No habla espanol!

So yes, it just may seem that I need to learn Spanish to successfully tour this country. For some bizarre reason no one seems to understand Nepali here, which is too bad because my default mode of speaking seems to be Nepali. I don't even intentionally speak Nepali, but when pressed or flustered I let a stream of Nepali words flow from my mouth. Sometimes mixed with Spanish like when I told the fruit stand lady that she had a "mas tulo nino", tulo is big in Nepali. Worst though is when I answer in French and Nepali to a Spanish question; which yes, happens a lot. It seems that there is only enough room in my tiny head for one foreign language at a time, and despite my best efforts I cannot keep them straight and to be honest I don't know if I am ready to lose Nepali.














As I was wandering through the markets today, Thursday in market day in Guatemala, I realized how similar Guate is to Nepal and India and how homesick I was for Kalimpong and Nepal. Funny how I spent the majority of my time there miserable and missing home and now I think of it as my other home. I miss walking through the markets, haggling and shopping for my aama, I miss the food, the children, the Himalaya, but most of I miss being fluent in Nepali and being able to articulate myself. Here I am just another gringo traveler, but there "Ma Nepali Ho" (I was Nepali).


Sadly, I must let Nepal and my Nepali language go if I ever hope to make it here though, hopefully I will return there someday but for now I am looking for the similarities here that will endear Guate and Central America to my heart.

I don't really have to look that hard though, the native Mayas look very similar to the hilltribe Gurungs of Nepal. Put a nose piercings on the women here and they actually looks quite similar to Nepal, and the volcano filled landscape is quite gorgeous.

Speaking of volcanoes the local volcano, Pacayo, had a little eruption when tourists were on it two days ago. I met some of the girls who were on it at the time. They ended up going to the hospital and were covered in scars from the rocks, ash and steam. Apparently they barely escaped in time, stupid tourists that roast marshmallows over the lava and expect not too get hurt by an active volcano! Ok so that was definately me nine months ago. I admit it I went as close to that lava as possible for great shots holding a joint and a Brava beer, so yes I understand how stupid tourists can be but what really amazes me is that people went on volcano tours yesterday! The day after the active volcano erupted tourists were like, oh wow, lets go climb that active volcano with seismic activity today. How dumb can you be, obviously the tectonic plates are moving beneath the volcano and it is not safe to climb, but hey "jewan yasta chha" (So is life in Nepali).

I know I said I was going to give up Nepali, but its so addictive to me...
Huesta Luego for now I have to go catch a bus up North to explore underwater caves, jump off huge waterfalls, and relaxing by a clean, cold river in Lanquin.