As I sit in the tent writing this entry, coldness is starting to set in. At about 7000 feet, the temperature gauge ever so slightly heads south. Lush, tropical banana trees are turning into more of a sierra nevada like pine needle setting. While it is reasonably pleasant at the moment, i realize that from here to the Larkey pass it simply will get dramatically colder, not warmer.
Everyone has been great. Gopal and Tika have guided us well thus far. They are patient enough when we stumble and even crack some jokes in english. Today, I fell into a thicket of the Nepali equivalent of California Pine Needles hands first. It is similar to hundres of needles pricking your hand at the same time. The stinging goes away after 10 minutes, but the area feels numb for about a Day.
Deng is another beautiful village. We are now surrounded by the Snow capped mountains of the Himalayas for the first time of our trip. Mt. Ganesh is to the east, and an unnamed mountain lies to the west. Nepalis don't even bother to name mountains less than 12000 feet high.
Rick, Anup and Vinay are all great photographers. I eavesdrop on their conversations as they compare notes about exposure speeds, f-stops, shutter speeds and polarizing lens filters. Rick has set up his tripod in the middle of camp to take the ideal Ansel Adams photograph. Days later, Rick is to realize that his manual camera did not automatically detect the ISO speed, but for now, I'll leave the moment in its current glory.
Today we visit the village for a bit. The people have turned to speak more Tibetan than Nepali, which makes it more confusing on anybody. We peer into a rudimentary shop where various stones are sold. After careful inspection and a thirty minute bargaining session, Lisa, Rick and some others buy the various "Om Mane Pedme Om" stone. At an alarming 80 rupees, we are left to think if we have been had by the local merchant. Another thirty minute discussion now occurs between Rick, Anup and Vinay about macroeconomics and price-fixing strategies of the third world. My head begins to hurt as I retire to the tent.
I have a side note to all of this nonsense from the above paragraph. We, as westerners, are rich. Nepalis are not. A fact of life is that no matter how much you bargain, you will always pay more than the Nepali price. They call it "Tourist price". This is still much better than outright begging, but still this alarms me. Rick tells me that we screw these guys everyday in the world, so a little bit of payback is o.k. Fair enough. I agree. Every day I wake up I am so fortunate that I have been given a great life with ample wealth and opportunity. Nepalis beg because western tourists have spoiled them by giving away free candy and pens instead of giving them infrastructure for schools and sewer systems. So I now beg for your forgiveness if the following offends you. After accumulating the data, I have found the top 10 ways that you can beg if you are Nepali.
10. Pretend you are pregnant and need milk for your baby. Bonus points for using a baby - it doesn't even have to be yours.
9. Pretend you are my friend and that you want to take me around Kathmandu to see the sites. Then charge me $25 for the 1/2 hour tour.
8. Run a trekking company. Tell your clients one price initially, then tell them another price when they get there. Say that it is for the Maoist fees but tottaly lie about it.
7. Join the Maoist party. That way, you don't even beg - you just extort the money directly from the tourists.
6. Carve some Tibetan characters in the first rock you see. Then say it is from the Tibetan priests and charge $10 per rock.
5. Become a 3 year old kid, yell Namaste, and belligerently ask for a pen.
4. Simply cut into the middle of a conversation between two tourists and cup your hands.
3. Pretend to show a slide show out of goodwill in your guesthouse, then charge them 200 rupees per person afterwards.
2. Become a Sada (holy man). Sit around with your stick and take a vow of silence. Most likely, tourists will donate to you just to get you to say something.
1. If all else fails, assault your victim. Slap a hand in the backpack and see what comes up.
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Tonights dinner is Biryani - a Nepali like chow mein, which is quite good. It beats out the Nepali pasta with melted cheese and ketchup. That dinner should never be cooked again as long as I live.
I am switching to Tato Pani (hot water) at the end of most evenings now. Less caffeine and still keeps you warm. Sitting cross-legged for multiple hours is taking its toll. I join in for a game of bridge with Rick, Jose and Bobby. The adventure awaits. I am ready. We are ready. Just wake me up when we start crossing the pass.
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