WanderAndWonder

Just one more week until we leave for Peru and Ecuador. It promises to be an interesting trip. Cloud forests, volcanoes, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and a small group of islands west of the continent; the Galapagos. I did plow my way through Darwin's Origin of Species a few weeks ago. A dry read but I felt obligated to refresh myself on why I wanted to see this place. Cusco and Machu Picchu are the Incan areas and filled with loads of history and culture and more than a few tourists. Lima is fast becoming known as the culinary centre of the region and we can't wait to try some of the food. And the language.... read more

Just one more week until we leave for Peru and Ecuador. It promises to be an interesting trip. Cloud forests, volcanoes, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and a small group of islands west of the continent; the Galapagos. I did plow my way through Darwin's Origin of Species a few weeks ago. A dry read but I felt obligated to refresh myself on why I wanted to see this place. Cusco and Machu Picchu are the Incan areas and filled with loads of history and culture and more than a few tourists. Lima is fast becoming known as the culinary centre of the region and we can't wait to try some of the food. And the language. ... read more

After surviving an attempt to get a bribe from the security-types at the airport in Kathmandu, I arrived back in India and drove to Agra. Well, I sat in the car and someone else drove. Which is just as well since I would either go mad or kill someone if I drove in the madness that transpires on Indian roads. I stayed at a hotel in Agra that boasted a view of the Taj Mahal from many of its rooms or a special balcony on the roof. Alas, it was not to be seen. The smog and haze made the monument invisible. I would have to wait until actually being at the site to take in its legendary beauty. The next day I did visit the Taj Mahal. It is beautiful but is showing the effects ... read more

Some of you readers may have heard that there is a wee bit of corruption in Nepal. Well, that would be an exaggeration. There is a great deal of corruption there. The most I was exposed to this was when I was leaving Nepal to go to Delhi. The international terminal at Tribhuvan Airport is a chaotic jumble and noisy snarl at the best of times. Passengers are required to go through a security-scheck on entering the building and that's where my problems began. On patting me down, the security-person noticed my money-belt. "What was it?" I told him. Then he asked to see inside. Now, this sort of thing has happened to me before so alarm-bells went off in my head. And, dear reader, if the same thing happens to you, your spidey-sense better be ... read more

Lhasa is the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in China. The name supposedly comes from the Tibetan word for 'goat', ra, combined with the word for 'earth', sa. Supposedly the site for the Jokhang was over a lake that had to be filled in before construction could take place. A goat was used to carry the earth to fill in the lake. Why a lake? Well, the king at the time had 3 wives and the Nepali wife threw her ring into the lake, indicating the site of the Jokhang. And what could the king do? Certainly not go against his wife's wishes, right? The Jokhang is a monastery and temple complex in Lhasa, dating to the 7th century. It is full of the kind of atmosphere you would expect with the smell of incense, ... read more

Today I travelled from Gyantse to Lhasa via one of the most scenic routes I have ever had the pleasure to take. The view was full of mountains, lakes, the bluest skies and the occasional yak. The dominant features on the landscape were Mt. Jetung Chusang(6242m), Mt. Jangsang Lhamo(6324m) and Mt. Nojin Kangtsang(7191m). We stopped several time to take photographs and it occured to me that Nojin Kangtsang didn't really look that high. But then realised that I was already at 5000 m above sea level. The altitude wasn't making me breathless but the scenery sure was. Then the spectacular Yamdrok-tso came into view. It is a large lake and the road winds its way around and above the blue waters. Along with the stark, brown mountainsides and blowing snow at the summits, it is a ... read more

Patan is a large town south of Kathmandu. Like the capital, it also has a Durbar Square and I visited it a couple days ago. There were the usual Hindu temples and statues and very good examples of Newari architecture along with one temple made of stone and resembling a Moghul building to some degree. But the part of the visit that I remember the most was when a tourist took some photos of some young kids who were begging in the street. The kids posed and mugged for the camera and afterwards, the tourist gave them a package of candy. Then they fought over it and ripped it apart and one little girl ended up running away from the group in tears. So the tourist got their photo and maybe felt a bit good about ... read more

Kathmandu. The name itself can evoke tales of adventure and mystery. I will agree that there was mystery there. But not a whole lot of adventure. I managed to get ripped off by yet another cab-driver and got hassled again at tourist site by a local offering to be my guide. But overall, Kathmandu is interesting. I just can't take more than a couple days. The physical location of the city places it in a valley below the mighty mountains. The problem is that you can barely see the mountains now because of the haze and pollution. The city is jammed with cars and trucks and the greatest number of motor-bikes per capita. Driving here is not for the faint-of-heart or weak-of-stomach. It's better to use your horn that your brakes. The same rules apply in ... read more

Hi all, OK, so I haven't been as prompt with all the updates as I promised. But, there are not a whole lot of internet connections in the jungles of Nepal. So, I write this from my hotel in Lhasa, Tibet. More on that later. Nepal is beautiful. The scenery is awesome...rivers, jungles, I hear they have some hills too. Chitwan Park was my favourite. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and so there are massive conservation efforts underway. The recent civil war and poaching didn't help. Now that the war is more or less over, attention is directed towards the poachers. The place where I stayed is one of the oldest establishments and is located deep in the Park itself. They have no electricity from outside; it's all solar-generated. Also, they grow their own ... read more

Hmm, let's see. 2 weeks to go. What do I need? What have I forgotten? I have taken my cholera medication. I need to start the one for malaria in 10 days. 1 tablet every week. And I have to keep taking it when I get back for another few weeks. Just in case some of those nasty malaria bugs are hanging out in my blood. I need....bug repellent. Useful when I'll be in the jungle, I think. Thermal underwear for Tibet when it gets cold. May as well take gloves and a hat too, I guess. Flights are all arranged. This is one less thing to worry about. And my hotels are all good. So now I just have to get there. Oh, yes, there were bombings in Delhi a couple days ago. I hope ... read more