Asia: Nepal 2000

"Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else."

Lawrence Block

The following is an account of my travels to Nepal and Thailand from October 10, 2000 to November 13, 2000.  I landed in Bangkok, Thailand, for one night before heading for........

Kingdom of Nepal

Separating the fertile plains of India from the desert-like plateau of Tibet by the greatest heights of the Himalaya, the Kingdom of Nepal is a land of eternal fascination.  It's a land of ancient history, colourful cultures and people, superb scenery and some of the best hiking (trekking) in the world.  In length and breadth it is just another small country but in height, it's a world beater........BIG mountains.   The kind of mountains that look at your fragile, insignificant frame and silently say "Shag off.....I'm a mountain!" Nepal, home to the highest mountains in the world, including the mighty Everest and his pals. 

  

I spend one night in Kathmandu before hopping on a plane and heading for the town of.........

Pokhara

Pokhara is the most popular destination is Nepal after Kathmandu.  Its fame rests on the natural beauty of its lakeside location and its proximity to the mountains, not on a great historic or culture endowment.  It's the starting point for some of the most famous treks in Nepal.

Pokhara has an enormous number of good value hotels and restaurants, and although it is undoubtedly a tourist town, it has a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere, completely removed from the hectic hustle and bustle of Kathmandu.  It's an oasis where leisurely meals, good books and short walks can easily fill several days - ideal for gearing up for a trek.  After travelling elsewhere in Nepal, Pokhara has an almost Disneyland unreality about it.  The climate is mild; incredible snow-capped mountains are reflected in a sheltered lake; cool western music drifts from every restaurant (in particular Bob Marley); menus offer everything in the world except dal bhat; hotel rooms are clean which open onto sunny gardens; there's very little traffic; village life persist, but everyone speaks English and it's very relaxed!!

***Please note the image quality is limited as these pictures were not digitally captured but rather are prints that have been scanned.***

While on the plane flying to Pokhara, I met Jim (Canadian) who told me about Nervanger's hotel, the Butterfly Lodge.  I checked it out and decided to stay!

The beautiful relaxed gardens of the Butterfly Lodge which will be my home for the next three days! That's Mangus from Sweden catching up on some reading.

Step out the gates of the Butterfly Hotel and onto the streets of Pokhara.  Notice the ever present sacred cow (actually, these are the "almost sacred" water buffalo) and the 'normal' condition of the road.

Looking out at Phewa Tal (lake), the second largest lake in Nepal, from the Boomerang Restaurant.

Rental paddle boats line the Phewa Tal and the hill across the lake has a temple on the top and the climb from lakeside is 1 1/2 hours.

Looking up the shore of Phewa Tal and (if you look carefully) you can see the mountains Annapurna South and Machhapuchhara showing their peaks in among the clouds.

I meet Mandy (English) while at the Boomerang Restaurant and we decide to rent a paddle boat and go for a paddle on the Phewa Tal (lake).......

Pokhara, unlike many towns in Nepal, is not noted for its temples.  In the lake there is a small island with the double-roofed Varahi Temple dedicated to Varahi, who is Vishnu in his boar incarnation.  Mandy and moi paddle over for a closer look! 

There was a pilgrimage happening on the island so we opted not to land as there were a lot of pilgrims.

A view north from the middle of the lake: Dhawagiri peak (8167m) and Annapurna South can be seen among the clouds.

The next day Mandy & I rent a boat, paddle across the lake and climb up to the World Peace Temple.....

A view of the Marse Khola River Delta from our hike up to the World Peace Temple.  

The climb up to the World Peace Temple continues.  We are about 1/2 way up here however the Temple is 1600 metres up, so there is still quite the climb left!

Finally made it to the top!  Looking down at Pokhara....  The part of Pokhara that you see is the main tourist area known as Lakeside.

The World Peace Temple.  A solid structure that houses three Buddha's (you can see one).  The young man that appears in the photo climbed up the hill with us.  He spoke very good English and felt it was his duty at act as tour guide.   Kids also love following you and asking you all kinds of questions, and this fella is no different!

Our young friend holds up a hairy long-legged beast that happen to be strolling along on the World Peace Temple.

Just as we were arriving back at the Boomerang Restaurant these water buffalo were heading out for a cool dip in the lake.

After a few days spent around Pokhara, it was time for the..........

Jomsom Trek

The Jomsom trek is essentially the final third of the Annapurna Circuit.  It follows the Kali Gandaki river valley between the soaring peaks of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri and finally emerges to the north of the main Himalayan range, on a dry, desert-like Tibetan Plateau.  The return to Pokhara can be either by retracing your steps down the Kali Gandaki valley or by flying from Jomsom to Pokhara - I chose to fly!!

Day 1:  From Pokhara, I travel 40kms via taxi to the trail head village of Nayapul.  From Nayapul, I trek to the large village of Birethanti (1065m).  From here the trail climbs to Hille and then onwards to nearby Tikhendhunga (1577m) which is where I spend my first night.

My taxi driver had to stop for a pee break and I needed Valium.  Although it is only 40kms to Nayapul, it took us two hour to get there.  The road kept climbing higher and higher (we were only halfway up when I took this picture) and its condition kept getting worse and worse.  We finally crested at 1600m....I didn't think the old 1978 Toyota Corolla would make it.  The trip down was another story....we began hurtling down an awesome series of bone-jarring hairpin bends and switchbacks at lightening speed, lurching from one precipice-edged corner to another.....me nerves were rubbed raw!

Lines of mules go by me periodically, carrying supplies up the trail.  You can hear them approaching by the clanking bells around their necks.  Everyone you pass smiles and says "Nameste" (the Nepalese greeting)!!

My first suspension bridge!! I didn't realize at the time that I would see many many suspension bridges.  This bridge actually led to a school and there are several kids in their uniforms crossing it when I snapped this picture.

The climate here is sub-tropical and hot.  Farming terraces with rice paddies dot the landscape at this point in time.

The Lizma Guest House can be seen just across this valley.  This was my first hotel on the trek.  The picture was taken from the side of a hill with the tin roof of another guest house directly below me.

My hotel room at the Lizma Guest House.  As you can see it's pretty sparse, but for $1:75 what do you expect???  The furniture is all handmade and the walls have large gaps in them affording a clear view of the neighbouring room.  

Day 2:  From Tikhendhunga, the trail climbs very steeply to Ulleri (2070m).  It continues to ascend but more gently through forest of oak and rhododendron and up to the village of Ghori Pani (2855m).  

I passed many porters carrying ridiculously huge loads on their backs, using only a single thin strap looped around their foreheads.  They lean forwards so much when they walk, I'm surprised they can see where they are going.  In Nepal more is carried via porter than by every other form of transportation combined.  This poor bugger was carrying 7 single mattresses.

This waterfalls picture was taken from a suspension bridge just pass Tikhendhunga.  The climate here is tropical, the heat is tropical, the vegetation is tropical......a person could be fooled into thinking they were in the tropics.  This would all change in one days walk!!

3280 steps......that's three thousand two hundred and eighty steps....and my poor aching body felt everyone of them.

Entering Ulleri.  Brilliant blue skies, white mountains and one very blue door!!

The Pratap Guest House and Restaurant in Ulleri.  Stopped here for a lunch of Dhal Bhat....what else!!

A look down from the Pratap Guest House & Restaurant.  Down there in that direction is Tikhendhunga!

It was so hot and this little stream looked so cool, we just had to go for a swim.  My travel companions for the day, Seth and Chris, and moi dove off of the rocks into the coldest water, and I mean the COLDEST water I have felt in my life.  Glacier runoff.  This water should still be froze!  My entire body almost went into cardiac arrest!

This is the time of year for Nepal's biggest annual festival, Durga.  It celebrates the victory of the Goddess Durga over the forces of evil in the guise of the buffalo demon Mahisasura.  Since Durga is a bloodthirsty Goddess, the festival is marked by wholesale bloodletting and features the biggest animal sacrifice of the year.  These goats and sheep were headed for the block!!  Later I saw a goat being sacrificed on the trail (the red paint signifies the owner).

Day 3:  From Ghori Pani the trail descends steeply down into the Kali Gandaki River valley where the hills are extensively terraced for rice farming.  Turning north the trail soon reaches Tatopani at 1189 metres.  'Tato' means hot and 'pani' means water, a name earned courtesy of the hot springs near the river.

My day starts by getting up at 5:00AM to take part in a trekkers tradition of climbing Poon Hill to view the sun rise over the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges.......

Apparently I was a little late in starting out for Poon Hill and had trouble finding the trail head.  After a 1/2 hour of wandering, I finally located the damn trail and started up.  I made it to within 20 metres of the 3200+ metre hill but stopped at the prayer flags.  An Israeli girl and her guide had stopped here as well, and he said the view was just as good here and a lot less crowded.....and what a view!!!

The 5th and 9th largest mountains on the planet (as seen in the above two pictures).  It was so silent.  It was so overwhelming!

After Poon Hill, I was on the trail by 7:00AM.....

Scenes like this greet you around every corner.  Words cannot describe it...

A view of terraced rice paddies on the hill across the valley. 

For a time we walked in an area where these strange trees grew.  The downward walk to Tatopani was taking me through all kinds of different climatic zones

A farmers house on the trail.  There is a school girl just in front of the house....the nearest school is in Ghori Pani, easy a two hour walk straight up from here!!

The Kali Gandaki river flows far below in the valley.  

Trekking is basically glorified walking, it still involves the old one-foot-in-front-of-the-other arrangement but generally goes on for a wee bit longer than your average stroll to the convenience store.  For the people in the hills of Nepal, walking has always been the main method of getting from Point A to Point B.  There are no roads in the hill country - just trails that have been used for communication and trade for centuries.

What can I say that a picture can't say better!

I didn't take this picture because of the goats, but rather the idiot standing on the outside of the trail.....one butt from any one of these goats would send him over the edge.  ALWAYS stay on the inside!!

The Kali Gandaki meandering through the valley far far below.

A farmers house with corn and rice drying like this was a common site.  Nepal's food is surprisingly dull given it lies at the intersection of the two gastronomic giants of India and China.  Most meals consist of a dish called Dhal Bhat which is a combination of lentil soup, white rice and curried vegetables - hardly the makings of a dynamic national cuisine  Great for losing weight!!!!

Day 4:  From Tatopani the trail follows the Kali Gandaki river and we climb gradually up to Ghasa at 2013 metres.

Hitting the trail for another day of trekking in the hill country of Nepal.  Yoohoo!!

The Kali Gandaki river begins it's journey high in the Tibetan Plateau in the Kingdom of Mustang.  This narrow section of the valley that I am now in is reputedly the deepest gorge in the world.  The reasoning behind this is the massive peaks of Annapurna I (8091m) and Dhaulagiri (8038m) that loom up on either side.  The two mountain tops are only 38km apart and the Kali Gandaki flows between them at a height of less than 2200m.

The trail winding its way through small villages - Nepali trails are often steep and taxing.  The old adage that the shortest path between two points is a straight line appears to have been firmly drummed into the Nepalis, irrespective of any mountains that may get in the way!  In compensation, the trails are often very well maintained.  On busy trails, such as this one, steep slopes are often flagged with stones every step of the way.

This suspension bridge is one of the longest at over 200 metres long.

Everything you'll ever need for a party right here:  4 mules each carrying 4 cases of quart-size bottles of Tuborg beer and loads of marijuana growing wild alongside of the trail.....anyone got music??

Larjung, at 2560m, has interesting alleyways and tunnels between the houses, an attempt to avoid the fierce winds that often whistle down the Kali Gandaki valley.  Here Manuela, my travel companion for a couple of days, patiently waits while a goat herder encourages his flock through one of the many tunnels.

Now and then life puts on its own little comedy sketch right in front of your eyes - one such moment happens here.....

These two herders arrived at the other end of this suspension bridge at the same time as us, so we decided to wait....45 minutes later we are still waiting!!  The herders intent was to get the goats from over there to over here via the bridge, however it was apparent that there was no way they were going.  As the two herders herd the flock towards the bridge some of the animals would break away and run into the hill.  The two herders would climb the hill to retrieve the breakaways only to have the main flock disperse down the hill.....retrieving these resulted in the same scenario happening again except in reverse....many times.  At one point in time, one of the herders grabbed a goat by the horns and dragged it halfway onto the bridge in the hopes that the others would follow....not so.  In fact, while the herder was going back, the tied goat broke free and stumbled (it kept tripping up in the rope) across the bridge and disappeared into the woods.  Finally; with the number of trekkers accumulating on both sides, they all pitched in and 'persuaded' the herd to cross!!

Yet another suspension bridge!

This holier-than-thou water buffalo stood right at the gate of the hotel for nearly a hour confining us to the garden (hey come on - those horns are sharp and he is a big lad).  He even kept the otherwise noisy dog at bay on the rock wall.  I thought he was eyeing the marigolds but in fact he was waiting for the hotel owner to throw out the table scraps.

Day 5:  From Ghasa we could take the trail on either side of the river.  We decided to take the east side (actually we got lost and ended up on this side).  A steep climb takes us to Tukuche (2591m), one of the most important Thakali villages, once a meeting place for traders from Tibet.

Entering the Thakali village of Tukuche with Mt. Nilgiri (7061m) peeking out from behind the clouds.

Tukuche is definitely Tibetan influenced.  In the middle of the village is a long, low wall with over 150 prayer wheels along its length.  My understanding is the Buddhist faithful walk alongside the wall praying and turning clockwise these prayer wheels which is supposed to spread the Buddha mantra (which is in each wheel) of good karma.

The Tibetan influence is evident everywhere, including the hand-carved windows that appear on the buildings.  God only knows how old this may be, but I'm willing to guess it is old!!

Personally; I thought Tukuche was one of the more pleasant and pretty villages that we stayed in.  Narrow streets, lots of animals, very few trekkers (Manuela and moi were the only ones in our hotel), and great fresh apple juice.

Day 6:  From Tukuche the landscape changes as you enter the drier and more-desert like country north of the Himalayan watershed.  It also gets windier and Marpha, at 2665m, literally huddles behind a ridge to keep out of the wind.

At 2713m, Jomsom is the major centre in the region and has a hospital (at least that is what they call it) and the inevitable trekking permit checkpoint.  Jomsom also has a airstrip and regular flights to Pokhara, although the winds can ground the flights for days.

From the Jomsom the trail takes about two hours to the village of Kagbeni at 2810m.  

Leaving Tukuche, we encounter these two porters carrying corn stalks for who-knows-what. They win my award for the largest load I saw carried by porters.

The suspension bridge outside of Tukuche had six mules crossing it.  The mules, unlike goats, have no reservations about crossing these bridges.

Manuela entering Marpha.  Those are apple orchids growing on either side of the trail.

The river valley around Marpha.  Makes you wonder how they managed to have a thriving apple growing industry here!!

This porter definitely wins my award for most awkward load.  Since trees are non-existent in this part of the valley, all building materials have to be lugged in the old fashion way....including this 12x12 beam........

.....the awkwardness comes from the need by the porter to navigate through the narrow streets of the various villages along the way.  These streets never look as barren as this one, but usually they are full of the inhabitants, including sacred cows, water buffalo, trekkers, mules, goats and kids.

The valley here is wide and dry and flanked on either side by rocky slopes.  The river bed is huge and pebbly, but the river itself is merely a network of little winding trickles that weave all over the place.

The trail to Kagbeni is actually the riverbed.  It gets windy here.....gentle breezes from the north in the early morning shift to gale force from the south as the morning wears on.  If walking face first into the wind, than wind goggles are a must.  The trick is to cover this part of the trail with the wind at your back (like we did) or very early in the morning.

Kagbeni comes into view after trekking 22km.

After arriving in Kagbeni I do some exploring of this ancient village.....

Exploring the winding lanes and curious alleyways of this ancient crossroads village.

I walk to the northern end of the village and look up along the bare valley that leads to Tibet.  My trekking permit only allows me to come this far north, and it is freaky to think of the hidden lands that lie beyond.  This very Tibetan influenced settlement is as close as I get to Lo Monthang, the capital of the legendary kingdom of Mustang further to the north, without paying a $700US trekking permit.  Just a few kilometres beyond those distant hills is Tibet.  The yak train coming down the trail probably came from there!!

Buddhist prayer wheels in Kagbeni.  These wheels are part of an ancient Buddhist temple that is over 700 years old.  Notice the large yak train coming in from the ancient & forbidden kingdom of Mustang.

So this is what a 700 year old Buddhist temple looks like on the inside!

Kagbeni - mud, rocks and straw are the building material of this ancient village. 

Day 7 - 11: On Day #7, I awoke feeling like shite and decided it was in my best interest to end my trek and retrace my steps back to Jomsom, the largest community around.  Over a period of four days, while stricken with the flu, I wait for the fierce winds to subside so I can make my escape back to Pokhara.....

The trail to Muktinath, the route I was supposed to go but due to the flu I headed back to Jomsom.

I left Kagbeni early in the morning before the infamous winds came up.  Although I had a fever and was feeling really sick, I couldn't help but be amazed at the view.  I originally didn't see this view when going to Kagebeni because the wind was at my back and it was too strong to turn and face it.

So this is Jomsom!  You can see the dirt airstrip which is the lifeline for this town.  This very small town.  This very boring town.  I can't believe I spent four days here.  At first I was delirious from the fever, but in the end I was delirious from boredom.  I was too sick to do anything, not that there was anything to do mind you, but if there was.....just saying!  Regardless; anything resembling normal came to an end at around 10:00AM, when the winds began to howl.  Lovely!!  

Mt. Nilgiri (6940m) and Mt. Nilgiri North (7061m) as seen from my hotel window.

I like to say Jomsom was a one horse town, but in Nepal there is never just one of anything, let alone livestock.  

Jomsom consisted of this one commercial street and nada else!  

Two school kids on their way to school.  The gate behind them is the entrance to the airport terminal....notice the prayer wheels lining the entrance?  Not sure if this is a good sign or not!!

Finally, the day came for me to make my great escape from Jomsom.  I got a boarding pass and entered the mayhem of a remote Nepalese airport.

The airport terminal consisted of one room with no lights and maybe enough space for 25 -30 people....there were easy 200 eager passengers awaiting their great escape.  Of course every single one of them had gear galore and high hopes of getting out of Jomsom.  Their 'baggage' was placed on an inspection table for physical inspection, however the truth of the matter is, a Nepalese airport guard does not move quite as fast as the poor sods with 45 pounds on their backs.  As the guard was inspecting one bag, more and more were being placed on the table until the ones originally being inspected were virtually buried under a mound of other packs.  To complicate matters more, owner and baggage were quickly separated as jostling took place to get one's gear off their back and onto the table.  Even if a guard did want to search a bag, changes are the bag was locked and the owner was now standing in another line-up far from where their gear was.

As it turns out, I was the second last person standing in one of the many line-ups that seemed to go nowhere, when it dawn on me that this line-up was going nowhere.  It had just kinda formed out of the mayhem.....one person is standing around then another person innocently stands behind him and presto...you have a line-up.  Next thing there's fifty people standing in the dark waiting for the line to move somewhere...anywhere!

I notice several people going into the men's and women's bathroom stalls but no one coming out.....mmmmm.....perhaps these bathroom stalls are not bathroom stalls.  The bathroom stalls turned out to be personal search stations.  Not wanting to cause a stampede, I quietly slipped on over and walked through the doors and left everyone still standing in the "going nowhere" line-up.  The personal search consisted of a pat down and the silly question: "Any knives?".  Like did they honestly think anyone would hi-jack the plane?  Where would they demand to go too?  Back to Jomsom?

I arrived back in Pokhara after doing the Jomsom portion of the Annapurna Circuit trek (see Part 2 of this series) and immediately headed out to white water raft the.............

Kali Gandaki River

Nepal has a reputation as being one of the best places in the world for white water rafting.  Rivers are graded using an international scale of 1 to 6, with Class 1 defined as easy-moving water with few obstacles, and Class 6 being considered something best attempted after your lover leaves you.

The Kali Gandaki is named after the Goddess Kali and it rises out of the ancient Kingdom of Mustang in the northern Himalayas.  It is the holiest river in Nepal with every river junction dotted with cremation sites and above ground burial mounds (the curious may be tempted to look under the rocks, I personally recommend against it).  The rapids on the Kali are pretty continuous and technical class 3 and 4+.  Some real heart-thumping white water.....gravity-powered roller coaster ride!  Hee haw!!

Day 1:  Within minutes after launching from Baglung we were into Class 3 rapids, which were a warm-up for the 'Little Brother' (a Class 4) and 'Big Brother' (a Class 4+).  The Big Brother throws moi and two others into the river, but we are quickly retrieved from the churning waters.  After this adrenalin rush we make camp at the confluence of the Modi Kholi and the Kali Gandaki.....

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Please note the image quality is limited as these pictures were not digitally captured but rather are prints that have been scanned. ****

After unloading the bus, we all pitch in by taking turns at pumping up the rafts and preparing the gear.

Our first night was spent on this beach which we ended up sharing with another group of rafters (they're the ones with the tents whereas we are the ones with the raft lean-to's).  They were up early in the morning and long gone before we hit the river.  Of course they didn't stay up drinking rum punch like our group did!

Hanging around sipping on rum punch and helping get supper on the go.  Someone found a scorpion on the beach but it didn't deter anyone from sleeping under the lean-to's.

Day 2:  After a slow start we head out for many many more rapids. We stopped near a 200 foot waterfalls and afterwards we stopped for lunch at another place with a high waterfalls before completing our 5 1/2 hour day at Camp #2.....

I have no idea where else one would find such diversity as there is on the Kali Gandaki.  The rapids are demanding and the river is wild, but they are only a small part of the rafting experience.  Wildlife (saw a tribe of monkeys), excellent camping experiences, sacred temples devoted to Kali (Goddess of Destruction), picturesque villages and outrageous waterfalls......including this one!  We actually take our rafts under this falls for a refreshing shower!

From the moment we put in it is three days before another road crosses the river.  It is all up to us to get ourselves out.  Incidently, it was about 10:00 in the morning here and it was hot hot hot!!

I don't know what the other rivers in Nepal are like, but I can't imagine that any of them are as stunningly spectacular as the Kali.  Here two women were washing clothes in the river when we sailed by.

When we stopped for lunch I climbed up into the hills for a look.  I came across these two goats munching on the side of the hill, when I looked closer, I noticed that the plants that they were munching on was wild marijuana plants.  Where else in the world is the herb goat feed?

As I was climbing back down the hill these two Nepalese boys joined me.  they were looking after the weed munching goats and this sacred cow.  The older boy produced a rather large bag of weed and asked if I wanted to buy it.  He assured me it was very good and very cheap!!  I told him I could go back up the hill and pick it with the goats so why would I be interested in paying for it?  He only relented when I asked him to stand in for this picture!

Day 3:  Started out at 8:30AM for a three hour paddle to the dam where our whitewater trip ends....

Camp #2 as we get ready to load up.

I left Pokhara and flew back to......

Kathmandu

Kathamandu is the capital and largest city in Nepal.  It sits in a small mountain-sheltered valley and is the place where kingdoms rose and fell, palaces and temples were built and Nepali art and culture developed.  This amazing city can seem, in places, to be a large intricate sculpture unchanged since the Middle Ages.  At other times it can be just another Third World capital rushing carelessly into the modern era.

Arriving in Kathmandu is as shocking as stepping out of a time machine - the sights, sounds and smell leads to sensory overload.  There are narrow streets and lanes with carved wooden balconies above tiny hole-in-the-wall shops, town squares packed with extraordinary temples and monuments, markets bright with fruit and vegetables and a constant throng of humanity.  Then there's the choking dust and fumes, stinking gutters, concrete monstrosities, touts and maimed beggars.  The gap between rich and poor, like everywhere, is a chasm, but despite the pressures of extreme overcrowding and poverty, people retain a good-humoured self-respect and integrity.  

Budget travellers stay in the Thamel area, the popular cheap accommodation area of the city - a sprawling area with at least a dozen roads and several hundred hotels and restaurants.  They all have the same one-word address - Thamel.

I grab a hotel in the Thamel area of Kathmandu and set out to explore it.......

A view of the Thamel from my 5th floor hotel room balcony.

I met up with Rebecca (Aussie) and another couple from Holland and we all ate at the Third Eye Restaurant.  This restaurant was traditional Indian, including the no chairs around the table, remove the shoes, etc..  The food was very good, but no chairs made for very uncomfortable eating. I'm just not built to endure long periods of time sitting in the lotus position.

The Thamel.  People....oh my the people.  Missing from this picture but normally also present on the streets are the usual cars, mini-buses, tuk-tuks, rickshaws, barrows, bicycles, motorcycles, sacred cow, smoke-belching Tata buses, trucks (all shapes and sizes), mules and porters.  

Snake charmers doing their thing.  Under those baskets are snakes, including cobras.

OK, I admit, the thing felt really weird...and heavy....and weird.

Wandering around Kathmandu without the aid of a map can lead to confusion very quickly.  I knew I was lost when I came across this place on three separate occasions.  It is actually a Shiva temple (circa 1667) and the tank of water is called Rani Pokhari.

The next day Rebecca and moi rent bicycles and explored other parts of Kathmandu, such as the......

Durbar Square

Durbar Square in Nepali means 'palace' and in the three cities that occupy the Kathmandu Valley (Patan, Bhaltapar and Kathmandu) there are Durbar Squares, all in front of the old city palaces.....

The Kumari Chowk (House of the Living Goddess).  The intricate carved window is where the actual living Goddess for both the Hindu and Buddhist religions appears.  True story - she's picked by a panel of holy men from both religions at the tender age of 5 and remains a Goddess until she reaches puberty.  At which time, she's retired and can draw a government pension and another Goddess is selected to replace her.

The Jagannath Temple(circa 1563) has erotic carvings on its roof struts, an attempt to excite the masses into having more sex; thus producing more children.  Pigeons on its roof, sacred cow close by and a porter lugging away recyclables.

The Maju Deval Temple (circa 1690).  I sat up on the top steps and watched the constant activity of the Durbar Square.

Rebecca moving in on the holy man's territory!

Yes that is dreadlocks that the Sadhu has wrapped around me - definitely the most impressive head of hair I have ever seen.  Sadhus are often people who have decided that their business and family life have reached their natural conclusion and that it is time to throw everything aside and go out on a spiritual search.

Sacred cow co-existing in harmony with his feathered brethren - the pigeon.  Notice the near perfect circle the pigeons have formed around the beast?

Temples temples everywhere temples....including this one which is smack-dab in the middle of the street.

After we leave the Durbar Square we bike our way out to Pashupatinath, commonly known as the........

Cremation Temple

Pashupatinath (Cremation Temple) is Nepal's most important Hindu temple and one of the most important Shiva temples on the subcontinent drawing numerous devotees from all over India.  It stands on the holy Bagmati River.

Hinduism postulates that we will go through a series of rebirths or reincarnations that eventually lead to 'moksha', the spiritual salvation that frees one from the cycle of rebirths.  With each rebirth you can move closer or further from eventual moksha; the deciding factor is 'karma' which is literally a law of cause and effect.  Bad actions during your lifetime will result in bad karma, which ends in a lower reincarnation and vica versa.

The Hindu religion has three basic practices:  1) 'puja' or worship, (2) the rules and regulations of the caste system and (3) the cremation of the dead.  Hinduism is not a proselytising religion since you cannot be converted.  You're either born a Hindu or you are not; you can never become one.  Similarly, if you are a Hindu you cannot change your caste - you're born into it and are stuck with it for the rest of that lifetime.

A view of the temple complex.

Westerners may have trouble understanding Hinduism principally because of its vast pantheon of gods.  In fact you can look upon all these different gods simply as a pictorial representations of many attributes of a god.  The one omnipresent god usually has three physical representations: 'Brahma' is the creator, 'Vishnu' is the preserver and 'Shiva' is the destroyer and reproducer.  Most temples are dedicated to one or other of the gods......this temple is dedicated to Shiva.

The Bagmati River is a holy river up there in status similar to India's Ganges River, and it is THE place to be cremated in Nepal.

The burning ghats on this portion of the Bagmati are reserved for the cremation of royalty, although often ritual bathing will also take place in the river here.

The five burning ghats on this portion of the Bagmati are for common folk (lower caste) and there are cremations here 24/7.  The fire logs are laid, the shrouded body lifted on top and the fire lit, all with remarkably little ceremony.  Here a funeral pyre is about to be sparked up........

......when the body has sufficiently cremated the ashes are pushed into the river to be washed away.  Kind of gruesome when you realize that just a short way downriver the locals are using the same river to bath.

Colourful offerings on display at the cremation temple complex.

Where there are worshippers there is commerce!  Here a market on the main road leading to the complex selling mainly trinkets for the tourist and marigolds for the faithful (used in offerings).

We follow a path along the Bagmati River and come across a quiet and forgotten corner of Kathmandu........

Many of the temples here are in a state of picturesque decline and the traffic, crowds and noise of the city seem far away, their place taken by water buffalo, cows and children.

It is hard to believe we are in the middle of a bustling Asian capital.  This park-like setting is utilized to dry rolls of dyed silk.  The scared cow is an added feature!

The next day we again rent mountain bikes and head for.......

Bhaktapur

The third of the medieval city-states in the Kathmandu valley, a World Heritage Site, Bhaktapur is also the best preserved.  Bhaktapur, meaning the City of Devotees has not one but three major squares full of towering temples that comprise some of the finest religious architecture in the country.  This grandeur is set against a surprisingly rural backdrop - many locals still make a living farming the fields around Bhaktapur and the streets are full of drying crops and farmers winnowing rice and wheat using wicker baskets.  

But first we got to get there.......

Ready to roll for the 12km bike ride out into the countryside for the medievel city of Bhaktapur.  

OK, so which way now???  The whole gamut of transportation options happening here:  Electric bus, car, van, diesel truck and cyclist (Rebecca).  All competing with the sacred cow, who by the way owns the road!!

The Kid biking around the Kathmandu valley!!

Finally we arrive in Bhaktapur........

Most parts of Bhaktapur is restricted to pedestrian traffic only, but at this particular spot taxi cabs are allowed to justle for space along with the drying corn and rice in the streets.

The City of Devotees has a timelessness about it that Kathmandu lacks.

Smile for the camera Bill!!  Standing in front of the Siddhi Lakshmi Temple (circa 1700's).

The Bhairabnath Temple (circa 1700's).  You will notice laying in the shadows of the temple are enormous wheels and other parts of a chariot on which the image of Bhairab is conveyed around the town on festival day.  Bhairab has a big temple and chariot but apparently he's only 30cm high!

Rebecca, with the jeezely big camera, standing in front of the Vatsala Durga Temple (circa 1672) and the Taleju Bell (circa 1737).

Bhaktapur's Durbar Square is much larger and more spacious than Kathmandu's ......and  a lot less crowded.  This is a Shiva Temple (circa 1674) and is one of over 40 temples in and around the square.

The Nyatapola Temple (circa 1702) is the highest temple in the Kathmandu valley.

I love the innocence of kids in my pictures!

The entrance to Potter's Square.  They've been making and selling pottery here since the 1600's.  Thousands and thousands of pots sit in the sun to dry before the next process begins.

Pottery is clearly what this place is all about.  Under the shady open tin-roofed sheds, all around the square, the potter's wheels spin and clay is thrown.  This guy is making candlestick holders.

The only motorized transportationallowed within the city itself - what can only be described as a motor on two wheels with a trailer hitched to it.  They roar down the streets completely oblivious to anyone else!

Praying......I mean playing at a temple!

Kids skipping rope is still kids skipping rope regardless where in the world you are.

Grain duty.  Women taking care of the daily grain drying chores. 

.....and yet more women tending the harvest.

Will the real Billie please smile for the camera!!

A public bath with silks drying behind it.  These bathing spots are still used by the townspeople.  It was not unusual to see several men down to their underwear or women with sarongs on, bathing in places like this.

The fruit aisle at the local supermarket!

The next day I take a private flight out to see the splendour that is.......

Mt. Everest

Within minutes of leaving Kathmandu we are into the Himalaya's.  We fly all the way to Mt. Everest (8848m), the world's highest mountain, where we turn around and fly among the mountains before returning to Kathmandu.

This picture of Mt. Everest was taken from the cockpit of the plane.  Also in the top left hand corner is Mt. Cho-Oyu (8201m & 8th highest) and next to Everest is Mt. Lhotse (8516m and 3rd highest).

This picture also includes Mt. Makalu (8463m and 4th highest).  If you want to attempt a Himalayan peak there is a fee to be paid; the higher and more famous the mountain, the higher the fee must be paid.  Mt. Everest is $50,000US and is booked out for years ahead.  Over 4000 people have attempted Everest with less than a 1000 succeeding and over 160 have lost their lives.

Later that day I grabbed a rickshaw over to the......

Swayambhunath Temple

(Monkey Temple)

The Swayamhunath Temple (AKA Monkey Temple) is a Buddhist shrine.  Strictly speaking, Buddhism is not a religion, since it is not centred on a god, but a system of philosophy and a code of morality.  Buddhism was founded in northern India about 2500 years ago when Nepal born Prince Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) achieved enlightenment.  

Climbing the steps up to the Monkey Temple.  It's a 20 minute ride by rickshaw to the base of the hill that the temple sits on.  After that it's a 45 minute uphill to the steps.  With 360 steps it takes another 45 minutes to reach the temple.  Thankfully, all but the last 60 - 70 steps are shaded.

The 'eastern stairway' was constructed in the 17th century and these Buddha figures guard the last ascent to the top. 

The final steps rise at an angle of 55 degrees and is completely void of  any shade.

The Stupa to the Swayambhunath Temple (circa 1200), complete with prayer flags and Buddhist monk.

The soaring central Stupa is topped by a gold colour square block from which the watchful eyes of  the Buddha gaze across the valley in each direction.  The question mark-like 'nose' is actually the number 'ek' or 'one' and the symbol of unity.  

The 'Monkey Temple' derives its street name after the large tribe of monkeys that reside on the hill that the Swayambhunath Temple sits on.  Their antics include snatching up any offerings of food made by devotees and visitors and they will just as quickly grab anything else you may be carrying.  They co-exist with people, dogs and pigeons.

This little fella entertained me for a while!

The sign says "No Photo Please" unfortunately I did not see the sign prior to snapping my picture.

Come on and smile for the camera........say 'banana'.!

Looking out over Kathmandu from the Monkey Temple!

The next day I hook up with Phyllis and we go abseiling.......

To get to the other side we had to cross the longest and highest suspension bridge I've encountered in Nepal.  This one was 160m high and 250m long.  It is the only place in Nepal to go bungee jumping (of which I did not attempt). 

It's a long way down to the Bhote Kosi river (actually looks fairly close in this picture).  Don't be fooled, those boulders are house size!

Phyllis Dreischer from Holland (I met her whitewater rafting) and myself are geared up for our first abseiling experience.

Abseiling is a fringe sport that takes you from Point A (being the top of the canyon) to Point B (being the bottom of the canyon), using a wet form of repelling.  'Wet' because the route down is via several cascading waterfalls.  Can you see me???

The smallest waterfalls at 12 metres (40ft) was also the first falls (a good introduction), whereas the largest falls was 45 metres (150ft).  There were four of us and three guides and it took over 4 hours to get from top to bottom (180 metres or 600ft).

Here I am coming down the 45 metre falls (I'm just barely in the picture).

There were quite a few pest that we had to be aware of:  snakes, blue cliff crabs and leeches (this is a jungle after all).

You may have noticed a red thing hanging from my belt.   It's my water bottle.....it was quite hot and we were in wet suits, so we consumed copious amounts of water.

Group shot of the Gold Medal winning team!! 

Well that was a fun-filled way to holiday and I enjoyed it immensely.  The next day I head for Thailand (see Part 1 of this 2000 series).

Cheers........

DIARY ENTRY:  Wednesday October 11, 2000  9:53PM:  Kathmandu is a strange city.  A mesmerising amount of alleys and one-way roads, sights, sounds and smells.  The trip from the airport was wild.  There is without a doubt a lot of poverty, but it's not this that you first notice.  It's the sacred cows.  They are everywhere!  One was actually laying down in the middle of the highway on the way in.  Cars just drove around it.  They walk among the people in the streets, stand outside the shops, rummage through the garbage like super large rats.....wicked!!

I'm staying at the 7 Corner Hotel.  When I went out for supper and did some wandering around I couldn't remember where the place was.  I ended up getting a rickshaw to take me back.  As it turns out, I was less than 3 minutes walking away, but I'm so tired so the 20 rupees spent was worth it.

DIARY ENTRY:  Thursday October 12, 2000  11:49PM:  I had a restless sleep, I guess my body clock is all shagged up.  I got up at 6:30AM and headed for the airport at 7:00AM.

Well now if you want to see utter confusion and chaos, then it's at the domestic airport.  Masses of people from every corner of the world swarming around.  Porters constantly bringing in large amounts of gear.  Trekkers with knapsacks bursting at the seams.  Kids, parents, monks, hanger-ons, foreigners and lots and lots of airport employees.  And even with the number of employees, no seems to do anything.  I counted 7 security employees manning the x-ray machine, yet I walked right by them without putting my knapsack thru.  They're just sitting there.

I bought an airline ticket at the Royal Nepal Airways office (that took 45 minutes and 4 separate people to accomplish).  It didn't matter that I had reservations, they never had a computer to confirm same.  The ticket was $100.

I arrived in Pokhara which is much more pleasant and civilized than Kathmandu.  The people move at a slower pace.

I met a fellow Canadian, Jim, on the plane to Pokhara.  He works for the Jesuit priest and they have an orphanage set up here where he works for a month out of each year.  He suggested the Butterfly Lodge as a possibility for a place to stay.  As it turns out, it is a great place.  Big garden in full bloom and it's run by a non-profit organization.  My room costs $15 and it is very nice!

Jim and myself went for lunch down to the lake front.  After lunch, I came back to the hotel and chilled in the garden and read a bit of my book.  Started talking to Mangus and Lena from Sweden and Paul and Val from the USA.  I ended up going to supper with them.  Mangus and Lena had just finished walking the Annapurna Circuit.  They had a lot of interesting stories to tell.  After supper I went to a bar for  little while (like ya would)!!  Funny thing about this town is there's lots and lots of young people all gearing up for some adventure but they don't appear to be partying to much.  The bars close at 10:00PM and they're not very full (considering the amount of people about).  I was home by 11:30PM.

This town is situated on a lake and its like something out of a book.  Very scenic!!  I got to see Machhapuchhara (commonly known as the Fishtail at 6993metres) and Annapurna 1 (at 8091metres).  Very impressive!!  I've also made up my mind that I'll spend more time here then in Kathmandu.  Much more relaxed.

The thing I've noticed is that hardly anyone travels for a couple of weeks.  Many pf the people that I've met are seasoned travellers who have been on the road for many months.  Many of them are doing the full world as well, not just Asia but South America, Europe, etc...  The other thing I've noticed is most speak more than just one language, in many cases 4 or 5 different kinds.

DIARY ENTRY:  Friday October 13, 2000  6:05PM:  Strolled down to the Boomerang Restaurant at 7:30AM for breakfast.  The Boomerang is an outdoor cafe situated right on the banks of the lake.  There's a beautiful garden dotted with lounging chairs, tables and thatched shelters - and GREAT views.  I went down to the shore to take a couple of pictures of the Himalaya's, when I went back to my table I noticed a woman sitting by herself so I strolled over and started talking to her.  Mandy, from England, was travelling by herself and had not gone out on the lake, so we decided to check it out.

The lake is awesome, nestled among the big hills with the Himalaya in the background and the temperature is about 25C.  We paddled for about 3 1/2 hours from one end to the other.  There's an island in the middle of the lower end with a temple on it.  There was a festival on the go and the locals were making a pilgrimage to the island.  Just as we got back the skies open up and it began to pour (and I mean pour....rain like I've never seen it rain, but it only lasted for a hour)....apparently Pokhara gets more rain than any other place in Nepal.

DIARY ENTRY:  Saturday October 14, 2000  9:26PM:  I was awaken this morning as always to a rooster cawing at 6:00AM.....there was however, another element added this morning.....music.  Strange music.  It was the same strange music I heard the night before when I had strolled down to the lakeside pier.  Indian folk music with a techno beat.  Scary!!  All this week there has been a festival on the go to celebrate the end of the monsoons.  As well, last night was the full moon festival and I expect this is all part of it!!

I have a lot to do today because tomorrow I start my trek.  I need to buy a walking stick, map and sweater (I'm told it will get cold on the trail).  However first things first.....I rented a paddle boat and Mandy and myself rowed across the lake to the starting point of the hike up to the World Peace Temple.  It was a LONG way up even though it didn't look that way from the bottom.  The climb took about 1 1/2 hours, but the view was awesome.  Apparently, the Temple is a tribute to the various countries that practice Buddhism as a religion.

During the walk down we hooked up with Joe and Jan.  Joe had been to Newfoundland a few years back and said it was the most exotic place he had been until he came to Nepal.  We all paddled back to the Boomerang (Joe and Jan came with us as they didn't have a boat) and had a couple of beer.  I had several things to do, so I had to get going.

I purchased a telescopic walking stick, a pair of trekking pants and a map.  Mandy gave me a Swiss drinking bottle she had and a fleece sweater.  She was finished trekking and would not need them anymore.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get my trekking permit until tomorrow.

We went to the Lemon Tree for supper.  I had a steak(real beef - the first meat I ate since starting my adventure) and it was awesome.  We went to the Boomerang for a couple of beers afterwards.

DIARY ENTRY:  Sunday October 15, 2000  4:04PM:  I slept in until 7:30AM which was good considering I never went to bed until 1:00AM.  Feeling like I have a touch of the flu.  I arranged to have a taxi take me to Nayapul.  Although it was only 40km, it took us two hours to get there.  The road kept climbing higher and higher and getting worse and worse.  We finally crested at 1600m, I didn't think the old 1978 Toyota Corolla would make it.  The trip down was another story!!  We began hurtling down an awesome series of bone-jarring hairpin bends and switchbacks, lurching from  one precipice-edged corner to another.  Me nerves were rubbed raw!!

Because I was late in leaving I was obviously late in starting my trek......big mistake.   The sun is at its hottest now and the trekking is a lot harder than I imagined.  My pack felt super heavy, even though it was only 15 kilo's.  The scenery is unreal!!  I reach a small teahouse outside of Matatati and have a couple of Lemon Fanta's and a bowl of fruit and curd porridge.  I'm eating my dinner and there is a chicken running around under my feet.

I arrived in Tikhendhunga about a hour ago.  I cannot remember being so tired.  It appears only the fool-hearted continues trekking from here to Ulleri because it is straight up for another 500 metres.  the hike takes another hour and half, even though it's only up the hill.

I'm staying at the Lizma Guest House and my room cost 75 rupees (about $1.50).  It's very basic but it is home tonight.  Even though I'm so tired I cannot but be amazed at how beautiful this country is.  I'm 1577 metres up and there are hills towering all around me.  Saw mule trains and lots and lots of porters carrying everything imaginable under the sun (and some things you couldn't imagine).

All the trekkers sit around asking where everyone is from and how far they're going.  We have a common bond!!

DIARY ENTRY:  Monday October 16, 2000  8:18PM:  Got up at 6:00AM and had breakfast (my standard fare - porridge with curds and fruit and two boiled eggs).  Started the trek with Chris and Seth (both from the USA).  It was straight uphill from Tikhendhunga to Ghori Pani (about an 8km trek).  There's supposed to be 3,280 steps climbing over 1300 metres (and it felt like it)!!  When we crested the top, we walked through a Rhododendron forest.  This is not like the Rhododendron bushes we get home but rather they are large trees towering over us.  They grow to monster sizes.  At one point in time a herd of goats came along the trail (maybe 50 or 60 animals).  The trick is to hug the inside of the trail and let the animals go on the outside.  This is so one of the animals doesn't butt you river the side into the abyss.  The theory was stuck home when one of the goats dropped out of site into a ravine about 20 metres down.  We could see the goat standing on the ledge below (unharmed) but we don't know if the herders were able to rescue it or not.

A little later we came across a water falls area and the three of us decided to go for a swim (especially since I can't remember sweating so much in my life).  We all jump off of this cliff into the water that turned out to be the coldest I've ever been in.  The one jump was enough!!

The higher we got the harder I found my breathing and I had to take more and more breaths.....after all we are 10,000 feet above sea level.!

The final destination today was Ghori Pani and I literally staggered into town.  The last steps up to the town were the steepest and the power has totally deserted my legs.

Ghori Pani sits at the top of two valleys; the one I just climbed out of and the one I'm going down into.  The sights from here is unbelievable.  I'm sitting in the Sunny Lodge with a clear view of the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountain ranges.  There are 14 mountains virtually surrounding this area with two of them being in the top ten highest in the world.  Everyone gets up at 4:30AM to climb Poon Hill (over 3200m) where they watch the sunrise.

I finished supper just as the power went out.  It's pitch black out except for the stars.......stars like I've never seen before!!  Of course, being 3 miles closer no doubt makes a significant difference.  Outside my hotel's front entrance is the Porter's Dormitory.  There is about 15 of them in there, sitting around the wood stove singing Nepalese songs.  What an incredible overload of the five senses taking place here now.  I must go to be.....Poon Hill tomorrow at 5:00AM.

DIARY ENTRY:  Tuesday October 17, 2000  8:04PM:  Woke up this morning after putting in a very restless night (early sign of altitude sickness).  Headed for Poon Hill at around 5:30AM.  I climbed almost to the top and found it too uncomfortable to go any higher, so I watched the sun rise over the Annapurna's from lessor point with an Israeli girl.

Started my trek at around 7:00AM.  It was all downhill to Tatopani but it's close to 15km., so the trek is long.

I met up with Jeff and Rachel (two doctors who happen to stay at the same hotels as moi), they're a friendly young couple and asked me to trek with them, their guide and porter.  They were doing four weeks of volunteer work at the Kathmandu Hospital.  Although the trekking was long, it wasn't grueling as the last two days (which may have been due to the fact that it was all downhill).  We arrived in Tatopani at around 3:00PM (about 8 hours of trekking).  Although Tatopani is supposed to be a good hotel area, rooms are limited and I ended up giving my single room to a German girl, Manuela, and sharing a room with a guy from Poland.  He was doing the full circuit in 12 days....nuts.  Saw a HUGE spider on the wall.  My Polish roommate stated in broken English, "Aaaaah that is good; means no insects."

Tatopani is famous for its hit springs and fortunately they did not disappoint.  There's actually two rectangular pools of HOT water, one slightly less HOT than the other, and a little stand selling beer!!  The relief and the utter feeling of bliss as I lower in my sweaty aching body and sit sipping on a cold beer is simply too much for words.  It is like a static orgasm that just keeps on coming!

DIARY ENTRY:  Wednesday October 18, 2000  7:48PM:  Woke up at 6:00AM this morning, had breakfast and started out on the trail with Manuela.  The hike today was to Ghasa (another 15km day).  For the most part it was pretty straight going (although it was a 1000 metre climb).  Crossed several suspension bridges over the Kali Gandaki river and at one point we spotted a dead mule in the ravine.  It would appear the thing went too close to the edge and fell to its death.

The scenery has gone from the tropical vegetation of Tatopani to temperate forest of pine.  At one place, as we climbed from a low temperate zone to a high temperate zone, we passed a place where there were a lot of little lizards scurrying around (only place we saw them).  At another place we saw several men sacrificing a goat.

Although the route here is pretty easy going, it still took us seven hours and we only managed to get lost twice!!  The last part of the journey was all up hill (about 500m), however we had eaten just before so we were rested and ready to tackle it.  I guess I'm getting use to the trekking!

We arrived in Ghasa at 3:00PM and decided to stay at the Eagle's Nest Lodge.  It is by far the best place I've stayed in so far, however due to lack of space, Manuela and myself ended up sharing a room.  Paul (from Pokhara), Jeff and Rachel are also staying at this hotel, so the five of us hung out.

DIARY ENTRY:  Thursday October 19, 2000  5:24PM:  Started trekking around 7:00AM.  My original plan was to travel as far as Kalopani, but myself and Manuela were feeling pretty good, so we ended up trekking all the way to Tukuche (over 20kms).  My endurance is increasing with each day.  When I originally started I practically crawled into Tikhendhunga after only 6km of trekking and now I'm pushing 20km.

Tukuche is in the middle of apple country.  They have an apple distillery, which we visited and had a sample (worst swill I ever drank, but the locals love it).  This is the first Tibetan looking village and I see my first prayer wheels (this particular one had over 150 wheels).

We're the only ones staying at the Sunil Lodge.  This is Thakali territory and the women run the show.  It was almost funny seeing the missus that owned the place boss everyone around.  When it got cold the missus told her husband to put a few hot coals in a hearth under the table.  The heat is trapped under the table by a large Tibetan blanket that is draped over the table.  Very cosy and warm on the toes.  Their fresh squeezed apple juice was deadly......we ended up drinking four litres.  Manuela even managed to teach me one word of German.....apelsaft (apple juice).

The trek here was mainly through pine forest running parallel to the Kali Gandaki.  At one point we had to pass over a landslide that was very dangerous.  About 100 metres straight down and the path was maybe 6 inches wide of very loose gravel.  At a suspension bridge we had to wait for 1/2 hour while some herders attempted to get their herd of goats across the bridge.  It was rather funny because there was no way those goats were going willingly.  No matter what they did, the goats simply did not want to cross.

I'm suffering from the flu and expect I'll only trek as far as Marpha tomorrow.  I expect Manuela and myself will part ways tomorrow as she is in a hurry and I still have 6 days left.  Order momo's (a pastry filled with-God-knows-what) and garlic soup for supper.

DIARY ENTRY:  Friday October 20, 2000  4:04PM:  Arrived in Kagbeni at around 3:30PM.  Checked several hotels before getting the last room at the Mt. Everest Lodge.  This town is full of trekkers and campers.  Kagbeni lies at the T-junction where the valley down from Thorong La (highest mountain pass in the world at 5416m) joins the Kali Gandaki valley and leads north into Tibet and south along the route I just came.

I left Tukuche at around 8:00AM this morning and walked to Marpha, that is where we originally intended to stay but our trek here only took a hour.  The landscape is quickly changing now as we continue up the Kali Gandaki valley.  It is going from temperate to desert.  We reached Jomsom at around 12:00 and had lunch and the first cold beer I've had since I've left home.  I could've stayed in Jomsom simply for the ice cold beer but it was early so we pushed on to Kagbeni.

Walking up the valley we go from bushland to total desert with the fiercest wind I've ever experienced.  Fortunately, we had the wind at our backs otherwise we would not have been able to walk in it.  It did whip up dust funnels and ended up covering us in a thick layer of sandy dust.  Saw my first yak today, also noticed the cattle here are much smaller at these altitudes (a full grown cow is only up to my waist).

DIARY ENTRY:  Saturday October 21, 2000  7:42PM:  I woke up this morning feeling like shite.  Made an executive decision to cut my trek short and instead of pushing on to Muktinath, I'd head back to Jomsom.  Bid Manuela goodbye and headed for Jomsom.  I staggered into town about two hours later half delirious from the fever.  I made the right decision.

I booked into the Xanadu Lodge and got the best room in town.  A very nice, large room with my own western style toilet and HOT shower.  Promptly went to bed and slept all day.  I'm already feeling a little better, even managed to have a yak steak for supper.  Not bad actually!!

DIARY ENTRY:   Sunday October 22, 2000 8:39PM:  Woke up this morning and went and had breakfast.  I was still feeling the shits.  I attempted to change my airline ticket from the 25th to the 23rd or even the 24th, but it would appear that that is not possible.  Because of the wind only three flights got in and out in the last two days.  So it looks like I'm here for the next few days.  Not exactly how I want to spend my vacation but it should give me time to get better and I definitely need to get feeling better.

My host informs me that I may have to share my room as there are a lot of trekkers in Jomsom waiting for flights and not so many rooms.  Right then!

I walked up to the post office and purchased three stamps.  Came back to the Xanadu Lodge and ordered a veggie burger (consisting of spinach and spinach) and sat about writing Dad, Aimee and Jennifer.  I got talking to two English women who gave me all kinds of "stuff" for the flu....mainly homoeopathic stuff.  They're stranded here along with everyone else because of the cancelled flights.  They indicated that the Nepalese Air Force would send in a helicopter if they could round up 16 people willing to pay $200US to fly out.  I guess people with international flights would seriously consider it.  I walked back to the post office and mailed my postcards.  I know I need to rest and Jomsom is as good as any place for it, but there's absolutely nothing to do.  It reminds me of the Jim Croce song:  'What Do People Do When There Is Nothing To Do?'

Had supper and after supper I sat with the two English women who had given me the medication as well as Jane (Australian) and two brothers from Hungary.  A mish-mash of people brought together by a single common bond!  Two of my supper companions were celebrating birthdays tonight.

DIARY ENTRY:  Monday October 23, 2000  5:35PM:  Got up around 8:00AM and had a lukewarm shower and went for breakfast.  If I even remotely feeling better I go for a short trek, but I'm just not rebounding.  Of all the shots and needles I had, the one needle I needed the most was the flu shot!

Went to the museum today (snicker snicker).  It did kill a hour however, so for this reason it was good.  I also checked with the airlines and there is no way I'm getting out of here before the 25th.  Damn Damn Damn

Just finished having a toke.  About the only thing keeping me sane.  Three long days in Jomsom is testing even my patience, but I also realize time is running out for me to show signs of improvement in the flu scene.  I found a store selling one-packet Vicks Cough Drops.  They're the only thing keeping me from hacking my head off.......fawk.

DIARY ENTRY:  Tuesday October 24, 2000 4:48PM:  Had a good night sleep and got up around 8:00AM.  While eating my breakfast I saw Jeff and Rachel.  They're staying in the hotel next to mine and we agreed to meet for dinner at 12:00.

When I went to my room the bathroom mirror was on the floor broken.  It somehow fell off the wall while I was out.  Now it appears the owner wants me to pay for it; obviously that's not going to happen.  Waiting for the owner to turn up.......waiting is a game I've managed to perfect.  You see, you divide your time into 30 minute blocks.  Then for each block, you attempt to find something to do that will occupy at least a small portion of that block.  Rudimentary I know, but it works.  Regardless, the owner never did show up about the mirror.  She later told me not to worry about it.  I had not paid for any of my meals or my room, so she was probably concern I would skip town.....like where was I going???  Kathmandu?  I expect any deal I may have been able to swing for my four night stay and the countless amount of beer and grub that I consumed will now include the cost of a mirror.  Oh well, c'est la vie.

Met Jeff and Rachel back at their hotel and had dinner.  It was gross....curried veggies and plain rice. Came back after supper and started talking to Patricia from Chicago about music and dope.  She came up to the room and we blew a number!

Ordered a big meal tonight in the hopes it'll influence the deal a little (plus I have the munchies) AND the food here is awesome (yak cheesecake to die for)!!!

DIARY ENTRY:  Wednesday October 25, 2000  8:52AM:  Got up at 5:00AM and packed my gear.  Paid my hotel bill (a whopping $5280 rupees) and headed for the airport.

My original ticket stated 6:40AM for my plane, yet when I confirmed my flight yesterday, they said I was on the 8:40AM flight.  I figured I stood as good a chance for both!!  As it turns out there was plenty of room so I got a boarding pass and entered the mayhem of a remote Nepalese airport.

The airport consisted of one room with no lights and maybe enough space for 25 -30 people....there was easy 200 eager passengers awaiting their great escape.  Of course every single one of them had gear galore and high hopes of getting out of Jomsom.  the 'baggage' was placed on an inspection table for physical inspection, however the truth of the matter is, a Nepalese airport guard does not move quite as fast as the poor sods with 45 pounds on their backs.  As the guard was inspecting one bag, more and more were being placed on the table until the ones originally being inspected were virtually buried under a mound of other packs.  To complicate matters more, owner and baggage were quickly separated as jostling took place to get ones gear off the back onto the table.  Even if a guard did want to search a bag, changes are the bag was locked and the owner was now standing in another line-up far from where their gear was.

I was the second last person standing in one of the many line-ups that seemed to go nowhere, when it dawn on me that this line-up was going nowhere.  It had just kinda formed out of the mayhem.  We are like sheep I tell ya, one person is standing around then another person innocently stands behind him and presto...you have a line-up.  Next thing there's fifty people standing in the dark waiting for the line to move somewhere...anywhere!

I notice several people going into the men's and women's bathroom stalls but no one coming out.....mmmmm.....perhaps these bathroom stalls are not bathroom stalls.  The bathroom stalls turned out to be personal search stations.  Not wanting to cause a stampede, I simply slipped on over and walked through the doors and left everyone still standing in the "going nowhere" line-up.  The personal search consisted of a pat down and the sill question "Any knives?"  Like did they honestly think anyone would hi-jack the plane.  Where would they demand to go too?  Back to Jomsom?

Sat with Rebecca from Australia and got talking about how we had both come down with the flu and was real glad to escape Jomsom.  She was only there for a couple of days, but like myself was bored out of her mind.  When we landed in Pokhara we made plans to get together for supper.  The flu is just about gone!!!

DIARY ENTRY:  Thursday October 26, 2000  5:52PM:  I woke up this morning and met the bus for the three hour bus ride to Baglung.  It's the same suicide road I took a couple of weeks before to Nayapul for my trek.  I sat with a young girl from Calgary, who had been travelling for 6 months and planning on spending another 18 months on the road.

We reach our put-in site and collectively unload the bus.  While we're pumping up the rafts the cook gets dinner on the go.  After dinner our guides go over the finer points of how to paddle through white water and stay in the raft as it bucks and contorts through the rapids.  We have three rafts and I end up in a boat with 4 girls and one guy (Steve from England).

Within minutes of launching we are into class 3 raids....the warm up ones to the "Little Brother" (class 4) and "Big Brother" (class 4+).  We sail through the Little Brother pretty good, although one of the rafts flipped.  It was a different story when we hit 'Big Brother'.  It was HUGE!!  When we hit it the raft went up on its side; I remember looking down at Steve who was looking up with me with the fear of God in his eyes.  In what seem like slow motion, I went flying towards him and then....BOOM.....I'm under water.  Although I was only under for seconds, it seem like minutes and it felt like I would never surface, but the rapid spit me out of its grip pretty quick.  I actually thought our boat had flipped, but it hadn't and only myself, Steve and a girl from Denmark ended up in the water.  What an adrenalin rush.!!

After encountering these two brutes we reached the Modi Kholi confluence where we chose a beach for the evening campsite.  We all pitched in to prepare camp, dinner and rum punch.  The rafts are used as lean-tos and we use the beach as our beds.  We shared this beach with another rafting company.

DIARY ENTRY:  Friday October 27, 2000  9:20PM:  Today our plans are to paddle for about 5 1/2 hours with many many more rapids.  The entire river seems like one big rapid really.  There are no smooth parts (at least up to this point in time), so there isn't any point in time when one can really just relax.  One thing I've discovered is that most of the people on this trip are single.

Slept under the raft last night and while I didn't sleep very well; it is a very interesting experience to be sleeping out underneath the Nepal stars.  We started on the river at about 9:20AM.  It was a lot calmer today than yesterday.  That's not to say that it didn't have its moments!!  At least one raft flipped and of course it had to be the one with my gear in it. Even though the gear is in waterproof bags some of it got wet.  Fortunately not my sleeping bag!!

We stopped near a waterfalls for a few pictures and then each raft went in under the falls.  It was very refreshing and unique experience to have a 200 foot waterfalls fall on your body.  We moved on and for dinner we stopped near another waterfalls.  Whenever we stop we appear to be the source of amusement for the locals as they will gather in small groups to watch us.  Likewise, amusing to us are the children.  We were passing around some trail mix in a large bowl and I offered some small school girls some.  They promptly took the full bowl, held out their sarong and emptied the contents into it!! It was all so innocent!

I've been travelling with this great bunch.  We played several Nepalese games tonight while drinking the rum punch.

DIARY ENTRY:  Saturday October 29, 2000  3:04PM:  We started out rafting at about 8:30AM.  Even though we were only on the river for a few hours it was still great.  Lots and lots of big time rapids however by now we are all working well together with good timing and precision (ole pro's).  We ended up doing  a lot of wild and crazy things.  Had a ball!!  Steve and myself kept jumping into the river and body surfing, in fact at one time we all jumped in to the river and left Horiko (Japenese American) in the raft by herself.  Horiko has yet to get wet so our mission in life was to get her into the river!  Finally; Raja (our river guide) threaten to flip the raft so she took the plunge.

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end.

DIARY ENTRY:  Sunday October 29, 2000  3:24PM:  Bit out of sorts today....hung over a little.  Arrived in Pokhara last night after taking a bus from whitewater rafting and it was supposed to last for 5 hours but ended up lasting 7 1/2 hours.

Our bus was one of those smoke-belching diesel Tatas from India......a real lumbering dinosaur held together it seems by bits of wire and the combined hopes of the passengers.  It started out fine enough, unfortunately the road is horrendous and everything imaginable found on it, ducks, dogs, chickens, ever-present-holier-than-thou cows, children and adults, and none have the vaguest traffic sense.  Things quickly deteriorate into the bus journey from hell.  We passed a broken down bus full of Nepalese (and their animals) and pick them up....they proceed to sardine themselves in with us and many of them climbing on the roof.  Many people prefer the roof, arguing that you get an exhilarating ride with great views, and supposedly it is safer.  The argument being because you can jump off before the bus goes over the side into a gorge.  One of those unfathomable Indian Bollywood action movie soundtrack blasts from the piercing speakers above my head.  There's a goat tied to the seat in front of me bleeping its head off.  As we climbed out of the valley we were constantly being stopped by kids singing in the streets.  Apparently it's a festival (yet another one) here and the kids stand in the streets singing and will only let the buses pass when you pay them some rupees to move.  Towards the end of the trip the bus driver was simply blowing his horn and barrelling on through.  I guess he had had enough of it as well.  It was crazy!!

When we reached the rim of the valley we began hurdling down awesome hairpin bends and switchbacks.  Thundering suicidally down this impossible road I wondered on the average life expectancy of a Nepali bus driver....this is of course until it dawn on me that the more pertinent question is: what would be the life expectancy of the passengers!!  The road steadily deteriorated as roads are wont to do in Nepal.  At one point in time we heard a loud snap and the driver pulled over to have a look under the bus.  Some kind of liquid was dripping on to the road, not a sight calculated to inspire confidence, but alas one has to look on the bright side.....if one could think of a bright side!!!  Obviously the driver was concern enough that he pulled over and had a look at least three more times.  Of course a flat tire was inevitable, fortunately it happened right in the middle of this crazy market town, so we had lots to look at while we waited.

We all planned a party on the way back and ended up commandeering the 'Blues Cafe', that is right next door to the Butterfly Lodge in Pokhara.  Partied until 3AM and ended up walking Phyllis (from Holland) back to her hotel.  Plan on getting together tonight!

This is festival week here (I think they have one every week).  All the Nepalese are going around singing and dancing in the streets....this place blows me away!  Lots of fireworks and crackers banging in the streets and there are candles lit everywhere....in the streets, shops and restaurants....wicked!

I'm sitting here now in the garden at the Butterfly Lodge and there's a bunch of Nepalese girls and boys with a ghetto blaster playing an Indian song and they're singing and dancing to it.  It's a very intricate dance and the way they move their arms and bodies are all supposed to mean something.  The thing about it is they're not here to entertain me, I'm just an outsider privilege enough to observe it.  Now I must go arrange my ticket for Kathmandu.

DIARY ENTRY:  Monday October 30, 2000  9:41PM:  Got up this morning, grabbed a shower and packed my bags.  Beautiful day here - I can see the mountains very well.  Now I'm sitting out in the Butterfly Lodge's courtyard waiting for breakfast.

I met Phyllis at six last night at the Boomerang.  Had a beer and went to the Moondance Restaurant for supper.  Met up with Mark and Rosy (both Brits from rafting).  Rosy is 55 and had seen Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Rolling Stones and also met most of the members of Pink Floyd.  She's a pretty cool lady, a real hippie from the 60's.  After supper we went to Club Amsterdam for a beer.  Later I walk Phyllis back to her hotel.

My plane for Kathmandu is at 1:30PM, so I had a little time to kill in Pokhara before I take off.  This has been a great little town.....very relaxing!

I arrived in Kathamandu at about 3:30PM.  Grabbed a taxi into the Thamel and got a fairly decent hotel called the Hotel Suria for $15.  Checked my email and found that Rebecca was staying not too far from my place.  Ran into her and bummed around for a couple of hours.  I also ran into Manuela.

DIARY ENTRY:  Tuesday October 31, 2000  9:12PM:  Woke up fairly early this morning.  Probably had a lot to do with the pigeons outside my window or the clanging of bells on the temple directly below my window.  Met up with Rebecca for breakfast and went to the Kathmandu Guest House to rent our mountain bikes.  From there we went to Durbar Square and looked around, ended up getting a guide to show us around and explain what all the temples meant.

We decided to head for the Cremation Temple.  It was a fair distance away, but I enjoyed the ride immensely.  Got to the temple and parked our bikes and walked down to the river.  There were 3 or 4 cremations happening at the time and they were preparing for another.  We decided to walk around first....followed this path up into a park-like area that was populated by a fairly substantial monkey population.

We went back to watch the cremations, morbid I know but hey.....the experience was quite enlightening.  We were sitting on the steps across the river from the burnings with some guy behind us chanting.

We did some more walking around the temple area and a small part of Kathmandu that was next to the temple.  Headed back to the Thamel at around 3:00PM.

I went and got a massage because my back was killing me and then headed down to the Ying Yang Restaurant.  The Ying Yang is a Thai restaurant and the food is awesome.

I agreed to meet up with Rebecca at about 9 at the rental place.

DIARY ENTRY:  Wednesday November 1, 2000  8:53PM:  Well here it is the first of November.  In 22 days I'll be 41 and back home in St. John's.  What do I think of my trip this 1st of November?  GREAT!!

Got up at 8:00 this morning and decided to look for a better hotel.  I found a place that is somewhat removed from the hustle and bustle of the main thoroughfares of the Thamel.  The Hotel Tashi Dhele is a mid-range hotel with a lot of little balconies and a small garden.  Perfect for relaxing for a while.

Met up with Rebecca at about 9:15AM and we rented our mountain bikes and headed the 12kms to Bhaktapur.  We went the main road so the traffic was horrific.

The city of Bhaktapur is a designated World Heritage Site and you can clearly see why.....the place is ancient!  Much quieter than Kathmandu.

After visiting the city we rode back to Kathmandu and visited Freak Street, Kathmandu's most famous street from the old hippie days of the 60's.  In its hippie prime this was the place for cheap hotels and restaurants, hashish shops and, of course, the weird and wonderful 'freaks' who gave the street its name.

Came back to Thamel and said goodbye to Rebecca.  She's on her way to India for 2 weeks and then back to Australia.  I went back to my room, rested up and took a stroll around the Thamel.  Found a restaurant that was showing 'The Million Dollar Hotel' starring Mel Gibson.  Went in and had a pizza and then back to my room.  Tomorrow morning I'm flying in to see Mt. Everest.

DIARY ENTRY:  Thursday November 2, 2000  2:08PM:  Got up this morning and headed straight for the airport.  My flight was 20 minutes late (no surprise there.....actually pretty good for Nepal), but soon enough we were in the air.  Within minutes we were in the Himalaya's.  Of course I had to get a wing seat, but my view was still wicked!!  We travelled up along the side of the mountain range and I was able to go up to the cockpit and take a few pictures.  Mt. Everest was our turn around point.    We could not circle the giant because half of it is in Tibet and the Chinese has restricted the airspace there.  On our return flight we actually flew among some of the smaller peaks which was really awesome.  Felt like we could reach out and touch them they were that close.  I have now joined the ranks of a smaller part of the population that can say they actually saw Mt. Everest first hand!!

Came back to the hotel and grabbed a sandwich and to my dismay realized I had lost my e-mail/phone list.  Both Hiroko's phone number and Phyllis's email address were on it and now I have no way of getting hold of them....bummer.

Decided to head to the 'monkey temple' for a look.  Grabbed a rickshaw to the base and started the 1 1/2 hour hike to the top.  At first it was real strange because there were no monkeys.  In fact the place was so void of them I began to wonder if the rickshaw driver had taken me to the wrong place.  However the temple itself was real interesting and it had a great view of Kathmandu.

The monkeys finally did make an appearance and I managed to get a few good pictures.  I grabbed a taxi back to the Thamel and went shopping for a coat like the one I had seen at the airport earlier.  Found the perfect one and managed to get it down to 737 rupees ($18Cdn)......not bad for a handmade wool coat!

I decided to spend the rest of the day getting high, reading and later go to the restaurant with the movies (tonight:  'Me, Myself and Irene).

DIARY ENTRY:  Friday November 3, 2000  1:08AM:  Decided today I would spend it wandering around Kathmandu.  Ended up down by Durbar Square, but I undoubtedly took an unconventional way to get there, so it was very interesting.

Ran into Patricia (the girl from Chicago that I originally met in Jomsom).  We had dinner together and after I decided to check canyoning.  It didn't look promising for this however as the guide was off with an injury.  Probably not a good sign.

Later that night I went to a bar where they were playing live blues music.  The lead guitarist was incredible!!  Met up with a couple of Irish men.  It was their first night (rookies) in Kathmandu.  They were surprised to hear that most places closed (including this bar) at 10:00PM.  It is interesting how I'm now considered a weathered pro traveller within Nepal.

When the bar closed, I walked up to another bar that I had seen earlier that advertised later hours.  It was another side of Nepal that I had not seen or even knew existed before.   I noticed a high percentage of foreign women are attracted to Nepalese men........where are all the Nepalese women????

DIARY ENTRY:  Saturday November 4, 2000  2:08PM:  Got up early this morning and strolled down to the Internet cafe to check my email.  There was an email from Phyllis asking me to meet her at the RNACP building at 1:00PM.  I grabbed a rickshaw who guaranteed that he knew exactly where it was but he ended up taking me to the wrong bus station.  Of course, I didn't know this at the time.  After much confusion on my part, I finally grabbed a taxi whose driver insisted he knew where this bus depot was......of course he didn't.  Got dropped off at another local bus station but not the RNACP Building (in fact there was no building at this place).  Finally, after much debate on my part I realized that there was no way I was going to find the elusive RNACP Building so I grabbed a cab back to the hotel.  I sent Phyllis an email telling her that I couldn't locate the place and to meet me at the Kathmandu Guest House.

DIARY ENTRY:  Sunday November 5, 2000  9:31PM:  Today Phyllis and myself went abseiling at the Bhote Kosi River.  It was a three hour bus ride to the canyon and there was only four of us.  There was another girl from Canada and a young fella from Australia.  He had a waterproof camera so we were able to get some good shots.

It was very terrifying at first, especially since I suffer from the fear of falling.  We went over a total of 7 falls (total of 180 metres) and the smallest being 12 metres and the highest being 45 metres (approximately 150ft).  By the time I reached the bottom I as a pro.!!

This is the only place where they bungee jump from the high suspension bridge (160m).  They drop straight into the canyon, very scary.

The 3 hour bus ride back to Kathmandu was as usual, incredibly scary and uncomfortable (as per all bus rides in Nepal).  The first hour was just at dusk, so the setting sun was in the drivers eyes and we were driving over something less than a road, so the shit was shook out of us.   As well, there had been a lot of landslides with deep ravines on one side and more landslides waiting to happen on the other side.   We arrived home at around 8:00PM and we went to the Ying Yang Thai restaurant.

DIARY ENTRY:  Monday November 6, 2000  3:30AM:  Woke up this morning and had breakfast with Phyllis.  Took care of all my final preparations, bid Phyllis good-bye and headed for the airport.  Boarded the air plane without incident.

Good-bye Nepal!!  I'll be back!!