Last night marked our first interaction with the VSO Nepal staff and current VSO Nepal volunteers.  We visited their offices in Patan (just across the Bagmati river from Kathmandu) and celebrated a with a bonfire and delicious meal, complete with music and dancing.  It was spirited, lively, and utterly welcoming.  Despit a lingering head cold, it was great fun.  Today we shall embark on a scavenger hunt of Kathmandu – a small team competition to help familiarize ourelves with the city. 

I am reminded that it has only been 24 hours since we arrived, when I catch myself thinking of my warm bed in Vancouver…still not a distant enough memory to be forgotten and so readily available for comparison.  Our current guest house is lovely, but like most accommodations in Nepal there is no central heating and it is winter now, with temperatures in the 20’s during the day but plummeting to between 5-10 at night…chilly indeed.