One way Ticket to Katmandu

Namaste (hello!) At long last Katmandu Nepal. All my life I’ve imagined this place. Waiting, thinking, hoping, praying, planning…. And here we are. The flights went well. With the exception of the 10 hour lay over in Delhi. A place where all Stache’s have never gone out of style.. I mean there were some serious Geraldo’s and Indian Tom Sellecks walking around. That and Burt’s unibrow would find a special home and many, many friends there. I’m thinking of bringing the old flavor Savor back for some quality time in India. Bring a little Texan stache to the land of milk and honey. Other then the long Delhi wait it all ran like clock work.

But the security,,,,My god. There was a 8 point security check to get out of India. Literally you would hand your ticket to one person,,,,,Take three steps toward the plane and hand it over again,,,,,,,,take five steps forward hand to some guy who didn’t know what was going on and then take six steps backward before handing to this person, that person, here, there and everywhere. Other then that the man with the rubber glove was surprisingly gentle. But, to make it all better. Jet airways from India to Katmandu gave as much Tiger Canned beer as you could drink. To bad the flight was only an hour. But it was nice, till I had to stand in customs for 2 hours having to use the loo like my life was on the line. Good golly.. I was practically ready to pee on the customs officers leg. Anything.. You have no idea. I guess 30.000 ft. and lots of beer from Singapore doesn’t mix to well. And finally we arrived. YYYYAAAAAAAAA!!!!! Only to find that our bags had not !!!! BBBOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! on that. 5 days rockin the same pair of trousers. The socks felt like I was putting on galoshes. They could practically stand up on there own. Yes ,,,,,, Katmandu you got love it.

All that fun stuff aside, it really wasn’t as bad as I’m makin it out. And Ann a mother of a friend of ours was standing out front waiting to pick us up. The flat we are staying at with her and her husband David in Dhobighat Katmandu is absolutely stunning. It’s on a small rise with views of Katmandu all around us as well as the Snow capped Himalaya’s to the North. The views from the roof top Patio are just a treat every morning, afternoon, and evening. They are far more then we ever hoped for. There’s a bedroom with 2 beds and space to store all our gear while we are here and while we are out trekking. There is no real streets, street names, street lights, nothing like that. Just small winding lanes that weave in and out of the neighborhood. Much like the trails up in the mountains.

Women are dressed in traditional Sari’s and men are dressed traditionally as well. Many of them with the painted Tika’s on there heads. You see yaks and water Buffalo walking right down main street in down town Katmandu. Even sleeping in the middle of the roads. Women walk by the apartments carrying everything from huge bundles of clothing, early morning offerings for prayer, Huge jugs of water, Laundry to clean at the Dhobi’s ( Large traditional Baths) and everything else. Milk is still carried around in the old Tin Cans, and so on.

Nepal is on holiday while we have been here. A lot of Hindu festival’s and Newari New year celebrations are going on . So every day and every night the city has been alive with instruments, song, dance, banners, offerings, traditions, family gatherings, loud and brash music and motorcycle rallies, shouting and many other things. It’s kind of like Christmas and New year here this week. Completely different but very similar. It has been great! You sit at night on the roof looking out on all of Kathmandu and all its lights and Christmas lights. And listen to all the music and singing emenating out of the city around. And late into the night it drifts through the bedroom window to lull you into new dreams. And then wakes you at 4 a.m. with all the Roosters of Katmandu crowing to a new day of festival and a new day with new traditions to be practiced.

Yesterday we went into Katmandu with David and Ann. To the new road, Central Thamel, Durbar Square, and places only the locals know about or know how to find. It was an unbelievable experience. The streets were packed because of the festivals. And the amount of foods, wares, crafts, artisans, everything, everywhere…..the Buddhist temples, the Tibetan prayer flags, prayer wheels, oil lamps, incense, offerings, the Hindu temples, gods, monuments, the ancient buildings, the ornate craft of the woodwork on window’s, door’s, everything, the sadu’s with they’re make-up, all the traditional dress……………… It was an information overload. We stopped at a great café looking down on Thamel for coffie, another great Indian restaurant just out of Durbar Square. And so on and so on. All of Katmandu or most of it are these tiny winding streets, winding in every direction with side alleyways leading off everywhere. All bursting with different shops and districts that would specialize in a certain tradition, Ethnicity, or craft. The buildings were old and weathered. All made of adobe or brick seemed to lean out across the streets. Most of the alleyways and streets were wide enough for one shop keeper to reach across to the other for a handshake in the morning. Never having to leave they’re own shop. It all reminded me of Diagon alley in Harry potter. Only way better.

Today we woke before sunrise and drove out of Katmandu, through bhaktapur, and high up some very questionable switch backs. High and higher, and higher still. With most of the valleys to the north under a veil of clouds below us. So far below us. And at long last we reached the top. Which by all accounts back in the states would be at a reasonable height in the Rockies of close to 10,000 ft. But it wasn’t the mountains we stood on that impressed me. As beautiful as they were, covered in terraced rice fields, bamboo forest’s, and small villages, old shepherds houses, and tiny hamlets resting just above the cloud line. All that was breathtaking in it’s own right. The hills were so green and dream like that it looked like something out of Hobbiton. But these were only the foothills……. The toes really. Above it all and just beyond were the Himalayas. All my life I have wanted to see these mountains more then anything. So you have expectation’s. Ones that build, and grow over the years. You Imagine, you dream, and at long last you stand before them. And still it took my breath away. I had no idea how immense, how breath taking, how vast,,,,,,,,,,……. I mean,,,,,, they are just Huge!!!!! I’ve seen the rockies both the Canadian and the American. The volcanoes of Central America and Hawaiii Hawaii, and trekked through the Patagonian Andes, I’ve seen some of the largest and most expansive cities in the world. And if you put them all together in one big jumble, it still wouldn’t be as impressive as the continental divide of the Himalaya’s. A sheer wall that runs from horizon to horizon of snow capped peaks all over 20 – 29 ft tall with the most rugged rock formations and peaks at the tops. And all this rises up from about four thousand feet at the valley floor to the roof of the sky. It is just mind boggling to try to take it all in when you see it before you. I never knew anything could be so big. It was an experience, a first I will not soon forget. And yes we saw mount Everest. The weather was perfect all day. With clear sky’s and stunning views of the Annapurna Massiff, Ghorka, Lhotse, and many other peaks. We had breakfast at a small bed and breakfast with a big deck on a cliff face. It was the best view over breakfast I have ever had. Hands down! Below was all clouds and circling eagles, and Kites, and Falcons, around were all the rice fields and towns. Slowly being unveiled by the retreating clouds that were being burnt off by the Sun. And in front, above, and all around from one end of the Horizon to the other was the snow capped wall of the Himalayas. We sat eating a great breakfast of ( Toast, eggs scrambled, hash browns, Jam, Nepalese coffee, and lots and lots of hot and fresh TEA!) and all outside on a Nepal morning. A dream come true. And breakfast was like one DOLLAR! All that and the view for a DOLLAR!!!!!!

The rest of the day we jumped down into some of the old backwater trails through rice patties, water buffalo, and ancient farmers covered in beautiful wrinkles from head to toe. A whole story could be written about just that hike. But there will be plenty more. One to be written on another day. Later in the day after leaving, our view, hikes, breakfast, tea, and lunch we drove home and got a phone call while we were driving past the airport that our bags had just arrived. YYYAAAAA!!!!!!!!! Life is Great! Perfect timing on another great day. We have our travel feet. Largely thanks to Ann and David and all their generosity and hospitality. And in 2 days we will be flying out on a little prop plane to Lukla, to start our 4 week trek to Everest and Back. We might be out of Contact for awhile. So till then, perhaps a month from now. This will have to suffice. And we’ve only been here 3 days. I cannot even begin to imagine what lies ahead. To my 2 readers out there, Till that day, take care I love you all. –Jeremy.

Last stop at Superior

Well another trip up North. This one the last of the year with quite a few more people. The trip was originally set up to go Fly fishing for the annual Salmon run. Unfortunatly, all the rivers were to low from the drought this year. Meaning they literally weren't even able to get into the rivers because the water was actually cycling under the shore into the lake. A disappointment, but at least I didn't leave this year with out a fish because of a lack of Skills. Unlike last year. thousands of fish about and not a single bite.
The group this year was Me, Aaron, David, Jayne who was in visiting from Ireland. And the lone girl of the group. Poor thing...... Joshua, Mark, Jacob, Eric, Dave Douglas, And Jake Kuyu. The weather held off all weekend with only a few late fall showers passing through. Me, Jayne, and Aaron actually went swimming in Superior. Aaron and Jayne more then once. They actually went for a polar dip one morning. I DON'T want to say it was the lake where all men are created equal. But it was a wee bit cool.....To say a little.....But bearable.
We decided someone could make a small fortune selling bags of rocks to throw off Palisade head. And the last night was filled with Guitars, a huge bonfire, and singing that I am sure roused all of Split rock campground till 3 in the morning. Luckily the next day was sunday. Early the next morning Douglas came running up in his underwear, red lumber jack socks and boots. Wearing a gilligans hat asking who wanted to go for a swim. You had to be there.......
Fishing aside the weekend went well. Lot's of photo's, hikes, campfires, and 10 year whisky brought from Ireland. 4th year running now on the septmber tradition of Lake Superior. Hopefully one of these years we'll catch some fish.