Back in Launceston …..

Marilyn and I both came back from Nepal with the notorious stomach bug. Marilyn had hers for a few days before we left but mine burst upon the scene on the second-last day. It’s inevitable, I suppose, that travelers to countries like Nepal will get some level of stomach problems.

It’s been a week since we left and we’re both pretty well back to normal.

I’ve been giving some thought to the trip, trying to put it into some context. Some of our initial thoughts about Nepal are not particularly positive. Perhaps it was a mistake to take us to the three sites at the beginning of the trip which were so confronting. The number of beggars at the Monkey Temple and Durbar Square was very distressing and the sight and smell of burning bodies at Pashputinath was very challenging to our Western sensibilities. We also found the dirtiness and shabbiness of Kathmandu hard to accept. We saw locals dropping rubbish in the street without any sense of responsibility nor pride in their environment. The rivers are appalling and seem to be treated as rubbish tips. Even in some of their high-level tourist attractions rubbish had accumulated.


Of course, there were some wonderful highlights during the remainder of our trip: the lovely town of Pokhara, the spectacular Annapurna Range, the beautiful rivers, and the Chitwan National Park. However, our last memory of Nepal was also negative: the inadequate and sub-standard international airport. Clearly, it is not set up to deal with reasonably large numbers of departing passengers and, if the government’s hope of doubling their number of tourists in 2011 is to be reached, something will have to be done about the infrastructure.


When we arrived at the airport, there were hundreds of people milling around outside. We had to fight through that crowd before we even made it into the airport building and then it was a matter of following the lines of other departing passengers, with no real understanding of what the procedure was. At each checkpoint, we received a rubber stamp from an official in pseudo-military uniform, complete with beret. When we reached the boarding gate, it seemed we had missed one stamp so Marilyn had to go back to the Immigration and bully her way to the front of the line so that our cards could be stamped.

It was a total schemozzle and our anxiety about possibly missing the plane was wasted. They were still boarding passengers an hour after the scheduled take-off time. These were obviously the less assertive ones who just went with the flow and were held up. Some I recognized as being close to us in the line at the beginning but clearly not as adept at making their way forward.


So, we had a less-than-perfect beginning and a best-forgotten ending. Overall, was it worth it? Oh, yes! It was worth every anxious moment, every negative second, every dodgy meal, every bumpy road. To stand at the foot of Nilgiri, and look up and up to the clouds at the top; to walk along an ancient mountain trail and see the town of Marpha; to sit on the back of an elephant and experience the sight of a prehistoric animal like the rhinoceros, with a baby, no less; to sit in the back seat of a Twin Otter flying between two of the world’s highest peaks and land on a too-short runway; and to fly alongside Everest and see the Khumbu glacier which I read about as a starry-eyed kid, are memories I’ll cherish forever.

We experienced perfect weather during our stay. Our flight around Everest was on the clearest day for weeks, our flights to and from Jomsom were not affected by cloud or mist and every sight-seeing day was in bright sunshine. We saw a rhinoceros on our elephant ride, even though none had been seen for days. We used to joke that we were enjoying our good fortune because Kumari, the living child-goddess had made an appearance on the day we visited Durbar Square.
Whatever the reason, we know that many of the good experiences we had could have been so different.

So, here we are back in Launceston. Marilyn had arranged that she would be going in to hospital to have a knee replacement just a couple of days after we arrived so she is there now, after a successful operation on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, I’m staying with Jamie and twiddling my thumbs until Marilyn is released and we can get on with the next stage of our retirement journey. The caravan is still in storage and, as soon as I have a date for Marilyn’s discharge, I will get it set up and put on-site somewhere.

She has allowed herself just five weeks for recovery and has promised her father we will spend Christmas with him in Mudgee. Until then, we have no plans and will see how circumstances unfold.

Farewell to Nepal

On our last night in Kathmandu, Anne read us a poem she had written to celebrate our trip. Here it is:

Nepal

Never ending peace and love
Where mountains peek through clouds above
In order to see this wonderful view
We flew to the capital Kathmandu

Our sightseeing tour included world heritage Durbar Square
Swayambunath with prayer flags everywhere
At Pashupatinath we saw funerals conducted with care
And photographed Sadhus with long matted hair

Raj droves us to Pokhara the very next day and the weather was fine
The naughty girls sat in the back drinking wine
Then off to Jomson to spend a few nights
I think all would agree, two spectacular flights

We trekked amidst mountains dusted with snow
The fabulous”D.P.” showed us where to go
Back to Pokhara, a good place for a break
A Melbourne Cup luncheon was held by the lake

We went to Riverside Springs near Kurintar
Visited a temple by a huge cable car
Then to the jungle, culture and dancing the very first night
Rhino Residency proved to be a delight

On an elephant safari we made our way
A rhino and baby the highlight of the day
Back to Kathmandu by a very short flight
In time for the festival of colour and light

We’ve had some very early mornings it has to be said
But for Everest we think it was worth leaving your bed
We enjoyed the history and peace of Bhaktapur Square
And at Bodnath, all felt the power of prayer

We’ve shared great experiences, had lots of fun
And you’all been great, each and every one
Trish was very gracious about the change of plan
Said I’ll just do trekking wherever I can


Marilyn made sure we did it in style
When we had to “dress up” once in a while
John has a great sense of humour and wit
He thought the “wafer thin” desserts were a great hit

Martin was known as “the repair man”
If he can’t fix it, then nobody can
Sue is compassionate and likes to do what she can
So we all went to see children in the town of Patan

During the day, Rhonda was quiet and serene
But at night she turned into the dancing queen
Dianne was our connoisseur of wine
She soon had the waiters whipped into line

Beth views life in such a positive way
Determined to make the most of each day
Unfortunately our time together ends
But we will go home having made new friends

Tomorrow we go to the airport and bid each other adieu
And may the blessing of Kumari go home with you

Monday, 8th November …..

This is our last big day in Nepal. Our itinerary lists that we will visit the mediaeval city of Bakhtapur, one of the three ancient cities of Nepal and Bodhnath, one of the largest stupas in the world.


We left early so as to avoid as much of the morning traffic as possible but even getting out of Thamel was difficult. Nepali drivers must be the most inconsiderate in the world. More than once we were held up because a mini-bus or taxi had stopped at the kerb with its tail stuck out in the traffic, making it impossible for anyone to pass. And, again, more than once, the traffic was jammed by a motorist who had pushed his nose into a gap, locking everybody up, unable to move. The motor-cyclists are horrendous. They ignore all common sense and consideration, honking their horns to demand right of way, whether they deserve it or not. I couldn’t drive here; I would resort to direct action and would probably find myself arrested.

It’s not much fun walking around Thamel. You have to be on your guard at all times because of the irritating honking and dangerous driving of the idiot motor-cyclists, who seem to spend their whole lives zooming around the streets harassing the tourists.


Anyway, off to Bhaktapur, a much quieter little city and very interesting. It has its own Durbar Square but without the distressing beggars of Kathmandu.There were some lovely little streets and, right in the middle were working farms, with haystacks, rice being dried in the sun and so on. Some new buildings were being erected, in the traditional Newar style –very nice!

We were given time off for a coffee break and found a Rotary poster in the coffee shop. It turned out that the proprietor is a Rotarian and was pleased to talk to us and give us some information about his club. He also has a guest house and hoped we would come back to stay with him in the future.

One of the main attractions of Durbar Square is the Art School where artists are trained in traditional skills. We watched a master artist completing a mandala. It seems there are seven stages in the process, with only the final stage being carried out by the master, using gold and a 1- or 2-hair brush. It takes about 47 hours to complete one mandala.


Marilyn watched the artist, amazed, and commented, ‘I feel an art purchase coming on.’ So, these two grey nomads who already have a collection of modern works and no house to hang them in, now have a beautiful mandala as well, and nowhere to hang it.

Bakhtapur’s Durbar Square was a welcoming place and we would recommend it to anyone.

Sue and Martin had invited us to join them in a visit to an orphanage supported by some Australian friends so we diverted the bus a few kilometers so we could all go together. What a delightful place. The rest of the party had brought gifts from Australia for the children but Marilyn and I bought ice-creams and gave a donation to the director to buy anything particularly needed.


It was a great place to visit and a pleasure to see the children, from infants up to young adults, getting such a good start in life, in a loving, supportive environment.

We were running a bit late by the time we arrived at Bodhnath. This is a place of prayer, and people flock there to be part of it. Many walk clockwise around the stupa to pray (only ignorant tourists walk anti-clockwise). There are prayer wheels, and people chanting. Of course, there are innumerable shops and stalls, selling everything imaginable.


For a concentrated look at what Nepal is all about, you could do worse than spend an hour at Bodhnath.

Sunday, 7th November …..

This is listed on our itinerary as a leisure day but all of us opt for a flight around Everest. We had booked for today and for the 9th just in case the weather was not kind. This trip is a bit like Cradle Mountain or Milford Sound where you only get a small number of clear days each year.

The sky was cloudy when we got up (at 5 o’clock!) but everyone was confident so we headed for the airport. I think there were five flights scheduled, three by Yeti Air (isn’t that a great name?) and 2 by Buddha Air. Our Yeti flight was the third to be called and we trooped on to the Jetstream F4. They only sell window seats so we all had a great view. Marilyn and I were sitting over the wing but it didn’t matter as we all moved around when the seat belt sign was turned off.

The weather was sparkling and the mountains were enormous. The pilot flew along the range, then turned 360o so that people on both sides of the plane could have a good view. She (yes, the pilot’s name was Sabina!) flew as close as possible to the mountains so that we could see every details of the rocks, snow fields and glaciers. The hostie had a bit more to do on this flight. After handing out the obligatory mints (we didn’t get cotton wool because the Jestream is pressurized) she took us all one-by-one into the pilots’ cabin where we had a front-on view of the mountains and an explanation from the First Officer about what we could see. All-in-all, a memorable experience!

We had started out so early that we were still able to have breakfast when we returned to the hotel and the rest of the day just seemed to merge into one meal after another. The evening meal was enjoyed at a quite expensive Thai restaurant which cost us a total of $52.

Saturday, November 6th …..

At 8 o’clock, our guide is standing by, binoculars around his neck. I look the part, too, with the wonderful Bushnells given to me by the Giant Steps’ parents. We wander along the road, listening for birdcalls and getting the details from Hem (his name was much more complicated than this but he was happy with Hem). He would say Common Stone Chat and flick open his bird book to show us the picture. Right every time!

It was a bit ho hum while we were in the village but when we headed down to the river, things started to improve. We saw birds called treepies, a buzzard and a very rare Black Stork. Even Hem was impressed as they are an endangered species and not often seen. We saw a bird called a Greenshank, a Brown Heron with green legs which he called the magic bird because it changed colour when it flew, and a green pigeon with yellow legs.

Hem also showed us Magnetic Grass. He cut two stems which are like very thin bamboo. Steve and Ann held the two sticks by the ends and about 10cm apart. After a few minutes the middles of the two sticks started to move together and touched, with no assistance from Ann and Steve.

Our stay here has been fantastic, very well organized and busy but still with time for a dip in the pool. Even though the climate is quite tropical, we can still see the Himalayas in the distance. The food has been excellent and all included in the cost of our trip. This is certainly a place we would have no hesitation in visiting again.

However, it’s now time to head off to the airport for the short trip back to Kathmandu. The plane is a little larger, a Jetstream F4 and soon has us back on the ground. It’s the Deepawali Festival in Nepal at the moment and Kathmandu is decorated for the occasion. There are lights on all the buildings, small business all have small mandalas made of coloured rice at their front door, and even our hotel has a rice decoration in the foyer.

Tonight, we go to the Rum Doodle Bar. I was introduced to a fabulous book, The Ascent of Rum Doodle, at Chakola more than 35 years ago. It’s a spoof of the era of the English gentleman mountaineer around the 30s and 40s. The heroes of the book are attempting to climb the world’s highest mountain, Rum Doodle which is 40000 ½ feet high. They have a doctor who is always sick but ‘has been high’, a navigator who is always lost, but ‘has been high’, and a leader who is always meditating on the responsibilities of leadership and bringing up the rear. It’s a cult book among mountaineers and the Rum Doodle Bar is a Kathmnandu institution.

People who have conquered Everest can always get a free drink there and serious expeditions are invited to fill in their details on cardboard footprints which decorate the walls and ceiling. I found a Joe Christie had been there, and Edmund Hillary, Chris Bonnington, Rob Hall and many others.

It was great to be there to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the great food.

Friday, 6th November …..

We had passed a few elephants last night on our way to the riverbank but today we travelled for about an hour by dugout canoe (yes, all of us were in just one canoe) to the Elephant Breeding Centre. We saw some beautiful birds on the trip including a coucal, kingfishers and drongos. From the river, we had a forty-five minute walk through the jungle to get to the centre. All along the way we watched out for animals but saw nothing except piles of rhino and elephant dung of various ages. However, it was a fantastic walk.

The highlight of the visit to the Breeding Centre is to see the twin baby elephants who are only one year old. We were told that twins are very rare and this pair might be the first ones bred in captivity. Who cares about records; they were delightful.

I thought nothing could beat the majestic presence of the elephants but we met a goat on our way out of the Centre who stole the show. She had set herself up(yes, she must have been a female) on the base of a water tower and preened herself with all the elegance of a super model. She sat with front legs crossed and stretched her neck up and around drawing attention to her good points. I had never thought of goats as being pretty animals but this creature was strangely attractive.

We had a short walk to reach our jeep and we crossed the river on a very interesting footbridge whose pathway was made of sandbags. There was a school group playing in the river, boys to the left of the bridge, girls to the right, and the teachers were tearing their hair out trying to keep the boys and girls separate. There was much whistle-blowing and gesturing and shouting.

Next stop was to the riverbank again to see an elephant being washed. Once upon a time, tourists were invited to join but the danger of accident was too great and it is now ‘Forbidden’. One mahout had trained his elephant to take bank notes from a tourist’s hand and pass it up to him and he was doing quite well from this little sideline.

We gathered mid-afternoon for the elephant ride. I’ve never been in such an uncomfortable position. There was a metal box on the back of the elephant with webbing on the bottom. Four people sat, one in each corner, with their legs on either side of a square metal post – no footrests and no padding. The trip was over an hour and was up and down, into and out of gullies, through the river and on narrow forest tracks. I was worried about being caught up in one of the many leaf-cutter ants’ nests as the elephant blundered about.

Our objective was to watch out for wildlife and we saw lots of deer, various birds, including a superb jungle fowl, and monkeys but our hope was to see a rhinoceros and/or a tiger. Chitwan is one of the last refuges of these two endangered species and they are under constant threat from poachers. A dead rhino was found on the boundary of the park last week but rangers don’t believe it was a victim of poaching as the horns and feet were intact.

The chances of seeing either one of the animals is remote. They are both shy and the last sighting of a tiger was four months ago. However, against all the odds, we did come across a rhinoceros and her three-month old baby. What a treat and to see it from the back of an elephant was even more special.

I thought that getting into the elephant howdah was difficult but getting out was even more painful. I had to go first which was unbelievably difficult. I was jammed in by three other bottoms and I had to push myself to my feet while trying to extricate my legs which were just hanging down and not able to lend any assistance. Finally, I came out like a cork out of a bottle, and having bent my legs in strange ways. Not a comfortable trip but seeing the rhinos was worth every ache and pain.

That evening, our ubiquitous guide offered a slide show showing the wildlife of the reserve. It was very academic and his accent was a little difficult but he certainly knew his stuff. We clearly impressed him with our interest and he offered to take us on a bird-spotting walk in the morning. We don’t need to leave until 10.30 so we’ll meet him at 8.00 after an early breakfast.

What a great day!

Thursday, November 4th …..

It was an uneventful trip from Kurintar to Sauraha, over one of the worst bits of road I’ve encountered. It’s just as well we will be flying to Kathmandu after our three days here because I’m told it might take 6 hours by road.

This region is obviously more fertile than the area around Jomsom and is covered with a variety of crops. The rice is being harvested and the rice stalks are being piled into stacks, I suppose for winter feed for the animals.

Chitwan National Park has many resorts but we’re booked into one of the bigger ones – the Chitwan Rhino Residency. Our rooms are built in a circle so we’re all pretty close to each other and near the pool and dining room. We arrive in time for lunch then it’s off, by a wagon pulled by oxen to visit a local village of the Tharu community who fled from India many generations ago but have maintained much of their culture and language. Their houses traditionally are daubed with a mixture of clay and dung and many are built on stilts to avoid the annual monsoonal flooding.

Those villagers who can afford it have installed methane generators like the one in the picture. The dung is in a pit covered by the rectangular blocks you can see. Extra dung is added through the circular concrete pipe and the gas is fed to the house via the galvanized pipe. Apparently, the system will last indefinitely.
On the way back, couple of kids jump on the bak of the wagon for a ride, and maybe in the hope of a few rupees. No such luck! We're asked not to give them money as it teaches them to be beggars.

They are a very attractive people and hard-working. The guide who takes us to the village is a very precise man and very knowledgeable. I know you can see Asperger’s Syndrome in almost everyone but this man is a classic case. On the way back from the village he took us to the riverbank to watch the sunset, telling us about local birds on the way. He turns up again in the evening introducing a cultural show which features the young men of the village. It was quite impressive and obviously well-rehearsed, but tomorrow is the big day for us – we are going to see more elephants than you can imagine.

Wednesday, 3rd November …..

The roads in Nepal are typical of a third world country: narrow, poorly maintained and inadequate for the amount of vehicles they carry. There seems to be an inexhaustible supply of small buses and 5-tonne trucks which rush along trying to keep to an impossible schedule.

On our road trip from Kathmandu to Pokhara, we were astounded at the risks taken the drivers of these vehicles and nothing was different on our trip from Pokhara to Kurintar. There was one nice interlude. We were stopped a couple of times by groups of young people who had strung a rope across the road and were stopping traffic asking for donations to assist their school.

At the second stop, we noticed a group of women sitting by the side of the road singing and dancing. Sue had already asked if we could stop somewhere so that she could stretch her legs and this was as good a place as any. The dancers among us couldn’t resist and joined in. A good picture opportunity!

We arrived at Riverside Springs Resort in time for lunch, then jumped in the bus for a 5-minute drive to the Manakamana Cable Car which is an extraordinary thing to find in such a remote spot. It’s a terrific ride across a river and up a mountain where there is a famous Hindu temple.

The prices were interesting. Clearly foreigners can afford to pay more and it’s only 150 rupees for a goat. Of course, goats only travel one way as they are being taken up to the temple to be sacrificed.

We couldn’t believe the crowd and the activity around the temple. Lots of people were sacrificing chickens and goats so we had a quick look and left them to get on with it.

On the way back down, we found ourselves sharing a car with an old man and his two grand-daughters. One of the girls told us she worked in Dubai and only came home occasionally. Her parents had passed away and she came home to see the old man who was now 86. He was a Gurkha and had served in the Indian Army. We were quite honoured and asked if we could take his photograph.

Back to Riverside Springs for a swim (quite cool) and a good dinner. In the evening, we had a show-and-tell of good travel gadgets. Sue and Martin showed a suitcase organizer kit which they had purchased. It consists of some pouches to keep particular items together. There is one packet for shirts which includes a template for folding. It seems a pretty useful idea because our suitcases are always a shambles.

Sue and Martin also investigated suitcases and have a couple of very light ones, unlike ours which may about 4Kg each. Steve showed an immersion heater he carries and I showed my Bebook which I think is one of the best gadgets every invented for travelers. I have 20 books currently installed on the bebook and another 700 on the computer – all in a gadget which weights only a few ounces.

Tuesday, 2nd November …..

It’s Melbourne Cup Day in Australia so Marilyn decides we’re going to have a Melbourne Cup luncheon with Melbourne Cup hats to be worn by all. First, though, we have a tour of Pokhara to complete.

The guide is well-meaning and earnest and he has a busy agenda for us but we’re all anticipating lunch so he has a hard task ahead of him. First, he takes us through the Old Bazaar to show us the typical Newar architecture of the area, then to the Devi Falls and the Mahadev Cave. We hurry through these so we have time to visit a Tibetan Refugee Camp. Many Tibetans left their homeland when the Dalai Lama went into exile and have made their homes in Nepal. They welcome visitors and are set up to sell jewellery and other Tibetan souvenirs.

More interesting was the Tibetan Children’s Village which looks after orphaned or abandoned children. The village has a number of houses, each with five boys and five girls of varying ages, looked after by a House Mother. The village was very impressive and we took some photographs and made a donation.

The final item on the morning’s program was a visit to the Varahi Vandar Hindu Temple on an island in Phewa Ta Lake, only accessible by small wooden boat. This is a popular place for Hindus to visit and make sacrifices, but it was particularly busy today because scenes were being shot there for a film. The leading lady was very pretty but the leading man was a dork.

We filled in a half hour or so being paddled around the lake and then it was time to go to the Boomerang Café for the Melbourne Cup lunch. Everyone had made an effort with their hats and a good time was had by all. Ann and Steve had organized a sweep last night so we all had a vested interest in knowing who had won the race. Only Marilyn knew as she had received a text from Jamie during the morning (Melbourne is 5 hours 15 minutes ahead of Pokhara) and she kept the secret to herself for several hours.

As it happened, Ann’s horse won. I had drawn Shocking and So You Think and thought I might be in with a chance but could only get a third. Marilyn had drawn the last horse to finish so got her money back. Steve produced a bottle of bubbly for a toast, which capped a great event.

Most of us had a break during the afternoon although there are some world-class shoppers among our party who took the chance for some more retail therapy. During the evening we went around the corner to see a fantastic cultural show held at another hotel. We were offered a barbecue for 999 rupees, which included a drink. It was pretty ordinary but the management must have realized some of us were a little disappointed and offered us a free go at the buffet. Great stuff, including some excellent desserts!

So ended a better-than-average day. We leave Pokhara tomorrow on our way to Riverside Springs Resort at Kurintar. We had lunch here on the way from Kathmandu and we’re all looking forward to going back.

Monday, 1st November ….

I can’t help thinking that today is the last day of the Craft Fair in Deloraine, and by late-morning Nepal time, the Rotarians will be starting to pack up.

We’re up early to catch the first flights out of Jomsom. There had been a concern that three or four of our party would have to go out by 4WD because there was a lack of available seats on the planes. That would have been a disaster because the road is atrocious and the trip might have taken up to 8 hours, instead of a 20-minute flight. However, at the last minute, enough seats were found, so all is well. We’ll be on 2 separate planes but who cares.

I find the air service amazing, There are several airlines operating Twin Otters or similar planes. The pilots are extraordinary, having to cope with tight schedules and short runways. We watch the planes coming in between two peaks, both over 7000m. They hit the runway and apply full brakes, make a sharp left turn into the terminal and stop. The departing passengers are hustled out to stand under the wing while the arriving passengers jump out. Meanwhile, the luggage has been trundled out on porters’ trolleys and jammed into two little spaces at the front and back of the plane. No attempt is made to match up the luggage with the passenger and Marilyn and I watched our bag being loaded into a different airline. We’re all going to the same place so it doesn’t really matter.

Normal turn around is 5 minutes and the planes are back in the air. Flights to many parts of the Himalayas only happen in the morning. Often clouds or fog come down in the afternoon and the air is thinner when the sun warms it up. When you’re flying at a lower altitude to the surrounding peaks, it’s important to be able to see them.

Anyway, five of our party are shoved onto a Dornier of Agni Air which shoots off and we are hustled into a Twin Otter of Tara Air. Nepali Airlines also has a plane being loaded so it’s all a bit of a schemozzle. There are seats for twenty passengers on our plane but we only have 18. Marilyn and I are in the second-back seat and I can’t get my knees in. Not to worry! Just leave them in the aisle. The plane has a hostie in a nice uniform who only has two duties: shut the door and hand out mints and cotton wool (for ears)on departure. The door doesn’t fit properly and there is a cold draught coming through the cracks around the edges. Trekkers all seem to be enormous people and their luggage looks heavy too. I hope this thing can get off the ground.

But the scenery is spectacular and it’s only twenty minutes before we are safely back on terra firma.

I prefer Pokhara to Kathmandu. Pokhara is a much more relaxed town and the shopkeepers are not as aggressive as those in the capital. We return to the same hotel, pleased to see that a lot has been done in the few days we’ve been away. A lot of the rubbish has been removed and the garden is starting to take shape. We’re given a balcony room which is very comfortable.Nothing has been organized for this afternoon so Marilyn borrows an iron (very dodgy) from Reception then we head out to do some shopping. All prices are negotiable and we keep in mind that 700 rupees is only $10 so that becomes our benchmark.

While we were having morning tea we were amused by a boy and girl across the street. The girl played a drum and the boy danced and did contortions. They were both grubby but full of confidence and cheek. After a few minutes they ran around with two plates to collect donations. They were cheeky enough to come into our café, until they were hunted out by a waiter. We only saw one performance before the tourist policeman came along and moved them on, quite kindly.

Lunch was enjoyed at the Moonbeam Café and a less successful dinner at a Chinese Restaurant which had an undeserved good reputation. We walked home from the Chinese restaurant – it took about an hour because we had to look in every shop we passed, but a very pleasant walk nevertheless.

Sunday, 31st October …..

We had a very nice dinner last night, a little more expensive than we became used to in Kathmandu but still less than $50 for the two of us. We slept well with the wonderful hot water bottles and arose ready for a satisfying breakfast. The porridge isn’t bad but sweetened and that is not how I do it at home. My Scottish ancestors would spin in their graves if they knew I had given in to this Sassenach habit.

Some of us decide to walk down to the town of Jomsom to check it out and maybe have morning tea. A few hardy souls will push on to Thini, a nearby village but I intend to be back for lunch. The track between the resort and the road into town is steep and covered with big rocks. A decent four-wheel drive vehicle might cope but the resort prefers a wagon pulled by a tractor.

From the walking point of view, it is hard going down because of the loose rocks, and it is hard coming up because of the steep slope. Yesterday, we found the climb up the track at the end of our 10Km walk was the hardest part of the journey.

Marilyn has decided to stay at the resort and catch up on some writing. There is a swimming pool area which catches the sun so it’s a great place to while away the hours.

On the way down, someone asks Dippy about a large house we can see below us. His accent is a bit hard to follow but we thought he said it was the house of a polygamist who came from India for something to do with Buddhism. That would certainly explain why the house had so many rooms. Only later, we found out it was a Pilgrims’ House. I liked the original explanation better.

Jomsom is not a pretty town. Its existence depends on the airport and the tourists attracted by the Annapurna Circuit and the stunning scenery. There are some reasonable guest houses and restaurants, but not much else in the way of amenities. There is a bank and a couple of shops where you can buy basic groceries, batteries, etc but it is still a frontier town. When I went into the bank to change some money, they asked me to leave my walking stick at the door. Maybe they thought I had intentions to rob them. In fact, when I was standing at the tellers’ window, I couldn’t help but see piles of money on the floor around her feet.

We’re getting around 69 rupees to the dollar so coins are a waste of time. Most often, we don’t even get offered any change less than 5 rupees, which is their smallest note. A lot of the money is filthy and there doesn’t seem to be a process of removing dirty or damaged notes from circulation. There is a policy of removing old notes which have a picture of the deposed king but the new notes are already starting to show signs of wear.

I should mention walking sticks which are essential for any walking in this hilly country. They are like a ski pole but can be reduced in length for packing in a suitcase. I bought a pair for about $17 and they have made a tremendous difference over the rough ground. Most people use only one but, with practice, two can be handy, especially going downhill.

Tomorrow we catch an early flight back to Pokhara which in some ways will be disappointing. Being here on the the Annapurna Circuit is certainly special but the resort is cold and we’ve become too used to creature comforts. Even a wood fire to sit around would be great but we know that wood is too scarce in this country to waste it by using it to warm tourists.