#celineinkathmandu

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25 April 2015 - 11:56am Kathmandu time. (*2:11pm Singapore time)

After so many attempts over the years to go back as a group, this year was the year. We obviously had to cancel our trip but we are there in spirit.

Thinking of you Guru & Thakur, and to my Nepal Crew it would have been awesome to be together again today 💕

To read about our experience it’s here, for the whole trip it’s here

[atotaltaitaitale]

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25 April 2015. A trip of a lifetime... a trip that would change us. It seems like yesterday, yet a lifetime away.

Early this morning my phone started to beep more than usual. The Nepal Crew WhatsApp group was getting more message than usual. Well it's an unusual day for the crew.

Two years. At least my heart doesn't skip a beat anymore when I’m on shaking ground.

[atotaltaitaitale]

. And another one with me in it just for the fun.

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This is what I want to remember from my trip to Nepal: the people I met, the fun, the laugh, the good time we shared. 14 photographers, 2 amazing guides and all the Nepalese who allowed us to take their pictures and share their city with our lucky bunch.

Having a little play with Hyperlapse in Baktapur Durbar Square at the end of a shoot day while waiting for the group.

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. Waiting for my plane on the Tarmac.

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. At the airport

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. I couldn't be a photojournalist. I couldn't take pictures. I just wanted to remember (or not) with my eyes.

[atotaltaitaitale]

Kathmandu, Nepal - April 25, 2015 around Noon.

This was written by my fellow photographer friend Francis.  I have added some of my own perspective in Italic

April 21st 2015 a group of 14 photographers met in Thamel Katmandu, the start of an arranged 5-day photo tour of Kathmandu and the surrounding area to capture images of this amazing country. On Saturday April 25th the group found themselves in the center of a horrific natural disaster, an earthquake of a magnitude that would take lives and make an historic change to the beautiful country of Nepal.

Gulf Photo Plus based in Dubai UAE, planned a trip to Nepal, for keen photographers who would like to spend five days accompanied by a professional photographer and local guides to visit World Heritage sites, scenic views of mountain ranges and vibrant street life. Photographers from various world locations gathered for this amazing opportunity to do what they love in a place of natural beauty with wonderful, charming and caring people. The trip started exactly as planned and all the photographers had great fun.

The last day of the trip, Saturday April 25th, the group had some free time before airport pick ups to relax, gather their things and say good bye to their new found photography friends.  A few minutes before noon a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, the events from that moment are difficult to put into words and many people will have different accounts, I can only confirm my personal experience, but I think it has a common theme.

(this part is from my perspective)  After we got back from our canceled Himalayan scenic flight I decided to go for a walk around the neighborhood with my friend Natalie to try to find a few little souvenirs to buy. After an hour or so of wandering we went back to the hotel and I asked my friend Saeed if he wanted to go shoot a few frames, as I wanted to see him in action. I only took my iphone, I wasn’t really in the mood of shooting, I just wanted to go along with him and see what he was looking for in a shot. That’s the great part of traveling with fellow photographers who become friends and don’t mind sharing their knowledge! We got back to the hotel by 11:30am as we needed to check out. On my way up to my room to gather my bags I run into another photographer, Francis, who was on his way to wander the streets too, he asked me if I wanted to join him and I told him if he gave me 15 minutes I would love to go. I ran upstairs, decided to skip a last shower (thank goodness!), took my bag to Mila’s room since she was staying an extra day and my flight was much later than the rest of the gang, checked out and was just giving Mila her room key when the ground started to shake. We weren’t quite sure what it was (I remember thinking it felt like the metro in our Paris apartment) then it started to shake more. I could see Tonya and Lynsey walking in zigzag like if they were on a boat. Somebody shouted earthquake and we all found shelter under the tables.  (end)

Small objects started to crash around us, crockery was flung to the floor smashing as it hit. Under the table we could do nothing except watch and listen to the chaos around. The floor started to move side to side violently, adrenalin flowed, it seemed to be slow motion, it continued to move with even more resonance, I could hear crashing vehicles, beeping horns, screams and cries. Through the legs of the table I could see people running in the streets, carrying children in panic, not knowing what lay ahead. As the rocking floor motion started to slow almost to a stop, the restaurant group appeared from the tables, frightened and confused; “run to open land” was shouted and nobody questioned it, quickly we dashed out the restaurant and joined the flow of horrified people heading to an open expanse of land 500m from the hotel.

Stood in the common area it was a feeling of terror, people gathered and looked at each other not knowing what to say, then the aftershock came, people dropped to the ground, the earth moved again, more screams more cries, power lines swayed, buildings shook. The tremors continued, with decreasing magnitude, but with the same terrifying effect. (My husband called and asked me if I was ok as a newsflash of an earthquake in Nepal had appeared on his computer) All people tried desperately to contact family and friends to assure their safety.

The next few hours the focus shifted to how we get out of Nepal, where are the passports? How do we get to the airport? Are there any flights? Is the airport operating? Our group were extremely luckily to have the most dedicated two local guides, who at this point had already completed their services and had every good reason to turn their full attention to their families safety, but what they did goes beyond explanation. The two guys appeared from nowhere and found the larger number of our group, and then they went off in search of the others, whilst the tremors and uncertainty continued. They managed to locate each member and group us back together, comforting each other was high on the agenda, as emotions flowed.  News came through the airport was not operating, and communication was limited and not consistent. Nobody wanted to remain in Thamel and everyone wanted to stay in open space. A decision was made to try and organize getting the group to the airport. With direction from our group leader the guides arranged transport with unbelievable efficiency in a time of disaster. We made it to the airport car park, the guides continued to support us with information, food and water, never at any point did they leave us even though they had family issues way beyond any of our needs. Night was closing in, the weather started to cool and morale was starting to fade. What do we do next? As we prepared to sleep on the car park floor the guides would not accept this, although no complaints from the group, the guides felt a level of responsibility. The country was in a state of shock, nothing was working, confusion continued, but again the guides never left our sides and with astonishing effort arranged a coach to the airport with support from Etihad airline, to be our home. Water and snacks were plenty and we had extreme comfort on the scale of the situation.  

(this part is from my perspective)

I was supposed to be the last one to take off I ended up being the first one out of Nepal.  I was the only one traveling from China, my fellow photographer friends all came from Dubai and Abu Dhabi (plus one from Qatar). My flight was one of the only three flights that landed and took off from the Kathmandu airport that night.  After resting for an hour or so in the bus, our guides told me that my flight was indeed scheduled to arrive (my husband had informed me about it) and that I would most likely be leaving so I needed to get to the terminal. They only let in the persons who were traveling. I was in an almost empty airport which the military had taken over, after airport personnel were sent home and I was surrounded by Chinese (the only flights coming were from China Eastern and China Southern airlines plus Airarabia) away from my new very best friends. Another tremor struck and we all ran out of the airport onto the tarmac. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to stay there or go back to the “safety” of the bus and be surrounded by my friends. I talked to a Chinese Canadian guy, calmed down then a little Chinese girl started a conversation, practicing her English!  By 1am I was on board of the plane, ready to take off to Guangzhou. I arrived relieved in Guangzhou, headed to my next flight to Beijing and with only an hour late from my original schedule landed in Beijing airport at 12:40pm. I started to read the news and it finally hit me. I pretty much had hold it together but it was a lot scarier from the outside. Looking at it, we were in a little part of town where no building collapsed within our eyesight. We saw a few walls down, a few houses tilting dangerously on our way to the airport but reading and seeing the photos of the devastation from the safety of my apartment in Beijing was not easy on me. I had mixed feelings. I was happy I got out on time but felt horrible leaving my friends behind. I couldn’t reach them, I felt helpless. I tried to monitor their flights but the information were inconsistent. I eventually heard they had all left. The ones for Dubai taking the last airplane leaving Kathmandu.  (end)

Back to their account of their time after I left:

Early Sunday morning we woke on our coach, sleep was intermittent, between additional tremors during the night. Whilst the group freshened up, the guides had already started their day seeking food for breakfast: boiled eggs, bread, cookies and jam was a welcome surprise. Lots of waiting and information seeking was the order of the days, as things were becoming clear and organized a second earthquake struck at around 1pm, a magnitude 6.7 was strong enough to cause further worry and disruption to the airport.  By late Sunday night the whole group had seats on flights out of Kathmandu, some journeys back home more difficult than others, but the whole group eventually made it home by Monday 27th April.

There is nothing this group could ever do to repay the guides for keeping our group safe and getting us through this situation back to our loved ones. As we hugged and left them, we headed off out of a devastating situation, a fortunate position. The guides would need to stay and try to rebuild their lives.  

  To try and raise funds for the people of Nepal, the photography group is going to arrange a number of exhibitions and intend to sell prints with all funds heading back to the people of Nepal. Please support this in any way you can. These people are beautiful, kind, dedicated and deserve a helping hand.

Gulf Photo Plus will in time, arrange a link for further information!


Our Heroes (guides): Thakur and Guru!

The photo group:


Lisa Seymour - Christina Dimitrova - Mila Hyman - Chris Redley - Thukar (Guide) - Natasha Haggard - Noelle Sinclair - Tonya Colson (Group Leader) - John Gorst - Natalie Tonking (in the back) - Rahat Latif-  Celine Suiter - Francis Cox - Saeed Nassouri  - kneeling Lynsey Dyer (Group Assistant)