Multitasking in the Shower (fun, fun!!)

Washing laundry in Nepal is as easy as a morning bucket bath!

1. Heat up a couple pans of water on the propane stove (probably in the dark because mornings aren't very popular with electricity)

2. Dump boiling water in the bucket and lug it upstairs to the "bathroom" (no bath, of course, and rarely an operable shower, or if the shower is operable it features only icy water)

3. Gather together all your shower necessities -- soap, towel, scrub brush, shampoo, cream rinse, etc, etc -- as well as your dirty laundry and some laundry detergent.

4. Put your laundry in the wash basin (about 3' in diameter with the laundry soap)

5. Add enough cold water to your bucket to make it the PERFECT shower temperature.

6. Stand in the wash basin and dump water over your head and body with some smaller implement (a pan, a plastic container, etc)... lather up and rinse, letting all the sudsy water run off your body into the wash basin

7. When there is enough water in the wash basin, start up the washing machine by marching in the wash basin while you finish up washing and rinsing yourself. Agitate the water with your marching feet until the water is the color of mud

8. Exit the wash basin, grab your towel and dry off, and then scrub the "particular nasty parts" of your laundry with your little scrub brush.

9. Dump water into the toilet, "cleaning the toilet" to its sparkling best with the muddy water.

10. Rinse clothes repeatedly in icy water until the water stays relatively clear and free of soap (usually 2-3 times or until your desire from really clean clothes and/or patience runs thin). Alternate dumping the rinse water on the floor (after which you squeegee the floor nice and clean) or in the toilet (always can use another cleansing)

11. Squeeze as much water out of the clothes as possible, run them up to the clothesline on the rooftop and hang them on the provided rope line (avoid the wire line.... it leaves rusty lines on your clothes)

12. Wait for 1/2 a day (in sunny times) or up to a week (in foggy times) for your clothes to dry.

13. Repeat process every day (unless the water goes out for 3 days.... that makes it more difficult because you have to lug your rinse water from the pump next door... easier just to stay a bit dirtier than usual)

I'll take photos of the process and add to this blog as soon as I take another "shower"!