It's feeling so good to be back. Day 1.

The end of my first day sees me sat on the bed with my midwifery travelling companions, Sarah and Stevie, listening to the replay of a radio 4 play, drinking a long G&T, and catching up on lap tops. It’s 9.30 pm, we’re well fed and still acclimatising to the time change and slight altitude difference. The guest house we’re using this year is one of a circle of traditional homes surrounding a beautiful Buddhist Stupa.

This year, I plan to provide a daily blog of our events here in Nepal. Let’s see how it goes. I’m a little concerned that after a long and very stimulating day (...and maybe a strong, long ‘refreshment’), I may not be too thoughtful or diplomatic how I replay events in my mind. But it might be an interesting and possibly more honest reflection of my time here. We’ll see....

The going has been slow today. It’s Holi. No wild and raucous celebrating in the Durbar Square this year, though. Corona Virus is in everyone’s thoughts and large gatherings, albeit outside in open air, have already been cancelled (To date, there has been just one official case of C-Virus.....really? How has Kathmandu contained that one case?)

We’ve collected our bought and donated equipment together in one corner of the room. Where we will distribute it, remains to be decided. We have a large stack of gifted books (thank you lovely midwifes for your precious gifts), a few of them brand new to join with a small stack of books already here. With the equipment, is a box of essential oils (thank you, friend, for your coincidental gift of money to pay for this), in enough quantity to keep a birth centre going for a while. We’ll aim to provide a short workshop so that the midwives will use them with respect and with a bit of knowledge.

Patan has changed, even within the year we were last here. There are buildings being re-built after the 2015 earthquake. These multi-story red brick and timber homes will have been left standing (many were not), but now have massive cracks causing instability. It’s heaven sent to see the houses are being replaced with new traditional woodwork and the same red bricks. Thamel is known to be the place for tourists and shops and restaurants. But if you want to feels the essence of a real and beautifully authentic Nepal, it’s Patan you need to check out.

Tomorrow looked to be a day of visiting the Midwifery office of MIDSON, and catching up on events and achievements, and making plans for our stay. A couple of times, eager to plan things and not miss a moment of opportunity to share learning and skills, I’ve made efforts to organise things. It doesn’t work for people here. Although we in UK need at least 28 days to arrange anything at all, Nepalis manage with a moment’s notice, and change plans with acceptance and even a small element of... eagerness.

Things, however, can be lost in translation. We read a request to share a week of our time with some first and second year midwifery students, who've not received support from any international midwives, to be a simple matter of hopping onto a local bus to the college campus. On reflection, it possibly entails an expensive flight (£243 each) out of the valley to stay in Jumla for the duration. Our accommodation here in Kathmandu is already paid for, and we’ll be paying for more accommodation in Jumla. We're not in a position to afford this. 

But these midwifery students haven’t had the input they deserve because they’re not in the Kathmandu valley. That just doesn't seem fair. And what's more, these remote areas are the places that need the midwifery support most. 

I wonder if we can find the funding..... 

A big concern to go to bed with.