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I remember thinking how touristy the experience in Nepal was and feeling sorry for myself after leaving the wilds of Africa but looking back it was another once in a lifetime adventure, even if I didn't give it kudos at the time. However there is no denying that Kathmandu's Thamal area, is tourist central and the locals know it, prices are high and begging is common.
Anyway the first stint in Kathmandu was over and leaving our spare bits and pieces at the hotel, we organized a bus to our first stop on a long road to the first of our treks. Poon Hill. Now I stand out at the best of times but at 6'7, travelling in countries with the mean height around, I guess 5'7, I really stood out. I shouldn't have been surprised when a holy man singled me out while I was sitting on a curb the morning of the bus ride. Before I knew what was happening a thumb wadded with red paint was coming at my forehead and just as quick my wrist was wrapped in a yellow and red twine wrist band. While the man stood there with hand out for a financial contribution, I had to think, what? I didn't want this, what's happened here?.. But again with the benefit of hindsight it was a great experience and the wristband survived for many months after my return to Australia.
On the bus a whole new era of excitement began, including timing toilet breaks and Immodium intake to survive the five hour trip (the shortest of our time in Nepal). At the stops people would board the buses selling halved cucumber smothered in relish and children waving packets of Pringles would call "Hello, Chips" (a catch cry that still takes me back when hearing it). This particular ride also involved a flat tyre on one of the precarious mountain roads and getting out to stretch my legs while the tyre was changed, I remember first noticing the copious amounts of marijuana growing wild along the roadsides ( a novelty that didn't wear off the whole trip). Haha Small things, small minds I suppose.
Anyway, bus rides in Nepal are half of the adventure and Danielle had done a great job at breaking the trip up, so we had several nights stop offs along the way. The first was at a place called Royal Beach camp, where we had seen pictures of beautiful bamboo cabins but which on arrival, had been subjected to a vicious cyclone and now sported canvas tents for the time being. It didn't spoil the place though and the atmosphere was fantastic, a little extreme sport, a little spiritual and a bit hippie-esque and communal.
While there, we got a chance to do a heap of fun stuff. Canyoning (absailing down a waterfall), rafting rapids and just lazing about. The fireflies coming out in numbers in the evenings and a warm weather hailstorm just added to the surreal feel of it all.
There's probably more to talk about here but that will do I think. Oh one other thing worth a mention at this stop was the fishing technique that some of the young lads were using over there. It is illegal but as you do at that age… One of the kids would walk through the shallows of the river with about a two meter net attached to some bamboo. Meanwhile another boy would approach from the opposite direction hitting the surface of the water with two poles forcing fish towards the net. Quite quaint you say? Well it would have been, if looking closer, I didn't see the car battery attached to the boys backpack and wire probes attached to his sticks shocking the fish into the net. Amazing stuff…
So I guess, ethically questionable more than quaint but strangely impressive none the less…
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