from Reba

Thanks, Everyone for your sweet and supportive comments. I'm almost afraid to tell you guys that Mary, Ella and I have been out of commission for a couple of days from a stomach bug. We are all ok now, not to worry. I don't think it was food or water because we all got it but nobody else has so far. I was really worried that being sick here would make them want to come home, but they have been troopers. Jane has this plum concentrate, a very strong, sticky goo that helps with stomach problems. Grudgingly the girls took a couple of doses and are much better now. Ella is completely better, Mary and I are working on it.
It is so fun to watch the girls here. Mary acts so grown up and doesn't hesitate to talk to people or greet them. Ella is finally "Namaste-ing" and smiling at people, whereas at first she would act shy. She always runs up to the desk when we enter the guest house and asks for the key. (A skeleton key on a large wooden key-holder) She also isn't afraid to leave our room and run down to Emerson or Ashley and Mika's room without me or her sister. Yesterday morning when the girls were not feeling well, I went down to get myself some tea at the guest house cafe and the manager asked how we all were. I told him that the girls were not feeling well, and he responded, "Which one? Mary or Ella?" I was surprised that he knew their names, but then again, not. People here seem genuinely happy that we are here.
Dinner at Sunil and Sarita's was just like Jane described...too much. It was so fun taking Mary and Ella there. As we were getting out of the rickshaws, Mary leaped out and her feet came out from under her. She got quite a bump as her head hit the rickshaw. We teased her that she now has a great story to tell about fighting with a rickshaw in Kathmandu! Mom and Dad, Sarita asked about you. Her mother is close to turning 100!
We had a very nice dinner courtesy of the Gurka trekking company at this very old palace I believe of a royal priest. We sat on the floor, were served spicy peanuts, popcorn, momos, potatoes....and those were just appetizers! Then came a Thali (sp?) plate of about 6 traditional Nepali dishes. Very good!
This morning we went to Pashupati, the creamation temple. Mary and Ella saw some very hard things. Not so much the 2 bodies that were burning or the two that were being prepared (wrapped in clothes and draped with marigolds), but rather the poor and disfigured people who sit and beg for a few rupees to eat. We did get to see a celebration for the 1 year anniversary of the death of a Sardu. (I hope I spelled that right, probably not) We also took pictures of a group of Sardus, with and without Emerson, Mika, Mary, and Ella.
We are all having a great time, but we miss everyone back home a whole bunch. Lots of love from Nepal, ya'll.
R