My official introduction to Nepal

Let me tell you about my first case of Nepali food poisoning. An experience that is impossible to put in words, but I'll give it a try.

It was last Thursday when I started to feel some symptoms. I went to the Indian Embassy to apply for my indian visa and they told me to come back a week before I leave the country which isn't until June. In the states, I hear that Indian visas are kind of a hassle to obtain, but here I guess it's a bit easier. I started feeling extremely lightheaded and exhausted while waiting in line, and continued to feel worse as time progressed.

After my trip to the Embassy, I stopped at a small restaurant in the tourist district of Kathmandu for some food. I'm so stupid sometimes. For some reason my mind told me it was a good idea to get some spinach enchiladas for lunch. My stomach hated me for that decision, and by 3 that afternoon the Regurgifest had begun. I spent much of the next 12 hours lying awake in my bed and running back and forth to the bathroom. I attempted to eat a few things, but it was impossible to hold anything down. Water included. By the next morning, I had only gotten about 1 hour of sleep and was extremely dehydrated and weak. I knew if I stayed at the school that I would have absolutely no chance of getting any peace and quiet, so I told one of the teachers that arrives early that I would be leaving until my health returned and snuck away before anyone else arrived to ask questions. I just wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. I just wanted to get to a hotel, lie down, watch a little TV (or a lot as it turned out) and eat food that I thought I should be eating like toast and soup. If I would have stayed at the school, the only food I would have gotten is the same thing I've been eating since my arrival over a month ago, rice and vegetables. Not what the stomach wanted.

It was still early morning when I checked into the hotel, and after ordering a sprite and some mango juice from room service I layed down on my bed in hopes of getting some rest. Despite feeling completely exhausted, I was unable to get to sleep because of a splitting headache caused by my dehydration. I turned on the TV to pass some time. There are surprisingly quite a few english language stations here in Nepal. Even a few movie channels. I have to admit that I was most excited to catch a couple of Friends and Drew Carey Episodes. After literally not watching any TV for the past 40 days or so, it was fun to be an american couch potato for a few days.

There were a few choices of soup to be ordered from the hotel restaurant, none of which tasted very good. All I wanted was some chicken noodle. God bless Campbell's soup. By the late afternoon, my nausea had been replaced by horrible diarrhea. I won't give details, but it was by far the worst I've ever experienced. My stomach felt like a pot of water in a constant boil. I used what medicines I had available, but my stomach refused to stop moving about for the next couple of days.

Saturday and Sunday were almost exact replicas of one another. Constant stomach pains, eating bits of food, walking around town for a little exercise, and watching TV. Oh yeah, and lots of water and Sprite. My inability to sleep continued until Sunday night. I lost my mind a few times, and felt like jumping on a plane and getting out of this place more than a few times, but I knew it was just the illness speaking. I don't know where or from what I got the food poisoning from. Everyday seems like a gamble with my health in this place, but most of the time things are just fine. This time it wasn't though, and my first case of food poisoning was officially over by monday morning. Not the most horrible experience I've ever had, but close to it.

It took about 2 days after my food poisoning symptoms went away to regain my strength. I feel 100% now, and am back to my daily routine pretending to be a teacher in an English Boarding School. Today I put in my 3 week notice. (Or 23 day notice) I told the principal that I will be leaving after the final exams which end the 25th of March. Everyone I tell seems to be pretty upset about my coming departure. There are many great people at this place, and it won't be completely easy moving on but I'm excited to continue my travels. That's all for now.