Christmas in Nepal

So it's Christmas. It doesn't feel like it. Like I found in India Christmas isn't really a big deal over here - mostly only for the tourists. Places like kathmandu and Pokhara where a lot of western tourists hang out offer Christmas menu's which was nice to see. 

We were to spend a few days in pokhara which was a nice change of scenery. Christmas Day itself was beautiful and sunny and started with an English breakfast! Winner! Bacon and eggs always goes down well for my breakfast! The rest of the day was pretty relaxed walking around the lake and having some chai - looking around a few of the shops and then skyping my parents. 

Although I wanted it to be a suprise for my mum - she read the what's app messages I sent to my dad's phone and guessed! Way to go spoil a suprise! It was the first time I had skyped them since arriving in Nepal at the start of November. There is was Christmas morning and both my parents, my Aunty Pam & uncle stu plus George and will were there. It was really good to talk to them all and see my home again! I always  enjoyed Christmas and I was always the little elf that gave everyone their presents and for the second year running it wasn't me. Last year they made Hannah George's girlfriend do it and this year it became wills turn so hopefully he did a good job. 

Santa on the other hand didn't get the message I was in pokhara so apart from a small chocolate bar from my sweet raft guide that was it! Who needs presents anyway! 

That evening we headed to Silk Road and met up with a few of our kayak friends - the group ranged from Nepali guides, English kayakers, and girls from New Zealand, Poland and the USA. It was a good night full of happiness and of course beer and a BBQ! 

The next day it was time to leave pokhara and head back to fishling as our next kayaking adventures were to start in a few days. 

Meeting family

It was decided that we were going to visit his family. Now that the competition had finished we were free to do more stuff that wasn't training or practise for the competition. We had previously gone to the biggest local town with Paz, Pradeep and a few others from the competition. This has allowed us to eat something other than dal Bhat and have a change of scenery. 

 This change of scenery lead us to the confluence of the Trishuli and the Marsyendi rivers where we spent some time sitting. After this we went to the German bakery - although there wasn't anything really German on the menu - Israeli, Nepalese, Indian, Tibetan and Italian foods where all there but I didn't really see anything German food on the menu. 

However going to meet family was a different story - I was probably the first white person that was going to visit the village, they more than likely didn't speak English and apparently there wasn't anything to do there. I wasn't prepared for this really but I knew it was going to happen at some point as he had told me before that we would visit at some point. I know I shouldn't make assumptions however i guess it's easier for me to be prepared and expect the worst and then hope for the best. 

After a short bus ride, lunch, another bus ride, buying some sweets, another bus ride and a walk through the local fields we were nearly there - we just had to find the right house. 

We did find it eventually and met his Aunty, great uncle and nieces. I think they were Suprised to see him with me - I sat there and smiled as I didn't really understand a word that they said! That didn't matter though as we were both welcomed warmly even though we were unannounced! 

We ate fairly early as the power goes out early here for whatever reason. More dal Bhat was on the menu - which was good. Once the power was out there wasn't much to do apart from make our own entertainment. Which consisted of putting on head tourches and reading my book or playing games on my iPhone. The second night it consisted of some of the local children coming to sit in the room with me just so they could come and have a look at me..! 

There was a book I've finished already titled sold. This book was really easy to read and was quite eye opening at the same time. It followed a young village girls story who got sold to a women who then took her to India and kept her and sold her for sex. The girl thought she was going to the city to work as a maid to help earn money for her family so that he could buy a tin roof for their house. Being in this village seeing the young boys and girls and the houses made me think about this book whilst I was there. I am quite fortunant really with my upbringing and house I've grown up in and the oppourtunities that have been given to me. Whilst for these village children they might not ever receive a proper education or get that tin roof for their family.  

Anyway I digress - we visited more relatives of sorts - I have no idea how he is related as he didn't seem sure at times either. They have various houses some with straw roofs and some with tin roofs. Some with lots of animals some with less animals. There were also some young babies along the way who mostly cried when I got close to them - not that I minded because they were too small for me to want to hold or play with anyway - paddy on the other hand he seems to jump at the chance to play with the small children (I know who's going to stay at home and look after the children - IF - and that's a big If it ever happens! And it's not going to be me!). 

We also got on the local bus which took us to the nearest main road. On the way back whilst I was sitting waiting in  the bus which waiting for a few more people to get on board before leaving to go up the road - one of the bus boys - who collects the money for the ride looked at me on the bus - an then shouted to his friend in Nepalese "there's a white girl on our bus" - to which the friend came on the bus for the ride to look at me! I was completely oblivious to this at the time and found out after the bus ride. 

Again, before we left we went to visit a few more relatives - who have us some rice beer in morning - which left us both a little tipsy. Walking through the village the children and adults would stop and stare at me - I felt like sometimes that I should carry a load of sweeties around with me to give to the kids, maybe they would stop the stares?! Again, also when walking back to the house we stopped at the local shop to buy the little girl some food snacks - these spicy rice crispy things. Whilst we were waiting a small crowd started gathering and asking stuff in Nepalese and I stood and smiled at them - as I didn't understand a word that they were saying - I just understood the replies that paddy gave them. 

Soon it was time to leave but not before some dal Bhat and a few family photo's and some random photos which the girls took with my phone. We will be going back to visit again before we leave for India.