It has been a relaxing week in Kathmandu, main exercise being climbing to the 3rd floor in the guesthouse and thinking what to eat for the next meal. Culinary cravings after 2 weeks trek are demanding. Once we went with Ewelina to Italian restaurant for a pizza. Just see the word 'mozzarella' in the menu was already worth a deep satisfied breath. But mostly we tried to limit the choices to more local places, where you can get your plate starting from 70 euro cents. It was good strategy, because we new what is going to happen next - we will go yet again to CookieWalla. This is a place where I think at least half of my friends would not feel comfortable to sit down, yet alone eat. Occasional cockroach or two is a usual sight, wandering on the wall, or worse, on the fridge. But not inside the fridge! Food is clean and the place itself decent as well, I guess cockroaches are just very territorial. Anyway, we were brought there late one night by Israeli friends of Ewelina because we had said we want something sweet. They said we MUST come to CookieWalla in that case! Off the main street by 25m, off mainstream by a mile. When we got there, I felt like we have entered some deep underground club. No tables, few chairs against the wall in the hall, but most people sitting inside the kitchen, everyone mildly high or drunk. Place invaded by exclusively Israelis. I felt like a real backpacker. And then we got their speciality dessert - Hello to the King. Oh my God! I was questioning my sanity and the level of drunkness (but I had had only one margaritha) because it felt like I have never tasted a better dessert in my life. The base was fried crushed cookies with banana slices, topped by vanilla icecream, centred by a chunk of cookie-chocolate cake and poured over with some more chocolate.
I think it was the first thing we talked about the next morning, after the usual 'how did you sleep?' Ewelina and I became regulars. As from next time we were the ones sitting in the kitchen, sometimes helping to prepare the food or just passing time chatting or listening someone playing guitar etc. The two young guys running the place are really funny and friendly and interesting Israeli crowd is a bonus. Any of the many times I told an Israeli guy/girl that I'm from Estonia, there answer was always the same: 'ooh, Estonia! I know it from Eurovision!'
Other than that highlights of the past week have been going to local cinema and watching a nepali movie. We got a little bit translated by our nepali friend, but its easy to get the story. Acting its quite dramatic, so all emotions you can pick up no doubt. More provocative/sensual scenes where supported with excited whistling and clapping by the spectators. The whole thing was a lot of fun.
I did also some sightseeing- temple visiting (pcs on fb), beautiful temples here. Would be helpful to know more about Buddhism and Hinduism and history in general not to just snap pictures.
Between this and that I also was organising my next step, the volunteering. Tomorrow morning I'm leaving to Kavre village 7h from Kathmandu. Idea is that I will teach hospital staff and schoolchildren using a computer. Will live either with a family or in the hospital staff house, will see on the spot. I'm excited to enter the unknown once again.
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
5000 or not
Back from the Langtang-Gosaikund-Helambu trek (for the ones, that the names mean anything). 12 days walking, perhaps around 200km in distance, 6 nights above 3000m. Latter means cold. The German woman with whom i shared a living for several days before my trek had told me describing her Annapurna cirquit trek "And I was so excited about the hot water bottle in my sleeping bag". I found it funn to be excited about a bottle. Well, let me tell you, I became very fond of my bottle (thank you, Kairit!) and it was very exciting to roll it between the feet in the sleeping bag, lying in the bedroom with 0 degrees and wind blowing.
But first things first. The trek starts only 117km away from Kathmandu, but it took 8h to get there! Lonely Planet said 7h, but I guess all the new numerous landslides took the extra time. I was surprised such a prehistoric bus can master such a road. But looks are deceiving! To avoid thinking of freefall down half way to Kathmandu I decided to distract myself with reading while the bus heaved up what mostly seemed offroad way to Syabrubesi. Only one near accident and one motorbiker falling down the hill, but managing to save himself, we all made it. Except one of the windows of the bus, which fell out the moment someone leaned on it. That someone belonged to our future great team of Langtang trekkers - Irish guy Michael. The rest of the team was his brother Christopher and Polish girl Ewelina. We met on the bus and teamed up and how great was that! And not only because I learned how to play shithead :) It was much fun and when it came to a moment at descending from Tserko Ri (4984m, or according to my map 5033!) where my porter Susan (a man's name here) just left me and continued to walk down the mountain while I was taking a rest, I had to decide whether to run after him or trust the team of three just a bit behind. The latter was an obvious choice. As you can assume, I was not happy with my porter. It was his job to make sure I'm safe. Already he had lied (well, said 'yes', but meant 'no') that he knows the different way down the peak, but it turned out he didn't and we ended up on some landslide trail with 40 degrees angle and not much room for mistakes. Two years ago one guy died there because the porter had left him and he had broken his leg. It may sound melodramatic, but it is indeed serious business. Things can go bad really quickly even if below 5000. Anyway, for us everything went fine, we met another group who we followed down. Susan was happily having lunch when we arrived. Bon app! It had been a hard day, it was just a bit over 1km that we did up and then down, but you can feel the altitude. Its not easy to move. But you have to keep getting higher and higher, to reach there top before there clouds creep in. Snickers bar on the way up was insanely good. And with that powershoot, which I felt for about 4 steps, I did get to the top and it was amazing. Opera of mountains 360 degrees. Beautiful! I will upload pics on fb as usual.
Next day we had a meeting with an interpreter to explain him that what he did was not ok. A week later he did pull another disappearance act on me, but in easy circumstances. Then came a final test after that. We were walking on a tiny little path above road construction. At some point the path was limited to just maybe 15cm width and below that a straight fall to the road about 4 metres below. I remember that before taking a step down to that edge I was assessing it 'damn, this is pretty shitty little part here'. Carefully as usual I make the step and uups, the balance is disappearing. Damn, I'm really losing it here. Shit. Indeed I'm now about to fall to the right, thank god its not asphalt, but its far away! Is this really happening? F**k yes, it seems so. Ever so smartly I had this inner dialogue in complete silence in my head. Too perplexed to make a sound. But then a strong hand grabbed my left arm and pulled towards the hill, I found the balance again, crossed the edge and was fine. Susan had stepped up. I am very thankful for that.
This was on the last day of trekking, so I jumped a bit ahead with the story.
After what I still choose to believe above 5000m peak, we trekked down the same way. Next night was in a place called Lama Hotel and I had a bucket shower. One third of a bucket with boiling water which I could mix with cold water according to my own pleasure. Ahhh, how good it felt! To be able to wash yourself! Warm water on my head and all over! Incredible :) Up in 3870 where we were the last 2 nights, the water was ice cold and well, in the cold the sweat does not smell that strong anyway...right!?
Talking about showers, electricity and other luxuries - availability of them really varies. In Langtang once we had room with your own hot shower and private toilet and the mattresses where brand new and so comfy. The whole establishment was built only in September. Superlux, plus this village had a yakcheese factory/bakery, so we could have a fresh hot cheese sandwich. Marvellous.
But sometimes there was no electricity at all in the bedrooms building. Or no running water. Mostly mattresses so thin that my hips are a bit sore. But its all part of it, part of trekking and anyway quite luxerious compared to camping. In the guesthouse at 3870 the owners themselves were sleeping in a tent in front of the house, because it was full. They said its nice and warm in a tent. Yeah, I believe that. When it comes to food and drink, then poor owners who left their honey in our sight! We diminished it greatly. Water in higher altitudes is never burning hot. So you get your tea, but its already quite cold and you can't warm your fingers with that for very long. But if the alternative its ice cold water, the choice its clear.
The boys had to head back to Kathmandu, so the team of 5 became 3. Me and Ewelina continued towards the Gosaikund lakes at 4380m. This was also the highest place to spend the night. When we arrived during the daytime, it was 5 degrees in the dining room. It felt a bit warmer outside. In the evening everyone circled around the fireplace and was afraid of the night ahead. Sleeping in zero degrees. I managed. New day, bright blue sky and we could see the lake in its perfection with the peaks in the background. But when reaching the pass on 4609m, looking down to the other side, a thick layer of clouds was was awaiting. Just like looking out of an airplane. But you are the pilot and you know you need to enter those clouds. It looked like a ceiling and I hoped I will find a moment where my legs are in the clouds and head above it, would be so funny. But no. It was a 6h hard descending on ice and snow and then another 2h climbing up again. Why oh why. One more cold night and then going down again 1.8km and again 800m up. After a second difficult night pretty hard. Ewelina fell like 4 times and was questioning if she can make it in one piece. But we did. We were finally in summer weather again in mid 2000 metres, absolutely beautiful villages, women washing clothes in the streams, children playing about, normal village life. It felt good. In the evening we rewarded ourselves with some cold beer. Everyone's mood was up. The hard part was over.
Next night we did a homestay, which was really nice. We could see a family life from the inside. Played some games with the kids and I "helped" 12y old Yangjen with the homework. One question for the natural sciences class was to guess whether the following is correct: "Endoplasmic reticulum may have ribosomes attached to it"
.
Obviously!
...I didn't dare to see what the 7 and 6 year old have as homework. But in their school all the classes are in English except of course the nepali language class. But that's amazing! I never thought the whole education in some places is in English. Perhaps because that was quite a rich region...dunno.
With homestay you also get the best food :) and we helped to cut and chop etc
And then one more day, another almost 2km down, almost fall, but not and next day bus and back to Kathmandu. Now off for a lunch with the trekking agency manager, because yesterday I went to give my feedback on the trek and Susan and he invited. Why to say no to a free meal? Should take some meat as I hardly remember the taste of that! In the evening meeting with a big bunch a French trekkers is planned. During those many evenings together in the teahouses I felt like I'm in Belgium again. Is that good or bad I leave up for interpretation :)
But first things first. The trek starts only 117km away from Kathmandu, but it took 8h to get there! Lonely Planet said 7h, but I guess all the new numerous landslides took the extra time. I was surprised such a prehistoric bus can master such a road. But looks are deceiving! To avoid thinking of freefall down half way to Kathmandu I decided to distract myself with reading while the bus heaved up what mostly seemed offroad way to Syabrubesi. Only one near accident and one motorbiker falling down the hill, but managing to save himself, we all made it. Except one of the windows of the bus, which fell out the moment someone leaned on it. That someone belonged to our future great team of Langtang trekkers - Irish guy Michael. The rest of the team was his brother Christopher and Polish girl Ewelina. We met on the bus and teamed up and how great was that! And not only because I learned how to play shithead :) It was much fun and when it came to a moment at descending from Tserko Ri (4984m, or according to my map 5033!) where my porter Susan (a man's name here) just left me and continued to walk down the mountain while I was taking a rest, I had to decide whether to run after him or trust the team of three just a bit behind. The latter was an obvious choice. As you can assume, I was not happy with my porter. It was his job to make sure I'm safe. Already he had lied (well, said 'yes', but meant 'no') that he knows the different way down the peak, but it turned out he didn't and we ended up on some landslide trail with 40 degrees angle and not much room for mistakes. Two years ago one guy died there because the porter had left him and he had broken his leg. It may sound melodramatic, but it is indeed serious business. Things can go bad really quickly even if below 5000. Anyway, for us everything went fine, we met another group who we followed down. Susan was happily having lunch when we arrived. Bon app! It had been a hard day, it was just a bit over 1km that we did up and then down, but you can feel the altitude. Its not easy to move. But you have to keep getting higher and higher, to reach there top before there clouds creep in. Snickers bar on the way up was insanely good. And with that powershoot, which I felt for about 4 steps, I did get to the top and it was amazing. Opera of mountains 360 degrees. Beautiful! I will upload pics on fb as usual.
Next day we had a meeting with an interpreter to explain him that what he did was not ok. A week later he did pull another disappearance act on me, but in easy circumstances. Then came a final test after that. We were walking on a tiny little path above road construction. At some point the path was limited to just maybe 15cm width and below that a straight fall to the road about 4 metres below. I remember that before taking a step down to that edge I was assessing it 'damn, this is pretty shitty little part here'. Carefully as usual I make the step and uups, the balance is disappearing. Damn, I'm really losing it here. Shit. Indeed I'm now about to fall to the right, thank god its not asphalt, but its far away! Is this really happening? F**k yes, it seems so. Ever so smartly I had this inner dialogue in complete silence in my head. Too perplexed to make a sound. But then a strong hand grabbed my left arm and pulled towards the hill, I found the balance again, crossed the edge and was fine. Susan had stepped up. I am very thankful for that.
This was on the last day of trekking, so I jumped a bit ahead with the story.
After what I still choose to believe above 5000m peak, we trekked down the same way. Next night was in a place called Lama Hotel and I had a bucket shower. One third of a bucket with boiling water which I could mix with cold water according to my own pleasure. Ahhh, how good it felt! To be able to wash yourself! Warm water on my head and all over! Incredible :) Up in 3870 where we were the last 2 nights, the water was ice cold and well, in the cold the sweat does not smell that strong anyway...right!?
Talking about showers, electricity and other luxuries - availability of them really varies. In Langtang once we had room with your own hot shower and private toilet and the mattresses where brand new and so comfy. The whole establishment was built only in September. Superlux, plus this village had a yakcheese factory/bakery, so we could have a fresh hot cheese sandwich. Marvellous.
But sometimes there was no electricity at all in the bedrooms building. Or no running water. Mostly mattresses so thin that my hips are a bit sore. But its all part of it, part of trekking and anyway quite luxerious compared to camping. In the guesthouse at 3870 the owners themselves were sleeping in a tent in front of the house, because it was full. They said its nice and warm in a tent. Yeah, I believe that. When it comes to food and drink, then poor owners who left their honey in our sight! We diminished it greatly. Water in higher altitudes is never burning hot. So you get your tea, but its already quite cold and you can't warm your fingers with that for very long. But if the alternative its ice cold water, the choice its clear.
The boys had to head back to Kathmandu, so the team of 5 became 3. Me and Ewelina continued towards the Gosaikund lakes at 4380m. This was also the highest place to spend the night. When we arrived during the daytime, it was 5 degrees in the dining room. It felt a bit warmer outside. In the evening everyone circled around the fireplace and was afraid of the night ahead. Sleeping in zero degrees. I managed. New day, bright blue sky and we could see the lake in its perfection with the peaks in the background. But when reaching the pass on 4609m, looking down to the other side, a thick layer of clouds was was awaiting. Just like looking out of an airplane. But you are the pilot and you know you need to enter those clouds. It looked like a ceiling and I hoped I will find a moment where my legs are in the clouds and head above it, would be so funny. But no. It was a 6h hard descending on ice and snow and then another 2h climbing up again. Why oh why. One more cold night and then going down again 1.8km and again 800m up. After a second difficult night pretty hard. Ewelina fell like 4 times and was questioning if she can make it in one piece. But we did. We were finally in summer weather again in mid 2000 metres, absolutely beautiful villages, women washing clothes in the streams, children playing about, normal village life. It felt good. In the evening we rewarded ourselves with some cold beer. Everyone's mood was up. The hard part was over.
Next night we did a homestay, which was really nice. We could see a family life from the inside. Played some games with the kids and I "helped" 12y old Yangjen with the homework. One question for the natural sciences class was to guess whether the following is correct: "Endoplasmic reticulum may have ribosomes attached to it"
.
Obviously!
...I didn't dare to see what the 7 and 6 year old have as homework. But in their school all the classes are in English except of course the nepali language class. But that's amazing! I never thought the whole education in some places is in English. Perhaps because that was quite a rich region...dunno.
With homestay you also get the best food :) and we helped to cut and chop etc
And then one more day, another almost 2km down, almost fall, but not and next day bus and back to Kathmandu. Now off for a lunch with the trekking agency manager, because yesterday I went to give my feedback on the trek and Susan and he invited. Why to say no to a free meal? Should take some meat as I hardly remember the taste of that! In the evening meeting with a big bunch a French trekkers is planned. During those many evenings together in the teahouses I felt like I'm in Belgium again. Is that good or bad I leave up for interpretation :)
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
New plan, always a new plan
Guess what I had today? I had a hot shower! Sun has been shining and sky is blue. Together with luxuries of hot shower it also brought longing for some more mountains and high altitude. So yesterday was a soul-searching day, besides getting acquainted with Kathmandu, buying yak horn jewellery (which of course in reality is from buffalo), talking to random people on the street and hiring a guide on Durbar square to explain me the countless temples and old palaces that there are. Even saw the the young living goddess Kumari. There are 5 tests young girls throughout the country need to go through and only the (first) one to pass all the tests qualifies as a goddess. I like most the test of spending a night in a room with bleeding heads of 108 buffaloes and goats and show no fear. Moment she cries she is thrown out and another candidate is put up for the test. And local people can have a nice meal. Talking of meat, i have become half vegetarian here. Its cheaper, plus when you order chicken, most likely you just get crushed bones and that's no fun.
Anyway, so mountains were and are calling. Good weather is upon us. Tourist trapped in Lukla for a week have been transported back to food supply in Kathmandu yesterday and today. And one can hope that maybe now for 2 weeks its bright and shiny again. The guy from the volunteering agency was understanding, took me downstairs to his friends agency (some commission involved?) and I made some quick new plans. Quick means I'm leaving tomorrow morning, with my own porter. Not sherpa, not so good in English, but still he will carry my bag and make sure im alright. I was considering and looking options to do an independent trek and team up with some other travellers, but didn't work out in such short notice. There is a con in paying extra money, but a plus by not having to carry the bag. Even 12 kilos gets heavy in time and altitude. And this time I should reach 5000. Fingers crossed. Trek is 14 days. Next news after that. Hasta luego.
Anyway, so mountains were and are calling. Good weather is upon us. Tourist trapped in Lukla for a week have been transported back to food supply in Kathmandu yesterday and today. And one can hope that maybe now for 2 weeks its bright and shiny again. The guy from the volunteering agency was understanding, took me downstairs to his friends agency (some commission involved?) and I made some quick new plans. Quick means I'm leaving tomorrow morning, with my own porter. Not sherpa, not so good in English, but still he will carry my bag and make sure im alright. I was considering and looking options to do an independent trek and team up with some other travellers, but didn't work out in such short notice. There is a con in paying extra money, but a plus by not having to carry the bag. Even 12 kilos gets heavy in time and altitude. And this time I should reach 5000. Fingers crossed. Trek is 14 days. Next news after that. Hasta luego.
Saturday, 5 November 2011
Bandipur & caving
Its crap weather, even worse than usual. For one week the clouds have lost their sense of place and stay on the ground. I rains every day. Usually at night and evenings, but today was huge ran also during the day just when i was finishing a trek to what probably is the biggest cave in Nepal.It was big indeed and impressive, but it was in parts pretty scary. There is no lighting, there are no security measures, no ropes, nothing. Sometimes we were just climbing! Now the only pants I have at the moment are so dirty and wet. At the same time the 8 year old nepali boy did it all in flipflops of course. It was fun watching him walking with straight back down the ladder into darkness. This was the point when one British guy said no, im not going further. But that was actually still the easy part.
The way to the cave was another story. I took a wrong way of course. Just when i decided, that this is no good and was returning back to a junction, a nepali guy came, who said, he had taken the other road from the junction and he did not reach the cave after 20 minutes. So we continued down the path that i was at. Its a grand overstatement to call it a path. Mind you everything was wet and slippery as well. My suspicion grew in time that no other tourist has ever been here. Then the path ended all of a sudden. When he suggested to continue offroad i had enough sense to say no. The only reward were the mandarin trees and the fruits were very tasty. So in my command we climbed up the hill again and took the other road. Then we came across some swiss girls who were lost too, so we all just took a moment to reflect. And voila, there came a british guy with a hired guide. Probably they make the route full of traps so that you hire someone. And it was obvious that whoever wrote the lonely planet part about this had not visited the cave, because it really was more like adventure sports than anything else. But worth it nevertheless. The "manager" at the cave said, that already tomorrow they put the ropes and fix the signs. True story!
The way to the cave was another story. I took a wrong way of course. Just when i decided, that this is no good and was returning back to a junction, a nepali guy came, who said, he had taken the other road from the junction and he did not reach the cave after 20 minutes. So we continued down the path that i was at. Its a grand overstatement to call it a path. Mind you everything was wet and slippery as well. My suspicion grew in time that no other tourist has ever been here. Then the path ended all of a sudden. When he suggested to continue offroad i had enough sense to say no. The only reward were the mandarin trees and the fruits were very tasty. So in my command we climbed up the hill again and took the other road. Then we came across some swiss girls who were lost too, so we all just took a moment to reflect. And voila, there came a british guy with a hired guide. Probably they make the route full of traps so that you hire someone. And it was obvious that whoever wrote the lonely planet part about this had not visited the cave, because it really was more like adventure sports than anything else. But worth it nevertheless. The "manager" at the cave said, that already tomorrow they put the ropes and fix the signs. True story!
Friday, 4 November 2011
7 days in Pokhara
Pokhara is a lovely place to stay for a while. There is a big lake, snowy mountain tops perfectly reflecting on the glimmering lake. Too bad it was always cloudy. But I looked at the postcards they are selling here and made some imagination exercises.
Nevertheless, both by Estonian and Belgium standards its summer here. The first two days I was together with the Estonian group still, staying in a good hotel. My room was like a little apartment. Perfect after trekking. Relaxing times on the boat on the lake, bar Bamboo, where food was ready in mere 90minutes after ordering, but absolutely worth it. Plus there is no hurry. Noone seems to be in a hurry here.
Luxury was over in two days though. Taking with me the leftover soap and toilet paper (ie profiting from the hotel to maximum) I headed out in search for a new cheap place to stay. Peak season turned out not to be complete myth so on the north lakeside the only really cheap (3eur a night) and available place I could find was quite a dump. But I was tired of looking and made the deal. Later at night when I returned to sleep there was soon a lot of yelling, screaming, car tires screeching, some bangs in the air and it all seemed to take place just outside my window. I saw that my door can be locked from three places from the inside. At that moment it even seemed suspicious, but I thought that out of all the choices this guesthouse should not be target for anybody sane.
Turmoil for that night was not over though. Suddenly I was hit with stomach cramps, pain and nausea and I could not sleep before early morning. Damn, I had picked up some nasty bacteria already. Luckily next morning I could switch over to another guesthouse that I had found later the previous day. Same money, but nice and neat and even slow wifi. Somehow I dragged myself there and spent the whole day in bed unable to move a muscle.
During the next recovery day I was hanging out at the lakeside. Its such a contrast compared to the busy main street where in every two meters at least you have another tourist shop selling trekking gear, jewelery, cashmere and pashmere. At the lakeside you have a few restaurants/bars, but at the same time locals go about their business washing clothes in the lake or fishing to probably sell it later to the restaurants. I one place I saw guys comfortably sitting on sewage pipes catching fish among the rubbish.
Anyone one of the bars also has nice sun decks where you can lie down on the long chairs. They also have a bamboo fence and I tell you, while locals where walking by, they really looked inside as if in the zoo. But they were the guests and I was the monkey. Even though I had already learned to wear only long pants. First day when I was walking around on my own outside of tourist areas in my short pants, I really felt uncomfortable. Bare legs just do not seem to be a custom. But you can show a belly. Go figure.
Soon I got acquainted with another exhibit of the zoo - a Dutch guy Fredi. He introduced me to his friends, ultra long travellers (18 months), Thomas and Angie. This was very fortunate as it was cool to spend the next two days together.
The cloudiness continued to get worse. It also meant no hot shower as everything is heated with solar panels. Additionally electricity cuts where common, so it happened twice that I had a cold shower in the candlelight. I found it funny. After all before my travels i had practiced cold showers for a few months.
Yesterday I said goodbye to my new found friends and started to move towards Kathmandu. Now Im in a village called Bandipur. Sharing a place with a German woman I met on the bus. I left her in the guesthouse sleeping, I hope my stuff will be there when I return. In the village here when walking around I got to a path that local schoolchildren take for their picnic/party place, quite many wanted to know whats my name, where Im from and save the moment in the photograph. With some of them I took the picture with my own camera as well to share the joy. Will add some pics on facebook (fyi where I put already the trekking pictures).
Nevertheless, both by Estonian and Belgium standards its summer here. The first two days I was together with the Estonian group still, staying in a good hotel. My room was like a little apartment. Perfect after trekking. Relaxing times on the boat on the lake, bar Bamboo, where food was ready in mere 90minutes after ordering, but absolutely worth it. Plus there is no hurry. Noone seems to be in a hurry here.
Luxury was over in two days though. Taking with me the leftover soap and toilet paper (ie profiting from the hotel to maximum) I headed out in search for a new cheap place to stay. Peak season turned out not to be complete myth so on the north lakeside the only really cheap (3eur a night) and available place I could find was quite a dump. But I was tired of looking and made the deal. Later at night when I returned to sleep there was soon a lot of yelling, screaming, car tires screeching, some bangs in the air and it all seemed to take place just outside my window. I saw that my door can be locked from three places from the inside. At that moment it even seemed suspicious, but I thought that out of all the choices this guesthouse should not be target for anybody sane.
Turmoil for that night was not over though. Suddenly I was hit with stomach cramps, pain and nausea and I could not sleep before early morning. Damn, I had picked up some nasty bacteria already. Luckily next morning I could switch over to another guesthouse that I had found later the previous day. Same money, but nice and neat and even slow wifi. Somehow I dragged myself there and spent the whole day in bed unable to move a muscle.
During the next recovery day I was hanging out at the lakeside. Its such a contrast compared to the busy main street where in every two meters at least you have another tourist shop selling trekking gear, jewelery, cashmere and pashmere. At the lakeside you have a few restaurants/bars, but at the same time locals go about their business washing clothes in the lake or fishing to probably sell it later to the restaurants. I one place I saw guys comfortably sitting on sewage pipes catching fish among the rubbish.
Anyone one of the bars also has nice sun decks where you can lie down on the long chairs. They also have a bamboo fence and I tell you, while locals where walking by, they really looked inside as if in the zoo. But they were the guests and I was the monkey. Even though I had already learned to wear only long pants. First day when I was walking around on my own outside of tourist areas in my short pants, I really felt uncomfortable. Bare legs just do not seem to be a custom. But you can show a belly. Go figure.
Soon I got acquainted with another exhibit of the zoo - a Dutch guy Fredi. He introduced me to his friends, ultra long travellers (18 months), Thomas and Angie. This was very fortunate as it was cool to spend the next two days together.
The cloudiness continued to get worse. It also meant no hot shower as everything is heated with solar panels. Additionally electricity cuts where common, so it happened twice that I had a cold shower in the candlelight. I found it funny. After all before my travels i had practiced cold showers for a few months.
Yesterday I said goodbye to my new found friends and started to move towards Kathmandu. Now Im in a village called Bandipur. Sharing a place with a German woman I met on the bus. I left her in the guesthouse sleeping, I hope my stuff will be there when I return. In the village here when walking around I got to a path that local schoolchildren take for their picnic/party place, quite many wanted to know whats my name, where Im from and save the moment in the photograph. With some of them I took the picture with my own camera as well to share the joy. Will add some pics on facebook (fyi where I put already the trekking pictures).
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)