Somwhere in the Himalayas
(continued from Road to Pokhara)
Wed, Dec 22/04
I've been on the other side of the world for almost a week now, and I still don't know where the f*ck we are, but at the same time..I almost feel at home in this town. Our first two days here we made friends with some of the locals and consumed endless amounts of warm Nepali beer.
We jumped from one cockroach hotel to the next, and found our spot at the one closest to the lakeside. It cost $25.00 Cad for 10 days, and the groaning Water Buffalo alarm clock goes off every morning at 5:00am. The family that ownes the hotel have 5 kids, and three Water buffalo that live in a small barn below our window. They use the milk from these animals every day, but something tells me that the little baby buff will either be sold or eaten for the main course on New years eve. hard to say.,,
We went for a 7 hour hike around the lake and through the foothills the other day. On our way out of town we passed by 30 some heavily armed guards pacing the streets. At first it made me nervous... they love to stare at the blonde tourist that sticks out of the group though..I just wink & smile. they're just doing thier jobs.
The whole political banter in these parts has so far made little sense to me, but we do heed warning to what they say about the unassuming traveller being caught between the crossfire of contending armies, advised not to venture into the areas where active fighting is going on, even though it is always unpredictable. Travellers are welcome into the revolutionary base areas, wich are 'said' to be under control. I was told that a cease fire has been reached between the Maoists and the government, but warnings should always be taken seriously.
When we where in our 7th hour of the hike we made it down to the bottom of the lake where we stopped at a tea house for drinks and talked about how we would get back to town. we had a choice to either walk for another hour...or try and pursuade someone to give us a lift across the lake in a boat. Ian used his charm and talked one of the tea house workers to lend us his boat until tomorrow.. It took him an hour to get it, but we told the guy we would return it the next day with a fee...of course.
So there we where in the middle of the lake in this tattered old wooden boat with 1 and a half paddle... and Heather and I where bailing the shit water out while the boys where paddling. We didn't expect there to be a huge fucking hole in the boat.....what can I say. The passing locals had a good laugh at us...... looking like dumb tourists. We made it to shore, just bareley...and then IAN..lost the padlock for the boat. we looked for it for a few minutes and decided to buy a new one in the morning. Screw it....time for a Beeeeer!
Julie
Wed, Dec 22/04
I've been on the other side of the world for almost a week now, and I still don't know where the f*ck we are, but at the same time..I almost feel at home in this town. Our first two days here we made friends with some of the locals and consumed endless amounts of warm Nepali beer.
We jumped from one cockroach hotel to the next, and found our spot at the one closest to the lakeside. It cost $25.00 Cad for 10 days, and the groaning Water Buffalo alarm clock goes off every morning at 5:00am. The family that ownes the hotel have 5 kids, and three Water buffalo that live in a small barn below our window. They use the milk from these animals every day, but something tells me that the little baby buff will either be sold or eaten for the main course on New years eve. hard to say.,,
We went for a 7 hour hike around the lake and through the foothills the other day. On our way out of town we passed by 30 some heavily armed guards pacing the streets. At first it made me nervous... they love to stare at the blonde tourist that sticks out of the group though..I just wink & smile. they're just doing thier jobs.
The whole political banter in these parts has so far made little sense to me, but we do heed warning to what they say about the unassuming traveller being caught between the crossfire of contending armies, advised not to venture into the areas where active fighting is going on, even though it is always unpredictable. Travellers are welcome into the revolutionary base areas, wich are 'said' to be under control. I was told that a cease fire has been reached between the Maoists and the government, but warnings should always be taken seriously.
When we where in our 7th hour of the hike we made it down to the bottom of the lake where we stopped at a tea house for drinks and talked about how we would get back to town. we had a choice to either walk for another hour...or try and pursuade someone to give us a lift across the lake in a boat. Ian used his charm and talked one of the tea house workers to lend us his boat until tomorrow.. It took him an hour to get it, but we told the guy we would return it the next day with a fee...of course.
So there we where in the middle of the lake in this tattered old wooden boat with 1 and a half paddle... and Heather and I where bailing the shit water out while the boys where paddling. We didn't expect there to be a huge fucking hole in the boat.....what can I say. The passing locals had a good laugh at us...... looking like dumb tourists. We made it to shore, just bareley...and then IAN..lost the padlock for the boat. we looked for it for a few minutes and decided to buy a new one in the morning. Screw it....time for a Beeeeer!
Julie
posted by Take the long road and walk it at 26.5.05
2 Comments:
Seriously enjoying this read of the trip you made to SE Asia, you going back on the road soon?
Oh...I wish it was that easy, but unfortunately It probably wont happen until I stop spending all my hardworking $ on beer.
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