End of trip start of school Even the most brilliant bonze tree must be taken out of its decretive pot periodically and be given the chance to grow.
Enjoy you time back at school.
commonalities A lot of your experiences have common threads with my (and Rudy\'s) third world trips. On taking pictures: I always go in looking and come out using the camera. I\'m insanely economical on shots. And I work to make them beautiful without touchup.
Image 5-7 at the games. Yes,these people (almost all are men))are very rabid in their loyalty. They are loyal to teams that haven\'t won diddly in eighty years. It\'s all consuming. Not RayS fans.
Image 9: The kids of Nepal are poor and don\'t know it. Some day they may know it and become angry. All they need is the right Imam.
Image 10: WE saw a family of 5 on a scooter weaving through Cairo traffic. Mom was amazed.
Image 11: Our Nepal group stopped by a bus strike and blockade ouside Pokara. We hired a jeep and four wheeled around the blockade.
Image 13. Bus went into ariver in Nepal. Police siad everyone inside drowned. Outside riders did better.
Image 14 Kathmandu first trip haircut was what ever you wanted to give and he gave a free neck snap. Next trip they wanted $6.00. Damn.
Image 17: In Russia I got in closed restaurants with little solar calculators as bribes. I bought a round of drinks for EVER person in the restaurant (and the band) with the rubles I had from selling calculators from K-Mart. Taxi after hours? one calculator.
Naked swimming in Baden-Baden was available for me and Mom. WE took a pass. And lastly getting our credit card stolen right out of the ATM slot in Paris.
And yes, I haven\'t even seen all the water falls in Georgia yet, never mind the world!!! Peace/Out/Da
Diving When you were small I used to dive with Dave Rocha and another guy. Gulf of Mexico, sinkholes up US 19 and the Keys for Pennekamp, lobsters, scallops. crabs, conch and spearing grouper. Not enough money to leave Mom, the kids and Florida then. We might do three dives, drive back to Clearwater then go work from 4pm to midnight. Plus soccer coach, volleyball and refereeing. Energy levels a bit higher then. Good times.
Enjoy, it seems to go fast. Da
second verse, same as the first wrote the this same entry.....lost. Try again
Your blog deserves a little more than "Liked it". Well done, thought out and assembled.
Lovely people the Napali, have little, seem happy.....yes? Lets get them some Blackberrys to stare at, eh.
Dahl Bhat with Takari... mighty fine eating. I had a leech removed (1993) uphill from Pokhara....a little messy.
You're right there for Annapurna Sanctuary trek. Only one pass into a large valley surrounded by 23K to 25K high peaks. Breathatking. You would pass Machapuchare (fish tail) home of Shiva the Destroyer. Don't look for Machu Piccu, different mountain. Trek quick, civilized, busy but you're out of season.
Pizza available in sanctuary (wouldn't be a sanctuary otherwise would it). That along with bottled drinks, snacks and sundries were carried up there on the strong backs and bandy legs of many porters.
The around Annapurna is long and very challenging. I failed to finish and helped a with friend go back
when he was too sick to go on. One of our ladies needed a pony to help her get up and over.
submit AGAIN Da
Finally, someone can relate Greg:
Well written, economical, humor, good descriptive narrative. B+
We did two trips out of Pokhara.... so I spent over two months in that district. We probably walked past Nirmal... I too had a leech removed by alternative means, right of passage and all. Of course being there in November I missed the rain....more's the pity. Be aware of the "red clay, slippery way" (in Nepali it sounds like rotto motto, chipallo batto) it's like ice.
I recommend the Annapurna Sanctuary trek. You will get close to Machapuchare (fish tail) home of Shiva the Destroyer, and off limits to climbers for many years. Do not look for Maccu Piccu...SPOILER ALERT...a different mountain!!! Only one pass goes into the "sanctuary" it could be a little busy, but you're out of season. But it's the highest place on earth you can get home cooked pizza. All sodas, food, tents etc brought up on the backs of porters. That's gotta be worth something.
Around you in gay profusion are many peaks of 23,000 to 26,000 feet. Beautiful.
Pearls before Swine Well now you've been to an Australian mountain range.
I've ALWAYS loved the Whitman.
You keep puttimg this stuff out, you'l be up in the Facebook Pantheon with Aguis.
Greg You really seem to be in your element, Greg. I'm hoping you get a job as a travel columnist or something similar so more people can read your amazing blogs. Keep them coming :)
Last sentence Old saw: Life is not about how many moments you breath, but how many of those moments take your breath away.
I remember weeks, moments, like that, and they generally involve travel to see new things. I see so few of us elite, wealthy Americans taking small risks for profound discovery and the pleasure of other's company and thoughts.
Oh and on a more mudane note, that picture of bachlor seals and seagulls together cried out for the trite caption of 'boys and gulls together" Do not be afraid of making people groan grasshopper.
Sounds about right loved the last picture on Picassa, you sitting on a bike looking out to sea (or lake).
You know Aguis is on an Odyssey (per facebook) and is admired and praised by some for driving to Starkville Mississippi etc. I wonder what he would call your trip?
I could bre the only one you know who can identify with your trip. Many of my stories meet with vacant stares. Hopefully not you, and I inspired you a little.
Many of these adventures (well written and humorous) mirror mine and Rudys. My tent buddy was bit on neck by a wild monkey, two per trip sicknesses, also I have suffered through a bus strike and a no cars allowed to move election. Keep up the good work and check for mites, borers and parasites (not the French ones). It's not Romancing The Stone is it? But muy cool. Adventure with locals, 5 stars
Dad
no ATMs My bad, it never occurred to tell you that there are no ATMs. Still, on my adventures no solar powered hot tub. Yin-Yang ypung grasshopper. To save you additional time, there are no cocoa leaves or Piso alcohol sold in Pinellas. Get over both before you return.
I too love the third world for their appreciation of small things.
Eric Batcho
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End of trip start of school
Even the most brilliant bonze tree must be taken out of its decretive pot periodically and be given the chance to grow. Enjoy you time back at school.