Earthquake Days 3-6: "Small Victories Each day" - Marie

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It's been 4 days since I've written. Now it is 11am, nothing much, Pat's waiting at what we have all dubbed "the airport" aka. the cornfield downstairs in case of a helicopter. I am waiting for the Canadian Embassy to call be back.

Monday Day 3: Valeria, Isabelle, and myself spent the day calling Marie's brother, insurance, hiking company, friend in KTM, and whoever else we could. A helicopter finally came and took the kid and the other injured people then came back for Marie. Everyone tried to jump on the helicopter as if the injured did not matter, I guess it is everyone for themselves at this point. Us 3 girls kissed Marie goodbye and were crying when she left, there's something special about women helping women. I will miss her and our little french crew. The Nepali people who lifted her up from under the rock and brought her to the village wanted money for carrying her down to "the airport" and for bringing her to Dobhan. All she had was $20 and she kindly gave it to the lady who gave her a skirt and blanket, but they said it was not enough. The Germans climbed up a mountain and cheated the system, they're gone. That night we (Pat, Val, Isabelle) all shared some fries and had a nice beer together hoping that tomorrow rescue would come. It was also the day that we figured out how to call internationally so I got in touch with the family finally. I think my dad almost had a heart attck of joy. I felt so relieved that Marie and the little kid were safe and that my family knew I was too, I could have stayed in Dobhan forever now that all that was over. Small victories each day, as Marie would say.





Tuesday Day 4: On the Monday night there was so many tremors that I hardly slept. I even got Pat and the Canadians out of bed because I thought the rocks in front of our hotel had fallen, but as it turned out they were always there. Eli and Paul (doctor and philosopher) arrived with Sandy and their super awesome guide. Eli and Paul are from Spain (they prefer to say Catalonia) and have been travelling together for a year. They met Sandy, who is from the U.S and has been travelling in Southeast Asia for a while, and joined up with her for the trek in Nepal. They are all super cool and nice so everyone spent time together at dinner and exchanged travel stories. During the day Pat and I napped, I tried to read coming of age in Samoa but was too distracted. There was a landslide and a man who got hit by a rock on the lung trying to get to Arugaut (guess walking out of here is out of the question). He managed to get on a plane with some Nepalese people at least the injured are slowly leaving. When a plane lands it is everyone for themselves. The German's left their porters behind so they all decided to walk out of here (by hottie with the cowboy hat!). Three checs, and 2 Russians also arrived but they mostly keep to themselves. Tuesday was also shower day! YAY! After cleaning up from the past few days of horror I felt much better. It was a nice day good weather, and I remember feeling like I could get used to this rural routine.





Wednesday Day 5: Yesterday was a really nice and peaceful day for me, my favourite one yet. I read all of 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' and it was a really touching book. The 2 Quebecois secretly paid for a helicopter and did not tell us which sucked because it secretly gave us hope also I feel abandoned by the people who said they would take care of us, now I lost all respect for them. Some British reporter met them in Gorkah and called here to speak to Pat claiming he was going to help (no word today). While we were waiting for the helicopter that we thought was coming for all of us I played with four kids. We tried bowling with coke cans and rocks but it just turned into "smash all the bottles!" and I each gave them turns spinning them around in the air. Later I chased them around in the cornfield and let them take pictures with my camera as they all put my hipsters glasses on hahaha. One kid also started eating grass so I could film him being silly. I also did my laundry down by the river which was fun, Thakur taught me how to wash my things by hand, I think he has crush on me, who does someone laundry for them. For dinner I finally for my tuna spaghetti and we had another nice travellers dinner, Pat and I have fun convos before going to bed.





Today, Thursday Day 6: Today I learnt some Nepalese with Bhim and 2 school teachers. I think they like me they invited me to come back and stay. Bhim told me he studied in the Maritimes in Canada for 6 months. He is really smart, he works in tourism in Manasalu conservation area and works to bring in people but preserve it at the same time. I harassed the useless embassy one more time who only cares if the injured were the Americans, Canadians, or British. Apparently a Canadian aircraft is leaving soon from KTM but I do not think I will make it on time. Two more people were injured today, a woman whose face is half paralyzed and a man who was bleeding profusely so we had to burn his things to avoid infection. I think I have become the adult again since everyone else is almost gone, they keep trying to get me to call them embassy. Pat won't help and did not even want to pay for my supper since I spent all the money calling the embassy's and trying to get us out of here, "well my helicopter is not here yet so no" he said. We decided to walk out tomorrow morning, I hope it will be okay. Sandy is joining us with her guide but the Catalonians are staying behind, I think they had a deal with the Quebecoise ladies and are waiting for their helicopter to come. Not much else to report today.

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