Saturday 5 February 2011

India/Nepal Visit 2011

My visit to India and Nepal starts on Wednesday 9th February when I travel down to London by train and stay overnight with my friends at the L'Arche Community in West Norwood. L'Arche (http://www.larche.org.uk/) is a network of communities where people with and without learning disabilities live together and support each other. I normally stay in a house called 'The Vine' which was started in the late 1970s. It will be good to touch base again with my friends there.

My travel itinerary then involves a flight to Delhi on Thursday night, a flight to Kathmandu on Saturday and a bus ride to a remote region in the south of Nepal in the mountains overlooking India. The purpose of my trip is to visit Majhkhanda, a village which has been the focus of a re-forestation project started by my late friend Alan Iles. Alan and his wife, Jane, went there in the early 1980s to start a tree nursery to grow tree saplings which could then be planted out around the mountainside. Over many years, indigenous trees had been cut down to provide grazing land for animals, firewood and building materials, without any being planted in their place. As a result the land became impoverished, there was insufficient fodder to keep animals such as goats, buffalo and cows, and land erosion increased.

During his 4 years there, Alan trained Chandra, together  with many local women from the village, how to sow seeds, raise saplings and plant out the young trees. The project has transformed the life of the community: the time taken for gathering animal fodder has been greatly reduced, families can now keep tethered animals for meat and milk and buffalo for ploughing, the terraced fields are fertilised with manure and land erosion has reduced. When I visited the village in 2008, there was evidence of over 1,000 acres of trees - a tremendous legacy.                                   

Before Alan's untimely death, a discretionary Trust was set up to continue the UK support for the project, and myself and 3 other trustees took on the responsibility for continued the fundraising for the project. (see http://www.ikudolforesttrust.org/).

Withe the advent of Google Earth, it has now become possible to see a satellite view of the village.  The relevant co-ordinates are 27 28' 37.20" N
85 18' 09.67" E.

Preparing for the journey has had its moments. When I first visited India on sabbatical in 2004, it all seemed so simple. A visit to the India Consulate in Edinburgh one bright January morning, and completing a simple form and handing over passport, photos and payment as all that was needed. The officially stamped visa was ready for collection by 4.30 pm.

Fast forward to January 2011 and a search of the internet revealed that an agency had been set up to handle all visas from the UK, based in Hayes Middlesex. Oh joy, oh rapture. A visit to the same Consulate Edinburgh in January referred me to an office in Rose Street and an irritatingly bureaucratic process ensued requiring a postal application (or a visit to the Consulate in Birmingham as I lived in England not Scotland), two 2”x 2” (N.B. not passport size) photos, a postal order purchase and special delivery envelopes, and the re-writing of the application form on the download Birmingham Consulate form. Anxious days followed as my passport took a week to register on their electronic tracking system. Moral of the story? Go to Birmingham.

Wednesday 9th February

Packing for the trip proved an equal challenge as the temperatures were to range from around 25C in Delhi to near freezing in the mountains. So I was glad when the time came to padlock the rucksack, turn the key to the house and head for Steeton and Silsden station to catch the 4.57 train to Leeds, preventing me from adding any other last minute ‘maybe I’ll need this’ item.

Then an East Coast train to London, tube to Brixton and a bus to West Norwood where I had a chance conversation with a teacher whose dream it is to retire to Skipton. He had often walked past the L’Arche workshop in Norwood High Street and admired the candles on display, so was interested to hear about the Community where I was staying overnight. I have been visiting The Vine, one of the Lambeth Community houses, for over 20 years, staying when possible on visits to London for L’Arche Trustee meetings. It’s typical of many L’Arche houses where people with and without learning disabilities live together in mutual support, celebrating each person’s gifts and respecting difference. Let's face it, there's a spectrum of disabilities and we are all on it.

It was after 10.00 when I was walking down Robson Road and thought it too late to call at The Red House, but as I was passing saw the Thierry Jacques saying good-bye to some visitors. So I stopped a while for a welcome cuppa and chat with Hazel Bradley and Christine McGreivy who was herself about to depart for Bangalore for the National Assembly there.

Thursday 10th February

Up early to get the tube to Wembley Park to collect my Indian rail tickets for the trip to Dehradun . My itinerary won’t allow enough time to buy these at New Delhi station, and although there is a foreign quota of tickets, I didn’t want to risk not getting a sleeper berth on the return. I remember the first time I tried to get a ticket to Dehradun.

Back to West Norwood via Victoria for lunch with Marcela at Sorrento’s where I bumped into Jacek, Pauline and Kate, and then on to the Workshop on Norwood High Street to buy some candles as presents to take with me.

Time to head for Heathrow at 4.30 pm. Caught the 322 bus to Brixton in heavy rain and rush hour traffic, but got to Terminal 3 by 6.20 pm. The Virgin Atlantic 10.00 pm flight departure was confirmed on the display board, so I checked in and dropped off my bags,hoping that the holdall with gifts from Hothfield Junior and St Anne’s Primary Schools arrives safely. It will be great if a link can be set up between the respective Year 6 classes and the Majkhunda Village School in Nepal.

Friday 11th February

Situated two seats away from a screaming baby didn’t bode well for the 8 hour journey, but the mother must have given it a double shot of Calpol as it soon fell asleep. My next seat neighbour was a woman from New Jersey returning home to Kashmir. After a surprisingly good curry meal, lights were dimmed. A chance to get snatches of somewhat cramped sleep. The option of a £30 upgrade for more leg room all of a sudden seemed an attractive offer.

Touched down in Delhi at 11.45 am local time (5.5 hours ahead of GMT) and faced a blast of 28 degrees C as we stepped off the plane. No problems at baggage reclaim or immigration. Delhi International Airport has transformed itself remarkably since my last visit, obviously as a result of the recent Commonwealth Games. A kind member of the airport staff organised 15 mins of free internet time with his mobile number so I was able to email home a safe arrival message. With the Metro out of action, then headed to the Govt. pre-paid taxi rank through a gauntlet of private taxi drivers eagerly touting for business.

I was soon speeding with hooting horns every 10 seconds along the newly manicured motorway with beautifully landscaped verges. The windscreen cleaning brigade that I remember descending on stationary cars at traffic lights has been replaced by insistent sellers of model Airbus kits, each tempting passengers with a splendidly finished 3 foot scale model. You've got to take your hat off to the enterprising efforts of these people.

My taxi driver was clearly unsure how to get to the Lodi Road Institutional area, and required 3 circuits of the surrounding neighbourhood before a rescue call was made to my friend Marianus who was kindly putting me up for the night. Marianus is a Jesuit priest who works as head of the Tribal and Dalit Research team supporting marginalised people in India. We first met on my 2004 visit to India and have kept in touch since. In a nutshell, he and his team help to defend the rights of indigenous tribal people, whose land and livelihood is under threat of Govt. confiscation for major developments by multi-national companies, and dalits who are the bottom of the caste system pile. It’s the same old story of wealth & influence against poverty. The very adequate but not plush accommodation at the Institute Hostel is situated next to a slum where a number of families eke out a meagre subsistence by hunting through the road-side rubbish piles for anything they can sell. As we headed to a local mobile phone shop to buy a SIM card, with rustling leaves of the Ashoka trees, and the sweet whiff of incense from street sellers' carts hiding the pervading smell of garbage, we passed a wall of white sheeting erected for the diamond jubilee of a local agency to hide the rubbish piles and latrine whose entrance could have been mistaken as the entrance to a temple! I'm told these white screens were much in use during the Commonwealth Games to hide the more unsavoury sights of the city. I noticed they had vanished by morning!


After Mass with the other Jesuits in their humble chapel, the evening was spent over dinner with a stimulating discussion on the social and political problems of the country, with fascinating insights into the increasing gap between rich and poor, the high level of corruption which is rife (c.f. Mark Tully's 'India in Slow Motion' and William Dalrymple's 'The Age of Kali') and the unequal treatment of women. These men are impressive in the way they quietly but effectively work for the poor and under-privileged. Interestingly, there was not a dog collar was to be seen. I recall reading A J Cronin's 'A Wise Man from the West' describing how Matteo Ricci first learnt how to adopt local Chinese customs before engaging in his evangelisation. 

Saturday 12th February

A reasonable night’s sleep - no tell tale buzz of mosquitoes, thankfully, but the gauze net was put up just in case. My body is still telling me it's two o'clock in the morning. Time to get up and sort out what I'm leaving behind for the Dehradun trip. Why have I brought so many layers to wear? Because it might be really cold. My camera, notebook computer and mobiles phone batteries all need charging so I need to take every opportunity to keep them topped up. I realise that wireless internet access is not as available as I had thought so blog uploading may be difficult.

Breakfast at 7.45 consisted of dhosa (rice pancakes) and dhal (lentil soup), coffee and a banana. I had an hour to write my blog whilst Marianus organised a taxi for the airport for the next leg of my journey to Kathmandu. A real struggle to keep awake. The hour flashed by before the taxi arrived. Frustratingly, no time to upload the blog. In my haste, I left behind key papers relating to Ikudol Forest and only discovered their loss at the airport! A desperate call to Marianus who discovered them in my Dehradun bag and sent them back with the same driver who had brought me. How I spotted him in the sea of faces outside the Departure Terminal I don't know. A beard and turban are not particularly distinguishing features around here. A million thanks Marianus.

The consequent delay in going through Immigration and security was almost a fatal error. The place was swarming with international travellers to all parts of the globe. With only 40 minutes to departure, I brought my plight to the attention of one of the airport staff who kindly fast tracked me through. Just as well he did, as I had what seemed another half mile to walk to the furthest gate in the airport. Although we embarked on time the flight didn't leave for another hour. Fortunately I had texted Binod, my Nepalese friend and interpreter, to say I would be at least an hour clearing immigration and baggage reclaim.

After a good flight of 1.5 hours with complimentary meal from JetAir, I had to obtain a Nepalese visa. I was advised to download a form and fill it in before coming so this speeded things up. You can only pay in Euros, dollars or pounds! Baggage reclaim was chaotic and not helped by a Kingfisher flight recently arriving. No signs and confused staff. Eventually we were told there was another carousel and my rucksack and bag were soon wheeling their way through customs. It was good to see Binod's familiar face amidst a sea of stranger. After heated negotiations we got a taxi to his home town of Chapagaun to the south of Kathmandu valley.

Apart from visiting friends made on my last visits to Nepal, my visit to Majhkhanda is being made on behalf of the UK Ikudol Forest Trust discuss the development and sustainability of the work undertaken by the late Alan Iles in the re-forestation of the area around Majhkhanda. This involved continuing with the collection and germination of chosen seed, the growing of tree saplings and their timely planting.

The evening of my arrival saw the first meeting about Ikudol Forest Project. I had asked to meet with members of the Community Development Institution Nepal (CDIN) local Committee. So Dudh Raj, the Chairman, Chandra, the Vice-Chairman, Bed (Binod's father) along with Binod himself came to meet me in the room I had been given downstairs.

We had a constructive discussion about the Trust's vision of continuing Alan's work in growing trees for fodder, firewood and building use on a sustainable basis into the future and the possibility of some advice in the management of the forest.
The business plan submitted to us 2 years ago had concentrated on the production of cash crops – understandably because the newly installed rope way from the neighbouring mountain provided a ready market for produce. The members of the UK Trust have had concerns that the forestry needs might be felt less important than developing cash crops such as coffee, herb and bio-fuel growing. Unless there was continuing work on forestry, there would not be systematic and planned felling and planting necessary for sustaining the woodland in a healthy state for the benefit of future generations.

In discussion, an idea developed to create two sub-committees of the CDIN; one to focus on forestry, and the other to concentrate on cash crops which seemed to be accepted by Chandra and Dudh Raj as a means of revitalising the tree nursery and planting programme. This would enable Chandra to pass on the expertise he had learnt from Alan to the next generation, and give an opportunity for more people to be actively involved in CDIN. It was agreed to meet with members of the village when we got to Majhkhanda.

Sunday 13th February

A late breakfast after a sound night's sleep. Binod had to go to college for a science practical so it was decided to leave for Majhkhanda tomorrow morning. 

Binod's father, Bed, took me around the local mushroom growing tunnels, a major local industry. 

The tunnels are skillfully made of bamboo with black plastic sheet covers held in place with rope and covered with grass/straw for insulation. Each tunnel can yield over 20 kilos a day for a couple of months. One technique used is to put the spores into bags packed with chopped straw (looking a bit like small boxing punch bags) and suspend 3 of them vertically from the roof struts, to maximise the growing surface area. 

The mushrooms gradually burst their way through the plastic.
Life in this area is generally very basic, yet Chapagaun is set in beautiful surroundings with seemingly every acre used for some productive purpose apart from mushrooms, including mustard, wheat, maize and vegetable growing, and brick making.
After lunch of rice, dahl and fried vegetables, Chandra's son Dambar and his wife invited Chandra and myself round to their house next door. Dambar and his wife are teachers and Dambar's English was good so he was able to explain a bit of the history of the Ikudol Project.

Alan was commissioned to come to Majhkhanda in 1982 by the United Mission to Nepal. The Government initiated a Community Development and Health Project and focused its work on 6 of out of the 41 Village Development Committees (VDCs) in Lalitpur, the district of Nepal in which Majhkhanda is situated. These 6 VDCs were:
  • Majhkhanda
  • Tula Durlung
  • Grindi
  • Asrang
  • Pyutar
  • Bhatte Danda
Lalitpur is one of 75 Local Govt. Districts in Nepal which cover a total of 3813 VDCs.

When Alan arrived in Majhkanda, the government owned the land which now forms the Ikudol Forest. According to Alan's report, the mountainside was bare of trees as a result of it unsustainable use – wild goats over-grazing (i.e. consuming plants and naturally seeded tree saplings), and timber cut for firewood and building left little fodder for tethered animals. As a result, the land's fertility dropped so that 60% of families in the area were unable to grow enough food to last more than 6 months of the year. A photo of the area from Dambar shows just how bare the mountainside was compared to how it is now.

Over the years that followed, the villagers worked together to control the goats, gain legal ownership of the land and plant trees. In 1995, negotiations with the Government officials led to the villagers gaining legal control of the land.

Before Alan's arrival in 1982 as part of the United Mission Nepal, Harman Simrose, a civil engineer had come to Nepal to start the work of re-forestation. During subsequent years, a number of other foreign nationals came to Majhkhanda as part of the Community Development and Health Project, including Walton McCaslin (Canadian) who helped install the water collection and distribution system, Findlay Hodge and David ?, foresters from England, Christie (Finnish) and Carol (American) who worked as adult education teachers,

When Alan left in 1986, Chandra, whom he had trained in all aspects of seed sowing/germination, sapling care/planting, continued the nursery and tree planting for about 5 years after which it fell into disuse.

Alan returned in 1998 to address the long term sustainable management of the woodland, and produced a detailed report of his findings which is now in the possession of the UK Ikudol Forest Trust. Interestingly, he identified 3 types of use for forest products: Fodder, firewood and timber. The following is an edited from his report:

Fodder is needed to feed livestock – a typical household keeps two buffalo for meat and milk, a cow for milk, a pair of oxen for ploughing, and a dozen goats for meat of for sale. The manure from the livestock is essential for maintaining the fertility of the land used for food production. This number of livestock needs c. 75 kilos of fodder a day which is collected by hand from the surrounding area. Grass is used during the wet season (May – Oct) and tree leaves during the dry season (Nov – April) when grass is unavailable. The main fodder tree species found in the forest are Quercus incana, Quercus glauca and Quercus semicarpifolia (Oak), Castanopsis tribuioides (Chestnut), Prunus cerasoides (Cherry), Betula alnoides (Birch).

Firewood is used primarily for cooking, there being no other available alternative. An average of 4 cu. metres is used per household per year. Contrast this with a UK wood fuelled central heating system requiring 16 cu. metres/year. Firewood species include Quercus species (oak) Rhododendron arboretum (rhododendron), Fraxinus floribunda (ash), Prunus cerasoides (cherry), alnus nepaulensis (alder).

Timber is used for building and farm implements (e.g. ploughs) and much less is needed than fodder or firewood. Typical species include Quercus species (oak), fraxinus floribunda (ash), alnus nepaulensis (alder) Pinus wallichiana (pine), and Drepanoastachyum species (bamboo).

Alan's conclusions focused on the importance of fodder and the need for its growing to be maximised. A household's annual needs for fodder, at the time of his writing were 540 x 50 kg loads, compared with 60 loads firewood and 18 loads of timber.

As a result of these first discussions, it was heartening to learn that Chandra and Dudh Raj were keen to re-generate the tree nursery in Majhkhanda, and form two sub-groups of CDIN.

Monday 14th February

Up early at 6.00 to get ready for the bus part-way to Majhkhanda. The nights here are cold at this time of year so thermals are essential! Since the fluctuation of temperatures from day to night can vary from 20 down to 3 degrees (and freezing in the mountains), layers are the answer!

Chandra came back from the bus station to say the bus had gone and the next one was at 8.00 am. The sun rises around 6.00 am here so people are up early to ready themselves for work in the fields. Binod tried to borrow some software to enable mobile internet usage at Majhlkhanda, but without success.
Internet access here is very limited and the laid sharing means that there is a very small window within which emails can be sent.

When we reached the town, we discovered the bus was further delayed by an hour, so Binod showed me round the local Hindu and Buddhist temples and it was a chance to see the local high street. The streets are not the cleanest of places and open drains run in front of the shops.

Eventually we boarded the bus, again quite primitive in décor but then this was more of a truck designed for the arduous roads ahead. 

The road from Chapagaun climbs south steadily through stone quarries then up through trees eventually emerging along the side of the mountain to the south of Chapagaun. Cut out of sheer rock and scree, the road narrows to a single track with occasional precarious passing places. Motorbikes race past occasionally with diver and pillion passenger seemingly undeterred by the dangers. At the highest point of the climb, the road levels out and emerges into the valley facing Majhkhanda with spectacular views south.
 
The road ahead is quite visible as it winds down the steep mountainside, and there was evidence of a traffic jam ahead. When we reached the spot, it became clear that part of the road had disappeared! Tragically, a Caterpillar driver had recently fallen to his death trying to widen this section. A band of local labourers were already re-building the section with stone and rubble, but Chandra decided that it would be better to set-off on foot – we had to descend into a valley and embark on a 3 hour climb and it was already 11.00. 
 
Once we were past the road works, there was something magical about being alone down this road with nothing but gentle sound of breeze, and bird calls to break the silence, the yellow mustard flowers on the methodically cut terracing around the various dwellings; rhodedendron trees with bright magenta flowers, and distant view of majestic mountains.

Eventually the bus caught up with us and we were soon on our way down to the rope-way station to deposit our rucksacks for an easier journey than we were about to make.

The rope-way was being installed on my last visit in 2008 and now carries loads of up to 300 kg in and out of Majhkhanda. Even without a heavy back pack, it was a difficult steep descent and my legs were ready for a rest at the bottom.

The last time, we stayed at a 'hostel' here but Chandra has since acquired a property just over the river which he uses as a rest house for people who need a break from Kathmandu and people on the way to the Buddhist Monastery he and the villagers have built at Majhkhanda.

The rest house is cared for by Chandra's sister, Mankumari, and brother-in-law, Lelaram. With two dormitories it can sleep around 15 people. An ideal bunk barn for the odd week-end break! 

At the bottom of the field, we inspected Chandra's first planting of coffee seedlings, an experiment for potential planting in Majhkhanda.

Fortified by lunch, we set off at 3.30 pm and started the long slow climb up to 1,900 metres. Chandra must have trodden this path hundreds of times and his slow but sure pace with stops every ten minutes for one minutes rest, and a cup of tea with a neighbour en route, proved manageable for a novice like me. With the opposite side of the valley bathed in the fading light of day, each minutes stop took in an ever more impressive panorama, with the road we came on visible in the distance. At last we reached the top in fading light and headed past Majhkhanda School to Chandra's house perched on the north side of the mountain facing the plains of India.

After a hugely warm welcome from Tuli, Chandra's wife, and his son Narayam and family, we were soon drinking hot buffalo milk and devouring sweet gelabi which Chandra had bought with him.

Clothed in a number of layers and wrapped in a heavy duvet, sleep came easily.

Tuesday 15th February

My room upstairs is at the end of the house with windows front and side, and I was woken by local farm labourers making their way past Chandra's house to their work in adjoining fields.

A beautiful day, so up early to visit the monastery and survey the fabulous views, but the Himalayas were shrouded in mist and not visible.

The accommodation in the monastery has been improved with two dormitories capable of sleeping over 20 people.  Its incredible to think that the majority of the fabric of he building had to be carried load by load down and up the mountain on the backs of Nepali men and women, including two huge statues of Buddha, one on each floor! What amazing people these are.

After lunch prepared by Saroda, Chandra's sister-in-law, we headed back to collect the material St Anne's Primary in Keighley had prepared for the local School. After the conversation with Dudh Raj in Chapagaun, I decided that Hothfield Junior School in Silsden would be better linked with the school in Puytar just down the hill from Majhkhanda. He was head teacher there and was keen for a link with an English school.
My previous visit to Majhkhanda had been in March 2008 during the school holidays and the photos I took showed a level of poverty which prompted me to suggest a link with the two schools in the Keighley area where I teach the basics of horticulture half a day a week. The response was very enthusiastic. 

So we met with the head teacher Wang Tamang and his staff and I gave him the photo of the Year 6 children and the questions they had prepared for their Nepalese counterparts. As a Govt. School, Majhkhanda was lacking in many resources for example safe drinking water, a computer, basic teaching resources, basic science equipment, cassettes for kindergarten nursery rhymes, and I'm sure many more not mentioned.

I was given a very warm welcome and introduced to the English teacher, Maiya, who was able to interpret. Whilst we were talking, a bowl of spiced egg fried rice was rustled up on a gas stove behind me - it's unusual to leave anywhere in Nepal without some food or drink.
I was then introduced to two of the classes and allowed to explain the planned link with an English school. For these children, learning English is a passport to further education and a job, though many will end up as farmers taking over the tilling of the land from their parents. They were hugely thankful for the donation from St Anne's school which I should pay into the school's bank account which I will do when I get to Patan (a suburb of Kathmandu).
Before leaving Maiya undertook to get her students to give a written answer to the questions from St Anne's by the time I leave on Friday when we were due to visit the other school in Puytar.

Back home to a late siesta – the heat of the day catching up with me. As the evening gets cold, the family normally gathers in the kitchen to watch Tuli prepare the meal and discuss the events of the day. The houses here have no heating apart from their kitchen stove. Thanks to Alan, Chandra's is an efficient source of heat without filling the kitchen with smoke as is the case with many families who cannot afford to have a chimney built. A heap of firewood is slowly fed into the front of the stove, and different diameter rings are added to the hole at the top to accommodate different sized pans. 
Lentil soup (dahl) and rice (bhat) form the staple diet of Nepal, but these are usually supplemented by fried locally grown vegetables such as spinach, beans or potatoes, with a small portion of home-made pickle. Depending on availability, curd (yoghurt) is sometimes served. I can't say I find it easy to adapt to this diet, but after a few days it gets easier. The occasional egg, cup of sweet coffee and biscuit help to add variety and, thanks to Chandra buying a sack before coming, the occasional apple and orange. Other ingredients such as mustard leaf, garlic, maize and wheat are all grown in the family fields, as is mustard for oil.

Water in this village comes from the highest western part of the mountain by way of a syphoning pipe to a large stage tank the other side of the monastery from where it is distributed to houses. There is also a public tap used by poorer families who collect it on a daily basis in metal containers. Although it is probably reasonably clean, the normal practice is to boil it and either drink water hot or when it has cooled. Chandra's house has three cold water taps – one in the toilet block (no paper here), one in the house for cooking and plate washing, and the other outside mainly for personal and clothes washing. Oh for a hot shower!
The evening saw the gathering of threatening storm clouds and sure enough an enormous electric storm filled the night sky followed by torrential rain which hammered down on the corrugated metal roof above.

Wednesday 16th February

The storm continued through the night and into the morning with a strong wind whistling through the neighbouring trees and bending the bamboo like strained fishing rods. Breakfast saw Tuli and Chandra turning out roti as if in a fast food take away, the smell of sweetened bread a welcome relief to the rice diet for breakfast.

There was a feeling that the Village Community meeting would have to be postponed due to the bad weather, but no sooner than that was said, people started arriving. There's an amazingly effective bush telegraph at work here whereby messages can be got to every family by word of mouth.

Soon there were fourteen people gathered in the kitchen, sitting on rush matting and wrapped in blankets and scarves. Binod did a great job in presenting the proposal for re-establishing the tree nursery. It's all very confusing though as At first I thought everyone was disagreeing until I remembered that Nepalis, rather like Indians, roll their heads from side to side when they agree as we would shake our head from side to side to say no.

There were heated exchanges at one point and I thought we had lost their support but when I asked Binod what was the problem he said they were discussed where the tree nursery should be sited. The meeting took nearly an hour and a half and I just listened without understanding a word. 

Then everyone got up and headed out into the wild weather to inspect the sight which had won everyone's approval – an area on the south facing side near the new rope-way station and not far from Alan's old office with a water tank nearby. Although nearly 30 people would have normally attended, I was assured that the decision would be owned by the Community which was very heartening. Chandra seemed very motivated.

The rest of the day was spent huddled in the kitchen, sleeping upstairs or writing my blog in anticipation of internet access when we got back to Chapagaun. I can't imagine how cold it must be in December/January.

Thursday 17th February

Awoken at 5.30 by Binod with the news that the morning was clear and a good view of the Himalayas in prospect. Having used up the majority of my layers, there wasn't much left to put on to brave the morning cold. It was after 6 by the tine we left which meant we'd miss sunrise from the monastery roof, but as we got to the summit there, laid out before us, was an incredible view of glistening mountains with Langtang clearly visible. 
On my last visit, a month later in March, the best I got was a haze shrouded view of the same. I can understand the pull of these majestic peaks for those fit enough to climb them.

This was my last full day at Majhkhanda as it had been decided to visit the other school at Puytar on our way back to Chapagaun, obviating the need for a climb up to the bus stop as we could catch a bus at the valley bottom a few miles beyond where we alighted on arrival.

Just as I was about to have a siesta after lunch, one of the teachers of the Majhkhanda school came to my room with his young daughter to hand over a message for the pupils of St Anne's along with hand written replies to their questions – a sign that the school was really serious in its commitment to a link. 

I'm aware that we can we wrapped up in our own problems at home and, real though these are, they seem so much less significant when put into context of the enormous poverty facing this country. So a little funding can go a long way here.
 

The evening saw some spectacular cloud formations and a bright full moon casting its shadows over well fertilised terraces. 




Friday 18th February

Up at 5.30 am to see sunrise. Picking our way along the rough path with torches, we round the back of the mountain to emerge in another of Alan's coppices and await the the emergence of the sun. I remember when I was in Chennai, the leader of the L'Arche community there took me to the beach at 5.30 in the morning to welcome the sun - rather a nice concept but somehow doing yoga on my allotment at 5.00 am in the morning loses some of the magic of Chennai beach or Majhkhanda.

Again magnificent views of the Himalayas as we walked back hoe for breakfast and re-charge our batteries before the load sharing deadline.

A good chat with Parash, a teacher from Chitwin (cf National Park), who works at the village school teaching economics and accountancy. Lodging with a local family is normal for a number of teachers some of whom are not paid by the Govt. but by the school so are on a lower rate - or that's what I gathered from his broken English.


This was my last morning with Chanda's wife and his son and family. Despite the very basic living conditions compared with home, it's been an amazing few days, full of laughter, and despite the language difficulties, a time of profound connection with these people at the level of the heart.

As Chandra, Binod and his cousin Dawa (on his way to School) left the house emotions took over as we waved 'tata' on the way up to the top terrace. I know I will come back here - there is something about this place and the project which is worth every step up the mountain.

We were on our way to Chandeswari School in Puytar just down the hill - well, an hour and a half's steep descent down a precarious path. (Google earth co-ordinates 27 28 71 N, 85 16 18 E). Dudh Raj, the chairman of CDIN, is the principal here and unknown to me had alerted the school of my arrival, unlike Majhkhanda who were unprepared.

So the deputy head and staff were ready with an impressive welcome comprising members of staff placing a cream coloured scarf around my neck, representatives from each class presenting me with flowers, the English Teachers making a speech then asking me to address the children with my reflections on the British economic, social and political situation and what I thought about Nepal. Well, of course, in the searing heat of the mid-day sun and after a crippling descent this is just the sort of challenge I needed!

I can't remember exactly what I said but it seemed to meet with everyone's approval and I was then taken round a number of classrooms.


I was able to hand over the photo of Hothfield Junior School class 6 and the items they have given me to bring out of their pencil boxes - a lovely gesture which was much appreciated by the school here. I learnt from Mang, the English teacher that two of the pupils have to walk for 3 hours to get to school each morning, then 3 hours back home in the afternoon. Children back home take note!

The school were delighted with the prospect of a link with Hothfield Junior and warmly sent their thanks for the beautifully written and illustrated letters from each of the pupils, undertaking to get their children to reply to the questions.

We spent the evening and stayed overnight with Dudh Raj's wife and children. Putali is Chandra's daughter and her husband Dudh Raj was on a head teachers professional development course in Kathmandu for a week which explained his staying at Chapagaun. Their daughter Niru was preparing for an extra tutorial class the next morning when she would have to get up at 5.30 to catch the bus. Without electricity her revision was done in the rather dim light powered from a small solar panel and back-up battery. Other children have to rely on candles to do their homework.

Saturday 19th February

Breakfast consisted of deep fried bread rings and hot coffee before heading down further to the road where we were due to pick up the bus. Again in places a well trodden but treacherous path requiring full concentration, and the legs telling me they weren't use to the strain. A long wait at the bottom before the 'bus' arrived, this time open top. I was squeezed into the front between the driver's girlfriend sitting astride the gear lever, and an old man who had no fingers on either hand. I later discovered he had leprosy and alighted at the Leprosy Hospital on the way down to Chapagaun. To be in the front of the cabin was a mixed blessing. On the one hand unobstructed, and on the other, nail gripping views of the mountains and crumbling road with a ride that made me regret having that extra fried bread ring. This was more of a truck than a bus. The last time I was here, we had a puncture further up the valley and when the spare tyre was unbolted from the bottom it had a worrying 6" split in it. Such is the maintenance regime around here.

At one point we had to negotiate a river so in the rainy season this road must be impassible. At the point where the road had been repaired on the way down, everyone from the top of the truck had to get out and walk. 


As we descended into the Kathmandu valley, views of the Himalayas re-appeared. Binod and I took a short cut over the mushroom tunnel fields and were glad to get back to his home after a gruelling journey. A leisurely end to the day.

Sunday 20th February

This is not a day of rest for the Nepalis and the schools are open as normal. They have a half day on Friday and al Saturday off each week. Dambar, Chandra's son invited me to visit his Govt. school in Thacho, a village en route to Patan, which he and his teacher wife walk to each day in 30 mins. Today we caught a bus. The head gave me a warm welcome and told me he had taught at St Xavier's Godavari (where I visit on Tuesday) for 30 years before coming here as Principal. Our conversation opened other insights into the political scene here. The parties fall under 3 headings – Congress (capitalist), Communist (Maoist and Marxist/Leninist) and Madhesi (Terrai Region with support from India). When I visit 3 years ago, I'm told there were 300 different parties under these headings – today they approach 600. No wonder there is such political instability without which the infrastructure of the country will never attract inward investment. There seems to have been little improvement in 3 years. Indeed the pollution in the Kathmandu valley has gone markedly worse. The main reason is the migration of rural people into the Kathmandu Valley seeking safety from continued Maoist influence. So the valley is like one huge building site.

One of the teachers took over looking after me when the Principal had to take a class. He asked me what Britain thought of the Maoists. I wasn't quite sure if he supported them or not! For many years the means they have employed to achieve their ends of raising the living standards of the poor have been appalling with indiscriminate killings of people who oppose them in villages and continued pressure in remote areas.

The pupils of Govt. schools only pay when they reach a certain age. From what I could gather, years 9/10 pay 1,000 N Rupees per year (around £9), and years 11/12 5,000 NR/year (c. £43). Year 12 = 18 year olds.

On the way back from the school I called in at a bank to change some Indian rupees into Nepali currency, and was promptly told 1,000 notes (c. £15) were illegal. So  I could only change 200 rupees. It appears there has been a trade in forged notes. It opened up a chance to have a chat about the Nepalese economy and to learn of the enormous l resources the country possesses, including oil and gas and precious minerals. Although the Govt. has issued a number of licences for their extraction, companies are just not investing whilst the political situation is so unstable. Interestingly, Nepal spends 25% of its export earnings to buy oil.  It can't be helped by large diesel generators springing into life for 14 hours a day when load sharing starts!

With 40% of the country's population without electricity, one wonders if the rural parts will ever get a supply let alone a reliable one. When I was up in Majhkhanda, it struck me that photo-voltaic cells, with no moving parts, would be a solution as the Nepalese are not renowned for maintenance, and wind turbines would need regular attention. 
Many houses have small panels that give around 20 - 50 watts of power, enough for a couple of dim lights through a battery/inverter. 

There are plans, however, to create an other hydro-electric scheme in a nearby valley to Majhkhanda, with a cement factory not far away. We'll see.

That evening we had another meeting with Dudh Raj and Chandra about the Project, this time with me encouraging them to adopt formal committee procedures and budgets. I'm not sure we can expect them to adopt these in detail but to date there have been no written notes of meetings, attendees or decisions made. It was agreed that they would produce a budget at their next meeting and email it through to us for approval so as to open the way for a transfer of funds.

Monday 21st February

Bed, Binod's father had left very early this-morning for a visit to a remote village as part of his work as a field officer for an international NGO. It would take a 5 hour motorbike journey to reach his destination and would not be home for a few days. This seems a typical work regime for him.

I got up around 7.30. Washing and shaving on the roof terrace with a backdrop of albeit haze covered mountains beats any bathroom at home. I'm not quite used to an audience but that's the way things are here. The remains of a thermos of hot water for a night drink provides a bowl full for shaving. Otherwise its cold water for everything. Oh for a long hot shower!

Today, Chandra, Binod and I were off to Kathmandu to pay-in St Anne's donation to the Majhlkhanda School bank account, and to visit Vishnu, a good friend of Chandra's, and now retired civil engineer who helped him with the building of the monastery. I'm not quite sure why we visited him but we had an interesting converation about meditation and Vipassana - a meditation movement in which they are both heavily involved. 

To get to his house we walked through Durbur Square, the oldest part of the city surrounded by magnificent temples.

We then headed off to the bank and quite by chance met Wang Tamang, the headmaster of Majhkhanda School who helped write out the necessary form. We were then promptly told that they could not carry out the foreign currency transaction and we'd have to go to the main branch near Thamil, the tourist area. So we piled into a taxi and braved the city traffic. Chaos reigns everywhere, as cycle rickshaws, tuk-tuk motorised rickshaws, cars, trucks and buses fought for every inch of space, with acrid fumes belching and discordant horns blasting at police controlled junctions.

The bank found, and the transaction completed, we parted company with Wang as the heavens opened and another storm broke. time to repair to a cafe for a some refreshment - samosas and coffee - and retreat from the bedlam. The rest of the afternoon was spent hunting for a web camera for Binod and some small gifts to take home. Chandra's bright orange hat was hard to lose amidst to seething crowds.  Whilst shopping I spotted the most expensive tea I've seen - 100 grams for 500 rupees - so bought it for Chandra as a suggestion for the project. At that price it would be a real cash crop if they could grow it. Since Darjeeling is 2,000 m above sea level, in theory it should be possible if they can source some good tea plants.

We left Chandra to visit another friend and caught Binod's college bus which is half empty by the time it gets to the ring road intersection out of Patan. His college, Milestone, runs a luxury coach compared with the bashed up micros and bigger buses, so we rode home in comfort.

My last supper at Binod's was the usual but with fried mushrooms from the neighbouring fields, washed down with a glass or two of whisky. Then another short meeting with Chandra and Dudh Raj about the project. It was agreed that Dudh Raj would bring Binod on his bike to Godavari on Wednesday morning for a final meeting.

Tuesday 22nd February

Binod and I got up early to try out his new webcam and, to our immense surprise, the cheap Chinese model worked a treat, so there was now the possibility of a visual link with the Committee and the UK Trust via Skype.

By 9.45 I had packed and said my farewells to Binod's family. Always sad to leave, but insistent invitations to return. Binod and I walked up to town to catch his college bus which would take the road towards Godavari and allow me to catch a micro bus the rest of the way. Our plans were dashed when a huge truck laden with bags of concrete collapsed in the middle of the road and we were forced to take an alternative route into Patan, from where I caught a micro bus.

I had come to Godavari on my first visit to Nepal when the Maoist insurgency was at its height after spending 2 months visiting L'Arche Communities in India (where they are called Asha Niketan, meaning 'house of light'). A Jesuit in the Kolkata Community suggested I contacted Fr Cap Miller, an American who was rector at St Xavier's School in Patan. He had come to Nepal over 40 years previously and undertaken an anthropological study in a village north of Kathmandu in the foothills of the Himalayas, staying with a family with a baby boy. He asked me what I was doing. I told him I was having a sabbatical from my work in L'Arche. He then revealed that the same baby boy was now working for people with learning disabilities in Kathmandu and hoping to start a L'Arche house here. Amazing!

Since my plans to go to Majhkhanda were thwarted by the Maoists, I decided to have a quiet week and Cap told me there was an Ashram in Godavari at the south side of the Kathmandu Valley. It was a great experience and it was then that I was asked to support the son of the man who is the Ashram's caretaker, which I was pleased to do by funding his school fees. The school there draws its students from villages in a 12 km radius including many from desperately poor families. On that visit I was invited to a birthday party for one of the community and heard some of the history of the school. It had been given to the Jesuits who were teaching in Patna in India when Nepal's borders were closed.

The Rana family held much of the power at that time, the King being more of a figurehead, and the Ranas wanted their children educated in Nepal. So they offered their 'summer palace' to the Jesuits, and Marshall Moran SJ moved in and started the school in 1950. He was a keen radio ham and somehow managed to install the heavy valve equipment in the house's attic. From there, the story goes, he interviewed Sherpa Tensing on his way down from conquering Everest with Hilary, and with a call sign of eleven Mickey Mouse, was the person to break the news to the rest of the world!

I arrived at St Xaviers around lunchtime and was told I would be staying in the 'palace'. The first western style toilet for a couple of weeks - and a hot shower. Bliss. I met Rakesh, the lad I sponsor after school, and we to his home at the bottom of a neighbouring village. Now 16, he has a couple more years to do at the school, and is doing really well academically. His father, whom I met again in 2008, asked me to a meal the next evening in their humble yet spotlessly clean home.

I heard that Geoff, an Englishman whom I had met also in 2008, was back in Godavari. He has come over each year for quite some time to spend a few weeks teaching English to local students. I arranged to meet up with him the next day and spent the rest of the evening catching up with my blog when load sharing allowed.

A very convivial meal that evening - with some beer (the first since leaving the UK) and, would you, believe chips - with much discussion and some thoughtful insights from Victor, Amrit and Joel about where Nepal is going socially, economically and politically.


Wednesday 23rd February

Breakfast at 7.00 am with cornflakes and hot milk, honey from the schools beehives and toast! More writing of the blog - it's quite a challenge to keep up the diary and I just hope it's proving an interesting read.

A call from Binod that Chandra wanted to dictate a letter for me as he had to leave for Kathmandu before saying good-bye the day before. I had arranged that we met at the Ashram and we had a useful final meeting on the project. After a quick tour of the school site, I was sad to part company with Binod whose interpreting had been invaluable.


I'm really impressed with the school here - well organised, well resourced and with well motivated staff whom I met over lunch. They are ambitious in their aims, with plans to build a college and University on the substantial ground covenanted to them originally by the Rana family. 

After lunch I met up with Geoff who introduced me to a heart-wrenching story of a darker side to Nepal. Last year, I think, it came to his notice that a British ex-army dental officer was living across the road and he got talking to him. Philip Holmes had come to Nepal after his wife committed suicide and was determined to start a children's charity in her memory, particularly since she took her own life because she couldn't have any. The charity he founded is called the Ester Benjamin Trust. If you have time, go to their website and read the moving story it tells about how they rescue trafficked children from Indian circuses (http://www.ebtrust.org.uk/).

I was interested to know more about this worthy initiative so we headed down the road in a microbus to a local village where there were 3 hostels for rescued girls, and further down the road to see another hostel for children whose parents were in prison. Until recently children were sent to prison with their parents but there is now a law that prevents them doing so after the age of 5. We met the two women who are managing the houses and were introduced to some of the young people. I was struck by one girl who had lost both parents, her father having been shot by the Maoists.

Philip was not around to speak to but Geoff fixed a meeting with him next week. It's moving beyond words to see the care being taken for these children, and the way in which the Trust is arranging for their education and helping to develop other skills. A ceramic mosaic workshop has been set up across the fields where beautiful plaques are made and sold through a UK importer Namaste (a fair trade company that happens to be based in Skipton). I left feeling that this was but the tip of an iceberg but a thoroughly worthwhile initiative which was changing lives in a tangible way.

Supper that evening with Rakesh and his family was made easier for me by Rakesh and his elder brother's good English. Although their father speaks a little to get by at the Ashram, his mother speaks none. But she produced a delicious meal with some celebratory beer. Raju, the elder son, is at university studying business and his main hope of a job is with a company willing to take him on as a trainee. Their cousin had come to the UK as a student, as many other Nepalese do, some of whom do so with no intention of studying and disappear into the dark hole of illegal immigrants. One can understand why they want to leave a country, though the future of Nepal will rely on an educated generation who can somehow turn the tables on the endemic corruption which diverts millions of rupees of aid.

Thursday 24th February

Rakesh's father had organised a taxi for me to the Airport at a very fair rate compared with the excessive fare paid on arrival. My memory of Kathmandu Airport suggested I should be there a good 3 hours before flying as it's pretty disorganised. Things have improved and the airport tax, previously payable before departure, has been incorporated in the cost of the ticket, or so I'm told. While waiting at the allotted Gate, I got talking to a Swiss gentleman beside me who turned out to be a professor of engineering advising Kathmandu University. He told me there are a number of initiatives already afoot to bring intermediate technology to Nepal, including the design of a simple stove with ventilation, which can be carried on the back. This should prevent so many women dying early because of the smoke filled kitchens.

The flight was delayed an hour which meant getting to my destination in Delhi in the dark. The Indian traffic appeared remarkably free flowing, until we hit Old Delhi, no doubt as a result of the investment in roads for the recent Commonwealth Games.

Friday 25th February

I got a day ticket for the Metro and headed for New Delhi station where I was to catch a train to Dehradun tomorrow morning at 6.50 am. The metro here is fairly new and a frequent service, with the new airport link getting you there from New Delhi in 18 minutes. I was somewhat out of order when I climbed into the first door and sat down - I was promptly told this was a ladies only carriage. Memories of getting the bus to Asha Niketan Kerela with men on one side and women on the other.

It was re-assuring to confirm my seat booking and find out which platform it was due to leave from. I'm heading up to Herbertpur to visit Pema Mega and her husband who run the Noe Tibetan Children's Home. For further info see http://www.noetibetanchildren.org/. It involves a 6 hour journey covering around 200 miles. Internet access is doubtful there so this may be the last blog till I return to Delhi next week before flying home on Thursday 3rd.


Saturday 26th February

Up at 5.00 am to catch the first Metro out of Civil Lines, the nearest station on the Jahangir Puri line. A torrential rain storm abated in time for me to walk the 1 km. The strees were deserted save the odd klaxon happy and garishly painted Tata truck thundering past with headlights blazing. Cycle rickshaw drivers lay wrapped in blankets against the night chill quite oblivious to my passing trade.

By 6.00 I was through the security check (now at all Metro stations) and whizzing my way to New Delhi station where a short walk over the footbridge brought me to platform 15 to catch the Shatabdi Express.

Delhi station at 6.20 resembles London in the rush hour, thousands of expectant travellers mounting the footbridge and colliding with those who have just arrived from disparate parts of India. Porters clad in red tunics out for business, whilst chai wallas dispense welcome cups of hot drinks.


The train to Dehradun takes about 6 hours and at this time of day comprises fairly modern seating and at seat complimentary breakfast, water and hot drinks. I've traveller the length and breadth of India on previous visits and train travel still appeals - you get a real sense of the scale of rural India and in this part a glimpse of the local crop of sugar cane being harvested and carted to the local factory for crushing.

It was great to see Pema and Mr Mega (her husband) waiting on the platform to welcome me - Pema's signature blue head scarf picking her out form the crowd.

After lunch at their favourite eating house - Chinese noodles and deep fried cauliflower a welcome relief - we headed west to Herbertpur, stopping at the National Forestry Research Institute on the way to get some book on the trees of the Himalays.

Being Saturday the library/bookshop was closed but we had a good look around the various exhibits which provided some useful information for the Nepal Project.

Driving through the extensive grounds, one couldn't help but feel a sense of times gone by, with colonial style staff bungalows punctuating the drive with neatly manicured gardens, no doubt still tended by lower caste servants.


After a short siesta, time to catch up on news since my last visit 3 years ago and distribute small gifts to the children.  Pema set up the Noe Tibetan's Children's Home in Herbertpur in 1980 and provides a loving and caring home for around 20 children from 3 - 20 years of age, many of whom have lost one or both parents; others whose family circumstances required them to be looked after elsewhere.

Pema and 'Mr Mega', as he is affectionately called, live on the ground floor, the children upstairs where they look after each other with a great deal of independence - they do their own cooking, cleaning and washing - but under the watchful eye of the Megas. Over 600 children have passed through their hands over the years, with many of them achieving professional careers.

If that wasn't enough to keep Pema occupied, she is the Principal of a nearby Govt. funded school of 900 which she set up and runs with the help of a team of teachers. The infants are taught in classrooms next to Pema's living quarters.

The school does as well as it can with limited funding, though its lacks many of the facililities which schools in the UK take for granted.

Sunday 27th February

The travelling has caught up with me. Woke this morning with a streaming cold and feeling pretty exhausted, so we agreed a lazy day was in order. A chance to hear a bit more about Tibet. On my last visit I read the moving account of the Dalai Lama's escape from the Chinese invaders; this time it was Pema's story of how she escaped from Tibet in 1960.

Her father was a cross-border trader of provisions such as sugar, salt and cotton, spending half his time in Kompo and the other half in Kalimpong, near Darjeeling (India). Accused of supplying the freedom fighters with provisions, he was arrested and after being imprisoned for 6 months was released for 3 days to visit his family. . Realising this was his only chance to escape, he constructes a canoe out of bamboo and animal hides, and set out to row across the Brahmaputra river with his wife and two children including Pema who was 5 yrs old at the time. To prevent them sinking they had to throw all their possessions overboard, bar a sack of flour, and at one point nearly got caught by the Chinese patrol canoes. Eventually they made it to the other side and found their way over the Himalayas to safety in India.

When Pema talks of Tibet she reveals a passion for her country which, it would seem, has been badly let down by the major world powers - no doubt in part because there are no substantial oil or mineral reserves to plunder.

The world has stood by as a sovereign state has been aggressively invaded and systematically ethnically cleansed.

And, although she and 80,000 other refugees have found asylum in India, they are denied citizenship and have to renew their ID card every year. However, she is very proud of the fact that the Dalai Lama visited her school in 2001, with a photo of the occasion taking pride of place in their sitting room.


In the afternoon we headed to a nearby park, with swings and slides, where the children love to go. It overlooks the river with impressive views of the mountains of Uttarkhand, a recently new state annexed from Uttar Pradesh, which form the foothills of the more distant Himalayas.

The vast width of the river bed gives a clue as to how much water flows down from the mountains - last year's monsoon bringing uncharacteristic flooding despite newly erected stone defences.

When we returned, the India/England World Cup cricket game provided compulsory viewing until a power cut struck the whole of Herbertpur with only 60 balls to play!

Monday 28th February.

The original plan was to visit the hill station of Mussoorie today, but we decided to visit Rishikesh instead, and call at the Forestry Research Institute where I picked up a couple of key books for the Nepal Project. It took a couple of hours to get to Rishikesh along some bone shaking roads, but that's the nature of pilgrimages! Along the way we passed men, carrying highly decorated flasks full of Ganges water, who were making the entire return journey on foot to dispense the holy, if rather contaminated, liquid around their local Hindu households.

Situated on the banks of the Ganges, Rishikesh is still an important place of pilgrimage, and a centre for meditation and yoga.  Many pyjama clothed and sandal shod Westerners can be seen walking the streets lined with tacky stalls selling josticks, trinkets and freshly fried samosas.


Today a further activity - white water rafting - attracts another group of tourists, clad in lifejackets and shorts, who seem a little incongruous with those seeking more spiritual and less active pursuits.

After a light lunch and a quick look around the sights we headed back across the suspension bridge and headed home armed with a short length of sugar cane procured from a road-side sugar crusher for my horticulture class back home.

That evening the children gave me their traditional 'concert' each taking it in turns to dance sing or recite a poem, and wonderfully entertaining they were too. Before the end, Pema asked each person to tell me what their ambitions were, and I was duly impressed by their answers, a number of them wanting to become doctors, nurses, teachers, air hostesses, or to join the army or police force. On the basis of past students' success, these are all achievable.

Tuesday 1st March

Thankfully, feeling fitter this morning. I had agreed to go into School with Pema after a leisurely breakfast. She walks in every day - a few hundred metres along the road. My first visit here proved a tad more challenging than I expected. Thrust into a Maths class Pema insisted that Mr John takes over so I had hurriedly to dream up a problem and solve it from first principles! This time I decided I would ease the pressure and concentrate on seed germination plant growth and computers which a number of classes had covered in their science syllabus. I must have been taken into half a dozen classes, but even with a bit of teaching experience behind me this time, it was quite an exhausting morning. Pema's standards are exacting so a few classes were told in no uncertain terms that they had to do better! With exams due to be held this week, it was probably no bad thing.


The school starts at 9.00 pm and breaks at 2.00 pm here, with various modes of transport whisking the pupils home. Some spend over 2.5 hours travelling by bus.

As I was showing Pema the photos pf Nepal, a parcel arrived which prompted us to rush back to the school. The CD of the Year 9 Maths exam had arrived and 63 copies needed to be printed and collated as the next day was a local festival.  I seem to remember last year I arrived the day the exams were taking place. Long lengths of rush matting were rolled out over the sun-baked mud of the compound, and pupils came out and sat cross legged one behind the other. Sitting exams took on another meaning.

Despite only spending just over 3 days with Pema and Mr Mega, we had a chance to share a lot, so it was sad to have to say farewell to them and the children at 9.30 pm to take a taxi to Dehradun for the overnight sleeper to Delhi. Before leaving I was presented with the traditional scarf and handed a hand drawn thank you note by each of the children. I have to admit to shedding a tear or two as I waved them all good-bye.

The local taxi driver appeared to be somewhat less aggressive than his fellow road users which was a relief as we plunged into the darkness with vehicles overtaking on either side. I just hoped it was his own sense of mortality that made him stop at a roadside Hindu shrine to pay his respect to the gods.

Arriving at Dehradun station by 10.45 gave ample time to find my berth on the 11.25 sleeper. Thankfully I had been booked in AC2.  AC2 means air conditioned 2 bunks per side (4 per compartment). AC3 has 3 bunks per side.

Not the best of journeys as we were tossed forwards, backwards and sideways, but at least some sleep before we arrived at New Delhi at 5.05 am. The queue for the Metro stretched back some way as the underground system was cranked into life. By 6.30 I was back at Rajniwas Marg for my last day in India.

I look back on an action packed 3 weeks with much food for thought. Not least, it will make me more appreciative of clean drinking water, reliable electricity, and a flush toilet. But more importantly it has made me admire the courage and  resilience of human nature when none of these are available, and question the world's economic system which leaves so many fellow human beings devoid of their basic needs.

For those who would like to see full size images of the photos I have taken, go to the uploaded Picasa album via the following link:
Thanks to all of you who have been following my travels. I hope the blog has been of interest and given you some new insights into India and Nepal, as well as all the projects I have visited along the way  - I would be happy to hear from anyone interested in learning more about these.

John
jmfpeet@gmail.com