Adventure

If you want to be really adventurous you should take a local bus through the mountains in Nepal. It's like playing rush and roulette...you never know what you're going to get but it's always exciting. As if hugging the edge of a giant canyon in a bus made in the model T era wasn't enough the passengers add to the fun. Our first but this morning on the "included transportation" which included about a US $5 reimbursement for bus fare was packed. We got on relatively early and snagged the last 2 seats in the very back amidst a pile of boxes that appeared to be full of bottles and a lone child. Within minutes the bus began to fill. Basically, there is only one road and you just kind of wave any bus down wherever you want and they'll stop (not pull over...just stop) and pick you up. Anyway, I soon had people sitting on me as all the standing room was consumed. On our second bus we were greated by an intoxicated gentleman (at 9am) who was telling someone how to catch tigers in Nepali. He pleasantly said goodnight to me as he exited the bus 30 minutes later and 9:30am. Aided by a traffic jam and detour coupled with our needed to stop every 20 minutes or so to put air in one of the tires we managed to spend only 7 hours on buses today. I have an 11 hour reprieve before I load up again tomorrow morning for my safari.

So, onto bungy jumping. Yesterday I awoke around 4:30 and Niraj arrived and we walked to The Last Resort offices where we were to leave at quarter til six. It took awhile to get going and our bus wasn't anything special. There was a large group going representing a half dozen or so nationalities. My entertainment while waiting to leave was the British guys who couldn't remember what hotel they were staying in although they'd just left it minutes before. They got the bungy people to dig out their documents to see if it was listed...it wasn't probably because they didn't know it then either. Don't know if they ever made it back to their hotel last night. Niraj and I were the only ones that decided to stay overnight at the resort. Anyway, we eventually made it to the resort which is in a beautiful location about 12km south of the Tibetian border.

Once there we all walked across the bridge to the resort. There were gasps and much cursing as we walked the suspension walking bridge over the gorge...the one most of us were about to plunge off of. After the weigh in I found out that I was lucky enough to go first as I topped the heavyweight division. I edged out the Icelanders by one kilogram (but I got the Malaysians by a good 15 or 20 an at least 6 inches). Anyway, not only did I find out I'm fat I also had to jump off the bridge first. The "heavy group" marched out onto the bridge. It inclued the 2 medical students from Iceland and the Brits all of whom were pretty pumped and vocal and very very scared. I figured they'd demonstrate or something or at least test the bungy cord that had just been set up with a dead weight or something but no...I was the dead weight to make sure it was safe for everyone else. If it could hold me and not bash my skull against the rocks everyone else was ok. So, like I said 160m or almost 500ft doesn't sound all that high to jump off of but let me tell you it looks pretty far. Anyway, I walked up, got strapped in by my ankles, walked to the edge, waved to the camera and when the bungy instructor (the largest Nepalese man I've seen thus far wearing a jacket with "DIESEL" stenciled on the back) said "1, 2, 3, bungy" I plunged off headfirst. It was rather anticlimactic actually but still a ton of fun. It's the 2nd highest bungy jump in the world. Only one that is 220m in South Africa is higher. I waited at the bottom and the Icelander's made it down. They were pretty pumped and we all shared stories and watched a few more people jump before the hike back up the canyon.

Afterwards I hung out with the Icelanders. They're medical students although they're only one semester in and are taking time off. It didn't start so smooth for them and they're aloud to take 2 breaks so they've been traveling. They just spent a month in India and are headed to Bangkok tomorrow. Anyway, nice guys. Iceland sounds pretty good other than the fact it will be one of the first casualties of global warming. Only 300,000 people all employed with basically no poverty they said. I think all of their education is paid for also. After lunch and watching everyone's videos the bus departed taking everyone except for Niraj and I. We stayed the night and had dinner there. The lodge is a beautiful open building with a tin roof and very nicely arranged with lowlying tables on slightly raised portions of the lodge surrounded by pillows for lounging. There is a bar at one end and nice lighting. They played music through the system and I sat in there and read most of the afternoon. We had a rather American dinner of grilled chicken breast, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, and cole slaw. We retired early to a nice tent with beds and we stole extra blankets from another vacant tent. I'm glad we stayed up there despite the bus ride today. It was peaceful and comfortable. I wish I had the energy to describe the setting and the resort more adequately but the scenery is stunning and the resort very classy and tasteful. It's the kind of place I'd like to spend an extended amount of time at again or maybe own and run in my 20th imaginary career/retirement plan. Anyway, great trip. Wish I could get the pictures on here for you. I've gotta go grab some dinner and repack for my safari tomorrow. I'm flying solo this time but I think I'll have a tourist bus both ways so I shouldn't get too lost. I got so lost wandering Thamel (and greater Kathmandu) this evening looking for a particular book that I had to take one of the bicycle cabs back to my hotel. I don't think I'll stray too far for dinner.