Four days in Nepal

So I now feel I enjoyed the ride. Well only really after I had completed my ablutions got into bed and the mother of all hail storms had begun and I could sleep for several hours.

T'was my all own fault mea culpa mea culpa mea maxima culpa. No working debit cards. No cash so plan B at Katmandhu airport was to do a Tom Hanks for 12 days. I figured even without water I should still make it back to Bangalore for my return flight. And the one thing I did right was to plan ahead and trust in VIN. Their job pick me up from the airport and drop me back in 12 days.

So far it has worked out. Was meant by a really sweet Aryan/Mongol mixblood. They tell me there are only two races really here and they are pretty much Hindu or Buddhist here. So Sumad I am probably mispronouncing her name she is quite captivated with my constant banter. The only downside was it took me over an hour to explain the actual problem. That I couldn't leave the airport till I paid the 25 dollar visa fee and it took me a while to figure out that a chappie in the airport was hanging on to my passport while I looked for a working ATM. She borrows from the taxi driver meanwhile Bhupi the boss strolls up by this time I have paid the visa fee got my 15 days and explained the slight hiccough to Bhupi but unconcerned he has Sumad take me to the Tibetan Peace Guest House which I quite like it's budget but I like it now more so now I sleep in a rather good penthouse room.

I discovered the illusory nature of money. All I needed was someone who knows I am good for it to send on a further well it's 400 dollars I asked for 500 dollars to cover the 12 day stay here. I have a friend in need on standby but don't want to spend the joker emergency get out of gaol free card when Rick has already sent over dosh. And to his credit he eventually sent the cash over but grumbling. He who gives quickly gives twice so grumbling it's just the basic 500 less hidden charges. They seem happy enough that was done today I arrived on the 12th so they have been patient.

The only other excitement was the asthma was beginning to play up well that and my problem around toilets. They have a toilet building scheme here and it is admirable two white peeps came down and began 7 toilets working for four weeks. Usual grumbles of white volunteers and I do begin to find them a little wearing. But my problem was not so much an outside toilet as it's in the sort of living area of the house. There's a semi-covered fire for cooking then rooms surround. And in this sort of courtyard where people dance and sing and the dog and cat rest there is an outside semi-automatic toilet. No one seems to make a fuss no one sings we know where you are going but I couldn't bring myself to do anything more than pee.

Eventually nature would prescribe action however in the intervening period the village is up on the hills. So temperatures really drop at night. First night wasn't too bad. Second night I began to feel the cold. After the third night the asthma began to dig in and I realized I wasn't going to last more than a few more nights. Bit irritating to receive emails about how my attorney a simple preacher was going above and beyond giving me from his own largesse. Mainly because I was getting very uncomfortable not so much from constipation as asthma. I just really wanted a warm bed to sleep in I would willingly have spooned with two chubby prostitutes and if my beloved couldn't understand that it was to keep warm and survive well I dunno.

But he gave the money today. You would have thought he knew I was good for it since he is sitting on half the house sale but people get funny around money. It's a powerful illusion but not as powerful as the cold, asthma or constipation. The people here really are very friendly. How I had hoped Indians might have been. Very sweet not as yet irritated by my banter I have a day out on community visits with the health care worker tomorrow. I don't think I have really annoyed even the volunteers. I feel a lot better now having warmed up slept had ginger tea and momos done a little admin work for them and will sleep again after some reading. The booker prize novel on nepal inheritance of Love or something.

This is a really beautiful place to visit with my beloved. It sounds like Manipur only less beautiful and no lake but far less violence kidnapping extortion rape and murder. I don't really want to travel around without her. But if the gang organize a day afore I leave I'll go. She is a Valley Chick and I prefer the Valley to the Hills at night though I am sure with triple duvets and a comfy partner even the hill nights are manageable.

Oh yeah I could say a lot about the style here but basically they are into self-empowerment conscientization it used to be called. So instead of experts sorting out the problems like the Grammeen Bank way of microcredit the idea is to sort out the paperwork encourage the women to save and make the women company directors investing in the best ideas of the village. Same for the toilets there are quicker ways to do it if say we were in London though having witnessed many kitchen constructions I don't think London is all that efficient and perhaps Japan or America is better but that's the point. This is Nepal. We come to help yes. But we are guests in their country, their homes, their houses and if white people would stop complaining that they are only helping rich nepalis (because of the self reliance the schemes require hefty percentages of self-funding) and just got on with it I'd be more calm. The people themselves yep beautiful dancers. Much more graceful than the Lambadi but they only seem to know one song, and one dance.

So anyway got lost on the way back to the guest house almost gave up and wanted to return to the office and ask for directions when I saw a couple of angels, my own folly, got into the room before the Hail storm and now am fully warmed up and ready for a new day.

Also on the way into the office decided to try the ATM those machines here aren't really connected how are they gonna know if my card was cancelled or not they just work erratically and often dont have any money in them.

Got 10gs am all set can repay my loan and no need to spend here really so the illusion of money triumphs but I am warm and have access to a toilet. I may indeed purchase some soap later.