Saturday

Yesterday we went by minibus through streets broad and narrow, some no more than what would be farm tracks in the UK to the northern part of the city where the school is situated down a dusty lane. It is enclosed by a huge metal gate and we went through a small door in it into this huge earthen playground where some 2,000children were lined up in rows, boys to the right of a raised concrete path which lead to a further raised platform behind which is a large statue of Buddha. The girls were similarly lined up to the left of the path. They were all singing the school song as we went in, and after we were introduced to the head and other staff and after a cup of lemon tea, we were all taken along the central path to the stage, where the head introduced us to the school to a great round of applause.He then brought the tiniest wee girl with her hair in bunches with her little school uniform on up on to the stage to garland each one of us with the traditional white scarf. I can assure you it brought tears to the eyes of all of us. The little ceremony ended with the pupils all singing the Nepal national anthem, before departing to their classrooms each of which was no bigger than a garden shed. The school is completely built of bamboo and is actually quite smart and functional, it costs less to maintain or to build further extensions
We then went off on another hair raising journey through streets broad and narrow to the orphanage. Here we were greeted by the staff, shown around the buildings which are adequate but we cannot compare them with the UK. The children are well cared for and I with my 2 colleagues Iris and Margaret start there on Monday.
The rest of the day was spent at the hotel quietly for the morning had been for all of us a huge emotional roller coaster ride.
The streets as I have mentioned are mostly rutted earth tracks which are littered with huge amounts of rubbish. The danger of disease spread by rats and such like must be immense but no one seems to be too concerned and life goes on.
The people are very friendly,I expected that and have not been let down.
Travel by taxi is so cheap, we went this morning to a shopping centre, about a 6 minute ride..cost 1 pound! Saturday is a day off re work in Nepal.Work resumes tomorrow, Sunday, when we shall go for the first of our Nepali lessons.
The weather is grand temp at noon at least 21-24C, but it is cold during the nights, we are however acclimatising well.
Next blog update shall be sometime next week.
Namaste!