borgmania

Below is an excerpt from my friend Eric’s blog. I met Eric in Shanghai, China when we both signed up as free agents on a local basketball league. Our team sucked but I got the opportunity to meet some pretty cool new friends. Eric was one of the victim’s of “Shanghai’s Revolving Door” but it has capitalized on it and is on a 5 month (I think) “walk about” on this side of the globe.

I envy Eric because he is doing everything that I wished that I had done in my early 20’s. He’s traveled all over the world and has seen some interesting things so it’s always fun read his blogs and find out “where in the world is Eric now”. This is one of my favorites…….

Previously on....Tales of Interest:

(Scene: Korgas, China-Kazakhstan Border Crossing. Translated from the original Chinese)
Me: I want to go to Almaty, Kazakhstan. What time is the bus?
Chinese Taxi Driver: No bus today. Bus Monday.
Me: But today's Friday. There has to be a bus today. There's supposed to be a bus today.
Chinese Taxi Driver: Border crossing closed. Holiday. You go Monday.
Me: Goddamn't. Why didn't anyone tell me the border was going to be closed before I took the night bus all the way here from Urumqi. Well what the hell am I supposed to do here until Monday. There's nothing here.
Chinese Taxi Driver: Get hotel 3 days.
Some Other Taxi Driver: There is train going today at 6pm from another border crossing far from here.
Me: There's no way I'm hanging around here for 3 days. How do I get to this other border crossing.
Some Other Chinese Taxi Driver: Take taxi then bus then taxi.
Me: Are you sure there's a train today there? You're not lying to me just so I'll take your taxi?

(Scene: Train Station, 350 km away at another China-Kazakhstan border crossing)
Me: Is there a train to Almaty today?
Attendant: No train today.
Me: I thought there was a 6pm train today?
Attendant: No.
Me: When's the next train?
Attendant: Sunday.
Me: Goddamn't. I hate you Chinese taxi driver. Is there at least an internet cafe in this shit hole?

(Scene: Uzbekistan Embassy, Almaty, Kazakhstan)
Me: How many days does it take to get a visa for Americans?
Worker: 10 working days without letter of invitation. And we're closed on Fridays.
Me: Goddamn't. What about with a letter of invitation?
Worker: One day.
Me: How long does it take to get a letter of invitation?
Worker: 10 working days.
Me: Goddamn't. I'm not hanging around here for 2 and a half weeks. Screw it, I'll just fly to Nepal.

So I made it as far as Almaty, Kazakhstan (which wasn't easy) and then had my central Asian travel plans foiled by outdated Soviet bureaucratic visa requirements for Uzbekistan. In any case Tibet is still closed to foreigners and traveling by land through Pakistan to India probably was never my best idea. I still blame the Chinese Communist Party and I have long memory. They will pay. Almaty was actually a very pleasant city but no one told me it's as expensive as Western Europe. Stupid Kazakhs with their oil and gas money. That Borat movie was incredibly misleading.

Anyways, Nepal has to be one of my favorite countries in Asia. The Kathmandu valley was fantastic and although I generally dislike large Asian cities due to their being overcrowded, overdirty, overhot and haphazardly built, I really liked it in Kathmandu. The old city had incredible Hindu and Buddhist art everywhere. And I mean everywhere. On every block there was centuries old sculptures, wooden window carvings and temples. Durbar Square could rival anything in Europe.

Basically all the tourists stay in the tourist ghetto of Thamel. There you have narrow maze-like streets comprising of trekking stores selling fake North Face stuff, travel agents offering trekking trips, souvenir stalls, and restaurants, followed by every thing I just mentioned again and then repeated ad naseum, in that exact order. It can be a bit much at times but I stayed at what was an oasis in the craziness, Kathmandu Guesthouse, one of the best places I've ever stayed at. The Beatles stayed there in the 1960s (or if you prefer, only a few weeks ago, Ricky Martin) and the place just has a great atmosphere where I met tons of cool people.

Almost everyone who comes to Nepal does some trekking in the Himalayas. They're almost twice as tall as those hills we call the Rocky Mountains. At first I figured on doing a 5 day trek but after talking to people it seemed like the Annapurna Circuit was the way to go. 12 days through some of the best scenery on Earth with soaring mountains of at least 7,000 meters all around. It wasn't exactly roughing it since you pass through small villages every few hours where you can stay for the night and buy delicious, delicious Coca Cola, Snickers and homemade apple pies. The highlight was the grueling hike up to and over Thurong La Pass at 5,416 meters (17,769 ft). At those dizzying heights altitude sickness is a serious concern, your head hurts and even ipods stop working. The second highlight was when my Sherpa sold his pants for 4 insects he said had great medicinal value. He later confided that they give you "sexy power".

On the next Tales of Interest: how the holy Hindu river the Ganges is actually a septic tank, militant Hindu monastic orders, and why I'm glad cows don't roam freely around the streets of New York (hint: they generate large amounts of shit and generally disregard the traffic laws).

-E
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