Namche Bazar

I guess I was wrong. There is Internet in the middle of nowhere. I'm now convinced the Internet is like Life itself--it will attempt to populate every corner of this Earth.

These last three days have been incredible and I wish I could tell you about every last detail, but, alas, the rate per minute for Internet use is a bit on the high side so I'll have to keep it short. I suppose that's to be expected in a little village in the middle of the Himalayas that is only reachable by foot or helicopter. I'm in a little village called Namche Bazar. It sits in a bowl on the side of a mountain with snow capped peaks towering above us on all sides. It's absolutely breathtaking. I believe it's the largest of the villages on the way to the Everest base camp. It's mostly filled with guest houses for trekkers and every little shop you can imagine to cater to them, even a German bakery and a pool hall (remember the only way in here is on foot)! The streets are lined with souvenirs and tiny mounaineering shops. We're spending two days here to help acclimatize for the higher altitudes we'll soon reach. AMS or mountain sickness is a real (and fatal) danger if we ascend too quickly.

We arrived two days ago in a small plane in another village called Lukla. We basically landed on the side of a mountain. It was thrilling! The trail we're following is more of a highway of sorts. Trekkers, guides, and porters carrying these impossibly large, heavy loads in baskets with straps around their foreheads support the weight ( a lot of them are wearning sandals!). Everything has to be brought in and out this way. There are also many of these yak/cow hybrids (can't remember their names), with wonderfully melodic bells sauntering along with their cargo, as well. The ecosystem so far has been mostly pine forest and raging, pale jade colored rivers. Waterfalls are everywhere.

We hike and stop for lunch at one of the many restaurants along the way. In the evening we'll stop at a guest house where we'll spend the night. They remind me of the 10th mountain division huts (cabins in the Rockies for those unfamiliar) with a little more laquer polish. The rooms simple and aren't heated, but there is usually a common room where everyone eats and socializes around the pot belly stove. It's very cozy and everyone has been very friendly. It's funny because there'll be people from so many places, Germany, Spain, Poland, Chile, etc., but they're all speaking English. Lucky for me it's the de facto universal language.

This morning my guide, Santosh, my new German friend, Holger, and his guide climbed up to the ridge above the town. I'm at a loss as to how to describe the views and the how they affected me. The peaks here look like they're from another world. It was also my first view of Everest. From here it doesn't look like much as there are much closer peaks that are more impressive from this vantage point.

In a later post, I'll have to tell you more about my encounters with the people and culture here, but I should probably sign off now.

Culture Shock

I've been in Kathmandu for three days now. Probably two too many. I'm in Thamel, the tourist district. This place is chaos, a major tourist trap. An incredible number of shops and restaurants of all kinds line the narrow, winding, dusty lanes: hostels, souvenir shops, trekking outfits, laundry services, restaurants (everything from Nepali to Italian), you name it. You can also find tons of cheap expedition gear with big names like North Face and Mountain Hardwear. The problem is they're all fakes--though decent fakes apparently, at least according to my guide, The Lonely Planet. Somehow, to my continual amazement, navigating these tiny streets are taxis, buses, motorcycles, bicycle rickshaws, and people, many, many people: tourists, women in Indian dress, Nepalis, beggars, and the bane of my existence, the touts. These are the guys trying to lure you into one of their trekking outfits or hostels, or whatever. To call these people tenacious would be an understatement.

For me there is a painful transition period in a place like this. I'm an easy mark when I first arrive. Five minutes after I left the hotel, two "holy men" walked up to me and painted a red mark on my forehead. I didn't resist, thinking it was part of a current festival. "Blessings, long life," they said. "Money please...no we need more." Suckered. A few minutes later a tout introduces himself, asks me where I'm from. When I explain I'm not interested in what he's selling, he continues walking with me saying, "No problem, we're just talking." What he's counting on the is the fact that I don't want to be rude. Sure, why not chat with one of the locals? It soon occurs to me that I'm now getting a "tour," and eventually have pay the guy off just to get rid of him. Suckered again.

There are beggars everywhere, too. My heart breaks over and over. The money I have compared to those in most of the world sometimes feels obscene...

It's no fun being so mistrusting and watching my armour growing thicker. This is a very poor country and I don't blame them. They're just trying to survive, but I hate it all the same.

Whew!

On the brighter side, I'll be leaving tomorrow for a 16 day trek to Mt. Everest base camp! I'm so ready to be out of Thamel and in the mountains, especially these. Mountains have always been magical places for me so this should be quite the adventure. I'll have a guide/porter and be staying at guest houses/tea houses along the way.

I can't imagine there will be Internet access on the trek so I'll be back in a couple weeks.

Kathmandu

I am now in Kathmandu, Nepal after three flights, five time zones and about two hours of sleep in the last 24. I'm exhausted but I want to stay up as long as I can to help adjust to the new time.

It was an interesting trip getting here. I left Spain on an overnight trip to Qatar, then a short flight to Bahrain, and finally on to Kathmandu. It was strange being in the Middle East again even if was just the airport. I suppose it's because, in my mind, I wasn't going to the Middle East. Anyway, it was all pretty uneventful. Somehow I ended up in Business Class on the flight to Kathmandu. Ah, life is sweet up there: fully reclining seats, gourmet meals, fine wine. I found myself wishing the flight would last longer. Oh, this was interesting: At one point, I crossed through the flight attendant's station to get to the bathroom and one of the attendants, obviously Muslim, had their prayer rug down and was in the middle of one the daily prayers.

When we were about thirty minutes out of Kathmandu I looked out the windows on the left side of the plane and there they were. The Himalayas. There was a blanket of cloud obscuring the ground but a few dozen or so massive, snow covered peaks pierced through the clouds, rising into the sky. We arrived at dusk so all of them were lit up in that magic, late afternoon light. It was breathtaking. Have you ever visited something you've only seen in pictures? Do you know that hyper-realistic quality those things take on when you finally see them in person? That's what it was like seeing those peaks today.

After quick processing at the airport, I was spit out into Kathmandu. I always feel the most vulnerable in a new country right outside the airport. Everything is unfamiliar. How much should I pay? What's the exchange rate? Can I trust the taxi drivers? I've come to accept the fact that I'm usually going to be taken advantage of and hustled a little.

Luckily things weren't too bad. I did make the mistake of not picking a hotel before I got into the taxi. The drivers get kickbacks from the hotels, so instead of just being dropped off in the area I wanted, he insisted on taking me to one. You know, "to help me out." No big deal, it's a decent place in the area I wanted.

And what a ride. Taxi rides in third world countries are always exciting. Traffic flow is a bit more, shall we say, organic. Headlights? Who needs 'em.

It was also intoxicating. I love the overwhelm of the senses you get when you first arrive in a new place. There was so much to see, smell and hear: the ubiquitous Coca-Cola signs, something burning, incessant car horns (as the driver said, in Kathmandu, no horn, no drive) just to name a few.

I'm loving the prices after Spain. Just to give you an idea: The hostel I stayed in in Madrid just before I left was almost $100. Believe me, it was nothing special. The hotel I'm staying at here in Kathmandu is actually pretty comparable and is $10! It's actually more than I need with a private bath and TV.

I'm pretty exhausted, so I had dinner here at the hotel. It was tasty local fare very much like Indian ($3!) and a nice change from Spain. I don't understand their fascination with ham, but I'll be more than happy if I don't see any "jamon" for a while.

Tomorrow I'll venture out and see what's what.

The End of the Beginning

Well...I'm now two and a half weeks into my trip. I guess I should give some background here, just in case you're not familiar with what I'm up to.


I quit my job a few months ago in order to mark a few items off my Things-I've-Always-Wanted-To-Do list. I'm now at the beginning an extended trip through Asia (some of it at least), a trip I first contemplated in college. Eight months is the length of the current itinerary. Nepal, India and SE Asia are the destinations. It's a solo trip, or at least it is now. This morning I said goodbye to the last of my eight companions.

The first part of my trip was spent here in Spain with a few friends from home. For the first week we played "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" in our beautiful villa near Valencia overlooking the Mediterranean. It was quite luxurious and matched our sporty Alfa Romeo perfectly. The second week we spent a few days in Barcelona, Seville and Cadiz. I absolutely love Europe: the history, art, and, most of all, the narrow old streets and sleepy little plazas where you can sip your cappuccino while the sound of the fountain washes away all your cares. Temperamentally, I've decided, I'm more European than American.

Unfortunately, the thought of trying to write about those two weeks in detail is making me sleepier than I already am. Suffice to say, it was wonderful. Great people, beautiful places, and the plenty of that doubled-over kind of laughing.

Also, with the dollar doing so poorly, it's a great place to drain your bank account.