Thursday, February 11, 2010

Day 6: Bhaktapur and Banepa











Today was suppose to be SUPER exciting because I was going to get a preview of the placement I am going to on Saturday and Shivani and I were going to check out Bhaktapur (which is a village, that is what Kathmandu should look like if it would've been perserved). To my total surprise another volunteer Blake, decided to come with us...which made it more exciting, Blake is a TOTAL free spirit and I LOVE it!
Shivani, Blake and I headed out, caught a micro bus to the bus station, but the micro wouldn't take us there because the traffic was so bad. We had to get off and catch a taxi to the bus station. Then we got on the bus to Banepa, which luckily we got a seat :) The bus ride was suppose to be an hour, but it took closer to three hours. Ugh! We didn't get to Banepa until almost 3pm!
Then we walked up this curvy, hilly little road to the children's hospital in Banepa. I LOVED it! It was so green and secluded, two things you never really seem to find in Kathmandu. At the top of the hill was this PHENOMENAL facility, and this really sweet Nepali man met us to show us around (and if I could remember his name, It would be right here). The hospital is AMAZING, they have a HUGE ward, a surgical theatre, an adult clinic, a HUGE physical therapy room, and a WHOLE building dedicated to prosthetic limbs (the fitting and making of the prosthetic). After the tour, the man explained that there is a Cerebral Palsy (CP) clinic right in Banepa that I will be able to work at. The doctor there goes out to remote villages to work with children who have CP and I will also be able to go with him sometimes. I am so excited I can't wait!
After checking out the hospital, we walked back down the hill and tried to find somewhere to eat (somewhere safe!), but to no avail. Shivani, Blake and I then tried for 20 minutes to catch a bus. Finally, one packed bus let us on (Blake and I wanted to ride on the roof, but I don't think Shivani wanted us to) so we stood in the doorway of the bus and the bus boy was holding Blake and I on the bus. It was GREAT! It was a wild ride, but I loved it! When we got to Bhaktapur, the sun was setting so I got some great pictures of the mountains and the temple area. Then we were back on a bus to Kathamandu, but we had a seat for the long ride. YAY!
Once back in Kathamandu, we couldn't find a taxi from the bus station to Dhapasi...we walked for at least 15 minutes, until finally we found a taxi to take us! Let me remind you that we haven't eaten all day! The instant Blake and I got back to the volunteer house, we inhaled so dinner. Dhal bhat (rice and curry), has NEVER tasted so good! After our long day of travel, I used the internet (because YAY the power was on!) and went to bed. Tomorrow should be interesting, we are going Shivarati...which is 100,000 naked holy men at Pashupati! Expect a GREAT blog. Until then...

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