Aug 17 – Tansen Ascent and Power Failure
Sleep late 2am, rise 10. Make reg cafe on terrace. 11a kick barking dog, grab small local corner spot 200r momos n chowmein, slow, didn't finish. Pack up, forgot day bag in restaurant. Checkout Om Sweet Home noon, gave woman 200r for water n tip. Walk south to 'main' bus station, said bus leaves at 830pm, guy told me to go to roundabout. Walk to 3-side roundabout near airport, catch van right away, packed but made space 4me 700r. Stop for lunch chk curry butter nan mommos 500r. Reach Bartung corner near Tansen around 530. Walk uphill to Tansen, pray at main temple. Walk in City View homestay, got top floor room for 1000r, nice outdoor space w washroom outside, free water and good Eng. Walk around 1min, rain start, head back to homestay. Power outage from wind/rain. Sit on terrace, breathing ex. Eat next door momos 170r for 12, kinda slow but good taste. Try to go out again but rain again.
Aug 18 – Hospitality and Freestanding Control
Sleep ok but dog barking woke at night. Rise 9am, try to make cafe, nice owner woman made cafe w pancakes and omelet free, pay later another night-exceptional hospitality. Relaxing morn, basically private terrace. Power out again while sunny, get other network pw. Roll joint, not bad for quick roll. Feel gud WO leg swings, handstand start with hands down 1st time, got 1 clean after few attempts-new goal achieved. Hike up to Shreenager mountain, meditate by statue, tower thing cost 25r but got in free since no change. Feel solid, got thing taken care of-a sense of control. Feel like could stay here longer. Hike back down other side, find bamboo for pipe. Walk thru busy area w parade. Local spot menu no eng 200r chk chowmein w wifi n water. 12 bananas for 100r. Shwr rest. Finally relaxed. Chill on terrace. 430 grab chk momos next door + chk lollipop 250r. Owner gave me milk tea and cream horn. Chill chat w GPT. 8p drizzle stop, walk downhill to bus area, get chk dalbat 300r, charged 30r for water wo asking. Relaxing day overall.
Aug 19 – The ABC Decision and The Rainy Push
Dogs barking thru night again, rise 9am. Host has bfast right away cafe w pancakes omelet n apple. Chill, lazy, plan ABC trek, consider Annapurna and Everest circuits over 2wks each. Relax in bed, lazy. Handstand on terrace, rain start, finally got 1 clean after 10 attempts , starting on floor. Chill bit more, wait for rain to pass. 3p walk downhill twd bus stop, get veg samosa 2x40r big size for 20r. Find bus to Butwal 150r shoddy. Eat at same lunch spot in from st 300r chk dalbat. Cream horns and milk tea from host again. Shwr, lite nap. 735 host gave me veg soup trying to get me to stay perhaps? Chill bit, nothing prod. 830 grab momos next door 170r, get cafe 50r.
Aug 20 – Towards Lumbini
Dogs barking again, rise 9am. Host made bfast again, nice veg sandwich w omelet, eat w bananas. Say bye to host. Pullups on stairs 3x8 followed by front lever. Rain, eat momos next door slow af. Leave City View 1pm, real nice stay, best hospitality so far. Walk to Tensen bus station, only wait 10min for mini chicken bus to Butwal, pay 150r, better than not too busy, got double seat, dusty around unpaved sections. Arrive Butwal 245pm, walk in 4 hotels, prices 700 - 2000r. Decide on nicest place Hotel Fortune, bargain to 1600r from 2k. Hike up hill park station 40r ticket, hike all the way past trail on map to 500m peak. Sweaty and grimy af. Eat momos n samosa next to hotel 210r. Shwr hard, rest comfy room. 8p walk to main st, kinda hectic, grab food on st adjactent to hostle chk curry nan, guy said 280, got charged 350r, faranged first time in Nepal. Walk south, find more food, highway looks like not worth crossing. Eat again at food truck court chk fried rice 110r, half mostly chk bones. Slip in cow shit. Shwr, wash shoes w brush from terrace.
Aug 21 – The Holy Site
Sleep ok, finally no barking. Rise 940. Grab food small place nice guy momos n samosa 150r. Checkout Fortune 1150, nicest spot in Nepal, priciest so far. Walk to highway bridge, find bus to Indian border town Siddarth 70r, another mini chk bus. Ok ride, got double seat. Arrive Siddarth 115pm. Walk across roundabout, tuks want 500npr. Catch another mini chk bus to Lumpini 80r, packed n slow but got double seat again guiltily. Arrive Lumpini Bazaar 235. Walk in Garden Guesthouse, got double fan room for 800r, not too hot. 3p grab lunch across st samosas w lentils 80r. Chk chowmein 180r not good. Walk in historic site, no entrance, kids and old women bugging for money, give 200r tot. Walk around shrine didn't go in yet. Walk to Korean, Chinese, Cambodian temples, hot af, need rain. Shwr rest, room seems ok. 830 grab dal bat on main st 380r chk kinda pricey. Thunderstorm thankfully cooler.
Aug 22 – Roughest night and the mosquito swarm
Heavy T-storm till late. Bed itchy af, can't sleep. Mosquito swarm in room, kill around 20 moskies. Can't sleep till past 4am. Rise 1020, not too groggy. Make instacafe in room. Hard rain again, lounge in room, still mosquies here. Checkout Garden Lodge 12pm, shitty place. Grab food 1st down, chk curry w nan and roti 285r. Walk to Tathagata HS, old woman said 700r for no AC, 1600 for AC. Use booking got cheap room no toilet for 660r deal. Better airflow and door opens indoors, less moskies, way better room for cheaper. Smoker on terrace. Old woman bit intrusive but gave yoga mat to use. Crow pose warm up for HS. Handstand outside room open area got clean one after only 3 attempts, can hold ~40s. Chill bit in room. 130 walk to historic area again, north to rest of temples, Thai, German, Austrian, Peace Center. Better day, cloudy not rainy and cooler, paid nothing, took adv w cheaper room. Cafe no real food. Eat same spot again 380r chk curry full w nan n roti. Shwr rest, paid 660r deal. Chill bit on comp, chat w GPT, 840 gate locked, jump over wall. Grab same spot again 3rd time today. Chk khana set 350r solid. Jump over wall again to get back in-def prefer hostels long term.
Aug 23 – Stability and Practice
Sleep better finally less moskies. 10a old woman knocking on door again, wants to do my laund. Make cafe downstairs, filtered water and pot. Book another night 659r. 1130 grab food at veg spot veg khana set 250r. Pay old woman 1000r for 1n more and laund, not bad for 7 days of clothes. Neck WO in room w yoga mat tripod HS 2set, handstand free after only 2 tries. Headstand 2set more, back neck bridge 2x25 on bed. Front neck bridge 2x27. Back neck hold 1set. Faster WO than expected. Chill bit, chat w GPT. Grab laund off line. 240 grab chk curry w nan again at main spot 385r. 445p chat w contact 80min, few mins late, asked about directions. Lazy day, rest more. 840 grab reg spot chk khana set 350r. Chill on terrace, some mosquitos in room.