Up about 8:00 to the sound of rain drops falling. Bugger. Went to have a shower, but there was no water. Bugger. It was cloudy and rainy this morning, and I was praying it would clear by noon.
Sat around and read, while they pumped water into the big water tanks on top of the roof. About 10:00, showered in cool water. Bugger.
Headed over to Sunrise Paragliding abou 11:15 to see if it was a go, but I already knew the answer. They looked skeptical, but said come back about 12:30, we'll see what the weather is doing, as the rain had stopped and it looked like it might start clearing.
Went back at 12:30, and the answer. NO. Bugger. They rebooked me for tomorrow at noon.
I decided to rent a scooter and go up to the International Mountain Museum. It cost me 250 rupees for the day to rent the scooter, and if I wanted it for 24 hours, it would be 30 rupees. I bargained with him, on count of the weather, if it rained this afternoon, and I kept the bike tomorrow morning, I could keep it until noon for 250 rupees. I asked the guy if I needed to worry about being stopped at the army and police checkpoints, as I didn't have an International Drivers License. Le laughed a hearty laugh, and said no probelm, I don't look like a Maoist.
Drove my bike back to the hotel and got directions to the museum from the guest house dude and headed off in the rain (it had started raining again...bugger). Found my way without any problems, as I just had to follow the signs to the museum. 300 rupees for foreigners to get into the museum. It was a very good museum, I spent about 2.5 hours there. Lots of stuff about the 14 8000+ metre mountains in the world (8 of those are in Nepal), the rest elsewhere in the Himalaya's. And they had information and pictures of the first ascents of each of the 14 peaks, including quotes from the climbers. Another section on the different hill tribes that inhabit Nepal. Another section on the myth (or is it?) of Yeti, and lots of other mountain related things. The museum is set on a vast expanse of land, and the building itself is huge, very modern looking.
On the way back, it was still raining (bugger), and I ran out of petrol along the way (BUGGER!). It happened right in the middle of an army checkpoint, so I asked one of the army dudes where the nearest petrol station was, and he pointed down the street, and sure enough, not more than 50 metres away, was a petrol station. I got off and pushed the bike to the station and put two litres in. (124 rupees, about $2.15CDN). Continued on back to Lakeside, and got lost (bugger), but eventually found my way. I knew I was going in the right general directions. Made it back about 5:00.
There are tons if Israeli's here...tons. Half of the backpackers are Israeli's. And not too many people like them. The lady who sold us our jackets last night, she was saying she hates dealing with the Israeli's. I've heard that some of the tea houses (guest houses) on the Annapurna Circuit have signs over saying "No Israeli's". I remember when I travelled in 2003, hearing stories about Israeli's, and they being rather unwelcome...they can be very loud and obnoxious, especially when they get together in large groups. They are typically very easy to spot, they have large, wild hair, almost afro-like.
About 6:00, headed to the internet, and as I was walking past Sunrise Paragliding, they recognized me and called me in. They had screwed up, and already had bookings for tomorrow and didn't realize it, so I got pushed to Monday. Bugger!!!!! Monday, I think, will be my last chance. If I can't do in Monday, I'll probably pass, as I think I'll head back to Kathmandu on Tuesday.
Wayne and I headed for supper about 7:00. As we were deciding on where to go for supper, we looked north, and we could clearly see the mountains in the dim dusk light. Clear as anything, the rain all day had passed, and took with it all the clouds and mist and haze. We decided that we would head up to Sarangkot tomorrow morning, if it was sunny tomorrow morning, and see the range.
We ate at a restaurant showing "The Final Cut" (or "The Last Cut", I forget), starring Robin Williams, a bizarre story set in the future, where people can have a recorder chip implanted in their unborn child's brain, and from the moment of birth, the chip records everything that person sees, says, hears, etc. for their entire life. When the person dies, a "cutter" does a final cut of a movie that shows that person how family and friends want him to be remembered. I liked it, though.
Back to the hotel and to bed about 9:45.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Friday, April 29, 2005
Relaxation!
Up about 9:00, slept well, but still so tired. Laid on top of my bed for half an hour, then finally got semi-mobile.
Wayne and I went for breakfast about 10:00, then back to lodge.
Read in the garden for a while. There was a guy from Italy and a girl from Calgary in the garden as well, she was doing Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) with him (he was the guide), they were leaving on the bus later today, and start hiking tomorrow.
Very hot and humid in the late morning and early afternoon. About 12:30, the storm clouds started building up, and thunder could be heard in the distance. About 1:30, the rain started, and it continued all afternoon. The rain would stop and just spit for periods. At one of those periods, about 3:00, I headed to the internet, and as I was checking e-mails, the power went out. My computer and the modem were on UPS power, so I was able to finish my e-mailing, but left the journal entries.
Got back to my room and read, then the power came back, and headed to the internet about 5:00 and updated journal.
The rain stopped in early evening, but the storm really put a chill into the air. Jacket and long pants were a must. Lots of (women) tourists were walking around bundled in blankets for the evening.
About 6:30, Wayne and I went shopping for "brand name" jackets. I wanted something warm and windproof for my flight tomorrow. The North Face, L.L. Bean, Columbia, etc., you can get them all here, cheap. I got a Goretex, waterproof L.L. Bean jacket, with lining, for 1900 rupees (about $30CDN). Of course, they're not the real thing, probably not even Goretex, but they look nice, and you can't really complain about the price.
Then we headed for supper, to the Moondance Restaurant, Canadian-Nepali management, for supper, then to another restaurant for a drink.
Got to bed about 9:45.
Wayne and I went for breakfast about 10:00, then back to lodge.
Read in the garden for a while. There was a guy from Italy and a girl from Calgary in the garden as well, she was doing Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) with him (he was the guide), they were leaving on the bus later today, and start hiking tomorrow.
Very hot and humid in the late morning and early afternoon. About 12:30, the storm clouds started building up, and thunder could be heard in the distance. About 1:30, the rain started, and it continued all afternoon. The rain would stop and just spit for periods. At one of those periods, about 3:00, I headed to the internet, and as I was checking e-mails, the power went out. My computer and the modem were on UPS power, so I was able to finish my e-mailing, but left the journal entries.
Got back to my room and read, then the power came back, and headed to the internet about 5:00 and updated journal.
The rain stopped in early evening, but the storm really put a chill into the air. Jacket and long pants were a must. Lots of (women) tourists were walking around bundled in blankets for the evening.
About 6:30, Wayne and I went shopping for "brand name" jackets. I wanted something warm and windproof for my flight tomorrow. The North Face, L.L. Bean, Columbia, etc., you can get them all here, cheap. I got a Goretex, waterproof L.L. Bean jacket, with lining, for 1900 rupees (about $30CDN). Of course, they're not the real thing, probably not even Goretex, but they look nice, and you can't really complain about the price.
Then we headed for supper, to the Moondance Restaurant, Canadian-Nepali management, for supper, then to another restaurant for a drink.
Got to bed about 9:45.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
2 Short Treks - and my knee feels it!
Was up at 5:45 to meet Shaun and Steph to go up to Sarangkot (2000 metre hill near Pokhara) to see the Annapurna range before the clouds and haze come in. That's the idea anyway. We got a taxi to the top, and caught glimpses of a few peaks from the taxi ride, but by the time we got to the top (taxi plus a 20-30 minute hike), clouds/haze obscured everything. We stayed at the top for a bit, but hiked all the way back down to the townsite (long way!) When we got back, we stopped at a restaurant for breakfast, then back to my room about 11:00am. I had to shower, I was dripping in sweat.
Pokhara is nice, but I probably won't hang around for too long. There's nothing here to keep my interest. The waterfall is dried up, the bat cave sucks (so I've been told from Shaun and Steph) and the views are obscured, and there's really not too many people here.
I used the internet and tried my Mastercard at a bank machine...it worked fine. Potential disaster averted!
About 1:30, Wayne and I walked up to the World Peace Pagoda, atop a big hill on the other side of the lake. We walked around the near end of the lake then up the hill to get there, and it was tough going! We missed a turn, and ended up making our own trails for a lot of the way, before we finally found the real trail. The pagoda is very nice, huge, erected in 2001. As you can find anywhere, there are a few canteens up there, so we stayed and had a drink and talked to a couple of old locals who live up on the hill. They grow marijuana (among other things), and they were trying to offer some to us. As we were talking, we looked north and lo-and-behold...snow covered peaks were starting to emerge from the clouds! Slowly, the clouds were blowing off, revealing a number of peaks, and some fairly impressive views. The haze in the air still didn't give amazing views, but still, it was nice. I think I got some good pics, but the camera didn't seem to be able to pick up the faint colour variations really good...I guess I'll see when I get them back to my computer. Also, it was late in the day, so the sun wasn't in a good position to show much.
Instead of hiking all the way back down and around the lake, Wayne and I decided to hike right down the lake and take a boat back across the lake to Pokhara.
Another guy, Simon, from Switzerland, showed up, sweat beads on his forehead. He was the spitting image of Darren. As he approached, I would've swore it was my little brother. Same hair (colour/style), same nose, eyes, glasses (!), he moved the same, same facial expressions, same lips...same everything. It was bizarre. We invited him to come back down with us and share the cost of the boat...so he popped over the pagoda for 10 minutes or so, then came back and we all headed down. My feet felt like they were going to fall off, after all the hiking today. I don't know why this was so different then any of the treks I've done, but my legs and feet were tired to the bone, and my left knee was back to it's old tricks...much paining on the way down.
It was a quick jaunt down, and we got a paddle boat (170 rupees, with three paddlers...only two at a time) on this little wooden boat. Simon was hanging on pretty good, I think he thought the thing would tip over.
Wayne, Simon and me went to a restaurant showing "7 Years In Tibet" for supper at 7:00. Excellent movie. I'd never seen it. Simon left midway through (after eating) because he's in the process of reading that same book right now. I thought it was a movie about an American going to Tibet and becoming "enlightened" and turning to Buddhism...I had no idea it was the story of Tibet (and the Chinese occupation after WWII).
After supper/movie, we went to see if we could find Shaun and Steph, but they were not to be found, so we went back to the hotel and to bed about 9:45.
Pokhara is nice, but I probably won't hang around for too long. There's nothing here to keep my interest. The waterfall is dried up, the bat cave sucks (so I've been told from Shaun and Steph) and the views are obscured, and there's really not too many people here.
I used the internet and tried my Mastercard at a bank machine...it worked fine. Potential disaster averted!
About 1:30, Wayne and I walked up to the World Peace Pagoda, atop a big hill on the other side of the lake. We walked around the near end of the lake then up the hill to get there, and it was tough going! We missed a turn, and ended up making our own trails for a lot of the way, before we finally found the real trail. The pagoda is very nice, huge, erected in 2001. As you can find anywhere, there are a few canteens up there, so we stayed and had a drink and talked to a couple of old locals who live up on the hill. They grow marijuana (among other things), and they were trying to offer some to us. As we were talking, we looked north and lo-and-behold...snow covered peaks were starting to emerge from the clouds! Slowly, the clouds were blowing off, revealing a number of peaks, and some fairly impressive views. The haze in the air still didn't give amazing views, but still, it was nice. I think I got some good pics, but the camera didn't seem to be able to pick up the faint colour variations really good...I guess I'll see when I get them back to my computer. Also, it was late in the day, so the sun wasn't in a good position to show much.
Instead of hiking all the way back down and around the lake, Wayne and I decided to hike right down the lake and take a boat back across the lake to Pokhara.
Another guy, Simon, from Switzerland, showed up, sweat beads on his forehead. He was the spitting image of Darren. As he approached, I would've swore it was my little brother. Same hair (colour/style), same nose, eyes, glasses (!), he moved the same, same facial expressions, same lips...same everything. It was bizarre. We invited him to come back down with us and share the cost of the boat...so he popped over the pagoda for 10 minutes or so, then came back and we all headed down. My feet felt like they were going to fall off, after all the hiking today. I don't know why this was so different then any of the treks I've done, but my legs and feet were tired to the bone, and my left knee was back to it's old tricks...much paining on the way down.
It was a quick jaunt down, and we got a paddle boat (170 rupees, with three paddlers...only two at a time) on this little wooden boat. Simon was hanging on pretty good, I think he thought the thing would tip over.
Wayne, Simon and me went to a restaurant showing "7 Years In Tibet" for supper at 7:00. Excellent movie. I'd never seen it. Simon left midway through (after eating) because he's in the process of reading that same book right now. I thought it was a movie about an American going to Tibet and becoming "enlightened" and turning to Buddhism...I had no idea it was the story of Tibet (and the Chinese occupation after WWII).
After supper/movie, we went to see if we could find Shaun and Steph, but they were not to be found, so we went back to the hotel and to bed about 9:45.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Off to Pokhara
Up at 6:00, showered and walked to the bus stop and found my bus. One of the guys climbed up on the roof of the bus and I handed him my backpack, then another guy told me I had to pay, a "tip" for the guy putting my backpack onto the roof. That was not unexpected at all. I asked how much, he said 20 rupees. A British guy standing behind him, overheard, and indicated to me to only pay 10 rupees, so I gave the guy 10 rupees and told him 10 was enough. He chuckled and said ok. I went over and thanked the guy (Wayne). Had a cup of chai from local sitting by the bus selling cups of chai to tourists. He had a little propane burner, a handful of glasses, and the ingredients to make chai, and sold cups of chai to locals and tourists for 10 rupees per cup. He was making a killing!
Bus left at 7:00, I was sitting beside a British girl, Michelle. The bus stopped a couple of times, once for breakfast, another for lunch, along the way. Close to Pokhara, we had brief glimpses of some of the peaks of the Himalaya's, but most of the time, they were obscured by clouds and haze. Pokhara is situated on lake, and I'm not entirely sure why, but both Wayne and I had visions of a lake surrounded by flat, barren landscape. Driving into Pokhara, we realized how wrong we were.
We got to Pokhara about 2:00, and me, Michelle and Wayne got a taxi to the Butterfly Lodge. The main backpackers section of the Pokhara is a street that runs along the lake front, with shops and restaurants and lodges, with a scattering of tourists and locals. The lake (and city) is surrounded by green, tree-filled hills, very nice setting, with the Annapurna range in easy viewing distance (when it's clear). The highest peak in the Annapurna range is just over 8000 metres, and the Annapurna Circuit as well as the Annapurna Base Camp are two very popular treks with tourists.
It's a lot more humid here than it was in Kathmandu.
Wayne and I walked around town and to the lakefront. You can rent paddle boats at the lakefront to go across the lake or to an island temple, or to just explore. We stopped off at Sunrise Paragliding (http://www.nepal-paragliding.com), where I booked a 1-1.5 hour paragliding flight for Saturday (they were all booked up Thursday and Friday). It was $120US. After seeing it, I think Wayne was convinced that he is going to do it as well.
We then walked north of town, along the road, and stopped at a restaurant on a bluff overlooking the lake. Nice views of Pokhara. Incidentally, Pokhara is a campground...apparently a lot of overlanders, presumably from Europe, come through from campers. There were a few campers there today, I should have went and checked the license plates. I can't see it being locals, as I've never seen a camper or a trailer in any Asian country, that I can recall. And campgrounds are rare.
On the way back to town, an old lady carrying a load of wood on her head, asked us if we wanted to buy any marijuana.
We ran into Shaun and Steph (from rafting), and we made tentative plans to meet up later in the evening.
Going back to the lodge, an older Tibetan man, super friendly and nice, convinced me to look at his wares he had spread out on a blanket. Like a sucker, I bought from him, and another girl. They are from a Tibetan refugee camp just outside of Pokhara, and they invited me to come to their refugee camp one day and have Tibetan tea. It would be interesting, but I'm sure I'd get more sales pitches while there!
About 6:30, Michelle and Wayne and I went for supper at an outside restaurant by the lake. They had live local Nepali dance and music (which wasn't very good, actually). I had a steak, and it didn't taste really like beef...I suspect it was water buffalo. It wasn't bad, just different tasting.
Pokhara is nice, laid pack, not very many tourists. I hear tourism is way down here.
Had a good rainshower about 3:30, then it was nice all evening.
Ran into Shaun and Steph after supper and all five of us went to Club Amsterdam, a lounge and restaurant for a drink or two.
To bed about 10:30.
Bus left at 7:00, I was sitting beside a British girl, Michelle. The bus stopped a couple of times, once for breakfast, another for lunch, along the way. Close to Pokhara, we had brief glimpses of some of the peaks of the Himalaya's, but most of the time, they were obscured by clouds and haze. Pokhara is situated on lake, and I'm not entirely sure why, but both Wayne and I had visions of a lake surrounded by flat, barren landscape. Driving into Pokhara, we realized how wrong we were.
We got to Pokhara about 2:00, and me, Michelle and Wayne got a taxi to the Butterfly Lodge. The main backpackers section of the Pokhara is a street that runs along the lake front, with shops and restaurants and lodges, with a scattering of tourists and locals. The lake (and city) is surrounded by green, tree-filled hills, very nice setting, with the Annapurna range in easy viewing distance (when it's clear). The highest peak in the Annapurna range is just over 8000 metres, and the Annapurna Circuit as well as the Annapurna Base Camp are two very popular treks with tourists.
It's a lot more humid here than it was in Kathmandu.
Wayne and I walked around town and to the lakefront. You can rent paddle boats at the lakefront to go across the lake or to an island temple, or to just explore. We stopped off at Sunrise Paragliding (http://www.nepal-paragliding.com), where I booked a 1-1.5 hour paragliding flight for Saturday (they were all booked up Thursday and Friday). It was $120US. After seeing it, I think Wayne was convinced that he is going to do it as well.
We then walked north of town, along the road, and stopped at a restaurant on a bluff overlooking the lake. Nice views of Pokhara. Incidentally, Pokhara is a campground...apparently a lot of overlanders, presumably from Europe, come through from campers. There were a few campers there today, I should have went and checked the license plates. I can't see it being locals, as I've never seen a camper or a trailer in any Asian country, that I can recall. And campgrounds are rare.
On the way back to town, an old lady carrying a load of wood on her head, asked us if we wanted to buy any marijuana.
We ran into Shaun and Steph (from rafting), and we made tentative plans to meet up later in the evening.
Going back to the lodge, an older Tibetan man, super friendly and nice, convinced me to look at his wares he had spread out on a blanket. Like a sucker, I bought from him, and another girl. They are from a Tibetan refugee camp just outside of Pokhara, and they invited me to come to their refugee camp one day and have Tibetan tea. It would be interesting, but I'm sure I'd get more sales pitches while there!
About 6:30, Michelle and Wayne and I went for supper at an outside restaurant by the lake. They had live local Nepali dance and music (which wasn't very good, actually). I had a steak, and it didn't taste really like beef...I suspect it was water buffalo. It wasn't bad, just different tasting.
Pokhara is nice, laid pack, not very many tourists. I hear tourism is way down here.
Had a good rainshower about 3:30, then it was nice all evening.
Ran into Shaun and Steph after supper and all five of us went to Club Amsterdam, a lounge and restaurant for a drink or two.
To bed about 10:30.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Nothingness Day
Up about 9:00, showered and went for the breakfast buffet at the Kathmandu Guest House.
Booked a bus to Pokhara for tomorrow, 350 rupees.
There was a girl staying across from me, Helen, British I think. When I originally got to the Kathamandu Guest House, she was in that room, and then I left for rafting, and when I got back, she was still in that room. I was chatting with her, and she just was spending 6 weeks in Nepal, and in those 6 weeks, did both the Everest Base Camp and the Langtang circuit. On a previous trip, she did the Annapurna circuit. Those three of the three main trekking circuits that trekkers do in Nepal. I've decided that I'm going to do all three (in future trips).
Used the internet, then walked to where my bus leaves tomorrow morning, so that I know how to get there and how long it will take me. It's not a long distance, I can walk it. No one bothers you outside of Thamel...locals just go about their business, indifferent to tourists.
When I got back to the Kathmandu Guest House, they told me I have to change rooms, because they want to renovate the room I was in. They moved me two rooms over, same priced room, but it's tiny. Oh well. It's only one night.
Read in the courtyard most of the afternoon.
About 6:00, went to the Roadhouse Cafe again, I recalled they had cream of chicken soup on the menu, and I was craving that. Also got a club sandwich. Neither was particularly good...they should stick with pizza.
Back to my room, packed and went down to pay. I wanted to pay with credit card, but their machine wouldn't recognize either of my credit cards (Visa and Mastercard). I ended up cashing in a travellers cheque. I think their machine was busted or he wasn't doing it right. Afterwards I got thinking, what if all my magnetic cards got wiped out somehow? That would suck. I guess I'll find out in due course.
Booked a bus to Pokhara for tomorrow, 350 rupees.
There was a girl staying across from me, Helen, British I think. When I originally got to the Kathamandu Guest House, she was in that room, and then I left for rafting, and when I got back, she was still in that room. I was chatting with her, and she just was spending 6 weeks in Nepal, and in those 6 weeks, did both the Everest Base Camp and the Langtang circuit. On a previous trip, she did the Annapurna circuit. Those three of the three main trekking circuits that trekkers do in Nepal. I've decided that I'm going to do all three (in future trips).
Used the internet, then walked to where my bus leaves tomorrow morning, so that I know how to get there and how long it will take me. It's not a long distance, I can walk it. No one bothers you outside of Thamel...locals just go about their business, indifferent to tourists.
When I got back to the Kathmandu Guest House, they told me I have to change rooms, because they want to renovate the room I was in. They moved me two rooms over, same priced room, but it's tiny. Oh well. It's only one night.
Read in the courtyard most of the afternoon.
About 6:00, went to the Roadhouse Cafe again, I recalled they had cream of chicken soup on the menu, and I was craving that. Also got a club sandwich. Neither was particularly good...they should stick with pizza.
Back to my room, packed and went down to pay. I wanted to pay with credit card, but their machine wouldn't recognize either of my credit cards (Visa and Mastercard). I ended up cashing in a travellers cheque. I think their machine was busted or he wasn't doing it right. Afterwards I got thinking, what if all my magnetic cards got wiped out somehow? That would suck. I guess I'll find out in due course.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Got me a new watch!
Up about 7:30ish, took some laundry in and went for breakfast, then used internet for a long time. About 11:30ish, went walking through Thamel in search of a watch. I knew I would probably pay a premium in Thamel, though. Of all the shopping available in Thamel, none of the shops sell watches! I expanded my search to some non-touristy, local streets around Thamel, and found a shop that had a bunch of wathces in the window. I went inside, and there were two women and a man sitting down, with another man behind a low counter, sitting cross-legged, fixing watches. I said "Namaste" (a greeting in Nepalese language), he said Namaste to me, and I told him I'd like to see some of the watches. I pointed out a few that looked intersting to me, and he picked them out of his window and let me look them over. I picked one out, and asked how much. I was expecting to have to bargain hard to get a decent price, and he said 200 rupees. Only 200 rupees??? What a letdown! That's less than $4 CDN. I gave the man the money was on on my way. I'm watch enabled again! YAY!
Back to the hotel, and read in the courtyard until about 3:00. I was tired as heck, and went upstairs to my room and listened to music as I laid on my bed, then climbed into bed to try and rest for a bit. Then my phone rang. It was Sabine, I had sent her an e-mail yesterday telling her I was back. Her boyfriend, Mike, was here visiting her (for a few weeks), and they ended up coming over to my guest house for a while, and we sat in the courtyard and chatted. He is from Canada as well, Vancouver.
They left about 6:30, we made plans to meet at G's Terrace at 9:00, they were supposed to have a live band (the same band they had a couple of weeks ago).
I headed to the Roadhouse Cafe. I wasn't too sure of the place, it's very western and modern, but the name was too close to "Roadkill Cafe" for my liking! I had a pepperoni and ham pizza, as they specialize in pizza's.
Met Sabine and Mike at G's Terrace at 9:00, but the band wasn't playing tonight. They were supposed to meet two other Canadians and a German fellow at G's also. The German fellow came around and told us they were at the Rum Doodle Bar and Restaurant. Sabine and Mike ate, then the three of us headed over to the Rum Doodle. We stayed there until shortly after 11:00, then headed to bed.
Back to the hotel, and read in the courtyard until about 3:00. I was tired as heck, and went upstairs to my room and listened to music as I laid on my bed, then climbed into bed to try and rest for a bit. Then my phone rang. It was Sabine, I had sent her an e-mail yesterday telling her I was back. Her boyfriend, Mike, was here visiting her (for a few weeks), and they ended up coming over to my guest house for a while, and we sat in the courtyard and chatted. He is from Canada as well, Vancouver.
They left about 6:30, we made plans to meet at G's Terrace at 9:00, they were supposed to have a live band (the same band they had a couple of weeks ago).
I headed to the Roadhouse Cafe. I wasn't too sure of the place, it's very western and modern, but the name was too close to "Roadkill Cafe" for my liking! I had a pepperoni and ham pizza, as they specialize in pizza's.
Met Sabine and Mike at G's Terrace at 9:00, but the band wasn't playing tonight. They were supposed to meet two other Canadians and a German fellow at G's also. The German fellow came around and told us they were at the Rum Doodle Bar and Restaurant. Sabine and Mike ate, then the three of us headed over to the Rum Doodle. We stayed there until shortly after 11:00, then headed to bed.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Rafting Expedition - Day 12
I must've slept good...I remember trying to find a comfortable sleeping position on the bus, I remember finding one after moving and twisting and readjusting myself. I remember waking up a few times to make small adjustments to my sleep. Then the next thing I knew, the bus started up and we were moving. It was 4:00am already (when the ckeckpoints open up). We went through, on our merry way.
Abot 6:30, we stopped in a town for an oil change and lube job on the bus. While that was taking place, we had chai.
We made it to Chitwan National Park about 9:30 and dropped Will off.
We made it back to Kathmandu about 3:00, the bus went to the companies storeroom to unload everything, and they got me a prepaid taxi back to Thamel. I got back to the Kathmandu Guest House about 3:40, and inquired about an $8 room. He said they only had one $8 room left, but it was being held for a reservation, but the reservation was late. He asked me to wait 15 or 20 minutes and if they didn't show, he would give me the room.
I went over to Ultimate Descents to get my stuff (big backpack and valuables) and got back to the guest house, and they still hadn't showed, and he gave me the room. It was the room next to the one I had last time, only this one is MUCH bigger. When I was at Ultimate Descents, they informed me that Shaun and Steph didn't make it back yesterday...their flight was to leave at 6:00pm yesterday, but the flight got cancelled because of the storm. They didn't get back to Kathmandu until about 11:00 today.
I had a shower to get all the sand and grime off of me, and then shaved of 12 days of facial hair (a difficult job with a razor) and used internet quickly.
I had a steak for supper at the Bodega restaurant. Ok, but nothing to write home about (...which is just what I'm doing).
About 5:30, a thunderstorm rolled in and it started raining.
About 8:00ish, went to the internet and used it for quite a while, updating my journal. Finished with internet about 9:30, then went back to the hotel and crashed.
The last 12 days went so fast....some of the fastest days of my life. Seriously, it only seemed like 3 or 4 days I was away. I simply cannot believe I was away from civilization for 12 days, it just doesn't seem like it was that long. I enjoyed every minute of the trip, and am so glad I did it.
Abot 6:30, we stopped in a town for an oil change and lube job on the bus. While that was taking place, we had chai.
We made it to Chitwan National Park about 9:30 and dropped Will off.
We made it back to Kathmandu about 3:00, the bus went to the companies storeroom to unload everything, and they got me a prepaid taxi back to Thamel. I got back to the Kathmandu Guest House about 3:40, and inquired about an $8 room. He said they only had one $8 room left, but it was being held for a reservation, but the reservation was late. He asked me to wait 15 or 20 minutes and if they didn't show, he would give me the room.
I went over to Ultimate Descents to get my stuff (big backpack and valuables) and got back to the guest house, and they still hadn't showed, and he gave me the room. It was the room next to the one I had last time, only this one is MUCH bigger. When I was at Ultimate Descents, they informed me that Shaun and Steph didn't make it back yesterday...their flight was to leave at 6:00pm yesterday, but the flight got cancelled because of the storm. They didn't get back to Kathmandu until about 11:00 today.
I had a shower to get all the sand and grime off of me, and then shaved of 12 days of facial hair (a difficult job with a razor) and used internet quickly.
I had a steak for supper at the Bodega restaurant. Ok, but nothing to write home about (...which is just what I'm doing).
About 5:30, a thunderstorm rolled in and it started raining.
About 8:00ish, went to the internet and used it for quite a while, updating my journal. Finished with internet about 9:30, then went back to the hotel and crashed.
The last 12 days went so fast....some of the fastest days of my life. Seriously, it only seemed like 3 or 4 days I was away. I simply cannot believe I was away from civilization for 12 days, it just doesn't seem like it was that long. I enjoyed every minute of the trip, and am so glad I did it.
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