Time to Get Ready to Go!
Our itinerary is finalized. Like last year, volunteering is optional. The hiking is optional this year as a few people have indicated an interest in learning more about the culture and other activities. We are looking forward to hearing from each person about what you’d like to experience in Nepal. I’m excited to let you know that we’ve added an extension trip to Basa Village. I read Jeff Rasely’s book, Taking Progress to Paradise. I loved it and after writing to him, I volunteered to be on the education committee....
read moreOur next trip is Oct.10-20, 2012 + update re: Dadagaun Village
Shortly, registration forms and our itinerary will be available. We’ve designed this trip for 6 special individuals interested in enriching their lives and the lives of those they meet. Are you one of them? I just got an update on Christine’s recent visit to Dadagaun Village in Nepal. Here is what she wrote: “So much happening in Dadagaun itself.” For more information, go to www.dadagaunvillage.com more later, Sydney Next steps…following through with the teachers and NELTA, continuing to try to find a suitable...
read moreEvent Announcement: Tea and Talk
Follow Your Heart Yoga invites you for Sherpa tea and to hear a talk about my recent voluntourism trip to Nepal with The Trek of Your Life. Traveling to Nepal can be a soul searching experience. The Trek of Your Life enjoyed sight-seeing, hiking, yoga and volunteering. Nepal is one the poorest countries outside of Africa. The average salary is $1 per day and the National Literacy Rate is below 50 percent. In spite of this, Nepal is known for its beauty and being a beacon for peace. It is known for understanding and harmony between...
read morePoems and an email from Mozella
I thought you’d like to see this email Mozella sent her contacts after she got back. You’ll see why it was wonderful to have her company on our trip. I’ve also included her poems in this post. Dear Friends, I have just returned from a wonderful ten day voluntourism trip: Sydney Frymire’s The Trek Of Your Life™ – Breaking the ice with villagers warming up to questions and conversations — Sounds of Kathmandu – Trekking up seemingly impossible stone steps — Avoiding more cow dung...
read moreNovember 1, 2012 Back to the States
We were sad to say good bye to Carolyn last night. Mozella, Michelle and I shared a delicious breakfast before we went our separate ways. I did some last minute strolling around the hotel gardens and shopping in the gift shop before I met Mozella in the lobby. We left together to fly to Bangkok. We spent time together in Bangkok until I departed for Frankfurt and then onto Dulles. Mozella flew via London. As always, I’m sad to be leaving Nepal.
read moreOct. 31-Basanta Lodge, Pokhara, Dwarika’s Hotel, Kathmandu
After an early breakfast, we slowly departed along the ridge and descended through the wooded hillside and terraced farmland to the valley floor. It was slow going because the steps were slippery from the rain. The porters were especially attentive to our safety this morning. We took about 2 hours to get to our van. We drove to Pokhara to say farewell to our porters and guide. They gave us Kaktas (traditional long white scarves) to honor us. Afterwards, we had a couple of hours to spend shopping and having lunch before our flight to Kathmandu....
read moreOctober 30, Day #2 of trekking
I woke up a little before 6 am and opened my front door to a spectacular view of the sun hitting Annapurna South. I knocked on Mozella’s door. We were like two little girls we were so excited to see these magnificent mountains. Mozella had truly believed the foothills were the mountains. She said, “In Maryland, those would be mountains.” When she first saw Annapurna South, she said, “Love really is a mountain.” As we sat there in awe together, she wrote a beautiful poem and read it to me. What could be more...
read moreOctober 29-Off to the Mountains!
I hardly slept at all last night. I’m so excited about getting to the mountains. We got up at 6 am for an early breakfast and departure. Steve gave us small duffle bags to use, since we don’t need all our luggage to trek. He is transporting our luggage to Dwarika’s hotel, where we’ll spend our last night in Nepal. We had an uneventful 35 minute flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara, the rural capital of western Nepal. Mozella had learned that if we sat on the right side of the plane in rows 11 & 12, we could see the...
read moreOctober 28-Brothers’ and Sisters’ Day
The last day of tihar is ‘Bhai tika’, putting tika on your brothers by your sisters. The royal astrologer gives the appropriate time to put the tika through the national radio a day before and the entire nation abides by it. Even his majesty receives tika from is sisters. When his majesty receives tika a thirty-one-gun salute is given to honor the function. At this moment the entire nation will be observing bhai tika. The main theme behind bhai tika is the sisters praying for their brother’s long life from Yama Raj, god of...
read moreOctober 27-Ox Day
The fourth day is bit different. Today the things you worship depend on your specific cultural background. Normally most of the people perform ‘Guru puja’, ox worshiping. The ox is worshiped with tika, garland and then a delicious meal is fed to it. On the other hand people who follow lord Krishna perform ‘Gobhardan puja’. These people build a small hill made out of cow dung and put some grass on it then do puja on it. This puja symbolises the act of lord Krishna when he lifted the gobhardan hill and saved millions of...
read moreAbout Sydney Frymire
Sydney Frymire is a licensed clinical Social Worker, Certified Life Coach and motivational speaker. She has been working with adults, couples and families in Montgomery County, Maryland for over 20 years. More information can be found at Positive Development for Your Child. In addition to working in Bethesda, she leads voluntourism trips to Nepal.