First Impressions

Yes, we finally arrived in Nepal!  We were in Kathmandu!  It was very exciting and I was a little emotional.  Ramon was very happy to be back.  (He hadn't been here since 1998.)  Here's the picture I accidentally took of him while I was struggling with all my stuff as we were walking to immigration:

I won't show the picture he took of me in the hallway because I look like someone who had been up, traveling, and wearing the same clothes for several days.  Oh well, here it is anyway!  After all, I HAD been up, traveling, and wearing the same clothes for several days!

If you look closely, you can see the sign behind me that says, "Welcome to Nepal."

At the end of that hallway were some tables with the immigration and visa forms.  We found the one for visitors and filled out the two forms.  The fellows at the immigration desks were nice and it didn't take long to go through and get our visas.  

When we got to the luggage claim area, all six of our bags were waiting for us!  What a relief!  This was the third day and the third continent since we had seen them!  Porters helped us carry them outside, where a very huge crowd was waiting.  No, it wasn't for us, but it was interesting!  I know they weren't waving at us, but it sort of seemed as if they were!  We scanned the crowd until we saw our friends.  How happy we were to see the couple who had been with us at Mission Institute last summer and also Ramon's good friend, Laxman, head of the operating room whom he worked with in the "old days" and was looking forward to working with again:

Now we were off for the 17 mile (hour plus) ride to our new home.  I first noticed some cool looking houses:

Then I noticed that there are all kinds of houses here.  (Yes, that's a house in the front.)

(Plus you'll see lots of motorcycles!)

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I don't think I'll be driving any time soon.

As you can see, it can also rain at any moment, as it's currently monsoon time.

This can create some mud:

But everyone just keeps working:

Shops are everywhere:

And so are restaurants.  Some are familiar:

...and some are not:

I was happy to see that I would be able to find shampoo I was familiar with:

(Actually, we have been able to find most things we need!)

Now for some scenes of the countryside we drive through to get to Banepa, where the hospital is.

You will see rice fields (that are now waist high, pictures coming soon),

this shrine

and beautiful scenery.

You don't notice that the drive is long because there's so much to see;

...such as these fellows washing their clothes at their outdoor faucet in the drizzle:

or this boy herding this cows:

or this lady who was washing her dishes right there:

or adorable children playing:

Finally you arrive in Banepa.

You drive through this street

and this one

which continues up the hill to the hospital.

Here you are:

Come back again and see what has been happening here in the Himalayas!