Around this time every year I always get a yearning to work on my spiritual side. I know Nepal is really important in terms of the Dalai Lama, but otherwise my knowledge of the country is minimal. Who's been? Who's planning to go? What can you tell me about Nepal?
I've never been but I'd love to go. In doing research for my trip I came across a Trip Advisor checklist for traveling to Nepal. Some of the tips say not to travel alone, to avoid raw produce and water that isn't bottled, and don't forget to exchange any Nepalese money you have before you leave --that currency isn't accepted anywhere else.
I was planning to go as a part of my trip to India when I get there, but I was a little worried about the situation there after the quake. Part of me thinks the tourism is a good thing for their economy and so forth, but I also worry about how soon is too soon to visit. I had a few friends visit there before the quake and they all said how much of a wonderful country it is, and that the people are so friendly and welcoming. It's definitely on my list of countries I want to see...it's just a matter of when the right time is.
Yeah, it's difficult isn't it? You want to help by bringing in money, but you don't want to appear like you're there to 'see the spectacle' post-quake (not that I'm saying you are - not at all! But I bet there are people who travel to places after terrible events just to be able to say they went there, for bragging rights).
I totally get what you mean! It ends up being one of those situations where it's like "how soon is too soon?" I think if I went any time soon, I'd really like to see if there are opportunities to volunteer and help out. I know that there would probably be quite a sizeable aid organization presence in the country still - so I may have to enquire and see if there are things I could do to assist the effort over there. I would imagine that the rebuilding is going to take years, and I would feel better about going if I was able to try and make a difference!
Amelia, I absolutely love the idea of volunteering post-quake! I would want to do that if I traveled to a country that had recently seen a natural disaster. I wonder how long there will be a presence there helping with rebuilding and such.
I think my research is going to start with big organizations like the Red Cross, UNICEF and Oxfam -- I know of those three having provided help with other large scale natural disasters in the past. I don't know how easy it is to volunteer with them, but hopefully I'll be able to find some information online about where to start. We're lucky these days with the internet that there is a wealth of knowledge right at our fingertips!
I think those are all good places to start. I don't know anything about volunteering with them, either, but I should think they'd be grateful for the help!
Nepal is a country where the Buddha was born, however, the Dalai Lama does not live here. Nepal is also a melting post of Hinduism and Buddhism.There are hundreds of Hindu and Buddhist temples which are hundreds of years old. After the great earthquake of April 25, most of the landmarks and monuments have been destroyed and Nepal is in the process of rebuilding. You must be aware that Nepal is a work in progress, so you will not find quality service, but the country is virgin where you will find ultimate satisfaction
Nepal is still reeling from the after effects of that dastardly earthquake. It is slowly getting back and it will take years. But their kindness, generosity grit and determination lingers on. There is still scope for tourists to take back memories -the Himalayas could provide that. There are flights organised to have a close look at these great wonders. There are several agencies that can organise such a flight. We missed it because of bad weather and so keep your fingers crossed.
