I am a terrible rider!!!!! (Dec. 22nd)

We got up early today to begin out hike to the village of Siwai to catch a jeep ride back down to the city of Pokhara. The hiking was easy today but kind of hard to let go of the high Himalaya. 

My special friend at our Jhinudanda lodge. We are now officially bff's!

Lots of flowers today!

I fell in love!

Bye bye high Himalaya. 

And then I fell in love again with this baby goat. 

It has been official for a very long time.....I have control issues when riding in vehicles.....especially when riding in a developing country. As I have shared in earlier posts, it doesn't seem like there are set rules for driving here in Nepal. The only semi rule I can see is that if you are driving a bigger vehicle you have the right of way and if you are smaller (pedestrians included) you better get out of the bigger vehicle's way! The roads do not have lines designating the sides or the center of the road....in fact the road we were on today was barely big enough for one lane! The roads have deteriorated from the sides from all the harsh weather, earthquakes and lack of (or I should say no maintentnce) maintenance. People just walk on the sides right next to cars, motor bikes, and busses racing by. Honking is not an expression of anger here in Nepal but rather a way of saying, "I'm coming through and you better get the heck out of my way or you will be flattened!"  It doesn't matter if you are a woman with a child on your back...the larger vehicles have the right of way. Passing is where I lose my marbles!  It's kind of like rolling the dice because they honk and then pass, even on blind corners! Seriously I thought I was going to soil myself multiple times today. The driving is truly an ugly part of Nepal.  Regardless we miraculously made it back to Pokhara in one piece!  

Because India is blockading the Nepali border it has created a major fuel crisis and people in the cityare having to burn precious wood. 

Now......let's see how we get back to Kathmandu.  I really want to fly (25 minute flight) and John wants to take a bus (7 hours) so we can see more countryside. Ugh.....not only do I have control issues while riding but I also get motion sick. We flew here to Pokhara so we will probably ride a bus back to make it fair. Who knows maybe I will enjoy it?!?!