BootsnAll Travel Network
Add this blog to: MyYahoo, Google, Bloglines, RSS


Archive for December, 2006

« Home

Up to Speed

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

I bet you all thought I had gone and dissappeared into the wilds of Nepal, well in some ways I did. I have been doing a bit too much on the internet these days and felt it neccassary to take a much needed break from it, Then I realized Christmas had past and now it is New Years without even a mention to anyone but the folks.. My Goodness! Not a way to treat the rest of my homies. So a big belated Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukka to everyone and of course as today is the day

Hapy New Years!!

So to bring you all up to speed, we last left off when I was heading west to Pokhara for a few days before going on to Lumbini.

Well, I ended up in Pokhara, met some lovely Kiwis and decided to stay put and make pancakes for Christmas dinner, instead of being lonely in Lumbini.

Then on the mission to the border we ran smack into the middle of a strike that had blocked traffic in either direction indefinatley. The stike was for the truckdrivers and they used there big tata trucks to make it imposible for anyone to get through unless on foot or bicycle.

So what to do?

Luckily a lovely man Vishnu had two bikes he needed to get back to his village and whoo-hooo I needed a way to get to the road! So we rode the bikes about 20km to his village. Within the abundant kindness of Nepalis he invited Kiwi and myself to stay the night and eat with his family..

At this point I knew I would be missing my rendevous with Ninja adam in Dehli, but staying with Vishnu made it all seem okay, I do believe things like these happen for a reason and of course you also learn important lessons about travelling these parts of the world..

Plan nothing, because the plan Always changes.

Always.

So long story short…

made it to Dehli (again) and finally made the rendevous with Ninja adam.. Now we are heading to Haridawar north of here and should be going to Varanasi in a week or so.

Promise not to be such a slacker in the future.

love jessica

Posted in Nepal, Travel | No Comments »

Back in Good ol Kathmandu

Monday, December 18th, 2006

****First Pictures!!****
Tibet!
I have also added a link to my nepal pics on the right hand side of the blog, in the future I will have them all nice and arranged, at least someting in my life will be organized 🙂

So it ended, after a few days at Grandmas’s house, we made for the border. Happily heading towards warmer skies, trees, Dahl Bhatt and kind smiles from the Nepalese people.

Being out of Nepal for a bit made me realize why I am so in Love with this country, could it be the happy people, or the waterfalls or mountains, or the no nonsence pleasure of taking a local bus, I am not really sure but a combination of all these things make it so darn irrestible.

I have been back in kathmandu over a week now, spending most of my time with ram-daii and his family. Ram owns a tiny little chai shop on Freak Street, (where I stay) not to worry mom and dad the “freaks” moved out in the late sixties… Now it just houses some of the smater travellers not willing to stay in uber touristy Thamel..

Indeed the size of a westerners closet. It is a hub of activity and the scenery is always changing.

I love people watching, sitting on a reed basket chair, drinking chai, watching the chess game of the shop owners, relaxing in the sun, as the world goes by.

old men with bright yellow tikas on their foreheads, walking with a cane eyes always down on the dusty street,

the mother sitiing with her son, and everyone doting on him

the sadhu with a big basket brimming with artifical flowers, extends his alms can hoping for a rupee.

Men in the back shout, and drink whiskey, waisting away the day betting on poker games

relaxed calls on mobile phones, from the shop owners also basking in the afternon sun

women with enormus baskets on their heads weave delicatley through the traffic,

mangy dogs piss on shiva’s lingum

workers piling dirt into a porter’s reed basket, he will bear the weight on his forhead and in with an extreme forward bend he will shuffle down the street,

I could stay here for ages and not get bored, but I need to get to India soon to meet Ninja Adam from London, so it would only be proper that I see a few things before I head that way.

I have a ticket to Pokhara tomorrow, from there I will head towards the border to Lumbini (buddha’s birthplace) to spend Christmas.

In Pokhara I intend to rent a bicycle and ride into the hills, taking in the mountains and peaceful atmosphere..

In Lumbini, I intend to hand out with monks and do all the neccessary koras. I thought I’d be sick of Koras and the like after Tibet, but I am still up for more, as a matter of fact this afternoon, I am going back to the Boudha stupa here in Kathmandu.

YAY! Koras

I just can’t seem to get enough of a good thing.

And I can think of many more things that are worse to be addicted to.

Until next time..

miss jessica

Posted in Travel | No Comments »

The end is near… Tingri-Nyalam

Friday, December 8th, 2006
So the next two days, were in essence a race to the border, upon arrival we realized that there wasn't much to do besides gaze at the moutains and find shelter from the dust storms. It only made sence to ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in tibet, Travel | No Comments »

On the real mission to Tingri

Thursday, December 7th, 2006
After a much day of needed rest, we (luis, me, and the lovely french couple, jennifer and jullian) get up at the crack of dawn to catch yet another invisible bus to the crossroads some 7km away, hopefully ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in tibet, Travel | No Comments »

Solo Mountaintop dance party (for my homies)

Wednesday, December 6th, 2006
In Shegar things go on as I would guess they did hundreds of years ago, the local people use a horse and cart to get around.. The ponies are decorated with tassles and bells, a stiking ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in Travel | No Comments »

On a mission to Tingri “New Tingri that is..”

Monday, December 4th, 2006
After waking up before the sun and waiting hours in a cozy tea shop, taking turns looking down the road for busses, or tractors or yaks finally we find a mini-bus that will take us to Tingri! ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in tibet, Travel | No Comments »

Melancholy in Lhatze and ode to a fuzzy apron

Sunday, December 3rd, 2006
With a little happy dance sometimes comes a little bit of pain, not the physical pain, but the melancholy kind that comes along with travelling for 8 plus months, missing friends and relatives, knowing parties are happening ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in tibet, Travel | 1 Comment »