Get me out of here 12/2
So we thought there would be no issue getting the rest of the cash out to pay X since its a new day. I guess the bank considers a day in PST? Then I realized we could take out an extra 300 Yuan w each account and that's exactly how much we needed! I love it when shit works out like that. Not sure what other options we had. X couldn't take us to the airport today because he was going to teach Tibetan kids the Tibetan language and some history. Of course this isn't allowed so they have to do this in closed quarters. His brother took us, the driver changed up the music selection we've been listening to for the last week (Chinese and techno) for some English techno. On the way to the airport, the billboards we've been seeing throughout the country had some in English and they spoke BS of creating social and economic development for achieving long term stability and peace. What assholes.
I'm glad we came, I've never seen oppression so close. On the other hand I'm glad to go. I'm getting more annoyed w the Chinese government w each day and this isn't a good place to be when there's no freedom of speech. I did feel guilty coming, in a way this is supporting China since they are getting some of my money. But like the Dali Lama said, go to Tibet and see first hand what the Chinese government has and continues to do to the people and land. If you go, use a Tibetan tour guide and don't buy from the Chinese (we bought nothing but food and 2 $1.5 prayer beads from a real monk). I'll see what else I can do when I can freely search the www. This has impacted me more than I expected. Not only how Tibetans are impacted, but how Americans bitch about their freedoms being taken away ("war on Christmas" are you fucking kidding?).
Then the plane was delayed 4.5 fucking hours. The worst part was no one could tell us when it was landing. I spent the last of our cash on jellies that didn't taste like you'd expect (yellow=banana; why?!), we watched the Chinese New Year extravaganza rerun on TV plus episodes of an 80's 3 Stooges China style show. Andy is either going to scream or tackle someone if we don't get out of here soon. I told him not to scream because I'm getting on the plane no matter what and they probably won't let him. People are getting pushy like they do here and Andy's not putting up w it. Due to the fore mentioned, we will not be heading straight for a 15 hour night bus ride to India. I think we'll be doing pizza and beer instead and getting full access to the glorious www. Good thing we have time. Plus, if Andy doesn't get full internet access soon, he's going to lose his mind.
How does a 1.5 hour plane ride turn into a full travel day? I didn't think I'd feel so happy to be back in Kathmandu. There were lots of planes that landed so the baggage claim was a shit show. We jumped on the bus at the airport and the driver was like sure, this is the bus to Thamel. We met some nice kids on the bus that said its not. Oh well, it'll get us closer. Then the dude kicked us out in some random area. I love how they do that. No worries, the GPS works on our phone. Back to our $6 hotel at 5:30 and pizza and beer to make everything OK. This is what freedom tastes like.