Shitting Water

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Both E and I have come down with cases of D&V the past 4 or 5 days. It started the day atter we arrived at Pratik's house, a sort of punk squat in Lalitpur just outside Kathmandu. Whether it was the rice we had for dinner the first night or the drinking water that we continued consuming even after fluids started emitting from both ends of our bodies, we might never know. This is not to blame Pratik of course but perhaps just to highlight our own carelessness after having been so careful throughout India. We have made the best we can of the uncomfortable situation, managing to cook dinner for the house one night and going to the Monkey Temple yesterday. (That was difficult; after 3 days of dehydration and about one meal, my body did not have the strength to climb 365 steep steps. Erika was doing good though, thankfully.) The worst thing about about severe diarrhea is the smell. It would be an understatement to say to say it smells like death. Combined with a squat toilet that doesn't have running water, you can imagine the hellish nights E and I have had.

Having said all of that, Nepal is a great place from what we have seen. It is far less conservative than India, with women on the streets and people dressed more casually. Most people also seem much more friendly and open, and we've certainly received far less hassle on the streets. On Monday we will be going to Pokhara, at the foot of the Annapurna mountain range, for a few days where we will hopefully get our first proper taste of being outside a city. I don't exoect to do any trekking but it'll be nice just to look at some massive slabs of rock.

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