..so I punched him in the face...
The trail was so full of tourists I felt like the middle section of a human train. Nepali people are the kindest most gentle and good people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, but they see over 200 tourists a day, its no wonder those I met had a cloud over their eyes and a lack of desire to remember my name. I felt this, so kept my head down and basically ran the 4000+ meters to Ananpurna Base Camp....the view at the top, 360 degrees snow capped mountain tops and the biggest glacier I've seen made it all worth while.....I celebrated in true tourist form with a pizza.
Cost SO MUCH more than expected (250 rupees for Dhal Bhat) so slept in dining halls for free and ate tinned tuna. NO PAYING THE MAOISTS. clever me. with the help of some friends...guest house ladies hiding me in dark rooms, waking me up at 5:30 or running down the track with advice to hide in the jungle, all so I wouldn't have to pay, bless them...er can it be that I actually do kinda want one of those receipts??
How many countries can 100's of tourists wander through the middle of a civil war? can pose for photos holding masked rebels guns? where else on earth is it possible to bargain for the payment of armed rebels demands as a solo woman traveler?
My distaste for Nepal evaporated on the last day of the trek, where I stopped in a small town no one stops at, stayed in a 4 star hotel (for $3) where no one sleeps. For 3 days I wandered nontouristy tracks, helped porters carry their massive loads, made friends with a woman my age and 5 children, ate black bread, just missed a snake...and and, so OK. I've spent some time in muslim countries, I've heard just about every insult, been yelled at by young and old, spoken dirty to in whispering tones etc etc and usually react by walking away or an ocational kick to a departing backside....but I was in such a beautiful place that when a teen with Bob Marley head band made a (sadly) typical nasty call, I calmly turned around and punched him in the nose!!! it bled and my hand hurt.
think its time I stopped someplace for a while??? the zen of growing tomatoes sounds like the best medicine.
and in search of that I'll leave for Katmandu tomorrow. x
Cost SO MUCH more than expected (250 rupees for Dhal Bhat) so slept in dining halls for free and ate tinned tuna. NO PAYING THE MAOISTS. clever me. with the help of some friends...guest house ladies hiding me in dark rooms, waking me up at 5:30 or running down the track with advice to hide in the jungle, all so I wouldn't have to pay, bless them...er can it be that I actually do kinda want one of those receipts??
How many countries can 100's of tourists wander through the middle of a civil war? can pose for photos holding masked rebels guns? where else on earth is it possible to bargain for the payment of armed rebels demands as a solo woman traveler?
My distaste for Nepal evaporated on the last day of the trek, where I stopped in a small town no one stops at, stayed in a 4 star hotel (for $3) where no one sleeps. For 3 days I wandered nontouristy tracks, helped porters carry their massive loads, made friends with a woman my age and 5 children, ate black bread, just missed a snake...and and, so OK. I've spent some time in muslim countries, I've heard just about every insult, been yelled at by young and old, spoken dirty to in whispering tones etc etc and usually react by walking away or an ocational kick to a departing backside....but I was in such a beautiful place that when a teen with Bob Marley head band made a (sadly) typical nasty call, I calmly turned around and punched him in the nose!!! it bled and my hand hurt.
think its time I stopped someplace for a while??? the zen of growing tomatoes sounds like the best medicine.
and in search of that I'll leave for Katmandu tomorrow. x
posted by Cathy at 4:50 pm
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