Last Days in Nepal

Yesterday was spent doing last minute gift shopping with Michael and Jessica, who we randomly bumped into outside of a bootleg DVD store. While out, we stuffed our faces with lassi, fresh fruit juice, panipuri (spelling?), and samosa chowri (I think that's the name).

For dinner, we brought Taylor, Mike, Marika, and Jessica to "Himalayan Momos" for our specially prepared meal by Kisna. We got disgustingly full on an outstanding spread of chicken curry, hot veggies, cold veggies, Indian roti, rice, lentils, pickled sauce, and banana yogurt, all accompanied by the consistently best chai in the world. We ditched our silverware for our hands... mixing rice and sauces between your fingers feels oddly liberating.

To add to the feeling of being on the verge of bursting, we grabbed some irresistible lassi from our favorite yogurt connoisseur before going to a Nepali dance show that Jessica had been to the night before. The one male dancer was perhaps the most fluid and skilled dancer I've ever seen. I'm jealous of his moves and am adding "learn Indian/Nepali style dancing" to my bucket list. We made friends with two Nepalis, Sumin and 'Chinese.' What a perfect way to say Namaste to Nepal!

Today we are about to embark on a culinary excursion, visiting all of our favorite street vendors and hole-in-the-walls, and eating all of our favorites. Soon to enter my stomach: samosas, momos, lassi, chai, funnel cakes drenched in syrup, panipuri, and samosa chowri. After that, I leave Michael and Karen to reunite with Damian in Rome. I'm insanely excited for Part II of my adventure, but sad to say goodbye to Nepal!

I was going to write a post about this trip ending, but I'll just do one about my whole trip when I arrive in the States.

Just briefly: Thank you Karen for your endless patience (sarcasm), for always making me feel great about myself (sarcasm), and for keepin' it real (not sarcasm). Thank you to Michael for... putting up with me. =P I have so much more to say, but I don't even know where to begin. This trip has been... "a trip" (that's for you Karen).

Part I has been so damn good to me. I can't wait to see what Part II has in store.

I won't be able to blog as much, as I'll be mostly computerless, but expect to be bombarded with posts upon my return.

Off to Rome, Paris, Lourdes, Madrid (for World Youth Day), and Frankfurt!

PS - So it begins!!!