March 28, 2001 Evening. New journal book – last one was bought in Laos – low output. This is my first entry in a month! The last month was spent in Kathmandu looking for companions, meeting up with the French guy Vincent again, exploring the city, waiting for Shane and Heather, playing with the idea of going to stay at a monastary for a few nights in the area, ALMOST taking a reiki course which was too much at US $45 a day for two days, and working on my web page. We left this morning on the 7 AM “express” bus to Besi Sahar, gatway to the Annapurna Circuit. Some guy took 60 rupees from me this morning for nothing a disappeared after having been in the bus for 30 minutes and giving every appeareance that he worked for the bus company. He first asked me for change for 500 Rupees – thank god in my haze of stupidity I did not have that on me. On the bus ride I sat next to the nicest (I think) Tibetan woman who told me things about the landscape as we went along (only one half of which I understood) and smelled lightly of Yak butter. Heather and Shane were both feeling slightly sick during the ride. Besi Sahar is not a bad town as roadside towns go, Its ugly but just a little walk away is rewarded. Like right now I write alone in my tee-shirt and sandals next to this trickling waterfall with nothing but nature views around me. Besi Sahar showed concrete wealth as I left the town periphery (concrete homes in the countryside show income). Last night I put the finishing touches on my web page. I sent a note out to everyone but my travel friends. I love imagining everyone looking at my page today. Chad and Mona Broughton left me some nice comments on my Zing albums. I just imagine Chad sitting down with his little daughter Haley showing her the picture of her mommy I have in the supporters area of the site. I have been working slowly on the website this whole month. I lament that my hours spent chasing after girls and drinking beer were misappropriated. Later. Learned something from a nice local teacher Shane and Heather struck a conversation up with while I went for my walk: Explains why young boys in Nepal wear earrings. Due to a higher incidence of Malaria among young boys than girls, boys had their ears pierced so that the Demons that bring Malaria would think they were girls. Boys typically keep these earrings until eight years old past which age it is not respectable to have them. Ngadi. March 29, 2001 Early AM. Yesterday woke up to the sound of truck and hotel racket (including what sounded like a bathtub full of sheet metal being thrown down the stairs), bad sleep, cold because the fan was on and I left my sleeping bag packed away in my backpack all night long. In the morning Heather’s eye was puffy and she did not feel well. Some friction between the two of us because of how intolerant I am of other people’s apprehension. All three of us had a talk in the morning at breakfast out ear of our “intentions” regarding the trek (based on the idea that intentions are important). This was my idea but I was not experienced enough to ask the question to each of us “what kind of experience do you want this trek to be?” Shane and I were both strangely Rah Rah yet sensitive in our statements (all made while keeping an eye on Heather) and Heather was oddly lukewarm and yep, apprehensive about starting and even more so about finishing the trek. I was frankly pretty surprised because I had only seen her strong and bold before. Met a nice couple from Cincinatti when we went next door to ask two fifth year English med students about Heather’s eye. Many people we saw all morning were on their way back from the pass due to snow. Stopped along the way for cokes , said we were from Poland, played music tapes and looked at the globe with some young local guys pimped out with white collar-up shirts with neck scarves. Shortly thereafter we crossed a beautiful river and Shane and I decided to swim while Heather recouped on a rock. Water cold but no too bad, we fought our way up one rapid but never got the courage to ride it out completely slide-style. Very refreshing. After that we all felt lazy. Ate chicken momos (steamed dumplings) and good Roti (fried bread) at a town called Bulbhule (which we kept on thinking was called bulle bulle) – got to Ngadi town and stayed with a nice Bhuddist Gorung family (Karmala Lodge, Ngadi) in the early PM. We found the place by following a French couple to their hotel. I washed clothes and took a nap before dinner. I reached a landmark in my Nepali language ability today when I was able to have the tiring “how can my son/daughter get a visa to go work in the US and come back with big bucks” discussion with our hostess (this is a discussion I’ve had in every developing country I’ve visited). During our talk I looked the hostess’ prayer beads and understood she had said several hundred thousand times her mantra. Her Dal Bhat Tarkari was spectacular with a Tarkari of fresh, large beans, yellow lentils, and a great wild mushroom (called Chau) that looked like dried buffalo meat to me at first. Wisdom of the day: I asked Shane what I could do to make it all work out best with Heather and he said “don’t beat around the bush with her when you think/feel something – she likes to get it straight between the eyes.” Cool. Great sleep last night. The morning sounds here were very relaxing and tropical. Even the roosters are polite and did not crow too early. Next Entry

 

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