What day is it anyway?

Chris and Liz left yesterday. It was kind of a weird feeling realizing that I am alone in a country several thousand miles from my home. I am fortunate to have quite a few Nepalis as friends, so I am not really alone, just without my American friends. Besides it is easy to meet other foreigners here. Rumor has it that this is the best tourist season for Nepal in like 8 years. It is notable in the streets with all of the foreigners you see and the many different languages you hear spoken. I am lucky that English is the mainstay. As I have spoken with other foreigners it amazes me how many languages they speak. One guy from Israel spoke like 5 languages. Back home I think I am cool because I speak 2.

Things with the hospital are obviously getting off to a slow start. The individuals that I need to meet with are both very busy and have not had the time to get together. That has left me a lot of free time, which is not such a bad thing. I brought several books that I have wanted to read for quite some time, and am about half way through them already. Fortunately there is a book store next to my hotel. You can buy a book from them and when you are finished reading it, they will buy it back for half the price. A pretty good deal since in the states I buy them, read them, and then give them away. I finished The Count of Monte Cristo, a book I have read several times, but one of my all time favorites. I then read The Alchemist, a book given to me as a graduation present. I finished it last night.

I went yesterday and had lunch at an Israeli restaurant that has quickly become my favorite. The name is OR2K. Weird name, but the food is amazing. It is a little on the pricy side. I think my meal yesterday was 180 rupees so a little less than $3.00. There are other restaurants where you can get a meal for about 50 to 75 cents. I went to a monastery the other day with Liz while Chris was in a meeting and for both our meals it was less than $2.00. Anyway, while at OR2K I met up with a couple of guys that we met out at the Bungy site. They had been out there for a couple of days and had made multiple jumps. One is a Brit and the other a Canadian. We had a good long chat. They will be around Kathmandu for a while so maybe we will run into each other again.

Part of the deal of getting my airfare paid was that I will lead an expedition for CHOICE humanitarian. It will arrive in about three weeks. It is a rather small group, I think maybe three or four people which will be the smallest I have ever lead. It is all women too. I think it will be a good experience. I spoke with Kiran (the in country director for CHOICE yesterday and it seems like the expedition will be focusing on building a school house. I guess I will find out more as it gets closer.

Here in Kathmandu there are these three wheeled bicycle things that can carry two people. I am not sure what they are called…not really a tuk tuk but also not really a rickshaw. Anyway, there is a driver of one of these that is always outside the hotel in the morning when I leave. His name is KC…he says jokingly that it is because he is from Kansas City. He has made me promise that one day I will let him take me for a ride around the city. He reminds me of that promise every morning. One of these days I will go for a ride.