Comp is Over - read the one after this as well - two posts today

GOT MILK?

The Nepal Nationals ended today. I flew the task very fast and low, ending up with Claudio and the R10.2 at the 2nd to last turn point. Aggressive moves both made and blew the day. At 1450 I skipped the house thermal on Sarinkot and bugged for the conference center hoping to ride the ridge up on the waning hope of a dying day. The house at Sarinkot did not look too productive I was way out front which is closer to the conference center so the move was not without merit, it just didn’t work.
I bombed out scratching the ridge under the last turn point and got a nice walk across the valley for my efforts.

My porter named Nurgen took me direct to the pontoon boat that crosses the river. Quite an easy retrieve actually.

At the LZ where the awards ceremony was conducted, again lots of speeches in Nepali as well as perfunctory safety meetings. On landing the spot was an egg. Break the egg you get the spot. In the Sport class the women took 1,2 and 3. Not in the women’s class but they took the sports class. Claudio won the open and Arnie Frankenburger took second. If we had computer scoring I figure I would have placed top 10 or so finishing 8.7 short of goal on day 1, In goal with 5th day 2 and one turn point short day 3. No day had more than 12 in goal so I was quite happy with my flying.

Tomorrow I will fly over to the Green Wall and beyond pushing down the course toward the vol-bivi. If I crank the day then I will continue but if not it will be a overnight or just mega retrieve. It will be both a test and an opportunity to fly some deep stuff. This in preparation for 3 days out and a full on effort in 3 to 4 days to fly to Katmandu. Dave, Claudio and Bella are all in the loop regarding the flight. They will be the local check crew with SPOT updates going to their local phones. They like to keep track when wacko foreigners come to play in the hills. Nice folk.

Back to the experience of living in Nepal. – I have taken to the lovely cashmere shawl I bought Gail. It is “uni-sex” in Nepal and it dresses up my cashmere sweeter that mom bought me a number of years ago. The neat thing about the shawl is that I can cover my head, shoulders or just wrap the neck and keep my body warm through about a 10-15 degree difference in the evenings. Very nice.

Tonight I am eating at Shiva a waterfront restaurant that is open air but somewhat smoky from the fire in the middle of the space. – I am having chicken butter massala my standard favorite along with a beer or two. When I got here the lights were on and music was quite interesting and fun, then the power went out a communal sigh was echoed and we are now in very romantic candle light. – Where is Gail when these times occur. Eating alone and thinking of my love. Here comes the food. – Wonderful – rice and flat bread with a sautee pan’s worth of spicy hot chicken butter massala. You have to try it when you get to your local Indian restaurant.

Almost all the crew has left. – I think Patricia, Conrad, Randy and Jeff are still about but they are short timers. Conrad and Randy are nursing a cold (to minimize it.) Nasty bug. Our prayers go out to Tom for his recovery. Sickness or injury seems to be part of the game we play here and about the world. Speaking of the world the language dynamic is interesting. – This is such an international sport. Sitting in the restaurant I am listening to animated conversations in French, German and Spanish. The common language is English so the Germans speak to the Nepali’s in English as to the French and Spanish. English seems to be the key.

The mountains were out in the morning – stunning view of real big mountains.
More later.
P.