Escape from Kathmandu
First, I have added new pictures to the photo albums - - check 'em out (link in sidebar, under my Profile). No captions, no explanation, all jumbled together into one folder. You're gonna love it! Someday I'll narrate, but sitting in front of this computer is a drag, and it is sooooo slow. Getting them on here was a sheer battle of wills between me and this lump of plastic.
Tomorrow we leave and head for the Solu Khumbu region via a short airplane flight to the town of Lukla, the classic starting point for the Everest basecamp trek. "The real punter's route," as our British companions note, and they are right - - this route is one of the most heavily trekked in Nepal and is very populated at this time of the year. I am hoping for a few blessed moments of solitude in the mountains, but I fear I will not get it until much later. We have quite an off-the-beaten path route planned for some of the trip, going over some very high passes that most do not go to, but much of our travel at first will be along the "punter's route." So it goes.
Tashi Sherpa offered for me to stay with relatives of his in Darjeeling and give me a base for trekking in the Sikkim! By all accounts from him and others, the Sikkim should be cold and quiet. Sounds good to me.
Spent today getting a few last things together - - money in small bills for the hills while trekking, buying chocolate, dried fruit and other niceties that are expensive to buy while trekking and sorting out the gear. Ah, the gear. Always the gear. Moving the gear, fixing the gear, cleaning the gear, buying the gear. Never-ending. Leaving a few things here at the guest house that I will probably not need. We have a strict 20-kilo weight limit for our checked bags on the mountain flight.
The rest of the food and cook gear for the porters to carry and use will be bought at either Lukla or Namche Bazar, another town on the route. The weight of buying this stuff would be too much for the flight, although it is cheaper here in Kathmandu. Again, that's how it goes - - it's the way it's done. Other task today included getting together a tent for the porters to stay in and settling out the lodging bills from the last five days. Very reasonable - - about $27 dollars for all this time. Might even be able to knock that down a bit next time I am in town.
Well, not much else to tell. I always seem to post updates in a tired state of mind, late at night. This head cold is still making me feel slightly challenged, too. I'm beating ti, though, and getting out of the two-stroke engine circus here should help. The motorcycle is the preferred mode of transport here, and people try to drive them everywhere. It's nuts, but makes sense. Very portable and capable of getting into some small alleys, as I've seen firsthand!
I wish you all well and I will have stories to tell when I return to Kathmandu!
Tomorrow we leave and head for the Solu Khumbu region via a short airplane flight to the town of Lukla, the classic starting point for the Everest basecamp trek. "The real punter's route," as our British companions note, and they are right - - this route is one of the most heavily trekked in Nepal and is very populated at this time of the year. I am hoping for a few blessed moments of solitude in the mountains, but I fear I will not get it until much later. We have quite an off-the-beaten path route planned for some of the trip, going over some very high passes that most do not go to, but much of our travel at first will be along the "punter's route." So it goes.
Tashi Sherpa offered for me to stay with relatives of his in Darjeeling and give me a base for trekking in the Sikkim! By all accounts from him and others, the Sikkim should be cold and quiet. Sounds good to me.
Spent today getting a few last things together - - money in small bills for the hills while trekking, buying chocolate, dried fruit and other niceties that are expensive to buy while trekking and sorting out the gear. Ah, the gear. Always the gear. Moving the gear, fixing the gear, cleaning the gear, buying the gear. Never-ending. Leaving a few things here at the guest house that I will probably not need. We have a strict 20-kilo weight limit for our checked bags on the mountain flight.
The rest of the food and cook gear for the porters to carry and use will be bought at either Lukla or Namche Bazar, another town on the route. The weight of buying this stuff would be too much for the flight, although it is cheaper here in Kathmandu. Again, that's how it goes - - it's the way it's done. Other task today included getting together a tent for the porters to stay in and settling out the lodging bills from the last five days. Very reasonable - - about $27 dollars for all this time. Might even be able to knock that down a bit next time I am in town.
Well, not much else to tell. I always seem to post updates in a tired state of mind, late at night. This head cold is still making me feel slightly challenged, too. I'm beating ti, though, and getting out of the two-stroke engine circus here should help. The motorcycle is the preferred mode of transport here, and people try to drive them everywhere. It's nuts, but makes sense. Very portable and capable of getting into some small alleys, as I've seen firsthand!
I wish you all well and I will have stories to tell when I return to Kathmandu!
posted by JAshby at 10:15 AM
1 Comments:
Hi James, thanks for posting your comment on my blog. Looks like you have been having a good time out there, write more...looking forward to following you as well!
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