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Archive for November, 2007

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Day 1: Phedi to Landruck

Friday, November 30th, 2007

– Annapurna Sanctuary Trek –

I depart Pokhara in a taxi around 8am, accompanied by a group of four Europeans, an Israeli and an Nepalese trekking guide.   Shortly, we arrive at Phedi and begin the seven day trek into the Annapurna Sanctuary.  Through multi-hued terraced farming communities and small villages in the hills we spend a full day hiking along rough dirt paths and up countless stone stairs.   [read on]

Pokhara’s version of paradise

Tuesday, November 27th, 2007

 

In Pokhara the food is top quality and relatively cheap! A spotless, double sized room with a 24-hour hot shower at Hotel Grand Holiday is costing me next to nothing.  My days have been filled with exploration and my nights have been music.  Playing Rock Star in the evening and off-road motorcycle adventuring during the day is a pretty good life. [read on]

Ascension of Sarangot

Monday, November 26th, 2007

Feeling speed over cratered roads, while ascending gnarly paths up Pokhara’s higher peaks. Crescendo at massive vistas of mist shrouded mountains, to become humble staring into the stunning scene. Three-hundred and sixty degrees of pure landscape wonders are shadowed only under the clouds of paragliders. A swirling rush of wind, everything is alive up here!    [read on]

How did I get here?

Sunday, November 25th, 2007

How did I end up here? Coconut cookies and pineapple juice. Partaking in some local herbal consumption. Hawks flying past the shaded seat I’ve found, hovering on a Cliffside above Lake Phewa-Tal and the city of Pokhara. In the distance, the Annapurnan Himalayas peak out from behind an absolutely massive cloud-cover which still fails to conceal their majesty! I take my eyes from the vista to look down on the motorcycle helmet in front of me. [read on]

A chance encounter with a bovine in Pokhara

Friday, November 23rd, 2007

I met a cow tonight. Sure, I’ve seen a great many of them casually wandering the streets here, but with this one there was some sort of inter-species cultural exchange.

[read on]

Kathmandon’t

Wednesday, November 21st, 2007

One week in the capitol city of Nepal; far too much time to spend there. At first, it seemed like an oasis in my Asian travels. The excellent food, low prices and abundance of other western travelers seemed too good to be true. In the end it proved to be little more than a façade, luring weary travelers with its siren songs of home-style comforts. While I will not deny that proper steaks, pizzas and ice cream was a welcome change, I would have been just as happy with the local Nepalese food. [read on]

Kodari to Kathmandu

Friday, November 16th, 2007

The first few moments in a new country are always usually filled with exhilaration. Stepping across the China-Nepal friendship bridge was like stepping into a different world. The instant I walked into the border town of Kodari, the many differences between the two became apparent. [read on]

Impressions of China

Monday, November 12th, 2007

I’ve already called Japan a country full of contrast and contradiction.  For a while, I was thinking the same thing about China.  After ninety-two days in the country, I can now realize that the contrast is almost exclusively in my feelings towards it.  There are many wonders of nature to astound, interesting cultural elements to mesmerize and delicious tastes to please the palate.  However, there is enough pollution, crude habits and oppressive government bureaucracy to negate all the good.  It is definitely an interesting place to visit, but it would be difficult to feel comfortable living in the very disagreeable sense of society.  I’m just as happy leaving as I am with the time spent there.

It is hard to pinpoint any more exact impressions of the country because it is far too vast to generalize.  I wish I could explain in less enigmatic terms, but it is not possible to summarize China so easily.  All I can do now is move on to different countries and hope for more clarity in their cultures. 

See all of my photos from China

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7 Days in Tibet: Day 7

Monday, November 12th, 2007

. Escape from China .

4:30am: Awake for the trip to the Nepali border and happily get into a capable Land Crusier with a competent driver and a couple friends I knew from the train ride to Lhasa.  We make our way across the incredibly perilous and bumpy road through the Himalayas before the daytime road construction commences.  Fortunately it is pitch-black; although we are missing the amazing vistas in the Himalayan range, we are also oblivious to the extremely lethal four thousand meter drops on either side of the insanely rugged road that our Landcruiser is speedily bouncing along.  Our driver turns out to be a pro and navigates us safely to the borer with spare time to kill.    [read on]

7 Days in Tibet: Day 6

Sunday, November 11th, 2007

. 5200 Meters = 17,000 Feet .

Wake at sunrise and reluctantly crawl out of bed into the sub-zero room.  Stare at the strange ice crystals forming on the inside of the window and then make my way into the common from for a cup of hot coffee, instant noodles and the warmth of burning feces.  Our driver says he’ll meet us at base camp by noon, and our group sets off on the eight-kilometer hike towards Mt. Everest.    [read on]