Dear faithful readers,

Serendipity has left me with a few hours to kill, in a place with no internet, so I am taking this opportunity to wrap up my sorely neglected travel blog. First, I will finish Nepal, before giving you a glimpse into the tapestry that was India.

I believe I left you on the mountain, waiting desperately to be clean. I woke up to a new year, well, the Nepali New Year anyway. After a brief stop at the famous Everest View Hotel, Kamal and I high-tailed it down the hill, skipping and singing, and finally made it "home" to the Buddah lodge! After the requisite pictures to commemorate our success, I finally got my Dal baht with spicy pickles that I had been missing the whole trek! After that, I chatted to a young couple from San Francisco and we ventured out together to get my end-of-trek apple pie at the Everest Bakery. I enjoyed the afternoon sun in the lodge, giggling over the antics of the guides. It seems that everyone knows the staff here, so even when their clients stay somewhere else they burst in, going, "eh, hey!" and everyone shakes hands/hugs and then the inevitable cups of tea appear from the kitchen. It's very…Nepali-bro-ish. I guess tea is cheaper than beer, and better in the cold. Speaking of which, it's cold! Too cold for a shower, so that goal will have to wait until Kathmandu. I mean, after two weeks, what's two more days, really?

The next morning we set off for our last day of hiking. Before I left Namche though, I had one last mission. I went back to the market stalls to an old Sherpa man and asked him if "riggicur" meant anything to him. My dad remembered it from his Nepal days, and wanted me to try it. Instantly, the man knew what I was talking about, and smiles broke out all around as he explained what it was and told us it is still a very common Sherpa food. I didn't get to try it, but at least I got to share Dad's story. With this success floating me along, Kamal and I made it down the Namche Hill in record time. However, the last day was not all peaches and cream. I had completely forgotten how much distance we had to cover in one day - the hike of two weeks ago a long distant memory. Finally, I made it through foot pain, a lost earring, a rainstorm, and what seemed like a million stairs to Lukla, although Kamal once again carried my pack, saying, "first day and last day!" With his help, we made it up the stairs for one last YAAY!! at the entrance gate to Lukla (our tradition anytime we reached a destination). After sharing a few drinks in celebration of our great achievement, Kamal and I passed on dancing, preferring bed to more booze.

The next day, the universe favored me with a fantastic book that was hidden under all of the foreign language books on the shared bookshelf at the lodge, and I was instantly gone. I realized as we went to the airport that perhaps I should have spent my final morning out in Lukla, soaking up the last moments in the mountains, but reading had put me into such a calm, peaceful mood, I simply waved goodbye to the town, followed Kamal into the airport, and sat on my bag, observing the so-called "organized" frenzy. I wasn't worried about making a flight since we were there a day early, so I just let the scene wash over me. In the end, we got a flight, and back in Kathmandu, I got a room with a gas shower and was FINALLY truly clean. Bliss. Kamal had graciously invited me for chicken Dal at his sister's flat that night, so he picked me up and we walked the 20 minutes through what I term "real" Kathmandu, past garbage, skinny dogs, and lots of cows. Only when you leave the district do you realize how sheltered Thamel really is. We arrived to find the flat with no power, not uncommon with all of the rolling blackouts in the city, and Kamal's sister prepared our plates by candlelight. A few minutes later, we were eating on the floor, with four pairs of eyes staring at us. Kamal's niece had shown up with a few of her friends, and they were very curious about the foreigner on the floor. Fortunately, they had learned some English in school, so I was able to talk to them a little, and find out that they wanted to be teachers too. After dinner, Kamal walked me back and we made plans to meet the next day. He's going to take me to a Nepali movie!

The next morning I wandered until I found a bakery that was open and thought I'd get a few things to munch while I walked. When I checked out, the guy said "to go, or to take upstairs?" Surprised, I said upstairs, and was led up to a very nice rooftop terrace with tables. This would be my favored breakfast spot from then on. I sat and munched my bakery goods, sipped some Nepali chia, and watched the chapatti man across the way deftly making street food as Thamel woke up around me. After a bit of shopping, and a much needed laundry drop, it was time to meet Kamal for the movie. It always surprises me how with one turn of a corner you can be out of protected Thamel, and into the riot of real Kathmandu. As minibus after minibus stopped, disgorged passengers and allowed more to hang out the doors, I was reminded of the troles in Mendoza. Finally, we shoved in one, and I even got a very cozy seat on the back bench with four other people. Everyone was stealing glances at me - this is clearly not something most tourists do. Eventually, we arrived in an area of Kathmandu with literally NO tourists. It's a good thing I trust Kamal. We walked a bit, and then turned into what I would call a parking garage, but Nepalis would call the entrance to the movie theater! Once inside, all was familiar: screen, seats, movie, even popcorn. The movie itself was in Nepali, but so simple even I could understand what was going on. It was a mixture of music video, soap opera, the three stooges, and ridiculously looong glances. Yet another way Kamal has made my Nepal experience so unique.

After another rooftop breakfast, and about four cups of chia, it seemed like all of Kathmandu was urging me to "seize the day". I went off intending to do just that…and got sucked into a bookshop for 3 hours instead! What was to be a quick meander into Pilgrim's Bookhouse ended up being an amazing adventure into one of the coolest stores in Thamel. The question is not, "What does the store have?" but rather, "What does this store NOT have?!" From coins, buttons, and rings at the front counter, to mini-books on yoga, ayurveda, astrology, kissing, even a book called "What would Buddha Do?", to candles and incense and jewelry and bags and wall hangings and clothes and maps and little trinkets scattered all around…whoa. It was a fantastic, albeit fairly expensive way to spend the morning. After a lunch of Dal Baht, I killed the afternoon on the internet, wandering, and eating a brownie. That night, Bijay had to cancel our dinner, so it was just Rockstar and me again. We wandered out of Thamel again, over crowded bridges and along busy highways, and into a town you wouldn't know exists if you stayed in Thamel. After a last dinner of Dal baht, we shared a beer and listened to some live music before saying a last goodnight. Not goodbye though, as Kamal has promised to get me to the airport tomorrow. Bijay is, thoughtfully, providing a car.

My last day in Kathmandu:

I regret my rooftop breakfast this morning, and wish I had tried a typical street breakfast instead of indulging in my typical four cups of chia. I can see the guy from the roof, busy busy making chapatti and some sort of soup, and across the street, the chia guy got mobbed a minute ago, but now all is quiet. Ah well, there will be other times I'm sure. How could one only come to Nepal once? So many places in the world…I wish I could travel and explore for my JOB like the lady from this book I picked up. Who knows? Maybe someday! For now, I will just concentrate on enjoying my tea, and soaking up the Kathmandu sun. It's nice to know the adventure doesn't stop here. Next stop, Bangkok, and then on to India - that mysterious, glitzy country which I am absolutely positive will keep the adventures coming.