Making preparations

Today I did chores. It sounds odd, I know, but I had to get some supplies and permits for my trek leaving tomorrow morning. I got some money out (harder than it sounds), got a permit to enter the Annapurna Conservation Area, bought a hat (which as you can see looks ridiculous but it's warm, Nepali, $2.30, and as a bonus will be entertaining for all of you to look at), bought a map, some iodine tablets to purify water, some snacks, hiking socks, and got some passport photos taken (for the permit). It was a pretty busy day walking up and down the little tourist strip here.

On the way to the permit office Dan was changing money so I took a seat on the curb while I waited. A girl approached me asking where the permit office was, so she ended up coming along. It turns out she was planning on taking the same trek at the same time (alone) so now she's coming with us. Unfortunately her name escapes me at the moment (Gali?), but she's a nice Israeli girl and she adds another to the group. Pretty soon we'll have a regular UN going.

Today and tomorrow are the biggest holidays of the year for Nepalis, called Dashain. They say it's like their Christmas; they get together with family and feast for the whole day. Unfortunately that means that buses (to get to the start of the trek) run less frequently, stores and restaurants (at least the ones run by locals) are closed, and taxis are more expensive. It's not a big deal, but it's an extra little hassle.

I'll probably be out of touch and not updating this blog for the next 8-10 days. That's how long the trek takes and I doubt there is internet available on the way. I'll be taking plenty of pictures and (get this) keeping a journal of sorts that I'll transcribe here when I get back. So don't worry, I didn't fall off a cliff or get mugged (probably), I'm just out roughing it in the mountains.

I figure before I head out I'll catch up a little with a picture of the tiny Nepali bananas (delicious), as well as a goat on a bus. I may have somehow neglected to mention this but on the bus from the Indian border to Pokhara I sat next to a goat for a few hours. Some guy brought him on like it was no big deal and tied him to a pole. I had read that people brought livestock on buses here but sitting about a foot away so was a little different than reading it in a book. It was all good fun though.

I've also put a video of traffic in India on here. I took it on a tuk tuk ride in Varanasi and thought it would be entertaining for you all. This is pretty typical traffic, not as bad as a round about, not many pedestrians, but just kind of average traffic.

Anyway, I'll be in touch if possible on the trek although it's highly unlikely, so for the next week or so you'll just have to wait and wonder. I'll be as safe as possible and I plan to come back better than ever. Namaste!