We’re back in Kathmandu, and though it was difficult to leave the countryside, it’s nice to have the comforts of home and to be in one place for an extended amount of time. Once again, we are staying at the Hotel Courtyard and it’s just so comfortable here. We’ve been borrowing DVDs and spending long lazy days recuperating. Seth’s knee is hurting a bunch so we’re trying not to walk too much. Luckily we don’t have to do too much walking because Thamel is so convenient. We’ve been buying souvenirs and frequenting our favorite restaurants, like New Orleans, Fire and Ice, and Green Organic Cafe. Like I said, we’ve been enjoying having a ‘home’ for the past week.
One evening we had dinner at the hotel. We noticed that the group of people we were hanging out with seemed to be pretty close. Eventually it came out that these people were expedition groups that had just gotten back from Manaslu (the mountain that seems to be the precursor to climbing Everest). But, they happened to be on the mountain at the base came when the recent avalanche hit at 4am one morning. That happened just before we left on our trek. Some of them had continued on, but for some the tragedy had been too much and they decided to come back to Kathmandu. Either way they all had some pretty intensely horrifying stories. Two guys told of how they were catapulted 30 feet and when the movement stopped the top of their tent had been ripped off and all they could see were the stars. When they got up they found that they were mere feet from a huge crevasse. Though these expeditioners made it out with scary stories to tell, many died and some are still missing. What a difficult decision to make, to continue on or to head back. So many factors at play.
One day we revisited Pema’s clinic where I got a massage while Seth received acupuncture on his knee. I thoroughly enjoyed my massage and wondered how Seth was enjoying his acupuncture. I imagine that acupuncture, though being stuck with needles, is quite relaxing as well. Otherwise, why would people do it? It’s supposed to make you feel good. So I got the run down from Seth afterwards. Apparently it is not relaxing and doesn’t feel good. He says it feels just like sticking needles into you. He said they stuck a bunch of needles into his knee, and every once in a while they would twist them and push them in a little farther. Then they hooked electrodes to a few of the needles and zapped him. He said that his knee felt better for about a half an hour after that, but then it was back to hurting like normal. But staying off of it has helped it a bit this past week. That and Tiger Balm and some pain relieving ayurvedic oil being massaged into his knee at least two times a day.
We’re getting ready to fly to Japan tomorrow. I’m going to be sad to leave Nepal. It’s a beautiful country with nice people. And, because we’ve gotten to stay in one place it’s turned into a home away from home. This said, we are SO excited for Japan. And we are really happy that Joan and Steve are joining us. That’s going to be so much fun. We’re looking forward to bring in a very clean, polite, safe country. This isn’t to say that Nepal isn’t polite or safe, or even clean. But we’re expecting a lot from Japan. Anyhow, we’re moving right along!