Bungy, momos and monkeys

Namaste from Nepal!

I've been here for almost a week now, and time has flown (I also can't believe it's been almost 3 weeks since I left for my travels...)!

Most of you probably know of my adreline fuelled moment to jump a bungy on my first day in Nepal. What was I thinking???

After a early wake up call on our last morning in Tibet, the group and I headed for a long drive to the border at Kodari. After crossing the border relatively painlessly, we clambered onto a Nepalese tourist bus, and drove 10km to The Last Resort; the place where we were gonna spjkdjkfjdsklend our first and and where I would spend my first hour shitting bricks.
 bhs
To get to the actual resort you have to cross a suspension bridge that stands at 160 metres above a gorge with a babbling river gushing below. The bridge is also where you jump the bungy from. I found out that I could jump it on that same afternoon, and so I spent the next few hours in a perpetual state of fear as I am somewhat afraid of heights. Jumping a 160m bungy seems like the thing to do then, doesn't it? Jeez.

Anyway,  got grouped with 4 guys from Laos, who were also jumpng for the first time, so we were all standing on the bridge shaking with nerves. I went second to last, and by that point I was lietrally shaking. The worst part was having to walk to the very edge of the platform that I had to jump from, but I did it! With a massive roar of terror and went leaping through the air and plummeted meters down below into the gorge. Aside from it being truly terrifying, it was so cool! Though I don't feel the need to ever to jump another one. Huh.

After coming down from my adreline high, it was time for a beer and some chillaxing in a cool pool at the resort. Followed by drinkypoopoos with Johanna accompanid by plenty of popcorn (I cannot think of anything better than getting free popcorn).

The next day we headed towards Kathmandu and our hotel in Thamel. After some ambling around in Thamel with Johanna, our group headed to an über fancy hotel called Dwarika's for a traditional Newari dinner which consisted of 6 courses. My beer there cost more than a pair of trousers I bought from Thamel earlier that afternoon.

The next day after visiting Durbar Square and Pasupathinath Temple (where saw dead bodies being prepared for cremation and plenty of marsupials) it was time to bid farewell to the other Finns and my Mummy with whom I'd shared a special trip to the roof of the world. As teary as it ma have been, being on my own felt good. And as relaxing as it had been to be brainless and not have to think about anything, being on my felt good. I have the cutest little hotel room in the centre of Thamel (I have my own balcony!) and doing what I want when I want is awsum.

I'm planning on doing a cooking course in every country I possibly can, and went to a momo cooking class on Tuesday with two Aussies!  Momos are Nepalese dumplings with meat and vegetables, usually steamed but also fried. We made two different veggie ones; mmixed vegetable (cabbage, onion, carrot, spring onion, coriander, spices and ghee) and then a spinach and yak cheese momo. We also made a peanut sauce and a tomato and chili sauce to accompay the momos. Making the momos is a time consuming but fiddly business, but the end result is so worth it. The momos were so good, especially the spinach and yak cheese ones dipped in the peanut sauce. And even if our momos were a little ugly, especially compared to the momos of our instructor's,  who has probably made thousands of momos in her life, they were super nom.

Yesterday I walked up to the Swayambhunath Temple, also known as Monkey Temple. The surrounding area around the temple is just swarming with monkeys. Also I saw so many teeny weeny monkeys, that clung to their mumsie's tummys when mummy had to run somewhere *u* And the steps up to the Stupa was gruelling... So many uneven, steep steps. My knees were so wobbly by the time I made it back to the hostel. That afternoon I made my way to the Kaiser Library. The overwhelming smell of old books hits you in the face as you step, and the walls are lined with old travel and history books. The amount of books about Winston Churchill that were there was really quite astounding... and odd. And amongst those was even a book on good old C.G. Mannerheim. Go figure. Very cool library, it even houses a stuffed tiger and coats of armour. Today I visite the largest stupa in Asia, the Bodhnath Stpa, that is gracefully covered in pigeon poop. Kathandu really is the city of the pigeon *shudders*

Im heading to Pokhara on Saturday morning for some hiking and breathtaking views. Also, the disarray of photos is because I'm writing this on the Blogger app on my tablet and it only allows you to attach photos to the end of your text. So bear with.