Namaste! (I greet the devine within you)
Trip Start
Oct 28, 2006
1
16
Trip End
Jan 09, 2007
Kathmandu, Nepal
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Nearing the end of the trip I'm philosophically (philosophonomy?) realising that whilst on a long adventure, emotions don't necessarily change. Well, rather, it seems even with the himalayas a tantalising backdrop to the cityscape (they jut and tease above the current Kathmandu haze), I still manage to attach stimuli to the emotions "stress" and "anxiety". Stress, for the fact that my bag is full, and there are still many things I want to nab before home (how to wedge two new pairs of shoes into such a confined space is beyond me). Anxiety, over tomorrow's decision, somewhat swayed by the winds - go to Narankot (spelling?) for some of the greatest views of the himalayas in the country, or hang out in old town Kathmanduy amongst hindu and buddhist temples? If the haze lifts, we're up the hill to Narankot, if not... Shut up Clint? OK.... (Today's hardest decision - pick up a chocolate croissant or doghnut at a local bakery? They're half price after 8pm, which means I paid around 30c for the ultimate answer to the midnight munchies)...
Here goes a day by day account of the last couple of weeks (?). "What the?" you say. The short version - Pokhara is great, riding in buses in Nepal is scary (esp government ones), hiking to get a view of the himalayas insights a bunch of cliches - "awe inspiring", "majestic", "bloody huge" (we're talking some of the biggest freakin' mountains in the world - I think it's worthy), I have been introduced to yoga and meditation - it seems my body, like my mind, is ridiculously unsupple,Kathmandu is pretty oppressing (the tourist part is nice), I'm barely conditioned for mountain biking - but the Kathmandu valley is a great place for it - managed to ride with a Nepalise champion, Bhaktapur is a great place....
18 Jan - trip from Sunauli to Pokhara, dodgy asian moment, nice moments on bus, not so nice moments on bus
19 Jan - early morning arrive, organising trek, day in Pokhara, buying nice camping stuff, eating,
20 Jan - trek day 1 - to
21 Jan - trek day 2 - to Ghorephani
22 Jan - trek day 3 - to Tadop hani
23 Jan - trek day 4 - to Chandruk
24 Jan - trek day 5 - to home, running into Jake and Tara, eating with Madu,
25 Jan - getting to Satsanga, christmas day, paragliding, beer and pizza, russian paragliding pilot, crazy paragliders, souring with himalayan views, calling home, Julian and Freya
26 Jan - First day Sadhana
27 Jan - Mid-day Sadhana
28 Jan - Final day Sadhana
29 Jan - Pokhara to Kathmandu, Madu on bus, crashed buses, grey morning, steep valleys, music, drifting about Thamel, re-organising flight.
30 Jan - day in Kathmandu, checking mountain bike options, shops, contact solution, boring stuff, describe Thamel, catching Tim, catching Julian and Freya.
31 Jan - setting off on mountain bike trip, lift out of city, gentle flat, then up-hill for a few hours, down jarring, up and down through old villages, to plush hotel, Chandru is mad, absolutely exhausted, bed early, happy new years at 7. Running into Madu, Australian girlfriend and her Mum.
1st Jan - waking in pain, quads bursting, 4 hours circuit, neat downhill runs, need to walk hills, old villages, terraced agriculture, greetings from the children, waking with the squirts, ride home into kathmandu (terraced agriculture --> smokestacks --> city traffic), evening meal with Chandru - wrecked.
2nd Jan - Bhaktapur - arriving and drifting into the old city, various squares, chilling right out and getting a view of the evening markets, drifting blissfully off to sleep, taking inspired photos from the top of the hotel, getting the hotel, sorting out mountain biking refund, talking to Chandru and thanking him again, catching Julian and Freya for breakfast (mention the best breakfast)
3rd Jan - Bhaktapur - woke late, a little hazy, wandered around the fog as the town awoke, ate breakfast in view of it all, photos, wandering around random alley ways, living history, buddhist, hindu newari and south indian inspired, stone, intricate woodwork, erotic roof struts, kathmandu traffic, view of the himalayas in the afternoon, red adidas jacket, dodgy guides.
