It struck me the other day when I was playing with the zoom out on Google Maps. I will literally be half way around the world. Not the new fad of casually sprinkle “literally” around. No, the actual definition of literally. Literally, literally. Which further invites the question I keep getting; what are you actually going to do way over in Nepal?
I covered in another blog (Orphanages Without Orphans) what type of volunteering I will be doing and why it is important to turn from disreputable orphanages and towards community support. Here’s the run down of what MY time will actually look like.
It will be an adventure just to get there. Departing from good ole O’Hare, I’ll get to layover briefly in Abu Dhabi (U.A.E.) and then Mumbai (India) before finally arriving Friday morning in Kathmandu. No time to hop out and about at either layover (or at least not enough time to make getting a visa and doing customs worth it.) Once in Kathmandu I’ll go through the process of getting my visa at the airport and coming “in country” before being spit out into the chaos of the capital. The streets of Kathmandu, like many streets in southeast Asia, are (in)famous for free-wheeling, smog-filled chaos. Luckily, a representative from my host company, VIN, will be there to pick me up and escort me to the hotel I’ll be staying at for orientation.
While in Kathmandu I’m staying at the Hotel Premium in the Thamel tourist district. I applaud the Hotel Premium on their direct naming strategy and am grateful for a private “Western toilet” bathroom, a TV, wifi, and a rooftop restaurant with good views of the Monkey Temple and the mountains. I’m all for easing into this just a bit. (Also winning the name game in Kathmandu lodging: the Peace Zone Hotel, the Sparkling Turtle, the Rising Happiness Hostel, the Truly Asia Boutique hotel and my favorite, Be Here Now Inn.)
Our volunteering company, VIN, has us spend 3 days learning in Kathmandu. During this time we will get an orientation on the agency and courses in culture, customs, health, history and daily living tips. We will get a crash course in basic language. So far I’ve got 5 words down pat: namaste (hello and goodbye, cheat! ), dhan’yavada (thank you), ho (yes), hunna (no), and didi (sister, both literal and metaphorical title). Just a few more to go. Ha!
Our host company will also use those 3 days to orient each of us on the program we are working on and go over the lessons we will teach or the tasks we will perform. They will also take us on a tour of the major sites in Kathmandu, primarily the temples and the palace complexes.
On the fourth day we head out to our respective sites. I will be in Kavresthali, a village area 11km (7miles) outside of Kathmandu. Kavresthali is primarily bound in poverty, climbing up the “hills” of the Shivpuri National Park and close enough to be impacted by, but not yet thrive from, Kathmandu. The village welcomed VIN’s women’s empowerment project after seeing the economic success from another community’s cooperative women’s group with VIN. The project at Kavresthali is in its early stages and I’ll be able to help both present and build programming depending on the group’s needs and requests. I’ll be there for 10 days. Ten days is a long time in the world of American vacation leave, but quite a short time in global volunteering (or even other developed countries’ leave times.)
While in Kavresthali I’ll be staying with a host family. I’m promised my own locked room (possibly shared with another volunteer of the same gender), a bed, a pillow, three meals a day, two tea breaks, and access to a restroom. It’s recommended to bring things like a sleeping bag, water treatment tablets, a lantern, a travel towel, and lots and lots of batteries and chargers with the possible power outages. It makes me thankful that my Girl Scout troop was big on roughing it.
The programs start and end on the 1st and 15th of any month, with 2 weeks being the minimum time you can volunteer (many go longer, you just have to exit on the 15th of a month.) So, after my volunteer time, I have a few days to pass before I hit the sweet spot of cheap flights (Tuesday/Wednesday). VIN supports its volunteers in organizing reputable excursions while in Nepal, both before and after volunteering and on the weekends. I may hike with a group up to the nearby vista at Nargakot and tour the historic city of Bhaktapur.
If I really have my way, I’ll get out to Pokhara and take a guided day hike with a 
women’s group in the shadow one of the Himalayan queens, Annapurna. Either way, I promise, promise, promise I will not hike or tour alone or as the only tourist. If it comes down to it, I’ll crash at this chic resort just outside of Kathmandu and shower and rest 🙂
Then, I head out. Back through Abu Dhabi with an overnight layover. Luckily this thing called Aerotel exists: hotels IN the airport that keep you from having to leave security areas and go back through customs. So I’ll hang “airside” instead of “landside” and get a good, private night’s sleep and shower. Then Chicago and home.
And then, finally, Hubs, our doggy boy Luke, and sleep.
what an adventure–but still your ‘rents will be holding their breaths!
Understandable. Just make sure to breath every once in awhile!