Cathmandu
Catherine Pinard Joined: December 30th 2007
Logged in: November 11th 2011
Logged in: November 11th 2011
Travel Blog Posts
Antigua
I am now back at home, in Kuujjuaq, after a few weeks in Guatemala. I didn't write much on my blog during the trip as I didn't want to spend time in front of a computer at all! But it was a nice trip and here are some of the stories and highlights... After I last posted something on the blog, the rain did not stop for another week or 10 days. It was amazingly humid and cold, not that 15 degrees is that cold for us northerners, but it is a very different story when you have no heating system in your house. Nothing dries, and it feels like your bones get cold too. I ended up getting a stomach flu for a few days and later a cold... So much for coming to the ... read more
I just arrived in Guatemala 2 days ago. RAiny season, that must be why it is raining. I can only laugh that I picked this destination because I wanted to go to a hot sunny place. Oh, I did read the fine prints but they said it would rain only a couple hours a day. Oh well, can;t complain. I just hope my hair will dry between now and next week. Antigua is a really nice city and of course I am just so happy to be traveling again. It;s funny that my brain seems to compare everything with India rather than my own country! So I arrived without too much trouble to this beautiful city, where I am taking Spanish lessons for a couple of weeks before traveling a bit outside of the ANtigua area. ... read more
Muskoxen
One thing I was hoping for when I accepted the job in Kuujjuaq was to have the chance to explore the north and see amazing places. This week I was very lucky because some of my co-workers were going to Pingualuit Park by helicopter and it so happened that there was room on the chopper for me... All I had time to do before we left was grab my camera and my toothbrush (in case we wouldn't be able to return the same day) and we were on our way. The wind was very strong so we had to fly quite low. That was absolutely fantastic as this gave us a chance to see a lot of animals: we saw many groups of muskoxen, lots of caribou, snowy owls, geese, swans, and... even a polar bear! ... read more
I think they like blue!
After over a month of working in front of a computer on a big report, I finally had the chance to go out in the field. That was soooooo nice! The idea was to explore some areas of the future park on which we are currently working, to see what the potential was for hiking. In other words, 2 colleagues and I had the amazing opportunity to be dropped off by float plane somewhere on the shore of the George River, and from there we had to walk to a small mountain called Pyramide Mountain, from where we were going to be picked up a few days later. Waw! Can't beat it. I love that feeling of traveling with all what we need on our backs, walking in areas where maybe only some Inuit and Naskapis ... read more
A perfect day!
Sometimes simple things are the best. Today, nothing fancy. Got up (zero degree as usual), had breakfast, fixed my bike, packed a lunch, a book, binoculars, camera. Then I took off, north of town. There is a road, not sure exactly how long it is, between 25 and 35 km according to people, but it is a great way of getting out of town. It was sunny when I left and it felt quite nice and warm. Kuujjuaq is really at the border between small trees and no trees. So as soon as you go north, pretty soon it is the toundra. So after a while, I stopped, parked my bike where there was a big rock and ended up spending the whole day at that place. It was one of the rare warm, sunny, nearly ... read more
Inukshuk
I usually write my blog only when I travel, but since I moved to a somewhat exotic area, I will try to put some pictures and stories from time to time... So for those who don't know already, I now live in Northern Quebec, in Kuujjuaq. Moved here about 2 weeks ago, and now live in a big Inuit house (no, not an igloo!!!!), in the inuit part of town. I say that because the town is really divided into little suburbs. Some people say ghettos, but people seem to get along, although naturally most Whites socialize together and Inuit socialize together. Teahcers live in one area, hospital folks in another, etc. But one interesting things that I really like is how people speak French, English and/or Inukitut, whatever works and no issue about it. Of ... read more
I should first mention that I did come back from Nepal and had a great time over there, and now have a few stories to tell. I still plan on writing about the highlights of that trip, but it will have to wait a bit more because now I am in India one more time, and I have to write about India!!!!! It was hard to leave Quebec this time because I was having a great time in my "settled life" in Montreal and was looking forward to skiing and snowshoeing, and I wanted to be with my family for Christmas, but somehow I find myself back in India and I can't complain too much! India is still amazing and put a smile in my face right away when I got off the plane. But it ... read more
Waw, it feels so wonderful to find myself writing a travel blog... I just arrived to Kathmandu last night after 2 days in different airports and airplanes, and I am so happy to get back into travel mode that it almost hurts! In fact I am so happy to that I can almost disregard the frustrating keyboards that we find in internet cafes in Asia! My apologies in advance for the typos and missing letters! So I landed last night in some amazing thick dark clouds. Got my Nepalese visa in no time, and smiled to see nothing really changed: there was confusion between my visa application and another tourist's application and I had to help the clerk sort it out and he was so happy that I noticed the mistake he said "thank you Canadian" ... read more
Well, the plan was to be on my way to Canada by now. But as I said before, India is always full of surprises! This time I suppose it is my airline that surprised me by sending me an e-mail saying my flight was canceled and I was now booked to leave in 6 days!!!!!!! At other times this might have been a good news, but not this time, as I am supposed to be in a workshop in Canada this weekend, and in Costa Rica in 5 days... Plus, when I am ready to leave, I am ready to leave. Finally now I am supposed to leave tonight, but we'll see what happens. I might have to land in Ottawa and take the bus from there to Montreal. That will be quite a sight with ... read more
Backwaters
Only a week left to this trip to INdia. But the last few days have been quite busy. Cochi was awesome. Of all the places where I stayed in about a year in this country, Beena's was in the top 3!!! For a very very reasonable price, she and her husband were providing some of the best food I had India, their rooms were simple but very clean and the hospitality was unbeatable. Little things like letting us use their computer, organizing trips ands rickshaws without taking a commission, and even getting up at 5 to cook one last breakfast before my early train journey, make a difference and when I left them I was very sad. They even let me sit in their kitchen on my last day to learn a little bit about Keralan ... read more
