She's BACK!!!!

cow in the train station
check the name of the travel company
me on metro 30 some hours into my journey
me climbing!!- well belaying
Indy and I at the Narrows
So I'm home again. Surpise! Once back in Pokhara I considered my options and how miserable hot it was in India right now. 115 degrees in Varanassi where I wanted to go, and upper 90's in Kerala- the other place I wanted to go. I figured India is difficult enough I don't need to go when it is this hot and the monsoons are due in a week. I have a ten year visa so I'll have to come back. I did spend a few days there however travelling overland from Nepal to reduce the cost of my flight home by leaving from Delhi. So a 10 hour bus ride from Pokhara to the nepal/india border. 3 hours by share taxi to Gorakpor where I waited overnight for the last bed in a non airconditioned sleeper car to delhi- not the most comfortable option but it is school holidays and it was the only thing available for several days. Funny enough I ended up getting on the wrong train the next day and got upgraded to an airconditioned sleeper anyway! Overnight on the train, all day in delhi and left at 11pm for home. 14 hour flight, 4 hour layover in Newark, hour flight and arrived at BWI at 10am. Wanted to surprise my family (they weren't expecting me for another 2 weeks) so I took a bus to metro, metro to germantown, another bus to damascus and was deciding whether to try hitchiking the last 10 minutes to home when I stoped in at the firehouse to ask about taxis. They asked if I'd ever been for a ride on a fire truck, and would I mind going along on a call if there was one. Of course not I replied! One of the guys said he would just run me home in one of their vehicles because I live so close. I arrived while mom was out at the store so I was able to give here a good try at heart faliure when she returned home and was standing in the next room. I scared her half to death. Got to surprise my sister and Dad as well. So I've been home catching up on sleep, eating, spoiling my dog, and hanging out with the family, and Oh yeah climbing! Went out with Indy to get on rock for the first time in 5 months, and I led, and it was trad, and it felt fantastic!!!!!!! I'm glad to be back and hope to see and talk to everyone soon!