Sunsets. Full Moons. New Respect for my Mother.

Holy smokers (the new moto for my trip). This has been one of the best weekends of my LIFE and I might have to cut it short, doing to needing to head out, but I will do my best to fill you in =). (Side note - I totally started this and had to go. I didn't feel it appropriate to leave you guys hanging in the middle of my intense stories ;)).

(Second side note - I came to update my blog on Monday and in the middle of one of my stories, the electricty went out. I have really learned patience and flexibility here in Nepal).


So we came into Thamel for the weekend and walked around. After showering and turning in our laundry for the weekend, we headed to Mayas (A local bar/eatery) to meet up with people. We get there and nearly everyone had left (Long story short, but we were about an hour behind everyone that night). Chloe, Nathalie, and myself sat down for dinner and managed to make it in time for happy hour (2 for 1). I hae a Pineapple Daq. DELISH. Then for our second round, I wanted this one drink, but the bar tender told me I wouldn't like it - how would he know?! OH well, he made me a sample drink and he was right. I ended up getting something else - It too was tasty. A group of boys from the same org. invited us to the Regge bar, but after another drink and a few giggles, we decided we had enough for the night and headed into bed.


The next morning was INCREDIBLY interesting. We woke up to it pouring rain - the exact weather I was expecting when I came out here....but NOT buckets of rain. So we all met at the hotel and were going to walk for the buses. However, we decided we were going to run (literally) to the bakery to get some breakfast since it was pouring rain. I ended up getting something tasty (can't remember) and then we all ended up getting rick-shaws....HaHaHaHa. A rick-shaw is a tiny Nepali man driving a bike with a little shelter attached to the back - they are EVERYWHERE. Anyways, Sam and I decided to ride together and squeezed into this rickshaw. I haven't laughed so hard in fear of my life in a LONGGGGGG time. As we were heading down the hill, he squeezed for his brakes, but we kept going. HaHaHa. That is a noise I never want to hear again. Long story short, analyze the size of the rickshaw driver before getting on. Nevertheless, it was on my list of things to do before I leave - check. (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2005/2657654529_5c6cb8a323.jpg).

We got to the bus and started our drive to Trisuli River. A few short hours, and the #1 most gorgeous drive of my life later, we arrived to the river. They told us we would be able to bring our valuables onto the raft with us in a 'dry box,' but this box was no larger than a small tool box...GRRRR. There was this group of guys from Denmark who kept saying their boat was the "party boat" - more on them later. Then there was our boat of 6 girls and Depault (sp?) I will call him "D" for the sake of time. And there there was this other boat....who will be refered to as the other boat.

When we got in he asked who wanted to ride in the front. Everyone kind of looked at each other and that is when I decided/concluded that since I had already risked my life coming to Nepal, why not risk my life to the river as well?! (Amanda/Dad - Be proud!) SO, we all get rowing along, having a good time, and then stop for lunch. The guides prepared EVERYTHING by hand and made homemade coleslaw with fresh cut veggies - It was SO cool. When we landed our boats I went for a short walk up the hill and found a village of villagers bathing in the river. The kids immediately saw me and ran up to me....They didn't speak English so I just took a stick and started drawing in the sand - they were quick to follow. It made me smile. These kids are freaking MONKEYS. Like, this little boy was LEAPING from rock to rock and running around like the wild monkeys which we chasing me around on Friday....ridiculous. It was really cool though because all the food we didn't eat was given to the village kids before we left. They weren't begging or anything - it was a nice change of pace, but kind of sad at the same time.



After lunch "D" started talking to us some more. It sounded a little like this - "skjhsdfkjher alkjhdf we lkjhsdf werl kjh sdlfkjh wekjh sdkfj hwe swimming rapids." We all looked at each other like "WTF" and kind of interpretted it however we wanted to. We weren't quite sure if he was asking us if we were good swimmers or if we wanted to tip the boat - we just smiled and said yes....



At one point during the day I was in the back of the raft talking to this boy named Dillion who went to school at the U. of CO - Denver. I thought he had a shirt on about swimming, so I asked him about it and turns up he played squash. I then asked what his major was of which I found out it was International Relations and Global Politics, after which I informed him it is my dream to be Secretary of State. I guess Ms. Rice went to the U of CO-D...learn something new everyday. Besides the point - in the middle of the conversation I got yelled at by the girls because I was still backpaddling instead of front paddling - I didn't hear the new command =).

Shortly after that, D asked if anyone wanted to go for a swim. There were only two people in from the other boats (two of the managers) so I thought, why the heck not. So I jumped in. The water started getting faster and faster and the next thing I know it I am WAY a head of the boat and see some upcoming rapids. Kathy was right along side of me, and at this point I was practically on top of Chris, but we definitely rode in the water through Class II rapids. Ummm....WoW. At one point I remember looking at Kathy (after rapid #1) and said "I want to get back in the boat." The way she smiled at me suggested that I mize well hold on for dear life, so I did and struggled for my life through the next 1/4 mile of rapids. I have a new respect for my mother - (Who nearly killed herself rafting a few years back after getting stuck under some rapids). It sounds like a blast, and it was, but while you are in the water, you come back up for air and there is another wave crashing down your throat - I was exhausted. Needless to say, I double checked everytime after that and stayed close to the boat for the remainder of the trip.

After a few hours of rafting we stopped for camping and dinner. They cooked an AMAZING dinner of soup and Dal Bhat (Some of the best I have had yet - it involves potatoes; how could it NOT be good?). After setting up all the tents and bathing in the river, Mailia (pronounced My-lah - which will be my 1st daughters name.....) suggested that if we wanted, we could walk into the little village across a suspension bridge and get some "drinks" and then walk up the hill to watch the sunset. So a group of about 15 of us start walking through this CUTE village. Very small, everyone just sitting on the steps of their shacks, goats roaming around grazing on your shoelaces, and then we started walking up this hill. And by hill, I mean cliff. Literally (Pictures to come at a way later date). There was no walking trail. Just lots of spider webs to dare your hands to and shrubs that made you pray to the higher God's that they not be uprooted during your trek. I haven't sweated that much in my entire life. But after a few falls, cuss words from the Europeans and Americans alike, and a few laughs later, we made it up to the top of this cliff (Like, I cannot get over how straight up and down this cliff was!) and sat on the steps of the temple while we watched the sun set over the mountains. I was so at peace.

STORY TIME (Back up a little bit). On the bus, there was this couple sitting in front of Sam and I. At one point they turned around and started talking to us and the rest is history. Som is from Nepal and Susan was from Ireland. (Cute story how they met). Anyways, so we are at the top of this temple talking about spirituality and the works and then I asked Som about his village that he is from and the charity work he is doing there. After he explained everything I made a 1/2 joking comment that I wanted to visit his village. He asked if I had this next weekend free and low-and-behold I DO!! His villiage is in the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas AND he used to walk peoples bags to base camp on Everest for them! GAHHHHHHHH. This guy was AWESOME. Long story short, he has arranged a few motor bikes to take me a few friends of mine to his village in the mountains this weekend. Everest, here I come!!!!!!! Its so weird how one small thing happens, such as a small conversation, and the next minute you are traveling to a part of the world you never dreamt of. I am SOOOOO excited - Prayers for my 5 hour motorcycle ride through the Himilayas this coming weekend.



The ride down the cliff was MUCH easier and we didn't even stop for drinks - we were all soooo wiped out that we headed straight for the river @ our camp. The rest of the night was SOOOOOO chill. Nathalie and I sat under an awning and chatted and then just roamed around talking to people as the night went on. After dinner they set up a bon-fire...I grabbed a sleeping bag a took a quick cat-nap in from of the flame, waking up to Rum Punch and Buffalo being cooked over an open fire. Could this get any better?! After chatting for a long while around the fire I suggested to a few friends that we sleep under the stars. They all thought I was crazy and talked about being eaten alive by bugs - I reminded them that we bought and brought bug spray for a reason =). SO, after lathering up, we ended up having 10-15 people sleep outside, on the beach, next to the river, under the stars and full moon - I didn't get bitten ONCE. The next morning I woke up to the sunset, with the fog ever so softly keeping us safe from the morning sun....I haven't woken up with that big of grin on my face in FOREVER.

We putzed around the beach for a while - they made us potatoes and omletes and Nepali tea for breakfast. (Did I mention I drink tea atleast 4 times per day?) I keep forgetting that all the cheese out here comes from goats, along with the milk, so everything is MUCH sweeter than I am used to - I still prefer extra-sharp cheddar. After packing up the tents and cleaning up the beach, we headed out for another day on the river. This day was still a blast - aside from the sunburn which literally crisped my shoulders and the top of my legs - It may or may not have blistered....moral of the story, stick to Banana Boat, not Coopertone.

Well, we were promised bigger and more exciting rapids on Sunday, and that we were granted. They were the largest rapids of my life and a complete freaking blast. However, we hit the Ping-Pong sideways, and two of the three girls on my side of the boat, including myself, ended up sacrificing ourselves to the river - along with our sun glasses. I can still remember clearly looking up and seeing the raft literally coming on top of me. Chloe's face was priceless, but by the grace of God, they were all saved. I remember being air hung for a good 20 minutes (kidding) before my back hit the water. I apperantly was more concerned about someone saving my paddle than I was about someone saving my life. Another moral of the story, when you fall in, screw the paddle! They float.....I got back in the boat just for another Rapid called "The Suprise." Through the rapid I was picturing Wilson and Tom Hanks in Castaway during the storm and kept telling myself that if they could do it, so could I. From then on out, I didn't care about paddling through the waves, I just held on to the chicken rope - named for my sake ;).

At one point in the afternoon, we all got in the water and were floating along. This may have been a "you had to be there story", but Nathalie, I dedicate this one to you. So along the way, well, the night before there was this other group who set up for the night on the same beach as us. Well, in the boat there was this one guy from Saudi Arabia. So we are all in the river, and all the girls get back in the boat except for Nathalie and I. It was BEYOND hilarious watching 5 girls trying to get back in a raft, and Nathalie and I COULD NOT stop laughing ... good thing we were in the water ;). JK. Anyways, so this one guy from Saudi gets out of his boat and comes floating along side of us. He kept saying, hahahaha, he kept saying "You need to stop laughing. You need to stop laughing. You can't get back in the boat if you don't stop laughing." Nathalie tells the story that she kept trying to "get away from my face because I am contagious." HaHaHaHa. WoW. We ended up getting back in the boat and every time we looked at each other from there on out we started laughing - good times.

After we landed, the guide cooked us lunch - I wasn't very hungry, and really haven't been very hungry because of the heat, but it was tasty none the less. They even cut up a fresh watermelon - don't mind the fact that I was inhaling it soooooo fast that I dropped a piece on the ground....I cannot wait to get home and eat the commisarys stock of fruit completely gone! After changing into dry clothes in a goats stalls, which hung over a cliff above the river of which I was crouching the WHOLE time, and standing around for the HOTTEST hour of my life, cramped under a shed, we got into the bus, exhausted, and not prepared for the next 6 hours of our life.

So, we knew that there would probably be a strike on the way home....but I had NO idea what to expect. Luckily we had a few river guides, native Nepali men and Som on the bus with us. We got to our first strike and a group of men get out of the bus and walked a ways up to where the particular group had stopped the traffic. Like, literally a mile of stalled cars waiting until 6 p.m. when these people would let traffic go again - Nepal = Crazy. Anyways, they told the group we were tourists and had to catch a flight out of Kathmandu at 8 p.m and they let us through.

We got to the next town where there was another strike and we had to do the same thing. Imagine a bus of white folk in a small Nepali town - of which has probably never seen a Westerner. They looked beyond fascinated. Again, we got through.

However, the next stop was interesting. For some reason Som knew that they wouldn't let us through unless a large group of us got off the bus and walked up to prove that we were white and not natives. I again decided to risk my life for the sake of getting back to America eventually, and they let us through again.

This happened a few more times until we finally made it back to the lovely Kathmandu. I forgot how much I didn't miss the continuous hussle and bussle of street dogs and car/bike horns...but then again, it felt like home.

We ended up deciding to stay in hotel excelsior for the night again - an opp. to turn in our laundry, get a WARM shower, some good food, and a good nights rest before facing my first full week at work.

We did just that. For dinner we went to this place called New Orleans and had the most amazing piece of chicken I have ever had. Maybe not, but having meat made my entire body tingle. Nathalie had been there before and insisted that we all get a brownie and ice cream, and we did. OH, in the middle of our meal, the power went out. Are you catching this trend? I love it. Luckily the restraunt was thinking ahead and already had candles lit at all the tables...what fun. After dinner we ended up going to this bar called Tom & Jerrys, which wasn't anything it was hipped up to be. Could be because it was 9 p.m. on a Sunday night, but who knows. Long story short, well, yes. I didn't have a drink but risked my life again (Not really, but my flat mates....girls). Anyways, its not a story for the blog for the sake of my....I don't know. Its nothing speical, but if you want to know the story, shot me a message =). Key Word - Canadians. Side note = I am sitting next to Chloe in the internet cafe and just read her what I wrote. She said that she will hint in by saying she is making me buisness cards to hand out ;).

We went home and literally passed out. I had to sleep on my back due to the burns, but nonetheless, I was out like a light (Kind of like the electricity in Nepal. We woke up early the next morning and headed to the bakery (Are you catching another theme?) and then caught a taxi back to the house and then headed off to work for one of the most interesting weeks of my life.

Well, that is all for this post now. I must start another entry for the sake of keeping my days and stories seperate.

Sorry it took me so long to update you about my weekend, but I hope you enjoyed it at least 1/2 as much as I did =).