"Namaste!" (Namaste!), "Where are you from?" (Canada), "How old are you?" (23), "Do you have a boyfriend?" (yes), "Do you want a Nepalese boyfriend?" (no thank you), "okay,
let's just be friends" (...)
let's just be friends" (...)this was the progression that i encountered many many times...at first it was nice, lots of friendly locals coming to walk with me through the streets of nepal...after a while though it got a bit tiring!!! I spent my last 3 days in nepal in KTM, i was 
really lucky getting back cause i was supposed to take the bus from chitwan (see next post), but i met a couple canadian guys who offered to give me a lift back to KTM. there ended up being a strike that day (as there seems to be often...and when a strike happens people barricade roads and cars don't go ANYWHERE for HOURS), so if i had taken the bus i wouldn't have gotten into KTM until late at night (when the strikers go away..) as it was, we took some random "roads" (i still have my doubts as to whether or not they were supposed to be driven on), and we got in around 1pm. my guide, lali (see next post), brought me around the town to see some temples; monkey temple...just as the name suggests, monkeys are everywhere. and they go through your bags, and sit a foot away from you, free of all cares..at one point i turned as i was going down the stairs of the temple and i guess there was a monkey fight cause hundreds of monkeys were flying down the stairs and i thought they were coming to get me...scary stuff; also went to boudhanat (the white temple with lots of prayer flags in picture), and a hindu area where they do their "funerals" and burn their dead bodies (then throw the ashes into the water). it was pretty interesting to sit and watch the rituals performed by families...though it kinda felt weird cause it was so public. oh, and bonus: kim looks thai so she didn't get charged at any of the temples (tourists have to pay an entry fee).
really lucky getting back cause i was supposed to take the bus from chitwan (see next post), but i met a couple canadian guys who offered to give me a lift back to KTM. there ended up being a strike that day (as there seems to be often...and when a strike happens people barricade roads and cars don't go ANYWHERE for HOURS), so if i had taken the bus i wouldn't have gotten into KTM until late at night (when the strikers go away..) as it was, we took some random "roads" (i still have my doubts as to whether or not they were supposed to be driven on), and we got in around 1pm. my guide, lali (see next post), brought me around the town to see some temples; monkey temple...just as the name suggests, monkeys are everywhere. and they go through your bags, and sit a foot away from you, free of all cares..at one point i turned as i was going down the stairs of the temple and i guess there was a monkey fight cause hundreds of monkeys were flying down the stairs and i thought they were coming to get me...scary stuff; also went to boudhanat (the white temple with lots of prayer flags in picture), and a hindu area where they do their "funerals" and burn their dead bodies (then throw the ashes into the water). it was pretty interesting to sit and watch the rituals performed by families...though it kinda felt weird cause it was so public. oh, and bonus: kim looks thai so she didn't get charged at any of the temples (tourists have to pay an entry fee).that night went out and had "tonga". i wish i had brought my camera cause this drink was 
COOL...it came in a huge wooden beer mug and was just little balls of millet, to which you add hot water and drink it through a metal straw (pinched at the end so that you don't suck up millet) after it soaks up millety goodness...it was super cheap, and it's the drink that just keeps giving. you just keep filling up your mug with hot water. that night my guide and his friend brought my to a bar, where there was live singing (girls versus guys, in Nepalese). i can't say i'm a fan of nepalese music (the girl singing is kinda reminiscent of caterwauling, in my opinion), but the instrumental background is nice, and the dancing is very uninhibited (lots of arms flailing and spinning around), which is pretty good stuff. unfortunately, a drunk, older Nepalese guy put his arms around my shoulders at one point (he was short, so it was kinda awkward), and Lali (my guide) freaked out and threw him off me...almost starting a fight in the bar (thank god for his really happy friend who seemed to calm things down). so, that was the end of my nepalese bar experience, and i promptly went home. 
COOL...it came in a huge wooden beer mug and was just little balls of millet, to which you add hot water and drink it through a metal straw (pinched at the end so that you don't suck up millet) after it soaks up millety goodness...it was super cheap, and it's the drink that just keeps giving. you just keep filling up your mug with hot water. that night my guide and his friend brought my to a bar, where there was live singing (girls versus guys, in Nepalese). i can't say i'm a fan of nepalese music (the girl singing is kinda reminiscent of caterwauling, in my opinion), but the instrumental background is nice, and the dancing is very uninhibited (lots of arms flailing and spinning around), which is pretty good stuff. unfortunately, a drunk, older Nepalese guy put his arms around my shoulders at one point (he was short, so it was kinda awkward), and Lali (my guide) freaked out and threw him off me...almost starting a fight in the bar (thank god for his really happy friend who seemed to calm things down). so, that was the end of my nepalese bar experience, and i promptly went home. 
the next day i did lots of shopping; you have to bargain hard in nepal, which is my least favourite thing EVER...i feel as though you never really feel happy when you come out cause either you pay too much cause you don't want to bargaining, or you feel like you're cheating the local people out of money cause really all you're bargaining for is a few dollars...and some locals definitely need the money. luckily i had lali with me, so i basically pointed at something i wanted and he would bargain for me...i'm pretty sure i saved tons of money :D
so, flew out of nepal into bangkok (previous post)...had lots of rupees at the end of the trip so i bought lots of chocolate for andy and I at the airport (9 chocolate bars...mmm...but no Reese's PB cups :( ). Also, enjoyed momos and Dal Bhat (the only two truly nepalese foods, as far as i could tell) on my last night (momos = dumpling goodness and dal bhat = unlimited rice, curries, pickles, yoghurt; all eaten by hand, which takes a little getting used to, but i think i mastered the art!) with british/australian Kate and Tim (who i will call UK in future posts to make things easier for me) and andy, all friends from the trek. 
1 comment:
Thank the almighty my daughter did not say yes to the marriage proposal to the Nepalnese,not that I have anything against them.......lol Going to check out what the hack is "giardia", I hope your condition gets better when you see this, enjoy the rest of your monkey and elephant trip.....Luv ya....mommy dearest
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