Namaste!

Oh, it was so great to get out of the city. Away from the smells and the sounds and the feeling of not breathing due to those factors. We took a bus there which was about a 7 hour breathtaking drive. Right when we got off the bus we were harassed by SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many people trying to get us to stay at their hotels or guest houses. All saying, "stay here, it's the best in town!" We were so overwhelmed we just walked into town, got a drink, and chilled...then we found an awesome place that was clean, had hot water, and a TV to catch up on what's going on in the world. It was only $150rs per person a night - the currency is about 66 - US dollar. Pokhara was amazing and beautiful. We stayed on the lakeside, just north of the main strip. No creepy dudes, no toes almost taken off, no big dogs trying to bite my ass.

We just chilled the first 2 days, walking around and rented bikes to go around the lake...probably the most uncomfortable bike I have ever ridden, but what are you going to do? :) It was still awesome. We hiked up to the World Peace Pagoda which was amazing...and very peaceful, go figure. Coming back from there I had my first encounter ever with leaches...they are so weird! what the hell is the point, ecologically, of a leach? I didn't get too many, maybe like 5 or 6 and bloody socks. Tara, on the other hand, got 17! Her ankles were covered in blood. Needless to say she threw those socks away.

The next day, Monday, Liz and I went trekking. It was awesome. We started at a village called Naya Pul at 1100meters and hiked up to a village called Tikedhungha (1350m), so that was an easy day. No rain, and not too hot. The second day we hiked to Ghorapani (2750m - over 9,000ft) - that was an intensely sweaty day. We had to walk up a stone stair case that was 3,820 steps high, according to our map - and it felt like it. Surprisingly though, I was not sore. At all of the villages there are tons of tea and guest houses to stay at. We found the best places with great rooms and at only 100rs a night - together, so 50rs = under a dollar. Sweet! I'm pretty sure we got the best rooms in the house, since we were the only people staying there. In Ghorapani the lady, Goma, who runs the guest house was so sweet and invited us to stay for free another night to "make friends". Oh it was so amazingly nice, and I do want to 'make friends' with her. So, TJ and I will have to go back and stay there...she will remember me and said she will give us a very good price. Liz and I were complementing the guest house and our room, and she says, "Oh, Jessika, you like the beds? When you come with your boyfriend you can make cozy in the bed." Ha! It was hilarious. We got a late start that day, because we were talking to our new friend Goma over tea.

This third day was the toughest. We descended basically the entire day. From 2750m to 1100m...whoooooooeeeeeeeeee! That day we got to go to Tatopani, the hot springs which was soooo nice. My legs loved it. We got a room there for 50rs a night - 25rs each, with the bathroom right outside, which is why it was so cheap. It was a nice enough place, our room though did have some gecko turds for us as welcoming gifts on our beds. That night it POURED rain, and we had a tin roof, so it was loud as hell. And I was paranoid of being pooped on by geckos in my sleep, so I did not get much sleep.
We woke up the next day, and we were sooo sore we were walking like horses...I really had to focus on picking up my feet. Especially when stepping down stairs - whoa buddy - I do not think I have ever been that sore in my entire life. The second day was the worst of the soreness for me. This last day we luckily had a fairly easy hike...and it really felt great to walk up hill. We finished the hike by about 1:00, so we decided to catch a bus back to Pokhara to chill an extra night there. The bus was supposed to leave a 2:00, then 3:00, then 4:00, then they finally realized that they couldn't put it off any more - due to a gigantic landslide blocking the one and only main road. There were buses waiting on the other side of the landslide, so we hiked through the landslide - hilarious and ridiculous!!!! I totally got stuck in the mud, as in I couldn't move at all. By the end of the mud excursion I was covered to my knees and elbows, and my shoes were just a muddy blob of goo. Oh, Nepal.

The bus we got was the slowest moving vehicle ever, and it took about an hour to go like 3 miles. So a Nepali family, Liz, and I decided to catch a taxi at this little town...2 hours for 500rs vs. a scary unstable 5 hour bus ride...hummmmmmmmmmmmm. Taxi! It was nice to be back and take a shower, and be in a comfy gecko poop free bed. The next couple days were just chillin days, which was lovely to do before coming back to Kathmandu and school. I have almost all of my gifts done for the entire trip which is great and we got to watch the Olympics and catch up on more world news. This world is crazy. China, well, I think they pretty much blow right now...same with Russia. Nuts. Any who, I am in Nepal, and so happy to be here. Things are still nuts here, but I am staying out of it. No strikes, no cars on fire, no rock throwing for Jessika.

So that was a long winded tell all of my recent adventures in Nepal. I just have to say also, that I am so happy to be here and now that I am living here and settled, I can't imagine it any other way. Well, that's not true...I could imagine it with TJ here...but soon! I can't believe that it is the 11th of August. I have been here for almost a month and a half, and only 2 more till TJ gets here. At first it felt like that would never ever happen, but now since 1.5 months has flown by, I can see the light. :) Love you all.