What we’ve been doing over the last week or so..pictures to follow

We took the kids for a walk down the river. They moved stones to make a pool then strip off and jump in, they didn’t care that it was freezing. The boys made a separate pool for the girls.  It was just so refreshing seeing kids being kids. They were crying with laughter!

As I only teach in the mornings there's plenty of time to concentrate on getting fit. I walk for 1 ½ or 2 hours a day, this involves 372 steps up the mountain. With all this exercise and no booze I’m sure to lose weight…can’t say I’ve noticed it fall off yet.

The school PC won't let me upload all my wonderful pictures :o(

I've taken loads of pictures but can't share them with you at the moment :o(. 

Apparently on a clear day you can see Kanchanjunga…the third highest mountain in the world.

One of the helpers from the school invited us to his house to share in a Buddhist home blessing ceremony.  I had my first taste of rice beer…it was awful!

I went exploring today...there is so much to see...I hugged a couple of trees on the way back.

Food is pretty boring...i miss your curries Steve R!!

Teaching

Started teaching on Wednesday. The kids are so eager to learn… it’s such a joy!

Arrived!

Saturday 2nd April

After a horrible 6 hours door to door journey the jeep dropped me off outside the school, I was met by about 5 or 6 children running down the path saying “hello miss..what’s your name? There were about 50 children who couldn’t wait to meet me. Gorgeous smiles and so unspoilt. “Sit here miss..can I get you a drink miss? My name is ….it was just so beautiful. The principal look me to my accommodation. A basic but clean two bedroom apartment with my own bathroom and kitchen. I also have a balcony with the most outstanding views. I was expecting to stay in a spider, flee infested shack so that was a wonderful surprise. We went back to the school had dinner and met up with the other four lady volunteers. One America, two Dutch and one English. They are really friendly. It’s Sunday tomorrow so we are going to make a trip to Jotherang. I start teaching on Wednesday..that should be fun! Lucky for me all the others are qualified so I’m going to sit in on their lessons so I can get some kind of idea what to do.

All the children sleep in one room, there are about 60 of them. Two to a bed. Most of them look about 5-7, hard to tell as they all look so small. After prayers one of the volunteers read them a bedtime story while we all sat on the floor hanging on every word. Then the kids gave you kisses and hugs before they retired to bed. What an extraordinary day which I am just so grateful to be lucky enough to experience.

Hard getting used to hardly cold washes and limited electricity. The kids make it all worth while. Pictures to follow soon.

This is how i look today..lol!

boo!

Hello from Darjeeling

Hello
My trip so far has been amazing! Slept nearly all the way to Delhi, arrival in Calcutta was no hassle at all. Train station was fine, people were really helpful. I had my own policeman guarding me for a while. Shared my cabin with a lovely Indian couple and slept most of the 11 hour journey.

Arrived in New Jalpaiguri around 10am this morning. Got a jeep the whole way to Darjeeling as it was far to misty to really appreciate the views from the Toy train. The jeep went the same way anyway. I met a really interesting well travelled old American guy called Tom on the jeep. He's been travelling all over the world and has some great stories. We've been out exploring Darjeeling in the cold misty rain.

The plan is to head up to the school tomorrow.

Leaving drinks!

I wasn’t too sure about the whole leaving do thing. I’m not one for being the centre of attention so didn’t really want to a goodbye bash as such. Partly because i’m not sure how long i’m going to be away. I’ve never really travelled on my own before…well saying that, I travel frequently to and from Ireland and I spent a week in Egypt last year, but that not quite the same as backpacking without a set plan and going into the unknown. What happens if I hate it and come home after a few weeks!

I had decided just to have a few drinks in the local on the Saturday before I was due to fly out. As it happens, it was also Daryl’s 39^th birthday, a joint celebration. Then another friend of ours said he was playing in a band in The Bedford Arms on the same night. Well perfect, let’s all go to The Bedford for a drink. What a fantastic night!!

Scotty and me

Scotty, Scotty and Steve

Scotty and Verena

The Blindbeggers and me

what did i say about me not liking attention?

Daryl