Down frum zee mtz... sorta...

Howdy Folkz! Thank you all so much for the encouragin' and entertaining posts from the last couple o weeks. Its great to know you are enjoying the pics and vid and I've some great onez to share from this last bit (once I get to Kathmandu and have a connection that isn't dialup).... the last 14days have been spent on my own, up the Langtang Valley (it means lost yak... apparently a lama lost his yak and tracked it all the way to the end of this valley where he located it, skinned it (guess he was pissed??), laid the carcass out on a rock, and then the yak and rock merged together, hence tha big red/brown rock at the far end of the valley.... while i can neither confirm nor deny all that, i can tell ya that Langshisha Karka, where the rock is, be a darn cool place, figuratively and literally! Spent 3 nights/4 days up there, exploring the glaciers, moraines, and cirques. It is just indescribable, really, tho hopefully the vids will give ya(ll) a little taste of it. The immensity, ruggedness, and harshness of this high country is like nothing I have ever experienced before.
After the time up the Langshisha (which HW Tillman, one of the early western explorers, in the '50s, found to be prime Yeti habitat), i dropped back down to Kyanjin Gompa, the highest permanent settlement in the Lantang Valley, at 3730M.... still a pretty chilly spot, but with a stove, hot dahl bhat, ruckche (tha nepali moonshine aforementioned... ;-) ), and hospitable folkz to hang out with.
as the wx had been picture perfect for nearly a month, i decided to have a go at Ganja La, the 5000M pass to the south of Gompa that allows you to make a nice circuit out of the Langtang Valley trek (and one of the steeper and more difficult of the major passes in Nepal). Got myself off the trail and XC travellin within the first kilometer, and made a grand day out of what is usually a 4-5 hr trek to base camp for Ganja la (good vid on this forthcoming...:-) ). Anyhoo, next night found me camping at 5000M, just at the base of the pass, tryin to melt snow for h20 with a stove that was freezin up, skosh weather conditions, and just an all around COLD night. Next morning brought more clouds, clouds brought snow, and snow brought me back down the mtn... pronto! Twas an invigorating adventure, lemme tell ya. (another good vid to share w. ya, meebee one pic for today from this?)
Anyhoo, headed back down the low route to Syabrubesi, where I started my Langtang trek, taking a couple of days to get there, stopping in to see many of the great folks I'd met on the way up (one meets so many more locals w/o a guide and really gets a taste for the culture, learns some language, and just all around melds betta with the experience, i'm finding).
Writing you here from Syabrubesi, where the weather is warm (30deg. can feel really warm, believe me ;-)), the food is cheap, and green things grow. One more rest day here, then its back up the trail a bit to Gosainkund Lakes (a sacred site for both Hindus and Buddhists and just all around beautiful area, I'm told), over Laurenbina La pass (only 4600M, this one, and much easier going), and walkin back down twd Kathmandu... bout 8 trail days in all and it avoids the 9 hr bus ride that brings one to Syabrubesi (over some rds that really aren't made for buses, or anything beyond a jeep or mountain bike, actually). Excited to be back out in it all, and for some serious grub in Kathmandu in a weeks time. Until next time, folks- eat some beast and take a really long, hot, nice shower for me... (it'd been 15 days w/o when I rolled into town last eve.... mmmmm hhmmmm, smellin good!) ;-)

Ka-Ka-Ka-Ka-Kathmandu.....

you know it, you love it, Bob Seeger..... guessing it was a pretty hip place, back in tha day, and its still got its character, but man, there are ALOT of two leggedz running round thiz place, folks, lotz uv em!
gotta say the return to Kath, after being in country for bout a month now, was a bit less shocking than the initial visit, but not seein any permanent roots in this place.
Spent the day wandering around the city, finding my way to a supermarket (not so easy when the street signs (when they exist) are in Nepali script, and not a lotta folks speak english, once you're outta the tourist ghetto...
good people tho, and thru a combination of gesturez, mime-ing (is that the same thing??), and repeating thiings in english 10x (why don't they understand?? don't ya'll speak american? ;-) ) i mananged to find my way around (and escaped gettin my camera confiscated for pulling it out to take a picture of the apocalyptic traffic in what was apparently a no photo zone near the police headquarters.... i later saw the sign 200m down the rd.... silly tourist).... managed a ride on tha back of a motorbike (wasn't planning that one, and don't plan ta repeat it... walkin in this place is bad enough!)
on that subject, just read that one is 30X more likely to die in a traffic accident in nepal than any developed country, which, i figure, means I'm safer climbing the south face of annapurna than hangin out in this melee for any length 'o time. :-)
my three week search for a Nepali equivalent for Heet (methyl alcohol) finally paid off today as well... tried every hardware store, motorcycle shop, supermarket, you name it between here and Annapurna with no success....turns out all ya gotta do is go to the drugstore- distilled spirits... pure alcohol... schaweet! (tho ya don't wanna drink it, methyl, not ethyl... remember curious george?? - its for primin my stove... the kerosene here is pretty crude) Apparently the mtn folk make their own "loose alcohol" (draw yer own conclusions as to the orgins of namesake) ... similar to tha moonshine back home, and just as illegal, but the Nepali lawdawgz have their hands full keepin more pressin matters at bay.... might have to switch to tha white lightnin once i burn thru this... would be a lot more versatile in staying warm, eh??
'nuff ranting and rambling for tonight, ya'll got a few more loose ends to wrap up before headin out to Langtang/Helambu/Gosakund circuit on Thurs. Gonna be a 18ish day trek, lotsa mts, lotsa cold mtn air, very few oxygen wasters.... ahhhh.....
Until when-
glen

Pokhara day 4....

yeppers, still here gang, feeding my face and living tha easy life that is big city pokhara, home of cheap internet, yummy grub and awesome mtn views.
figuring to get outta town tamara, possibly the next, enroute to Kathmandu (via 7 hrs on the bus) :-0 then on to trekking in the Langtang valley region a day or so after that.
last couple of days have been a rollercoaster ride.
on one end, the highs of bike riding on the crazy rds here, climbin some cool singletrack on a really, really crappy mt bike (its probably been around longer than i've been riding), and having as much fun as one possibly can cycling. (here's some video that'll give you a little glimpse of the ride and general chaos here).
THIS IS THE RIDE OUT TO THE TRAILHEAD LEADING TO POKHARA PEACE PAGODA, ON A HILL OVERLOOKING THE CITY AND FEWA LAKE

HERE WE ARE ON THA TRAIL....

HEADING BACK DOWN THE RD FROM PEACE PAGODA....

On the other end of things, been dealing with payment for my guide (he's not diggin the goin rate that guides get here), general tourist scams around town, and all that other stuff that comes along with travel in another culture of which one has only the slightest understanding, and a grasp of none of the nuances.
all in all tho, i find myself learnin lots, diggin the experience, and jones'n to get back in the mts soon. BTW, PUT UP SOME PICS ON THE OLDER POSTS "MANANG MADNESS" AND "MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM JOMSOM"-
until next time...
the next generation of guides, and my accomplicies in finding the peace pagoda (in the far background). they seemed satisfied with a cold drink and few rupees at tha top...

Happy New Year from Pokhara!

Heya Folks! Yeah, bit late on the new years greetings, I suppose, but just getting back to "civilization" here in good 'ol Knee-Paul.... ;-)

THESE LITTLE GUYS ARE AWAITING IN EACH VILLAGE AND SUCH A BOOST TO TRAIL WEARY SPIRITS-

SUNRISE OVER THE CLOUDDECK, NEPAL STYLE

Been an awesome journey these last 10 days or so, going from the warmth, fruit and flowers of Tatopani back into the high country. Krishna and I made our way to Annapurna Base camp without problem (and only a little snow 'n food poisoning).

Twas an amazing place, nestled in an ampitheatre at a bit over 4000m, surrounded by 7-8000m peaks, including Annapurna I, still one of the most difficult (i.e. dangerous) mountaineering feats on the planet. The area is known for its avalanches, and tho the trail in is safe right now (very little new snow, espec. for mid winter) I was lucky enough to see a big avalanche high on Annapurna south.... very, very impressive, to say the least.

We were back down the mtn in around 3 days, stopping at yet another hot springs on the trip out (Sinuwa is the place name for those interested). This one less institutional, miles from the nearest road, and delightful for trail weary bodies!

ABOVE PIC IS ANNAPURNA SANCTUARY FROM POON HILL-

After a last soak yesterday morn, we hoofed it for the trailhead at Naya Pul, and caught a taxi into town. Where else can you hire a cab for a 40+ km trip thru the mts for $6 US?? Amazing, these drivers are, and yet again, we escaped w/o incident, tho I think Krishna was a bit white knucked for most of the ride (and the silly westerner was too dumb to know any better.... all driving here is complete chaos and trust in angel wings, imo). ;-)

I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THIS WILDMAN IS....

Anyhoo, we've been making up for lost calories and generally just bummin around Pokhara for today (and lookin for a warmer sleeping bag... did I mention just how friggin' cold it is up there??? yes, yes, perhaps i did)...

I must mention the UK charity Seeing Hands, a nonprofit massage school here in town that teaches massage (and really good english skills) to blind nepali folks. Made it in for a workover this afternoon.... so impressed! One of the top massages I've gotten anywhere. These amazing souls are truly seeing with their hands and seem to find all the tight spots without exception.... wow. I'll be seeing this place multiple times thruout the journey.... no doubt.

Lots more to tell, but wanna try to put up some pics, so I'll post again soon...

peace