May 16, 2003
Couldn't sleep last night, so I was up by 5:00. About 5:45 I heard Nar and the boys up. Singa and Pratik were taking the bus the Kathmandu.
Laurie and I got some breakfast and then used the internet. We were to meet Danesh and Natasa at noon at the restaurant we ate at last night.
We had lunch with them and then Danesh was going to show us the act of bargaining. He is very good at it. He is fun to watch and listen to. He talks to everyone like he has known them for years. So we did some shopping, then Danesh want to get a haircut and shave. So we went to the barber shop which is like a cubby hole. As we were watching Danesh get a haircut and shave, the other guy there was trying to get someone else to get a shave or massage. I said I could always get my legs shaved. I haven't shaved them since I left. So everyone talked me into having them shaved. It was actually nice and I thought I should have them done that way regularly. They used a straight-edge so it wasn't quite as smooth as I like it.
Afterwards we went to our hotel. Laurie and I had actually changed our hotel. We only changed because the hotel was the one we had reserved and paid for. It has a lot more then where we were staying, but it was also much nicer. We had drinks out in the garden.
For dinner we went back to the restaurant that we had lunch. We had an enjoyable dinner with Danesh and Natasa. Laurie and I are leaving Pokhara tomorrow. We wanted to stay another day, but the flights were filled that day. Pokhara is a lot more pleasant than Kathmandu.
I was very tired after dinner so I just went back to the hotel to sleep.
May 17, 2003
Nar was over early in the morning. He wanted to use our shower. His only had cold water. He stayed at the other hotel because it was cheaper and we were paying for it I think that the Nepalese feel that they should have the lesser of things. When we would stay at the teahouses, they would stay in the lower rooms that weren't as nice. Sometimes they had to wait until the owners were sure that no one else was coming. If the rooms were full, they would have to stay and sleep on the benches in the dining room.
I had to tell Nar that he should stay on the top floor of the hotel in Pokhara. He just kept saying it was more money, but I told him it was OK. He doesn't like taking from people and feels that it is a job to serve us. The room was only $4.00 US and if he went below, it would only save us a little more than a dollar. To us that is nothing, but to them 100 rupees is a lot.
So Nar took his shower and then he and Laurie went for breakfast. My stomach was not feeling well, so I didn't go. Our room came with breakfast, so Nar took my spot.
We got a taxi about 7:15 and went to the airport. We were there in about 10 minutes. We couldn't check in until 8:00 and our flight wasn't until 9:00. So we just had to wait. The airport is small and only has domestic flights, but there were about eight different airlines. We checked our bags and then we had to go through security. No machines or conveyor belts. Just old fashion - open, look, and pat down. I had to open my bags and then they patted me down. That was the first time I have been frisked, well at least for security reasons. I still could have easily brought stuff in because they weren't that thorough.
From there we have another waiting room. Our plane was about 30 minutes late. It was a nineteen seater. I was over the wing so I couldn't see much out my window, plus the mountains were on the other side. We were above the clouds and I could make out the mountain top sitting above the clouds. I wish I has a better view.
Nar got the taxi to take us to Madame's Apartment. That is what Nar calls Becky. Becky is the one who put our Nepal trip together.
We had a nice place to stay. We had a TV, shower, and everything. Becky keeps a lot of her gear there for when she has her organized treks.
Nar brought us cold beer and diet Coke. He is so happy when he does things for us.
Laurie and I watched TV and then Nar took us up to Run Doodle for lunch. We could walk there from the apartment. As Laurie and I ate Nar went out walking on the streets. After lunch Laurie and I found the internet place that Danesh told us about. Most of the places the computers are so slow, but this one was very good and very reasonable. We spent quite a while there and Nar just walked around or sat with us. I didn't know if he was just happy being with us or if he was afraid to leave us.
Laurie and I had an email from Elsa. She was in Kathmander and was leaving in the morning. We were originally suppose to meet her the following night. So I sent Nar to the Kathmander Guest House to see if he could find her or to find the guest house where she was staying. Nar couldn't find her. As we were leaving the internet place, lo and behold, Elsa walks in. What are the chances of that happening? There are so many internet places she could have gone into or we could have left earlier.
We made arrangements to meet for breakfast the next morning. Laurie and I went back to the apartment. Nar doesn't live there, but his home is in the alley beside it. Laurie and I just relaxed for the rest of the day.
Pratik was suppose to cook us dinner. Nar would come into the apartment and get stuff out of the kitchen and take it to his house. It was getting late and I was getting hungry. I think Nar realized it so he made us some popcorn. After the popcorn, he came up to the apartment with trays of food.
There was so much food that he had help bring the food. This was just for Laurie and me. I don't think he feels that Nepalese should eat with us.
