March 6
It is fogged in this morning so there is not much of a view. Packing up and getting on the trail early sounds like a good plan. I am not having the nicest thoughts about piggy backing Grover this morning. My hips are very sore and shoulders are in recovery stage.
Laying out the map and discussing with Buddha what my best route is to get to Nagarkot I start to have more loving feelings towards Grover. We have a great day in front of us. Not as much climbing, a more steady walk.
5 hours into my 8 hour hike I am not even half way. Not as much climbing? Let’s just say once again the difficulty level has been understated. I don’t want you to think I am not having an amazing experience rolling through villages and interacting with the people along the way in a way you could never looking out the window of a bus, but shit. This is hard. I am so grateful I have done this before the big trek because now I know how much weight Grover is going to lose. Half.
If I am to continue on at this pace I won’t arrive until after dark, and I do not hike after dark solo. I ask in the next village about a local bus and am directed to one about an hour away, I think. Neither of us could really understand the other, but I think we finally got there with help from the map.
Surprisingly I end up at a Bus hut. Many buses in and out. I ask for Nagarkot and again I find it difficult to understand where I am supposed to be standing and what bus to get on. Not much different from the last time I am motioned towards a bus and cram on towards the back. The last stop arrives and I get off not knowing where I am. I look at my phone and see I am nowhere near where I am supposed to be. I make another attempt with another bus and find myself not much closer after 3 hours on 2 buses.
I don’t know how to navigate buses in the States never mind in a country where I don’t speak the language and there are no schedules and the signs look like cartoon script. At this point it is late in the day and I am tired and hungry and need a snickers bar. Kathmandu. Just get me back to Kathmandu. This people understand and I take my last bus for the day.
Knowing I am on the right bus and headed back to a now familiar place I start to reflect on the last couple days.
