Perspective

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(I finally had a fast connection today, so I uploaded a bunch of recent pics)

People often ask me why I like to travel so much, and while there many reasons.... I think it comes down to perspective. Experiencing different countries, climates, cultures, foods, religions, smells, etc. on my travels leaves a lasting mark and in the end I don't think i'll ever be exactly the same.

Here is some perspective from Nepal...

Here I am a giant. I found out that I wear a XL or XXL shirt in Nepal, and many stores don't even stock my size (in the US i'm a M or L).

Hocking lougies is a pastime here, and young and old participate at all times of the day. Rarely an hour goes by when I don't hear someone winding up and letting loose some sputum on the ground. yummy.

Pets are really not "in" here. People are too worried about be able to put dinner on the table for the their families, and petrol in the cars to get to work. For the first time today I saw a dog on a leash. shocking. dogs fight in the street and dodge cars and are second class citizens, unlike in the US where we buy them organic food, send them to shrinks, and put diapers on them.

In small villages I am a rockstar. Kids yell from balconies and run in the street to catch up with my bike saying things like "hey low!" "how are you friend" and smiling. I'm that special. That or I stick out like a sore thumb.

People are overwhelmingly friendly here. Each of the 23 times I've asked directions they've tried their best to help me.

Two days ago after I left the hospital I decided it would be a good idea to bike to the nearby city of Bhaptapur, and that I didn't need a map to get there.. only my compass, bike and my horrible sense of direction. What unfolded was a mini adventure and some great biking through rice paddies, country roads, and roads socked with 6 inches of mud. At one point I was riding along a one foot thick muddy rise next to a field, slipped, and fell right into the rice paddy. who knew the water was so dirty?

Everything is going well here. Each day the veil of clouds left by the monsoon gets a little thinner, and the sun comes out more and more revealing more of the surrounding mountains. That's all for now.

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Photos

festival day
woman dressed in beautiful red sari's lined the street to pray for their husband's health and long life during a day long fast

monkeying around
why go to a zoo?