Day 120 - Boudha

Today is our last day in Nepal. We fly out of Kathmandu at 11:30 pm and head to Hong Kong for a long layover. By the time we reach Colorado it will be after 8:00 am on Saturday in Kathmandu. Long trip.

It's been great (have a said that before?). We've had some adventures for sure, and met a lot of great people, and certainly have more stories to share than many of you will want to sit through (though some will do it patiently and I thank you in advance). There is plenty to be missed here. Delicious Momos and tasty Thenthuk, Masala chai, Tongba, the sweet, smiling old Tibetan woman that runs Double Dorjee, the incredibly friendly server at Stupa Dining that has become a friend (why do all of those revolve around food?). I'll also miss having children shout "Namaste!" at us as we walk down the road. I'll miss hearing pujas on an almost daily basis from one monastery or another around Boudha. I'll definitely miss walking through the random weddings and wedding parties. I'll even miss getting shoved out of the way by old ladies because I'm doing Kora too slowly. As always when I return from other countries, I'll miss bartering with merchants and that funny bond that develops when you're both laughing because their price is WAY too high and your price is WAY too low. We'll see how long it takes for me to try and buy something back home and offer the shopkeeper way too little followed by an emphatic "Good price! Good price!" I'll definitely miss the weather. Going back to Winter in the US is going to be quite the shock to the system, I think, after a 90-100 degree Fall in India and generally sunny and warm Winter days in Nepal.

At the beginning of the week, Laura and I went to Nagarkot and stayed at an incredibly nice farm hotel. Nagarkot is legendary for its scenic views of the Himalayas, including a peek at Everest (haha, get it?). The hotel was so peaceful and serene, removed from the main "town" of Nagarkot and all the other hotels. The room price included three meals, entirely organic and made primarily from stuff grown on site. The food was delicious, especially the crepe with homemade peach jam for dessert. There was also a large fireplace in the common room and board games! And, it was the best shower I have taken all trip. The only downside was the winding dirt road that offers the only access to Nagarkot. The bus on the way down was just a little nauseating and packed wall to wall with people. At one point I had a woman sitting on my shoulder, which I haven't had since public buses in India. It made me both happy and sad to be going home. Being in a crowded bus careening down mountains is an experience that forces you to recognize and appreciate that you're in an entirely different world, and at the same time truly appreciate where you came from.

Most likely this is the last post for Life as WWOOFer - India and Nepal. But I kind of dig this whole blog thing. I'll most likely do another for my next adventure, whenever and wherever that may be. I kind of dig this WWOOF program and would love to do it again in the future. Laura and I have been talking about doing it in the US for a bit too. It would be a great way to see more of our own country, or we could do it someplace near to wherever we may be living. I've certainly learned a lot and, although we spent about half the time on farms that we expected to, I'm excited to continue learning.

As Tigger says, TTFN, Ta Ta For Now (Who says I have to be grown up?)