Looking for a scarf

Chai tea master

Old town bazaar

Golden temple. Turbans and spears.

Clothes and Chai

I was pretty sad to leave Rajasthan but the heat was driving us North. Especially sad to leave those camels with their luscious eyes. I loved how they daintily sat down, legs folded just so, to let me off and on. Enough about camels.
Sometimes you get bad advice. Sometimes you make the wrong decision. We were advised to take the overnight bus North. The first leg was an overnight sleeper which was ok. Big comfy flat double sleeper so I actually sort of slept. First stop 5am and a bus change that wasn't meant to happen. I felt better after chai. Chai always makes me feel better. There's something intrinsically Indian about sitting around a huge bubbling cauldron sharing chai with the local travellers at 5 in the morning. Delicious chai and then another magic sunrise. Because of the haze on the horizon you can stare for ages at the smouldering sphere of the sun as it inches its way skyward. The day went downhill from there and travel doesn't always go as planned in India. Multiple bus changes, stops and 22 hours later we arrived in Amritsar. Totally exhausted we found the closest fanciest hotel we could and slept.
I knew nothing about Amritsar and had no expectations. On arrival it looked like another big dirty chaotic Indian city. I was so sure that there would be nothing to see that when we went out to investigate I didn't even take my camera. In a new city I instinctively head to the old part of town and so we caught a tuktuk to the oldest bazaar called Hall's bazaar. Very friendly tuktuk driver. Once he found out we were kiwis he got very excited and couldn't stop raving about cricket and Stephen Fleming. Bazaars fascinate me. The constant streams of people, produce, tuktuks and rickshaws and I haven't seen a collision yet. I found street after alley after lane of beautifully hand embroided scarves and cloth. We rested and watched the flow of life while drinking chai at the corner teashop. Eventually we wound our way to the Golden Temple the holiest temple of all for the Sikh religion. Over 100,000 people visit the temple every day to worship. I saw about 3 other tourists but we were made very welcome as long as we covered our hair and didn't wear shoes like everyone else. We sat in the shade and watched the thousands of pilgrims parade past. I watched the clothes and marvelled at the variety of beautifully embroided and sequinned salwar that the women wear here (sort of like pajamas fit for a ball). The glittering golden dome of the temple was beautiful too but I did really enjoy the clothes more. After lunch we caught a shared taxi to the Wagah border between India and Pakistan. Every evening at 5pm a bizarre ritual takes place at the border crossing. Thousands of people congregate on each side to watch the soldiers march and lower the flags. It's a little more exciting than it sounds. It was a bit like being at a rugby test match between NZ and Aussie. The stands were packed and the crowd was roaring. First the kids were allowed to race up and down with huge flags as fast as they could to the Indian gate and back. Then the music roared and hundreds of women joyously danced in the road. While this was going on similar things were happening on the Pakistani side. Then the soldiers started their strutting and marching. Dressed in formal military garb they goose stepped their way to the still shut gates( and the soldiers on the other side did the same). Some serious posturing went on from both sides. I'm sure they chose their tallest soldiers and they were wearing ridiculous peacock fan hats which made them even taller. The soldiers could kick their legs and hit their own hats. When the soldiers looked like roosters about to start a cockfight and the crowds were were at a fever pitch of patriotism the huge iron gates were finally opened and the flags lowered. Then the gates were slammed with a resounding clang and that was that. Highly entertaining,  hilarious even but with some very serious undertones.
We finished the day with some delicious dosa and fresh mango icecream.
So a day that didn't cost a single rupee hanging out with friendly and helpful, quietly religious and proudly patriotic Indians. Great fun and not a single photo which is why you get one of my favourite camel.

Namaste Sandy

Surprising how busy our oasis becomes

Meet mr mcgoo.

Sleeping with Camels

The night before our camel safari there was another dust storm. It battered the shutters and left piles of sand in the open air rooftop restaurant. I hoped it wasn't a nightly occurrence.
We met our camels after a jeep ride 40 km out of Jaisalmer. Looking back the fort resembles a giant sandcastle in some child's sandpit.
My camel was called Mr Magoo and he contradicted all the stereotypes I've heard about camels. He was quiet and gentle, not lazy and didn't spit once. He was very tall though. Apparently the jaisalmeri camels have particularly long legs.
The Thar desert is dotted with trees and small villages. We stopped at a couple of  villages for chai and to see how the local people live in such a harsh environment.
We stopped for lunch in the shade of a kejri tree. The largest tree in the desert it also has a bean shaped fruit which is a rajasthani delicacy. Sarjun our camel driver cooked a 3 course feast over an open fire -pakora, potato chips,vegetable curry and freshly made chappatis. It turned in to quite a sociable lunch. A man appeared to harvest the fruit from the kejri tree and 2 stray boys with an axe wandered out of the desert and joined us as well.
By 2pm the temperature was hitting 45 degrees so we stayed in the shade and dozed until things cooled down. Back on our camels at 4 and a gentle trot onwards through the desert. Apart from the kejri tree the rest of the plants are downright evil. Warped stunted bushes and cacti with lethal barbs and hooks just waiting for a passing camel and rider. I was surprised at the abundance of wildlife. There was frequent herds of gazelle, moles and mice,peacocks, colourful chamelleon and lizards. Because people live in the desert there's also herds of goat, sheep, donkey and horses and foraging camels.
We set up camp for the night on a desert dune and after dinner crashed out on our mattresses on the sand. I watched the eggshell blue dome of the sky change to mauve and pink and then stars and darkness while lying on top of a dune, in the middle of a desert, with our camels munching happily alongside.
I must have slept because waking up was a surreal experience. Still on top of a dune but with an indigo dawn, a fading sickle moon, the camels still munching and Sarjun bringing over piping hot chai. Bryan saw a fox. I saw fox footprints and lots of other tracks in the sand I didn't want to think too much about(snakes,scorpions,mice?)
Our route back took us through fields of windmills. They generate a lot of the power for this area especially to help suck the water from deep below the desert. Monolithic and with an eerie hum they're not really out of place in this alien landscape. Our camels cruised through the desert at a steady trot until Bryan calls a halt because his legs are killing him. Time for more chai.
We're back before the heat of the day hits. An incredible experience although a bit saddlesore and weary because of it. We say goodbye to the desert and our camels and head back North and the cooler mountains again.

Fortress jaiselmer

The Golden City

Jaisalmer is in the heart of the Thar desert and was a traditional stopping place for the camel trains of old. The fort and palace rises out of the sandy arid plains. Built of yellow sandstone it is called the golden city.
We got to Jaisalmer with no dramas. Travelling deeper in to Rajasthan and deeper in to the desert it keeps on getting hotter. The tourist season closes here in just 6 days because it gets too hot after that to do anything. It's a pretty relaxed place and we spent time exploring the walled golden city which overlooks the desert. Full of palaces and temples it is also a living fort with shops, cafes and home to 3000 people. Easy to wander with frequent stops for watering. A palace,a fresh mango juice, a temple, a lime soda, a miniature painting shop, a beer(although bry had his beer in a teapot because we were too close to the temple).
It seems the more harsh and stark the landscape the more colourful the people and surrounds. Vibrant saris, shining bangles, nose rings and anklets, striking orange and red turbans and rich mosaic wall hangings and plush textiles. We are off on a camel safari tomorrow so I hope we can cope with the furnace like heat, and the camels.

Namaste Sandy

Unsure about cobras

No points for recognizing the grave

Pic for Tony

City of Camels

One of the things that never ceases to amaze me in India is the cows. Calm and contented they are anywhere and everywhere. In the middle of the busy road, on the balcony, in the bustling market, in the shade of a temple. In Bikaner there was camels too. Sauntering down the road, parked here and there they are used to cart heavy loads through the city.
Bikaner or the city of camels is in the outer reaches of the Thar desert. After our harrowing trip to get there we treated ourselves to a fancy hotel with marble floors, soaring ceilings with painted reliefs, carved wood and interesting art.
Bikaner was refreshing un-touristy. We wandered the new markets and the old city and didn't see another tourist. Lots of friendly locals though who pointed us in the right direction for the famous Jain temples. The markets were the most colourful I've seen. All types of fresh produce, cows, and flocks of women in their rainbow coloured saris of peacock blue, parrot green and flamingo pink. The rajasthani women also wear a filmy headscarf or chunni which flows out behind them.
Two young girls and their shy mother grabbed us and showed us around the intricately carved and beautifully painted Jain temples.
We didn't bother to visit the fort. Sometimes the best way to pass time is just to sit and watch the continual parade of turbanned men, women and children,  cows and camels.

Namaste Sandy

Almost lost my eyes

Was about to take pic of lovely pattern in window after it was hit by a rock when nec minute.... It wasn't there

A Fairy Tale

My lesson for the day was in the tradition of a Grimms fairy tale. Be careful what you wish for!
The day started like most others with a  delicious Indian breakfast. Spicy parata, mango pickle, yogurt, fruit and omelette. The cook kept on piling the plate high with more parata until we begged her to stop.
Then a visit to a whimsical palace in the heart of the walled pink city. Hawa Mahal or the wind palace was built for the ladies of the harem and has 938 windows so that they could peek out unobserved(and let the wind in).
After that a bit of shopping. We checked out the bazaar and then an exclusive women's shop that the stylish Rangana had directed me to. The shopkeeper found me a bit eccentric. No gaudy pinks or sequins and stars for me. I wanted a simple salwar for travelling. Jaipur is famous for its hand block print textiles so the pajama looking salwar I bought really is quite unique with every single print hand done. It's ok I won't be wearing it in Coromandel.
Bryan had booked us a nice aircon bus to Bikenar at lunchtime. Only on arrival it turned out to be a dusty old local rattle cage. Deception or miscommunication? Who knows? I had a meltdown. I really wanted that airconditioning. I got what I wished for but as in all good fairy tales there is a cost and bad things come in threes.
First about 50 km down the road a large rock flew into the windscreen. It cracked in to a thousand pieces but didn't shatter until a few more km down the road when it suddenly exploded in a shower of broken glass. Instant aircon. The driver didn't stop.
Second was a sudden change in weather. Like a magicians trick coming out of nowhere the trees start to bend and the rubbish flew upwards. Dust storm! The driver still didn't stop.
Third the sky turned an ominous grey and delivered thunder, lightening and a deluge of rain. I thought we were meant to be in the desert but it was nice and fresh and damp and cold. Only at the point that it was a bit like swimming underwater did the driver stop - for 5 minutes max. Once the rain stopped everything dried out really quickly in the desert wind as we continued to barrel our way to Bikenar come hell or high water or no windscreen. A great sense of comraderie invaded the bus as we all pitched in to continue the journey although I don't think the driver would have stopped for anything anyhow. We dressed the drivers hand which was cut. Luckily not seriously and he was thankfully the only casualty from the flying glass.
A happy ending to an epic journey as we pulled into the desert town of Bikenar 8 hours later. Windswept, sandblown but safe.

Namaste Sanderella

The Pink City

Clothed in pink stucco Jaipur is known as the pink city. Home to over 4 million people it is also a big city and the state capital of Rajasthan.
We travelled from Agra to Jaipur in a comfy airconditioned bus and stayed for 2 days with a lovely couple, Rangana and Divesh, at their homestay. Our fanciest accommodation yet. It was so spotless it made Brian nervous.
We hired a friendly taxi driver for the first day, Saddik, who showed us the sites of his city. Rajasthan is the land of kings and those kings had opulent palaces to live in,majestic forts to protect them and extravagant tombs to be buried in. So we visited palaces,tombs and forts. We also visited the Janta Manta a 17th century observatory which had some interesting astronomical creations. The Jaigarh fort dominates the skyline and is enormous. Bryan and Saddik got excited by the biggest cannon in the world which can shoot a cannonball 33km, but I quite liked the black eyed monkeys and the birds eye view. Saddik took us to his favourite vegetarian restaurant for lunch where we had pineapple korma and paneer korma, with naan and rice of course. The curries in India are a taste explosion. I can't get enough of them and keep discovering different types and tastes.
We finished the day on a rooftop restaurant festooned with flashing Christmas lights( more curries).Coming from the frequent power outages of Nepal and Varanasi it felt rather decadent. Throughout dinner constant fireworks surrounded us in a 360 degree arc. Apparently a common nighttime occurrence in the pink city.

Namaste Sandy

Taj Mahal. Take 2!

Bryan insisted we go back to the Taj. I'm glad we did. This morning it was with a clear blue sky, sunshine and together. And maybe it's worth spending a little bit extra time at one of the seven wonders of the modern world.
It is both beautiful and impressive and not just in size. The intricate designs and detail are made from semi precious stones inlaid in pure white marble. Onyx, mountain coral, lapiz,malacite,carnellian,jasper, tiger's eye and blackstar - I knew that research I did on rocks in Nepal would come in handy. The light dances across the walls and makes everything sparkle. It must have been incredible when the precious stones were still there (stolen by the British).
We followed up with a visit to the workshops where they practice the art of marble mozaics today. Beautiful. There is also skilled carpet weavers in Agra due to invasion from Persian moghuls centuries ago so we visited those workshops as well. Good fun shopping with our favourite tuktuk driver leading the way.
Another thing the moghuls left behind was massive forts. We visited the Agra red fort where the king who commissioned the Taj was imprisoned. He was lucky enough to still be able to see the tomb of his beloved wife across the river from his prison window.
I was making note of the diversity of transport whilst out shopping. The usual cars, buses, taxis but in India you also get camel, ox cart, horse and carriage, horse and cart with some urchin standing on deck, donkey with a side saddle kid, a bejewelled white horse and rider, tuktuks, bicycle tuktuks, tractors, all mixing and mingling in a busy city street.
Matt is off to Turkey today. I'm almost jealous. I would love to go to Istanbul and cross the Bophorus where Asia meets Europe. But India is starting to get to me. If you can get past the pollution and poverty it's an incredibly rich country full of diverse cultures and amazing sights.
And in a country of 1.3 billion there is always something to see.
(I'm still thinking on the poverty. I will deal with that question later).
We're heading into the hot winds of the desert( taking your advice Al). It's the hottest season so it will have a Smaug like intensity. Should be fun. And I want to ride camels.

Namaste Sandy

Lost at the Taj Mahal

We've swapped the spirituality and squalor of Varanasi for the grandeur and beauty of the Taj Mahal in Agra.
5.30 wake ups seem the norm in India but not so for Bry. I left him sleeping yesterday and spent a last hour down by the Ganges. I bade farewell to the homeless boys and stray dogs who slept and played in the abandonded palace at the end of our alley. While sitting quietly a young man decided I looked like a shoulder to cry on and told me the story of his tormented love life involving an Indian girl and an Israeli girl. Not being much of a counsellor I told him it would make a good Bollywood movie and left with both of us laughing.
We flew to New Delhi. A cosmopolitan looking city of a mere 12 million people. Grabbed a taxi at the airport and headed out on the expressway to Agra. Delhi is flat and brown and dry. Leaving Delhi is surreal because lining the expressway are thousands of empty apartment buildings. At least 20 stories high, all unfinished with spidery cranes perched atop and giving the impression of some desolate post apocalyptic world rather than a living one. The expressway is even weirder.200km of dead flat, dead straight road and almost completely empty of cars because no one can afford the toll. Just as well there were no other cars as at one point our driver managed to weave across all 3 lanes as he almost fell asleep (until Brian yelled).
We made it to Agra(just). Got up early this morning to see sunrise at the Taj Mahal. Not an auspicious start as it was raining for the first time in months. We entered the main gate and I scurried ahead briefly to get my first glimpse of the gleaming dome of the musoleum, and that was the last I saw of Bryan. While I waited on the gate steps Bry raced on ahead with the money, phone, tickets, camera and without me. Oh well. I had plenty of time to contemplate the Taj. The thing that impressed me most is it's size. It's enormous and certainly awe inspiring in design. I eventually found Bryan a couple of hours later back at the tuktuk stand which is just as well as I'm not sure how I would have found my way back to the hostel.
Feeling better now after delicious aloo parata, curd and pickle for breakfast.
India certainly poses some challenges. I can't say I'm bored.

Namaste Sandy

Holy City/Holy Cow

We've spent the last couple of days walking and wandering around Varanasi trying to fathom a culture that is so old and so far removed from ours that it's a little overwhelming.
We went looking for a famous lassii shop called the blue lassii. Lassis are a yogurt shake made with fresh fruit. You see them milking the cows by hand in the alleys in the mornings. Anyhow we found it down by the main burning ghat where they burn 400 people a day beside the river. The shop was a blue hole in the wall which we happily shared with a couple of French girls. The owner sat out front on the street making lassii and every so often another dead body went rushing past on a bamboo stretcher. These streets are tiny, pedestrians and cows only, so those dead bodies were very close.
Got lost looking for a tea shop and ended up in the home of a perfumerier. We had to get past the cows in the front room to his workshop where we spent a fragrant hour drinking 6 spice chai tea and sampling exotic essential oils.
Another young man delighted in smothering us with luxurious silks and kashmiri pashminas until they were all around us in luminescent piles.
The quintessential thing to do in Varanasi is a boat ride on the Ganges at sunrise. Bry wasn't too happy at the 5.30am start but it was certainly a memorable sight. While the sun rose over the East bank of the Ganges thousands of pilgrims came down to perform ritual washing at the West bank ghats overlooked by centuries old temples and palaces. Up to 60000 people wash in the river every day, raw sewerage runs in to it and don't even think about the dead bodies. I wouldn't let Chico swim in there! We watched a class of kids having their swimming lessons at the ghats this morning!
And then there's another thing Varanasi is famous for its scammers and circling sharks, the corrupt tuktuk and taxi drivers who just want to take you for a ride. Brian gets a little gruff with them sometimes. Yet for every bad tuktuk driver there's one's who are friendly and helpful.
While I am struggling with some aspects of Varanasi- the hygiene, the street living and the proximity of the dead, Bryan is struggling with the fact that as a sacred Hindu city there is no beer for sale. Although I have to say he has been offered hashish, opium and happy lassis, just not beer. No one offers me anything but scarves.
One last Varanasi story. I was people watching while Brian was getting a sim card and noticed wailing coming from a parked ambulance. Within minutes a bamboo stretcher was built on the ground and the body was off to the burning ghat.
Watching the living and the dying in Varanasi and trying to understand a way of life far removed from New Zealand. I'm definitely not there yet but you'd think I should be able to cope with the cow poo on my shoes.

Namaste Sandy

The second pic is for Angus especially. B

Varanasi panorama

From beside hotel.

Culture Shock

Varanasi is one of the oldest living cities in the world, and the holiest place for all of Hinduism. Situated on a crescent shaped curve of the Ganges it's an assault on the senses.
We're staying in the old quarter a stone's throw from the river. It's a labyrinth of narrow alleys littered with hazards. Cows block the way, mangy dogs sleep on every corner and monkeys rule the rooftops. The streets are clogged with people, rubbish, motorbikes, fires, food, beggars. There is an overload of sounds and smells. Sewerage smells enough to make you gag, cloying incense, spicy chai and curry cooking, burning braziers and bubbling vats of oil. Constant noise cymbals clashing, bells jangling and a mass of people washing, eating, talking, living.
All alleys eventually lead to the ghats. Steep embarkments of stone steps leading down to the Ganges where pilgrims come to perform ritual ablutions.
It's easy just to sit and watch. The thick green ganga river with its constant parade of boats, pilgrims and holy men. Kids tug at kites that flutter high in the pale blue sky and a never ending game of cricket takes place in the alley behind our vantage point.(it's out if the ball lands in the river or a rooftop).
It seems we don't have to go looking for things to do in Varanasi - it comes to us.
Varanasi city of temples and weavers. It's hot and exhausting and ultimately incredibly fascinating. We've decided to stay an extra day.

Namaste Sandy

Road Trip

The one thing I told Bry before we left was that I didnt want to travel by local transport. I am not really a snob but in Nepal and India it is just not easy. Well it seems getting out of Tansen isnt that easy and the only way down is local bus. We are lucky and have seats but not so the man with 4 boxes of chickens, the women with their bags of veges or the man with his full billy cans of milk and joghurt. Tansen is perched on a mountain top at 1500m so its a long way down past vertical cliffs and crumbling rock. Thankfully this bus driver is much more careful than the last and there is no death defying passing acts. Just as well since we are already teetering on a narrow mountain road. A massive traffic jam greets us half way down. Not caused by traffic but by a snaking line of people stretching for miles. Our bus slowly inches past the colourful queue. Its the final day of the Nepali new year and thousands have come to the local temple situated conveniently at a hairpin turn in the road. About an hour later we clear the crowds and are off again. About 100km amd 4 hours later we make it to the Indian border. Chaos reigns. In fact I dont think Ive seen a more chaotic border. We walk through dust, heat and flies to a small hole in the wall where you get your entry visa. Theres no where to write out the card so I balance it on top of my pack and jostle with the monks and yellow capped chinese bus tour to get the entry permit. I have to say it doesnt take long before we are off again. This time its a 4 wheel drive shared landrover to Gharakpur. Everything seems to have intensified in India. The heat, the people, the constant noise and activity. We pass miles and miles of wheat fields. They are harvesting and bundles of wheat lie higgeldy piggeldy everywhere. Gharakpur is busy and noisy. Its really just a stop on the way to Varanasi. Overnight sleeper on the train first class tonight. That more like it! Namaste Sandy.

People of Nepal

I asked Matt what he thought about my blog and he said there was not enough about people. Fair call.
We've spent the last 3 days in Tansen relaxing, reading and sleeping. Boosting up the energy before we head to India. I've enjoyed Tansen with its ancient architecture, narrow streets and dark cubbyhole like shops. The people here are friendly and kind. You walk down the street with a namaste, palms press and smile every few metres. We're staying with a retired economics professor a real gentleman called manmohan. The local momo shop family greet us with smiles and a freshly made batch of momos whenever we appear. Even just walking around the bazaar it's not unusual for a local to fall in to step beside you and start chatting. Where are you from? How long are you here? Where are you going?
Tomorrow we cross the border to India and head to Varanasi. I've loved Nepal with its mountains,forests and flowers,ancient cultures, Hindu and Buddhism rubbing shoulders and the friendly people of Nepal.

Namaste Sandy

Culture and Religion

We ended our time in Chitwan with a fantastic cultural show. The village hall was packed, mainly nepalese and Indian but a few tourists and everyone vying for the front seats. The dance troupe was about 30 strong and started with a very rousing stick dance. Twenty young men ferociously dancing in a circle with an interplay of sticks connecting backwards,forwards, under and over - it looked slightly dangerous.Then singing,drumming,more sticks,fire sticks and a very strange peacock dance. Good fun. 

A bit of a sad farewell to Matt at the bus station yesterday. He's off to Lebanon,Turkey and Greece. He decided to follow in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and make use of the classical studies he took in year 13. Its been great having him along for the trek and safari. He heads back to Kathmandu while Bry and I are off to Tansen a hill station in the Palpa district of the lesser Himalayas. Buddha our guide in Chitwan looked rather perplexed when we said we wanted to go to Tansen and it soon becomes obvious that not a lot of tourists head this way. You might have guessed that my agenda (mountains and animals) is over and Bry's agenda (off the beaten track?) has kicked in. 

The bus is very local and the trip very hair raising. I decide I need to convert to some form of religion because I end up closing my eyes and praying at least every 10 minutes as yet another head on collision is so very narrowly avoided. For some unknown reason we're offloaded and transferred to another bus in the middle of nowhere and if anything this bus driver is crazier than the last. In the end I plug in the haunting vocals of Elbow(great new album - The take off and landing of everything) and it provides the perfect soundtrack to watch the mass of humanity passing alongside. It's definitely better when I can't see what's happening up ahead. 

Tansen is an ancient town of cobblestone and brick and very steep streets. It clings to the mountainside,has hardly any flat areas and no other tourists. It does have a very well respected mission hospital the UMN or united mission Nepal which is part of the reason we've come here. Today we joined a tour around the hospital with a few others- a german doctor who worked in pokhara for 9 years treating leprosy and a newly arrived Finnish orthopedic surgeon. The hospital provides free health care for the poor, has 160 beds, a staff of 400 of which only 10 are expats,does over 3000 operations a year and runs on an annual budget of 2 million dollars a lot of which comes from donations. I did get the feeling that it pays to be Christian to work there though. Interesting in a country where Hindu and Buddhism overtly coexist in harmony but there's very little evidence of Christianity. But they are clearly good people doing good work.

There's not a lot of accommodation options in tansen so we are staying with a family in a home stay. Seems like a good option, friendly and comfortable. Dinner is a naweri traditional meal, flattened rice, soybeans and a fiery curry. We sit in a courtyard under an inky sky and a golden moon. It's nice to be back in the mountains where the air is clearer. 

Namaste Sandy

The good,the bad and the ugly

Let's start with the good. The gentle kind elephant. This town is overrun with elephants. They saunter down the main road, pop out of side streets. Last night one took a shortcut through our hotel. Through the front gate,down the central path and past our room without stirring a flower. We visited the elephant breeding centre where the mothers and babies were housed. There was twin boys and some very cute 7 month olds. I struggle a bit with the concept of wild animals being used as work horses but they do seem very well cared for. We spend another couple of hours down by the river watching the elephants being washed. They obviously love it. They flop in to the river and lay almost fully submerged with their trunk, like a periscope,coming up for air.
The bad has to be the prehistoric crocodile. We go for a canoe ride along a jungle fringed river. There's about 12 of us in a single canoe and a driver who poles us gondola style down past deep pools and shallow rapids. The first crocodile we see is not the friendly fish eating sort but the short nosed one they call the mugger because it eats anything. It swims along side then disappears, thankfully reappearring on the opposite bank. The next one we see is quietly basking on the bank in the sun. It's huge but we're in the river and it's on land, I think that's safe.
The ugly has to go to the star of chitwan the rhino. We have an early morning elephant safari. Each elephant carries its mahout and 4 people in a box like saddle strapped to its back. I feel like one of the maharajas of old out hunting rhino. I quickly get used to the sideways sway rocking motion, almost like being on a boat and enjoy the early morning forest. Shouts of delight and sure enough we have our prey a huge bull rhino. He's ringed by elephants but still acts like we don't exist and continues on eating. We get so close I can see an ugly gash down one shoulder which the mahout says he got from fighting other rhino. After the successful hunt we contentedly plod back through the forest, green trees above and dark undergrowth below. Very cool.
I couldn't decide what photo to put in. The elephant, the crocodile or the rhino. But I think the prize has to go to the really rather beautiful rhino.

In the Jungle

We leave pokhara after a lazy catch up day. I drink himalayan yetii cocktails and check out the cultural dancers. Good moves with an eclectic mix of Thai style subtlety, whirling dervishes, a touch of European folk and a bit of bollywood. One last call to my favourite jeweller. This time he's pulling out expensive collector items but I'm happy with some garnets and taurmaline at a good price if I promise to bring back some nz jade when we come back.
Its a 5 hour bus trip to chitwan national park. 100sqkm of protected rainforest and home to elephants, tiger, rhino, bear, monkeys and a multitude of birds. We have a guided walk through the village and to the river which forms the natural boundary of the park. A floating log is really a crocodile and domesticated elephants wander the streets. We watch sunset from the riverbank. A burnt orange orb descends in to a grey haze. It can't compare to our spectacular coromandel sunsets but then again I don't have to dodge elephant dung while walking home in coromandel.
It's a 6am start for our jungle jeep safari. While we wait for a canoe to take us across the river a lone elephant is silhouetted against the sunrise ponderously swinging his way in to the jungle.
I've never been on a safari before and seeing animals in the wild takes time,patience and luck. The early morning bird life is loud and colourful. Brilliant turquoise peacocks flapping past like dragons with their small heads and ungainly bodies,silver flycatchers,a brooding eagle,stocks and egrets and many more. We spy our first rhino with his shrek like ears out for a morning stroll. The deer are so well camouflaged in the dappled light of the undergrowth that it's like one of these seeing eye pictures, if you loose focus they disappear. I especially like the samber - a deer with gigantic mouse like ears.
Suddenly we descend in to a flock of multihued humans. We're now 25 km in to the jungle and a mass of people in their brightest and best clothes is a bit of a shock. It's a Hindi festival day, the new year 2071, and this is where they come to show devotion and sacrifice goats. We join the festival crowd to see the long nosed crocodile breeding centre.
Our last rhino siting is the best. The armour plated giant is very close and casually eating watercress in the river while we watch from the road above.
No tigers but a very exciting morning nonetheless.
Our next excursion is in a dugout canoe. We watched a whole canoe full of people topple in to the river on our way back this morning so I'm glad that the long nosed crocs apparently only eat fish.

Namaste Sandy

Forests and fields

Ghandruk in the morning. The roar of the dawn chorus. I can hear owls, cukoos, and spot some iridescent flitting flycatchers. There's a spider the size of my hand above the toilet. I hop from foot to foot until the urge to pee overwhelms fear. The forests are less dense than ours. Ferns, moss, leafy trees and then the surprise of trees we would only see in our gardens - blazing rhododendrums, starry white magnolia, tree orchids and daphne.
We drop down out of the clouds with a final farewell to the sacred fishtail mountain. The forest gives way to fields and farms. There is a festival coming up and a woman rushes past in her best clothes and high heels. A mule driver runs behind his mules in gumboots his legs like sinewy ropes. I'm pretty happy clomping along in my favourite tramping boots and trekking stick.
We meander our way back to nyapul where a taxi is waiting to take us back to pokhara. The dust and pollution in pokhara is suddenly startlingly obvious after the crispness of the mountains.
We take our guide and porter out for dinner. Matt chooses Italian with a hankering for pizza after much dahl baht on the trail. Our young nepalese friends struggle with the menu but we devour our authentic pizza, ravioli and gnocchi.
What a fantastic trek! I've thought of the annapurna trail for years and it was different but just as incredible as I imagined. Easier in some ways with its congenial tea houses- good food, hot showers and good beds. Harder in others with its relentless uphill climbs. And we are all well. No illnesses or injuries although maybe stronger and fitter. And I do love those mountains!
Off to chitwan national park tomorrow so I can start raving about animals instead.

Namaste Sandy

Mountains in the blood

The boys had a sleep in while I snuck out early to watch the sunrise over the mountains again. I can't seem to get enough of them. Its a crystalline clear day after the rain and snow and I have it all to myself for an hour or so. The owner of the teahouse brings me a cup of ginger tea to keep warm. After breakfast we start going down through winding dirt paths and green forests. Its so much easier today going down but I can still feel the thighs from yesterday.
We've only been walking 3 hours when we get to ghandrup but I'm not ready to leave the mountains yet so we decide to just stay for the night.
From our guesthouse we have a stunning view of machapuchhre the fishtail mountain, annapurna south and huin  chuli. Bry and I explore the village and visit the medical centre and the museum. Tomorrow we leave the mountains and I promise I'll stop talking about them. We met an aussie teacher on the way down who had been here when he was 15 and finally got back. He said the mountains were in his blood and I had to agree with him.

Namaste Sandy

Music of the mountains

Woke at dawn to musical chimes. A large train of mules passing down the mountain each one sounding a different note from the large bell around their neck. I stepped out on to our rooftop balcony to watch the sunrise over annapurna south.
An easier day trekking today. We've left the incessant steps behind and follow a jumbled cobblestone path winding its serpentine way ever upwards through rhododendrum forests. Bry stops to take some photos and manages to delete everything on the camera. Oh well I have a brainload of pictures and some snaps on my phone.
It's hard to explain how high the mountains are here. They just keep on going.
We stop at ghorepani. It gets cold very quickly and we go from shorts and tshirts to puffer jackets and merinos as soon we stop walking. Watch the world go by and warm up with tea and apple pie. The afternoon clouds roll in and deliver a short burst of hail so we curl up in front of the fire in a 44 gallon drum in the restaurant and have some time to read.

Namaste Sandy x

Altitude

Altitude sickness-headache,chest pain,lethargy,pulmonary and cerebral oedema. I get called to a young taiwanese girl who they think might have altitude sickness and became increasingly unwell as she approached ghorepani. She seems ok at rest so I give her a couple of brufen and arrange to keep an eye on her on the way up poon hill in the morning.
Morning is 4.45am and 500m up in the dark. Lots of people are struggling. Some young Indian school kids are falling by the wayside. My patient makes it slowly,slowly. I can definitely feel the effects of thin air. The legs get heavy and I feel a little sick but I make it. Matt is waiting with the most expensive but possibly the best masala tea I've had. The promised panorama is partially shrouded in clouds but still incredibly beautiful with the colours of sunrise and wisps of cloud.
Breakfast is 500m down again with ginger tea to settle the stomach.
We start trekking after breakfast in the rain and we make good use of our goretex gear. It's another 600m up and again I feel the effects of altitude but I forget about it in the excitement of snow. I'm trekking in the himalayas in the snow! At the summit the clouds break and the sun shines to reveal more stunning views, impossibly high peaks and plunging valleys.
The rest of the day is as crazy and changeable as the start. After the rain everything is crystal clear and shimmering. We follow mountain streams and tangled paths up and down through thunder and rain, sun and blue sky. We stop at tadapani at 2pm but since we started at 5am that's not a bad days walk.
I beat the altitude(which I was worried about) and the legs are feeling great.
Tadapani is beautiful and ringed by more beautiful mountains. Bry plays cricket with the local kids while I join the noisy throng in the tea house beside the fire. A large group of young Koreans, a Belgium family, Scottish birdwatchers and us.

Namaste Sandy

Roof of the world

I'm sitting in a rooftop room on the roof of the world with views of hiun chuli and annapurnas south. Perched high in the himalaya the valley below is a long way down. We are in Ulleri which is our first stop of the Poon hill trek.
We set off this morning from nayapul. The start of the trek was deceptively easy and pleasant. Waterfalls, villages, monkeys,buffalo and mules with bells tinkling around their necks. Then up and up and up. Over 3000 steep stone steps. 1000 metres up but probably less than 500m as the crow flies and we can still see the village below. Not easy! Breathtaking and I'm not just talking about the view.But I'm here trekking in the annapurnas. Brian has suddenly stopped talking about mountain running and base camp as a quick side trip. We have a porter and guide. Lovely young men, Chandra and Vishnu,who call me mother( because I'm old enough ...)
Ulleri seems precariously placed on the side of the mountain but was certainly a welcome place to end the day with a hot shower, masala tea and those beautiful snowy peaks overhead.

Namaste Sandy

Himalayan golf

Woke early in pokhara to an overlapping chorus of cawing crows,dogs barking,pigeons cooing and the rattle and whir of generators. Watched sunrise over the annapurnas without even moving out of bed. Massive peaks looming over the town stretching 7000m up in to the early morning sky.Fresh baked pastries for breakfast from the woman on the doorstep.
After more eating and coffee we head out to the Himalayan golf club. Golf?!? It's apparently listed as one of the top 10 unique clubs in the world but no one seems to know where it is not even our taxi driver. When we do find it it's in a stunning location. The backdrop is the annapurnas.The course starts atop a gorge then drops almost vertically 100m down to the milky glacial fed river and valley below. Holes start at the top, cling alongside the cliff and leapfrog the river. Brian played with two young men who were working as caddies and had 4 handicaps. I tagged along for a few holes and then was happy to sit in the clubhouse and watch from above and chat to the taxi driver. Where else could you watch almost an entire round of golf from a bird's eye view. I had the same vantage point as the circling eagles. And a lovely taxi driver who was so interested in the game he wanted to wait for us.
Back to town and some preparation needed for our trek. Woohoo I'm off to the mountains.

Namaste Sandy