BootsnAll Travel Network



The Big Boss’ Bodyguards

December 18th, 2007

The last nine months of travel have thoroughly introduced me to squat toilets; from my first experiences in the relatively sterile Japanese karate dojo to the stinkiest shit-holes high in the Himalayas.  My earlier fears have long since past.  I can now see the benefits of sanitation and the fact that everything just comes out easier.  Still, as I draw deeper into the Indian subcontinent, I keep finding more and more standards to judge the worst toilets of the world.  I can already feel his presence, the Big Boss is near!     Read the rest of this entry »

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Welcome to India: Part I: The Bad and the Ugly

December 17th, 2007

The eight hour bus ride from Pokhara, Nepal to the Sunali border of India actually took more than twelve hours.  It also didn’t take me all the way to Sunali, but rather dropped off 5km away.  So I am stuck in the back of a cyclo-rickshaw that is inching its way to immigration office.  Over the course of a half hour, I am able to catch my first glimpses of India, or rather my first obscurities.  The closer we get, the thicker the cloud of pollution enveloping us grew.  I thought China was bad, but here the haze is so bad that the even the ground at my feet appears faded.    Read the rest of this entry »

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Things I will miss about Nepal

December 16th, 2007

Nepal has come as an unexpected surprise.  I knew virtually nothing of this country, its people and culture.  I had no intention of staying very long, and was only using it as a stopover on the road to India.  This lack of knowledge and prior expectation set me up for a fresh perspective, unmarred by any previous prejudice.  What a remarkable experience it has been.    Read the rest of this entry »

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Day 4: Return to Pokhara

December 14th, 2007

 

The final day on TATA Bullet…  I’ve begun to feel at one with this bike.  All of the difficult little idiosyncrasies have become familiar and I can operate this temperamental machine just as well as any other motorcycle I’ve ridden.  However, there is a power and comfort of riding the Bullet that eludes all others!    Read the rest of this entry »

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Day 3: Saruha to Tansen

December 13th, 2007

 

Rolling out of Saruha early again, Kiev and I start towards Tansen, our final destination before returning to Pokhara.  A long day of riding ensues and we are both stunned by the beautiful, perfect roads.  Atypical of Nepal, there are long stretches of wide, smooth pavement that curve gently through unbroken woodland.  A few twisty hills are all we encounter for most of the day, but packs of monkeys and the remains of former landslides make the occasional appearance.    Read the rest of this entry »

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Day 2: Chitwan National Park

December 12th, 2007

Another early rise, but this time instead of mounting the motorcycle I find myself climbing on top of an elephant.  A very surreal morning spent spotting Rhinos through the foggy jungle is only the start to a bizarre day filled with elephants; from the first sight of an one walking through the morning mist to their bathing-time at noon and finally a visit to the Elephant Breeding Center to see babies chained to large posts.   Read the rest of this entry »

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Day 1: Pokhara to Saruha

December 11th, 2007

 Bullets Over Nepal –

7am:  Groggily wake up, slightly hung-over.  Check out of Hotel Grand Holiday and climb onto TATA Bullet, a customized and extremely stylized Royal Enfield Bullet 350cc motorcycle.  The bike is THE classic motorcycle, still being manufactured to their original WW2 military specs.  It is a large, solid bike that chugs along with a satisfying boom of power.     Read the rest of this entry »

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Sanctuary Trek: Conclusions and Trail Thoughts

December 10th, 2007

Seven days of life on the trail, packed with many moments of solitude and reflection have lent some educational perceptions and exciting revelations. Read the rest of this entry »

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Day 7: Sinuwa to Naya Pul

December 6th, 2007

 

7:30am:  Awake and back on the trail.  Down and up.  More walking, climbing and shock from struggles downhill.  The sights are still amazing, but have been seen before.  Now that the trek is coming to its close, my focus is set to the future’s comforts.  Pokhara tonight!  Hot shower, excellent food, beers and live music all await me at the end of this full week of intense mountain trekking.  My feet are sore and bruised, my muscles ache and I am anxious to wake up tomorrow with no agenda.    Read the rest of this entry »

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Day 6: Annapurna Base Camp to Sinuwa

December 5th, 2007

 

6:30am: I wake on the uncomfortable bench in the lodge’s common dining room.  My blankets have long since fallen to the floor and I lay there shivering and short of breath.  It is a difficult night with very little sleep, but the view of Macchapuchhre from the full wall windows every time I wake is a comforting reward.  As darkness fades, a glow behind the impressive mountain eventually gives birth to a pure sunrise, basking the Sanctuary in the morning’s light.  It took five days of the most rigorous trekking to see these wonders, but it is worth more than any struggle endured to get here.    Read the rest of this entry »

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