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Senggigi to Bali
Monday, 24 May 2010
Our last day on Lombok was spent in Senggigi. Even though our bungalow was highly recommended by a guy from Kuta, it ended up being on the dirty side on a busy street and the bed sloped severely to the left. The room reeked of cigarettes and the touts on the beach were relentlessly trying to sell you stuff. It is unbelievable how many men here smoke cigarettes, I never saw one woman smoking though. Tobacco is the third largest crop here, after rice and garlic. We rented a motor bike and went on a search for some snorkeling gear. We tried two beach resorts and a dive shop. After about an hour we finally found a guy on the beach who rented us some gear. As we walked along the beach we said “no” countless times to the sellers. They mostly sell t-shirts, hammocks, jewelry, and sarongs. One guy was even trying to sell us a blow gun, ridiculous! They carry so much around with them and they are so nice. But they just don’t take no for an answer and they try and try and try. I feel sorry for them. However, it gets so exhausting saying no day after day. Our patience always ran thin. We reached the snorkeling spot. By this time it was too late in the day and the visibility was terrible. We saw a lot of sand, some seaweed and one lonesome fish on a small speck of coral. All that for nothing. It was comical though. We walked back on the beach, saying no thanks and got back to our room for lunch. Even when you eat at your hotel they come up and try to sell you stuff. So much for a relaxing on the beach!!
The town of Seggigi is on the sad side. Once upon a time it seemed like a bustling town, but now many stores and resorts are abandoned. At night however, the town has a little more life. There are some lights on in the restaurants and the horizon is dotted with fishing boats. We had one of our best dinners ever. The grilled fish is so fresh and I loved the red pepper and garlic. It is not too potent, but full of flavor and warmth.
The next morning we took a boat back to Bali. We said no a couple more times at the harbor (ugh!). When we got back to Padangbai we quickly found a taxi drivers amongst the bustling touts. The talkative driver entertained us on our way to Sanur. We stopped along the way to watch some people making beautiful silver jewelry. For our last night we splurged and stayed at a really nice resort. At these nicer resorts there are no sellers on the beach so we had a little peace and quiet. The ocean water was refreshingly cool and the resort swimming pool had a waterfall and bar where you could sit and have a drink. There was also a nice brick walkway on the beach I jogged on. It was a nice place for one night. More than that I would have felt like I wasn’t in Bali anymore!
We got to the airport at 11am. Our first flight left at 1pm. It was a 3 hour flight to Singapore, then a two hour layover, and a 4 hour flight to Hong Kong. We had another one hour layover and then an 11 hour flight to San Francisco where we got another 2 hour layover and a final flight to Reno. They lost my back in Singapore (doh!). We took a taxi ride to Truckee. 30+ hours of travel and we were home at 1:30am. I highly recommend Singapore airlines.
Truckee is cold! I got caught in the rain/snow on my bike. Even though I was being pelted in my face with the chilly mountain air I was smiling. It’s good to be home.
Posted: 05.24.2010
The Freedom of the Road
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Yesterday was fantastic. We rented motor bikes and cruised along the coastline. The surrounding hills here are rolling, lush and very green. The sea is turquoise and calm. On our motor bikes we could breeze by all of the relentless touts, plus you have some instant AC. It’s a perfect escape and by far the best way to get around. I would have rented a motor bike earlier but most of the roads are hectic and you have to drive on the left side. Near Kuta, however, there are few cars and the roads are in pretty good condition.
We ate at Ashtari, a fantastic natural food place. I had a delicious green salad. Almost everything is fried here, so raw veggies were a treat! We continued to explore the coastline and something shifted in both Reuben and I, we were loving Lombok. For the past two weeks I have watched sweat pour down Reuben’s face and observed his usual calm demeanor turn into blatant aggravation. I was frustrated too. I felt like a turtle that had been flipped onto my back and could not get back over onto my feet. I struggled and wiggled, but it was no use. Then, just when I least expected it, out of nowhere a kind hand came by and flipped me over. We were ready to stay for a while and enjoy it to the max.
As the sun was setting we swam in a gorgeous bay. Then our peaceful moments came to an end. Our solitude was interrupted by a kid asking for money and I got stung by a jelly fish on my arm. We got on our bikes and headed back to town as my arm swelled up and started stinging more. At night most locals burn their trash so there was ash in the air and embers were flying around. One of them go into my eye and I had to fish it out. There were a lot of bugs out and it was difficult to see the road and dodge the potholes. I got back to the room and tended to my wound. Still, we were both happy and were still in good spirits from our good day.
I checked my email and we managed to squeeze on a flight on May 22nd. Just two days left! After all of the heat and frustration, our wishes came true. I was no longer a turtle on it’s back. The thing was… we had finally found contentment being on our backs! It was just getting relaxing! Ah well, we shall enjoy the next two days and see you soon in Cali.
Posted: 05.19.2010
Sweaty as a Pig in July
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
It’s hot. Very, VERY HOT!! After Gili Meno we took an early morning boat to the isle of Lombok. In the village of Bangsal we were swarmed with people offering us taxis, motor scooters, buses, and horse drawn carriages. We eventually found a taxi to an ATM and a ride up to the village of Senaru for $25. Since the average income per month here is about $100, it was a steep price. The car was in such poor condition that we barely made it up the mountain.
Senaru is a beautiful village at the foot of a gigantic volcano. It is a bit cooler up there at 2,000 ft. The top of the volcano is about 10,000 feet and it will cost you $80 a person just to hike to the top! In order to enter the park you have to have a guide and a porter. Reuben and I opted to walk around the village and go to some waterfalls on our own. The waterfalls were each over 80 feet high and magnificent. It was quite exhilarating to get closer to them as the mist and the wind blows against your body. Since it’s mostly a Muslim island everyone goes swimming in their clothes. It didn’t really matter anyway because it was pouring down with rain. After about 2 hours of hiking in the rain I got a bit chilly and longed for a warm shower and dry clothes.
What would i give for a little cool water now!! We took a taxi (it was $65 this time!) down to Kuta. The drive took us up and over a huge mountain. The landscape was terraced with rice and tabaco fields. Kuta is a little village is on the southern tip of Lombok. It is beautiful and the ocean is expansive and picturesque. However, it is boiling hot here and the ocean is quite warm as well. We are doing the best we can! There are a lot of travelers about. They are mostly surfers. I got the opportunity to play some guitar at at local restaurant last night. It felt good to sing and play after 1 1/2 months! There is not much else to do here unless you scuba dive. When I dove on Gili Mano it was fabulous. There are tons of fish and you can stay in the warm water for a long time. We both fried our backs the other day from spending too much time snorkeling.
We are ready to come back to the cool temperatures of Truckee. We are trying to get an earlier flight back, but everything is booked. While most of you would kill for three more weeks in Indonesia, our bodies are finished and our patience is running thin!! If any of you have traveled to Indonesia and can offer us some travel tips or places to go please let me know! My am@ams.com email doesn’t work well here. Please email me at: vinyasa@care2.com
Enjoy some cool weather for me!!! xo
Posted: 05.18.2010
Gili Meno
Friday, 14 May 2010
We took a taxi to the coastal village of Padang Bai. It was nice to be in a less popular place. We found a beautiful bungalow by the sea and enjoyed the pebble lined swimming pool. The ocean looked nice. However, the sand was very coarse and tough. It reminded me of quinoa. With every step you would sink to your ankles making walking a bit tricky. Plus, there were a lot of boats tied up and debris in the water.
The next morning we gratefully hopped on our boat to the Gili Islands. Normally, I would have rode on the local ferry which takes about 8 hours. They can be nice. You have a deck to hang out on and you usually meet some nice travelers. However, we opted for the fast boat that got us to Gili Trawangan in one hour. There are 3 Gili Islands off of the northwest coast of Lombok (east of Bali). Since we had missed the daily shuttle to the island we wanted to stay on (Meno), we had to wait in Trawangan until we found 4 French guys with their surf boards who were willing to go in hiring a private boat to Meno. The ride cost us each $3.50. It’s cheap here!
Meno is a peaceful island with incredible snorkeling. I got to go scuba diving as well. Before tourism brought in the dive companies, dynamite fishing was common. Between that and el Nino bleaching the coral, a lot of reef is dead or severely damaged. However, there are some gorgeous places nearby that are untouched.
A typical bungalow here is about $15 a night with fresh water showers and breakfast included. For dinner, we go to the local store, point to the seafood we want then they BBQ it up with corn and potatoes. Last night I had giant prawns and Reuben had the snapper. We have a boat out to Lombok tomorrow. It is just a kilometer away. There is a huge 10,000 ft volcano over there we want to hike up.
Posted: 05.14.2010
Ubud
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
The travel time from Kathmandu to Bali took a little over 24 hours. We had a six hour lay over in Delhi, and then a red eye to Kuala Lumpur. I gave in and had a soy chai latte from Starbucks in the Malaysian airport. It was heavenly. I had been drinking plain back tea for days, as I was still getting over my sickness from Nepal and a nasty cold.
We arrived to Bali in the early morning and took a taxi to our hotel in Ubud. I have heard from a number of people that Ubud is a cute town nestled in the mountains, and it is a lot cooler than the coastal villages. Well, Ubud has become quite popular since the Eat, Pray, Love book came out. Plus, the movie was just being filmed in town. I’m here to tell you that this place is HOT and very touristy!!
At first, it’s quite a busy and semi-irritable place to be. It is very tiresome to always walk on busy roads. People are continuously asking if you need a taxi ride somewhere, and also attempt to coax you into their stores, restaurants or day spas every minute of the day. However, we’ve been here three days and I must admit that Ubud is growing on me. Like most places, once you get out of the hub bub of it all, there are hidden jewels and fantastic treasures. Ubud is full of them. The Balinese cuisine is fabulous and inexpensive. There are beautiful Yoga studios and the people are very friendly and helpful.
Today we went to the Monkey Forest and spent about an hour being completely entertained by the little rascals. They are quite cute, yet tricky, trouble makers. They splashed and wrestled in the water, stole a woman’s hat, and dropped bananas on innocent passers by. It was rather hilarious. The forest itself is dense and covered in moss. There are serpent stone stairways and Hindu statues spouting water out of their mouths into the winding river below. I felt like I was on the Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom movie set. I loved it. Later that evening we meandered our way through some narrow and dense jungle walkways by the light of our headlamps. We found a restaurant amidst the bamboo and hanging plants and ferns. Our food was about $1.75 a plate and it was delicious.
We head to the coast tomorrow and then to the Gili Islands. I’m ready for some beach, sun and scuba diving.
Posted: 05.11.2010
Last Thoughts on Nepal
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Just to sum up my Himalayan trekking experience…
Highlights: the challenge of the ups in thin air, the incredible views, my meditation by the temple in Tangboche, doing Yoga at high elevations, cappuccinos and apple strudel in Namche Bazar.
Things I won’t miss: the smell of kerosene and dung, thin guest house walls, putting on my stinky and crusty clothes in the freezing morning, trying to get a good nights sleep at 15,000 ft, loads of litter in the beautiful mountains, nasty toilets.
Things I am thankful for: my health, good technical equipment, and my patient, load-bearing, ever-accommodating, non-snoring travel companion...Reuben. 
Posted: 05.11.2010
Hardest Walk Down
Monday, 10 May 2010
We had been in the amazing Himalaya for 12 days, and it was our last day of trekking. I was feeling stronger, lighter and blissful. Then it hit me.... you never know what to blame. It could have been the food, or the water, or a dirty fork...but I got sick. There are only two other times in my life I have gotten this sick. The first was the day before I started my cross country trip from Virginia to California. The second was a rough day in Thailand. On both prior instances, I had a nice clean bathroom and nowhere to be. On this trip, I was in the Himalaya and still had 4 1/2 miles to go before I got to a guest house. Plus, we had a 7:30am flight to Kathmandu. the following day.
It was difficult. The nausea feeling built up until I finally lost my breakfast on a suspension bridge. Although we were hiking “down” to Lukla, there was still quite a bit of up. On one of my trips to the toilet (a shack with a slat in the floor) Reuben took some of the heavier stuff from my pack and put it in his. After another hour I was walking even slower and taking more breaks. Reuben then took my entire pack for me. I greatly appreciated it. I felt completely depleted, deflated and humiliated. I so wanted to finished strong and even have a little pep in my step, ah well. I was so relieved when we got to our guest house in Lukla. I prayed that I would be OK for the plane ride the next morning.
That evening I spent shivering under two sleeping bags and a heavy comforter. After numerous trips to the bathroom, a cold walk across a courtyard to the shower, a trip up 8 stairs which took 5 whole minutes, listening hours upon hours to dogs barking, morning finally arrived. Even though I still had a fever and a sore throat, I was alright enough to fly to Kathmandu. And so we did.
Kathmandu was quite different then when we had visited it before. The Maoists, along with several other political parties, were on strike. They don’t seem to like the current prime minister. There was one tourist bus running. We hopped on it and found our way to to the hotel. It was easy traveling as everyone was either on a bicycle or on foot. All of the stores were closed, every one of them. However, most hotels were open as well as the restaurants within them. We hunkered down for a few days, rested, and planned out our next adventure.
The stores in Kathmandu opened about 2 hours every day for tourists and it was safe to walk on the streets. There were several peace rallies and marches happening everyday. At first I was a bit scared to be in a place with political unrest. However, with out 5 days traffic and people bugging you to buy things, I found Kathmandu to be a nice, calm, pollution-free city! After a 3 hour wait, we managed to get on a flight to Bali. The day we went to the airport, the strike lifted and everyone went back to work. As we sat in bumper to bumper traffic, listened to the horns blowing, and watched the stray dogs scamper off the road...I dreamed of the white sands and the clear blue waters of Indonesia. Then I smiled.
Posted: 05.10.2010
Kazi Sherpa
Thursday, 06 May 2010
Nirvana Gardens is a small guest house right next to a beautiful river. Since it had been raining for the past few hours we decided to stay there for the night. They had a huge garden with fresh vegetables and nice rooms. Kazi Sherpa (age 47) has lived there his entire life. His great-great Grandfather built a temple in a nearby cave and the town used to be called Thumbung - Bear Cave. Kazi spoke good English and even some German. We talked about the wildlife, the mountains, the water and his garden. Three if his dogs had been eaten by “common” leopards. (and we thought the coyotes were bad!)
The discussion changed tone as we asked him about how different the Kumbu area is now from 15 years ago. He said it’s very different. Many Sherpas have gone up Everest and many come back with frostbite, nerve damages, or amputated limbs. Some do not come back at all. If a Nepali man dies his wife now has to do all of the work and the children cannot afford to go to school. A Shepra who goes on an Everest expedition gets paid about $8 - $9 per day. After the main event, their grand total may be $500-$600 plus their equipment, which an expedition tends to donate. They might choose to sell their equipment or keep it. Making the grand total about $1000. About half of this is usually donated to various temples for prayer before their expedition. Everest is the oldest of five sisters, she provides water and life for all. In Buddhism, nature is god. “These mountains,” Kazi says, “are God. Walking up Everest is like stepping on God. Younger people have lost their respect for religion and technology has created a false intelligence. We think we are smarter than God. There is a reason you get sick when you go up to a higher altitude.” Reuben and I ate our breakfast and talked with Kazi for several minutes. It was so nice to finally connect with a local and hear his thoughts.
Posted: 05.06.2010
Cho la Pass and Onward
Thursday, 06 May 2010
We had a casual morning with milk tea and french toast, and began our hike around 7am. There was a lot of up. We meandered our way through a scenic valley until we finally reached the base of Cho la pass. The morning was clear and the sky was a brilliant blue. This pass was more technical than Renjo la the previous day. Plus, we had our full packs with us instead of just light day packs. The rock was very loose and I had to use my hands for balance. It reminded me a bit of the mountaineers route on Mt Whitney. Except that this pass was a few thousand feet higher and a bit looser. There was a lot of potential for rock fall, so I waited until a few groups of exuberant porters came down from above. Although it was challenging I felt psyched. It wasn’t just the natural high of the mountains and the wilderness that brought this awesome emotion on. It was a psyched feeling I had been missing for years. It was fantastic to be psyched for hours as I snailed my way up to the top. Reuben and I were both thankful for the acclimatization we did on Renjo la the previous day. It some how made this pass do-able.
The decent was through a gorgeous valley, and the fresh viewpoint was rewarding. Ama Dablam stretched skyward and north face of Cholatse was disturbingly stunning. We walked down the glacier on top of 50 feet of solid ice beneath our feet. The color was a light sky blue. The rock embedded within the ice was a dark gray. It was fascinating to look at. After about 30 minutes we came to an open meadow. I stretched out and had a nice Yoga session. It felt good to be out of the thin air!
As the next few days passed we continued our decent toward Lukla. Under the tree line and back into the multi-colored blooming rhododendrons, and the purple-globe & yellow wildflowers. This meant that we were also back on the main-vain of the Everest Base Camp trekkers. The guest houses were top end to us. Inside flushing toilets, tables with chairs, napkins, real milk, espresso machines, internet, phones, even a bakery. It was nice, but at the same time.....embarrassing. I think people should rough it more. I mean come on, you’re at 15,000 feet! Carry your own bag, make your own food! There was a group of Russian people who were complaining because there was no red wine by the glass and the pizza was not to their liking. They then complained that there was nothing to do in the town they were staying in, Periche. These porters (aged 10 to 60) bring up gigantic loads of food, water, wood for building, kerosene for cooking, beer, wine, toilet paper, EVERYTHING so that us tourists can be in the mountains. Ok, the fresh apple pie was awesome, and I appreciated every bed I slept on, still...I felt a bit guilty every time a porter walked by. I was told that this is their life, how they were raised and how it just...is. I was satisfied with this answer until I met a man by the name of Kazi Sherpa in a little village name Jorsalle.
Posted: 05.06.2010
Day 6 - Part 2
Wednesday, 05 May 2010
After a 3 1/2 hour hike up and a 2 hour hike down the Renjo Pass, our lunch was well appreciated. We packed our bags and headed to our next destination. Most trekkers hire guides, to show them the way through the mountains. They also hire porters to carry their heavy stuff. Reuben and I decided to go solo. We didn’t have huge packs but we brought: sleeping bags, warm clothes, toiletries, cards, travel scrabble, tempur-pedic pillows, a yoga mat, a water filter & metal bottles, socks, hankies and snacks.
It was supposedly a 2 hour hike across a glacier to the town of Thaknak. No problem, right? We took out our trusty map and walked down past two lakes until we reached the correct trail. At that point we needed to put on our rain gear as it was beginning to snow. Once we crested the moraine, the landscape changed dramatically. It looked like we were on the moon. We made our way across gray, thick sand, up and over multiple rocks, and around pools of chilly glacier water. The path felt a little strange, as it was difficult. Most of the people on these trails wouldn’t deal well with scrambling over slippery rocks, especially if they had hired a few yaks. We saw a rock that had a painted on advertisement for the Friendship Lodge. That seemed like a good sign so we continued on. We stopped at a water crossing that was about 7 feet wide. Reuben picked up a few rocks and plunged them into the river and we hopped across. The snow continued to come down. We came to another crossing. This time it was about 25 feet across and the water current was quiet fast. Looking up and down river there were no other crossings in sight. The only option was to take off our clothes, carry our packs over our head and wade across. With icy chunks in the water, snow coming down and a fast current, I don’t think so!! We decided to go back to the main trail. I was tired from the Renjo Pass. It was very frustrating to turn around, but it was the smart thing to do.
Once we got back to the main trail, we could have taken the “walk of shame” back to Gokyo and stayed another night. Instead we decided to go south. We walked down, down, down searching for another trail to lead us across the glacier. Looking at our map, we saw a small river crossing near a guest house in a place called Na. The crossing was easy and the guest house had a fire on. We had a decision to make though. If we stayed down, I knew that I would lack any motivation to go up the Chola Pass. It was about 5pm. There was just enough daylight to make it to Thaknak. We hiked up some steep, off-trail pastures and hillsides until we found the main trail on the other side of the valley. I was moving slow!!! We got to Thaknak as the sun was setting and some kind Nepali guides showed us to the infamous Friendship Lodge. We had made it. The food was delicious and the beds were cozy. After talking to some locals we realized that the correct trail across the glacier changes every year. Currently, the trail left right out of Goyko. I contemplated hiring a guide for the rest of the journey. I would not have gotten up to the top of the Renjo Pass that morning if those two men would not have walked by. Plus, a guide certainly would have lead us the right way across the glacier. It had been a difficult day, but by far the most fun and rewarding. We would continue on our own. I slept amazingly well.
Posted: 05.05.2010
Day 6 - Part 1
Monday, 03 May 2010
This is the day where everything changed. My impatience turned into delight. We awoke in Gokyo (15,000 ft) and decided to hike up Renjo Pass (17,650 ft). We began by contouring the lake at 6:15am. It was a gradual uphill that turned into steep, loose switchbacks. The path flattened out again and we were surrounded by gigantic mountains. There was only one obvious place that the pass could be. It looked VERY far away. As we continued on I really felt the altitude. I would count 100 steps and then stop to catch my breath and let my heart settle down. I was moving slower than a banana slug in Santa Cruz. I saw Reuben way up ahead and I shouted out “I don’t think that I’m going to make it to the top, so don’t wait for me!”
I didn’t have a headache but I was having waves of nausea and bliss at the same time. It reminded me of skate skiing x 20.
The trail was getting very steep and rocky, my head was getting confused and cloudy. I looked toward the saddle and I really had no idea which way to go to get up there. So, I sat down and ate a chocolate bar. My mind was chattering. “Get up!”, “This is a good view, you don’t need to go up there”, “why are you even here?”. It was a 20 minute battle. I spotted some trekkers down below. In about 10 minutes they passed me. One was a Sherpa guide and the other was an older man in his 60s. They had a slow and steady pace. I watched them walk behind a gigantic boulder. I picked up my bag and followed them up. They didn’t stop once to take a break until they reached the top. At the very last switch back, I could barley hold back my tears. I couldn’t comprehend at the time why I was so emotional. Now I know that they were humble tears of joy. It is SO easy to give up, to retreat and get pushed down by the challenges of life. An opportunity comes your way, and if your spirits are down you may not be inspired to take an action. If you spirits are up, however, you recognize that opportunity as a well-appreciated gift. I was so fortunate that those two men came by and I was able to be inspired by them. The view from the top was spectacular. Everest was bold and beautiful. Three nearby alpine lakes sparkled in the sunlight. We were back in Gokyo at 11:30am. We ate a huge lunch and rested a bit. The plan was to hike to the next town. I was supposed to only take two hours. It took us 6! To be continued.....
Posted: 05.03.2010
Namche to Phanga
Monday, 03 May 2010
The climb out of Namche was steep! The trail eventually became smooth and wide and lovely. It wound its way through the shade of blooming rhododendrons. Then the trail became steep again as we took the road toward Gokyo. We stopped on top of a hill in the little town of Mong, where we ate chocolate and drank milk tea. The next section was a steep down until we reached the town of Dole. We stayed at the Alpine Cottage Lodge. I did some Yoga, which was interesting at 13,300 ft (especially the handstands!)
For the first time I had a hard night sleeping. Every 5 breaths or so my heart would start racing. I kept waking up every 20 minutes or so through out the night. When the sun rose I got out of bed and did my morning meditation.
Reuben and I were both been craving long hikes, but we had to find the patience to acclimate properly. The next morning we hiked about 3 hours to the town of Phanga. It was a one-guest house town. There was a couple who had been living there for 5 years. They had a two year old girl, very cute. We stayed put in order to catch up on our oxygen. I did some Yoga, ate some food, played cards and scrabble. By 3pm I was chopping at the bit! When 8pm rolled around I was in bed. I was up at 5am. These mountains might turn me into a morning person after all.
We ate our standard breakfast of fried eggs, chapati, and milk tea. Then we started trekking in three inches of new snow. The sun came out and the snow quickly melted. We were eagerly on our way to Gokyo.
Posted: 05.03.2010
Namche Bazar - 11,552 ft
Monday, 26 April 2010
We caught the 6:30am flight out of Kathmandu. It was so nice to get above the city and out of the pollution. We landed 30 minutes later in Lukla. This is where most people come to trek up to Everest Base Camp. Reuben and I had a cup of tea and walked about 4 1/2 miles to Phakding. We delivered a letter from Pam, a local Truckee Yoga student, to the owners of the Namaste Guest House. We got a free nights stay, thanks Pam! The food up here is simple and good. I stick to the dhal baht: rice, streamed/fried veggies and lentils.
The next day we started hiking at 7am. I was told that we were going about 4 1/2 miles but that it was uphill. The day before this same distance had taken us about 1 1/4 hours. It took us 6 hours to get to Namche Bazar!! We did stop one time in Monjo to have some milk tea and chocolate. Besides that we were in motion the whole time. Needless to say it’s steep!
Along the walk I did get my first view of Everest. Luckily, the sky was a brilliant blue and there were just a few clouds. The trail was full of trekkers, horses, donkeys, yaks, dzos, chickens, fuzzy puppies and playful dogs. By far, the most impressive people on the trail are the porters. They carry A LOT. Easily two big backpacks and a couple boxes piled high. It’s quite impressive....and very humbling. I had a wimpy back pack I bought in Kathmandu for $15 bucks and it was really uncomfortable. I was annoyed the whole day. Then a couple porters would walk by and I’d feel utterly pathetic. I actually ended up trading in the old back pack for a very comfy one. Cut me a break I’m on vacation! Plus, I’m lugging around my Maduka Yoga mat up! (at least it’s the travel light model)
We spent the night in Namche Bazar and day hiked around today up to 12, 500 ft. I was tempted to have a glass of wine at the Everest View Hotel (once upon a time a 5 star hotel), but I decided to wait until the way back down to have a drink!! We plan to be back in Namche Bazar in 12 days. The mornings are still and glorious, and the afternoons are windy and cold. We’re usually inside by then, sipping lemon tea and playing scrabble. Love to all, write to you when we get back to Namche.
Posted: 04.26.2010
Kathmandu
Friday, 23 April 2010
(cont.)
I love how you need three people in India to do a one person job. For example, you are getting on the plane. One person takes your ticket, looks at it, and passes it to the next person. The second person tears the ticket and hands the stub to the third person. The third person then hands the ticket stub to you. Believe it, cause it happened when we got on the plane, when we got on to the bus, and when we got onto the next plane....three people each time! Don’t even get me started on the security line!
We arrived in Kathmandu at 4:30pm. There were many people barking out their hotels and guest houses like a hungry pack of dogs. Luckily, we had a reservation at the Tibet Guest House and a van to pick us up. The guest house is casual, comfortable and the right price (thank you Marin!). Each level has a balcony, and the top of the building has a beautiful garden with shade and places to sit and relax. It is located in the Thamel area of Kathmandu, which is incredibly touristy and busy, but the room is quiet enough us. The very tippy top of the guest house has a 360 degree view of the city. I’m not much of a city gal, but this view was unique and fascinating. I love all of the buildings, the garden roof tops and the nooks and crannies. There are cafes and delicious restaurants everywhere and oodles and oodles and oodles of shopping. We’ve already had Thai, Nepalese (the steamed dumpling veggie Mo Mos are my favorite) and a fire-baked pizza. Easy living.
I never blogged about my quest for a beer in India. We had been out in the country for about two weeks. There was little electricity and rarely any cold drinks. Drinking in India isn’t the social outing we’re used to, it’s done in seclusion; so try as I might I could not find a cold one. On our last night in India, I asked the hotel desk clerk if they had any beer. They didn’t, but the desk clerk assured me that there was a store just around the corner. So I stepped out into the heat in hopes of finding a refreshing beverage. Ugh.... busy streets, horns blowing...I had been in the car for about 6 hours that day too. I did see a bar, but was reluctant to go in solo. Especially since the bus stop was next door and there were some shady characters around. So I returned to the hotel and the refreshing AC. The desk guy then assured me that he would go and get me a beer from the bar (cause that’s how you do it in India) and bring it back to the hotel once his shift was over around 8pm. I thanked him and anxiously awaited my tasty beverage. I fell asleep and around 11pm the desk guy knocked on my door and told me that his shift was now over and would I like him to go and get the beer. Half asleep I said “no, too late”. I had failed, I was over it. Plus, I had to get up at 4:30am anyway to catch a flight. There are other stories like this one. I had tried to find beer other times, so this was the icing on the cake and the hilarious was nauseating.
You can imagine my excitement when we got to our room in Nepal and I discovered a fridge in the room fully stocked with beer! And… if you drink it they replace it the next day when they come around for cleaning. Lovely. 
However good the beer, food and shopping is, Kathmandu can be rather exhausting. After 36 hours you are over the pollution, traffic, horns, pushy merchants, and beggars. It’s time to get to the good stuff! We fly to Lukla tomorrow for trekking. We will be west of Everest in the Khumbu region and we hope to see some good views. I am ready for some exercise in the fresh mountain air, and to be in the majesty of the grand Himalayas. I’ll send you the next blog from 12000 ft.
Posted: 04.23.2010
4:30am to 4:30pm
Thursday, 22 April 2010
We awoke at 4:30am in Kochi, India. The taxi ride to the airport was rather mellow. Just a few honks and rick-shaws, but not too many people on the road. The airport was quite interesting. We both stood in line to show our tickets, and then found a seat next to a coffee stand. The coffee in India is not the best so we opted for a 4oz hot cup of tea which consists of: 1 oz black tea, 2 oz hot milk and 1 oz of white sugar.
The counter for Air India finally opened and the people briskly walked forward. Personal space as well as making lines do not exist in India. They will crowd you from behind and squeeze you in, and of course blatantly cut you off. It’s the way of the country, people sickened with the “hurry up and wait syndrome”. Needless to mention, I was ready to be over with my two week holiday in India. It’s a lot of work!!!
Once we got past security, we found ourselves in a huge room with rather comfy looking arm chairs all facing the window. Which would have been fabulous if we were gazing upon the majestic sea. Instead, we were watching the typical mayhem of India. Which can be entertaining, but at 6:00am on three hours of sleep and no latte, I was over it.
The first leg of the journey was alright. The man next to me fell asleep and was leaning over the already cramped middle seat I occupied. This was not too out of the ordinary. I gently pushed his arm back to his side of the divider and he woke up. The next hour he continuously hocked boogies and swallowed them and itched and picked his nose rather violently. It’s an Indian thing I think. They can clear their throats for 15 minutes straight, rub their nose for two, make strange neck movements for three and then start the whole cycle over again. Must be an ancient kriya 
We arrived in Delhi and retrieved our bags. Then we waited for a shuttle to take us to the domestic terminal. Had we have walked there it would have taken about 2 minutes. Instead, we waited 20 minutes for a shuttle, went through a security check to get out of the building, another check before we got onto the bus, one when we got off and another to get back into the other terminal. We drove around the entire runway field. It was ridiculous. There was a dog hanging out at the international terminal when we got off, I wondered how this guy got in here and if he had a valid passport!
The next leg of the journey was to Kathmandu. This Air India plane was ready for retirement! Our seats were filthy, reclined a micro-millometer, had tray tables that continuously fell down in our laps, and a convenient medal bar that plunged into our mid-backs. Thankfully, Reuben had some spare duct tape so we could temporarily tape the tray tables up for the duration of the flight. You have to laugh at it all, or else you’ll just cry your eyes out!
To be continued................
Posted: 04.22.2010
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