Cultural Tour-Nepal Overland to Tibet 1995

May 4-5, 1995 Travel to Kathmandu

I left the Albuquerque Sun Port at 9:45 AM and arrived in LA at 10:45, and checked in to Thai Air. Some of our group was traveling on the same flight, while others went through Europe and India. We recognized each other by our similar travel duffle bags. It was 12 hours and 30 min to Seoul, Korea. We were on the ground for about 1 hour and then 5 hours to Bangkok. We arrived at the Amari Airport Hotel about midnight local time. It was $84 a night there and the rooms were nice. Breakfast the next morning cost 306 BHT at 24.7 BHT per dollar. There is a 200 BHT departure tax. The hotel was more or less attached to the airport, crossing over a walkway that went over a busy road.

No visa was needed in advance for Thailand. The airport has plenty of shops and services, and prices seemed high. A small candy bar was $2.00 at the airport, a bird guide was $35.00. I'm surprised how many signs and English speakers there are here, no problem with language. The flight to Kathmandu departs at 10:55 AM. The dress I saw was mostly western, the same stuff we wear.

Breakfast at the hotel was lavish with many unusual dishes, fried rice, sushi, several sausages, many types of bread and rolls. We didn't experience much of Thailand since the hotel was so close to the airport. There was a lot of traffic at midnight though.

We arrived at Kathmandu about 12:00. Nepal is 15 minutes different in time than the rest of the time zone. When it was 12:00 in Nepal it is 1:15 in Thailand. This has something to do with politics with India. Customs was easy except we had to wait for the leader Kern to get his Nepal visa. His passport was lost in the mail. There was a chaotic scene as we left the airport, with all the would be porters attempting to help us. I made the error of tipping a few of them, thinking we were unorganized. I gave away about $2 plus some BHT worth about $4. I was thinking it was like Cameroon where dashing out some small change helped smooth things over.

The streets are very narrow here and driving is on the left. There is a lot of horn honking and stopping and starting. We couldn't get the van quite to the hotel so we had to walk the last 100 yards. It was pretty chaotic with all the street activity and getting to the hotel.

I spotted the golf course immediately, it was out by the airport. It didn't look to be in good shape and I didn't notice that many were playing. At 4:00 we walked to nearby Durbar Square to get a feel for the action on the street. The Hotel was called the Tibet Guest House, a pretty generic name. The street was very active. I asked the price of a small chess set. He said $35 and then wouldn't let me alone. The price came down to $4. I'm a great bargainer when I don't actually want something. We didn't stay long and I couldn't get oriented as to what was what. There was a lot of woodwork and temple structures there.
It struck me as a little disorderly there, vehicles driving through, vendors harassing the visitors. We are going to return again tomorrow. Dinner was at the Clay Pot restaurant. Prices there were very cheap and I had fired chicken and fries for 80R or about $1.60. After dinner I bought 12 postcards for 10R and stamps for 10R, a bird guide for the area for 400R= $8. and a map for 40R= $0.80. The map appeared to be a blue print copy. The exchange rate at the hotel was 50R= $1.

I was surprised how much there is to buy here and how active everything was. The shops are mostly small and located on the floor level 3-4 story buildings. Roads are narrow with a lot of foot, bicycle, and motor cycle traffic, with a few vehicles. Men were dressed mostly in western style, long pants and shirts. Women were in long dresses except the western women with shorts and shorter skirts.

I had forgotten my key in my room and had to have someone come open it. I turned out the lights at 10:00 PM, there wasn't too much noise and the mattress was thin.

May 6, 1995 Kathmandu

Breakfast at 6:30 at the hotel, scrambled eggs and toast. We walked to the Monkey Temple at 7:40, arrived at 9:00. I noticed the large benevolent eyes of Buddha at the top of the stupa, long lines at the small pox shrine, and the jumbled scene with monkeys all over, candles burning, tourists, and souvenirs. I bought a colorful Tibetan hat for 400R.

The walk over was on a lightly traveled road that crossed a seemingly polluted river. We noticed the cremation platforms along one bank. We passed through a neighborhood that had a small local temple and saw a number of people coming and going with smudges of color on their foreheads. At the Monkey Temple it was a 365 step climb up to the main area from the street level.

From the Monkey Temple we walked back to Durbar Square, scene of many temples, where we had visited briefly last night. We saw the Kumari for about 15 seconds. She is an about 10 year old girl with a lot of eye make up who has some sort of religious significance.

We got back to the hotel at 11:45 for lunch. For lunch we had chicken soup and fried rice, chicken curry, and a selection of momos, sort of a turnover with beef, pork, chicken, or vegetables. My after lunch short nap was disrupted by a noisy water pumping truck. grrrrrr.

At 2:00 we left to go to Boudinath and Pashupatinath. Pashupatinath is a major Hindu temple that doesn't allow non Hindus inside so we first observed from an elevated view point on the other side of the river. A cremation ceremony was preparing to get underway, a large colorful crowd was gathered as we watched. Just down from where we were watching lived a holy man, who had a big mural of himself painted on the outside of his small house. We had the opportunity to ask him some spiritual questions, but I think we blew our chance. On the other side of the temple complex we could see inside the walls and there was a large golden kneeling bull.

The routed over to the temple went past the golf course. I noticed some golfers this time, some seemed to be playing with only two or three clubs.

Boudinath has a giant stupa, like a church steeple, and is a center of Tibetan Buddhist activity. This area was very clean and the building looked to be well maintained. Quite a few people started to circumambulate at 4:30, the crowd picked up suddenly. There were some small shops around the edge of the place and I bought some small cymbals, about 2 inches in diameter. Dinner back at the hotel was rice with sauce, chicken bits, and potato salad.

May 7, 1995 Kathmandu

Left the hotel at 9:00 for the Patan industrial area. We visited the metal working area and the woodwork area. Many of the carvings were very intricate and large. The metal work was of the lost wax technique with clay molds. The drive over there went all through suburban areas and traffic was heavy the whole way.

From there we went to the Tibetan weaving plant. There were separate work areas for spinning and dyeing, and weaving. The looms were large and often four women would be working at the same loom, making large rugs. The designs were posted right on the looms. These rugs are of thicker pile than the Navajo rugs that I was used to looking at. There were three qualities: 60, 80, and 100 knots per square inch.

In the sales room there was a large export room with modern designs and the rugs were washed. Another room had traditional designs and the rugs were washed. A 3 ft by 5 ft. was about $160. I was tempted by these but didn't get one, I don't want to carry them around and I didn't really need another rug.

From the rug place we went to Patan Durbar Square, another center of Temples. I didn't note any particular highlight in this area. I only walked around for one hour. Many of the sites were typically trashy and run down. They don't keep these areas in good repair. Lunch was in a restaurant that overlooked the square, I had chow mein.

Coming and going to the square we passed two of the floats that are used in celebrations. These floats have 50-60 feet wooden towers and 5 ft. wheels and are pulled by heavy ropes.

We arrived back at the hotel at 3:45. At 5:00 had a meeting to discuss the Tibet leg of the trip. The main discussion was altitude sickness. We have a portable hyper baric to counter the effects of pulmonary edema. I seem to be the only one without antibiotics or the high altitude medicine. This drug is mainly for high blood pressure patients. The key is to drink a lot and go slow. I think I'll be OK. I'm in good shape from biking a lot and have been living on the Colorado Plateau at above 5000 ft.

At 6:50 we went to dinner and by 8:50 most of us hadn't been served yet. Our group of about 15 had overwhelmed the staff. I left without eating anything because I was too tired.


May 8, 1995 Kathmandu to the Tibet border.

Up at 4:15 so that I can eat 5:15 and we can leave at 6:00. We want to arrive at the border early so that we will have time to deal with delays. Breakfast was toast and HB eggs. I had 5 toasts and 3 eggs plus I had 4 eggs later. Since I missed dinner last night I wanted to be sure I ate plenty.

We were in the road, more or less on time. There is a bumpy road that ascends from 4400 ft. to about 5000 ft. then drops into a river valley. Where we join the river it is about 2200 ft. Then we gradually climb to the Friendship bridge on the border at the Tibet town of Zhangdu. Impressions along the way 1) the terraced hillsides. 2) The great number of gabions, cages filled with rocks, used to stabilize the stream. 3) The hydro power plant. 4) Rice paper drying in the sun-it looked like artist easels. 5) Some roofs looked like slate, further up the line. 6) The Friendship Bridge. 7) The gorge and waterfall just before the customs house. 8) Hotel rooms look OK-even has a TV. 9) There is a 2:15 time change crossing the border. 10) Strange pipework near the customs house.

At the border we got out of our Nepal bus and walked across the bridge to the Tibet bus. Then we climbed 9 km and 1700 ft. to the customs area. We walked for about 15 min. to the top past a wonderful gorge and waterfall. After customs we went to the hotel. I have a twin bed room with a TV and two thermos bottles of hot water and some tea bags. In Tibet the time jumped 2:15 which is good because I've been up too early and went to bed too early.

I walked up the switchbacks through town. The street was narrow and muddy with flowing water. I noticed that there were a lot of pool halls here. The goods in the stores were normal everyday things.

Dinner was Chinese style and tasted good. The Tibetan girls were all in similar clothes. They wore long braided hair with colored strings wound in there and then wound the braid around their heads.

May 9, 1995 Zhangdu to Lulong Lo Pass to Shekar Dzong

Breakfast wasn't very good. They served cold gray potato chips, eggs which were ok, and bread without jelly of butter. We got underway at 9:00 and climbed switchbacks out of Zhangdu. Before leaving, I was sitting on the concrete steps outside and the "change money" guy saw me again. Some children came over also. I couldn't take any notes so I pulled out the Tibet guide and tried saying "Hello" in Tibetan.

Soon I had about 6-8 around me saying "Hello, how are you? What is your name?" A guy in uniform looked in also as if I were giving away Dalai Lama pictures or something. The switchback and forested continued until Nilamo at 12,000 ft. There were pine and deciduous trees and some rhododendrons were in bloom. We didn't see many people, mostly road workers and forestry workers.

With my Avocet watch I was able to call out the increasing elevations every 1000 ft. There was quite a bit of interest since we were going so high. At Nilamo we crossed a bridge and the terrain changed to dry valleys with snowmelt streams. We started seeing more villages and more animals. I expected a lot of yaks but we saw mostly sheep. The villages looked nice, the houses were mostly rectangular with flat roofs. At first the structures were made from rocks but changed to mud bricks the further we went.

The buildings were white washed and had some decorative trim. The people looked to be busy, working in the fields, doing something near water or tending animals.

Lulong Pass was at 16, 280 ft. by my watch. We stopped there for lunch. The box lunches were bad. Bad chips, dry bed rolls, a few peanuts and eggs or chicken feet. There were small rock monuments at the pass and prayer flags. Some of the monuments included yak horns with inscriptions. It was somewhat windy but not too bad. Quite a few snow capped peaks were visible. I tried out one of those disposable panoramic cameras to try to capture the wide vistas.

At some of the villages further on I noticed the stacks of yak dung on the walls around the yards of the houses. The kept these piles remarkably neat. So far we haven’t gone into a village. Perhaps they are trying to keep us separated.

Near the end of the day we our view of Mt. Everest. It was a little cloudy so the view wasn't perfect. We were quite a distance away so it wasn't awe inspiring. Today's bus trip was long and tiring and with little time to walk and enjoy the outdoors. The hotel was similar to last nights-sort of poorly kept. There was no heat-it will be chilly, no hot water except for a thermos. Dinner was good. There is a little sickness in our group so it is not much fun for some. I'm doing well-as usual.


May 10, 1995 Shekar Dzong to Shigatse

There were some snow flurries in the morning. We left anyway at 9:00. As we went the snow got a little deeper. At 10:00 we got briefly stuck but went forward to where two other trucks were stuck. We tried a route to the side but kept getting stuck there, then were pulled forward and back between the two that were stuck, and made about 300 yards of progress before stopping again where three more vehicles were stopped.

We tried some pushing but it was the other vehicles that got us through. The scenery is quite different with the snow. The brown is all covered by white now. It is quite scenic but is disrupting our trip. We are going to be a long time getting to our next location.

The truckers weren't very helpful to each other to get things going. They were each only interested in their own situation. In a couple of cases trucks tried to go around stuck trucks and got stuck themselves. I had visions of spending the night there but we got through with a 5 hour delay. The rest of the day was a long ride but we didn't get stuck again.

We went over our highest pass at 17,100 ft. We didn't stop due to out previous delay. By the time we got up there much of the snow was melted. In this high country we didn't see many animals or people. The road descended into a broad and beautiful valley. The valley floor was full of cultivated fields and grazing animals. The houses were scattered compounds that seemed attractive from a distance.

We stopped here for lunch of soup and a noodle and bean curd dish. The restaurant was notable for the pictures of sexy models on the walls. It was a very small local restaurant. Across the street was a toilet that had an inch of mud on the floor. What a gross place. Leaving the valley we climbed to another pass and got a good look back at the valley floor and the surrounding hills and snow capped peaks.

There was some Civil Engineering going on in the next section of road. There were 30 km of pavement and other sections were getting ready to be paved plus two bridges under construction. We arrived at the hotel at 9:45. This one seems ok, the last one probably the worst on the trip. I skipped dinner and went to bed.


May 11, 1995 Shigatse to Gyantze

After breakfast we went to the nearby Tashilhunpo Monastery. The Martreya Hall has a huge Buddhist statue. The whole area has been the historical home of the Panchen Lama, who seems to be nearly as important as the Dalai Lama. The inside of the various buildings were dark and it helped to have flashlights. The giant Buddha hall had three monks inside chanting. They used a variety of hand movements while chanting and occasionally sounded smell chimes.

Another building with a golden roof is the tomb of the fourth Panchen Lama built 1662. There is also a tomb for the tenth Panchen Lama. After seeing these we went to an area where the monks were debating. They would make a clap in the other's face while making a point. I drew a small crowd of monks with my guide book...they were interested in the pictures. I also got good response to "tashi delay."

We didn't look close at the Thanka Tower but it was a large grey tower that houses some huge banners used for festivals. We also went into a room where they were doing some printing. They were doing this by printing. The sheets were about 8" wide by 24" long. They also had some yellow cloth paintings for sale. In the front of this complex are all the monk houses. There was some work going on...refitting the front wall with cobble stones.

After the monastery we traveled two hours to Gyantse where we went to the Pongo Chorten. This area had two buildings that had numerous small chapels with statuses and carvings and wall decorations of a variety of Buddhist deities. Many of the artistic works were done by Newari craftsman from Nepal. There were gods of fire..etc. I can't remember them all. Most of the rooms were dark and needed flashlights. We had to climb steep ladders to get to the upper chapel. There is a fort in the vicinity of the Chorten.

Walking back to the hotel we went down a broad cobblestone street with no traffic. We came to a traffic circle and again there was no traffic. Very peaceful. The hotel is much better than the others where we've stayed. There is hot water, TV, electricity all the time and good service. On TV there is channel V with music videos from different countries. In the evening some of us walked the main streets and took a look at the nightlife in the town. Bars were small but active.


May 12, 1995 Gyantze to Lhasa

An all day trip. Highlights included 1) We went past a construction area, it could have been mining but may also have been a dam site. 2) A pass at the junction of two streams. There were great views in all directions back toward the construction area. A few of us walked out to a point where we could see a ruins of some sort. It seemed odd to me that there was no marker describing what it was. 3) There were two glaciers on the way. At one there were two women and several children tending yaks. One of our group had brought some plastic beach balls. She blew one up and gave it to the children. It was a big hit with them. They were delighted.

4) Karo La pass at 16,400 ft. From here there were good views back to the mountains. 5)Turquoise lake. My notes say the lake was 800 square km, but this sounds really big. We made a photo stop and then went on, later stopping for lunch along the shore. I thought today's box lunch was good-chicken, two eggs, bread, cake, peanuts and a soft drink. There were pears also but a doctor on the trip talked me out of eating them...fears of botulism. We're very squeamish about food on this trip. 6) Komba La pass at 15,700 ft. The trip leader brought a prayer flag string to put up. We built a small cairn of rocks like all the other ones that give thanks for safe passage. There are a lot of paper prayer coupons up there and I took a couple as souvenirs. 7) near Lhasa there is a large Buddha painted into the side of a rock wall.

The guide books often use the term "auspicious" in describing practices in Tibet. We had a discussion about the distinction between "auspicious" and "propitious". They seem to be synonyms but "auspicious" seemed to be more commonly used.

Mahayama (The Greater Vehicle) is the school of Buddhism in Tibet. This school strives for the salvation of all beings. Hinyana (The Lesser Vehicle) strives for the salvation of individuals. Vajrayona is a tradition associated with Mahayama and recognizes Nirvana (release from the cycle of mortal existence and rebirth) and Samsara (succession of lives and rebirths). The aim of Varayona is towards direct entry to Nirvana in one life.

The China exchange rate was 8.2 yuan per dollar. From Nepal, by my watch calculator we climbed 33,250 ft The max rate of climb was 5900 ft per hour. Max elevation was 16,650 ft.


May 13, 1995 Lhasa Tibet

We are staying at the Tibet Hotel in the Chinese part of town. Today we went to the Potala in the morning. This is one of the most magnificent buildings in the world and is the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. We arrived at the back door and climbed through several storeys and viewed numerous chapels packed with statues and other priceless artworks. Each of the chapels has a particular Buddha or god surrounded by many others.

According to Tibetan Buddhism, the eight worldly concerns are: gain and loss, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, fame and disgrace. These concerns dominate a life without Dharma and prevent us from entering a way of life that leads to the cessation of discontent.

The Potala is not an active monastery but mostly a museum. There is a red part and a white part. The red is religious and the white is government. Lunch was as a nearby restaurant where duck was served. This was eaten like a burrito where you rolled the duck, onions, and sauce into a pancake like wrapper, and was very good.

After lunch we went to the bank to exchange money. I bought a T-shirt with the Potala on it and 10 pre-stamped post cards. I changed $100 at the bank. It will cost 90 yuan to fly back to Nepal and we want to give the guide a tip of 80 yuan each, plus I have some laundry in the works.

Then we went on to the Sera Monastery. Here we went into two buildings where there were large meeting rooms for the monks and perimeter chapels with statues and artwork. One of the chapels had many pilgrims making a circuit. This was the horse Buddha. The pilgrims were sticking their heads into a low hole to show their devotion. In the front assembly room some craftsmen were working on a clay model of a new statue.

There was also a very active debating area in the monastery. There must have been 100 monks in an enclosed area and it was quite noisy with the debating and clapping of hands as points were made. Back at the Potala we had a funny scene with the hawkers selling trinkets. They were storming our bus, banging on the windows, blocking the doors. They were more aggressive than any I have seen.

The practice of Buddhist Dharma is often called the "Middle Way" because it seeks to avoid extremes of sensual indulgence and severe asceticism. Cultivating awareness of impermanence and death is crucial for discarding the eight worldly concerns and entering Dharma.

The guide book says that Sera Je is the building with the Hayagriva, the horse headed- the most venerated shrine at Sera. It was the most crowded for sure. The other building must have been Tsokchen which has the main assembly hall. Several times today we passed the Golden Yaks. These were built in 1991 commemorate the liberation of Tibet. A large building behind the Yaks was the foreign trade center.


May 14, 1995 Lhasa Tibet

Drepang Monastery today. After visiting some of the chapels on the grounds, we were in the main assembly hall at about 12:00 when all the monks started to come in. We were fortunate to hear some chanting going on. They sat in long rows facing each other and yak tea was served. There was some group chanting led by a monk with a very low voice. Then, an individual standing near the center chanted. Then the deep voice chant. The chants were somewhat raucous.

There seems to be a special family who is donating to the monastery and the chanting is for them. The sounds rose and fell, then clapping for several claps. Then more rise and falls and deep voices. All the while a group of four was handing out 5 yuan to the several hundred monks. The chants and claps continued. We left for 45 minutes to see more chapels and came back to hear more chanting. It was more of a sing song rhythm by then and was loud and forceful. It rose to a crescendo and stopped and suddenly many of the monks sprinted for the door. It was a spectacular finish.

Dharma is often described as that which is truly of benefit at the time of death. Buddhists believe there is continuity of individual consciousness after death, and that this consciousness is eventually joined with a new body. Each act we perform leaves impressions on our mind streams. Unwholesome deeds lead to suffering, wholesome acts lead to happiness and fulfillment.

In the afternoon we went to Jokhang Temple-the religious center of Lhasa. Outside there were many people prostrating. Inside is a central hall of Buddha statues surrounded by several small chapels. It was darker in here than in most other chapels. This temple was founded in 650 by Songsten Gampo. On the roof there were great views back to the Potala.

In the evening some of us went to the nearby Holiday Inn and stopped at the souvenir vendors on the sidewalk. I bought two butter lamps for 130 yuan. There was some comedy as one of the women vendors followed us for several blocks trying to sell a large silvery mandela.

May 15, 1995 Lhasa Tibet

Back at the Johkang Temple to circumambulate and shop. I bought a hat and a wall hanging. It was a very colorful and active market. It was mostly things Tibetans could use without a tourist emphasis. There were no high pressure sales. The asking price for the hat was 32 yuan. I paid 25. Asking price for the silver mandela wall hanging was 250 and I paid140. We negotiated using a calculator, entering our bids and counter bids. I think I made and impression by using the subtraction function rather than clearing and re-entering a new number.

I was able to get one or two pictures of the Potala that didn't get yesterday. The view from the roof of the Jokhang was great. From the street, the view was blocked by buildings. After shopping, we went to the Norbulnka-the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. We went into the building that was built for the 14th Dalai Lama, the one he escaped from. Also we visited the palace of the 7th Dalai Lama and a museum of archaeology artifacts.

In the afternoon we went to a rug factory. This scene is pretty similar to what we saw in Kathmandu, several women at large looms. From the factory we had a good long distance view to Drepang. In the court yard outside the rug factory there were several solar tea cookers. The rug makers were notable for their singing. I bought a colorful sweater for $20. No bargaining here.

Then we went to a traditional medicine hospital. We climbed several floors to a waiting area, then went to a shrine like room. The shrine room was to the originators of traditional medicine. These originators were from 1600-1700. The old medical school was on a hill across from the Potala, but is no longer there. The surrounding shelves in the shrine room were full of books. We went into a room with where some electric acupuncture was going on. There was an older lady with some needles stuck in her ankle. One of our group was a doctor and she tried to ask some questions about the procedures but I don't think we got much information on how effective the treatments were.

After the hospital we had time for one lap around the Johkang market. For the final dinner in Tibet, we went to what appeared to be a private house for a Tibetan dinner. Some of the dishes included lamb, dried yak, duck, sampa, momos, potato and meat stew, yak butter tea, barky beer, potatoes with a little meat, cabbage and other greens, sweet rice dessert, yogurt, yak cheese. It was a huge meal.

After dinner we went to the Tibetan University to see some traditional Tibetan music and dancing. The performance was mostly for our group, not a regular public performance. 1) First there was some music by five musicians. 2) Then music with one singer. The singer used a high pitched voice that we think is typical oriental. Then the pace picked up and there was a sort of tap dancing. 3) The professor of music plays Edelweiss on a dulcimer. 4) The same professor plays a story song, /the instrument is high pitched with overtones. He plays with two wands about one ft. long. The strings are arranged horizontally on the instrument.

During intermission we were able to look closer at the instruments. As the music went on a crowd gathered at the door and looked in through the windows. 5) Four students play a type of guitar and some singing. 6) The professor's band with a singer, a different one than before. The singer had an amazingly high pitched voice. 7) A professor with a guitar, dancing and singing praise for the scenery around Lhasa. This was all pretty entertaining and I think they were glad to perform as they want to keep Tibetan music alive.


May 16, 1995 Lhasa Tibet back to Kathmandu by air

We had to get up at 4:30 to have breakfast at 5:00 and be on the road at 6:00 and get to the airport by 8:00 and catch a 10:30 flight back to Kathmandu. The airport is quite a way away from town. We retraced some of our route into Lhasa, then at the bridge we turned east to the airport. By the time we turned east the sun was up and was hitting us in the eyes. We were in line behind a group of Germans, but in front of some French. We were all processed as groups. All of our baggage and tickets were handled by the group leader. They didn't stamp our passports so there is no proof that we were there.

On the flight we passed with Mt Everest on the right side. With the 2:15 time change we were back in Kathmandu before the time we left Lhasa. The air in Kathmandu seemed cleaner than before and my room at the hotel has a better view than before. In the afternoon I went on a short walk in the shopping area and bought a T-shirt and a couple of books. On of the books was "The Snow Leopard". It describes Peter Mathiessen's zoology expedition to the Himalayas with George Schaller to look for mountain goats and also weaves together the culture, nature and religious activity along the way.

For dinner we went back to the restaurant where we had to wait for two hours and didn't get served before. We were giving them another chance. This time we put in our order well ahead of time, and for all of us to have basically the same thing, and this worked out ok. There was some dissension from a segment of our group about the quality of our hotels and restaurants.

It seemed that quite a few of our group joined the Sierra Club just to go on this trip. That surprises me some. Aren't there other ways to get to Tibet? The leader lead a discussion on how the finances work. There are overhead costs for advertising and staff plus the leaders costs-the leader gets no salary. After dinner some of us walked to Durbar Square but the shops were starting to close and it was wet and slimy out.


May 17, 1995 Kathmandu to Bahktipur

This is the last planned day of activity. We took a bus to Bahktipur, the highlights included 1) The Golden Gate into a Hindu temple. The guide book I have called this the most exquisite metal work in all of Asia. We would have walked right by it without noticing. All the artwork starts to look the same after a while. The book says there is a lot of gold in it, yet from the ground it could be brass. 2) A very tall pagoda in Taumahdi square. 3) The famous wooden peacock window that is much copied in small scale for souvenirs. This was down a small side alley, an odd spot for something that is so famous. 4) A walk out of the central town into more open areas where small gardens were cultivated. We also saw grain being processed in many areas.

We had early dinner so we could walk to the Annapurna Hotel to see a one hour performance of native dancers. There are many different groups in Nepal so they tried to be representative of different styles. It was a good performance but on a stage it is somewhat out of context.


May 18, 1995 Kathmandu - Bike trip to the Royal Botanical Gardens, Last day of the trip

Since we arrived there had been talk of renting bikes and riding out into the countryside. There is a botanical gardens in Godavari that looks to be a good destination. There was concern that traffic and theft would be a problem so taking a taxi was proposed.

But finally I and the doctor went for the bike trip. We got going at 8:15 and arrive about 2:30 later at 10:45. The route we took was good for avoiding the chaotic traffic. We went by way of the Monkey Temple to the Ring Road, then turned south. We went through two busy intersections and crossed the Bagmati River before coming to the turnoff for Godavary. There weren't many signs to help us but were able to ask directions and I had a map I had bought at the book store.

The road to Godavari seemed to be mostly uphill, but bike trips always seem that way. There was a lot of dust and diesel exhaust but we weren't ever in danger. The conditions got better after we turned off the Ring Road, fewer trucks and more open country.

At several places along the road, there were piles of stalks with grain spread so that vehicles, including our bikes had no choice but to drive over. They were using the vehicle traffic to separate the grain from the stalks, so we contributed to the agriculture effort in a small way. I noticed that there were a lot of flowers for sale along the last stretch of road into the garden, as if the whole area is devoted to plants and flowers.

The Royal Botanical Gardens was quite nice. It was a complete change from the city and village scene. The types of trees didn't seem unique. With the weather and scenery we could have been anywhere in the American Midwest. We didn't see many birds but there were many flowers in bloom and specialized areas to visit. There was a stream running through and very pleasant trails. We spent about three hours slowly walking around and enjoying the scene.

The mistake we made was not picking up some water on the hill above the garden on the way in, as there wasn't much to drink in the park. We bought some cold bottled water on the way out. I drank 1 liter immediately and took another for the road.

The trip back was much quicker, 1:45 and seemed to be mostly downhill. I had a slight problem with cramping in my quads but it didn't slow us down much. We were a little confused on our route as we went past the Monkey Temple but zoomed the rest of the way without incident, high fiving as we completed the trip. It was a moderately strenuous ride, not so hard we couldn't do it but required enough effort to be proud of.

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