This past weekend I was finally able to get out of Kathmandu Valley for the first time and actually breathe. Such a simple task, breathing, but one that is so difficult here. Six very bumpy, scary hours later, I arrived at the top of the mountain in a small village town called Gorkha.
My mission was to teach technology to ACCESS students and teachers. I write more about this unique experience on my EdTech Learning Log. So very interesting.The scenery was gorgeous and the mountains were stunning. We passed a tram built by Austria ten years ago that takes people up to a temple village on top of the mountain. We hoped to ride it, but it was Saturday, the day of slaughter of all the goats. The line to get up was over 2 hours long. Another day, hopefully a non-goat one.
Here are some random pictures of the town. We even saw a goat being slaughtered right in the middle of the street. I would have liked some preparation before stumbling on that, but as you know, that's how life in developing countries is. You just never know what you're going to come across next.
Aside from my teaching duties, the highlight for me was getting up early and hiking up 1500 steps to a palace/temple/fort at the tippie top of the mountain. I could see in both directions two separate mountain ranges and it was beautiful. Stunning. And I could breathe. Not many foreigners make this pilgrimage, so I was a surprising site for the villagers as they began their day. I loved walking through their backyards and taking in the scenery. I even got to play table tennis with a boy who didn't expect me to hit it back at all, but we had a good game (and attracted some surprised onlookers). I was huffing and puffing as I made my way up, being passed by young and old zipping past with loads on their heads or backs. The temple steps were smeared with evidence of years of animal sacrifices. I couldn't look down and felt my feet stick with each step. Wow. Fortunately for me, it was not a half-moon sacrificing day.
