I'd Like to Keep You in My Pocket

October 16, 2010

The alarm went off at 5:30 AM. We rolled out of bed, packed up the last few things, and went downstairs to pay for the hotel. Stephen was already downstairs waiting for us, and once we had settled the bill, we walked together to the bus station on the other side of Thamel.

Although the shops were all closed, TVs and radio stations were blaring songs celebrating Deshain. Joshua asked me if I was disappointed to be missing a major festival in Kathmandu; I told him that I could do without seeing animal sacrifice enmass.

The bus station turned out to be a line of buses on the side of the road. Finding our bus, we loaded up our packs and stood around, waiting for all the other passengers to arrive. At 7 AM, the bus pulled away.

The ride from Kathmandu to Pokhara took nearly 8 hours. We stopped twice - once for 15 minutes and the second time for 25 minutes. Thankfully, our bus driver did not have a death wish, and although other buses attempted kamikaze-like passing maneuvers over the narrow, steep roads, our bus driver drove steadily along. The only thing I can really complain about is that we were in the very back seats (Stephen was riding in the middle, and he said that they call it 'the Baby Elephant Seat' because they say that if you fly forward, you've gained the weight of a baby elephant by the time you hit the windshield). Stephen joked that he was going to be a couple of inches shorter when he arrived in Pokhara; the jostling and bouncing brought us fully out of our seats a couple times, and it felt as though we were compacting our spines.

The scenery, however, was lovely, and while I wasn't sleeping, I was admiring the green hills and fields of rice paddies. Even the village homes had character, and their bright colors and beautiful gardens dotted steep hillsides above rushing rivers. Some of the villages had swings that had been made out of three tall branches tied together at the top with two ropes and a plank hanging from the middle. Kids, men, and women pushed their friends and family high up into the air.

We arrived in Pokhara around 3, 2 hours later than we had expected. Gathering our bags, the three of us took a taxi into main Pokhara were we met Stacy and Kyle at the Peace Eye Hotel.

It's so crazy to see people in different contexts, and after we hugged, we bombarded each other with questions. What was the Circuit like? How many days have you been here? How many do you have left? What was Japan like? What about the wedding?

Peace Eye Hotel was full, so Kyle and Stacy walked us over to Karma Guest House where they had reserved rooms for all of us. Stephen got a room too, and after we deposited our packs, we went on a little walk along the lake.

As we walked, we caught up on stories from since we'd last seen each other. Stacy and I were freshmen roommates in college, and although Stacy left UPS to go to the University of Minnesota - Duluth, we met up again when we coincidentally ended up both teaching in New Orleans after college. Stacy married Kyle a couple of weeks after Joshua and I were married last summer. They're a wonderful pair, and although we were often too miserable or too busy (and usually both) to be very social in New Orleans, we had managed to get out together a few times. When Stacy and Kyle decided to go to Nepal, we all made it a point to try and see one another.

Since we last saw one another, Stacy and Kyle had moved from New Orleans to Duluth to live with Stacy's parents. In July, they flew to Japan where Stacy's brother is marrying a Japanese woman, and they spent the next couple of months getting to know Japan. The wedding was very formal and traditional, so they have some incredible stories. To get to the Annapurna, the flew straight from Tokyo to Kathmandu, so they have some very funny, very startling comparisons between the two (for example, in Japan you have separate slippers for every room of the house, and in Kathmandu, the toilet floors are covered with piss and there is not toilet paper).

When it started to rain, we found a Korean BBQ restaurant and sat down in a lovely outdoor, covered room with a low table and pillows on the floor. We drank barley tea, and then we each ate lovely plates of Korean soups, kimchi, pickled peppers and garlic, and corgette. It was delicious, and with the fancy dining room, it really felt like fine living.

After we ate, we stopped in to check the internet, and then Stephen split off to take care of his laundry. The rest of us headed into another cafe to drink tea and talk about our plans for the next three days. We all agreed that rafting is in the cards, and we also want to take a boat out into the lake that Pokhara sits on. At some point, we want to walk up to the Peace Pagoda, and maybe we'll walk all the way around the lake.

We talked for a while longer about plans after we get back from our travels, and then we headed back to the hotel. Joshua and I showered, and then we sat our on the balcony, chatting with Stacy and Kyle a little more. It's so nice to see familiar faces.

October 15, 2010

Scott Locker is from Canterburry in England. He's 22, and he'll be traveling for the next month. Two weeks ago, he and his close friend, Stephen, flew to Delhi. From Delhi, they travelled to Agra and then to Varanasi. The three of us met on the train from Varanasi, and after we got off, we banded together to navigate the border crossing. Once we arrived in Nepal, the lot of us decided to keep travelling together, and we've been together ever since.

Scott just finished his degree in Public Health. His right arm is covered in a colorful tattoo sleeve, and he wears button-ups and proper gentlemen's trousers. This trip was his first foray into traveling, and he decided that India is not for him. Although he and Stephen had planned to travel until March, he decided on the bus ride to Kathmandu to change his flights. He and Stephen are parting ways, and Scott flew to Bangkok early today. After that, he's off to China, and then he's going home to his girlfriend. He's hilarious and refreshingly honest. He loves to bargain.

Stephen Jones is from Bishops Stortford (the next town over from Sawbridgeworth!). He's 34, and he plans to travel until late January. Tomorrow, he's headed to Pokhara with us, and once he gets there, he plans to do absolutely nothing at all. He fancies drinking tea by the lake and people watching. This is his first major trip too, and it suits him more than it does Scott.

Stephen just finished his degree in Public Health too. He always has a smile on his face, and I've yet to hear him utter a harsh or unkind word. He's dead funny, and he's had some of the most quotable, hysterical lines. Somehow, he's managed to purchase approximately nothing in the past four days. Both Scott and Stephen are so easy to get along with, and they seem game to go, do, and see anything.

Michelle Orten is from Wolverhampton in England. She's 31, and she'll be traveling for the next 16 months, mainly in New Zealand. Two months ago, she flew to Delhi, and since then, she's spent a few weeks volunteering with needy women and children in Goa and travelling around Delhi, Agra, Rishikesh, and Varanasi. We met on the train from Varanasi as well, and for the past five days, we've been exploring Kathmandu together.

Michelle has taught theater and dance for a few years, and she has the posture of a dancer. Royal blue is her favorite color, and she's crazy about her sisters. She speaks slowly, and the things she has to say are both kind and genuine. She has a great sense of humor, and her honesty and willingness to share made me feel comfortable and at home right away. We bonded over shared dreams of homes filled with family, friends, colorful fabric, and lots of food. When we parted ways tonight, Michelle said, 'I wish I could put you in my pocket and take you with me.' I know exactly what she means.

The five of us have had so much fun these past five days. Not only was it good luck to meet one another and go through the border crossing together, but it's also been really nice to interact, travel, and sight see with a group. We all wanted to do the same things, and there was no pressure to entertain or make sure everyone was doing ok; we made decisions and plans easily, and if we needed to split ways we did, but we always planned to meet again later. They really were the ideal group, and both of us really enjoyed spending time with them. All three know that they have a standing invitation to come to our farm and crash any time.

Today, we all parted ways. Stephen's headed to Pokhara with us, but Michelle's friend, Dave, just arrived in Kathmandu today, and the two of them are planning to stay for a bit and then go on a rafting trip. Scott left for Bangkok this afternoon.

***

This morning, we woke up and met the group as usual. Returning to our favorite German Bakery, we all ordered breakfast and ate like kings. At one point, a Korean man joined us at our table, and we started asking him about his travels.

10 years ago, _______________ (shoot, I wrote his name down, but I don't have it with me right now. I'll post it as a comment when I get back to Pokhara.) left Korea on his bicycle. He's been riding ever since. He's been to 195 countries, and he's biked from Korea to Europe three times. In the United States, he biked from Los Angeles to Miami, Miami to Vancouver, and Vancouver to New York City. He's biked the length of South America and Africa, and he's circumnavigated Australia. During that time, he's averaged about 200 kilometers a day, and he's had 6 different surgeries, three of which were in South America.

In Brazil, Argentina, and Suriname, he was hit by cars. He has long scars along his nose, shoulder, and forearm for momentos. In Lisbon, his bike was stolen. In the South of Sudan, he was kidnapped for 36 hours before he managed to escape. He loves to eat big breakfasts, and he travels on a road bike without a tent. Right now, he's concentrating on improving his English, trying to write a book about his travels in English, and maintaining a website in English. He says that the Korean market for publishing and sponsorship isn't great, and instead, he's trying to tap into the English market. So far, he hasn't had much luck.

In the next year, he plans to bike the three poles: the North Pole, the South Pole, and Mount Everest. If he can get the sponsorship, he'll carry his bike on his back up to Mount Everest. Right now, there's one other man on Earth, a European, who's been cycling longer than him. The Guinness Book of World Records is following him, but in ________________ opinion, he's in a different class: the European is travelling on a mountain bike, and he's riding a road bike.

Have you ever met someone who's done something so astounding, and you would have so many questions for them, but instead, the magnitude of what they've done is so astounding that you can't think of a single decent question? I would have loved to interview him for you guys, but instead, I sort of thought: what do I ask him now? How would I go about thinking of the questions that would give you the answers in the form of a story?

After we finished breakfast, we said goodbye to ____________ and walked down the road. While Scott and Michelle were headed to the airport (Scott to leave for Bangkok and Michelle to pick up her friend, Dave), Joshua and I were bound for the Monkey Temple. Stephen stayed to say goodbye to Scott.

It's about a mile long walk to the Monkey Temple from Thamel, and we stopped along the way so that Joshua could print out his application for the Police Academy. He needs to turn it in soon, so he's going to try and finish it before we go on our trek.

The road to the Monkey Temple quickly leaves touristy Thamel and winds through little local residences and shops. In the gutter, blood pooled and stray severed horms lay in the road. Thankfully, these were the only signs we saw of the massive animal sacrifice that was taking place for the Deshain Festival.

At the Monkey Temple, we walked along the edge of the complex to spin the prayer wheels. By now, I'm absolutely in love with this form of prayer, and even though there were hundreds of prayer wheels, we spent the 20 or so minutes it took to spin every single one of them.

In the Monkey Temple, we watched monkeys lounge on stupahs, wrestle near altars, and groom themselves on the sidewalks. The babies are impossibly adorable. Up by the big, golden stupah, we spun more prayer wheels and stopped to admire the amazing views of Kathmandu Valley. It was gorgeous. One very sweet Nepali family asked me to be in their photo, and before they posed next to me, they touched my earrings and admired my colorful felt pin. They were so gentle and sweet.

To get back, we walked down a long, steep flight of stairs past dozens of artisans selling stone carvings, beads, and singing prayer bowls. One man was particularly adament and clever, and he managed to sit Joshua down with an enormous prayer bowl on his head, in his lap, and in each palm. The man struck each one of them, and Joshua could feel the resonance of the sound down to the tips of his toes and fingers. Next, the man took the large prayer bowl and ran it down Joshua's back as he struck the side, sending the sound waves through Joshua's spine.

We finally managed to extract ourselves from the persistent salesmen. On the way back, we poked our heads in a few shops, but we didn't buy anything. At the other end of the city, we looked for a UPS to mail our extra computer battery back to the manufacturer (it doesn't work), but to no avail. Next, we walked back into Thamel.

Before we sat down, we went in search of the last two things that we both wanted to buy. On our first day here, Joshua had seen a fun set of tea boxes, and I had seen some lovely silk shirts. We hadn't forgotten, and we still wanted them, so we went back. While I purchased a ridiculous number of the most beautiful pieces of clothing I've ever seen, Joshua picked out his tea boxes. In the end, it doesn't amount to too much in American dollars, but we did come out a few thousand rupees poorer.

To recover from our long walk, we headed for The Bakery Cafe, an organization that employs deaf Nepali to work in cafes. It was a really nice place, and we orded a couple drinks (fanta for Joshua, Fresh lemon soda - a sparkling water with fresh lemon juice added - for me) and a dosa to share. Dosas are fried-lentil crepes suffed with savory potatoes. Yum yum.

While Joshua filled out his application, I wrote postcards. After a while, the Bakery began to close, and we headed back to the German Bakery. We had planned to meet Stephen, Michelle, and her friend there at 7, and although it was a little early, we still had quite a bit of writing to do.

When we got there, Stephen was sitting, drinking a large pot of tea. We ordered some tea as well, and we spent the next hour or so drinking, writing, and chatting. Michelle and her friend, Dave, arrived after a little bit, and we all introduced ourselves.

After another hour of chatting and drinking tea, we went in search of food. The first couple of places that we went to were either closed for the festival or full, but eventually, we just went back to Old Tash Delek. Joshua and I shared another delicious order of Chips Chilly and a tongba, and I had a spinach cream soup with garlic bread. We spent our last meal together sharing stories and persuading one another to come and visit and keep in touch.

When we'd finished eating, we said goodbye and headed back to the hotel. In the room, Joshua and I packed up all our booty, and it fit! We leave on the bus tomorrow at 6:45 AM.

October 14, 2010

At 9 AM, the five of us caught a taxi to Patan. Lying just across the river from Kathmandu, Patan is almost indistinct from its sister city, but it does have its own Durbar Square.

Once we arrived in Patan's Durbar Square, we made a beeline for The Third World Cafe, a lovely restaurant that overlooks the temples below. We each ordered set breakfasts, and spent a comfortable hour chatting, eating, and admiring the view.

In Durbar Square, we wandered around the temples and into courtyards. Very similar to Kathmandu's Durbar Square, Patan's holy center had noticeably more tourists and fewer locals. There were crowds of tourists on guided day trips everywhere.

In the shops and stalls nearby, Michelle and I spotted small silver vials with prayers tucked inside. For less than two dollars apiece, we bought matching ones. Joshua found a tea pot, and finally able to bargain a seller down to a reasonable price, he bought it. He's decided to begin a teapot collection.

Before we left Durbar Square, I ducked into another small fabric shop. At 75 rupees a yard, the hand block-printed cotton was a steal, and I loved the beautiful Nepali flower designs. I bought 10 yards.

Back with the group, Stephen teased me for coming unhinged about fabric. It's true; I love all the colors and designs, and every time I walk by another shop with fabric hanging in the window, I have to tear my eyes away in order to keep walking.

Next, we headed for the fair-trade and carpet markets of Patan. It's about a mile from Durbar Square, so as we walked, Michelle and I talked. Not only do we both love thrift shops, but we're also mad about intense exercise regimens. What's more, we both talked about how we want to gather all the people we love in close and never let go.

When we finally got to the area where the fair trade craft and carpet markets are usually held, everything was shut down and locked up. A little handwritten sign explained that the area would be closed from October 14 to 19 for Deshain Festival. We were a day too late.

Disappointed, we hailed a taxi and headed back to Thamel. Splitting up for a bit, we wandered in different directions. While Scott and Stephen went to work out their flights, Michelle, Joshua and I checked out the tattoo scene. When I asked the tattoo artist if he uses new needles and wears gloves, he looked at me as if I were impossibly stupid, 'of course. Why would you even ask that?'

After a bit, Michelle went in search of another guest house, while Joshua and I hunted for our last minute supplies for the Annapurna Circuit. There are shops selling mock-brand outdoor wear clothing and supplies all over Thamel, and in one of these shops, I found a nice 33 liter day/overnight pack with a separate bottom zip compartment and a rain cover. The man sold it to me for 1000 rupees.

We wandered around a bit more, searching for the best deal on puffy down jackets (and a few gifts I can't tell you about), and finally, we found two attractive mock Mountain Hardware for 5800 rupees. While we were trying them on, a couple of Spanish-speaking women came into the shop, and the Nepali shop keeper responded to them in beautiful Spanish. While Joshua went off to get some more cash, I started speaking to the shopkeeper in Spanish, and we talked about how nice it is to meet someone who's learning to speak Spanish too: they speak more slowly, and they tend to be more patient.

A little while later, we met back up and went to the Organic Green Cafe for drinks. I ordered a hot spiced rum that smelled like cloves and cinnamon while Joshua ordered a whisky. While we drank, we played a few games of rummy. After a second round of drinks, we took out our journals and made sure that we had everyone's contact information. By now, we're all big fans of one another, and it would be fun to keep in touch.

After a couple of drinks, we headed back out into the street to search for a bar with live music. At Paddy's Pub, we heard a band singing American classics. We went in and sat down. Looking through the menu, we decided the food didn't look great, so we each ordered another drink and settled in to listen to the music and chat.

By the time the band started playing the Red Hot Chili Peppers, I was feeling very warm and fuzzy. I rolled a cigarette and Michelle and Stephen found my attempt hysterical. They called it a 'baggie' because it looked like a sleeping bag. I told them that was fine; it's when I get good at it that I should really start worrying.

After a bit, we all got a little hungry, so we wandered around to find another bar or restaurant with music. A little while later, we gave up on the music and just headed towards the closest place: New Orleans Cafe. In honor of our alma mater, we all ordered daiquiris. As far as we could tell, the only thing 'New Orleans' on the menu were daiquiris, hurricanes, and jambalayah. We ended up ordering a plate of humous, baba ganoush, and pita instead.

By now, we were all feeling very silly, and we spent the rest of the night laughing. Headed for Bangkok tomorrow morning, Scott was in a great mood, and he had all of us snorting at his one-liners. He also told us about how he has a standing offer: people can buy a piece of his body if they buy a tattoo to label it. Stephen bought his big toe; it says, 'Mr. Jones.' Stephen said that 20 pounds for a big toe isn't bad.

We called it quits after four drinks, and the waiter came up to politely kick us out - it was closing time. We all paid, and then we walked back to the hotel arm in arm.