Reviewed 18 Jul 2004 by Crystal Macleod
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
A special memory from volunteering in Nepal was from a day when my group took facepaints along to the orphanage next to the plantation where we were working. Knowing that our work was already benefiting the orphans directly made me extremely satisfied, but being able to give them such a happy day made it all the more worthwhile. We spent time painting their faces first and then they decided they'd have their turn! Beards on everyone proved to be popular and caused many smiles and lots of laughing. Lots of posing for photos was done before things started to get more lively with sack and wheelbarrow races. At one point, one of the girls turned to me and held my hand. She wanted me to follow her to somewhere more quiet. She didn't seem to be having fun like the others, I wished I could have had the ability to ask her why she wasn't happy. After catching me a large cricket and showing me some unusual flowers we sat down on the grass and I taught her to play noughts and crosses with sticks and flower petals. To see her smile made me forget we couldn't communicate, because we could.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Despite warnings of Maoist activity in Nepal, I felt extremely safe during my travels. Though I had been told British people were not particularly liked by them, I also heard that they welcome foreign volunteers. The worst I've heard happening to a tourist is being asked for money, on which they return a receipt! The many checkpoints on the road out of Kathmandu down to Chitwan gave you the feeling of security as well as the presence of the army throughout the city. Provided you're aware and keep political opinions to yourself, there should be no reason for us, as foreigners, to be afraid of Maoists. What's causing more harm to Nepal is a decrease in the number of tourists. Tourism is relied upon heavily in Nepal. There are thousands of hotels, guides, shops and other businesses that only Westerners can afford. Many Nepalis are scared for their future not because of the Maoists themselves but because of the effect the problem is having on tourism. So don't let the Maoist problem put you off. Keep within the recommendations of keeping away from demonstrations, not staying out too late at night and avoiding expressing political opinions but all things considered, if you were trying to stay safe anywhere in the world, wouldn’t you do that anyway?
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Doing volunteer work to plant trees in prevention of erosion and as a resource for locals, perhaps indicates that I left Chitwan District in better shape than when I came to it. However, there is a huge problem that shadows over Nepal with no solution. It was obvious on our white water rafting trip, it was obvious in the cities, obvious in the villages and anywhere in between. On the 2,000 step walk to Kaliki temple we stopped for some much needed water. Having being unable to find a rubbish bin, I handed the plastic seal of the bottle of water I had bought to the shopkeeper half way up the mountain. He looked baffled and proceeded to the mountain edge where he threw it off. The same happened to a friend with a drinks carton, except this time it was into the village street. You could find rubbish piles everywhere, strewn down the river banks, piles in the city and villages. In the hope that in Kathmandu there would be some sort of organised disposal, I collected my rubbish from the village, luckily very little over two weeks, and took it back to the city. I think I can say that I left Chitwan in a better state than I came to it, if only little. However, the problem of rubbish is certainly great, and though I felt mine was minimal it is still only adding to the problem.
The most useful money I spent whilst in Nepal was toward the project I was volunteering on. The project provided crops and trees for wood for the local villagers and for the orphanage. However, other smaller amounts of money on a more personal basis were appreciated just as much. I asked the local tailor to make my father a traditional hat called a 'toppy.' He made it to measure and gave me a choice of materials. He took great interest in my falling apart but much needed big floppy pink sunhat I had bought in the sales for £5. So he made the 'toppy' for me and would not accept any money. I think on his behalf it was a feeling of embarrassment because as Westerners you expect to get ripped off. He was thinking that I thought he was going to rip me off! I refused to take the hat for free and eventually his daughter said 50 rupees was enough. That is less than 50p. I said this was not enough and went to town the next day to find out how much they really cost. I found that they would cost between 50 rupees and 200 dependent on quality. So that evening I went to his house with 200 rupees. I didn’t want to give him pity money since the situation seemed embarrassing enough for him, but I'm quite sure I paid enough since I would have been ripped off in the town. In his house I'm sure that the 200 rupees went a long way.
Staying with a family in the Chitwan District completely immersed me in Nepalese culture. Not only was I eating their food, having cold showers (a relief from the humidity of the monsoon), but even going to bed early since we were waking up every morning to milk the buffalo in time for breakfast. My family, used to the idea of foreign volunteers having been hosts to eleven previous to me, spoke enough English for us to communicate and for me to learn some Nepali. Misunderstandings were common but taken lightheartedly and were often very amusing, like the morning I went outside in my pyjamas to wash before milking. My 'father' tried to tell me it was very slippy with a funny dance. Thinking he was talking about the baby goats, I found myself doing the splits in the mud! The children of the village had much fascination with us. Yelling 'hello, hello, hello' at the top of their voices from their houses as you walked down the road, then running after you to hold their hand or swing them in the air. Digital cameras gave them much excitement, for the adults too, being able to see their images after seconds. Even torches gave great excitement but most refreshing of all was that a mirror could cause just as much excitement. It really made you realise what a different world you are in and what you can live without.
4. Any other comments?
I had THE most amazing experience of my life!
