After thirteen hours today spent between a landcruiser, minibus and bus Sui and I made it to Kathmandu. The past seven days have been an amazing set of highs (the temple art and Everest) and lows (everything about our French travelmate and the beggars).
We had dinner tonight that was not Chinese food and I just bought a diet coke and Toblerone. I’m going to go back to our hotel tonight, eat my chocolate, drink my coke and watch some Prison Break on my computer. We’re both excited to have single rooms after sharing for over two weeks, including the night at Everest Base Camp where all four of our group had to share one room. It was if there wasn’t enough oxygen in the room for all four of us. And it just got stranger when the French guy started eating cheese at 3am.
Let’s just say that the “twinkle” I noticed in Frenchie’s eye when we first met turned out to be the twinkle of insanity. Between dodging his ciggarette smoke, ignoring his incessant tapping and muttering and finally breaking down in a screaming match by day four, I was pretty busy.
Despite that, I spent a night near Everest Base Camp and watched the tallest mountain in the world glow in the afternoon, turn orange at sunset and cloud over in the morning. How did you spend your Halloween?
10 responses to “Quickly Through Tibet”
Mad Cheese Eating French Mutterer! It’s amazing that someone a tad “touched” in the head could make it around the world. Boggles the mind, really. He’ll probably end up a beggar in India muttering for cheese.
And, yes, you just *had* to rub it in about *your* Halloween. Pffft! 😉
It’s too bad I lost touch with Bishu (sp?)…a guy from college who’s from Khatmandu. He did the best John Wayne impression I’ve ever heard.
Mmmm…what did I do? The same…Everest sunset etc. Who doesn’t? Ok…I really went on A ghost tour and had dinner out….Hope you took picts!
Come on, what’s wrong with cheese at 3am?
I want to hear more about everest base camp. And would some pictures hurt ya?!? :p
Ali,
He was a drummer too, so he like to tap the surfaces of tables while I ate soup. But, of course bongos don’t pay the bills so he has to do odd jobs to earn a living. Now, how does someone who does odd jobs travel to Tibet? I don’t know the answer to that but I suspect the French welfare system is a touch too giving.
I’m sure your Halloween was magnificent. Isn’t anyone having a party this year? I was dressed as “outdoorsy.” And you know that is definately a costume for me.
Nancy,
Ghost tour sounds good. I don’t think we have those in Chicago. You know I took pictures! They’re coming…
Lucas,
I like cheese to a fair degree, although it’s not like I’m from Wisconsin or anything. Thsi cheese was an assortment of dried, fermented cheese balls that he bought somewhere in the middle of Tibet. He liked to mix it with hot water in a bowl to make a nasty cheese soup.
I hate to tell you, but Everest Base Camp is really unimpressive this time of year. There were no hikers there and it was just an empty rocky valley. I thinkt he Nepal side is easier to climb adn more busy. Of course, Everest itself was beautiful. It actually looks shorter than the mountains around it depending on the angle you view it from.
No more cheese dising!
Mike,
Did you hear the part where I described the cheese as “dried and fermented?” Even you, a Wisconsin native, would not eat this cheese. Believe me. I’ve been keeping my eye out for a good souvenir for you, maybe I shoudl send dry, fermented cheese…
Now you?re asking me to choose between my obsessions? I?m too big of a nerd to pass up the possibility of foreign Star Wars swag. Even though I can?t eat swag like could sweet sweet pre-beer cheese.
You know, I don’t think I will see any Star Wars stuff but I continue to look. I saw a doorway with a Spiderman sheet as the door today and there’s always Superman stuff… no SW yet though.
Here’s an photo of the forbidden cheese.
Hmmm… I think I’d have to deep fry that cheese ball in order to eat it.
Well yeah, anything’s edible once it’s deep fried!