NEPAL

Our trip to Nepal was nothing short of amazing. Unlike a trip to the beaches of the Caribbean or a trip to Disneyland, this trip had everything in it and it had a profound effect on how we see things. At times it was emotionally wrenching, other times it was awe inspiring, but all of the time it was truly an education. 
Here is a country that for the most part has stayed still for generations, but on other levels it has seen great change. It was less than 10 years ago that Nepal was going though internal strife that resulted in the execution of its monarchy, thousands of civilian deaths and the displacement of just as many children into the hands of strangers or left abandoned to fend for themselves.
The city of Kathmandu comes alive before it gets light and goes to sleep hours after dark. Every aspect of day to day life happens on the streets and alleyways. There are two traffic lights in the entire city. Crossing the street is a balancing act that would challenge the Great Wallenda. The markets are alive with colour and activity and the congestion of people is claustrophobic. Everyone is trying to sell something and we found great fun great in negotiating a good deal but at the same time being respectful of the fact that making a living means earning enough to buy food and have shelter.
Nepal is a spiritual garden that is being constantly cared for buy its people. It seems to be one thing that holds them together and for many, makes getting from one day to the next meaningful. There is a festival  for everything and there seems to be one happening all of the time. 
We met Beverley Bronson the first day in Nepal. She is a New Yorker who came to Nepal in the mid 90's and in 2001 started Ghar Sita Mutu - House With A Heart - a children's orphanage which provides a loving atmosphere for about 20 children. The story of Nepal's orphaned children is one that tears at your emotions. Read Little Princes to get an idea of what is going on for the children in Nepal

Our trip brought us to the southern edges of Nepal, into the jungle where we rode elephants and saw rhinos, wild boars and alligators. We travelled north by plane to the edge the Mustang region, where the countryside is like a moonscape, barren, dry, covered in rocks and boulders, but oh, so full of things to see. A few hours up a river valley from Kegbeni we came to the small village of Tiri. We were invited into a farmers mud hut - no light, no heat,cramped - and we were offered coffee and masala tea. Their generosity was overwhelming. Their life is not easy, they don't dream of big plans, nothing had changed in that family for probably generations and generations. 
Who would go to Nepal and not see Mt Everest? Certainly not us! We took that trip of a lifetime and got into the sight seeing plane to see where history was made 60 or 70 years ago. The plane we were in couldn't even go up half the almost 30,000 ft that Mt Everest soars to. 
We could go on and on, however to give you a feel for what we saw and experienced we put together a short slide show. Click here to see it and enjoy.

THE SWIM IS IN

Although a bit later this year, the ice finally made its' exit on April 30. Normally we see it go somewhere around April 19, 20 or 21; last year was exceptional when it left around March 23. 
We headed off to Nepal at the end of March and thought that surely by the time we returned all of the snow would be gone. Much to our amazement there was lots left. Even as we landed in Toronto on April 16 the pilot announced that it was -7C. We learned that two days before we got back that there was a 10 -15cm snowfall at Foxwood. It was less that a week ago that the night temperatures were still dipping below freezing... our chickens didn't like that .
It now looks like we have turned the corner and spring is upon us. Julia made her annual spring dip on April 29 with ice still abound on the lake. The water temperature was very nice 44F/7C. And the next day the ice was gone so the timing was brilliant. Rumour has it that Julia raised the lake temperature and thus was the reason for the rapid disappearance of lake ice...aah, the wonders of a woman's hot body!