where can I get a job like that?

2 years ago Nepal elected the 601 boofheads I referred to earlier to write a constitution, and as you all know they were running out of time. Well Friday was their deadline, and all of a sudden there was a flurry of official cars whizzing to and fro, people trying to make last minute deals and general watching of TV all day by the 'denizens of the Valley'. When I got home just after 10pm, the TV was showing all the female parliamentarians standing up and jeering non stop while the countdown clock ticked down the minutes. I gave up and went to sleep. I awoke yesterday to discover that these people who were given a 2 year contract which they failed to fulfil had voted to give themselves another 12 months to fail. How fantastic!
So no strikes, for now, but the PM (who was rejected by the voters but still got to run the country?!@*) will be resigning and the race is on to decide who will be next in charge. It looks as though the Maoists will have another turn at the job, many favour Prachanda who was the recent Maoist PM, although the Indians are said to favour Maoist number 2, Dr Bhattarai, because he went to Nehru University in India.....
I had to endure another evening of no sleep when I was invaded by mice the other evening, who managed to get into my unopened emergency supply of pretzels. Munch munch crunch all night! So Keshab and I constructed a barricade on the balcony door which seems to have kept the rascals out for the last 2 nights.

 And here is my fabulous balcony!






Robin is now having a day off at another hot a-springs place called Laya, and has only about 2 weeks left to trek in Bhutan. And I think he will be pretty pleased to stop.
Meanwhile I have a very busy day today - breakfast, Sunday roast at the Sterling Club (today this is chicken with peach pie for dessert) with a friend, trying on the outfit for the wedding, and a party down the road. Phew.
Thamel has been rather busy the last few nights as the last of the mountaineering expeditions returns. But I expect that they will all be going home in the next few days as they tend not to hang around too long, since they have probably been away for 2 months or more.
And in regional news, police in the Punjab in India have arrested a pigeon for spying. The pigeon was spotted by a 'vigilant villager' (try saying that after a few drinks) and was discovered with a Pakistani phone number on a ring around its leg, and police believe it may have carried a note - which they haven't found yet! The pigeon is being held in solitary confinement. I have no idea how they plan to interrogate it.
Just in case you don't believe me:spying pigeon nabbed by cops
Right then, bed tea has arrived so I'm off.

but wait there's more....

electricity that is! I have been driving myself nuts using it - don't ask me what the hell I have achieved though. I still haven't ironed anything!
Right, so Robin made it over the 2nd highest pass in Bhutan and is now somewhere called Narithang - it's amazing what a difference having a map can make. I got up at 3 this morning to get a forecast off the net for him, so am a bit dopey....Just because there is power doesn't mean the internet works.
Got my bangles for the wedding - all nice married ladies have armsful of bangles and I couldn't be left out! Not that anyone could mistake me for a nice married lady.
My Nepali friends and I have been busy solving all of Nepal's problems. We all seem to agree that it is the fault of the 601 parliamentarians - rabid dogs or crazy monkeys depending on who you talk to! I can't believe that every month for the last 2 years each of these useless bums collected Rs 1 lakh (100,000 rupees or about $AUD2k - a fair bit for this place) and they have managed, in general, to achieve precisely nothing to benefit the local people. It is bad enough when it happens in the west, where at least most people have a house, water, medical care. But here it just sucks. Many people are thinking it's time for a different sort of government. Like not a democracy - considering that the hapless fellow who is PM (MK Nepal) was rejected by all voters and yet still runs the country (if that is indeed what he is doing) I think anything would be better, and I'm not the only one. A friend of mine says that the only reason Nepal isn't a failed African state is that it isn't in Africa!

Today is Buddha Jayanti, so Happy Birthday to Lord Buddha.







Tomorrow is the last day for the parliament to get it's act together. Saturday is Republic Day - and also probably the day when people take to the streets egged on by the Maoists to protest about the useless government. And Sunday is Roast Lunch day at the Sterling Club - this month is roast chicken with peach pie and ice cream YUM. Taking my mate Sarah to that.
Went for a swim yesterday as the weather was pretty steamy - and what a lovely swim it was too!
And here's a quote I read in the paper yesterday about the missing doctor I have been telling you about : "The cops are not able to solve this complicated crime conundrum." FANTASTIC. In news about raids on 'massage parlours' in town : "The police caught them in the midst of their involvement in objectionable activities." Excellent work.
There is now another person signed up for the full Nepal traverse next year with World Expeditions. Please, if you are thinking of a trek check out the WE GHT trips - you will be part of something new and exciting, and you'll be helping Nepal as well as having a great holiday.

 

And here as promised is a photo of a large plate of that Bhutanese delicacy Emai Datsu or cheese curry. MMMMMMMM.

Thanks to my sister for keeping me informed on mum - expect an email after I digest the current news - which is only slightly more palatable than the cheese curry I think!
Well the rain has started again, and I just finished a splendid hot chocolate so I might wander home and grab a hot shower before the water goes cold on me!

Bhatti drives me batty

that's right the electricity situation here is driving me nuts. In theory we have 12 hrs every day of power cuts, all nicely arranged and duly notified, so that you can plan when to be home and when you can go out. The last few days we have had some huge storms that go for 10 hours or more, which increases the water level in the rivers, and the amount of hydro power.
So the powers that be very kindly just leave the switch on, so we all get more power. Problem is, you never know when they will turn it off. An hour ago I was stuck in netbanking, email and weather forecasting when it went off, so have now come out to a cafe to finish what I started. I am enjoying a rather good mango smoothie while I work so it could be worse.
I've not gone back to the pool because all the rain will have made the pool even colder than it was on Saturday. And I am such a wuss.
Had dinner and drinks last night with Billi and some friends of hers from her hometown Garmisch in Germany. we went to a Bhutanese restaurant for dinner - and boy am I taking my own food when I visit next month! More on that later. I tried to upload a photo of the cheese curry  but the website spat it out.
There has been a huge dump of snow at Everest Base Camp, and Makalu was apparently way too cold to summit.The rescues on Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu this season are quite the talk of the mountaineering community - a joint venture between Nepali Fishtail Air and Swiss Air Zermatt has proven that it is possible to rescue above 6000m. Read more about it here:http://www.billibierling.com/2010/05/24/engagement-parties-and-everest-summits/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilliBierling-
We now have the youngest climber: Jordan Romero aged 13. He has completed the Seven Summits - quite an achievement. And as for the nutty British chap who swam across the glacial lake under Mt Pumori - why?
And speaking of why, Robin has another big pass on Thursday, then they arrive in a place called Laya - if I had a decent map I could find it - and then it is 'all downhill' from there. They got soaked yesterday, just as I predicted, and were lucky enough to pal up with the forest officer who comes originally from Nepal, so he let them stay in his house and warm up by the pot belly stove. 
On yesterday's topic of the missing doctor, apparently an investigation has discovered that he is OK and will return home in a few days. What does that mean? Did he go to India to the Bata shoe shop? A quick trip to Lhasa? How vague and irritating.
Looks like none of my photos want to upload today so you will just have to go without.
Bye for now!

then it started to rain

A LOT. I had to hole up in the after hours office for AGES last night to avoid being drowned. But it meant that the views this morning were great! Mind you, I think I drowned on the inside!
So what have I been up to since Saturday afternoon? Well I went back to the pool and jumped in - the water was about 10 degrees colder than the pool in Delhi and it was all I could do to stay in it, but once I got swimming it was sorta OK. I need to eat some cement and harden up apparently!
Didn't end up going to the press conference for the Spanish climber, but stayed in town on Saturday night - not that it was very busy. Most of the trekking is finished for the season, so most tourists have left. Not so many people are going to Tibet at the moment (this is the best time of year) and there are still a few mountaineering groups in the hills waiting to summit. There has been some dreadful weather this season, and it was good to see that there is now a Nepali/Swiss operation doing mountain rescues and air ambulance.
Yesterday I tried to make an inventory of my trekking gear here - I currently have 6 tote bags and a barrel in the room - and that took me most of the morning. Outrageous. I had intended to do some internetverke, but the net dropped out badly for most of the day. Maybe this is why:

Anyway, it seems OK now. Robin is now safely over the worst of the Snowman trek, and is now going to be heading south rather than west. At least now I can pinpoint where he is on the map, which makes it easier when I try to forecast the weather.
Today's mission was to find an outfit for the wedding next month. I made sure I had permission from the father of the bride NOT to wear a sari! So it was time to get a kurta salwar made up - the long top and pants outfit that you see everywhere. I was quite surprised that I got something that I think will look good in the second shop I went to. You select the material for the top then the pants then the scarf then get measured - talk about complicated. All I can say is that it is purple and it does have sequins - you can't be seen at a wedding here without sequins! And thank goodness the bride came with me to help me choose.
And in crazy local news, a doctor in the Terai disappeared on his way home from work the other day. His car and briefcase have been found in different locations, but no trace of him, and no ransom demand (kidnapping important people is a popular pastime here). So yesterday the Nepal Medical Association called a strike of all staff to protest against the government 'failing to reveal the missing doctor's whereabouts.' I kid you not. If the doctor is not 'produced' within 3 days there will be a national strike of all medical staff until the doctor is found. Is it just me, or does that sound so completely batty I couldn't possibly be making it up?
I love this country but I wonder why sometimes...

let's all go climb Everest

I feel so left out - everyone it seems is busy climbing and I am just lazing around. Well not really, I have been SO busy I can't begin to tell you.
I finally managed to join a swimming pool nearby. For the princely sum of Rs 3000 (less than 50 bucks AUD) I can wander up the back lane to the Malla Hotel pool anytime I like - even in a strike - and swim myself stupid - yes it may not take long!
Met up with an old friend for brekky yesterday, then a different one for lunch, and some more for drinkies and dinner last night.
Had 2 opportunities to lie in as Robin didn't ring me yesterday or today at stupid o'clock. He rang me this afternoon while I was having a wonderful massage to let me know he made it safely over the pass (sorry I can't tell you which one) and was worn out. He is now heading for a campsite near a village where he hopes to recharge his sat phone battery. Now that the south west monsoon has hit India, and the cyclone has hit the east coast, weather forecasting just got a whole lot trickier. I rely quite a bit on what the Everest and Kanch climbers are up to as that gives me an indication of what the jetstream is doing.
And my goodness what a lot of climbers there have been: the 13 year old who just became the youngest to get up the big E, Miss Oh from South Korea who recently became the first woman to climb all 14 8000m peaks, and Edurne Pasabane who became the second, and is disputing Miss Oh's claim that she climbed Kanchenjunga. There always seems to be some sort of scandalous palaver, and I guess this is the one for pre monsoon 2010. At least it makes a change from people arguing about who should have tried to save a dying climber instead of stepping over them on the way down. You can expect some more mountaineering news in the weeks to come. And perhaps I will also have news on a missing solo female trekker who disappeared a few weeks ago in the Helambu area north of Kathmandu - the area has had quite a few lone trekkers disappear never to be found. You should ALWAYS go trekking with another person you know and trust.
Meantime I have been enjoying some unexpected bhatti (electricity) - got to watch an Akshay Kumar flick the other day. He is too cute and frankly he can put his chappals under my charpoi any day!

The joy of phones

Another warm fun day in the 'du. Met up with some friends at the after hours office yesterday - the Professor (who isn't really a professor) was in a very good mood which means one thing - he will hug you all night! And then I was lucky enough to run into him this morning as well! Lots of mates are coming back to town now so I am never surprised who I bump into on the street.
This morning I went to immigration to extend my visa which runs out next week. usually it takes several hours, so you go and come back and waste all day basically. To my complete surprise, for the sum of only Rs 500 (less than 10 bucks) I could get it issued in 10 minutes. So of course I took advantage of this 'offer'.
Now that I am back in Nepal it is very difficult for Robin to call me in the afternoon/evening as the mobile network here is completely jammed. The 'best' time for him to get through is 6am. Or so he thinks! So here is what our phone calls sound like:
ring ring (well it is a Punjabi dance song but you know what I mean)
mrmph
good morning darling how are you? It is a beautiful day here.
mmm
are you in bed?
grrr
so how was the engagement party?
mrph blmph sari glub beautiful glmph rsft food
oh that sounds great! Packing the yaks now so I'll go and I'll call you tomorrow. Go back to sleep now.
F%*&^@
Love you too.

So romantic!
For some reason we have had extra electricity yesterday and today but of course because it is unannounced nobody knows when it is coming or for how long. So I never use the bonus time for banking!
Speaking of which, new banking rules here and in India are a real pain in the butt. In order to combat money laundering in both countries, the maximum withdrawal at an ATM is Re10,000 in India, and Rs15,000 in Nepal. BUT you can make up to 5 withdrawals in a day. So that stops people laundering money HOW???? So the queues at the ATM are very long now as people try to get enough money out to pay for a trek or whatever.
Only another 8 days till the deadline for the constitution passes without it being written - and we are all expecting trouble, which is why I got a multi entry visa just in case I decide to scoot off somewhere if the situation gets bad. Though Bangkok doesn't look like an option! And I can't go back to India (in theory) for 2 months - another new rule to combat terrorism. Don't ask. Pakistan looks nice? or Bangladesh for a beach holiday?  Perhaps Tibet would let me in now!

Well, here's a picture of the view I get in my after hours office:

Cheers from the 'du

why is it 10 degrees cooler here in Nepal than it was in India, and yet I feel hotter? It's quite sticky, and of course no power and I've not joined a pool yet.

So I arrived yesterday afternoon after flying west along the Himalaya - which I could see above the clouds at about 5500m. managed to get to the immigration counter first, which meant I had a long wait for luggage. It's good to be back with all my friends and family here, so I celebrated by having a few at Sams last night and trying to catch up on all the gossip.

Today was my Nepali niece's engagement and I took my friend Billi along, so I wouldn't be the only foreigner there. And here we all are looking bemused by the entire thing! Yashu is the one in the red sari with the grass necklace thing. She and I bought that sari for her mum as a present a few years ago - it's the 'best' in the family.



I was supposed to go to another friend's housewarming puja (blessing) but didn't know where her new house is, and couldn't get her on the phone, so I fell asleep instead, bathed in sweat because there was no power! It is easy enough to adjust to stumbling round in the dark, but when it gets to about 2pm and there's no breeze you just conk out. Even the burglars wouldn't be bothered!
Robin seems to have gotten some luck. We (the people in Bhutan) and I failed to get anything definitely organised, but then some random guy wandered up to him yesterday and announced that he would go across the pass and gets some yaks, and come back this evening to take them over. How weird.
In Nepal of course the focus at this time of year is mountaineering expeditions, many of which are trying for the summit as we speak - well as I write anyway. Seems we are all keeping an eye on the weather. Robin seems to be out of the bad patch he's had for 6 weeks now - would that be called something more than a patch?
Gotta go to the immigration office tomorrow to extend my visa, and see if one of the nearby hotels wants to make some money by letting me into their pool.

Oh, here's a picture of some desserts we had in Delhi:
this was Indian Summer - all mango - even the egg. Mango creme brulee, green mango something something and mango with fresh berries

This was Devna's chocolate fondant - love the hat - with mango icecream and berries and hot chocolate sauce inside. And yes thanks, it did taste as good as it looks.






I now have another hour of power left today - it was off for 6 hours then it only comes for 3 on Wednesday after 10am - looks like I won't get a lot done on any Wednesday!
And look, now it's nearly cocktail o'clock! Cheers you lot.