Arrival in Nepal

When we cross the border it feels like we’re entering a new world. At once we notice some differences between India and Nepal. The people look more Chinese and they behave relaxed. The mood is good and before we know it we’ve finished the formalities at the check post. We find a nice little place to stay at the Nepali side of Sunauli. Here we enjoy our first “Everest Beer” to celebrate our arrival in the country of the highest mountain in the world.
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Living on the roof of the Noble House

We pack our bags and say our goodbyes to the people in the Kathmandu Guesthouse. It’s been a great stay in a lovely atmosphere and with the best coffee since Iran!! On the road for the last kilometers for the coming time. We’re leaving Katmandu with the flow of traffic and soon we‘re on the highway. Cycling on a very busy two lanes road which we leave soon to take the touristy route to the Noble House. The only thing we know is that we have to take the road from Bhaktapur to Nagarkot. According to Sita, who runs the house together with her husband Utsab, we will bump into the red house. The small road is very dusty and the traffic is crazy. For the first time since we left The Netherlands we have a small accident. A motor driver hits the back of Stevens bicycle and Steven falls on the ground. Fortunate, nothing serious happens. After some nice words from Steven, we continue and soon we see the sign on a house: Noble House.
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The zoo

The Zoo
"Where are we going? We're going to the Zoo!" These sentences can be heard for weeks in the Noble House. Everybody can say it and they all want to go. A few of the kids have been to the Zoo before. They tell big stories about the animals who live there and which games you can play. Steven makes some color drawings and everyone enjoys it. Only three nights to go, we count together till one. On the morning we are going it rains and it rains.....
but when we are eating our Dahl Bat we are lucky. The sun comes trough the clouds. Together we walk to Bakhtapur and there we go by bus. For most of the children this is the first time by bus and their faces are getting paler. But when we are at the entrance of the Zoo the smiles are back again. The party begins: crocodiles, monkeys, tigers, rhinos, hippos they are all there. An elephant is walking through the zoo and the children are allowed to touch this hugh animal.
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Visit from Holland, wild safari and Goodbye

The World Cup comes to its end and when the Italians leave Kathmandu there is silence again in the valley. We only have a few weeks left in the Noble House. We focus this time on the kids and try to give them a good time. We play, sing, draw and make nice things. I am still the ‘climbing tree’ and Marlous is a point of rest with her lap always ready to sit on for a child. It’s a strange time because the elder children begin to realize that we almost have to go. They start asking questions and tell us not to go. Sita and Utsab also show that they don’t like us to leave.
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A day with Engely in the mountains

Rupa leans with her head on my shoulder. Tears of happiness are rolling down from her eyes. “I am a queen”, she says. Today she, as well as the other kids of the Noble House, got new clothes. Engely flew over from the Netherlands and thanks to all the sponsors her bags are filled with dolls, drawings and clothes. I take Rupa to the mirror so she can admire herself. Again the tears start floating on her face the moment she sees herself.
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At home in Kathmandu

Our plane descents trough thick layers of clouds towards the Kathmandu Valley. Sometimes we see a little part of Nepal below us, but it isn't much. It doesn't matter, we are familiar with the views below us. The rows with ugly buildings are countless and together they form Kathmandu. As soon as we have landed we see more of the city where we feel ourselves at home.
It's easy to arrange a visa, the bicycles arrive safely and we spot the sign of our taxi driver quickly. We are embraced by the Nepalese warmth and the chaos is still the same. Cows, monkeys, kids, dirt, overcrowded and colourful busses, everything is lively. Everything is there and everything is there in full presence.
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Drie keer TOP!!!

Sorry, this text hasn't been translated yet.

Come again soon for an update in English!

From Kathmandu till elephant

The unrest is noticeable in Kathmandu every day. One day there are demonstrations by students, because they want discount for public transport. The next day the garbage collectors start a strike which leaves the city with an overdoses of dirt and a disgusting smell. The taxi drivers block the important roads, because a colleague had been killed during the night. The rickshaw drivers don't have work for days, because their boss increased the rent of the rickshaw's. The evening before we leave there's more breaking news on the Nepalese television: the Maoist Party resigns from the government, because things are going too slowly. This leads to a general strike.

Cycled route through Nepal

Below you can view a map with our cycled route through Nepal
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