29 July 2000

I got back from my trekking trip today and am now back in Katmandu. Four days of trekking was enough for me. I was surprised at how built up the trails are and how many mountain lodges you stay in. In high season they say over 400-500 tourists will go on top of Pun hill for sunrise to see the view of the Annapurna range. It was very green and rained every day of my trip usually at night and was usually cloudy so couldn't see much. Luckily it cleared up my last morning and saw several snow capped mountains over 20,000 feet high. The day before we walked through the jungle and my guide/porter Buddhi counted pulling off 144 leeches between both of us. That day it rained during our hike and they really come out. Usually we would spot them on our rain coat or our boots, but I found one sucking on my forehead, a couple on my hand, and of course, several at my ankles. One apparently sucked on my chin and dropped off without me noticing it, just leaving the tell tale bleeding circle.

My guide Buddhi was nice and helpful but perhaps too friendly. Towards the end he was making hints he was gay. Actually his mom went psychotic when he was a month old and now talks to herself and isn't too with it so his dad married another woman and so he has two moms. His grandfather when he was 41 married a 10 year old girl. (the things you learn).

I met an English girl Linzi and her granddad and hung out with them on the trek for a bit and again back in Pokarah last night. She plays semi professional soccer but is currently on suspension for three red flags in a season after she says a girl kicked her in the ribs so she got up and decked her knocking her out.

Today I have been hanging out with Francisco from Chile who has an American accent (his dad was a diplomat). I met him trekking also. He trekked alone, went off on a cow trail or something, ended up walking through rice paddies his boots covered with leeches. He says he found if he would stomp his feet many would fall off so he did this and unfortunately there was a steep drop off (the usual case) and a rock gave way and he started rolling down the hill with his backpack. He says all he could think about is, “Oh @#$$, I am going to be covered in leeches.”

Right now I am at one of the many internet cafes. Had an excellent pizza at the Fire and Ice Pizzaria for lunch that was too large to finish for about $3. Then I inquired about buying a tourist sized Nepali instrument that is kind of like a violin, and the next thing you know they took me up to a little office and had a private live performance from a Nepali band that sings at restaurants and has their own CD that they wanted me to buy as well. Tomorrow I fly to New Delhi to finish up my India portion. Fransisco will be on the same flight. I am kind of dreading the heat of India. Nepal has been just right temperature wise. Also you get hassled less here.

chow, Duane

July 31, 2000

I arrived in Delhi yesterday morning with my friend Francisco and took a bus to the backpacker alley, actually stopping by the local Mcdonalds first where they serve no beef. I got the Majaraja meal with the Majaraja burger(like a big mac except they use lamb meat). It wasn't too bad actually. We met an isreali guy Gilad and two dutch girls there and ended up hanging out with the isreali guy the rest of the day. He arrived the night before in India to start his year long travels and of course was not taken to the right hotel and was told it was full as one of the many scams, but he had heard so was insistent they take him to the train station that is close to backpacker alley and then he walked to it from there. He worked as an

interogator for the isreali army and had some good stories to tell. I wanted to get out of Delhi quick so I booked a bus to Jaipor(in the desert, the land of the Majarajas) for 9 pm last night. We were hanging out in Kanell square but didn't quite make it back to the hostel when it started pouring and lightening as hard as I've seen it so we were all drenched. It continued the deluge and the streets turned into a river that resembled a gutter with all types of crap floating in it and gradually rose. I was told the bus would come by the agency to pick me up but then they gave me 50 rupees and sent me off to catch the bus in a three wheeled motorized richshaw tuk tuk type thing that withing 50 yards was under water enough to kill it and the indian guy started pushing for quite awhile in the traffic jam and when it got on higher ground it still wouldn't start. After waiting awhile and worrying I wouldn't catch the bus I got into another moterized rickshaw that was running. He apparently was confused even though I had a business card with the address on it, but I didn't realize it at the time. The water kept rising and he stopped after going a bit. The only thing running was bicycle rickshaws so I got on one of them, and the water had risen in some parts as high as to cover the wheels so it was slow going. Then I saw my friend Francisco go by the other direction in a bicycle rickshaw and realized I had spent the last hour going in a circle and was back in backpacker alley, so I had him drop me by the travel agency since in the flood there was no way I was going to get out of there and so caught the bus out of there this morning and visited the Amber fort here by Jaipor, which was pretty cool. It doesn't rain so much here and were starting to see camels pulling carts etc. Tomorrow night I may be off again to Jaissemere. I've been hanging out with two British girls, Michelle and Shavon, that I met on the bus and are finishing up a yearlong trip around the world who seem pretty cool. They visited america as part of it and felt to threated to enjoy it much(they stayed in cheap hostels in the downtown or inner city areas I think).

hasta,

duane