Nepal Art Trek (NAT)

This epic started seven years ago when I was on a trekking and painting holiday in the Lamjung region of Nepal. As we walked through one of the many little villages, we stopped to talk with a man and a small group of children. He was a teacher and told us of the hardships children face in the village school which had virtually no facilities. We promised to send him some painting materials for the children, and the following year I did just that...but sadly, they got no further than customs at Kathmandu airport.

Six years later, I was in a position to try again, but with a difference. This time, instead of just hoping that corruption and beaurocracy wouldn't thwart my plans, I would go back and deliver the goods myself. Mentioning this to people in my art classes soon meant that I was joined by three brave companions (Janice, Tracy and Rachel), plus my god-daughter, Katherine jumped on board...and so NAT was born. We raised money to buy materials through activities such as car-boot sales, a garden party and a sponsored paintathon. This alone was an uplifting experience as people were so generous and supportive of what we were trying to do. We funded personal expenses ourselves and planned to tag on a weeks holiday following the safe delivery of the art materials to Dhamilikuwa village.

There were problems however with the planning of the trip itself - too numerous and boring to go into here, but take my word for it....it was stressful! Most worrying of all was the turbulant political state of Nepal. Violence had led to the postponement of the November 2007 election. And the new date?.....one week after our planned visit! But our tickets were booked and we felt we should go ahead.

 We had been given a great deal of art materials by two companies...paints, brushes and paper. It was fantastic, plus freight company GAC Logistics, were offering to fly it all out for us free of charge. The consignment arrived in Kathmandu airport ahead of us. But dispite our best efforts, involving one complete day being passed from pillar to post in the air cargo department at Kathmandu airport, and on another occasion a hair-raising speedy car journey,customs would not release our goods in time for us to take them with us to the village. 

                                                              A long, frustrating day at air cargo, Kathmandu.

We did however, still have the NAT charity money to spend, so we stopped on the way and virtually emptied a small shop of its contents. (the shop-keeper was a bit pleased...I'm sure we were the best customers he had ever had!)  All this went into our bus, along with our camping equipment and seven sherpas.

Many hours later we reached the end of the road, still five kilometers away from the village. Ahead lay a dirt track full of deep potholes, and a river to cross...no bridge. But we need not have worried...our team of wonderful Sherpas made the seemingly impossible possible and the apparently impassible passible! They moved rocks to fill the holes and the driver took the bus through the river without mishap - it was all quite amazing. As was our arrival in the village where we were welcomed so warmly. Garlands were draped around our necks and red paint smeared on our forheads - it was almost overwhelming. There was an official ceremony the following day when we were able to hand over the art materials. The villagers are now responsible for arranging for the release of the goods and their transportion to the school, and this will happen once things have returned to normality after the election. LATEST UPDATE: In June, air cargo finally released our goods and village representatives were able to collect them.  Sadly, when they arrived to pick it up they realised that every package had been opened and items removed. What was left has now been taken to Dahmilikuwa and is being put to good use by the children.

        Building the road as we went along.

    Pictures of the school

After three days in the village we left for Pokhara and a week of being tourists. It was a really good time, the highlights of which, for me, were paragliding near the Annapurnas and elephant back safaris in Chitwan National park.

    Ornate wooden carvings adorn many buildings in Kathmandu and Baktapur.

 Women work really hard in rural Nepal:

    Mount Everest

                                                                         The beauty of Chitwan...I really loved this place.

There is so much more I could say about this trip, but I mustn't bore you. So I'll stop rambling on and just leave you with a few pictures of some of my sketches made on this extraordinary and life-enhancing trip:

From our campsite in the village

  Dhamilikuwa village is situated in a river valley - this has been irrigated in recent years, attracting a larger population to farm the more fertile soil.

 Machhapuchhre, a most shapely mountain near to Pokhara - this sketch was done at dawn

    A page from my journal - this was done during a walk we went on from the village.

    Old buildings and temple at Pashupatinath, Kathmandu. This is a most important holy site, where    cremations are held.

Sunrise at Dhulikhel

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The Annapurna range from Sarankot.

 This really has been a life-enhancing experience, and there are so many people I want to thank:

David and Jenny, who organized and led the first trip I made to Nepal - without that, none of this would have happened. All the sponsors and generous individuals who donated money and goods to NAT. Dennis and Bronwyn Mead, plus Sue from GAC Logistics for their help with shipping goods out. Ann Sainsbury and the team from Himalayan Kingdoms/Expeditions who organized our trip so well. Janice, Tracy, Rachel and Katherine, my fellow Natters  (or should that be Nutters?) - I couldn't have wished for a better humoured group to share this experience with, and thanks for keeping me supplied with cold beer! Gopal and his team of Sherpas who kept us secure and sang songs. All the teachers, villagers and children from Dhamilikuwa, who made us feel so welcome...and particularly Khem and his lovely family. And finally, my own lovely family, who had to put up with me when I was stressed up to the eyeballs!