We arrived in Chame about 1 hour ago. 6 days of trekking is incredible although I think I'm ready for a slower day. (We started in Besisahar at 820 m and are now at 2,670 m... about 2,500m to go)!
I will post more once the trek is over as internet is 15 Rs per hour and if it's like electricity in Nepal, it's not reliable!
The views and mountains and people are amazing.
I've connected with a German family, a brother - Peter, who's about 50 years old, his sister, Gina - 49, and the brother's daughter, Mascha 19. I met them on Day 2 near Ngadi where we had lunch and we've trekked together and shared rooms and dinner since then. We may continue on together... who knows. They are very kind and a lot of fun. Lauren - the daughter is 19! Actually... we first met on the bus from Kathmandu so that was funny to share stories of that part of the journey too!
Anyways, I'm very happy and doing well. We are safe and enjoying the trek. Normal aches and pains for packing our own stuff. I opted for no porter or guide as did they so it's been fun to hang out! I've also ditched the hot water bottle for a regular water bottle (much lighter) and one of my books! We've been eating the peanut butter I bought and cashews and they've been sharing their chocolate... a valuable commodity at 2-3000 meters where it costs about 200 Rs per candy bar... $2.50. :-) So... thank goodness the packs are getting lighter!
Much love to you all. Nepali tea is beckoning... and Tibetan bread and Daal Bat and well anything but Yak Curry! Peter (the dad) tried it last night - he had one bite and passed! I tried it... it's pretty strong and as he put it, it tastes like "200 year old sheep." We all have loads of stories to share!
Anyways, I will not be responding to e-mails for another 2-3 weeks so please bare with me.
Michael - thanks for the comment!
Love and hugs!
Namaste!!!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Annapurna Circuit
Hello all,
I begin today.
I left Kathmandu at 6:30 and took a bus to Besisahar which took about 7 bumpy, windy, beautiful hours. Although... let me advise others who might want to do this... have your legs shortened about 6 inches before leaving the US. It might make all buses much more comfortable!!
The scenery is incredible. The road after Dumre is barely wide enough for 2 buses to pass each other and that's only in "most" portions. The road is deteriorated and we also ran into a "road block" where about 20 people (including some kids) were waiting, rope held across road, to collect a fee to pass. Hmmmm...
Another highlight on the ride was a sign I saw (besides the incredible views - did I mention the views)? "Bridge damaged, please drive slow, one vehicle only." This as our bus barrelled over it! OMG. The bus takes a road that goes up and down several small mountains and along the edge with a great lookout. Just don't look down.
Anyways, I won't post all the details until my trip is over. Just know that I am safe and doing well. I will begin hiking either today or tomorrow. If I spend the night in Besisahar then I'll just hang out here today. I may opt to go to Kuhdi though...either catch a jeep for 30 minutes over the bumpy dirty road or walk the 3 hours. Which may mean 4 for Miss Heavy Pack. It weighs about 18-20 kg. I hope to get back to Thailand "Fit and Firm" as Pi Jew says!
There are a lot of other trekkers and I mean a LOT. I have my eyes and ears open and am enjoying the Nepali people.
I may not have access to internet the rest of the trek which I plan on taking at least 3 weeks. "Heavy Pack and All." :-) Title for my book Dylan? haaaahahahhah! Anyways, the power and internet/phone connection are sketchy but I will try to keep everyone posted. I'm okay and happy! And it's so beautiful. I think I'm in love with Nepal!
Love and hugs to you all.
I begin today.
I left Kathmandu at 6:30 and took a bus to Besisahar which took about 7 bumpy, windy, beautiful hours. Although... let me advise others who might want to do this... have your legs shortened about 6 inches before leaving the US. It might make all buses much more comfortable!!
The scenery is incredible. The road after Dumre is barely wide enough for 2 buses to pass each other and that's only in "most" portions. The road is deteriorated and we also ran into a "road block" where about 20 people (including some kids) were waiting, rope held across road, to collect a fee to pass. Hmmmm...
Another highlight on the ride was a sign I saw (besides the incredible views - did I mention the views)? "Bridge damaged, please drive slow, one vehicle only." This as our bus barrelled over it! OMG. The bus takes a road that goes up and down several small mountains and along the edge with a great lookout. Just don't look down.
Anyways, I won't post all the details until my trip is over. Just know that I am safe and doing well. I will begin hiking either today or tomorrow. If I spend the night in Besisahar then I'll just hang out here today. I may opt to go to Kuhdi though...either catch a jeep for 30 minutes over the bumpy dirty road or walk the 3 hours. Which may mean 4 for Miss Heavy Pack. It weighs about 18-20 kg. I hope to get back to Thailand "Fit and Firm" as Pi Jew says!
There are a lot of other trekkers and I mean a LOT. I have my eyes and ears open and am enjoying the Nepali people.
I may not have access to internet the rest of the trek which I plan on taking at least 3 weeks. "Heavy Pack and All." :-) Title for my book Dylan? haaaahahahhah! Anyways, the power and internet/phone connection are sketchy but I will try to keep everyone posted. I'm okay and happy! And it's so beautiful. I think I'm in love with Nepal!
Love and hugs to you all.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Kathmandu
Namaste.
This website has a beautiful definition of "namaste."
http://www.taketheleap.com/namaste.htm
I've arrived in Kathmandu and am staying at "Elbrus Home." The stopover in Bangladesh was very interesting to say the least. I had breakfast with a shihk (sp) and an interesting conversation. A Bangladesh man in the Bangkok airport offered to have me stay with him in Dhaka on my layover for my flight... yeah... NOOOOOO. Bangladesh was intimidating. It is very much a male dominated society and I was grateful I had prepared by purchasing a full length skirt in Bangkok yesterday morning. The plane left Bangkok at 9:20 pm on Benin Bangladesh airways (I will probably not use them again) and we arrived in Dhaka Bangladesh about midnight. (It's a 2+ hour flight). By the time the airlines arranged to take me to a hotel it was well after 1:00 am. I was transported there with an English man and the shihk from India. The English man was actually living in Thailand (for the prior 7 years) and was hoping to make it home in time before his mother passed away. The Shihk was traveling on business.
I met a couple from England (25 and 22) and they are very sweet. We've been helping each other out a bit since we all boarded the plane in Bangkok and we ended up deciding we'd stay in the same guesthouse here in Kathmandu. I'm sure I'll see them more and possibly see them on the trek as well. They are very sweet and fun.
Elbrus Home is $6 USD per night for one person (~76 rupis). My room has two single beds and a fan and a private bathroom and tv. For two people the same room is $8 per night. The guesthouse is on the 4th floor and the view is beautiful. There is a large patio area that overlooks the city. Here's a website:
http://www.hostelsweb.com/hostelsweb.com/hostel.php?HostelNumber=20533
Kathmandu is surrounded by mountains and reminds me of Denver but much smaller and VERY different. Not SAME SAME and YES DIFFERENT. (That's for Sherri). :-P In Thailand the phrase the foreigners hear often is "same same but different..." in otherwords, you should buy it because it's similar to something but it's unique so either way ... you will like.
Did I mention Kathmandu is surrounded by mountains? To Colorado born hiking mountain lover in me, this translates into "home." I love the mountains and was missing them in Thailand. The jungle hills are beautiful too... and same same but different. Very different. I can't hike them. It's too hot and the paths would be overgrown and bug/critter inhabited. As I told Sherri and Michael in Karon Beach one night on our way back to their hotel... "I do not cross the grass at night in Thailand." I refused to take the shortcut. NOT happening. Too many centipedes, snakes, spiders, mosquitos, ants, etc. I am pretty flexible on most things but not this.
I will be shopping for my trekking things over the next two days and working on getting my permits. I need a TIMS card and a trekking permit for the Annapurna Circuit. I also need a sleeping bag, down jacket and gloves and hats, iodine and water cannister and maybe a water purifier, a pair of pants, long underwear, long sleeve shirt... and I can't remember what else. I have a full list back at the hotel. From what I've seen in the shops with new merchandise (probably fake brand names), this may not be cheap. I'm hoping to buy some used things and get a few deals but we'll see. It's the high season for trekking the Annapurna trek so it may be difficult to get good deals. We'll see though! :-)
On a side note, I had a moment of panic at the Bangkok airport. Apparently when I arrived in Bangkok I was supposed to explicitly write my visa number out on the customs info (thought I did) and let them know I needed a 60 day visa. (Also thought I did). BUT... I failed to notice the date they actually stamped for my visa. I purchased a 60 day Thai visa in the US before leaving and when I arrived in BKK they stamped my passport with a 30 day visa. At the airline desk when I checked my bag I was informed that I had exceeded my visa stay and that I would be charged 500 baht for each extra day. I thanked her and proceeded to the immigration office. The man there reviewed my passport and my US visa and the stamp that they used when I arrived. He proceeded to cross out the date they gave me originally and restamp it with a 60 days date. I was so relieved I almost cried. I also almost called home to the US to have a good cry with one of you but realized it was somewhere between 2:00 - 4:00 am and you might not appreciate the call and me needing to be mopped up off a thai airport floor from thousands of miles away. Sigh. So I mopped myself up instead. :-) It was fine. I just don't like to mess with immigration especially since I need to come back in!
Anyways, I want to head out and find some yummy Nepalese dinner. I hope all of you are well.
Love and hugs,
Joyann
ps - for those considering trekking, the book "Trekking in the Annapurna Region" by Bryn Thomas is excellent. Sherri, thank you for getting this for me. It's becoming invaluable.
This website has a beautiful definition of "namaste."
http://www.taketheleap.com/namaste.htm
I've arrived in Kathmandu and am staying at "Elbrus Home." The stopover in Bangladesh was very interesting to say the least. I had breakfast with a shihk (sp) and an interesting conversation. A Bangladesh man in the Bangkok airport offered to have me stay with him in Dhaka on my layover for my flight... yeah... NOOOOOO. Bangladesh was intimidating. It is very much a male dominated society and I was grateful I had prepared by purchasing a full length skirt in Bangkok yesterday morning. The plane left Bangkok at 9:20 pm on Benin Bangladesh airways (I will probably not use them again) and we arrived in Dhaka Bangladesh about midnight. (It's a 2+ hour flight). By the time the airlines arranged to take me to a hotel it was well after 1:00 am. I was transported there with an English man and the shihk from India. The English man was actually living in Thailand (for the prior 7 years) and was hoping to make it home in time before his mother passed away. The Shihk was traveling on business.
I met a couple from England (25 and 22) and they are very sweet. We've been helping each other out a bit since we all boarded the plane in Bangkok and we ended up deciding we'd stay in the same guesthouse here in Kathmandu. I'm sure I'll see them more and possibly see them on the trek as well. They are very sweet and fun.
Elbrus Home is $6 USD per night for one person (~76 rupis). My room has two single beds and a fan and a private bathroom and tv. For two people the same room is $8 per night. The guesthouse is on the 4th floor and the view is beautiful. There is a large patio area that overlooks the city. Here's a website:
http://www.hostelsweb.com/hostelsweb.com/hostel.php?HostelNumber=20533
Kathmandu is surrounded by mountains and reminds me of Denver but much smaller and VERY different. Not SAME SAME and YES DIFFERENT. (That's for Sherri). :-P In Thailand the phrase the foreigners hear often is "same same but different..." in otherwords, you should buy it because it's similar to something but it's unique so either way ... you will like.
Did I mention Kathmandu is surrounded by mountains? To Colorado born hiking mountain lover in me, this translates into "home." I love the mountains and was missing them in Thailand. The jungle hills are beautiful too... and same same but different. Very different. I can't hike them. It's too hot and the paths would be overgrown and bug/critter inhabited. As I told Sherri and Michael in Karon Beach one night on our way back to their hotel... "I do not cross the grass at night in Thailand." I refused to take the shortcut. NOT happening. Too many centipedes, snakes, spiders, mosquitos, ants, etc. I am pretty flexible on most things but not this.
I will be shopping for my trekking things over the next two days and working on getting my permits. I need a TIMS card and a trekking permit for the Annapurna Circuit. I also need a sleeping bag, down jacket and gloves and hats, iodine and water cannister and maybe a water purifier, a pair of pants, long underwear, long sleeve shirt... and I can't remember what else. I have a full list back at the hotel. From what I've seen in the shops with new merchandise (probably fake brand names), this may not be cheap. I'm hoping to buy some used things and get a few deals but we'll see. It's the high season for trekking the Annapurna trek so it may be difficult to get good deals. We'll see though! :-)
On a side note, I had a moment of panic at the Bangkok airport. Apparently when I arrived in Bangkok I was supposed to explicitly write my visa number out on the customs info (thought I did) and let them know I needed a 60 day visa. (Also thought I did). BUT... I failed to notice the date they actually stamped for my visa. I purchased a 60 day Thai visa in the US before leaving and when I arrived in BKK they stamped my passport with a 30 day visa. At the airline desk when I checked my bag I was informed that I had exceeded my visa stay and that I would be charged 500 baht for each extra day. I thanked her and proceeded to the immigration office. The man there reviewed my passport and my US visa and the stamp that they used when I arrived. He proceeded to cross out the date they gave me originally and restamp it with a 60 days date. I was so relieved I almost cried. I also almost called home to the US to have a good cry with one of you but realized it was somewhere between 2:00 - 4:00 am and you might not appreciate the call and me needing to be mopped up off a thai airport floor from thousands of miles away. Sigh. So I mopped myself up instead. :-) It was fine. I just don't like to mess with immigration especially since I need to come back in!
Anyways, I want to head out and find some yummy Nepalese dinner. I hope all of you are well.
Love and hugs,
Joyann
ps - for those considering trekking, the book "Trekking in the Annapurna Region" by Bryn Thomas is excellent. Sherri, thank you for getting this for me. It's becoming invaluable.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Asha Guesthouse
Hi all,
I'm back in Bangkok at the Asha Guesthouse. I took the night bus from Phuket which ended up being 15 hours and one of the 3 drivers talked VERY loud much of the way. Sigh!
Anyways, I leave tomorrow evening for Nepal via Bangladesh.
Joyann
I'm back in Bangkok at the Asha Guesthouse. I took the night bus from Phuket which ended up being 15 hours and one of the 3 drivers talked VERY loud much of the way. Sigh!
Anyways, I leave tomorrow evening for Nepal via Bangladesh.
Joyann
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Last Thursday, October 9
Last week, Kellie and her boyfriend Ken took Fiona and I on a tour south of Bangkok - about an hour or two south? I will get the names after my Nepal trip because I can't remember them off the top of my head and I also don't have my computer so I can't post the pics.
Ken drove us to a market on the river where we caught a tour boat that lasted about 1-1.5 hours. It was so beautiful and incredibly refreshing after spending the week in Bangkok. Ken and Kellie are a lot of fun and Ken was very kind to take us around. There are numerous Thai house boats on the river. One side was more commercialized and the other was much more traditional thai housing. We had ice-cream from a small vendor in a boat on the river. YUM!!
After the market we went to a summer palace that is on the university grounds where Ken got his engineering degree. He is a material engineer and works in Bangkok (he's a plastic engineer there). The summer palace and grounds were gorgeous.
We had a light 'snack'/dinner at a market near his family home and then went and met his mother and saw his house. He was born and raised here.
From there we went to a temple that is the tallest in Thailand and the world (if I understood correctly). Again - I'll get the names later.
Dinner was at a market - excellent dinner! Ken not only drove us around but also treated us to the tour and meals which was incredibly generous.
Ken drove us to a market on the river where we caught a tour boat that lasted about 1-1.5 hours. It was so beautiful and incredibly refreshing after spending the week in Bangkok. Ken and Kellie are a lot of fun and Ken was very kind to take us around. There are numerous Thai house boats on the river. One side was more commercialized and the other was much more traditional thai housing. We had ice-cream from a small vendor in a boat on the river. YUM!!
After the market we went to a summer palace that is on the university grounds where Ken got his engineering degree. He is a material engineer and works in Bangkok (he's a plastic engineer there). The summer palace and grounds were gorgeous.
We had a light 'snack'/dinner at a market near his family home and then went and met his mother and saw his house. He was born and raised here.
From there we went to a temple that is the tallest in Thailand and the world (if I understood correctly). Again - I'll get the names later.
Dinner was at a market - excellent dinner! Ken not only drove us around but also treated us to the tour and meals which was incredibly generous.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
I'm back! And gone again...
I've been from Bangkok to Takua Pa to Phuket and back to Yaowawit and then back to Phuket. I'm now staying at the Pineapple Guesthouse in Karon Beach for a few days. My sister and brother-in-law are at the Hilton for her work conference on Dengue Fever. Cool stuff for her!
The Hilton here is one of the nicest hotels in Karon beach (if not THE nicest). It's weird for me to go from seeing the children in one room dirty homes (minus the emotional trauma) to seeing this huge resort with beautiful property and phenomenal rooms and multiple pools. I have to remind myself that I'd feel the same way in the US - going from people in poverty to lovely, expensive rich hotels there. Even I have a lot of money comparatively with my 905 sq ft condo and 2 bedrooms and 2 baths and I'm the only one living there! (As opposed to 15 people to fill it!) Besides the Hilton and resorts like it allow for foreigners to come and feel comfortable in a strange place and it brings funds to a struggling economy. I'm just trying to wrap my head around it all. Tourism, trade, economics, poverty... it would be REALLY cool to study! Anyways, I'm off to sit by the pool with Michael (brother-in-law) and read a book so it must not bother me too much to go enjoy it! :-)
Sherri and Michael went on what sounds like an absolutely lovely tour yesterday to Khao Sok to ride elephants through the jungle, see Khao Lok, see monkeys, see a nice temple... they went with a fairly new company and their guide was great - he took them to other places besides what they signed up for and was flexible with what they did.
I went back to Yaowawit yesterday to get my things and switch my stuff out for what I'd need in Nepal. My room is currently under construction. They are fixing the roof leaks and repainting and re-tiling the kitchen. It will be nice. I stayed in one of the hotel rooms for the night - please come visit if you are thinking of taking a trip. The hotel is lovely and Yaowawit is a very special place. The school is exemplary and I think you would really enjoy experiencing it.
Anyways, I've been busing quite a bit. When Sherri and Michael flew to Phuket I hopped on the 2nd Class bus from Bangkok to Takua Pa (11 hours). It's actually not bad at all. Fiona picked me up and we drove to Karon Beach to see Sherri and Michael for lunch. I ended up going back with Fiona to Nom Phen (sp?) and Uncle Jew picked me up and took me back to Yaowawit. I rode with Pee Wit (the headmaster) and three boys to Phang Nga in the morning to catch the bus back to Phuket. I had a great conversation with the headmaster about the school and breaking the cycle of poverty.
I enjoyed getting to know Fiona better - I spent most of last week with her as well as Monday. She's a phenomenal woman and has done so much not only for Yaowawit but also for her friends, the Nom Phen community (where she now lives in Thailand) and also for people in Cambodia. She's also involved in helping the local animals. She feeds the dogs mange pills and works with a local vet. On the way back to her house we picked up a puppy that she'd been seeing for the last few days. No mama dog and it was all by itself and starving. She's a beautiful puppy and now has the BEST home! Fiona's also had foster kids in Australia and has helped numerous other kids. She's an amazing person and a damn hoot to boot!
Anyways, I'm sad that I'm leaving Yaowawit for a month but am looking forward to hiking in Nepal. During the trek I will not have contact via internet or phone (unless one of the remote villages/tea houses has electricity or phone service) then I'll post or call someone. Otherwise, After October 24/25 I'll be out of touch for 3 weeks.
Much love to you. Sa wah dee ka. Namaste.
Joyann
The Hilton here is one of the nicest hotels in Karon beach (if not THE nicest). It's weird for me to go from seeing the children in one room dirty homes (minus the emotional trauma) to seeing this huge resort with beautiful property and phenomenal rooms and multiple pools. I have to remind myself that I'd feel the same way in the US - going from people in poverty to lovely, expensive rich hotels there. Even I have a lot of money comparatively with my 905 sq ft condo and 2 bedrooms and 2 baths and I'm the only one living there! (As opposed to 15 people to fill it!) Besides the Hilton and resorts like it allow for foreigners to come and feel comfortable in a strange place and it brings funds to a struggling economy. I'm just trying to wrap my head around it all. Tourism, trade, economics, poverty... it would be REALLY cool to study! Anyways, I'm off to sit by the pool with Michael (brother-in-law) and read a book so it must not bother me too much to go enjoy it! :-)
Sherri and Michael went on what sounds like an absolutely lovely tour yesterday to Khao Sok to ride elephants through the jungle, see Khao Lok, see monkeys, see a nice temple... they went with a fairly new company and their guide was great - he took them to other places besides what they signed up for and was flexible with what they did.
I went back to Yaowawit yesterday to get my things and switch my stuff out for what I'd need in Nepal. My room is currently under construction. They are fixing the roof leaks and repainting and re-tiling the kitchen. It will be nice. I stayed in one of the hotel rooms for the night - please come visit if you are thinking of taking a trip. The hotel is lovely and Yaowawit is a very special place. The school is exemplary and I think you would really enjoy experiencing it.
Anyways, I've been busing quite a bit. When Sherri and Michael flew to Phuket I hopped on the 2nd Class bus from Bangkok to Takua Pa (11 hours). It's actually not bad at all. Fiona picked me up and we drove to Karon Beach to see Sherri and Michael for lunch. I ended up going back with Fiona to Nom Phen (sp?) and Uncle Jew picked me up and took me back to Yaowawit. I rode with Pee Wit (the headmaster) and three boys to Phang Nga in the morning to catch the bus back to Phuket. I had a great conversation with the headmaster about the school and breaking the cycle of poverty.
I enjoyed getting to know Fiona better - I spent most of last week with her as well as Monday. She's a phenomenal woman and has done so much not only for Yaowawit but also for her friends, the Nom Phen community (where she now lives in Thailand) and also for people in Cambodia. She's also involved in helping the local animals. She feeds the dogs mange pills and works with a local vet. On the way back to her house we picked up a puppy that she'd been seeing for the last few days. No mama dog and it was all by itself and starving. She's a beautiful puppy and now has the BEST home! Fiona's also had foster kids in Australia and has helped numerous other kids. She's an amazing person and a damn hoot to boot!
Anyways, I'm sad that I'm leaving Yaowawit for a month but am looking forward to hiking in Nepal. During the trek I will not have contact via internet or phone (unless one of the remote villages/tea houses has electricity or phone service) then I'll post or call someone. Otherwise, After October 24/25 I'll be out of touch for 3 weeks.
Much love to you. Sa wah dee ka. Namaste.
Joyann
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Still in Bangkok
Hello all!
Yesterday was a bit annoying. I trekked all the way across town to find the Nepal Embassy closed for 3 days for holiday. Too bad I can't seem to get good information on the net. Anyways, I'm over Bangkok and shopping and ready to go back to the jungle. :-)
Today Kellie and Fiona and I are going on a day trip to another city about an hour out of Bangkok so it will be nice to get away and fun to spend time with them!
I hope things are going okay for all of you. Good luck with everything going on. The world's a bit crazy at the moment!
Love and hugs.
Yesterday was a bit annoying. I trekked all the way across town to find the Nepal Embassy closed for 3 days for holiday. Too bad I can't seem to get good information on the net. Anyways, I'm over Bangkok and shopping and ready to go back to the jungle. :-)
Today Kellie and Fiona and I are going on a day trip to another city about an hour out of Bangkok so it will be nice to get away and fun to spend time with them!
I hope things are going okay for all of you. Good luck with everything going on. The world's a bit crazy at the moment!
Love and hugs.
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