Goodbye November!

This month has flown by for me. At the beginning of the month, my plans were to do a short trek in the mountains and then to do a three week trek towards the end of the month. After I came down with altitude sickness during the first trek, I decided to give up any plans I had for the longer trek. Instead, I headed to the bed and breakfast managed by two of my friends. They had just taken over the B&B two months prior. When asked how I could help them out, they decided they could use some help painting the hotel. The hotel was painted Pepto-Bismal pink throughout. Nobody has been able to explain to me the affinity and affection that the Nepali people have for this color. Pepto-Bismal pink can be found on houses, businesses, buses, clothing, vehicles.....it's simply everywhere and it was on every wall of their hotel. We dubbed the project Operation Pink Eradication.

Buying paint in Nepal is quite different from buying paint in the States. There are two types of paint, distemper and emulsion. Emulsion paint can be washed and scrubbed, distemper cannot. There are no finishes from which to choose. The medium and dark colors are only available in emulsion paint, which costs four times more than distemper paint. It's very expensive. A 40 liter bucket of paint costs about$100USD. Also, there is an additional fee for adding certain colors of tint-such as yellows and reds-and for mixing. It all seemed quite sketchy to me, but Ke Garne? (In Nepal this means "watcha gonna do?)

It has taken us all month, but we are finally finished painting the entire hotel. Throughout the month, various guests have pitched in to help fix up the hotel. One of the guests bought an outdoor table and chairs for the second floor balcony. Another guest helped build a fire pit on the roof. It is so much fun to spend time up on the roof around a bonfire at night. A group of students helped me paint one day. My friends were also able to add four bicycles for the guests to use. Operation Pink Eradication is officially complete. The hotel now has three levels of tastefully painted rooms, hallways, and common areas. In one month, this place has really changed into a cozy B&B.

My time at the B&B has been quite fascinating. The hotel serves mostly missionaries passing through while traveling to their assignments. During my stay, I've had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. By far, the Canadian team with their Ukrainian friend were the most entertaining! I will always remember their incredible sense of humor. They had me laughing so hard during their final breakfast that I couldn't finish eating. Their parting words will stick with me forever. "This is probably the last time we will see you, so, we will see you in heaven, eh?!" I can't wait!