November 11, 2004: Headlines: COS - Nepal: Return to our Country of Service - Nepal: Climbing: Everest News 2004: Lamidanda Nepal is where John Vavruska spent many days and nights 20 years ago as a Peace Corps Volunteer working out the UNICEF Field Office
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November 11, 2004: Headlines: COS - Nepal: Return to our Country of Service - Nepal: Climbing: Everest News 2004: Lamidanda Nepal is where John Vavruska spent many days and nights 20 years ago as a Peace Corps Volunteer working out the UNICEF Field Office
Lamidanda Nepal is where John Vavruska spent many days and nights 20 years ago as a Peace Corps Volunteer working out the UNICEF Field Office
Lamidanda Nepal is where John Vavruska spent many days and nights 20 years ago as a Peace Corps Volunteer working out the UNICEF Field Office
Mount Everest Foundation for Sustainable Development in Nepal and Tibet: Service Trek led by Everest summiter Dan Mazur: Dispatch Five
Caption: photo showing John Vavruska holding a photo taken 20 years ago of the grand opening ceremony of the first public water well, known as a "tap-stand" that he built in the village where he lived for two years as a water-worker. Now, we are on our way to visit the village, after a 20 year hiatus, to see what is left of the system he worked so hard to design and implement.
Hello EverestNews.com, Hope all is well. Thanks again for letting us tell this story about the very poor people who live in the tiny villages near to Mount Everest, for the Mount Everest Foundation for Sustainable Development of Nepal and Tibet. Here is the latest news from our service trek:
John: We pulled into Lamidanda this afternoon after a long, hot 3,000 foot climb from Rabuwa (at 1,400 ft) on the Dudh Kosi, the great river that drains the entire Khumbu (Everest area). We spent last night in a Rai farmer's khet (terrace) in a tiny place called Mosepu high above the Khotane Khola, the river that drains east from Okhaldhunga and Rumjatar. Lamidanda is where I spent many days and nights 20 years ago as a Peace Corps Volunteer working out the UNICEF Field Office here. It's as beautiful as ever, an idyllic hamlet perched above the Dudh Kosi with beautiful fields of kodo superb views to the north of the Himals (Numbur, Karyolung, Gyachung Kang, Everest, Kusum Kanguru, Mera, etc. But things have also changed.
Lamidanda was an airstrip with regular service to Kathmandu when I was here before. Now, the airstrip is deserted and apparently planes fly in only once in a while. Our group of 12 walked ten minutes eastward to the vicinity of the old UNICEF Field Office to check into a "hotel" along the trail. The office is now closed and the house of the Field Officer at the time - Thomas Ebersoll that I spent many a night in is long gone, not even any rubble to show for it! It all seems a bit weird. This afternoon after washing at a dharaa (water tapstand) nearby, I pulled out a handful of photos that I had made of people in Lamidanda 20 years ago. The Sherpas went off with the photos on a mission to find out about these people now.
Some have moved away, others they couldn't identify. But one older guy - Rudra (nicknamed Kaaji) showed up and he remembered me. We chatted for a while about the whereabouts of the people who worked in and around the Field Office at these days.
When this story was posted in November 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:
| Charges possible in 1976 PCV slaying Congressman Norm Dicks has asked the U.S. attorney in Seattle to consider pursuing charges against Dennis Priven, the man accused of killing Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner on the South Pacific island of Tonga 28 years ago. Background on this story here and here. |
| Volunteer Death in Morocco Returned Peace Corps Volunteers mourn the loss of Peace Corps Volunteer Melissa Mosvick who died as a result of a public bus accident on Saturday, November 6, 2004, in Ouarzazate, Morocco. |
| Director Gaddi Vasquez: The PCOL Interview PCOL sits down for an extended interview with Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez. Read the entire interview from start to finish and we promise you will learn something about the Peace Corps you didn't know before.
Plus the debate continues over Safety and Security. |
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Story Source: Everest News 2004
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Nepal; Return to our Country of Service - Nepal; Climbing
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