A real shave: This would be Eli and I'm speaking about my first real straight razor barber shave, complete with multiple aftershave creams, a head massage, a $1.50 price tag, and absolutely zero nicks or cuts.
Patan and Bodhnath: Both of these are tourist and guidebook staples, but they both served well at giving us a little more of a complete perspective on Kathmandu and the Kathmandu valley. Plus, Patan's Durbar (Palace) Square is more impressive (and better maintained) than Kathmandu's, and Bodhnath's Stupa is just completely impressive.
Traditional Songs: This one is two fold. The first part contains the ones we learned from Pramila around the farm, in the bamboo tower and in car rides. The second part contains those (some overlapping) that we learned from Jhalak on the trek. While we could theoretically hum some of the melodies, the words are almost completely lost on us. If you can ignore the intro to this video, the rest of it is a pretty good example of one of our favorites.
Mardi Himal Trek: Spectacular. Enough said.
The Atmosphere: While the craziness of Kathmandu is intoxicating in small doses, Pokhara's more relaxed version of the same (with farm more natural beauty surrounding it) make for an easy place to spend a little longer.
• Mopeds and motorcycles: a helmet seemingly only for the driver but none of the 2-3 passengers.
• No diapers for the babies (that we saw), only fleece/terry-cloth lined pants that get washed out and thrown on the roof to dry.
• The rumored Indian head-wobble-of-agreement tends to be more a head tilt and shrug in Nepal. Yes? No? Unclear.
• Nepalese Smokers: prevalent, but somehow nowhere near as intrusive as their western counterparts.
• Some of the hardest working people (especially the women) we've ever seen.
• Where else can you find a village where the adults and children are all equally excited about playing on a giant swing?
Location:Bangkok, Thailand