Making Progress

Yesterday I went on a hike to Shivapuri. I’m not sure if that’s the name of the hill or a nearby village – I think it’s the former. We were a group of 14 but spread out a lot on the trail so I didn’t spend too much time with any one of the others, but little bits of time with several of them. lt was nice to meet such an interesting bunch of people. They pretty much all work in aid or development and they are all so committed to their work. Still, it sounds like it can be a frustrating industry and I heard some of their insights and gripes. Knowing what I do about working for the government, I can certainly see how they have to navigate themselves through miles of red tape and other minefields, a process which can be compounded by the different (and often backwards) governments and organisations they have to deal with. Fortunately, this hasn’t deterred me from wanting in - the joy of being naive and keen I guess.

The trek itself was quite difficult. It was about 4 ½ hours practically straight up and another 3 or so back down. I much prefer going up when the only problems are sweat and shortness of breath - nothing that a quick rest can’t solve. Coming down, on the other hand, is really tough on the joints and my knees complained in an increasingly loud voice all the way down. I was so happy to be down that I didn’t remember to stretch so I’m a bit stiff today. I guess it was good training for my upcoming trek with Judy and her family. We gained about 1100 metres which certainly will help with the acclimatisation process.

Today I rented myself a little apartment. As previously mentioned, apartments aren’t easy to find here. I got a little freaked out yesterday when I found out that all of my fellow trekkers were paying well in excess of $1000 US in rent per month. I can only assume that apartments that most Westerners find acceptable are of such a relatively high standard here it would be equivalent to us renting the penthouse at the Hilton at home. I was thinking I might as well just stay at the guest house for half the price but that means tons of noise early in the mornings and no kitchen facilities. Eating out is really inexpensive and way better than suffering through my own cooking but it would be nice to at least have a fridge. I answered an ad this morning and didn’t even bother to shop around.

The apartment is much more Nepali than Western. This means cement floors with a few carpets, a Nepali bathroom (no tub or shower stall - just one big open space) and a pretty rudimentary kitchen. The ad said that it was furnished, which it is, but with no appliances other than a gas cooker. I’ll have to buy myself a small fridge and TV as well as some dishes and other household stuff. It’s on the ground floor and my bedroom window looks out on a pretty garden. It’s fairly centrally located and far enough off a main road to be really quiet. I have been assured that there are no chickens nearby so hopefully I won’t get a rooster wake-up call every morning. Kathmandu’s biggest department store is about two blocks away, so I can get everything I need there. I have five rooms: kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and two offices. I’m guessing it was set up this way because that’s what furniture was available. If I decide to stay there for a while and can figure out where to get furniture, I’ll turn the second office into a living area, bedroom or something else more useful to me. My biggest concern is the mattress which is, I think, a futon. I’m guessing that this will be really hard on my hip. A new mattress might be on my list as well, if such a thing exists here.

The second-best part is that the rent is 15,000 rupees ($240 Cdn) per month. This means that even if I’m not earning I can easily afford to live here. Ultimately, if I can’t find a paid position, I could volunteer or take a Nepali salary and still be fine.

The best part is that my landlord is a lovely young man who lives with his family upstairs. I met his mother this morning, and I’m not sure who else is up there. He speaks great English, loves Canadians (his last tenant was Canadian as well) and is infinitely helpful. I’m sure he’ll be a great help getting me set up with all the comforts I want – probably even more so if I want to buy furniture that I’ll ultimately leave behind.

I’ll have a landline there and will be getting internet. It will likely be cheaper and easier to make and receive calls from the landline than my cell phone, so I’ll pass that number along when I get it. I’ll be moving in on Wednesday...wish me luck.