1. Project report 2025

Actually, I wanted to go back to Nepal in March. Since my children go on their long vacation at the end of March, it's the best time to make sure I can see everyone. After that, there will be a vacation for about 6 or 8 weeks. Or even longer, depending on the situation - we are in Nepal, where time doesn't just tick differently! Then something came up, and I had to throw my plans out the window last minute, so I only left at the end of March, and after a late arrival on March 30th, I had my first day in Kathmandu. And what can I say - it's just wonderful to be back!
Dawa picked me up from the airport yesterday. After a warm welcome - Nepali-style, with a scarf, then German, with a hug - we quickly fell back into our cheerful togetherness. 'Will I call a taxi, Simone?' 'Any alternatives???' I hoped very much that the answer was yes, as I had been looking forward to the motorcycle for weeks. 'Well - I have my bike here...' and grins. No answer was needed, Dawa quickly runs off and gets the motorcycle, which looks quite worn after another year. He takes my backpack, I have my travel bag on my back, and off we go. It's quite warm, and I'm wondering if the change was actually a good idea. When I arrive here at the beginning of March, the sun is already quite warm, but the biting wind from the mountains and any stay in the shade testify that winter is not that far behind.
Arriving at the hotel, I immediately go to bed; I have been on my feet for more than 30 hours and just want to sleep. In bed, I feel super comfortable - and think of last year when I froze terribly despite an extra blanket; even the mattress was ice cold back then. Maybe April is actually the better choice!
The next morning, I meet Dawa for breakfast; we discuss how things will proceed in the coming days. I want to go to Mustang this year, a long-held wish of mine, and Dawa will accompany me. For this, we still need my permit, without which I can't enter the Upper Mustang region; we also need to discuss how we will get there. By bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara, one overnight stay, and then on to Jomsom? That takes 2 days. Or directly to Jomsom; the bus here takes 1.5 days. I think that if life offers adventures, you should seize the opportunity. I have never taken the bus in Nepal, not to mention that I have done it overnight and for over a day - so we go directly. I'm quite sure that I will curse myself for this decision at a later point. Either because everything will hurt or because I will be annoyed after so much time on the bus (I just flew for so long...) or because I will get to start my trek exhausted and unwashed. But whatever, right now I feel brave. I think Dawa finds this silly; at least he looks friendly - which always means a bit of discontent. He shouldn't have asked. After breakfast, Dawa heads off to get my permit and tickets while I stroll around Thamel. By now, I know my way around quite well and enjoy this mix of Studiosus tourists, students, and alternative people, who always remind me of home with their tie-dyed clothes and dreadlocks 😍. I buy a few things: I need new credit for my Nepali phone, which can be acquired here via small cardboard cards with a PIN, water, Snickers, and toilet paper. I have learned to always carry something with me because when I'm out and about with Dawa, I rarely land in European toilets.
Then I head to Mediciti Hospital; I have an appointment with our cooperation partner for the air rescue project, and I have brought him some things from Frank Seiler. The reception here is very friendly as well; we talk over cappuccino and apple about our projects, our children, and Mustang. An doctor is repeatedly summoned, to whom I politely shake hands, 'Miss Simone, she is from NepalAid in Germany and working for Dr. Frank.' Well, I’ll leave that as it is at this point and herewith cheerfully greet my favorite boss! 👋 At any rate, I am now saved in countless new phones and hope sincerely that I won't continue to get greeted with the same frequency as has been the case lately; a WhatsApp message pops up constantly, 'Dear Miss Simone, it was such a pleasure meeting you!'.... After a successful meeting, in which we could exchange some thoughts on the next steps, I want to go to the Bodinath Stupa, one of the 3 World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu. Boda, as the Nepali call it briefly, is the largest stupa built in Tibetan style outside Tibet and one of the largest sanctuaries, perhaps even the largest, of the Tamang as well. As we approach, I already recognize the first women in Baku, the traditional dress from our Langtang and Tamang region, and see a few white wool hats that are all too familiar to me. How lovely! I get out and find that the majestic stupa greets me as joyfully as I do it. In all humility, of course. I join the faithful and walk around the stupa once clockwise. The prayer wheels revolve, and from a few shops, I can already smell the evening incense that is burned daily twice for the ancestors. Because where they stay after death, there are no odors, and they long for that. So the bereaved send a 'smell' to their ancestors every day, so they can also have it nice. I like the thought.
The next day, I have an appointment with Chhiring; we have known each other since my first stay in Nepal, 2023 as a volunteer. Frank introduced us to each other; we share a lot and keep in touch all year round; this time I will meet her two children for the first time. We have arranged to meet again at Bodha; she lives there, and I simply love the stupa. In case I haven't mentioned it yet. Amidst all the hustle and bustle of believers and tourists, it takes some time until we find each other, but we manage, and we are happy. Her children, of elementary and kindergarten age, are very skeptical but initially all run a few rounds around the stupa together. So the two just accept that I am now part of the group, walk along, and scrutinize me. After some time, the typical Nepali question arises: 'Do you want tea, are you hungry?' We go to a local restaurant and order Buff Momos for everyone, along with Milk Tea, which I enjoy drinking. With a view of the white, radiant Bodha, we eat our momos, and Chhiring's daughter reads me from the menu and shows how much she has learned in the first two years of school. Don't forget: the children often learn Nepali as a foreign language, at least the Nepali script, and at the same time, they learn English with our script. I think it is quite something that the little one can read, after 2 years, what delicious things there are and answer my (simple) questions! After a while, Chhiring and I also get to the business aspect. She is basically employed as a liaison for our school in Kathmandu since she lives here and can quickly and frequently check on our children. It is good to have a trustworthy person on site who can quickly and easily ensure that all children are properly equipped. If a child is missing, say, a winter jacket, we step in, even after the children have left our 'nest' in Khamjing. Additionally, I want Chhiring to continue taking our children to the dentist in Kathmandu, and for all other big and small questions, she should step in when it is within our usual help and just keep an eye on everything. She has just started but is trying her best to organize herself; currently, there are no open questions hanging in the air. She has already met the children together with Dawa, which went well, so there are no problems to solve here, which makes me happy. Some time later it becomes evening, and I want to leave; from tomorrow onwards it will be strenuous for me. We walk past a bakery, which have sprouted up everywhere in Nepal; there are pink-glossy donuts in the display. Chhiring calls me a taxi, and while we wait, I buy each of the children a donut. Altogether, I might pay 1.50€ - which is typically unaffordable for such a treat, so I was able to make the children very happy. And Chhiring as well. When the taxi arrives, I say goodbye and am happy to be back here. I look forward to what is to come.

Hello Fabian,     as promised, here’s the first project report from Nepal, relatively short, but it provides the introduction. After that, I will type up the first pages of Mustang. I will split the travel report into 2 parts, Lower and Upper Mustang, as there will be more photos. Take a look at how you process this.   Thank you, best regards Simone   I actually wanted to go back to Nepal in March. Since my children go on their long vacation at the end of March, it's the best time to make sure I can see everyone. After that, there will be a vacation for about 6 or 8 weeks. Or even longer, depending on the situation - we are in Nepal, where time doesn't just tick differently! Then something came up, and I had to throw my plans out the window last minute, so I only left at the end of March, and after a late arrival on March 30th, I had my first day in Kathmandu. And what can I say - it's just wonderful to be back! Dawa picked me up from the airport yesterday. After a warm welcome - Nepali-style, with a scarf, then German, with a hug - we quickly fell back into our cheerful togetherness. 'Will I call a taxi, Simone?' 'Any alternatives???' I hoped very much that the answer was yes, as I had been looking forward to the motorcycle for weeks. 'Well - I have my bike here...' and grins. No answer was needed, Dawa quickly runs off and gets the motorcycle, which looks quite worn after another year. He takes my backpack, I have my travel bag on my back, and off we go. It's quite warm, and I'm wondering if the change was actually a good idea. When I arrive here at the beginning of March, the sun is already quite warm, but the biting wind from the mountains and any stay in the shade testify that winter is not that far behind. Arriving at the hotel, I immediately go to bed; I have been on my feet for more than 30 hours and just want to sleep. In bed, I feel super comfortable - and think of last year when I froze terribly due to an extra blanket; even the mattress was ice cold back then. Maybe April is actually the better choice! The next morning, I meet Dawa for breakfast; we discuss how things will proceed in the coming days. I want to go to Mustang this year, a long-held wish of mine, and Dawa will accompany me. For this, we still need my permit, without which I can't enter the Upper Mustang region; we also need to discuss how we will get there. By bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara, one overnight stay, and then on to Jomsom? That takes 2 days. Or directly to Jomsom; the bus here takes 1.5 days. I think that if life offers adventures, you should seize the opportunity. I have never taken the bus in Nepal, not to mention doing it overnight and for over a day - so we go directly. I'm quite sure that I will curse myself for this decision at a later point. Either because everything will hurt or because I will be annoyed after so much time on the bus (I just flew for so long...) or because I will get to start my trek exhausted and unwashed. But whatever, right now I feel brave. I think Dawa finds this silly; at least he looks friendly - which always means a bit of discontent. He shouldn't have asked. After breakfast, Dawa heads off to get my permit and tickets while I stroll around Thamel. By now, I know my way around quite well and enjoy this mix of Studiosus tourists, students, and alternative people, who always remind me of home with their tie-dyed clothes and dreadlocks 😍. I buy a few things: I need new credit for my Nepali phone, which can be acquired here via small cardboard cards with a PIN, water, Snickers, and toilet paper. I have learned to always carry something with me because when I'm out and about with Dawa, I rarely land in European toilets. Then I head to Mediciti Hospital; I have an appointment with our cooperation partner for the air rescue project, and I have brought him some things from Frank Seiler. The reception here is very friendly as well; we talk over cappuccino and apple about our projects, our children, and Mustang. An doctor is repeatedly summoned, to whom I politely shake hands, 'Miss Simone, she is from NepalAid in Germany and working for Dr. Frank.' Well, I’ll leave that as it is at this point and herewith cheerfully greet my favorite boss! 👋 At any rate, I am now saved in countless new phones and hope sincerely that I won't continue to get greeted with the same frequency as has been the case lately; a WhatsApp message pops up constantly, 'Dear Miss Simone, it was such a pleasure meeting you!'.... After a successful meeting, in which we could exchange some thoughts on the next steps, I want to go to the Bodinath Stupa, one of the 3 World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu. Boda, as the Nepali call it briefly, is the largest stupa built in Tibetan style outside Tibet and one of the largest sanctuaries, perhaps even the largest, of the Tamang as well. As we approach, I already recognize the first women in Baku, the traditional dress from our Langtang and Tamang region, and see a few white wool hats that are all too familiar to me. How lovely! I get out and find that the majestic stupa greets me as joyfully as I do it. In all humility, of course. I join the faithful and walk around the stupa once clockwise. The prayer wheels revolve, and from a few shops, I can already smell the evening incense that is burned daily twice for the ancestors. Because where they stay after death, there are no odors, and they long for that. So the bereaved send a 'smell' to their ancestors every day, so they can also have it nice. I like the thought. The next day, I have an appointment with Chhiring; we have known each other since my first stay in Nepal, 2023 as a volunteer. Frank introduced us to each other; we share a lot and keep in touch all year round; this time I will meet her two children for the first time. We have arranged to meet again at Bodha; she lives there, and I simply love the stupa. In case I haven't mentioned it yet. Amidst all the hustle and bustle of believers and tourists, it takes some time until we find each other, but we manage, and we are happy. Her children, of elementary and kindergarten age, are very skeptical but initially all run a few rounds around the stupa together. So the two just accept that I am now part of the group, walk along, and scrutinize me. After some time, the typical Nepali question arises: 'Do you want tea, are you hungry?' We go to a local restaurant and order Buff Momos for everyone, along with Milk Tea, which I enjoy drinking. With a view of the white, radiant Bodha, we eat our momos, and Chhiring's daughter reads me from the menu and shows how much she has learned in the first two years of school. Don't forget: the children often learn Nepali as a foreign language, at least the Nepali script, and at the same time, they learn English with our script. I think it is quite something that the little one can read, after 2 years, what delicious things there are and answer my (simple) questions! After a while, Chhiring and I also get to the business aspect. She is basically employed as a liaison for our school in Kathmandu since she lives here and can quickly and frequently check on our children. It is good to have a trustworthy person on site who can quickly and easily ensure that all children are properly equipped. If a child is missing, say, a winter jacket, we step in, even after the children have left our 'nest' in Khamjing. Additionally, I want Chhiring to continue taking our children to the dentist in Kathmandu, and for all other big and small questions, she should step in when it is within our usual help and just keep an eye on everything. She has just started but is trying her best to organize herself; currently, there are no open questions hanging in the air. She has already met the children together with Dawa, which went well, so there are no problems to solve here, which makes me happy. Some time later it becomes evening, and I want to leave; from tomorrow onwards it will be strenuous for me. We walk past a bakery, which have sprouted up everywhere in Nepal; there are pink-glossy donuts in the display. Chhiring calls me a taxi, and while we wait, I buy each of the children a donut. Altogether, I might pay 1.50€ - which is typically unaffordable for such a treat, so I was able to make the children very happy. And Chhiring as well. When the taxi arrives, I say goodbye and am happy to be back here. I look forward to what is to come.