http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Moai/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Moai en-us Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:12:49 +0000 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:12:49 +0000 Jinking Jinking bells messing all the way.....That it s christamas time and I feel the same since the 2000s Bloodly lonely.I have put some very weight on while eating like a real gluton loosing all the benefits from my very healthy trek in Nepal. I am fatty again.I had a fantastic reveillon alone in front of various DVDs that brought my Psyche down to the lowest level ever.Well That was it... http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-463255.html I want to finish that trip on pictures of faces of Nepalis that made my trip nicer. I sherish the memory of their spontaneity laughters and welcoming. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-457304.html A moody note on Thibetan Refugee Camp. Visiting camps has been quite a life experiment for me.The shock came from realizing that many tourists I am a tourist visited camps like visiting Devi's fall a waterfall in Pokhora and that should not be.We are talking about the living place of entire families that fled their country. It is lively culture. It needs more than an overlook on souvenirs stan http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Pokhara/blog-457303.html Ceremonies on the ghats in a very hot afternoon. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Pokhara/blog-457302.html The boat took me across the lake to the trail to peace Pagoda. It is not yet 6 AM and that crossing is already at the edge of a mystic mythic epic site seeing. A light ghostly fog like a second skin to the waters of the lake surrounds and accompanies the silent move of the ship. The Annapurnas in the background dive and rise into early morning scarfs of clouds.The trail itself to the Pagod http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Pokhara/blog-457134.html Early morning trek to Sarangkhot taking the trail to the Annapurnas circuit. Walking made me really feel good. A very nice morning above the clouds on the Fewa lake. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Pokhara/blog-457132.html Leaving Kathmandu to reach Pokhora and the Annapurnas. Got an uggly deception about the travel agency that booked my Hotel and treks. I Damn that Gurkha Encounters operating at the Kathmandu Guest House. I had to change Hotel and everything. Problem could not budget same activities because I had to wait to go back to Kathmandu to get a refund. They blowed up my time in Pokhora for good withou http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Pokhara/blog-457130.html Durbar square is an architectural challenge compared to its vicinity. Mostly pagodas varying in shapes and heighth mostly showing carved explicit scenes on wood and colorful painted doors.The only spot that still stains my memories with bitter about that square was that poor little Kumar goddess. I had seen many postcard of that goddess girl but I never could have imagined the distress I have se http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/Durbar-Square/blog-457129.html Back in Kathmandu after a long and steamy hot shower.This buddhist temple if very similar to Buddhanath in appearance differs in far much more ways from others. It is not related to the temple being on top of a hill. It is in the decorum that completely surrounds the area. Gold painted statues plainty of exvotos far much more popular so livelier lovelier than the serious Buddhanath. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/Swayambhunath/blog-456389.html Partying with the crew was certainly the best way to quit our guys. A very nice bill NRS26000 on beers mostly a loto to dispatch some of the climbing stuff to the porters and a Spice cake to celebrate our expedition. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Himalayas/blog-456388.html DepartingTolikharka4000M640MBclear and coldThe last day of our trek brought us upto the Jaytra la around 4600M and then down to Lukla.The last pass was a festive occasion. We hanged there a prayer flag dedicated by the entire expedition right above the pass and to get that most wanted picture of the complete company Porterscooksguides and weArrivingLukla2800Mcloudy http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Himalayas/blog-456387.html DepartingKhote3400MbrightWe won't cross the Inku again that time. We would go straight up flanking mountainside above Khote. We had lunch at Thaktor auround 3600M before reinitiating our climb to a pass at 4100M and then down to Tolikharka where we would sleep that night.ArrivingTolikharka4000M650MBclear and cold http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Himalayas/blog-456385.html DepartingKhare4900MshinyOur way down took us to Tangnog for our lunchbrake and to Khote on the evening. I am not going through describing these places anew. I would rather describe the clamouring chanting walk down along the Inku. These Pools we passed by on our way up unnoticed. That fresh moisterized air to cool down our quickstepping descent.ArrivingKhote3400Mcloudy and foggy http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Himalayas/blog-456384.html My dear colleague is certainly the most dedicated experienced and trained person I have ever worked with. I know how much heshe is devoted to our guests and our duties. I wrote a letter to himher asking for hisher expertise knowing how hard it was for himher to find even a few seconds of hisher time. But heshe is so knowledgeable about so many sensitive fields that I really felt in need http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-456383.html DepartingHighcamp5800MshinyAwaken by 1AM a black tea and a piece of bread gathering quickly the gear checking thermals by the light of a torch the stress brought me to the extative. At 2AM we started our walkup to submit.At dawn after three hours of a slow unsteady climb I have to turn back. My behavior is going wrong my metabolism is going unclockwise.Dawn is strong on symbols. It se http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Himalayas/blog-456366.html DepartingKhare4900M550MBshinyThe climb that day was offering novelty. If the first hours were devoted to a rock climbing trek up to the Ice Point 5200m the remaining of the climbing to Highcamp was progressing in the snow and roped.Via Mera La where we didn't stopped to Highcampthe walk took me 10 hours and prooved very strenous. Highcamp is stupefying by its position between rock and i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Himalayas/blog-456365.html DepartingKhare4900M550MBshinyTraining day for climbing with Jumar descent with figure of 8 and safety lock with the carabiner.On the afternoon acclamatization practices again. We climbed up to the 5300m according to Buddha and went down back to KhareArrivingKhare4900M550MBshiny http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Himalayas/blog-456363.html DepartingTangnog4100M630MBshinyThe Inku is our guide to Khare the Basecamp. The land is now a rocky wide valley were small streams of water rush down. This really looks like mountainering now.On the afternoon at Khare we got our mountainering gear adapted and adjusted for the training cession on next day. The Mera is now to be seen on every instant. It s there expecting us.ArrivingKhare49 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Himalayas/blog-455872.html DepartingTangnog4100M640MBshinyWoke up in prime shape. In front of my tent stands the Mera Peak full size. Very nice and impressive wake up. Today is acclamatization day. It means that we are goin on some climbing but that we re comin back to the same departure place. Our objective climb the 4700m and down. It has been a nice experiment. I felt the lack of oxygen for the first time. The panora http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Himalayas/blog-455870.html We stopped by a monastery to deliver devotions to a statue of Buddha which refused to be removed from the cave inwhich three monks had deposited it to shelter their night. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Himalayas/blog-455868.html