Wow, I have just got back from Nepal And I agree with every pure word you have written about this beautiful place. Here is my first day diary entry if you care to read. I loved reading your journal, your words show you have a pure heart.
21/01/2011
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Hide details sarah taylorKathmandu The Himalayas frame everything here. Exhaustion is secondary, the smog a mere irritant, the chaos and dust, the grasping hands and shuffles of touts trying to steal us away, my lost bag in DTo mickcowan1@hotmail.com
From: sarah taylor (sez35@hotmail.com)
Sent: 21 January 2011 15:37:06
To: mickcowan1@hotmail.com
Kathmandu
The Himalayas frame everything here. Exhaustion is secondary, the smog a mere irritant, the chaos and dust, the grasping hands and shuffles of touts trying to steal us away, my lost bag in Delhi, my jet lag. Nothing. Nothing at all to me,
compared to the sun shimmering from the tops of the mountains, a spectrum of colours reflected off the snow. “Sarah, we need to get to the hotel”, urges Suellen. She’ s right. 22 hours of travel is showing on both our faces, and now bag less, we are in a vulnerable state. I pull myself away from the hypnotic beauty of the mountains and we battle through the touts, demand some ID from a driver and cram into his seatbelt-less cab full of prayer beads and pictures of Lord Shiva. The capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, is an explosion of the senses on all levels, choking with people, with shops, with poverty, stray dogs, with spirit, pulsating with pashmina’s and mandalas, crowded with excited school children crammed four onto the back of a bike a if their lives depended upon it. Colours, luminous, muted, primary, tie-dyed, flash of orange of the sacred Sadhu, my eyes hurting to take all this in. As we struggle through people laden streets to find our way to the Hotel, the pictures in the guide seem to be a lie as all the streets look the same. Every side street littered with the same tangled wires, board upon board grasping for attention screaming about their tours of mountains and safari parks, it could be anywhere in this mayhem. I’m feeling almost naked without the reassurance of my backpack and, containing carefully chosen clothes and diaries, and just want to get to the hotel and feels some walls around me so I can re-gather myself in this foreign land, in which I am now like a baby.
With a sigh of sudden amalgamated excitement and weariness, I see the bold scripted letters of the Hotel Fuji, and with a familiar sense of homecoming, open the door, feeling the reassuring realness of the brass topped handle in my hand: “Namaste, can I help you?”
A beautiful Nepalese face greets me with curious eyes and a flawless skin as I rush out a battered piece of paper with a hotel reservation on. He takes the paper and stares at it, yet seems bemused and checks his computer: “ We have no record of you booking here”, he says with honest eyes staring back: “ But we can do special room, just for you. Nice, near gardens”. I’m so tired I’d settle for sleeping in a phone box and we gladly follow him up steep stairs to our room. It’s massive, but rudimentary and the bed looks like it can be doubled up as some penitary punshiment for a misbehaving monk, but as he peels back the decaying net curtain, I’m stunned by the iridescent mountains far in the distance, mellowing in a jaw clenchingly sad sunset of purity and eternity. I am here in Nepal, bag or no bag, as raw as the day I was born, this is my destiny.
I somehow came across your blog while searching for a place to stay in paje.. wow, I would love to do this with my favorite person (my son) as well. Cool Mom!
Hi there,
Thank you so much, it is also one of my favorites from my trip.....thanks for commenting, I can't tell you how exciting it is to still receive comments three years after being home!!!
Hi there, I went to South Africa in September of 2006, thanks for the comment, nice to know people are still reading even as the years are passing. Take care.
ha!!! yep its me making the comment! (jordan) the only reason you kicked my butt was because you tricked me! you couldnt beat me without! lol just kidding!
Thanks
Hi, Just a quick message to say... great travel blog. I'm saving right now for a world trip and i've been thinking about Africa... and definitely going to Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Malysia so i'm looking forward to your future posts. Safe travels...
Michelle :)
Delayed viewing...... December 25th 2006
Crikey!... after all this time, ive managed to look at your blog. Incredible!... I´m going to have to take a week off to read it all.
So magical that you´ve been having such a fantastic experience. Take care and have fun for the rest of it.
Oops i forgot, im the very handsome English guy you both met in Plettenberg Bay SA.
Safe travels guys!
Jay.
wonderful surprises have got to come from any difficulty in your path... I am verrry sad when I read this blog....Heide, I know how much you were looking forward to being in Nepal...
But I just know that because it always seems to happen this way for you~~ that whatever difficulties arise, something amazing happens through it....(falling into a pile of crap and coming out smelling like roses???) ;)
I can't wait to see you guys
Love Pam
thanks hey thx for the gift it was realy nice of both of you to do it.When i saw your sunburn it looked like it realy hert,i feel bad for you!!!I went to a dance yesterday and i slow danced with 5 guys they were realy cute and they all asked me.I miss you lots and again thx for the presant love nat xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Hi D. Hey Heide,
I have sent a couple of emails to your hotmail account. I hope you got them. I was wishing you a very happy birthday of course. Hope you had an uplifting day......
hugs,
A
Hello Hi Guys
What an amazing travel blog, the african train ride looked like an amazing experience, hope you have a great safari and enjoy all the stunning wildlife. Our trip is nearly over and once we are in the uk ill find some more time to have a bit more of a read of what youve been up to. Like the haircut Jordan and hows the pool playing going?
Awesome! I marvel how beautiful, detailed, vibrant and alive are the things of this earth. Thank you Heide for sharing your adventures and experiences along with the very artistic photos with us. Peek-a-boo! He's mine, awesome shot!
How sweet is the wonder of nature and it's exotic creatures.
Hugs and kisses to the very much missed short, short very short haired flying Latvian! iggy
Amazing commentary's Hi Heide and Jordan
Your written word takes me to Africa with a feeling as though I am right there with you. It is such a wonderful experience to see the pictures and your blog and the discriptive way you write. Your teachers in school must have taught you very well. lol
Keep safe and I look forward to your next blog......Deanna
HAMLET Hey Jordan! Grandpa Ken and I liked the picture of you with Fanta Gorgeous...looks just like Hamlet...don't you think? Only smaller of course. We look forward to reading of all your new adventures.
Happy Halloween Hi Jordan :)
All 3 of the death defying activities you did look so amazing - I want a turn!!! I would love to see a picture of your moms face while you were flying the air - I'll bet that would have been hysterical.
Miss you guys lots.
Tan xo
Hey guys......
It's June 15th and I am back in Kathmandu, we just arrived back from Pokhara where we did our long awaited 50km trek through the Himalayas. It was incredible, the experience of a lifetime. The monsoon season just started and there have been some really fantastic storms.....thunder so loud it shakes the buildings and jolts you from your peaceful sleep in the middle of the night. I love it. We are just kind of hanging out, day to day life and waiting to go to India....India - where it hit 50 degrees the other day!! You might say we are crazy but we are planning on headin... full info
Sarah
non-member comment
Wow, I have just got back from Nepal
And I agree with every pure word you have written about this beautiful place. Here is my first day diary entry if you care to read. I loved reading your journal, your words show you have a pure heart. 21/01/2011 Show Reply ▼Reply Reply all Forward Delete Junk Mark as unread Mark as read Delete all from sender Print message View message source Show message history Hide message history Show details Hide details sarah taylorKathmandu The Himalayas frame everything here. Exhaustion is secondary, the smog a mere irritant, the chaos and dust, the grasping hands and shuffles of touts trying to steal us away, my lost bag in DTo mickcowan1@hotmail.com From: sarah taylor (sez35@hotmail.com) Sent: 21 January 2011 15:37:06 To: mickcowan1@hotmail.com Kathmandu The Himalayas frame everything here. Exhaustion is secondary, the smog a mere irritant, the chaos and dust, the grasping hands and shuffles of touts trying to steal us away, my lost bag in Delhi, my jet lag. Nothing. Nothing at all to me, compared to the sun shimmering from the tops of the mountains, a spectrum of colours reflected off the snow. “Sarah, we need to get to the hotel”, urges Suellen. She’ s right. 22 hours of travel is showing on both our faces, and now bag less, we are in a vulnerable state. I pull myself away from the hypnotic beauty of the mountains and we battle through the touts, demand some ID from a driver and cram into his seatbelt-less cab full of prayer beads and pictures of Lord Shiva. The capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, is an explosion of the senses on all levels, choking with people, with shops, with poverty, stray dogs, with spirit, pulsating with pashmina’s and mandalas, crowded with excited school children crammed four onto the back of a bike a if their lives depended upon it. Colours, luminous, muted, primary, tie-dyed, flash of orange of the sacred Sadhu, my eyes hurting to take all this in. As we struggle through people laden streets to find our way to the Hotel, the pictures in the guide seem to be a lie as all the streets look the same. Every side street littered with the same tangled wires, board upon board grasping for attention screaming about their tours of mountains and safari parks, it could be anywhere in this mayhem. I’m feeling almost naked without the reassurance of my backpack and, containing carefully chosen clothes and diaries, and just want to get to the hotel and feels some walls around me so I can re-gather myself in this foreign land, in which I am now like a baby. With a sigh of sudden amalgamated excitement and weariness, I see the bold scripted letters of the Hotel Fuji, and with a familiar sense of homecoming, open the door, feeling the reassuring realness of the brass topped handle in my hand: “Namaste, can I help you?” A beautiful Nepalese face greets me with curious eyes and a flawless skin as I rush out a battered piece of paper with a hotel reservation on. He takes the paper and stares at it, yet seems bemused and checks his computer: “ We have no record of you booking here”, he says with honest eyes staring back: “ But we can do special room, just for you. Nice, near gardens”. I’m so tired I’d settle for sleeping in a phone box and we gladly follow him up steep stairs to our room. It’s massive, but rudimentary and the bed looks like it can be doubled up as some penitary punshiment for a misbehaving monk, but as he peels back the decaying net curtain, I’m stunned by the iridescent mountains far in the distance, mellowing in a jaw clenchingly sad sunset of purity and eternity. I am here in Nepal, bag or no bag, as raw as the day I was born, this is my destiny.