Wrapping Up Nepal

I was supposed to leave Pokhara on the 21st for my "three day" stay in Royal Chitwan National Park, but was delayed one day due to the bus strike. My extra day in Pokhara was spent wondering whether or not I would get out of there. I went to my favorite spots and no one I had chatted with before was there. I wandered around the lake, got various offers for tea and dal bhat, but was too stress to really enjoy the local hospitality. I went to bed anxious again, but at least the following morning when I woke up at 5:30am, my bus was scheduled to depart.
There were several weary travellers at the bus stop that morning. All of us slightly worried that we would board and drive only a couple of kilometers before the driver would stop the bus and get off.
We left about an hour late and at every check point all of the tourists would look around to see if something fishy was going on. When we arrived in Chitwan, the Jungle Safari Lodge had not sent anyone to come pick me up. I went to the local call booth and found a Chinese couple calling the same lodge. Wanlie and Zhulin are married, about 30 years old, and from Beijing. Not only did I have companions during my time in Chitwan, but they were Mandarin Chinese speakers and thrilled when I spoke with them.
The first afternoon/evening in Chitwan, one of the guides took us around the town and explained the culture and history of the native people. We also went to a culture show where they performed several dances.
The next morning the three of us woke up early for our full day in the park. It started out with a canoe ride down the river (which was at most 6 inches deep during this winter season). Then there was the formal jungle walk where we didn't (and didn't want to see) any wild animals. The morning wrapped up with a visit to the Elephant Breeding Center where we got to feed the baby elephants.
That afternoon we had the highlight of the stay - an Elephant Safari. The elephant picked us up at the lodge and then during our walk through town, we joined up with 7 others before entering the park. About 20 minutes into it, one of the guides spotted two rhinos so we circled them. It was quite scary to be on top of a trembling elephant while we were only a couple of feet away from the rhinos. We also saw deer, wild boor, crocodiles, monkeys and of course some birds. It was great to get on top of the elephant and enter the park in a more natural way than in a jeep.
The following morning I took the bus back to Kathmandu. In my day and a half there I wasn't able to get my transit visa for India due to the Independence Day celebrations. I thought I was screwed but it ended up being ok. I spent 12 hours in the Delhi airport. I met some interesting people and had lots of 10 rupee cups of tea and biscuits. The flight to Hong Kong went smoothly. I sat next to a young female professional golfer from India and got to watch "The Departed."
I had a lot of hiccups in Nepal, but I would still return. I'm sure it is much more exciting when you get to share the experience with others, but I feel there were certain moments that I needed to experience on my own and for that I am happy.

Pokhara - lakeside town and Maoist Country

Dipak and I got on the 7am tourist bus to Pokhara. We had two short stops for breakfast and lunch before arriving in the city around 2pm. After a short rest, we starting our tour. The first stop was Devi's Falls and Cave where there was an ancient Hindu temple. Then a short boat ride on the lake to another Hindu temple to Sheba on an island. That was about all to see there so we finished up the day with some supply shopping and dinner.
That night at the hotel we had a bit of a problem. The guesthouse was over booked and they asked if Dipak could share a room with one of the other trekking guides staying there that night. He agreed and put his stuff in the room. While we were out, the other guide arrived, put his stuff in the room and left with the key. For those of you who don't know, in most developing countries, the hotels/guesthouses/hostels have only one key for each room meaning that there is no master key for the whole place. Dipak was locked out all night and requested that he sleep on the floor of my room. I was a little uncomfortable with this arrangement, but what could I do. Needless to say neither of us got any sleep that night and instead of starting the trek the following day we came up with an alternative plan to head up to Sarangkot (via taxi and trekking) and start the next morning from there.
Sarangkot is a small village about 1800 m above sea level. We stayed in a quaint family owned and operated guesthouse. I had a great conversation with the eldest son who managed the place about life in Nepal as a young adult.
One quick word about trekking in Nepal - this is not like hiking in any other country I have been in. Essentially trekking is walking on the mountain roads and pathways between villages in the mountains. Part of that means that you are walking on ancient roads and stairways and that there are tons of villages, guesthouses, and shops along the way; another part means that there is an incredible amount of donkey poop, trash, and Hindu and Buddhist temples along the way.
The next morning, Dipak and I set out on the first leg of our trek to Nayapol. It was about a 4 hour trek, mostly flat and I was happily surprised to see lots of schools (primary and secondary) along the way. Once in Nayapol, we started the harder part of the trek. Another 4 hours of climbing up stairs (slate stones sometimes fashioned into stairs, other times they are just sticking out of the ground so that the animals have some sort of traction as they ascend and descend). It was about 30 degrees at that the point that we reached Tikkadunga our stop for the night.
I wasn't too clear with Suman when we picked this particular route for my trek. This was an advanced/expert level trek. My athletic appearance was the reason why he suggested it, and I should have stepped in during the planning process and told him how out of shape I really was.
After the 200th stone stair the following morning, Dipak and I made an alternative plan. We ended up trekking back on the same path, at a much slower rate, and even trekked the distances we had previously taken by taxi and local intercity bus transport to make my total trek only 5 (much less painful) days instead of 6.
I arrived back in Pokhara yesterday afternoon. Dipak and I had our last couple of meals and a celebratory beer together before he departed early this morning to head back to Kathmandu.
Now I am spending my two extra days in Pokhara running errands, updating my blog, trying to upload photos (not too successful doing that) and still trying to chat with the locals about life.
In two days I will take a 5 hour bus ride to Chitwan National Park and start my jungle safari activities.
As for now, I'm bummed that I didn't get to go all out during my trek, but really happy that I am able to take a couple of slower days, collect my thoughts and be at peace and enjoy the wonderful countryside around me.

Nepal - "The North Face" Counterfeit Capital of the World

Ok, now for some stories from Nepal.

On January 11th, I arrived at Kathmandu airport from Delhi. I was picked up by the owner of the guesthouse I booked on-line Raj. We arrived at the Kathmandu Peace Guesthouse around 5:30pm and at 6pm I met with the travel manager, Suman, over a small pot of steaming hot black tea (national drink of Nepal). Within an hour Suman had sketched out a great 14 day plan for my short stay in Nepal. My tour began with two days of site seeing in Kathmandu, followed by a day to travel to Pokhara (trekking capital of the western region) and 2 days of site seeing, 6 days trekking in the Annapurna region, 3 days in Chitwan National Park for an elephant safari, nature walk, and various other activities, then travel back to Kathmandu for two days of rest before flying back the Delhi.
Early the next morning I met with CB Kahn, my first guide, who took me to great landmarks of the Kathmandu Valley region. On the 12th we started with the famous Buddhist Monkey Temple, Boudhanath Stupa, the Hindu Pashupati Nath Temple where ritual cremations occur on a daily basis and Hanuman-dhoka Durbar Square. On the 13th we ventured outside Kathmandu to the cities of Patan and Bhaktapur where we saw a variety of great Buddhist and Hindu temple built by the great Malla king dynasty.
CB has been a trekking guide for about 9 years. He's incredibly knowledgeable about Nepal, but he was eager to get out of the city and take me on my trek. Due to the considerable amount of industry growth in Nepal over the past 20 years, there are various rules that trekking companies need to follow in order for the guides to be rotated and given a "fair" shot at the foreign money coming in. In short, he told me that if I requested him to Suman that he would be my guide for the trek, but in reality, when I met with Suman later that evening, he shot down my request before I could even utter it. I met my official trekking guide Dipak that night and the following morning at 6:30 am, we set out on our adventure.

Aarti and Mehesh's Wedding

The wedding ceremonies and parties started officially on the 5th with a small, intimate engagement party for the families. I was still soaking up my alone time in Anjuna, so I didn't attend.
The afternoon of the 6th was the official arrival time of Aarti's family from all over the world. The family spent the day preparing for all the guests (around 100 from her side) at the Hotel Fidalgo in Panjim, Goa (main city in the center of the state). After everyone got settled, the Mahboobani family hosted a wonderful, and simple welcome dinner at a really fun restaurant - Sweet Chilli. The casual atmosphere was a great way for members of both sides of her family to meet and greet while enjoying great Goan food and watching some local entertainers on the outdoor stage.
On the 7th, there were two events - Mendhi and Sangeet. The Mendhi (henna tattoo time) was for the women only and started around 5pm. I was fortunate enough to borrow an Indian pants suit from Geeter, Aarti's cousin from the US. The low key event was held outdoors on one of the lawns of the Taj Fort Aguada Resort. There were four mendhi artists and all the women sat for at least a little bit of the ancient Indian art to be applied to their hands (both top and bottom). Traditionally the darker the mendhi, the more the groom will love the bride. Aarti had her's applied earlier in the day and was keeping the thicker layer on as long as she could. I only had mine applied to the tops of my hands so that I could enjoy all the wonderful snacks that were available.
At about 8:30pm the men arrived which signaled the end of the mendhi party and the beginning of the sangeet. As far as I could gather, the purpose of the sangeet was a night of entertainment and fun performed by the bride's side of the family and friends, but Mehesh's family and friends were present as well. Vineeta and the three other bridesmaids (Anjana, Vandana and Vibha) spent hours preparing a wonderful skit/dances telling the story of Aarti and Mehesh's courtship. Members of Aarti's family also performed dances to popular Bollywood movie tunes from the past year or so. The show lasted about 1 hour and afterwards, of course, there was more food and drink for everyone to enjoy.
The 8th was a pretty relaxing day. I went to the beauty salon and got my hair cut, finally, and had a manicure and pedicure; all done for about $30. I came back to the hotel and relaxed for a while before preparing for the Puja - Aarti's hindu blessing/prayer ceremony. The Puja signifies the last night the woman will be a part of her family so traditionally it is a very sad occasion. The clothing she wears during this event is either thrown in the ocean or donated to charity. This event was held at the Hotel Fidalgo, and of course, included a large Indian dinner and dancing afterwards. It didn't run too late as the wedding ceremony started at 11am the next morning.
Coaches from Panjim to the hotel in Fort Aguada started shuttling over guests around 12pm the following day. Unlike any other wedding I've been too, the ceremony started without the guests. Mehesh's family is Maharastran, so there was a simple ceremony from that sect first before the Sindhi ceremony began. It lasted about 3 hours total. The bride and groom's families are all seated on a rised platform/tent. The Hindu priest performs a varity of rituals signifying the giving and taking of the bride, blessing of the marriage, and so forth. During the ceremony, the guests chatter about, eat snacks (of course) and take photos from the ground of the couple and the families. This was located outside on another one of the lawns at the Fort Aguada Resort. I borrowed one of Vineeta's lengha's which happened to be a dark maroon silk, and was sweating like a pig from beginning to end. As I watched the rituals, I was quick to stand next to someone I knew to have them translate what was going on. It was really beautiful. Rich in tradition and emotion. Again, I was incredibly lucky to be able to take part.
At around 9pm, the family hosted a reception. Dinner, dancing and well wishes to the couple were all a part of this event. I went back to the hotel around midnight, but Vineeta and the girls stayed into the late hours of the night to say their final goodbyes to Aarti before she left to spend some time with her in-laws and go on her honeymoon in Europe.

Relaxing in Goa

Vineeta and I left Ahmedabad on December 31st for Goa (small state in the south once a Portuguese colony and a big beach resort place for travelers from around the globe). We packed up our things and said our final goodbyes before Sunil took us to the airport.
We landed in Goa around 3pm and arrived at our hotel at 4pm. The ride from the airport to the hotel was about 1 hour. This third world paradise is a mixture of tropical plants and scenic water ways with poverty stricken people begging on the streets and anorexic cows eating trash along

the road. Not the most appetizing combination of things, but hey, it's India.
Our hotel was seculded as it was set back off the main highway and there were no other resorts in sight. The Marina Bay Beach resort was finished only in October 2006 and consisted of two buildings with 6 rooms each and a small restaurant. The owners were an odd couple (him - early 60s and British, her - late 30s and Malaysian), but friendly. Vineeta and I were pleased to find that the other girls we were meeting there were out for lunch and we were able to unpack and unwind before the New Years Eve mayhem began.
We decided to go to an outdoor club called Tito's. A group of about 15 of us loaded up in taxi's and drove to Baga Beach, the party headquarters of Goa. The outdoor atmosphere was really nice as we all danced 2006 away and welcomed 2007.
The next day was uneventful for me as I was experiencing the worst migraine of my life. The 20 degree temperature change between Ahmedabad and Goa didn't agree with me and I ended up spending New Years day in bed sick. I was really lucky to have Vineeta by my side taking care of me.
On the 2nd, I officially separated from the girls and acquired my own accommodations in Anjuna, about a 30 minute drive north of where Vineeta and the bridal party were staying for the next couple of days. This didn't prevent me from venturing out with them. We went down to the beach one day for water sports (jet ski, inner tube, banana boat - 6 people on a "banana" shaped floating device that is pulled by a power boat) and the infamous Anjuna flea market known for it's handcrafts and bargaining.
I did spend some time on my own in the small town known for it's beach party/drug scene. I treated myself to some spa treatments, sat in the sun and chatted with the locals, read and wrote in my journal, and prepared myself for the craziness that I knew would be the Indian Hindu Wedding.

Pictures - added in Malaysia - I know I'm slow!!!

More India from Nepal

Hello all -

Here I am in Nepal, but still trying to catch up on my wonderful time in India. After returning to Delhi, doing some much needed shopping in which I purchased my very own lengha, Vineeta and I flew to Ahmedabad to visit more of her family. At the airport we were greeted by her cousin Chotu. At home waiting for us was his dad Uncle (because I can't remember his first name), his wife Preeti, son Madhav (age 7), brother Sunil, his wife Kiran, and their son Thramil (also 7). Our first full day, Uncle took us and the boys to Gandhi Ashram - the ashram where Gandhi started his nonviolent resistance movement. What an inspiring place! It was located on the banks of the river . . . can't remember it's name either; just a few simple buildings and manicured lawns. There was also a museum that told the story of the movement through photos and artifacts.
That night Chotu and Preeti took Vineeta, me and the boys to the Indian version of Medieval Times. This place was like a theme park restaurant with old Gujrati performers, craftsmen and traditional food. We all had lots of fun.
The next day Sunil and Kiran took us out to this really nice Hindu temple called Swaminarayan. A couple of years ago there was a Pakistani terrorist attack there. They took the visitors hostage and 22 people were killed and another 20 or so injured. The security is very tight and it was impossible to take photos.
The temple itself was set back quite far on the lot and the foreground was a beautiful garden and oddly enough, a couple of carnival rides which Vineeta and I enjoyed with the boys after our tour of the temple and the grounds.
That afternoon, we had one of the greatest experiences of our trip - the Gujrati Handicraft Market aka Law Garden Market. It was here that we did most of our souvenir shopping, but in order not to get charged too much, we concocted a plan. Vineeta and I would move ahead of Kiran and Sunil and browse the stands 2 or 3 down the line. If we saw something we wanted, Vineeta would sneak back to them and let them know. When they arrived at the appropriate stand, they would bargain for us, give us a sign when the price was decent and then we would come over and pay. It was so much fun. The plan worked brilliantly and before we knew it we had spent 2 hours and countless rupees on various crafts.
Our last day in Ahmedabad started off with another market, but this time it was fixed prices. Preeti and Chotu took us to the Tibetan Refugee Market which although it wasn't nearly as exciting and the products were not all that diverse, the fixed prices made it much less stressful. We spent the rest of the day with finishing up mall shopping for shoes and other things Vineeta and I needed for our Indian outfits for the wedding. We returned to the house around 7pm, had our mandatory Chai tea and biscuits, played with the boys and had a wonderful final dinner with the whole family.
I had an amazing time with Vineeta's family throughout my time in India. It was really a blessing that I got to spend so much time with one of my best friends and get to know real families so well. They were all so incredibly welcoming and made sure to let me know that I was welcome back at any time.



Some Photos


The Great Taj Mahal

Snuggling up with Nani

I have to again apologize for the tardiness in posts. Since arriving in the middle of the night on December 20, I have been running around the country with Vineeta and her family. It's been an amazing experience thus far and I wouldn't change a thing.

We arrived at Vineeta's grandmother's house - by way of her cousin Avinash (a DELL service tech who goes by the alas Peter) around 3:30am. After a brief three hour rest, it was off to Agra with her dad to see her aunt Saroj, uncle and cousins. My first impressions of driving through the "countryside" between the two cities was not pleasant. I thought, ok, prepare yourself for culture shock. Immense poverty aside, the smell is by far the worst of all of the physical evils. Burning of all nonessentials fills the air with a putrid rancid odor that would make anyone sick to their stomach. The road to Agra is lined by some barren and some not so barren fields. Many poor people make their homes out of mud and straw along the highway. Children play in the filthy water, dirt or disheveled construction or deconstruction sites along the way.

We arrive at Saroj Massie's (aunt in Hindi) for lunch where the mandatory food consumption was no less than three helping of everything on the table. The food was quite excellent so for this, the first meal of several we would have there, it was able to fill my quota. We had a quiet afternoon of family talk and chai before heading out to a small hotel restaurant for dinner. The following day was special as Vineeta's 15-year old cousin Vineet took us up to the Taj Mahal. It is truly one of the most magnificent sites I have seen in my short 25 years. It was crowded with foreigners, NRI's (non resident indians) and locals alike on this particular day, but I managed to get a couple of good shots before heading back to the house. We were not able to go back during the night time or during a full moon to see the special properties of the pure white marble against an Indian night sky, but I still feel like I can now check it off the list.

We ended up spending a couple of extra days in Agra because Vineeta's dad got sick with food poisoning. We spent some time driving around the city and of course eating about ever hour on the hour. I got a lot of time to sit and chat with the boys about school and life in Agra which was really nice. We left on Christmas Eve to head back to Delhi for a couple of days. It was sad to leave the small city and the first home that I was welcomed in India behind, but I promised Saroj Massie that one day I would return with Vineeta and our children and she could really cook some wonderful feasts for us then.