Well, since arriving back from the trek on the 6th April, the inevitable post trek stiffness still hadn't abated so we both decided a traditional 'Ayurvedic Massage' was required to soothe away our pains. We negotiated a pretty decent price for the both of us (Less than 5 pound for an hour each) and we both duly stripped off to our underwear and lay prone on the beds. I (Rich) had explained to the guy that my calfs and quads were in tatters and that even walking was a real test of my steel! No problems he assured me! Anyway, as he started working on my feet it all seemed brilliant - I was even starting to drift off into a semi-sleep! Alas though, this was not to be the case for the rest of the session. As he progressed further up my legs the pain became more and more intense. When his "healing hands" reached the middle of my calf, I felt like I was going to scream in agony! The pain as he seperated the muscles in my legs using his knuckles was something akin to having your legas run over by an articulated lorry! I was doing my utmost not to writhe around the bed like a little girl and instead made do with gripping the matress i was lay prone on, in a vice like grip, gritting my teeth and attempting to put this assault to the back of my mind. When he'd finished my calfs, he progressed up to my thighs - "Surely this can't be as painful as the lower legs" I convinced myself. How wrong a man can be!! As he started going to town on my quads the pain became so intense that at one point I thought I was going to wimper!! Again, I 'took it like a man' (haha) and just crunched the matress in my fists and tried to ignore it. Evidently though, I wasnt ignoring it as well as I thought I had been! I could hear chuckles and opened my eyes to see Sho and her 'massager' laughing at my misfortune! "Ahhhh, you feel a little bit pain here" my guy chirps in. "Hmmmm, a little i suppose yeah" i retort, just relieved that he'd ceased with his torture for a few seconds. HE carried on though, just as hard and as firm as before! By the end of the session I was so relieved to be able to get out of there!! On the other hand though, Shonah loved it!! Maybe she is more tolerant of that kind of pain. I'm sure it was more down to the fact that I had the nepali equivalent of a Geordie Miner/Trawlerman/Dock Worker, whilst she had the soft hands of the nepali equivalent of a big cuddly aunt or nan. Who knows. And to rub salt into the wound, in the morning I felt just as bad, if not worse!! Today though, I'm a different man! Full of the joys and spritely with all aches and pains banished! Im reluctant to attribute this to the massage though and reckon it's maybe natural recovery!? Who knows!!
Yesterday, we hired a motor bike ("WHAT!! On the roads of Nepal" I can hear all the parents and caring friends and relatives thinking) and rode to another lake about 40 minutes outside of Pokarah. It was absoloutely brilliant, and I actually began to relish getting "stuck" in traffic. This was one of the hi-lights of the bike trip, as weaving in and out of massive HGV's and buses who sit, stuck in traffic in the sweltering sun, became really really good fun. Basically, you can become a really selfish agressive dri ver and no one minds!! The more you honk your horn and swerve and get as close to the car in front as is physically possible, the more you look like a local! We had masses of fun! However, towards the end pf the day, the "3pm clouds" came in and we were being chased by a HUGE storm. As we belted down the highway all we could see in the mirrors were the black clouds starting to engulf us. It was like somethiong out of Twister, the film. In the end, the rain caught up with us and we turned round to face it - face to face, man to man. We decided to cut our losses and headed right into the eye of the storm.
Bearing in mind we were probably doing 30-40 mph, the force of the raindrops hitting us in the face was almost enough to bring tears! We were both laughing hysterically as we shot through the deserted streets, driving through floods that half covered the wheels, both absolutely drenched to the bone! We eventually reached the hotel, dumped the bike and ran inside, nursing red welts in raindrop sized circles! We both agreed that it was one of the funniest days yet!
Anyway, today we have been really really lazy - writing diaries and reading books and contemplating moving to Kathmandu tomorrow. Its about a 7 hour bus journey and we'll probably leave at 7"30 on one of the numerous buses that ply the route. We'll inform all of you when we get chance.
Happy easter by the way - We'd completely forgotten and neither of us got any eggs anyway!!! LOL.
Hope everything back home is well. Look after yourselves!
Rich
33 °C
27 °C
