Nepal was such a great experience. I was expecting the people to look more Asian and see bald monks walking around living with their vows of silence; to my disappointment, I saw none of that. For the most part, the people look Indian, some have a stronger hint of Asian than others.
I really wish I had close to a month to spend in Nepal. Robbie and I were both disappointed to find out that it took around 2-3 weeks to hike to the base camp of Mount Everest. I now have a good reason to come back. However, when one door is closed another is opened and our motorcycle trip to Annapurna was awesome. Like I have said earlier, it was the dumbest yet best thing I have ever done. Trying to teach myself how to work a motorcycle in Kathmandu traffic was a nightmare, learning how to shift out of first only after we got out of the city. We can't help but laugh looking back on it now. They say the best way to learn a language is to live in that language's country; I feel that the best way to learn how to ride a bike is to be thrown on one and put yourself in real traffic. May not be the best way for all people, but I can confidently say that I am really good at driving a motorcycle.
The drive up to Muktinath was beautiful. I have never seen that type of scenery in person, let alone up close and personal. I regret renting the motorcycles that we did (Avengers), we should have rented large dirt bikes. The low clearance Avengers were not suitable at all for the "roads" we had to drive on; I was constantly being bounced out of my seat. Once we got on normal roads, I felt like I was a Hells Angel, king of the road. An unforgettable experience for sure.
We were really hoping to be able to drive up into Tibet and then circle back down to Kathmandu, but non-Tibetans are not allowed into Tibet right now. There is ongoing conflict between Tibet and China with China claiming that Tibet is part of China and not its own country. One reason why foreigners are not allowed is because they do not want anyone brining in any sort of map that might show Tibet as a separate entity from China. Hopefully when I complete South East Asia and make my way to China, Tibet will have opened up. Only time will tell.
I will say that we would not have made it through Nepal without the general generosity of the Nepalese people. Everyone was willing to help and point us in the right direction. The culture is definitely a barter culture, which I have grown to enjoy. I am going to hate fixe prices when I return home. As long as you look them right in the eyes and sound confident in your pricing, you can always shed the price, especially if you are buying multiple things. For example, I was looking to buy a small gift for a friend. The listed price was more than I was willing to pay, so I walked away. She said that she could discount it. I told her half and she laughed. I stuck with half and she eventually gave in. Everything from clothes to food can be talked down. However, we did stumble upon some places where only locals shopped so there was no need to barter.
Overall, Nepal is a large trekking destination. You can spend months in Nepal and still not even be halfway done; no wonder I have heard such high reviews on the country. I cannot wait to come back
Now I am moving from western Asia into eastern Asia. South East Asia is regarded as the backpacking capital of the world, mainly for how cheap it is. I will be excited to be primarily with others my age and traveling through some of the most amazing spots in the world. What awaits me in the next leg of my journey?
Only time will tell and anything is possible.
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