10 days in Nepal

OK ... Kathmandu is kind of a sh*t hole, but there's a certain amount of charm to the sh*t, as follows:

1. The people ... remove the individuals that follow you asking for money, and folks are actually quite charming.

2. The vistas ... so I have seen the Himalayas exactly twice since I've been here, but those moments were spectacular.

Right there, above the watercooler - those are the Himalayas!!!

Another look ... I know it kinda just looks like clouds, but trust me ...
that's the real deal.

3. The food ... once you get through the 1-2 days of explosive diarrhea, the food is to die for.

What does THAT mean???

Veggie mo-mos
To my family - you're right - EVERY culture DOES have a dumpling!!

4. The architecture ... step over the trash heap and head towards the temple - they're super cool.

Temple in Bhaktapur

OK - so I'm not painting the best picture, but I can actually say I've enjoyed my time in Nepal very much.  Work has been hellacious, but my team here is wonderful.  Hotel room service leaves something to be desired, but I had a fantastic meal tonight with another RTI friend that's here from NC.  I honestly think the best of Nepal is left for the trekkers ... those individuals brave enough to make the journey to see the true unspoilt beauty that is Nepal.  I ... clearly ... am not one of those people.

All in all, this trip has made me appreciate the little haven that is Hanoi that much more.  Yes, Hanoi is crowded and chaotic, but ... I've realized being here that I consider Hanoi my second home.  And nothing compares to home.

Oh!  And I figured out where the term "holy cow" comes from ... I'd like to believe (translation - I've made up) that it started here in Nepal ... as the cows just roam freely.  It's actually a jailable offense to hit/maim/wound/kill a cow ... they're sacred, or ... "holy" ... aka ... HOLY COW.  Who knew?!?!?

I did get to have a bit of a boondoggle last weekend, spending Saturday/Sunday in Pokhara ... and it was amazing ... amazing in the things I did and saw and an amazing lesson in the futility that is trying to plan travel around Nepal.

I left Saturday morning on a baby planelet to Pokhara ...

My trusty steed over the Himalayas

... quick trip over the mountains (and yes, was picturing Alive all over again with every turbulent disturbance), and 30 minutes later, I was there!  Got to my gorgeous hotel and was ready to go ... get this ... paragliding.  That's right ... me, Rebecca Price, was going to walk off of a perfectly good mountain to see gorgeous mountains, a lake, and some true Nepali countryside.

... alas - it wasn't meant to be.  Trip called off due to poor weather.  Figures.

So I spent the day walking around Pokhara!  Went and saw the waterfall (Devil's Falls, which, for some reason, they spelled "Devi's Falls".  Huh.), went to the cave, then found myself walking up and down the Lakeside road - a backpacker's haven.  Met some lovely Americans and enjoyed a nice cold Everest (beer) with them.

Thanks Pokhara!

My lovely hotel in Pokhara

Devil's (aka Devi's) Falls

Me @ Devil's Falls

See???  Everything says "Devil's Falls" except for all signs
into the actual falls.  Love this place.

Entrance into the cave

Stairway down to the cave

Creepiest Hindu posters ... EVER.
Decorations on the stairway down to the cave.

Weird stone pilings inside the cave.  Reminds me of
Blair Witch Project.
Sidebar: Dougie - remember when we reenacted Blair Witch on our Europe trip?  We're awesome.

Ganesh, the elephant god ... he's everywhere!

Lake in Pokhara

Lakeside, Pokhara

I TOTALLY conquered Everest.

I found the Stairway to Heaven!

My new rug!  It's GORGEOUS!!!!

Road to my hotel.  Screams "sh*thole" doesn't it?!?!

On Sunday, I was all geared up to walk off said perfectly good mountain again - "flying" time 9:30 a.m. before my flight back to Kathmandu at 3.  And of course, it was pouring.  Trip cancelled again.

Perhaps it's a sign that I'm not meant to paraglide???  AKA - walk off said perfectly good mountain???

In fact, the entire airport in Pokhara AND Kathmandu shut down on Sunday.  So there I am, in Pokhara, a city far enough away that it requires a flight (over mountains, as a friendly reminder), and I have to be at work Monday morning.  I'm stuck.

So what do I do?  I pull up my big girl pants and hire a car and driver.

(Disclaimer: the same thing had happened to my friend Maria the weekend before, so I knew this was a possibility - and there was some comfort in knowing that this was "usual".  Maria - sorry you had to deal with the hassle, too, but ... kinda glad you'd been able to share that experience so I knew what to expect!)

While I'm organizing my return trip by car to Kathmandu, a lovely European couple (he's British, she's French) also realize their flight is cancelled.  Kismet!!  Fellow adventurers for the trip home!

And honestly - it was a GORGEOUS drive.  It showed me a part of Nepal I wouldn't have seen otherwise, complete with a rapidly flowing river, crazy suspension bridges a la Indiana Jones (couldn't get a pic, unfortunately, as we were taking the hairpin turns at 120 mph), and the nastiest bathrooms I've ever experienced (seriously, they were FOUL).

Rest stop.  Grossest bathrooms EVER.

Village on the drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu

Honestly, though - the scenery was GORGEOUS.

Imagine there's no cloud cover, and all you see are the Himalayas
behind these "hills."  Evidently it's spectacular.  Must do during my next visit.

6 hours later, I made it safely back to Kathmandu.  Lovely, smelly, dirty as sh*t, Kathmandu.

Painting a nice picture, huh??

In all seriousness, this has been a really good week ... I've seen a lot, done some really good work, and have realized that I much prefer Hanoi to Kathmandu.

And I leave in exactly 36 hours.  Not that I'm counting down or anything ....

Oh - and I changed my flight so I don't have to fly China Southern!!  Thank GOD ... even better?  The coach airfare on another airline was MORE expensive than business class.  So who's flying business class to Kuala Lumpur AND Hanoi?  This girl!!!  Whooooo hoooooo!!!

And here's pics from my evening trip (organized by my lovely coworker) to Bhaktapur!!

"Fresh" water at the local watering hole in Bhaktapur

3 temples marking the entrance into Bhaktapur

Welcome!

Hindu deity adding his (her?) welcome to Bhaktapur

Bhaktapur!

More Bhaktapur!

Even more Bhaktapur!

Can't get enough of Bhaktapur!

I want to buy some of these sculptures for my lawn once I return to Durham.

OK - this is pretty cool.  That's a WOODEN carving that has
survived since EASILY the 8th century.  Now THAT'S amazing.

Super fancy chicken coop.  That's right folks - a multi-tiered chicken coop.