Home Safe !

I made it home. Left KTM for a 4:00 flight, a 5 hour layover in Delhi, and my 18 hour flight to Newark. Arrived home at 5:30 AM thursday the 22nd.

I will eventually post the full picture set, about 600 images, on my website with the notes from the trip.

Bill

Back from Langtang

I made it back from a 8 day adventure. 1 day each way on the local bus, and 6 days hiking in the Langtang National Park. I took the bus to Shyaphru Besi and found a hotel for the night. I asked the lady ther, Chungu, about a guide and she recomended her brother-in-law, Temba. He showed up early the next day, we made a deal for his rate, and took off. He had no gear except for what he was wearing. He carried my pack, and I carried my day pack.
The highlight of the trip was a day hike fromKanjun Gumpa to the Langtang base camp at about 4400 m. The following day we hiked to the Tserko Ri summit @ about 5000 m. That was over 1100 m up and back in a day. 4 hours up and 2.5 hours down. We left at 4:00 am. At the summit, the air was clear and warm, no wind. We spent an hour at the top and went back to Kanjun Gumpa to th tea house we were staying at.
After that we headed out.

Going trecking in Langtang

I have everything that I need, a trecking permit and buss ticket to Sabryo Baise. Thats where the road ends and the treck begins. My plan is to get a hotel for the night there and then ask at the hotel for recomendations on a guide and porter. My goal is to be back in KTM by sunday. I dont think that I will have internet until I get back.

At Koshi Dehka

It was a 4 hour travel by car to get there. The paved road ended 8 km from the villave. The taxi took us another 6 km, so we had a 2 km walk. The NGO had a field office in a school building where I slept with Krishna.
My part here is to study the water situation and make recomendations for improvement. We toured the water distribution equipment, measured water flows, and consulted with the residents. I wrote the report as sooon as I got back to KTM.
Leaving in the morning was more of a problem. Although very unusual, it rained hard all noght. the taxi couldn't make it in to us so we had to walk the 8km out to the pavement. Our journey started at 7:30 am. As we were waliking, it started to rain again. We met the taxi by 10:30. Stopped at the village by a temple for breakfast, and headed to KTM. Traffic by Bachtoupr was slow because they are building a highway.

To the village and back

I am back in KTM from the village.
the internet cafe is closing. more later.

laying low in KTM

I picked up a cold in Kathmandu so I am resting in my hotel room alot trying to get better soon. We had another design meeting about the village water system today. The site visit is scheduled for wednsday. The trip will take me away from KTM for 3 or 4 days to a village called Koshi Dekha. Its about 50 miles east of here, and 1 hout walk from the nearest road.

Pashupatinath

Here are some shots from Pashupatinath, Nepal's most important Hindu temple.



in the foreground are creamation platforms along the Bagmati River with ongoing funerals. The families are in the rooms behind.
The background is Mother Threasa's hospital.

I am sitting next to a sadu, a hindu holy man. They hang around here all day smoking ganga.

This man is 103 years old.

Dassain holiday

playing cards on the porch

Tim & I

Tim was just finishing shooting a documentary about life in a lower caste village

Walking through the rice paddies

me & the boys

Assok, me, Bhuvan & Anil

Curry goat & dal bhaat

Buffalo & goats

Punney & Puma

Ox

Back to KTM

The trip back was worse than the trip going. This time we came down to Pokahara on a jeep. Had to have a white knuckle grip  on the seat in front to keep from getting thrown around. The jeep took us right to the bus.


Even though I had a seat, it was rough going. The bus seemed not to have any shocks and the road was brutal- bumps, craters and 1st gear going up hills.My seat was broken and it kept going all the way back and the seat cushon was flat. Impossible to read, write, or sleep. mid-day temperatures were above 80. we stopped 2 times at the same places as the other way. I had the chow mein for lunch.
We booked a room at the KTM guest house, but by now I realize that the place is overpriced. We will look for a cheaper place.

Holiday as a family guest

Posting the pictures was more difficult than I expected last time. There was a scare that I put a virus on my memory card from the public computer. Any way, since the last post, I traveled to Lhatzok (sp) through Pokahara. From KTM to Pokahara it was a 7 hour trip by bus. The bus was packed with people returning home for the holiday Dassain. From Pokahara we took a short taxi to the end of the road, then walked 1.5 hours to Bhuvan's family's house. The last bit is possible by jeep, but its expensive, 1500 rupees, or about $20.
When we arrived, preparations for the holiday were well under way. The goat was already killed and cleaned. Bhuvan's job was to butcher it. He worked till past dark cutting up all the pieces, saving the 4 legs for the next day. There was nothing wasted. Some was stewed for that night. the rest was cut up in strips and hung up to dry.

We ate after dark. Men sat at the table and the mother prepared the meal and ate sitting on the floor. Curry goat, dahl bhat (lentils & rice), curry vegetable was the menu. and were in bed by 9:00. I was given a spare bedroom.
Dassain holiday revolved around sharing blessings from older to younger. This was marked by receiving Tika, a mixture of rice and red coloring, stuck in a blob on the forehead. Once this was complete with the family we ate. Then we (myself & a visiting englishman, Tim) were taken around to the rest of the houses in the village to recieve tika. The blessings was for health and prosperity and was slightly different everywhere. After Tika, a bit of light eating was required. Possible finger food was curry goat, rice, fried raddish, curry potatoe, curry vegetable, roti (fried rice batter) and peanuts. Curd was given to drink, which was buttermilk/yougart.

Morning starts at dawn, with the rooster and milking the family buffalo. Tea was made (homegrown black tea, buffalo milk, sugar). Then the fresh buffalo milk was boiled and cooled. Warm milk was drinken. Breakfast was around 10:30. Curry goat, dahl bhat (lentils & rice), curry vegetable was the menu. During the day we would visti, go hiking, play cards, etc. Dinner after dark. Curry goat, dahl bhat (lentils & rice), curry vegetable was the menu.
got to go.
more later