Most of what we've written so far has been about the work in the hospital and on our house. All of which still continues, of course, but there is more to life than work...
Pokhara
We spent a few days in Pokhara, a place about 4-5 hours from here, last month. The worst thing about going there is the road there and back, which is very twisty and not so nice for those of us prone to motion sickness. But since there aren't really places nearer than this to go to get away from Tansen, people tend to go there relatively frequently for a break. There are lots of restaurants to choose from, unlike Tansen where we have 1. There are places to shop for some of the necessities that you can't buy here in Tansen. There's a lake where you can go for a boat ride, walks you can go on to see the sunrise (if you're so inclined), paragliding (not for me, thanks!), and other opportunities for R+R. We had a great time away, and came back rested, and laden with supplies and treats.
Chitwan
Last week we went to Chitwan, also about 5 hours from here, for an expatriate retreat. Unfortunately we didn't enjoy this as much, as it was HOT (43 degrees celcius!), and Jessica got sick with strep throat and was quite miserable for a few days. But we did get in an elephant ride. Chitwan is the place in Nepal that is known for animals...tigers (supposedly, though we didn't see any), rhinos, elephants, crocs (yes, we saw a couple), and lots of birds. There is a "jungle walk" you can go on, but we were told you have to be able to climb a tree in an emergency (i.e. if a tiger comes along), so we opted out of that experience!
Tansen
Although the best way to get a break is to leave Tansen, there are options here, too. We certainly don't lack scenery and nice places to walk. We also recently enjoyed a very short visit from some good friends from Canada. Their arrival marked the inauguration of our spare bedroom (below), which was the last room of the house to be finished (we finished setting it up late the night before they arrived). There are still a few small projects Paul is working on inside the house, but the majority of the work is done, and we love our home. We especially love that we have a verandah that gets sun during the morning but shade in the afternoon. It looks out at the Himalayas (when you can see them), and is a really sweet spot to sit and enjoy some rest....and homemade lattes!
While there are options for R+R, the work here is busy and with all the demands and requests that come from many different places, we do find that we get tired. Please be praying with us that we would be able to find a good balance between work and rest, and that we'd be able to set boundaries effectively.
Pokhara
We spent a few days in Pokhara, a place about 4-5 hours from here, last month. The worst thing about going there is the road there and back, which is very twisty and not so nice for those of us prone to motion sickness. But since there aren't really places nearer than this to go to get away from Tansen, people tend to go there relatively frequently for a break. There are lots of restaurants to choose from, unlike Tansen where we have 1. There are places to shop for some of the necessities that you can't buy here in Tansen. There's a lake where you can go for a boat ride, walks you can go on to see the sunrise (if you're so inclined), paragliding (not for me, thanks!), and other opportunities for R+R. We had a great time away, and came back rested, and laden with supplies and treats.
Chitwan
Last week we went to Chitwan, also about 5 hours from here, for an expatriate retreat. Unfortunately we didn't enjoy this as much, as it was HOT (43 degrees celcius!), and Jessica got sick with strep throat and was quite miserable for a few days. But we did get in an elephant ride. Chitwan is the place in Nepal that is known for animals...tigers (supposedly, though we didn't see any), rhinos, elephants, crocs (yes, we saw a couple), and lots of birds. There is a "jungle walk" you can go on, but we were told you have to be able to climb a tree in an emergency (i.e. if a tiger comes along), so we opted out of that experience!
Tansen
Although the best way to get a break is to leave Tansen, there are options here, too. We certainly don't lack scenery and nice places to walk. We also recently enjoyed a very short visit from some good friends from Canada. Their arrival marked the inauguration of our spare bedroom (below), which was the last room of the house to be finished (we finished setting it up late the night before they arrived). There are still a few small projects Paul is working on inside the house, but the majority of the work is done, and we love our home. We especially love that we have a verandah that gets sun during the morning but shade in the afternoon. It looks out at the Himalayas (when you can see them), and is a really sweet spot to sit and enjoy some rest....and homemade lattes!
While there are options for R+R, the work here is busy and with all the demands and requests that come from many different places, we do find that we get tired. Please be praying with us that we would be able to find a good balance between work and rest, and that we'd be able to set boundaries effectively.
