A Load in my Pants
I couldn't resist the title to this entry. I did develop a load in my pants today, we both did and they were worth their weight in paper.
Money! I'm talking about Nepalese money. I have an inch and a half thick stack of ones, fives, tens, twenties, fifties and one hundred rupee notes crammed into my money-belt and that money belt is crammed into my shorts. I had to untuck my shirt and wear it out; I could no longer button my pants.
Why the small denominations? Mountain villages simply don't deal in anything larger than a fifty. At that I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky; the 1953 trekking party that hiked Mt Everest had to employee 30 porters just to haul the money they needed! Back then Nepal had only coins.
We've been in Nepal for just about 24 hours now and with the money we've been dishing out it's amazing I still feel so thick. VISA's into the country cost $25, payable in U.S. dollars only, trekking permits cost $5/week, national park permits $12.50 each. But our spending decreased dramatically once these things were out the way. Food in Kathmandu is cheap; US$2 is enough for a fill-up and food is even cheaper in the mountain villages. Lodging in Kathmandu is cheap too, especially in budget accommodations. Instead we opted for the suite at the Norbha Linkha Hotel. I bargained that down from US$90 to US$30 per night. In the villages we expect to pay US$1 per night for lodging; that, however, is only because we like to splurge!
In Kathmandu it is fun to spend money. Color is everywhere and it's all for
sale. Here you'll find Tibetan carpets, Kashmir carpets, Tibetan jewelry,
beads and gem stones, sweaters, socks, Kashmir lacquer boxes in every
shape, funky hats and, of course, trekking gear. The trekking shops sell or
rent everything from new to used to destroyed equipment - take your pick.
We did a bit of shopping ourselves today; we bought a few knick-knacks and a beautiful water color painting. But we're going to have to spend a lot more rupee notes before my pants feels thin again.
