POKHARA

This was a long day. We ran out of water in our bathroom overnight and felt more aftershocks. Many small ones overnight. It's easy to get up early because of jet lag so I was awake befor 4am. We packed our duffle bags and backpacks, leaving extra non essential stuff at the KGH. 

We had to walk to the end of the street because it was too narrow for our van. The porters carried the ruffles for us. They can carry up to 200 lb for 10 hrs according to Binoy, our guide, so two 30 lb bags is relatively easy. 

Our van picked us up on a very dusty street after waiting a bit. I'm not sure why. 

A Hindu priest came along and put red dots on our foreheads along with marigold petals as a blessing for our trek. He also wanted some money so I gave him 10 Rupies. I think that might only be about a penny but he seemed happy with it. We took Ag about 9 am on a 6 hour drive to Pokhara. We got there at 6:30 pm. We had heard that 100 buses were taking people home to India and peasants back to their villages leaving Kathmandu. We also heard a rumor conflicting reports about the road being blocked with a landslide. Here is a small one. 

It only blocked our lane. It doesn't seem like drivers pay much attention to the lanes anyway. 

I don't know for sure about the 100 buses, but the 'bus stop' Binoy said had 5,000 people when it usually should have 500. 

Bus patrons. 

We were stopped in traffic where the road divided and one lane went off toward India. 

We walked on past all the cars and over the bridge to eventually be found by our driver. 

Our driver picked us up across the bridge at a cafe an hour and 1/2 later. 

We made it to Pokhara and it is great!  It has a great shower, electricity, toilets that flush, and Internet that works. We are in the lap of luxury. We went for supper and had water buffalo meat appetizers called mo mo. 

Vegetarian masala. Lots of curry. 

I don't remember the name of what I had but it was good and it wasn't rice! 

Tomorrow morning we hike up to a Hindu temple in the morning then take off and drive up an hour to a trail for real hiking. 

I've got to sleep. It's beautiful here. I posted a couple videos on FB Columbus medical mission team. 

TUESDAY MORNING IN KATHMANDU

There were many small aftershocks overnight and water is gone again. John poured our precious bucket of water in the tank so we can flush one more time before leaving the hotel for the day. 

John can get email, but I can't. I'm blaming Verizon for that, but am not sure. I can get texts from iPhones only when I'm connected to Wifi so it's very sporadic. We've were able to FaceTime all the kids yesterday. 

It's 5 am and 6:15pm back home. Yes, do the math we are 10:45 minutes ahead. Apparently Neoal wanted it's time zone distinctly different form India for some reason back in the day. The monkeys start calling, birds singing about 4am and so far there haven't been so many dogs barking like they have other days. We've packed our duffle bags to leave. These are provided by the trekking company Alps in Nepal. Go to www.alpsinnepal.com to check it out. One of them did graduate work in Nebraska. Who'd have thought! We get to keep the bags at the end. 

They can only weigh about 12 kg. the folks who tried to leave yesterday are not out yet. At least one came back to he hotel. I think one slept at the airport. Two others I'm not sure about. I haven't spoken to any of them since they left. 

Another small aftershock right now the bed wobbles a very little bit. John didn't feel it. Perhaps I'm paranoid. I'm the one who always figures the tornado could never hit exactly where I am, but with 3000 dead all bets are off. Where the Avalanche was is where we were planning to go. Now our plan has completely changed. We will drive to Pokhara 7 hours today. They say there are 100 buses heading to India on the Same road so this could be interesting. I'll have my camera ready and lots of water and snacks with me so I can survive. I gues the $100 worth of snack I bought at Hy Vee and made into many small trail mix bags will pay off after all. We've eaten that along with snacks form others when we get tired of fried rice. Mostly rice, by the way, not much fried other stuff. I'm also mostly vegetarian now. 

This is Lisa and Patricia, both of whom are making efforts to leave Nepal now that the plans have fallen apart. So far no luck getting out. We will visit a health center in Pokhara today. We expect to do minor medical things along the way wherever we can, but don't really have the usual lines of people and clinic or surgery set up like past missions. This is a reconnaissance trip to see if a new mission can be organized for the future. 

BACK ONLINE

It's been a roller coaster the past day with plans shifting and changing by the minute. We have had no internet for a day and a half and have been trying to decide how to best proceed. We are still at the Kathmandu Guest House. The water in the bathrooms quit 24hrs ago but now is back, although it's brown. We've eaten fried rice 3 of the last 5 meals. Boiled eggs and bread for breakfast. The electricity might even be back on, but I'm not sure. Our hotel has been on backup generator all along. 

We visited the U.S. Embassy "club" this morning and got some MRE's. That is meals ready to eat. They weren't the best, but also wasn't fried rice. 

This is the embassy compound. Really the lap of luxury. It's only about 6 blocks away and admitting all Americans. There is a tent city there but we weren't supposed to take pictures. I snuck this one so I hope I don't end up on the black list. I don't think it includes any military secrets. 

We are down to a few choices and have debated all this at length. Our mission part is over, I think. We did a mini clinic at a tent city set up at a Nepal army base. It wasn't much ENT, mostly injuries. They seemed grateful to have us there for yesterday morning. 

The tent city. 

A bunged up knee that needs x-Rays. 

Mom and baby. 

People lined up to see us. 

They found a Red Cross flag so we took a picture by it, but it wasn't anything to do with the Red Cross. 

Then in the afternoon we visited the B&B Hospital. It's a private hospital where Dr. Pine had planned to see patients. Most of them didn't show up because of the earthquake, but we were able to see some and donated equipment to Dr. -uh you pronounce it. ;)

Dr. Gyawali with Dr. Pine. 

They had moved the patients out of the hospital afraid the building might collapse and they didn't want us inside too long. There is a sense of fear here. They were doing surgery outside in a tent. Only the very urgent surgery so most things were on hold. 

This is a tent for patients. 

Here they are putting up a surgery tent. 

Broken leg. 

We were tired of fried rice so had our own supper in the balcony when a team member brought in a massive papaya. We ended up hungry later and walked out on the street to find more rice and French fries. It was a blackout so we wore headlights to see on the street. There were 9 of us so we had safety in numbers. The area, although crowded and a little disorganized, seems safe and the people are just wonderful and kind hearted. 

In the midst of all this the trek to the Everest Base Camp has totally fallen through. One trekker supports 10-11 Nepalese for a full year so to abandon our trek is a huge hit for our guide, Binoy. He was very discouraged to find out about all the deaths (17 so far) on Everest and that the villages along the way are badly damaged. There are rock slides and he said it's too dangerous for us to think of going. To come straight home has its own problems. The airport is chaos with people trying to get out and all the treks cancelled. A single one way ticket home costs as much as the entire trip and it might include spending a couple nights on the floor of the airport. Our airline, Qatar Airway's next open seat was May 2 last we heard. To switch everything around without Internet was a huge hassle. We've had 4 of our team that are in the midst of doing just that to get out but we've decided to ride it out for now. We even discussed a 25 hour bus ride to New Dehli, which would be an adventure in its own right but I can picture that and it's ugly, not to mention the difficulty getting a visa for India, but it only costs $36. Much more reasonable to be sure. 

Our plan currently is to change to an easier, 3 part 'trek'. First drive to Pokarah tomorrow and trek there for 5 days in the foothills (15,000 feet). So not so high. Then water rafting at Seti River Camp, then Chitwan National Park safari in the low elevations. We could drop off at any point if things change. It's an area that is much less affected by the earthquake. 

There are a lot of interesting dynamics at play here and we are flexible. We will know more for sure later today. There are rumors of rockslides on the road so we are hoping they aren't true. I'll post more when I can. 

Rickshaws hoping to give you a ride. They are everywhere. 

This is a Bhuddist temple crumbled just down the street. There are cracks in the cement everywhere including our hotel. 

The courtyard of our hotel.

THE EARTHQUAKE

I just woke up. It's 2:30am in Kathmandu. The television and Internet have the exact details of the earthquake better than I do so I will tell my version from my perspective. 

The mountains just before we landed. 

Our Qatar Airways plane landed around noon in Kathmandu.

 We went into the terminal filled out the immigrant papers and were in a slow like for our visas when the building shook a little. There was construction going on outside so it seemed like a big equipment thing but then it escalated to the building moving maybe about three inches side to side up and down so while a few ran out of  the building most of us hunkered down beside the huge 2' square pillars. It lasted a minute or so and stopped. We stood up and looked around. The room looked ok and they started processing us again. After about 20 minutes and a couple aftershocks they moved us outside into the Tarmac. I could see the walkway bucked in one place and cracked in several. A decorative wall was crumbled. Look closely. 

We waited there about an hour. One huge plane landed while we were there so the runway must be ok. You can see the huge plane on the other side of the building. 

They say a tower was damaged but will reopen tomorrow. 

We eventually got through the visa line. By then many of the workers were gone and they would not let us get our checked bags even though we could see them. They have go go through security and security was down. Our guide, Binoy went back to get them later in the day and everything is there. They must have a disaster protocol that they were following. It seemed orderly for the most part.

 

We rode to our hotel, The Kathmandu Guest (KGH) house in a van. Here are street scenes. Walls are crumbled and electricity was down in places. No code here! See the pole leaning in this picture. 

Crumbled wall. 

Street scenes on the way to the hotel. 

We ended up walking to the hotel. Somehow we couldn't drive on it. Maybe the van is too big but we walked the last 1/2 mile. 

These bike taxis were everywhere. 

You can see how there could be electrical problems. This is the norm for their electric lines throughout the city. 

Entrance to Kathmandu Guerst house. Locked gates but the guard was very nice and let's us in and out without any hassle.  I think we look like we belong inside the gates. We waited around. There were people who were supposed to check out, and us to check in but and the city was chaos. The streets were just full of people with big crowds in places. I think where buildings had collapsed. 

We went to a nearby cafe. There was a crumbled wall and leaning pole to squeeze through to get to the bathroom. The old bathroom saga without running water of back in the day. 

Almost all the shops were closed with sliding metal doors like a garage door pulled down tight. Other Trekkers we met told how they were in a shop and everything went flying off the shelves and out into the street. They said the shopkeepers cleaned it all up and closed the doors very quickly. I suppose there could be looting but I haven't seen anything of it. 

I ended up walking with some of our team down the street. We found Internet in a cafe and checked in at home. Fried rice is the meal of the day. The menu was down to one thing only. Our hotel, KGH I'll call it now served free fried rice to the guests. We didn't go hungry. 

We got checked in about 7 PM. There is a 10:45 hr time difference. We are tomorrow already.

John checking us in. Harold and Patricia looking on. Harold says he was in another earthquake in Peru once so he's taking the blame for the bad luck here. 

Out room is pretty good. We swapped out our own towels and wiped up the bathroom a bit but can't complain. I suspect the housekeepers might be home digging their friends and families out of the rubble. I slept hard till now and will try to sleep some more. The time difference makes it tricky. Good night. 

EARTHQUAKE

we landed in Kathmandu right before an earthquake hit. The epicenter is here. We were hung up a couple hours and now are waiting around to get into our hotel. Walls crumbled here and there. Some buildings down. Internet VERY sketchy. 

IN DOHA

I knew nothing about Doha, Qatar before this, but we are here now for 9 hours. The Internet is sketchy. Fortunately our group has some tech knowledge so we can get around it. The trip was long and trying to sleep was miserable so we are tired and have an 8 hr time change now. We were courageous and jumped in a cab and went to the market district. This is a very small, but oil rich country. The airport is brand new, shining and modern. The majority of the women wear head scarves, some with only a slit for the eyes and black from head to toe. Considering how ridiculously hot it must be here at times I don't know how they can do it. I admit that I get somewhat philosophical about it and wonder why they need to cover up to keep the men from being distracted. It seems like the men could have a little more self control than that and should take some pride in that. But then I look at all the various cultural differences around the world and realize it's a lot more than that. More than I can ever figure out. 

Many of the men had the long Arab robes also. It turns out that if you just see them from the waist up it looks like they have a white man's dress shirt with buttons, but then the bottom goes all the way to the floor. This is the first time I've ever seen this close up. Keep in mind your writer is a little country girl from the Midwest who doesn't get out much. 

This was a group of men dancing in the market. It went on for a long time. Hours? Maybe?  We watched awhile. The music sounded just like you'd expect   

Then we roamed into some shops. Language was a definite barrier. 

This is a shop where I bought some little things only to find out they are made in China!!!!

We ate in an Iraqi restaurant. So far every meal including the plane has included rice and curry. I'm sure they have other things, but I haven't found it. 

The bread is naan. There was yogurt to dip bread in and use like ketchup (I think). 

This was chicken and saffron rice. 

We walked around and saw a HUGE mosque. 

One thing we saw were these smoking bars. There is no alcohol at the restaurants, but people are sitting around smoking flavored tobacco. I restrained myself but some of the team (you can tell who has the adventuresome spirits here) tried it. What a hoot!

This seems like it could be drugs but they say it's not. 

  The down side was I was sooooo tired we then headed back to the airport and even in the 'quiet' room I couldn't sleep. I was too afraid I miss our flight. Now the next leg coming up. Boarding soon. We take off at 4am. 

THE JOURNEY BEGINS!!

We made it to Houston via Dallas and met up with a portion of our team at the gate of Qatar airways. The flight attendants wear little hats and this is one of those bigger planes with two isles. We in for a 14 1/2 hr flight to Dohu, Qatar and then delay 9 hours and on to Kathmadu. The rest of our team will meet us there in Saturday. We've got someone living at our house while we're gone and others looking after the house and the yard in addition to living next door to my sister and having the ever vigilant dog guarding the place so I think we're covered! 

Our plane. 

Everyone in this picture is an Otolaryngoligist with the exception of John, but fortunately he can speak ENTese. 

Here is a picture of the inside of the plane. There is a pillow, blanket, socks, ear plugs, a towelette for your hands, earphones and a little wash kit with a toothbrush, etc. 

Taking off!  Later!! 

GETTING PSYCHED

Now I'm really getting psyched for Nepal.  I looked at the roster of our team members.  There are 12 people on the trek.  We will visit 3 medical facilities, the biggest is at the beginning in Kathmandu. Our team includes John, the McGyver, 8 Otolaryngologists, one Pediatric Infectious Disease physician, an engineer and a real estate broker.  Most come from Texas, but the rest are from Nebraksa, Chicago, Baltimore and Canada.  I do not have all the details on everyone, but it looks like an interesting group.  I figure John and I will be mom and dad to the group :).

I looked at the Hillary Bridge, Nepal on the internet today.  We get to go over this along the way.

PLANNING NEPAL

We are gearing up for our mission to Nepal.  I will fill in some informaion about our trip over the next few days. We have been getting packing lists almost daily, so are getting organized. We have been working out since our trip includes hiking at high altitudes without any motor vehicles.

As it stands now, there are 12 of us on the trip.  One had to drop out because he broke his arm.  We will spend the first part of the trip in Kathmandu and tour the hospital in order to plan out future medical missions.  We will visit 2 other medical facilities on the trek, but most of the time will be on the trek. About half of the team are ENT doctors and the rest are friends, family and other helpers.  The rest of the trip includes a trip to the Base Camp of Mt. Everest, so we are really pumped about that.  The main goal is the peak of Kala Patar, which is a peak near Everest where you can get the best view of the mountain.  Of course much of this depends on how we tolerate the altitude, as we will be up to 18,000 feet.  We will be prepared for altitude sickness and be able to treat climbers along the way (ourselves included).

I spent time today talking to a REAL photographer about how to take the best pictures possible, so I am cautiously optimistic that I will have some good pictures.  I found an SD card that has built in WiFi so the pictures can go straight to my phone and hopefully I can post them.  If that doesn't pan out I will have to do it when we get back to reality.


In the mean time, I'm really looking forward to this.  I'm attaching a picture of the countries where we have done missions before to get the bird's eye view.

Highlighted in red - Ecuador, Jaimaca, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Kenya, Haiti, Nepal and DR Congo (next year).

SEARCHING FOR THE YETI

There is a lot going on in my life!  There is a new grandchild on the way and a daughter getting married before our next mission. In the mean time, I have to pinch myself to be sure it's not a dream that we get to go to Nepal to set up a new mission AND trek to the Base Camp of Mt. Everest all in the same trip.  To that end, I've been reading (in all my spare time) about Nepal.

Since I don't have much information about the mission, especially since it's not even established yet, I've decided to share some interesting things about this country.  This is VERY different from any place we've been before. Poverty is a huge problem due to changing governments and instability, but things have been improving over the last few years, so it is encouraging.

This is a summary gleaned from http://www.lonelyplanet.com/nepal about the Yeti. It is paraphrased to save time and space.

'Along with the equally slippery notion of Shangri La, the Yeti is one of Nepal's most famous cultural exports, occupying a hotly debated biological niche somewhere between zoology and folk religion.
..... The word yeti comes from the Tebetan yeh-teh, or "man of the rocky/snowy places'.  First hand accounts describe it as 'abominal snowman', having reddish fur, a conical head, a high-pitched cry and strange body odour that smells of garlic. There are various descriptions, one says it moves on all fours and preys on goats, sheep and yaks. There are more than one type of Yeti. Worst of all is the man-eater, 6ft to 8ft tall and a very bad temperment.  Consider yourself warned. '
"Trekkers to the Base Camp can still see the yeti scalp at the Khumjung Monastery (actually made from the skin of a serow (type of goat/antelope). The regions's Yeti pelts' actually belong to the Himalayan blue bear. "  Image result for yeti image

I guess I'm more afraid of the altitude than the Yeti, but I'll keep a lookout!

NN

NEPAL TREK TRAINING

We are getting lined up to travel to Nepal.  Our team leader is Dr. Harold Pine from Galveston, TX. The group is up to 11 people now, mostly ENT doctors and friends.  We will be looking at establishing a medical mission in Kathmandu.  I have been reading up on Nepal.  It is a fascinating country with a fascinating history.  While part of me feels like I should focus on one location, there is a wanderlust that keeps calling me from every direction.  Three members of our team from Haiti last year are heading there again in April while we travel to Nepal. The Nicaragua group is also going back to Puerto Cabezas.  They are blogging from Global Passion Ministries.

There are more opportunities than a person can count for doing missions and I''m finding more every day.  I've become involved in the Humanitarian Section of the AAO HNS who sends Otolaryngologists all over the world and is committed to training the locals in addition to providing care.  The goal is to eventually make ourselves unnecessary.  The mission this year will not involve so much work as just planning and deciding how it could work.  We have a contact ENT physician in Kathmandu who we will work with.  The other object of our trip is the hike to the base camp of Mt. Everest, so it's much different than our usual missions, and although I'm feeling a little guilty about trekking more than working, I see this as the opportunity of a lifetime and just couldn't pass it up. I read the book "Into Thin Air" several years ago and decided this was the most exotic place in the world.  We are not looking for donations for this trip as it is more 'vacation/adventure' than work, but bear with us and follow the adventure.  We will be back at it next year with anticipation of DR Congo.

In the mean time, John and I have been hiking in preparation for this trip.  Stay tuned.