I am the luckiest man on the Earth. I just returned from a weekend of whitewater kayaking on the Trisulli River in Nepal. I went along with a rafting trip for volunteers from Himalayan Encounters (the NGO that the other volunteers - Angela, Lee and Joli - came to Bandipur through) and kids from the village. I just tagged along...and somehow scored a free t-shirt out of the deal. Sweet. The river was incredible. An onlooker would have seen 3 rafts full of screaming kids and volunteers that would fly down the rapids, and then a bearded man in a kayak somewhere in the mix of foaming water, paddles and MASSIVE waves. I had fun. It was kind of scary because they just kept shooting the rapids without scouting, so I would just yell to Dill (the lead Nepali guide), asking what to look out for…and I would get an explanation yelled back that might sound something like this: "OH! You stay middle, then right, then left…and watch out for washing machine!"…thanks Dill. And for the record…the washing machine was intense…and I hit it straight on. In the (cold) morning I also got to go out kayaking with Dill, and we played around in some rapids near where we were staying. He gave me some helpful tips (he's a pro!), which was very cool.
So Tim, are you doing anything to HELP people lately, or are you just having a blast going kayaking!? Ok…Valid question. But don't worry, this week I'll work extra hard to make up for all the fun I had. I think our schedule at Bhanu might be returning to normal, because their exams are ending soon I think, so that'll be good. So far class 3 has been very keen on music, so lately we've been singing "baa baa black sheep", "Old MacDonald (had a farm)", and "Head and shoulders (Knees and Toes)". Keepin' it real with "Tupac Shakur"…er…"Dipak Sir" (good one Jon). Oh! Did I mention that we had our first game of Ultimate Frisbee last Wednesday with a bunch of the kids!? We did. It was a draw, 2-2. We needed some more consistent defense and we would have taken it, but those are the breaks. Also, Lee and Angela left today, which is sad. Remy and I got along very well with Lee (www.byebyewest.blogspot.com), and he is staying in Nepal for 3 more months, so we plan on hanging out in the coming weeks.
And as for the title of this update…I'm really digging Nepali Tea.
Peace.
2 comments:
Tim:
We are just getting caught-up on your experiences. What time you are having in Nepal! Great description of the whitewater rafting - it gave us all the sense of the intensity of it.
Our prayers are with you as you teach (and learn). You have a LOT to give - don't hold back any of your gifts.
Robert & Lise Struthers
Hi Tim,
Great to read your stories. It seems like ages since we met yourself, Angela, Lee and Remy (in the Ke Garne Cafe) during our brief stay in Bandipur. We have been back in Australia for just two weeks but it seems like forever. It is great to hear that you are settled and well involved with the teaching projects you set out to achieve. I will follow your travel notes with great interest.
Take care. Kind regards
Michelle and John Small
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