PART 2: The Bestari Bestari Expedition (Slowly Slowly)
E-mail Messages Sent from Kathmandu February 2007
Sent February 20
We are having a fine time here even though our original plan was somewhat botched. Darn it.
The other day, we arrived at the domestic airport in Kathmandu at 6am and waited for several hours before the announcement was made that all flights to Lukla were canceled. Very upsetting. The domestic terminal is not the best place to spend any time, much less several hours.. At around 9am we decided to switch our tickets to Pokhara. Lukla seemed impossible considering the snow and since David and Deb had a conference to attend the chances of delay in Lukla seemed more than we were able to risk. Thus we ended up flying that morning to Pokhara at 11am - just barely made the flight. Our luggage was on the passenger bus that took us out to the plane. We laughed when we saw it. Finally, we were going somewhere - the second biggest town in Nepal West of Kathmandu. It is a resort type area near a large beautiful lake and near the trails to the Annapurna range (Himalayas).
Of course when we got there and situated at a nice cafe lake side -- it started pouring rain. Finally the waiter built a fire in a cast iron stove where we could keep warm -- unseasonably cold this month everywhere..
Day two was better. The weather was better. There is absolutely nothing to do in Nepal when the weather is not cooperating. I learned that on this trip. We took a long hike, first across the lake by boat and then up and over one Himalayan hill to a cave, a temple and to a waterfall that falls 300 feet - underground - so it's hard to see... It was a good day.
The next day was even better with a long hike in the morning around the north edge of the lake and a paragliding adventure in the afternoon. ! I have not done that before but Pokhara is one of the best places in the world for running off a cliff and jumping - tandum with a 'pilot' who knows what they are doing - hopefully. It was really quite wonderful - definitely a highlight. Wow! I have most of it on video and will be curious to see how it came out. Spectacular feeling to float in mid air high above the ground with nothing to catch you but a thin sheet of cloth....holding you in the air. Really neat. And the views - more than incredible.
The next day we toured around the area and went by taxi to several places including a long suspension bridge similar to the ones we cross on the Everest trek. We had a nice time in Pokhara, but I still wish we had been able to trek... David and Deb will have to come back to Nepal so they can appreciate the mountains even more. Which I am sure they already do... Yesterday we hiked to a nearby viewpoint - way high up several hundred-million steps - to check out the views. (Sarongkot) The Himalayas are fantastically massive.
So we arrived back in Kathmandu today. No delays. We went to a nearby village this afternoon (Bhaktapur) which was another great adventure -- much like going back in time to about the 14th century!! Chickens and goats in the narrow, cobble stone streets, the natives bathing, knitting, children running, corn hanging to dry, etc.
David and Deb’s medical conference starts tomorrow and lasts for the next two days.
Sent: Wed, 23 Feb 2007 10:45 PM
There is a clock on the wall here at this cyber place that says it's 11:00am in New York -- 9:50pm here in Kathmandu. Nepal is 20 minutes off the rest of the world's time zones. This computer is super slow.. It took me way too long to log in.. but I'm close to my hotel so I'll head to bed soon.
It is quite nice here during the day - hot and sunny. Cool at night.
Since I don't have cable TV at home, I watch too much of it here. I saw Seinfeld and the Simpsons this morning.
Yesterday I went along with David and Deb for their city tour as arranged by someone from their conference. We had already been to most of the places, but we had a nice time watching two other Americans from Cleveland see Nepal for the first time..
This morning, I went to the Hyatt and found Dave and Deb all dressed up and in attendance at the conference. There were several hundred South Asian doctors there.. I attended Deb's talk. She spoke about methods for stopping patients from vomiting after surgery - a common problem, I guess. I am not sure what I will do with this information, but it was great to see Deb in her medical element. She spoke of complicated drugs and medical terms and many things the doctors must monitor and pay attention to during surgery...etc.. After the talk, I sneaked in for lunch - without paying.. I felt like I was crashing the party as everyone was dressed in suits and ties and I was in my run-around Kathmandu clothes and New Balance running shoes. The food was really delicious and mostly vegetarian. Yum. I was hoping I could jump in the pool and relax in the garden at the big fancy hotel after the talk. However, the pool water was cold, and there were 100s of conference goers having lunch pool-side so I definitely didn't want to be swimming at that time...!!!
To conserve energy, the electricity in Kathmandu is now off 6 hours a day....so earlier I was reading in my room by headlamp. Off I go through the dark streets on my way back to the hotel. It's 10:40pm Kathmandu time.
Sent February 24
Today we trekked in the Kathmandu Valley for about 2 hours from Bangamati to Kirtipur - kind of a long way. We passed through some quaint villages on the way. It was nice. Also we crossed a very adorable suspension bridge at the Chobar gorge overlooking the Bhagmati River.
I am very ready for bed. I am so tired.
Sent February 25
Today David and I took a LONG cab ride to the Royal Botanical Gardens. We trekked around there for a while and came back. I jumped out of the cab on a street that has some big shops that are 'fair trade' and 'women's cooperatives', etc. to do some shopping for the Bazaar.
I ended up having dinner with Kami Sherpa - a good friend of Pemba's (my business partner) and a friend of mine nowadays too! He is amazing (like Pemba!) and has climbed Everest FIVE times. He will be climbing this spring (April - May 07) again for his 6th time!
I think I have most things arranged for India - two days from now... I hope. At least we have a place to stay and someone picking us up at the airport in Delhi. As long as we get to the Taj Mahal on the 28th we will be happy.
It was really cloudy today and somewhat cool and rainy tonight. It is sprinkling now. I'll walk back to the hotel through the dark streets in the rain.
Sent February 26
David and I visited the local prison today looking for foreigners in jail to talk to. Sort of a long story about my relationship with the Kathmandu jail, but I visit on occasion. Anyway - we met "Charles" from France. The list of foreigners in the guard house said he was in jail for "murder"!!! David wasn't shy and asked right away, "So what happened?" Charles skirted the question by saying, "Everything went wrong. It is very complicated." He didn't give us any details.... He wouldn't talk about it. He has been in there for three years now. Very ...weird. He asked me to call his wife when I am in Paris. !! :) I have her number....!
It is an interesting experience to visit the jail here. David was curious so we went. We brought Charles some snacks - caramel corn, my favorite - and tea and soap... He didn't give as much information as some prisoners do. But it sounds like he has a private room with cable TV! Weird. Sort of a strange feeling to have met a murderer....though he seems to think he will be free and back in Paris at the end of March.. ?? He didn't seem like a murderer.. I wonder what happened.. That was our adventure for today. If this makes no sense and sounds too strange -- I'll explain more when I get home.. :)
On the way back to the hotel I asked David if he thought anything would come up if we were to Google Charles. David didn't think so. I will try Googling later.
Usually we might go to the prison to visit American prisoners, young 20-somethings who were caught with drugs or other small crimes who might be stuck there many years who need a good book to read and chocolate. This time, we happened to pick the “murderer” assuming mostly that since he was from France, he would be more likely to speak English than the next guy from Sierra Leon, for example. There was no one from an English speaking country in prison when we were there which was a good thing.
While sitting on the small bench that faced the bars where the prisoners sit on the other side, remarkably, I actually recognized another prisoner!!!! He was behind the bars on the side with Charles. As he passed he said, "Hi Heather". David looked totally shocked, and I was even more shocked. This guy works at a shop in the tourist area. Someone who came on one of my trips did some shopping there. We spent a lot of time in the store, had tea, etc., (a common shopping ritual in Nepal). Ever since then, each time I walk by that store, this man is standing at his shop and he says, "Hi Heather". What do you know - this time I see him in jail. He briefly tried to explain he had loaned his cell phone to someone who was making fake passports or visas or something like that and that he was completely innocent...and had a trial coming up, etc. David tried to pass a Toblerone chocolate bar through the metal gate for him and was stopped by the guard. We had to take the candy bar to the other door were they checked for hidden files before giving it to the prisoner.
Sent February 27
I googled Charles. Oh my GOD!!! Did I actually give this man caramel corn?!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3867791.stm
Sincerely,
Heather O'Neal
Of Global Interest Adventure Travel
Ann Arbor, Michigan
(734) 369-3107
http://www.ofglobalinterest.com
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