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Published: November 27th 2004
Haha...okay that's not the exact phrase, it's more, but you look....I've been in 3 countries this past week and that is what I've been told in all of them. It's confusing me now.
Before I forget: HAPPY BELATED THANKSGIVING! I hope everyone enjoyed the company of family, friends, and of course, Thursday's meal 😊
Sorry for the delay in updating this blog (Irene :p), but it's been a bit crazy since the Everest trip in terms of access to longterm computer useage, which is what I needed for uploading pictures. But alas, those pictures are on a boat somewhere, or at least I am hoping they are, so no pictures for this update....not until the next downloading session (?).
After Everest, I stayed mostly within Kathmandu Valley area doing several tours on local buses and once with a group from the hotel I was staying at. One of those days I almost fell off a tower while trying to take a picture for some people. Thankfully my leg is still big enough to have kept me from going all the way through! I still have a huge scab running the length of my thigh...not so pretty.
That was one reason I stayed put in Kathmandu, another was the Maoists were putting pressure along certain areas just west of the city. I think to date, there has been quite a few Maoists and soldiers killed. It sounds much more dangerous than it really seemed. Although when soldiers with guns boarding the bus and telling everyone to get out is a bit scary. That only happened once and they yelled at me for not listening. Fortunately I had befriended a family beforehand and they explained I was just a tourist. Of course they still looked at me suspiciously (I wanted to tell them that Maoists probably don't wear Gap jeans, oh well.)
When things quieted down and strikes called off, I went to an area called the Royal Chitwan National Park (http://gorp.away.com/gorp/location/asia/nepal/chitbard.htm). This is the jungle area of Nepal and was a completely different change from the highlands. People here think 65 degrees is cold. Ha! Anyhow, this place is known for having Bengal Tigers, One-Horned Rhino, Indian Elephants, Crocodiles, Gharial crocs, and LOTS of birds. Apparently the tiny country of Nepal has 8% of the world's bird population. I was lucky to see quite a number of them, including peacocks just lounging around in trees 20-30 feet up! Who knew they could fly that high? And although I didn't get to see a tiger or crocs, I did see the bird of all birds- the Giant Hornbill!
Haha...ok, I didn't even know what it was until my guide told me people come from all over the world to see this bird, some multiple times and never see it. I saw a whole family! It was pretty amazing. We heard them before seeing them, as they flew between the trees. They're so big, when they fly there's this incredible sound of whooshing. Then we heard them tapping their bills, the horn part which is hollow on trees. I think in the midst of looking for the Giant Hornbills I got a couple of jungle leeches crawling on me. Fortunately, they were on the outside of my pants, not on the inside. YUCK. But there was one that found a nice little vein (near KD6 Japanese location) and I trailed my blood through the end of the forest. EW. Who knew those little gross things could cause such a huge mess? (wait til you see the picture....)
After Chitwan, I decided to go to Pokhara to check it out. It's the starting point for the Annapurna treks that are popular. I could see why. It's quite beautiful there and the trekking is suppose to be much easier and definitely not as cold. It's a gradual ascent to 5300m and is quite long- 300km. Anyhow, if the Maoists decide to cut Americans some slack (pretending to be Canadian really doesn't work, especially if you're like this one girl I heard about who refused to pay and called them terrorists-uh...even Maoists in the middle of nowhere realize what that term indicates...she deserved to loose her $70, she probably voted for Bush...), I think it's definitely a must do. It's sad b/c tourism has been down for about 3 years in this area, mostly due to the media portraying it as being a dangerous place to go to. I have to say that it's the exact opposite; it's probably one of the most peaceful places I've been to!
So that was it for Nepal. As sad as I was to be leaving, I am definitely happier to be sitting in a fanned room in Cebu! There's just something about cold weather I can't handle for long periods of time. (Alright 1 month of cold weather is not long, but it was extremely cold! how often does one in his/her lifetime have to worry about falling into the toilet b/c there is frozen piss and shit around it from other people trying to limit skin exposure time and still somehow use the toilet?)
This is my first day in Cebu City, so I don't have any pictures yet. I'm not even sure where I am in terms of the ocean and all.... will update again when I find a place that makes CDs and where I am. My first impression of Cebu is that it's bloody hot and Filipinos are really into Christmas. They were even playing Christmas music on the plane! Is that weird or is it just me? Other than that, people are extremely kind and the mangos are yummy.
***Disclaimer: sorry if this was really long and boring and really confusing. I've been sick since leaving Kathmandu with a crazy fever and nausea, not to even mention my BMs. I think my brain is mush but am fortunately feeling somewhat better today.***
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anonymous
non-member comment
Hi ,great to hear from you again
Hi, believe it or not, I am outside the US also. I am in Taipei, Taiwan. But, it's a short trip, only 10days. wish you a happy journey with much life enlightment. CC