week 2: intro

Week two

Week two was mostly spent in hospital and in theatre. Lots of suturing was done and time spent in library. That was the most studious I was going to get in Nepal. The amount of productivity in that one week was never topped. I’m good like that.

The week was also spent hearing the leering and jest from Jimbo who tried to convince me that bungee jumping would definitely result in my untimely demise. Being unsuccessful, he decided to join us. Yep, I don’t understand him either.

So it was 5:30am on Saturday that we woke up and got on the bus to Bhote Kosi. I tried to sleep most of the way, but the cold and the random local Nepali fuckwits next to me who decided to play music from their phone non-stop while trying to fucking sing and dance on an already overcrowded bus made it just a tad difficult. Tossers.

Anyway, as we neared our destination (and consequently started to climb higher) the gentle river started to like more like a rivulet which then looked more like a stream. Concurrently, my heart decided that it was a great time to go all tachycardic on me. I consoled myself by telling the inner child that many had done this before and survived. My inner child responded by saying, “you’re a fucking masochistic bastard! You don’t have to do this, but you are! And if you die, it’s all dandy, but what if you don’t and become a quadraplegic and get raped by pedophiles? What will you do then? Fend them off with your tongue? Did you think of that?”

Hmm… he had a point. I hadn’t thought of all that, but fuck it, who listens to children anyway?

[ That’s how pedophiles manage to survive I hear.

Jimmy: Oh mother-figure, old man Bob played with me… like literally with me

Over-stressed, under-sexed mother figure: That’s nice dear. You should go play with him again. (Continues to fantasize about living the Sex and the City lifestyle and fucking lots of men with the girl power attitude that she knows she has, but you know, chooses not to use) ]

The bus comes to a halt in-front of some old shanty/shop things. I’m still ok. We walk behind said shops and climb on to the bridge we will be jumping from. I’m not ok, in fact, my flight or fight response has gone to last gear. Yep, I come close to crapping my pants, but sadly, this isn’t going to save me as no one is trying to eat me.

Let me describe the situation: I’m standing on a suspension bridge (complete with slight swaying and all!) that is help up by 4 steel cables. The view across at eye level is amazing: Green, lush mountain side, with ice-capped peak in the distances and a river that starts in the horizon and flows…under…your…feet. Only, it’s about 160m below you and looks like a long, continuing puddle. It’s only when you look at your feet and through the gaps on the metal bridge that you stand do you realize how far down the ground is. The wind seems far more sinister, with a vicious howl that sneers at your cowardice. All I can think of is this: he who runs away, lives to see another day.

I just barely make it across to the other side when the relief of being on solid ground engulfs me like a tidal wave. Never have been so glad to be standing on the ground. All around the employees of the bungee company are looking at the newbie’s with smirks on their faces. Sadistics fuckers! They intentionally built the “briefing ground” on the other side to freak the newcomers out...

This is gettting long... will finish it later