[Eric's journal] We had a wonderfully relaxing day. It is so nice to be somewhere where we can spread out and have nothing to do. No sites to go see. We took all our laundry to be cleaned. It turned out it was a French lady who is living at one of the resorts. She pointed out when the laundry is dry is determined by how much rain we get. I wonder how she ended up here?
Today the blind German man we ran across in Taman Negara showed up. He is on his own. I think he is the ultimate ideal of the traveller, putting all his trust in strangers in a strange land. It is truly inspiring.
We had breakfast on the beach. There were a lot of surfers in the water. During monsoon season is when the surf is up, although it is not big. We then decided to do a batik lesson here at the hotel. Besides a hotel, it is also a batik store and it appears they do most of the work here. It was a good day for it as it rained most of the day.
Noah was our instructor. We decided to do a small sarong each. After the had stretched out the cloth, we were concerned as we were both art school flunkies. I barely made "C's" when I was a kid in art. I can't even draw stick figures. As we took pencil in hand to sketch our patterns, we were relieved as they had cardboard stencils for us to use. I went with the ocean motif; dolphins, fish and turtles, and Emma went for butterflies and flowers. I kept mine close to bare outlines as Emma opted for more detail in her butterflies. Then it was time to lay the wax on the pattern. This is very hard to do without blotches or very thick lines, and to get it to go all the way through. My lines came out very thick. Emma resorted to having Noah lay down most of hers. Actually trying it makes you realize how hard it is.
They keep turning out amazing batiks. The owner is a master of laying down the wax for very intricate designs and he doesn't use stencils. It is a group effort as different guys take turns painting the designs.
Next it was time to paint the design. The paint fills in the area between the wax. It is another talent to blend colors, change the darkness and fade them. I mostly opted for solid colors of equal depth, but did go for bright ones. Mine ended up much better than I would have expected; it looks like it would go great on a three-year-old's wall. Emma took much longer with coloring the detail. Hers is also much nicer than we would have expected and would look nice on a grown-up's wall. It was lots of fun and interesting watching the pros turn them out and color them in.
We met a Canadian who came back to do one more before heading home. He had done one here a year ago when he first started travelling. He is heading back to the Vancouver area in a few days and was passing through again. This is the second year he has taken off. He and his friend spent eight months in New Zealand working and skiing a lot. It seems after working a while he may be plotting his next trip, though he said it would be shorter next time. He gave us some good hints for heading north. The best was that it is drier already, the bad is that Thailand will be much more crowded with backpackers compared to the few we have encountered in Malaysia. Noah also told us that since the Bali blast last Oct, 2002, the numbers they have seen here are way down.
We do not have a toilet in the chalet (we intentionally picked one that was closer to the toilet than the first one they offered us). The toilet is about 50m away, mostly over grass, and since it has been raining quite a bit it is very muddy. Emma's solution last night was just to hold it until morning. ( It did rain last night for several spells which could have made it worse it you had gone outside.) My solution in the middle of the night was to crawl out from the mosquito netting, get up on my tip-toes, and pee out the back window into the woods behind!
(Another thought on the blind German guy. The heart of travelling is the people you meet and from what I have seen and can imagine, he is meeting lots of people. the Swiss couple on the other side of his cottage walked him into town and also helped him learn his way around the hotel grounds. Since he needs some extra help, he meets lots of locals too.)
[Emma's journal] We decided to do a batik on Saturday. Lots of fun, I cheated a little as the guy teaching us, Noah, helped me with the wax. He was an interesting guy to speak to and had been born in Cherating and has no desire to go anywhere else. He said he just loves the lifestyle- who wouldn't, the place is so relaxed. Making our own batiks certainly made us realize what hard work they are. We were tempted to buy one, as the ones they had for sale were gorgeous, but we really don't have space for any more pictures.
Noah told us that a typical sarong would take around two days solid work. It was interesting to see how everyone pitched in- someone would draw and do the wax and then they would all help with the painting.
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Saturday, 3 October 2009
31 Jan 2003 Cherating, Malaysia
[Eric's journal] Our luck with the weather ran out today. Up until now we have only had rain twice, and neither time did it affect us. Once in Singapore we had a big thunderstorm that started after we had come back to our room after wandering around all day and once in KL. We were looking at a Taoist temple when the clouds opened up. Fortunately, next on our walking tour was the Central Market, two blocks away. We made it there without getting too wet and by the time we had finished wandering through the market the rain had stopped.
When we woke up this morning it was raining pretty hard. We still went out to breakfast but skipped our walk along the river. We waited in the room trying to time the light/heavy ebb and flow of the rain. We gave up trying to time it, loaded up our stuff, and headed to the bus stop. I think all the locals must have thought us mad as we wandered through the rain, a big pack on our back and a little one on our front.
Fortunately, many of the sidewalks are under the overhang of the 2d floor of the buildings, so we were able to walk about halfway under some sort of cover. We only saw two other westerners in Kuantan and they were an older European couple at dinner the night before.
We caught the bus no problem to Cherating. We were on the local bus since it is only 47km north. Soon we could see the ocean on our right and we were away from city life. the bus drops you on the side of the highway, and it was a couple minute walk down the road toward the coast until we came to the cottages we were going to stay at. You could feel, smell, and hear that we were not in the city anymore. We have a lovely cottage with a great porch to sit on, read, and enjoy the fresh air. The rain had stopped by the time we got here but it was menacing most of the day. It is only a couple hundred meters to the beach. The main road through town runs parallel to the beach. There are a few hotels, restaurants and stores, but it is a very small town and very quiet now. There few other westerners around. In the registration book yesterday, an American, Brit, and Swiss registered. When we walked in, the guys in front asked if we were Dutch; we get that a lot. After checking out the beach, we retired to the porch to read all afternoon. It is so peaceful.
We had a great dinner at the Seaside Restaurant. The tables are in the sand, about 5-6m from the edge of the water. The view is superb and you can sit out at night in your t-shirt and sandals. ( Long pants for the mozzies!) After dinner we strolled on the beach before retiring to the porch.
We didn't have a toilet in the room. While there is a roof over the shower, it is very high and the area above head level is open so you can see the tops of the palms, sky, and clouds while showering.
We long ago realized that airconditioning in your room is not nearly as pleasant as a fan in this environment. You sleep with only a sarong over you and we sleep much better than we did in Singapore when we had airconditioning.
We have found one of the top things we were looking for; relaxing beach town. As we sit here, you can hear the final call to Friday prayer from the mosque out by the highway.
[Emma's journal] Our first day of rain! Proper monsoon rain. We abandoned our planned walk along the river and just headed out to get money and find breakfast. We caught the local bus up to Cherating. For the hour and 15 minute ride it only cost R3 (not even $1)
We arrived in Cherating around lunch time and easily found the Mata Hari, the place we wanted to stay. We have a cute little chalet with a balcony and we even have a fridge! It continued to rain but it was fun to sit outside reading and listening to the sound of the rain on the tin roof. The room even has a mozzie net- a big plus when you are a mozzie magnet like me. I find it hard to believe that Eric and I have basically been in the same room for the last three weeks and I probably have had close on 35 bites and he has about 3!
When we woke up this morning it was raining pretty hard. We still went out to breakfast but skipped our walk along the river. We waited in the room trying to time the light/heavy ebb and flow of the rain. We gave up trying to time it, loaded up our stuff, and headed to the bus stop. I think all the locals must have thought us mad as we wandered through the rain, a big pack on our back and a little one on our front.
Fortunately, many of the sidewalks are under the overhang of the 2d floor of the buildings, so we were able to walk about halfway under some sort of cover. We only saw two other westerners in Kuantan and they were an older European couple at dinner the night before.
We caught the bus no problem to Cherating. We were on the local bus since it is only 47km north. Soon we could see the ocean on our right and we were away from city life. the bus drops you on the side of the highway, and it was a couple minute walk down the road toward the coast until we came to the cottages we were going to stay at. You could feel, smell, and hear that we were not in the city anymore. We have a lovely cottage with a great porch to sit on, read, and enjoy the fresh air. The rain had stopped by the time we got here but it was menacing most of the day. It is only a couple hundred meters to the beach. The main road through town runs parallel to the beach. There are a few hotels, restaurants and stores, but it is a very small town and very quiet now. There few other westerners around. In the registration book yesterday, an American, Brit, and Swiss registered. When we walked in, the guys in front asked if we were Dutch; we get that a lot. After checking out the beach, we retired to the porch to read all afternoon. It is so peaceful.
We had a great dinner at the Seaside Restaurant. The tables are in the sand, about 5-6m from the edge of the water. The view is superb and you can sit out at night in your t-shirt and sandals. ( Long pants for the mozzies!) After dinner we strolled on the beach before retiring to the porch.
We didn't have a toilet in the room. While there is a roof over the shower, it is very high and the area above head level is open so you can see the tops of the palms, sky, and clouds while showering.
We long ago realized that airconditioning in your room is not nearly as pleasant as a fan in this environment. You sleep with only a sarong over you and we sleep much better than we did in Singapore when we had airconditioning.
We have found one of the top things we were looking for; relaxing beach town. As we sit here, you can hear the final call to Friday prayer from the mosque out by the highway.
[Emma's journal] Our first day of rain! Proper monsoon rain. We abandoned our planned walk along the river and just headed out to get money and find breakfast. We caught the local bus up to Cherating. For the hour and 15 minute ride it only cost R3 (not even $1)
We arrived in Cherating around lunch time and easily found the Mata Hari, the place we wanted to stay. We have a cute little chalet with a balcony and we even have a fridge! It continued to rain but it was fun to sit outside reading and listening to the sound of the rain on the tin roof. The room even has a mozzie net- a big plus when you are a mozzie magnet like me. I find it hard to believe that Eric and I have basically been in the same room for the last three weeks and I probably have had close on 35 bites and he has about 3!
Sunday, 27 September 2009
30 Jan 2003 Kuantan, Malaysia
[Eric's journal] We did the boat journey out of Taman Negara in two hours. We saw lots of water buffalo, many were relaxing in the river. We then had several hours in Jerantut waiting for the bus. It was almost 3.5 hours across to Kuantan and we are on the east coast. We walked to check out a hotel we selected from the LP only to find it closed for Chinese New Year. We tried another one a few doors down that was open but Emma couldn't find anyone at the front counter. We finally found one and got a room. We wandered around town and had dinner.
Sitting for so long all day was a real pain in my rear end. I think it must be with all my extra weight my rear end is not used to holding so much weight. The bus was on time again. It is a little scary on some of the roads as they are very narrow. Many people ride scooters, including on these cross-country roads. Since they are not motorcycles, they don't quite have highway speed, so you have all these buses and trucks that get caught behind them trying to get by.
In the toilet at the hostel in KL there was a sign reminding people to not squat on the regular commode.
We have come across more Dutch people in Malaysia than any other visitors. They are here in big tours and as individuals.
One of the English guys who shared our dorm in Taman Negara had big braces for his lower legs. Even with the braces, you could see walking was still an effort for him. In spite of that, he was travelling all over southeast Asia. We saw him walking to the top of the viewpoint in the jungle which was hard for us. It is inspiring to see people like him still out backpacking. He was an IT recruitment consultant from London. He has travelled in Asia before and taught English in Thailand. His plan was to teach in Thailand again and then go to China to teach.
While in Taman Negara we also saw a blind German guy who was travelling with two friends. He had gone on one of the tours in the afternoon ( I think they went on the cave tour). It is so nice to see him out and travelling in out of the way places. I overheard him telling someone about when he was in Australia a year ago and he wanted to touch an alligator and they tried to tell him he should just feel a pair of alligator shoes or a purse!
[Emma's journal] We left Taman Negara at 0900. Once again we took the relaxing boat ride down the river. There were quite a few water buffaloes relaxing along the river bank. After arriving in Jerantut we grabbed lunch and took the opportunity to take a walk around the town-not really much there of interest. ( The LP was right again!) We then caught the bus to Kuantan which is on the east coast and about a 3.5 hour bus ride. The hotel we planned on staying in was shut for New Years-the first time we had not got the hotel we picked from our bible! We ended up finding another one about a ten minute walk away. It was grim but fine for the night. Kuantan reminded me of a large Aussie country town in size. Of course the mosque was something you wouldn't find in one of those. The mosque is meant to be the most spectacular on the east coast. When you saw it at night, the way it was lit up reminded me of the Excalibur Hotel in Vegas.
Sitting for so long all day was a real pain in my rear end. I think it must be with all my extra weight my rear end is not used to holding so much weight. The bus was on time again. It is a little scary on some of the roads as they are very narrow. Many people ride scooters, including on these cross-country roads. Since they are not motorcycles, they don't quite have highway speed, so you have all these buses and trucks that get caught behind them trying to get by.
In the toilet at the hostel in KL there was a sign reminding people to not squat on the regular commode.
We have come across more Dutch people in Malaysia than any other visitors. They are here in big tours and as individuals.
One of the English guys who shared our dorm in Taman Negara had big braces for his lower legs. Even with the braces, you could see walking was still an effort for him. In spite of that, he was travelling all over southeast Asia. We saw him walking to the top of the viewpoint in the jungle which was hard for us. It is inspiring to see people like him still out backpacking. He was an IT recruitment consultant from London. He has travelled in Asia before and taught English in Thailand. His plan was to teach in Thailand again and then go to China to teach.
While in Taman Negara we also saw a blind German guy who was travelling with two friends. He had gone on one of the tours in the afternoon ( I think they went on the cave tour). It is so nice to see him out and travelling in out of the way places. I overheard him telling someone about when he was in Australia a year ago and he wanted to touch an alligator and they tried to tell him he should just feel a pair of alligator shoes or a purse!
[Emma's journal] We left Taman Negara at 0900. Once again we took the relaxing boat ride down the river. There were quite a few water buffaloes relaxing along the river bank. After arriving in Jerantut we grabbed lunch and took the opportunity to take a walk around the town-not really much there of interest. ( The LP was right again!) We then caught the bus to Kuantan which is on the east coast and about a 3.5 hour bus ride. The hotel we planned on staying in was shut for New Years-the first time we had not got the hotel we picked from our bible! We ended up finding another one about a ten minute walk away. It was grim but fine for the night. Kuantan reminded me of a large Aussie country town in size. Of course the mosque was something you wouldn't find in one of those. The mosque is meant to be the most spectacular on the east coast. When you saw it at night, the way it was lit up reminded me of the Excalibur Hotel in Vegas.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
29 Jan 2003 Taman Negara, Malaysia
[Eric's journal] We arrived yesterday. It was a three hour bus trip to Jerantut. We had lunch and left some luggage at the hotel. It was about a 20 minute drive to the pier where we got on traditional wooden longboats. They are only two people wide, have a 40 hp outboard motor and are about 40 feet long. They have a tin roof to provide shade. We sat on the floor for the two hour 20 minute ride. It was a gorgeous ride up river through the jungle. Very few signs of civilization along the way. We arrived at the park HQ. We docked across the river at the LBK restaurant and found our dorm up the hill at the Ecoton Hostel. All the restaurants are on floating barges that have been fixed up. You get across the river on one of the many shuttle boats going back and forth for 1 RM round-trip.
I guess there is a road into the park now but most traffic is still up the river by boat. The food is pretty good at the restaurant. We watched a video on the park at 2000 in the restaurant which was not very exciting. Then we went on a night hike into the jungle. Our guide was "crazy like monkey". He runs all the tours on this side of the park. We took a boat across to the lodge with our flashlights and headed into the jungle.
The sounds were amazing surrounded but the night and the vegetation. The insects and toads were amazing. We saw lots of insects ( spiders, praying mantis, stick insects) and several Malaysian deer. They look just like American deer but crazy like monkey assured us they had their papers and were natives.
We were in a eight person dorm but there were only four of us in it. it was a fan room and quite hot but by the middle of the night I was looking for the thin blanket they provided.
This morning after breakfast we took a boat back over to the park and went for a walk. We hiked up to Bukit Teresek. It is a huge hill with great views of the river and jungle. It was only 1.5 km but just about straight up. While the sun wasn't very strong, the humidity was still killer and we were drenched. The view was really good.
Then we went up into the jungle canopy walkway. This was amazing to walk in the canopy, much of the time over 25m above the ground. It was really long, well over 450m with lots of platforms at trees along the way. The walkway itself is definitely not for anyone with the slightest fear of heights. It was a ladder with wood over the rungs. This hung in netting which was attached to the trees by steel cables. It swayed quite a bit and the rope and netting came to below my waist. The views were spectacular looking through the tops of the trees.
We then walked down to a swimming spot which was a smaller river flowing into the Kuala Tembeling. It was very peaceful and relaxing to wade in and cool off.
After coming back for lunch we went on the inner tube trip. The boat took us 30 min further up the river. We hopped in the inner tubes and floated down, including through several sets of rapids. The water was comfortable and was beautiful watching the jungle from the river. At the end the guide used one of the local stones to create some paint and drew a sun type pattern on Emma's cheek and a big one on my back. The natives use this to paint themselves.
After a tasty watermelon shake ( not sure what all goes in it) we changed and walked up the hill to the night market. It was small and you could tell it was a local one. Some food (mostly guys cooking burgers), fresh fruit, clothes, and little trinket toys.
It is a beautiful location and relaxing to sit in the restaurant on the river watching the jungle and watching life go up and down the river. It is so refreshing, the whole liability concept here. I think there is one sign that says this is a jungle and dangerous. Last night we piled nine people in a boat 15 feet long at most, no lights (other than the guide squatting on the bow with his flashlight on). A couple people were sitting on the edge. (No life jackets in sight.) Then we wandered into the jungle on a very uneven path. Coming back we ran out of gas and the driver had a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he reached under to switch the gas cans for the outboard. Never do you have to sign any forms. The jungle canopy would be dangerous. On the tube trip we didn't have life jackets, the guide asked if we could swim and if you said yes, you were covered.
It has been great being out here away from the cities. It is a gorgeous location and it would be nice to come back and spend more time trekking in the jungle. When we were in the jungle last night and turned off all our flashlights, the darkness was amazing accompanied but the symphony of sounds.
[Emma's journal] Today we headed out for our "jungle trek". We walked up to Bukit Teresek. Quite a hike in very humid weather- we were both dripping in sweat not too far into the walk. From there we headed to the canopy walk. This was amazing. It was great to be up in the tops of the trees. The walkway consisted of a hammock type net along the bottom of which they had laid metal scaffolding, which looked just like metal ladders, and then they had laid wooden boards on top. We then went to a swimming hole and just soaked our feet and washed some of the sweat off. In the afternoon, we went further up the river and came back down on inner-tubes. Very relaxing and beautiful. All in all a fantastic day- I think we will both sleep very well tonight.
I guess there is a road into the park now but most traffic is still up the river by boat. The food is pretty good at the restaurant. We watched a video on the park at 2000 in the restaurant which was not very exciting. Then we went on a night hike into the jungle. Our guide was "crazy like monkey". He runs all the tours on this side of the park. We took a boat across to the lodge with our flashlights and headed into the jungle.
The sounds were amazing surrounded but the night and the vegetation. The insects and toads were amazing. We saw lots of insects ( spiders, praying mantis, stick insects) and several Malaysian deer. They look just like American deer but crazy like monkey assured us they had their papers and were natives.
We were in a eight person dorm but there were only four of us in it. it was a fan room and quite hot but by the middle of the night I was looking for the thin blanket they provided.
This morning after breakfast we took a boat back over to the park and went for a walk. We hiked up to Bukit Teresek. It is a huge hill with great views of the river and jungle. It was only 1.5 km but just about straight up. While the sun wasn't very strong, the humidity was still killer and we were drenched. The view was really good.
Then we went up into the jungle canopy walkway. This was amazing to walk in the canopy, much of the time over 25m above the ground. It was really long, well over 450m with lots of platforms at trees along the way. The walkway itself is definitely not for anyone with the slightest fear of heights. It was a ladder with wood over the rungs. This hung in netting which was attached to the trees by steel cables. It swayed quite a bit and the rope and netting came to below my waist. The views were spectacular looking through the tops of the trees.
We then walked down to a swimming spot which was a smaller river flowing into the Kuala Tembeling. It was very peaceful and relaxing to wade in and cool off.
After coming back for lunch we went on the inner tube trip. The boat took us 30 min further up the river. We hopped in the inner tubes and floated down, including through several sets of rapids. The water was comfortable and was beautiful watching the jungle from the river. At the end the guide used one of the local stones to create some paint and drew a sun type pattern on Emma's cheek and a big one on my back. The natives use this to paint themselves.
After a tasty watermelon shake ( not sure what all goes in it) we changed and walked up the hill to the night market. It was small and you could tell it was a local one. Some food (mostly guys cooking burgers), fresh fruit, clothes, and little trinket toys.
It is a beautiful location and relaxing to sit in the restaurant on the river watching the jungle and watching life go up and down the river. It is so refreshing, the whole liability concept here. I think there is one sign that says this is a jungle and dangerous. Last night we piled nine people in a boat 15 feet long at most, no lights (other than the guide squatting on the bow with his flashlight on). A couple people were sitting on the edge. (No life jackets in sight.) Then we wandered into the jungle on a very uneven path. Coming back we ran out of gas and the driver had a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he reached under to switch the gas cans for the outboard. Never do you have to sign any forms. The jungle canopy would be dangerous. On the tube trip we didn't have life jackets, the guide asked if we could swim and if you said yes, you were covered.
It has been great being out here away from the cities. It is a gorgeous location and it would be nice to come back and spend more time trekking in the jungle. When we were in the jungle last night and turned off all our flashlights, the darkness was amazing accompanied but the symphony of sounds.
[Emma's journal] Today we headed out for our "jungle trek". We walked up to Bukit Teresek. Quite a hike in very humid weather- we were both dripping in sweat not too far into the walk. From there we headed to the canopy walk. This was amazing. It was great to be up in the tops of the trees. The walkway consisted of a hammock type net along the bottom of which they had laid metal scaffolding, which looked just like metal ladders, and then they had laid wooden boards on top. We then went to a swimming hole and just soaked our feet and washed some of the sweat off. In the afternoon, we went further up the river and came back down on inner-tubes. Very relaxing and beautiful. All in all a fantastic day- I think we will both sleep very well tonight.
Saturday, 5 September 2009
28 Jan 2003 Taman Negara, Malaysia
[Emma's journal] We left KL early to get the bus to Jerantut, which is billed as the "Gateway town to Taman Negara." From here we got a longboat up to the small village across the river from the park. The journey was beautiful and took around two hours ten minutes. It was wonderful to finally be out in the country side and seeing something green after Singapore and KL. We decided to stay in a dorm (there are four of us) so that we can then splurge a bit when we get out first beach hut. The private rooms were quite a bit extra.
When you arrive you get off the boat at a floating restaurant and then up a hill and steps to the lodge. There are a few restaurants which all seem to have been developed for the tourists visiting the park. There is a resort in the park, but this is a lot more expensive and when it is only 50 sents per-person (15 cents US) to go across and you can get a boat whenever you want, it is just as easy to stay in the village.
We did a "jungle walk" in the evening and although all we saw was deer, spiders and insects, the rain forest sounded so alive. Our guide was called "crazy like monkey". Obviously a nickname given to him by some visitor- I wonder if he knew it would stick.
When you arrive you get off the boat at a floating restaurant and then up a hill and steps to the lodge. There are a few restaurants which all seem to have been developed for the tourists visiting the park. There is a resort in the park, but this is a lot more expensive and when it is only 50 sents per-person (15 cents US) to go across and you can get a boat whenever you want, it is just as easy to stay in the village.
We did a "jungle walk" in the evening and although all we saw was deer, spiders and insects, the rain forest sounded so alive. Our guide was called "crazy like monkey". Obviously a nickname given to him by some visitor- I wonder if he knew it would stick.
Friday, 28 August 2009
27 Jan 2003 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
[Eric's journal] Today we walked to the Golden Triangle. It is the area with the high-rises, nicer hotels, malls and restaurants. Many of the malls were very nice. We wandered through the Manchester United store, Nike store, and watched part of the Super Bowl in Chilis. We looked up a lot of info on the Maldives in a huge bookstore. We wandered around the Petronus Towers, they don't seem that tall but I think it has to do with the architecture: it is staggered in many sections and I think the towers make up a large chunk of the height. We found out you need to get your pass to go up to the walkway on the 42d floor. Since we couldn't do that, we wandered over to the Telecoms Tower, the fourth tallest in the world. It is built on a 90m hill in a forest preserve. The observation deck is at 300m and has a stunning 360 degree view. They also have a good audio guide explaining what you are seeing. They also have a 15 minute video in the lobby covering the building of the tower. It is interesting how many of the buildings here intentionally have Islamic features designed into them. All this makes the Telecoms building a much better choice to go up than the Petronus Towers. You also get a tremendous view of the Towers from the Telecoms Tower.
[Emma's journal] Our last day in KL. Today we headed out to the Golden Triangle which is the newer part of KL. You could tell straightaway. It looked a lot like Singapore with the mirrored high rises and malls but somehow had more character. Maybe it was the Manchester United shop! We also visited the Petronus Towers. They didn't seem like they were the tallest buildings in the world. We though that maybe is was because they were tapered in as they got taller. We could not go up to the bridge that joins them as you needed to get a pass at 0830- way too early for us. ( Actually we didn't find that out until it was too late.) It would have been interesting to see what, if any, security measures they had implemented since 11 September 2001. I wonder in they do not worry since they are in a Muslim country.
That was another interesting thing about KL, although the Muslim women wear headscarves, there were not many who wore the more traditional dress. A lot had on western clothes, including sleeveless and short-sleeved shirts. They also walk hand-in-hand with their husbands/boyfriends- something I haven't even seen in London or Edward Street.
[Emma's journal] Our last day in KL. Today we headed out to the Golden Triangle which is the newer part of KL. You could tell straightaway. It looked a lot like Singapore with the mirrored high rises and malls but somehow had more character. Maybe it was the Manchester United shop! We also visited the Petronus Towers. They didn't seem like they were the tallest buildings in the world. We though that maybe is was because they were tapered in as they got taller. We could not go up to the bridge that joins them as you needed to get a pass at 0830- way too early for us. ( Actually we didn't find that out until it was too late.) It would have been interesting to see what, if any, security measures they had implemented since 11 September 2001. I wonder in they do not worry since they are in a Muslim country.
That was another interesting thing about KL, although the Muslim women wear headscarves, there were not many who wore the more traditional dress. A lot had on western clothes, including sleeveless and short-sleeved shirts. They also walk hand-in-hand with their husbands/boyfriends- something I haven't even seen in London or Edward Street.
Sunday, 23 August 2009
26 Jan 2003 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
[Eric's journal] We arrived yesterday on the bus from Malacca. Another smooth trip; walked to the bus station, got tickets on the bus leaving in 15 minutes, another comfy air-conditioned bus. We had traffic coming into Kuala Lumpur (KL), you could see the Petronus Towers in the background. We wandered around Chinatown and had a good Chinese. For the Saturday market they close off the streets.
Today we wandered through the colonial district. Very funky old train station, looks like a mosque with all its towers and minarets. We went through the Islamic Arts Center. Very impressive architecture, large glass windows, domes, all white floors and walls, the brightness blinds you. good views across the street to the National Mosque. The center had a great display on different tents used by Muslims around the world throughout history. There was also a good exhibit of models of mosques from around the world. Very worthwhile to see. The mosque where the two rivers meet ( the city gets it name Kuala Lumpur, "muddy confluence") is picturesque with all the palm trees and the Petronus Towers and other skyscrapers in the distance.
You didn't see many Muslim women in Malacca with the head scarves. Here in KL they are all over. It is very different from the middle east as the scarves do not cover their face, just hair, ears, and chin. There are also lots of Muslim women working; in stores and behind the counters at McDonalds ( not that we would eat at McDonalds!). You see them with their arms around their husbands, or walking and talking with other men.
This reminds me of our flight on Qatar Airways. They have the screens on the TV monitors where they show the map of where the plane is, show the altitude, airspeed, miles to destination, time to destination, then they have another screen where they show a picture of the plane and which direction Mecca is and how many miles away it is.
Malaysia is a Muslim country yet you can get beer anywhere and we had good sweet and sour pork for dinner. It really appears that the Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoist, and Christians all seem to get along and live intermingled amongst each other, each respecting the other's customs and lifestyle.
[Emma's journal] Onto KL. We caught the bus from Malacca to KL- again a fantastic coach; more legroom than you could even hope for. The trip took us 2.5 hours and only cost $2 each. The traffic coming into the city was horrendous. It's amazing that just about anywhere you go in the world there is traffic!
My first impression of KL was- blah! We did a walking tour of Chinatown and it just seemed hot, sticky and noisy without too much character. I guess when it is your fourth Chinatown in less than two weeks it has to be something very special to beat the previous three. Maybe if it had been the first one then I would have had the same opinion of one of the others. We had a great Chinese dinner sitting outside a restaurant on one of the main streets and then played a game of chess with a beer on the hostel's rooftop beer garden. It's amazing when dinner costs the same price as your room. The hostel is fine- once again the shower head comes straight of the wall in between the sink and the toilet- this is starting to feel normal!
On Sunday morning we walked to the Islamic Arts Museum. The Lonely Planet mentions that KL is not the easiest city to walk around since it is sliced up by lots of freeways. We confirmed this today when what looked like a simple walk turned into a bit of an adventure trying to find our way across the roads; but we made it without any injuries. The museum was great. The building was very impressive and had only been completed in 1998. They had an interesting display on the different types of tents used by nomads in Islamic countries. They had life-size models and explained how they were made and used.
After the museum we did what the Lonely Planet labelled "The Colonial Walk". This took in some older buildings including the "Padang" where the English use to play cricket ( there was a similar thing in Singapore; but there they still do play cricket) and the Supreme Court. We then continued on up into Little India which was much bigger than any of the others we have seen so far or at least seemed so. It may have been that we were walking around on a Sunday afternoon and therefore there were just a lot more people. Had another great dinner in Chinatown.
Today we wandered through the colonial district. Very funky old train station, looks like a mosque with all its towers and minarets. We went through the Islamic Arts Center. Very impressive architecture, large glass windows, domes, all white floors and walls, the brightness blinds you. good views across the street to the National Mosque. The center had a great display on different tents used by Muslims around the world throughout history. There was also a good exhibit of models of mosques from around the world. Very worthwhile to see. The mosque where the two rivers meet ( the city gets it name Kuala Lumpur, "muddy confluence") is picturesque with all the palm trees and the Petronus Towers and other skyscrapers in the distance.
You didn't see many Muslim women in Malacca with the head scarves. Here in KL they are all over. It is very different from the middle east as the scarves do not cover their face, just hair, ears, and chin. There are also lots of Muslim women working; in stores and behind the counters at McDonalds ( not that we would eat at McDonalds!). You see them with their arms around their husbands, or walking and talking with other men.
This reminds me of our flight on Qatar Airways. They have the screens on the TV monitors where they show the map of where the plane is, show the altitude, airspeed, miles to destination, time to destination, then they have another screen where they show a picture of the plane and which direction Mecca is and how many miles away it is.
Malaysia is a Muslim country yet you can get beer anywhere and we had good sweet and sour pork for dinner. It really appears that the Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoist, and Christians all seem to get along and live intermingled amongst each other, each respecting the other's customs and lifestyle.
[Emma's journal] Onto KL. We caught the bus from Malacca to KL- again a fantastic coach; more legroom than you could even hope for. The trip took us 2.5 hours and only cost $2 each. The traffic coming into the city was horrendous. It's amazing that just about anywhere you go in the world there is traffic!
My first impression of KL was- blah! We did a walking tour of Chinatown and it just seemed hot, sticky and noisy without too much character. I guess when it is your fourth Chinatown in less than two weeks it has to be something very special to beat the previous three. Maybe if it had been the first one then I would have had the same opinion of one of the others. We had a great Chinese dinner sitting outside a restaurant on one of the main streets and then played a game of chess with a beer on the hostel's rooftop beer garden. It's amazing when dinner costs the same price as your room. The hostel is fine- once again the shower head comes straight of the wall in between the sink and the toilet- this is starting to feel normal!
On Sunday morning we walked to the Islamic Arts Museum. The Lonely Planet mentions that KL is not the easiest city to walk around since it is sliced up by lots of freeways. We confirmed this today when what looked like a simple walk turned into a bit of an adventure trying to find our way across the roads; but we made it without any injuries. The museum was great. The building was very impressive and had only been completed in 1998. They had an interesting display on the different types of tents used by nomads in Islamic countries. They had life-size models and explained how they were made and used.
After the museum we did what the Lonely Planet labelled "The Colonial Walk". This took in some older buildings including the "Padang" where the English use to play cricket ( there was a similar thing in Singapore; but there they still do play cricket) and the Supreme Court. We then continued on up into Little India which was much bigger than any of the others we have seen so far or at least seemed so. It may have been that we were walking around on a Sunday afternoon and therefore there were just a lot more people. Had another great dinner in Chinatown.
Saturday, 22 August 2009
24 Jan 2003 Malacca, Malaysia
[Eric's journal] We had a good day seeing the sights in Malacca. We took a boat tour up the river. The guide was very funny, reminded me of the jungle cruise at Disneyland. He pointed out that several scenes from the movie "Entrapment" were actually filmed on this river, including one where you see the Petronus Towers of Kuala Lumpur as the camera pans out. Apparently the government wasn't too happy about that. Saw lots of large monitor lizards swimming in the river and lounging on the rocks on the side. Had lunch at the Geographer Cafe then took a tour through the Nonya and Baba house. It was fascinating to see the inside of the house and how these Malay born Chinese lived. We wandered up the hill past St Paul's church (where St Francis Xavier was interned for many months upon his death) and the remains of the original Portuguese fort from the 16th century. Then we wandered in the cultural museum which is a replica of the original sultan's palace. This town is a fascinating mix of colonial Portuguese, Dutch, and English along with the cultural mix of Malay, Indian, Chinese and Islam. I still haven't learned the background of the windmill along the river across from Christ Church and the Stadthuys. it obviously was never operational and is only 10-15 feet tall. It looks very tacky. The last notable Malacca trait is the bike rickshaws which the drivers have lavishly decorated with plastic flowers, tinsel and any other shiny and ornate trinkets you can imagine.
Tonight we went back to the Geographer Cafe for dinner. On the weekends, the main road in Chinatown is shut down to traffic. All the restaurants put tables out in the street and there are lots of food vendors and any other kind of vendor. It is like a county fair. There are magicians, craft people who will put your name on a shell key chain or fashion it out of copper. Any kind of nick knack you can imagine is for sale. The street is covered by Chinese lanterns.
As we wandered around we heard "Tennessee Waltz" coming out of one of the Chinese Association buildings. We looked in and they were line dancing. There were men and women, old and young, all wearing matching red-collared shirts ( guessing it is the association shirt). After a pause, "Achy Breaky Heart" started up and they started again with a different line dance, clapping and spinning, one woman had her hands stuck in the top of her jeans, just as you see Americans do when they are line dancing.
Further down the street there was an even unfriendlier sound than country music, the bad Chinese of a man doing karaoke was coming out of a different association building. There were rows of chairs set up and the machine was up front. The chairs were filled with people enjoying (?) the karaoke. Several different people got up to do numbers before we had to move on. It is one thing when it is background noise in a bar but who would want to go just for entertainment?
As we continued on you could hear the call to prayer from the mosque the next street over float over the hustle and bustle of the Chinatown market.
[Emma's journal] Today we spent the day wandering around the town- it has quite a lot of historical buildings but in some ways they have ruined it slightly by adding too many touristy things- mainly the illuminated sign for the Stadthuys ( looks more like it belonged in Vegas) also the imitation windmill!
We took the river cruise which was very entertaining, the guide was quite funny. He pointed out a number of large monitor lizards along the banks; he had given them all names of movie stars. He also told us that the river and some of the shanty buildings along the river had been used in the movie "Entrapment".
We had lunch in the Geographer Cafe- very nice spot in Chinatown- so good we went back there for dinner. We visited an old typical house of the area which has been turned into a museum. it was very interesting and well worth the visit. The lady told us that they have different colour dishes for different occasions- those blue and white ones which mum has are only used when someone has died!
I think the funniest thing we saw in Malacca was when we walked through Chinatown- there were about 40 Chinese people doing line dancing in a Chinese temple to "Achy Breaky Heart"! We couldn't help but laugh! Our hotel in Malacca was really nice. It was an old typical style house which had been converted.
Tonight we went back to the Geographer Cafe for dinner. On the weekends, the main road in Chinatown is shut down to traffic. All the restaurants put tables out in the street and there are lots of food vendors and any other kind of vendor. It is like a county fair. There are magicians, craft people who will put your name on a shell key chain or fashion it out of copper. Any kind of nick knack you can imagine is for sale. The street is covered by Chinese lanterns.
As we wandered around we heard "Tennessee Waltz" coming out of one of the Chinese Association buildings. We looked in and they were line dancing. There were men and women, old and young, all wearing matching red-collared shirts ( guessing it is the association shirt). After a pause, "Achy Breaky Heart" started up and they started again with a different line dance, clapping and spinning, one woman had her hands stuck in the top of her jeans, just as you see Americans do when they are line dancing.
Further down the street there was an even unfriendlier sound than country music, the bad Chinese of a man doing karaoke was coming out of a different association building. There were rows of chairs set up and the machine was up front. The chairs were filled with people enjoying (?) the karaoke. Several different people got up to do numbers before we had to move on. It is one thing when it is background noise in a bar but who would want to go just for entertainment?
As we continued on you could hear the call to prayer from the mosque the next street over float over the hustle and bustle of the Chinatown market.
[Emma's journal] Today we spent the day wandering around the town- it has quite a lot of historical buildings but in some ways they have ruined it slightly by adding too many touristy things- mainly the illuminated sign for the Stadthuys ( looks more like it belonged in Vegas) also the imitation windmill!
We took the river cruise which was very entertaining, the guide was quite funny. He pointed out a number of large monitor lizards along the banks; he had given them all names of movie stars. He also told us that the river and some of the shanty buildings along the river had been used in the movie "Entrapment".
We had lunch in the Geographer Cafe- very nice spot in Chinatown- so good we went back there for dinner. We visited an old typical house of the area which has been turned into a museum. it was very interesting and well worth the visit. The lady told us that they have different colour dishes for different occasions- those blue and white ones which mum has are only used when someone has died!
I think the funniest thing we saw in Malacca was when we walked through Chinatown- there were about 40 Chinese people doing line dancing in a Chinese temple to "Achy Breaky Heart"! We couldn't help but laugh! Our hotel in Malacca was really nice. It was an old typical style house which had been converted.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
23 Jan 2003 Malacca, Malaysia
[Eric's journal] We had an uneventful journey from Kathmandu to Singapore. The only excitement was the cab ride to the airport. It was only 0600 and still dark. In an attempt to save gas, the cab drivers turn their lights off whenever they think they don't need them. ( How they know when to turn them on again I don't know.) Our flight on Royal Nepal to Bangkok was on time, the food was not very appetizing. The Bangkok airport is really nice and our Finn Air flight was early into Singapore and the food was quite good.
We caught the hotel taxi ( only S$7 each) to the hotel and all was well. The hotel is in Little India and when you walk out the door you can smell all the food and spices. We spent Tuesday wandering Orchard Road, Little India, Chinatown, and the CBD (Central Business District). They have added some restaurant areas along the river (Boat Quay and Clark Quay which has a Hooters even.) We checked with several travel agents on flights to Sumatra or Sabah and they were all a little more than we wanted to pay.
We met Peter Clark for drinks at Harry's Bar at Boat Quay. ( Gorgeous views of the river and parliament across the river.) Apparently this is where the rogue trader who brought one of the big banks down, used to drink. A friend of Peter's who he works with was visiting from Melbourne, so he came along with a native who is one of their suppliers, Ian also. After many beers we went next door and had a fabulous Indian dinner. Ian, the supplier, treated for everything, including an old Indian woman who read our palms. All good news and I am going to live to 94 and Emma to 96 and we were going to another country soon. ( By the way we were dressed we were obviously not expats but backpackers, none of whom stay in Singapore long.) Earlier in the day the Raffles Hotel wouldn't let us walk in the front door since we were in shorts and sandals.
After talking with Peter and native Ian, we decided to start up the west coast due to the monsoon season. The next day we bought bus tickets to Malacca, on the Malaysian south-west coast. The next night we went to Peter's apartment for dinner. The same gang came along and we got to meet Peter's wife Leonnie and two sons. They have a fabulously large four bedroom, eighth floor apartment with great breezes and views. They had a fabulous BBQ then we enjoyed the wonderful evening on the balcony. It is great being able to sit outside at night in shorts and t-shirt and be very comfortable.
This morning we took the bus to Malacca. The bus was air-conditioned and had huge amounts of legroom. They left right on time. At the Singapore end you have to get out to clear immigration, get back on, drive north across the causeway, then get out on the Malay side with all your luggage and clear customs and immigration. We made a short stop for lunch then pulled in right on time after a four-and-a-half hour trip.
We randomly picked the Eastern Heritage Guest House out of the Lonely Planet based on its recommended character. It is only $5.50 a night. It is in a beautiful old Melaka building built in 1918. The rooms are basic bed and fan, but very clean. We have both decided we don't really like the airconditioning as it dries you out. There is even a little soaking pool on the ground floor, about the size of a hot tub, but cool.
For dinner we went to Capitol Satay, where you cook your own satay in a pot at your table fondue style. Each stick was only 10 cents. It was very good as you just picked out whatever you wanted and cooked it. When you are done, they count the sticks and that's it. We had a huge dinner for $4.
[Emma's journal] We caught the bus from Singapore to Malacca. The trip took around four-and-a-half hours. Malacca is a strange place. It seems like an old sleepy town but there is so much traffic! I can only imagine that all these people have to drive through the town to get somewhere else, as there doesn't seem to be many people around.
We had a yummy dinner at a place where you choose your Satay sticks and then built into the table is a recess with a pot of satay mix and you cook them yourself. I never realised that was how Satay was cooked- I always thought that the meat was marinated and then the meat grilled. We had our whole meal for 15 ringets ($4).
We caught the hotel taxi ( only S$7 each) to the hotel and all was well. The hotel is in Little India and when you walk out the door you can smell all the food and spices. We spent Tuesday wandering Orchard Road, Little India, Chinatown, and the CBD (Central Business District). They have added some restaurant areas along the river (Boat Quay and Clark Quay which has a Hooters even.) We checked with several travel agents on flights to Sumatra or Sabah and they were all a little more than we wanted to pay.
We met Peter Clark for drinks at Harry's Bar at Boat Quay. ( Gorgeous views of the river and parliament across the river.) Apparently this is where the rogue trader who brought one of the big banks down, used to drink. A friend of Peter's who he works with was visiting from Melbourne, so he came along with a native who is one of their suppliers, Ian also. After many beers we went next door and had a fabulous Indian dinner. Ian, the supplier, treated for everything, including an old Indian woman who read our palms. All good news and I am going to live to 94 and Emma to 96 and we were going to another country soon. ( By the way we were dressed we were obviously not expats but backpackers, none of whom stay in Singapore long.) Earlier in the day the Raffles Hotel wouldn't let us walk in the front door since we were in shorts and sandals.
After talking with Peter and native Ian, we decided to start up the west coast due to the monsoon season. The next day we bought bus tickets to Malacca, on the Malaysian south-west coast. The next night we went to Peter's apartment for dinner. The same gang came along and we got to meet Peter's wife Leonnie and two sons. They have a fabulously large four bedroom, eighth floor apartment with great breezes and views. They had a fabulous BBQ then we enjoyed the wonderful evening on the balcony. It is great being able to sit outside at night in shorts and t-shirt and be very comfortable.
This morning we took the bus to Malacca. The bus was air-conditioned and had huge amounts of legroom. They left right on time. At the Singapore end you have to get out to clear immigration, get back on, drive north across the causeway, then get out on the Malay side with all your luggage and clear customs and immigration. We made a short stop for lunch then pulled in right on time after a four-and-a-half hour trip.
We randomly picked the Eastern Heritage Guest House out of the Lonely Planet based on its recommended character. It is only $5.50 a night. It is in a beautiful old Melaka building built in 1918. The rooms are basic bed and fan, but very clean. We have both decided we don't really like the airconditioning as it dries you out. There is even a little soaking pool on the ground floor, about the size of a hot tub, but cool.
For dinner we went to Capitol Satay, where you cook your own satay in a pot at your table fondue style. Each stick was only 10 cents. It was very good as you just picked out whatever you wanted and cooked it. When you are done, they count the sticks and that's it. We had a huge dinner for $4.
[Emma's journal] We caught the bus from Singapore to Malacca. The trip took around four-and-a-half hours. Malacca is a strange place. It seems like an old sleepy town but there is so much traffic! I can only imagine that all these people have to drive through the town to get somewhere else, as there doesn't seem to be many people around.
We had a yummy dinner at a place where you choose your Satay sticks and then built into the table is a recess with a pot of satay mix and you cook them yourself. I never realised that was how Satay was cooked- I always thought that the meat was marinated and then the meat grilled. We had our whole meal for 15 ringets ($4).
Thursday, 6 August 2009
22 Jan 2003 Singapore
[Emma's Journal] OK, so I completely failed with keeping my diary up to date for Nepal. Luckily we shall be back there in April so I can write then. We left Nepal early on Monday morning (20 Jan)-a cab (well what they call a cab) picked us up at 6:00 am. He kept intermittently switching his lights on and off. I think he thought he was saving petrol! Our next big shock of the morning was that Nepal charges 1100 Rupees ($13) to leave the country! That's after you pay $30 for an entry visa. That doesn't seem like much, but when a whole meal for two costs around $7 and our room was $6- it seemed pretty steep.
The flight was fine- we lucked out with the first row of seats. There were only a few westerners on the plane and I think we were the tallest by far!
We arrived at our hotel in Singapore early in the evening. The first thing that hit you was the typical Singaporean "order"; even in Little India where we were staying. This was exacerbated by the fact that we had just spent six days in chaos! We both had to laugh when we got in the minibus from the airport and the driver instructed us to wear our seat-belts.
Singapore did not seem to have changed too much since the last time I was there with mom and dad 11 years ago ( maybe it was 12). Although they have built two new buildings which look like the eyes of a fly. Apparently they are the new "arts venue".
We met up with Jona's (our brother-in-law) friend Peter. We sat outside Harry's Barwhich is famous as it was the place that Nick Leeson used to drink at before he brought down Barings. I am not surprised he had to fiddle the accounts, the prices were obscene! Peter also brought a couple of friends along- both Ians. One was an Aussie who played basketball for Australia and who's brother was CEO of the ICC (International Cricket Council) (apparently he was a solicitor for 15 years- there may be hope yet!) The other Ian was a Singaporean- a very interesting guy. Harry's reminded me of all the yuppie pubs in London with all the "suits" there- just 30 degrees warmer. The next night we went out to Peter and Leonie's apartment. What a great place with a fantastic view of the bay. We had a great evening.
The flight was fine- we lucked out with the first row of seats. There were only a few westerners on the plane and I think we were the tallest by far!
We arrived at our hotel in Singapore early in the evening. The first thing that hit you was the typical Singaporean "order"; even in Little India where we were staying. This was exacerbated by the fact that we had just spent six days in chaos! We both had to laugh when we got in the minibus from the airport and the driver instructed us to wear our seat-belts.
Singapore did not seem to have changed too much since the last time I was there with mom and dad 11 years ago ( maybe it was 12). Although they have built two new buildings which look like the eyes of a fly. Apparently they are the new "arts venue".
We met up with Jona's (our brother-in-law) friend Peter. We sat outside Harry's Barwhich is famous as it was the place that Nick Leeson used to drink at before he brought down Barings. I am not surprised he had to fiddle the accounts, the prices were obscene! Peter also brought a couple of friends along- both Ians. One was an Aussie who played basketball for Australia and who's brother was CEO of the ICC (International Cricket Council) (apparently he was a solicitor for 15 years- there may be hope yet!) The other Ian was a Singaporean- a very interesting guy. Harry's reminded me of all the yuppie pubs in London with all the "suits" there- just 30 degrees warmer. The next night we went out to Peter and Leonie's apartment. What a great place with a fantastic view of the bay. We had a great evening.
Sunday, 2 August 2009
Greetings from the roof of the world!
[20 Jan email sent to friends and family from Kathmandu]
We would like to thank everyone for all the responses to our emails. We love getting responses but since we have limited email access we can't get back with everyone.
We had a great time here in Kathmandu. We had a smooth trip over flying through Qatar. The weather has been gorgeous, sunny and warm during the day. We have mostly been relaxing and seeing the sites in town. We walked to Patan, just south of Kathmandu for a day and took the bus to Bhaktapur for a day, and have spent the rest seeing the sites in Kathmandu. We have visited the Durbar Squares in all three towns ( the main square around the old palace). All three are world heritage sites. They are filled with Hindu and Buddhist temples that are hundreds of years old and covered with intricate carvings.
One day we walked out to the monkey temple, a huge Buddhist temple just outside Kathmandu. It is on a large hill with spectacular views of the whole valley and the Himalayas to the north. We had to walk up some very long and steep steps to get to the top. There are monkeys running all over the temple and they like to show off. The temple is covered in colored prayer flags all blowing in the wind.
Everything is very cheap and we are getting lots of great food for cheap. ( Steak dinner with all the trimmings for $3) There is tons of shopping but we are holding out for now as we will be back in April to go trekking. We have enjoyed wandering the back alleys and seeing local life. Kathmandu is a very energetic, chaotic and exotic city. All around the city are Buddhist and Hindu temples.
Tomorrow we fly to Singapore. We only plan on staying for a couple days as we have both been before and want to avoid the cities and spend more time in the countryside. Sorry this one is so short but our connection is very slow and we will be back to see lots more of the country in April.
Love Eric and Emma
We would like to thank everyone for all the responses to our emails. We love getting responses but since we have limited email access we can't get back with everyone.
We had a great time here in Kathmandu. We had a smooth trip over flying through Qatar. The weather has been gorgeous, sunny and warm during the day. We have mostly been relaxing and seeing the sites in town. We walked to Patan, just south of Kathmandu for a day and took the bus to Bhaktapur for a day, and have spent the rest seeing the sites in Kathmandu. We have visited the Durbar Squares in all three towns ( the main square around the old palace). All three are world heritage sites. They are filled with Hindu and Buddhist temples that are hundreds of years old and covered with intricate carvings.
One day we walked out to the monkey temple, a huge Buddhist temple just outside Kathmandu. It is on a large hill with spectacular views of the whole valley and the Himalayas to the north. We had to walk up some very long and steep steps to get to the top. There are monkeys running all over the temple and they like to show off. The temple is covered in colored prayer flags all blowing in the wind.
Everything is very cheap and we are getting lots of great food for cheap. ( Steak dinner with all the trimmings for $3) There is tons of shopping but we are holding out for now as we will be back in April to go trekking. We have enjoyed wandering the back alleys and seeing local life. Kathmandu is a very energetic, chaotic and exotic city. All around the city are Buddhist and Hindu temples.
Tomorrow we fly to Singapore. We only plan on staying for a couple days as we have both been before and want to avoid the cities and spend more time in the countryside. Sorry this one is so short but our connection is very slow and we will be back to see lots more of the country in April.
Love Eric and Emma
19 Jan 2003 Kathmandu, Nepal
Another relaxing day; lunch basking in the sun on a terrace, then a walk into Durbar Square. We hired a guide to the square, Rama. He was very informative and we saw quite a few things that we had missed when wandering on our own. We learned more about the similarities of Hinduism and Buddhism and how they have merged in Nepal, much like the people have merged: the Mongol Buddhist from the north and the Indian Hindus from the south.
Most amusing of all was how he pointed out the graphic carvings of the kama sutra sex positions in the wooden struts under the pagoda roof. He explained that all temples right before the entrance to the palace had these carvings to distract angry people who had come to the palace with complaints and calm them down. This is not just in Durbar Square Kathmandu, but in all Durbar Squares. He also said that these carvings were also used for sex education. The people could come to see the carvings and learn about sex.
We paid for our hotel tonight and with tax it came to $6 per night!
Most amusing of all was how he pointed out the graphic carvings of the kama sutra sex positions in the wooden struts under the pagoda roof. He explained that all temples right before the entrance to the palace had these carvings to distract angry people who had come to the palace with complaints and calm them down. This is not just in Durbar Square Kathmandu, but in all Durbar Squares. He also said that these carvings were also used for sex education. The people could come to see the carvings and learn about sex.
We paid for our hotel tonight and with tax it came to $6 per night!
Saturday, 1 August 2009
18 Jan 2003 Kathmandu, Nepal
Today we made our first foray into the bus system. We were heading to
the town of Bhaktapur. We walked to where the trolley buses were
supposed to originate. None originated there, but after asking some questions we found the bus. They are definitely not designed for average height westerners. We could barely fit in the seats and even then only by sticking our feet in the aisle. They pack them in the bus and it makes lots of stops, wherever anyone waves them down. The conductor must have been only 15. He hangs out the door yelling to get customers, then runs up and down the aisle ( more like he squeezes by) collecting the fare. It cost us 8 Rupees (Rs) each (about 10 cents) so I guess you can't complain. It wasn't obvious when to get off (the conductor didn't speak any English). Luckily I noticed the tourist ticket office since this was not the one we were looking for and it was on the far side of town.
Bhaktapur is a gorgeous town and vehicle traffic is very restricted so you can wander around looking up and not worry about getting run over. It is also much more peaceful. Durbar Square is just as impressive as the other two. We had lunch in a converted pagoda in the middle of the nearby square. It was fun sitting on the top floor and watching life go by. We wandered into Potter's Square where they were hard at work turning out rows and rows of pots. The old men were spinning the pottery wheels with big sticks to get them going, then shaped the clay as it spun. The kids were busy pounding the clay into shape.
We then roamed to the original spot we were supposed to get off the bus to catch the bus back. It was a small corner that was chaos, with buses pulling in and out as we tried to figure out which bus was headed to Kathmandu. As we tried to stay out of the way. a bus honked at us and the conductor from our trip out jumped off and we were saved, and headed back to Kathmandu.
Traffic on the roads is quite an experience. There are a wide variety of vehicles on the road and traffic regulations appear to be only guidelines. There are hordes of bikes, not as many as China, but sometimes the bike packs prevent you from being able to see and cars behind them. There are the bike rickshaws (mostly around Thamel to Durbar Square). Next in quantity are the motorbikes, many with full loads or women passengers riding sidesaddle in their saris. Then there are the little three wheel taxis that can carry maybe two or three. Then there are a proliferation of cars and taxis. Most of the cars are small, old, and look rundown, but then there are brand new SUVs in the mix, usually Mitsubishis. Then there are the minibuses. These each have two rows of seats in back that run lengthwise. Probably eight people should fit but you see them driving around with up to 14 or 15. There are dozens of sizes of buses and trucks that go into the mix. Throw all these onto roads with almost no traffic signals or markings on the road, narrow roads filled with potholes and other hazards, and you have quite a thrill ride if you dare open your eyes.
We left home with our backpack fit for our six month journey. Like any modern adventurer, we have a short wave radio, the latest Lonely Planet (LP) guidebooks, clothes made from the latest fabrics, minidisc player with our favorite tunes, a water filter so we can filter our water so we don't have to but bottles (environmentally friendly as most places don't recycle the plastic bottles), pacsafes (a wire mesh net you can put over your backpack to keep it from getting broken into or stolen), mosquito netting, malaria pills, Cipro (for traveller's diarrhea) along with a few other toys and essentials.
the town of Bhaktapur. We walked to where the trolley buses were
supposed to originate. None originated there, but after asking some questions we found the bus. They are definitely not designed for average height westerners. We could barely fit in the seats and even then only by sticking our feet in the aisle. They pack them in the bus and it makes lots of stops, wherever anyone waves them down. The conductor must have been only 15. He hangs out the door yelling to get customers, then runs up and down the aisle ( more like he squeezes by) collecting the fare. It cost us 8 Rupees (Rs) each (about 10 cents) so I guess you can't complain. It wasn't obvious when to get off (the conductor didn't speak any English). Luckily I noticed the tourist ticket office since this was not the one we were looking for and it was on the far side of town.
Bhaktapur is a gorgeous town and vehicle traffic is very restricted so you can wander around looking up and not worry about getting run over. It is also much more peaceful. Durbar Square is just as impressive as the other two. We had lunch in a converted pagoda in the middle of the nearby square. It was fun sitting on the top floor and watching life go by. We wandered into Potter's Square where they were hard at work turning out rows and rows of pots. The old men were spinning the pottery wheels with big sticks to get them going, then shaped the clay as it spun. The kids were busy pounding the clay into shape.
We then roamed to the original spot we were supposed to get off the bus to catch the bus back. It was a small corner that was chaos, with buses pulling in and out as we tried to figure out which bus was headed to Kathmandu. As we tried to stay out of the way. a bus honked at us and the conductor from our trip out jumped off and we were saved, and headed back to Kathmandu.
Traffic on the roads is quite an experience. There are a wide variety of vehicles on the road and traffic regulations appear to be only guidelines. There are hordes of bikes, not as many as China, but sometimes the bike packs prevent you from being able to see and cars behind them. There are the bike rickshaws (mostly around Thamel to Durbar Square). Next in quantity are the motorbikes, many with full loads or women passengers riding sidesaddle in their saris. Then there are the little three wheel taxis that can carry maybe two or three. Then there are a proliferation of cars and taxis. Most of the cars are small, old, and look rundown, but then there are brand new SUVs in the mix, usually Mitsubishis. Then there are the minibuses. These each have two rows of seats in back that run lengthwise. Probably eight people should fit but you see them driving around with up to 14 or 15. There are dozens of sizes of buses and trucks that go into the mix. Throw all these onto roads with almost no traffic signals or markings on the road, narrow roads filled with potholes and other hazards, and you have quite a thrill ride if you dare open your eyes.
We left home with our backpack fit for our six month journey. Like any modern adventurer, we have a short wave radio, the latest Lonely Planet (LP) guidebooks, clothes made from the latest fabrics, minidisc player with our favorite tunes, a water filter so we can filter our water so we don't have to but bottles (environmentally friendly as most places don't recycle the plastic bottles), pacsafes (a wire mesh net you can put over your backpack to keep it from getting broken into or stolen), mosquito netting, malaria pills, Cipro (for traveller's diarrhea) along with a few other toys and essentials.
Friday, 31 July 2009
17 Jan 2003 Kathmandu, Nepal
Another sunny and warm day. We walked to Patan, a few kilometers south of Kathmandu. Durbar Square here is fascinating, lots of large Hindu Temples. The carvings are very intricate. We had a snack on a terrace restaurant. The view was great and it was relaxing to sit in the sun and watch all the activity in the square.
Then we walked down to a famous Buddhist Temple (Golden Temple). We had to remove any leather shoes and use sandals they provided. The carvings and statues, all covered in gold were gorgeous. We were able to wander around and go upstairs to the monastery where several people were praying or having a discussion. One of the men from the front showed us around and wanted to have his picture taken with us. He showed us lots of pictures of himself with other visitors. He gave us his address and we will send pictures when we get them developed.
Nepal is five hours and 45 minutes ahead of GMT. Apparently this is to set Nepal apart from India.
It is amazing watching the Nepalis carry large loads with their head. They use a wide strap which goes across their forehead then to their back where it is wrapped around the load. At the monkey temple we saw women carrying large baskets of bricks like this and have also seen them carrying water containers in baskets like this. The best are the men with huge loads that tower over them and stick far out to either side. They cross the busy roads and go up and down the sidewalks with their huge loads.
We have most of the lines down now. Around the main squares (Durbar Square in either Kathmandu or Patan) they walk up (not hard to pick out the tourists wandering around, looking up, guide book in hand, camera around neck) and ask "where you are from?"
"England" (This saves a long story and most people believe I am English. One shop owner picked Emma out as an Aussie)
"London is the capital" he replies
"yes, very good"
"When did you arrive?" they ask.
"Tuesday"
"When are you here until?"
"________" fill in next day, if you provide the real date and it is more than a couple days away they will try to sell you some kind of trip)
"Is this your first time to Nepal?"
"Yes"
"Let me show you around and explain all the sites,"
Without fail, everyone who wants to be your guide will follow this same script. You get it so many times just in one square that you run the whole emotional realm. You try to be polite the first couple times then you get frustrated, then angry, then it becomes funny when the next one comes up and launches into the same routine.
As we walked past a large intersection in front of a large government compound containing the Supreme Court and other buildings. It is one of the few intersections in Kathmandu with traffic lights and pedestrian crossing signals. (They all seem to be in front of government buildings on compounds.) There is a large sign that says that this intersection was part of a program to improve traffic intersections around Kathmandu that was made possible by a grant from Japan. It is funny that with all the problems Nepal has and could use aid for, I would guess that improving intersections in Kathmandu would be near the bottom. It is ironic that two to three traffic officers still have to police the intersection because people rarely follow the signals. Pedestrians run across if they even see the slightest gap and many of the cars keep going. Even with the latest lights and signals they still need traffic police for the intersection. More aid dollars (or yen) put to good work.
It is fascinating wandering the streets and seeing all the stores and street carts. There are no large stores, just row after row of tiny stores. There is the man with a small fry pan on his cart and a pile of eggs, ready to whip up an omelet for a snack. The tiny butcher's shop, some just a small black hole with only one chicken chopped up on the counter. There are lots of material shops, filled with wonderful fabrics covering the entire spectrum of the rainbow. The tailor sits out front on the sidewalk (or edge of the street as is usually the case) sewing dresses or suits with his manual sewing machine. There are lots of small restaurants where they use a large fry pot frying up Nepalese dishes while sitting on the floor near the door opening. There are small (closet sized) tire repair shops, all that are in the shop are a few bike tires and scooter tires and a couple tools. The guy sits on the floor banging away with the compressor running in the background to pump up the tires. Then there are the electronic repair shops. Piled with ancient TVs, stereos, tape decks, appliances and other relics. The guy sits at the counter, surrounded by several others working on a 30 year old TV. In the street there might be a couple goats tied up and some cows wandering down the street.
Then we walked down to a famous Buddhist Temple (Golden Temple). We had to remove any leather shoes and use sandals they provided. The carvings and statues, all covered in gold were gorgeous. We were able to wander around and go upstairs to the monastery where several people were praying or having a discussion. One of the men from the front showed us around and wanted to have his picture taken with us. He showed us lots of pictures of himself with other visitors. He gave us his address and we will send pictures when we get them developed.
Nepal is five hours and 45 minutes ahead of GMT. Apparently this is to set Nepal apart from India.
It is amazing watching the Nepalis carry large loads with their head. They use a wide strap which goes across their forehead then to their back where it is wrapped around the load. At the monkey temple we saw women carrying large baskets of bricks like this and have also seen them carrying water containers in baskets like this. The best are the men with huge loads that tower over them and stick far out to either side. They cross the busy roads and go up and down the sidewalks with their huge loads.
We have most of the lines down now. Around the main squares (Durbar Square in either Kathmandu or Patan) they walk up (not hard to pick out the tourists wandering around, looking up, guide book in hand, camera around neck) and ask "where you are from?"
"England" (This saves a long story and most people believe I am English. One shop owner picked Emma out as an Aussie)
"London is the capital" he replies
"yes, very good"
"When did you arrive?" they ask.
"Tuesday"
"When are you here until?"
"________" fill in next day, if you provide the real date and it is more than a couple days away they will try to sell you some kind of trip)
"Is this your first time to Nepal?"
"Yes"
"Let me show you around and explain all the sites,"
Without fail, everyone who wants to be your guide will follow this same script. You get it so many times just in one square that you run the whole emotional realm. You try to be polite the first couple times then you get frustrated, then angry, then it becomes funny when the next one comes up and launches into the same routine.
As we walked past a large intersection in front of a large government compound containing the Supreme Court and other buildings. It is one of the few intersections in Kathmandu with traffic lights and pedestrian crossing signals. (They all seem to be in front of government buildings on compounds.) There is a large sign that says that this intersection was part of a program to improve traffic intersections around Kathmandu that was made possible by a grant from Japan. It is funny that with all the problems Nepal has and could use aid for, I would guess that improving intersections in Kathmandu would be near the bottom. It is ironic that two to three traffic officers still have to police the intersection because people rarely follow the signals. Pedestrians run across if they even see the slightest gap and many of the cars keep going. Even with the latest lights and signals they still need traffic police for the intersection. More aid dollars (or yen) put to good work.
It is fascinating wandering the streets and seeing all the stores and street carts. There are no large stores, just row after row of tiny stores. There is the man with a small fry pan on his cart and a pile of eggs, ready to whip up an omelet for a snack. The tiny butcher's shop, some just a small black hole with only one chicken chopped up on the counter. There are lots of material shops, filled with wonderful fabrics covering the entire spectrum of the rainbow. The tailor sits out front on the sidewalk (or edge of the street as is usually the case) sewing dresses or suits with his manual sewing machine. There are lots of small restaurants where they use a large fry pot frying up Nepalese dishes while sitting on the floor near the door opening. There are small (closet sized) tire repair shops, all that are in the shop are a few bike tires and scooter tires and a couple tools. The guy sits on the floor banging away with the compressor running in the background to pump up the tires. Then there are the electronic repair shops. Piled with ancient TVs, stereos, tape decks, appliances and other relics. The guy sits at the counter, surrounded by several others working on a 30 year old TV. In the street there might be a couple goats tied up and some cows wandering down the street.
Thursday, 30 July 2009
16 Jan 2003 Kathmandu, Nepal
Had another fun day. We slept really late again as we are still a little jet-lagged and had a hard time sleeping. We managed to find the Royal Nepal Airway office to reconfirm our flight out. It is a good thing as our tickets had our old date on them and it caused a little confusion but was quickly fixed, we were confirmed and had the dates fixed. While we were waiting for the office to open during lunch we wandered across to a huge park. It was very dry and barren looking but at one end it was packed with people having lunch. We wandered to the other end where there was a big soccer game going on. The field was all dust but they did have a paying crowd.
Then we roamed around Durbar Square, Kathmandu. There are dozens of Hindu temples, some almost 1000 years old. The locals all hang out on the steps of many of the temples sleeping, chatting and playing. The hassle is all the guides who want to give you a tour. They hound you and follow you around. One guy admitted that with visitors way down they need the money.
Then we wandered across the river to the Swayambhu Temple. It is a huge Buddhist Temple on a hill with spectacular views of Kathmandu and the valley. It is also called the monkey temple since monkeys roam freely through it. It is a lot of fun to watch them playing around. We walked up the very steep stairs to get to the temple. It is very pretty and roofed with prayer flags blowing in the wind. We had another wonderful dinner at Rum Doodle, which is filled with signatures from climbing expeditions.The weather has been sunny although it does cool off quite a bit in the evening. It is very hazy during the day making it hard to see the mountains. It is interesting to see the effect Lonely Planet has had on travel. One of the restaurants in Thamel has a huge banner noting it is recommended in the Lonely Planet. One of the guys trying to get us to pay him to show us around noted that he knew all the info in the Lonely Planet. It is such a common sight to see travellers roaming around with the Lonely Planet guide in one hand.
We continue to find great food of all kinds for dirt cheap. I had a chicken burrito for lunch and pepper steak for dinner. We then had some fresh squeezed orange and pineapple juice for dessert from a street stand. The average lunch or dinner cost $3-4 in the tourist restaurants we are eating in. This includes the meat plus potato or rice and vegetables in good size portions.
Nepal is a fascinating mix of Hinduism and Buddhism. It is a Hindu country by a large majority but the two religions have merged and many temples are both, as they have borrowed gods from each other.
It is sad to see the effects of the loss of visitors. Restaurants are empty. Since there are so few visitors, the beggars, trek companies, tour guides, and pedicabs can all gang up on the few travellers here and they will hound you for much longer since they have fewer people to make money from. They are a very friendly people but start to wear on you after being hounded all the time.
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
15 Jan 2003 Kathmandu, Nepal
I remember all the times I would pass through the airport in Honolulu or LA, you could look up in the departure lounge and see this huge board with flights leaving to everywhere on the globe. Usually I would be heading somewhere I had been before or somewhere similar. Some people may have thought where I was going might be exotic like the Philippines or Morocco, we all have our own destination. I would just scan the board and dream about getting on a different flight to somewhere exotic I had never been with no timeline or itinerary.
That was the excitement Monday night (Jan 13) at Heathrow. While we already had a planned destination (Kathmandu), it was probably the most exotic place on the board and we had no schedule. We were off for four months to wander and explore. We could stay as long as we liked, change our plan to suit our mood or if we learned of somewhere we hadn't heard of.
We flew on Qatar Airways to Doha, Qatar, had a short layover, transferred planes and flew into Kathmandu. (Qatar Airways is a very good airlines. Good service and quality. The Doha airport is very small with only a few gates. The Airbus 330 was the only large aircraft in the airport that early on a Tuesday morning. You could see several US C17 and C130 aircraft at the far end of the airport. Qatar has been a base for US forces building up in the Middle East. Just a reminder of what was going on in the world.) I was surprised to learn that Qatar Airways has a daily flight from Doha to Kathmandu. The flight was close to full so they obviously have enough business. The view as we came into Kathmandu was spectacular. It looked as if we were flying level with the mountains as we were still cruising at 33,000 feet. As we descended in, the scenery of the hills and houses perched on them and the terraced fields was spectacular.
The airport was very small and we were the only flight arriving. Getting bags and through customs was uneventful. There was a car from the hotel waiting just as arranged.
It was a reintroduction to Asia as we were hounded by kids wanting to carry our bags and once in the car they all wanted money. The guy from the hotel said not to give any but when you are not used to it you feel bad. I still had some English coins ( We didn't have and Nepal Rupees yet) that I passed out as the car left with the kids holding onto the windows reaching their hands in.
The 15-20 minute drive into town was another reintroduction. Most of the roads are narrow and deeply rutted. They drive on the left (hard to tell!) and very chaotic. The music of Kathmandu is the horn. Everyone honks all the time for all reasons. We survived and arrived at Hotel Lily. They were all very friendly. We have a fifth floor room in Thamel. We have two single beds, TV with satellite (CNN,BBC,Cartoon Network, and a few other English channels) and toilet with hot shower. It is interesting that there is no separate shower, it just comes out of the wall and you shower standing next to the toilet (it is not a squat!). There is also a lovely garden terrace on the roof with good views of the city.
We wandered through the Thamel area in the evening and had dinner at one of the many restaurants. The Thamel area is where most tourist stay and there are dozens of places to eat. It is almost shocking how cheap everything is. We had a huge dinner (we both had Indian with lots of rice and naan and diet Coke all for about $10. It was excellent!) Again we had the shock of poor kids begging, mothers all pleading. Also all the guys in the street trying to sell treks.
This morning we met the wife of the owner of the hotel. He is in Japan on business. We had tea and she confirmed what you can already tell. Business and tourism in the country is way off. She said they only had a few rooms with guests. She then invited us to go with her to their family new year celebration in a town just outside the city. It is new year for her caste and they have a big party every year. She is from the Chantyaal caste. We took a cab out. They had set up in a field in the town. There were at least a hundred people and they are all part of the same extended family. They are from the far west "one day bus trip, two day walk". They had some music and a lot of speeches by the elder men, all in Nepalese
There was also a big archery contest with the men. They were shooting from at least 50 meters (much farther than I have shot). They all had homemade bows and arrows. They are well made. It didn't take a lot of pressure to get the arrow very far. They asked if I wanted to try. Emma was worried about me trying as the rest of the party was right on the edge of the shooting area, no buffer area. They agreed it might not be a good idea for me to take my first shots from so far with so many innocents nearby. I did get to shoot a few arrows from about 15 meters. While I didn't hit the target, I didn't injure anyone. The guys shooting were very good. They had two teams and would go several hours. There was money in it for the top shooters.
A few of her nieces were studying English in school and had a good time practicing with us. One of the men had been with the Ghurkas and lived in England for 12 years. After several hours we walked back to town, had another wonderful dinner, including steak, for even cheaper than the night before. We then wandered the roads down to Durbar Square and back.
That was the excitement Monday night (Jan 13) at Heathrow. While we already had a planned destination (Kathmandu), it was probably the most exotic place on the board and we had no schedule. We were off for four months to wander and explore. We could stay as long as we liked, change our plan to suit our mood or if we learned of somewhere we hadn't heard of.
We flew on Qatar Airways to Doha, Qatar, had a short layover, transferred planes and flew into Kathmandu. (Qatar Airways is a very good airlines. Good service and quality. The Doha airport is very small with only a few gates. The Airbus 330 was the only large aircraft in the airport that early on a Tuesday morning. You could see several US C17 and C130 aircraft at the far end of the airport. Qatar has been a base for US forces building up in the Middle East. Just a reminder of what was going on in the world.) I was surprised to learn that Qatar Airways has a daily flight from Doha to Kathmandu. The flight was close to full so they obviously have enough business. The view as we came into Kathmandu was spectacular. It looked as if we were flying level with the mountains as we were still cruising at 33,000 feet. As we descended in, the scenery of the hills and houses perched on them and the terraced fields was spectacular.
The airport was very small and we were the only flight arriving. Getting bags and through customs was uneventful. There was a car from the hotel waiting just as arranged.
It was a reintroduction to Asia as we were hounded by kids wanting to carry our bags and once in the car they all wanted money. The guy from the hotel said not to give any but when you are not used to it you feel bad. I still had some English coins ( We didn't have and Nepal Rupees yet) that I passed out as the car left with the kids holding onto the windows reaching their hands in.
The 15-20 minute drive into town was another reintroduction. Most of the roads are narrow and deeply rutted. They drive on the left (hard to tell!) and very chaotic. The music of Kathmandu is the horn. Everyone honks all the time for all reasons. We survived and arrived at Hotel Lily. They were all very friendly. We have a fifth floor room in Thamel. We have two single beds, TV with satellite (CNN,BBC,Cartoon Network, and a few other English channels) and toilet with hot shower. It is interesting that there is no separate shower, it just comes out of the wall and you shower standing next to the toilet (it is not a squat!). There is also a lovely garden terrace on the roof with good views of the city.
We wandered through the Thamel area in the evening and had dinner at one of the many restaurants. The Thamel area is where most tourist stay and there are dozens of places to eat. It is almost shocking how cheap everything is. We had a huge dinner (we both had Indian with lots of rice and naan and diet Coke all for about $10. It was excellent!) Again we had the shock of poor kids begging, mothers all pleading. Also all the guys in the street trying to sell treks.
This morning we met the wife of the owner of the hotel. He is in Japan on business. We had tea and she confirmed what you can already tell. Business and tourism in the country is way off. She said they only had a few rooms with guests. She then invited us to go with her to their family new year celebration in a town just outside the city. It is new year for her caste and they have a big party every year. She is from the Chantyaal caste. We took a cab out. They had set up in a field in the town. There were at least a hundred people and they are all part of the same extended family. They are from the far west "one day bus trip, two day walk". They had some music and a lot of speeches by the elder men, all in Nepalese
There was also a big archery contest with the men. They were shooting from at least 50 meters (much farther than I have shot). They all had homemade bows and arrows. They are well made. It didn't take a lot of pressure to get the arrow very far. They asked if I wanted to try. Emma was worried about me trying as the rest of the party was right on the edge of the shooting area, no buffer area. They agreed it might not be a good idea for me to take my first shots from so far with so many innocents nearby. I did get to shoot a few arrows from about 15 meters. While I didn't hit the target, I didn't injure anyone. The guys shooting were very good. They had two teams and would go several hours. There was money in it for the top shooters.
A few of her nieces were studying English in school and had a good time practicing with us. One of the men had been with the Ghurkas and lived in England for 12 years. After several hours we walked back to town, had another wonderful dinner, including steak, for even cheaper than the night before. We then wandered the roads down to Durbar Square and back.
Retro Travelogue Blog-What is it?
28 July 2009
In October 2002, two months after we got married, Emma left her job as an attorney in San Fransisco and I quit my job as a Purchasing Manager in Silicon Valley and we went walkabout. On November 1, with the car overflowing, we left our apartment and headed south on the first leg of our journey. We had a few adventures as we drove down south and then across the US to Minneapolis. We then flew to England at the beginning of Dec. On January 13, 2003 we left from London to begin our big adventure. Our first stop was in Kathmandu, Nepal. We spent five months travelling through Asia before we returned to England to settle down in London, find jobs and get the house fixed up.
During our trip, blogs were still in the future. We kept handwritten journals of our adventures. Every few days we would find an Internet cafe and send out an email with a summary of what we were up to. When we left on the trip we didn't even have a digital camera. ( That is another task of mine, to get all our photos into digital form so we can share those too. You are always welcome to stop by and look at our albums.) Times have changed and Emma keeps reminding me that another goal of mine was to transfer the journals into digital format so we can save them and share them. The purpose of this blog is to relive our big adventure. I am really writing for us, but many friends and family enjoyed our emails and expressed interest in knowing more about what we did and saw. My aim is to just put down what we wrote in our journals, without changing anything. I will try to correct spelling but write everything else as we recorded it, without fixing mistakes or misperceptions we may find through hindsight. This means you can relive the whole experience; the mundane and boring, as well as the humorous and adventurous. Mostly we wrote by candlelight, a small bulb or our headlamps. We sat on small beds, tiny plastic chairs or on the ground. My journal is unreadable except sometimes by me. Our trip was six years ago so take any travel details or prices with that in mind.
Excluding our flights there and back, our target budget was $50 a day including lodging, food, entertainment and all activities. We were budget backpackers and after five months we pretty much stayed on budget. Emma started her journal on Nov 1, 2002 when we left Millbrae, California. I did not begin mine until we left the UK for Asia on Jan 13, 2003. Emma's journal ran out in March and I kept writing until we got back to England. For now I will start when we left England. I hope you enjoy our experiment with our retro-travelogue blog. This blog is dedicated my wonderful wife and the extraordinary five months we spent together on the road at the beginning of 2003. Relive our big adventure with us and remember, it is never too late to get up and go!
In October 2002, two months after we got married, Emma left her job as an attorney in San Fransisco and I quit my job as a Purchasing Manager in Silicon Valley and we went walkabout. On November 1, with the car overflowing, we left our apartment and headed south on the first leg of our journey. We had a few adventures as we drove down south and then across the US to Minneapolis. We then flew to England at the beginning of Dec. On January 13, 2003 we left from London to begin our big adventure. Our first stop was in Kathmandu, Nepal. We spent five months travelling through Asia before we returned to England to settle down in London, find jobs and get the house fixed up.
During our trip, blogs were still in the future. We kept handwritten journals of our adventures. Every few days we would find an Internet cafe and send out an email with a summary of what we were up to. When we left on the trip we didn't even have a digital camera. ( That is another task of mine, to get all our photos into digital form so we can share those too. You are always welcome to stop by and look at our albums.) Times have changed and Emma keeps reminding me that another goal of mine was to transfer the journals into digital format so we can save them and share them. The purpose of this blog is to relive our big adventure. I am really writing for us, but many friends and family enjoyed our emails and expressed interest in knowing more about what we did and saw. My aim is to just put down what we wrote in our journals, without changing anything. I will try to correct spelling but write everything else as we recorded it, without fixing mistakes or misperceptions we may find through hindsight. This means you can relive the whole experience; the mundane and boring, as well as the humorous and adventurous. Mostly we wrote by candlelight, a small bulb or our headlamps. We sat on small beds, tiny plastic chairs or on the ground. My journal is unreadable except sometimes by me. Our trip was six years ago so take any travel details or prices with that in mind.
Excluding our flights there and back, our target budget was $50 a day including lodging, food, entertainment and all activities. We were budget backpackers and after five months we pretty much stayed on budget. Emma started her journal on Nov 1, 2002 when we left Millbrae, California. I did not begin mine until we left the UK for Asia on Jan 13, 2003. Emma's journal ran out in March and I kept writing until we got back to England. For now I will start when we left England. I hope you enjoy our experiment with our retro-travelogue blog. This blog is dedicated my wonderful wife and the extraordinary five months we spent together on the road at the beginning of 2003. Relive our big adventure with us and remember, it is never too late to get up and go!
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