Rolling Around

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I don't have my camera with me tonight so will put some pictures of this trip up next time...

Since I got back from the Annapurna circuit I've been reasonably busy again - after a day of chilling we signed up to do some kayaking for 4 days - the first day we went out on the lake in Pokhara for a few hous just to get use to the kayaks - they were a lot smaller and harder to control than any kayaks I'd been in before. However, after 15 minutes of paddling about we were soon trying eskimo rolls - pretty successfully when the guy helped us, and pretty unsuccessfully when he didn't.

That night we met up with a couple of folk we had met on the trip - Chris an American guy we played poker with, and a German girl Heidi who was escaping from her Dad for the night. Next morning we headed off with our instructor Santosh (one of three brothers who kayaks for the Nepal national team and own Rafting Nepal) for a three day trip down the river Seti. After a 6 hour journey on the bus from Pokhara (it was only supposed to be 90 minutes, but some demonstrators were blocking the roads) we finally started on the river and paddled down to our campsite just before it got dark. We practised more eskimo rolls along the way and started to learn to read the river a bit better. There were no rapids today, but Chris managed to capsize a few times - probably just practising his eskimo rolls.

The next two days we did more practice of basic skills and were both doing unassisted eskimo rolls by the end of the trip which was pretty cool. We went down a few decent rapids as well - quite a few grade 2's and it culminated in a grade 3 as the last rapid. Chris continued to capsize his boat on the flat water every so often, but managed to be fine in the majority of the rapids - whereas I kept doing the opposite and fell out half way through a few. Still, some minor brusied knees and knuckles, and a more bruised pride were the only downside to getting swept/beaten through the rocks!

Anyway, I've now spent today chilling in Kathmandu (relaxing as much as is possibl in Thamel) and are getting a flight early tomorrow to a small town called Lukla to start a trek/climb to a mountain called Lobuche East (6119m - about 650m higher than I've been before). If it all goes to plan we should be trying to reach the top aound the 12th or 13th and then fly back to Kathmandu on 18th April. I'm looking forward to it!

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Photos

Pokhara beers
Beers with Chris, Chris and Heidi (and some random Australian bloke...)

kayak camping
Camping on the Seti river

kayak cooking
Our 2 cooks prepare some tasty dinner (it was only Chris and me on the cousre with 3 instructors - thats what I call service!)

Comments

[Philip McGavock]

Wow!
Wow!

[Mirjam (the Dutchie you met in Thailand/Laos)]

Long time no see
Just remembered your website and decided to take a look....Amaaaaazing pics and stories! Love living in London now, but it is defenitely not as great as your adventures over there! Keep enjoying the traveling! Say hi to Bryan!