Day 7: Holi

Kulpana cooking brekky

Chris had a lazy morning after a poor sleep so while he lazed around I watched Shamser demolish some more of the old house. Thanks to the lack of gas, I got to watch Kulpana brew tea on the open fire this morning, back in the same spot she had been when we arrived a week before...outside in the construction site. Chris rose in time for tea and we watched as Shamser eagerly demolished yet more of the house meaning the first load of eggs got a dusting of small rocks and mud.

Our breakfast was cooked in a frying pan on the open fire. Eggs were fried before two packets of dry two-minute noodles were added before water and the seasoning. A delicious noodle soup was the outcome and we ate up every drop. After breakfast Poojan got the coloured powder that Holi is known for and covered everybody within reach. Not even the animals escaped.

Breakfast with a view

Holi

The morning was a lazy one as we sat around sharing music and chatting with Coun. Before long it was lunch time and we settled in to some more dal bhat. I was expecting to be working after lunch but, I guess because it is Holi today, nobody seemed to be doing much. Chris, Coun and I played Rummy Cub with a couple of decks of cards we found which was made particularly challenging by the double ups of some cards being altered to replicate those cards that were missing. We listened to a mix of music that made me forget momentarily that we were high in the Nepali Himilayas. Meanwhile, Timmy slowly copied his entire music collection onto Chris' harddrive. It should make for interesting listening upon our return home, to say the least. With everything from Japanese hardcore to Amish punk, we were treated to many samples while we sat around and enjoyed our relaxing day in Gaunshahar.

The day didn't get any more strenuous as it progressed either. We showered, sat around some more and had a dinner of dal bhat, a campfire and some warm honey rakshi before bed. And, because Shamser had bought the wine from a lady who had made it for her husband rather than to sell, it was extra strong.