PHOTO FRIDAY: BOUDHANATH STUPA IN KATHMANDU

One of the world's largest stupas and holiest Buddhist sites, Boudhanath is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a place where thousands of Tibetan refugees come to worship. 

It's also on the outskirts of the Kathmandu, which means between the distance from downtown and the sound of hundreds of prayer flags whipping in the wind, the city's horn-blaring chaos can almost be forgotten...or at least, that's how we felt while having coffee on one of the many rooftop cafes that surround the site.

DONATING CLOTHES IN KATHMANDU

The hiking we've done in Nepal has been some of the best ever. And though we put in more than 20 days and close to 150 miles, Liz wants to come back and do the full Annapurna Circuit (20+ days). As for this trip though, our Nepali visas are up, our legs are beat, and it's time to head south.


Since we're heading into the heat of India next, we won't have much use for all these winter clothes, and with our packs heavy enough, we needed to lighten our load. Kathmandu has a great organization, KEEP, that runs a Porter's Clothing Bank. Since many porters don't have, or can't afford, sufficient winter clothes, this organization provides the opportunity for tourists like us, to donate excess winter clothing to be passed along to those porters who need it. We were only too happy to oblige,


KEEP's organizers asked us to encourage others visiting Nepal to do the same, so here goes. Below is their contact info online and in Kathmandu. They're within easy walking distance of Thamel. Stop by if you're passing through.

TURNING GARBAGE INTO HANDBAGS AND HANDICRAFTS

This is Beni Rani Ghale. She is an incredible Nepali woman we were lucky enough to meet during our last few days in Kathmandu. 

Rani started a small shop that sells some really cool stuff made from garbage and found materials from across Nepal. As fellow garbage collectors, we loved the idea. We also liked the designs and items she and her organization managed to create, which range from Christmas ornaments and bowls to purses, belts and bags, all made of discarded chip bags, used bicycle tires and candy wrappers, among other things. 

Rani's story is pretty amazing. 

She belongs to an organization called HEED (Health, Education, Empowerment, Development), and she is the Director of Recycle-Handicrafts. She said her goals are to provide "income generating work, education, health and family planning for women and their families." The organization she is a part of works with Nepali women in rural villages to collect, and wash garbage and turn it into usable, marketable products.  HEED uses the proceeds from the sales of these products to provide a fair wage to the women workers, provide access to free healthcare, family planning, and schooling for their children. 

The website for the HEED NGO is www.heednepal.org, though it may be temporarily down by the time this is published. Eventually, visitors to the site will be able to make purchases online.

These ornaments are definitely worthy of our tree...which we will hopefully be home to put up in 2013...or 2014...

Christmas ornaments made from "cleaned-garbage." 

Rani showing off one of her messenger bags made from recycled truck tire tubes.