A Light In Their Lives – Kathmandu, Nepal

It’s 8:25am, not long from the start of school, and RCDP volunteer Jenny Dea expertly wields a toothpaste tube, squeezing out dollops of toothpaste onto the several toothbrushes held by small outstretched hands in the Light For Nepal Orphanage in northern Kathmandu, which provides rays of hope for several local children.

“Namaste!” they proclaim while holding their hands in a position of prayer at their chest, the typical Nepali greeting. “What is you name?” Where are you from?”

At 8:30am Dea walks with them, two of the youngest ones hand-in-hand, to the Nepal Matri Grihasocial primary school. The kids know all the back-lane shortcuts (she sticks to the main streets when walking back to the orphanage on schooldays) so there’s plenty of help both given and received. A few older kids peel off from the younger orphans at the secondary school. At this point an effervescent youngster grabs my hand, ending my note taking for the time being. But to this writer it feels a privilege to be trusted as an adult by one of these gentle souls.

Rajesh, my new five-year-old friend and I are starting to get to know each other through his good English—the language of instruction at his school. We are falling behind the group, so like, well, schoolboys we scamper up to the rest of the children and Dea. I slowly try to let go to see if I can get a hand loose to write with, but young Rajesh just tightens his hold on three of my fingers. Along the way are tiny general stores, fruit markets, Hindu shrines and a few back-lane surprises, like two Western women who Dea later says were the first foreigners she had seen in the 10 days she had so far volunteered in the area of northern area of the Nepali capital. That alone ensures cultural authenticity in this volunteering project. The random temples and bustling attractions of the area further seal the deal.

We meet up with Dea and the five youngsters she is accompanying as two cars traveling in opposite directions compete to fit through an impossibly narrow stretch of road hemmed in by Newari red-brick buildings on either side. There’s not even enough room for pedestrians to squeeze by in. Eventually might makes right and the bigger vehicle breaks through the logjam. It’s all part of the fun of enjoying a typically urban Nepali street scene.

“With many of then them their parents have passed away,” Dea explains about her young charges. Both Dea and her partner in care-giving, Charlotte Anderson, hail from Toronto, Canada and are in their early 20s.

“We’ve tried to teach them about hygiene. The children had toothpaste and toothbrushes, but they didn’t use them,” explains Dea.

She made lathering up their faces with soap “a kind of dance” in order to tempt the kids into wanting to keep themselves clean. Dea has tried to make a positive impact by introducing liquid hand soap to the center. She made it a habit more fun to pick up by showing the kids they could make ever-popular bubbles while lathering up.

The orphans were using soap to wash their hair with soap before the Canadians introduced them to shampoo. As only cold water is available, the orphans shower just once a week. The water isn’t any warmer for the volunteers. But rouging it and living by local standards provides unique insight into the local culture.

“I’ve never met so many independent five-year-olds in my whole life,” says Anderson, who calls the orphans rather self-sufficient when compared to the rather coddled kids of a similar age back home in Canada.

Still, the children, especially the younger ones, enjoy the attention showered on them by Dea and Anderson, and greatly value the impact they two have already had on their lives.

“Mostly we play with them,” says Dea, who with Anderson have free time from 8:30am when they drop of the children, until 4pm when the two young women pick them up. This is their primary time for getting to know the Kathmandu Valley.

The orphanage is run on a shoestring budget and it is difficult to provide nutritional meals—even the quintessential Nepali meal of dal baht is not made here. Instead both the children and volunteers eat spinach, potato and other veggies with rice. Meat—generally chicken—is served about once a week. Once the couple was befriended by a neighbor who offered them pieces of papa, a crispy, circular Nepali bread that they found delicious.

In the daytime, the duo have done the accessible sides of fabulous Kathmandu, including the Monkey Temple (the Buddhist Swayambunath Stupa) and the capital’s stunning Durbar Square as well as the ever popular Thamel travelers’ district. The fabulous Chitwan National Forest is in their sites as well.

The Canadian duo appreciates how the RCDP programs allow for not only the deep cultural immersion that volunteering provides, but the schedule that affords for seeing the must-see sights—as well as a few diversions off the beaten track.

To follow their three weeks of volunteering and daytrips, Dea and Anderson are looking forward to taking on the Everest Base Camp trek over two weeks.

The twosome strongly believes that volunteering is a good way to understand the local culture.

The older kids do a lot to help out. One teenage orphan cooks breakfast while another prepares dinner.

The volunteers’ day starts at 7am, when they help the children review their homework. Their homework is first at night. It is reviewed the next morning in order to make sure that the kids know the answers cold, and can thus evade the smack of a stick against their wrist or the disciplinary measure of repeatedly writing a sentence about their mistakes on a chalkboard.

The orphanage has a kitchen, two rooms—one for the six boys and one for the five girls—plus a volunteers’ room and red brick courtyard good for playing games in.

The Canadians instilled a token of conscientiousness by getting the children to turn down the TV’s volume when the orphanage’s oldest resident, an 18-year-old, was studying in his room nearby.

“The kids here did not have a parent figure. Volunteers are here 24/7 as caregivers and entertainers,” says Anderson.

The kids are endearing and kind to a fault. The duo was at first treated by what Dea describes as “like royalty”. After at first letting the orphans wash the volunteers’ dishes in the kitchen and clothes on the rooftop, the couple started washing their own stuff to make themselves more down to earth.

“We don’t feel sorry for the kids here. They are taken care of.  They have food and a pace to sleep. They have clothes on their backs,” says Anderson, adding that many of them have family members, albeit ones who cannot afford to care for them. “We are more concerned about the street kids in Kathmandu.”

“At the end of our stay we would like to give a cash donation,” says Dea, who hopes that it could be targeted towards maintaining the upgraded hygiene of the children, lest unclean practices like not washing up with soap after using the bathroom creep up again. They further hope that more funding can go to the replace the kids’ ramshackle shoes and holy socks.

As for what her parents thought about her Nepali adventure, Dea says “All parents have concern when sending their 22-year-old daughter to a third-world country.” But her soothing emails back home made whatever lingering concerns of her mom and dad melt away.

“There was a lack of toys and games here. We brought a Winnie the Pooh jigsaw puzzle that was so popular that after a few days the edges of the pieces had frayed.”

“You can only play tag and duck duck goose so often,” says Dea. “We decided to buy books and toys and games. The coloring books are a complete hit.” Their drawings are displayed on a wall.

Dea says that living in Nepal has been a thrilling, heads-first adventure, summing with great sincerity that “There is only so much a guidebook can tell you about a place.”

10 of the World’s Most Unique Fountains

Many of us enjoy the rhythmic sound of water. Spraying water. Rushing water. Trickling water. The sound of water gently lapping at a shore or raindrops on the roof of our home. We have water features in our yards and spend time near lakes and the ocean. Maybe it’s because our own bodies are 66% water.

Whatever the reason, if you’re missing the melody of water, and find yourself inland or in the midst of urban sprawl, try searching out a fountain to get your fix.

Jet D’Eau – Lake Geneva, Switzerland

This fountain is located in Lake Geneva where the lake empties into the Rhone River and is one of the largest fountains in the world. It is so grand that you see it from everywhere in the city and from a distance of six miles in the air.

There is a stone jetty that you can walk out onto if you’d like to get a closer look but beware, the fountain pumps 132 gallons of water up in to the air each second. If the wind shifts, you are likely to get drenched.

Peterhof Palace Fountains – Saint Petersburg, Russia

There are many fountains located throughout this UNESCO World Heritage Site complex, with the most famous being the Grand Cascade on the northern side of the Grand Palace. It is a breathtaking sight made up of of 64 separate fountains, 200 statues and many other decorations, including an amazing bronze statue of Samson wrestling with a lion.

As you wander the grounds you’ll see many other water features including one that resembles a large chessboard, a pyramid fountain, and one shaped like a disk which shoots out water to resemble the sun’s rays.

Trevi Fountain – Rome, Italy

Rome is a city overflowing with fountains, but this one is the most famous. You’ve undoubtedly seen it at some point in a movie, or perhaps you’ve heard the legend about throwing a coin into the fountain? It’s supposed to guarantee you a trip back to Rome. Two coins? You’ll get a new romance. Three coins? Marriage or divorce, whichever your preference may be. I wouldn’t recommend throwing any more coins, you may go broke. I wonder who gets to clean out the fountain and keep all those coins?

The fountain is located at the end of an ancient aqueduct that was built in 19 BC. It was designed by Nicola Salvi and completed in 1762, and is an incredible work of art. The design is of Neptune riding a chariot pulled by two sea horses & Tritons. On either side you’ll see the two statues of Abundance and Salubrity.

Magic Fountain of Montjuic – Barcelona, Spain

When I visited Barcelona for the Olympics in 1992 I assumed that this fountain was a new modern marvel constructed specifically for the Olympics. Little did I know that it had been created years before for the Great Universal Exhibition of 1929.

It’s been putting on quite a show ever since and is a definite must-see if you find yourself visiting this city. The sprays of water in the 164’ x 213’ pool combine with music, vivid colors, lights and motion to make the fountain appear almost to be dancing.

Bethesda Fountain – New York City, United States

Located next to the lake and near the center of Central Park in New York, this fountain hosts hundreds of visitors everyday for a myriad of reasons. People come in the summer to relax and cool off, moviemakers love it as a backdrop (it’s been shown in many films) and romantics spend time near it being, well romantic.

It was sculpted in 1868 by Emma Stebbins, the first woman ever to be asked to design a major piece of art for New York City, and unveiled in 1873. If you look closely you’ll see that the winged female angel holds a lily in her hand, a symbol for the fresh water brought to New York City when the Croton Aqueduct was built in 1842.

Chocolate Fountain – Cologne, Germany

This is not your typical fountain, but being a chocolate lover it’s one of my personal favorites. Judging from the 5 million visitors the museum receives each year, I’m not the only one. Trust me, dipping a wafer into the stream of chocolate pouring from the fountain and then savoring it, is reason enough for a visit.

The fountain is located inside the Chocolate Museum in Cologne. In the museum you’ll find out everything you need to know about how chocolate is made, beginning with the bean right up to the delicious morsel you pop in your mouth. When you leave there is a museum that sells postcards, books, mugs for hot cocoa and of course, chocolate.

Dundas Square – Toronto, Canada

The Dundas Square splash fountains are the perfect place for urban dwellers to spend a warm afternoon. They are located in the center of Toronto, in what used to be an undesirable part of town, but thanks to a city revitalization project the area was improved and the fountains and square were built in 1998.

The fountains consist of two rows of ten fountains each that run through the main walkway of the square. They were designed with the intent that people splash around in them, so the water goes through a filtration system to keep it clean. If you’d rather not get wet, there is plenty of room to walk around and just enjoy that magical fountain sound.

Court of Neptune Fountain – Washington DC, United States

This elaborate fountain is located in Washington D.C. outside the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. It was created by the sculptor Roland Hinton Perry in 1897.

The fountain shows a scene from the court of the sea god Neptune. Neptune is huge, about 12 feet tall, and is surrounded by the lesser god Triton, sea nymphs and other sea creatures and monsters.

Palais Longchamp – Marseilles, France

The city of Marseilles used to have a serious water shortage and in 1835, after a deadly cholera outbreak, the inhabitants decided they needed a supply of fresh water. They undertook the enormous project of digging a 53-mile canal from the river Durance. To celebrate the arrival of the water, the magnificent Palais Longchamp and fountain were built.

The fountain is a brilliant creation. It consists of four bulls and three female figures. The women each represent something different: the Durance river, grapes and vines, and wheat and fertility. Water pours from these into a basin and then a pond, eventually coming out of 12 bronze fountains lining a cascading waterfall area.

Generalife – Granada, Spain

Generalife is part of the Alhambra palace complex, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building was the summer palace for the sultan rulers of Granada and was built by Muhammad lll in the 1300’s.

The summers were hot, so the gardens had alluring fountains in them to help cool the royal court. The most photographed is the long pool found in the Patio de la Acequia. It is surrounded by eye-catching, fragrant flowerbeds.

Read about author Deanna Hyland and check out her other BootsnAll articles.

Photo credits:
Jet D’Eau and Grand Cascade by stevesheriw on Flickr, Magic Fountain by colinjcampbell on Flickr, Bethesda by Photo Gallery on Flickr, Chocolate Fountain by The Voice Of Objective Truth on Flickr, Dundas Fountain by Kevin Steele on Flickr, Court of Nepture by wallyg on Flickr, Longchamp by orangejack on Flickr, Generalife by Marciela on Flickr, Trevi by khoogheem on Flickr

Best Round-The-World Travel Blogs

Here at BootsnAll, we’ve been trying to inspire and help people plan round the world (RTW) trips for over a decade now. We also host thousands of travel blogs ourselves, with many of them being RTW journals and sites. You might already realize that there are so many thousands of travel blogs out there that finding the best of the best is just about impossible, but that hasn’t stopped us from at least trying to point out some excellent sites that we consider to be among the finest.

First off, what makes a great travel blog?

If you are interested in just keeping track of your journey for your own sake and the interests of friends and family, then it’s totally fine to use an existing template and just cover whatever you prefer. But if you want to put together a site that will appeal to people who’ve never met you, it’s a bit more complicated. Everyone has their own preferences, but generally speaking these are the things that will make your site stand out and appeal to a wider group of people:

• Use lots of photos, on almost everything.
• Make sure your site is easy to navigate, so people who enter on any one post can easily find posts on the same topic or different topics.
• Create an “About Me” page that is easy to find (If random readers can’t tell if you are a 22-year-old female backpacker or a 51-year-old man on a temporary retirement, it’s much harder to feel a connection with you).
• Be opinionated.
• Use lots of photos (seriously).

Here are some RTW blogs that we feel stand out:

Gobackpacking.com

This started out as a standard RTW blog written by a guy in Virginia, USA, who spent 20 months on the road, but now it’s being expanded into a helpful resource for independent travelers. It’s nicely designed and easy to read and navigate, but the content itself is the key. His article describing the actual costs of a RTW trip is a great example of the practical advice he dispenses. And it seems he is looking to expand through outside collaborators now too, so check the site if you are interested.

Nomadicmatt.com

If you follow the online travel and social media community, chances are you’ve heard of Nomadic Matt. He’s another who hit the road a few years back and has barely slowed down since. His site is filled with really helpful tips, and he isn’t afraid to be opinionated, which is refreshing. On his site you might miss his actual blog, but it’s worth a look, especially for solid entries like this recent post called Everyone Say I’m Running Away.

Everything-everywhere.com

Gary Arndt brings a fresh perspective to his site. He’s an entrepreneur who has evidently done well enough to afford a life more or less on the road since 2007. Most RTW blogs concentrate on hostel dorms and barely-existent budgets, so it’s nice to read posts by someone who isn’t forced to travel as a backpacker. Gary is also a good writer who has lately become a key player in the travel social media community, including as the host of a new weekly podcast called This Week in Travel. His site also features a stream of great photographs, so it has the distinction of also making our Best Photo Blogs list.

Alittleadrift.com

This site is the work of a 25-year-old Florida native who says she had a “quarter-life crisis” and decided to hit the road in 2008. She’s a good writer who does an excellent job organizing things so the site is easy to navigate, and there are always plenty of great photos too. She also puts together articles that are meant for a broader audience, including her budget tips and declaration that RTW travel can be cheaper than you might realize.

Ottsworld.com

Sherry Ott was in her 30s when she decided the corporate world just wasn’t for her anymore. She traveled around for around two years and has been based in Vietnam for about a year, teaching English. Now she’s on the road again, but she’ll continue to write and try to help others break away from the corporate grind. If you are unsure whether you can or should hit the road yourself, have a look at her section on taking a career break.

Wherethehellismatt.com

You already know this guy, Matt, from his amazingly inspirational and successful videos of him doing the same goofy dance in some of the most picturesque places on earth. His first trip and video got him so much attention that Stride Gum sponsored a second one and then a third one. He’s now been to 80 countries, at last count, and does actually have a proper travel blog/journal on his site, in addition to the videos and such.

Forksandjets.com

Some colleagues and I discovered this one a few months ago, and we were immediately hooked. It’s written by a pair of “amateur foodie traveloguers” who left Los Angeles in 2008 for a nomadic lifestyle, and the moment the page loads you’ll see they also have a definite sense of style. Once you get past that cool retro look and font you’ll notice that the site is filled with great photos and stories on the food and culture everywhere they go. Check out their observations and frustrations with Morocco as a good example.

Nodebtworldtravel.com

Brian described his mission as “One guy’s attempt to travel as far around the world as he cheaply can” and he’s another who has made a name for himself in the online travel social media circles. It’s not so much a travel journal anymore as it is a useful hub for travel information and advice. He’s recently put together an ebook, in which he’s compiled some of his best stuff. One great example of his style is his article discussing just how much can you save by staying in hostels instead of hotels.

Kiwifamily

This is one of the busiest travel blogs hosted here at BootsnAll, and it should be inspirational to anyone thinking about long-term travel with kids. In their own words, this is about “A Kiwi family with eight kids and a grandpa chronicle their pilgrimage from Singapore to London and beyond…..overland all the way.” You don’t see many large families on the road, so it’s interesting to read about some of the unique challenges, like this post from Bulgaria.

Theworldeffect.com

Here’s another one that is new to us, but caught our eye quickly. It’s written by a couple who obviously have a great sense of visual style. Right now they are in Africa and they have posted some of the finest pictures we’ve seen on a travel blog. An excellent example is this fairly recent post from Serengeti National Park.

Livingspree.wordpress.com

This site is also written by a couple who thought about dropping out of the rat race, and then went ahead and did it. They’ve been a lot of places, and this one isn’t the easiest to navigate, but it’s filled with good writing and useful information. Folks thinking about going to Southeast Asia might especially appreciate the way they break down their exact expenses. Particularly interesting is this post called Wish I Knew It Last Month, where they collect their best tips and insights from the road, after plenty of experience.

Roundtheworldticket.com

This one isn’t a RTW blog in the traditional sense, but we’ll forgive that since it’s part of our own travel network. It’s a site that is loaded with RTW-specific advice and resources, and even though it’s not as active as it once was, you’ll still find some interesting stuff here. In particular you might be interested in Places You Should See on your RTW Trip and Not So Obvious Reasons to Go on a RTW trip.

Do you know of any great RTW travel blogs that we didn’t include? There are lots of fantastic sites out there, so if you know of a site that deals with circling the globe, let us know in the comments.

Photo by aranarth on Flickr

Inside the Mezquita, in Cordoba

Segovia, from the top of the Alcazar

Segovia’s famous aqueduct

Statue at El Escorial monastery

7 must see places when visiting Bournemouth

Each year Bournemouth welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world. People come to Bournemouth for numerous reasons; to view the world record firework displays, to attend a show at the Bournemouth International Centre or to relax on the eight miles of golden beach – weather permitting of course. The Hermitage is one of the best hotels in Bournemouth and is located just next to the famous beach and has put together a comprehensive list of sites to see when coming to Bournemouth.

1. Bournemouth Gardens

Bournemouths glorious Gardens consist of the Upper, Central and Lower Gardens, which run from the seafront to the town centre. They have won three Britain in Bloom Awards and they have also received several Green Flag Awards. While walking around the gardens, you will also have the opportunity to test yourself on the ever popular crazy golf course and take a trip high in the sky on the Bournemouth balloon.

Image credit – World Heritage Coast

2. Bournemouth Oceanarium

Bournemouth’s Oceanarium is home to approximately 2000 fish. The Amazon, the Mediterranean Sea, the Ganges and Africa are only a few of the many themed displays in the aquarium. And, there are a lot of other things you can explore during your visit, such as the Marine Research Lab, the Interactive Dive Cage, or the Global Meltdown Experience.

3. Bournemouth Pier

From Bournemouth Pier, you have a fabulous view of the Bay and the adorable coastline. It also provides souvenir shops, a theatre and a bar and restaurant. The main pier is visible from points along the beach but if you walk East from the Hermitage, you’ll eventually get to the smaller Boscombe pier. Each year Charity walks and swims take place between these two piers in aid of charity, bringing many more thousands people into the area.

Image credit – BBC Dorset

4. Corfe Castle

The ruined castle dates back to the 11th century and has a connection to William the Conqueror. It was a royal stronghold for over 500 years, but, unfortunately, it was destroyed during the civil war by the Parliamentarians. For visitors, the ruins offer an impressive picture of the countryside and Purbeck Coast.

5. Old Harry Rocks

Old Harry Rocks, which are part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, are chalk stacks and located between Studland and Swanage. One legend says, that the rocks were named after Poole’s pirate, Harry Paye, who kept his contraband close-by. Few people who live in Bournemouth have visited Old Harry Rocks, so when visiting, make sure you don’t miss out!

image credit – Information Britain

6. Durdle Door

This rock formation, which is situated 0.6 miles westerly from Lulworth Cove, is the most famous and most photographed attraction along the Jurassic Coast. Getting to Durdle Door from the Hermitage Hotel in central Bournemouth will take you around 45 minutes but will allow you to see some of the most breath taking coastline in Dorset as well as seeing one of the most memorable naturally occuring sites in the UK.

7. Sandbanks

Sandbanks is the fourth most expensive place to live in the world and by many described as Britain’s Monte Carlo. Its main attraction is the beautiful beach, which is known as one of the best in the UK. Sandbanks is home to some of the most wealthy and famous people from all walks of life. Many millionaire business owners live in the area as well as celebrities from sport, film and television. Sandbanks can be reached by car within 30 minutes from of Bournemouth and offers visitors a chance to visit one of the most exclusive areas in the UK, if not the world.

Image credit – Guardian.co.uk