Oh my, the devastation... January 31, 2019
It has been a few years since my last visit to Kathmandu and surrounding areas, so when we were met this morning to be taken on a tour of various sites within the limits of Kathmandu, I guess I was not prepared to see these historic monuments, temples, palaces, etc, reduced to piles of rubble. I remember back to when the earthquake occured in 2015, and the horrible photos and newsfeeds showed the damage,but untill one actually walks through areas which were destroyed, one cannot comprehend the magnitude of the destruction.
We toured through areas, including the Boudha Stupa - the second largest in Nepal but one of the two largest spherical stupas anywhere. When entering the complex, for lack of a better word, there is a certain peace which pervades the atmosphere - nobody is in a hurry, the smiling beatific faces of children as well as seniors is infectious. I am also confident that if I were to stay in this place for a protracted period of time, I might just set aside the "busy-ness" of my life and settle into a less stressful lifestyle. Am I ready to do that? Not yet, I am afraid.
We visited Durber Square in Laliput, as well as in Patan. Throughout our two days in Kathmandu, we have met with numerous Past District Governors in Rotary, as well as many members of local Rotary Clubs. On Tuesday evening, we were pleased to be welcomed by the members of the Rotary Club of Patan - South. There were about eighteen of us at the meeting and what impressed both Chuck and me was the fact that without exception, every member of that club was involved with projects - and I am not talking about making a phone call here or there, or showing up for photo-ops, each one showed his or her passion for service when describing their particulalr projects - from water sanitation to teaching children who live on the margin; from installing toilets and showers in a school in the distant hills, as well as in a central location in the neighboring commnnity; setting up health camps or helping to raise funds for fully equipping a small local hospital, which serves critical care needs. It was truly inspirational to witness the enthusiasm of these Rotarians.
Wednesday evening, I attended a meeting of the Rotary Club of Kathmandu, where rather than a regular meeting, there were several clubs in the area who had sent teams to participate in ROTARY QUIZ. It was really enjoyable and enlightening to witness as many younger Rotarians actually knew the answers to questions about the history of Rotary International and the clubs in Nepal. They did get stumped on one question, however, and I was pleased to go back in my memory to the year I served as District Governor, and to recall my opening sentence when making my official visits to clubs in my district. Paul Harris once said, "If ever I were to find myself on a stage looking out at thousands of Rotarians, and I had but one word to utter, that word would be TOLERATION!" The question was asked, and I was able to offer the answer from the audience. Following the meeting, three past district governors joined us for dinner at our hotel - lots of laughter and memories revisited from my previous trips.
Thursday morning, after some touring of Durbar Square in Patan, and not only seeing the devastation of so many palaces and temples, but marveling at the extensive restoration projects in these areas, we were met by yet another past district governor, Dilendra Raj Shrestha - someone whom I had met a few years ago and who recalled our time together, and then shared some remarkable Rotary stories. He owns a small restaurant right in Durbar Square and it was evident to us that he seems to know everyone there - and was gracious enough to walk with us through the market areas and to introduce us to shop keepers.
When we left Dilendra, we stopped by a handicraft emporium where Chuck purchased several items and then we headed off to Bhaktapur and wandered through the old market there. We again witnessed the devastation and the restoration projects, many funded by the Japanese, Chinese, German governments, as well as private foundations.
Finally, it was time to be driven up into the hills to Dhulikhel, to the Mountain Resort, where we will stay one night and then head off to view the distant mountains of the Himalayas at sunrise. Again, joined by a few more Rotarians, who want to show off the very best parts of their own villages and cities.
We toured through areas, including the Boudha Stupa - the second largest in Nepal but one of the two largest spherical stupas anywhere. When entering the complex, for lack of a better word, there is a certain peace which pervades the atmosphere - nobody is in a hurry, the smiling beatific faces of children as well as seniors is infectious. I am also confident that if I were to stay in this place for a protracted period of time, I might just set aside the "busy-ness" of my life and settle into a less stressful lifestyle. Am I ready to do that? Not yet, I am afraid.
We visited Durber Square in Laliput, as well as in Patan. Throughout our two days in Kathmandu, we have met with numerous Past District Governors in Rotary, as well as many members of local Rotary Clubs. On Tuesday evening, we were pleased to be welcomed by the members of the Rotary Club of Patan - South. There were about eighteen of us at the meeting and what impressed both Chuck and me was the fact that without exception, every member of that club was involved with projects - and I am not talking about making a phone call here or there, or showing up for photo-ops, each one showed his or her passion for service when describing their particulalr projects - from water sanitation to teaching children who live on the margin; from installing toilets and showers in a school in the distant hills, as well as in a central location in the neighboring commnnity; setting up health camps or helping to raise funds for fully equipping a small local hospital, which serves critical care needs. It was truly inspirational to witness the enthusiasm of these Rotarians.
Wednesday evening, I attended a meeting of the Rotary Club of Kathmandu, where rather than a regular meeting, there were several clubs in the area who had sent teams to participate in ROTARY QUIZ. It was really enjoyable and enlightening to witness as many younger Rotarians actually knew the answers to questions about the history of Rotary International and the clubs in Nepal. They did get stumped on one question, however, and I was pleased to go back in my memory to the year I served as District Governor, and to recall my opening sentence when making my official visits to clubs in my district. Paul Harris once said, "If ever I were to find myself on a stage looking out at thousands of Rotarians, and I had but one word to utter, that word would be TOLERATION!" The question was asked, and I was able to offer the answer from the audience. Following the meeting, three past district governors joined us for dinner at our hotel - lots of laughter and memories revisited from my previous trips.
Thursday morning, after some touring of Durbar Square in Patan, and not only seeing the devastation of so many palaces and temples, but marveling at the extensive restoration projects in these areas, we were met by yet another past district governor, Dilendra Raj Shrestha - someone whom I had met a few years ago and who recalled our time together, and then shared some remarkable Rotary stories. He owns a small restaurant right in Durbar Square and it was evident to us that he seems to know everyone there - and was gracious enough to walk with us through the market areas and to introduce us to shop keepers.
When we left Dilendra, we stopped by a handicraft emporium where Chuck purchased several items and then we headed off to Bhaktapur and wandered through the old market there. We again witnessed the devastation and the restoration projects, many funded by the Japanese, Chinese, German governments, as well as private foundations.
Finally, it was time to be driven up into the hills to Dhulikhel, to the Mountain Resort, where we will stay one night and then head off to view the distant mountains of the Himalayas at sunrise. Again, joined by a few more Rotarians, who want to show off the very best parts of their own villages and cities.
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