Heading In

Hey all,

Just wanted to briefly check in before I embark on my ten day trek to Annapurna Base Camp tomorrow. I made the decision about a week ago to leave my volunteering early to be able to get a long trek in to the base camp of the worlds 10th tallest peak! It was a hard decision, but I think it was the right one for me.

This afternoon, I finished up all of my volunteering duties here in Nepal. Wow, that sounds pretty wild. Time has really flown here. In my time here I feel have a made a difference in these kids lives! But its crazy how much they have done for me. I am forever in debt to them and will cherish all the memories we have collected together for the rest of my life. A warm shout out goes to the didis at Garden daycare center, without you to guide me I would have been even more lost. It is sad for this chapter in my travels to end but I will always look back on it very fondly.

Tomorrow at 10am, I am hitting the trail! Pretty pumped for my ten day trek you could say... I will fill you in more upon my return. As always, check my flickr for the most up to date pictures! Hope this post finds everyone in good health and spirits.

Sending out positive energy from Nepal,
Arthur

Himalayan Times

Well hello all!

After getting settled in during my first week here, I think I am ready to get back on my blogging game! I promise I will do better than last time...or at least try too.
Anyways, here I am again, thousands of miles away from home set off on my very own adventure...of a gap year nature, of course. I am currently sitting in a internet cafe in Pokhara, Nepal! After what felt like an eternity of traveling, including 11 hour layover in Hong Kong, where I enjoyed some delicious food and stretched my legs a bit around the city, a night in Kathmandu, and a 7 hour bus ride from Kathmandu to Pokhara, I finally made it! I met up with my in country GVI staff, and here I am, in the middle of my second week volunteering in Nepal!
I am staying with a host family in Male Patan, an area of Pokhara just outside Lakeside(the touristy area, where all the trekkers relax after there hikes). My family is absolutely amazing, they make the best Dhal Bhat, the traditional Nepali dish, which I eat twice a day. It is rice, lentil curry, and some vegetables, usually nice and spicy! They love there chilis here. My day to schedule is as follows: Wake up and have a cup of tea around 6:30am, go to work at a street kids rehab center from 7-9:30 helping with english, and also teaching them how to play soccer! I come home for dhal bhat around 10am, then head off to a daycare center from 11-3, I act an as extra pair of hands, and also attempt to teach the kids english, however they are all very little, so it is really basic stuff. This week we are teaching them fruits, today we taught them how to say "apple" in english. They all pretty much got it which was nice. I then go into lakeside, use the internet or relax until 4:30 when I go to Conversation club. It is a club where we get local kids to come down and we lead discussions all in english. It is a lot of fun and I think we are going to have them make some cool dreamcatchers with the materials I brought soon! I then return home for Dhal Bhat around 6 or 6:30, falling asleep easily by around 8pm. Days are exhausting, but very rewarding!
The other volunteers with my organization that are here with me now are from all over the place! one from Germany, Switzerland, and Singapore! It is really cool being around such a diverse group.

Well I must run to Conversation club, don't forget to check my Flickr(http://www.flickr.com/photos/amoss-hawkinsphotos/) for picture updates on my trip. For a teaser, here is the view from my porch at my homestay.