I’ve just stood out in the grass feeling the ants tickling my feet while I enjoyed the sun setting over the hills. And then I realised how lucky I am who have taken the possibility to come here to Nepal, and while doing some form of thesis-work, enjoying this amazing country.
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  Monday (yesterday) was just one day packed with meetings. And I have never spent so much money on taxi travels as then. But now it feels almost like home here in Kathmandu. I know my way around between different governmental departments, INGO’s and many more.
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  Yesterday was Saturday, and I took the day off. I felt I needed that quite much, so I called some friends I made when in Pokhara, and visited them. Later they invited me to stay over night, so I did that. Enjoyed it so much and really needed to empty my brain a bit from the thesis-work, because today I’ve been filling it again.
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  Today was my last day in moment in Pokhara. I left at 7.50 in the morning with the bus heading for Kathmandu. Once again I could see the beautiful landscape pass by my window. The hills, the rice fields, the destruction of environment, the garbage, the traffic, yes everything just passed by. And now I’m back at the same hostel/hotel where I stayed the first days of my time here in Kathmandu.
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  Ok, I’m on the move. Right now back in Kathmandu. Have left Pokhara so I do not have any more Nepali phone number, just so you know. The trip with the bus went good. A bit tired now, and I’ve managed to catch a stupid cold as well. Hope it’s gone on Monday. The internet is not the best at the hostel (can’t get my computer connected) so you have to survive without photos.

  Ok, first, from today on I will no longer have a Nepali phone number that you can contact me on. All of you who have used it, thank you, it’s been a nice thing to get your messages. Enough about that. Yesterday I took a walk down to Mahendra pul and noticed something I hadn’t seen before: the information about handling waste.
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  I’ve just stood out in the grass feeling the ants tickling my feet while I enjoyed the sun setting over the hills. And then I realised how lucky I am who have taken the possibility to come here to Nepal, and while doing some form of thesis-work, enjoying this amazing country.
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  Okej, så nu börjar jag bli “expert” på kommunal/lokal organisation och lagtext här i Nepal. Har satt tänderna i LSGA (Local Self-Governance Act) som styr hur distrikt, kommuner och motsvarande områden ska styras och deras skyldigheter. Nog för att de har gott lagstöd, men sen hur det fungerar i verkligheten, ja det är en annan femma. Och nej, lagtexten är inte på nepalesiska, utan på engelska så klart.
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  Okey, so the Maoist ended their strike yesterday (Saturday). Why, I do not know yet, but hopefully Sascha can fill me in on that when he gets to the office today. Anyway, it feels quite nice that the traffic is back to normal and shops are open. Yesterday I spent some time on a scooter with a personal guide driving me around.
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  Ja, strejken fortsätter. Inte så mycket nytt om den egentligen. Som jag skrev igår så känns det rätt skönt på ett sätt att det inte är någon trafik i staden. Och jag noterade inga demonstrationståg igår kväll med facklor och slagord som ropades.
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  Sedan jag begav mig ut på min vandring den 1:a har hela landet varit fast i någon form av limbo. Maoisterna tvingar alla till strejk, även de som inte instämmer med deras syn på hur situationen bör vara här i Nepal. De har skickat busslaster med folk från landsbygden till Kathmandu, och här i Pokhara har jag sett fackeltåg gå fram och tillbaka längs gatan utanför vårt kontor medan de ropar slagord.
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  Bara fler foton från vad jag upplevt. Än en gång, klicka på bilden för att se nästa, om ni skulle missat det.
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  Åter från djungeln och vandringen har jag satt ihop lite foton här till er att kunna titta på, så att ni får en bättre bild av vad det är jag upplevt. Det är så många intryck att jag har svårt att samla dem i ett inlägg här. Jag har sett så otroligt mycket härliga saker och vandrat upp å och ner. Idag blir det vila för benen, eftersom jag känner hur det är lite träningsverk i vaderna.
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  Ok, a very short not to everybody. I went out trekking on the 1st of May, and is now back at the office. 3 nights and 4 days of walking for visiting villages and researching. The office will close in 30 minutes, so this is just a short notice to say that I’m back from the “darkness” (of no communication).

  I’ve got so many impressions with me back, so I can’t take here now. I’ll get back to you. Now I have to download photos, relax, sleep, eat, rest my legs and send in an application to the World Championship in “Farmers sunburn” (Sv. Bonnabränna) because I will win that competion with out a doubt.

  Jag fick en förfrågan här om jag inte kunde visa lite hur butikerna ser ut i stan, så igår innan jag skulle iväg på en intervju med ACAP tog jag mig ner till Mahendra pul, vilket är shopping centrum här i stan för alla nepaleser. Här vimmlar det alla möjliga butiker och kan du inte hitta det du söker här, ja då vet jag inte ens om varorna existerar i verkligheten.
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  I morse hade jag alarmet satt på klockan 5, men jag tänkte att jag kunde ge mig själv en sovmorgon och skippa promenera upp till Sarangkot, då jag skulle iväg på intervjun till ACAP klockan 10.30. Och vad ser jag då inte när jag väl går upp ur sängen och tittar ut genom fönstret om inte en helt underbar vy över bergskedjan i norr. Så typiskt att missa det från Sarangkot, men så är det ibland.
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  Gick upp tidigt idag igen. Igår var det ingen ström, så jag kunde inte arbeta i mitt rum. Tänkte att strömmen kanske var igång på morgonen, så larmet ringde kl 5 helt enkelt. Fick en del jobb gjort och nu sitter jag här på kontoret igen.
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  Gick up 4.45 i morse för att ta mig upp en sista gång till Sarangkot för att göra lite intervjuer där med turister och deras “Village Development Committee”. VDC har alla områden (tror jag..) som är för små för att vara kommuner. Hur som helst blev den en hurtig promenad upp för berget igen och solen bröt lagom upp över Himalaya när jag hade några meter kvar. Har sett den där soluppgången några gånger, så jag var inte så imponerad den här gången
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  Min plan var att stiga upp kl 4.45 i morse och knata iväg upp till Sarangkot för att intervjua lite turister där, samt knäppa några foton så klart. Men eftersom vi igår kväll var utan ström (som vanligt var det brist), fick jag arbeta med intervjufrågor i morse i stället. Jag har satt samman ett formulär för att göra lite kvantitativa intervjuer på stan för att fånga turisternas aspekt av Nepal lite. Tror det kan vara bra för arbetet.
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  Var uppe kl 5 i morse idag också, även om lördagarna är lediga. Eller ja, 5.09 för att vara vara exakt. Jag snoosade faktiskt en gång. Men upp och iväg mot Sarangkot. Eftersom det inte blev upp till toppen igår tänkte jag att idag så fick jag ta mig upp dit. Och det gjorde jag. Hade även tänkt att om det var möjligt intervjua den man jag träffade förra gången för mitt arbete. Jag har tänkt ha med Sarangkot som ett av de tre områden jag gör fallstudie på, och då får Sarangkot representera ett område som blivit förstört av den ”storskaliga turismen” (med lokala mått mätt) som berövat många byinvånare inkomster.
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  Ok, from now on I’ve decided to write mostly in Swedish. I know there are some international readers, but the majority is Swedish people, so I’ll write in English. If you wonder what I write, either use the comment field to ask for an update, or you can use any online translation site as well. Så, nu blir det svenska framöver. Det tar på energin att både tänka, skriva och prata engelska mest hela tiden. Och jag orkar inte lära mig nepalesiska nu på denna korta tiden. Hur som helst kände jag att jag behöver ett andningshål för svenskan, och det får bli här helt enkelt.

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  Oh, I’ve got a Nepali phone number, for anyone who wants to send me text-messages. I’ve borrowed a number from a staff member here at UDTC, and I will have it until I leave Pokhara, but until then you are free to send me text messages as much as you want. The number is: +977 98461 96000. Looking forward to read your messages!

 &nbsp:Oh, I will not answer your text messages, as it cost a bit toooo much. But please send me messages, if you want to. It’s always nice to read a message from friends where ever you are!

  Today has been a quite remarkable day. I’ve got some work done. Tadaa! That you didn’t think about me, now did you? I’ve prepared interview questions for an area I will visit tomorrow or Sunday to see if I can get any result out if my questions. But most amazingly for me today wasn’t that I’ve been working, but the ice storm (don’t know the exact English word, but in Swedish we would say “hagel storm”) that struck Pokhara in the afternoon. Now we’re talking about ice that where around 2 cm in diameter.

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  Ok, so I just woke up after a really bad night. I went to bed early yesterday without eating dinner because I had such a bad head ache and I think I also had fever. Now both are gone, so I feel better, but my stomach isn’t the best right now. I’ll probably grab someone in the staff here and we go off to see a doctor so I can get something that will make my stomach relax. Having “yalla” isn’t the most fun thing in the world.

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  I made a decision a couple of days ago that I would go up to the peak of Sarangkot when I felt was the right moment. Sarangkot is a view point that I can see from the UDTC campus, and it’s said that from up there you have a great view over the valley of Pokhara, with the lake to the south and the mountains to the north. So, this morning was the right time for that short “trek”.
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  Ok, before I left Sweden I decided to leave all my shaving equipment at home, since my very lonely guide book said that in Pokhara there would be some nice barber shops where you could get a nice shave after a couple of weeks out trekking to a very low price. So I thought that it would be waste of both space and weight to bring my own shaving equipment and instead my plan became to invest in good service. While doing that also contribute to something good for me and money to someone who needs money more than me. And today was the day to check if the guide book had right or not.
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  Saturday, and today is the free day of the week, which is our Sunday. There are some things here with traditions, local customs, and so on that are just very different from Sweden. All the shops are said to be closed today, but I will take a short walk down town after lunch to see if it really is like that. If I find a internet café, I’ll take a quick stop there and try to upload some things from this week here to the blog.
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  I woke up tonight of a real intense rain hammering down on the roof of the guest house I’m staying in. After a while I managed fall a sleep again and then I went up at seven. I had made an appointment to go and visit a collage just next to UDTC, but with some problem in understanding each other about where we were going to meet up in the morning it started of in the wrong way. I finally got down to the gate at the collage and there my contact was waiting for me.
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  Today I was introduced to the staff by the Principal, Jaya, who I had a short meeting with the other day on my own right after my arrival here to the UDTC-campus. Jaya helped and explained why I am here and what my intentions are. I also explained a bit about my self and what I will work with while I’m here.
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  Ok, I just want to inform you all very quick that I’m in Pokhara at UDCT right now. The access to internet isn’t as it was in Kathmandu, but I’ll update here as soon as I can. From the windows in my room I can see mountain peeks higher than 8000 m, so it feels in a way quite different from back home in “flat” Sweden. Not even Sweden highest mountain would be called a mountain here.

  More to come!

  Yesterday was a long and warm day. I understood afterwards why the trip with the bus took so long. First it took us about 1,5 hour just to get out of Kathmandu because of the overloaded roads and all the traffic. Then it was up and down over ridges and valleys. I was happy I had chosen the bus company I travelled with, because they had air-conditioning in the bus, and that helped a lot, while all the local buses, and many tourist buses didn’t have one. Sure it was some amazing views, but I know for sure as well that my mom would never want to ride in a bus on o road like that. Almost no railings and people just drove like crazy (according to my “Swedish standard”).
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  Here are just some photos from the road between Kathmandu and Pokhara. It was an interesting 8 hour trip (well, they said it would take 7 hrs, but the reality is not always like in a time table).
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  Today I went up early. Was out on the streets at around seven in the morning. It almost felt weird as the streets where so empty and the stores hadn’t opened yet. Calmness on the streets and just some few motorcycles were driving around. I had planned to visit the Swayambhunath temple, or “Monkey temple” as it is also called, so I walked to it. I walked up to the top along the eastern stairway, and it’s a really steep stairway in the end. Not a problem walking up, but walking down was a bit different. I didn’t want to trip and fall, because it was a long way down.
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  Ok, so my plan to get up early in the morning and then walk out to the Swayambhunath temple was spoiled. I slept until nine once again and then I walked out there. I didn’t climb up the hill, but plan to do that tomorrow. What stroke me while doing the walk out to the temple was all the garbage everywhere, especially in the river and at the river banks.
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  I slept as long as I could today. I felt I could give that to my self after the long journey here. Woke up and then took a small breakfast in the lobby before I decided that it was time to “take on” Kathmandu the touristic way. But first I went to the bus company that I will take to Pokhara (prenounsed “Påckará” in Swedish) and I found out that it’s about 600 meters from my hostel, so thtat’s just perfect. Then I don’t have to take a taxi there early on Tuesday morning. Bought the ticket today as well, so now I have that one. So on Tuesday it will be a 200 km trip due west for about 7 hours.
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  Arrived! Sitting on the bed in my room at the hostel, and so far everything has been just perfect with the trip. From the train to Copenhagen airport until stepping out of the taxi after paying about 5 euros for the trip from the airport everything is just fine.
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  Went down to the library today and picked up a book I’ve ordered. Just great, with the aspect of my soon departure from this part of the world. And no, I won’t bring the book with me. Probably I can use for what I need it for tomorrow, and then just leave it here in Sweden. I can return it to the library when I get back to Sweden.

  Because now, the next step will be 8629 km long. I don’t want to think about the CO2-pollution I’m adding to the world, but I will do my best to compensate for it. The next step will take me very far from Sweden and I actually think I’m ready for it. Everything is under control, or at least I think so. Checked up the flights now tonight as well, and they are still there, so that feels nice.

  Have to get some sleep now for tomorrow. I’ll get back to you with an update as soon as I can.

  Sometimes you can’t plan everything you have to do. As time is running away from me, I spent the last weekend in Göteborg, where I met some wonderful friends that I haven’t seen for a while. We relaxed, enjoyed good food and a nice walk along the river, and we crossed the Älvsborgs-bridge where I will run in the end of May. That gave me the knowledge that the bridge won’t be so difficult, but the way up to the bridge will be “interesting”.
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  OK, sometimes I agree with my self. Like right now. How the heck do you plan for things that you can’t really plan when you do all the other planning of things you now? Well.. adapt and conquer the problem. I think I’ve done the planning well now, and on Wednesday we’ll know if I did it.

  Anyway, the weekend was great. Relaxing in Göteborg with friends I haven’t seen for a while, which was just perfect. I’ve never been a “Göteborg”-person when I was younger, due to my sisters and grand parents in Stockholm, but I like the city of Göteborg more and more for every visit. And for every time I’ll discover new things.

  We took a walk along the river and then across the Älvsborgs-bridge, where I will run in the end of May, and now I know how hard that will be. Well, the bridge isn’t the worst part, but the way up to the bridge. I’ll better give my self some really good training until then, so I’ll manage it.

  Ok, I can confess that it’s not good for the moral of my thesis work to buy a new camera in the middle of it, because now I spend more time playing around with the camera than writing what I have to write. But I’ll write it later, and I think it is ok to play with the camera, because I have to get usued to it. Otherwise I can’t use it later on when I need it. The second bad thing with a camera is that I now have a stupid idea that I might have to buy a new computer later on, because I don’t think that my present one is capable of handling the HD-movie files (if I ever take any movies with the camera).

  Heading down to the library now to pick up a book/article I’ve ordered. Good to have so close to the library that I just can skip down there and pick it up. Looking forward to the weekend, with tons of things in my head spinning around and some studies that has to be made and written down.

  Oh, and by the way.. it’s still spring in Karlskrona, and I still like it!