Signing Off From Katmandu

I've made it to Kathmandu and I'm going to try and recap the last week and a half. This trip has been so amazing.

Samuel and I had an amazing time together and that is all there is to it. I had even written in my journal that I wanted to meet and be friends with an Isreali before my trip was done (seeing as the Isrealis I had met until then were very stand-offish). The next day I met Samuel and the rest was Goan history.

The day after his pure drug induced night scare we hit the relaxing hard and just sort of walked around. We ate good food and got to know some of our neighbors better. I met yet another English couple who were too cool and yet again, I miss Bethany. We watched the sun go down on a pile of rocks away from the beach and that show was unreal. Our waiter Jon was from the north of India and waited on us every time. He got a kick out of me telling him that we have the same job. I get that question a lot and you'll just have to trust that there are not too many servers traveling overseas. Miss you Buca, see you soon.

The next day we got up early and rented scooters to take up the coast. As soon as we pulled away, and I was on a scooter mind you, I realized why people say riding on 2 motorized wheels is freeing. I loved it. We would ride and then stop for water, ride, beach, ride, food, ride, etc. We ended up all the way up in Margao and Samuel bought himself a guitar for the road. He had been missing it so badly and we decided to head back to Palolem so we could watch the sun go down and make music on the sand. Israelis,(along with a lot of other people, LOVE Pink Floyd. LOVE THEM! So we sat there and played "Comfortably Numb", "Wish You Were Here", and "Time" to name a few.

I was supposed to leave the next day but I ne4ver got the chance. I was having so much fun and Samuel was on no time clock. We just hung around all day and walked around some more. I got some X-mas presents and we had our last supper with Jon. The next day we went to Margao again to catch trains to our separate ways. Samuel was going to Hampi, a town which I wanted to go to so bad. I was headed to Mumbai. We said good bye and exchanged e mails and took pictures and ended our initial time together. Suffice to say, the family will probably take a trip to Isreal at some point. Love you Samuel.

I headed up to Bombay/Mumbai and when I arrived on the overnight train it was 6am. Really early to be in a huge city. At that point, I don't think I knew how big it was. I walked the streets and they were pretty desolate. The buildings were surreally different and I needed breakfast. After I got my flight to Kathmandu all patched up and checked in at a seedy guesthouse. I went to "The Departed" that night at a theater in Mumbai. Going to the theater in India is very different. They have assigned seating, metal detectors, and get this, an intermission. Watching the movie, which is set in Boston, made me miss home terribly. I was certainly the only person in there who had a Red Sox hat on and I felt overwhelming pride (I did have a conversation with a couple Indian guys afterwards and assured them that I'd never killed anyone).

The next day I hit the streets and strolled down Marine Dr. which hugs the coastline of the city. Seeing all the people and getting a feel for the make up of Mumbai, I quickly realized that this was the biggest city I'd ever been in. 14 million people and I was just one guy walking around amidst the madness. I saw the Gateway To India, which was this gigantic arch by the water. The Taj hotel which was the definition of luxury. The I walked around the Colaba area and did some more X-mas shopping as well as fighting off the random people trying to sell me worthless shit. Yes, I did go to McDonalds and I felt like a jerk immediately after. I also went to this classic cafe called Leopolds. It's been there forever and there is a book that is set there that Johnny Depp just bought the movie rights to.

Yesterday was a travel day as I went from Mumbai to Dehli to Kathmandu. It was a long trip and there was a guy from Brazil that sat as we were waiting in Dehli and sang to himself as he listened to his i pod in an off key voice that could have curdled milk. It was long and I was happy when we set down in Nepal. I haven't been here long enough to give an account but I can tell you that it is different from anyplace I've been so far. It certainly isn't tropical and honestly, it's nice to not be sweating at every minute of the day.

By the way, how was everyones Halloween? Everyone is going to vote tomorrow right? The word by the campfire here in Asia is that the Dems are going to take the house. The Senate is tight but will go to the GOP. Everyone is talking about how Iraq is the main issue and global eyebrows are raised at Saddam being handed so called justice just days before the election. The world thinks that the trial was bunk because due process waved bye-bye to the preceding a long time ago. People out here don't hate Americans, on the contrary, they dig us. They hate GW and his whole administration. I can't count the amount of times people have referred to him as a terrorist and put him in the same league with Bin Laden. At home this kind of talk is reserved for liberal rhetoric, here it's the norm. I see another evangelical has gotten himself in trouble. The funny thing to me is that 1000's of Christians would have stood beside Rev. Ted Haggard before this happened and said what a shining example he is and look at how his righteousness shimmers in the sunbeams. Let's see where his supporters go now. Thats one thing I've picked up from reading the new testament, Jesus forgave, Jesus loved, Jesus didn't give a shit what you did, as long as you asked for forgiveness. We could all stand to be a little more like Jesus.

I heard it's been raining in Seattle quite a bit. I got to watch Monday Night Football this morning,live, and it looks like the Seahwks defense is running on all cylinders. Too bad the offense is struggling. The Pats got beat by the hated Colts yesterday and I'm as sad about that as a Pats fan can be in Asia. Whatever. We'll see you in the playoffs Peyton and God knows you have more trouble there than you know what to do with. Football started, basketball started, hokey started, the new Bond movie is out. I miss home and I miss you.

I'm going to take a trip around Kathmandu in a little bit and then it'll be off to the Monestary. I'm feeling a little nervous about it but also assured that it will be wonderful. It's going to be a month before I write to everyone again. I'll be in Thailand and possibly a monk (although I doubt it, I enjoy my worldly possessions too much). I'll be thinking of each and every one of you while I'm there and even some of you that aren't on here. Do me a favor and tell everyone that you know that I love them. Even if I don't know them than you should tell them that you love them. Vote Democrat, Happy Thanksgiving, and may the force be with you. This is Nathan Bean signing off from Kathmandu.