HOW DO YOU SAY IT?

HOW DO YOU SAY IT? Pok-huh-ruh

Some folks have said Pok-huh-rah. However pronounced, we are off on a new adventure Saturday at noon. Somehow Buddha Air flight # 1 is going later than expected. Maybe Budda plans to oversleep. That's fine with me.

This afternoon our team of 5 enjoyed a lovely lunch--- together for the first time as a team. Seated here are Richard (house leader & all around great guy), Jayme, (a can-do gal who does lots of great things including managing all volunteers services at the OC Habitat affiliate), myself, Adele, (super traveler, talented packer & exquisite photographer), and Sharon, Executive Director of Habitat of OC, CA. We four gals promised that we would do whatever Richard tells us to complete our house by the end of next week. He left for Pokhara earlier today for House Leader Instructions.



Sales girl @ an NGO shop



Lots of Honey choices

 We found a few shops run by NGOs offering crafts & art work made my local Nepalese, mostly women. Of course, we had little restraint so purchased a few handcrafts. If we had unlimited weight going home, we would have bought more, I am sure.

Our build is near Pokhara, Nepal, a place that apparently demonstrates how the Himalaya form the highest, sheerest rise from the subtropical base to icy peaks of any mountain range on earth. (Another stat found only in Nepal).



Apparently  grandbaby of the Tea Shop Proprietor





True Mongolian Bar-B-Q at the hotel for Dinner



Hopefully there will be a view of the Annapurna and Manaslu & even parts of Everest from Pohhara if the clouds dissipate en route and/or during the week that our Habitat team is there. Instructions from Habitat for this Everest Build (http://www.habitatnepal.org/) include hiking a bit up mountains daily to the building sites. Remembering all along that Pokhara itself is only about 3,000 ft in elevation itself, I am still wondering how many sea-level volunteers will do even at this altitude which is lower than Katmandu

Phewa Tal Lake near Pokhara keeps tourists afloat (pun intended) among bazaars, hotels, and restaurants while many prepare a Himalayan Trek. This is the spot most Everest climbs begin. Legend has it that the inhabitants of the valley once scorned a wondering beggar who warned them of impending floods. Only one woman listened, fled to higher ground & survived; and the beggar revealed herself as a goddess. It's told that innkeepers & merchants who honor this goddess, Barahi with alms prosper to this day.

How easy it sounds to just build a shrine, leave alms and then business would thrive. Is that considered a bribe? It sounds to easy. Somehow I am certain there is a level of hard work with determination included as well. Maybe locals in Pokhara have more to say about this legend. I will inquire.