If ever you find yourself being picked up at the Kathmandu airport by a monk on a motorcycle, I strongly encourage you to just roll with it. Especially if the monk in question has a seriously mischievous twinkle in his eye. You just know it's going to be a crazy ride!
Two months of a border blockade with India has made petroleum products of any form pretty damn tough to find. I recently counted 75 buses, trucks and cars lined up at just one gas station - waiting up to two days for just a small bit of fuel. Thus the reason for my motorcycle tour of the Kathmandu Valley; hiring a car just wasn't a feasible option.
The first day we bumped along a potholed rode to Pharping. Aachung wanted to show me Asura Cave and the shrine containing a self-arisen Tara. I consider myself a pretty open-minded gal, but I'm afraid my belief in the supernatural just doesn't extend to images magically appearing in stone. It simply exceeds the boundaries of my woowoo-ness - although I fully respect those who have the faith.
Day two was when the real adventure began. Four kilometers through the forest on a road that can only be meant for walking. Midway up a particularly steep and rocky section, Aachung's twinkling eyes were super sparkly as he asked, "Are you scared yet?"
The few days I spent with Aachung reminded me what I love about travel. Finding myself wondering how the heck did I get here and why can't I just take a normal vacation?
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