We originally assumed we would be in the small lakeside town of Pokhara for around 3 days before going trekking however this was not to be the case. A string of various incidents involving chris's debit card not working, my being locked out of my own bank account despite having told them before leaving the US that i would be traveling, and finally the loss of my passport have forced us to remain here for two weeks. After around a week or so the financial issues were all worked out and we were preparing to leave when my passport and i were permanently separated on a local bus forcing me to go through a long process. I filed a police report and took the long ride back to Kathmandu to put in the papers for a new one at the US embassy and then again returned to Pokhara. I am definitely ready to get out of here. We have spent too much time walking up and down main street while continually hearing "yes please" left and right from local shop owners gesturing towards useless obscure items such as Tibetan singing bowls, wooden flutes, or questionable Pashmina fabrics. Despite the overwhelming psychological power of this sales tactic we somehow managed to abstain. The highlight of the two weeks was probably getting a haircut and having getting my terrorist-caveman beard shaved off. Nice to look like a human being again although i will miss the heightened problem solving abilities that result from contemplative mustache twirling.
We will be getting on a bus out of Pokhara tomorrow morning to begin the two week Annapurna Sanctuary trek after which we will be returning to Kathmandu to get my new passport/visa and heading south. Sometime around the beginning of December we should be leaving Nepal for warm climates, spicy curries, and seafood in India. A lot has happened and been learned here, but I have stayed a little longer than anticipated and its about time to move on.
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