So it was June 30th, a Sunday, when I left Pokhara. I've already written about saying goodbye, how much it affected me, and getting on the bus. The trip back was pretty uneventful. Hello's were exchanged with a German fellow (I don't know but I think everyone is pleased to meet me, I certainly personify the stereotypical friendly Canadian), I didn't eat at either of the stops, but munched on some chips and bought apple juice at the two lunch counters we took breaks at. And then we almost tumbled, bus and all, down into a deep valley.
Yes, you read the correctly. The bus nearly toppled over off the road into the deep valley below.
It happened rather quickly, I don't think most people even knew we came close to our doom. We were rounding a sharp corner, and the roads, narrow as they are, usually have a small curb at the side to warn vehicles when they tread too close to the edge. However right as we rounded the corner, trucks were driving on our right (remember, the drive on the opposite side here). The bus pulled slightly more to the left, and our left back tire hit the small curb and bounced off the side of the hill. Luckily, we were traveling fast enough and the other three wheels were firmly planted on the ground, and the upcoming road was straight for a few hundred meters. The bus continued, we were safe, but my heart was pounding. The guidebooks tell you about the many accidents and overturned buses and whatnot, but until you almost topple over the side of a cliff, it just doesn't seem real.
We arrived in Kathmandu, the traffic insane- more so than usual. The bus actually turned its engine off at one point, we were stuck bumper to bumper, not moving for a good 10 minutes. Then we arrived at the bus park.
We were about 7km from my hostel. I got off, grabbed the handle of my suitcase, and tried to find a taxi. There were lots around, but I was tired, so tired, and didn't want to barter. I paid about 9 bucks (so much more than you would ever pay a taxi to take you to a location in the Ring Rd) and climbed in. I just wanted to get to my hostel!
The driver made small talk, like they all do, asking where I was from and whether I was married, if I was a student, how long I'd been/be staying in Nepal. I was in no mood to actual converse, but hey, I can't help but be polite, even when tired and hot and sticky. We drove and drove, through narrow back streets, and came to Patan. The driver had never heard of Sanu's House homestay, but luckily the directions I received with my booking were clear: across the street from B&B hospital, in a green building (the only green building in the area). Ram, the driver, took me across the street from the hospital, and I immediately saw the sign. I had arrived!
My heart nearly sank. From the outside, the guest house was small, dingy, and on a muddy road packed with taxi's, buses and people. We stopped, I paid the driver, and was helped inside by a smiling man who resembled Buddha. Seriously, this guy was round and bald and had the largest smile. Inside, a young woman, I think the daughter of the owner, showed me to my room while her uncle, the guy who looked like Buddha, took my suitcase upstairs. Thank goodness, as that thing is heavy! (Once again, I have no idea how it keeps getting heavier.) Inside my room, I closed the door and laid on the bed. While I was downstairs I saw a sign with the wifi passwords on it; they were easy to memorize so I pulled out my computer and power cord to charge up and surf the net.
Only the plug didn't fit in the outlet. This is the first time I've actually run into that problem here, as every plug so far has been universal. Amazing, yes, but I knew I had thrown my outlet adapter into my suitcase before I left the monastery.
The outlet adapter was no where to be found. I took every single thing out of my suitcase, shook out clothing, checked the inside of the lining. I searched my backpack and my grey purse and all the little bags I carried with me. Nothing. No plug adapter. I sighed and almost cried. My netbook had a good 4 hours of power left, even if I played videos, and my iPad had about 5 hours of power, if I kept it on airplane mode and didn't watch videos. No problem, I could survive until I went out the next day and found an adapter.
So I thought.
I was tired, but not tired enough to sleep. I had snacks and water, and about an hour after I arrived I bought a bottle of Fanta (I seriously now have an orange Fanta addiction) from the dwnstairs store run by Uncle Buddha. I snacked and watched episodes of 30 Rock (gee, again Laura? How predictable) and soon my netbook was warning me to plug it in or change the battery. Neither were an option. So I powered the computer off, and turned to my iPad. I used the internet a little, emailing and facebooking, then read. I was almost finished Bossypants, a book by Tina Fey, so I opened the Kindle app and continued to read. At about 6, I tried to get back on the net, only to find out the power was off. Load shedding, it is a fact of life here in Kathmandu. Luckily it is the wet season, so the power only goes off twice a day, a couple hours at a time (check out the schedule). I read some more, started to get tired (I was used to such early nights at Pal Ewam) , so I took a quick shower, swallowed half a sleeping pill and called it a night by 7:30PM. And although the bed was hard as I couldn't imagine, I slept so well.
That's the thing about Sanu's house: it looks like a dive on the outside, but inside is so warm and comforting and family-like, you fall in love. My room was actually quite nice, the hard bed (a thin mattress stuffed with cotton), a desk with chair, a hat/jacket stand, and a wooden closet. Across the hall a short two steps was the shared bathroom, with leaky shower and toilet that flushed too loudly. It didn't matter; the bathroom looked old and dark, but it served its purpose. It even had hot water, something I hadn't experienced since that morning I caught the plane to come here.
And most importantly, the owner, Sarita, was amazing.
The next morning I woke up around 6AM, my (now) normal time, and used the iPad to check email and read a bit more. Around 7AM I went downstairs to find more clean water, and finally met Sarita; she told me to come and sit down in the kitchen. Against the wall were woven mats with round pillows, so I did as she said and sat. She made me milk tea (so amazing) and breakfast. That morning the breakfast was boiled eggs that she then coated in these amazing spices, a sweet rice pudding, and corn pancakes. There was even raspberry jam for the pancakes! I was in heaven! I ate two whole eggs, a good amount of the rice pudding and two delicious corn cakes covered in jam. I was stuffed! I sat and talked as Sarita cooked, talking about Canada (I wasn't the first Canadian to stay there), Patan, my experiences at the monastery, and what my plans for the day were. When I finished eating, I tried to take my plates to the sink but she would not let me! It seems to be a common thing here, the being served/not being allowed to help. I thanked her so much for the delicious meal, and she said when I was ready to go out, she would give me a map and show me on it where to go.
I rested for a bit, worried about the battery on my iPad, and read a bit more. Then I got dressed, put on my sunscreen (I have special stuff for my face, I want to avoid wrinkles as long as possible), and packed my bag with my bottle of water and my lonely planet book. My room locked (a padlock like at Pal Ewam) and I went downstairs to get advice. I had been studying the Lonely Planet guidebook, but Sarita pulled a photocopy of a clearer version of the Patan map and started to circle the different temples and sights. It seemed pretty straightforward, how to get to Durbar Square, how to find the temples, but somehow I still got lost.
I ended up walking around for about an hour before I was in a different part of Kathmandu and forced myself to wave down a taxi. This time I had the driver take me straight to Durbar Square, where I paid a 5 dollar entry fee to walk around the city square. It is filled with temples, both Hindu and Buddhist, the old Patan Palace courtyard, and, for an extra 2 bucks, the Patan museum.
I think I spent a good two hours in the museum, taking a total of about 270 pictures. (All are available on my facebook page, viewable by the public). It was filled with views of Patan from the 1800's, with Hindu tantric folios, and oh so many statues of buddha and hindu gods and more. I loved it.
I had lunch at the museum cafe, sitting in a lush garden behind the museum. I ordered a club sandwich, and was not disappointed. They included cucumber and fried egg, as well as the bacon and chicken breast and tomato. The white bread (I miss soft whole wheat) was lightly toasted and it came with some fries. I never liked thick cut fries more!
After lunch, I strolled around the square some more, then walked up the street a bit to an electronics shop I had passed in the taxi. I tried to explain what I was looking for, but had forgotten one of my power cords to show them the type of adapter I meant. Then the salesman pointed to a power bar he hd behind the counter; it had 5 plugs that fit ANY type of plug! I was saved, and now I could charge ALL my devices at once. Only 7 bucks (I didn't even barter, I was so giddy). I pulled out the map and asked which way I should turn down the street, and once they gave me directions I was on my way back to the guest house.
Sarita greeted me warmly, and listened with a smile as I described getting lost. It was only about 230PM, so she said if I felt like it, she would give me more directions later. I never made it out again, though, as once I had my netbook charging I was on the internet, relaxing after a stressful day.
Stressful? I spent it in a museum, right? Only it was incredibly stressful, from the amount of people, the lack of english signs (I'm sure I must have walked right by some of the temples without realizing they were down small alleyways because of NO SIGNS), and the insane traffic. Everywhere you walk you are nearly hit by cars and motorcycles. You just learn to listen for beeps and step to the side when the road is too narrow for both you and the vehicle.
Still, this small city girl was overwhelmed. I was happy to upload photos and update my friends.
The next morning, I woke up and had breakfast at around 6:45AM. I felt weird, but Sarita made me sit down and cooked for me again. This time it was a spicy chickpea and potato with wheat pancakes. I never realized how good chickpeas can be! I wish I had asked her to teach me how to make it, or at least to give me a list of the spices I would need. Then I went upstairs to rest again, and set out for the zoo shortly after 9AM.
And I got lost again. Not before getting into my first accident! As I was trying to cross the road from the guest house to the smaller, inner part of Patan, I miscalculated and ended up having to back up quickly. Only I didn't realize a scooter had pulled up immediately behind me! I felt it bang against my left leg, I bumped my left arm at the elbow (ouch) and was shaken throughout my whole body. The guy on the scooter actually fell over, but jumped up, unhurt. He looked angry until he turned around and saw a small while foreign girl desperately saying I'm sorry over and over. He shook his head and climbed back on, then drove off. I stayed close to another group of pedestrians and made it across the road.
But again, the lost thing. The zoo is actually pretty straight once you make it to the main road in Patan, but somehow I veered off onto a smaller street and ended up who knows where. I found another taxi, he told me 2 bucks to take me there. I wasn't in the mood to argue, and 2 bucks is nothing to me. So I climbed in, the taxi drove me back from where I had turned off wrong and down the tightly packed roads to the zoo.
It was only about 950AM when I got there, and it didn't open until 10, so I walked around the block, past a football (soccer) field and a large open air market that reminded me of Rhoda's Flea Market at home. Tables of new and used clothes, accessories, some food and produce, and more junk than anyone would need. I waited the next five minutes with the other people outside the gates, then paid 5 dollars for admission (it is only 1 dollar for locals, 5 for foreigners). Inside, I worried that it was going to be disappointing.
It wasn't.
It is a little shabby, but the animals actually seem well cared for. There are large signs explaining what animals are in each enclosure, with facts about their eating habits and conservation status. There were strange alligator type creatures with long, thin snouts, lots of different types of deer, pelicans roamed free beside the small lake (pond?) and then I got to the good stuff.
First I found the hippopotamous. It was soaking in its enclosed part of the lake, and as I pulled out my camera, it proceeded to open its mouth and play for pictures! Across the walkway in their own exclosure with two smaller man made ponds were black rhinocerous. The day was hot, so they were doing their thing, sitting in the water with just their rumps and their eyes/snouts visible. I took some more pictures (so many pictures!) then backtracked so I could make it to the tiger cage.
Two Bengal tigers stalked back and forth, not cooperating for the camera. I think I must have taken about 40 photos of them, and only about 10 were worth keeping. Still, TIGERS! Nearby were macaques, two back simians, and some water buffalo.
I continued through the zoo, snapping pictures of many different types of birds (thinking of my dad, who loves birds, the whole time), some lizards and snakes, and even some fish! I saw leopards, hyenas and more. I loved it.
After the zoo, I made my way across another busy, busy street (much more careful this time, making sure to keep in step with a couple locals who seemed to really know what crossing the street entailed) and started the long walk back. I wasn't exactly sure what road I should be taking, but knew the general direction so I made sure to keep turning down the streets that woudl take me back to the area I was staying in. And guess what, soon I recognized the entrance to Durbar Square, and knew exactly how to get back to the guest house! I had triumphed! I bought some bananas and some of those alphabet chips I liked so much, as well as a cold Mountain Dew (no caffiene in it here, interestingly), and was soon back in my room.
I hadn't realized I actually got hurt in the accident earlier that morning, but by the afternoon I was hot and sticly and the salty sweat was making the gash in my left lower calf sting. I told Sarita all about my adventure, including the accident, and assured her I had all the neccesary first aid supplies. Thanks mom, for sending all that with me. It helped!
I cleaned and bandaged myself up, and then started watching some videos while I relaxed. I had another shower, took two tylenol PM's, and fell asleep quickly. I was worn out.
The next morning meant another breakfast in the kitchen with Sarita. I waited until about 730AM this time, hoping to run into some of the other guests, but I was still the first of the borders to get up! For breakfast was a homemade flatbread, spicy potatoes with onions, and more milk tea. I gobbled up so many potatoes, mopping up the spicy juices with the faltbread, and felt like a pig. Sarita seemed to love it tho, she is so kind and giving. Then I excused myself and went upstairs to pack up my things. I organized my suitcase and packed up my computer, then read a bit on my ipad while waiting for it to get close to noon. Sarita sent Uncle Buddha (I wish I knew his real name) to get a taxi for me, and proceeded to give me a tikka (a blessing made with red dust applied to your forehead) and a flower, I think a morning glory, she placed behind my ear. Then she handed me three coins for me to drop in a small vessel with incense burning beside it, and told me god would be with me me all day.
You know I don't believe in God, but how could I ever be rude enough to say that? It isn't the supernatural that matter anyway, it is the goodness that it inspires in each of us. And Sarita was truly full of love and goodness. I was sad to say goodbye, but wanted to see more of the city and knew it would be easier from my next hotel.
The taxi was there, Sarita bargained the driver down to 4 bucks for me, and soon I was loaded in with my luggage and we were off to Thamel!
Don't worry, there is still lots more to come!
Namaste, friends.
Yes, you read the correctly. The bus nearly toppled over off the road into the deep valley below.
It happened rather quickly, I don't think most people even knew we came close to our doom. We were rounding a sharp corner, and the roads, narrow as they are, usually have a small curb at the side to warn vehicles when they tread too close to the edge. However right as we rounded the corner, trucks were driving on our right (remember, the drive on the opposite side here). The bus pulled slightly more to the left, and our left back tire hit the small curb and bounced off the side of the hill. Luckily, we were traveling fast enough and the other three wheels were firmly planted on the ground, and the upcoming road was straight for a few hundred meters. The bus continued, we were safe, but my heart was pounding. The guidebooks tell you about the many accidents and overturned buses and whatnot, but until you almost topple over the side of a cliff, it just doesn't seem real.
We arrived in Kathmandu, the traffic insane- more so than usual. The bus actually turned its engine off at one point, we were stuck bumper to bumper, not moving for a good 10 minutes. Then we arrived at the bus park.
We were about 7km from my hostel. I got off, grabbed the handle of my suitcase, and tried to find a taxi. There were lots around, but I was tired, so tired, and didn't want to barter. I paid about 9 bucks (so much more than you would ever pay a taxi to take you to a location in the Ring Rd) and climbed in. I just wanted to get to my hostel!
The driver made small talk, like they all do, asking where I was from and whether I was married, if I was a student, how long I'd been/be staying in Nepal. I was in no mood to actual converse, but hey, I can't help but be polite, even when tired and hot and sticky. We drove and drove, through narrow back streets, and came to Patan. The driver had never heard of Sanu's House homestay, but luckily the directions I received with my booking were clear: across the street from B&B hospital, in a green building (the only green building in the area). Ram, the driver, took me across the street from the hospital, and I immediately saw the sign. I had arrived!
My heart nearly sank. From the outside, the guest house was small, dingy, and on a muddy road packed with taxi's, buses and people. We stopped, I paid the driver, and was helped inside by a smiling man who resembled Buddha. Seriously, this guy was round and bald and had the largest smile. Inside, a young woman, I think the daughter of the owner, showed me to my room while her uncle, the guy who looked like Buddha, took my suitcase upstairs. Thank goodness, as that thing is heavy! (Once again, I have no idea how it keeps getting heavier.) Inside my room, I closed the door and laid on the bed. While I was downstairs I saw a sign with the wifi passwords on it; they were easy to memorize so I pulled out my computer and power cord to charge up and surf the net.
Only the plug didn't fit in the outlet. This is the first time I've actually run into that problem here, as every plug so far has been universal. Amazing, yes, but I knew I had thrown my outlet adapter into my suitcase before I left the monastery.
The outlet adapter was no where to be found. I took every single thing out of my suitcase, shook out clothing, checked the inside of the lining. I searched my backpack and my grey purse and all the little bags I carried with me. Nothing. No plug adapter. I sighed and almost cried. My netbook had a good 4 hours of power left, even if I played videos, and my iPad had about 5 hours of power, if I kept it on airplane mode and didn't watch videos. No problem, I could survive until I went out the next day and found an adapter.
So I thought.
I was tired, but not tired enough to sleep. I had snacks and water, and about an hour after I arrived I bought a bottle of Fanta (I seriously now have an orange Fanta addiction) from the dwnstairs store run by Uncle Buddha. I snacked and watched episodes of 30 Rock (gee, again Laura? How predictable) and soon my netbook was warning me to plug it in or change the battery. Neither were an option. So I powered the computer off, and turned to my iPad. I used the internet a little, emailing and facebooking, then read. I was almost finished Bossypants, a book by Tina Fey, so I opened the Kindle app and continued to read. At about 6, I tried to get back on the net, only to find out the power was off. Load shedding, it is a fact of life here in Kathmandu. Luckily it is the wet season, so the power only goes off twice a day, a couple hours at a time (check out the schedule). I read some more, started to get tired (I was used to such early nights at Pal Ewam) , so I took a quick shower, swallowed half a sleeping pill and called it a night by 7:30PM. And although the bed was hard as I couldn't imagine, I slept so well.
That's the thing about Sanu's house: it looks like a dive on the outside, but inside is so warm and comforting and family-like, you fall in love. My room was actually quite nice, the hard bed (a thin mattress stuffed with cotton), a desk with chair, a hat/jacket stand, and a wooden closet. Across the hall a short two steps was the shared bathroom, with leaky shower and toilet that flushed too loudly. It didn't matter; the bathroom looked old and dark, but it served its purpose. It even had hot water, something I hadn't experienced since that morning I caught the plane to come here.
And most importantly, the owner, Sarita, was amazing.
The next morning I woke up around 6AM, my (now) normal time, and used the iPad to check email and read a bit more. Around 7AM I went downstairs to find more clean water, and finally met Sarita; she told me to come and sit down in the kitchen. Against the wall were woven mats with round pillows, so I did as she said and sat. She made me milk tea (so amazing) and breakfast. That morning the breakfast was boiled eggs that she then coated in these amazing spices, a sweet rice pudding, and corn pancakes. There was even raspberry jam for the pancakes! I was in heaven! I ate two whole eggs, a good amount of the rice pudding and two delicious corn cakes covered in jam. I was stuffed! I sat and talked as Sarita cooked, talking about Canada (I wasn't the first Canadian to stay there), Patan, my experiences at the monastery, and what my plans for the day were. When I finished eating, I tried to take my plates to the sink but she would not let me! It seems to be a common thing here, the being served/not being allowed to help. I thanked her so much for the delicious meal, and she said when I was ready to go out, she would give me a map and show me on it where to go.
I rested for a bit, worried about the battery on my iPad, and read a bit more. Then I got dressed, put on my sunscreen (I have special stuff for my face, I want to avoid wrinkles as long as possible), and packed my bag with my bottle of water and my lonely planet book. My room locked (a padlock like at Pal Ewam) and I went downstairs to get advice. I had been studying the Lonely Planet guidebook, but Sarita pulled a photocopy of a clearer version of the Patan map and started to circle the different temples and sights. It seemed pretty straightforward, how to get to Durbar Square, how to find the temples, but somehow I still got lost.
I ended up walking around for about an hour before I was in a different part of Kathmandu and forced myself to wave down a taxi. This time I had the driver take me straight to Durbar Square, where I paid a 5 dollar entry fee to walk around the city square. It is filled with temples, both Hindu and Buddhist, the old Patan Palace courtyard, and, for an extra 2 bucks, the Patan museum.
I think I spent a good two hours in the museum, taking a total of about 270 pictures. (All are available on my facebook page, viewable by the public). It was filled with views of Patan from the 1800's, with Hindu tantric folios, and oh so many statues of buddha and hindu gods and more. I loved it.
I had lunch at the museum cafe, sitting in a lush garden behind the museum. I ordered a club sandwich, and was not disappointed. They included cucumber and fried egg, as well as the bacon and chicken breast and tomato. The white bread (I miss soft whole wheat) was lightly toasted and it came with some fries. I never liked thick cut fries more!
After lunch, I strolled around the square some more, then walked up the street a bit to an electronics shop I had passed in the taxi. I tried to explain what I was looking for, but had forgotten one of my power cords to show them the type of adapter I meant. Then the salesman pointed to a power bar he hd behind the counter; it had 5 plugs that fit ANY type of plug! I was saved, and now I could charge ALL my devices at once. Only 7 bucks (I didn't even barter, I was so giddy). I pulled out the map and asked which way I should turn down the street, and once they gave me directions I was on my way back to the guest house.
Sarita greeted me warmly, and listened with a smile as I described getting lost. It was only about 230PM, so she said if I felt like it, she would give me more directions later. I never made it out again, though, as once I had my netbook charging I was on the internet, relaxing after a stressful day.
Stressful? I spent it in a museum, right? Only it was incredibly stressful, from the amount of people, the lack of english signs (I'm sure I must have walked right by some of the temples without realizing they were down small alleyways because of NO SIGNS), and the insane traffic. Everywhere you walk you are nearly hit by cars and motorcycles. You just learn to listen for beeps and step to the side when the road is too narrow for both you and the vehicle.
Still, this small city girl was overwhelmed. I was happy to upload photos and update my friends.
The next morning, I woke up and had breakfast at around 6:45AM. I felt weird, but Sarita made me sit down and cooked for me again. This time it was a spicy chickpea and potato with wheat pancakes. I never realized how good chickpeas can be! I wish I had asked her to teach me how to make it, or at least to give me a list of the spices I would need. Then I went upstairs to rest again, and set out for the zoo shortly after 9AM.
And I got lost again. Not before getting into my first accident! As I was trying to cross the road from the guest house to the smaller, inner part of Patan, I miscalculated and ended up having to back up quickly. Only I didn't realize a scooter had pulled up immediately behind me! I felt it bang against my left leg, I bumped my left arm at the elbow (ouch) and was shaken throughout my whole body. The guy on the scooter actually fell over, but jumped up, unhurt. He looked angry until he turned around and saw a small while foreign girl desperately saying I'm sorry over and over. He shook his head and climbed back on, then drove off. I stayed close to another group of pedestrians and made it across the road.
But again, the lost thing. The zoo is actually pretty straight once you make it to the main road in Patan, but somehow I veered off onto a smaller street and ended up who knows where. I found another taxi, he told me 2 bucks to take me there. I wasn't in the mood to argue, and 2 bucks is nothing to me. So I climbed in, the taxi drove me back from where I had turned off wrong and down the tightly packed roads to the zoo.
It was only about 950AM when I got there, and it didn't open until 10, so I walked around the block, past a football (soccer) field and a large open air market that reminded me of Rhoda's Flea Market at home. Tables of new and used clothes, accessories, some food and produce, and more junk than anyone would need. I waited the next five minutes with the other people outside the gates, then paid 5 dollars for admission (it is only 1 dollar for locals, 5 for foreigners). Inside, I worried that it was going to be disappointing.
It wasn't.
It is a little shabby, but the animals actually seem well cared for. There are large signs explaining what animals are in each enclosure, with facts about their eating habits and conservation status. There were strange alligator type creatures with long, thin snouts, lots of different types of deer, pelicans roamed free beside the small lake (pond?) and then I got to the good stuff.
First I found the hippopotamous. It was soaking in its enclosed part of the lake, and as I pulled out my camera, it proceeded to open its mouth and play for pictures! Across the walkway in their own exclosure with two smaller man made ponds were black rhinocerous. The day was hot, so they were doing their thing, sitting in the water with just their rumps and their eyes/snouts visible. I took some more pictures (so many pictures!) then backtracked so I could make it to the tiger cage.
Two Bengal tigers stalked back and forth, not cooperating for the camera. I think I must have taken about 40 photos of them, and only about 10 were worth keeping. Still, TIGERS! Nearby were macaques, two back simians, and some water buffalo.
I continued through the zoo, snapping pictures of many different types of birds (thinking of my dad, who loves birds, the whole time), some lizards and snakes, and even some fish! I saw leopards, hyenas and more. I loved it.
After the zoo, I made my way across another busy, busy street (much more careful this time, making sure to keep in step with a couple locals who seemed to really know what crossing the street entailed) and started the long walk back. I wasn't exactly sure what road I should be taking, but knew the general direction so I made sure to keep turning down the streets that woudl take me back to the area I was staying in. And guess what, soon I recognized the entrance to Durbar Square, and knew exactly how to get back to the guest house! I had triumphed! I bought some bananas and some of those alphabet chips I liked so much, as well as a cold Mountain Dew (no caffiene in it here, interestingly), and was soon back in my room.
I hadn't realized I actually got hurt in the accident earlier that morning, but by the afternoon I was hot and sticly and the salty sweat was making the gash in my left lower calf sting. I told Sarita all about my adventure, including the accident, and assured her I had all the neccesary first aid supplies. Thanks mom, for sending all that with me. It helped!
I cleaned and bandaged myself up, and then started watching some videos while I relaxed. I had another shower, took two tylenol PM's, and fell asleep quickly. I was worn out.
The next morning meant another breakfast in the kitchen with Sarita. I waited until about 730AM this time, hoping to run into some of the other guests, but I was still the first of the borders to get up! For breakfast was a homemade flatbread, spicy potatoes with onions, and more milk tea. I gobbled up so many potatoes, mopping up the spicy juices with the faltbread, and felt like a pig. Sarita seemed to love it tho, she is so kind and giving. Then I excused myself and went upstairs to pack up my things. I organized my suitcase and packed up my computer, then read a bit on my ipad while waiting for it to get close to noon. Sarita sent Uncle Buddha (I wish I knew his real name) to get a taxi for me, and proceeded to give me a tikka (a blessing made with red dust applied to your forehead) and a flower, I think a morning glory, she placed behind my ear. Then she handed me three coins for me to drop in a small vessel with incense burning beside it, and told me god would be with me me all day.
You know I don't believe in God, but how could I ever be rude enough to say that? It isn't the supernatural that matter anyway, it is the goodness that it inspires in each of us. And Sarita was truly full of love and goodness. I was sad to say goodbye, but wanted to see more of the city and knew it would be easier from my next hotel.
The taxi was there, Sarita bargained the driver down to 4 bucks for me, and soon I was loaded in with my luggage and we were off to Thamel!
Don't worry, there is still lots more to come!
Namaste, friends.
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