17 March, Tuesday. Bahrain-Athens; Athens-Heraklion

06.15 Good morning ma'am, breakfast buffet is ready on the 10th floor.
Going upstairs, a bit a poor buffet but a nice waiter (the same as last night): I'll bring you your black coffee now ma'am. Nice. Thank you.

Collecting my things, going to the lounge, get my passport back and an early transfer to the airport. Must be another good day ahead of me.

At the airport to the same shop, where I bought my camera. But to my surprise, despite the good special offer I had with my camera, the prices of the laptops are crazy, expensive. Even the special offer is a minimum of 700 euro! Don't think so.

Two nice encounters:
A man from Greece, he is a correspondent for the Army. The last 4 months he has been in Kenya (Kayshani :)), Somalia and surrounding areas to escort convoois who tried to deliver food and medicine to the people. He said he had a huge WHY???(and anger inside) And then after all this poverty a night in a Bahrain hotel : Black and White.

The other person I met is a Palestinian. He wanted to climb mountains in his own country, but was not allowed to enter the Gaza-area, because of his Palestinian passport. WHY???
He did the Mount Everest Basecamp and to have a rest before he starts his scholarship he stayed one week in Bandipur! Beautiful, away from the problems in the world, back to nature, back to basic.
Only nature and loving, caring people.
He also helped in the Bandipur hospital to do repairments, helping with installing a hot water system: OUR HOTWATER SYSTEM! (it IS a small world).
His next flight - with Gulf Air - is also 12 hours later, but because again of his Palestinian passport he is not allowed to go into Bahrain. "Be careful, Rita - he said - maybe you are sitting here talking with a terrorist" :).
He tells about the latest news in the Gaza, everything seems calmed down now. Says that the rest of Israel and surrounding areas are safe: every one starts to accept each other; to realise we are living in a beautiful country, so let's live in it together, build it up instead of destroying it he says. WHY Gaza???

There are no answers, except that both of the complete different men I meet in this short time said: 'They' have to keep the 'SYSTEM' (war) going, some one has to keep the economics going. Who cares that it is the already poor people (Kenya-Somalia) are paying for it. Who cares that innocent people are paying for it (Gaza-Israel).
The Palestinian agreed with me on Global Holi! He was in Bandipur during the colourfestival, playing like a child with the children of Bandipur.
'Yes, let's throw colour at each other, yes let's point our waterpistols at each other. Let's colour the grey, ugly world!'

Sitting in the waitingroom I realize that today I've made my last 'donation'.
I left my jacket in the hotel . I was already thinking: hmmmm I am travelling 'light'.
Oh well, it would have been more useful to leave that kind of jacket in Kathmandu instead of a hot Bahrain, but 'Ke Garne'? (what to do?)
Just call Mike that when he comes to pick me up at Heraklion he'd better bring my woolen Nepali jacket with him, because I heard it is only about 10 degrees in Greece at the moment.

The world IS upside down: Nepal, the top of the world, the HIMALAYAN 29 degrees. In Greece/Crete it is only 10 degrees, at the end of March!
But, in December it was still 'summer' in Crete.

Another confirmation (not necessary, because it was already my plan/wish): Summertime Elounda, working, socializing with my friends from Elounda and the friends that are coming over, going to the beach, enjoying it's beautiful nature.
Wintertime Nepal, instead of paying a high electricitybill at home for the heating, spending almost all winter on my own inside the house. Socialising with my friends, being with 'my' children. Being a drop in the ocean. Taking the groups on tour.
WHO SAID LIFE IS NOT PERFECT!!!!

If NOT perfect, I am getting pretty close to it! THANK YOU UNIVERSE.

Here I am again, day is not finished yet. Universe has a lot more 'surprises' in mind for today.

Sitting now in Gregorys at Athens airport. Why specially Gregorys? Here it comes:
Still in the plane a special announcement: will miss van de Zande please report to the crew.
Joking with the correspondent: not even at home and they already know I am here, looking for me. Trouble is home.
'You must be famous then', he laughs.
'Yeah, or in trouble, which usually is the case'.

A girl waits for me at the exit of the plane: Miss van de Zande, I am from the airport police, would you be so kind to follow me please. ??????????????????????
While walking she explains to me that Gulf Air contacted her about my luggage. (did somebody put 'something' in my bag???????)
But, then she goes on: your luggage will be checked through to your next flight with Aegean at 18.00 departure. I am escorting you now to the Aegean check-in counter to collect your boarding pass and here is a voucher of Gulf Air for you, offering you a free lunch at Gregorys, close to your gate.
- Sorry, Universe- how could I even doubt you for one minute, I just have to hold on to my faith in you and everything is gonna be fine. You have showed me that I don't need to 'fight' anymore, I will never be 'alone' anymore, I just have to put my trust, my soul, my existence in your hands and everything is gonna be alright!
(Big John will take care of you :)) (inside information).

So, a VIP escort through passport control (no waiting line), a VIP check-in at the Aegean counter: 'don't go and stand in line, I will take you to the Business Class check-in'.
There she left me, asking if everything is alright. YEP, Perfect, Thank YOU.

'It's not me, ma'am, it's courtesy of Gulf Air, and I'm just doing my job'. Well, thanks anyway.

At the check-in a bit of confusion: You have to go to the Gulf Air desk to get your ticket issued, you are not in our system, blablablabla.
With my experience at the Gulf Air Office in Kathmandu fresh in my mind I pull out every single piece of paper I have, concerning my flights, including the printouts of the emails from Georgos Plora Travel and somewhere along those papers the man finds a E-ticketnumber. Aaaah, your ticket from yesterday is still standing open, I only have to transfer it to today and everything is arranged. One minute please, I will call upstairs to pass on this number and in a few minutes I can print out your boardingcard!
And indeed, 10 minutes later I am on my way, with my boarding card, looking for a computershop (without paying anything extra George!):)!

At Germanos they have a real beauty of the new HP-mini. Small, light, with normal keyboard, 2 USB entrances, plug for modem, plug for cd-rom drive, etc. etc. If I take a contract for 2 years of 39 euro a month for Wireless Internet connection on the GO this laptop is for free!
Knowing however that in this world nothing is for free, except sunshine, love and compassion - and being tired after being such a long time in the air, travelling, thinking of my blooper donation of my jacket this morning, I ask the boy if this offer is at the same conditions in Crete. The answer is Yes, so that is easy. First go home, unpack, have a good rest and then later this week I will have a proper look at all the offers in Agios Nicolaos (Germanos, Vodafone, Multirama, etc.)

Today the only thing to do is to go and have some (free lunch) now, watching the world pass by, wait for Rita2 (she is flying the same flight to Heraklion, so we left together and are coming home together), while sitting at Gregorys.
Rita is arriving not much later and in a slow pace we go through passport control.

The flight Athens-Heraklion is almost empty: about 30 people in the plane!, so everything goes quick.
At Heraklion we have our luggage quick and Harrie is waiting outside to bring us home (with my Nepali jacket). It is very cold here!

Coming home, calling mum and dad that I am home safe, saying hello to the neighbours and then time to have a proper sleep in my own bed!!!

The end of once again a wonderful, amazing, inspiring, full of events journey to Nepal, where I voluntarily lost my heart and where I will return EVERY winter if possible (healthwise, financially). Peri Betonlah Nepal! Peri Betonlah C.W.A. kids. Peri Betonlah my H.E. Family. Thank you, miss you already and see you soon.

P.S. Keep checking regularly this site, I will put more pictures on it AND I will keep reporting from Crete and give you later more details about the groups I am going to organize for a 3 weeks encounter with Nepal: cultural, inspirational, adventurous, volunteering, so much to do, so much to see! A once in a lifetime experience, and maybe also you will catch the 'Nepali Fever'?

Suba Rathri!!!
Rita Sanghita - Kushi Aga

16 March, Monday. Time to go home :(

Well, there I am, sitting in the waitingroom at the airport.
Everything went smooth: paid airport tax (Rs 1.700); to the check-in counter.
I thought I was having more than 20 kg luggage, but my backpack is only 16 kg! Okay, let's forget my handluggage backpack, which is for sure 5 or 6 kg.

After a good night sleep finally - after first spending about one hour on and of the toilet to unload my elephant stomach - I woke up at 8, just before my alarm was going of.
A slow awakening, shower, organizing my luggage and I went downstairs for breakfast (a light one, still full from yesterday and I don't like to eat much when I am flying).
Last trip to the Internet to tell you that I am on my way home, to say bye to Kayshani and Doreen, to thank my H.E. family.
I walked to the OM Family to collect my mala, but it does not work that way. It is a kind of ceremony and I did not had the time for that. Got hugged, stroked, a book as present (This very body - the Buddha - Osho), left my email adress). Got hugged again and on my way to H.E.

There I worked on their computer to make a draft of the 3 weeks encounter with Nepal for Toni. Dill has send a copy to my email, so at home I can work on the details.
A quick bite at Kathmandu Guesthouse and then it was time: taxi waiting Didi.
Not a goodbye, a quick hug, a Peri Betonlah (see you soon) and to Mandap Hotel to collect my bags.
This morning I already checked out and paid my bill. (two nights with breakfast: RS 3.057).

In about an hour through the last check-in-counter. My luggage is checked in all the way (even Athens-Heraklion), so I can say again: the Universe is with me, taking good care of me.

I had a good flight.
Dinner: guess what: RICE! I only ate the dessert: something that looked like vanilla pudding, they only forgot to put the vanillastick inside when they boiled it.
Anyway, I never really eat on the plane, so no problem.

Arriving at Bahrain airport everything went smooth again. To the transferdesk, got my voucher for the Alfersan Hotel (I have to wait 12 hours for my next connection) and went downstairs.

This time I did not had to wait such a long time for the transfer, about half an hour. 3 Men did, they were the'unlucky' ones this time; they waited 1;45 minutes). It is a pitty, everything concerning Gulf Air is excellent: the price of the ticket, the aeroplanes with enough space to sit comfortable, excellent hotels. Only those transfers. The staff of the Gulf Air office in Kathmandu gave me a website where I can register as a frequent flyer, to get bonus miles. I will sign up, but then I also will leave a remark about the transfers-time to the hotels.
In my hotelroom around 21.00, dinner will be served in about one hour.

So, time to type my diary in the laptop, ready to send when I am home.
Haha, laptop does NOT agree with that. Take a rest it says with another spontaneous shutdown in the middle of writing my day.

Point taken, message clear!
Almost falling asleep when they call me: dinner is served on the 10th floor ma'am.
Well better go up then.

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuh waist of energy: RICE!!!!
No coffee available either. We serve only coffee in the morning ma'am.
Back to my room, wake-up call at 06.15 and asleep almost before I hit the pillow.

Suba Rathri

15 March. Sunday. Kathmandu

Woke up at around 08.00, which is becoming a good habit.
Downstairs for breakfast and a walk through Thamel.
Got my last pictures printed, I can collect them around 16.00.

Around 13.30 to H.E. With Dil on his bike to his home.
It is a beautiful house, a bit in a quiet area of Kathmandu.
His sons are beautiful and happy with my small gifts: for the little one 3 cuddles on a string, for the bigger one a Nepali colourfull truck made of wood. I bought them in Pilgrims Bookhouse.
I could spend days in this shop: two floors with the most amazing books.
When I asked one of the staff members about my name Rita Sanghita he and his collegue started to sing! Seems there is a Nepali about Rita as well as about Sanghita!

He explained to me that Sanghit(a) is the Goddess of Music-Art. She is connected with the Goddess Saraswati: Goddess of Art, graceful aesthetics, intellectual pursuits, eloquent speech, beauty, music and creativity. Makes me even more proud and happy with this name given by the children.
Could not resist to buy again two books (they will just fit in my handluggage!) and had to run out of this shop, could go bankrupt here, could buy every single book there.

We ate a very taste Dal Bath at Dil's house, when Dil got a phonecall from the office: we had to go to the office of Gulf Air, because there was still a problem with my ticket.
After waiting a while, it was my turn. It came down to it that they wanted me to pay 65 Euro, because that is the fee for changing your ticket. I insisted on the fact that NOT my travelagent (George, Plora Travel) changed the ticket, but Gulf Air!!!
We had to go upstairs, I explained again and finally they found out what had happened.
Gulf Air DID cancel my flight: not Kathmandu-Bahrain,, but Bahrain-Athens! (I told you!!!)
Apologies over and over and over again.
My ticket was issued in seconds, more apologies and finally we left with my ticket, without extra payment.
Everything thik-cha now!

Back to my room to get my laptop and then sitting down at the New Orleans Cafe. I succeeded in starting to write the 8th of March, but then it was time to go back to the H.E. office to meet Toni for our dinnerdate.

Finally at 20.00 we could get away from the office, back to the New Orleans Cafe for a lovely dinner, listening to fantastic live music.

Around 22.00 back to the office, where Dil and some of the guides were waiting for me. We were supposed to go for a last evening drink somewhere, but my stomach was blown up like an elephant belly. (probably from all the emotions of the last two days, literally swallowing the tears AND the fact that I had two big meals short after each other).
I could NOT join them, no matter how much I wanted to, I dragged myself back up to my room, going many times to the toilet, trying to get warm, laying in bed with Kayshani's pashmina around me (Thank you sweety).

Finally I started to feel a bit better, also with the help of the Sagar-exercise and fell asleep.

Woke up around 02.00 with all the lights on, but the only thing I wanted to do is having a 'healing' sleep, forget about working on the computer, so: switching the lights off as well as my brain and a good sleep, before I start travelling tomorrow for about 24 hours to get home.

Suba Rathri!!!!

14 March. Saturday. Tourist bus from Pokhara to Kathmandu.

06.00 wake up call with my last coffee served!
06.30 with a taxi to the busstation. Asta was already in the kitchen, asking me if I wanted a coffee, but I did not had time: I really had to go.
Pashpati, Rohit, Kayshani and Gomaya did say last night that they might be there to say goodbye to me this early, but again in a way I am happy they are not. It is already hard enough to leave, without more hugs, tika's, goodbyes. Just let me go away quietly, I will be back soon anyway.

The busdrive to Kathmandu took us 7 hours. A bit of sleeping on the way, watching the scenery.
Bye bye Nepal, see you soon.

Arriving at Kathmandu I took a taxi (my bags are too heavy) to the Mandap hotel. Ahhh, welcome back ma'am. How are you? We have a nice room for you.
And they did: a room with orangy-brown walls, which makes it a 'warm' room, a bed where you could sleep in with easily 4 persons instead only me. AND electricity all day.

A shower, a refreshing and on my way to the H.E. office to report Trouble is back in town.
Namaste, how are you? How was Pokhara?
Toni is indeed in Kathmandu, we are going out for dinner tomorrow evening. So, I had to reschedule my dinner at Dill's house: we will go to his home tomorrow afternoon for lunch.

I spend the day walking through Thamel, sending emails, updating the website, reading, relaxing, sleeping a bit.

Dinner in the New Orleans Cafe and back to my room. An early night, after all the 'excitement' of the last few days in Pokhara and the bus journey of today.
Around 22.00 lights out!

Suba Rathri

13 March, Friday. MY LAST DAY in Pokhara.

07.00 awake
07.15 breakfast
08.00 Packing my bags and working on the picture albums on my balcony in the sunshine.
Around 12.00 buying the last presents, pick up the pictures (not ready yet) and of course to the Internet.
Around 14.00 one of the guys of H.E. finds me in the Internet, telling me I have to come with him to the H.E. office. There is still a problem with my ticket: Gulf Air keeps telling them my ticket is not issued!!
At the H.E. office I send an email to George, Plora Travel, and in 10 minutes I have an answer: my E-ticket, with all flights at the right day and time, CONFIRMED. I print them out and we think everything is sorted.

I got a lovely present from Kayshani: a nice and warm Pashmina, in the colour of my hair! Probably I will live in this big pashmina, rapped around me day and night. She is so sweet, I am going to miss this girl very much. But, she will come and see me in Elounda soon and hopefully stay for the season.

I paid my bill at H.E. for the 3 weeks breakfast and dinner. I asked Pashpathi how much it was and his answer was: what ever you think is right. So, I gave him an amount, but a few minutes later, while I was sitting in the garden, he gave me back some money: Rohit and I think you gave too much!!! I love my H.E.-family, gonna miss them as well.

Paid the bill of the hotel: 18 nights, all my coffees and laundry: Rs 10.000 (100 euro!)
The owner gave me his email address and the website of the hotel: please email me so now and then to let us know how you are and email me to tell me when you are coming with your groups, we will give them our best rooms for a very good price.
Thank you!!!

I got the pictures of the Pizza evening printed and on a cd-rom.

Asta asked me what I would like for dinner tonight: he is going to cook pasta. Thank You!!!

Then it was time to go to the home. Walking for the last time (this time) the road towards the home. The sunset is beautiful, I made some pictures of it.
It is a bit weird. All the time the kids are asking: what time are you going? Are you going now? Are you coming tonight for Dal Bath (no), are you coming tomorrow? (no). A very hard time.
Kayshani and I went with some of the older boys to the lake, where they could play table tennis. We left the boys there and then it was really time to start to say goodbye.
Some of the kids slipped drawings in my bag, whispering bye bye Rita, a quick hug and of they were again.
Gangka called me into the kitchen: a tika, a silk scarf, a necklace, flowers and a big hug. I told her this is not a good bye, this is a peri betonlah = see you soon.
Escaping out of the kitchen, before both of us start to cry.
A quick hug here and there, more flowers, bye bye Rita, see you in November.
I know I have not said goodbye to every child in the home. I see Sofia watching me from the roof, I wave at her, send her a kiss and I do not ask her to come down. I know it from last year, it is too much for this little angle to really say goodbye.
The same counts for some of the other ones. This is a better good bye then last year, less official and less painfull, not ALL the family in line with too many flowers, too emotional.
Still I end up looking like a Christmas tree with the Tika, the scarfs and all the flowers.
Gangka hands over a bag with t-shirts of the C.W.A. for some sponsors.
A few drawings end up in my bag accompanied with a whispering: bye bye Rita.

Bimal and some of the boys are still out, playing tabletennis, which is good: I am sure I could not face it to say really face to face goodbye to Bimal. I say to Kayshani to say goodbye from me tomorrow to him, to explain him in Nepali how special he is to me and to tell him to study his English. She will tell him I will be back in November.

And finally are Kayshani and I on the way out, literally I have to escape not to start crying in front of them. Even now, typing these words, tears are coming.
People in Elounda will wonder what is wrong with me, every occassion I think of my kids, I speak about them, the tears are rolling down my cheeks. I don't care!!!

After a delicious pasta with loads of cheese Kayshani, the boys and I are on our way to Laila's bar, where we play pool.
The owner of the bar comes up to me, while I am looking at the last pictures.
What are you looking at, can I have a look? Oh great, you are volunteering? Thank you for taking care of the children of Nepal. Thank you for doing so much for our country.

NO, IT IS ME WHO WANTS TO SAY A BIG BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL: for all the love you gave me, for making me part of your family (at. C.W.A., Shining Star Boarding School and H.E.).
Thank you to the 'sponsors' for your generosity that made it possible for me to pass it on to the projects.

Around 22.30 I am back in my room, to do the last packing and to go to sleep at 00.00, wake up call at 06.00, a long journey (about 24 hours on my way) ahead.

Suba Rathri. A grateful, happy (but also sad) Sanghita, but I know I WILL BE BACK!!!!
Peri Betonlah!!!