Mount Everest (in Nepali it is called Sagamatha)

March 23, 2017


We took a tourist flight to view Mount Everest this morning. It was a crystal clear morning. We flew along the Mahalangur Mountain Range which has 20 mountains with an elevation of over 19,000 feet. This was an awe inspiring adventure!

Everest is the mountain on the left. It is hard to realize how huge this mountain is because it is surrounded by other giants. The flat looking mountain to the right of Everest is called Lhotse and it is a stubby little 27,940 foot peak. The highest mountain in the entire Rocky Mountain Range is Mt. Elbert 14,440 feet.

Below are two photos from the flight brochure. This brochure shows the highest peaks in the mountain range that includes Mt. Everest. Those that are labeled are the ones that exceed 19,000 feet. Any one of these gigantic rocks is bigger than the whole Big Horn Mountain Range.

I don't know which peak this is but thought that the huge snow pack on the southwesterly side was amazing. The winds on top of these high peaks is such that much of the snow is blown off.

A view of the mountain range a little to the west of Mount Everest. The snow line is probably around 15,000 feet.

Nepali Wedding Reception and Darray Ramro Poshack

We were invited to a wedding reception. This is a picture of the bride. This is a very beautiful dress. In Nepali you would say it was a dayray ramro poshack!

Some family and guests posing for a picture before the start of the reception.

The buffet is a tradition in Nepal just like in the USA. The food is different.

The bride and groom. This was an arranged marriage. That is a tradition in Nepal. They spent less than one full hour with each other prior to the wedding. Still it works here in this culture.

The reception line is different here. The bride and groom sit on a raised platform in very fancy chairs. As guests arrive they put silk scarves on the bride and groom and then give them a small amount of money in an envelope or some small gift.

This little grand mother (hazur ahmah) posing in her very best dress coming into the reception. Many things were different but many the same as what you would find at a wedding reception in the USA.

The Children of Nepal

We went to a birthday party. A two-year-old looks the same with chocolate cake in any culture and in any county.

Prayuska giving her first talk in Primary. She was so well prepared and so ready to read her talk. I remember watching our little ones a few years back doing the same thing. Primary develops more than just their religious instruction. They gain poise and self confidence that lasts a lifetime.

Aaron bobs for an apple at activity day. Activity day is a day of fun and games that is held on other than the Sabbath.

Playing musical chairs at activity day.

Working on a craft for activity day.

Rachel trying to bit a candy from the candy stick on activity day. She is limited by her missing two front teeth.

Baby Elephants and Flowers in February

When we were in Chitwan during the first month in February we went to an elephant breeding center. To get to the center we had to cross a river on this foot bridge.

We saw this mommy elephant and her baby.

This is a picture of two young elephants playing together. They were very gentle with each other.

Getting ready to cross the foot bridge when leaving the center.

 One of the things that we noticed at our hotel were some amazing flowers. So we took some pictures of them. You won't see flowers like these in early February in Wyoming! Plants grow in Nepal year around.

Wheelchair Specialists From California

 

We are supported in our wheelchair program by a specialist couple, Kris and Kathy Van Dusen. They are from California. Kris is a highly experienced physical therapist and Kathy is a highly trained nurse. They volunteer a few weeks per year years of their time providing training and helping manage the wheelchair program in Asia. Kris is shown above fitting a wheelchair and providing us instruction.

As you can see, this man has no legs. He walked into the wheelchair distribution on his hands.

This is a picture of a mother and daughter. The daughter carried her mother into the wheelchair distribution.

On of the things that Kris did while in Kathmandu was visit people who had previously been given a wheelchair. This man sells goods on the sidewalk. Kris and one of our helpers, Maya, are interviewing him about his wheelchair.

This picture shows Kris and Kathy meeting with Rakesh Hamal. Rakesh runs the organization that distributes the wheelchairs throughout Nepal.

Breakfast at Bishnu and Mangala Adhikari's House

Mangala is an excellent cook. She made us omelets. They had eggs, veggies and spices. No cheese. The omelets were as good as any you could get in a fancy epicurean restaurant. 

Bishnu set the table. Yes he is the guy in the movie, "Meet The Mormons". He is as unique and as dynamic an individual as was portrayed in the movie. He started out in a small, remote village. He was educated in Russia and the USA. He is internationally known for his work in community development in Nepal.

Lear and Mangala talked about cooking. They are both great cooks.

Good food and a good time was had by all of us.

Christmas Fun

We bought a carom board. This game is like snooker but played with chips. It is a favorite, especially among  Nepali young men. In this picture, Praveen, Krishna and Elder Oliphant are playing.

We had a Christmas party at the LDS branch (congregation) in Kathmandu. About 350 people attended. Both at the party and out on the streets there were a lot of Santa hats.

As you can see below, when Santa Claus arrived he was the hit of the party. Elder Oliphant did a great job of being Santa.  

The college age young adults wanted their picture taken with Santa.

Rukmina, our housekeeper and general helper, came dressed in ethnic costume. She is to the right of me in the picture. Her sister, to the left of me, also wore ethnic garb.The costume they are wearing is typical of the Gurung culture. The Gurung are an ancient culture that probably came from Tibet.  In Nepal there are over 40 tribes and races. We have been in villages where our host Nepali could not understand what the villagers were saying because it was a native language.