Nights in Nepal (The Vagabond Series) Read online

  This is my second day here in Nepal and I’m amazed by what this city has to offer. You can be in the thick of it one moment and in the quiet serene in the next. I’ve met painted men who pray across the river as loved one’s bodies are lit ablaze in ceremonies. I’ve shopped in the square for knick-knacks to send home to my nieces. And I’ve sampled street food that was so insanely delicious that I’ve come back for more. I like it here, that’s safe to say. Being so close to the Himalayas, some fantastic experiences and just the nitty-gritty — I could stay here indefinitely.

  And then there’s this little piece of heaven. Who would have known all this laid in the middle of chaos? I keep an eye on the fiery woman as I walk around this paradise. I take a seat across the field as she steps into the structure, a moment later sitting underneath the giant columns and pulling out a book.

  That must be where the cafe is.

  I venture through shrubby that is laid out as a maze and come out in front of another fountain on the opposite side of where I wanted to go. To her.

  Leisurely, I look at the statues in the garden alongside the brick wall behind the fountain and pull out my camera.

  My sister loves art, and this is just her style. I snap a few photos and one of myself in front of a statue of a man. Holding up my pinky notating how small his manhood is and grin at the lens. My sister will no doubtedly get a kick out of that.

  I open up a text message and send it off to her. She replies immediately

  Catalina: Ti rendi conto che le sculture hanno piccoli spiccioli perché trasmettono intelligenza. (You realize that the sculptures have small penises because they convey intelligence.)

  I shake my head, pocket my phone, and laugh. Of course, she would know something like that. My sister is the type of woman to never stray away from information that is not the most common, or perverse.

  I’m here in Nepal for two weeks, then I travel off to India for a week full of work meetings, and back home to Milan. Half of my life is traveling, some for work, but mostly for play. Milan is just a place where I have my belongings, I could live anywhere in the world. But I stay in Milan, as it was where I was born. But here, I could live here. Everything that I would need is just within reach.

  Some would say that the risk assessment of my life is high, as I like to do exhilarating things for fun and some would also say that I’m a thrill seeker. I jump out of perfectly good airplanes, I climb peaks, I jump off cliffs, I throw myself off of bridges with a rubber band attached — the list goes on. But you only have one life, so why not live it to the fullest.

  I want no regrets when I’m older. I want to have adventures to share, and I want to be able to say that I didn’t sit on the sidelines.

  I return to my mission, which is to get closer to the woman, and perhaps spark a conversation.

  I wonder where she is traveling from. She looks Irish, but that could just be the red hair.

  What color are her eyes? Are they ice blue or are they as green as the landscape we are surrounded by?

  I finally see a walkway that leads over to the cafe and make my way over to it. I walk inside the cafe and a hostess greets me. I point toward the outdoor sitting area and he nods as he extends his arm in that direction.

  I walk through the door, and I see her right away. She’s lifting her cup to her pink lips while reading over what looks to be the menu.

  “Do you mind if I join you?” I ask as I approach her table.

  4

  Tazmin

  “And then what?” Nandi’s eyes widen as she leans forward on the table.

  “Then I let him sit down at my table.” I shrug.

  “You’re killing me here with these small details.”

  “I know. It’s great.” I brush hair out of my eyes and laugh lightly.

  “Taz, I’m going to need you to give me more. Is he American? Nepalese?”

  “He’s Italian. And I’ve seen him before.” I lean in and whisper.

  “Shut your ass! Where? And why haven’t you mentioned him before?” Nandi’s mouth is hanging open at my declaration.

  “He was at the airport and on the same plane as me. Him and a bunch of other people in his group. I noticed him, but we didn’t talk to one another. They looked like they were here for business. Probably something to do with the embassy or whatever.”

  “So, will you see him again?” She asked. “Is there a second date?”

  “Nan, we didn’t have a first date. We just happened to be in the same location and shared a lunch table together.”

  “That’s what people do on dates, when was the last time you went on a date?”

  “I don’t have time to date, remember. We own a business and it’s a busy one. If I wanted to date, I would have gotten a desk job back home at my dad’s work.” I wave her off. It’s true, we don’t have much time for getting out there and dating. Aside from my vibrator, I’ve been celibate for at least two years.

  “Even I get a little something, something now and then. You’ve got to make sure that you keep the machinery well-oiled.”

  “Machinery? Well-oiled? I’m not a car.”

  “Oh, you know what I mean.”

  “If I don’t get laid for a while, it’s just like riding a bike. And I’ve got plenty of bike rides to go on in my future.” I spread my hand out on our kitchen table as my fingers play with the stray string from our placemats.

  “Anyways, again, when will you be seeing him again?”

  “We mentioned perhaps meeting up for drinks if our schedules would allow it. I told him where I would be and if he showed up, then he had the time. We didn’t make any definite plans. We talked about travel, his home, my home and that’s really it. It was all surface stuff, nothing too deep or prying.”

  “But you wanted to pry, didn’t you?” Nandi winks at me dramatically as she places her chin in her palm.

  “God yes, he had the most kissable lips. He spoke perfect American, but his accent — my goodness.” I sit back in the chair and fan myself recalling how the words just rolled off his tongue.

  “Where is he staying?”

  “I think he’s staying at the Fairfield in Kathmandu.”

  “You need to call them up, get his room number and surprise him in a trench coat and nothing else.”

  “That only happens in the movies.” I roll my eyes.

  “And sometimes, we all need a fairytale.” She smiles.

  He asked to sit with me at the cafe, even though every other table was open. In an instant, I recognized him as Mr. Hot and Handsome from the airport and my heart was thumping out of my chest at the closeness of him. He works for a consulting firm, and he said that he travelled a lot.

  He mentioned that he recognized me from his travels and felt that it was destiny that we ended up in the same place, so we had to meet. We shared the table for a few hours, but we didn’t talk about too much too personal. He was here for two weeks in Kathmandu, then he left again.

  We made tentative plans in a few days to meet up for drinks when he had a break in his schedule while in Nepal, then went our separate ways.

  I awake energetic and ready to conquer the day. One more full day of preparations, and we start a week and half long of excursions with one group of adventurers from around the world. I recognize the Americans who made it their goal to bungee jump off any bridge they came across when on a road trip during their summer last year, it made the news and dad thought that it was cool, so he kept me updated. And I recognize the Spaniard who was a medalist in the Winter Olympics a few years ago, well plainly because he was gorgeous.

  I’m always surrounded by the rugged type; I’ve seen plenty of handsome men and I will keep my cool around the Olympian. With Nandi away for the day, it was just Amar and me. Together, we put the booklets with the itineraries and safety protocols for our upcoming guests with their complimentary survival packs with snacks and water.

  With the scheduling and admin duties that Nandi took care of yesterday, to the preparation for
the actual excursions we had first, we were ready to take on this month.

  And I was ready to not fangirl over the Spaniard.

  5

  Gio

  It’s go day. Day one of the real reason that we’re here in Nepal and I’m excited. I’ve never been to this region before and I’m hoping that the next two weeks will be something that I remember.

  Our group is meeting in the lobby of the Fairfield hotel. Every person with us is experienced at different levels, but they all paid a shitload to be able to be here, myself included even though this whole trip was organized by my best friend.

  I strap on my backpack and tighten up the straps, then head down the hallway to the lobby.

  “Buongiorno, Alessio.” I greet my friend with a clap on his shoulder as he turns to me.

  “Buongiorno,” he returns the greeting. “Are you ready for today?”

  “I was born ready, my friend.” I nod.

  Alessio turns and tries to get the attention of the group. We’re made up of fifteen men and woman from all over the world. We all speak English and have promised to speak it the entire trip to not get anyone confused or out of the loop. We set up several activities and decided to separate in two groups each day. The company that we set everything up with was highly recommended by a few people that Alessio has traveled with before, and it seemed perfect for us. They had everything that we wanted to do, from the high adventure to the sight-seeing of some of the local flair. Since we had adventurers of all kinds in our groups, everything that this company offered, was perfect for us.

  We walk two by two to the second floor of a busy building and file into the storefront of the company that we booked with.

  There is a beautiful woman with long dark brown hair that is slung over her shoulder in a braid. She’s dressed in a casual polo shirt with henna running up both of her arms. She looks up and smiles.

  “Greetings. I wasn’t expecting your group for another half-hour, but that’s great. We can get the general stuff out of the way sooner, and you all will be off for your adventures.” She’s a local, but she has an English accent. “My name is Nandi. I will be doing some local guided tours for your group today and for the bus ride to the Bhote Khosi, you will have two of my associates. They should be here momentarily. We have a breakout room, where you all can sit comfortably, while you fill out the last of the paperwork that we require for our adventures, if you would please follow me.”

  She leads us down a hallway to a large conference-like room. There is a large table, two recliners and a couch facing a big screen television. The television is displaying video of traveling through the country. Everyone takes a seat, and Nandi walks around the table and passes out liability forms for us to sign.

  As I finish signing my name and placing my pencil down, a man walks in carrying a box, and then a familiar face follows him.

  You have to be kidding! What are the odds that I would run into Tazmin?

  First, I saw her at the airport, then at the Gardens and now here. Wait, she’s wearing gear that would outfit her for rapid drying. Her pants are almost the same ones that I’m wearing. What is happening here. I keep my eyes on her as she and the other guy talk before setting down the boxes on the table. She lifts her gaze up and scans the room, passing me, then I see the moment when it registers in her mind. Her mouth opens, her eyes widen, and her gaze falls back on me. She closes her mouth, opens it again, then collects herself and smiles. She takes the lid off the box and looks through it. When it’s clear that she finds what she’s looking for, she looks back up at me as if she didn’t believe it. She mouths my full name and then smiles to herself as she shakes her head.

  Nandi comes up beside her, places her hand on her shoulder and the two converse for a moment or two, until Nandi looks directly at me mimicking the way that Tazmin did, just a few minutes ago.

  They both look back to one another and Nandi throws her head back with laughter.

  Paperwork is gathered and Tazmin takes command of the room, with Nandi and the other gentlemen standing beside her.

  “Hi everyone. I’m Tazmin, and it’s a pleasure to meet you all. Please feel free to call me ‘Taz’. You’ve all met Nandi, and this fine young man beside me is Amar. We have two groups each day based on your requests, and we promise that each day will be as thrill-driven as you can expect. Today, Nandi will stay back with a group, and that group will visit a few local destinations that you selected on your registration. The other group will be with myself and Amar. We will be driving three hours to the Bhote Khosi river. When there, we will first go bungee jumping at the gorge which is close to the Tibetan border with a perfect view of the Himalayas. We will have lunch, then travel down river to join in on the water for some level four rafting. We will camp over night after about four hours of rafting at our partner site, Netherland’s Resort and then in the morning we will go canyoning and return back here that evening. Tomorrow, Nandi and that group will travel to Pokhara for zip-lining and boating in the Phewa Lake.” She takes a breath, then gazes at Nandi.

  “Then my group will remain in Pokhara, and the other group will arrive that following morning. And we will do some more local low-key things for that day in Pokhara before heading back for you all to enjoy a breather before starting back up again.” Nandi steps in.

  “These packets have all the information that you will need for your travels with us. We greatly appreciate you choose Adventures for Thrills for your needs.” Amar hands the stack that was in the box to Alessio and he passes them around. He looks to me questionably once he’s finished as he never handed me my packet. I look to Tazmin, and she jumps forward and slides mine across the table to me with a sheepish smile.

  “What was that about?” Alessio leans in and whispers.

  “I’ll tell you later.” I tell him with a grin.

  6

  Tazmin

  I was shocked when I walked in our conference room and saw him, the man from the airport, from the Gardens sitting in the room. He looked as shocked to see me there, which is a good thing, and proves that he’s not a stalker.

  But the jury’s still out and he could totally be a stalker, but also a very good actor.

  Our company has two buses. Nandi’s group boards one bus, while Amar and my group boards the other. Amar goes over the itinerary for the day with our driver and with my trusty clipboard, I count the heads aboard. We have eight people in our bus, not including Amar and myself and I see Gio is sitting right up front with his attention completely on me and an empty seat beside him and in front of him.

  We have three hours until we reach our first destination. Might as well go have a seat and get to know the guy that I’ll be spending a lot of time with over the next two weeks.

  I take the vacant seat in front of him and turn sideways so my feet are dangling in the aisle.

  “Fancy seeing you here, are you following me?” I tease him.

  “I was about the say the same. I didn’t know you were in this business.” He comments.

  “Nandi and I are co-owners. She kind of talked me into it a few years ago, so here I am.”

  “So that must mean you really like the great outdoors.” He smiles.

  “I kind of do. It’s a prerequisite for owning an adventure tourism company, you know.” I wink.

  “This opens up so much more to talk to someone about, I’m excited. So, what’s your favorite part?” He asks.

  “My favorite part?”

  “Yeah, there’s so many fun things to do having a company like this, so you probably get to experience it all, one way or another. So, tell me?” He further explains.

  “That’s hard to choose, I’m partial to the rafting and bungee jumping. But I would have to say my newest favorite is canyoning. The group we partner with, they have a thing with rope and raft that is pretty awesome.” I had to really think of what my answer would be. I like doing it all, as much as possible that I’ve never really sat down to figure out my favorite.

  “T
hat’s what we’re doing tomorrow?” He asks.

  “Yep.”

  “Okay, awesome. Now, we’ve got some time to kill, tell me more about yourself?”

  We’ve arrived at the Bhote Khosi gorge and were met by the trained operators for a welcoming.

  “Greetings.” The gentleman waved as our group stood around after disembarking from the bus. “Welcome to the Bhote Khosi. This is the highest point that you can bungee jump in Nepal and have a fantastic view while doing it with breathtaking backdrops. We will go over the well-known friendship bridge before reaching the suspension bridge, which is where you will jump from. We will take each of your weights, for order of how you will jump. Once you jump, you will dangle for moments, then you will be pulled over by one of our guys to the rocks down below. From there, is a trail that you will be directed to for travel up to the restaurant. Once everyone in your group has completed their jump, we will have a traditional Nepalese lunch prepared for you.”

  One by one, everyone was outfitted for their gear and one by one, the group made their jumps off the bridge. The total experience took an hour and once everyone was seated in the dining hall, plates upon plates were placed on the tables in front of us.

  “You didn’t jump.” Gio confirms taking a sip of his beer.

  “I don’t usually for bungee jumping. It’s not something that I do while working.”

  “Then what about the rafting and the canyoning?” He asks.

  “I’ll do those because it’s done as a group activity. Plus, it would be boring to ride the bus to the location.” I smile licking my fingers from the rice that I picked up and placed in my mouth.

  We journey to where we will raft down river and get situated with a quick training before we break off in two groups for two rafts.

  Amar is in the group with Gio and I’m in the group with his friend, Alessio who bombards me with questions as soon as we get into the raft. He sits beside me and is eager to find out more about me, apparently.