III.III.IV SKY HIGH I stopped smoking the day after I had my emotional break-down/through. We were going for a weekend trip to Croatia so that would be the perfect distraction. And lo and behold; an entire weekend flew by and I barely noticed I hadn’t smoked. Of course, I did notice the withdrawal symptoms. My tongue started sprouting ulcers like […]
III.III.I – An Ancient City
III.III.I AN ANCIENT CITY Just like that, Nepal was yet another memory. Back in Malta, I didn’t really have much time to stagnate. I was ready to leave the minute I set foot on the fish-shaped prison. And leave I did; this time to Hungary; specifically, the city of Pécs for a medical exchange program. Oh Pécs, my Pécs… You […]
III.II.VII – The Chase
III.II.VII THE CHASE Kathmandu, check. Pokhara, check. And up next was our third and final stop; Chitwan. I might have had no expectations for Nepal, but this I definitely looked forward to. From the little research I had carried out before going to Nepal, this place felt rather synonymous with adventure. Finally! Arriving at the hotel, we were quite… surprised? […]
III.II.VI – Guilty Pleasure
III.II.VI GUILTY PLEASURE Our time in Pokhara was not all spent on fun and games. Once there, we started a clinical placement in emergency medicine at Gandaki hospital. I was particularly excited for this rotation as I had no experience in emergency prior to that, not to mention that emergencies are the coolest thing to study when you’re a student […]
III.II.V – City of Lakes
III.II.V CITY OF LAKES The second leg of our journey involved a super bumpy eight-hour bus ride that took us straight to Pokhara; the City of Lakes. Aptly known as the tourism capital of Nepal, Pokhara is a destination for many avid adventurers seeking to brave the Annapurna Circuit. Though we wouldn’t get to do that, the scenic drive there already […]
III.II.IV – Difference
III.II.IV DIFFERENCE Keep in mind that the universe loves to prove me wrong. Much to my surprise and as busy as we were, we still had plenty of time to roam about and discover the city. And when we were done with orientation, it was finally time for us to roll our sleeves and start our volunteering. After being introduced […]
III.II.III – The Great Divide
III.II.III THE GREAT DIVIDE Over the first week in Nepal, we were kept busy with the orientation program. We were taught some basic Nepali, informed about their customs and told what we were to do. We parted ways with the rest of the group who’d be participating in other programs; mainly construction, female empowerment and teaching, and, as the only […]
III.II.II – Land of the Gods
III.II.II LAND OF THE GODS I might be in love with travelling, but if there’s one thing I hate, it’s long-haul flights. Seriously, hate them with a passion. My nose alternates between being as dry as a fistful of Martian soil and bleeding like a stuck pig, my joints and muscles age by fifty years and my hypothalamus suddenly decides […]