[ale] [OT] Home again, home again, jiggety jig...

[Aaron Ruscetta]

YES, dear ALE friends, I have safely (and somewhat
triumphantly) returned from my four months of volunteer
IT work at a Buddhist monastery in Kathmandu, having
also experienced many related adventures in the utterly
amazing nation of Nepal.

Most appropriate here is to express my huge appreciation
to fellow ALE organizer JDP for joining me in the work there
for 10 days in April, bringing his formidable Linux Fu, a
custom firewall router system, a much needed replacement
for my stolen video camera, his gracious, good-natured
camaraderie and the valuable motivation to take some time
out from the volunteer work to just be a happy tourist in a
culturally fascinating and geographically stunning part of
the world, where the diversity in both those arenas is
purely inspirational.

Once most of the work was finished I felt OK claiming
a little more tourist time as well, so over the final few
weeks of my stay I logged over 1300 kilometers riding
and navigating classic Royal Enfield motorcycles through
the countryside, sacred cows, national parks, elephants,
farm carts, mountains, bicycles, pedestrians, school
children, townships, goat herds, buses, trucks and scenic
vistas of Nepal. For an old biker who conceded to the
needs of parenthood and stayed off 2 wheels for the past
25 years, it was nothing short of paradise to be cornering
the mountain twisties again. All the old touring skills
returned to me effortlessly, though adapting to the right
side, reverse pattern shifting of the pre-1990  Enfields
was a bit of a new trick for an old dog.  All totaled I
enjoyed 11 ideal days of the most perfect (and perfectly
bizarre) roads and driving conditions an antiquated biker
riding on some antique "Harley's of Asia" could ever
ask for.

I'll hope to see you all and share more at the June ALE
barbeque social once the date for that is settled.

in peace,
aaron