Here's the link to some pictures I posted on Picasaweb: https://picasaweb.google.com/redbyrds/Nepal?authuser=0&feat=directlink
Hope you enjoy!
Robyn
Hope you enjoy!
Robyn
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Top of the world
Today is my last full day in kathmandu, so I went to the Top of the World, otherwise known as Mount Everst.
I took a 16 passenger plane to get a closer view of one part of the Himalayas that contains Mt. Everest. I didn't realize that the Himalayan mountain range consisted of multiple ranges, and I'd seen one part of it from Pokhara, and this is another. Each passenger got to walk up to the cockpit and take pictures through the front window. I have no idea how the pictures will come out, either from the cockpit or from my window, since they were indeed taken through a window of a moving plane, not a great set up for a great photo, but we'll see.
After the plane ride, I took a trip to the third ancient city which now makes up the Kathmandu Valley, Patan (pronounced PAtan). More Hindu and Buddhist temples, but this time I just walked around on my own (fighting off multiple offers for a tour guide, but by this time I felt that I somewhat knew what I was looking at), and just spent time taking pictures. This activity did remind me that I am definitely not in line to be the next great architecture photographer! But I did enjoy the time just wandering around by myself.
In the evening, the travel agent I used here in Nepal took me to see a traditional dance show (and dinner, which looked good, but I couldn't eat). They did several traditional dances from some of the different regional tribal peoples in Nepal. I then took him to experience my tribe. We went to dinner at the Chabad house and I ordered falafel for him to try!
Well, tomorrow starts my two day journey back to LA.
Namaste from Nepal!
I took a 16 passenger plane to get a closer view of one part of the Himalayas that contains Mt. Everest. I didn't realize that the Himalayan mountain range consisted of multiple ranges, and I'd seen one part of it from Pokhara, and this is another. Each passenger got to walk up to the cockpit and take pictures through the front window. I have no idea how the pictures will come out, either from the cockpit or from my window, since they were indeed taken through a window of a moving plane, not a great set up for a great photo, but we'll see.
After the plane ride, I took a trip to the third ancient city which now makes up the Kathmandu Valley, Patan (pronounced PAtan). More Hindu and Buddhist temples, but this time I just walked around on my own (fighting off multiple offers for a tour guide, but by this time I felt that I somewhat knew what I was looking at), and just spent time taking pictures. This activity did remind me that I am definitely not in line to be the next great architecture photographer! But I did enjoy the time just wandering around by myself.
In the evening, the travel agent I used here in Nepal took me to see a traditional dance show (and dinner, which looked good, but I couldn't eat). They did several traditional dances from some of the different regional tribal peoples in Nepal. I then took him to experience my tribe. We went to dinner at the Chabad house and I ordered falafel for him to try!
Well, tomorrow starts my two day journey back to LA.
Namaste from Nepal!
Monday, February 11, 2013
Back in Kathmandu
So to get back to Kathmandu meant another bus ride.
No eggs, no chickens, and two seats to myself- woo hoo!
I had finally been able to download and audio book (I get car sick, so no reading for me!), and was able to listen to it for most of the ride (the Kindle battery died after about 5 hours, so I had the last hour or so on my own).
I'm now back in Kathmandu, and tomorrow I will be taking a sunrise (last one!) flight to see Mt. Everest.
I really don't understand how anyone was/is a chilled out hippie here. The city is very crowded. Tons of motorcycles and cars, traffic jams that could rival LA and Manhattan, and drivers with apparently no fear of head-on collisions. Also, there are no sidewalks, so the (brave!) pedestrians share the road with the traffic. It's also very noisy, and there's a bad smell here (I'm sure from all the garbage in the streets/river). How is it that anyone can chill out here? Maybe the hippies had good drugs, and that helped, but personally, I have found the city very stressful on my senses!
I'm looking forward to a dinner tonight that does not consist of rice with re-hydrated veggie crumbles!
Goodnight!
Robyn
No eggs, no chickens, and two seats to myself- woo hoo!
I had finally been able to download and audio book (I get car sick, so no reading for me!), and was able to listen to it for most of the ride (the Kindle battery died after about 5 hours, so I had the last hour or so on my own).
I'm now back in Kathmandu, and tomorrow I will be taking a sunrise (last one!) flight to see Mt. Everest.
I really don't understand how anyone was/is a chilled out hippie here. The city is very crowded. Tons of motorcycles and cars, traffic jams that could rival LA and Manhattan, and drivers with apparently no fear of head-on collisions. Also, there are no sidewalks, so the (brave!) pedestrians share the road with the traffic. It's also very noisy, and there's a bad smell here (I'm sure from all the garbage in the streets/river). How is it that anyone can chill out here? Maybe the hippies had good drugs, and that helped, but personally, I have found the city very stressful on my senses!
I'm looking forward to a dinner tonight that does not consist of rice with re-hydrated veggie crumbles!
Goodnight!
Robyn
Sunrise, Sunset...
Good Morning!
Sunday brought another Sunrise morning.
This morning I woke up again at 5 am (will not necessarily miss this part of vacationing) to climb up to the World Peace Pagoda. That required at 25 min climb (in the dark, as it was before sunrise, so that I could see the sunrise from the top) up many flights of stairs. I think this pagoda, created by the Japanese, and maintained by Japan, China, and Thailand, is called the World Peace Pagoda, because when you finally reach the top, you are too tired for fight with anyone!
It was worth the trek (yes, this is the only trekking I've done here in Nepal, and my own personal Sherpa- guide, only had to carry my bag the last few flights of stairs). It was very peaceful. As we approached the pagoda, I could hear a drum and some chanting. My own personal Tibetan concert. There was only one other tourist, with his guide, so I basically had the place to myself. I watched the monk circle the pagoda. You circle clockwise, as counterclockwise is considered either bad luck, or sacrilegious maybe depending on who you talk to. Once he was done he left, which left just us two tourists and our guides.
I was able to see the sunrise over the Himalayas again. I got a slightly wider range view of the mountains than Friday morning from Sangrakot (the day I went paragliding).
After that, it was a stop at Devi's Waterfall. The waterfall has a Nepali name, but it's mostly referred to now as Devi's Fall, named after a Swiss tourist who fell in and died. Lovely. My guide told me that the tourist was sitting over the fall when the damn broke, and he was swept away. They ID'd his body from his passport, and "nicknamed" the waterfall for him. This story was unsolicited, but did answer my question from my mountain drive. I guess they would have ID'd my from my passport (in my little money belt around my waist, adding more bulk in my picts than is already there!), and possibly re-named the mountain for me. I'm really glad they didn't have to!
After the waterfall it was back to the hotel for breakfast, and to shower/change.
At noon, the guide picked me back up and took me sightseeing. Calling it a sightseeing tour might technically be correct, but it was a stretch.
The Pokhara museum had outfits, jewelry, and artifacts of daily living of the tribal people. That took up about 10 mins.
Then we were off to see the "beautiful white river", according to my guide. I was looking forward to a picturesque riverbank. I had seen the river from the mountain top, and knew that it was fed by the snow of the Himalayas. However, what turned out to be the "tourist" spot to see the river, was a concrete walkway, where the water came rushing through a canal. Not exactly the setting I was expecting. The water is white-ish, and the only explanation the guide (who, as you will see, was much less knowledgeable/ informative than the guide in Kathmandu who loaded me down with facts) could offer was that it was always this color because it came from the snowy mountains. Once the white snow melts, why is the river still white? No clue...
From the river, we went to see a Hindu temple, and happened upon a couple who had just gotten married. I was able to see them close up, and their band/entourage. It was much smaller and simpler than the ones I had seen in Kathmandu and Bagktapour (and probably way cheaper than an average American wedding. Maybe that's the way to go next time!)
We had driven through the "old market", and when I asked the guide to stop so I could do some shopping, he asked me what I was looking for. He was shocked when I told him (it's my Purim costume, and I have a guessing game going on Facebook, so no hints here. Feel free to play along on the blog). He came with me and seemed more than amused by what I got. I also picked up a small, traditional copper pot. They use them for cooking and eating (I got a tiny one, just for serving dips/sides, etc).
That ended my guided tour of Pokhara, and I took myself down to Phewa lake and had a drink, relaxed, and just hung out. It was a nice way to end the day/that part of my trip.
Back to Kathmandu tomorrow.
Ciao,
Robyn
Sunday brought another Sunrise morning.
This morning I woke up again at 5 am (will not necessarily miss this part of vacationing) to climb up to the World Peace Pagoda. That required at 25 min climb (in the dark, as it was before sunrise, so that I could see the sunrise from the top) up many flights of stairs. I think this pagoda, created by the Japanese, and maintained by Japan, China, and Thailand, is called the World Peace Pagoda, because when you finally reach the top, you are too tired for fight with anyone!
It was worth the trek (yes, this is the only trekking I've done here in Nepal, and my own personal Sherpa- guide, only had to carry my bag the last few flights of stairs). It was very peaceful. As we approached the pagoda, I could hear a drum and some chanting. My own personal Tibetan concert. There was only one other tourist, with his guide, so I basically had the place to myself. I watched the monk circle the pagoda. You circle clockwise, as counterclockwise is considered either bad luck, or sacrilegious maybe depending on who you talk to. Once he was done he left, which left just us two tourists and our guides.
I was able to see the sunrise over the Himalayas again. I got a slightly wider range view of the mountains than Friday morning from Sangrakot (the day I went paragliding).
After that, it was a stop at Devi's Waterfall. The waterfall has a Nepali name, but it's mostly referred to now as Devi's Fall, named after a Swiss tourist who fell in and died. Lovely. My guide told me that the tourist was sitting over the fall when the damn broke, and he was swept away. They ID'd his body from his passport, and "nicknamed" the waterfall for him. This story was unsolicited, but did answer my question from my mountain drive. I guess they would have ID'd my from my passport (in my little money belt around my waist, adding more bulk in my picts than is already there!), and possibly re-named the mountain for me. I'm really glad they didn't have to!
After the waterfall it was back to the hotel for breakfast, and to shower/change.
At noon, the guide picked me back up and took me sightseeing. Calling it a sightseeing tour might technically be correct, but it was a stretch.
The Pokhara museum had outfits, jewelry, and artifacts of daily living of the tribal people. That took up about 10 mins.
Then we were off to see the "beautiful white river", according to my guide. I was looking forward to a picturesque riverbank. I had seen the river from the mountain top, and knew that it was fed by the snow of the Himalayas. However, what turned out to be the "tourist" spot to see the river, was a concrete walkway, where the water came rushing through a canal. Not exactly the setting I was expecting. The water is white-ish, and the only explanation the guide (who, as you will see, was much less knowledgeable/ informative than the guide in Kathmandu who loaded me down with facts) could offer was that it was always this color because it came from the snowy mountains. Once the white snow melts, why is the river still white? No clue...
From the river, we went to see a Hindu temple, and happened upon a couple who had just gotten married. I was able to see them close up, and their band/entourage. It was much smaller and simpler than the ones I had seen in Kathmandu and Bagktapour (and probably way cheaper than an average American wedding. Maybe that's the way to go next time!)
We had driven through the "old market", and when I asked the guide to stop so I could do some shopping, he asked me what I was looking for. He was shocked when I told him (it's my Purim costume, and I have a guessing game going on Facebook, so no hints here. Feel free to play along on the blog). He came with me and seemed more than amused by what I got. I also picked up a small, traditional copper pot. They use them for cooking and eating (I got a tiny one, just for serving dips/sides, etc).
That ended my guided tour of Pokhara, and I took myself down to Phewa lake and had a drink, relaxed, and just hung out. It was a nice way to end the day/that part of my trip.
Back to Kathmandu tomorrow.
Ciao,
Robyn
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Shabbos
Shavua tov everyone,
Shabbos turned out to be an interesting experience. The Chabad does't open here until after Purim (a few weeks from now), as that's when the Israeli tourist season starts, so I knew I'd be on my own and had prepared for that. Or so I thought.
I had thought ahead and brought a timer to set the lights with, as I do at home. However, in this hotel, as in the others in Nepal, the room had no lamps, just lights with switches, so they were either on or off. I can't sleep with the light on, so I thought I'd come up with a clever idea. I went to the trekking shops (of which there must be a dozen on the main road here) to look for a lantern. Has they ever heard of, or seen a lantern, that indeed might have been a clever idea. Who doesn't need/use a lantern when camping/hiking? I finally found a store where the guy had a flashlight that also emitted light from the side of the flashlight head, so when you stood the flashlight on its head, light came out from all sides, just below the handle. Better than nothing.
The next problem was the electricity itself. All of Nepal is on what they call "load sharing", so the electricity goes off and on throughout the day and night. The hotels have backup generators, but those only allow for some lights to be on, not necessarily the outlets.
Before shabbos started, as I was getting ready, I had the TV on (they have a channel from India which plays Gray's Anatomy and Homeland, two of my favorite shows!). While I was getting ready, the electricity went off, turning off the tv. OK, no big deal, it was about to be shabbos anyway, and I would have turned it off myself. Oh that I could have! At home, if the power goes out, and the tv goes off, it's off til you turn it back on. Not so here in Nepal. Somehow, when the electricity comes back on, at whatever random time that might be, the tv remembers it was on, and comes back to life! that meant that late in the evening, and all through the night, til 9am the next morning, the tv was on, and because it was shabbos, I couldn't turn it off. My friend, who for a minute thought of coming with me, who could have been my own personal shabbos goy, was no where to be found, and I couldn't imagine trying to explain to a Napli hotel worker why I couldn't turn off the tv, so I spent Fri night falling asleep to, and walking up repeatedly, to the tv.
At least shabbos day was beautiful, and the balcony had a great view of the mountain over lake Phewa, so I enjoyed a relaxing day of reading.
The electricity is off again, so my plan of cooking dinner tonight is literally half-baked (it started to cook before the power went out. Guess it's tuna tonight).
Tomorrow is another sunrise viewing followed by a full day of sightseeing with a guide.
Goodnight!
Robyn
I forgot to add that the grape juice boxes from Trader Joe's that made it all the way through my trip to Africa got smushed and leaked (thankfully they were packed in a ziplock. And the pita that I had so carefully tested by leaving out in a plastic bag at home, where they fared just fine, all turned moldy here (it's more humid so that may be why). Just to round off my shabbos...
Motzie shabbos...
As I was enjoying a hot shower, even the bathroom light went out (it, and one bedroom light are on even with no electricity thanks to the generator). I wondered to myself then, "when had an adventurous, exciting vacation become equivalent to a lack of basic comforts like electricity?' and maybe my next vacation needs to be a "normal" one.
Shabbos turned out to be an interesting experience. The Chabad does't open here until after Purim (a few weeks from now), as that's when the Israeli tourist season starts, so I knew I'd be on my own and had prepared for that. Or so I thought.
I had thought ahead and brought a timer to set the lights with, as I do at home. However, in this hotel, as in the others in Nepal, the room had no lamps, just lights with switches, so they were either on or off. I can't sleep with the light on, so I thought I'd come up with a clever idea. I went to the trekking shops (of which there must be a dozen on the main road here) to look for a lantern. Has they ever heard of, or seen a lantern, that indeed might have been a clever idea. Who doesn't need/use a lantern when camping/hiking? I finally found a store where the guy had a flashlight that also emitted light from the side of the flashlight head, so when you stood the flashlight on its head, light came out from all sides, just below the handle. Better than nothing.
The next problem was the electricity itself. All of Nepal is on what they call "load sharing", so the electricity goes off and on throughout the day and night. The hotels have backup generators, but those only allow for some lights to be on, not necessarily the outlets.
Before shabbos started, as I was getting ready, I had the TV on (they have a channel from India which plays Gray's Anatomy and Homeland, two of my favorite shows!). While I was getting ready, the electricity went off, turning off the tv. OK, no big deal, it was about to be shabbos anyway, and I would have turned it off myself. Oh that I could have! At home, if the power goes out, and the tv goes off, it's off til you turn it back on. Not so here in Nepal. Somehow, when the electricity comes back on, at whatever random time that might be, the tv remembers it was on, and comes back to life! that meant that late in the evening, and all through the night, til 9am the next morning, the tv was on, and because it was shabbos, I couldn't turn it off. My friend, who for a minute thought of coming with me, who could have been my own personal shabbos goy, was no where to be found, and I couldn't imagine trying to explain to a Napli hotel worker why I couldn't turn off the tv, so I spent Fri night falling asleep to, and walking up repeatedly, to the tv.
At least shabbos day was beautiful, and the balcony had a great view of the mountain over lake Phewa, so I enjoyed a relaxing day of reading.
The electricity is off again, so my plan of cooking dinner tonight is literally half-baked (it started to cook before the power went out. Guess it's tuna tonight).
Tomorrow is another sunrise viewing followed by a full day of sightseeing with a guide.
Goodnight!
Robyn
I forgot to add that the grape juice boxes from Trader Joe's that made it all the way through my trip to Africa got smushed and leaked (thankfully they were packed in a ziplock. And the pita that I had so carefully tested by leaving out in a plastic bag at home, where they fared just fine, all turned moldy here (it's more humid so that may be why). Just to round off my shabbos...
Motzie shabbos...
As I was enjoying a hot shower, even the bathroom light went out (it, and one bedroom light are on even with no electricity thanks to the generator). I wondered to myself then, "when had an adventurous, exciting vacation become equivalent to a lack of basic comforts like electricity?' and maybe my next vacation needs to be a "normal" one.
Sunrise and Paragliding
Early to bed,early to rise....I'm still waiting for the healthy, wealthy and wise part to come!
By the time I leave Nepal, I will have seen more sunrises in two weeks than I have in my whole life beforehand. Maybe that's because I live on the west coast where the sun sets, not rises, but I think it has more to do with the early hour of its rising!
My first full day in Pokhara started with watching the sun rise over the Himalayas. This time it was a clear beautiful day, and I was so close to the Anapura (sp? don't have my guide handy) mountain range, it seemed like you could reach out and touch them. The light was amazing, and each moment as the sun rose it cast the mountain tops in another color. Beautiful!
After the sun rose (and I took a million picts) it was time to go paragliding. I kept wondering if I'd chicken out, as I was more scared to do this than I remembered being when I went skydiving. Granted, I was in my twenties then, and as I said recently, youth really is wasted on the young. I remember when I went skydiving though, that at the last minute, my tandem instructor had to push me out of the plane, because when it came to jumping out of airplane, survival instinct kicked in, and I wasn't so keen on the idea. I wondered what would happen when I had to run and jump off the side of a mountain now...
I warned my tandem pilot that I was scared, but he told me just to relax and listen to his instructions. He reminded me that this would be an experience of a lifetime, so I literally pushed myself to do it. While I was scared running off the mountain, the minute that the wind picked us up and carried us off, I had a few seconds of thinking, "OMG! I'm floating in air!", and it was totally worth it! The fear came back as soon as we started to twist and circle in the wind, but those first few seconds were amazing!
Thank GD we landed safely and everything went well.
Next on the day's agenda was a quick boat trip (in rowboat, bigger than the canoe) around Phewa lake. Very pretty.
I spent the last hour of the day tooling around the shops again, then headed back to get ready for shabbos.
Shavua tov everyone (have a good week)!
Robyn
By the time I leave Nepal, I will have seen more sunrises in two weeks than I have in my whole life beforehand. Maybe that's because I live on the west coast where the sun sets, not rises, but I think it has more to do with the early hour of its rising!
My first full day in Pokhara started with watching the sun rise over the Himalayas. This time it was a clear beautiful day, and I was so close to the Anapura (sp? don't have my guide handy) mountain range, it seemed like you could reach out and touch them. The light was amazing, and each moment as the sun rose it cast the mountain tops in another color. Beautiful!
After the sun rose (and I took a million picts) it was time to go paragliding. I kept wondering if I'd chicken out, as I was more scared to do this than I remembered being when I went skydiving. Granted, I was in my twenties then, and as I said recently, youth really is wasted on the young. I remember when I went skydiving though, that at the last minute, my tandem instructor had to push me out of the plane, because when it came to jumping out of airplane, survival instinct kicked in, and I wasn't so keen on the idea. I wondered what would happen when I had to run and jump off the side of a mountain now...
I warned my tandem pilot that I was scared, but he told me just to relax and listen to his instructions. He reminded me that this would be an experience of a lifetime, so I literally pushed myself to do it. While I was scared running off the mountain, the minute that the wind picked us up and carried us off, I had a few seconds of thinking, "OMG! I'm floating in air!", and it was totally worth it! The fear came back as soon as we started to twist and circle in the wind, but those first few seconds were amazing!
Thank GD we landed safely and everything went well.
Next on the day's agenda was a quick boat trip (in rowboat, bigger than the canoe) around Phewa lake. Very pretty.
I spent the last hour of the day tooling around the shops again, then headed back to get ready for shabbos.
Shavua tov everyone (have a good week)!
Robyn
Pokhara- pronounced POkara
Hello All!
I made it from Chitwan to Pokhara on another "tourist" bus that was less tourist than the last one. The first stop for a potty break was literally just behind some rocks on the side of a mountain. I had images of myself falling down the mountain with my britches down, so I decided to wait for an upgrade to an actual hole in the ground. When we got to the hole in the ground stop, there were doors that marked the women and the men's sides. But once inside, I wasn't sure why they'd bothered. The wall dividing the two only went up waist high. I walked in, and just as I was noticing this, a guy walked into the men's side. I think we were both stunned to see the other person! It was a loooong 6 hour ride. At first I had two seats to myself, then a local woman, carrying a carton of eggs got on and sat next me (on the tourist only bus!). She proceeded to pat my knee and say something to me in Nepali (I can only assume it was in Nepali), and when I shrugged my shoulders, a sign I thought to be the international body language of I don't know, or in this case, I don't speak the language, she looked genuinely surprised and repeated whatever she had said again. At that point I closed my eyes, hoping to give off the international signal of, "I'm going to sleep now, please don't bother me", which seemed to work. I just wonder why on Earth she thought I spoke Nepali.
I got here Thurs afternoon and walked around, checking out all the shops on the main street, then stopped to post some picts from Chitwan, then went back to my hotel to get ready for my sunrise adventure the next morning.
Cheers,
Robyn
I made it from Chitwan to Pokhara on another "tourist" bus that was less tourist than the last one. The first stop for a potty break was literally just behind some rocks on the side of a mountain. I had images of myself falling down the mountain with my britches down, so I decided to wait for an upgrade to an actual hole in the ground. When we got to the hole in the ground stop, there were doors that marked the women and the men's sides. But once inside, I wasn't sure why they'd bothered. The wall dividing the two only went up waist high. I walked in, and just as I was noticing this, a guy walked into the men's side. I think we were both stunned to see the other person! It was a loooong 6 hour ride. At first I had two seats to myself, then a local woman, carrying a carton of eggs got on and sat next me (on the tourist only bus!). She proceeded to pat my knee and say something to me in Nepali (I can only assume it was in Nepali), and when I shrugged my shoulders, a sign I thought to be the international body language of I don't know, or in this case, I don't speak the language, she looked genuinely surprised and repeated whatever she had said again. At that point I closed my eyes, hoping to give off the international signal of, "I'm going to sleep now, please don't bother me", which seemed to work. I just wonder why on Earth she thought I spoke Nepali.
I got here Thurs afternoon and walked around, checking out all the shops on the main street, then stopped to post some picts from Chitwan, then went back to my hotel to get ready for my sunrise adventure the next morning.
Cheers,
Robyn
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Pictures from Chitwan, Day 1
Hello All,
Here are some pictures from my first day in Chitwan...
The Gov Elephant Center at the edge of the Park.
A local woman walking on the road when we stopped from Kathmandu to Chtiwan
Natural, wild growing marijuana plants. They grow like weeds (hee hee). They are the "male" plant, and apparently it's the "female" plant that is dried and smoked.
An Elephant at the Gov Center. They are used for patrolling the park.
Going for a walk by the river.
This is the canoe that takes you across the river for the jeep safari. Yes, this is also the same canoe that I took on a trip downriver. Now who would really believe this won't rock the second you get in it?!
The riverbank in Chitwan. A great place to get a drink and watch the sunset.
The Peacock costume from the Tharu cultural program.
Sunset on the river
after waiting 30 mins upload more picts from day 2, the crashed, so I think the picts will wait til I get back.
Here are some pictures from my first day in Chitwan...
The Gov Elephant Center at the edge of the Park.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Bath Time!
Today is my last day in Chitwan, which I learned today means heart of the jungle.
This morning started with a walk in the jungle for bird watching. I spotted some peacocks and a few other birds whose names I don't remember. It was a gray morning, so I think many of the animals were sleeping in.
After breakfast I went down to the river to see the elephants get their baths. People can join the elephant drivers in bathing the elephants and I thought about doing that,but had some hesitation about being in the dirty river water, then when my guide, unprompted by me, told me that bathing the elephant could be dangerous (accidentally drinking the water could get you sick, and if you don't have good balance you could fall of the elephant and get hurt), I decided just to watch. I did get the opportunity to sit in an elephant after his bath for a photo opp. I'm SOOO glad no one I know was here to see me struggle to get up on the elephant! I felt sorry for the poor guy, but while scared, it was also thrilling!
Later in the afternoon I was taken to visit the local Tharu village. Their houses are made with thatched roofs from dried grass from the jungle and walls made out of dried dung. Sounds cozy, no? Once a year, for 3 days, the national park is closed to allow the locals to collect grass for their roofs. No need to call a handy man to repair their houses.
After the village tour we walked back to the river bank and sat to watch the sunset and were rewarded with a heard of deer who cam out to gaze. That ends my time in Chitwan. Tomorrow I get back on "TOURIST" bus and head to Pokhara.
Namaste,
Robyn
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
An Elephant, a Jeep and a Canoe...
Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but it's not, it's the modes of travel I've used for wildlife viewing in the past 24 hours.
Yesterday I started by taking a canoe across the river to get to the the Jeep safari I took through the Chitwan national park. I wasn't sure if I was more scared of the canoe tipping over and me falling out due to the large crocodile on the river bank, or due to the fear of ruining my camera! (I was due to take a canoe trip down the river the next day, and seriously started to reconsider after that very short trip across the river) The jeep was not exactly the same as the safari jeeps we had in Africa, but what they did have in common was a lack of shock absorbers. They also didn't seem to have the same understanding that you should turn off the motor and watch/be able to photograph the animals, so I didn't get very many good shots. Even when I could see the animals, the vibration from the jeep made it hard to get a steady shot.
The park was lush and green, but that also made it more difficult to see the animals. I did see a crocodile (the normal one), some peacocks, a wild pig, some deer, and finally a rhino, but he was far away and sadly, I didn't get a good shot. This trip really made me appreciate my Africa trip all over again!
This morning was my rescheduled elephant safari and it was raining- UGH! Those of you who know me well know how much I hate being outside in the rain, but I had to put my "I don't do weather" motto aside and donned my windbreaker and ventured out in the rain. Yes, I did have a picture taken on the elephant but most of you will never see it as I am rain drenched in it, which is not a good look for a princess in hiking boots.
If I thought taking photos on the jeep was hard, taking them on an elephant is so much harder, especially when I was hanging on for dear life! I really underestimated the rocking/fear of falling off that comes from riding an elephant. I have also realized that with age I've lost what little balance/agility I had. As a teen I was able to stand up on top of a moving horse, using just my balance not to fall off, and now I can't get on/off an elephant or in/out of a canoe without help and fear of falling. Who was it that said youth is wasted on the young? He was right!
I really thought that I'd want to do an elephant safari every day that I'm here, but I was wrong about that! Once was enough (my feelings might also be influenced by the rain and lack of animals that we saw). I didn't get great shots today either, and we only saw some deer and monkeys. No rhinos :(
I ended the day with a canoe ride (yes, I believed the people who told me it didn't rock. Who were they kidding?! What kind of boat doesn't rock? Esp one made out of a dug out tree?!) and a walk through the jungle to an elephant breeding center.
The canoe was driven by a local with a big stick, and so when our guide joined us with another stick, I thought it was to help steer. I didn't think much of it when he sat down with us and put down the stick, but I later learned what it was for...
The guide told us that the "normal" crocs along the bank were aggressive, and so we should be silent (although he continued to talk). When we passed one resting croc that was I thought was a good photo opp because he started to move, our guide then picked up his stick and said that the croc looked too excited. Once i realized the stick was to fight off crocs, I had many doubts about who would win that battle, stick or croc? I'm just glad that we didn't have to find out!
Once we got downriver we disembarked and took a walk through the jungle. We were lucky to come across a rhino, but he was laying in the grass, and apparently not in the mood to pose for picts because he never got up, so again, I didn't get any good shots :(
We ended the walk at an elephant breeding center and I hopefully got some good shots of some mother and baby elies, but it felt like cheating, as they weren't natural shots in the wild.
Tomorrow, my last day in Chitwan, I will be going on a bird watching walk in the morning followed by a tour of a local Tharu village. The day after that I get back on a bus and head for Pokhara, my next stop.
Namaste for now,
Robyn
Yesterday I started by taking a canoe across the river to get to the the Jeep safari I took through the Chitwan national park. I wasn't sure if I was more scared of the canoe tipping over and me falling out due to the large crocodile on the river bank, or due to the fear of ruining my camera! (I was due to take a canoe trip down the river the next day, and seriously started to reconsider after that very short trip across the river) The jeep was not exactly the same as the safari jeeps we had in Africa, but what they did have in common was a lack of shock absorbers. They also didn't seem to have the same understanding that you should turn off the motor and watch/be able to photograph the animals, so I didn't get very many good shots. Even when I could see the animals, the vibration from the jeep made it hard to get a steady shot.
The park was lush and green, but that also made it more difficult to see the animals. I did see a crocodile (the normal one), some peacocks, a wild pig, some deer, and finally a rhino, but he was far away and sadly, I didn't get a good shot. This trip really made me appreciate my Africa trip all over again!
This morning was my rescheduled elephant safari and it was raining- UGH! Those of you who know me well know how much I hate being outside in the rain, but I had to put my "I don't do weather" motto aside and donned my windbreaker and ventured out in the rain. Yes, I did have a picture taken on the elephant but most of you will never see it as I am rain drenched in it, which is not a good look for a princess in hiking boots.
If I thought taking photos on the jeep was hard, taking them on an elephant is so much harder, especially when I was hanging on for dear life! I really underestimated the rocking/fear of falling off that comes from riding an elephant. I have also realized that with age I've lost what little balance/agility I had. As a teen I was able to stand up on top of a moving horse, using just my balance not to fall off, and now I can't get on/off an elephant or in/out of a canoe without help and fear of falling. Who was it that said youth is wasted on the young? He was right!
I really thought that I'd want to do an elephant safari every day that I'm here, but I was wrong about that! Once was enough (my feelings might also be influenced by the rain and lack of animals that we saw). I didn't get great shots today either, and we only saw some deer and monkeys. No rhinos :(
I ended the day with a canoe ride (yes, I believed the people who told me it didn't rock. Who were they kidding?! What kind of boat doesn't rock? Esp one made out of a dug out tree?!) and a walk through the jungle to an elephant breeding center.
The canoe was driven by a local with a big stick, and so when our guide joined us with another stick, I thought it was to help steer. I didn't think much of it when he sat down with us and put down the stick, but I later learned what it was for...
The guide told us that the "normal" crocs along the bank were aggressive, and so we should be silent (although he continued to talk). When we passed one resting croc that was I thought was a good photo opp because he started to move, our guide then picked up his stick and said that the croc looked too excited. Once i realized the stick was to fight off crocs, I had many doubts about who would win that battle, stick or croc? I'm just glad that we didn't have to find out!
Once we got downriver we disembarked and took a walk through the jungle. We were lucky to come across a rhino, but he was laying in the grass, and apparently not in the mood to pose for picts because he never got up, so again, I didn't get any good shots :(
We ended the walk at an elephant breeding center and I hopefully got some good shots of some mother and baby elies, but it felt like cheating, as they weren't natural shots in the wild.
Tomorrow, my last day in Chitwan, I will be going on a bird watching walk in the morning followed by a tour of a local Tharu village. The day after that I get back on a bus and head for Pokhara, my next stop.
Namaste for now,
Robyn
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Chitwan
Hello!
I made it to Chitwan National Park yesterday. It's a 6 hour bus ride from Kathmandu. I was originally going to fly, but a budget revision led to a bus ride. The tourist only" bus was not exactly tourists only, and was a far cry from even a Greygound bus. But it wasn't as bad as a bus I once took in Costa Rica, and if anyone remembers the movie "Romancing the Stone", it wasn't as bad as the bus Kathleen Turner ended up on in search of Cartajenga. At least there were no livestock on the bus! In the end, I'm glad I took the bus, as it gave me the opportunity to see a lot of the country.
The drive went through the mountains and I was able to see people living literally on the hillside (in shacks, but in LA that kind of real estate would be worth a fortune!) There were also people living on the hillside, but across a river, and so they built suspension bridges that they use to cross the river and get to the road. Imagine that as your daily commute instead of the freeway (that thing you east coasters call a parkway or a turnpike).
The us stopped several times at roadside shacks for refreshments and potty breaks. I give myself many gold stars for using what they,very, loosely called a toilet. My Mom use to tell stories about strengthening her thigh muscles in preparation for her trips to Asia so that she could squat over the whole in the ground. Well, we now have that in common. However, thanks to the capitalism in America, and the marketing of Target, I had tiny rolls of toilet paper with me. A luxury that I doubt any of the other women had with them. If I had had more with me I could have sold them for a profit, I'm sure!
I made it to Chitwan around lunchtime and enjoyed a walk to the edge of the park with a guide (and two women from Chile) were we saw the gov center for Elephants. It was so hard to see them chained to a post (to keep them from wandering off) after having seen so many wild elephants in Africa. Asian elephants are smaller,esp their ears, but have been bred for domestication for decades. We then took a walk through the park along the river where we saw an eagle, an oriole, some parakeets, and a crocodile. They have two types of crocs here (again, I'm not catching the names as well as I did in Africa, so I'm going to use my own), a "regular" looking one, and one with a long pointy snout full of sharp teeth (the name starts with a G, that's as much as I got). We saw the regular one. We ended the walk by the river to watch the sunset. After dinner we were taken to a Tharu (the local people here) cultural show. They did some fantastic dances with sticks and I was quite impressed that no one got their head smacked by the fast moving sticks! They even had a Peacock dance/costume that could have rivaled the horse costume in The War Horse stage play.
This morning was supposed to be my elephant ride, but in my excitement to have electricity last night, and my rush to get out on time this morning, I left my camera battery charging :( so I'll have to do it tomorrow morning. I was going to use the time to visit the shops in town, but the atms were all closes (and I'm out of rupees) so lucky you, I used the time to post. There won't be pictures for a while,as they have wifi here, but no actual computer for me to use to upload my pictures. Also, this post is taking forever to write. I bought an external bluetooth keyboard for my kindle, but it's so mall that I cant't fit my hands on and type normally, so I have to do the hunt and peck method which, for someone who can atcualy type, is very slow and frustrating!
This afternoon, with my camera AND battery intact, I will be taking a jeep safari. Yipee!
That's all for now,
Robyn
I made it to Chitwan National Park yesterday. It's a 6 hour bus ride from Kathmandu. I was originally going to fly, but a budget revision led to a bus ride. The tourist only" bus was not exactly tourists only, and was a far cry from even a Greygound bus. But it wasn't as bad as a bus I once took in Costa Rica, and if anyone remembers the movie "Romancing the Stone", it wasn't as bad as the bus Kathleen Turner ended up on in search of Cartajenga. At least there were no livestock on the bus! In the end, I'm glad I took the bus, as it gave me the opportunity to see a lot of the country.
The drive went through the mountains and I was able to see people living literally on the hillside (in shacks, but in LA that kind of real estate would be worth a fortune!) There were also people living on the hillside, but across a river, and so they built suspension bridges that they use to cross the river and get to the road. Imagine that as your daily commute instead of the freeway (that thing you east coasters call a parkway or a turnpike).
The us stopped several times at roadside shacks for refreshments and potty breaks. I give myself many gold stars for using what they,very, loosely called a toilet. My Mom use to tell stories about strengthening her thigh muscles in preparation for her trips to Asia so that she could squat over the whole in the ground. Well, we now have that in common. However, thanks to the capitalism in America, and the marketing of Target, I had tiny rolls of toilet paper with me. A luxury that I doubt any of the other women had with them. If I had had more with me I could have sold them for a profit, I'm sure!
I made it to Chitwan around lunchtime and enjoyed a walk to the edge of the park with a guide (and two women from Chile) were we saw the gov center for Elephants. It was so hard to see them chained to a post (to keep them from wandering off) after having seen so many wild elephants in Africa. Asian elephants are smaller,esp their ears, but have been bred for domestication for decades. We then took a walk through the park along the river where we saw an eagle, an oriole, some parakeets, and a crocodile. They have two types of crocs here (again, I'm not catching the names as well as I did in Africa, so I'm going to use my own), a "regular" looking one, and one with a long pointy snout full of sharp teeth (the name starts with a G, that's as much as I got). We saw the regular one. We ended the walk by the river to watch the sunset. After dinner we were taken to a Tharu (the local people here) cultural show. They did some fantastic dances with sticks and I was quite impressed that no one got their head smacked by the fast moving sticks! They even had a Peacock dance/costume that could have rivaled the horse costume in The War Horse stage play.
This morning was supposed to be my elephant ride, but in my excitement to have electricity last night, and my rush to get out on time this morning, I left my camera battery charging :( so I'll have to do it tomorrow morning. I was going to use the time to visit the shops in town, but the atms were all closes (and I'm out of rupees) so lucky you, I used the time to post. There won't be pictures for a while,as they have wifi here, but no actual computer for me to use to upload my pictures. Also, this post is taking forever to write. I bought an external bluetooth keyboard for my kindle, but it's so mall that I cant't fit my hands on and type normally, so I have to do the hunt and peck method which, for someone who can atcualy type, is very slow and frustrating!
This afternoon, with my camera AND battery intact, I will be taking a jeep safari. Yipee!
That's all for now,
Robyn
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Shavua Tov (A Good Week To You!)
HI!
I've had a few action packed days, thankfully followed by a restful shabbos, and now I'm ready to go again!
On Thurs I went from Kathmandu to Bagktapor, (I don't have my itinerary or guide with me, so I am not sure how to spell the cities names, but I'll do my best), one of the three ancient cities in Nepal. Kathmandu, Bagktapor, and Patan were three separate states in Nepal, and (I can't remember when) where unified by one of the kings. Each one has a square called Durbar Sq (Palace Sq) filled with temples and statues.
I had a guide who drove me, and picked up a local guide to take me through the city square and its surrounding areas. There was a ton of information coming at me (both Thurs and Fri) filled with dates and names and I don't really remember much, as it was hard to catch/remember the names that are in Nepali or Sandskrit or Hindu, so I'll just describe what I saw.
Bagktapor has one of the best squares (of the three cities) since it is small, well maintained, and not as crowded as the one in Kathmandu.
One of the surprises was a symbol that we called the Star of David on lots of buildings, sometimes with a book in the middle. My guide told me that is the Hindu symbol for knowledge. (Also interesting to note is that they use the swastika symbol as a greeting on their doorsteps. I think it's interesting that they have symbols that are both recognized as Jewish and Anti-Jewish by us Jews as central symbols of their culture).
Another surprise was that the Hindu temples are frequently decorated with carvings of the Kama Sutra on the outside. One reason for this, I was told, is that it protects the temples from lightning, as the lightning gd is supposedly a virgin gd and will not look at picts of the Kama Sutra. Another explanation is that it was for sex ed in ancient times. Take your pick...
The Hindus still sacrifice animals, and there were several shrines with blood on them, and we even passed a buffalo enjoying his last day on Earth.
This is also the wedding season, and there were two wedding processions in Bagktapor while I was there, and they passed each other in the street. The procession consists of a band in red jackets proceeding a car with the couple (I think, I couldn't really see inside) which is decorated with flowers, followed by their entourage/wedding guests. It's very lively!
I was also able to visit an artists school for Tangka, the art that makes Mandallas (again, no help with the spelling here). The art is so intricate and takes years (about 14) to master. Once the artist becomes a master, then they paint with real gold and natural pigments. One painting can take about 3 months to complete.
I have discovered that I am definitely not an architecture photographer. I'm either too close, too far away, don't have the right lens, ect... so don't get your hopes up for many of the photos. Here are a few I shot in Bagktapor:
Golden Gates made of real gold
A school (Star of David is the symbol for knowledge)
On one of the temples
A kama sutra carving on one of the temples
This woman is collecting garbage (of which there is PLENTY in Kathmandu, tho she is Bagktapor)
A wedding procession
From Bagktapor I went on to Nagrakot. Nagrakot is up in hills and if it's a clear day, is supposed to have great views of the Himalayas. It's known for its sunset and sunrise views. Unfortunately, it was a really cloudy day, and so there were no sunset views to see. I did make up for it by having a massage! I needed it after the harrowing trip up the mountain. It was a windy road big enough (seemingly) for only one car, and a small one at that. However, we had to share the road with cars/busses coming down, so I spent most of the drive screaming OMG in my head (VERY proud of myself that it stayed in my head). I also spent the drive wondering how long it would take, if ever, for someone to ID my body and ship my home when we went off the side of the mountain. Yeah, it was a fun ride, and I knew that I had to do it again to get off the mountain the next morning! (Elisa, do you remember the harrowing drive at night, down the mountain in AZ? It was like that, but daytime).
Although it was a cloudy night the previous night, I woke up to see the sunrise. While it was still cloudy, it was very cool to see the sunrise over the Himalayas (I'm sure they were out there somewhere!)
The harrowing drive back down the mountain on Fri brought me back for what I'm calling (for my frum friends) my avodah zara tour of Kathmandu.
A guide took me to 4 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Kathmandu.
The first was the holiest place in the world for Hindus, as set of temples, which to my dismay (OK, horror) included several cremation sites (which, here comes the horror) were active while I was there! Thankfully, non-Hindus are not allowed in the temples, so I didn't have to try to explain why I couldn't (by Jewish law) go in anyway.
I can't remember the name of the place, but here are some picts:
A cremation
A "hindu" guy playing the flute (His name was probably Bob originally. By the hindus, he's not considered a real Hindu- I guess they don't believe in converts)
A real Hindu
Monkey! There were lots of them running around :)
The top of the Hindu temple that is the holiest to them. I couldn't see the whole temple, as it's surrounded by buildings that are now used to house homeless senior citizens
A "holy man" (he and his partner are sitting at the entry way to this site waiting to pose for pictures, then you have to pay them. They are the Hollywood Blvd version of Hindu Holy men)
A Pagoda style (hindu style) temple
The other Holy Roller!
From the Hindu site I went to a Buddhist site. This is the largest Buddhist Stupa (temple) in Nepal (maybe the world, I can't remember)
The Nepal Flag
The Stupa
You spin this and it contains some kind of prayer
Monks
From the Stupa we went to the the Kathmandu Durbar Sq. It was larger, but much more crowded, more touristy than the one in Bagktapor. The Kathmandu square contains the house of the living goddess, the Kumari. They choose a goddess in early childhood and she remains the goddess until puberty. She comes to the window sometimes, but one is not allowed to take pictures of her. She only comes out for selected holidays a few times a year.
Nicknamed the Hippie Temple. In the 60's when it was fashionable to be a hippie in Nepal this is where they hung out
Windows where the Kumari comes out when she feels like it
A Nepali woman selling pictures in front of the Kumari house
A statue of one of Vishnu's selves
A statue of the Monkey Gd. It's covered, because he is a bachelor gd, and it is situated across from a temple with kama sutra carvings that he should not be looking at.
A palace guard
One of the only round style pagodas in Nepal
A traditional pagoda
From Durbar Sq we then went to the Monkey Gd temple, another Buddhist site with a great view of the Kathmandu Valley.
A carving made from a single use stone
Hard working Nepali women
Kathmandu Valley
At the end of the day I was exhausted and ready for shabbos!
Even though I went to the Chabad for shabbos, it was a quite one for me, as I was the only non-Hebrew speaking Jew there (the Muslim was there too, but not his wife :( ).
I leave tomorrow for Chitwan National Park and am looking forward to my elephant safari!
I'll post again when I can!
Robyn
I've had a few action packed days, thankfully followed by a restful shabbos, and now I'm ready to go again!
On Thurs I went from Kathmandu to Bagktapor, (I don't have my itinerary or guide with me, so I am not sure how to spell the cities names, but I'll do my best), one of the three ancient cities in Nepal. Kathmandu, Bagktapor, and Patan were three separate states in Nepal, and (I can't remember when) where unified by one of the kings. Each one has a square called Durbar Sq (Palace Sq) filled with temples and statues.
I had a guide who drove me, and picked up a local guide to take me through the city square and its surrounding areas. There was a ton of information coming at me (both Thurs and Fri) filled with dates and names and I don't really remember much, as it was hard to catch/remember the names that are in Nepali or Sandskrit or Hindu, so I'll just describe what I saw.
Bagktapor has one of the best squares (of the three cities) since it is small, well maintained, and not as crowded as the one in Kathmandu.
One of the surprises was a symbol that we called the Star of David on lots of buildings, sometimes with a book in the middle. My guide told me that is the Hindu symbol for knowledge. (Also interesting to note is that they use the swastika symbol as a greeting on their doorsteps. I think it's interesting that they have symbols that are both recognized as Jewish and Anti-Jewish by us Jews as central symbols of their culture).
Another surprise was that the Hindu temples are frequently decorated with carvings of the Kama Sutra on the outside. One reason for this, I was told, is that it protects the temples from lightning, as the lightning gd is supposedly a virgin gd and will not look at picts of the Kama Sutra. Another explanation is that it was for sex ed in ancient times. Take your pick...
The Hindus still sacrifice animals, and there were several shrines with blood on them, and we even passed a buffalo enjoying his last day on Earth.
This is also the wedding season, and there were two wedding processions in Bagktapor while I was there, and they passed each other in the street. The procession consists of a band in red jackets proceeding a car with the couple (I think, I couldn't really see inside) which is decorated with flowers, followed by their entourage/wedding guests. It's very lively!
I was also able to visit an artists school for Tangka, the art that makes Mandallas (again, no help with the spelling here). The art is so intricate and takes years (about 14) to master. Once the artist becomes a master, then they paint with real gold and natural pigments. One painting can take about 3 months to complete.
I have discovered that I am definitely not an architecture photographer. I'm either too close, too far away, don't have the right lens, ect... so don't get your hopes up for many of the photos. Here are a few I shot in Bagktapor:
Golden Gates made of real gold
From Bagktapor I went on to Nagrakot. Nagrakot is up in hills and if it's a clear day, is supposed to have great views of the Himalayas. It's known for its sunset and sunrise views. Unfortunately, it was a really cloudy day, and so there were no sunset views to see. I did make up for it by having a massage! I needed it after the harrowing trip up the mountain. It was a windy road big enough (seemingly) for only one car, and a small one at that. However, we had to share the road with cars/busses coming down, so I spent most of the drive screaming OMG in my head (VERY proud of myself that it stayed in my head). I also spent the drive wondering how long it would take, if ever, for someone to ID my body and ship my home when we went off the side of the mountain. Yeah, it was a fun ride, and I knew that I had to do it again to get off the mountain the next morning! (Elisa, do you remember the harrowing drive at night, down the mountain in AZ? It was like that, but daytime).
Although it was a cloudy night the previous night, I woke up to see the sunrise. While it was still cloudy, it was very cool to see the sunrise over the Himalayas (I'm sure they were out there somewhere!)
The harrowing drive back down the mountain on Fri brought me back for what I'm calling (for my frum friends) my avodah zara tour of Kathmandu.
A guide took me to 4 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Kathmandu.
The first was the holiest place in the world for Hindus, as set of temples, which to my dismay (OK, horror) included several cremation sites (which, here comes the horror) were active while I was there! Thankfully, non-Hindus are not allowed in the temples, so I didn't have to try to explain why I couldn't (by Jewish law) go in anyway.
I can't remember the name of the place, but here are some picts:
A cremation
From the Hindu site I went to a Buddhist site. This is the largest Buddhist Stupa (temple) in Nepal (maybe the world, I can't remember)
The Nepal Flag
From the Stupa we went to the the Kathmandu Durbar Sq. It was larger, but much more crowded, more touristy than the one in Bagktapor. The Kathmandu square contains the house of the living goddess, the Kumari. They choose a goddess in early childhood and she remains the goddess until puberty. She comes to the window sometimes, but one is not allowed to take pictures of her. She only comes out for selected holidays a few times a year.
Nicknamed the Hippie Temple. In the 60's when it was fashionable to be a hippie in Nepal this is where they hung out
From Durbar Sq we then went to the Monkey Gd temple, another Buddhist site with a great view of the Kathmandu Valley.
A carving made from a single use stone
At the end of the day I was exhausted and ready for shabbos!
Even though I went to the Chabad for shabbos, it was a quite one for me, as I was the only non-Hebrew speaking Jew there (the Muslim was there too, but not his wife :( ).
I leave tomorrow for Chitwan National Park and am looking forward to my elephant safari!
I'll post again when I can!
Robyn
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Namaste from Nepal!
I'm here! It only took two days and many flights, but I made it.
I left LA on Mon at 2pm and arrived in Kathmandu on Weds at 2pm.
Here was my journey: 3 hour wait at LAX, 12 hour flight from LA to Tokyo, 2 hour wait in Tokyo, 7 hour flight to Singapore, 8 hour wait in Singapore, followed by a 4 hour flight that brought me to Kathmandu.
I LOVE Singapore Airlines. Everyone said it was great, and they were right. Even in the sardine class it was good. I was greeted with hot towels, and unlimited movies/tv, and best of all, I had an aisle seat with no on next to me the whole way there!
I finally got to see End of Watch, which my friend Babette worked as the script supervisor. Edgy, has an indy feel, but somewhat of a tearjerker (amid all the graphic violence). Way to go Babette!
The other great thing is that I was able to get lots of kosher snacks on the plane including Hagen Daz Ice Cream, and Hershey bars (they went directly into my bag for a treat here in Nepal).
I didn't sleep much on the first flight, and only got a few hours of sleep from Tokyo to Singapore, so in Singapore I checked into a transit hotel. What a great idea. Travel in other countries is so much more conducive then in America (at times). However, I was shocked at the prices, but the promise of sleeping on a bed and showering without having to clear customs and go to a hotel was great. Definitely worth it!
The flight from Singapore to Kathmandu was on a smaller airline, Silk, a subsidiary of Singapore Air. Not as nice, but OK until meal time. Then I learned that there was no kosher meal, and if there had been, it would have only been in first class! Hmm, so many thoughts about that....what kind of political statement is that? Jews only travel first class (stereotype), while my neighbor was able to get a Hindu meal (what does that consist of? How is that different from a vegetarian meal?) I'm still composing a letter to Silk in my head. Anyway, that is why, Mr. TSA agent, I carry my own lunch! (see previous post)
The flight was really turbulent and I am very thankful that I did not need the airsick bag!
On arrival I was met by the travel agency rep and taken to my hotel.
Kathmandu looks less developed, in some ways, than some of the places I saw in Africa. My heart sped up as the taxi driver turned onto a side street in a definite slum area, and I was really afraid they were going to stop at my hotel there. Thankfully, the kept going!
Here's a tip for being a passenger in a car in Kathmandu: look out the side windows and take in the sites. Do not, under any circumstances, look out the front. This way you can avoid the heart stopping views of near head on collisions that happen frequently as you're driving. Also, being a pedestrian is an act of bravery. There are no sidewalks, so you are sharing the very small space next to the cars as you get around the city.
My hotel is in a very touristy area called Thamel. Definitely just 3 stars.
Electricity is scarce, as there are major fuel shortages, so all of Nepal is on a rationing system which creates 16-20 hours a day of no electricity! The times vary by day of the week. My hotel has a back up generator, but that only meant that the bathroom light worked during the shut off hours. I have a feeling my grandiose plans of using my rice cooker to make dinner anywhere outside of Kathmandu are just that, grandiose plans!
What my hotel lacks in luxury (which is a lot!) it makes up for in convenience, as it's across from the Chabad House.
I made my way over there last night was was thrilled to discover that they make Nepali food, not just Israeli food. Food is the cheapest thing in Neapl. I had a dinner of Dat Bahtl (I think that was the name: chicken/onions/seasonings with rice) served with lentil soup. It cost about $1.50! No Kidding! I also ordered an appetizer of Chicken Momos (I had read about them and was so excited to be able to order them- stuffed dumplings), but they took a looong time to make, so I took them back to the hotel as a midnight snack. I also made a reservation for meals for shabbos, and ordered lunch to take-away for today. All of that came to about $15 usd!
I also met a really interesting couple last night...
I was alone at first, and a guy walked in and said "Shalom". He was very tall, broad and dark, and not wearing a kippa, so I thought maybe he was a Sefardi Jew from Yemen, but he also looked sort of African-American. Turns out he is a religious Muslim from Bangladesh and keeps Hallal, so eats kosher at the Chabad house. He lives here now, but has lived all over the world, including Silver Spring, MD. His father was the Bangladesh Amassador. He grew up surrounded by Jews, which is ironic, since his passport says that this passport is valid for any country except Israel. Bangladesh, being a part of the UAC, does not recognize Israel, and for that, they are given $600 million dollars a year by Islamic countries. He explained to me that Bangladesh is a Muslim country, but not an Islamic one. He was so interesting to talk to.
Then I met his wife, who is Swiss, and a tiny, Caucasian thing (next to his at least 6'5 dark frame they make an interesting couple). Turns out she is a psychologist who came here as a tourist, felt so bad for the street children that she moved here and started an NGO to get them off the streets. Many are addicted to glue. We spent some time talking about what it's like working with kids like that, and there were so many similarities to the kids I've worked with. I'm looking forward to spending more time with them on Shabbos (he comes every shabbos, and she will come to hang out with me!)
Well, that was my first night. I'm off now to another city with amazing views, and will write about that when I can.
Namaste,
Robyn
I left LA on Mon at 2pm and arrived in Kathmandu on Weds at 2pm.
Here was my journey: 3 hour wait at LAX, 12 hour flight from LA to Tokyo, 2 hour wait in Tokyo, 7 hour flight to Singapore, 8 hour wait in Singapore, followed by a 4 hour flight that brought me to Kathmandu.
I LOVE Singapore Airlines. Everyone said it was great, and they were right. Even in the sardine class it was good. I was greeted with hot towels, and unlimited movies/tv, and best of all, I had an aisle seat with no on next to me the whole way there!
I finally got to see End of Watch, which my friend Babette worked as the script supervisor. Edgy, has an indy feel, but somewhat of a tearjerker (amid all the graphic violence). Way to go Babette!
The other great thing is that I was able to get lots of kosher snacks on the plane including Hagen Daz Ice Cream, and Hershey bars (they went directly into my bag for a treat here in Nepal).
I didn't sleep much on the first flight, and only got a few hours of sleep from Tokyo to Singapore, so in Singapore I checked into a transit hotel. What a great idea. Travel in other countries is so much more conducive then in America (at times). However, I was shocked at the prices, but the promise of sleeping on a bed and showering without having to clear customs and go to a hotel was great. Definitely worth it!
The flight from Singapore to Kathmandu was on a smaller airline, Silk, a subsidiary of Singapore Air. Not as nice, but OK until meal time. Then I learned that there was no kosher meal, and if there had been, it would have only been in first class! Hmm, so many thoughts about that....what kind of political statement is that? Jews only travel first class (stereotype), while my neighbor was able to get a Hindu meal (what does that consist of? How is that different from a vegetarian meal?) I'm still composing a letter to Silk in my head. Anyway, that is why, Mr. TSA agent, I carry my own lunch! (see previous post)
The flight was really turbulent and I am very thankful that I did not need the airsick bag!
On arrival I was met by the travel agency rep and taken to my hotel.
Kathmandu looks less developed, in some ways, than some of the places I saw in Africa. My heart sped up as the taxi driver turned onto a side street in a definite slum area, and I was really afraid they were going to stop at my hotel there. Thankfully, the kept going!
Here's a tip for being a passenger in a car in Kathmandu: look out the side windows and take in the sites. Do not, under any circumstances, look out the front. This way you can avoid the heart stopping views of near head on collisions that happen frequently as you're driving. Also, being a pedestrian is an act of bravery. There are no sidewalks, so you are sharing the very small space next to the cars as you get around the city.
My hotel is in a very touristy area called Thamel. Definitely just 3 stars.
Electricity is scarce, as there are major fuel shortages, so all of Nepal is on a rationing system which creates 16-20 hours a day of no electricity! The times vary by day of the week. My hotel has a back up generator, but that only meant that the bathroom light worked during the shut off hours. I have a feeling my grandiose plans of using my rice cooker to make dinner anywhere outside of Kathmandu are just that, grandiose plans!
What my hotel lacks in luxury (which is a lot!) it makes up for in convenience, as it's across from the Chabad House.
I made my way over there last night was was thrilled to discover that they make Nepali food, not just Israeli food. Food is the cheapest thing in Neapl. I had a dinner of Dat Bahtl (I think that was the name: chicken/onions/seasonings with rice) served with lentil soup. It cost about $1.50! No Kidding! I also ordered an appetizer of Chicken Momos (I had read about them and was so excited to be able to order them- stuffed dumplings), but they took a looong time to make, so I took them back to the hotel as a midnight snack. I also made a reservation for meals for shabbos, and ordered lunch to take-away for today. All of that came to about $15 usd!
I also met a really interesting couple last night...
I was alone at first, and a guy walked in and said "Shalom". He was very tall, broad and dark, and not wearing a kippa, so I thought maybe he was a Sefardi Jew from Yemen, but he also looked sort of African-American. Turns out he is a religious Muslim from Bangladesh and keeps Hallal, so eats kosher at the Chabad house. He lives here now, but has lived all over the world, including Silver Spring, MD. His father was the Bangladesh Amassador. He grew up surrounded by Jews, which is ironic, since his passport says that this passport is valid for any country except Israel. Bangladesh, being a part of the UAC, does not recognize Israel, and for that, they are given $600 million dollars a year by Islamic countries. He explained to me that Bangladesh is a Muslim country, but not an Islamic one. He was so interesting to talk to.
Then I met his wife, who is Swiss, and a tiny, Caucasian thing (next to his at least 6'5 dark frame they make an interesting couple). Turns out she is a psychologist who came here as a tourist, felt so bad for the street children that she moved here and started an NGO to get them off the streets. Many are addicted to glue. We spent some time talking about what it's like working with kids like that, and there were so many similarities to the kids I've worked with. I'm looking forward to spending more time with them on Shabbos (he comes every shabbos, and she will come to hang out with me!)
Well, that was my first night. I'm off now to another city with amazing views, and will write about that when I can.
Namaste,
Robyn
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Hello from Singapore!
Just a quick hello as I traverse the VERY large airport in Singapore. I'm 2/3's of the way there, having stopped in Tokyo last night before landing here in Singapore.
I've never been the type of girl who rents hotel rooms by the hour, but let me tell you, it's expensive! But worth it! There's a transit hotel in the airport and you can sleep/shower, etc for the low, low price of $75 for 6 hours.
I was lucky that when I arrived at 3am last night all the stores were closed. Unfortunately, they are open now, so I feel the pull...
More to come, but let me just say, that I think future overseas vacations will be determined by where Singapore Airline flies, it's great, even in coach.
Talk to you all later,
Robyn
I've never been the type of girl who rents hotel rooms by the hour, but let me tell you, it's expensive! But worth it! There's a transit hotel in the airport and you can sleep/shower, etc for the low, low price of $75 for 6 hours.
I was lucky that when I arrived at 3am last night all the stores were closed. Unfortunately, they are open now, so I feel the pull...
More to come, but let me just say, that I think future overseas vacations will be determined by where Singapore Airline flies, it's great, even in coach.
Talk to you all later,
Robyn
Monday, January 28, 2013
Bon Voyage!
Ok here I go! Off to Nepal today.
In keeping with my typical last minute packing, i discovered last night that I could not find my camera battery charger so the ride to the airport involved a detour to sammy's camera in culver city (after my trip to the fairfax store was a bust).
Thankfully there was no line to speak of either to check in or at security. However, no trip is complete without tsa rifiling through my bags. This time the tsa guy wanted to know why I was not only bringing my own lunch (has he ever eaten airplane food????) but also so much other food. This led to a discussion about Judy's doing the catering for singapore air and I happen to be friends with "judy" who is now her son allen. He then tested my bag for something nefarious and I asked if he was afraid of exploding pudding cups.
Flying internationally allows me to shop duty free and I scored two mac lipglosses minus the tax :)
Now the waiting begins. It's mon and I'll be in nepal on wed. Wish me luck!
Robyn
In keeping with my typical last minute packing, i discovered last night that I could not find my camera battery charger so the ride to the airport involved a detour to sammy's camera in culver city (after my trip to the fairfax store was a bust).
Thankfully there was no line to speak of either to check in or at security. However, no trip is complete without tsa rifiling through my bags. This time the tsa guy wanted to know why I was not only bringing my own lunch (has he ever eaten airplane food????) but also so much other food. This led to a discussion about Judy's doing the catering for singapore air and I happen to be friends with "judy" who is now her son allen. He then tested my bag for something nefarious and I asked if he was afraid of exploding pudding cups.
Flying internationally allows me to shop duty free and I scored two mac lipglosses minus the tax :)
Now the waiting begins. It's mon and I'll be in nepal on wed. Wish me luck!
Robyn
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Nepal or bust!
Hello Again!
It's been quite a while since I've posted on the blog, but since Hiking Boots in the city are pretty unnecessary, you can understand why.
Now I'm getting ready for a trip to Nepal. No, I won't be climbing Mt. Everest. The closest I will get is an airplane ride designed to show you the Himalayas and hopefully allow you to get some good pictures.
As I get ready for the trip here are just some musings:
Things I learned from my last trip- pack for all kinds of weather! I froze!!!! in Africa, so while the temps are reported to range from the 50's to the 70's depending on where in Nepal I'll be, I'm packing fleece lined tights and a boiled wool sweater/jacket just in case!
This, again, will not be a gourmet trip, so here are the yummy things I have to look forward to:
Salami sticks (my heart almost stopped when I went to Jeff's tonight and they said they are no longer "allowed by law" to make dried salami! Thankfully they are making salami sticks. I have no idea what the difference is, but I bought them anyway).
Since I will supposedly have electricity (according to Lonely Planet, the electricity can go out in Kathmandu for up to 16 hours a day, and who knows if my three star budget hotel will have a back up generator) I'm bringing a rice cooker. I plan to make my famous couscous/veggie crumble mix (although this time it will be with quinoa and/or rice). I also found boxed tofu that doesn't need a fridge so yes, a few boxes are going with me.
PB&J
Tuna- again, what I learned from the last trip. Tuna with flavors in foil pouches are gross!!!! So with experience comes knowledge- I found mayo packets at smart and final and will be mixing the non-flavored tuna in a pouch with mayo this time. Hopefully it will be edible.
For a treat I found pudding packs. Having just watched a rerun of Sex and the City, the movie, the other night, I hope I will not pull a Charlotte!
Almonds and raisins. I am making my own little snack packs.
Cliff bars- ever so trusty!
I am looking forward to getting dinners at the Chabad in Kathmandu, but was sad to learn that the branch in Pokhara will not be open until Purim (end of Feb), as that's when the "tourist" season starts, according to them. That meant getting grape juice boxes again, so back to Trader Joe's I went...
I am now almost set for my trip, just a few more things to get then I'll pack. Wish me luck, as this time I"m doing it all on my own...
As a final note, I purchased travel insurance tonight and learned that it covers flying a person to be my companion should I, gd forbid, be hospitalized (since I'm traveling alone. If I had a companion already with me, then they would just cover them to stay). So, who, in the hopefully unlikely case I'll need it, wants a free trip to Nepal to be my nursemaid? I'm taking applications now :)
That's all for tonight, just getting back into the blog.
I hope you'll all join me on my adventure!
Robyn
It's been quite a while since I've posted on the blog, but since Hiking Boots in the city are pretty unnecessary, you can understand why.
Now I'm getting ready for a trip to Nepal. No, I won't be climbing Mt. Everest. The closest I will get is an airplane ride designed to show you the Himalayas and hopefully allow you to get some good pictures.
As I get ready for the trip here are just some musings:
Things I learned from my last trip- pack for all kinds of weather! I froze!!!! in Africa, so while the temps are reported to range from the 50's to the 70's depending on where in Nepal I'll be, I'm packing fleece lined tights and a boiled wool sweater/jacket just in case!
This, again, will not be a gourmet trip, so here are the yummy things I have to look forward to:
Salami sticks (my heart almost stopped when I went to Jeff's tonight and they said they are no longer "allowed by law" to make dried salami! Thankfully they are making salami sticks. I have no idea what the difference is, but I bought them anyway).
Since I will supposedly have electricity (according to Lonely Planet, the electricity can go out in Kathmandu for up to 16 hours a day, and who knows if my three star budget hotel will have a back up generator) I'm bringing a rice cooker. I plan to make my famous couscous/veggie crumble mix (although this time it will be with quinoa and/or rice). I also found boxed tofu that doesn't need a fridge so yes, a few boxes are going with me.
PB&J
Tuna- again, what I learned from the last trip. Tuna with flavors in foil pouches are gross!!!! So with experience comes knowledge- I found mayo packets at smart and final and will be mixing the non-flavored tuna in a pouch with mayo this time. Hopefully it will be edible.
For a treat I found pudding packs. Having just watched a rerun of Sex and the City, the movie, the other night, I hope I will not pull a Charlotte!
Almonds and raisins. I am making my own little snack packs.
Cliff bars- ever so trusty!
I am looking forward to getting dinners at the Chabad in Kathmandu, but was sad to learn that the branch in Pokhara will not be open until Purim (end of Feb), as that's when the "tourist" season starts, according to them. That meant getting grape juice boxes again, so back to Trader Joe's I went...
I am now almost set for my trip, just a few more things to get then I'll pack. Wish me luck, as this time I"m doing it all on my own...
As a final note, I purchased travel insurance tonight and learned that it covers flying a person to be my companion should I, gd forbid, be hospitalized (since I'm traveling alone. If I had a companion already with me, then they would just cover them to stay). So, who, in the hopefully unlikely case I'll need it, wants a free trip to Nepal to be my nursemaid? I'm taking applications now :)
That's all for tonight, just getting back into the blog.
I hope you'll all join me on my adventure!
Robyn
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