A Global Village

It's amazing how almost every country in the world has elements and similarities to others. Driving through Kathmandu brings back fond memories of Kosovo and Cairo. The streets and unpaved sidewalks are alive with pedestrians in western and eastern attire: suits, saris, kurtas, full of color and muted alike. Getting from Point A to Point B is always an adventure: maneuvering in and out of the tiniest spaces, certain one car will nick another, wondering if the man in sandals trying to cross the street is going to get his foot crushed by the three-wheeled scooter taxi sneaking through the 3 ft space between the sidewalk and the adjacent vehicle.

One team member said it best, "this is organized chaos." I think we would all agree, however, that it is a beautiful chaos with hospitable and generous people, deliciously eastern flavours, and the sights and sounds of an extraordinary life. We experienced an outdoor bazaar yesterday and bought saris to wear for our first dinner with GSE coordinators, the Nepal team headed to CA, and some of the family members of our core group of Rotarians. Poor Eliseo...he was a good a sport, but he isn't a shopper, let alone for women's clothing. Eliseo Daniel Guiermo #$%^&* del Ricardo (almost got it!) was very helpful in all of us making our decisions. The man's got good taste!

Today is the day when it all begins. We check out of the hotel and head to the homes of our hosts where we hope to soak in all the local culture Nepal has to offer. We will visit the Monkey Temple today, Child Heaven Orphanage, an orthopedic hospital, and a cancer hospital, all of which Rotary supports. Photos and more blogging to come, pending internet access.

Stay tuned and Namaste!

Noora