The strike was more of a hassle than what we expected. Our visa was going to expire in a couple days so we had to make our way back to the capital a.s.a.p. There was one tourist van heading back to the capital but it was already "full", however if you had 2000 Rupees ($30) they could find a spot for you. It doesn't seem like a lot for a 7-10 hour journey (depending on the driver) but you must take into consideration that the government bus we took from Kathmandu to Dhunche was 240 Rupees ($4). Interesting what money can buy you.
Seeing that we didn't know when the regular buses would be running again, we planned on trekking back to the capital which would take about 4 days, depending on weather and Maoists activists. But that morning there was a group of trekkers who organized a government bus that had a massive white cloth with "Tourist Bus" painted on the front and 5 Nepalese locals in the front. Nice. Well thinking that it's better than walking for 4 days down a dirt road, we decided to join. We paid 850 Rupees ($18). This picture was taken out of a bus window on the way to Kathmandu.
When we neared Kathmandu the driver thought it would be best to put some foreigners in the front of the bus so that protesters wouldn't attack us. Seeing that I supposedly look Nepalese (as well as Chinese, Korea, and Tibetan) I wasn't surprised they didn't want me near the front.... interesting.
Day 123
We then spent the night in Shyaphru Besi, met some other backpackers and realized there weren't any buses running back to Kathmandu due to the Maoist strike in the capital. None of the locals had a clue as to when the city would be up and running again.
We heard there was one tourist bus that left Dhunche (a 3 hour hike away) and decided to make our way there next. On the way there I took this picture of the weaver. I love his bowl of popcorn in the background.
Nice afternoon snack. We aren't so different after all.
Day 122
We decided to do a home stay in Briddhim which was a great experience. They cooked us amazing daal bhat over an open fire in the house for dinner and kept refilling our plates! For breakfast we had omelets, Tibetan bread, and tea. The Tibetan tea (also known as po cha) was a little too intense for us. It consisted of yak butter, salt, and tea leaves. Don't be too jealous of us. It was a little hard for me to swallow but it was an interesting experience! :)
The language barrier was a bit of a problem at times, but it's amazing how creative you can become when you want to communicate with someone (e.g. hand motions, pictures, calendars, facial expressions)
Day 121
Our journey to Briddham. Beautiful.
Day 120
On the hike to Timure we went through a couple more charming villages. Here is a picture of one of the children that we met along the way. She was outside hanging out with her siblings and I had to capture her face. Precious face.
During one of the breaks my Timex watch that has been apart of me for the last 3 years slipped off of me somehow. Of course I didn't realize it until we descended 500 meters into the valley. Ugh. A piece of my heart sank. Enda volunteered to rescue it (and I don't think he wanted me constantly asking him the time) and journeyed back up the mountain.
Thank you Enda!
Day 119
Before we left Gatlang, I decided to wander through the village and try and get a better feel of the daily life. I saw a group of children and loved their colour and facial expressions.
Here is one of the photos that I really enjoyed taking.
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