Reflections on our first year in Kathmandu

When we arrived in July last year everything made us tired - the heat and humidity, the crazy traffic, trying to learn Nepali (which is an ongoing challenge!), unreliable electricity and water supplies, traipsing round different shops to buy provisions and then lugging them home in heavy rucksacks in the blazing sun/pouring rain, new culture, new routines, new sounds (noisy dogs!), new smells, new tastes....

Now most of this feels normal (although each day is different and we never know quite what to expect)! Goat's heads on the butcher's stalls, piles of rubbish, barrows laden with fruit & veg/pots and pans/plastic goods - all normal sights. We still linger near the big temple by the bridge to watch the monkeys and we like to see the cows wandering around. We love the way that everyone smiles and says 'namaste' if you catch their eye.

Apples and pears for sale

We all have great bikes and we cycle everywhere (which makes shopping easier too as we can hang the bags on the handlebars as well as on our backs!). In the hot season we go swimming at the local hotel and when it's cooler we cycle out of town into the fresh air of the countryside. We are getting good at avoiding the holes in the road and negotiating the traffic at cross-roads. 

Home is our oasis - a place to rest, play, read, eat, sleep...

Home

During term time the days whizz by in the same way that they did back home with a slightly longer school day (8.10am to 3pm), various after school activities, play dates, daily homework and work. Weekends are full of church activities, orchestra (Amy), giving piano lessons (Jude), visits and visitors. 

Things we love:

• making new friends, both Nepali and international
• our dog, Muffin
• our fresh egg supply and vegetable garden
• the spring and the autumn when we get clear views of the high Himalayan mountains and the weather is sunny and warm
• our bikes
• the fact that even though we are in a capital city it feels surprisingly rural with free-range animals, leafy lanes, paddy and corn fields in-between houses and great views of the stars at night (no street lamps) 
• the monsoon rains which you can hear approaching as they sweep across the rooftops bringing cooler, fresher air and water to fill up the well
• our solar panels, batteries and inverter which mean we always have at least some electricity
• the historical heart of the city where everyday life is played out against a backdrop of stunning architecture, temples and palaces 
• the natural beauty of this fascinating country and the warmth, friendliness and patience (with us!) of the Nepali people

Local shop

Walking home from the bakery

Things we find more challenging

• being away from family and friends
• the dust and pollution
• the monsoon rains when you are in the wrong place at the wrong time!
• the risk of illness because of unsafe food and water
• the chaos of the roads
• the way that seemingly straight forward tasks such as paying bills and dealing with government offices often turn into time consuming epics
• the unpredictability of everything - although that makes it exciting too!