Big Mistake



On my last days in Nepal, I've decided to try somethings I haven't had the time to try before. So today at lunch I went for the local wine, Tongba, which I thought was the local beer (big mistake).
"Tongba is a special cultural alcoholic beverage of Limbu. Tongba basically is a Nepali ethnic wine made of fermented millet. Tongba is made by pouring hot water into a pot of fermented millet and drunk with a bamboo straw. Tongba is popular during winter season with locals and year around with tourists."
Source
Because I came originally from Austria (Not exactly true), I am known for my enormous alcohol capacities (Terrible lie). Hence the awful headache I am experiencing at the moment and the general bad feeling. Good idea!

Visit to Bhaktapur

I've been to Bhaktapur for five days. On one of the mornings I went looking around with Lee, a girl from Malaysia, who lives in Singapore, and my faithful Nepal Lonely Planet guide. Lee came for a short visit to Nepal, just like we go to London. We had a conversation the evening before about Malaysia and the things to see there.

Unfortunately for Lee and me, it was Saturday, the kids day off from school. And they were all around us. A group of kids got stuck on us for a while, trying to guide us, convince us to buy them school books (so they can immidietly sell them back and get the money) and more. I had to use my limited creativity in order to remain sane. Examples:
- I reached the conclusion that the kids weren't experienced enough at guiding. So, in order to improve the situation I suggested that one kid will take the other to a guided tour around the city, show him around and explain about the intriguing history of the place. Then, when he was done, the other kid becomes the guide and the previous guide become the guided. Endless improvement potential.
- Play yourself dumb. When they say "Horse" I say "House? There are dozens around here!"; When they point at a lion statue I said it was a snake, etc.
- And more, which I can't recall right now, because of my big mistake. Check out the next post.

Being useful in Nepal

I can't plow a field, I can't handle chilly, I can't carry heavy loads, I can't lead a pack of twenty donkeys, I don't know how to ride a Yak (but I can probably make a nice fillet) but I can still fix a computer mouse! (Applause from thousands of computer geeks around the world) .

Yesterday I've heard my Bhaktapur guest house owner talking to one of the workers about their computer not working. Some forgotten part of me couldn't contain itself and, letting a fine hot chocolate get cold, I asked if I could have a look. Two minutes later the problem was solved. One of the axles in an old, rubber ball mouse was out. Using an old Chinese technique, I pushed it in with a pen and a screw driver.

Now I'm really ready to move on! (This place is getting awfully cold)

Knee information (The knee saga continues)

Source

Chondromalacia
Chondromalacia refers to softening of the articular cartilage of the knee cap. This disorder occurs most often in young adults and can be caused by injury, overuse, parts out of alignment, or muscle weakness. Instead of gliding smoothly across the lower end of the thigh bone, the knee cap rubs against it, roughening the cartilage underneath the knee cap. The damage may range from a slightly abnormal surface of the cartilage to a surface that has been worn away to the bone. Chondromalacia related to injury occurs when a blow to the knee cap tears off either a small piece of cartilage or a large fragment containing a piece of bone.

Symptoms and Diagnosis
The most frequent symptom is a dull pain around or under the knee cap that worsens when walking down stairs or hills. A person may also feel pain when climbing stairs or when the knee bears weight as it straightens. The disorder is common in runners and is also seen in skiers, cyclists, and soccer players. A patient's description of symptoms and a follow-up X-ray usually help the doctor make a diagnosis. Although arthroscopy can confirm the diagnosis, it's not performed unless the condition requires extensive treatment.

Treatment
Many doctors recommend that patients with chondromalacia perform low-impact exercises that strengthen muscles, particularly the inner part of the quadriceps, without injuring joints. Swimming, riding a stationary bicycle, and using a cross-country ski machine are acceptable as long as the knee doesn't bend more than 90 degrees. Electrical stimulation may also be used to strengthen the muscles. If these treatments don't improve the condition, the doctor may perform arthroscopic surgery to smooth the surface of the cartilage and "wash out" the cartilage fragments that cause the joint to catch during bending and straightening. In more severe cases, surgery may be necessary to correct the angle of the knee cap and relieve friction with the cartilage or to reposition parts that are out of alignment.

Bhaktapur

Taumadhi Tole
Originally uploaded by 202.

Today we continued to Bhaktapur. I've taken a shortcut, which made us miss the trail and walk on the road. So after a while we were tired and therefore gave up and took a crowded local bus to Bhaktapur. The locals were many school kids, so it was fun, except for the fact that I am tall (See here)

I said goodbye to Christa here, because she had to go back to Kathmandu to check her flght to Thailand.

I paid a hefty sum of money to get in, 750NRs, a little more than 10USD. I am not sure I'll see a lot of the place, because I want to rest a bit before moving on to Thailand. This place is quieter than Kathmandu, so I might stay here for a few days.

And finally, my flight to Thailand is currently on the 1st of December. It is pretty cold here. It is about time to move to warmer regions.

A tip from Nepal - Do not be tall!

The ceilings are too low, the flip flops are too small (I tried to get a pair because my Source sandals just don't dry after a shower, not to mention being quite heavy), some restaurants' tables are too low, the bus seats are too narrow and there is not enough space between them I'm not sure that you'll recognize me when I get back. My head got hit so many times it is has to be different now from its original shape. Maybe I should wear a helmet.

Nagarkot

Imaginging Mt. Everest
Originally uploaded by 202.

I went to Nagarkot yesterday with Christa. I met her one night on the Annapurna circuit trek. She was just starting here trek, the Annapurna Sanctuary trek (a.k.a. the ABC, Annapurna Base Camp). Funny thing, I met her again at the same Internet place in Kathmandu I met Katrin and Katja again.

Yesterday we went together to Nagarkot, a place famous for its view of the Langtang Himalayan range, where you can have a small peek at the Everest. And the familiar drill repeats, eating early, going to sleep early and waking up way too early. At least this time the view was just outside our window (Green Valley hotel, a cheap one, but with a great view).

The skies were not so clear and the mountains were not so close as on previous occasions. The Everest mountain was just a spot in our imagination. One more reason to come back.
To be continued, or how I took another "shortcut" to Bhaktapur...

Proudest Monkey - Dave Matthews Band

Climbing down
Originally uploaded by 202.

Swing in this tree
Oh I am bounce around so well
Branch to branch,
limb to limb you see
All in a day's dream
I'm stuck
Like the other monkeys here
I am a humble monkey
Sitting up in here again
But then came the day
I climbed out of these safe limbs
Ventured away
Walking tall, head high up and singing
I went to the city
Car horns, corners and the gritty
Now I am the proudest monkey you've ever seen
Monkey see, monkey do

Then comes the day
Staring at myself I turn to question me
I wonder do I want the simple, simple life that I once lived in well
Oh things were quiet then
In a way they were the better days
But now I am the proudest monkey you've ever seen
Monkey see, monkey do
Monkey see, monkey do

The Knee Report

CIWEC clinic
Originally uploaded by 202.

I guess these things are also part of a trip. My knee started hurting during the Annapurna circuit trek. I used an elastic knee brace/support, but after two weeks I just couldn't wear it on. Few days later I took a look at both my knees, finding out that one is bigger than the other. So time went by and I expected the swelling to pass, but it refused to do so.

Today, almost two weeks after the end of the trek, I went to a clinic. The staff was Western, very nice and understanding.

The analysis is that nothing is terribly wrong. The knee is inflammed from the effort and needs time to heal. Other than that it is perfectly fine. I was concerned that I would have to come back home to deal with it (Which also has the benefit of seeing you guys back home a lot earlier than originally planned). At least now I feel much better. I hope it will pass in the next few days and I will be as good as new (almost...)

Maybe I should blog more...

Katrin and Katya
Originally uploaded by 202.

I just finished writing about coming back to Kathmandu, not knowning anybody, as two girls from my raft, Katrin and Katya, just arrived to the Internet cafe I'm writing from. Small place, Kathmandu...

Back to Kathmandu

Well I'm back, bigger and better than before! Ok, not really, but it is a whole lot easier to come back to a place you have been before. It was nice for a very short while to see that everything here is cheaper. The most obvious is the price of surfing the Internet per hour, 20-30NRs instead of 99NRs! Nevertheless, I will be happy to pay that much to get back to the lake instead of noisy Kathmandu. It became a familiar place, with tourists and local people to wave hello to each day. I plan to head out for the nearby villages, so I won't have to stay here too long.

I've taken a "fancy" bus to Kathmandu, which costs almost triple the money. You get lunch for that price and a better seat, which is crucial for a long guy like me.

Kali Gandaki rafting

Kali Gandaki rafting
Originally uploaded by 202.

Yesterday I came back from a three days rafting trip on the Kali Gandaki river.
I went because I thought it would be nice to be on a camping trip, where you just have to camp and eat. But then I discovered rafting! I sat at the front for half a day, where you can see the rapids coming. When you row, your body leans out of the raft. So together it becomes quite an adrenalin rush.

I fell off the raft on the first day, some of it was my choosing (yeah right), as I wanted to see how it is to be carried out by the rapids and rescued by the safety kayaks. I was also pushed out once or twice, so I had quite a few dips in the water.

The guide on our raft was highly skilled. He does most of the job in getting the raft in and out of the rapids. As someone said, he was the steering wheel while we were the engine.

The major downside was timing. Apparently the current period is the beginning of the end of the season for this river. The water are a bit too cold and the there aren't that much sun hours. Therefore at the afternoon, I was exhausted from the cold and the will to jump off the raft and have fun left me.
Nepal is considered a rafting heaven. Nevertheless, the government is in the middle of building numerous dams. Thus shortening rafting trips. In this trip, the dam on the Kali Gandaki was closed, turning the part of the river close to it into a lake. As a result, most of the third day we paddled and not much more.

I went on the trip with a traveling agency, which is considered Israeli (Shai agency). Even so, we were just two of a group of thirteen, primarily because there weren't enough people, so two other agencies added their people to our group. Bottom line, we were 2 Israelis, 4 Dutch, 2 guys from the Czech republic (One in a safety kayak), 2 German girls, 2 Chinese, 1 Australian and 1 Irish guy.

Next(?)

One thing I've learned here is that you can never really plan ahead, so the following words might not be words the electrons or liquid used to display them, but here goes:
Future plans for now: Go back to Kathmandu, order a flight to Thailand and visit the area untilt the flight (Nagrakot, Bahktapur, Dulikhel)

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" Closing time, Semisonic.

I've said goodbye last night for my companion for the last month, Ayelet, with whom I went on the Annapurna circuit trek and the last few days of resting in Pokhara. It took me 2 seconds before I heard a "hello" and met the person to dine my next breakfast with (Just breakfast!).
Sometimes life can amaze you.

Altitude effects - Personal impressions

At Manang, somewhere around 3400m, I went to a AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) lecture by a Western doctor, volounteering there. In the lecture he explained that altitude effects have nothing to do with age, gender or physical fitness. It depends on your body's ability to adjust. Up to 2500m the adjustment is immediate, from 2500-5000m it takes some time to adjust and from around 5000-5500m and higher, the body can not adjust.

I really like going up fast, running up the mountains, weight or not. But after Manang I started walking real slow. My pulse raced when I quickened my steps and I had to breathe a lot. Many 50+ years old Europeans passed me by easily. I guess it is easier when you live near the Alps... And so the famous "Mountain goat" was reduced to a snail :-)
In one place (Yak Kharka) I went for an acclimization trip. The saying goes "walk high, sleep low", meaning you shouldn't sleep at your highest altitude during a day. I made some good people worry as they weren't sure if I came back. Probably because I also had an awful headache that day. That was solved with a headache pill and tripling the amounts of water I drank to more than three litters a day (Just water, not to mention teas and soups).

So all in all, my body and I handled it quite fun, well almost (see next post)

The importance of good equipment

Good expensive travel equipment doesn't help you much when you are in the big city. Shoes are shoes and bags are bags. But trekking for twenty days made the importance of good equipment more evident.

Shoes and custom insoles - I didn't have but one tiny blister for twenty days of walking.

Synthetic towel - Excellent for the days where there is not too much soon. Surprisingly it also stays quite clean.

Good backpack - We went out three people with one porter, where usually two people take a porter. So I've taken the stupid(?) call to carry some of my stuff on my back. As a result I've taken my big backpack and the small one. It proved to be excellent. If you ever ran with a half full tank of water on your back you know what it means to carry unbalanced weight. The numerous, initially unrelated, straps became very handy in spreading the weight such that I won't lose balance when I don't go straight (I was sober, honestly, the land isn't straight).

Head torch (flashlight) - Nothing more to add. There is no

Trekker pants - Dry quickly and with many useful pockets.

Thermal wear and quick dry shirts - Same same, very important in order not to freeze when resting from exertion

Ever had a blade stuck against your throat?

Well I have, yesterday. I let someone else shave me for the first time. I've never let someone get a knife so close to my skin (maybe except some hot headed friends ;-) ). The 'shaver' pulls and pinches your skin in order to stretch it. It is scary and fun at the same time. Recommended!

Traveler's diarrhea

I've said before and I say it again, it is not a question of whether you'll get but when you get it. So I got it. A very mild occurrence, but a scary one nevertheless. Last night I woke up at 3:00 AM. My body temperature rose quickly and it made realize nicely why people talk about delusions when they are having a high fever. It wasn't fun but it lasted for ten minutes, and not for days. Until next time...

Back to Pokhara!

After picture
Originally uploaded by 202.

After twenty days of walking, rising with the sun, sleeping when it is gone, physical and mental endurance, endless Dal Bahts, annoying kids, amazing views, one swollen knee, about 250 km, freezing weather, 25+ liters of iodine water and interesting people, I'm back to Pokhara for some R&R.