Lights out at 5, back again at 6. Doors close at 10. Can't get coffee before 10 in the morning...This was life in Kathmandu for the past week. I have been staying at The Mountain Fund volunteer house for the past week since finishing the med trek. It hosts people from all over the world who come to participate in a variety of projects (some teaching english, others working at a refuge for Tibetan refugees, some in hospitals) as well as people who are doing expeditions from the American Alpine Club and there were even some researchers who passed through on their way to spend a month on a glacier up in the Himalayas somewhere.
So power gets cut in Kathmandu all the time due to power shortages. At the moment it's not too bad with load shedding occurring for about 4-5 hours per day spread over scheduled intervals. In winter it can reach 16 hours a day and in addition to this there are shortages on gas for cooking and petrol. Tourist areas tend to be backed up by generators so most tourists aren't too badly affected. All the same you do notice the lights going on and off from time to time and it's about then that you remember you have a torch stuffed somewhere in a bag up in a room somewhere but now it's too dark to go look for it.
TMF house has a curfew of 10pm, gates closed, doors locked and don't dare be late! It may seem strict but there are some good reasons behind this rule that I won't go in to just here. After heading out in town with the boss of the house, Scott, the other night I thought we'd be safe coming home after 10. Little did I know that Scott had to send grovelling messages to the nighttime door wench (Jenee) so that we wouldn't get locked out. Only 20 minutes late and still we were in trouble. Worse was to come when Scott's wife (who was about 100kms away at the time!) was informed of his tardiness! I figured two things out that night: Sunita definitely wears the pants in this house and don't mess with Nepali women!
It was time to escape the dust, noise and detritus of Kathmandu and head for sanctuary in hills. Another long bumpy bus ride had me disembarking in Pokhara to a throng of taxi drivers and hotel touts. I saddled up with my back pack and made a bee line for my digs for the night. Pokhara is a lovely town by a lake with views to the Annapurna range.
The lure of the mountains was too great and I decided to get straight in to it. I tramped around getting the necessary permits today before flinging myself off a hill at Sarangkot to glide back down to the lake.
It was absolutely magic, soaring like a bird, the pilot getting into some good thermals so we could travel quite a distance, and landing softly at the end without breaking an ankle.
Tomorrow, I'm off to the hills for real. Heading for Annapurna Base Camp before taking a side-track and heading north to Jomsom and Kagbeni. I'm planning on being on foot for about 15 days, only have to back in Kathmandu for the 23rd so no rush. I'm looking forward to the beautiful mountains, fresh air and alpine boogars. Hopefully I'll spot a yeti or if not in 15 days I may resemble one.
Peace.
PS. Forgot about the coffee. The half decent coffee stand down the road doesn't open till 10am! Ridiculous! What is this third world coming to?
So power gets cut in Kathmandu all the time due to power shortages. At the moment it's not too bad with load shedding occurring for about 4-5 hours per day spread over scheduled intervals. In winter it can reach 16 hours a day and in addition to this there are shortages on gas for cooking and petrol. Tourist areas tend to be backed up by generators so most tourists aren't too badly affected. All the same you do notice the lights going on and off from time to time and it's about then that you remember you have a torch stuffed somewhere in a bag up in a room somewhere but now it's too dark to go look for it.TMF house has a curfew of 10pm, gates closed, doors locked and don't dare be late! It may seem strict but there are some good reasons behind this rule that I won't go in to just here. After heading out in town with the boss of the house, Scott, the other night I thought we'd be safe coming home after 10. Little did I know that Scott had to send grovelling messages to the nighttime door wench (Jenee) so that we wouldn't get locked out. Only 20 minutes late and still we were in trouble. Worse was to come when Scott's wife (who was about 100kms away at the time!) was informed of his tardiness! I figured two things out that night: Sunita definitely wears the pants in this house and don't mess with Nepali women!
It was time to escape the dust, noise and detritus of Kathmandu and head for sanctuary in hills. Another long bumpy bus ride had me disembarking in Pokhara to a throng of taxi drivers and hotel touts. I saddled up with my back pack and made a bee line for my digs for the night. Pokhara is a lovely town by a lake with views to the Annapurna range.
The lure of the mountains was too great and I decided to get straight in to it. I tramped around getting the necessary permits today before flinging myself off a hill at Sarangkot to glide back down to the lake.
It was absolutely magic, soaring like a bird, the pilot getting into some good thermals so we could travel quite a distance, and landing softly at the end without breaking an ankle.
Tomorrow, I'm off to the hills for real. Heading for Annapurna Base Camp before taking a side-track and heading north to Jomsom and Kagbeni. I'm planning on being on foot for about 15 days, only have to back in Kathmandu for the 23rd so no rush. I'm looking forward to the beautiful mountains, fresh air and alpine boogars. Hopefully I'll spot a yeti or if not in 15 days I may resemble one.
Peace.
PS. Forgot about the coffee. The half decent coffee stand down the road doesn't open till 10am! Ridiculous! What is this third world coming to?
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