WEATHER: Glorious 25C
HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: The stunning scenery
BUMMER OF THE DAY: Barking dogs
WORD OF THE DAY: You
picking up what I’m putting down
We are in the middle of Nepal. In the countryside, surrounded by beautiful
lush mountains, you can feel the serenity just oozing out of the picture
postcard environment. So why did we all
have such a bad night’s sleep? Barking
dogs. Yep. Barking dogs.
There was one to start with at around 12.20am this morning and then the
incessant barking continued till 4.30am, with a small lull (maybe it barked
itself hoarse) with no such luck till it started again at 5am and barked
continuously till 6.30am. Jess and I
even woke up together at one point and she said some-one shoot that dog and I
went yep and then went back to sleep again.
We were all at a loss as to why they let the dog keep barking, but as we
found out later it was an outside dog stirring up the house dogs and they did
try and go out and stop the outside dog to no avail. The manager said they aren’t normally that
naughty, but in the dogs defence it was a full moon, so unless that had
something to do with it. But it was damn
annoying that was for sure. We were
warned that we maybe woken up with the roosters or the other farm animals, but
compared to the dogs that was nothing.
Today was a day of rest for me. The group was heading out on a hike that was
going to last around 3 hours and I decided to just make the most of my tranquil
time at the cottage. Breakfast was at
8.30am and the tables had been moved yet again for us to enjoy the mountain
views as we drank our hot tea and ate our pancakes with cheese and
spreads. We watched as the sun warmed
up, and the clouds that were low in the valley burnt off and the mountains were
again released into their full glory for the day. Leena and I were the only two that stayed
behind, so she set up in one of the deck chairs overlooking the valley to read
her book and I sat at one of the tables, also looking down the valley to get
some blog writing done. I knew that I
wouldn’t have internet here, so I had copied all the information I needed in
Bhaktapur into my word documents so I had everything I need to get the blog
finished, but the view just kept distracting me. It was stunning and I know that our photos
will not do the place any justice. This
makes me take a step back; appreciate where I am, how I got here. We live in a beautiful world. Everyone on the whole planet will have
relationship issues, money issues, the blues, happiness, death, love, marriage,
divorce-I am not the only one to go through it all and everything that has
happened to me has got me here today and made me the person I am and you know
what? I am alive. I am happy.
I am healthy. I have friends who
care-that has been and continues to show via email and Facebook. So I have decided that today is the day I
toughen up. Toughen up Princess and I
have dusted myself off and I am ready to tackle what lies ahead. I have been really good by not gassing on to
Jess too much and half of the group still doesn’t know that I only broke up
with the love of my life 5 days ago.
They don’t care so why burden them?
I had to move around 11.30am as the tables were getting moved
again in preparation for our lunch. I
like that they do that. It makes for a
different setting for each meal and a different outlook and it shows that they
care trying to shake it up for us. They
moved some of the tables, bought out the table umbrellas and then they also let
out all the animals once the walkers had left.
To hear them all clucking, quacking, gobbling and e-oring and Jackson
the kid bleating (he was only 7 days old) it was just nice to be here. Leena and I had a chat for a while and it so
nice to have a great group to finish with.
I know I keep banging on about it, but a bad group can make for a very
unpleasant tour and I needed to be around some positive people.
There are now power outlets in the rooms, but there is a
power board in the bar where you can charge all your gadgets. I decided it best to charge my phone and IPod
while the guys were out to try and free some space for when they get back. Don’t want to come across as a charge hog
after all. I also discovered last night
that my NCELL sim card gives me access to the internet for free! As long as there is phone range I can be
hopping into Facebook as much as I want.
This sim card has worked out to be probably the best value for money on
my whole Odyssey. From making phone
calls to internet coverage but in saying that I have been sending Shelly text
messages and she hasn’t been getting them but Kenya has been. So I’m not sure how reliable the text
messaging side of the sim is. But
internet! WOO HOO, in the middle of the
country, I am in HEAVEN.
The group got back at 11.30am and they said the walk was
good but hot. I sometimes feel bad when
I don’t join these walks but if you don’t enjoy doing them, why would I put
myself through that? I am past the point
of what people think these days anyway and I enjoyed my relaxing morning with
Lenna and the animals so it is a win win for me. Lunch was served at 1.30pm and then we had
the afternoon free till 4pm when we were going for a walk to visit a small
school that Intrepid supports for deaf and dumb children in the village. It was a 20 minute walk to the school and
some of the guys had bought some pens and notebooks to leave. As the national festival had only finished a
few days ago, some of the children hadn’t returned yet, so there were only 5
kids to see when we got there. As we
walked the stairs to get to their buildings, which were located on a hill just
behind the primary and secondary school, you could see 2 eager little faces
waving to us. How cute. We were talking on the walk on how you would
communicate with a deaf and dumb children, but once we met these little guys,
they were full of life and we all just played with them, drew pictures and I
even tried some of my sign language letters that I learnt when I was in primary
school. The kids smiled, but I am not
sure if they could spell, so it they may not have understood anyway. Well I tried.
My size and Lenna’s braces were of great interest to them as well as the
oldest settling in with John as they used a notebook to communicate. We were there for around 45 minutes when we
had to go. They were very good about our
departure, but I wonder what the fallout is like after we leave. We gee them up, it’s all excitement plus as
we all chase, smile, tickle and hug them all, but how do they feel after we are
gone? I felt a little bad as one little
guy was left standing waving till we were out of sight and hope that this is a
positive influence on them rather than making things worse after a visit.
So walking back to Famous Farm and we got another stunning
sunset. Like Africa, Nepal really knows
how to finish a day off and what a wonderful relaxing day it was. A week since the breakup and it feels like a
distant memory already. The world keeps
turning it really is true that life goes on.
I am in a good place and enjoying the moments of this amazing ride I am
travelling on. I am an ordinary person
living an extra ordinary life. What
could I possibly complain about?
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