I slept in until after ten. The first stop was at the bookstore to sell back some books and pick up some new reading material (Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha). I had breakfast at Just Juice and ran into Chrissie (from the Marshyangdi rafting trip) and a friend of hers. After a long leisurely breakfast I went by Ultimate Descents to get more Tibet info - I decided to do it, but they needed a photocopy of my passport and the money. I went and got photocopies of my passport made and then did quick internet stop. It was raining harder so I took cover in my room and wrote the journal entries for the rafting trip. I realized it was getting late, so I went to the bank for money. After dealing with the bureaucracy I was feeling a little flustered and realized that I hadn't even accomplished my one goal for the day - to shave. So I decided to pamper my self and get a shave from a recommended barber. I negotiated a haircut as well (decided I don't want to enter China looking at all dodgy - especially after my Maldives experience). The barber's clippers were pathetic and he gave up on them about a third of the way through - I looked ridiculous - but he finished the rest by hand. It turned out a bit shorter than I had planned (probably the shortest ever except for when I shaved my head in Senegal), but OK. The shave was absolutely decadent - twice with straightedge, then antiseptic rock, antiseptic cream, lotion and a facial massage. Then he gave me what was probably the best massage I've ever had. I gave him a twenty-five percent tip because I was so impressed, and was even planning to go back just for the massage, but then he ruined it and demanded more money. Still an hour and a half - haircut, shave, and massage - all for about $3. It was all great (except the extra charge), but it used up the rest of my day and I was running late so I put off signing up for the Tibet trip.
I met Chrissie and her friend Julian (who'd just got back from 24 days trekking in the Everest region) for dinner. We went to a great little restaurant just down the road, Tashi Doleg (sp?), it was cheap also. After diner Julian was craving ice cream so we went for desert, then up to Tom & Jerry's for a beer. After the drink we went for tea back at Just Juice, where Nir (also from the rafting trip) joined us. I left after hanging out for a bit and headed to bed.
