home sweet home...

view of the HRA clinic from our tea house

well folks, john and i are setting up camp here in manang.  we are staying at a the himalayan singi lodge/tea house.  we have our own room with an attached bathroom, which is quite the luxury in this part of the world.  the room is surprisingly comfortable.  it houses two wooden frames with pads for sleeping and a large window giving way to a spectacular view of the mountains.  for the first time in my life, waking up is not a struggle.  the nights have been pretty chilly, as of late, and so we sleep with thick sleeping bag liners and down booties (in addition to our exceptionally warm sleeping bags).  well, i do…and so do the other HRA doctors…but not john.  in preparation for the trip, john purchased a -20 degree F expedition sleeping bag.  he has been toasty warm every night.  even with the cooler temperatures, i have been sleeping better than ever, and recently i mentioned to john that i may continue sleeping in my bag when we return to the states.  sleeping bags are just so functional!

i should probably document something about the bathroom, as well, mostly for my own memory.  the walls and floor are made of loose cement, and there is a drain in the center of the floor.  on the left is a porcelain lined hole in the floor; this is a sort of make shift toilet (i think you can all imagine how it’s used).  to the right of the fancy toilet is a shower/sink for cleaning.  the showers are solar showers, so hot showers are difficult to come by during the overcast winter.  it’s pretty easy to justify showering every few days when you know it’s going to be a heart stopping experience (i.e. the shower is freezing).  even with the cold water temperatures and the hole in the floor for a toilet, this is one of the nicest bathrooms we have encountered while in nepal.  we are SO lucky! 

john and i have also been pleasantly surprised by the food in nepal.  on the trek up, the food was just fabulous!  i love all kinds of curry, so i am really enjoying mealtime.  the tea houses also make some pretty good pasta dishes and desserts.  here in manang, there are a number of delicious bakeries that make cakes and pies and pastries.  john and i have already sampled quite a few of the items at the bakery; the apple crumble is our favorite.  yesterday, I found a bakery that makes birthday cakes!  i am planning to have one made for kirsty (one of the other doctors) and my birthday in a few weeks.