When I woke this morning I can't say I felt elated by the fact that I am finally 18, didnt even feel older! With no special plans for the day and noone to eat a cake with I decided to do what I've been doing for the past week; eat good food and have a few celebratory cocktails extra in a lengthy pub crawl where I'll try and have a drink at all the bars I've been to and then some new ones.
The crawl started midday at BK's place, a little street stall with cheap beers and some really good snack food. But as always when I'm having a peaceful lunch, a family of american tourists takes the table next to me and cant seem to stop their little kids from crying about not having a second Fanta. Was tempted to resort to 17 year old tactics and start talking to myself with heavy use of swear words, getting even with the interruptive family, but instead I had to act my age and just finished my Pakodas.
I couldn't afford to buy a whole cake, especially as I'd have to eat it all by myself or give it to the beggar kids that I've come to hate with a passion. So I grabbed one slice, no candles, and had a lonesome pretending that people were singing happy birthday.
Happy hour! Coincidentally it is the Newari New Year and my favourite little pub had balloons everywhere, allowing me to pretend that they were put up for me. Despite having all the balloons none of the people I'd invited back in Aus had decided to attend my 18th Birthday Bash in Kathmandu. So I settled for a homesickly "G'day Mate" cocktail which was another Nepali lethal combination. And of course being happy hour I got two.
My pub crawl was interrupted for a rather fancy 6 dollar dinner at a Mexican restaurant though I got a free cocktail. Everyone in the place seemed to be french and the salsa music got a bit irritating as they only had one song.
After a game of pool and an Everest at The Tom and Jerry Pub I finally found some people to share my birthday celebrations with at Sam's Bar. To be fair I did meet a guy at the rowdy rip-off of the cartoon though he was a drunk 60 year old american who I couldn't understand but wouldn't shut up, you could smell the spew on his breath. Running away, fast, I sat down at Sam's Bar to be greeted by a olish guy named Marcin who saidd said hello as though he knew me before inviting me to join him in talking to a couple of girls. He said that one was french and as I'm french it'd be a good night. What?? Im no frog!Turned out he thought I was a french guy he'd met the other day, but he still invited me to join anyway. So on my final pub I ended up with a Polish guy, an American woman and a French medical student celebrating my birthday and the new year even though none of us knew each other (the girls had met on the plane that morning). Still I wasn't going to complain about the company, but unfortunately I couldn't stay long as I was a tad worried about getting locked out from my hotel again and it was already an hour past closing time. Sadly said my farewells before grabbing a craved sandwich and a beer to share with the hotel guys.
Thankfully it wasn't locked up but the hotel guys were about to go to bed. I kept them awake to play cards and drink and even had to make two trips out for more beer and chips. Twas only just before I hopped in bed well past midnight that I realised I had brought Star Gold beer - a stronger version at 7.5% alcohol - I'd just drunk 3 longnecks after my pubcrawl!
