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kmorton - Ken Morton

Ken Morton In 2008, I took a 2-yr leave of absence from the U. S. Coast guard - an organization that I love very much - to do some travelling, exploring, and perhaps some self-realization, that I otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to do. In doing so, I picked a an area on the globe and went. We'll see what happens from here on in...
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Joined on: August 13th 2008
Last Login: February 3rd 2009

Blog Entries: 15
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by kmorton, order by Date newest first.

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By kmorton
January 2nd 2009
From Annapurna to Everest Asia » Nepal » Himalayas
Tibetan Buddhist Chorten
Tibetan Buddhist Chorten
One of many Buddhist temples along the route to Everest. This one inNamche Bazaar.
Greetings folks! Having just returned from the Mt. Everest trek, I realize that it's been a little while since my last posting here. A lot has transpired, but I'll ty to keep it brief here and just stick to the main events. Since my last entry, my friend Elaine and I headed back from Pokhara to Katmandu (about 185 km east) to line up our permits and make necessary arrangements to begin our trek to Mt. Everest (i.e. Sagarmatha) base camp at about 17,000-ft elevation. Our journey got off to an inauspicious start with me battling a vicious but thankfully short-lived [View Full Entry]

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2518 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 26 Photo(s) | 2 Video(s)
Published: January 3rd 2009 | 326 Views | [diary=359321]

Lukla Airport Runway
Namche Bazaar
Another Shot of Namche Bazaar

By kmorton
December 9th 2008
Annapurna Himalaya Trek Asia » Nepal » Annapurna
View East
View East
The eastern Annapurna range with Machupuchare seen prominently at the right side of the photo.
Hello folks. Kids, do I have a treat for you! Not only do I have photos today, but I finally figured out how to upload video clips into this website! Actually, the 2 videos that I posted here are pretty boring, but you're welcome to check them out anyway. Well, back in Pokhara after having just completed my first of two Himalayan treks. This first 9-day trek took me into the Annapurna Sanctuary in the central Himalaya. It was a spectacular hike of about 70 miles or so. The scenery was amazing (the photos really don't do the area justice, kind [View Full Entry]

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1809 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 18 Photo(s) | 2 Video(s)
Published: December 10th 2008 | 307 Views | [diary=352721]

High Winds on Annapurna
Tibeten Chorten
First Glimpses

By kmorton
December 1st 2008
Volunteer Experience in Nepal Asia » Nepal » Pokhara
Another Shot of the Mountains
Another Shot of the Mountains
This is where I'm headed next. Looks kind of cold.
Namaste from Pokhara, folks. It's been a while since my last post, I realize. I just finished my volunteer teaching (and farming, as it turned out) assignment in the village of Sarangkot, and am just now getting around to writing. Well, it was a good experience, living up in the village and getting in with the local folks who really welcomed me very warmly. After a couple of rough days in the teaching arena, I settled into a groove with grades 7, 8, & 9 and began to enjoy myself in class. My host family, Yam Thapa (whose name I misspelled [View Full Entry]

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1027 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 24 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: December 1st 2008 | 151 Views | [diary=350261]

Morning Exercises
Buddha Statue
Morning Before Class

Phewa Lake
Phewa Lake
Pokhara on the lakeshore with Himalayas poking through in the background
Namaste from Pokhara, in the western part of Nepal, at the foot of the Himalayas! Ah, Pokhara, what can I say about this wonderful place that hasn't already been said. Situated on the beautiful Phewa Lake and at the foot of some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world, it is truly a blessed spot to spend some time. If you plan to do any trekking in the Annapurna/Jomson area of Nepal, you will undoubtedly pass through Pokhara. It should be said, though that apart from the lakeshore area, where Western tourists are almost as plentiful as shops selling [View Full Entry]

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1820 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 10 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: November 15th 2008 | 316 Views | [diary=345211]

Front Door View
View from the Roadside
Western Hills of Nepal

By kmorton
November 9th 2008
To Nepal via Bangkok Asia » Nepal » Kathmandu
Thai Boxing
Thai Boxing
Standing room only. This was a championship bout, apparently. Each bout is 5 or six rounds with 90 seconds between them. Pretty much, anything is legal above the belt and below the bottom hem of th... [more]
Namaste from Kathmandu, in the heart of Nepal! Well, since my last posting I've been doing a fair amount of moving around: From Kuala Lumpur through Bangkok for a couple of days, and then on to Kathmandu (KTM) where I'm at right now. Ironically, I really haven't too much to report since then, primarilly since I've been pretty much sidelined due to a bacterial infection of my foot that became fairly serious. Dr. Syed's $14 treatment that you may remember me recounting in my last posting wasn't too effective, apparently. I also don't have too many pictures this time, but I'll [View Full Entry]

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1629 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 5 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: November 10th 2008 | 172 Views | [diary=343182]

Between Rounds
Yaret the Wanderer
Kathmandu

Batu Caves Entrance
Batu Caves Entrance
This big guy greets you before you enter the caves. Pretty impressive, but I wouldn't want to be the guy who had to paint it.
Well, hello folks and Selamut Datang (Welcome) from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capitol. Thanks for checking back in with me. It's been a little while since I last wrote anything or added any pictures. Let's see, I think the last thing I wrote had to do with the Mt. Kinabalu trek, and that was nearly 2 weeks ago! Since then, I had moved on to Semporna, on the South China Sea, where I took some scuba diving lessons in one of the world's most dramatic coral reef habitats (Sipidan Island and the other islands nearby). I didn't take any underwater photos, [View Full Entry]

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1121 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 6 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: October 29th 2008 | 170 Views | [diary=339539]

Mabul Island
Petronis Towers at Dusk
No Parking!

By kmorton
October 17th 2008
On the Ground in Borneo Asia » Malaysia » Sabah » Kota Kinabalu
Sun's First Rays
Sun's First Rays
Peaking across the eastern ridge of Mt. Kinabalu, the sun making its first presence known. I didn't edit or doctor this photo at all, this is exactly as it appeared at about 6:00 that morning. I was... [more]
Hello and selamat pagi from the Malaysian province of Sabah on the island of Borneo! I've been here for about a week now, had the opportunity to do some snorkeling at a couple of the islands just off of Kota Kinabalu (on the north coast) and some mountain trekking to Kinabalu National Partk, including Low's Peak (13,400-ft). Since then I've hoofed it over to the east coast and the city of Sandakan, although I really don't think I'll be staying here very long. I'll get into that later. First, a few words about Borneo. It's the second largest island in the [View Full Entry]

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2013 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 7 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: October 17th 2008 | 147 Views | [diary=335362]

Sunrise on Kinabalu
Sunrise on Kinabalu Too!
Mountain Lodge

By kmorton
October 10th 2008
One Last Blog From Indonesia Asia » Indonesia » Java » Jakarta
Tuba Prohibition
Tuba Prohibition
I honestly don't know what this is all about, but assume it to mean no tuba playing. This is a real sign in Yokya, across from the police station. I saw no other similar restrictions pertaining to o... [more]
Well, my Indonesian visa expired on October 10th, and rather than overstay my welcome, and possibly find myself shelling out some serious cash as a penalty for doing so, I decided it was time to leave. I'm not sure what possessed me to think that I would be able to see all of Indonesia in a month's time. Kind of the same logic that I child might use, thinking that with enough persistence and determination that he might be able to dig his way to China from the back yard. I now realize that it would take, at minimum, a solid [View Full Entry]

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1449 Words | 4 Comment(s) | 11 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: October 10th 2008 | 166 Views | [diary=332817]

Prambanan Temples
Prambanan Temples
Borobudor

By kmorton
October 5th 2008
Rinjani Trek Asia » Indonesia » Lombok » Rinjani
Ganung Rinjani and Crater Lake
Ganung Rinjani and Crater Lake
The summit is on the left of the photo, this photo was taken from the crater rim. Notice the smaller volcano peak that pops out of the lake, only 2100 yrs lod, I'm told.
I think it was Friedriche Nietzsche (I'm sure Imangled the spelling here) that said, "Little maketh the best happiness." Well, seeing the sunrise from the top of a volcanic mountain certainly validates that claim. My last few days on the island of Lombok have been spent trekking the area around Ganung (Mount) Rinjani, a 3,700-meter (11,000-ft) inactive volcano whose crater is now a lake measuring about 3 to 4 km in diameter. But first, a word about extended travelling: It's not wall-to-wall excitement. In fact, for every day spent doing something really special and exhilarating, t [View Full Entry]

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1327 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 14 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: October 5th 2008 | 188 Views | [diary=330953]

Waterfall near Gangga
Local Kids
Rinjani from afar

At Anchor
At Anchor
Anchoring for a swim at a little island near Rinca
Greetings from Senggigi in Pulau Lombok, the easternmost island in the Nusa Tenggara chain. I left Labuanbajo on the island of Pulau Flores by boat where I booked a 4-day passage aboard a tiny deathtrap named the Tiga Putra, which means "three brothers" in Bahasa Indonesian. I asked our ever-cheerful captain, Iman, if any of the brothers who owned the boat were aboard for the trip: They weren't. Apparently they knew better than to go to sea in this rickety bucket. In fairness, even though the boat lacked even the most basic safety features (like fire extinguishers, liferaft, [View Full Entry]

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1323 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 12 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: September 28th 2008 | 256 Views | [diary=328374]

LabuanBajo Harbor
A Face Only a Mother Could Love
Water Buffalo



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