When our parents told us that they were actually coming to visit us in Nepal, and that they were coming all together- we were excited, shocked and a little nervous. We promised that we would put together a fun, interesting and authentic itinerary for them, but warned them that traveling in Nepal isn't always easy... on the stomach, body, senses. We did our best to remember what was running through our minds 6 months ago when we first arrived, so that we could help to prepare their minds for the insane drivers, the lack of personal space, the squat toilets, the cows in the streets, the never-ending dal bhats...
After 2 weeks traveling altogether throughout the city, the village, the jungle and the mountains we can happily say that it was a wonderful, successful, unique and mostly diarrhea free trip!
We started the trip with a few days in bustling Kathmandu, enjoying temples, good food, shopping and urban life.
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| Swayambunath - the monkey temple |
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| Mary Ellen in the streets of Bhaktapur |
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| Beautiful and serene monastery in Boudha |
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| We were just as surprised as Steve to find that comfortable, spacious cars do exist in Nepal |
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| the Jendzejecs take the village streets by storm |
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| the Davids enjoy a music session with our Nepali brother and sister |
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| Our parents enjoy a home-cooked rooftop dinner with our extended Nepali family |
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| In a slightly smaller vehicle.... |
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| Just getting to our jungle lodge was an adventure |
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| Deena and Avi enjoy fresh juice by the river |
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| By the time we made it to the heart of the jungle, elephants became our primary mode of transportation |
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| the hunt for the elusive Royal Bengal tiger begins... |
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| Prehistoric looking Rhinos are cool from a safe distance... |
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| but are a little intimidating up close! |
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| No luck in the tiger hunt on elephant back, so we disembarked to search for the man-eating tiger on foot- equipped to defend ourselves with sticks (and a 4 foot tall Nepali guide) |
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| Cassie had the opportunity to unleash her inner tigress (luckily this tiger print was the only wildlife we came across on our "nature walk") |
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| Even elephants enjoy Deena's home-cooking! |
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| Beautiful Phewa Lake in Pokhara |
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| After a few days resting by the lake, we set off for higher altitudes |
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| Avi: Little people, Big mountains Paul's response: Little mountains, Big universe |
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| After a few days of cloud cover, the sun came out and the Himalayas made their grand appearance |
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| and the Jendzejec's finally had a chance to show off their matching hats |
After more than one harrowing Nepali car ride, we decided to chance the aircrafts for our return to Kathmandu:
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| After watching a gaggle of Nepalis sit under the plane with a rusty toolbox for 4 hours, Mary Ellen considered hitchhiking back to Kathmandu... |
Amidst 2 weeks of great adventure, everyone really put themselves on the line to try new things, eat new foods and embrace a foreign culture with an open mind... But everyone had an opportunity to let their authentic self shine through:
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| Deena: bird-watcher extraordinaire |
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| Mary Ellen: world-class ping pong master |
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| Paul: 2/3 of the way to enlightenment |
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| Steve: high altitude shopper (ask him about some of the deals he got!) |
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| Avi: the second Western musician to take the stage in Nepal (after Bryan Adams' debut last month) |
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| Cassie: large animal trainer (or, professional butt tapper) |
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| Little country, little people, BIG memories |
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