Well I'm a week away from embarking on this great adventure. It seems strange to have it finally here and down to just the details of packing. I also just obtained my Chinese Visa so we can leave the airport during our two 13 hour layovers in Guangzhou. In addition to our side trip in China, Emily and I also decided to get to LA early and spend the day seeing the sites around town with her friend Vaughn who lives there. So we can definitely say we're making the most of this trip!
We will have limited access to internet during our time there, but when I find a little internet cafe in Kathmandu I'll post updates. For sure you won't hear anything from me from Nov 17 to Nov 24. These are the days I'll be working in our village of Jeeta, Lamjung District.
This is a village at the base of the Annapurna mountain range but is only about 2600 ft elevation. There are approx. 3600 people living in the village and around 50 of them will come to where we are staying at the local school and attend our workshops. We will provide education in general health practices, nutrition, and sanitation. The local health care providers (6 EMTs) will get more in depth training, especially in neonatal resuscitation. I was asked to head up the Medical Team and so have been working to coordinate all the nurses in developing our workshop curriculum. There will also be a dental clinic and vision clinic, and an education and business component. Another legacy of our visit will be the reconstruction of their local school. It is very old and our team of 54 will all work together to make it structurally safe, functional, and fun!
We don't know yet what we'll be doing before and after the expedition. We'll make plans when we get there. Our only set excursion is a flight to Mount Everest on Fri, Nov 16 with a handful of others from the expedition. Emily thought this would be a great way to celebrate her 30th birthday!! We also plan to spend time in and around Kathmandu and do a 6-7 day trek. Not sure where to yet, but likely ending up on the trail to Everest Base Camp and turning around after a night in Tengboche. This will include a flight to Lukla...voted "Most Dangerous Airport in the World" a few years ago. You can google it to see why an airport perched on a Himalayan cliffside might garner this award!
