Patan To Pokhara

We stayed in Patan. It is the old part of Kathmandu - originally its own city, now a part of the metro. The architecture there is incredible. Building facades covered in ornate wood carvings. Elvin doors lead to hidden courtyards surrounding individual shrines. Hindu influenced Buddhist temples dot street corners and intersections, with animistic iconography carved alongside the enlightened being. Meeting up with Jay was excellent, as I was feeling very out of sorts. Its much easier to cope when you are not alone.

Explored the area on day one. Ate traditional Nepali food; bakery goods, momos, then Newari food for dinner. The Newari consists of curried meats, primarily buffalo. The restaurant was empty when we walked in and the meats unrefrigerated. I was hesitant because of these reasons. We drank Chang, alcohol fermented from millet. Milk

white in color, it tasted like acidic watered soy milk. My stomach churned.

Walked back home past teenage Nepalis out for their night. The city closes down completely at 10pm but its lively until then. Ate delicious ice cream (very popular in Kathmandu). Passed old by men in a dimly lit rooms drinking masala tea.

Tightness in my stomach wakes me up throughout the night. Buffalo taste stuck in my mouth. The next day was not good.

The morning shower cannot break my daze. We walked down the streets looking for breakfast and I drag my feet like a zombie. The sights are too bright. Everything feels disorienting and alien. Smells are overwhelmingly strong. I feel empathy for pregnant women and go to lay down.

Lazed around all day watching Breaking Bad on our computer. At night we headed to a restaurant and ordered anything other than Nepali. I ate chop suey and Jay, Indian Masala. On the streets I breathed through my nose

to avoid the smell of buffalo.

The next day is better. Having exhausted Patan we taxi to Bodinoth, an apparent oasis of calm withing the city. Buddhist monks circle a gigantic golden stupda. Prayer flags rise to the stupa pinnacle. Gift shops encircle the stupa. Tourists raise their camera in all directions. It is not peaceful. Lonely Planet has failed us. We take a cab to the shared taxi station.

Traffic is very bad in Kathmandu, pollution is worse. We sit in the cab for 40 minutes. People burn trash along the road. My eyes water. Jay seems used to it by now. Many people cover their nose and mouth when walking around the streets.The cab approached the shared bus station. It looked like a market with many touts. Fifteen passenger vans troll the market periphery and hype men yell out the vehicles destination.

Our cab stopped and the hype men began banging at the windows. They yell "WHERE YOU GO?" A man pulled my bag away from me and told me to get in his van. I pull my bag away from him and tell him to get lost. Drivers crowd around to bargain.

How Much? I ask

------500 they call out

I laugh - 300

They collectively scoff

350 a voice offers.

Jay and I agree.

We pile into the last remaining seats in the van, bags in lap. The rise is bumpy. We ride through the Kathmandu Valley and the air becomes clearer, the views better. It rains outside and the pollutionof Kathmandu is replaced with the earthy smell of the country.

I put my headphones on and listen to the Grateful Dead and Kanye West, ruminating on the line
"Im living in the future so the present is my past". Either Ye is experiencing the thrill of living some futuristic existence or the struggle of staying in the present moment.

We wind down tight turns on the slippery dirt roads. Two cars have collided head on. People gather around but our driver doesnt blink as we roll through another muddy switchback. The rain pours down and brings a feeling of clean and refreshment, so much different than the dusty city. My head feels much better at this point.

The passenger van arrives in Pokhara after dark. We don our rain jackets and jump out of the van and into a cab. The driver crawls into the darkness and down to the lakefront of Pokhara.