Chitwan

I awoke early after my night of barely any sleep because of food poisoning. We had to walk through the streets of Pokhara. Luckily, I found a bathroom on the way because it could have been bad. Uncle Jim hooked me up with some immodium and that seemed to do the trick after that. It was a good thing because I was going to be on a bus all day long on our way to Chitwan National Park on the southern border near India. It was a fight to ride those buses. I did not fit, my head was on ceiling and my knees were slammed in the back of whoever was in front of me. I did not look good or feel good. There was one point where I looked around and every other person on the bus had someone sitting with them except me. I did not take it personally because the way I looked and felt, I would not have sat with me either. I just rested my head on the window and tried to "enjoy" the ride. We got to our destination late morning/early afternoon. I got a little angry when I got off the bus that it was such an effort to just ride and all the taxicab drivers were harassing me. I just yelled “Leave me alone” at a few of them. Everyone wants something from you because you have white skin in Nepal. That was the one thing that drove me crazy was constantly being asked stuff like (Do you smoke?). We still had Norbu with us, so he arranged our ride to our resort. It really was a resort, but really the price was ridiculously cheap. We had a whole cabin to ourselves and were served lunch when we got there. I refused to eat because my stomach was not ready for it. After lunch, we went for a village tour. It was so amazing. This was definitely one of the poorest sections of Nepal. This was a true village with stacks of lentils outside huts. These people were so poor, but still had a smile for us as we walked by. Cousin Alanna met us and it was great to see her. She was completely compassionate to all of these people while I was just experiencing it for the first time. We saw some of the most beautiful little girls that Alanna bought some cookies for mere pennies to give them as a treat. Amazing that so little money could be so hard to obtain for so many people out there. Then we went to the Elephant Breeding Ground which was actually sort of depressing. There were a bunch of elephants chained to posts. I mean it is interesting to see elephants, but they were definitely treated worse than they would be in a zoo. A walk through the village back to our resort seeing the more domestic animals like goats that many people had for the milk and butter they would provide. That night, I did eat a little bit of soup to get a little food into my system. I still did not feel hungry, though, but was enjoying our spot in the jungle.
Next morning we were up early to do a jungle trek. We went for a walking tour first where our guide told us the technique of scampering up a tree if we managed to run into a rhino. We didn't see one on the walk that took us to a canoe. We got in and rode through the river. I was amazed to see a crocodile on the shore of the river we were riding in. I knew I did not want to fall out of this canoe. Alanna wanted me to see the humanity of the place also as she pointed out the woman using the river to bathe. You really realize the privilege of being a westerner when seeing sights such as these. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for us, though, so we were sure to enjoy it. The canoe took us to a spot that we could get something to eat or drink. As we were sitting there, the people were bathing the elephants in the river below us. Alanna asked about it and found out that we could partake in it by riding an elephant into the water for a small fee. The goal was to try to stay on top of the elephant as it flipped over in the water. Another girl joined us later on in the process also. It is quite an experience to fall into the water and then have an enormous elephant fall into the water right by you. Luckily I was young and trusted the fact that this beast was not going to crush me. That was fun! After lunch, we did an elephant ride to look for more wildlife. This time we climbed in a wooden box where Uncle Jim, Alanna, Norbu, and I rode with an open wooden box between our legs to keep us from falling off. The elephant moved very slowly as the handler drove it along. We saw monkeys again and peacocks, but the most exciting thing we were able to see were rhinos. We found two rhinos very close up. They were awesome. They are so prehistoric looking like they came from the time of the dinosaurs. A sheet of armor and eyes that worked to let them just run into and over things as they walked. Lots of other life spotted as we spent three hours on the back of this elephant while it farted, ate leaves, and got whacked on the cranium by the driver. We finished our tour in time for a beautiful Nepali sunset and a small dinner. Then at night we saw the native Tharu village stick dance. It reminded me a lot of our Native American dances. It was definitely a great day doing something that I had no idea I would even experience in Nepal walking out of the plane in Kathmandu just a few days earlier.

Annapurna Region

I awoke early to take a taxi to a bus stop. Uncle Jim and I were going to take a bus to Pokhara where we would transfer to a taxi that would take us to the start of a trail at Phedi to a town called Dhampus. We met our guide for the trip Norbu Lama at the bus station. Mr. Pawdell and Norbu secured a bus and soon we were on our way out of Kathmandu. The drive through the city was long but soon we were out of the city and getting to see the green terraced fields for the first time. The roads were narrow and the vehicles large. There were no dividing lines, so vehicles honked as they went around blind corners. Still there were always close calls as it seemed that it would be easy to give high fives to people in the other buses. People got on and off the bus as we went along the road. Jim and I were just enjoying the ride. My cousin Alanna talked of riding on the roof of the bus. I was not even thinking about that as I enjoyed the view with huge hills and rivers below us. Stopping along the way, we were to get lunch. The only choise was Dal Bhat. I personally had enough, but I tried my best to scarf it down. Some coconut cookies hit the spot, too but I was quickly learning that no one travels to Nepal for the food. Back on the bus and by early afternoon, we arrived in the second largest city in Nepal. From there Norbu procured a taxi and eventually we were going up a long river valley to the start of a trail. We were dropped off there and we felt like we were definitely on our own. I was feeling a bit weird about the guide, but there was no way we would have found this place without him. Norbu was awesome too. A great smile and a wonderful laugh. He was getting on in years, probably in his mid-forties. He had been guiding for a long time, but wasted no time in asking my uncle to get him a job in the states. Jim did not put much thought to it, because I am sure he would be happier in Nepal even though he was not making much money. The trail went steeply uphill along a rocky path. Uncle Jim was making slow steady progress behind Norbu and I as we hiked ahead. It felt good to be putting my foot to the ground and breath some high altitude air. The forested path soon gave way to a high plateau. Here we found houses with terraced farms to tend. The path wound the way through these areas that were obviously only accessed by foot. It was a first for me to think of towns not connected by any kind of road. The people were so friendly and would look up from their daily tasks to give us a kind Namaste. We wandered through villages with kids playing soccer on barren fields without any sign of grass. We finally arrived at our teahouse that would be our bed for the night. It was very dark and rustic. I was excited for a meal. We put our stuff up in our rooms and went down to the main area to order a dinner. The menu was less than exciting as I ordered momos. I knew they were dumplings but not much more. They were awful. Filled with what looked like kelp, I choked them down and felt not fulfilled at all. One thing that Uncle Jim and I noticed was that Norbu was not allowed to eat with us. This made us feel a little bit odd. We were becoming companions, yet the caste system did not allow for him to eat until we were finished. We encouraged him to eat with us, but he ate after we were done. We spent a little time reading, but with not much else to do in the evening we quickly found our way to a deep sleep. When we awoke in the morning, Uncle Jim was not feeling well. It was probably the food as breakfast was just as unappetizing as dinner. I wandered outside afterward to see the peaks rising up for the first time. The most dramatic was Machapuchare. Its steep summit with a few clouds waking up to the morning light. Looking off to its left, there was the 8000m peak that the region was named for. This was Annapurna South which I still am not sure how it fit with the normal Annapurna. I looked forward to the day that was ahead of us. Jim was not feeling well unfortunately, so it was putting a cramp in our plans. When we got to the next little village, Jim said that was it and he decided to stay there for the day. Hanging around town was completely out of the question for me. I left Norbu and Jim to spend the day out hiking on my own. I was now able to just move. The path led me past villages and fields until I finally seemed to make it away from the lowlands and into something more mountainous. I could see across the valley to terraced fields. Along the way, I got food from people selling along the trail. I bought a candy bar from a sweet lady which that little bit must have helped their family. Also a woman sold me some mini bananas for about a quarter.They were good too. Everyone was so sweet as they were incredibly poor, yet so happy. There were beautiful little girls running around while their mother would look up and say namaste. I got to a town on the edge of a big valley. I stopped here at a teahouse with a beautiful view and had a very good lunch. I had very good soup and an extremely nice lady to wait upon me. I had the place to myself. I loved it because it was not the commercialism of the U.S. Just a warm meal and a nice host. I went back down the trail I came from. I ran into the same woman who sold me the candy bar. Her husband was there now and I talked with them with the limited English they had. They let me take their picture and I was on my way. I got back to have dinner with my uncle. He was feeling a bit better, but had a rough day. I felt bad for him not being able to appreciate the mountainous terrain. That evening, I enjoyed the views of the peaks. Norbu took my picture, a little slanted, with both peaks in the background. Meanwhile, Jim was off somewhere else being harassed by a Maoist. Jim was trying to get away while this guy filled him with doctrine. Luckily, he was not more than preached to as we had heard many stories of Americans being robbed. Americans were definitely targeted. I was nervous about it because I only brought a limited amount of funds. Sitting around the fire that night, we talked with other trekking groups. The leader was sort of a jerk, but he actually knew the owner of the Himalayan Restaurant in the U District in Seattle. He asked me if I knew A.C. Sherpa and I did because of my friend Larson. He said something about him owing him money or something, but I thought he was a bit of a cocky jerk anyway, so I didn’t pay much attention. We had another blissful night of sleep before another early morning. The food was better at this guesthouse, but we were to go down the hill today. Along the way, Jim was asked for money. He did give some kids some candy, but he knew that giving here would just mean more demands. We made it to our bus stop where we caught the bus to Pokhara. Norbu found us a place to stay there and then it was off to a simple lunch. I am not sure what I ate other than some suspicious tomatoes. I tried to stay away from a lot of foods because they could be unclean, but I was hungry. Then I wandered around the city on my own, while Jim went and had a beer. I went down to the big lake. There were so many Israelis here, it was ridiculous. I did not know what to do in the city again, but found Jim having a beer. I hung with him for a bit and then went back to the room. I never made it back out. I wasn’t feeling well, so I laid down. I was soon going back and forth to the bathroom with a disgusting mess coming out both ends. I had bad food poisoning and spent a rough night laying down and running to the bathroom. I did not get more than a short period of rest that night. I was hoping that I would come through the night feeling better because we had a long bus ride the next day. I was really hoping I could make it.

22nd Birthday Present: A Trip to Nepal

March 23rd – I started the day at my mom’s house in Eatonville. I had just finished college at the University of Washington turning in my last paper on the 21st. I earned my degree in Economics and I was off to do a little bit of traveling. My cousin Alanna was teaching in Nepal, so I figured that coming to visit her would be a fantastic idea. My uncle was going over also, so I figured that going with him would be a good idea. So my mom drove me to his place in Silverdale, where we picked him up and got on the ferry. We were on our way to Seattle for our first set of flights. I had not spent much time with my uncle Jim, but I always liked being around him. We got off the ferry and he paid for a taxi to the airport. I would have taken the bus, so this was definitely a luxury. Everything went smoothly in the airport. Soon we were on a plane to San Francisco. We got to San Francisco with plenty of time to spare. We got some dinner, checked in with international, and hung out at the gate.

March 24th - I noticed it was midnight, which meant it was now my birthday. Uncle Jim wished me a happy birthday and fifteen minutes later we were on our giant flight. This had been a new experience for me completely with the passport and going to another country, so the huge plane was another interesting sight. We had fantastic seats with no one in front of us. This made sleeping easy as it was quiet and dark, so soon I was out.

March 25th – When I awoke we had crossed the international date line, so my birthday was now extinct. Our first plane stop was Taiwan. I remember looking down at the houses below and realizing how dramatically different the perspective of flying over this place was from just seeing it on a map. We got more fuel there and just had a short stop. Then we were flying to Bangkok. We arrived in Bangkok in the early morning. We had to switch planes there. I remember seeing CNN and thinking how strange that was to be in Thailand and see that. We had a bit of layover, but were soon on a flight to Kathmandu. “I think I’m going to Kathmandu. That’s really really what I want to do. If I ever get out of here. I’m going to Kathmandu.” “Kathmandu, I’ll soon be seeing you and you’re strange bewildering ways.” The flight was different as the stewardess just passed a bottle of brandy around. Things seemed more relaxed and finally we plopped down in the heart of the city. At the airport, we went through security which I did not understand, just went with the flow. We looked out to the beautiful day and there was my cousin Alanna to pick us up. She argued her way into as cheap a ride as possible in her best Nepali. I was glad she was handling the negotiations. She took us to the house of Mr. Pawdell who was one of the richest men in Nepal. He and his family had housed my cousin for a couple months and now he was letting us stay with him.  They had an incredible home, especially for Kathmandu. We had our own entire floor with two bathrooms, which made them a very wealthy family. They fed us dal bhat (rice and lentils) and shoved it on our plates until we could not hold any more. We had to eat with our right hand as utensils are not part of the culture and apparently toilet paper is not either which is why it is the right hand instead of the left. I’ll leave that one to you to figure out. That night all we did was go downtown to Kathmandu so we could use one of the internet cafes. Everything was overwhelming and exciting, but the plane flight was catching up to us, so bed seemed like a good option rather early.

March 26th – We awoke and had breakfast with a General in the Nepali Armed Forces. Okay. He paid basically no attention to me, but Uncle Jim got the run down. See the U.S. had just started one of those war things with Iraq, so they were a little curious about our opinion and honestly whether we thought the U.S. had any interest in Nepal. Well, Jim gave a rather straightforward opinion of I don’t like this war, but I was not quite sure yet. After that, we got our plans set for our mini-trek through the Annapurna region starting the next day which I was stoked for. Then we spent the day going around Kathmandu. Alanna brought along her friend Neelima who taught English with her at the school she was teaching at. We checked out Alanna’s school, then went downtown. There were so many interesting buildings, people, and culture to check out. We did a bit of shopping at the businesses as even though these were my first days in Nepal, it was winding down to be Alanna’s last. They were going back to Washington when I flew out to the Khumbu to go trekking. The city was such a combination of old world, new world, and sprawl. We wandered around and came upon temples in squares that were open to the public without any real purpose to them as far as we could see. We checked them out and also walked around the city where we were harassed constantly by people just because we definitely looked a bit different. We had lunch where I promptly ordered fried rice because I knew that I could get by eating that. I also had a gigantic beer which is served in huge bottles, so having one bottle of beer is like two and a half in the U.S. After lunch, we decided to go to Swyambunath, better known as the Monkey Temple. The weather was not very good as it was slightly drizzling and when we got there, we had a set of very steep stairs to climb. I was excited to do some climbing near mountains, but these stairs could be a good warmup. When we got to the top of the stairs there were tons of monkeys just chilling at the temple. Alanna told me not to look them in the eyes because they had been known to attack people, so I refrained. We wandered around the holy Buddhist site. Kathmandu was a mixture of Buddhism and Hinduism as both religions saw it as a holy city. The Nepali girl who came with us, Neelima, was Hindu and Alanna talked about how her religion had thousands of Gods. It was hard to fathom, not being exposed to it much. We also got ourselves a little follower who wanted to be our tour guide. Really he was just looking for a handout. Jim was nice to him but the rest of us ignored him as we checked out all the statues and buildings. The rain started to come down a little bit harder and eventually we had to retreat to the Pawdell’s for some more dal bhat. After dinner, we decided to take the evening out on the town. Uncle Jim was tired from the time change, so Alanna, Neelima, and I went to a Nepali Beatles cover band at the Holiday Inn where we were able to chat and have some beers. Actually we only had one beer, but that was enough to get Neelima rather blitzed where Alanna I had to sort of babysit her the rest of the night. Mostly, though, it was fun to sit back and enjoy being in a new and different culture, something that I had not experienced enough of in my lifetime.