Day 3

We've made it to Nepal! We arrived at around 1AM (our flight time was prolonged due to a stop in the capital of Bangladesh). Stepping off the plane was very odd because it was pitch black outside and it was as if I could be anywhere! But it was all exciting nonetheless! We applied for visa's, I got my film manually checked for the third time, and we proceeded to meet our instructors! After introductions that were very camp-esque we boarded a bus, probably the most luxurious transportation we'll experience on this trip, and we headed to a guest house in Bhaktapur which is on the rim of the Kathmandu Valley. We drove down the single paved highway in Nepal, built by the Japanese only 3 years ago, and arrived at the road that led to the guest house. Due to the monsoons, roads are incredibly muddy and rocky, and after much negotiation, the driver simply refused to risk his bus for us. So we unloaded, put on our headlamps and trekked up to the top of Ganesh Hill where our sleeping abode awaited us. After that trek, I don't blame the driver for his refusal! We finally got here and our rooms are small and full of spiders but have beautiful big windows and mattresses. Waking up and peering outside the window next to my bed was surreal and breathtaking. Everything was so much greener than I ever could have expected and so full of blossoming bright flowers and life! We met at 7 AM for breakfast and I got my first view of the Kathmandu Valley. Full of bright red buildings with grass roofs, each decided by corn and millet fields. It's unbelievable!!! The weather goes back and forth pretty frequently between sunny and warm and cloudy and drizzly, but both ends of the spectrum are equally pleasant. It has been an overall swell day. My instructor set up a slackline on some trees so I've been playing on that a lot and a girl and my group does acro yoga so that's been really fun as well. The food is incredible. We eat rice and lentils with only our hands and Bhaktapur is famous for their yogurt (though I'm still trying to get used to the consistency). We'll be here at the guest house for another 4 nights and then we'll depart on a 5 day trek to a rural village where we'll live with families. Tomorrow morning we'll be hiking at 6 AM to the top of Ganesh Hill to the temple and then have our first language class, I'm so excited! It really is so surreal to be here. I'm feeling a little lonely just because all of our relationships are still in their beginning awkard stages but I'm in awe of the environment around me and that has filled my soul for today! Just taking everything a day at a time! Every moment is full of ups and downs, like the waves of an ocean!