Nothing from my climbing experience nor the training in Nepal had adequately prepared me for this. I was disappointed about being so scared, as I descended nervously and cautiously.
The high-rises in UAE were much taller than the buildings in Kathmandu we trained in, and we had to carry two 30-litre water containers, unlike the small buckets we used in the Nepal training.
Up there 89 floors high, I felt nauseous and my feet felt weak. By the time I was finally done, my colleagues who had a similar assignment in the same building had already been resting for three hours.
But I gradually got used to the task, the height and the heat. When the temperature climbed, we used to try to find cooler parts of the buildings to clean. As we swung in the air, cars in the streets below looked like tiny toys.
The views inside through the windows were also interesting when blinds were not drawn — especially the lavish and luxurious interiors. Often, the residents would wave at us from the inside, and a few generous ones even used to tip us.
My earnings in Nepal during trekking season were quite good, but I did not really value money that much. I had a carefree खायो–घुम्यो–उडायो attitude towards the seasonal work on the mountains.
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