Heading to Tatopani

Carolina and I are heading to Tatopani tomorrow. It is a four day short trek from Pokhara in the Annapurna Conservation Area. I am so excited!
Today was an excellent teaching day. We did basic wheelchair skills all morning in the wheelchair skills park which has never been used. They only have to options of chairs here. The "Drive" wheelchair (you can google it, it is a really crappy chair!) and a 3 wheel chair. Let's just say wheelies are a little different in these wheelchairs!
We did mat assessments for the afternoon with OT, PT and orthopedic technicians. The peer counsellor here has been assessed and the team is going to work on her seating solutions with the supplies that are at the hospital!
I have learned and consolidated to much info today! I am bursting at the seams!
The next you will here from me is when I am back in Canada. My flight arrives to Toronto on March 22. I look forward to sharing photos and stories with everybody.

updates

This week is flying by. To see an update of the community visits with pictures visit:
http://carolinainnepal.blogspot.com

This week has been interesting. Starting off with leprousy rounds. There are a lot of myths around leprousy and it is not as contagious as one thinks. You need to be immuno compromised to catch it so staff are safe. Many people in the hospital without homes to return to. Some people have been abandoned. The average length of stay is very high, much higher than the 8 - 12 week North American length of stay in a rehab center.
We have clarified what type of equipment is useful here. Basically anything they can mimic and make, or order from India or China. We have design ideas for equipment that we will give to the workshop so they can create equipment. A ground cart like wheelchair can be made for 7000 rupees which is about 100 canadian dollars. This is much to expensive for them. Cost is the major factor and also the geographical area, to using equipment successfully.
Today we will be teaching again, and tomorrow is the last day of teaching. A donator gave funds for a wheelchair training park that nobodyhas used yet. We will venture into it tomorrow with all the staff in wheelchairs. Might as well mimic what we did at home -Lyndhurst!
Cheers!
Oh, we have seen the mountain tips, one time, for about 30 minutes!!

Community Visits

On Friday we went into town and into the hills to see 3 clients. We were able to help one a lot, and the other two a little bit. This is definitely the work for me! I loved the journey and the work. On the way back we were invited to a local gathering. The picture of the kids show just how joyous and thankful their characters are. We travel back to Pokhara on Sunday morning and will be spending our time at Green Pastures Rehab Center.
pictures to be posted later - slow connection

Teaching

The Morning Haze, and more Teaching!

This morning we went for a 6 am walk up the "Tansen Challenge"; a large set of stairs that leads to a lookout. It is dry here - it hasn't rained in 6 months. The clouds make it look like it's going to rain soon...they have been waiting a long time!

The nurses and nursing students are very keen here! We have had a lot of fun teaching!

Tomorrow we go on 3 community visits!

Teaching in Tansen

So far we have revamped all of our presentations! We are going to teach our first one in 15 minutes. We made a resting hand splint in the kitchen this morning! The left picture is the splinting set up! We used aquaplast material for the resting splint - for the OT's at work, I recommend it, much easier than what we use!
...

So, the presentation went well. It's too bad we don't have more time with the physios. So much to say and do; that part isn't different on the other side of the world!

Oh and postcards are not such a reality here. The mail takes forever apparently, and I couldn't find a postcard to purchase in town today. I will give it another shot tomorrow however, it may not happen!

Kathmandu to Pokhara to Tansen

To summarize, no ride at Canada's Wonderland can compare to the feeling of being a passenger on the road up the hills from Pokhara to Tansen! There wasn't a straight stretch longer than 100 meters. Perfect for fast motorcycling, but only without all the cars, bikes and pedestrians on the very narrow two lane road. Only cement blocks between you and an 800 or so foot drop. We stopped to take pictures of some local monkeys hanging out on the side of the road! The tree is very faint in the picture. but, if you can save and zoom in and you will see a tree full of monkeys!

The sound of jeep car and bike horns are a part of nature here. People just don't move over! Let's just say (for the work folks) there were a lot of "near misses"!

We will be taking this ride again on the 8th at 6 a.m.! Please think of us then!!

I give kudos to the driver, he was an amazing driver!

Arriving in Kathmandu

So, despite the chaos, there was some order.
Within 30 minutes after the craziest cab drive of my life, we had checked in to our hotel, exchanged money, bought a sim card, and made some photocopies we needed.
We met up with Shaun and Erika in the streets coincidently.
We ate at RumDoodle, which is a famous restaurant where trekkers eat.
There was no electricity, so everything the first night was done in candle light!
Pictures to follow...

Stop in Heathrow

We had 12 hours in London to tour around. We went to Waxy O'Connors which ended up being a very unique, full of character pub! The food, music and company was great! We walked up and down Thames River before taking the tube back to Heathrow. We had to switch tubes during the direct route, and the tube kept stopping and giving announcements stating where it was ending. Very confusing and stressful. Needless to say we obviously got to the plane in time!

First change in plans

The airport in Bhairawa is closed, so our flights are changed on Mar 2 to go from Kathmandu to Pokhara and then to Tansen by land. It is a four hour land trip instead.
Good thing is that we can drop off some luggage in Pokhara, as that is our second stop anyways!

Carolina and I are off tonight! We will arrive in Kathmandu Sun March 1 at 5:30 p.m.
We will be 11.75 hours ahead of Toronto! (Not quite 12..., apparantly!)

Map of Nepal

First stop: Kathmandu, then fly to Bhairahawa, and drive to Tansen for Week 1.

Week 2: Drive to Pokhara - spend the week in Pokhara.

Week 3: Spend time between Pokhara and Kathmandu.

Getting ready for the trip

This is incredibly exciting. I am almost packed and have no room left for any more donations of medical products. I wonder how much extra it will cost for the massive suitcase that I need to bring along with all the donated goods for the Nepalese staff and patients.

This is my first time blogging. I guess I have never had a reason this big to blog before. I will do my best to update it every other day. This will depend on the computers that are available at the hospitals we will be working at.