Laura's Year in Asia = Fun Stories

Nepal, Nepal, Nepal, why do I love you so???

It's not the ease in which things can be done here thanks to a little common sense and a reasonable climate. Nor is it the friendlyness of people and their honesty that makes it more enjoyable to travel. I don't think its the plethora of adventurous, fun and outdoor-oriented tourists who are here either. I really truly think its due to their tea. Yes Nepali tea is just about the greatest concoction to ever touch my lips. It's sorta like Chai, but more milky (probably Yak milk) and more pumpkiny spicy....yeah. Its just great. 2 pots a day at least. I told a storekeeper today I'd marry a Nepali man just to stay here and drink tea for the rest of my life.

Actually Justina and I have been doing more than drinking Nepali tea during our first week here in Nepal. We first arrived in Katmandu during the festive season for Hindus, so the streets were empty and there were zero crowds, we spent a lot of time sorting out visa and money junk. But also found time to explore the real Katmandu past the Thamel district which is the Khao San rd. of Nepal. (Thamel is basically Wreck Beach and the Grouse Grind smushed together, you get dreds with your goretex and cotton pants with your Northface)

We did a 1/2 day walking tour, trusting our map skills, through old Katmandu to Durbar Square, which is a really cool centre of town from the old OLD days. Incredible architectuer and even mroe incredible Monestaries and Hindu shrines that dot the landscape as much as the embroidered t-shirt shops. A few wrong turns down skinny cobblestone alleyways later we were back in Thamel drinking ice cold LEMON Fantas (yes i haven't gone crazy, but these Lemon fantas are almost better than orange ones...I know i'm investing in that company asap) contemplating how we were going to get to the Monkey Temple. The Monkey Temple actually has a much longer Tibetian name, but its up on this hill overlloking the Katmandu valley and overpopulated with monkeys big and small. Still confident in our mapping abilities we decided to attempt the walk, even though our map kinda blurred over the area we needed. We got there with only one small wrong turn, and proceeded up the steep steep steps that made it seem like we were climbing Everest already. Saw tons of Monkeys and got a beautiful view of the pollution that hangs over Katmandu like my dirty-wet trekking socks. Walk home in time to catch sunset from a rooftop restaurant in Thamel eating Eggplant Lasagne and Tomato soup.

We really wanted to head south to the Chitwan National Park, but wasn't interested in the package tours that everyone and their monkey tries to sell you. No one seemed to understand why we didn't want their package, maybe because when we got there - the place is 80% empty thanks to the Maoist insurgency and tourists reluctance to stray past the Thamel bubble. We got incredible deals on our accomodation, and had the whole safari camp to ourselves the majority of our time there. Big room, big balcony, big bathroom, really all I ask for in life these days.

Chitwan is famous for its elephants, tigers and rhinos. We focused hardcore on the first one. Our first day we went down to the river and got to bathe with the elephants. Pretty much the best experience in my life to date I'd have to say. They'd lie down in the river and you'd scrub them with rocks and mud, basically an elephant massage! Then they'd lift you up with their trunks and if you could climb over their head and on to the ir back you could dive in the river, OFF AN ELEPHANT! They were so so playful, never more than wehn you'd be sitting on their back and instead of just drinking the water, they'd suck it up and spray you with it, soaking you from head to toe. A fun morning to say the least. That afternoon we rented bikes and tried to cycle through the local villages to the Elephant Breeding Centre, where all the Elephants used in the park are raised. Of course my crappy Indian-made mountain bike broke 1/2 way there, so it turned into a muddy walk. The centre was really informative, but really we went to see the baby elephants. There were 4 moms and their elephanties. The youngest only 4 months old! Most of the babies were the size of my old Tracker, but this one was just so small Justina really thought we could put a leash on it and bring it home on the plane.

Just to complete the elephant triple-crown, the next morning we took an elephant safari at 6am through the actual national park. It was pretty incredible sitting on an elephant as it meandered through the jungle and into rivers. You had to keep an eye out for big branches and deadly spiders (nothing that we don't usually encounter in our bathrooms here though...) but there was tons of time to relax and look at the tons of wildlife around. We saw crocodiles and wild pigs, and tons and tons and tons of birds. No rhinos or tigers, but really now... I was on an elephant!


Coming back to Katmandu was an adventure too as our minibus clinged to the side of the cliff/road for the whole 4 hours. Not to mention we saw a huge truck accident at one point which just brings you back to what kind of risks you have to consider when traveling in places like this. But we're safe and sound of course and ready for the next adventure. Which starts tommorow. Justina and I got so good at Katman-doing stuff that we've fast-tracked our trek around the Annapurna conservation area to start tommorow. Today we organized our Sherpa (porter) who is going to carry all our crap, and help us keep to the path for 21 days. We've decided to go big, and not home, and do the whole Annapurna circut. The Annapurna Himals are a section of the Himalayas that has a dense concentration of 7500m + peaks. Basically its the most scenic trek in Nepal. Its just that the trek itself is long (21 days) and goes through a pass that is one of the highest in Nepal (5400m) So around October 20th think of what your doing, and then think of me, taking 3 breaths for every step I take. Excited? Yes I am. Nervous? Of course. But we're here and I don't want to have to come back and do this when I'm old. haha.

So that's to where Justina, our Sherpa and I are now. Off to the Himalayas for 3 weeks.