Margaret Suanez
The adventure continues ...
NEPAL - emails continue... (last 2)
Sent 30th Nov - weeks 6/7 Hardship
Hellooooooooooooooooo again!!! NO NO I'm not dead (although I'm contemplating suicide !) Blame the bloooooody computer !!!! ahhh
OK OK - so some of you were not happy with my last update informing you - that YES, for ONCE IN MY LIFE - there were no major disasters!!!
Yes - the bus did not topple off the mountain - even though I was soooo sure it would. NO - I did not get eaten by any tiger, although Grant was kind enough to send me a news clip "15 people eaten by leapord in Nepal - 4yr old boys head found - many more victims suspected". Heck even googled the location to make sure I could leave the house and not be eaten - but yes yes don't worry only dogs eat people here!!! AND... No - the parachute did not collapse on my paragliding experience - although I had my doubts with the instructor shouting 'OK just start running and don't stop - just keep running straight off the mountain' what???? - ahhhhh yes OK I survived. NO - the elephant did not take off on a rampage through the jungle - although Delphin's did for 10 min ahhhhh (got spooked and went wiled) hee hee hee. NO - I have not been arrested for murder - even though the new Australian volunteer is pushing me to it. I think I could get off with manslaughter - ahhhh
AND... No - I have not been hospitalised with food poisoning even though 3 other volunteers have and 4 more continue to hug the toilet - YES my stomach is made of steel! (Ok knock on wood - still 5 weeks to go - ahhhh) ooops should not have said that one. EVEN Carin (the Swede) has not been able to kill me - although she has tried. hee hee hee. Sofie says 'You're so funny in the morning' ha ha ha Probably because they get me up at stupid oclock to either climb 5 million stairs or see a stupid sunrise or catch a kamikaze bus of terror - yes I'm funny - I'm delirious - my brain comes up with 'ideas' to keep me amused. hee hee hee
'Carin where are you the bus is here' 'What - really?? Oh we're 10 min away still' 'Don't worry I will get it to wait for you - you better hurry' I say ha ha ha Carin rings 'where is it - we're here' 'Oh it's here at the hotel waiting' I say "Is that a joke - are you joking!!!!' She walks into the hotel "MARGARET!!!! you're dead - I will get you - when you least expect it' ha ha ha she's drenched in sweat. We laugh. Bus arrives 30 min later.
So of course she thinks it's hilarious to spike my drinks with rehydration salts - even though I had drunk 3L of water during a very looooong cocktail hour (of course I peed every 5 min) - oh yeah ha ha ha She laughs - lucky she's leaving she says or we will continue to escalate the pranks till one of us dies!!! hee hee
So once more - on the chance of disappointing some of you - I'VE HAD A FAIRLY PLEASANT WEEK !!!!!! na na nana na!!!! TIRED maybe - but pleasant.
Monday we arrived back from Pokhara (nice bus driver - everyone smiled - I lived - no tranquiliser required). The volunteers came over for dinner and we had fish (NO - I do not want to imaging where it came from) - although Saskia (from Holland) started sweating instantly and had to go home to throw up all night.
New volunteers keep arriving from NZ, Aust, Denmark and Germany - but yes - it's the Aust that has to be anal (she's giving us a bad name). On Tuesday we headed out on a Medical Outreach program to a small village in the middle of nowhere. The Australian turns up first day - 'Hi, so you're from Australia?' I say "yes - I'm the doctor' she replies. Everyone just looks at each other. Carin says 'Does she have a name???' we laugh 'yes - doctor'.
We go for a walk through this remote village to sightsee and take some photos - she actually takes out her stethoscope and walks with it around her neck like jewellery. She never goes anywhere without her QLD health ID around her neck. Then she actually goes on to say 'I need the pulse taken as well as blood pressure' "what for??' I ask. So I can diagnose possible heart conditions. 'hmmm and do WHAT???' I ask. Oh my God - we're in the middle of no where - donating food, blankets and clothes and our medical supplies consists of a few panadol and some antibiotics - and she wants to send them for scans and surgery. Get a grip!
'And - they use the same thermometre on each patient - we change the tips' she say Ahhhhh You're in NEPAL!!! I'm not sure she realises (maybe got on the wrong plane). By the way, she's an intern. The Japanese surgeon just smiles politely. Carin says she's going to rip that bloody ID off her neck. Personally I'm going to strangle her with the stethoscope. So much for Aussies being friendly and easy going - ha ha ha Oh well she leaves next week. hee hee hee I'm counting... No charges so far...
Carin left Wednesday - she gave me a Xmas present (Vodka and rehydration salts) ha ha ha. Of course we sat by the pool on her last night and shared the bottle. She keeps texting 'is the 'doctor' alive?' ha ha ha JUST...
We spent the day at an Aged Care Home with Nepali aging from 75 to 107. Most injuries caused by falling out of trees - YES falling out of trees. Still think they're 8. They danced and laughed and loved the camera. Great day. Yep - nearly killed 'doctor'. 'We need to arrange a program to reduce the number of falls from trees' - ahhhhh 'Sure' I say 'How about we cut down the trees' They live in the bloody forest !!!!
Thursday back in surgery before collapsing dead TIRED on Friday and spending most of the day in bed in a coma. You nearly got your wish - THEY are killing me!!!!!!!!!!!!! But up and at it at 5.30am - yes - stupid o'clock (do they not realise I'm retired?????). Anyhow in a COLD shower before treking 45 min to the hospital to meet the bus - on a SATURDAY !!! - ahhh - at 7am for 3hr drive to Triveni for a major Health Outreach Project and big festival - 'cleansing of the river' with milk from 150,000 cows. No joking!!! They poured the milk into the river to 'cleanse it' (we're obviously doing it all wrong - milk is what's needed). The Guru came to bless it - we worked all day and ate surrounded by hungry cows, then back down to the river at 6pm for the closing ceremony before getting back on the bus and having a singing competition with the Nepali doctors. ha ha ha They killed us - the best we could do without music was 'The wheels on the bus go round and round...' and 'We will, we will rock you...' ha ha ha I of course am a great singer!!! Home by 10.30pm. AND you doubt I'm TIRED!!!! - bloody hell.
Monday I started in Maternity - baby refused to be born till 7pm - hmmmm too late. I hope some decide to appear during daylight hours. I'm waiting !!!
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This is an update - AS THE BLOODY COMPUTER refuses to cooperate!!!!!!
No kidding - this is day 4 that I have attempted to send this email. Personally I am touched that some of you cared enough to check on my welfare - even if it was only to tell me that I was late with the email and 'where are you??' lol...
Bad news guys - I am still here - sitting at this computer attempting to type. You have no idea how much this is aging me - I swear I'm getting an ulcer. Now when I type only 1 1/2 min and it crashes - not so bad, BUT when I type for an hour and it crashes - ahhhhh and yep only half is saved. THEN when I attempt to attach photos and just before the last one attaches - it crashes - ahhhhh They are lucky the computer hasn't gone flying out the window.
The host family has seen and heard my frustration so today they installed the internet through the window into my bedroom - ha ha ha It only works with bloody electricity and that doesn't go on till bloody 11pm. I will have to wake in the middle of the night to send you my witty updates lol... Mind you I forget what the hell I'm saying from one day to the next. I'm losing it... I must escape sooooooon...
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cont...
So let me tell you...
Delphin was leaving Wednesday - so we were flat out having one last lunch, one last drink, one last dinner and oh yes - a night of dress ups and 'snaps' that Rimka insisted on. Actually fun girlie nights. BUT I am TIRED !!!! Did I mention that???
Did I tell you?? Rimka is always attempting suicide - no kidding. 'If I suck on a diamond will I die?' 'Depends how big it is - you can choke on it' I say. 'No I was told I could die by just sucking it - I sucked it for an hour' 'hmmm maybe if you put some cyanide on it - that would do it' I say. Poor Delphin is horrified - ha ha ha. I now ask her every morning. 'So how will you try now?' 'Maybe I will jump from the unit of my husband' she says 'hmmmm not high enough - you will only break a leg - you must go much higher for that to work' She now just laughs. I've told her how to kill others - ah oh no she laughs - . "Better to kill someone else than yourself' I tell her. 'Where will I put the body' "in the vegetable patch' I tell her. ha ha ha the vegetable patch is going to be pretty full. I better leave before I become one of them.
I tell them they're crazy - seriously crazy. They laugh and tell everyone that I always call her and Delphin crazy and I'm the normal one - hee hee hee At least they realise. Yep me - normal.
OK Delphin just left - bloody hell who would have thought I'd cry??? She was bawling - damn... - sat in the bedroom having a coffee - not the same without the french girl and her dictionary 'How do you spell that??' she would run and get the dictionary and then she would run and get my glasses because there was no way on earth I could see the stupid miniature writing. lol... OH and... the grandfather who is 99 arrived last night to stay for a few weeks. Pees with the door open. Delphin hid in the bedroom horrified - ha ha ha What about me??? I still have another week. My luck he'll bloody cark it whilst I'm here - ahhhhhh oh well - the vegetable patch is there...
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It's now Thursday - I have come to the conclusion that 6 weeks is my limit for living in hardship!!!!!!!
Oh my God !!! I want a computer that works ! and I want a hot shower !
Where on earth was I up to??? - oh yeah - my trek. I read the trekking guide for my climb (which mind you is less than 2 weeks away) - The first day is 'up and down very very hard and you may not make it' - what??? The second day 'only the extremely fit will make it' - what????? I may be the first person airlifted out on day 2 - heck on day 1 by the sounds of it. They said doing the extra week and climbing from Jiri instead of flying was good for acclimatisation - hmmmmm what about my bloody heart??? I doubt it's good for that.
No no - I actually went to the gym yesterday (2nd time in 5 weeks ) - no probs - that should do it - extremely fit now no probs. ahhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!!
I have however kept up my fitness playing cricket with the guys in my street (well actually giving Australia a bad name - they bowled me out - hmmmm) and then of course had to play criss cross (elastics) with the little girls 2 doors up. Now mind you that was after two (yep only 2) vodka and pineapple juices (I have everyone hooked on them) - hee hee hee Now the kids think I will play with them every afternoon. Do they not realise I need alcohol for that - I'm RETIRED !!!
On that note and considering this computer will no doubt crash any minute - I will bid you farewell from dusty, polluted Nepal.
Marg.... yep Ted tooooo XXX
Till my next update - from Thamel on a working computer...
Sent 10th Dec Week 8 - NEPAL Farewell !!!!!
THEY TRIED TO KILL MEEEEEEEEEEEEE !!!!! They did ! They reaaaaaalllly did ! Do you care ???? No - no don't pretend.
You nearly lost me ! - oh yeah then you would have been crying! YES YOU WOULD HAVE !!
But... Bad luck - I pulled through. I'm still ALIVE hee hee hee and still here - ahhhhh
Come to Gorkha for a weekend they said - hot showers, real food and a relaxing weekend with of course a climb to the temple (yep 1500 steps - no kidding). Oh what the heck. After a 3hr bus ride in a 'local' bus we arrived.
Lunch - hmmm chicken sounds good. What on earth possessed me???? Should have known something was wrong when 20 min into climbing the stairs I thought I was having a heart attack (my heart was going to beat straight through my chest). Bloody hell was all I could think - Christ !!! 20 min - how the hell was I going to climb the mountain. PANIC !!!! ahhhh Seriously depressed now and thinking my fitness level had deteriorated faster than I thought to that of a 90 year old woman - heck - NO they would be fitter actually. Anyhow arrived at the top - the others were concerned - ha ha ha 'How's your blood pressure??' 'Don't worry about my blood pressure I'm having a heart attack' !!! (the views were amazing and the sunset was the best - worth the climb). We headed back down - let's have a shower and some dinner.
Well - let me tell you Mace (19yr Danish guy) who had basically skipped to the top was the first to go. 'I'm cold, I'm really cold' he kept saying. Of course the 4 mother hens kicked into action (this is what happens when a guy travels with 4 girls) ha ha ha. Get out of your wet clothes - close his windows - get out of the clothes. He went too fast up the mountain - what's wrong with him. Get out of the bloody clothes. Give him a bucket.
OK OK let's have dinner. 'hmm the chicken was good - I'll have that again' I said. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh woke at 2am and thought NOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!! You know how much I hate throwing up. Maybe if I stay really really still - it will all just go away.
Sofie woke at 7am FINALLY !! and says 'Are you OK??? - you don't sound well'. Probably because I was taking my final breaths.
The staying still didn't work and at 8.30am my world erupted. Other guests now were also throwing up. ha ha ha Somebody had obviously paid them to poison me !!!! Which one of you was it ????? Well - what a sight we were. Just managed to get dressed, grap our stuff and be helped onto a bus to get home. Everyone sitting there with plastic bags at the ready for our 3hr drive back. GREAT WEEKEND !!!!
I swore I would NEVER eat again !!!! The first day I kept my promise and just slept. Rimka didn't believe me - 'so you have dinner now' - NOOOO. By day 2 she was getting worried. ha ha ha knock knock knock 'Are you OK are you alseep' YES !!!! The 3rd time she woke me up I threatened to bury her in the vegetable garden. ha ha ha she laughed - but she didn't wake me again. hee hee hee
I emerged out of my coma and cave on the 3rd day - 3kg lighter. Wooooo hoooooo maybe there is a God (better chance of getting up the mountain now) ha ha ha. 'would you like some soup - some plain soup' 'what is plain soup'??? 'less spices' 'ah no - how about no spices' I ask. ha ha ha she laughs hysterically. She thinks I'm crazy - imaging eating ANYTHING in Nepal without spices !!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhh 'no thanks - I'll just have some bread'.
OK OK so I was eating again. BUT NEVER NEVER will I eat meat again !!!!!!!!!!!!! yeah yeah - it's only been a week but NOOOOOOO. I had a very nice relaxed week - sleeping, walking slowly, eating little, playing with the neighbourhood kids (they still think I'm 15). Even got to watch a few weddings. Oh my God - the most expensive and biggest wedding in the world was held at the Hotel - 2 days in the making. Everything brought from India. The music blasted - a mix of Indian and modern. The place went off. Oh they definitely had money. A few Nepali weddings too. It's wedding month here.
Finally packed my bags, had my farewell party with the Family and Sofie who came for a sleep over. Everyone loves my PINK Palace. Sofie has been taking romantic photos for her boyfriend (one of their names in the snow on the mountain and one of a red love heart key ring on Everest). She needed one more (I suggested - considering we were in Nepal that she could photograph the kids lying in the dirt to form the word 'love'). Check out the photo !!! So funny in the making. I gathered the neighbourhood kids during the week - promised them chocolate if they turned up at 4pm on Thursday to be photographed - more if they laid in the dirt and smiled. Sofie didn't believe I could pull it off - we only had 7 kids -hmmm (we needed ten to form the word)
'you - you have brothers - go and get them' ha ha ha he ran like the wind (so cute) after all chocolate was on offer. Ten done - ha she of little faith. lol...
Said my good byes whilst Rimka and Gita cried (more than what ANY of you did - I will remember that).
Then they turned up at the bus to hug, cry and wave me good bye. I did love my new family and their pink house.
Now back in Thamel - getting ready for trek. OH MY GOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I went a little crazy today shopping shopping shopping for all my climbing gear (for Russia) and bought a new down jacket - woooooo hooooo. I WILL be warm - Ted can squeeze in too. Wait till you see my Nepali woolen hat with pigtails. lol..
AND... had my first (yep first) REAL HOT shower. Oh my God life is good. Now for pasta and pizza - hee hee hee Projects Abroad are paying - so I am eating. Oops with 2 days still to go - I may be tooooo big again to climb. ha ha ha Kim says; 'I expect to hear on the news that an Aussie was air lifted out to safety due to alcohol withdrawals whilst trying to crawl up to the Base Camp of Mount Everest.' (everyone wants to be a comedian)
Don't worry about alcohol withdrawals (not a drop in over a week hee hee hee). BUT airlifted out may be on the cards. Ted should be right - all he's done is sleep all week - oh yeah so have I. lol... I have offered to pay extra to be carried but they're not into it. Oh well - wish me luck. The helicopter ride should be a blast !
Till we meet again. In heaven or earth (depending on how this goes !!!!). Wednesday is D day!
Signing off...Marg and little companion (Ted) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (lot's of kisses just in case these are my last).