Does my bum look big on this?

Here's a little photo of me, standing on an elephant in a river in the jungle in Nepal. Great memory.

The end

Well that's it.  Six months of getting ready for it, travelling to a strange country with people I didn't know, to a placement I knew very little about and now it's over.
Nepal is not a place for the faint hearted, the fastidious, the health conscious, the gourmet, the animal lover, those who enjoy air conditioned comfort.  But what it is, is a country of people who are gentle, friendly and polite, laid back, have time to spare for you whatever you want, smile a lot, love their country, practise their religion in their everyday lives, are generous though they have very little, have a real concern for the environment which puts us in the UK to shame.  We have asked lots of Nepalis if they would like to come to the UK and the answer is always the same, yes for a visit but no, not to live.  They are happy in Nepal.
The buildings are dilapidated with few mod cons and a family may live in one room.  Sometimes you can see into their house as you walk or drive by in the evening.  They are all squatting on the floor eating in the semi dark but at least one person will have a mobile phone lighting up a small area.  Most people have a phone, they are cheap as are network rates but they tend to be the old Nokia type.  Petrol on the other hand is expensive, not far off what we pay, so it's no wonder there are so many mopeds and scooters on the roads and clapped out little Suzuki taxis.
I thought when I first arrived that the constant horn blowing was a sign of irritation or road rage as it is in England.  But it is not.  The roads are so crowded that it's just a way of saying, look out, I'm here next to you, or I'm overtaking you, but no one seems upset or annoyed.  In fact we have seen lorries which have a sign painted on the back inviting you to toot at them.  The shops are also dusty and dirty because they are open fronted and it's impossible to keep out the grime but your goods will always be wiped over before being given to you.  There are ancient temples and shrines on every street and they are building a beautiful, new one in a side street nearby.  But they are not neglected.  They are in constant use with the red and ochre powders being rubbed into the god's forehead many times a day.  Buddhist and Hindu temples exist side by side in harmony.  Although the street sellers are a complete pest sometimes, they are just trying to make a living and it's  fun haggling over the price of singing bowls, tiger balm or ethnic beads..  You always seem to be their first customer of the day, or they like English people, so for you they will offer a special discount.  Some of these people have little formal education but you have to admire the English, and often Spanish and French etc that they speak.
When you leave the overcrowded, bustling streets behind, there is such beauty in the countryside of Nepal.  Snow capped mountains, lush green valleys with gushing rivers, the jungle with its many species of tree, flower and animal.  Culture is alive and well in the country too and the Nepalis are very proud of their inheritance.
We have been asked to come back and see them again in Nepal and that could be just saying the polite thing but I suspect not.  They value your help and company.  Would I go back?  Probably not, as there are so many other places in the world to see.  But if you have enjoyed my blog and think you would like to see Nepal for yourself, I would say, go for it.  Do it before it gets like Thailand.  It's very cheap by European standards and you will still get an authentic experience.
I realise that I have not mentioned my progress in the area of curry eating.  I have tried hard.  I have had dhal bhat (Nepali traditional meal), shubnam curry, biryani mutton and chicken, chicken afghani, curried eggplant, cauliflower, fish and lots of stuff I don't know the name of.  Sorry, I am still not a fan.  I can eat it but it wouldn't be my first choice.
And finally, if you have been at all moved by the stories of the children in the orphanage and would like to make a donation however small, it would be very welcome.  A regular visitor to the orphanage, Dot Coupe, has a Just Giving website which I have copied below.
www.justgiving.com/OCCEDNepalBuildingProject

Namaste.