Hello readers! Once again I find myself lucky enough to be traveling for a few months. This time around, my itinerary is (tentatively) taking me to Nepal and India for a total of two and a half months of free-spirited travel. I will do my best to keep my blog up-to-date with my experiences, and hopefully even get some pictures on here. So, without further ado, let's catch up!
A few days ago after some flight snafus, I flew into Bangkok and spent one night wandering around some of my old haunts. It was great to be back, but once again I found myself wishing for company as I embarked on another adventure. My wish was soon to be granted, however, as some family friend's from Homer happen to be traveling in Nepal at the same time I planned to, and invited me to accompany them on a 24 day trek through the countryside. Judy and Bill Styer met while doing Peace Corps in Nepal over 20 years ago, and come back from time to time to revisit their old sites. This time, they are celebrating an anniversary, and have brought along their son Ben who is also my age. Traveling with them is akin to having a free, personalized tour guide as they both speak Nepali and are familiar with local foods and traditions. Sometimes I am astonished at my own luck!
I flew into Kathmandu last night and was immediately surprised by the chaotic way of life. Nepalese life makes Thailand look positively tame, and I was very thankful to reach my hotel and find the Styers immediately. Today, we met up with another American gal who is a peer to Ben and I, and we've walked around what feels like half of Kathmandu oogling at the open air markets and general chaos of the city. I am especially fond of how even in the touristy areas, daily life seems to keep on chugging along, and most Nepalis don't seem phased by our presence. If anything, we seem to just constantly be in the way of cars, motorbikes, pedestrians, and the occasional cow (yes, cow). The items for sale are beautiful, and the people are dressed in very traditional clothing and often wear a bindi on their forehead to signify their third eye. I'm absolutely floored and completely enamored with just about everything so far, and I must say that it is a huge improvement from my previous travels to have peers to appreciate everything with. What a fantastic experience so far!
More soon...
We depart for our trek within the next day or two, and if we leave tomorrow I don't anticipate that I'll be able to post again until November. If that's the case, then have a great October and I'll catch up with you in November! Thanks for reading!
