. After a little break in school, we all went to the meeting with women who had decided to set up a cooperative, a place where they are able to organize their future plans and collect some money for the innovations to develop the nearest area. I took a great pleasure in having some conversations with them, could observe how the female community deals with its problems, resolves them and improves the local society. I was impressed by some activities that people in Nepal organize to make their life a better place. That was an amazing experience. During the stay in Kathmandu I also tasted the Nepali cuisine. Eating Mo:Mo, Tarkari, Daal-Bhat was a great pleasure in the capital of Nepal. I visited the most known and worth-seeing places in the city indeed. I will never forget the fabulous temples, interesting stupas and other beautifully ornamented historical buildings. The scenery was spectacular. I was lucky, my hotel was a stone's throw from many shops, cafés and restaurants in Thamel, so I had an opportunity to go for a cup of popular milk coffee, try national Nepali food, do shopping, send some postcards to Europe and take plenty of pictures of smiled people in the streets. So many precious moments...I had taken a rest and recharged my batteries before the journey to the final destination - Okhaldhunga...