Just like that abseiling from 16m

I think I can honestly say I have never been scared in my life, like really frightened, until the 14^th of November…

Eline and I were supposed to meet in Thamel, at Astrek Climbing Wall, because we are going to play Orange Pieten for Sinterklaas. Like all good pieten we had to go through a training to get our diploma from Sinterklaas. Joking… well kind off, we were going to practice our awesome entry as Pieten by abseiling. I’m not afraid of heights, it’s a bit exciting but no fear here. Actually, this time I found the 16meter abseiling calming.

Eline and I decided to get a scooter taxi via Pathao app, like we always did so far, to go to Thamel. We both got picked up and off we go. Eline’s guy was faster than mine but it’s not a race, thank God. However… it seemed my guy was determined to keep up with them ‘no it’s okay just go to the destination, I’m not in a hurry’. I don’t think he understood… let alone if he understood his bike. It felt like the guy had never driven a scooter with gears before. A few moments I thought of stopping him to get off the bike, how I wish I had listened to that thought!!! We entered the main road through Kathmandu centre and that’s where we lost Eline her bike. My driver kept on driving through smallest openings but far from skilled like I saw other drivers do. The traffic was crazy and my driver insane! I was shaking and literally thought okay this is it, please universe let me live!!!! We drove past New Road with all the busses parked on the side, thousands of scooters, cars and taxies driving slowly past one another. And then all of a sudden my driver made a turn without a second look to the right, thinking he would be faster than the massive bus. He wasn’t I saw it happen, I saw what was gonna happen! We got hit by the bus, by a freaking bus! In that brief second I saw two ways: either the bus wouldn’t see us on time, we would fall down and the cars and motors on our left would hit us again, or the bus would steer away, my driver would manage to get us straight and we would live. Thank you, universe for the second scenario. Never in my life have I been so scared. My whole body was shaking, and I sort of hit my driver “WHAT ARE YOU DOING, DRIVE SAFE” continued by apologizing because I hit the man… He said sorry, asked if I was okay. I said yes. He drove me to the climbing hall. When I saw Eline I had to cry because of the shock. So when I could safely climb up the 16m ladder I was happy to enjoy life haha, relax.

In movies people ‘change their life’ after a near death experience. Well I wouldn’t know if I could have actually died in traffic that day but it did feel a bit like I could have. Funny enough I figured that I wouldn’t change a thing, except listen to that voice that warned me to get off the bike.

After the Pieten-training we walked around Thamel, went for a few drinks and food and some live music. And in the end, I took a bike-ride back. In the end, this is still the way to travel in Nepal… but I might consider buying a helmet and will never pick a driver with a rating under 90%.

On Friday 15^th I went out for dinner with a nice new group of friends. The restaurant was openair with a campfire and a live band. There was also a sort of art gallery and later on we got a spontaneous fire show. Jonas and Eline, who both joined for Bollywood before were there and Gemma, a dutchie who just arrived in Kathmandu and will also join on QuestTrek, joined for dinner too. Then there was a skaterboy from Finland whose name I forgot (sorry) and Piper from Canada. I met Piper via FB (never made so much effective youth of this social medium) and we planned to hike to Namo Buddha Monastry on Saturday together with Eline. But that adventure, mostly beautiful adventure is for another blog.

Namaste