Medical Training in Far Western Nepal

Dr. Anu Sharma demonstrating neo-natal resuscitation.  

This is Dr. Anu's father, Dr. Kamal Sharma providing instruction. Dr. Kamal has been part of every Helping Babies Breath team since the program started. He helps conduct our sessions.

Lear presenting a certificate of completion

Scott presenting a small gift of appreciation to the Director of the National Health Training Center, Dr. Shree Krishna Bhatta. . NHTC is the agency that sponsors and sanctions the HBB training.

We went to a botanical garden on our only off day of the trip. Scott was taking pictures of children and this very pretty Nepali girl asked to have her picture taken.

This is a type of rose that we saw in the botanical garden. It does not look like any rose in the USA.

Tami Matthews, a neonatal nurse from West Point Utah, demonstrating resuscitation.  

Dr. John Golden a neonatologist from the Seattle area giving instruction. John is a US Air Force Academy graduate. It was a surprise to have two grads together in Nepal.  

Dr. George Groberg is a pediatrician from Idaho Falls, ID. He was our team leader and did an outstanding job.

A Nepali nurse practicing resuscitation. The small manikin that we use is a water filled doll called a Neo-Natalie. It is designed to mimic a baby getting resuscitated.

An ox cart moving along the street in front of our hotel.

Some school boys headed for school. Most schools in Nepal have uniforms. That is a practice that would do some good back in the USA. It is an equalizer. Nobody is wearing the latest fashion.

Ancient City of Bhaktapur

We visited the ancient city of Bhaktapur. One of the first sights we walked by was a Buddhist temple. As is the case on many Buddhist temples (called Stupa)  this one had the All Seeing Eyes of Buddha.

In front of the doorway to many of the homes in Bhaktapur is a sun symbol.

Wood and stone carvings are everywhere in this ancient city. This pic shows a support beam sticking out from an exterior wall. The end of the beam has been carved into an animal head.

An very old well. No longer in use. Polyethylene pipe is more sanitary but not as picturesque.  

This beautiful stone carving was on a minor temple.

 

This metal sculpture was on the same temple. Note the 8 arms each holding a different symbol.

We were talking with our guide about peacocks in one of the city squares. He said that he knew a window with a great peacock carving. He took us back through some narrow side streets and this is what we saw. I don't think the picture does this amazing work or art justice.

The above 2 pictures are of the Nyatapola Temple which presides over the Taumadhi Square. Dating back to 1702 AD, the colossal five-storied edifice is the country’s tallest pagoda temple.

One of the most beautiful and examples of the ancient Nepali (Newari) architecture, the Golden Gate of Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a masterpiece not only of Nepal but of the world. This door  is decorated with mysterious monsters and other mythical creatures and is of great archaeological, historical and religious importance. It was built by the King, Ranjit Malla in 1753

The lion statues dated to 1696.

                               The next four pictures are of a swimming pool sized royal bath.

The royal bath is surrounded by carvings and statues of Naga (cobra). These are deities that take the form of a snake.  

The bath was filled from a golden spout. This was made in 1678.

In the middle of the pool a Naga rises up in the middle of the pool. If you come to Nepal, Bhaktapur is a must stop. We enjoyed our afternoon here a lot.

A bug, Dashain Festival, a Nepali wheelbarrow, an agressive squirrel and Tehar.

A neat looking bug. There are lots of neat looking bugs in Nepal. And giant spiders and wasps that give you hives and swell your body parts when they sting.

Our landlord's children with their Dashain tikas on their foreheads.

We got a Dashain blessing and tika from the grandmother seated in front of us. This is a Dashain custom in Nepal.

You don't see wheelbarrows in Nepal. They use baskets. When labor is cheap machines are scarce.  

A view from our apartment looking out across the neighborhood. Yes it is very crowded.

This is a squirrel. They look a little like a chipmunk but are much larger. This guy was begging food at a restaurant where we were having lunch. He liked spaghetti.   

The lunch bunch at the Garden of Dreams where we had lunch and met the aggressive squirrel.

Hosting a lunch for young single adults after church.

Lear is standing underneath a poinsettia tree. Yes that is a tree-sized poinsettia bush. They grow them big in Nepal

During the Tehar festival there is a custom of drawing a design on the floor of your home or store to welcome the goddess Laxmi. She is the goddess of wealth.

During Tehar homes and businesses are decorated with flower garlands.

This is a picture of a mother and daughter making a flower garland for their home.

These two dogs got tikas on their foreheads for the second day of the Tehar celebration. That is Kukur Tehar (Dog Tehar).

The street was lined with shops selling garlands and Tehar decorations.

Our landlord's wife and daughter starting to make a Laxmi decoration out of colored powders.

The dogs were very interested.

Our landlord's shrine which is in the garden of our building. Note the garland and also note that there are small pots on the floor. Each pot is a small oil lamp.

The finished product.

We were invited to the Phuel home for a Tehar lunch and celebration. Scott got a Nepali cowboy hat. This is called a topi.

We went to Ason Bazar to buy some bags for a neo-natal training that we are sponsoring. This bazar is a narrow street lined with shops. Bazars like this one are all over Asia and the Middle East. They have been in existence in many places for thousands of years. If it were not for the motorcycle and the cell phone this could be the year 1016 instead of 2016.

This is the bag shop and the bag ladies.