My training experience at Bharatpur, Chitwan

Around 10 AM of the Sunday morning, I arrived at the REDD office of the Ministry of Forestry at BabarMahal. Having the opportunity to participate in the training on data analysis and report writing organized by Li-Bird and GrowInnova, was a ‘Bon Chance’. I did not need to pay even a single penny. Everything was arranged and included in the training course fee, which was paid by my

agency. Adding to the knowledge I would be getting from the training, I was also entitled to receive the 20% of the DSA. The second reason for me to be happy. The training had mostly the late 30s to mid 40s participants besides few were in the late 20s just like me in the mid-20s and were female.

R-studio

As it is a well-known and well-followed tradition of Nepalese to arrive late, the day was also the regular one. Adding to it, the participants were government officials from different ministries. We were 13 in the microbus so hired to depart to Bharatpur. I was initially excited about my trip but later, the excitement became a torture as the road to Chitwan from Kathmandu is very long and the roads are full of puddles and jerks. My back was straight prior to departing to Bharatpur but when I reached Bharatpur, my back bent like a bow. Why the f*** the roads are so bad even when we pay so much taxes!

Anyway, we reached the hotel at around half-seven in the evening in a luxurious hotel, Hotel Royal Century of Bharatpur, just beside the Bhatbhateni Supermarket. Bharatpur is located in the Terai belt and hence it is hotter than Kathmandu. Therefore, I had turned on the AC in my room all the time. The nicest thing for the evening was, my room partner stayed at her house in Chitwan rather to staying at Hotel. The room was all for me and I was the queen of the room. From the next day, the training started and was for 5 days continuous. The training was basically focused on using R and R-Studio in the data Analysis along with some additional info on Excel and SPSS. Along with that, the use of the different statistical tools for the different sample sizes was another most beneficiary thing to me. While in report writing, introduction to ‘Zotero’ was something I appreciated. Overall the training went nice.

With UNICEF's friend

A couple of things were not nice in the period. Knowing I was alone in the hotel room, one of the Boka Men from the training had asked my room number shamelessly. I was asked 3-4 times the same thing at the very moment. However, being shocked by such nonsense and shameless act from a reputed designated person representing reputed ministry, I could not speak a word. The second time, he did try to tease me but I was rude enough to shut him up. Had it been the third time, I was damn sure to pull his collar and complain my agency. After all, I am from one of the UN agencies who have zero tolerance for abuse.

Narayani River Bank

The things that I liked about Bharatpur were the small taxi tempos as the means of a public vehicle, the wide roads, the evening walk, the morning walk by the Narayani River and all by myself. Another thing is my friends from UNICEF had come to meet me there and that made me overwhelmed. I had walked alone on the streets of Bharatpur on two evenings and was very relaxing. On one fine morning, I went down to the Narayani Riverbank, shown by my friend Bina, the later evening, and it was very refreshing but as the time was moving, the morning was becoming hotter and hotter.

I stayed there for a while and then returned back to my hotel talking the taxi tempo that I loved. I wanted to go to the famous CG temple and Devghat but due to the limitation of time and no company, I could not make it. But there is always a next time :)

With the sweet and bitter memories, I drove back to Kathmandu on Saturday noon and arrived home at around 6 PM in the evening. Exhausted by the long drive, I had to prepare for my next journey to Manang the very next day….

See you in the next travel experience. Hasta la Vista Amigos! Bijous!

My journeyS to Poon Hill

Words are falling short while I am trying to describe Poonhill. In a simple language, I would like to describe it as a hill station in the western region of Nepal which provides you with the serene landscape view of the mighty Annapurna Range. Awesome!!

Annapurna :)

I have been to Poonhill twice till now. Once with a friend and once with family. Both the time I enjoyed the nature. However, first time was hard as I got through severe calf ache from walking while in the second one I did not get any aches. Both the time, I did not go through that longest uphill stairway walk to Poonhill via Ulleri. Had I been, prolly, I never would like to go there as I would have surely given up seeing such a huge hill to walk on the stairs.

I have got six and seven senses: My Instincts and Google Bhai. Hence, I had planned my itinerary of going via Ghandruk to Tadapani and then to Poonhill and back to Pokhara via Ulleri even at first time. It worked. We stayed in a good-good hotel at Pokhara on the first day, the second day we stayed at Tadapani, Third day at Poonhill, the Fourth day at Pokhara and finally back to Kathmandu. The noodle soups tasted so nice. The same noodle never tasted nice as that before in Kathmandu. I did not go for the morning view in Poonhill height instead I made my evening view for the sunset. Reviewing my activities, I feel like “Why I always do things so unique?” Well, baby..this is me. J

Mt. Machapuchhre (Fishtail) from Ghandruk height

The second time was torturous but been once in a lifetime thingy. I went with my family. My brother did not say that his school was to resume on the 4th day of our departure and he must attend the first day by any means. I had given my family the option of either going to Dhampus or Poonhill. My sister is very gutsy and a fighter. So she opted to go for Poonhill. I had warned my aunt and brother that the trip will be very challenging as we need to walk a lot and they are the first timer. However, they got ready to go to Poonhill too.

Lucky us, we got the last bus to Ghandruk on the same day of traveling from Kathmandu. It was already 7 in the evening when we got at the Ghandruk Bus Stop and hence we stayed a night in there. My god! The food was very delicious and it tasted like a heavenly meal. I had 3 plates of rice because of that. Had a good night sleep and then the next stay started where we had to reach to Poonhill.

Fupu, Me and diju hajur :P

On the bus, we had met two lads who came to go to Poonhill and they had stayed at the same hotel with us. Since they were teenagers, they were like brothers to us and therefore, we welcomed them to go along with us. They were helpful and nice as well. Now, we became a group of six.

Family

From Ghandruk we started to walk at 7:00 AM in the morning and walked all the way to Poonhill on the same day. The way was slippery due to ice blocks on the way. With all the hardships, we reached at Poonhill at around 8 ish in the evening.  Along the way, my aunt and little brother almost cried because of having pain while walking. Poor them! 

The hotel owner charged NRs 800to each of us saying package while one room costs NRs 200. F**k! a budget traveller never opt for package. And since we were so tired and it was cold night with snow outside, even had he charged NRs 1000 each, there would not have been a place for "No". I think this was the reason why the hotel owner always greeted me like “Daughter, it seems your leg is hurting.”, “Daughter, is room comfy?”, “Daughter, have you eaten?” Goodness me. Probably inside his heart, he was smiling very hard with his all teeth shown for charging us NRs 800 each. So 6X 800= NRs 48,00 from one single night.

My leg was so hurt that I did not go to the hill station for the sunrise. However, other two brothers, who went there, snapped some pictures and I Bluetooth them. Told I snapped them after being back to Kathmandu. Damn! You see.. this is the way rather than people telling you, "Poor you! You missed the sunrise."

stone henge :P

While being back to Kathmandu, Ulleri was a leg ache. Having continuously scolded by my aunt and brother, finally, Back to Nayapul reserving the jeep from Hile and to Pokhara in a public vehicle. I was sitting next to a very handsome foreigner. Gosh! Torpi dai made him stand saying I want to sit there, and his daughter vomited. Eeew what a torture! Finally relaxed after reaching Pokhara and more when reached the hotel. Late night lakeside jamming was more fun and next day back to Kathmandu. Well, my two trips to Poonhill was this way or that way very memorable. I am looking forward to making more memories and writing them up for making as memory capsules.

Next journey: Bharatpur, Chitwan

Keep Updated if you want to get entertained with the stories I come up with! Hasta la Vista Amigos.

PS: I am thinking of making a blog related to Relationship as well. What say???