annapurna

[dyl]

hi all

im off to do the annapurna circuit soon, i arrive in kathmandu on may 15. cant wait to get there

Was thinking of taking some felts or crayons for the kids over there....this will be alright aye. or is there something better (besides money) i could take them?! has to be light obviously
Oh and if 'Weka' reads this thanks for all your help. As luck would have it he lives about 5 minute drive from me!

Yakshaver...i reckon you must be sick of repeating yourself by now, seems to be a bit of repetition on this website! oh and thanks for your help too...i'll let you know how i get on

[Sharon]

Taking stuff like crayons, pens etc is just teaching them begging. The pens and stuff wind up for sale in a tea house somewhere. I have some rupees which I give to some schools. There will be donation boxes and receipts. Some times I give rupees to the teacher. They can buy what the school needs for much less than a foreigner can. Donating to a program like SEVA is also good. Governments usually match dollars and restore eye sight etc.

Believe me after a few chants of pen, candy, rupee please you will be cursing every foreigner that gave them stuff before you got there. I will say there was very little begging in the Ganesh Himal as there were no foreigners. The begging was brutal around Manaslu though. Langtang and EBC had little begging as the Villagers know it offends the trekkers who are their lifeline.

[Weka]

:-) Don't forget to nip round and pick up the Diamox, Dylan.
Cheers all

PS I'm now going to log-off this damn site: reading it makes me restless - & I've only been home 10 days. See ya'll next time and thanks from me too!

[yakshaver]

Weka, I think you are a very sick, man... You need help. This is the problem with Nepal and the Himalayan region in general. It gets tou addicted and makes you very sick!!
All of us who've been thus afflicted need to form a support group; to discuss all these issues we go though, all the pain and frustration, all the stress, all the longing... I propose we organise a workshop or something. Maybe the nice lawn at Snowland lodge in Ghandruck, with it's wonderful views will provide an appropriate setting. Or at Gokyo perhaps. Pre and post support group meeting could be handled at Rum Doodle.

[escher]

Welcome to the first inaugural meeting of the Nepalphile Anonymous Group.

"My name is Richard and I have been addicted to Nepal since 1999. I have been back six times but I probably won't be back until 2006"

<warm applause>

"welcome Richard, we understand, we are feeling your pain"

"I am going to Peru in June to knock off some 6000m peaks with some friends, but I am finding it really difficult to "care" about the trip. I can't be bothered to arrange anything, all I can think about is going to Nepal in Spring 2006"

"we know Richard, we are with you, we need to go to Nepal every year too. It is the only way."

"the problem is they don't understand. All the people I am going to Peru with are coming to Nepal with me next year to have another crack at Ama Dablam. But they have never been to Nepal before and they don't understand why I can't knuckle down and concentrate on the Andes. But they won't until they go to the magical kingdom, meet the charming people, see the magnificent Himalaya, experience what we all have"

"we feel your anguish"

"come Spring 2006 they will see and 7 new Nepal converts will be made. It is silly, I am approaching a 4 week climbing trip to the Cordillera Blanca in the Andes and I would rather be Nepal, what is that all about."

"Richard, we know"

"there is no alternative I will have to arrange a rafting trip for a couple of weeks in October of November, no time for any trekking or climbing, but I have to recharge my batteries in Nepal at least once a year, I need to see my friends"

"Richard, there is no cure, you will have to relent, November in Nepal is a must!"

[kiwiclimb]

I also do not agree with just giving out stuff (I am sure you have good intentions but )

1 it teaches them to beg
2 it makes it harder for hikers around and behind you

if you want to help the people give stuff to the school or hire extra porters etc