Goodbye Kathmandu......

My blog can no longer be called Court in Kathmandu....  We left Kathmandu yesterday and I am now blogging from the lovely city of Bangkok.   Our last few days in Kathmandu were super busy.  We were trying to fit everything in, including shopping, visiting friends, and of course finishing off my work.

Even though in many ways we are ready to come home, it was really tough to say goodbye to Nepal.  At times both Jenn and I felt a bit choked up.  It was particularly rough saying goodbye to our didi Gita.  She is such a wonderful person and we will both miss her.  On our last night in Kathmandu we took her for dinner to Cafe Mitra with her and our friend Moose.  We had a really nice meal, but after the dinner when we were taking photos, the waterworks started.  Poor Gita she really didn't want us to leave....

The last few days were a whirlwind.  Jenn and I managed to get to a few of our favorite spots in Kathmandu before we left which was really nice.  Got some good photos too.  Boudha and Swayambu both have such a wonderful aura about them.  When the days are so crazy, and the honking and traffic are getting to you, it's a wonderful thing to go circumambulate around the stupas to settle you down.

We got to visit with some friends as well before we left which was really nice.  We left behind some great Nepali friends and some bideshi (foreigner) friends as well.  On the way to the airport we made one last stop at the Himalayan Bio Trade office where we took a photo of the staff at HBTL.  I am going to miss their smiles and kindness.

We are looking forward to heading back to Canada, but first we will spend some time in Thailand and perhaps Cambodia.   So, the next blog entry may be from Cambodia, who knows?? 

So, Goodbye Kathmandu.   We will miss you.....

The Process of Packing

Nobody really enjoys packing and moving, but I must admit that I have mixed emotions about the process this time. I am happy on one side, as it means that I am getting closer to the point where I will come home to Canada and see all of my friends and family. I am also feeling a bit wistful about leaving Nepal. In many ways, Nepal has been hard on both Jenn and I. We have both had some pretty tough health problems to deal with, but I still feel a sadness in the idea of leaving.

The process of packing itself has been not too traumatic, and we have given ourselves enough time to sell a lot of the stuff that we have accumulated over the year. We still have a few things to go... I am still trying to sell my bicycle, my guitar, and a bunch of kitchen stuff.. plates, bowls, utensils, pots, etc.
We are also in the process of acquiring stuff as well, as we are wanting to purchase a bunch of stuff to take home with us. Through CECI, the iNGO that we volunteer through, Jenn and I are allowed to bring back 100Kg of cargo, plus whatever we are allowed to check-in on the plane. It seems like a lot right? Well, considering all of the stuff that we brought with us, and all of the stuff we have accumulated, the weight adds up quickly. So, it will be interesting to see how this all gets managed.

We will be heading to Thailand one more time on our way home. This time we will take some time to enjoy ourselves and decompress after our mandate in Nepal. Looking forward to it.

Lots of work needs to get done between now and the end of September. Only a few weeks to go... cross your fingers for us!

Catching up on my photography

As we get nearer to our departure date, I realized that I have been quite lazy when it comes to taking photos. I know that I have taken a lot of photos, but they all have seem to come on special occasions or excursions etc. So, now I have started the process of photo documenting (more for myself than anyone else) my life here in Nepal.

This has been a good exercise so far in that I am opening my eyes to things that I have started to take for granted. I went out last night for a while and took some photos out on the street to document what it's like in Kathmandu in the evening. Hope you like them.