after that I started to look for a place to stay but no apartments for rent in Pokhara nor Chitwan – that I could find – so I had to go back to Kathmandu.
This time I stayed in a nice dorm (First time stay in dorm since I traveled to Nepal)
the dorm called turtle backpacker hostel which wasn’t so cheap (4$) but it was close to a temple where many monkeys live.
The scene from my balcony
The dorm itself was good
An American girl in this dorm had a really inspiring story that I wanted to share.
She is a fellow backpacker but at some point during her travel she temporarily became broke with no money until end of the month to pay for a hotel or eat in a restaurant.
She ended up sleeping on the beach like the homeless – at this city – and getting all kind of prostitution offers as well as getting her stuff stolen and not being able to even shower.
I asked her why didn’t she borrow some money from her family during this period then give it back the next month.
she said: because it was my fault I was stupid and spent all my money. I got myself into this, I get myself out of it.
She made me reconsider my ideas about western citizens
Nepali people are religion tolerant compared to Arab world and middle east. no one will stop you from building a mosque in a country with Buddhist majority
I ended up sharing an apartment in Kathmandu. which turned out to be a good deal.
Kathmandu is very cheap compared to Pokhara and Chitwan but also my roommate is working most of the day and many nights she would spend in her BF's apartment. so it was like my own apartment most of the time.
another good thing was having a cleaning girl, she comes everyday – everyday! – wash the dishes, sweep the floor, do the laundry and leave. she was paid $20 per month of which I only had to pay $10
why we don't have that in Egypt I wonder? she only spend like half an hour every day and if she do that for 12 apartment she can make a decent amount of money.
during my stay in Kathmandu I discovered a kind of food called Samosa really delicious and really spicy and not expensive (I buy two for 25 cents)
also I was lucky to see two Nepali festivals. One of them was for Shiva (or Shiba). in this festival they go in big masses to one of the biggest temples. it was really amazing and really crowded.
it was so crowded so sometimes you have go to a place you don't want to go to just because most of the people are pushing you to that direction. sometimes you are being pushed from all directions and don't really know where -they want you- to go.
I was even lucky enough to attend one of cremation ceremonies from beginning to end.
The body has to be washed first in the river
the other was the color festival. in this festival people paint their faces and bodies. I went out that day too walking in the streets casually watching people with different face colors.
it was funny until I noticed one of the streets unusually wet. before I could they why is that a lady through a big bucket of water from the window. it didn't hit me but I started realize what is going on here. I was being told its a color festival no one mentioned anything about water fight.
because I was wearing normal clothes people avoided throwing water at me or colors. It was still risky, I wanted to go back but I was hungry so I decided to countinue anyway to my favorite place to get some semosis.
after a dangerous trip I found all restaurants closed, eventually I gave up and headed back home. but by that time water fight got really intense and avoiding getting all washed up became more challenging. I couldn't avoid my fate despite all attempts. not just water but also there was that sad kid who can't find any one walking in the street to shoot him with his color filled water gone. well, he was sad until I passed by him. I suddenly had that sudden urge to fill a million balloon and bomb him with it. but all shops are closed :s
I used workaway.info to apply for some volunteer work in Malaysia … a fruit farm owner accepted my request and so I had to book a flight to Malaysia. right now I am in the plane bored and having nothing to do but to write down all what happened since I trekked in Pokhara til this moment. hope this plane will make it otherwise all that time I spent writing will go in vain.