The streets of my town

"Round and round up and down

Through the streets of your town

Every day I make my way

Through the streets of your town…"

Dhulikhel is my town; well, for this year at least. There’s plenty of undulating up and down. And every day I make my way through its charming winding streets. It’s a beautiful, friendly and pleasant place and I feel very much at home here.

I work a six-day week, so most days are book-ended with a 20 minute stroll between my house and the hospital/faculty building 1.6km away. I set off at about 7.40am to arrive in time for the 8am Clinical Conference; I head home around 4pm. My route takes me through the Old Town. And when I say Old I mean OLD: Dhulikhel is a mediaeval Newari town and famous for being one of the last places to be conquered during the unification and establishment of the Kingdom of Nepal in the 1700s. The streets of the Old Town are filled with classic Newa architecture: pagoda temples; stupas; brick houses with carved wooden windows and doors; decorative stone water spouts. The earthquakes in 2015 did cause extensive damage, but fortunately many buildings escaped or have been restored.

Days start early here. One of the other vols is up every morning at 4.30am to join her yoga group for two hours of practice - talk about commitment! I'm naturally a night-owl and love my sleep-ins, but my diurnal clock is slowly shifting and I'm finding myself waking up before the alarm goes off at 6am. I can understand why so many are up and about by then - the light is bright and the weather is generally fine, regardless of how it pans out later in the day.

Actually getting out of bed and getting going when the alarm goes off is the next thing to work on!

By the time I leave for work the town is abuzz with activity: the shops are open; familiar groups of old men are gathered outside the temples - taking their sunbath while sipping tea and reading the paper; bus bais are touting for business – competing with each other for passengers to Kathmandu; children are on the street playing games prior to getting ready for school. I usually pass the same people doing the same things and there are many regulars with whom I exchange "Namaste!" or a smile and nod.

The view I enjoy from my terrace as I sip my morning coffee

The town sits at 1550m above sea level, at the edge of the Kathmandu Valley about 30 km SE of the city. As a result we enjoy great weather, clean air and spectacular views to the Himalayas. When we first arrived it was the rainy season so there was just the occasional glimpse. Now that winter is coming, the days are clearer and most mornings I can see the snow-capped peaks above the trees beyond my terrace.

The real joy comes as I emerge from the Old Town at the highway. Before entering the hospital precinct I pause to check for traffic and that it’s safe to cross. But it’s the panorama in the distance that really stops me in my tracks. Every day. Without fail. The beauty of that view is breathtaking; that I can see Annapurna – a mountain situated over 200km away - is mind-blowing. I’ve lived in Sydney on-and-off over my life and I get the same reaction every time I cross the Bridge and take in the harbour and open sea beyond. It’s the majesty of nature at her finest.

I'm uplifted by the beauty of this town. I gorge on the views of the Himalayas and am never satiated! Just a few seconds of those magestic peaks is enough to put me in a good mood.

Each day I marvel at my good fortune to be here and am reminded of my privilege. It's an opportunity to be grateful. An opportunity to acknowledge that I have had, and continue to enjoy a most marvellous life.