I have some time to kill until a friend arrives from Pokhara...
With the lack of hot water (due to no electricity, mostly), I've become quite comfortable not showering every day. I've tossed aside western standards of cleanliness, and don't mind not showering daily, and when active (trekking or bike trip) if I smell, I smell. And since I'm not working, the dirt under my nails doesn't really bother me either.
But for some reason, the unruly hair around the back of my neck was just nagging me. The downfall of having closely shaved hair. [Oh, I shaved my head again in November, which is perfect for traveling]. You can't really shave back there, not without taking a chance and really making a really bad mistake and an erratic mess of a good hair line.
So, after lunch I decided to go get my neck shaved. I figured it would take all of 5 minutes and maybe 100 or 200 rupees... My only hesitation was making sure the blade would be soaking in some cleaning solution... flashbacks to the hepatitis C outbreak among uncleaned razors years ago.
So I popped into a HOLE in the WALL place, for a neck shave. Oh, and just to clarify, it is POURING rain outside. And I've been told all month that it never rains in Nepal in December. So if you think it sounds like an assinine waste of vacation time to get a neck shave, there really isn't much else to do beside drink coffee/tea, read, do email, and get a neck shave.
With bits of gesturing I think I get the point across that I need my neck shaved. So I sit down, and out come the clippers. And while I wouldn't mind a bit taken off the everywhere, I don't want to hassle with that now, I can do that in a week when I am back home in Jo'burg.
So he puts away the clippers, and moistens the hair around my neck and ears. Perfect, I think. I'll back to the coffee shop in 10 minutes, reading, and waiting for Dilip.
But I leave an hour and a half later.
Wow.
So, after a meticulous neck shave (with a new blade on an old style shaver), I got a scalp/head massage. Wow. And I factor in a few more rupees for the bill. And then the power goes out, and a candle is lit. And as the power went out, the rain went from a drizzle to buckets. And I'm dreading heading out in the rain. And I'm really enjoying the scalp massage, and I wonder if I have time to get a real massage (and more rupees flash before my eyes). As I think this, I'm now getting a neck massage, and then find myself leaning over the counter as I get a shoulder and back massage. And the paranoia in me wonders if this guy can read my thoughts (which would be embarrassing, because I'm thinking I wished this massage was coming from somebody younger and cuter). But I digress.
Wow. More rupees flash before my eyes.
It is still pissing rain.
And now I get a facial-massage. This is a bit different, but I'm seriously taking this all in, and can't believe all I thought I would get in this TINY barber shop is a neck shave. Since the moment I arrived (and we made small talk about my trip to nepal and trek etc) he asks if I want my face shaved. Might as well. Though I am afraid, slightly, that he'll shave off the mole on my face and I'll bleed to death here. And of course I freak out forgetting that this guy can read my mind. I go to my buddhist mantra which I've been using since I learned it a month ago. He can read that all he wants.
My face is as smooth as a baby's ass after the shave. I notice he grabs another bottle. And then he paint (literally paints) something on my face, and he shows me and all I recognize is the word sandalwood. I'm cool with that. But I don't know what it is. And I'm unsure if this is some kind of thick aftershave. But he hasn't undraped me, which I know is a universal sign that the business of salon stuff is over.
But now he is cleaning up. And don't forget, there is only a candle lighting the place. So I sit. What the hell, it is STILL raining out.
And that's when I realize I am getting a FACIAL. Whoa! [Bonus points for 'the card']. And now I'm really hoping that I get a manicure as well. The face mask dries, which is a bit of a weird feeling as well. I could get use to this, maybe wake up on saturdays, have porridge, apply face mask, read the paper, then shower?
The face mask is cleaned off. And I get aftershave on the lower portion of my face, and face cream on the upper portion.
And I'm sooo confused. How is it that I have thoroughly enjoyed this long pampering process (and now seem to have radiant skin), but also thoroughly enjoyed being smelly after a day of trekking, or getting to my hotel last night with mud covering various bits after the 40 mile bike ride back to Kathmandu???
I suspect, that in a nice salon, that would have been fifty dollars, maybe more...
Friday, December 26, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Nepal
I find myself:
-kneeling in front of the Tibetan monk, who gives me a blessing "om mani padne hum" (which roughly implies long life and good luck), while he drapes a special cloth around my neck. He adds in a blessing for good health, every day. It's the every day part which I find touching, and secretly hope that it means I'll have healthy knees.. We finish our conversation about life, politics, and then head out. I still have the cloth.
-In the main part of Pokhara, asking my Nepali friend Dilip to please take me away from the tourist trap of Pokhara. We're eating dinner at a local place. I suspect I'm the only westerner that has been here in a long, long time. But am treated with great service, and a great meal. Dilip kindly leads me. We've ordered a variation of Daal Baat (the normal Nepali rice/lentil/curry meal) and are having Dhido, which is a soft polenta-like mash which is dipped in sauces. I know I'm off the tourist path when I don't automatically get offered silverware. So, I eat with my hands. Which is oddly gratifying. And I'm thinking back to the meal LR and I had at a superb Ethiopian restaurant in NY back in the spring, and thinking that silverware is slightly over-rated.
-Having breakfast with Dilip, watching Pokhara wake up. Shop keepers sweeping the stoops of their doorway. It seems odd that more shops aren't opening. We watch a mob trying to attack a taxi driver, as about 20 police officers show up to recue the taxi driver. It will be the last taxi we see that day... We're planning to head a bit out of town to the Tibetan Refugee center, I want to meet these people. We're also planning on seeing a bit more of the real city. But there are no busses. It's oddly quiet. It takes half an hour to figure out what's going on, and as it turns out, there is a one day strike, called by the students, in protest of something??? We spend the day walking up and down, up and down, up and down, the main tourist road. Having tea. Having coffee. Me trying to learn a bit of Nepalese. Learning about growing up here. Difficulties of daily living. We run into 4 or 5 people I met while trekking. We have dinner with a Danish friend I met, and her guide and her guide's wife and child.
-On the bus. Which is typical of what you expect if you think of the stereotype of what you've heard about if you think of buses in India. Except there are no chickens. I could write a whole blog entry alone on the bus. I marveled at the insanity of how the bus was packed with people, mixed with slight waves of anxiety thinking that if the bus crashed, it would be damn near impossible to get out easily. (and buses crash regularly). The bus ride is 17 hours, overnight to Bardia National Park.
-On a stopped bus, at 10pm. On the middle of the major east-west highway. I don't know why we stopped. I kind of don't mind, since it's likely more safe to be stopped at night. A fight breaks out on the bus (while we sit idle) at about 1am. I wonder why we're still stopped. The older women pray. But most people don't seem to care. The police show up. It's dark outside, and I can't see much. It's 8am, we're still not moving. I get out of the bus and se buses lined up and down the road. Seems odd, so finally I enquire. An unannounced strike has been called. the 17 hour bus ride has now been delayed 10 hours. We leave an hour later.
-On a Jungle Safari with Santa. I kid you not. Christmas is the furthest thing from my mind, given that I'm in a hindu/buddhist country, no signs of xmas, and no snow. It could be July for all I know. but meeting my guide, and learning his name is Santa (I asked twice) makes me realize that is is towards the end of December, and xmas is getting close. The Jungle is wet this am from all the dew. I get soaked. It's great fun, just me and Santa, tracking a rhino. I'm informed: If a rhino charges, climb a tree, if an elephant charges, run in a zig-zag. Santa doesn't mention what to do if bengal tiger charges. I'm putting all my faith that Santa will be able to beat the tiger with his walking stick. He has no gun. I think back to having been blessed recently for long life, and good luck. That must count for something. We do end up finding a rhino and an elephant. The tiger remains elusive.
-Riding an elephant through the jungle. Crashing through the underbrush. On the elephant as it pushes over trees in the way. That's impressive.
-On a raft trip. Ok, more like a float trip. But we are on a raft. It's fucking cold. cold cold cold.
-Sitting at dinner, drinking beer with Santa, and the other guides in the lodge. I'm hearing stories of what it was like when the Maoists troubles were going on. Bomb attacks. Constant harassment by the police, the army, the Maoists. Not knowing if the lodge would be bombed. Bad times. I read in the paper that 170 people are still missing from the area, all suspected to be dead, but nobody telling where the bodies are located.
-At the "Exact Spot" where Gautama Siddharta Buddha was born. Before he became enlightened and started buddhism. Being the skeptic, I look for signs of this. Maybe some amniotic fluid splash marks? Maybe the placenta? I was annoyed so I didn't pay the dollar equivalent to take photos there, and not it seems stupid to have balked over a dollar. Lumbini is the birthplace of Buddha. And it's not at all inspiring or peaceful. I've already booked to leave the following morning.
-Back in Kathmandu. 3 days earlier than planned. My hotel costs US$ 4 a night. You get what you pay for. :)
-Shocked that the price of a life is 17,000 Nepali Rupees. With is about US$ 250. This is the price a taxi driver has to pay to the family if he kills somebody.
I am booking a bike trip for the next 3 days, so will head out tomorrow on a bike trip for a few days. Then will be back here to finish exploring Kathmandu for a few days before heading back to warm Jo'burg.
From Nepal, I wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season, and a great 2009.
Brian
-kneeling in front of the Tibetan monk, who gives me a blessing "om mani padne hum" (which roughly implies long life and good luck), while he drapes a special cloth around my neck. He adds in a blessing for good health, every day. It's the every day part which I find touching, and secretly hope that it means I'll have healthy knees.. We finish our conversation about life, politics, and then head out. I still have the cloth.
-In the main part of Pokhara, asking my Nepali friend Dilip to please take me away from the tourist trap of Pokhara. We're eating dinner at a local place. I suspect I'm the only westerner that has been here in a long, long time. But am treated with great service, and a great meal. Dilip kindly leads me. We've ordered a variation of Daal Baat (the normal Nepali rice/lentil/curry meal) and are having Dhido, which is a soft polenta-like mash which is dipped in sauces. I know I'm off the tourist path when I don't automatically get offered silverware. So, I eat with my hands. Which is oddly gratifying. And I'm thinking back to the meal LR and I had at a superb Ethiopian restaurant in NY back in the spring, and thinking that silverware is slightly over-rated.
-Having breakfast with Dilip, watching Pokhara wake up. Shop keepers sweeping the stoops of their doorway. It seems odd that more shops aren't opening. We watch a mob trying to attack a taxi driver, as about 20 police officers show up to recue the taxi driver. It will be the last taxi we see that day... We're planning to head a bit out of town to the Tibetan Refugee center, I want to meet these people. We're also planning on seeing a bit more of the real city. But there are no busses. It's oddly quiet. It takes half an hour to figure out what's going on, and as it turns out, there is a one day strike, called by the students, in protest of something??? We spend the day walking up and down, up and down, up and down, the main tourist road. Having tea. Having coffee. Me trying to learn a bit of Nepalese. Learning about growing up here. Difficulties of daily living. We run into 4 or 5 people I met while trekking. We have dinner with a Danish friend I met, and her guide and her guide's wife and child.
-On the bus. Which is typical of what you expect if you think of the stereotype of what you've heard about if you think of buses in India. Except there are no chickens. I could write a whole blog entry alone on the bus. I marveled at the insanity of how the bus was packed with people, mixed with slight waves of anxiety thinking that if the bus crashed, it would be damn near impossible to get out easily. (and buses crash regularly). The bus ride is 17 hours, overnight to Bardia National Park.
-On a stopped bus, at 10pm. On the middle of the major east-west highway. I don't know why we stopped. I kind of don't mind, since it's likely more safe to be stopped at night. A fight breaks out on the bus (while we sit idle) at about 1am. I wonder why we're still stopped. The older women pray. But most people don't seem to care. The police show up. It's dark outside, and I can't see much. It's 8am, we're still not moving. I get out of the bus and se buses lined up and down the road. Seems odd, so finally I enquire. An unannounced strike has been called. the 17 hour bus ride has now been delayed 10 hours. We leave an hour later.
-On a Jungle Safari with Santa. I kid you not. Christmas is the furthest thing from my mind, given that I'm in a hindu/buddhist country, no signs of xmas, and no snow. It could be July for all I know. but meeting my guide, and learning his name is Santa (I asked twice) makes me realize that is is towards the end of December, and xmas is getting close. The Jungle is wet this am from all the dew. I get soaked. It's great fun, just me and Santa, tracking a rhino. I'm informed: If a rhino charges, climb a tree, if an elephant charges, run in a zig-zag. Santa doesn't mention what to do if bengal tiger charges. I'm putting all my faith that Santa will be able to beat the tiger with his walking stick. He has no gun. I think back to having been blessed recently for long life, and good luck. That must count for something. We do end up finding a rhino and an elephant. The tiger remains elusive.
-Riding an elephant through the jungle. Crashing through the underbrush. On the elephant as it pushes over trees in the way. That's impressive.
-On a raft trip. Ok, more like a float trip. But we are on a raft. It's fucking cold. cold cold cold.
-Sitting at dinner, drinking beer with Santa, and the other guides in the lodge. I'm hearing stories of what it was like when the Maoists troubles were going on. Bomb attacks. Constant harassment by the police, the army, the Maoists. Not knowing if the lodge would be bombed. Bad times. I read in the paper that 170 people are still missing from the area, all suspected to be dead, but nobody telling where the bodies are located.
-At the "Exact Spot" where Gautama Siddharta Buddha was born. Before he became enlightened and started buddhism. Being the skeptic, I look for signs of this. Maybe some amniotic fluid splash marks? Maybe the placenta? I was annoyed so I didn't pay the dollar equivalent to take photos there, and not it seems stupid to have balked over a dollar. Lumbini is the birthplace of Buddha. And it's not at all inspiring or peaceful. I've already booked to leave the following morning.
-Back in Kathmandu. 3 days earlier than planned. My hotel costs US$ 4 a night. You get what you pay for. :)
-Shocked that the price of a life is 17,000 Nepali Rupees. With is about US$ 250. This is the price a taxi driver has to pay to the family if he kills somebody.
I am booking a bike trip for the next 3 days, so will head out tomorrow on a bike trip for a few days. Then will be back here to finish exploring Kathmandu for a few days before heading back to warm Jo'burg.
From Nepal, I wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season, and a great 2009.
Brian
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Nepal: More Random
Ok-maybe I've been a bit harsh.. I know why there are so many westerners camped out here.. It's freaking cheap. My hotel is about US$ 4 a night, and it is entirely possible to eat for as little as US$ 5 a day. And it's beautiful. So the chance to sit, sleep, eat, and read and meditate, do yoga, walk around is pretty alluring. Could you imagine if Aspen, or Vail, or Breck were this cheap.. the same crown would flock there. What I'm not that travel crowd.. I want to be somewhere with authentic culture, not a cheap tourist trap... Thankfully, a Nepali friend is going to take me off the tourist track for this afternoon, and tomorrow. Really interesting guy who grew up in a village 100 miles away but moved away from home and has lived here for many years. We're going to hit up the main part of Pokara, see a Tibetan refugee centre, and some other local stuff not in the Lonely Planet guide...
Power Cuts: The power is off from 6-9 am and 6-9 pm. So I'm in an internet cafe this am which is power by generator. I ate dinner last night by a fire, and breakfast this am in the cold. Having gotten up at 6am for the past week +, I woke up at my normal trail time and headed out to watch the city wake up. It's peaceful walking down a street where the shops are open, there are no lights except for the natural light...
Supporting the Locals... It is really tempting to BUY BUY BUY. stuff is sooo cheap. The main tourist season is in Oct and Nov, and you can feel the slowness in the shops, and the eagerness of the shopowners to sell. I'm on a bit of a mission today to find a better way to support the local economy than to buy buy buy..
This was my schedule for 8 days.
6:00 wake up
6:30 get the courage to get out of my warm sleeping bag
7:00 Breakfast/page
8:00 On the trail
2-4 pm: arrive at lodge, shower (ideally), wash clothes
6pm eat
6-9 Chat with other trekkers in the lodge
9pm get into sleeping bag, read or listen to ipod
9:15 asleep.
Anyway.. This will be the last blog post for a bit.
BPB
Power Cuts: The power is off from 6-9 am and 6-9 pm. So I'm in an internet cafe this am which is power by generator. I ate dinner last night by a fire, and breakfast this am in the cold. Having gotten up at 6am for the past week +, I woke up at my normal trail time and headed out to watch the city wake up. It's peaceful walking down a street where the shops are open, there are no lights except for the natural light...
Supporting the Locals... It is really tempting to BUY BUY BUY. stuff is sooo cheap. The main tourist season is in Oct and Nov, and you can feel the slowness in the shops, and the eagerness of the shopowners to sell. I'm on a bit of a mission today to find a better way to support the local economy than to buy buy buy..
This was my schedule for 8 days.
6:00 wake up
6:30 get the courage to get out of my warm sleeping bag
7:00 Breakfast/page
8:00 On the trail
2-4 pm: arrive at lodge, shower (ideally), wash clothes
6pm eat
6-9 Chat with other trekkers in the lodge
9pm get into sleeping bag, read or listen to ipod
9:15 asleep.
Anyway.. This will be the last blog post for a bit.
BPB
Nepal: Trekking
Namaste.
I am at a loss for words. If you've been following this blog, you know that often I can summarize. But I can't summarize the past 8 days.
How do you summarize:
-Spending an hour yesterday, under Tibetan Prayer Flags, looking at the Himalayan Range, completely undisturbed, the only sounds being the occasional hawk flying over head.
-Watching the sunset from Poon Hill yesterday evening, in front of me watching the sunset, behind me the moon rise above Annapurna I (the 10th highest mountain in the world).
-Going to bed at 9pm every night because you're beyond exhausted from a days trekking, but also because the only warm place is your sleeping bag.
-Hours, literally hours, walking (for me, alone) every day just mesmerized by the scenery, lost in thought, lost in the moment.
-Pure physical exhaustion (I made the trek in 8 days, but it's normally a 10-11 day trek) from dropping 1000 meters in a day.
-Pure mental exhaustion after a day of second-guessing if I was on the right trail.
-Dancing at a wedding celebration (uninvited, but welcomed), drinking the local wine (mulled millet), in the middle of literally, nowhere.
Other random things:
I've spent a fair amount of time thinking about poverty and life. Contrasting Soweto, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Nepal...
I did about a dozen medical consults in the 8 days... None of them on locals. I eyeballed the kids as I walked past, looking for the familiar signs of malnutrition (I didn't see any), listening for the chronic coughs (I didn't hear them), searching for those wasting from TB/HIV (I didn't see them).
I'm dying to get out of Pokara, Nepal's second largest city. I can't stand the noise. It's way too touristy here. But have decided to hole up here for 2 days of rest, need to give the legs a chance to mend, and also need to replete some glycogen stores, and consume some serious protein. Also, met a cool guy who wants to show me around for a day or so.
Headed off the grid again on Tuesday....
Cheers,
Brian,
I am at a loss for words. If you've been following this blog, you know that often I can summarize. But I can't summarize the past 8 days.
How do you summarize:
-Spending an hour yesterday, under Tibetan Prayer Flags, looking at the Himalayan Range, completely undisturbed, the only sounds being the occasional hawk flying over head.
-Watching the sunset from Poon Hill yesterday evening, in front of me watching the sunset, behind me the moon rise above Annapurna I (the 10th highest mountain in the world).
-Going to bed at 9pm every night because you're beyond exhausted from a days trekking, but also because the only warm place is your sleeping bag.
-Hours, literally hours, walking (for me, alone) every day just mesmerized by the scenery, lost in thought, lost in the moment.
-Pure physical exhaustion (I made the trek in 8 days, but it's normally a 10-11 day trek) from dropping 1000 meters in a day.
-Pure mental exhaustion after a day of second-guessing if I was on the right trail.
-Dancing at a wedding celebration (uninvited, but welcomed), drinking the local wine (mulled millet), in the middle of literally, nowhere.
Other random things:
I've spent a fair amount of time thinking about poverty and life. Contrasting Soweto, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Nepal...
I did about a dozen medical consults in the 8 days... None of them on locals. I eyeballed the kids as I walked past, looking for the familiar signs of malnutrition (I didn't see any), listening for the chronic coughs (I didn't hear them), searching for those wasting from TB/HIV (I didn't see them).
I'm dying to get out of Pokara, Nepal's second largest city. I can't stand the noise. It's way too touristy here. But have decided to hole up here for 2 days of rest, need to give the legs a chance to mend, and also need to replete some glycogen stores, and consume some serious protein. Also, met a cool guy who wants to show me around for a day or so.
Headed off the grid again on Tuesday....
Cheers,
Brian,
Friday, December 05, 2008
Greetings from Pokara
Namaste (hello greeting)
Just a quick hello..
I started reading Dark Star Safari on the way here (Thanks AB and JS), and the introduction talks about going on this trip for a year and purposely staying away from internet/email, phone, fax, mail etc etc etc.. And that made me wonder how easy it is to stay in touch in this day and age. In fact, as S took me to the airport, we talked about mobile phones, and I had thought about getting a SIM card for my phone so I could have the luxury of sending text messages. Alas, after reading the intro, decided it wasn't necessary.
So, with the good graces of the travel gods, I arrived in KTM last night, zipped through immigration, was pleasantly surprised to see my bag, and ended up in a shabby hotel. Walked around, was just in love with the chaos in the streets at 10 pm, the dance that happens in the streets with taxis, motorcycles, pedestrians, cattle, kids. Managed to stock up on some last minute items, and went to bed after a cold shower. With the current power loading, electricity was off this am, so left things out to be easily loaded up this am.
Jumped on a plane (small 20 seater) for the flight to Pokara (20 minute flight), and got a magnificent view of the himalayas. Wow.
Wandered the town, found a hotel (US $ 7 a night) and then headed off for a small day hike to the World Peace Pogoda in Pokara.
It's overcast and a bit cloudy now.
Pokara is interesting. Pretty touristy, but have a great vibe to it. I'm slightly envious, I must admit. There is a cadre of folks here who have obviously been her a bit. That transient-wander-around-trustafarians who are all in their 20s, and seem to be totally care-free. Why didn't I do that when I was in my 20s?? But, of course, this sounds absolutely fucking ridiculous now that I have written this down, because I am aware that I'm doing a similar thing this year. And I feel incredibly lucky to have been in Zimbabwe a week ago at this time, and am now in Nepal. The trick will be escaping tourist hang-outs and repeating the feat from last weekend of being the only 2 foreigners in the bar.
So, I'm taking off trekking tomorrow... More posts down the road.
Oh, some prices..
2L bottle water US$ 0.60
Latte and croissant US$ 2.00 (DOUBLE latte too)
Fake North Face baseball hat US$ 3.00 (and I had to trade in my fake bilabong hat)
Cheers,
Brian
PS-re: cholera in Zim, it's likely DOUBLE what the UN is reporting, according to the docs in Harare. Don't believe the news...
Just a quick hello..
I started reading Dark Star Safari on the way here (Thanks AB and JS), and the introduction talks about going on this trip for a year and purposely staying away from internet/email, phone, fax, mail etc etc etc.. And that made me wonder how easy it is to stay in touch in this day and age. In fact, as S took me to the airport, we talked about mobile phones, and I had thought about getting a SIM card for my phone so I could have the luxury of sending text messages. Alas, after reading the intro, decided it wasn't necessary.
So, with the good graces of the travel gods, I arrived in KTM last night, zipped through immigration, was pleasantly surprised to see my bag, and ended up in a shabby hotel. Walked around, was just in love with the chaos in the streets at 10 pm, the dance that happens in the streets with taxis, motorcycles, pedestrians, cattle, kids. Managed to stock up on some last minute items, and went to bed after a cold shower. With the current power loading, electricity was off this am, so left things out to be easily loaded up this am.
Jumped on a plane (small 20 seater) for the flight to Pokara (20 minute flight), and got a magnificent view of the himalayas. Wow.
Wandered the town, found a hotel (US $ 7 a night) and then headed off for a small day hike to the World Peace Pogoda in Pokara.
It's overcast and a bit cloudy now.
Pokara is interesting. Pretty touristy, but have a great vibe to it. I'm slightly envious, I must admit. There is a cadre of folks here who have obviously been her a bit. That transient-wander-around-trustafarians who are all in their 20s, and seem to be totally care-free. Why didn't I do that when I was in my 20s?? But, of course, this sounds absolutely fucking ridiculous now that I have written this down, because I am aware that I'm doing a similar thing this year. And I feel incredibly lucky to have been in Zimbabwe a week ago at this time, and am now in Nepal. The trick will be escaping tourist hang-outs and repeating the feat from last weekend of being the only 2 foreigners in the bar.
So, I'm taking off trekking tomorrow... More posts down the road.
Oh, some prices..
2L bottle water US$ 0.60
Latte and croissant US$ 2.00 (DOUBLE latte too)
Fake North Face baseball hat US$ 3.00 (and I had to trade in my fake bilabong hat)
Cheers,
Brian
PS-re: cholera in Zim, it's likely DOUBLE what the UN is reporting, according to the docs in Harare. Don't believe the news...
Monday, December 01, 2008
World AIDS Day (and Zim)
It's World AIDS day.
I suspect there are things going on in Jo'burg, but haven't really paid much attention. There are charity events as fund-raisers for orphanages, hospices, clinics. I've seen more red-ribbons today as well.
World AIDS day to me, in the past, has been a day to think about the impact, the lives lost, usually spent attending some kind of speech, or service, or candle-light vigil. But here, every day seems to be a World AIDS day. It's a part of life.
And I don't feel like partaking today. I don't feel a desire to do anything different today to mark this day (though I am going to dinner with a Hopkins Infectious Disease resident, he husband, and also David-my ID doc friend). I feel like every day since I've been here has had stories of HIV/AIDS, and I feel like I've written about these issues (sometimes passionately) and today I don't see the need to do anything special...
But, I have to throw this out there. As I was driving, I heard a broadcast from Zim, where a radio presenter is doing a 24 hour radio-thon to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in Zim. Which, of course, made me think back to the conversation from this past weekend, as Myr and I tried to get some insight into the HIV/AIDS situation in Zim. Both of us thought the rate if infection was likely on the lower end, not too sure what this is based on.. But I heard on the radio that 1 in 7 are infected, or 15%. Much less than here in South Africa. But there is a set up for disaster. What's going to happen to HIV/AIDS as the medical care system lays in shambles. Is there PMTCT (Prevention of mother to child transmission)? There was mention of HAART (AIDS meds) by a few, but sketchy details on if they were really available anywhere.
Last week I met with the Professor of adult Infectious Disease medicine, which is where I'll start in January. Most of their work is taken up by HIV/AIDS/TB, and less by other infections which are seen on the in-patient wards. Clinics are Wed, Thurs, and Fri. They have approximately 6,000 adults on HAART (double what the pedi clinic has), but estimate they need to get 4,000 more on treatment. There is a backlog of people waiting to get on treatment... The drugs are here.
I doubt there are drugs in Zim. And I need to look into this issue further so I don't report inaccurate info, but for now I think it's pretty safe to say that Mugabe is killing Zimbabweans much like Mbeki killed South Africans.
Thanks for listening.
More from Nepal
Luggage-Notes on Zim and Vic Falls
"Where's your luggage?"
As it would happen, I arrived back to Johannesburg at the same time S&S were returning from Cape Town, which was fortunate because I couldn't figure out exactly where I had left my car in the airport, so I called them to meet up.
Oh, and I didn't have luggage. I was carrying a plastic laundry bag, from the Victoria Falls Hotel, which had my boxers, socks, running jacket, and running shorts. Those were the only possessions I decided to keep. The rest of my clothes, aside from what I was wearing, had been given away to mostly street kids in Zim. And my backpack as a gift to a friend.
I couldn't write when I got home from VF yesterday. There was just too much stuff to process. The beauty of the falls, the beauty of the land, the absolute friendliest people I've ever met, the desperate conditions under which people are living, the luxury of being in a grandiose hotel. I'll just present snippets here, in no order.
The Falls:
Spectacular, and it's not peak season for the river, which means were were seeing the falls at maybe half capacity. The deafening roar. The first view of the falls was the mist coming about the canopy of trees in the distance. Rainbows everywhere. We arrived on a day in which there were few tourists in the park (and there are way too few tourists period in the area). At times we'd be the only ones having a view to ourselves.
Currency:
The Zim currency is basically worthless. As most know, Zim has the highest inflation rate in the world, prices go up constantly. Thus, most things are priced in US dollars, and that's the preferred currency, with the Rand and Euro being used as well. Though, the conversion rate doesn't match exchange rates, so you do lots of negotiating for prices. For example if something is 10 US dollars, and you want to pay in SA Rand, the price should be 100 Rands, but often we found we'd be asked to 120 Rand and we'd have to negotiate back down to as close to the 10 rand as possible. I have included a pic of my 100 BILLION dollar bill. I'm rich.
The Banks:
Zimbabweans can only withdraw 500 Zim Dollars a day, a limit set by the government. Bank are closed on Sundays. 500 Zim Dollars will buy a tomato. A single tomato. One must go to the bank daily to get enough money for a loaf of bread. Obviously, people don't keep most their money in the banks. But one of the hotel workers was explaining how his money is directly deposited into the back, which makes it very trough for him and his family to survive. It's not good.
Shoes:
"I like your shoes"
Not a compliment. Rather a subtle line to ask if you're willing to part with them. Maybe trade the shoes for some souvenirs? What shoes are for sale (and we couldn't find many, even in the market) are far too expensive for most. On the final day, when Myr and I were walking through town distributing some clothes and food, we easily were met by at least 10 people who for days had been eyeing our shoes.
Bike Riding:
Saturday we rented bikes, and headed out into the surrounding areas, went along the Zambezi river, and ended up at this amazing Crocodile farm, which has 40,000 crocs, breed in captivity for food and skins, but also some re-introduced in years past (apparently there are now too many crocs along the Zambezi river). It was great. Got to hold a 2 year old croc. Observe a feeding. Lost a finger. Kidding.. It was great being back on a bike, and made me wonder how it is that I haven't had a bike since leaving Dublin. We were about 3Km from town when her bike chain broke, and it was actually hysterical and we just had to laugh at the situation. We had a HORRIBLE flight to Zim, which included a very tough landing (the pilots didn't come out of the plane) so we just had to assume that this was a continued string of problems with transport. We weren't able to fix the chain, so we rode back with her holding onto a rope tied to the back of my bike.
The People:
Fri night we walked into town to seek some dinner. Met a guy along the way who took us to a small house that served some food. We ate Pap (a maize-polenta) served with some chicken. The chicken on my place was a single drumstick, which had barely any meat on it. I suspect that this chicken was rather paltry when it was alive. The food was decent, the price was inflated, but pap is very filling. It's a staple, so not as nutritious as one would like, and given the cost of vegetables and meat, I suspect it's the major diet. Anyway, we ended up having a few beers in a local bar, and that's where we met Jackson. Decent guy. From there we went to a club which wasn't happening and so we went back to the hotel to sleep. The next night, we went back to the club, expecting to hear a band from Harare. We confirmed the time with Jackson and a few others, but of course when we arrived, there was nobody there, yet. We were sitting off in the corner, and were literally about to leave when Kvee (or Vincent) joined us. He's the main DJ of the club. We talked for almost 2 hours about conditions in Zim, and at the end of the 2 hours we had easily met 10 more people. I don't know how it happened, but we ended up leaving the club at after 4am. It was just so enjoyable to meet so many amazing people, dancing, drinking, having mini-discussions about life and politics. What I'm not explaining well is that these people really not only don't have much in the way of basic needs, but can't even get the goods. Kvee and I swapped shirts, check out the pics.
Healthcare: Home to Die
We were trying to figure out what's going on in the area with healthcare. There is a public hospital. But it's basically closed. There may or may not be a doctor there. Which doesn't really matter since there are NO supplies. People don't even think about heading there. There is a local private doctor, but he charges something extraordinary for just a consult fee (something astronomical, maybe US$ 50), and if you get a script for meds, will they aren't available or affordable, so when I asked Ebert people do when they get sick, he said "we go home to die." Pretty bleak. Kvee has to take his 2 year old daughter to a sangoma (traditional healer) which is not what he would prefer to do, but feels compelled to do something when she is sick. Kids are no longer vaccinated.
The Grocery Store:
Myr and I went into the local Spar grocery store. Most the shelves were empty. There were some staples like cereal, biscuits, and bottles of water. The meat that was in the freezer looked very old. We were the only 2 people in there. And when we were in town, never really saw people going inside either, as most people were shopping at the market.
I have to wrap this up, have a lot to get done before leaving on Wed.. But I'm really bothered by what I saw. In contrast to the people of Soweto, the people in Zim were absolutely delightful, have just as little possessions, without the prospect of really getting more (and we're talking clothing, food stuffs here), but seem to keep struggling on. For comparison, mobile phones are everywhere amongst Sowetans, but I heard 1 mobile phone ring in the entire time we were there..
We were fortunate enough to be able to discuss politics with some people, and really most seemed to acknowledge that Mugabe must go.
How to Help:
We didn't have time to really put together a great plan...
I have a contact in Vic Falls who will distribute goods which are sent to him. The list is endless, but the practical things would be any clothing, (for any ages), shoes, pens (I was able to almost buy things with pens), paper, simple food stuffs, It doesn't have to be a big box, and more ideal would be smaller packages send distributed throughout the year. Luckily, packages are not opened by Zim authorities, and there is no import tax on goods. Please email me (javamania75@hotmail.com) if interested and I will email you the information and instructions.
Next post likely from Nepal.
BPB
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