Kiran Maher’s First Taste of the Vibrant Country of Nepal
“The children, young adults and staff at the Hope Centre reminded me that life is more than just work, money and personal goals. There is humanity and love around every corner.”
Join us for the second of our ‘Visit Nepal’ blogs, where we document the experiences of our friends and supporters on their trips to Nepal and get a first-hand taste of the country, the people we help, and the projects we fund.
Last time we joined Macey Small as she looked back on her visit.
This time, Kiran Maher (daughter of trustee Alex Maher) recalls from the same trip the sights, sounds, smells, and culture of Nepal and talks about visiting some of our projects.
In September 2023, I had my first taste of Nepal and fell in love with the country, the people and, of course, the food (momos for breakfast, lunch and dinner). I was introduced to New Futures Nepal by my father who became a Trustee and has been truly invigorated by the work of the charity. It was a remarkable trip meeting the children and staff at the Hope Centre. Their smiles, kindness and excitement will always have a special place in my heart.
Day 1
After two flights and brief stop in Doha, we arrived in Kathmandu to be greeted by Tilak with flower garlands. We met our fellow members of Team Tilak - Andrew, Macey and Thomas – for a fabulous Nepalese thali and Ghorka beers. A walk round Thamel gave us our first taste of Nepal followed by dinner with Diane and Julie on the rooftop overlooking the Kathmandu Valley made for a great start to unforgettable trip. I was in awe of the mountains surrounding Kathmandu, just a glance beyond the skyline and the realisation that I am looking the world’s tallest mountain range was mind-blowing!
The view from a rooftop overlooking the Kathmandu valley with the first glimpses of the Himalayas on the horizon.
Day 2
We hopped in our minibus and made our way to the Swayambhunath Temple (Monkey Temple) which towered over us, inviting us to climb the 365 steps to the top. As we made our ascent, we stopped regularly to see the monkeys and various Buddha statues. Whilst we all caught our breath at the top, Tilak taught us about the prayer wheels and the prayer said while spinning them (OM MANI PADME OM). The view from the top was spectacular, overlooking the millions of humans that live in this valley. We made our way down the other side of the temple following the colourful prayer flags and were greeted by three grand gold Buddha statues.
Monkeys make a regular appearance on the route up to Swayambhunath Temple (Monkey Temple).
The view from Swayambhunath Temple (Monkey Temple) overlooking the Kathmandu valley is spectacular to behold.
The late morning was spent exploring the Narayanhiti Palace, Tilak (an essential wealth of knowledge that I miss dearly!) taught us about the then-royal family of Nepal, the royal massacre and the people’s revolution in 2006. The Palace had been impeccably preserved and transported us to past lives of the Shah Kings of Nepal. The opulence of gold state coach, the diamond and pearl adored royal crown and polar bear skin rugs were a sight to behold.
Boudhanath Stupa is an iconic tourist destination in Kathmandu with its distinctive “Buddha’s Eyes and Nose”.
Back to the bus and onwards to Boudhanath Stupa. Here, I fell in love with the symbol of Buddha’s Eyes and Nose. Tilak taught me about the cross-over between Buddhism and Hinduism as we saw statues of Ganesh alongside giant prayer wheels. Lunch-time led to more bonding between the members of Team Tilak whilst we giggled away munching on momos and sipping more Ghorkas.
That afternoon was our first visit to the Hope Centre, the Children had painted the steps and gave us the warmest and kindest welcome I have ever encountered. Each child/young adult introduced themselves to us and we did the same, I was asked if my father was also going to come to visit as he had been earlier in the year. When I informed them, he would not be there, they told me about how they really enjoyed his visit and how excited they were to see him again (this made me tear up). My heart was so full meeting these wonderful children, seeing how much they care for each other, treat each other like family and despite the language barrier, how excited they were to play games and get to know us. Hearing their hopes for the future and their excitement for school will forever be a core memory for me (and honestly, I didn’t want to leave!).
The children of the Hope Centre decorated the steps and gave us the warmest and kindest welcome.
Day 3
We set out on our next adventure, Bhaktapur Parent’s Self Help group, where we met group of
people working to provide help and support for children and young adults with cerebral palsy. This was the first time we met Nirmala (miss you!) and learnt about her incredible journey. We received beautiful handmade paper flowers, sang nursery rhymes and danced to Bollywood music. Actions speak a thousand words. This was evident as, despite the language barrier, we all connected thanks to Diane who had us singing head, shoulders, knees and toes with the children and young adults.
We received a warm welcome to the Bhaktapur Parent’s Self Help group. This was the first time that we met Nirmala Bhandari.
Physical activity helps stimulate the children at the Bhaktapur Parent’s Self Help group and provides an important means of exercise.
Onwards to Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Tilak teaches us that this area was the former royal palace and a UNESCO world heritage site. We wandered through the grand square, in awe of the intricate hand carved structures which generations of families would work on. Soon came lunch and Nirmala recommended Sikarni which came in a beautiful clay pot and was delicious. We saw Julie have a go on a pottery wheel and we chatted with some locals (thanks to Nirmala and Tilak) and learnt about traditional Nepali jewellery, which inspired me to find some!
That evening, we ventured out in Thamel to find our classic boozy ‘gap year’ evening. For one night only, we could be found on a roof top bar playing cards while sat in a very 70’s style conversation pit! While the young ones partied, I had the task of navigating the ‘olds’ (sorry Andrew and Mum) back to the guesthouse, which was incredibly funny!
Day 4
Luckily no sore heads this morning as we headed out to Pashupatinath Temple and Patan Durbar Square, both UNESCO world heritage sites. The temple was beautiful, you could see whole cycle of human existence from birth to death. Unfortunately, our fellow members of Team Tilak were unable to join us as the temple is only open to Hindus but we were lucky enough to have Sujan (Hi Sujan!) who guided us the whole way. Despite the hustle and bustle, the temple provided a feeling of serenity. We waved over the Bagmati River to our fellow Team members and travelled round to meet them. I am grateful our Team joined us to light a diva for Lord Shiva and say a prayer.
At the Pashupatinath Temple you can see the whole cycle of human existence from birth to death.
Onwards to Patan Durbar Square, where explored the incredible Newari monuments and structures. We made way through the winding hallways of the Patan museum entering past the idols of Hanuman, Narsingha, and Ganesh. Tilak explained about the Krishna Mandir and Yoga Narendra’s statue, where it is said that until the bird remains on the cobra’s head, the King may still return to his palace.
Day 5
On this day, I got my first taste of Himalayan air as we made our way to Nagarkot. Members of Team Tilak took a ‘mini’ trek up to Club Himalaya Resort where we made our ascent through the most beautiful landscape. Mountains and valleys as far as the eye could see, beautiful sunshine and wonderful company made for a great first trek in the Himalayan mountain range.
Once we reach the resort, we caught our first glimpse of snow-capped mountains thanks to Andrew’s keen eye. We sat out on the balcony in awe of the background. Rain travels fast through the mountains and it was a wonderful sight to see the rolling clouds pour rain from the heavens. That afternoon we took another trek to explore the surrounding area and only got slightly soggy after getting caught in the rain.
Day 6
A 4:30am start to catch the sunrise at a high viewpoint. This was the trek that left me breathless. Poor Tilak must have worried that first aid may be required! I can’t thank the Team enough for being so supportive and helping me reach the top. While it was a cloudy day, we caught another glimpse of snow-capped mountains and the braver ones climbed up a rickety ladder to get a better view. On our way down, we were joined by a pack of gorgeous dogs who followed us like little guardians, it took everything (and Hiran reminding me that rabies exists) to not pet them.
In the early morning, we began our next trek around the villages of Nagarkot. We giggled, chatted and plotted the whole way and this too was a poignant moment for me. I had to keep reminding myself that this landscape was not a dream and in fact, right in front of my eyes! Over 10,000 steps later, Thomas, Macey, Andrew and I enjoyed the pool at the Resort while watching the rain over the mountains (of course while sipping Ghorkas).
Day 7
We made our way back to Thamel from Nagarkot, Thomas got a fantastic tattoo as did Andrew! We had our second visit to the Hope Centre and we were truly treated when the children and young adults put on a fabulous show filled with music and dance. They had us up and moving to classic Bollywood music followed by lots of games! The whole place was filled with laughter, excitement and love.
Too quickly it was time to leave, this made us quite tearful as it was the last time that Andrew, Macey and Thomas would visit the Hope Centre on this trip. This reminded me that, I too would soon have to leave a place that I have fallen head over heels in love with.
Day 8 – 11
After saying goodbye to Andrew, Macey and Thomas, we spent the next few days exploring more Thamel where we visited the Garden of Dreams and shopped till we dropped. We explored the Chandragiri Hills and the spectacular views along the cable car ride was breathtaking as we were quite literally in the clouds overlooking the valley. It is also where I took my favourite picture of Tilak!
Our favourite photo of Tilak on the cable car ride to the top of the Chandragiri Hills.
We also made our last visit to the Hope Centre. We played games, painted pictures and chatted long into the evening. I took a moment this evening to remember how grateful I am for going on this trip and all the wonderful people I have met. The children, young adults and staff at the Hope Centre reminded me that life is more than just work, money and personal goals. There is humanity and love around every corner.
Special thanks to Tilak, Nirmala and Sujan for your hospitality, friendship and for answering my constant inane questions. I cannot wait to see you all again!
Bye for now
Kiran x
