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Overlook
Pokhara
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Week
7
December 7, 2001 - Nepal
"Random
thoughts from a delirious mind"
Dear Thor:
The photo is misleading. I took it on the one day that I actually felt
well. However for the rest of this week, I’ve been sick. TWICE.
That means I’m not sipping hot chocolate in some Internet Café
nestled within the picturesque Himalayan Mountains. Instead, I’m nursing
a glass of Gatorade in my hotel room one of the few places that I’ve
gotten to see this week.
I caught strep-throat on the day I saw Everest. Three people in my Habitat
group also got it, but they recovered in time to go trekking in the Himalayas.
Unfortunately, I stayed behind in my Kathmandu hotel room with aches,
fever, chills, a raging sore throat, and overall "blechiness."
Three days later, I felt strong enough to travel to the "resort town"
of Pokhara. It seemed like the perfect place to recover while waiting
for my Habitat friends to return, however Pokhara isn’t really a "resort"
from a Westerner’s perspective. Smog hides the lake and stunning views
of the Himalayas. Cows and ox also walk the dirt streets with the noisy
traffic. And it’s impossible to find any peace when the vendors swamp
you every time you sit down.
Plus you still have to watch what you eat which apparently I didn’t. So
I’m sick again, battling gurgles from my nether-regions.
But I’m not writing to complain I know it seems like I’ve had a terrible
time here in Nepal. (I’ve faced war, hard conditions, cold showers, kidney-bruising
bus rides, an emotional shutdown, and sickness.) However I’ve really had
an extraordinary life experience! Before I left, friends had told me that
Nepal would change me. Now I’m starting to figure out why.
First and foremost, the Nepal is a country of stunning natural scenery
with views straight out of National Geographic. This tiny country has
everything. Deserts, jungles, rain forests, never-ending rice fields,
cascading rivers, and of course the Himalayas (which I’ve learned is actually
pronounced him-MALL-ee-ahh.’). I’ve also seen some of the strangest plants
here. Cherry trees are now blooming in December! (I LOVE cherry blossoms!)
I’ve also seen poinsettia TREES grow ten feet tall! And the marigolds
are huge over seven feet high! What the heck do they feed their plants?
The Nepali people are also extremely attractive. I’m surprised that the
Western fashion industry hasn’t discovered this hidden jewel of physical
beauty because so many men and women in this country are jaw-droppingly
beautiful. They’re probably too short to make good runway models, but
the Nepali face would look amazing on the cover of any fashion magazine.
On the other hand, I don’t know if a Nepali fashion model would have a
long career. The living conditions of this country are so poor that people
age quickly. I’ve discovered that most Nepali adults look at least 5 to
7 years older than their chronological age. For example, a woman in her
early twenties often looks thirty by Western standards. For Nepali children,
the equation works just the opposite: many kids look younger than their
age because they are so small and malnourished. The Nepali diet contains
very little protein so it’s not unusual for a 7-year old boy to look like
he’s four.
I’ve developed a lot of respect for "the hard life" which is
why I feel a little guilty about staying in bed all week. If a Nepali
man was sick, he would probably gut-through the misery, wake up early
in the morning, feed the animals, milk the goats, gather the ox, sharpen
his plow blade (by hand), attach the yoke to the ox, plow seven acres
of land (with a one-blade plow!), harvest another two acres of rice, carry
the 50 Kg sacks of rice (on his head) to the mill stone (which is 10 Km
away), and then walk down to the river to gather a basketful of wet mud
to repair a hole in his house’s outer wall ALL WHILE SUFFERING FROM A
RAGING INFECTION AND A DEBILITATING FEVER!
Seriously though, rural families work long, hard days in some brutal conditions.
And many who are "lucky" enough to escape the rural life have
to scratch-out meager livings as street vendors on the polluted streets
of Kathmandu or Nepalgunj. They still work long hours (with no days off),
while battling the dust and exhaust that fill the air. And they also have
to deal with the deafening traffic noise as well as the mounds of filth
collecting on every street corner.
Electricity is also not a standard amenity. Many towns go weeks without
power. And even when they have it, hourly blackouts are common. Nepali
people can’t even count on basic transportation. Today for example, Maoist
rebels convinced Nepali bus drivers to go on strike, paralyzing the country’s
entire transportation system.
Which brings me to the Civil War. Nepali people constantly apologize about
the Mao terrorists, but it’s not their fault that some thugs think that
violence will solve the countless problems in this country. So far, I’ve
been safe. I’ve had a few close calls. However I seem to just miss "the
big one" by a day or so. I’ll arrive a day after a huge attack or
leave a day before. It’s a little spooky to have all of this violence
happening around me; however for the most part, life here is actually
VERY, VERY NORMAL. I think TV has brainwashed me into thinking that war
is non-stop bullets and bombs. It’s not at least not here. That’s probably
why I haven’t left the country yet. I probably should have left last week
after the build, but the sheer normalcy of everything has lulled me into
thinking that it’s not really happening. Unfortunately it is.
All the craziness has given me new appreciation for some of the small
"Comforts of Home" like Western-style sit-down toilets. Okay,
I know it seems silly when there’s a war going on, but remember: I’m sick
and delirious, and I’ve had to endure "squat" toilets this entire
trip. They’re fine when you are feeling healthy, however this week I’ve
been too weak to squat over a hole in the ground. Sit-down toilets (along
with ibuprofen, antibiotics, Gatorade, PowerBars, HBO and Cinemax) have
been my few "Comforts of Home" this whole week.
I’ve also discovered a new appreciation for hot showers. This week, I’ve
had overpowering chills that had me shaking uncontrollably. I had to drag
my sorry, ragged body to the shower and pray to every known god, heavenly
entity, and worldly spirit in existence that when I turned the red knob
on the left, hot water would spring from the tap. Every time, a soothing
stream of luxurious hot water greeted my goose-bumped body. Thank you
Gaia, God, Shiva, Buddha, Allah, Kosmos, Zeus, the Sun God, Brahma, Mother
Nature, "Habby" (our watchful spider at the Habitat build),
my writing muses who occasionally help me through spells of "writer’s
block," Bill Gates, and anyone else that I might have accidentally
forgotten in my current state of delirium.
Speaking of which, I’ve truly been blessed during my journey through Nepal.
I’ve met some amazing people here. They’ve comforted me when I’ve been
sick, held me when I’ve cried, guided me when I’ve been lost, protected
me when I’ve been tired, and made me smile when I needed relief. Together,
we faced some very challenging times, but they remained compassionate,
loving, and nurturing. Best of all, they made me laugh a lot.
Tomorrow, I look forward to laughing again when I’m reunited with my Habitat
friends. We’ll fly back to Kathmandu for one night there before leaving
Nepal for Bangkok, Thailand. I have mixed feelings about the end of my
journey in Nepal. I’m relieved to be leaving the war-zone, but I’m going
to miss my Nepali and Habitat friends.
Later this week, I think I’m going to try to get some R&R at a Thai
resort. I’m a wreck physically, and I’ve heard the south beaches of Thailand
would be the perfect place to regain my strength. After that I may head
to Laos to explore part of Indochina. My Lonely Planet book says it has
jungle treks, 19th Century architecture, historical ruins, and French
bakeries! (Yum!)
As always, I’ll send you an update sometime next week. Until then, be
well, be present. And Namaste!
Scotty
