Mt Menthosa is 6,443m (21,000 ft), in the Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh in the Western Lahaul Valley, off the Manali-Leh highway not far from the town of Udaipur. This blog entry covers the period June 23-29, 2009, when I set off on an attempt to summit this mountain. There were eight of us on the team: Me - the "client" Kaushal - The expedition leader Bogwon - Guide & porter Devraj - Guide & porter Balu - Nepalese cook, who will stay at base Camp Indu - Kaushal's wife, who will stay in Base Camp Rinko & Sushima - friends of [View Full Entry]

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Our 9 day trip through North Vietnam was one of the most interesting tours I have ever taken. We started in Hanoi, where we got a taste for the rapid growth and economic liberalization that has swept through the country in the last twenty years. Hanoi still retains some of the character from 100 years of French rule -- just walk into the posh Metropole hotel for their daily chocolate buffet, be served by ultra polished staff, some even posting French accents -- and you feel the French influence most acutely. The old quarter is made up of hundreds of narrow, [View Full Entry]

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I've been asked by a few people for tips when traveling to India. So here goes: 1. Inoculations Visit any travel clinic in your area and they will provide you with the recommended shots, etc. Typically people receive innoculatios against Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Typhoid. If any of their routine vaccinations have expired or are near expiration, they will get these updated (e.g. tetanus, polio). Those staying for long periods (more than 6 months) also inoculate against Japanese Encephalitis and Rabies. There are varying opinions on whether to take anti-malaria pills, but the most co [View Full Entry]

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INTRODUCTION Ladakh, also known as “Little Tibet”. What I knew about Ladakh (and the reason I chose to go) before I landed at Leh’s single runway airport at eight in the morning: Ladakh is very far north in India. The Himalayan mountain range runs through it. It is known for trekking. It doesn’t get a lot of rain, even during monsoon. Imagine my surprise, then, when I arrived at Leh in late July and found so much more... THE MAGIC OF LEH When I set off for a trek in Ladakh, I expected to find mountains, views and yaks. What I [View Full Entry]

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They say India is a country of contrasts, and that was certainly evident from my travels spanning a 10 day period in February. One weekend I went with Rochelle and the kids to the beaches of Goa, on the southeast coast of India along the Arabian Sea, and the following weekend I journeyed alone up to the ski hills of the Himalayas in Kashmir, at the northernmost tip of India, 35 km from Pakistan. Goans claim their state is paradise on earth, and it is difficult to refute that claim once visiting there. The flight from Banaglore is just 45 minutes, [View Full Entry]

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I am one week into my two year work assignment in Bangalore. I intend to write random thoughts and reflections about once a week, for family and friends. I hope to get this into a blog on the world wide web in the next week or so, but for now, here is my first entry. I’ve been reading several books about India recently, including “Being Indian”, “The Indians”, “India: An Illustrated History” and “The Essentials of Hinduism.” This is helpful in providing some context for the cultural differences I see. The British regarded themselves as [View Full Entry]

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