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.