Thursday, January 29, 2009
Hong Kong.
Day 23
I arrive in Hong Kong at 7am after a 4 and a half hour flight, perhaps 2 hours of uncomfortable sleep and too much food. I ate a large dinner because I expected the airline to screw up my meal request. (I will eat vegetarian or fish. Something in the airlines computer systems causes my meal requests to disappear. The airline staff blame me for this naturally.) Because the flight was delayed, the airline provided us with free food in the executive lounge. On the flight, there was a choice of a fish meal so I took it.
I am glad my plane was delayed 2 hours because things are open when I arrive. The last time I passed through Hong Kong as a transit passenger I was stuck in an empty waiting area for over an hour before I could get my boarding pass and find out which door I could go through to get some breakfast.
If the local currency is yen or rupees or wooden nickles then prices don't mean anything until you do a conversion. But Hong Kong uses dollars so I always have a bit of a shock with the prices before I remember I have to divide by 5 to convert to Australian dollars. 1 HKD is roughly 0.20 AUD. So you can also enjoy this experience I am going to quote all prices in Hong Kong Dollars.
I find an ATM, withdraw $1000, buy an Octopus transport card for $150, find my bus and I am on my way. Easy. The whole process takes less than an hour.
Hollywood Guest House sounded like a decent affordable place to stay on wotif.com at $250 per night. The address is in Chung King mansion, Nathan Road, Kowloon. After paying I read the wikitravel description of Chunk King mansion. It recommend to avoid if possible. I think about cutting my losses and booking somewhere else but I take the path of least resistance and go with the flow.
It isn't half as bad as people say but I guess I am just lucky not to have a bad experience. I am not swamped by Indian's trying to take me to their restaurants. I don't have to wait 20 minutes for the elevator. I have no run-ins with the Triads. Yes, the place is full of poorer Indians, Nepalese and Africans, but so are India, Nepal and Africa. People out the front ask "Copy watch?", "Tailored Suit?", "Massage?" but you get that all over Kowloon.
My room isn't ready so I leave my luggage and go exploring. I go to Kowloon park and see pink flamingos, sculptures, trees, etc.
I cross a bridge over a busy highway and head to the waterfront.
"Thumpity dumpity thump ta dump dump" and "crash clash" echoes from up ahead somewhere. I come across a performance with two Chinese dragons dancing in front of a flash hotel. Wee-hoo. Yay Hong Kong. I see the Harbour. Nice, but I will see it better later on.
Tired and wandering like a zombie I get back to Chung King mansion and find a little Indian restaurant where I have tomato soup and roti for $32.
After 1pm, I check into my room which is about 4' x 10' plus en suite.
I borrow a network cable and make ultra cheap phone calls back to Australia from my Laptop. I learn about the heatwave in Melbourne. Temperatures in the forties, canceled trains, power blackouts. My front window at home which had a crack in the glass breaks in the heat. My friends will fix it for me. I imagine the corn I had planted in front of the window shrivelling up and popping on the cobs.
My sister has been to Hong Kong twice and she recommends different islands. We discuss flamingos and such and I tell her I plan to visit the space museum that afternoon.
I lie down for a nap and wake about 5pm and think about getting up. Too late for the space museum. I rest a bit longer but suddenly its 8pm and I am woken abruptly by knocking on the door. Not my door. I know I should get up but I am too tired so I compromise and watch an episode of Dr. Katz.
I'm more alert now. I spend 5 minutes looking for my trousers wondering how I could lose them in such a small room. Finally I realise I am wearing them. Okay, so I'm not that alert.
I hit the streets and wander around under a cavalcade of neon lights. I have some noodle soup at a small restaurant and get a tuna bun and a prawn roll at a bakery. Enough for one day.
Day 22
In the morning I catch a 15 minute ferry to Central - the main ferry port on the main island. I wander along crowded high rise foot paths isolated from the crowded streets below.
I ride a series of outdoor covered escalators that wind their way up the hill, through the Soho district, past cafes, small streets and an ornate mosque. Skyscrapers under construction are surrounded by bamboo scaffolding. I trust the building frames are made of sturdier stuff.
At the top is an ordinary road, a map and a signpost to the zoo. Hong Kong is easy to get around. They have lots of signs everywhere. The downside is sometimes it is a little difficult figuring out which direction the signs are pointing. Maybe there is some sort of local interpretation of how to read the arrows.
I know when I am close to the zoo because I hear the loud hoots of primate. The calls come from weird gibbons with huge throats that expand like a bullfrogs.
It's a small zoo. The reptile house contains 2 small crocodiles and a large python. The aviary contains many large birds including red flamingos.
Past the zoo is a tram line that runs to "The Peak". I stop under a bridge and try to find it on the map. I realise I am standing under the tram line. I descend to the start of the line but there are hundreds of people waiting. I decide to give it a miss. I want to go to an island.
I head back down to Central.
I decide on Lammu island partly because of my sisters advice and partly because of wikitravel.
I have to wait 30 minutes for the ferry and it is a 40 minute ride.
Lammu is delightful. I step of the ferry onto a pier filled with parked bicycles. Yung Shue Wan is a seaside fishing town catering for tourists local and foreign. I wish I was staying here.
I go on a one and a half hour walk across the island. The shops quickly disappear and I am walking past trees, grasses, hills and rocks. The vegetation is tropical. It reminds me of Cairns. The path is cement and stone. It is crowded with other tourists and sometimes I get a little frustrated when I get stuck in a traffic jam.
On the other side of the island is another town, So Kwu Wan. I order a set menu with 5 dishes for $100 - prawns, calamari, green vegetable, rice and a shell fish served with rice vermicelli.
The waiter serves me a complimentary beer. It's only about the third beer I have had in my life. I try it. Nope. I still haven't acquired a taste for beer or the inclination to develop one.
The meal is rather ordinary. I am disappointed. I have had plenty of cheap food in Hong Kong but I haven't had any good food yet.
I catch the ferry back to Central and talk with a Canadian. Hong Kong is lit up beautifully at night. I catch the ferry back to Kowloon and find the Avenue of Stars. This is a good place to watch the nightly light show. At 8pm every night the city buildings across the bay light up in synchronised patterns in time with music. Everybody I have spoken to describes it as 'amazing'. I find it entertaining.
When I return to my hotel I have been moved to a larger room with a window from which I can see down the street and across the bay. I go to sleep still feeling the sway of the ferry.
Day 23
The next day I go to Cheung Chau island. It is a smaller island more heavily populated. Before I leave I go to a Starbuck's and pay $87 for an Irish creme flavoured mocha and a green tea pastry. It is the first decent coffee I have had since I started my trip and I thoroughly enjoy it.
Where ever you are in Hong Kong there is always a MacDonald's within eye sight. I imagine a game where you have to cross Hong Kong by moving from MacDonald's to MacDonald's all within line of sight. I don't want to play.
Also within sight is at least one of: 7-11, Starbucks, Pasta House or Cafe Coral - the local Asian fast food chain. They don't stand out the way those golden arches do.
On Cheung Chau island I try another seafood restaurant.
I know I should order the whole fish but I am intrigued by the deep fried squilla. I have never heard of squilla before. I order it and a plate of fried rice. A two litre plastic jug of hot tea is placed on my table. A plate of about 20 squilla soon follows. They are the size and colour of prawns but they are shaped more like thick short centipedes with heads sort of like grasshoppers. They seem to be more shell then meat and I experiment with a few trying to find the best way to eat them. Trying to peel them like prawns doesn't seem to work. I attack them from underneath. The deep fried central legs are soft enough to eat. This exposes the meat at the belly.
The delicate taste is hidden under oil, soy and chilly. It tasle like ... well, squilla.
I am half way through the plate when a huge plate of fried rice arrives. A man at an adjacent table washes his hands with tea. Good thinking. Its not like I am going to drink it all. I do the same. I finish all but three squilla. I have eaten half the rice and pick out the larger portions of egg.
A good meal - not great. Afterwards my stomach is unhappy with the amount of oil.
I walk up and around the island. The flat road along the shore line is full of people on hired bicycles. When the path ascends steeply up a hill the cyclists turn around and go back. I head on.
Trees, grass, hills, views. The path goes up to a pagoda lookout. Near the top I take another path. When I realise I have missed the pagoda and I am heading back down to town I start to back track.
In a small saddle I am distracted by a small dirt trail off the side of the main path. It meanders for about fifty metres through the trees and stops abruptly past a large rock. There is a tired thick knotted rope draped over the rock, tied to a nearby tree. I use it to climb the rock. From the top is a magnificent view overlooking the island.
I return to the main path and to the intersection where I took the wrong path. The pagoda is a short walk beyond. There is a similar view to what I saw on the rock but with less spirit of adventure and discovery. The view extends 360 degrees over the whole island as well as views of other islands back to Hong Kong.
There is a path down to rocks by the shore but I suddenly realise I am missing my jacket. A deep dread quickly settles to a mild panic as soon as I ascertain that I still have my passport, cash and octopus card. I return to the rock and find my jacket. I start to return to the pagoda to explore the paths beyond but I decide it is getting too late.
I descend the path through the township, past small neat houses with excellent views. Many of them have their front doors open, welcoming, offering a glimpse into private lives. At the bottom of the hill, a temple overlooks a sports yard full of youths of all ages playing basketball and other games.
The temple is beautiful and ornate. Inside is a sign saying "Strictly no unauthorised photographs." On a wall there is a beautiful relief mosaic of a dragon complete with wire whiskers. Plenty of joss incense throughout. About twenty spirals of incense hang down from the roof looking like mosquito coil lampshades.
In front of the main alter, a man sized statue of a green demon dressed in red is in a fierce face-off with a red demon dressed in green. What religion is this? Are horns on demons a western tradition or something we have inherited from the east?
I take lots of photos outside the temple. Out of respect I take no photographs inside. Out of spite I leave no donations.
And now I must leave. As the ferry departs I take photographs of the sun setting over the island, people watching the sunset, people photographing the sunset. Lately I like taking a lot of photos of other people taking photos. I think they are sort of empathetic self portraits.
In the fading light the shutter speed slows down. I take sunset photos with the white wake of the ferry blurring creamily in the foreground.
Luggage, bus, airport. I try a final meal of pasta with mushroom. It is too bland. I think I have just had bad luck with my food in Hong Kong. On the plane I have my first good meal in days.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
More Notes on Nepal
Here are a few extra notes on Nepal that i didn't get around to putting in my previous entries.
--------------------------------
In Kathmandu we come across a parade of army men or more likely police marching down the street. Some of them are carrying rifles but most of them are carrying sticks about a metre long and 2 1/2 cm thick.
At first this looks comical but then you see the way they carry them - very professional - and they have a steely eyed serious gaze that tells you, you don't want to mess with them, because they know how to use those sticks. And even though the sticks look primitive they are delibertely designed to inflict only a limited amount of damage.
After all, if they really wanted to, it wouldn't be difficult for them to sharpen those sticks.
-------------------------------
The word of the day is "morthings".
A sign in a lodge window advertises "Yak cheese and many morthings are avaiable here horses rant".
I think I am on a constant search for morthings (such as horses that rant).
-------------------------------
Tekay showed us a match puzzle. I was more interested in the matches. They are little brown twigs with phosphorous tips.
-------------------------------
On the trek Tekay suggests we should all come back to Kathmandu and climb to the top of Ama Dablam together. I say "Sure Tekay. But maybe I'll stay down the bottem and I'll pay you 10,000 US dollars to tell everyone that I got to the top first."
-------------------------------
Food
The food on the trek is all very similar.
The typical menu contains noodle dishes, rice dishes, egg dishes, potato dishes and pizza which typically come with the options - with veg, with egg, with cheese, with tuna and sometimes with meat.
These are also the available filling for steamed or fried momos (dumplings) and "spring rolls", which are kind of like pasties.
Also soups, regular, noodles or egg drop soup. Tomato or mushroom soups are from packets. Potato, Garlic or Onion Soups are made fresh.
Toast, pancakes, chapati or Tibetan bread (puri) with butter, jam or honey.
The ingredients are all brought into the area from elsewhere - even the nak cheese (which just tastes likes regular cheese). Only the potatoes are grown locally.
It is bad sign when you order a pizza because it looks like one of the healthier dishes on the menu.
More than once while I am walking I think about how much I would like one of those salads my friend Anne makes.
Paradoxically, if salad was on the menu I probably wouldn't order it for fear that the ingredients may have been washed in contaminated water.
Tibetan Tea
On the way back from Namche I tried a cup of Tibetan tea - Yak butter tea.
If you want to know what this tastes like I am guessing that the following recipe will probably be pretty close.
Make a regular cup of milk tea. Add a teaspoon of salty butter. You might need to add a couple of pinches of salt. Stir it well. Skim off any oil that might be floating on the surface.
You can probably imagine how it tastes. Do you like it? No? Well, I guess you don't have to actually make it then.
-------------------------------
The night we finished the trek Tekay served us up some mustang coffee. Some coffee mixed with butter and sugar and the local roxi which is made from millet and is not as strong as the rice roxi that they serve in Kathmandu.
The mustang coffee is actually drinkable (although Kylie disagrees and Michael has reservations). Kathmandu's rice roxi is more like methylated spirits.
-------------------------------
I take a lot of photos. A lot. Maybe 300 a day. I like to take photos with people in them so I end up taking lots of the people I am treking with. This can get a bit tiresome for them. If they know they are being photographed they get self concious and hide from the camera.
Michael tolerates the photos. Kylie has asked me to email her if I have any good photos of her. At the same time she makes it difficult because she keeps turning away or hiding behind Michael.
I have quite a few good shots of Lukpa smiling broadly and lots of shots of him talking on the mobile phone.
Tekay is always a good subject. Whenever we stop he rests with one leg raised up on a rock, knee bent, gazing at distant mountains. He looks strong and fit and master of everything he sees. If he notices the camera he will smile or wave or strike a pose.
-------------------------------
I came prepared.
My pocket computer has 40 novels on it. my mobile phone has over 1000 songs and 8 hours of tv shows. I spent most of my free time reading or writing my journal.
Kylie and Michael didn't bring anything to read. Kylie bought a novel in Namche and she also got a deck of cards.
I taught them to play 500, poker and blackjack. That helped pass a few hours.
-------------------------------
There is big difference between the trek below Namche and above Namche.
Below Namche there are more people. They are more likely to wear western clothes and have mobile phones. They are more farms. There are more mani stones.
Above Namche there are a few towns where people are more likely to wear traditional clothes but after that you have places that only have lodges for trekers.
Below Namche you have cows and half breed crosses between cow and yak. Above Namche you only have yaks.
-------------------------------
All the lodges have bench seats around the walls of the dining hall. This serves as extra accomodation when the lodges are full.
--------------------------------
In Kathmandu we come across a parade of army men or more likely police marching down the street. Some of them are carrying rifles but most of them are carrying sticks about a metre long and 2 1/2 cm thick.
At first this looks comical but then you see the way they carry them - very professional - and they have a steely eyed serious gaze that tells you, you don't want to mess with them, because they know how to use those sticks. And even though the sticks look primitive they are delibertely designed to inflict only a limited amount of damage.
After all, if they really wanted to, it wouldn't be difficult for them to sharpen those sticks.
-------------------------------
The word of the day is "morthings".
A sign in a lodge window advertises "Yak cheese and many morthings are avaiable here horses rant".
I think I am on a constant search for morthings (such as horses that rant).
-------------------------------
Tekay showed us a match puzzle. I was more interested in the matches. They are little brown twigs with phosphorous tips.
-------------------------------
On the trek Tekay suggests we should all come back to Kathmandu and climb to the top of Ama Dablam together. I say "Sure Tekay. But maybe I'll stay down the bottem and I'll pay you 10,000 US dollars to tell everyone that I got to the top first."
-------------------------------
Food
The food on the trek is all very similar.
The typical menu contains noodle dishes, rice dishes, egg dishes, potato dishes and pizza which typically come with the options - with veg, with egg, with cheese, with tuna and sometimes with meat.
These are also the available filling for steamed or fried momos (dumplings) and "spring rolls", which are kind of like pasties.
Also soups, regular, noodles or egg drop soup. Tomato or mushroom soups are from packets. Potato, Garlic or Onion Soups are made fresh.
Toast, pancakes, chapati or Tibetan bread (puri) with butter, jam or honey.
The ingredients are all brought into the area from elsewhere - even the nak cheese (which just tastes likes regular cheese). Only the potatoes are grown locally.
It is bad sign when you order a pizza because it looks like one of the healthier dishes on the menu.
More than once while I am walking I think about how much I would like one of those salads my friend Anne makes.
Paradoxically, if salad was on the menu I probably wouldn't order it for fear that the ingredients may have been washed in contaminated water.
Tibetan Tea
On the way back from Namche I tried a cup of Tibetan tea - Yak butter tea.
If you want to know what this tastes like I am guessing that the following recipe will probably be pretty close.
Make a regular cup of milk tea. Add a teaspoon of salty butter. You might need to add a couple of pinches of salt. Stir it well. Skim off any oil that might be floating on the surface.
You can probably imagine how it tastes. Do you like it? No? Well, I guess you don't have to actually make it then.
-------------------------------
The night we finished the trek Tekay served us up some mustang coffee. Some coffee mixed with butter and sugar and the local roxi which is made from millet and is not as strong as the rice roxi that they serve in Kathmandu.
The mustang coffee is actually drinkable (although Kylie disagrees and Michael has reservations). Kathmandu's rice roxi is more like methylated spirits.
-------------------------------
I take a lot of photos. A lot. Maybe 300 a day. I like to take photos with people in them so I end up taking lots of the people I am treking with. This can get a bit tiresome for them. If they know they are being photographed they get self concious and hide from the camera.
Michael tolerates the photos. Kylie has asked me to email her if I have any good photos of her. At the same time she makes it difficult because she keeps turning away or hiding behind Michael.
I have quite a few good shots of Lukpa smiling broadly and lots of shots of him talking on the mobile phone.
Tekay is always a good subject. Whenever we stop he rests with one leg raised up on a rock, knee bent, gazing at distant mountains. He looks strong and fit and master of everything he sees. If he notices the camera he will smile or wave or strike a pose.
-------------------------------
I came prepared.
My pocket computer has 40 novels on it. my mobile phone has over 1000 songs and 8 hours of tv shows. I spent most of my free time reading or writing my journal.
Kylie and Michael didn't bring anything to read. Kylie bought a novel in Namche and she also got a deck of cards.
I taught them to play 500, poker and blackjack. That helped pass a few hours.
-------------------------------
There is big difference between the trek below Namche and above Namche.
Below Namche there are more people. They are more likely to wear western clothes and have mobile phones. They are more farms. There are more mani stones.
Above Namche there are a few towns where people are more likely to wear traditional clothes but after that you have places that only have lodges for trekers.
Below Namche you have cows and half breed crosses between cow and yak. Above Namche you only have yaks.
-------------------------------
All the lodges have bench seats around the walls of the dining hall. This serves as extra accomodation when the lodges are full.
Return to Kathmandu
I am back in Kathmandu. My tour to Everest base camp ended last night.
We had a final dinner at Rum Doodle restaurant - the last place I remember eating at on my first trip to Kathmandu. (Different Michael that time. Hey Michael, the food was even better than I remembered.)
Dawa, my guide from two years ago, also joined us. He ordered a plate of chips and several servings of Rum. He said I should be married and he offered to take me on a motor bike trip the next day in order to find a Nepali bride. He insisted he was serious and I believe he was. I explained (I think) that I only had a few days left in Nepal and it wasn't long enough to my liking for an appropriate courtship.
Today I had to find my own accommodation for two nights. My friend Guenter in Tokyo recommended that I stay at Nirvana. I found the Nirvana Garden. I realised that I stayed there the last time I was in Kathmandu. They wanted 2900 rupees a night (about $58 AUD). Instead I am staying at Nirvana Peace Home for 350 rupees ($7 AUD).
Probably not the place Guenter had in mind but I quite like it. My room is right next to the upstairs reading room/dining area - a large curtained balcony area - which I have been treating as my own lounge room. Fellow guests are mostly interesting international hippie types.
I have been having a nice lazy day today which is just what I what I will need from time to time on this grand adventure. I changed hotels, read some emails, backed up my photos, dropped off some washing, and booked a place to stay in Hong Kong (Hollywood Guest House, Kowloon).
I managed to get a print out of my booking just before the power cut out. Kathmandu has power restrictions at the moment with the electricity switched off between midnight and 8 am and midday and 8pm. We didn't have this electricity problem up in the Himilayas.
It's quarter to 6 now and I have just had an early dinner at a garden restaurant in the centre of Thamel. It's one of the first places I remember eating at on my first trip to Kathmandu. It's kind of a brick courtyard with a dozen metal tables and chairs. A large tree in the middle and trees and bushes around the borders. I am looking across the street at a clothing store where a mannequin child in a pashmina shawl stares back at me. Life-like except for her ghostly white face.
We had a final dinner at Rum Doodle restaurant - the last place I remember eating at on my first trip to Kathmandu. (Different Michael that time. Hey Michael, the food was even better than I remembered.)
Dawa, my guide from two years ago, also joined us. He ordered a plate of chips and several servings of Rum. He said I should be married and he offered to take me on a motor bike trip the next day in order to find a Nepali bride. He insisted he was serious and I believe he was. I explained (I think) that I only had a few days left in Nepal and it wasn't long enough to my liking for an appropriate courtship.
Today I had to find my own accommodation for two nights. My friend Guenter in Tokyo recommended that I stay at Nirvana. I found the Nirvana Garden. I realised that I stayed there the last time I was in Kathmandu. They wanted 2900 rupees a night (about $58 AUD). Instead I am staying at Nirvana Peace Home for 350 rupees ($7 AUD).
Probably not the place Guenter had in mind but I quite like it. My room is right next to the upstairs reading room/dining area - a large curtained balcony area - which I have been treating as my own lounge room. Fellow guests are mostly interesting international hippie types.
I have been having a nice lazy day today which is just what I what I will need from time to time on this grand adventure. I changed hotels, read some emails, backed up my photos, dropped off some washing, and booked a place to stay in Hong Kong (Hollywood Guest House, Kowloon).
I managed to get a print out of my booking just before the power cut out. Kathmandu has power restrictions at the moment with the electricity switched off between midnight and 8 am and midday and 8pm. We didn't have this electricity problem up in the Himilayas.
It's quarter to 6 now and I have just had an early dinner at a garden restaurant in the centre of Thamel. It's one of the first places I remember eating at on my first trip to Kathmandu. It's kind of a brick courtyard with a dozen metal tables and chairs. A large tree in the middle and trees and bushes around the borders. I am looking across the street at a clothing store where a mannequin child in a pashmina shawl stares back at me. Life-like except for her ghostly white face.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Trek to Everest Base Camp - Part 2
Day 9 - Khumjung
I have a bad cold. I am sitting in the lodge dining room which has the same interior designer as the one in Namche. I should be drinking more so I order a small pot of hot chocolate. The thermos holds about a litre. You should see the large pots. It is 4:30 pm and the sun has set behind the mountains.
The walk this morning was not too long but tiring because of my illness. I breathe rapidly with the smallest amount of exertion. I put one foot in front of the other. Walk and rest. Walk and rest. This is how the mountain climbers feel when they ascend the peaks. I feel this way at 3800 metres.
"Bistare, bistare" says Tekay, our tour guide. "Take it slowly." Michael and Kylie float up the hill effortlessly. If I am slowing them down they seem not to mind.
We reach the lodge. Lunch and rest.
In the afternoon I find the energy to make the small walk to the local monastery to see the Yeti scalp but the monks are out and the monastery is shut. It is widely known that the scalp is made of deer hide stitched together but it is still held in reverence. It is the Nepalese version of the Shroud of Turin.
I rest in the afternoon and I question why I have set myself such a challenge. My body tells me to stay in bed for a few days but I don't have that option.
There is plenty of solitude on this trip. Kylie and Michael are both quiet people and conversations can be forced and awkward. It is quite common for the three of us to sit together silently for half an hour, each lost in our own thoughts. It is the off season and usually we are the only guests at the lodges we stay at.
The last cup of hot chocolate was the hardest.
A Nepalese joke
(As told to me by Tekay)
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay both climbed Mt Everest but which one was first? Tenzing was the guide so of course he would have been first. But Hillary said to him "Tenzing, if you tell people you got there second I will pay you 10,000 US dollars." After they descended the mountain they came to a large crowd of reporters. Hillary said, "Remember Tenzing, tell them you got to the top second." The reporters asked Tenzing "Who was the first man to stand on the top of Everest. Tenzing said, "Well, I got to the top second. Hillary, he was third."
Day 10 - 5th day on Trek.
Even at rest, in bed at night my breathing is rapid as if I'd just walked up a flight of stairs. Its not tiring however. My heartbeat remains slow and steady. Despite my cold I have a good nights sleep and wake up feeling refreshed. I have new energy and this has a wonderful effect on my morale. I have increased confidence that I will last the distance.
We stop at the monastery but it is shut again. The yeti remains elusive.
It is a 5 hour walk today. We start downhill and spot a musk dear and many pheasants. The male birds are a beautiful turquoise. They look like peacocks without tail feathers. The hens are a dull brown.
We keep to the left of 'mani' stones - large boulder covered with carvings of Tibetan script "om mani padme om". Often the script is painted white. The stones are prevalent around the villages but can appear anywhere along the path. This is a Buddhist region and prayer flags are common decorations giving the villages a festive look.
The sun shines brightly but I am not fooled by it. The slightest breeze brings a cold chill so I stay rugged up as warm as if I had stayed in bed.
We pass through a varied landscape - forest and mountainside. A wooden bridge over a raging river sways like other metal suspension bridges we have used. The path upward is arduous but I am used to the pace now. It is just a matter of continuing on however long it takes. We pass many staggering porters carrying staggering loads of 40 to 80 Kg. Our two porters Raj and Loktaman are probably carrying about 30kg each.
Many yaks (male) and naks (female) are also carrying loads. We pass a small stream of mostly frozen ice. Patches of ice are not uncommon in the shade. Tekay has told us we won't have snow on the trek but there will be plenty of ice.
Lakpa, our Sherpa guide says, "Another few minutes, the path more easier". I am heartened by the news. "Maybe 10, 15 minutes" he adds.
"Maybe 20, 30 minutes?" I ask.
"Yes."
We reach the top of the ridge where the large monastery of Tangboche sits. Our lodge is nearby. Tangboche is surrounded by mountains - some snow capped, some bare rock. The other side of the ridge looks out on a large valley which stretches towards Everest.
Everest is the highest of three peaks. Nuptse is the high point of a large ridge in the foreground. The ridge descends slightly before rising to the right to the majestic peak of Lhotse. The back of Lhotse joins on to Everest. The peak of Everest appears behind the ridge of Nuptse. Tomorrow Everest will disappear behind the ridge as we get closer to Nuptse.
Somehow we must get to the other side of Nuptse to reach base camp. The journey will take many days yet.
I rest in my lodge room.
Day 11 - 6th day trek.
I wake up groggy and feel that way for the first hour of the trek.
From the top of the ridge, the sun is bright, the monastery is on our left. Valley and forest are framed by snow covered mountains. As we head off towards Everest I feel as if I am walking into a picture.
We head down a trail with fine dust an inch thick. We pass through a forest where the trees are covered in fine tendrils of moss which hang down like cobwebs. Everest disappears. In front of us, a closer mountain, Ama Dablam, dominates the valley we desend into. We cross a raging river with icy banks.
I tire so easily. My legs aren't sore or anything. It might be the altitude but it is more likely my cold. We ascend above the tree line. Six hours of walking today. The hardest day for me. Probably the most scenic day so far also.
Tekay looks at the clouds and says it will probably snow in a few days time. "How much snow?" someone asks. He smiles and signals with his hand up to his waist. I don't believe him.
Day 13 - 8th Day trek - Khumbu Glacier.
Yes. Yes. This is what I came to see. The grandeur. The glory. I feel that I have finally arrived in a new and magical land.
We trekked 4 hours up from Dingboche through magnificent scenery up to a high ridge. Scrubby bushes, bare rock, icy streams, a frozen lake, panoramic views of near and distant mountains.
When we turned through the Thokla Pass at 4850 metres, a new order of magnificence was laid out before us.
We stare up a valley. The floor of the valley is perhaps 150m wide. The Khumbu glacier, more rocks than ice, stretches up for 10 km or so. We cannot see Everest. Above the valley to the right we see the ridge of Nuptse which hides Lohtse and Everest. In front of us we see three huge peaks - Pumo Ri, Lingtren and Khombutse. The ridge of these mountains join on to the hidden Everest. This ridge also forms the border to Tibet. We are used to seeing borders on the ground. Here the border is drawn in the sky.
I grab Lakpa's hand and thank him for bringing me here. There is a wonderful scent in the air. Lakpa shows me the plant the monks use for incense.
I find it hard to express my elation as I walk along side the glacier, each subtle shift of the scenery bringing joy and amazement. However, if you know me my dear friend, you can well imagine my excitement.
It is sunny, bright and cold. When the wind picks up it is biting. I put on my rain coat for extra protection. There is a small stream of water next to us running through the glacier ice. I can't tell if this is the only stream or if there are others.
We pass many yaks grazing. A woolly brown yak blends in with the colour of the vegetation. A black yak looks like it could be a rock.
I still have my cold but it did not tire me on my trek today. I also have a headache which is probably due to the altitude. Last night me head ached so badly at times I would grip it and massage it hoping I could take the pain away.
---------------------
It is 3:40 in the afternoon. I am sitting in the lodge dining room. Two of the lodge staff are having an animated card game with Tekay and Lakpa. They laugh and talk in Nepali. Instead of putting cards down on the table, they throw them with passion and determination.
It has been a good day. I am happy.
Day 14 - 9th day trek. Everest base camp.
I did not sleep well last night at our lodge in Labouche so I start the day a little disorientated.
We walk behind a ridge which hides the glacier from us. After a while we are walking on top of the ridge.
It is like being inside a huge bowl 10km across. We are surrounded by glorious mountains. I don't know where they all came from. Inside the bowl are large hills of boulders, rocks, pebbles and dust. No matter where we are it feels like being in the centre of the bowl.
The glacier below us on the right now looks like a river of icebergs. They have steep sheer clear white ice sides, carved by the sun, which face north up towards their source. The rest is covered with dark rocks and stones which have fallen from the mountains that the glacier is carving a path through.
I arrive at the lodge tired but we still have 5 hours of walking for the return trip to base camp. We head off after lunch. If I exert myself too much I start to feel dizzy and slightly confused.
Tekay asks if I want to turn back. I think of the porters who carry immense burdens and old women who travel up hillsides with loads of water. In this land, endurance is a natural part of daily life. I would feel ashamed to turn back this close to my goal.
Occasionally we hear cracks from the glacier. At one point we hear a distant rumble and I see a plume of snow on one of the mountains - avalanche. Now the glacier is pure white without any rock litter.
Base camp itself is an area of cold rocks at the side of the visible glacier. There is also ice below where we stand. The journey here is more spectacular than the destination (which is still spectacular.) It is winter so there are no climbers camped here preparing for ascent. The glacier turns 90 degrees and rises steeply between the mountains towards Everest.
Reaching base camp, I feel a sense of achievement. Yet our journey ends where others' begin. we have reached the bottom of the top.
I would like to stay longer but I am cold.
-------------------
The journey back to the lodge is shorter but tiring. Even my camera batteries are exhausted. I have a mixed pizza for dinner - nak cheese, mushroom, tomato and tuna. I feel tired and dizzy so I go to bed early.
Kylie and Michael will get up at 5am to climb Kali Patan. I have decided to get them to take some photographs for me. If it wasn't for my cold and the way the altitude has been effecting me I would join them.
Day 15 - Descent into Darkness.
It's 1 am and I can't sleep. I am breathing rapidly. When I catch my breath my body relaxes, I start to doze and my breathing slows down.
I am out of breath again. I start breathing rapidly again.
I wake Tekay and explain my problem. He gives me some bottled oxygen. I am surprised how quickly my breathing returns to normal. Tekay keeps me on the oxygen for half an hour. He says we had best descend.
Lukpa and Tekay quickly help me pack and I dress for descent. Tekay leads and one of our porters Loktaman follows with my baggage and whatever else he needs to carry. Lukpa stays behind to guide Michael and Kylie.
We head off just before 2 am with headlamps. I tire quickly. Tekay gives me some more oxygen. It helps.
Within an hour we have descended 150m It is easier to breathe and if we rest often enough I am fine.
Another hour and we are lower. Tekay offers me some more oxygen but now it is too much and gives me a headache. Now I don't have a breathing problem. I just have the normal exhaustion of a man who has had a busy day, little sleep and has to trek at 4 in the morning.
The nearest lodge is at Tukla which we reach at 5:30am. We have descended 600m. Tekay and Loktaman call out for the lodge keeper to open up. The lodge keeper hears them but ignores them thinking they are rowdy locals. Tekay and Loktaman find a door open. They set up a bed for me in a dusty dorm room and get out my sleeping bag. I am asleep in about 5 minutes.
I get up around 9 and order breakfast. I expect that Tekay would want to depart soon after breakfast but he is in no hurry. I update my journal and talk to a Spaniard before we leave around 11:30.
I was disappointed to have to rush past such beautiful scenery in the dark but I am pleasantly surprised by the morning walk.
We take a different path back because we are bypassing a village we stayed at on the way up. We head down into a glacial valley with many icy streams running along with us. We pass a group of empty stone buildings with stone fences - summer dwellings for yak herders.
At one point Tekay and I take a break. We spend 20 minutes simply staring at the magnificent Nuptse and Lohtse, each of us waiting for the other to break the trance by saying "joom joom, let's go".
The impasse is only broken when Kylie, Michael and Lukpa catch up to us. They have conquered Kali Patan. We head on to our lodge and a long overdue hot shower.
Day 16 - The return Journey.
In the morning we return to the monastery of Tengboche as we retrace our steps. Three more sleeps until we fly back to Kathmandu.
In the afternoon I turn on my mp3 player. The music gives me energy to glide up the hills back to Namche. Instead of detracting from the experience, the music sharpens my attention and I have a greater feeling of presence.
It has been a beautiful walk today. I expect the same for the next two days. This chapter of my adventure is all but over.
It did not snow.
I have a bad cold. I am sitting in the lodge dining room which has the same interior designer as the one in Namche. I should be drinking more so I order a small pot of hot chocolate. The thermos holds about a litre. You should see the large pots. It is 4:30 pm and the sun has set behind the mountains.
The walk this morning was not too long but tiring because of my illness. I breathe rapidly with the smallest amount of exertion. I put one foot in front of the other. Walk and rest. Walk and rest. This is how the mountain climbers feel when they ascend the peaks. I feel this way at 3800 metres.
"Bistare, bistare" says Tekay, our tour guide. "Take it slowly." Michael and Kylie float up the hill effortlessly. If I am slowing them down they seem not to mind.
We reach the lodge. Lunch and rest.
In the afternoon I find the energy to make the small walk to the local monastery to see the Yeti scalp but the monks are out and the monastery is shut. It is widely known that the scalp is made of deer hide stitched together but it is still held in reverence. It is the Nepalese version of the Shroud of Turin.
I rest in the afternoon and I question why I have set myself such a challenge. My body tells me to stay in bed for a few days but I don't have that option.
There is plenty of solitude on this trip. Kylie and Michael are both quiet people and conversations can be forced and awkward. It is quite common for the three of us to sit together silently for half an hour, each lost in our own thoughts. It is the off season and usually we are the only guests at the lodges we stay at.
The last cup of hot chocolate was the hardest.
A Nepalese joke
(As told to me by Tekay)
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay both climbed Mt Everest but which one was first? Tenzing was the guide so of course he would have been first. But Hillary said to him "Tenzing, if you tell people you got there second I will pay you 10,000 US dollars." After they descended the mountain they came to a large crowd of reporters. Hillary said, "Remember Tenzing, tell them you got to the top second." The reporters asked Tenzing "Who was the first man to stand on the top of Everest. Tenzing said, "Well, I got to the top second. Hillary, he was third."
Day 10 - 5th day on Trek.
Even at rest, in bed at night my breathing is rapid as if I'd just walked up a flight of stairs. Its not tiring however. My heartbeat remains slow and steady. Despite my cold I have a good nights sleep and wake up feeling refreshed. I have new energy and this has a wonderful effect on my morale. I have increased confidence that I will last the distance.
We stop at the monastery but it is shut again. The yeti remains elusive.
It is a 5 hour walk today. We start downhill and spot a musk dear and many pheasants. The male birds are a beautiful turquoise. They look like peacocks without tail feathers. The hens are a dull brown.
We keep to the left of 'mani' stones - large boulder covered with carvings of Tibetan script "om mani padme om". Often the script is painted white. The stones are prevalent around the villages but can appear anywhere along the path. This is a Buddhist region and prayer flags are common decorations giving the villages a festive look.
The sun shines brightly but I am not fooled by it. The slightest breeze brings a cold chill so I stay rugged up as warm as if I had stayed in bed.
We pass through a varied landscape - forest and mountainside. A wooden bridge over a raging river sways like other metal suspension bridges we have used. The path upward is arduous but I am used to the pace now. It is just a matter of continuing on however long it takes. We pass many staggering porters carrying staggering loads of 40 to 80 Kg. Our two porters Raj and Loktaman are probably carrying about 30kg each.
Many yaks (male) and naks (female) are also carrying loads. We pass a small stream of mostly frozen ice. Patches of ice are not uncommon in the shade. Tekay has told us we won't have snow on the trek but there will be plenty of ice.
Lakpa, our Sherpa guide says, "Another few minutes, the path more easier". I am heartened by the news. "Maybe 10, 15 minutes" he adds.
"Maybe 20, 30 minutes?" I ask.
"Yes."
We reach the top of the ridge where the large monastery of Tangboche sits. Our lodge is nearby. Tangboche is surrounded by mountains - some snow capped, some bare rock. The other side of the ridge looks out on a large valley which stretches towards Everest.
Everest is the highest of three peaks. Nuptse is the high point of a large ridge in the foreground. The ridge descends slightly before rising to the right to the majestic peak of Lhotse. The back of Lhotse joins on to Everest. The peak of Everest appears behind the ridge of Nuptse. Tomorrow Everest will disappear behind the ridge as we get closer to Nuptse.
Somehow we must get to the other side of Nuptse to reach base camp. The journey will take many days yet.
I rest in my lodge room.
Day 11 - 6th day trek.
I wake up groggy and feel that way for the first hour of the trek.
From the top of the ridge, the sun is bright, the monastery is on our left. Valley and forest are framed by snow covered mountains. As we head off towards Everest I feel as if I am walking into a picture.
We head down a trail with fine dust an inch thick. We pass through a forest where the trees are covered in fine tendrils of moss which hang down like cobwebs. Everest disappears. In front of us, a closer mountain, Ama Dablam, dominates the valley we desend into. We cross a raging river with icy banks.
I tire so easily. My legs aren't sore or anything. It might be the altitude but it is more likely my cold. We ascend above the tree line. Six hours of walking today. The hardest day for me. Probably the most scenic day so far also.
Tekay looks at the clouds and says it will probably snow in a few days time. "How much snow?" someone asks. He smiles and signals with his hand up to his waist. I don't believe him.
Day 13 - 8th Day trek - Khumbu Glacier.
Yes. Yes. This is what I came to see. The grandeur. The glory. I feel that I have finally arrived in a new and magical land.
We trekked 4 hours up from Dingboche through magnificent scenery up to a high ridge. Scrubby bushes, bare rock, icy streams, a frozen lake, panoramic views of near and distant mountains.
When we turned through the Thokla Pass at 4850 metres, a new order of magnificence was laid out before us.
We stare up a valley. The floor of the valley is perhaps 150m wide. The Khumbu glacier, more rocks than ice, stretches up for 10 km or so. We cannot see Everest. Above the valley to the right we see the ridge of Nuptse which hides Lohtse and Everest. In front of us we see three huge peaks - Pumo Ri, Lingtren and Khombutse. The ridge of these mountains join on to the hidden Everest. This ridge also forms the border to Tibet. We are used to seeing borders on the ground. Here the border is drawn in the sky.
I grab Lakpa's hand and thank him for bringing me here. There is a wonderful scent in the air. Lakpa shows me the plant the monks use for incense.
I find it hard to express my elation as I walk along side the glacier, each subtle shift of the scenery bringing joy and amazement. However, if you know me my dear friend, you can well imagine my excitement.
It is sunny, bright and cold. When the wind picks up it is biting. I put on my rain coat for extra protection. There is a small stream of water next to us running through the glacier ice. I can't tell if this is the only stream or if there are others.
We pass many yaks grazing. A woolly brown yak blends in with the colour of the vegetation. A black yak looks like it could be a rock.
I still have my cold but it did not tire me on my trek today. I also have a headache which is probably due to the altitude. Last night me head ached so badly at times I would grip it and massage it hoping I could take the pain away.
---------------------
It is 3:40 in the afternoon. I am sitting in the lodge dining room. Two of the lodge staff are having an animated card game with Tekay and Lakpa. They laugh and talk in Nepali. Instead of putting cards down on the table, they throw them with passion and determination.
It has been a good day. I am happy.
Day 14 - 9th day trek. Everest base camp.
I did not sleep well last night at our lodge in Labouche so I start the day a little disorientated.
We walk behind a ridge which hides the glacier from us. After a while we are walking on top of the ridge.
It is like being inside a huge bowl 10km across. We are surrounded by glorious mountains. I don't know where they all came from. Inside the bowl are large hills of boulders, rocks, pebbles and dust. No matter where we are it feels like being in the centre of the bowl.
The glacier below us on the right now looks like a river of icebergs. They have steep sheer clear white ice sides, carved by the sun, which face north up towards their source. The rest is covered with dark rocks and stones which have fallen from the mountains that the glacier is carving a path through.
I arrive at the lodge tired but we still have 5 hours of walking for the return trip to base camp. We head off after lunch. If I exert myself too much I start to feel dizzy and slightly confused.
Tekay asks if I want to turn back. I think of the porters who carry immense burdens and old women who travel up hillsides with loads of water. In this land, endurance is a natural part of daily life. I would feel ashamed to turn back this close to my goal.
Occasionally we hear cracks from the glacier. At one point we hear a distant rumble and I see a plume of snow on one of the mountains - avalanche. Now the glacier is pure white without any rock litter.
Base camp itself is an area of cold rocks at the side of the visible glacier. There is also ice below where we stand. The journey here is more spectacular than the destination (which is still spectacular.) It is winter so there are no climbers camped here preparing for ascent. The glacier turns 90 degrees and rises steeply between the mountains towards Everest.
Reaching base camp, I feel a sense of achievement. Yet our journey ends where others' begin. we have reached the bottom of the top.
I would like to stay longer but I am cold.
-------------------
The journey back to the lodge is shorter but tiring. Even my camera batteries are exhausted. I have a mixed pizza for dinner - nak cheese, mushroom, tomato and tuna. I feel tired and dizzy so I go to bed early.
Kylie and Michael will get up at 5am to climb Kali Patan. I have decided to get them to take some photographs for me. If it wasn't for my cold and the way the altitude has been effecting me I would join them.
Day 15 - Descent into Darkness.
It's 1 am and I can't sleep. I am breathing rapidly. When I catch my breath my body relaxes, I start to doze and my breathing slows down.
I am out of breath again. I start breathing rapidly again.
I wake Tekay and explain my problem. He gives me some bottled oxygen. I am surprised how quickly my breathing returns to normal. Tekay keeps me on the oxygen for half an hour. He says we had best descend.
Lukpa and Tekay quickly help me pack and I dress for descent. Tekay leads and one of our porters Loktaman follows with my baggage and whatever else he needs to carry. Lukpa stays behind to guide Michael and Kylie.
We head off just before 2 am with headlamps. I tire quickly. Tekay gives me some more oxygen. It helps.
Within an hour we have descended 150m It is easier to breathe and if we rest often enough I am fine.
Another hour and we are lower. Tekay offers me some more oxygen but now it is too much and gives me a headache. Now I don't have a breathing problem. I just have the normal exhaustion of a man who has had a busy day, little sleep and has to trek at 4 in the morning.
The nearest lodge is at Tukla which we reach at 5:30am. We have descended 600m. Tekay and Loktaman call out for the lodge keeper to open up. The lodge keeper hears them but ignores them thinking they are rowdy locals. Tekay and Loktaman find a door open. They set up a bed for me in a dusty dorm room and get out my sleeping bag. I am asleep in about 5 minutes.
I get up around 9 and order breakfast. I expect that Tekay would want to depart soon after breakfast but he is in no hurry. I update my journal and talk to a Spaniard before we leave around 11:30.
I was disappointed to have to rush past such beautiful scenery in the dark but I am pleasantly surprised by the morning walk.
We take a different path back because we are bypassing a village we stayed at on the way up. We head down into a glacial valley with many icy streams running along with us. We pass a group of empty stone buildings with stone fences - summer dwellings for yak herders.
At one point Tekay and I take a break. We spend 20 minutes simply staring at the magnificent Nuptse and Lohtse, each of us waiting for the other to break the trance by saying "joom joom, let's go".
The impasse is only broken when Kylie, Michael and Lukpa catch up to us. They have conquered Kali Patan. We head on to our lodge and a long overdue hot shower.
Day 16 - The return Journey.
In the morning we return to the monastery of Tengboche as we retrace our steps. Three more sleeps until we fly back to Kathmandu.
In the afternoon I turn on my mp3 player. The music gives me energy to glide up the hills back to Namche. Instead of detracting from the experience, the music sharpens my attention and I have a greater feeling of presence.
It has been a beautiful walk today. I expect the same for the next two days. This chapter of my adventure is all but over.
It did not snow.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Trek to Everest Base Camp - Part 1
Day 6 - Phakding.
The plane holds about 20 people. It is about a 35 minute flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. The plane banks sharply deftly hitting the bottom of the runway. The short runway ascends about 12 degrees up the hill. Gravity brakes. The plane turns right at speed and stops in the parking lot. We tumble out into a small village area surrounded by mountains. it is 8am and about 5 degrees centigrade. Our trek begins.
Breakfast. 3 hours trekking, lunch and a break. I get out the Sarangi I bought in Nepal. It is like a local violin about 12 inches long. 4 strings but the 2 central strings seem to be tuned alike. We take turns making screeching noises. It is wood and I can't see myself carrying it around the world.
Afterwards we head up the hill to a 500 year old monastery. Yahweh seems small and distant. What does the God of Abraham know about Himel? Blake's England is right next door to Jerusalem. This is another world.
It is my birthday. I am 44. I get concerned as I think about growing old. Then I laugh. This is a good way to grow old.
After dinner our tour leader Tekay has organised a birthday cake. The kitchen staff come out singing happy birthday and a ceremonial white scarf is placed over my shoulders. I have chocolates to share with everyone - a farewell gift from Melbourne. They are appreciated.
Day 7 - Namche Bazar
The morning walk was pleasant. For lunch I had Sherpa Noodle Soup. The local noodles are like an irregular thick fettuccine. It has vegetables and the base is curry with maybe some dahl. After lunch we ascend to Namche Bazar. The walk is not too hard but I am tired. At times I feel as if I am in a trance. We get to Namche at 3:30. Michael and I share a room. Our view overlooks the town with a backdrop of nearby mountains. Huge waterfalls are frozen white on the face of the mountain.
I am feeling nauseous from the altitude but a cup of tea masala (chai) and half an hour later I am feeling better. I am sitting in the dining room of our lodge with the same view of the mountains. It has varnished floors, walls and tables. The bench seats have thick carpets on them. A girl puts dried yak dung in the stove in the centre of the room. Tonight we will watch "7 years in Tibet" on DVD.
The plane holds about 20 people. It is about a 35 minute flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. The plane banks sharply deftly hitting the bottom of the runway. The short runway ascends about 12 degrees up the hill. Gravity brakes. The plane turns right at speed and stops in the parking lot. We tumble out into a small village area surrounded by mountains. it is 8am and about 5 degrees centigrade. Our trek begins.
Breakfast. 3 hours trekking, lunch and a break. I get out the Sarangi I bought in Nepal. It is like a local violin about 12 inches long. 4 strings but the 2 central strings seem to be tuned alike. We take turns making screeching noises. It is wood and I can't see myself carrying it around the world.
Afterwards we head up the hill to a 500 year old monastery. Yahweh seems small and distant. What does the God of Abraham know about Himel? Blake's England is right next door to Jerusalem. This is another world.
It is my birthday. I am 44. I get concerned as I think about growing old. Then I laugh. This is a good way to grow old.
After dinner our tour leader Tekay has organised a birthday cake. The kitchen staff come out singing happy birthday and a ceremonial white scarf is placed over my shoulders. I have chocolates to share with everyone - a farewell gift from Melbourne. They are appreciated.
Day 7 - Namche Bazar
The morning walk was pleasant. For lunch I had Sherpa Noodle Soup. The local noodles are like an irregular thick fettuccine. It has vegetables and the base is curry with maybe some dahl. After lunch we ascend to Namche Bazar. The walk is not too hard but I am tired. At times I feel as if I am in a trance. We get to Namche at 3:30. Michael and I share a room. Our view overlooks the town with a backdrop of nearby mountains. Huge waterfalls are frozen white on the face of the mountain.
I am feeling nauseous from the altitude but a cup of tea masala (chai) and half an hour later I am feeling better. I am sitting in the dining room of our lodge with the same view of the mountains. It has varnished floors, walls and tables. The bench seats have thick carpets on them. A girl puts dried yak dung in the stove in the centre of the room. Tonight we will watch "7 years in Tibet" on DVD.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Day 5 - Kathmandu
It is Sunday evening and I am sitting on the base of a large pillar at the Monkey Temple in Kathmandu. Kylie has left and she will meet Michael and tell him I have decided to wait a while longer. There are only the three of us booked on this trip.
Much of what I have seen today I have seen before on my previous visit eighteen months ago. Lunch on the rooftop restaurant overlooking Patan Durbar Square was magnificent. But Patan is similar to Bakhtapur and after a couple of hours I grow weary and indifferent. The Monkey Temple is new and refreshing and the light of the late afternoon conveys a special magic and serenity.
The Temple is on a large hill with two peaks. The lower peak has a monastery with court yards and wonderful views of Kathmandu. Prayer flags stretch from the top of the buildings to the surrounding trees and flutter in the breeze. Several couples are enjoying the romantic setting. Small flocks of large birds circle about. Monkeys are clambering over statues swinging from the trees and sitting by the paths watching the tourists parade by.
On the higher hill there is a large stupa. A white dome with a four sided pillar on top. On the pillar, the traditional eyes with the upside down question mark where the nose would be. (The eye of Buddha.)
I walk clockwise around the pillar spinning the prayer wheels. Where I sit I look out towards a large tree with few leaves, covered in old prayer flags. I also notice some discarded prayer beads hanging from a branch silhouetted against the fading sky. I think of you.Nearby, a man is playing one of the CDs he has for sale - Tibetans chanting "om mane padme om". I feel at peace.
I descend the steep 360 steps to the bottom of the hill. Now it is dark. I ask for directions to Thamel. Turn left at the tee intersection. At the temple descend down. Go across the bridge and ascend. For some of the way I walk with a girl from Hong Kong. Two local children join us and talk with us for several minutes before asking for money. We part ways. I eventually find my way back to the hotel.
Much of what I have seen today I have seen before on my previous visit eighteen months ago. Lunch on the rooftop restaurant overlooking Patan Durbar Square was magnificent. But Patan is similar to Bakhtapur and after a couple of hours I grow weary and indifferent. The Monkey Temple is new and refreshing and the light of the late afternoon conveys a special magic and serenity.
The Temple is on a large hill with two peaks. The lower peak has a monastery with court yards and wonderful views of Kathmandu. Prayer flags stretch from the top of the buildings to the surrounding trees and flutter in the breeze. Several couples are enjoying the romantic setting. Small flocks of large birds circle about. Monkeys are clambering over statues swinging from the trees and sitting by the paths watching the tourists parade by.
On the higher hill there is a large stupa. A white dome with a four sided pillar on top. On the pillar, the traditional eyes with the upside down question mark where the nose would be. (The eye of Buddha.)
I walk clockwise around the pillar spinning the prayer wheels. Where I sit I look out towards a large tree with few leaves, covered in old prayer flags. I also notice some discarded prayer beads hanging from a branch silhouetted against the fading sky. I think of you.Nearby, a man is playing one of the CDs he has for sale - Tibetans chanting "om mane padme om". I feel at peace.
I descend the steep 360 steps to the bottom of the hill. Now it is dark. I ask for directions to Thamel. Turn left at the tee intersection. At the temple descend down. Go across the bridge and ascend. For some of the way I walk with a girl from Hong Kong. Two local children join us and talk with us for several minutes before asking for money. We part ways. I eventually find my way back to the hotel.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Day 3 - Delhi
I am sitting at a roof top restaurant in Pahar Ganj, New Delhi.
Its 8am and the sun is rising orange through the smog. On the streets the days activities are just beginning. People are burning the rubbish left from the previous night.
This is not the Delhi I remember from last year, the cosmopolitan Connaught Place with bars and fashion shops. These are back streets and at night children play with carts cows wander freely, taxis bicycles and cars compete with pedestrians.
A brief visit and I am off to Nepal.
Its 8am and the sun is rising orange through the smog. On the streets the days activities are just beginning. People are burning the rubbish left from the previous night.
This is not the Delhi I remember from last year, the cosmopolitan Connaught Place with bars and fashion shops. These are back streets and at night children play with carts cows wander freely, taxis bicycles and cars compete with pedestrians.
A brief visit and I am off to Nepal.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Day 1 - Tokyo - Itchy Knees
Japanese. Ichi Ni - English. One Two.
I arrive safely in Tokyo.
At 5pm it is already starting to get dark. It's another hour before I catch the train from Narita to Shinjuku. A month ago I did extensive research into the optimal travel path to get from the airport into town. Now that I am here I elect the easiest and quickest route - the Narita Express.
Guenter will meet me at Shinjuku Station. I have a present for him. Three painted glasses which I promised him about 15 years ago. He actually commissioned 4 glasses but I lost one. That's ok because apparently Japanese prefer odd numbers of gifts. The Japanese also value the care used in wrapping gifts. I was running late so I packed them quickly in a box of twisties and cheetos. Australian delicacies that Guenter misses. Unfortunately something went wrong when I cured the paint on the glasses last week and they came out of the oven with a frosted finish. They will permanently look like they are in need of a good wash.
I have sent Guenter recent photos of myself but I haven't seen any of him. Will I recognise him? Its odd how people change. You still recognise all the things you liked about them. How much of that is real and how much is imagination?Are they attributes of the person or is it just our perception. A person could change completely but if our perceptions don't change then we see them as unchanged.
I arrive at Shinjuku station. On the platform, I look around for Guenter. I see him approaching from a distance. Trim, tall and handsome. a good deal of white in his hair but a full crop. (In an email, he had referred to my changed appearance as 'more streamlined'.) So many wrinkles enhanced by his broad smile. I suddenly remember many things I had forgotten about him.His height for one. The sound of his laugh reminds me of his good humour. It's hard to explain. I feel good in his presence. It is a familiar feeling with a unique emotional pattern. It was something that I missed and valued.
He welcomes me into his home and family. We go out to dinner for sushi with his wife Kaori and their 10 year old daughter Sahara. Sahara is precocious and a delight. She reinforces my desire to have a child in my life as does Guenter's joy in parenthood.
The next day Guenter and I take a train to Mount Takao. From there we can see Fuji. Impressive even at a distance. You can see photos and videos of any place in the world but when you see a place with you own eyes it takes on a new reality. It becomes a part of your life experience. Now whenever I see a photo or painting of Fuji or even hear the word I will think about the view from Mount Takao.
That evening the four of us have dinner with Gavin and Deb. I wish I could have spend more time with all of them but I have to leave the following morning.
I arrive safely in Tokyo.
At 5pm it is already starting to get dark. It's another hour before I catch the train from Narita to Shinjuku. A month ago I did extensive research into the optimal travel path to get from the airport into town. Now that I am here I elect the easiest and quickest route - the Narita Express.
Guenter will meet me at Shinjuku Station. I have a present for him. Three painted glasses which I promised him about 15 years ago. He actually commissioned 4 glasses but I lost one. That's ok because apparently Japanese prefer odd numbers of gifts. The Japanese also value the care used in wrapping gifts. I was running late so I packed them quickly in a box of twisties and cheetos. Australian delicacies that Guenter misses. Unfortunately something went wrong when I cured the paint on the glasses last week and they came out of the oven with a frosted finish. They will permanently look like they are in need of a good wash.
I have sent Guenter recent photos of myself but I haven't seen any of him. Will I recognise him? Its odd how people change. You still recognise all the things you liked about them. How much of that is real and how much is imagination?Are they attributes of the person or is it just our perception. A person could change completely but if our perceptions don't change then we see them as unchanged.
I arrive at Shinjuku station. On the platform, I look around for Guenter. I see him approaching from a distance. Trim, tall and handsome. a good deal of white in his hair but a full crop. (In an email, he had referred to my changed appearance as 'more streamlined'.) So many wrinkles enhanced by his broad smile. I suddenly remember many things I had forgotten about him.His height for one. The sound of his laugh reminds me of his good humour. It's hard to explain. I feel good in his presence. It is a familiar feeling with a unique emotional pattern. It was something that I missed and valued.
He welcomes me into his home and family. We go out to dinner for sushi with his wife Kaori and their 10 year old daughter Sahara. Sahara is precocious and a delight. She reinforces my desire to have a child in my life as does Guenter's joy in parenthood.
The next day Guenter and I take a train to Mount Takao. From there we can see Fuji. Impressive even at a distance. You can see photos and videos of any place in the world but when you see a place with you own eyes it takes on a new reality. It becomes a part of your life experience. Now whenever I see a photo or painting of Fuji or even hear the word I will think about the view from Mount Takao.
That evening the four of us have dinner with Gavin and Deb. I wish I could have spend more time with all of them but I have to leave the following morning.