tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32507946111268873892024-02-23T02:42:49.546+08:00On My WayAlicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-31679516965981234962022-12-31T19:48:00.003+08:002022-12-31T19:56:14.562+08:00Everest Base Camp 5364m before 50<span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1e2x_dV4wOeA5vprhuxJB8WshBOSxT6VuereCfnnYPIyNVUgFKIEEQO2xjMN2VouaGcPpjXFlSRyy597nAQnEZEwBsVakslj1N_7AECIFaV0Ha5cu8EfintzIHDaP_ua-FkyR0A2mDlmnkAx9DZA6sd_tRBmHJgus85wFIYfGb6eUTiRtw6qDpBglMw/s3648/20220917_185227.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1e2x_dV4wOeA5vprhuxJB8WshBOSxT6VuereCfnnYPIyNVUgFKIEEQO2xjMN2VouaGcPpjXFlSRyy597nAQnEZEwBsVakslj1N_7AECIFaV0Ha5cu8EfintzIHDaP_ua-FkyR0A2mDlmnkAx9DZA6sd_tRBmHJgus85wFIYfGb6eUTiRtw6qDpBglMw/w200-h150/20220917_185227.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Welcome to Kathmandu</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Every decade of my life journey I push myself to do something dramatic and challenging, before I turn 40 I quit my job and went travel round the world, hike Annapurna Base Camp and Langtang in Nepal. This time 10 years later, I decided to concur Everest Base Camp. Even though is not higher then Mt. Kilimanjaro that I concurred in 2015 but it's one of the next in my list to achieve.</span></p></div></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Winnie and I has decided to do it this year, we plan it in Sept during my birthday, I knew I had to train, as always I got busy with many things and I started my training late only in Jun, 3 months is really not enough added onto additional unplan injuries, but I did my very best to be fit for this trip.<br /><br />We got ourselves booked on Vistara airline because it is half the price compare to Singapore airline. It required us to transit in Delhi, which is fine. I also got in touch with my guide from 10 years ago who is currently running his own Trekking Agency now, he booked us on the local flight to Lukla, guide, porter and Kathmandu hotel. Everything is taken care of. We just need to get there. :-) <br /><br />We got to Kathmandu with no issue, we stayed one night and leave the next day to Lukla, as we have heard many stories about the weather dependent flights, we wanted to be there as early as possible.<br /><br />EBC Hike starts 18 Sept 2022<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxmmKO2dRwJkBydNViYbAL6sbRAQ-s-kxrtm14Qr4VXH4WS0zkbH6KWRZ_xPa_UOuZ-7gNth00WzwluDsBkCMWNqKwiKIpWqLlf_2MFlH-lD5YHlrpV2iBeGv-TxIIbuoX8hweSB4NqAdyLd3gVV7XIS6VvhuDt551xTjg7ICbM6ipJdAEB5c0Rw1YA/s4000/20220918_084352.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxmmKO2dRwJkBydNViYbAL6sbRAQ-s-kxrtm14Qr4VXH4WS0zkbH6KWRZ_xPa_UOuZ-7gNth00WzwluDsBkCMWNqKwiKIpWqLlf_2MFlH-lD5YHlrpV2iBeGv-TxIIbuoX8hweSB4NqAdyLd3gVV7XIS6VvhuDt551xTjg7ICbM6ipJdAEB5c0Rw1YA/w150-h200/20220918_084352.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Day 1 - We woke up very early to catch the 7:30am flight to Lukla. The domestic airport is simply a hall with a line of counters, we queue with our bags but they don't have much of the q system here, our guide "Bhanu" just go with everyone to the front to get us the boarding pass. Finally they weight our bags and we were clear to check in. The flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (2800m) was delayed for an hour, apparently this company has 2 planes and one was down, so the only one working is doing a shuttle trip between Lukla and Kathmandu.<br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">At 8:30am our turn has finally arrived. Everyone was rush onto a bus, the bus drove to the cargo area to pick up our luggage then head to the runway, we could see our plane just landed and moving towards to parking. The mini plane has only 12 seaters 6 row of seats left and right. Our check in luggage allowance is 10kg and hand carry is 5kg. We took the seat on the left side so we can have a better view of the Himalayan mountains. The flight journey is just 30mins, when we were getting closer to Lukla, the plane was flying very close to the steep mountain, felt like I could touch it. I saw the sight of the short runway via the cockpit window, the landing was fast and short, the runway is designed to be slopping upward so it will help with slowing down the landing. We were lucky with good weather, as the day before only 2 flights managed to flew in. This is the world most dangerous airport with only a short runway. There were several plane crashes in the pass due to bad weather, the safety regulations at Lukla airport were enhanced and landing in bad weather is restricted.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheATQr2FFzo_bw-4I2wCZi0FDliL7NkFnvVDlDqbdgwGF-ZvKaWOPFznmcLt0CX4FOsmGw6hZG1KcnWbzN9Ef_aMbPW-TQN-T4QYN1Ee14KZ6-o-8XHvtNMpwVXk5rYPRpDygGgK5n8HPagnlbD-SJqN-yUwTT_XQ1w7Z5qHLMnKZgWGEsNQgJojM3Ug/s4000/20220918_092713.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheATQr2FFzo_bw-4I2wCZi0FDliL7NkFnvVDlDqbdgwGF-ZvKaWOPFznmcLt0CX4FOsmGw6hZG1KcnWbzN9Ef_aMbPW-TQN-T4QYN1Ee14KZ6-o-8XHvtNMpwVXk5rYPRpDygGgK5n8HPagnlbD-SJqN-yUwTT_XQ1w7Z5qHLMnKZgWGEsNQgJojM3Ug/w400-h300/20220918_092713.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lukla Airport</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOi-geve1varltu008Af8-i0t3id3F-DDilEQOSopYgRedkwV_bOiIGg1dqtleRk1PYIimi5oxKjIwRxBrrCi7mCXcwABVmsmGSk4V4wuCZSpoXmagLd66pXta8B_hIrb89DLT6ovkfiDmDjalRxtPNvLK1q7KKq5FIwka4dV2AXTCayacmuP9bULqQ/s4000/20220918_103229.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOi-geve1varltu008Af8-i0t3id3F-DDilEQOSopYgRedkwV_bOiIGg1dqtleRk1PYIimi5oxKjIwRxBrrCi7mCXcwABVmsmGSk4V4wuCZSpoXmagLd66pXta8B_hIrb89DLT6ovkfiDmDjalRxtPNvLK1q7KKq5FIwka4dV2AXTCayacmuP9bULqQ/w200-h150/20220918_103229.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Once arrived, we picked up our porter. A young man at his 20s, his name is Luxman. He will carry our 20kg duffle bag. We had our breakfast and off we go hiking to Phakding (2652m), it was an easy down hill track passing plenty of waterfall and hanging bridges. There were many porters transporting food and necessities to the higher villages, they carry a very heavy basket with a thick fabric loop over their head. Its a really tough job. <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f625/32.png" /> Some heavier stuff like gas cylinder and gasoline are transported using ponies.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbZI5F_di474siUTYuOuGz0XqQC-XkN26ma5O-LE9DYCdGwBvDFWnEVT0CZIcdshaNzvKSC6GGnQovcnZk_kMbMxR2aPPawN7ku3nhm-IGXNOXanAeWLMq5i5x4StLijW0xoWsA0Q7cIMYaJDpxD8b0vsA-ty8eiJWLtDeTDpARkVOMxNJ7EOyBz2IA/s3648/20220918_124304.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbZI5F_di474siUTYuOuGz0XqQC-XkN26ma5O-LE9DYCdGwBvDFWnEVT0CZIcdshaNzvKSC6GGnQovcnZk_kMbMxR2aPPawN7ku3nhm-IGXNOXanAeWLMq5i5x4StLijW0xoWsA0Q7cIMYaJDpxD8b0vsA-ty8eiJWLtDeTDpARkVOMxNJ7EOyBz2IA/s320/20220918_124304.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We took around 2hrs to get to Phakding (2652m). We stayed at Budha Lodge, the lodges here are built with stones, bricks and wood, very basic, insulation is not existence here, one layer of glass window and no heating in the building, the only place that is heated is the dining area where they would have a self contain fire place installed in the center of the dining room with a chimney to the roof top. They will burn some wood or cow dunk at night. In the room we will either use the thick blanket provided or a good down sleeping bag. As we were first and only guest in the guesthouse we get to pick the best room, top floor mountain view. It is still consider low season now, things will start to pick up in Oct.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtcCXdrtWBV8OOaJpYchvIuJVObxW5WB0Zo-mDElCK6h_HhPPfzOP4A-73ByaETN_FXxqjho6vNiulRdJV9pQLkl9Cu86-iFlR_MKeO4vubVHg-fRXzhbnT0MhXljpCe-PfjkWSBzLtsxQY6bXg8YjjpUqkabZh4vR-veBFX5-aWy0_mCPXdmkqKZRQ/s4000/20220918_183936.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtcCXdrtWBV8OOaJpYchvIuJVObxW5WB0Zo-mDElCK6h_HhPPfzOP4A-73ByaETN_FXxqjho6vNiulRdJV9pQLkl9Cu86-iFlR_MKeO4vubVHg-fRXzhbnT0MhXljpCe-PfjkWSBzLtsxQY6bXg8YjjpUqkabZh4vR-veBFX5-aWy0_mCPXdmkqKZRQ/w200-h150/20220918_183936.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dal Bhat</td></tr></tbody></table><br />For this trip, our breakfast, lunch and dinner is included. One main course and one drink, anything extra we have to pay for it. We learnt about the local dish called Dal Bhat, is like a mix rice, one rice, one veg, one dal soup or with a meat option. Free top up. :) very filling <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f44d/32.png" /> here the wifi is chargeable 200rph per person, unlimited use. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMCEGnTzCUuQpwUT3nyaJrYCphtVPJl_GMlvYahXCG3FYiC53vzT7_4Ll7CsMa8qMM3VOutVEeoJnPTMADQLEosDMCKFR4CbmJSou9jdeUVIHsec80jcMxFVI-Kwz42v-xxpjTRB_AAxDMO2-HtV8pJeXp6LeT-mFrAJYrBgkJmwa7EE7tOxPSjk8gA/s4000/20220919_083703.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMCEGnTzCUuQpwUT3nyaJrYCphtVPJl_GMlvYahXCG3FYiC53vzT7_4Ll7CsMa8qMM3VOutVEeoJnPTMADQLEosDMCKFR4CbmJSou9jdeUVIHsec80jcMxFVI-Kwz42v-xxpjTRB_AAxDMO2-HtV8pJeXp6LeT-mFrAJYrBgkJmwa7EE7tOxPSjk8gA/s320/20220919_083703.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Day 2 - From Phakding (2652m) to Namche Bazaar (3440m)<br />We started early at 8am, it was an easy hike along the river, we saw plenty of waterfall and cross a few hanging bridge. Not our favorite as we are scared of height. We stop at Jorsalle for lunch and then continue with an easy trek till we see the Hillary Bridge. Hillary Bridge is the highest hanging bridge in Nepal, crossing it was scary, I couldn't look anywhere else but straight, hand holding my handphone trying to record everything around. Winnie walk forward in front of me but she froze midway, our guide had to hold her hand to walk her across. The wind picks up in the middle of the bridge too, almost lost my hat. After the bridge, it is uphill with steps all the way up to Namche Bazaar. Phew! I was so slow <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f422/32.png" /> catching my breath and trying to maintain my heartbeat rate every step I take, Winnie has gone way ahead but she always maintain a distance where she can see me. We pass several check points too, all required a fees except the last one before Namche.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1o3MR5RK1JLqizkL0rqGYeV5baIAne9B-ntJav-oZ7rGcJFVzf9k2XVKmulCu5i4oo5kpbZ2CZ5Q3YBBjy7o5ghHngQdqGpCS99t64lI53YiFayTRkPNvIZeTya25zZvEaJalztoCzDLk9wBc1kMZ1BvK_3kmmFSjuzNzRUF1UnZ2v-HLMN1ZMuNTQ/s4000/20220919_142048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1o3MR5RK1JLqizkL0rqGYeV5baIAne9B-ntJav-oZ7rGcJFVzf9k2XVKmulCu5i4oo5kpbZ2CZ5Q3YBBjy7o5ghHngQdqGpCS99t64lI53YiFayTRkPNvIZeTya25zZvEaJalztoCzDLk9wBc1kMZ1BvK_3kmmFSjuzNzRUF1UnZ2v-HLMN1ZMuNTQ/w400-h300/20220919_142048.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Namche Bazaar</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Arriving in Namche, a tranquil little town full of guesthouse, shops and cafe. A place where villagers come to trade their produce on a weekend. We were here on Monday so we miss it. Our guesthouse is Moonlight, one of the highest one in the town <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f605/32.png" /> Have to hike up pass the center and huff and puff our way to reach it. Today we hike for 4.5 hrs. Temperature drop when the cloud cover us, in the afternoon it started to drizzle which gets even colder. Luckily in our dining area, they have a stove which keep the room heated. We all gather in the dining room. This guesthouse has offered free wifi and free power charging to the guests.<img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f44d/32.png" /><img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f450/32.png" /> The dining area is also where we meet other hikers and trade story. We cross path with some groups and some independent hikers.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM89gYpCLothcbEKEFimaEFXSRhIU2Av8qGF2l7rjUaSypRIcrCKTDvrwV6ZwG8fKl6Cga0MCF_E2wqKxReCEhJgdKTyHI-bEhQvVNKEnfA_tvDv2jn5HMG40ANs7_X_tyrU150xjN-Dlb9-egwbapvzjkOQe54yFFD2nmQmE_QYx1lxwkfudWiERvRg/s4000/20220920_095950.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM89gYpCLothcbEKEFimaEFXSRhIU2Av8qGF2l7rjUaSypRIcrCKTDvrwV6ZwG8fKl6Cga0MCF_E2wqKxReCEhJgdKTyHI-bEhQvVNKEnfA_tvDv2jn5HMG40ANs7_X_tyrU150xjN-Dlb9-egwbapvzjkOQe54yFFD2nmQmE_QYx1lxwkfudWiERvRg/w400-h300/20220920_095950.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Day 3 - Namche Bazaar (3440m)<br />We stayed 2 nights here to acclimatize, I already had headache yesterday, didn't sleep well, in the morning I took another panadol and drank lots of water, it finally went away. We did an easy hike up to 3775m to Sanbuche, to view the amazing peaks on the Himalaya range. Ama Dablam (6856m) looks spectacular up close, far ahead is the top of the world the Mt. Everest emerge before the cloud for us <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f60d/32.png" /> it looks tiny but we will get closer to it!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9QShFSLjjOC6P0WMDB0643sHwLSjHquF8rfKa9kJ20kERhcpTBwvM6AsYjzZ378kRpgFD1Dm_T0O-T_ftSsa9vBieKXXGZue3YsLvZ24yML0aKVWpz5AHKeQGYLHXcxXexejdJG2pobAJAvavAo19GIxjqLvql5Ch8kApSaUGTMGTNRus3juBQ9AMA/s4000/20220920_140107.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9QShFSLjjOC6P0WMDB0643sHwLSjHquF8rfKa9kJ20kERhcpTBwvM6AsYjzZ378kRpgFD1Dm_T0O-T_ftSsa9vBieKXXGZue3YsLvZ24yML0aKVWpz5AHKeQGYLHXcxXexejdJG2pobAJAvavAo19GIxjqLvql5Ch8kApSaUGTMGTNRus3juBQ9AMA/w150-h200/20220920_140107.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>We went back down to have a relaxing day today, we hike down to the town to Namche Bakery & Cafe, they made delicious cakes. Came back and decided to take a hot shower for $6. Its well worth it! <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f605/32.png" /> this night we met a facebook friend of mine who was also on the EBC trek but he is one day behind us and coincidently he checked into the same guesthouse too. We had a great night chatting and sharing stories.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-SbqlVNQjfi9CYWYcptN7kZVCxuLsZzDQnDgF5mebEuPsVMlZJhHZZw5jl2tfJrZZlf6wim_ILz9GH21hPwpEt2fmFX5uD7RL3-tAQ334R2sygOwFBwBVv0ororc82TiTe9o3kO2aIPM1VOovbd8ZhM5Qmnzwf6KQEienYG7Cxd88ARdyFIYh6gZKQ/s4000/20220921_080927.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-SbqlVNQjfi9CYWYcptN7kZVCxuLsZzDQnDgF5mebEuPsVMlZJhHZZw5jl2tfJrZZlf6wim_ILz9GH21hPwpEt2fmFX5uD7RL3-tAQ334R2sygOwFBwBVv0ororc82TiTe9o3kO2aIPM1VOovbd8ZhM5Qmnzwf6KQEienYG7Cxd88ARdyFIYh6gZKQ/w400-h300/20220921_080927.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Day 4 - Namche to Tengboche (3870m)<br />We had an early start today, woke up several times at night, and another headache, had breakfast and took another panadol. Luckily the headache went away, the starting 2 hours was really easy, walking on almost flat path in the valley, where we can see the giant Ama Dablam close up, far away was Loche and Nupche, Everest remain covered with cloud. We arrived at the river point at 10am, a bit too early for lunch, but our guide said we had to have our lunch here as after the river it will be a tough up hill to Tengboche. So we order some food to get more energy for the uphill. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhYJoYF2MGEfbaR3fEn8wD8QE4CeE-0bktZRADcfc8JXsvNFlaOTgtNDYwkXDGqSe0k9Ie8MHK_2eOnsK228-RfAPZdZJY44wFmNES7sKOVhNWAzNZVYPMYxYFIz_bhTDx4WNnfgtoWvBeiSA6qpqrDMfGIx9sQpkvuBTJCBZF5mVThHD0G7BkCPAWg/s4000/20220921_110556.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhYJoYF2MGEfbaR3fEn8wD8QE4CeE-0bktZRADcfc8JXsvNFlaOTgtNDYwkXDGqSe0k9Ie8MHK_2eOnsK228-RfAPZdZJY44wFmNES7sKOVhNWAzNZVYPMYxYFIz_bhTDx4WNnfgtoWvBeiSA6qpqrDMfGIx9sQpkvuBTJCBZF5mVThHD0G7BkCPAWg/w150-h200/20220921_110556.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br />The uphill was tough but less tougher then the steps to Namche, coz it is more uphill slope then steps. I kept my pace and catching my breath slowly. Winnie was talking away <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f644/32.png" /> she is so ready for this trip, I think I get my training on the go here <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f605/32.png" />. We arrived at 1pm and checked in to Tashi Deleck Lodge, just opposite is the Tengboche Monastery.<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirEN0LhWGgJOnrL_uyWnRJI1_UyxID-Sc07uGO41PjchKuXMXaLoJzPz0EbR_Hxi66GkGaNu87tQm2TR7p-t35zEDmVovl1HnhzBXWdLslBfpCwp_MmUFFtAliS-aIS0aSfiBYyrE7y4ovQRA4_TKUKZpsmZ09FJkYU8URzL417-SWWJGdaTh_kL8zKQ/s4000/20220921_125932.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: start;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirEN0LhWGgJOnrL_uyWnRJI1_UyxID-Sc07uGO41PjchKuXMXaLoJzPz0EbR_Hxi66GkGaNu87tQm2TR7p-t35zEDmVovl1HnhzBXWdLslBfpCwp_MmUFFtAliS-aIS0aSfiBYyrE7y4ovQRA4_TKUKZpsmZ09FJkYU8URzL417-SWWJGdaTh_kL8zKQ/w200-h150/20220921_125932.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Our room has the best view again (benefit of arriving early) facing the valley where Everest is, we hope tomorrow morning we will see it <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f929/32.png" /> now its all covered up by cloud. At 3pm we could join the monk in the monastery during their chanting session. The lodge also has a bakery and cafe, we could enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. Dinner in the heated dining area was good, food and service were very good, prices went up too. The higher we go the more expensive it is. <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f643/32.png" /> As we get to know our guide Bhanu, he is very shy person and doesn't speak much, only when we ask he will speak. He always take our orders and serve us our meals. We the hikers always eat first and the guide will eat later when we are done. They stay with us in the same lodge, but the porter stays in porter house. In some places, the porter also stay in the same lodge as us. According to Bhanu during peak seasons, sometime there are no rooms for them and they had to sleep in the dining area.<br /><br />Day 5 - Tengboche (3870m) to Dingboche (4360m)<br />Awaken with a bad headache in the middle of the night, trying to swallow down 1 more little of water, trying to get more sleep, nothing is working, finally I took another panadol. Waited and unconsciously fell asleep. Finally the headache went away.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyFbRnYLd6EQVR11Hy22GyULrzMMjokZi_txhrcWPSmWsw2gLfsiXRNvn-I30hmapXvlhzQRRKis5L1fjiaF7N-ke0KM00EKZCD_xQKBE6_f8s61vG15_TKnWK_yP7GagZrBz4uvQR-oPoyQvOqHCSwhoTOIsQG86igOPyaqYDbwzozlXwEqE4722kA/s4000/20220922_054902.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyFbRnYLd6EQVR11Hy22GyULrzMMjokZi_txhrcWPSmWsw2gLfsiXRNvn-I30hmapXvlhzQRRKis5L1fjiaF7N-ke0KM00EKZCD_xQKBE6_f8s61vG15_TKnWK_yP7GagZrBz4uvQR-oPoyQvOqHCSwhoTOIsQG86igOPyaqYDbwzozlXwEqE4722kA/w400-h300/20220922_054902.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />At 5am, the sun rise, we look out at the giant snow mountain in front of us totally unblock, stunning and breath taking. When the sun is up, it slowly warms up the cold temperature. We had our breakfast, looking out at the monastery. Beautiful morning sun shine on it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxE9JckdwET_azjYPAesuxrwwrXEemkHfzBZapXPI07glaAd-0U9cDVQe2kBDoT_PZuRrjukC-gUtOXPNVxO3uHUxolDvC39dzwg9sOMToLgcDbNaeEXxac1B9NU4z3dnCmi3rEexQRjafgVxykH_b_xpK49D8qAPz8l1XJAUMUIVGfY0VZmxTJuRMA/s4000/20220922_081433.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxE9JckdwET_azjYPAesuxrwwrXEemkHfzBZapXPI07glaAd-0U9cDVQe2kBDoT_PZuRrjukC-gUtOXPNVxO3uHUxolDvC39dzwg9sOMToLgcDbNaeEXxac1B9NU4z3dnCmi3rEexQRjafgVxykH_b_xpK49D8qAPz8l1XJAUMUIVGfY0VZmxTJuRMA/s320/20220922_081433.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLIovIyRDB0YD0NVyY_Ud8GSOraRczyL0pWqOCmov-yPWQR32AA0svin4XpZWJrqbojjZEP50KkUDMwU8hxLayqYGQc6Lykw1yHeTy6DVV3JeTeOWMjvyf0Y6SjQy3CcvNy59nWWdXpkyRhK7meux5O4a-dma1eaJSbtyxK67D2cdb9YsHGsZQL_9DPg/s4000/20220922_091017.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLIovIyRDB0YD0NVyY_Ud8GSOraRczyL0pWqOCmov-yPWQR32AA0svin4XpZWJrqbojjZEP50KkUDMwU8hxLayqYGQc6Lykw1yHeTy6DVV3JeTeOWMjvyf0Y6SjQy3CcvNy59nWWdXpkyRhK7meux5O4a-dma1eaJSbtyxK67D2cdb9YsHGsZQL_9DPg/s320/20220922_091017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>We left ard 8:30am so we would not have too much time to kill in the afternoon. We were asked not to sleep in the afternoon so its quiet boring if we arrive early. The starts of the hike was down hill to a hanging bridge, then it was gentle up and down hill to Somare where we had lunch. There were 2 group of yaks with luggage passing us, I was very slow, actually following the speed of the yaks was fine except when we go uphill. I felt like I've no energy to walk. <br /><br />Lunch was good, I had Korean noodles, spicy and hot. The next stretch was flat and down hill to a river, we cross the river that is coming down from Everest, then its up hill and gentle slope, I was having tough time breathing and getting enough oxygen, I felt my chest and rip compression, I slow down and stop every time I felt that. The headache was back, we arrived finally at Dingboche after 5 hrs, our lodge is way up at the top again <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f605/32.png" /> I was exhausted.<br /><br />At 4360m fighting for giant headache felt horrible, its like someone hit your head with a baseball bat. I took another panadol to get rid of the headache. The staff asked me to take garlic soup, they said is the best remedy. I took it, tasted so garlicky but I drank it all. Seriously felt better after that, my head is lighter and I could function. I went to sleep early after dinner.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSavw3TrmW-P1lfcPiZPBLTunD1AXweqBrooKHDvqUIVUcKZC7eX56w_xwsscrYEk76ccJEjeCX8Pb0GAo67xbRX8oAtoispe6MilorSK4-UzGWO0RF-dO-V2uBsBP1SXbiYT2d0Kbx3TTISYo0ElSGQBJhEfe9Ru112Ah3jqJGdle7jqw-v_-enV77A/s4000/20220923_095540.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSavw3TrmW-P1lfcPiZPBLTunD1AXweqBrooKHDvqUIVUcKZC7eX56w_xwsscrYEk76ccJEjeCX8Pb0GAo67xbRX8oAtoispe6MilorSK4-UzGWO0RF-dO-V2uBsBP1SXbiYT2d0Kbx3TTISYo0ElSGQBJhEfe9Ru112Ah3jqJGdle7jqw-v_-enV77A/w400-h300/20220923_095540.jpg" /></a></div><br />Day 6 - Today is acclimatization day at Dingboche, we just hike up the hill nearby, I only managed 3 flags only 300m elevation took me some time. <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f605/32.png" /> we rest the rest of the day.<br />Everything happen last 2 days!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGclA2pmhAdpcgPd2bqSovojOZh5BrNFT3vWd6blulcrGJZfdlta3q6--w94jcpH4T96jmr-EZ95vZt-KfNsTtEUm6bmYi17SbmDn2sO06urczngjy3GUFh6MVZiuswW16wJPcIlhoo1y2HD30XAPKkGB96XITf2tH-pyN_wDRvaUs4XduzYYW7VxZQ/s4000/20220924_093340.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGclA2pmhAdpcgPd2bqSovojOZh5BrNFT3vWd6blulcrGJZfdlta3q6--w94jcpH4T96jmr-EZ95vZt-KfNsTtEUm6bmYi17SbmDn2sO06urczngjy3GUFh6MVZiuswW16wJPcIlhoo1y2HD30XAPKkGB96XITf2tH-pyN_wDRvaUs4XduzYYW7VxZQ/w400-h300/20220924_093340.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivE_AZKip1kt-S2p-a2TwW9mcj2oM3eyg7Ik4YFgwqzFjkvIdqBnTJ0RwUe0aW1FOzRe9-C3OYRmSWsa6fiayXOsCtQ3tIrxpba1zgpdLKoszhtFbdvlIU16ErRtFasRw_Z3utO1x-WeuxlLb-ceVoUtiO9M_0XH3ssHNwEudfwug63FQsw0qx8jebGQ/s4000/20220924_101132.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivE_AZKip1kt-S2p-a2TwW9mcj2oM3eyg7Ik4YFgwqzFjkvIdqBnTJ0RwUe0aW1FOzRe9-C3OYRmSWsa6fiayXOsCtQ3tIrxpba1zgpdLKoszhtFbdvlIU16ErRtFasRw_Z3utO1x-WeuxlLb-ceVoUtiO9M_0XH3ssHNwEudfwug63FQsw0qx8jebGQ/w150-h200/20220924_101132.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Day 7 - From Dingboche (4360m) we head to Lobuche (4940m) for a long stretch we were hiking on a flat plateau, we could only see the river below and Periche, a little town for stay over on the way back. We saw many groups of hikers on the way to EBC. We finally decent to cross a river, very rocky path down and up to reach Thukla (4620m), here we all stop over for lunch. It is also a guesthouse if one need to stay over. <br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQlAIqLuXZpJRP4HLv-LpziDaSCKWGF3W4syBHKANqTRjJSlvoKk6tlxKyYiEa3_Ns640JvU_5Zxtjt1R8XWPN6d9Kt4Ad9CpMx8Wl4TfUO108LUb6T4S1-peeeylEtw7yEzEpH7SIkhd3sMNOx1zGxZxTb0P8mfvb78VVoleX2m8B4UX8dNHW-Vv4g/s4000/20220924_123827.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQlAIqLuXZpJRP4HLv-LpziDaSCKWGF3W4syBHKANqTRjJSlvoKk6tlxKyYiEa3_Ns640JvU_5Zxtjt1R8XWPN6d9Kt4Ad9CpMx8Wl4TfUO108LUb6T4S1-peeeylEtw7yEzEpH7SIkhd3sMNOx1zGxZxTb0P8mfvb78VVoleX2m8B4UX8dNHW-Vv4g/s320/20220924_123827.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>After lunch, it was a killer <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/2620_fe0f/32.png" /> 200m uphill. We reach the Thukla pass at 4830m where there were a lot of tombstones remembering people who has died scaling the mountains. After the pass we see the end of the Khumbu Glacier, now only left with rough rocks. We continue to ascent, I wasn't feeling well at all, walking extremely slowly, our porter had came back and meet us half way, he took my bag, I was very thankful and at that point I was walking like a zombie <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f480/32.png" />. We reached Lobuche finally. Tonight I took the Diamox pill after feeling very heavy headed. The night was horrible, I couldn't sleep at all, a giant headache hit me again, so I took another panadol. That helps to clear it for the morning hike. Its the most important day of our trip as we will be reaching EBC.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBqpHt_ATalSaQQRC7SqkqXI6M5mks4hKL4v-uCkU-FYX39F69DyK7tJd44aH93LQRelTdkrHyZOxGNGZPo2MyEuKTVtuQzmUoz_aVZzlRq09xzOJS_GIfmMTb2hFqKwZenvz4gfYajPhB394_Mf1qxjngGh22WSqXMaLpITTOc3dZ95RGn6xj-8fXA/s7408/20220925_070523.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBqpHt_ATalSaQQRC7SqkqXI6M5mks4hKL4v-uCkU-FYX39F69DyK7tJd44aH93LQRelTdkrHyZOxGNGZPo2MyEuKTVtuQzmUoz_aVZzlRq09xzOJS_GIfmMTb2hFqKwZenvz4gfYajPhB394_Mf1qxjngGh22WSqXMaLpITTOc3dZ95RGn6xj-8fXA/w400-h199/20220925_070523.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luboche</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Day 8 - Luboche to Gorak Shek (5170m) then to EBC (5364m) back to GS<br />From Luboche we woke with a nice weather, we were surrounded by mountains and the Khumbu glazier. We hike along the Khumbu Glazier which already retreated, the trek is very rocky, oxygen was much thinner at this altitude, just a small up slope or steps over rocks will take a toll. The stretch towards GS was tough we arrived and check in. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqViTTXuMwwy5ThVxR9fB9sLvt3QRS0WUJNbD4oDAV_TW9lrsK04l0JfN3ud6qeDiPhI_JMt8p3MDOO5QbkORgDQh7dvVhgL4flDWgu6zOGui6da5UJWKTPpAFbX8hCBaki1zae7leYevzsoMOj8d3Y2l1HsCUkCCXBmAvlGEKZw1KZsX9igwcQ54TQ/s4000/20220925_095729.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqViTTXuMwwy5ThVxR9fB9sLvt3QRS0WUJNbD4oDAV_TW9lrsK04l0JfN3ud6qeDiPhI_JMt8p3MDOO5QbkORgDQh7dvVhgL4flDWgu6zOGui6da5UJWKTPpAFbX8hCBaki1zae7leYevzsoMOj8d3Y2l1HsCUkCCXBmAvlGEKZw1KZsX9igwcQ54TQ/w400-h300/20220925_095729.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorak Shek</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPkddCUZeFIkZ1eNkAjpWY5eLauy1chQn2zMMXF4mH98e-yen9VdIZIib8YeXSxhpTzH26kQ48NjqLCSuLkWOpzb1WjnixO4EbQb-4gL_gS50wcrtHV-RWuR5lMYX3gLWgJOeAU4k1qw2rha5ijuAYFGP-_2yKEP5vROjhfW9GaWXSDB2uiLtFn2yLg/s4000/20220925_095559.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPkddCUZeFIkZ1eNkAjpWY5eLauy1chQn2zMMXF4mH98e-yen9VdIZIib8YeXSxhpTzH26kQ48NjqLCSuLkWOpzb1WjnixO4EbQb-4gL_gS50wcrtHV-RWuR5lMYX3gLWgJOeAU4k1qw2rha5ijuAYFGP-_2yKEP5vROjhfW9GaWXSDB2uiLtFn2yLg/s320/20220925_095559.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last leg</td></tr></tbody></table>Both of us decided to take away our lunch to eat at the EBC. We put on more layers as it was very cold! Our final leg now is to head to Everest Base Camp, I took another Diamox because I wasn't feeling well, its the final destination! We walk along the ridge of the Khumbu Glazier, the cloud has covered the sky, temperature drop further, my focus was just taking another step onwards. It started to snow! At the end of the path we had to scramble over huge rocks to get to the basecamp and we finally arrived. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHgyGPRTxb2bLdJ32QvgRA_anR1QAtk1XGVC7ElL-m5R-DZOXxzYgp8Ku3IYfVXXR4lRs8zyRUN05lIj5eyII8Q6LnHYavcBYhJ5Q3_uGwirI0u8pYWKkr2nKb6XohR69atr0P0RH2IbqtcljZQzH40KQKhBM30Gh90-2SQR-_HE_qHyaKg4-uxloEw/s4000/20220925_131937.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHgyGPRTxb2bLdJ32QvgRA_anR1QAtk1XGVC7ElL-m5R-DZOXxzYgp8Ku3IYfVXXR4lRs8zyRUN05lIj5eyII8Q6LnHYavcBYhJ5Q3_uGwirI0u8pYWKkr2nKb6XohR69atr0P0RH2IbqtcljZQzH40KQKhBM30Gh90-2SQR-_HE_qHyaKg4-uxloEw/w400-h300/20220925_131937.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The only thing that tell you its the EBC was the huge rock written with the name and altitude. Our guide said that the EBC changed several time. We could see now the 1st camp of the Everest expedition was about 200m away. We could also see the glazier now retreated all the way here. Everything else was covered with cloud. We took a zillion photos and had our lunch. I took just few bites and gave the rest to the 2 dogs who were hungry for food. We made it! That's my milestone towards my 50's birthday!<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwLg55waI81Td4IGJTApGsoFN7CV1nfajPKpHXEuOSvXSRgz5OwNSGxIllAfbjWlK78NKox4ILvkE7JnsQV7w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgl-8Q8APSQpxVhD66nDJg7D4yHjyaha1RYv6DcheA-SeNEFsegLt5PJsqXAna84WBp5jquEXuW9NCOmZniT9VBsSHxnAhCqt3oge7xHBWEoRm8tnj0rU6sFy2zw_nGikpuzHv3Di9jx-Wl8iAID-QU865lFjkhU2IPQhk4zwE61REqRYyE0M69CE4Q/s8112/20220926_054600.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgl-8Q8APSQpxVhD66nDJg7D4yHjyaha1RYv6DcheA-SeNEFsegLt5PJsqXAna84WBp5jquEXuW9NCOmZniT9VBsSHxnAhCqt3oge7xHBWEoRm8tnj0rU6sFy2zw_nGikpuzHv3Di9jx-Wl8iAID-QU865lFjkhU2IPQhk4zwE61REqRYyE0M69CE4Q/w640-h298/20220926_054600.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OxRM22yC5e_R9YUkJk8OglrRhWhyDo0TYjumIN3NRNkJNqEHYwwQncM8NzVmFj9HKOxSJEcQTdovajv78CQjF3WCPxxFR2ZkC04_m4mbYf94Whgb3ReHw1n9JJXuAarPB5QH0-YEDT860eL51xNhZ3mjvxQZqTr6A-mVenWj9wTvqWfkdQ8vAxFhPQ/s5920/20220926_084826.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OxRM22yC5e_R9YUkJk8OglrRhWhyDo0TYjumIN3NRNkJNqEHYwwQncM8NzVmFj9HKOxSJEcQTdovajv78CQjF3WCPxxFR2ZkC04_m4mbYf94Whgb3ReHw1n9JJXuAarPB5QH0-YEDT860eL51xNhZ3mjvxQZqTr6A-mVenWj9wTvqWfkdQ8vAxFhPQ/w640-h408/20220926_084826.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />Day 9 - Gorak Shek to Pangboche (3985m)<br />This morning Winnie went for a hike up Kalapatthar for the view of all the peaks, the weather was clear at 4:30am, our guide came knock on the door, she got ready and left. I skip this as I don't think I could do it. An hour later, I woke again and saw the view outside, immediately I put on a few layers and went out. The huge mountains and peaks surrounding us, amazing view just from outside the guesthouse, but we cant see the Everest from the here, I cant imagine from the top of Kalapatthar. Winnie came back with amazing Video of the peaks and also Everest peak. We had our breakfast and got ready for our long day. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx0E_d_xK9VvsfQx5n6ePYMTGdXEEb1k1ppy8a41lTHzTY-3nzwcPO4A675MFMNT_p4Q1u9-MGdB-w73fB6tw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmhriR27pl2myySNDCzsNKITppxHWho7uNlcD5N0h8UywAbsvncbNurmLIvjeqO9qbGEss3v2OfmA4AvBoyiA0719GWlX8ZpPBdVHOW_zAVhgNg_uWw53He3Q8evqEAakfcnmWRi6TMCAHNdopXjpVofCUvqSuae8q6oxRMRIomIfd6BtSYpMo5qTkg/s4000/20220927_074402.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmhriR27pl2myySNDCzsNKITppxHWho7uNlcD5N0h8UywAbsvncbNurmLIvjeqO9qbGEss3v2OfmA4AvBoyiA0719GWlX8ZpPBdVHOW_zAVhgNg_uWw53He3Q8evqEAakfcnmWRi6TMCAHNdopXjpVofCUvqSuae8q6oxRMRIomIfd6BtSYpMo5qTkg/s320/20220927_074402.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Today we hike down towards Thukla, passing Lobuche and then from there we went on a different way we came from. We hike further down to the river towards Periche. Periche is where we could see from the top of the plateau. As the small village is in the valley, it is very windy and cold. Our guide has decided that we will move on to Pangboche.<br />That day we hike 5h40mins. Long and tiring. We arrived at a quiet guesthouse, only us and no other hikers.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88r6oy6v7SstifjXpdtWCTLznhVsuIeyYJjQbK0hs-JogPX2f2bsn-MsRQ7S9RioGAUrudL7xnnfjnExSaotseTZ74baOogST_6NLH0-ArRShAIU0imvMeZFK5TvErZ5-vndDBuIc5TKeDNS60Kfs_jRKRapddWGvZdypdk7Y1FptnXGpt33xrlVTXw/s4000/20220927_142618.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88r6oy6v7SstifjXpdtWCTLznhVsuIeyYJjQbK0hs-JogPX2f2bsn-MsRQ7S9RioGAUrudL7xnnfjnExSaotseTZ74baOogST_6NLH0-ArRShAIU0imvMeZFK5TvErZ5-vndDBuIc5TKeDNS60Kfs_jRKRapddWGvZdypdk7Y1FptnXGpt33xrlVTXw/s320/20220927_142618.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;">Hillary Bridge</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Day 10 - Pangboche to Monjo (2835m)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Today its my Birthday, feeling fresh and energized <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f606/32.png" /> one year wiser and one big milestone accomplished. From our room, we could still see some peaks in the early morning. We always get amazing view in the morning through our windows. There are more farming at this altitude. They farm potatoes, beans, carrot, salad, cabbage and cauliflowers. After breakfast, we slowly retrace our way back to Namche, but first we have to hike up to Tengboche where the monastery is, passing the rhododendron forest. The weather is not like when we came, it was cover with fog and cloud today. After Tengboche, we went down hill. Since there isn't much to see, we just focus on moving. We stop somewhere for lunch before Namche. Arriving at Namche we took the bypass route around it. From here it was then all the way steep down hill till our knees wobber. We reached the highest hanging bridge in Nepal and this time we walk across with more confident. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25TF1WhLht7LvB3_OXR2cCg0yFcBnIs29NPwXfwC8i52gJ_3Tkwf-KV2zxNDyvjhzFTvQ93a6uIfYp_VArRYZheMzA2IX9gEO1K1KUfbLX3nj527CQIymC8eXSznEqOpt80IELEmvuDGtoB1PZoOrNq3x5JxzljFqZk9_vGdtR_DCzCQw3qENl-4MGQ/s4000/20220927_153815.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25TF1WhLht7LvB3_OXR2cCg0yFcBnIs29NPwXfwC8i52gJ_3Tkwf-KV2zxNDyvjhzFTvQ93a6uIfYp_VArRYZheMzA2IX9gEO1K1KUfbLX3nj527CQIymC8eXSznEqOpt80IELEmvuDGtoB1PZoOrNq3x5JxzljFqZk9_vGdtR_DCzCQw3qENl-4MGQ/w150-h200/20220927_153815.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>After 6 hrs we finally arrived at Monjo. It is interesting to stop over at different places even tho we took the same route. Monjo is a very small village with a monastery on top of a hill. Our guesthouse is very pretty, they grow a lot of flowers in the garden and our room is the corner unit that has a view of the monastery. Tonight we decided to take our first hot shower after 6 days. Wow! It was the best shower ever! <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f605/32.png" /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlx5-97lOEUQpRvl8EEFpabjOfORJxbv7MQ_l0hVnqaD3-6-fp1V7wtqC3B4yASGcHX1F4U2DTftHZyoE3b5eyXkl1FzkJdIOZUsYi6YEXJ-Iene_dAYvdJ3tA6V96GeQzaIkal5FY4vASKyb5Ni70QMpzaxHfhynjpWmsgnHhlwGJOCAmfToi4lDqw/s4000/20220928_120837.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlx5-97lOEUQpRvl8EEFpabjOfORJxbv7MQ_l0hVnqaD3-6-fp1V7wtqC3B4yASGcHX1F4U2DTftHZyoE3b5eyXkl1FzkJdIOZUsYi6YEXJ-Iene_dAYvdJ3tA6V96GeQzaIkal5FY4vASKyb5Ni70QMpzaxHfhynjpWmsgnHhlwGJOCAmfToi4lDqw/w150-h200/20220928_120837.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br />Day 11 - Monjo to Lukla (2800m)<br />From Monjo to Lukla its our last leg, we started late at 8am as it was our last hiking day. Lots of waterfall and a few bridge crossing, at the lower altitude we see more pony used for transport. We expected more down hill but when getting close to Lukla we still have quiet a bit of uphill to do. Today we hike for almost 6hrs to reach Lukla. That's the end!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzsphW0IrOojovr9gnsdNIemgr5kYptvT__2v_eDRxIbaqx2MlYat13c5kMuOeIz3syddbDvuUfy1hC-p0x8A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Day 12 - Lukla to Kathmandu<br />Flight in and out of Lukla is never 100% confirmed due to the weather and danger conditions. This morning when we walk to the airport at 6am, we dont see the end of the runway, it was cover by cloud. The airport is empty, only a hand full of people around. Out flight is 6:40am. We wait and wait...at 7am we see the sky had a slight opening, suddenly people are rushing now to the airport, the airport came alive, they said if we can see the mountain at the end of the runway, they will allow flight to land. The day before they was no flight and this day will be our lucky day. At 8am the 1st flight landed follow with 2nd 3rd and 4th. Ours was the 5th one. Everyone was cheering in the airport <img src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f606/32.png" />.<br /><br /><br />We bid farewell to our guide and porter heavy heartedly, it was amazing moment we spent together over the last 12 days. We finally left around 9am and landed in Kathmandu 9:30am.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vnYEjf1Tif20dWCGk7PL9O2GU4IN_tCM8QhW6q1U0-ggpV-3uDmcusB94VzkCgtfWepXlIS-3TDJEheYXowIvvlxLRGnusnA-ucFPfTNvv41FUF8pCH_iCKeREu2BZb-cAxCOzrkjN_HEvuMYNXTBjOr4gzOZ3L1JvzAkjrbKWGLLmKpukQzc0MoAQ/s3648/20220929_082656.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vnYEjf1Tif20dWCGk7PL9O2GU4IN_tCM8QhW6q1U0-ggpV-3uDmcusB94VzkCgtfWepXlIS-3TDJEheYXowIvvlxLRGnusnA-ucFPfTNvv41FUF8pCH_iCKeREu2BZb-cAxCOzrkjN_HEvuMYNXTBjOr4gzOZ3L1JvzAkjrbKWGLLmKpukQzc0MoAQ/w400-h300/20220929_082656.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><br /></div>Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com0Nepal, Khumbu 44600, Nepal28.0022052 86.852345599999992-0.30802863617884668 51.696095599999992 56.312439036178844 122.00859559999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-7833986414867418672016-04-19T11:39:00.002+08:002016-04-20T14:34:28.598+08:00Conquering Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania 18-25 Sep 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tanzania is my second country in Africa that I visited. This trip has been planned early in the year, it is a challenge that I set for myself every year. This year I will attempt to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro @ 5895m. It will be the highest mountain I ever hike. It was indeed a big challenge for me, having lived on an island at altitude </span>0°<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, with the highest hill at an altitude of 163m. The training is only limited to physical and endurance. The training got started 3 months before the trip, which involved cycling, climbing stairs and gym. Seriously I was not ready for the trip, I didn't feel that I was fit enough to climb but I was determine to reach the peak!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our journey took us 25hrs with 2 transits to arrive at Kilimanjaro. Bob, Winnie and me took off from Singapore and Marga and Inge from Holland. The 5 of us meet at the Lodge that we have book our trip from. We were excited to be there and to see each other again after one year.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 5 of us and our lead guide</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first impression of Tanzania - dusty, hash and dry. From the airport to the lodge, we had a peek on the ice cover peak of Kilimanjaro, it was mostly covered by cloud. Our lodge is located 5 mins from Moshi town. We had big rooms, surrounded by garden, a swimming pool and a restaurant. The restaurant served delicious Indian cuisine. We were welcome with very friendly staff from the front desk and the restaurant. We were given a full briefing in the evening, our guide name was Robinson. He has more than 15 years experience hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro and his success rate is very high. That gave us more comfort and confident for the hike. In the evening we had to get ready to repack our stuff into a duffel</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> bag and rent whatever gears that we need for the hike. The 4 core equipment to rent are the 4 season sleeping bag, thick mattress, gaiters and the duffel bag. You won't want to miss any of these items! The rest of the items more or less we have prepared like walking pole, lights, batteries, gloves, hats, sunglasses, hiking boots, thick socks, warm cloths, light backpack, water bottle, sun block, medicines, camera etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The maximum weight a porter is allow to carry is 15kg, a regulation set by the Kilimanjaro Park to protect the porters from over loaded. Those porters are carrying everything that we need for the next 6 days from food, pots, plates, cooking gas, stove, tents, table, chairs, our bags, and some group even have their portable toilet. Pufff! There goes all the comfort!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kilimanjaro Route Map</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are many routes to hike to the top of Kilimanjaro, we have chosen the Machame Route - 6 Days 5 Nights Trek, this trek is more scenic and natural but more demanding. We have in someway prepare ourselves physically for this trip last few months. We run, we cycle, we climb stairs, we made long walk but nothing can prepare us for the real climb, all 5 of us lived in a country that doesn't have a mountain. :-(</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the 20 Sept, w</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e left our comfortable hotel to Machame gate, we pick up 1 more guide so we have 3 guides for the 5 of us. At Machame gate, near the waiting area a few olive baboons and Blue Monkeys came to check everyone out, they even stole some food from us. Some of them are so used to human and fierce. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxumhbCSiV10miyvvCMat048bluM70k0xHih3VSuYp_ey8VTCs0OMA9PRdg6pIeJcp3YhuQ8uxNEyoT1jvDeafb_AD5OhJ39WhaxJwx8H52zBB9mP91vAFeNZPgx5xRdSkzG3mMZ3F42Nd/s1600/02-Blue+Monkey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxumhbCSiV10miyvvCMat048bluM70k0xHih3VSuYp_ey8VTCs0OMA9PRdg6pIeJcp3YhuQ8uxNEyoT1jvDeafb_AD5OhJ39WhaxJwx8H52zBB9mP91vAFeNZPgx5xRdSkzG3mMZ3F42Nd/s320/02-Blue+Monkey.JPG" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Blue Monkey</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxJuu_NTrrmaEwG8sRlwHFjneWVGXZDGiWFZR-QA0KdA1rTGHRZyugrKkVO5Ttukru6eSWLXitCD7NOzactPRtLJlYk0Ry9DYNlxGt_JWX7Gz-MgxEXH3WZr3n5sqNI_-G7OFRXuxqd6Q/s1600/P9200200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxJuu_NTrrmaEwG8sRlwHFjneWVGXZDGiWFZR-QA0KdA1rTGHRZyugrKkVO5Ttukru6eSWLXitCD7NOzactPRtLJlYk0Ry9DYNlxGt_JWX7Gz-MgxEXH3WZr3n5sqNI_-G7OFRXuxqd6Q/s320/P9200200.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The 5 of us!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We waited a long time for the administration and the porters team formation. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The process took so long because the porters have to be selected by the Chief Guide and they have to sort out their load to ensure it is only 15kg for each of them. The porter will then need to queue to weight their goods before entering the gate. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finally we left around 11am with 3 guides and a big group of porters. We couldn't figure out how many as there is not like a tag on them nor they were being introduced but later we found out they were 17 of them which consist of 1 Chef, 1 assistant and 15 porters. An army!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Porters queuing to weight their pack</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Only 15kg per proter</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Machame Trek - Photo by Bob</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">20th Sep 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trek start : Machame Gate (1800m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trek end : Machame Camp (3000m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Duration : 5 hrs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Distance : 10.5km</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Difficulties : Easy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were all pump and ready to take off. We only carry a daypack that consist of our water, camera, battery, energy bar or snack, rain jacket, warm gloves, hats, sun glasses, sun block, first aid, lunch pack, etc. Adds up to about 5-8kg. The start is always exciting, we were chit chatting the whole way. The path is clear and wide, surrounded by rainforest. We stop for lunch break somewhere in the forest, lunch box was provided, it contains a fried chicken drumstick, a piece of potato, a cake, a pack of juice, an egg and something else that I don't remember. It was not fantastic but we ate it anyway!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVLT0bjl8UBIprRPSuyIZ3N9kAjbWwpMtmbTuY1ax11TJfWbo_FB2Jyw8EkwZkiZ0w8A2O31dIV7625Z1NdB1evZ_BmfPAQNyF5co0LZ5e35vis04e-SNu15fd11hbPmH2NxPQnHYkfUF/s1600/15-Machame+Camp+Site.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVLT0bjl8UBIprRPSuyIZ3N9kAjbWwpMtmbTuY1ax11TJfWbo_FB2Jyw8EkwZkiZ0w8A2O31dIV7625Z1NdB1evZ_BmfPAQNyF5co0LZ5e35vis04e-SNu15fd11hbPmH2NxPQnHYkfUF/s320/15-Machame+Camp+Site.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My tent and the toilet up the hill</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rainforest</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We took about 5 hours to arrive to Machame Camp. Registered ourselves and found our tents ready setup, just need to dive into the sleeping bag. :-) We have 3 tents for us I am on my own, have all the space I need but just not warm enough. There is a dining tent where we have a table and chairs setup. It is candle light dinner from now on. The camp site was pack, you could easily step over someone.....no kidding. Our first challenge is to check out the toilet. I wonder why they put the toilet up on a hill? Like we like to hike so much :-( The first toilet visit was horrified, disgusted and decided not to go back. The bigger challenge is to hold it the entire night so we don't have to get out from our warm sleeping bag, put on layer of cloths and the hiking shoes, scramble </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">over all the tents on our </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">way up the hill to pee. Gee! maybe the portable toilet is a good idea. :-( But that night I saw the most beautiful sky ever, the camp site was light up with million of stars and Milky Way....breathtaking but freezing! Could not stay out long.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">21st Sep 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trek start : </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Machame Camp (3000m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trek end : Shira Camp (3845m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Duration : 5 hrs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Distance : 7km</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Difficulties : Moderate</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Morning started with a pail of hot water delivered to our door/tent step. Then comes a cup of hot tea. :-D Not so bad to start the cold day eh! Everyday we asked for boiled water from the crew, we still drop in purifying pill just as precaution. We carry about 2 little of water with us. After b</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">reakfast and toilet we pack up to go.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Everything is removed, nothing was left behind.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mt. Meru at far</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mt Kilimanjaro</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Big traffic ahead today as everyone was leaving around the same time. We also need to give way to the porters when they came in lightning sp</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">eed. You don't want to get run down. :-) This trail is beautiful, we had more open view out from the rain forest we pass the day before. We had the view of Mt. Meru behind us and Kilimanjaro in front occasionally when she emerged from the cloud. Today the headache that was lingering in my head got worst.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I could not eat my meals yet still needed the energy to hike. I stop to enjoy the view on the way to Shira Camp, as soon as we arrived, I headed straight into the tent, </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">took some ibuprofen </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and slept. Just wanted to shut everything out at that moment, after the nap, it was slightly better, we were asked to go for a short hike to Shira cave nearby for acclimatization. It was windy and cold. As this camp site is open we get an amazing sunset from here. The feeling of floating in the cloud and watching the sun went beyond the cloud at the end of daylight was surreal. It was a cold cold night, thank god for a good sleeping bag. I do not know how the porters survived as some of them do not have warm clothes like us and sleeping bag. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDeS0l30cwlfoJYZssqzeIb4s93fZ2WaQTRHTjwdDRpuv8Rur3VtT2D8eaLRuIlFjSLhQjlRFmie3L61rEX4siu_DiXYSmKzgFcZEo0Fv7r5fDhNuJYG8a8PjtgsQIcrf6zieGDyr1xpG/s1600/35-Sunset+at+Shira+Camp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDeS0l30cwlfoJYZssqzeIb4s93fZ2WaQTRHTjwdDRpuv8Rur3VtT2D8eaLRuIlFjSLhQjlRFmie3L61rEX4siu_DiXYSmKzgFcZEo0Fv7r5fDhNuJYG8a8PjtgsQIcrf6zieGDyr1xpG/s640/35-Sunset+at+Shira+Camp.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sunset at Shira Camp</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Savannas</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">22nd Sep 2015</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trek start : </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shira Camp (3845m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">High point : Lava Rock (4630m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trek end : Barranco Camp (3960m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Duration : 6.5 hrs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Distance : 10km</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Difficulties : </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moderate</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Woke up to blue sky and the majestic Kilimanjaro behind us. Damn! the headache is still there. Let's try to get pass the day. The plantation has changed from grassland or savannas to alpine desert. We see more rocks formation, rough and dry. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6dUxv3-otQkolS1uUS3HddP8gOunZ7x4vi4hxaXeiQcA9yl1MMGZK6lvCA6vzCCi6o6Ylswv34PuppJyGGCDzeplxBHsqMNQyMG8TkPCjI5zUiylQSv_977Z2GfQQZKPRg1UzEGIpDzF/s1600/41-Barranco+Trail+towards+Lava+Tower.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6dUxv3-otQkolS1uUS3HddP8gOunZ7x4vi4hxaXeiQcA9yl1MMGZK6lvCA6vzCCi6o6Ylswv34PuppJyGGCDzeplxBHsqMNQyMG8TkPCjI5zUiylQSv_977Z2GfQQZKPRg1UzEGIpDzF/s640/41-Barranco+Trail+towards+Lava+Tower.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lava Rock ahead</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first half of the day we had to hike up to Lava Rock at 4630m (t</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">his helps in acclimatization) we </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">stop for lunch to recharge ourselves but it was too cold with the wind, we were trying to hide behind the rocks but we loose the sun, which is the only heat we get at this altitude. We quickly eat and started moving again. From Lava Rock it was a bit of a challenge to descent down the steep wall. My legs were wobbly. :-( but after the scramble it was an easy walk towards Barranco Camp site, we pass thru a little oasis full of vegetation and stream of water. Here at Barranco Camp site, the Barranco Wall stood in front of us! Yes the famous Barranco Wall, Bob probably started to think maybe he should head back. This is the biggest obstacle for Bob as he is afraid of height. We all agreed for Bob to go first and all the gals stay behind him just in case. :-) Every night we slept early and start the next day early. The sub zero temperature outside doesn't keep us out long. Our guide will give us a briefing of what is going on the next day before we call it a day.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEt95EEOMwkzAcZykLXt8pzBY6EAY2OWKsUtvw0l_QR3Z_bHfUCi-UY15AmvyDjWHNA5Cz_dAjM-FG1VLOqLszkEO1Tn8BAVgwCBwSrd3x-yQ5t8tu6D9Pbdx5T8Rjh0hO8bEKAJktMgs-/s1600/45-Porter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEt95EEOMwkzAcZykLXt8pzBY6EAY2OWKsUtvw0l_QR3Z_bHfUCi-UY15AmvyDjWHNA5Cz_dAjM-FG1VLOqLszkEO1Tn8BAVgwCBwSrd3x-yQ5t8tu6D9Pbdx5T8Rjh0hO8bEKAJktMgs-/s320/45-Porter.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrp3phFY0N_UK893ZSDa1FcIykO3erLZYkBIH5Fytbf9X41wi0TT8RVfIZVlHm1ULFxXrbC6IGq85yx9ki_W9SIn-FAiPxg2LWNI-5wg1LWuAInE3ngSTxB6h5_XdJSn4qTwCFMctZez0/s1600/44-Little+Oasis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrp3phFY0N_UK893ZSDa1FcIykO3erLZYkBIH5Fytbf9X41wi0TT8RVfIZVlHm1ULFxXrbC6IGq85yx9ki_W9SIn-FAiPxg2LWNI-5wg1LWuAInE3ngSTxB6h5_XdJSn4qTwCFMctZez0/s640/44-Little+Oasis.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The little Oasis</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">23rd Sep 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trek start : </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Barranco Camp (3976m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trek end : Barafu Camp (4673m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Duration : 8 hrs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Distance : 8km</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Difficulties : </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Difficult</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today we have to conquer the Barranco wall, rising 800ft above the valley. Steep and narrow path cut back and forth along the rock surface. Hikers have to keep their hands free to hold on to the rocks and maintain their weight close to the wall. Do not look down above where we can step. It was a scramble but it wasn't as bad as we thought. I actually was thrilled that I get to experience it. Bob was the one who really deserved a big thumbs up! He managed to overcome his fear and conquer the wall. We were all happy for him. On top of the Barranco wall, we had a beautiful photo taken with Kilimanjaro behind us. We forgot about the peak for a moment and just be happy :-)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL89LwkV7Su1rUwEoBlansaFu1ASO-CkN7Eh_25t3jwlmJLT8kIJc2w014zSYp-VsKDCmKM_DuznNRhMgrvlfzE80e2ynU62fLPPjyb8gkSdIZxmkHSOJ7O3-BK9sIaWX5KgGhsUqN42Ll/s1600/P9230289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL89LwkV7Su1rUwEoBlansaFu1ASO-CkN7Eh_25t3jwlmJLT8kIJc2w014zSYp-VsKDCmKM_DuznNRhMgrvlfzE80e2ynU62fLPPjyb8gkSdIZxmkHSOJ7O3-BK9sIaWX5KgGhsUqN42Ll/s320/P9230289.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Barranco Wall </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">- Photo by Bob</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JHNVPE-0j-oS53isgOHddMNDja5TSEGI6-Y7O_VmW9OV1ZixM_xLi1jP5SsX7XwM9B3yvYOn1vYbvuy8mdcNluIwqSdR0kMMfntjn3MrwwDT1jjW4FvLrGKOpCa0OaQZUjY-aa8OoEcE/s1600/51-Barranco+Wall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JHNVPE-0j-oS53isgOHddMNDja5TSEGI6-Y7O_VmW9OV1ZixM_xLi1jP5SsX7XwM9B3yvYOn1vYbvuy8mdcNluIwqSdR0kMMfntjn3MrwwDT1jjW4FvLrGKOpCa0OaQZUjY-aa8OoEcE/s320/51-Barranco+Wall.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The scramble up Barranco Wall</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXIXSgJDbYgllgEOk0EHBuVbeh9RJk5esm2_kMijUEC2m4c_BB1fQZAsjkzVnrIAsoa2MtXKm1dQZCgZnMiWGnv5yM8nS03ePhYF1r69HjqFgbQEJUiwW575l74G2MExo8TWY2zpdM_RU/s1600/53-The+Group.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXIXSgJDbYgllgEOk0EHBuVbeh9RJk5esm2_kMijUEC2m4c_BB1fQZAsjkzVnrIAsoa2MtXKm1dQZCgZnMiWGnv5yM8nS03ePhYF1r69HjqFgbQEJUiwW575l74G2MExo8TWY2zpdM_RU/s400/53-The+Group.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Above Barranco Wall</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The trek still have a long way to go after Barranco, it was too early to be happy. We arrived at Karanga campsite but here it is for 7 days trek package to stay an extra night to acclimatize. We are skipping this site continue to Barafu. The last 500m struggle towards Barafu Camp was exhausting! My legs were all jelly when I reached the camp. The campsite was rocky, it was packed with tents everywhere in between the rocks, we were setup at the edge of the slope. Had an amazing view over the valley. I sat in front of my tent for the longest time, can't move myself anymore. Good thing is my headache was gone. I could finally eat a proper meal. But Winnie was down, she was shivering badly. It was a sign of altitude sickness. She could hardly eat any food. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jS5TMC5PftOB1qqMoThKwQETv1sZA6v_HQF60gLTJEFOVOga5sUxm05awnwJ1rVhGJrjZhHAus7w-W1ivAWAEXOZ_-gU6ibBnTf09fGVA-qfcPnaIQa9OlEwnCQVG8iGXje67VFuwcd8/s1600/P9230943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jS5TMC5PftOB1qqMoThKwQETv1sZA6v_HQF60gLTJEFOVOga5sUxm05awnwJ1rVhGJrjZhHAus7w-W1ivAWAEXOZ_-gU6ibBnTf09fGVA-qfcPnaIQa9OlEwnCQVG8iGXje67VFuwcd8/s640/P9230943.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Barafu Camp</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We all tried to get some rest before the big night. We were very nervous. The tiredness also has affected us. At 11pm we have to get ready to hike to the peak. We packed up some energy bar, chocolates, water, warm clothes, camera, batteries but trying to keep it as light as possible. We also put on our gaiter as advised by our guide so they kept the stones away from getting into our shoes. Layered ourselves with thick clothes, gloves and hood as it will be sub-zero. We received bad news from Winnie, she was still sick and can't make it to the summit and Bob decided to stay with her. Only the 3 of us left! We were sad that Winnie and Bob were left behind but there is nothing we could do. We were determined to try our best to reach the peak. At midnight we set off. Winnie and Bob will head down during the day to our next camp site.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9oC_sB3fse76HBsrZMA8eweqw2xWVceJ4O_kSjOOeWJcr3lAXPWK_xImYhoXWYnxThpqIQtHBwiIhzeV7uvlw1MY-TuLj0536gX2qRvG8ciq_pNeBHt9WXbFjkJH2Luaunpdh9zZX4X2J/s1600/P9230951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9oC_sB3fse76HBsrZMA8eweqw2xWVceJ4O_kSjOOeWJcr3lAXPWK_xImYhoXWYnxThpqIQtHBwiIhzeV7uvlw1MY-TuLj0536gX2qRvG8ciq_pNeBHt9WXbFjkJH2Luaunpdh9zZX4X2J/s320/P9230951.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Torch light towards Stella Point</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">24th Sep 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trek start : </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Barafu Camp (4673m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">High point : Uhuru Peak (5895m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trek end : Mweka Camp (3068m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Duration : 16 hrs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Distance : 19km</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Difficulties : Extreme</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Leaving the camp site in darkness, we can already see the line of torch light going up the mountain. People were already halfway to the summit. We just got started but is ok, we are going to do it "pole pole" (means slowly). The way up was zing zang thru the rocks and slope. We have 2 guides with us, one lead and one tail us so no one will be left behind. Our torches shine on the path where we would put our next steps. We walk half a step every time, "pole pole" and breath. We stop every now and then but it gets cold if we do it too often. Our guide insist that we continue to walk "pole pole" instead of stopping too many times. On the way up, we encountered several hikers turning back with their guide, they were in really bad shape! Some were literally drag down by their guide. Altitude sickness can be fatal. The fatality in Kilimanjaro hike is not exactly known but there were estimated 3-7 a year. The success rate on a 6 days hike is only 40%. We were hoping to be in this category.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was the longest ever slope I ever attempted, we have been told too many times that we were almost there but we still could not see nothing at end of the wall on top of us. Here is the time where you do not thrust your guide anymore. The sun rises behind our back while we see some light at the end of the tunnel far away. The Stella Point is there waiting for us! We push and push and push, the only words that came thru my mine was "I can do it I can do it! One step closer every time I take a baby step!" The last scramble over the top of the slope was dreadful. We have no more expression, we couldn't smile, we just hug each other and pad each other for job well done. Sat down and stared at the view of the crater. Exhaustion kicks in, we didn't even take any photo. We stared at the Uhuru Peak at the end of the crater ring. That is our final destination, this is not. Our guide asked if we want to continue. The 3 of us were determined thank god no one gave up yet! To the TOP we said! We just need to keep in mine only 500m (I guess) more we will be at the top of Africa.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBD6_gicvpMSu4uqHdDftOcuAX0glyMD3bvDa1pbP05wz9G8KFKjI162486Gi5g2KJu5e7ewSm2wqeYxHeUhAJLdMCJBFkbAzS2kTP8fB74wLif8LOoFc88O0PeHo15hEX-sq4vi9P0Emj/s1600/60-Stella+Point.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBD6_gicvpMSu4uqHdDftOcuAX0glyMD3bvDa1pbP05wz9G8KFKjI162486Gi5g2KJu5e7ewSm2wqeYxHeUhAJLdMCJBFkbAzS2kTP8fB74wLif8LOoFc88O0PeHo15hEX-sq4vi9P0Emj/s640/60-Stella+Point.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stella Point</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The 500m length of almost flat path with only 139m elevation took us 1 hr to complete. We walked like a grandma. There were time when we walk pass a couple of elderly trekkers that gave us a kick in our butt, in our mind we thought if they can do it sure can we! The record of the oldest person to climb Mount Kilimanjaro is at age 85 and 201 days. Robert Wheeler reached the summit on 2nd October 2014.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finally around 9am we reached Africa highest point-The Uhuru Peak @ 5895m! The Uhuru Peak makes up one of the Seven Summits in the world. Higher than both South and North Everest Base Camp. We were overwhelm by emotion and exhaustion, finally we smile and tears fell thru our eyes. We were so proud of ourselves to make it there. We took a few photos and enjoy the moment of victory. Hurray! There were happy faces everywhere. We saw the Southern Icefield and the Eastern Icefield on both side on the way down. I took as much photos as I can because I will only be here once in my life time, and to share this with all my family and friends who will never be here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our next challenge awaits, which is even more dreadful then reaching the peak. We need to descent down 2827m of altitude with our weak knees and legs. Now I wish for a helicopter to pick us and bring us down. :-(</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukCpgStkcvoIGSpb5VBKMU1SWYtMwT6fwY9Q94Fx1L5zUMbZPp3OeJnhxcVPWm5vfjcgqEkVlJkFOLsECCoN7jdN0pEVD2EDbXmXKz1SyMvVBRFrLSGNQi_AORiLrk1S8pmTLg6ie0FoJ/s1600/60a-Stella+Point.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukCpgStkcvoIGSpb5VBKMU1SWYtMwT6fwY9Q94Fx1L5zUMbZPp3OeJnhxcVPWm5vfjcgqEkVlJkFOLsECCoN7jdN0pEVD2EDbXmXKz1SyMvVBRFrLSGNQi_AORiLrk1S8pmTLg6ie0FoJ/s320/60a-Stella+Point.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stella Point</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLHstBATKMHtH0_leS_ZxGDXmpjkspAYIxqpGdQvgVcjw9p40JHKBhUWB1PnA_O3LL5rXa-MKKDSpITvI6R7W-JTSqNM0GUJmWmEEnVNIv0yyUO2o5cTwgDfxC9ngaxstfDCDZk5MYEoE/s1600/64-Uhuru+Peak.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLHstBATKMHtH0_leS_ZxGDXmpjkspAYIxqpGdQvgVcjw9p40JHKBhUWB1PnA_O3LL5rXa-MKKDSpITvI6R7W-JTSqNM0GUJmWmEEnVNIv0yyUO2o5cTwgDfxC9ngaxstfDCDZk5MYEoE/s320/64-Uhuru+Peak.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Uhuru Peak</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Descent from Uhuru Peak</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSF2VJGU7gKt-jh0ViHo_HuT6hsNIqyz-EfSlTEzhcmpzyxyMwabeRF41Rm1wCnqByUhyphenhyphen6LnKZR7gMOzvpRe3Ev7l6Ox-8dtQjI9wrlgpUABdFMp_PF2pJoyBPUgyWSBNXos452uhYaSH/s1600/P9240314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSF2VJGU7gKt-jh0ViHo_HuT6hsNIqyz-EfSlTEzhcmpzyxyMwabeRF41Rm1wCnqByUhyphenhyphen6LnKZR7gMOzvpRe3Ev7l6Ox-8dtQjI9wrlgpUABdFMp_PF2pJoyBPUgyWSBNXos452uhYaSH/s320/P9240314.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Barafu Campsite - Photo by Bob</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We descent on a different path from where we came up. The down slope was scary! Just like skiing on a winter mountain of snow but without the ski and the snow. We used our legs to half run and half glide down the rocks and sands slope and our pole as ski pole to balance. I swear my legs were not with my body anymore, they were doing their own thing and I am just keeping my eyes open not to stumble on sharp rocks. We reached back to Barafu Camp around 12:30pm. We had walk for almost 12 hours by now! Our legs were completely death! The guide told us to have a rest, take our lunch and we have to pack up to head to Mweka Camp. This is insane! We need a few days to recover, not 30 mins! By 1:30pm we push ourselves to move, "pole pole" we hike down to Mweka Camp. We pass Millenium Campsite where we wish this could be our campsite for the night. It will be more logical to camp here then to camp at Mweka Camp as we were extremely tired. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We finally arrived to Mweka around 5:30pm. We were so happy to see Winnie and Bob and shared our achievement with them. We were glad that Winnie has recovered, and we were all safe from any fatalities. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mweka Campsite</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">25th Sep 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trek start : </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mweka Camp (3068m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trek end : Mweka Gate (1640m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Duration : 2 hrs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Distance : 10km</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Difficulties : Easy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The last day was the easiest compare to what we had been thru. We took our time to enjoy the last bit of the hike. Unfortunately our guide was in a hurry they kept pushing us to go. I can't be bother, just took my time with all the flowers by the road side. We saw a few long hair Colobus monkeys close up, what a beauty!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkpGqxogrUnxRhLI7hcpymEBS0QdaeTx6ytLrabMAKoKP_yZbrrkV_SE-yAtIlhH1cmxAhFA0pyIF7LI0-REnpEoGKD8-wZvhmIafTyuDWSE0byJEqfCZgfDuXq7cs9N1vWdcyW7ygrJ4/s1600/79-.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkpGqxogrUnxRhLI7hcpymEBS0QdaeTx6ytLrabMAKoKP_yZbrrkV_SE-yAtIlhH1cmxAhFA0pyIF7LI0-REnpEoGKD8-wZvhmIafTyuDWSE0byJEqfCZgfDuXq7cs9N1vWdcyW7ygrJ4/s320/79-.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IvQ2BjNUBaiuw9PJqefd3xtOHeJyrA-KH9u5ZNfMC4y7Ygky6IpZMNLqM62z2R9DlXLEUwrtE7iBCZ9xV-VuqOjkKJWdJ2gGykd_CRR_uKeVoCfi4y0BH0aSWRGna5TKoHB3Dkh0AJaC/s1600/77-.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IvQ2BjNUBaiuw9PJqefd3xtOHeJyrA-KH9u5ZNfMC4y7Ygky6IpZMNLqM62z2R9DlXLEUwrtE7iBCZ9xV-VuqOjkKJWdJ2gGykd_CRR_uKeVoCfi4y0BH0aSWRGna5TKoHB3Dkh0AJaC/s200/77-.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrJdyECNlCUH6DJy6v75WQAX__ft0TUSq0igiDUHlPL0OuCtY00V74Yt1nvtJNlAeu72K-iWHk_yfGuyjUDub8DRgFy9R_LwIptY7aQLQiHolFpTK2Osp4UnZ5CxcVnwRk4BFPkLXeXVB/s1600/75-.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrJdyECNlCUH6DJy6v75WQAX__ft0TUSq0igiDUHlPL0OuCtY00V74Yt1nvtJNlAeu72K-iWHk_yfGuyjUDub8DRgFy9R_LwIptY7aQLQiHolFpTK2Osp4UnZ5CxcVnwRk4BFPkLXeXVB/s320/75-.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Colobus Monkey - Photo by Em</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Arrived at the Mweka Gate, we received our certificates of achievement to reach the Uhuru Peak and we finally met the entire crew. They sang us the African song and we join in for a dance with them. The ritual is completed with a token of appreciation to the entire team.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Crew</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That ends our 6 days hike to Mt Kilimanjaro. I felt content and proud of myself for achieving it. I swear not to hike anymore but you never know when the hiking bugs will bite again. I would not have made it without everyone in the team. The experience was priceless. The only regret I had was not having Bob and Winnie with us at the summit. We probably could have made it with a 7 days trek.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_L-EjNQoHbwFh33ilwKKY6bxp3OpZaTC8hjGzQZaQwdTqW69P3sfId-BTO7aS-8DwTxP2sJIbcJePrMu_8UD7_oU59NRTVVucPVcEoYOmJR8vsA-kQpZE3qlRV7Cloyb6Cy6yYrzbPpY/s1600/Machame+Trek+Kili.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_L-EjNQoHbwFh33ilwKKY6bxp3OpZaTC8hjGzQZaQwdTqW69P3sfId-BTO7aS-8DwTxP2sJIbcJePrMu_8UD7_oU59NRTVVucPVcEoYOmJR8vsA-kQpZE3qlRV7Cloyb6Cy6yYrzbPpY/s640/Machame+Trek+Kili.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Link to Kilimanjaro Album -></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153670757148126.1073741854.614428125&type=1&l=0a1c787fd6">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153670757148126.1073741854.614428125&type=1&l=0a1c787fd6</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Accommodation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mountain Inn (10 mins from Moshi Town) Bungalow room/night with attached toilet, hot shower, TV. Breakfast, WIFI.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ethiopian Airlines - SG-BKK-ADD-KIL return S$1630 pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Airport Transfer to/from Kili airport to Mountain Inn one way- $80 per car</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Recreation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Machame Route 8D7N (6 Days trek) package - US$1485 pp incl:-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- 2 Nights’ accommodation at Mountain Inn on half board basis sharing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> - All meals on the mountain on full board basis prepared by our trained chef /cook and eating utensils</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> - Kilimanjaro National Park conservation (entry) fees</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> - Kilimanjaro National Park Rescue fees /Camping fees or hut fees</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> - Four or Three seasons Light dome tent per two personal sharing on camping based route</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> - Camping chair, table, 1 dinning tent for the camping route</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> - Kilimanjaro National Park trained and certified English speaking Mountain guide/s</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> - Kilimanjaro National Park trained Porters</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> - Boiled drinking water on the trek</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> - 1 transfers to/from Moshi to Park gates per group</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> - Safe and luggage storage room at Mountain Inn while on the trek</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />Rental equipments:-<br />- Duffel Bag -$10<br />- Mattresses -$10<br />- 4 season sleeping bags - $30</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tipping Guide :-<br />- Each mountain guide: USD $70 per guide, from the whole group per trip<br />- Each mountain porter: USD $30 per porter, from the whole group per trip<br />- Each mountain cook: USD $10 extra compared to normal porters</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;"><br /></span>
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Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-50292685156258768922015-04-06T22:35:00.001+08:002015-04-08T10:56:51.872+08:00Johannesburg and Kruger National Park, South Africa 22 Feb - 2 Mar 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">South Africa - A new continent on my checked list, thanks to my company I had this opportunity to travel to South Africa for work. Being the first time in South Africa, of course I will make full use of this opportunity to sightsee on top of work :-) thanks to my boss he allowed me to take extra days off after the work trip.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Johannesburg is the biggest city in South Africa and famously dangerous! That's what I've gathered, I started to be concerned when everyone said the same thing and telling me stories. To add on to that, I've watched too many American movies where the bad guys are so often the black people, that really didn't help much. I was excited to visit this new country yet feeling nervous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the first Sunday when I arrived, I went straight to my hotel that is out of town. A luxury Casino Hotel. Puffff...the room is as big as my flat in Singapore, with a living room, kitchen, bedroom, balcony and a toilet that share the same space as the bedroom, no no I'm not complaining. :-) On the way to the hotel, I noticed a lot of fenced up area housing community, I was told that all houses are secured with high wall and electric cables for safety reason. Even the Hotel is in a secured area with guards at the entrance. OK, looks like I'm going to spend a lot of time in the jail opps I meant Hotel :-(</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJqQkUTVnrNlly5lW6s5oLID00ldA3puPsGqlSmuz_ZWijQG0hJuQ1cgA23KLt2HR5h2IviyzxRtFkATkgILD52RQllrkcKhNLy2b5K8ss4hFmDetsmiJQC8EgFDVeY3-0JOHrlebyTMO/s1600/20150222_125850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJqQkUTVnrNlly5lW6s5oLID00ldA3puPsGqlSmuz_ZWijQG0hJuQ1cgA23KLt2HR5h2IviyzxRtFkATkgILD52RQllrkcKhNLy2b5K8ss4hFmDetsmiJQC8EgFDVeY3-0JOHrlebyTMO/s1600/20150222_125850.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arts On Main</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJCx-WAFjJ6mJ0aum_M93mY5S3gVPwEp-aRTgQXQrAmtewPToCmhFJ2d0C1oTScjpNr9WDo3txBsLi3EWqaZV_4bAacNg4aFiAcUnsP-FwjfopIeISkfYL1_WI7-cj5N5NFRRN6Kqd-rp/s1600/20150222_125036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJCx-WAFjJ6mJ0aum_M93mY5S3gVPwEp-aRTgQXQrAmtewPToCmhFJ2d0C1oTScjpNr9WDo3txBsLi3EWqaZV_4bAacNg4aFiAcUnsP-FwjfopIeISkfYL1_WI7-cj5N5NFRRN6Kqd-rp/s1600/20150222_125036.jpg" height="150" title="arts on main" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arts On Main</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFrHibcmGfr3CnPm96lN6V5FDJ18DMCIuuxBHTj7xBn9ummqgIeAHtyGtb9Kra7SQ2s7X2r71pymMoC0EbEpNegjnj6iSu-lkGpW5R3d7cfwwiCoEwmS4JpJPIpRMfrg-PVyncIxm35n7/s1600/20150222_125712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFrHibcmGfr3CnPm96lN6V5FDJ18DMCIuuxBHTj7xBn9ummqgIeAHtyGtb9Kra7SQ2s7X2r71pymMoC0EbEpNegjnj6iSu-lkGpW5R3d7cfwwiCoEwmS4JpJPIpRMfrg-PVyncIxm35n7/s1600/20150222_125712.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Luckily I have 2 German colleagues with me, they decided to go down town. They were there one day earlier and already explored the town on foot near Rosebank area. They said it was ok. So I followed them to town. From our hotel at Roodepoort to town it was 45mins by car, on a Sunday that is not much traffic. We went to the Sunday Arts On Main at Fox street. It was quiet and deserted till we reach Fox St. Suddenly it became lively and crowded with people. This place is a huge warehouse, inside there are local food stalls, art exhibition, handicraft stalls, restaurants and bars. A good mixed of black and white African, it has a very nice ambiance. A few blocks around it there were more bars and restaurants but when we ventured slightly further, it became quiet and deserted with group of blacks hanging around on the road site. Immediately I was on alert and told my colleagues to turn back. We then took a taxi to Nelson Mandela Mall at Sandton, seems to be the only other safe place in town to visit. There is a huge Nelson Mandela statue in the square and a big shopping mall. There was really not much to do. No park we could visit, no other market we could go. That was it! My 2 colleagues decided to head back to the hotel and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I took the chance to go for a Milonga near Sandton, it was about 1 km from Nelson Mandela Mall, I decided to walk there before it gets dark. I made it! I was on full alert and walking really fast. :-) This city really freaks me out! It wasn't like Mexico City or Guatemala City or Cali where there are lots of people and police roaming the street, this one is deserted!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCb8029dT01GN2fah_awJPz0AapPD3ggK94OevR9Bcd6jZ1eV1ujnb0vUTDQiE7NoSqocwMXVHjblm86DNz3Kxwqi9t57t7SRjXbJjv6jTiZSz_IUIwKyh821ntNZZoULzuF9JgkcddZw/s1600/20150222_201336_LLS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCb8029dT01GN2fah_awJPz0AapPD3ggK94OevR9Bcd6jZ1eV1ujnb0vUTDQiE7NoSqocwMXVHjblm86DNz3Kxwqi9t57t7SRjXbJjv6jTiZSz_IUIwKyh821ntNZZoULzuF9JgkcddZw/s1600/20150222_201336_LLS.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tango at The Grill House</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Milonga night was a pleasant surprise, I met very friendly South African people and very good TANGO dancers. I was overwhelmed by their warmness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taxi in Joburg doesn't go on meter and it doesn't come cheap, we were always quoted with a very high price and depend on our bargaining skill to get it lower. One way trip to town from the hotel will cost around $30 and there is no other public transport to take. We can ask the Hotel to book for us a cab to send us and pick us up, but there is so much corruption in this country, even the hotel staff asked for commission from the taxi driver, so the taxi driver has to markup the price.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monday night, I joined Patrick for Kizomba in Sandton. Patrick whom I met at The Studio in Singapore insisted that I should go because it is the best kizomba night in town. I was thankful that he offered to send me back to the hotel so I could cover only one way taxi charge to town. I had a fabulous time with all the good kizomba dancers! Could not have ask for more.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUVj1ctWkzNLmuZuLUFoZebMJuXPoTeYb8WuXPx1qR4BewrG6WJ8nvt24CQh9kNtXg3_AEvw5K1Iyackl_If2btk4aQzARFcGPPAOqFLLTsYuhvCvMdWM5aq4qFuObOofzG3a_rmHRSzP/s1600/20150224_085810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUVj1ctWkzNLmuZuLUFoZebMJuXPoTeYb8WuXPx1qR4BewrG6WJ8nvt24CQh9kNtXg3_AEvw5K1Iyackl_If2btk4aQzARFcGPPAOqFLLTsYuhvCvMdWM5aq4qFuObOofzG3a_rmHRSzP/s1600/20150224_085810.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rohde & Schwarz South Africa</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next 2 days were buried with work and dinner with colleagues. I was looking forward to my holiday! I have booked a 4D3N Camping Safari to Kruger National Park with an agency online. This agency put me with Outlook Lodge & Safaris. They picked me up from the hotel. I left on Thursday morning 6:30am. As we had to pick up other customer in town, we have to head into the traffic, there is no escape. It took us 3 hours to finally pick up the other 2 gals and arrived at the agency Lodge but this is not the final destination yet, we gathered everyone in one van, all 5 of us took off to Kruger National Park. It was another 5 hours drive but without the heavy traffic. As soon as we leave the city, the scenery changed to become greener and open up to endless farms and plantations. Every now and then we saw a few huge funnels at far with smoke blowing up from the top. Those are the coal-fired power plant. Around 77% of South Africa's energy needs are directly derived from coal. There are still shortage of power and every now and then there is a scheduled power shut down in each area.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihniQdU5nnK7ZMchGhAM0V5gXT7504mruX880T8pEedV66mg6E3m6k1V2w-L7StP0oY58pafg0g6CUBB806uAM9YaSFstYUa34xPlNPMV0h9V9q5VaLJpCf4QQKcq0jHvReBvwsHRBQYyn/s1600/01-Paul+Kruger+Gate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihniQdU5nnK7ZMchGhAM0V5gXT7504mruX880T8pEedV66mg6E3m6k1V2w-L7StP0oY58pafg0g6CUBB806uAM9YaSFstYUa34xPlNPMV0h9V9q5VaLJpCf4QQKcq0jHvReBvwsHRBQYyn/s1600/01-Paul+Kruger+Gate.JPG" height="222" title="Paul Kruger Gate" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kruger National Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvDMXzzjChn3qFwmmSGXSHetX55u83wSv3QjM3-hAvL6JT5QbeCHiMU_3D_N9CTAVotD86O2HtZd-F6ibDuTE_lw_vQ1Vrv1O87I_FSPWUmCX_l5mBTIvdd43yflHG6yh-mOtej8eUPUO/s1600/08-Inside+my+tent.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvDMXzzjChn3qFwmmSGXSHetX55u83wSv3QjM3-hAvL6JT5QbeCHiMU_3D_N9CTAVotD86O2HtZd-F6ibDuTE_lw_vQ1Vrv1O87I_FSPWUmCX_l5mBTIvdd43yflHG6yh-mOtej8eUPUO/s1600/08-Inside+my+tent.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior of the Tent</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK60tlzHyLNRJuXRNwuOI7_6jU4mILXBQM_mMehl92SiGUSR2NA92Uytc_BA323Oi2BbeBmgA_esMb07fwq9rvH_Y2M6SSHYNwHUKFF6zYyoLKblExPThzwiIBrrD7WN5lZrrfhjMtMgeH/s1600/06-Outlook+Safari+Camp+site.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK60tlzHyLNRJuXRNwuOI7_6jU4mILXBQM_mMehl92SiGUSR2NA92Uytc_BA323Oi2BbeBmgA_esMb07fwq9rvH_Y2M6SSHYNwHUKFF6zYyoLKblExPThzwiIBrrD7WN5lZrrfhjMtMgeH/s1600/06-Outlook+Safari+Camp+site.JPG" height="132" title="Outlook Lodge & Safaris Camp" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camp Site</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We finally arrived at Skukuza Camp at 3pm, it is the biggest camp in Kruger National Park. This camp has several type of accommodation ranging from tents to luxury cottages, shop, ATM, POST Office, internet cafe, restaurant, library, fuel station and more. We were checked in to our fixed tent, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">each tent has 1 or 2 beds, light and a fan cabinet. Towel and soap are provided.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> it was pretty cozy and comfortable. There are about 8 tents under the trees, next to our tents is a dining tent and a kitchen. 100m away is the common toilet and swimming pool. We are surrounded by the other campers and the more luxury cottages. The </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Outlook Lodge & Safaris has</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> their own private 4x4 vehicle, chef, crew and guide. Skukuza Camp gate is open from 6am to 7pm(changes according to season), vehicles are not allow to roam outside any camp after the closing time.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xlXB-o8Cl9LnkKChN36sRtgNzO_4J7Y7pFG8iWeFfLt_wPnh5TASqhZm_kpDF8lv7c0pb7xMiiUd3H7KwCSCO8Q8255Ifwh4spFEo4nxi3AxVFN5vgYwWtiuinWsv-hfuHC9mhqw4LYR/s1600/10-Safari+Jeep.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xlXB-o8Cl9LnkKChN36sRtgNzO_4J7Y7pFG8iWeFfLt_wPnh5TASqhZm_kpDF8lv7c0pb7xMiiUd3H7KwCSCO8Q8255Ifwh4spFEo4nxi3AxVFN5vgYwWtiuinWsv-hfuHC9mhqw4LYR/s1600/10-Safari+Jeep.JPG" height="212" title="Outlook Lodge & Safari Vehicle" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outlook Lodge & Safari Vehicle</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For our first game drive, we join the SANParks game ranger for the Sunset Game Drive, the Kruger Park safari vehicle is much bigger, it is able to take up to 30 people. We mixed with other guest from the lodges and cottages. We drove out of the Skukuza Camp full of excitement and enthusiasm. The Sunset Game Drive allow us to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">see nocturnal animals that are more active at night and the Park’s rangers are allowed to return after the normal gate closing times. We were all excited with our first Impala, Zebra, Rhino, Hyena, Giraffe, Elephant, Buffalo and many more. When the daylight is gone, we use torch provided by SANParks to look out for nocturnal animals, we were asked not to shine on the animals eyes but just around them. It was a fruitful night. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dinner was ready when we got back, 3 course meal served with wine. :-) Here is a chance to meet with the group and socialize. Unfortunately we were all exhausted from the long day and went to sleep early. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FbNg-eWr2kzBEfDuf1biQy1IKcV9y_s4cwyKS_-9lpRck77FhCY5ea_zEGeSdOiDyW0gCVqawVrC-D3o1k-Mki5cDufgseVQvWln3zpD_j6kqABAFO_Dt3-VABfl9ZhnMluFV_x2JVQG/s1600/13-Sunrise.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FbNg-eWr2kzBEfDuf1biQy1IKcV9y_s4cwyKS_-9lpRck77FhCY5ea_zEGeSdOiDyW0gCVqawVrC-D3o1k-Mki5cDufgseVQvWln3zpD_j6kqABAFO_Dt3-VABfl9ZhnMluFV_x2JVQG/s1600/13-Sunrise.JPG" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning Game Drive</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next 2 days' programs were 2 morning game drives starting at 7am and 2 afternoon game drives starting at 4pm. On the last day only 1 morning game drive. Every game drive will last for 3 hours or more. Breakfast is served at 6am daily. In between the 2 drives we come back for lunch and an afternoon break. We had time to go to the shop, library, museum, chill by the river or soak in the pool. There is free wifi at the restaurant by the river and the take away cafe actually serve a big varieties of food. The shop sells anything from fresh food to souvenirs. Basically anything we need to live in the park.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcezFfGs86_KrO6fHSa1CW1eAlAVxBXUvrNf2ctDpL5y00XZB2qMDmnp2gwuHKqGTl0vIFnZjhN_dN6s7Jhkm3dPi8_EdWuKp_xuObmN1uCqwdJsdm3ofou9fwaPAlcIH_eQgJ7bXPHjU/s1600/05-What+was+spotted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcezFfGs86_KrO6fHSa1CW1eAlAVxBXUvrNf2ctDpL5y00XZB2qMDmnp2gwuHKqGTl0vIFnZjhN_dN6s7Jhkm3dPi8_EdWuKp_xuObmN1uCqwdJsdm3ofou9fwaPAlcIH_eQgJ7bXPHjU/s1600/05-What+was+spotted.jpg" height="320" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What was spotted</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 4x4 vehicle from Outlook Safari can fit 9 person at the back and one more at the co-driver seat. The back seats are much better because they are elevated with good vantage point. Our driver is our guide, he knows where to go and all about the wildlife. We were told not to harass the animals, not to put our hands out of the vehicle, not to get out of the vehicle, not to make noise, not to feed animals, not to litter and other, all towards preserving the national park.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all came here to spot the Big 5, they are the Elephant, Rhino, Leopard, Lion and Buffalo. 3 checked and 2 more to go, the cats are the most difficult to spot especially with the current season, the trees are green and bushes are high. Fortunately we have pretty good luck and good ranger who knows where to find them. On the 2nd day afternoon, after our ranger received info of Lion spotted at an area, we went looking for it. While looking for the Lion and Leopard high and low. A Cheetah suddenly run out from the bush moved on the road as our vehicle follow him, turned and paused </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">before disappearing into the bush. I held my</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> breath for that entire moment, too excited to breath. That was the best moment! Cheetah is rare to see as only around 120 left in the entire park. We were damn lucky! And not long after, we spotted a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">group of 5 lioness resting on the dried river bed. That completes the day.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYMAoBSHlt54wFuqTFXYeJF97RyxDyvJbtbZZlrbySyshZsTsleJ8TSd8beZQ3xk4D1x_6MITAMXwRR553vJwGUTBdAJzrrF3fuzNsvSNTE2QdQU4TlNbTuFHT5r7ZolZY7-TktIfaf__/s1600/DSC_6502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYMAoBSHlt54wFuqTFXYeJF97RyxDyvJbtbZZlrbySyshZsTsleJ8TSd8beZQ3xk4D1x_6MITAMXwRR553vJwGUTBdAJzrrF3fuzNsvSNTE2QdQU4TlNbTuFHT5r7ZolZY7-TktIfaf__/s1600/DSC_6502.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When Lion is spotted</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMKrLnQwDfMynEXqnOk-YxaHVltgiIQR-_wIiyVheYBZ2Bz2VD6iZ6EE0CvbbE82OpQg1iU4JkK0r-Losut5RLkE18jPiTSBr5teDQc5YGG80usay9xLxHYrY9JHU4c8yK5rMXu1YnCm0/s1600/DSC_6616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMKrLnQwDfMynEXqnOk-YxaHVltgiIQR-_wIiyVheYBZ2Bz2VD6iZ6EE0CvbbE82OpQg1iU4JkK0r-Losut5RLkE18jPiTSBr5teDQc5YGG80usay9xLxHYrY9JHU4c8yK5rMXu1YnCm0/s1600/DSC_6616.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hideout for birders</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the 3rd day, we spotted more elephants, giraffes and lioness but no luck with the Lion and Leopard. There were also many birds spotted on trees and in the bushes but there are just not as impressive as the big animals lying on the road side. We went to a lake where we could step out of the vehicle and go to a hideout, here it was a great place for bird watching. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was really happy to have first heard the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hippopotamus</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> groaning from really far away and then found them soaking in a lake.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> They are among the largest living land mammals being only smaller than elephants and some rhinoceroses. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1bjvqmxa3DyO_pQ7CZ8CsA3OCjCh46EDevoA9PCVcRQ6Yr2LMf9tlI60uV5-Dmk0ZyRi0mpzbyW9VLvLGhB32-DzkLjIy7nNhQD6BCGhqNeScqpw2jRpYOIXAofMgvIUaPRWAmzpk_s_/s1600/DSC_6771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1bjvqmxa3DyO_pQ7CZ8CsA3OCjCh46EDevoA9PCVcRQ6Yr2LMf9tlI60uV5-Dmk0ZyRi0mpzbyW9VLvLGhB32-DzkLjIy7nNhQD6BCGhqNeScqpw2jRpYOIXAofMgvIUaPRWAmzpk_s_/s1600/DSC_6771.JPG" height="212" title="Lisbon Waterfall" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisbon Waterfall</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the last day, I chose to go for the Panorama Route. This is an optional excursion normally only possible on the day after arrival and before departure, but because we had a good number of people wanted to go and mostly taking the drive back to Johannesburg so they allow it. Another point to note is that the weather affects the view of the route. If it is rainy or cloudy, high chance you will not see anything. When we left the park, the sky was clearing, we drove out of Kruger National Park, it was a long 2 hours drive up the mountain, when we got there we had no view at all due to the bad weather condition. We could not see anything from the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Canyon </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and God’s Window. The only place we saw was the</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Lisbon Waterfalls. We headed back after breakfast and arrived at Johannesburg around 6pm. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />That ends my trip to South Africa, I flew back the next morning. I have enjoyed so much the Kruger National Park, lucky to have a group of cool people for the 4 days. The food in South Africa was good and the people are nice. I didn't enjoy being "imprisoned" in Johannesburg due to the safety. The city is not welcoming, not on my list to revisit if you asked my advice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Accommodation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Southern Sun Silverstar – luxury hotel paid by company</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atholl Guest House (</span><a href="https://3c-lxa.mail.com/mail/client/dereferrer?redirectUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.athollguesthouse.co.za" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;" target="_blank">www.athollguesthouse.co.za</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) - R725</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> per night incl breakfast (WIFI broken)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SG-JO-SG - SQ paid by company</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taxi to/from town to/from hotel Southern Sun - R400 per way</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recreation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4D3N Kruger camping safari (https://krugerparksafari.com/</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) - R6600</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Professional drivers/guides (FGASA registered – Field Guides Association of Southern Africa)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• Meals as specified per itinerary</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• All day Game Drives in the Kruger National Park in an open game drive vehicle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• SAN PARKS sunset drive (All Kruger Park Safari guests over 6 years of age)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• All entry fees and daily conservation levies</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• Accommodation as per chosen option</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• Bottled mineral water during the day in the Kruger National Park</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• Wine with dinner in the Kruger National Park</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwqWO3GaG1PkE4YGK7RBjjWrRPV9J4FDrBAencaPd8rheDu07uOo0q2mGg7BDXde1hJ40WU31NLUmPLMQ6nzPbJapKd2EkGvN9o7-exaJhYd5X_Sdi9VrfWV3Eu6pSVaqW_gJ_Ugs9AXj/s1600/Cheetah.jpg" height="218" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Cheetah" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheetah</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSiyfKhbEjCdiIE7LTRHS07sgE1Ip3KvZs1b-Q_hzuCrUv0nPLMHlFq6i8Ad0ggG3fUf2tlvWBjuSzBix_eJsYXZD4lDkcapVh3OFRwtVQ_gDen_lR3gca17bq8lvlXmZP5TWcPQZP8uX/s1600/Cheetah+on+the+road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSiyfKhbEjCdiIE7LTRHS07sgE1Ip3KvZs1b-Q_hzuCrUv0nPLMHlFq6i8Ad0ggG3fUf2tlvWBjuSzBix_eJsYXZD4lDkcapVh3OFRwtVQ_gDen_lR3gca17bq8lvlXmZP5TWcPQZP8uX/s1600/Cheetah+on+the+road.JPG" height="211" title="Cheetah" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheetah</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tdc3LeBRHFWdldmgIYIeW7jqCIDTECm-1HhfkeMevB7g8lrEIrvsUAjbJJDWYMOMMlD1SBu_I-JPp0VaufIkoW5xsmH1GqHbJgBYdZof2HMJmZZwvNDzAQXDzCrueNoZ_ugzB7xN3H0B/s1600/DSC_6307.JPG" height="212" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Warthog" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warthog</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKdPX6bxK1cqDw2XwpgtLghCAou9PVq5-0-8xeWKIIyIm4P7fFo4Xocugq6oEyPoRq2EDKreAt5aEOUb9zGxsrGZN8ThfmkKwlqco3dh14KdYb6BKHeG3qAWYwqNlibka6OGTy_4RwsLp/s1600/DSC_6668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKdPX6bxK1cqDw2XwpgtLghCAou9PVq5-0-8xeWKIIyIm4P7fFo4Xocugq6oEyPoRq2EDKreAt5aEOUb9zGxsrGZN8ThfmkKwlqco3dh14KdYb6BKHeG3qAWYwqNlibka6OGTy_4RwsLp/s1600/DSC_6668.JPG" height="212" title="Wilddog" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilddogs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZFzWl0ezrOrDnznHE4X3JBAtLU_-5zwuGSVt-VEmmx1KG386FHLEEgPw38TsqMG3PZ22Y4xIDRx5GBt-IiXIwyaWFn-aks_N8GT2UQIqelW119i1xJFrukglHwsZqyQWOOu90KvoDLJx/s1600/Giraffe.JPG" height="230" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Giraffe" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giraffe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4P7A8vC6E4SCI-d93A705P6LPKe2O1pLQa4uKG1yQKKVbwdEDOLDa7eDB75pA8tn5iMbl5bHAimT4xzhOvrRQUVSfGbTJwC7XeLH_DKg0fwfrUZQTTlW0WU-NhAK8VXMP8-Y2zaV9Qya/s1600/Zebra.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4P7A8vC6E4SCI-d93A705P6LPKe2O1pLQa4uKG1yQKKVbwdEDOLDa7eDB75pA8tn5iMbl5bHAimT4xzhOvrRQUVSfGbTJwC7XeLH_DKg0fwfrUZQTTlW0WU-NhAK8VXMP8-Y2zaV9Qya/s1600/Zebra.JPG" height="320" title="Zebra" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zebra</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzGX0qj3heq8T5plaL-2sR8TkAPPTj8-JrYghyphenhyphenF4i9wdwa_Fzeqr_eRx3M4IEuskYjfqtlXeXcAg3QHCpv5ESRgExgC_evgQlk_kw7_6hqZhyrxYBJs_CMzA2uL7YOnyZjipXBExJS-6R/s1600/Impala.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Impala" width="221" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Impala</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUT0ntu1ZJcKu69tVW8Js3lbgUjZ3Gv7mNw7naJno-nmqsMFEb99C4mwZ7rfHLeDSKVspFnqkacSSxEldpggmQSRqWPFK1zCdKBFmbnAAtHHed0OV7LzXE2TV-wmqteLcs-oM65d7giNi/s1600/Elephant-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUT0ntu1ZJcKu69tVW8Js3lbgUjZ3Gv7mNw7naJno-nmqsMFEb99C4mwZ7rfHLeDSKVspFnqkacSSxEldpggmQSRqWPFK1zCdKBFmbnAAtHHed0OV7LzXE2TV-wmqteLcs-oM65d7giNi/s1600/Elephant-2.JPG" height="212" title="African Elephant" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African Elephant</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LBtHuw353TKzntgxqY9TRj18FSVz_geTGMZ-6hKnxDAnDD9r-Ry0iDmZu_GaoPqavA1qildHBIP5mXmHRCzs4dmLJWFXLxPZAQ63UiUCFsYDo9lovZIPkQnRQMPIVTV6Fau_Jk2ks2cM/s1600/Lilac-breasted+Roller.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Lilac-breasted Roller" width="221" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lilac-breasted Roller</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7S-mTaXRirxC7euXlV6-OtabSrKPfPRVT2NfZz00j-sjXGWMw-NGH5KmjkdEAa3EZ1bb_nHDQB81iykb9ZHILpAYDMh6-1Fu-yTWc7vuolvsCK5Xq5yykgxv0Ft4JyEkBRN7H9g2eQCPt/s1600/Hippopotamus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7S-mTaXRirxC7euXlV6-OtabSrKPfPRVT2NfZz00j-sjXGWMw-NGH5KmjkdEAa3EZ1bb_nHDQB81iykb9ZHILpAYDMh6-1Fu-yTWc7vuolvsCK5Xq5yykgxv0Ft4JyEkBRN7H9g2eQCPt/s1600/Hippopotamus.jpg" height="222" title="Hippopotamus" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hippo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEideV95vc0RDVfEQGMgi-J5Oc9YhIgWXsBdxZ-L0uxHcRdPwHqzqjLu0zlUq8LGPGpn55rbBjsOase3PRxKxtZ6I1qkRxnPv24TRnLXS0JaYpD9ha8s5uqoPPCcLm1PgfSyQjhMevOwk5TY/s1600/Hyena-1.JPG" height="222" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Hyena" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hyena</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusv0jSd0HobpTIvnPZZFhqyUzW3ODGuW5Da7HaEnJgwEBEpVa1U81oW5xZtVND0r7IAhqdCsRjoBRcTte_6wvqoTL9tmvHhAGJU9IXa8QfOEpJHGQ9jEzx_W0kUh5Ytn3roW09v6ySOAL/s1600/Rhino.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusv0jSd0HobpTIvnPZZFhqyUzW3ODGuW5Da7HaEnJgwEBEpVa1U81oW5xZtVND0r7IAhqdCsRjoBRcTte_6wvqoTL9tmvHhAGJU9IXa8QfOEpJHGQ9jEzx_W0kUh5Ytn3roW09v6ySOAL/s1600/Rhino.JPG" height="221" title="White Rhino" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Rhino</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjY18IIqlgo0j9dnOt2sKe4e6h5-rhI5j0dTwXlFxOlY_7V27qzWg68wfbNduCY1vFEDTFN1hIbrGWuBS7KvPiU1IarqrV3yRfWwwKKLKL-d_aRQgLyRKjDBWAENej9Xprzh85spAT49e/s1600/Wildebeest.JPG" height="221" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Wilderbeest" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilderbeest</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgYvXFV1tZ3creSxJD44dOLaEA3DYajjvQc-2-Fij8R8_W_RWIHwX1ZzSw4r0e_co3sENymj1uh-Y9WR7zU4XguN0esl9qCIGcL_tSjxzR6TH-nH87j7BYwyfEoJ46N2JxwhEkiOHHPUX/s1600/DSC_6452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgYvXFV1tZ3creSxJD44dOLaEA3DYajjvQc-2-Fij8R8_W_RWIHwX1ZzSw4r0e_co3sENymj1uh-Y9WR7zU4XguN0esl9qCIGcL_tSjxzR6TH-nH87j7BYwyfEoJ46N2JxwhEkiOHHPUX/s1600/DSC_6452.JPG" height="222" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lizard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24IYkh5IkX2BmQVdIyQBxp7KokuTlSZ8iqlhFysVh4sT8bymMHGUXXKiNukpYt368-npBSbRaBVnUs3Oh18yd8fyVjZ_x_zjMoaM1BlYQKGFnaqQogRmUVWECNDe95-n8WNeUnjHb9rz0/s1600/DSC_6551-001.JPG" height="222" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lioness</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4v_SZecis9dd2UFYMYNrRLwRXeRIxF-MoCewM5x-qzsEfnnbRcdNz2rL_SPG1zaibhx_iFk0bmiJU12gadnX6NMiIsV-5-7z-OG7WRsCOziovuS7DOk5w2q8zB_SCabla7zCf7IONC3WN/s1600/DSC_6731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4v_SZecis9dd2UFYMYNrRLwRXeRIxF-MoCewM5x-qzsEfnnbRcdNz2rL_SPG1zaibhx_iFk0bmiJU12gadnX6NMiIsV-5-7z-OG7WRsCOziovuS7DOk5w2q8zB_SCabla7zCf7IONC3WN/s1600/DSC_6731.jpg" height="320" title="Vervet Monkey" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vervet Monkey</td></tr>
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Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-77640196456923611442014-10-20T12:13:00.001+08:002014-10-21T09:56:56.456+08:00Sikkim - Goechala Trek, India 26 Sept - 5 Oct 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>"India Sikkim locator map". Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sikkim is located at the North Eastern corner of India at the foot hill of Himalayan, bordered with Nepal to the west, Bhutan to the East and China to the north. On 16 May 1975, Sikkim became the 22nd state of the India, and the monarchy was abolished. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are no airports or railway stations in Sikkim. The only way to enter Sikkim from rest of India is by road using bus or jeep from West Bengal. The nearest airport is Bagdogra, from here it is 124 km drive from Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. We were headed to Yuksom, about 170km north west but the road and traffic to Yuksom was so bad that we took 8 hours to arrive. Yuksom is a small village, said to be the first capital of Sikkim. A base camp for our trek to Goechala.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDnq0LRGoDLV-sFr8Bd692SQSv1_SxnEQIrWyPBkU5_0nFI4QqT-cg0M3R84jbcoG6iKTdFjwNrbwhTswQfj99-DSGIMuIR2Zl4xuxmDbWSprVynaMcQRGQUu5aZ1nh6nOxiKwGd9o9lU/s1600/20140926_144500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDnq0LRGoDLV-sFr8Bd692SQSv1_SxnEQIrWyPBkU5_0nFI4QqT-cg0M3R84jbcoG6iKTdFjwNrbwhTswQfj99-DSGIMuIR2Zl4xuxmDbWSprVynaMcQRGQUu5aZ1nh6nOxiKwGd9o9lU/s1600/20140926_144500.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Restricted Area Permit (also known as Inner Line Permit) is required for all foreigners travelling in Sikkim. We managed to obtain the permit when crossing the Sikkim state border by road at Meili. We needed to prepare photocopy of our passport, India visa and a photo. Our agency help us fill up the forms and the process of getting the permit took about 15 minutes. It was difficult to get it at the local Indian Embassy in Singapore & Malaysia but the Dutch gals managed to get it from Holland with some difficulties.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 4 of us met at Bagdogra airport, pick-up by Rupak our agency contact and Phurba our guide. It was almost 2pm when we left to Yuksom. Our jeep was loaded with camping equipment and food that we need for the next 10 days. The journey was pretty interesting passing by mountain, valley, villages, rivers and waterfalls. We had time to catch up after 2.5 years. It was around 11pm when we reach Yuksom, totally exhausted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yuksom is situated at the altitude of 1780m, temperature was cool. We didn't have time to visit the village. Just a quick stroll to the shops to get some power bars and snacks. We re-packed our bags, only necessary stuff were packed for the trek, the rest were left in the hotel. We met the crew, a horse man who managed the 4 horses, 2 young kids and 3 men who are helper, chef, assistant chef and our guide. The horses carry our luggage, camping equipment, and food. The helpers carry some fragile food, some necessary cooking equipment, table and chairs in a basket supported by their forehead. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We carry a light backpack which store our water, cameras, snacks, raincoat, windbreaker, hat, medicine, etc. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are all set to go!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCjgW1tkRIl2R836KMaAKOo4_TGFjuTdNifKxc0qatMquFnGdHwMatUBrR8__5jd8S3ru3zvxSJoA1dQRlUKMr1CEPjfhoFfvWXSxySwjPN5z0PX6xVLMZmFOemF9xY4xaR5e8N2dUihE/s1600/P9272168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCjgW1tkRIl2R836KMaAKOo4_TGFjuTdNifKxc0qatMquFnGdHwMatUBrR8__5jd8S3ru3zvxSJoA1dQRlUKMr1CEPjfhoFfvWXSxySwjPN5z0PX6xVLMZmFOemF9xY4xaR5e8N2dUihE/s1600/P9272168.JPG" height="228" title="Rathong River" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rathong River</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">27th Sep 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : Yuksom (1780m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : Sachen (2100m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 4 hrs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : Easy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After registration at the Park office, we started our hike. Shortly after we left the civilization, moving into the dense forest, gorges on our left and Rathong river occasionally emerged deep down in the gorge. I had the feeling of walking in a giant park as the path was wide and clear. We took our time today as we only have a short distance to cover. Our guide Phurba gave us some info about Do's and Don'ts in the park. We were not to litter any rubbish in the park, he carried a bag with him where he picked up rubbish along the way. We were not allowed to plug or removed any plant or animal from the park. We can drink from the fresh cold water off the stream. We were to give way to the horses and yaks when they pass, we were supposed to move aside to the wall and not the gorge side in case the animal bump into us. That will be disaster to fall in the gorge!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had a little warm up with our camera, shooting conservatively as we need to conserve the battery for 9 days. :-) My brother "Ah Seng" a well known figure now in Sikkim (as his name means "uncle" in local language) and I found some mushrooms along the way, we were both macro enthusiastic, so we trek slower to spot things that were tiny. We enjoy it!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOYV9133Sv56mtAw1Z9o5niDhiaxEfXKcDit44nH895GbtiQ_YcCRgNW1nQlFttzcAPWeZS5w_WhMcwqljJfp4_ip6wvOmgkYuFRAFBVJlgoKa0m1NGyDYuXl2jN6Jwz7HreEGi6C-QH1/s1600/P9272203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOYV9133Sv56mtAw1Z9o5niDhiaxEfXKcDit44nH895GbtiQ_YcCRgNW1nQlFttzcAPWeZS5w_WhMcwqljJfp4_ip6wvOmgkYuFRAFBVJlgoKa0m1NGyDYuXl2jN6Jwz7HreEGi6C-QH1/s1600/P9272203.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglynwG2T5GigW7sfNzbKJ5nmimw9CpAYnBZboVLvp7LKqXL-v15AtAqQb2-tB_RvXfVUZ2m_UUTSPvg85G1SWfOwq8arqbbBgiVtP7QYEIDxh3V4jklV-QxUEjULQdtIoAaVF1sIyx1gvr/s1600/P9272253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglynwG2T5GigW7sfNzbKJ5nmimw9CpAYnBZboVLvp7LKqXL-v15AtAqQb2-tB_RvXfVUZ2m_UUTSPvg85G1SWfOwq8arqbbBgiVtP7QYEIDxh3V4jklV-QxUEjULQdtIoAaVF1sIyx1gvr/s1600/P9272253.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not long after, the 2 boys met us on the trek and brought us warm pineapple juice, that was a surprise! How did they know we were nearby? There must be some sort of communication between the guide and them... We reached Sachen hut around 3pm, lunch was served within minutes. We had veggie soup, potato, and bread. It was delicious! We were told strictly not to nap, so we hang around the hut chatting with another group of local students trekkers and enjoy a cup of tea. At 5pm the sun has set, temperature dropped. Our tent were set 10m away from the hut on the upper site of the path, they have placed our bags, sleeping bags and mats in the tent. Service was excellent! At night after dinner, they surprised me with a birthday cake, it was brilliant and priceless!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We call it a day really early as there is no electricity and slightly cold. The first night in the forest in a tent was creepy, we heard a lot of noises. Something was moving outside our tent at night, but we found out that it was the horse when he could not hold his neigh anymore.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bakhim</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">28th Sep 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sachen (2100m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : Tshoka (3050m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 4 hrs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : Moderate</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Waking up with the sound of birds, horses and bells was unusual, we will have to get used to it. :-) The 2 young boys brought us tea at our campsite, it was nice to have a warm cup of tea in the chill morning. We packed up our stuff, have a nice breakfast, watched the Yaks and horses loaded up and off we go. Today it's a bit more difficult we were told, as we will have to ascent 950m. After a gradual flat path to the hanging bridge, it was all the way upward. The path has lots of loose rocks and fresh and old dunk as the horses and yaks used the same path as well. We had a stop over half way at Bakhim, a tea break at the caretaker house and enjoy the view of valley towards Yuksom. The forest is so dense that we were not getting any sun light. That's also why we find a lot of mushrooms and fungus here as the ground is always moist. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After Bakhim, we push upwards for another hour to arrive at Tshoka.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tshoka used to be small settlement but since Kanchengzonga National Park established, the residents has been moved to Yuksom, only the caretaker of the lodges stay back. We got a hut this night. The room is basic with wood raised floor, that's it. We laid our camping mat on it and sleep in our sleeping bag. The toilet condition is acceptable. We even have a Bathroom but it is just a small room with nothing inside. Not long after we arrived, the rain started pouring and continue through the night. We thank god that we are in the hut instead of tent.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tshoka Hut</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Tshoka, we have our first view of the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kanchengzonga</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> range in the morning. The view was breathtaking. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXHnrqCDYvaxNXhwOtHadXlcjHvI6LnAbKZahIQndsPSNCMvlTZuvL8_-tcPrqphYjcUydEKDxe6q5oUO1q_9ELIo04DrvfVCdfRhGRI6RnUejYq-z9iHlspCco7biOZH4lxCKOwoloX5/s1600/P9292390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXHnrqCDYvaxNXhwOtHadXlcjHvI6LnAbKZahIQndsPSNCMvlTZuvL8_-tcPrqphYjcUydEKDxe6q5oUO1q_9ELIo04DrvfVCdfRhGRI6RnUejYq-z9iHlspCco7biOZH4lxCKOwoloX5/s1600/P9292390.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">29th Sep 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tshoka (3050m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : Dzongri (4030m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 6 hrs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : Moderate</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We started with a steep climb up to Phedang, some path is paved with wooden logs and some full of stones and pebbles, very hard for the knees. The heavy downpour yesterday has made the path very muddy and slippery. We stop over at Phedang for lunch, it was misty, we can't see any view from here. There was more ascent after lunch to Deorali, from there it was almost flat towards Dzongri. We worked hard to reach Deorali which was supposed to have good view of the range but it was all covered with mist. We almost can't see 10m ahead. It started to drizzle and got really cold. We continue to walk so to keep ourselves warm, finally the sky was clearing. We got a bit of sun shining in and out from the cloud. We saw the trekker hut from far as the forest open up to much lower scrub plants. A stop over at the first hut for a cup of tea under the warm sun, then we push another 500m upwards to our campsite at Doering. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjT8EXO1-avSFH5xSwkfOL4fL4Qb1Vh3NXj9LoN4OJP_M796LnzwmlLwpKvMR7nVgM1BQPmbM0GhKaJZNyJj2DlpxK9lpX6jRGxSO1vkv6FVSdGIncwLNuKD7uqaLiQ2w0X9_EZvdKgNK/s1600/P9292396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjT8EXO1-avSFH5xSwkfOL4fL4Qb1Vh3NXj9LoN4OJP_M796LnzwmlLwpKvMR7nVgM1BQPmbM0GhKaJZNyJj2DlpxK9lpX6jRGxSO1vkv6FVSdGIncwLNuKD7uqaLiQ2w0X9_EZvdKgNK/s1600/P9292396.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dzongri is where we will stay for 2 nights to acclimatised. We were already developing some headache when we arrived here. We took some paracetamol to subside the headache. At Doering where we camp, there is a stone hut where the crew setup their kitchen, we have our tents and a dining tent setup with table and chairs inside. There is no toilet this time so we will have to do it in the open nature. :-) Again we were told not to take any nap, we were tired from unable to sleep at night and the long trek today. It was much colder here at 4000m, we can't even sit outside and relax as it was cloudy and windy. I retreat into the tent and got in my sleeping bag, trying to read and stay awake. I was cold even after changing into my 1 layer of thermal underwear and a layer of fleece. I wasn't well prepared for this temperature. :-( Even my sleeping bag was only for up to 6c. I knew I was in trouble now!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvoTdzCVM8ybXUf8Pc6UwgeDrjDnZ00dLjTBDfGfuzavJ5AtwFFxuBWoZP5H9rT4z7a4fGY9K_hSsoedNd8vCGY-BSRIXNIt97r2qJN4UUZ380FBfgt74Dy5opPFl9wB1pXXH3qcS-vxI/s1600/P9302428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvoTdzCVM8ybXUf8Pc6UwgeDrjDnZ00dLjTBDfGfuzavJ5AtwFFxuBWoZP5H9rT4z7a4fGY9K_hSsoedNd8vCGY-BSRIXNIt97r2qJN4UUZ380FBfgt74Dy5opPFl9wB1pXXH3qcS-vxI/s1600/P9302428.JPG" height="171" title="Mt. Kanchengzonga" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Kangchengzonga @ 8586m</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">30th Sep 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dzongri (4030m) to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dzongri Top (4300m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dzongri (4030m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 50mins up 30mins down</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : Moderate</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Woke up at 4am, well we didn't really sleep the whole night. Nightmare and coldness kept us awake. The boys brought us hot tea in the tent, it was a big effort to get out from the warm sleeping bag. Brrrr... Don't even talk about getting change into another set of cloths....</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrlXMnyynFL3WpKW3eq21XW_jbhm-hFCNFmmvOVlvvyMnGqlxFUB4KEfdCzzG5LUhjK-cGEshzsYZkd35q-OK1W1jR_AZrxw__BRS_YdNfq-UB3KYwXFEgB_Y55Gr1D-2Mq0k876phWlR/s1600/P9302427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrlXMnyynFL3WpKW3eq21XW_jbhm-hFCNFmmvOVlvvyMnGqlxFUB4KEfdCzzG5LUhjK-cGEshzsYZkd35q-OK1W1jR_AZrxw__BRS_YdNfq-UB3KYwXFEgB_Y55Gr1D-2Mq0k876phWlR/s1600/P9302427.JPG" height="166" title="Kanchengzonga and Singalila range" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kanchengzonga and Singalila range</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJY_0hJ3dhqA7_7di0SpcwPyvkS3aggBJv5T8GOiNfydLbEaClAh4x9_I0vjVaZzWsyRVGrp6UpKQB00umWRNmYDvyBXnvyY7X7QxPLHyfeBNdTPROYKaUiLTab2ax4Gjwsk7uMR9Bs5Sk/s1600/20140930_124404_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJY_0hJ3dhqA7_7di0SpcwPyvkS3aggBJv5T8GOiNfydLbEaClAh4x9_I0vjVaZzWsyRVGrp6UpKQB00umWRNmYDvyBXnvyY7X7QxPLHyfeBNdTPROYKaUiLTab2ax4Gjwsk7uMR9Bs5Sk/s1600/20140930_124404_HDR.jpg" height="153" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campsite at Dzongri</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We stepped out from the tent under a clear sky with million of stars and shining half moon, then we saw the glowing </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kanchengzonga</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and Singalila range. Wooow!! We forgot about the coldness and tiredness! We quickly hike towards the view point, it was strenuous! not from the steep hike but from lack of oxygen. Every 5 steps we took we need to stop to breath, our heart were pumping like a hammer jack! But once we get up there for the magnificent view, it was all worth it! We were so lucky to have clear and beautiful sunrise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The way down was a bleeze, the frozen grass and flowers slowly awaken with the heat of sun. We stayed out to take in all the heat we could and to admire the magnificent view of the range. The rest of the day was just spend eating and resting.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-oyOgn_sHMqB8x8REGAgTPlIhdir_oC7Lou9IfcmNrFsetXkNsDpJDzz-CWTeirsptbSH1mYOCcCUg-qwBmQeY8o8Q0rkXj9VliRJYVhOTjCEKClCxg8pdkC1zXt16Ij6d1rAEOkWd1u8/s1600/P9302438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-oyOgn_sHMqB8x8REGAgTPlIhdir_oC7Lou9IfcmNrFsetXkNsDpJDzz-CWTeirsptbSH1mYOCcCUg-qwBmQeY8o8Q0rkXj9VliRJYVhOTjCEKClCxg8pdkC1zXt16Ij6d1rAEOkWd1u8/s1600/P9302438.jpg" height="206" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1st Oct 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dzongri (4030m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thangsing (3930m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 4.5 hrs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moderate</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We woke up with cloudy sky, not like yesterday. The mountains are hidden behind a curtain of cloud.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We took the same path towards Dzongri Top, but took a left towards the mountain. From here we have a gentle downhill along the Rhododendron forest and streams. Flowers carpeted the ground, red, yellow, white etc making the place so colorful. As we reach the end of the mountain, it was a steep downhill to the Prek Chu River. The rocky and uneven path strain our knees.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pHdvM2lOJu68FvW3BNodgiL7B3kgB1ZRT8Tl3PMc_jDVPDp9qwJyM-R68XmNgCuUQ5Rtf4j2Ep45yTIdhp1NWOC4PRf64z0QonAmptazvGMWSvjHUkDKnXAT1hVDo9ylMadgYHMTij38/s1600/PA012456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pHdvM2lOJu68FvW3BNodgiL7B3kgB1ZRT8Tl3PMc_jDVPDp9qwJyM-R68XmNgCuUQ5Rtf4j2Ep45yTIdhp1NWOC4PRf64z0QonAmptazvGMWSvjHUkDKnXAT1hVDo9ylMadgYHMTij38/s1600/PA012456.JPG" height="133" title="Prek Chu River" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prek Chu River</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of the steep down slope we arrived at Khokchurang hut but we were not going to camp here. After a break, we continue to cross </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prek Chu River towards the right and follow the path upwards. At this altitude, pine trees surround the mountain. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWHjBh0-bLOvPt4YzjTcHjDfSr-eJP25sw5-eZqSIIePafsTY3eZiupsHQj0aeUIGeU9n0j3Z5mTkWZ-3RnInFnh7hiElQ8lEQYxws7mwHrGfCfYcEpd9xHjWHpRCPUglMcuxfjrr4zjN/s1600/PA012474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWHjBh0-bLOvPt4YzjTcHjDfSr-eJP25sw5-eZqSIIePafsTY3eZiupsHQj0aeUIGeU9n0j3Z5mTkWZ-3RnInFnh7hiElQ8lEQYxws7mwHrGfCfYcEpd9xHjWHpRCPUglMcuxfjrr4zjN/s1600/PA012474.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By noon we arrived at Thangsing, located in the middle of the valley, surrounded by mountain which is invisible to us as the cloud covers them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all agreed to sleep in the hut tonight, as it will be warmer and more room to stretch. We finally got our feet out from our socks and changed into our slipper when the sun was out. What a relieve!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LAy4hR3zBLkEGfksakdqROs9gS7l_pDGBxhx4eDE6ihEHoE3GZRA7igmk5uKU-G_6axHTJhzItnXYiGKaQhICVnkTsBl2ICg0M3a9mLCe335tE1OS3cxw5deU8V64gTt67LqgiMgVleA/s1600/PA012480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LAy4hR3zBLkEGfksakdqROs9gS7l_pDGBxhx4eDE6ihEHoE3GZRA7igmk5uKU-G_6axHTJhzItnXYiGKaQhICVnkTsBl2ICg0M3a9mLCe335tE1OS3cxw5deU8V64gTt67LqgiMgVleA/s1600/PA012480.JPG" height="156" title="Thangsing campsite" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thangsing campsite</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sky was clear at night, we could see Mt. Pandim and Tien Chen Khang glow at night. </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQwQFS3WIsJG4IMwmRN5Bw52pSPbE9bLdwOVFysLmrAi_TxZZB3V4gqN_odEsqVbTAPczGD4PYldlPh75zGAIaNsiaqVK869oTc34-h1Q7qya8LXxrfMnRqljg0j-eEEFdjuypB92NJ_B/s1600/IMG_5838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQwQFS3WIsJG4IMwmRN5Bw52pSPbE9bLdwOVFysLmrAi_TxZZB3V4gqN_odEsqVbTAPczGD4PYldlPh75zGAIaNsiaqVK869oTc34-h1Q7qya8LXxrfMnRqljg0j-eEEFdjuypB92NJ_B/s1600/IMG_5838.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt Pandim & Tien Chen Khang at night</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2nd Oct 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thangsing (3930m) to Simiti Lake (4450m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : Lamune (4130m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 2 hrs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Easy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another sleepless night, we could tell who was talking in their sleep, who went to pee and how many times, who snore, who has problem with zipper, who fart.... That's what we do the whole night. Life is so simple after 5 days in the wilderness, our daily conversation has evolved into what's for breakfast, lunch and dinner, have you been to no. 2, where did you do it, how's your knee, mushrooms, flowers, blue sheep, tea, what do you wear and plenty of laughter :-) Why make life complicated?</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsX8V12XCUy15ckg1StZNIxIcNqpTEgMlLVP968sc6YQ8uIubY3eeycAHshNbWbpvo82hZbrrk4wSfVQGkquS_DVXRSTZgcbHjoNPEgfR6bMmFmUu_IsC0vyaPAxr5xqgvtzc-_agVXnYI/s1600/PA022531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsX8V12XCUy15ckg1StZNIxIcNqpTEgMlLVP968sc6YQ8uIubY3eeycAHshNbWbpvo82hZbrrk4wSfVQGkquS_DVXRSTZgcbHjoNPEgfR6bMmFmUu_IsC0vyaPAxr5xqgvtzc-_agVXnYI/s1600/PA022531.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Kancgengzonga & Pandim</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After getting thru another cold night, which I am quite use to it now. Every night I will asked for my bottle to be fill up by hot water, the bottle will served as a heat pack for me in my sleeping bag. It works pretty well. Every morning the boys will bring us hot tea to wake us up, it made the transition into cold morning easier. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sky is clear this morning, we had blue sky, sunshine and clear view to the mountain peaks. The trek today is the shortest and the most beautiful. We walked in the valley towards Mt. Kanchengzonga, some part still frozen and slippery. As we move closer, we could see Mt. Kanchengzonga into full view. There is no more treeline, only bushes and shrubs. The view took our breath away.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIj1AWEU5FO44QiTmYHETVdAso87Rl765EzUL2_St62v_mmc8FKPCMTQ58iWaS9Q45CqYZU02GQA45lWcGqeKjD_H5IKqH2bxO8Cmh9hFJDWYIiTFzqepHjvcu6GHFIpgto-kcW5bmTuz/s1600/PA022550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIj1AWEU5FO44QiTmYHETVdAso87Rl765EzUL2_St62v_mmc8FKPCMTQ58iWaS9Q45CqYZU02GQA45lWcGqeKjD_H5IKqH2bxO8Cmh9hFJDWYIiTFzqepHjvcu6GHFIpgto-kcW5bmTuz/s1600/PA022550.JPG" height="160" title="Simiti Lake" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simiti Lake</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we reach Lamune, there is only a kitchen hut and nothing else. Cloud started to move in, we continue to Simiti Lake to try catch a good view. The climb up to Simiti Lake was strenuous due to the altitude and lack of oxygen. Ah Seng was having some difficulty breathing, we took our time to stop every 5 steps to catch our breath. We got there eventually but the cloud has already arrived before us. The peaks are now covered. :-( We hung around the lake, enjoy the beauty of the surrounding until we got a bit cold.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOC-73L1t402rBcj_Hip0GnvBp2GP-1rZeqcv7HRVoLG9jFWZIsVjZD2WmqhWZv9B6gRq3NblIOTUS-ol13A4pC6J02LFy4ZpLf1BAEmh_7rpw-zgcWnt5uLgliu16-Jy1e7EKheZNPqvI/s1600/PA022560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bharal" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOC-73L1t402rBcj_Hip0GnvBp2GP-1rZeqcv7HRVoLG9jFWZIsVjZD2WmqhWZv9B6gRq3NblIOTUS-ol13A4pC6J02LFy4ZpLf1BAEmh_7rpw-zgcWnt5uLgliu16-Jy1e7EKheZNPqvI/s1600/PA022560.JPG" height="199" title="Blue Sheep" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Sheep or Bharal</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The way back was very cold as the wind blows against us, we were almost running back to our tent. That afternoon, it was snowing, temperature plumbed tremendously. We have to hide in the kitchen hut to get some heat. We spotted Blue Sheep by </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prek Chu River just next to our tent. They were so close, just a river apart. They </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">camouflage very well to blend into the rock face. We were so lucky to see them so close!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now here is where everyone will wake up early in the morning to trek to Goechala viewpoint. Inge decided that she will go and the rest of us decided to give it a miss. Due to the extreme coldness and lack of warm cloths, I have decided not to make it to Goechala viewpoint. I could not bear thinking of stepping out from the sleeping bag 4am in the morning in the freezing cold temperature. </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1wYIskaRnLS2IxA10OuNwz077RP7o8Yp8ciYh4QJVdcj-dv0YIJLXk7keShkCKcViUYqC6OhhnOBwyVBBJMPdC6ocJZYTAUpXW6byYaPdfbdFgglou-CLqi4Re3VWcDBSQ63lNRyrjof/s1600/PA032635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1wYIskaRnLS2IxA10OuNwz077RP7o8Yp8ciYh4QJVdcj-dv0YIJLXk7keShkCKcViUYqC6OhhnOBwyVBBJMPdC6ocJZYTAUpXW6byYaPdfbdFgglou-CLqi4Re3VWcDBSQ63lNRyrjof/s1600/PA032635.JPG" height="133" title="Kockchurang Hut" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kockchurang Hut</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3rd Oct 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lamune (4130m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : Kockchurang (3686m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 2.5 hrs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Easy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For Inge who went up to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Goechala</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Viewpoint, she saw </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mt. Kanchengzonga up close and the clear morning view of Simiti lake was stunning. She wanted to push forward to Viewpoint 2 but the assistant guide was given instruction not to. Well, safety comes first! )</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She was back to the campsite around 8am to join us for breakfast. We were glad she made it there and brought us some beautiful photos. Today we were happy to head down hill but reluctant to leave this beautiful place. We back trek to Thangsing and follow Prek Chu River back to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kockchurang. Our guide managed to get a room in the hut for us. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kockchurang</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is a really nice campsite, surrounded by forest and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prek Chu River gushing pass 50m away.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bxVmf-t81akYyVAlO_AtRFHR-XNhfQkhJkGs_McOGWSoH_Nzaa8fItECbLYH6gSv0P6VmQF-BzWToHPpPCBop3t8MUndTwStu4F14mV42Yl0ubGmnljmonpVALvVX4HdA25j8um8xe6p/s1600/PA032663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bxVmf-t81akYyVAlO_AtRFHR-XNhfQkhJkGs_McOGWSoH_Nzaa8fItECbLYH6gSv0P6VmQF-BzWToHPpPCBop3t8MUndTwStu4F14mV42Yl0ubGmnljmonpVALvVX4HdA25j8um8xe6p/s1600/PA032663.JPG" height="213" title="Prek Chu River" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prek Chu River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrraCC8caI8ov8ZWMmNmrZgi7zDOcI7_DE5hl5GZRQX5pc54M4V9dHnW2FoawyDP6spyAzwJQd8N3us14FKe-uRDPIcWrOTply7uIBepMq6BAFMW51t59tel_MQ_Xbq2NfL16chmeckQRs/s1600/PA042679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrraCC8caI8ov8ZWMmNmrZgi7zDOcI7_DE5hl5GZRQX5pc54M4V9dHnW2FoawyDP6spyAzwJQd8N3us14FKe-uRDPIcWrOTply7uIBepMq6BAFMW51t59tel_MQ_Xbq2NfL16chmeckQRs/s1600/PA042679.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4th Oct 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kockchurang (3686m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tshoka (3050m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 4 hrs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Easy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a long day to cover 10km trek, we took another path to bypass going up to Dzongri. The trek is almost flat until we reach Phedang. We can still have a peep of Mt. Pandim when we look back thru the forest. At Phedang we missed the last chance of seeing the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kanchengzonga</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">range as it was cloudy again. The way down to Tshoka is all the way down hill, my knees started to complain :( The temperature at Tshoka felt warm now, we could not hold back anymore for not washing our hair, all of us took a hair wash with the fresh chill water! It was such a relieve after that. :D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is our last night of the trek, the crew prepared a special candle light dinner for us. Well, actually every night we have candle light dinner as there was no electricity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5th Oct 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tshoka (3050m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yuksom (1780m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 5 hrs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Easy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The longest day for us to end the trip, we covered this 13km in 2 days with a stop at Sachen when we started but because it is down hill, it will be less strenuous. For my knees and toes they didn't agreed to it. Ah Seng definitely has no problem going down as he was running down the mountain with the helpers.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgc-cnWNvaV0G7Cg6_MtAOgS4a2595Fd20AT_hGCjX_enicanhTN9gN8-9t1KZMkqbjaHnYt_WIMkYdqiPq28SQLIgdSUTPqu6AbzRuqNegyh5x_o2LhdMFOQPIhSNUh_qlxOR62KDkPF4/s1600/PA052717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgc-cnWNvaV0G7Cg6_MtAOgS4a2595Fd20AT_hGCjX_enicanhTN9gN8-9t1KZMkqbjaHnYt_WIMkYdqiPq28SQLIgdSUTPqu6AbzRuqNegyh5x_o2LhdMFOQPIhSNUh_qlxOR62KDkPF4/s1600/PA052717.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well that ends our amazing 9 days Goechala trek, the trek was not strenuous generally but the cold and altitude was a big challenge. Lucky for me I could be accompanied by my brother "Ah Seng", Inge and Marga whom I met and traveled together in Chile and Argentina and the best guide and crew in Sikkim. That all made this trip incredible and hard to forget.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWDf_y83zZQ-ibk-Co-pTYyH1jG5roTt39sbxy8H3UNmljvrYiPmtoN6qAWAa43W8zSPRmVYX7dgTxFlWy1K1RS9QatR9fBIamx9pgJRusWTuBYVViHHbnWbT7OVLNVlKr-WUwNwO1Il5/s1600/Goechala+trek+chart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWDf_y83zZQ-ibk-Co-pTYyH1jG5roTt39sbxy8H3UNmljvrYiPmtoN6qAWAa43W8zSPRmVYX7dgTxFlWy1K1RS9QatR9fBIamx9pgJRusWTuBYVViHHbnWbT7OVLNVlKr-WUwNwO1Il5/s1600/Goechala+trek+chart.jpg" height="243" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Accommodation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hotel Heritage (near Kolkata Airport)– S$47 per room/night with attached toilet, hot shower, TV. Breakfast, WIFI.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Air Asia - SG-KL-Kolkata return S$430.59 pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taxi to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hotel Heritage</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 500rps per taxi</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taxi to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kolkata Airport</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 300rps per taxi</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jet Airways - Kolkata - Bagdoga S$97.50 pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Air India - </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bagdoga-Kolkata 3793rps pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Darjeering to Makaibari - US$22 per car</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recreation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9D8N Goechala trek - US$600 pp incl, transfer from </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bagdoga-</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yuksom-Darjeering, 2 nights hotel stay in Yuksom, trek permit, park fees, f</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ood, potter, cook, horses and guide during the whole trek</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. The agency we used <a href="http://www.venturehimalaya.co.in/" target="_blank">Venture Himalaya Team</a> EXCELLENT service!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sleeping bag and mat rental - US$60 pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1N Makaibari Tea Estate homestay - US$60 (for 2) incl transfer from </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Makaibari to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kolkata Airport</span><br />
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Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-80121244159422635662014-06-07T11:05:00.001+08:002014-10-29T17:09:03.066+08:00Penang, Malaysia 23-25 May 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLPj9OTsrd7__x3NW6CgLILN9p_7eyhssQeqSJzJPhkjNluOy_RriakHkNKx0W6cCZ5s5KixXqn_h_g6-eosyUzS8PToxIZ4nIYFVIcjGj8eV47_WvRkK0HdHB3a6O9gd5NGHcnVFWuxZ/s1600/DSC_6156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLPj9OTsrd7__x3NW6CgLILN9p_7eyhssQeqSJzJPhkjNluOy_RriakHkNKx0W6cCZ5s5KixXqn_h_g6-eosyUzS8PToxIZ4nIYFVIcjGj8eV47_WvRkK0HdHB3a6O9gd5NGHcnVFWuxZ/s1600/DSC_6156.JPG" height="200" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Komtar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Penang is an island of 293 km</span>²<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, located at the north of Straits of Malacca. One of the International acclaimed Best Street Food in Asia and in 2014 voted as top food destination in Lonely Planet. Due to the highly diverse ethnicity, Penang's cuisine reflects the Chinese, Nyonya, Malay and Indian ethnic mix of Malaysia and Thai influence as well. Just to name a few famous dish like Penang Laksa, Penang Prawn Mee, Penang Char Kway Teow, Penang Rojak and Penang Popiah. Apart from indulging into the local food, experience the unique charms of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Georgetown, see the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">unique architectural and cultural townscape.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last time I was in Penang was over 20 years ago. I weakly recall taking the ferry across from Butterworth, seeing the tallest building around the island - The Komtar, visiting the Snake Temple, Kek Lok Si Temple, The Penang Hill, Batu Ferringhi Beach, Butterfly Farm and eating at the Gurney Drive. I didn't remember anything attractive about Georgetown at all. 20 year later, this place has became a UNESCO World Heritage site representing the British era from the end of the 18th century.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oIpnfjhDZIAZI4EIkPDvqxbXN_kCCUhYdBpjmnB6bM21-DXkUANCQ066Due0zUybGh4IVSOJm-fbLwEk-6TMniAAqOp_kRHgMn8A5JQfttvfFvBrF8F1r79fJvrDBML-v6_3CrswiSwd/s1600/20140524_124938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oIpnfjhDZIAZI4EIkPDvqxbXN_kCCUhYdBpjmnB6bM21-DXkUANCQ066Due0zUybGh4IVSOJm-fbLwEk-6TMniAAqOp_kRHgMn8A5JQfttvfFvBrF8F1r79fJvrDBML-v6_3CrswiSwd/s1600/20140524_124938.jpg" height="124" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The narrowest walkway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfR9Moke7W-JAp0d2qSOdBM6uE_yshStUNRdftz239pIglnLO2zUvYL4O5yIeOOvCNEbXbMU27KzRE_0qbRtzXLswy8sk9ydKX64KeDPruQExaePXb1sVYn_klA_c3tQXO8KNI6tDUwGQs/s1600/DSC_6262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfR9Moke7W-JAp0d2qSOdBM6uE_yshStUNRdftz239pIglnLO2zUvYL4O5yIeOOvCNEbXbMU27KzRE_0qbRtzXLswy8sk9ydKX64KeDPruQExaePXb1sVYn_klA_c3tQXO8KNI6tDUwGQs/s1600/DSC_6262.JPG" height="320" width="209" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This trip was triggered from seeing a friend's photos online, all the street arts and old architecture excite me! :-) I don't know why, I don't appreciate such things 20 years ago, I think age must have changed our perspective in life. Without hesitation I booked my flight in no time. I also got Min on board since she was also thinking of going Penang to visit her friends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was just a short weekend trip but we made the most out of it. Tiger Airway has the best time to fly and max out the weekend. We left on Fri with the 7:50pm flight and return on Sunday 7pm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On arrival to Penang International Airport, we easily caught a bus </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">just outside the airport </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to town (The Komtar), from there we walked to our friend's hostel located at Sri Bahari Road about 15 minutes away. Dickie's new hostel is still under renovation, but the rooms upstairs were ready. There are 4 rooms upstairs with aircon and share toilets. There will one dormitory room downstairs and one room with attached toilet. The location is in the heart of Georgetown, with a bicycle we can easily cover all the sites in a day. Food is at all corners. )</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We rented a bicycle on Saturday, brand new from a shop at Campbell street. RM10 per day. The map that we got from the airport is very informative, it list down all the sites with the Street Arts and Marking of George Town. We plan to go on a thresher hunt tour to look for all the Street Arts. Cycling in Geroge Town is not completely safe, even though they have a so call bicycle lane with the bicycle printed on the road, it doesn't mean the bicycle has their own lane. Basically the road is so narrow that the bicycle will have to share it with the car but luckily the car goes slow in George Town area. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many roads are one way street and being cyclist, we will short cut and cycle/push against</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> the traffic. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are just too many tourist roaming on the street for cars to go fast :-) The challenge comes when you exit the George Town area, for example crossing to the Clan Jetty, the main road has lots of traffic. Pedestrian crossing doesn't really work in Malaysia. Thief does happen in George Town, one bicycle from the shop was stolen on the same day, be careful to lock the bicycle to a stationary structure or lock a few bicycle together or keep an eye on the bicycle where you can see it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were able to cover most of the Street Arts by noon, we especially like the little kids on the swing and I love the big ginger cat. Some of the art are hidden inside small alley but if you don't know where just ask, the locals are very friendly. The boat art that is at the clan jetty is gone after wear and tear from the heat and rain. Most of them are degrading or falling apart so if you want to see them better make it fast. The Street Arts project, known as Mirrors George Town, is part of George Town Festival 2012. A young Lithuania-born artist named Ernest Zacharevic has made a fame. Check out his website for his art work all over the world. http://www.zachas.com/index.php/murals/</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apart from the arts, there are old shop houses and religious building built way back in </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">18th century. Still well preserved and restored. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The weather was extremely hot and humid. One thing bad about cycling is you are constantly on the road under the hot sun even thought it bring you to places fast. We could no longer bare the heat after lunch. The only place to go is shopping mall or back to the hostel.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chai Diam Ma Cafe</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are lots of chic cafe booming in George Town. We tried a few of them, some are authentic, some are modern but expensive. We went to one which was open by Min's friend. It is located at 15 Lebuh Queen. The cafe is cozy and old school. They promote local art and from time to time holding exhibition upstairs. Great place to hang out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Overall George Town has a special charm, I see it as a nice place to live. Good food, nice people and not too hectic. The center of Penang is the Penang Hill at the highest point at 833m. There are many trails around the hill which can be an easy outdoor exploration over the weekend. (http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/penang/penanghillstopten.htm) At </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Batu Ferringhi, there are beautiful beaches and resort to chill and suntan. It is a nice mix of everything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Accommodation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">28 Jalan Sri Bahari Hostel</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tigerair return SG to Penang - S$169.70</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Public bus from airport to Komtar - RM2.70</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recreation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bicycle Rental - RM10 per day</span></div>
Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-560638739100148152014-05-04T23:27:00.001+08:002014-05-07T00:02:39.108+08:00Yogyakarta, Indonesia 18-20 Apr 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yogyakarta and Mt Merapi</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yogyakarta is the old capital city of Indonesia from 1945 to 1949. Located at the Central Java Island. Nearby to the city of Yogyakarta is the Mount Merapi literally means the mountain of fire, located approximately 28 kilometres north.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mount Merapi</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548. The volcano last erupted in November 2010, killing over 300 people. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The famous attraction of Yogyakarta, Borobudur temple was covered with</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> layer of ash up to 1 inch thick, also killing nearby vegetation. The temple complex was closed from 5 November to the 9th to clean up the ashfall.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtIfCfl0f6bnvX1fAkPyF1Sb3tYzSnPJxHa3QwxZb2vKieUCasf5xI-pEbcorEMsc8LOCxVXztbBObH9JSqK923rEP5wYSSW_QnuT0o-EYGLPj4Agq2OfHIR4W3aRRFGcZlWrpb5q9HfK/s1600/20140418_190624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtIfCfl0f6bnvX1fAkPyF1Sb3tYzSnPJxHa3QwxZb2vKieUCasf5xI-pEbcorEMsc8LOCxVXztbBObH9JSqK923rEP5wYSSW_QnuT0o-EYGLPj4Agq2OfHIR4W3aRRFGcZlWrpb5q9HfK/s1600/20140418_190624.jpg" height="200" title="Andong" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andong</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuArYwfSHnMB2SoiJLbEYk5ulVNqZ_0ycRYp-ZSCuWBz74mvbEMxxPpljiMNaxle8Kua5P5ZFp0PvPYqxrw7IulLTH5w6FzXjMUsrsCYShhEXie4Se61FIR_TxQ_DO7IfOOCU_PT6dyU4f/s1600/20140419_153729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuArYwfSHnMB2SoiJLbEYk5ulVNqZ_0ycRYp-ZSCuWBz74mvbEMxxPpljiMNaxle8Kua5P5ZFp0PvPYqxrw7IulLTH5w6FzXjMUsrsCYShhEXie4Se61FIR_TxQ_DO7IfOOCU_PT6dyU4f/s1600/20140419_153729.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The city is almost flat and widely spread with low rise building that cover 32.5 square kilometres. We were pretty surprise to find a well paved road system around the city. The first thing we noticed was the abundance of tricycle or they called it andong, a leg powered local transport that brings people around town. We spotted a few that comes with electric power engine and there were also horse cart more for the tourist alike. Both cost around 10,000 to 20,000 for a trip within the city.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We took a taxi to Venezia Garden Homestay located outside the city center (5km away) but still close to area where there is restaurant, cafe, bank, massage and tour agency. There were food stall at every corner of Yogya, and the countless Bakso stand. You will never have problem with finding food.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1s7YbDpWxA3xeAbmHSA2Avw4dRCP6wZsiS-ln8JvGIlsdV8WKHRS1ItaGbn55JgZFMHraZBOdKgKVTi9nW4m2_gCK6GxFXzpWRS8K4OY3VwT3bro6Jj2N-lZYySTWef9B5o81_fgavPE4/s1600/20140419_165120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1s7YbDpWxA3xeAbmHSA2Avw4dRCP6wZsiS-ln8JvGIlsdV8WKHRS1ItaGbn55JgZFMHraZBOdKgKVTi9nW4m2_gCK6GxFXzpWRS8K4OY3VwT3bro6Jj2N-lZYySTWef9B5o81_fgavPE4/s1600/20140419_165120.jpg" height="200" title="Vanezia Garden Homestay" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanezia Garden Homestay</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the first day of arrival, we took it easy. The owner of the homestay was very friendly, she gave us plenty of info and let us check in early. We found a local food stall selling rice with variety of dishes to pick from and it cost less than $1. We stroll around looking for massage place but It was a Friday so most shops are close for prayer. While walking on the street we were harassed non stop by the andong driver but some were very friendly. We got lost in the area looking for the palace but with a few help we managed to find our way to the palace. Unfortunately it was closed on Friday afternoon. It didn't look very impressive either from outside. A local approach us and started <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batik Factory</td></tr>
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chatting with us. I thought he is another scammer trying to sell us something. He told us about batik stall, but he advised us not to go to those stall at Jalan Malioboro, those are expensive and only for Japanese tourist. He then told us to go to this batik factory just 2 streets off Jalan Malioboro, where students are working and learning there. The price are also reasonable. He even got us 2 andong to bring us there. I still could not believe that he wasn't scamming us until we got to this factory. The Batik factory is called Ns Novi Studio Batik Art Group located at Djogdjakarta street. We walked into a small little house full of Batik painting. A staff shown us to the back where the process of making batik was done. Then we were lost in between the batik painting. :-) There were not expensive and some were really great artwork. I could not resist and bought one, even tho I can find this back home. Kareen fell in love with the batik I think, she bought a stack(>10) :-)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We finally left the batik stall and found a massage place called KAKIKU. All 4 of us did a 2 hours scrub and massage for only 135,000. Shiok! When we were done, it was dinner time. We found Malioboro street, full of people (Public holiday), shops, stalls and restaurant. It was very happening! We found local snack stall selling "onde onde" but they called it Klepon, "tausa pia" with stuff green beans or red beans (bakpia), steam "fat kue" (Geplak)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, "</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kueh Putu" and many more. They were delicious!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise from Setumbu Hill</td></tr>
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</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the 2nd day, we woke up at 330am! Yah we were supposed to be on holiday! :-( Headed out for a half day trip. We arrived at Setumbu hill, still dark tho. We stumble our way up the hill following a group of people in front. From here we have a great view of Mt Merapi, Mt Merbabu and Borobudur temple. The sky turn from dark blue to pink, the valley was covered with mist and Borobudur silhouette on the right. Just simply beautiful! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the sunrise we needed a power coffee, the only coffee we got was the Kopi Api. Well, that will do for now. There is a special technique to drink coffee in Indonesia, you have to stir in your sugar or milk when the coffee arrive and then let it settle for 10 minutes. That will help you not to swallow any coffee dusk from your cup. :-) </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Setumbu hill to Borobudur is just 15 mins drive. When we reach Borobudur, the place was swamp with students. They trail from the temple all the way to the entrance. That is shit! It wasn't what I was expecting. A word of advice to all is not to come on weekend or public holiday! Or else you will turn out disappointed like me. ( We went around the temple level by level and try to find a quiet place to take some photos, slowly we became the attraction as well. The students start to approach us for photos with them. It is weird but this made me realised how some people were annoyed by us when we take photo of them on the street. sigh...pay back time!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Borobudur temple is square shape with four entry points, and a circular centre point. It looks like a pyramid. There were carved stone reliefs and buddha statues at every level and every wall. Each and every relief tells a story. At the top, the large central stupa at the highest point surrounded by bell-shaped stupas and statues of the Buddha inside the bell. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Borobudur</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next stop is Prambanam, a hindu temple. Similar to some of the temples in Angkor but it doesn't look as impressive as Borobudur. There were 8 main temples and 8 small shrines in the inner zone The largest temple and one smaller one was under construction, outside the zone what we thought they were pile of rocks were actually 224 small temples. Only 2 was restored. It was scorching hot by the time we finished. All we want was to jump in the pool.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1b2I9UII-Y5pLN145TEmYyfSn3kZPcVHIHLnqjZiPrcmZ9zDibXJt-nmzOg7THc9E8gaZltSRR50P5nxzcUu_cRo3nAkbn4FbM2d4O8l5avarK-tPdXa9KVtRmfZvk70fLHvmzetd9zaT/s1600/31-Prambanan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1b2I9UII-Y5pLN145TEmYyfSn3kZPcVHIHLnqjZiPrcmZ9zDibXJt-nmzOg7THc9E8gaZltSRR50P5nxzcUu_cRo3nAkbn4FbM2d4O8l5avarK-tPdXa9KVtRmfZvk70fLHvmzetd9zaT/s1600/31-Prambanan.jpg" height="320" title="Prambanan" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prambanan</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our last stop was to the Civet cat coffee factory, we stop by to enjoy some coffee and bought a little pack for myself. It was bloody expensive! 175,000 for 50gram. Guest the pooh doesn't come cheap huh!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We ended our trip around 2 pm, the rain started just as we arrive to the homestay. That helps to cool the temperature down. We still got one of our room, they didn't chase us out and let us have a shower. We got picked up by a pre arranged driver at 5:30pm, that night we headed to Jomblang chalet. The journey took around 2 hours. It was dark when we arrived. The last 1km into the estate or jungle was very bad road, the chalet 4WD came to pick us up at the main road. We arrived in the middle of nowhere, there were 5 chalets, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">no restaurant or cafe. A</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> group of locals who has </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">have finished their cave adventure s</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tayed overnight</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in the common area. We were the only tourist there. Our chalet were simple and clean, there is no hot water or air condition. but being in the middle of nowhere surrounded by nature with the sound of crickets and frogs, who cares about hot water and aircondition. :-) Our dinner were served at the veranda, simple indonesian rice with chicken, curry, beans and tofu</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. They brought us a BBQ pit too, we thought they will bring us some fish later on but only after we finished we realised that we were suppose to BBQ the chicken ourselves. Haha! There was nothing else to do, so we call it a night.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jomblang chalet</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3rd day, I was woken up by the locals who has no consideration for others. At 6am they were talking and laughing loudly. Can't even sleep in on a holiday. ( The chalet is actually surrounded by plantations, they plant peanuts, soya and tapioca everywhere. That explain why we were eating tofu and tempeh on every meal. Tempeh is made from soybeans, fermented for 24 to 36 hours at a temperature around 30°C. Perfect in this environment. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rubber boots</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rope and safety harness</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VEOqVlBG0se6LSb2GwFgAPT7IvaeApednfnnk4nMwK5RcP72bhBlR6cAU6tHEHgvfDVg3krGyHjUFuu2Kz25k63hgjC7uswQeUF5OKyTuV-hE_BiqxonEo4sjCHBZYFie9eP_hWjqWJ5/s1600/48-Going+down.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VEOqVlBG0se6LSb2GwFgAPT7IvaeApednfnnk4nMwK5RcP72bhBlR6cAU6tHEHgvfDVg3krGyHjUFuu2Kz25k63hgjC7uswQeUF5OKyTuV-hE_BiqxonEo4sjCHBZYFie9eP_hWjqWJ5/s1600/48-Going+down.JPG" height="320" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The way down</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our cave adventure started at 1030am, a few other local joined us from a day trip. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sinkhole is just 50m from the chalets. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This cave is brought famous from The Amazing Race. A local adventurer found this sinkhole and bought over the piece of land. He now make it an adventure sport for those adventure seekers. We got ourselves suited up with rubber boots, full harness and helmet</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. The team of crew gave us a briefing about the cave and safety. Once they have secure the ropes, we were hook on the front and the back, front as the main and the back rope as a backup. We were then lower into the sinkhole 2 by 2. the feeling of letting go was overwhelming! </span><br />
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</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCAM6324P_zLhk7n1DH-H38pZth481uODlPdzPoIHvPRUQzNbiaEDFQeo0PGu8L4um8vW2HfLn06oGVkSfoB3c0XGCBvMCwUx5LKMzSm7po0W13VeAg45Bbo_V1aM88pevFVamuhW6mRw/s1600/54-Jomblang+Cave.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCAM6324P_zLhk7n1DH-H38pZth481uODlPdzPoIHvPRUQzNbiaEDFQeo0PGu8L4um8vW2HfLn06oGVkSfoB3c0XGCBvMCwUx5LKMzSm7po0W13VeAg45Bbo_V1aM88pevFVamuhW6mRw/s1600/54-Jomblang+Cave.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sinkhole was 75m deep, over times it has been overgrown with trees. In order to keep the place intact only 25 people are allowed to enter per day. Once we had everyone in the sinkhole, we then proceed to a huge tunnel, the ground was muddy and slippery. We have to be very careful while walking up and down the slope and in the cave. sometime we just skid and glide on the muddy ground. The tunnel is about 200m long towards Grubug Cave, they power up the light with a generator when we get to a point of no light. We follow the partially pave path to reach the end of the tunnel. We could hear to sound of river and see the light at the end of the tunnel. The sunlight penetrate thru a small opening at the top of the cave. Around 11 to 12 noon is when one can get the best light. I was dazzled by the beauty of it all. The was a huge stalagmite in the middle of the cave, we were allow to climb up without our rubber boots for the photographic moment. The water drops from the top of the cave released all the tension I had. I felt taken away by the surrounding. It was such a great moment.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We took the same way back out. We were haul out of the sinkhole manually by a group of people. It was such a great experience. I would recommend any adventure seeker to go to this place. Our lunch was ready when we came out of the cave, we were able to shower and clean up before we packed up and leave to the airport.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfP6TAi3-1ry9-2l74jKQ3QtPEjw3tg3SMn7JnnDC7hHUrsVf8kYL8R-01bLaj3PgaZG-6KeHZZdA7wndD7fx7Ii5NsMWM1HRY7YhHr8ediHSHZFw60d1MNXEi-uo9CSL2-RTvuVxif3g/s1600/56-Grubug+Cave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfP6TAi3-1ry9-2l74jKQ3QtPEjw3tg3SMn7JnnDC7hHUrsVf8kYL8R-01bLaj3PgaZG-6KeHZZdA7wndD7fx7Ii5NsMWM1HRY7YhHr8ediHSHZFw60d1MNXEi-uo9CSL2-RTvuVxif3g/s1600/56-Grubug+Cave.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The light in Grubug Cave</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjz0efUqjA3i_4HzeNjsnomi8ZsupKJFS4yepwcWhYimgSD_xYILAlgk1_LWiJYHAdMKZC6xevVh7whof2My6z8P4ePwNiDKv2p6mM8eC8sewVh_aSxQgPQPiiBSKkh188-rgc3kapc7o/s1600/61-Grubug+Cave.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjz0efUqjA3i_4HzeNjsnomi8ZsupKJFS4yepwcWhYimgSD_xYILAlgk1_LWiJYHAdMKZC6xevVh7whof2My6z8P4ePwNiDKv2p6mM8eC8sewVh_aSxQgPQPiiBSKkh188-rgc3kapc7o/s1600/61-Grubug+Cave.JPG" height="272" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grubug Cave</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This has been short but fulfilling trip. I was lucky to have a group of adventurous girlfriends! :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Accommodation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Venezia Garden Homestay – S$42 per room/night with aircon, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">attached toilet with hot water and wifi.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jomblang chalet - 500,000rph per room/night with fan, attached toilet</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silkair from SG to Yogya - S$249.50</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tiger Air from Yogya to SG - 1,075,990rph</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taxi from airport to Venezia Garden Homestay</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - 70,000rph per car</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Andong to town - 20,000 rph per tricycle</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recreation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Massage - 135,000rph</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunrise from Setumbu Hill (</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">entrance ticket)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, Borobudur entrance ticket, Prambanam </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">entrance ticket</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, 2 way transport and driver - 555,000rph per person</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jomblang caving, 2 way transport and driver, 1 night accommodation, dinner, breakfast and lunch - 812,500 rph per person</span></div>
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Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-87380559344114626232014-02-05T23:34:00.001+08:002014-02-07T15:45:26.356+08:00Kandy and Colombo, Sri Lanka 16-18 Jan 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1toP6BblvRh1skwk1qBLoxTanReAo_C8P_RAAAjzb_zb_xRyNOC_xRvJs70CAWZvwcTcBl-w2EqWOWvz8_PgHX4C0og_LnGocr5IUyRyZBNr1X0e3gSiacI6oeKGzQGEbX_3dAYjEmR_H/s1600/DSC_5439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1toP6BblvRh1skwk1qBLoxTanReAo_C8P_RAAAjzb_zb_xRyNOC_xRvJs70CAWZvwcTcBl-w2EqWOWvz8_PgHX4C0og_LnGocr5IUyRyZBNr1X0e3gSiacI6oeKGzQGEbX_3dAYjEmR_H/s1600/DSC_5439.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sri Lanka Train Ride</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7V7MmL2TAPGVXbohO74qrEo_xnrUGHi_7zvwlUQLdnTNpnfiLOmsb8A5mgnKPI2pIAvrhSM62ZlBGIQjV49UvJGI-Qsg3X8I_o8Vuw0i4gJ2HRDInzSriBYJjqkh5xP7rq3S5iqbDrDI/s1600/DSC_5412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7V7MmL2TAPGVXbohO74qrEo_xnrUGHi_7zvwlUQLdnTNpnfiLOmsb8A5mgnKPI2pIAvrhSM62ZlBGIQjV49UvJGI-Qsg3X8I_o8Vuw0i4gJ2HRDInzSriBYJjqkh5xP7rq3S5iqbDrDI/s1600/DSC_5412.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2nd Class carriage</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The train from Nuwara Eliya left on time. We've got a seat reserved in Class 2. Normally we can pay much cheaper for a non reserved seat but that will not guarantee a window seat or any seat. Since the journey takes 4 hours and we want to enjoy the scenic view to Kandy, we decided to spend the money. Class 2 is non air conditioned but we don't need it anyway with the cool air in the hill country. The seats are spacious and the carriage is clean. The Class S12 train is a diesel multiple-unit (DMU), built for Sri Lanka Railways by China's CSR Corporation. They were brought in in August 2012. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaesgHhsX-EM_EVkhI1Ri1GRH0pXNDfoLX2XOGGcfErpOE1Z5wWAydNfbbkq0KZQ-TWfdAnJY-9hD0w0OlvYqHRkZiKvEcwa5AxkFg2kpmvVI11GHWH3T5X2_Lg89i9XHz1nTbr7dqFana/s1600/DSC_5427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaesgHhsX-EM_EVkhI1Ri1GRH0pXNDfoLX2XOGGcfErpOE1Z5wWAydNfbbkq0KZQ-TWfdAnJY-9hD0w0OlvYqHRkZiKvEcwa5AxkFg2kpmvVI11GHWH3T5X2_Lg89i9XHz1nTbr7dqFana/s1600/DSC_5427.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Villages</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuxWQ70Oi7zBQCUmx2Kh1Ej7N77fzcH0r1LJ4TnLlA6jGka2PNU0rLk9NqXCk5ADHsnEaRk6oDkFok4xTwIDvniKedV_Vw6WtJsuy4zwzjDgjEtg4npX5m8zxVHvGNjdBM6kmwp7o4W8I/s1600/DSC_5458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuxWQ70Oi7zBQCUmx2Kh1Ej7N77fzcH0r1LJ4TnLlA6jGka2PNU0rLk9NqXCk5ADHsnEaRk6oDkFok4xTwIDvniKedV_Vw6WtJsuy4zwzjDgjEtg4npX5m8zxVHvGNjdBM6kmwp7o4W8I/s1600/DSC_5458.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea plantation</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first 2 hours of the ride brought us through the hill country. We pass through numerous tunnels, bridges, tea plantations that cover the hills like carpets, locals waving to us while the train pass through their villages and scenic view of mountains and valley beneath. It is definitely a sight not to be miss in Sri Lanka. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahIq8S382Sl007HzNCW5j6ZouqcQLzQoSWs0dQjeNNQ7T5q9lLlcTPowrgzYLc7smSFiLyaHvUfMBCDyLoIUEMtM6KhBECyOYhSaeoo2ElCgMpoKMNGaweEoK9wdNoHeRnPv60rWDOqnH/s1600/DSC_5503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahIq8S382Sl007HzNCW5j6ZouqcQLzQoSWs0dQjeNNQ7T5q9lLlcTPowrgzYLc7smSFiLyaHvUfMBCDyLoIUEMtM6KhBECyOYhSaeoo2ElCgMpoKMNGaweEoK9wdNoHeRnPv60rWDOqnH/s1600/DSC_5503.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kandy lake</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We arrived at Kandy around 4:30pm, the train continue to Colombo. It was raining again and we were hungry, so we found a small restaurant near by to eat and to check where we should go for accommodation. It seems the nearest guesthouse is by the lake side. The traffic was bad, everyone getting off work and heading home. We found our way to Saranankara Road. It was about 1.5 km from the train station. There are many guesthouses along the road going uphill. We finally found our room at Mango Garden. There was a construction right opposite, we chose a room at the back, away from the main building but it was nice a quiet. We decided to eat in the hotel that night. Too tired to walk to town. The food was delicious but more expensive than outside restaurant. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7401_5nk2WSQVZ0JAAp5BH1YCLe363aUjuCvD3RpIgp4CuzftFuE2tgObF-aBZkl3SNn_Vn64kX6odA3Iv0jMNMCrbHHS-DlTVic2Rg1wAZUzWUANb347KxKQXtsD_0EKwu4Bg3xxPDDZ/s1600/DSC_5622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7401_5nk2WSQVZ0JAAp5BH1YCLe363aUjuCvD3RpIgp4CuzftFuE2tgObF-aBZkl3SNn_Vn64kX6odA3Iv0jMNMCrbHHS-DlTVic2Rg1wAZUzWUANb347KxKQXtsD_0EKwu4Bg3xxPDDZ/s1600/DSC_5622.JPG" height="212" title="Kandy" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kandy</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a good night sleep, we headed out early. The weather was nice and sunny. The short 1.5km walk along the lake took us 40 minutes, as we discovered varieties of birds and monitor lizards by the lake. The town was bustling with cars, buses and tuk tuk. It was quite easy to navigate by foot. After a big breakfast, we head to the Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGppFr1B9sauF6800ZMlp0eXxUOb7-byj_xGflvXuPz_i4euvmYEjSm-__87biYtvfIbghxP94jzpFFAuWWV3gpeh3strtZmP7khAfmYihfxXVdBxA8KdJMke9fLgKABzAwC1MZPxGGJVs/s1600/DSC_5549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGppFr1B9sauF6800ZMlp0eXxUOb7-byj_xGflvXuPz_i4euvmYEjSm-__87biYtvfIbghxP94jzpFFAuWWV3gpeh3strtZmP7khAfmYihfxXVdBxA8KdJMke9fLgKABzAwC1MZPxGGJVs/s1600/DSC_5549.JPG" height="212" title="Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jBuq1cxbu9cVHUXNJ3vjPdkviVSOMSQIw2f-B0Tl-ltDvXYloNGoUDsEGYx_Oq35Op3aqyfNjY7FC4SAIWFriMl2qyUlVmsb2dAac74RioiIEs4qfOhz40j6JwsCVPai6XqBxjIJGzNd/s1600/DSC_5568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jBuq1cxbu9cVHUXNJ3vjPdkviVSOMSQIw2f-B0Tl-ltDvXYloNGoUDsEGYx_Oq35Op3aqyfNjY7FC4SAIWFriMl2qyUlVmsb2dAac74RioiIEs4qfOhz40j6JwsCVPai6XqBxjIJGzNd/s1600/DSC_5568.JPG" height="212" title="Daily Thewawa" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daily Thewawa session</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JztlRjgqBlChhKkwSEL5YdS2O_Ere1EyAX1rcSsqikz9jbNgReZEgLGC-fwDc5R0L4Edhkf7PhjLwjuoP4XlQeS2Ltf2hmXoxu5av-NS-fXU8PuArEG5rDjjf3-vkkMo6mpQEkLuLuzw/s1600/DSC_5592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JztlRjgqBlChhKkwSEL5YdS2O_Ere1EyAX1rcSsqikz9jbNgReZEgLGC-fwDc5R0L4Edhkf7PhjLwjuoP4XlQeS2Ltf2hmXoxu5av-NS-fXU8PuArEG5rDjjf3-vkkMo6mpQEkLuLuzw/s1600/DSC_5592.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Buddhist Temple houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha. It was believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country and Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings. The daily praying session is scheduled at 5:30am, 9:30am and 6:30pm. We were just in time for the 9:30am session. The drums were beating, we followed the crowd up stairs to the praying hall. The sacred tooth relic is kept in a room </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in a gold casket </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">shape of a stupa</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. We queue for our turn to offer flowers and have a quick glance at the Tooth Relic from the little window. No chance of taking any photos. The locals dressed in all white line up with their offering and got their turn to go into the room where the Tooth Relic was kept. The long table line up outside was full of flowers offered from the devotees.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PvsyykboLC2O77LGUZue9tkYPblpAx_gQT74eZOX5R9avFfeMfSArng9Mtr_hETtt2hVQTBxtWabRgamngk8-jn0IzDxobRWolD8NNNTpP6MNSymprm7lGzK7UbdKvPG_gK7De3RdV4p/s1600/DSC_5606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PvsyykboLC2O77LGUZue9tkYPblpAx_gQT74eZOX5R9avFfeMfSArng9Mtr_hETtt2hVQTBxtWabRgamngk8-jn0IzDxobRWolD8NNNTpP6MNSymprm7lGzK7UbdKvPG_gK7De3RdV4p/s1600/DSC_5606.JPG" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Around the temple, there is the Paththirippuwa (Octogan shape building),</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> new Royal Palace, Audience Hall, the old palace which is now preserved as an archaeological museum and the Elephant Museum. Then we stroll to town and found a souvenir shops, we were suppose to head to the Ceylon Tea Museum but we found this shop selling many varieties of tea at a good price. Did our shopping and then head to the local market. The local market is always an interesting place to visit. There are lots of spice stalls, vegetables stalls, fruits stalls and grocery stalls. Tropical fruits are same as what we have in Malaysia like papaya, pineapple, banana, watermelon, coconut and mango but we didn't find any durian. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjUISRQ5XRdZuGFnFavg1OUeZMq1uLil2ZY-ZKqYXmwnx8onoo2K5oPEt73RfYdJe-3JioEJ99c9BfEH7WXtWwZ3hNKDe9Tiygq01nTO-8LaxCvGE-pRzmTF0afK53Fqljt6RKBYBubU7/s1600/DSC_5602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjUISRQ5XRdZuGFnFavg1OUeZMq1uLil2ZY-ZKqYXmwnx8onoo2K5oPEt73RfYdJe-3JioEJ99c9BfEH7WXtWwZ3hNKDe9Tiygq01nTO-8LaxCvGE-pRzmTF0afK53Fqljt6RKBYBubU7/s1600/DSC_5602.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local market</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAiliM8MHycbCSA5g4RuCHbXJd-JmVNHXICpicrOaa6grkbEBPCArsPKJfnGbFtxjTvJr3tYdX9MCy4NGehOpD2f-zQbBCs-pNBDsCaY5YxWAT-Twp5rpwFLu0HdqpNV_HHY-j38z0tvO/s1600/DSC_5609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAiliM8MHycbCSA5g4RuCHbXJd-JmVNHXICpicrOaa6grkbEBPCArsPKJfnGbFtxjTvJr3tYdX9MCy4NGehOpD2f-zQbBCs-pNBDsCaY5YxWAT-Twp5rpwFLu0HdqpNV_HHY-j38z0tvO/s1600/DSC_5609.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We finished our evening by a slow walk around the lake, it was a great site for bird watching. There were Indian Cormorant, White Egret Crane, Asian Openbill, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wood Stork, Pelican, Lesser Whistling Duck, White-Throated Kingfisher, Grey Heron, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Indian Pond Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Stork-billed Kingfisher</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and hundreds of fruit bats hanging on the tree. We met a group of youngster who were playing musics and singing, they invited us to join them. We hung out for a while, and noticed that other foreigner tried to ignore them and walk away. I guess sometimes it is hard to differentiate between the genuine nice people and people with hidden agenda. </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyLQgFFSE7EfgzfEWzSE5CrtNg8QtiKjBWNHDLGJqWDjFJEQ2iQrUV-QxA9_wA3ecFEUogPWJueacbZUGQUZEYDG-52e34du5qCkE9gR0wVZejqDZ1ThUx94-aZAGn-zI7aItneZi6Vak/s1600/DSC_5715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyLQgFFSE7EfgzfEWzSE5CrtNg8QtiKjBWNHDLGJqWDjFJEQ2iQrUV-QxA9_wA3ecFEUogPWJueacbZUGQUZEYDG-52e34du5qCkE9gR0wVZejqDZ1ThUx94-aZAGn-zI7aItneZi6Vak/s1600/DSC_5715.JPG" height="200" title="White Egret Crane" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Egret Crane</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxuLetyrWaHzS7MpgJ-SvxInQf6eAm1bjuigfLJtbPkHDAu8_LfXRl9KrpbZMkiP0ewrsW7FBiY6bp7oZPF6aaoz1C_3eUPDmcYhXFEbP__6t49Att4B_8fixNOz4ITlHLqbehzOlnOcp/s1600/DSC_5671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxuLetyrWaHzS7MpgJ-SvxInQf6eAm1bjuigfLJtbPkHDAu8_LfXRl9KrpbZMkiP0ewrsW7FBiY6bp7oZPF6aaoz1C_3eUPDmcYhXFEbP__6t49Att4B_8fixNOz4ITlHLqbehzOlnOcp/s1600/DSC_5671.JPG" height="200" title="Asian Openbill" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asian Openbill</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimo-89Lp44hi3h0rf7xyJACuZZKtimcVo3aEXhWJOpHPuTiUBItMRPaziAVoR6Jjvz6z3bMr6MZB6otF6n4vzoMMlauqINKy4wWhKOJkTPGlFIEKNuGmxoN1N_813uhoXVePIr01XGqOWP/s1600/DSC_5653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimo-89Lp44hi3h0rf7xyJACuZZKtimcVo3aEXhWJOpHPuTiUBItMRPaziAVoR6Jjvz6z3bMr6MZB6otF6n4vzoMMlauqINKy4wWhKOJkTPGlFIEKNuGmxoN1N_813uhoXVePIr01XGqOWP/s1600/DSC_5653.JPG" height="132" title="Indian Pond Heron" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indian Pond Heron</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwmXEnbRKj3Khgtw0O91Us5NBwArpk-cIG0LZhXAt2CzsOQeQ4n0tAc1gfaaAgCr3FaM4T_Jx3osxSCDY0xVkYOQYSmdRa79e2Aqwk6EtkzCZGWuMFTJhwW4NFB1E-7oi_-Q5wRvMQoNI/s1600/DSC_5747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwmXEnbRKj3Khgtw0O91Us5NBwArpk-cIG0LZhXAt2CzsOQeQ4n0tAc1gfaaAgCr3FaM4T_Jx3osxSCDY0xVkYOQYSmdRa79e2Aqwk6EtkzCZGWuMFTJhwW4NFB1E-7oi_-Q5wRvMQoNI/s1600/DSC_5747.JPG" height="137" title="Stork-billed Kingfisher" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stork-billed Kingfisher</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLe3Juuffsb_O1FvmoQAOTnEXfaqKNa4-mnaGXORwC12zuITctoR0EG3z_Td0PmMTuOZUDjlyR1T2S-KVFgNtTeXf12v3cR5fVssGbYo6j1kWahp9sikAQco8slDLv6ni1_6oVbVyGbI_J/s1600/DSC_5751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLe3Juuffsb_O1FvmoQAOTnEXfaqKNa4-mnaGXORwC12zuITctoR0EG3z_Td0PmMTuOZUDjlyR1T2S-KVFgNtTeXf12v3cR5fVssGbYo6j1kWahp9sikAQco8slDLv6ni1_6oVbVyGbI_J/s1600/DSC_5751.JPG" height="143" title="Black-crowned Night Heron" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-crowned Night Heron</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWADZAYckAT4YFRBirASDKAJQTfkkkcM9GA8GmHuN49idCShUOyyxJkaB8pDoyDwhTz_UDxEGjSGaMhN684LPYB8beR2wH66XWO0EJqlME23CJ4kDULXtthGBXmnP1IqkrYhugI_xD2lQV/s1600/DSC_5739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWADZAYckAT4YFRBirASDKAJQTfkkkcM9GA8GmHuN49idCShUOyyxJkaB8pDoyDwhTz_UDxEGjSGaMhN684LPYB8beR2wH66XWO0EJqlME23CJ4kDULXtthGBXmnP1IqkrYhugI_xD2lQV/s1600/DSC_5739.JPG" height="145" title="Fruit bat" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fruit bat</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15p45cNGb_EbSgUslchMDjP9qfoI2-mwPUV46YB0IK49p61qe22THiRXjIjzBO2tvQ7Bu0TZS0BVmZcWAMDhQONX28WLXXz_AHcvClMo6AGTihxpuz1d62TCWRNS30l3FbLCLteQDyMUA/s1600/DSC_5674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15p45cNGb_EbSgUslchMDjP9qfoI2-mwPUV46YB0IK49p61qe22THiRXjIjzBO2tvQ7Bu0TZS0BVmZcWAMDhQONX28WLXXz_AHcvClMo6AGTihxpuz1d62TCWRNS30l3FbLCLteQDyMUA/s1600/DSC_5674.JPG" height="143" title="Indian Cormorant" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indian Cormorant</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqZnDJf4qoPuBFGeUhX2_er-l2Faa7fWcyRjfcva7rf-hYASf3YJs4WGjcT93dVPGh4yufkpGGg3cqVfQ1DTvnS41fQgRr84ksqu707ArhBauZEgDeOkKOA83RWLYBRnekch9eQxWbl5Q/s1600/DSC_5778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqZnDJf4qoPuBFGeUhX2_er-l2Faa7fWcyRjfcva7rf-hYASf3YJs4WGjcT93dVPGh4yufkpGGg3cqVfQ1DTvnS41fQgRr84ksqu707ArhBauZEgDeOkKOA83RWLYBRnekch9eQxWbl5Q/s1600/DSC_5778.JPG" height="200" title="Royal Botanic Garden" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Botanic Garden</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFu6a2rcIeQFx9SWgOFMpjDYgpZDLUPKXWIsXBZ7brrEZuvF4qhnDlfLziynvr7jBdt3UJ8v7wZV370kF2-PkcHl_-5vMqJDFD_JIujF4l3CqDFiMH3oAqXvF_PVpG1cXiQXPMd2YFOKE/s1600/DSC_5818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFu6a2rcIeQFx9SWgOFMpjDYgpZDLUPKXWIsXBZ7brrEZuvF4qhnDlfLziynvr7jBdt3UJ8v7wZV370kF2-PkcHl_-5vMqJDFD_JIujF4l3CqDFiMH3oAqXvF_PVpG1cXiQXPMd2YFOKE/s1600/DSC_5818.JPG" height="200" width="128" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our last day in Kandy and Sri Lanka, we visited the Royal Botanic Garden. We were looking forward to the Orchid Garden, but we were really disappointed, there were not many orchids and the orchid plants are lack of maintenance. Don't waste your time there. The Botanic Garden itself is impressive, it covers about 147 acres, with many type of plants. The walk around it was nice with display of varieties of palm trees, flower garden, bamboo, and others. My favorite was the huge Giant Java Almond tree. My least favorite was the thousands of fruit bats hanging on the stretch of trees on the western side of the park. That ends our visit in Kandy. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rest of the afternoon was spent travelling on bus to Colombo, and from Colombo to airport for our flight back to Singapore.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNwXbXsZ6nb-fobN9FvaUkUUhzwDdc_sXEKN_T0HmIjoRI9s-O_RXAcVQFfui-rXO-vAJY21KQIYCKr6pDKme1f157abgsB411DwNH1VNlHwWhA1-1ryr1nNfO1syyiOeh_-PbW7F-w4R/s1600/DSC_5805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNwXbXsZ6nb-fobN9FvaUkUUhzwDdc_sXEKN_T0HmIjoRI9s-O_RXAcVQFfui-rXO-vAJY21KQIYCKr6pDKme1f157abgsB411DwNH1VNlHwWhA1-1ryr1nNfO1syyiOeh_-PbW7F-w4R/s1600/DSC_5805.JPG" height="212" title="Giant Java Almond tree" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant Java Almond tree</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many people thought Sri Lanka is dangerous, didn't know what is there to see and thought it is just like India but that is a wrong conception. Sri Lanka has a lot to offer. The people are the gems. The country is clean and I fully respect the government to ban public smoking. Something an advanced country like Singapore or Malaysia are not able to do. If you are looking for beach, mountain, culture, wildlife and the nation of smiling people. Sri Lanka is the place! :-)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnYNmoBorzCpPO8O34KwZYbm9M5VyGaimO9yoSz-eis1XVwqbM6ow57dn2NK3vm-RHQGWALhpHQrj0e3XqiVd_NZHphxwO60dKUk1cSvL_7s5g_hGw_jIzUlqhCKvoh58OuVEzXfw7ha1/s1600/IMG_8404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnYNmoBorzCpPO8O34KwZYbm9M5VyGaimO9yoSz-eis1XVwqbM6ow57dn2NK3vm-RHQGWALhpHQrj0e3XqiVd_NZHphxwO60dKUk1cSvL_7s5g_hGw_jIzUlqhCKvoh58OuVEzXfw7ha1/s1600/IMG_8404.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friendly Staff of Hotel Mango Garden</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Accommodation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hotel </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mango Garden</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> – 2300rp per room/night with fan, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">attached toilet with hot water and wifi.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local bus from Royal Botanic Garden</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - 70rp pp (2 way)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local bus to Colombo - 160rp pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aircon shuttle bus to Airport - 200rp pp</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recreation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic entrance fee - 1000rps</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Royal Botanic Garden entrance fee - 1100rps</span><br />
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</span></div>
Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-19027049068619556912014-01-29T01:01:00.001+08:002014-02-07T12:07:53.594+08:00Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka 15 - 16 Jan 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUR8B5v8OMzKUk94WhFgZ-NybZxCXHU0trQTcwRoUNoM-4Wffy7u24I1ztNRoESH0Oo9mcP9Vi1wlVLFgasifF3pWZmrkOtLHUx4BMGyVBMi9_pMagOd6UY-H1HhU-6MNBcMwbVs7wHOxh/s1600/DSC_5348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUR8B5v8OMzKUk94WhFgZ-NybZxCXHU0trQTcwRoUNoM-4Wffy7u24I1ztNRoESH0Oo9mcP9Vi1wlVLFgasifF3pWZmrkOtLHUx4BMGyVBMi9_pMagOd6UY-H1HhU-6MNBcMwbVs7wHOxh/s1600/DSC_5348.JPG" height="297" title="Labookellie Tea Plantation" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Labookellie Tea Plantation</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was 2 hours bus ride to Nuwara Eliya, this was the only direct bus from Ella. On the way we pass several big town, plenty of tea plantation and vegetables farms. We are moving high up on the mountain at an altitude of 1,868 m. The mean annual temperature is 16 °C. We arrived during a downpour. It was cold and wet! When the town gets bigger, it get's more confusing. We didn't know where to go to look for guesthouse, so we find a coffee shop to have our lunch. We loved the string Hoppers and curry. The tea tasted better too. Finally we decided to put on our raincoat and go look for guesthouse.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was still the Tamil new year, the President house is open for public, many locals are flocking toward the President house. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We asked some traffic police standing at every junction about any guesthouse recommendation, they don't seems to know.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> A tuk tuk driver stop us, he offered to bring us to a guesthouse little bit out of town by the lake side, "Free no charge!" we told him no thanks and continue with our search. We have lost any trust to any tuk tuk driver. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVnVl4_9mTwwiAb0ri4gc0cLEggeKr6Pwg9kt1gET0ejnlnJJp-xFuhCs0F4le8SlJZ8D9Jfn5qgZ1Cz7zDbCKOCzvjmmdxZ5SVmuGA6op9tZTjmhwF1CQcrn9ZzaABnfjaF4xAGb8L9r/s1600/DSC_5358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVnVl4_9mTwwiAb0ri4gc0cLEggeKr6Pwg9kt1gET0ejnlnJJp-xFuhCs0F4le8SlJZ8D9Jfn5qgZ1Cz7zDbCKOCzvjmmdxZ5SVmuGA6op9tZTjmhwF1CQcrn9ZzaABnfjaF4xAGb8L9r/s1600/DSC_5358.JPG" height="212" title="Wattles Inn" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wattles Inn</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2wo-qhL-0HeYORNFUWrT24ZCRaMiukfr9hlBr9uKt12qeq5SaHjETtiOgMQ1hyphenhyphengza1dj0JZ4MWJDLtNzWTByzuGqj4mbMT7C5PNtr3AHOOC1sbBDQy24l2yWLgZ9XAofuS5HWcMXZfdF/s1600/DSC_5357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2wo-qhL-0HeYORNFUWrT24ZCRaMiukfr9hlBr9uKt12qeq5SaHjETtiOgMQ1hyphenhyphengza1dj0JZ4MWJDLtNzWTByzuGqj4mbMT7C5PNtr3AHOOC1sbBDQy24l2yWLgZ9XAofuS5HWcMXZfdF/s1600/DSC_5357.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ancient room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5em2GU3j6MFp0bfFr6x0_lJE_BiqmTO3F_cW_tGe2RnAosSVZ8g5lnZCFMoc0VOWzkXRD5r1MESLu7WgAohDJUJDKuHyQ0IyVKVOozh7BLbJAQLMTvOREhiXZHJMRsECqwUkOJZNwOchyphenhyphen/s1600/DSC_5258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5em2GU3j6MFp0bfFr6x0_lJE_BiqmTO3F_cW_tGe2RnAosSVZ8g5lnZCFMoc0VOWzkXRD5r1MESLu7WgAohDJUJDKuHyQ0IyVKVOozh7BLbJAQLMTvOREhiXZHJMRsECqwUkOJZNwOchyphenhyphen/s1600/DSC_5258.JPG" height="146" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old light switch</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In town, there were just shops after shops. We tried to walk toward housing area, found a Hotel but the guy told us it was full and he brought us opposite to a monastery. The la</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">dy showed us a hostel style room with lots of bed and demanded for 1500rp each. It didn't look like it's worth the price. We continue our search. It was really getting frustrated after half an hour of search in the rain with our bags. I decided to ask someone again. This man walking out from a house told us yes there is a hotel he is working with so we followed him. He brought us to a really old colonial house, the keeper told us it is more than 100 years old. I believe him because everything in the house were so old. The furniture, the key, the old light switch, the painting, there is even a chimney in our room. We find the place attractive and decided to take it. The guy told us that the Labookellie Tea Factory is open. Yeah!! We can finally visit a Tea factory. :-)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt79ou0RWlTLkfHV4iYkJcseztlZgRwUIblSXNudYrwHDOz_J8VqQh07RP7PJW2cpkowoNcSunvcihxLreejaaYvjhJz3VwdRMR1v3rYJ9XOQTwbfz974EnG9285AOq6gmySES3MTI5roz/s1600/DSC_5325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt79ou0RWlTLkfHV4iYkJcseztlZgRwUIblSXNudYrwHDOz_J8VqQh07RP7PJW2cpkowoNcSunvcihxLreejaaYvjhJz3VwdRMR1v3rYJ9XOQTwbfz974EnG9285AOq6gmySES3MTI5roz/s1600/DSC_5325.JPG" height="320" title="Mackwoods Tea Plantation" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mackwoods Tea Plantation</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We left to the Tea factory, it was quite easy to get there as there is a direct minibus to the factory from the main bus station. On the way the scenic view of tea plantation was stunning. We arrived at Mackwoods Tea Factory at the last stop. Mackwoods was established in 1841 with currently 27,000 acres of tea</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. There was a huge 4 story building, a tea house and a tea shop. As this was the only tea factory that was open during this long holiday period, it was packed with tourist. We wanted to get a tour but there were no guide available, so we wandered</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> off ourselves into the factory which they called it museum now. The working area is isolated from the museum, so we could see some of the machine displayed in the museum. The entire process was clearly explain on the TV and the sample of tea was on displayed as well. We didn't have this brand of tea in Malaysia. I don't remember BOH having those tea named the way Mackwoods does. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpxJ1-pCIKN2LgYH2uRxkmuGbA-mB5L9cd39FXcLlGeiltP_-YKtX4VgNY2dJ4ZDNrb0w5XvMlyMLCxoDKq5K53P-2Y181CQf6RU135bB0rKkzYIlkmPQbyqKH944NT2Mp8AH60BbEQcW/s1600/2014-01-016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpxJ1-pCIKN2LgYH2uRxkmuGbA-mB5L9cd39FXcLlGeiltP_-YKtX4VgNY2dJ4ZDNrb0w5XvMlyMLCxoDKq5K53P-2Y181CQf6RU135bB0rKkzYIlkmPQbyqKH944NT2Mp8AH60BbEQcW/s1600/2014-01-016.jpg" height="134" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Type of Tea</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are 5 different types of teas, below copied from Mackwood website :-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BOP - Broken Orange Pekoe -Well made, neat leaf of medium size without stalk or fibre.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BOPF - Broken Orange Pekoe Fanning -Fairly clean, neat leaf, grainy but smaller than BOP grade</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OP - Orange Pekoe -Long well twisted wiry leaf.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PEKOE - Pekoe -Shotty, even, well made grade.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OP 'A' - Orange Pekoe 'A' -Similar in size to OP but loosely twisted and inferior to OP in appearance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FBOP - Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe -This Medium leaf and tippy.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDyaxz3Zpt254uLXhdzDdKaXauaGjsWIYgsMp_f-O-MGCejBO_gXmtF9-GQBBnrp8Xalr3zcmUTlqK4TwRvrjmp1-FicH3YXGPMfpEKiNfpxctxsBHGEToPTFQOdi8r_MM48Wii57Rvjo/s1600/DSC_5287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDyaxz3Zpt254uLXhdzDdKaXauaGjsWIYgsMp_f-O-MGCejBO_gXmtF9-GQBBnrp8Xalr3zcmUTlqK4TwRvrjmp1-FicH3YXGPMfpEKiNfpxctxsBHGEToPTFQOdi8r_MM48Wii57Rvjo/s1600/DSC_5287.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weighing Machine</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bZmrCEbvQ9aszeVoOiS7vA8GciGQLeQD3JTk_L6z03kHNCOXgc0vf0QxTUtN6YEcOHhYUEzXJlDavV4_y4nC1XvzmLRwOWd7H7f_njRx0IyvF9VLqtN6-qAA2KX271h-uaQ-7F5cHaIb/s1600/DSC_5331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bZmrCEbvQ9aszeVoOiS7vA8GciGQLeQD3JTk_L6z03kHNCOXgc0vf0QxTUtN6YEcOHhYUEzXJlDavV4_y4nC1XvzmLRwOWd7H7f_njRx0IyvF9VLqtN6-qAA2KX271h-uaQ-7F5cHaIb/s1600/DSC_5331.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2q2RhxwPt6mK1T_fANI37-Nhc7BqgWduqvKJ3pxnMEgSI7elaMzAUyrR_tGwc3B4xqcNPRyz6Ua-2ltW3hs4-4WyyF4ZNv2PR2k1Vvxqh-65Fp4vbL81OzTAcKTGRsuCMNONUpXbPepR/s1600/2014-01-15+14.23.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2q2RhxwPt6mK1T_fANI37-Nhc7BqgWduqvKJ3pxnMEgSI7elaMzAUyrR_tGwc3B4xqcNPRyz6Ua-2ltW3hs4-4WyyF4ZNv2PR2k1Vvxqh-65Fp4vbL81OzTAcKTGRsuCMNONUpXbPepR/s1600/2014-01-15+14.23.26.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
Drying Machine</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We stop at the tea house to sip a cup of tea and a cake like an English. It was only S$0.60. :-) I find this a nice gesture so the customer will spend their money buying tea from the shop instead of a getting rip off for a cup of tea and scone like in Cameron Highland, Malaysia. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the rain subside, we went for a stroll to the Mackwoods tea plantation. It was endless. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We finished our visit with some shopping, my brother bought 2 boxes of tea.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0qeze5fO2f1djFrhuJZpB9jaJNKvRkMlXdGgk8owdUJ3QKfvMXvwRcZ8KGWMoy1HeryXOVm7GFLGOQ-xtI0OVSkXSzskGu93qhKRfH6yyM2BilW8TL9eackrmVyFvGjbyqn37NGcbchD/s1600/2014-01-16+07.56.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0qeze5fO2f1djFrhuJZpB9jaJNKvRkMlXdGgk8owdUJ3QKfvMXvwRcZ8KGWMoy1HeryXOVm7GFLGOQ-xtI0OVSkXSzskGu93qhKRfH6yyM2BilW8TL9eackrmVyFvGjbyqn37NGcbchD/s1600/2014-01-16+07.56.23.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgvXcP4yrccZZx5sjNKlT9Uaeutbroq0_5qGu5jSIP_s67sbFLjceWJUl2dz6_hOVIM927k0wyz0Qpsw-et6jiUQyZ7csS-IOaQ6UHHXp_MUyPH9KAi7aJ44PYT2r0228-sZJApN7VM32/s1600/DSC_5361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgvXcP4yrccZZx5sjNKlT9Uaeutbroq0_5qGu5jSIP_s67sbFLjceWJUl2dz6_hOVIM927k0wyz0Qpsw-et6jiUQyZ7csS-IOaQ6UHHXp_MUyPH9KAi7aJ44PYT2r0228-sZJApN7VM32/s1600/DSC_5361.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cobbler</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is still a lot to do here but we are running out of time. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next day we left early to Kandy.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time we are determined to take the train because we have read that the train route to Kandy is breathtaking. We have pre-book a seat the day before with the help of the guy in the Inn. We had another great breakfast, Anthony found a cobbler to fix his running shoe but the old man was taking too much time. At the end, we had no choice but to get a tuk tuk. I hated bargaining with them. We were quoted 800rp at the bus station. The distance to Nanu Oya Train Station is just 6km. We walked away and stay by the road to flag one down, another one quoted 1000rp. Arrg! Then one of them bargain with us till we agreed to 600rp. Off we go, he told us the road is bad. We didn't expect it to be an adventure getting there. The road was muddy and full of potholes. The poor tuk tuk is bumping left and right avoiding potholes here and there. We finally got to the train station unfortunately the train has left! Well...at least we are here early for the next train at noon. :-) </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZoSoL7T_0ObLgtg9v7c7Rt9fsHQM2qCr67cAMH1zbNFFhPHVDI6l0EasMf_Regy7wjJVK_wfjUVsRmQ9sbLdw20WFa2_0OaTGVZO2KUwG7baevvUbBbsID5Bu5sH8jPdfi_Vfw5usVpr/s1600/DSC_5385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZoSoL7T_0ObLgtg9v7c7Rt9fsHQM2qCr67cAMH1zbNFFhPHVDI6l0EasMf_Regy7wjJVK_wfjUVsRmQ9sbLdw20WFa2_0OaTGVZO2KUwG7baevvUbBbsID5Bu5sH8jPdfi_Vfw5usVpr/s1600/DSC_5385.JPG" height="203" title="Nanu Oya Village" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nanu Oya Village</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCoN771vWJpAs5ifFZMEzp9jfEdZGOcjqu3c24NkdQyDd9jOFe7VaKT9ZOwDjZimd20RtrS5h6YXaCkmVPVKJ30BJ9L-MP_xPZIoWp5kKip9OWTj3Nd2GCCFzywxsO4lj03xsFky-KVxr4/s1600/DSC_5395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCoN771vWJpAs5ifFZMEzp9jfEdZGOcjqu3c24NkdQyDd9jOFe7VaKT9ZOwDjZimd20RtrS5h6YXaCkmVPVKJ30BJ9L-MP_xPZIoWp5kKip9OWTj3Nd2GCCFzywxsO4lj03xsFky-KVxr4/s1600/DSC_5395.JPG" height="132" title="Nanu Oya Train Station" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nanu Oya Train Station</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we now have time to kill, we went for a stroll at the nearby village and found a tea factory up on top of the hill. The kids were so welcoming when we pass the village, they surround us and said "Hello, good morning" even the adults were really friendly too. The Edinburgh Tea Factory is locally owned, it was built in 1934. It wasn't open for public touring, but they didn't kick us out. We took some photos and chat with some workers. They said they are in a process of setting up the factory for tour. That will be good for the company and local community, sharing the info and bringing in more tourist to purchase tea directly from the factory. One thing I realized is that there isn't any souvenir shops where we have been, in a touristic places like anywhere in South East Asia, you will find store after store of t-shirts, key chain, fridge magnet, hat, etc. Not here though!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_q2lnLJ1GWvROcG-Fd0Vpp31ypWAWWRx4Z5D60OUBRSRq3TrIM4-Oc3qP7zqgQUzTm5mxUVd5Jh09esdLbayn5qBkZ2YbUJF7Vdq9s4VOHriV70HB5bhNkldRz09rSYNUPu2mX1b7mRvY/s1600/DSC_5397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_q2lnLJ1GWvROcG-Fd0Vpp31ypWAWWRx4Z5D60OUBRSRq3TrIM4-Oc3qP7zqgQUzTm5mxUVd5Jh09esdLbayn5qBkZ2YbUJF7Vdq9s4VOHriV70HB5bhNkldRz09rSYNUPu2mX1b7mRvY/s1600/DSC_5397.JPG" height="212" title="Lock-and-block signaling system" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ancient Lock-and-block signaling system</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-UgYVOFQtLLPSu7bzmfkraxUpRK95qJZugGINbjaEhieMz6B-S9LqkHaV_iwwpU7SXocNMXklCe1ScUVc0JcICNYsB5qmaR6qvOxdhaNC_atPjc1r8eiYx72BuFQZqyO-lZ-A1bHjKxG/s1600/IMG_7218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-UgYVOFQtLLPSu7bzmfkraxUpRK95qJZugGINbjaEhieMz6B-S9LqkHaV_iwwpU7SXocNMXklCe1ScUVc0JcICNYsB5qmaR6qvOxdhaNC_atPjc1r8eiYx72BuFQZqyO-lZ-A1bHjKxG/s1600/IMG_7218.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handling over the token</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While we were at Nanu Oya train station, we had time to visit the Train Control office. The office looks a bit like a museum, very tidy and neat filled with sets of old furniture left over by the British. Much of the network uses a lock-and-block signaling system. The key is to ensure the safe operation of a railway by allowing only one train to occupy a defined section of track at a time. The officer said it is over 100 years old but still in use. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We observed that before a train arrive to a station, the bell will ring with certain code that only the train officer will understand. When a train arrived, one officer will pass the token pouch to the train captain, that ensure the track is lock and block for that one train use only. I couldn't understand exactly how it works but it is interesting. :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Accommodation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wattles Inn Tel : 0770660110 – 2000rp per room/night with </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">attached toilet with hot water.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local bus from </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nuwara Eliya to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Labookellie Tea Factory</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - 35rp pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuk Tuk to Nanu Oya Train Station - 600rp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Train (http://www.railway.gov.lk/) </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from Nanu Oya to Kandy (Class 2 Reserved seat) - 600rp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recreation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NA</span></div>
Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-39663522562850252082014-01-26T22:12:00.000+08:002014-02-07T11:52:51.781+08:00Ella, Sri Lanka 13 - 15 Jan 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyudKjNxhpCQjJiv_6vTn4UPGhgaxXxseEQ8l4HYxZLL-FCJmW3FanFGQnxvnv2TVR_chu-LvIuyhKIu1HBeKzNn7uXJ9wBBukLuIcilnSMW-CJgYXZpo-wIU7WnLvenYbHr8QOnIThMD/s1600/DSC_5225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyudKjNxhpCQjJiv_6vTn4UPGhgaxXxseEQ8l4HYxZLL-FCJmW3FanFGQnxvnv2TVR_chu-LvIuyhKIu1HBeKzNn7uXJ9wBBukLuIcilnSMW-CJgYXZpo-wIU7WnLvenYbHr8QOnIThMD/s1600/DSC_5225.JPG" height="212" title="Ella Train Station" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ella Train Station</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ella is a little laid back town on the central highland, temperature was cool at the altitude of 1041m. There isn't a bus station, we got off at the junction of Pasara Road. Any of the local on the bus will tell you, that's how we travel in Sri Lanka. Everyone will offer help even when you didn't ask for it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_E0bqc6WR5ziP1XrphoA1k3f2NS-axYzOw3l-Jk7xLoCeuype5CyLnfpfmu1SxgkaLkI3sQQDtB2VKQByzj_GEvDdh581tQuEP76CZ-MjpNzn-PpL77KRk2Q7s7J9sPD5QLoRGJ4VIDA/s1600/DSC_5117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_E0bqc6WR5ziP1XrphoA1k3f2NS-axYzOw3l-Jk7xLoCeuype5CyLnfpfmu1SxgkaLkI3sQQDtB2VKQByzj_GEvDdh581tQuEP76CZ-MjpNzn-PpL77KRk2Q7s7J9sPD5QLoRGJ4VIDA/s1600/DSC_5117.JPG" height="132" title="Little Heaven Homestay" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was raining again, we quickly head off to Pasara Road to look for a guesthouse. We were approached by 2 local, the first one came to us when we got off the bus. I usually tell them we will have a look first and walk away. You know when there isn't many tourist around, your choice will be more. Another local chap approached us, told us about this new place and price. We told him our budget was lower but he insisted we have a look. Since it was just 100m away, we went to check it out. The rooms are on 2nd floor, above the owner's house, new and clean with an open area to relax and kitchen to cook. We like it and we bargained for the price we wanted for 2 nights. Since there wasn't much tourist, the owner agreed to it. Wasantha works for the owner to find customer, as he speaks decent English, it is easier for him to approach the foreigner. He is very friendly and helpful, he gave us a map and lots of info. He has friends who can rent out motorbike if we need one and he found out for us that the Tea Plantation will be closed for 2 days due to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tamil Thai Pongal Day</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Not so good news for my brother because he was looking forward to it.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsx94VcFXR_RRuTYIhoZXKwH0WyejRYXZtfe1lbpqUKPL-rEW-O2WWPLBRRddGYm74Z_uu9-HTOVb8eyB_Un9U_wgCS_Zr4ozw1RA_2qLzMWCY0xg8Gdh3hMMr1_Awg5OkHNlrb12mRpM/s1600/DSC_5237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsx94VcFXR_RRuTYIhoZXKwH0WyejRYXZtfe1lbpqUKPL-rEW-O2WWPLBRRddGYm74Z_uu9-HTOVb8eyB_Un9U_wgCS_Zr4ozw1RA_2qLzMWCY0xg8Gdh3hMMr1_Awg5OkHNlrb12mRpM/s1600/DSC_5237.JPG" height="217" title="Pasara Road" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning market at Pasara Road</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ella town is just the 100m stretch of main street, line up with restaurants, cafe, grocery stores and hotel. We found a small cafe to have a snack. We have been having tea everywhere we go since we arrived in Sri Lanka. I tried the coffee here, best to avoid unless you want your mouth full of coffee dust! The best thing is Milk Tea as they use fresh cow milk warmed up for you. We can't find this anymore back home. We also noticed that most of them use brown sugar here, very healthy! Ella is like Cameron Highland in Malaysia, highland town with lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. During dinner my brother tried to order fried vegetables and plain rice. We have to explain multiple times that we do not want fried vegetable rice, they don't seems to understand why we want the rice to be separated from the vegetables. :-) It was funny!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TTgj-N-4rpsi5d_f2kJsr0xNzGvzG9vsXv-SFun-QDqCTlG26LG1QW3dPACl9cV0nVwyqE4h8EzZtfX-t4qx3oS6TMU2Dd7K_0PZ_lkbOazA9YDsg6UfzGtPhbxHpYCGGptuO5id0FTo/s1600/DSC_5118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TTgj-N-4rpsi5d_f2kJsr0xNzGvzG9vsXv-SFun-QDqCTlG26LG1QW3dPACl9cV0nVwyqE4h8EzZtfX-t4qx3oS6TMU2Dd7K_0PZ_lkbOazA9YDsg6UfzGtPhbxHpYCGGptuO5id0FTo/s1600/DSC_5118.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Little Adam's Peak</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea plantation</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_yZNjN7SVKTQvy3Ni80LWHPMlNJ9g7dsvOvODPMtmN9mnV33Gr3zFMl4gLMpOfGtaiaSZk_baybgwouYgfvOJX_l7eFtmpg57UezF61GfyAl_l-JvIgtozheBSPlFrxpJzKSNlzyLr2e/s1600/DSC_5155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_yZNjN7SVKTQvy3Ni80LWHPMlNJ9g7dsvOvODPMtmN9mnV33Gr3zFMl4gLMpOfGtaiaSZk_baybgwouYgfvOJX_l7eFtmpg57UezF61GfyAl_l-JvIgtozheBSPlFrxpJzKSNlzyLr2e/s1600/DSC_5155.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids in the village</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our plan for the next day is to hike Little Adam's Peak. We bought some bread, vegetables and sardin to make sandwich. Travelling with my brother is the best, he always bring along a small kettle so we could always enjoy a cup of tea. We started early at 7am. It was a km walk on Pasara Road till we exit the main road onto the tea plantation. The mist surrounding the mountain and tea plantation make it so surreal. We pass a small village who are celebrating the Tamil Thai Pongal Day. There was no sign indicating where to go, so we just kept heading towards the peak eventually we arrive at the stairs heading up. We got to the peak around 8:30am. It was an easy trek. At the top, we enjoy the view of mountains and beyond with a cup of hot coffee and cookies.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Little Adam's Peak</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDupQMe_M4D3WolNk62aKdecG4mgAEp35MV4d8d45ArMVZupQ-3VIashZ-4Ghoi-cwWmADz0YZnLJ5Zr9Q5-c7Xbu-C4VZN_C7TfCiyb-ueiaf25xPTq9pBL2mJZ-n3Qrfjjmvd4YePqkQ/s1600/DSC_5170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDupQMe_M4D3WolNk62aKdecG4mgAEp35MV4d8d45ArMVZupQ-3VIashZ-4Ghoi-cwWmADz0YZnLJ5Zr9Q5-c7Xbu-C4VZN_C7TfCiyb-ueiaf25xPTq9pBL2mJZ-n3Qrfjjmvd4YePqkQ/s1600/DSC_5170.JPG" height="321" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View on the way to Little Adam's Peak</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lizard</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the hike we head to the train station to buy our train tickets to Nuwara Eliya. Unfortunately, all tickets were either sold out or pre-booked the next day and the following day. We could either come early at 6am to see if there is any last minute cancellation or take the public bus as a backup plan. In the afternoon, it started to rain again. We chill and rest at the guesthouse. Late afternoon, we decided to head out to Dowa Temple, it is about 6km from town. We decided to try out the tuk-tuk. First one quoted us 700rp for return trip but then we wanted only one way trip. They are stiff with their standard price for tourist. I am sure the local does not pay this much. Finally we agreed to pay 400rp for one way.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3jQI6ZhOCnu_2FKoHoxZMmYuAQG9VXLX6DlKqg2g21343DvpUVzJEFDR8NXWJp39JsOZWaWJ1eP6WQZhbS1Gn-Cuz0xRTv0EPrian0XTyuoOh1DqBQ6po27PZHP3S-R9WqSj_r9Ey482/s1600/DSC_5234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ella" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3jQI6ZhOCnu_2FKoHoxZMmYuAQG9VXLX6DlKqg2g21343DvpUVzJEFDR8NXWJp39JsOZWaWJ1eP6WQZhbS1Gn-Cuz0xRTv0EPrian0XTyuoOh1DqBQ6po27PZHP3S-R9WqSj_r9Ey482/s1600/DSC_5234.JPG" height="200" title="Dowa Temple" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dowa Temple</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dhowa temple is built by King Walagamba in the 1st century, the main attraction here is the 38ft tall Buddha statue carved on a granite rock. A sleeping buddha inside the temple, where the care keeper demanded us to donate a fix amount of money which he scriber on the ticket. We were put away by his request coming from a care taker of this ritual site. My brother donated and told him we wont go in, but he then felt bad and said we could go. I left as I felt that the donation was just a scam for tourist. So unless you have nothing much to do forget about visiting this temple. The bus back to Ella only cost us 20rp per person, we told ourselves never to take a tuk-tuk again.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26cDShbSHpofq_NfUacLxZKt3RFRqGA8oxgNAp_AvDRxmzQ36PmLKPkRa5xTIGRXaQ_ZYwFVOnbTDpeFi8qTa0Yop2evipn2RVg7tnkdFRyJ5Fo2InT_97eRGGe3ufXXe9UHdo2GL423N/s1600/DSC_5235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26cDShbSHpofq_NfUacLxZKt3RFRqGA8oxgNAp_AvDRxmzQ36PmLKPkRa5xTIGRXaQ_ZYwFVOnbTDpeFi8qTa0Yop2evipn2RVg7tnkdFRyJ5Fo2InT_97eRGGe3ufXXe9UHdo2GL423N/s1600/DSC_5235.JPG" height="200" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local corn</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After 4 days in Sri Lanka, my brother missed home cook food. We bought some fresh vegetables, onions, eggs and rice to cook in the guesthouse. That was nice for a change. :-) If not because of my tight schedule, I would have stay here for a few more days to explore the mountain area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We decided to take a bus to Nuwara Eliya instead of waking up at 5am to try our luck on the train ticket. The bus leaves at 8am from the junction of Pasara Road. No problem to get a seat as there were many people going down at the next few stops. Sri Lankan has the upmost respect for woman, they always start with addressing me "Mam", I like having such privilege and gave them back the same respect in return. My brother was jealous why he didn't hear anyone addressing him "sir". :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Accommodation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little Heaven Homestay, Ella Tel : 0774283386 – 1500rp per room/night with fan, mosquito net, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">attached toilet with hot water, kitchen, wifi</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuk tuk to Dawa Temple - 400rp per way</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local bus from Dawa Temple to Ella - 20rp pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local bus from </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ella </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to Nuwara Eliya - 120rp pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recreation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NA</span></div>
Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-35249092424806895412014-01-25T18:23:00.000+08:002014-02-07T11:16:31.692+08:00Tissa and Yala National Park, Sri Lanka 12-13 Jan 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Matara is the end stop of the southern Sri Lanka rail line. From here we took a local bus to Tissa. Tissa is short for Tissamaharama. A small town south eastern of Sri Lanka. A gateway to Yala National Park. The bus journey was 3 hours but mostly along the coastline and small villages. This time we chose a seat far away from the speaker and at the end of the bus to avoid all the noise. It was much better. We have learnt to pack some food for the journey because you never know how long the journey will take.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphh4qrFjTNMekYmefwo9oF43tGgVqvKPzLmxFzvcaW9ZF9G_lIQGPUVxlAIdovHjMrLRD33WEWwoJ4pIpjK1LURw-KMs3mfypcgECBnlSNUzhzeAgtfOkK7d9qPt-x56lyswRELmwHFmS/s1600/IMG_6995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphh4qrFjTNMekYmefwo9oF43tGgVqvKPzLmxFzvcaW9ZF9G_lIQGPUVxlAIdovHjMrLRD33WEWwoJ4pIpjK1LURw-KMs3mfypcgECBnlSNUzhzeAgtfOkK7d9qPt-x56lyswRELmwHFmS/s1600/IMG_6995.JPG" height="133" title="SundaLanka Rest" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SundaLanka Rest</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were approached by a local on the bus who was offering his guesthouse. It was 2km away from town, so we told him we wanted a place near to town. Then he said his brother has a place near town, he will bring us there. It was drizzling when we arrived, the bus station and the town was deserted, I guess everyone is off on Sunday. So we followed him to his brother's guesthouse, no harm anyway, the house is about 200m from town, tuck in the green coconut plantation. Surprisingly it was nice. Big room and close to nature. We like it and took it. Next is to book for our safari, of course he sells the safari package as well. We bargain for an acceptable price and sign up. :-) We are all set!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGxgqPtMPqvl0pjtQp567PLZaCere-CqQt7HGsIehRPjusJSPElX7c2PCBgKPVSyLA71IPSe2EMxeNEhXSuR1Q-SmfqfVkLrOftKwGKirw3X7fE1fpshLH-qs-BudwnDLcBDYUCNH0gQr/s1600/DSC_4928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGxgqPtMPqvl0pjtQp567PLZaCere-CqQt7HGsIehRPjusJSPElX7c2PCBgKPVSyLA71IPSe2EMxeNEhXSuR1Q-SmfqfVkLrOftKwGKirw3X7fE1fpshLH-qs-BudwnDLcBDYUCNH0gQr/s1600/DSC_4928.JPG" height="200" title="Tissa Buddhist Stupa" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tissa Buddhist Stupa</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the rain subsided, we went for a stroll, the town is basically dead. We walked out of town passing some paddy fields and stumble into a Buddhist Stupa. We follow the local and walk clockwise around the stupa, my brother did it 3 times. A monk came to chat with me, he told me he was a headmaster before but he fell sick. Some kind of lung disease, said he has to go Colombo for treatment and it was very expensive. Lastly he get to his point of asking me if I can give him some money. I didn't because first of all real monk do not ask for money. Luckily he wasn't pushy and left.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndYhaNAQUT2ZBbZfDKxf4_2fgchqjjFLQ0GbCcrJPMqXS4vykmtiK-yXDggk2XBDGKvl-Z_KICunuZ8NYdc0YIvOd48yzyMO6PtDQzOQ-6SBK1MUK2DFVb3mN3Damogv2qbdQPtAqCyCA/s1600/DSC_4952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndYhaNAQUT2ZBbZfDKxf4_2fgchqjjFLQ0GbCcrJPMqXS4vykmtiK-yXDggk2XBDGKvl-Z_KICunuZ8NYdc0YIvOd48yzyMO6PtDQzOQ-6SBK1MUK2DFVb3mN3Damogv2qbdQPtAqCyCA/s1600/DSC_4952.JPG" height="200" title="Sunrise at Yala National Park" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yala National Park is the second largest in Sri Lanka but is the most visited. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The park covers 979 square kilometres. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">44 species of mammals are resident here and it has one of the highest leopard densities in the world and the Sri Lanka elephant. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yala harbours 215 bird species including six endemic species of Sri Lanka. I was very excited to finally get here, I hope I can see a leopard. :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The safari started at 5:30am with a pick up from the guesthouse. We were then join with others and swop around jeeps and regroup. We were in a 6 seated jeep with just 4 of us. The jeep is basically converted from Jeepney with 6 seats and a sheltered fixed at the back, both side are open. It took about 45 minutes to get to Yala National Park, the dawn and sunrise in the park was breathtaking. After getting thru the registration at the entrance, off we go. We didn't have a guide from the park nor seen any tickets issued, as written in the travel book. Maybe the driver cut corner but we got in the park anyway.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQomx8cFbW8ng6GOXLYMb_dSdRSqKlDYF5n_O7ocy1hHyvfxWf3ZOBCEZJVDGBh1cb6bRvx1tgxLReNfslVZzAEa71wNvLUbeEwTxFkGk9iCDLpM7VE0-Uq7apeC4AbnwUWnvz5eQRMN1/s1600/DSC_4983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQomx8cFbW8ng6GOXLYMb_dSdRSqKlDYF5n_O7ocy1hHyvfxWf3ZOBCEZJVDGBh1cb6bRvx1tgxLReNfslVZzAEa71wNvLUbeEwTxFkGk9iCDLpM7VE0-Uq7apeC4AbnwUWnvz5eQRMN1/s1600/DSC_4983.JPG" height="265" title="Elephant Rock at Yala National Park " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephant Rock at Yala National Park </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8spx5ixivVuOp3ylNNxAPktWGQe-1sPtu3dVO0abCdJ13_BcVs3gxhJL8RlvDvNb1U9p76f-QFyziHuJtyxI3rvfaAdNn4RIIMTxGH6U7z4dRVuhxTrE5rGsNHMgfWxDsQZsjKEm_RW7/s1600/DSC_4947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8spx5ixivVuOp3ylNNxAPktWGQe-1sPtu3dVO0abCdJ13_BcVs3gxhJL8RlvDvNb1U9p76f-QFyziHuJtyxI3rvfaAdNn4RIIMTxGH6U7z4dRVuhxTrE5rGsNHMgfWxDsQZsjKEm_RW7/s1600/DSC_4947.JPG" height="200" title="Peacock at Yala National Park" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peacock</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were greeted with peacocks after peacocks, on the tree, on the road, in the bushes, they are everywhere. There were also herd of buffalos, soaking in water holes, resting in the mud or some were crossing the road. The driver was our spotter, every time when he see something he will stop and point to us. We saw fox, crocodiles, bambi, wild boar, and lots of birds - Indian Cormorant, Grey Heron, Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Asian Openbill, medium-sized waders, Egrets, Oriental Darter, Lesser Whistling Duck, Crested Serpent Eagle, Asian Paradise-flycatcher, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the list is long... </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsgmSwoMJXtLXM3X6dfnvFN7iWLdTGYnLY7e-l80ieToIRxZDQdvh32T-KBXQ4IEtHwo4uIXfbdQZS3nhydVSJ-WmGSOBsEfe_TdXYV9sfkQtSZwPV-leTfQ_E-Dl_jHWzf2Zkgtxv93U/s1600/IMG_6841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsgmSwoMJXtLXM3X6dfnvFN7iWLdTGYnLY7e-l80ieToIRxZDQdvh32T-KBXQ4IEtHwo4uIXfbdQZS3nhydVSJ-WmGSOBsEfe_TdXYV9sfkQtSZwPV-leTfQ_E-Dl_jHWzf2Zkgtxv93U/s1600/IMG_6841.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When a Leopard was discovered</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were not allow to get off the jeep at any point except for the beach stop and river stop. Drivers update each other what they saw when they cross each other on the road. An hour later, after spoken to another driver (in Sinhalese), he </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">immediately reversed his car into a small path. There was a big traffic jam of jeeps behind us, we could not get close. With my binoculars, I saw a fade leopard tail hanging on a big tree. We were forced to move on as we were blocking the other</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">jeeps behind us to pass, our driver has to take a big loop and queue at the end of line. after we finally got to the spot, the leopard has already gone. :-( disappointed!</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WVszALNU73gCONkBtJSiZuBE-aXGZo9Cr20eRrx8ALnVOTQ3kNQlz-EGxZwpMYiBZ7wKMmcKmH0PEuhBxZfbkUUA5DSZUzSZgg1f0qyAZNTp3p4mgV_VkTAiG1JakqoMbx3Qu70c5hmK/s1600/DSC_5033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WVszALNU73gCONkBtJSiZuBE-aXGZo9Cr20eRrx8ALnVOTQ3kNQlz-EGxZwpMYiBZ7wKMmcKmH0PEuhBxZfbkUUA5DSZUzSZgg1f0qyAZNTp3p4mgV_VkTAiG1JakqoMbx3Qu70c5hmK/s1600/DSC_5033.JPG" height="200" title="Toque macaque" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toque macaque</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlblLe4dbrGQKQ_zDVWyhhifufe12SDnh3vkXExedHYXod-WJaVm6wv8eGmxuESaO0ReS76TWVEPhQjeRIaZJSYGIvzdIyxmYfxu_Dowp63KJxJkAoe1tldI3xK7YUei6gomt2AEZVKAS/s1600/DSC_4981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlblLe4dbrGQKQ_zDVWyhhifufe12SDnh3vkXExedHYXod-WJaVm6wv8eGmxuESaO0ReS76TWVEPhQjeRIaZJSYGIvzdIyxmYfxu_Dowp63KJxJkAoe1tldI3xK7YUei6gomt2AEZVKAS/s1600/DSC_4981.JPG" height="152" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crocodile</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBovuxAvFQIdilOFHr2HYUIMwLoQLmqPgzbNTJU7L7E8klSLQrEAtw-zdE4Eg-6X5J60C-ODQk7GDE9EH5YSKhCD8KU0BcuDBpUOEuQEXaApwV-jy6D8x21AotnaWTBxCglwYt2vyMMfP/s1600/DSC_4997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBovuxAvFQIdilOFHr2HYUIMwLoQLmqPgzbNTJU7L7E8klSLQrEAtw-zdE4Eg-6X5J60C-ODQk7GDE9EH5YSKhCD8KU0BcuDBpUOEuQEXaApwV-jy6D8x21AotnaWTBxCglwYt2vyMMfP/s1600/DSC_4997.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peacock</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAfA5NQa37lmt-beRDGORxsqzHLDpxxmVJMdB6VjvIIQ7x_TzWJKeq_XbHwzO5FQ6R-sukJb8AQAzJ3iZc66rMGMkXNhvWb8zW0D6o9Ad_03_rkE-MCaVuLqWpB6G6Im0ao0bHSfkfH7w/s1600/DSC_5060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAfA5NQa37lmt-beRDGORxsqzHLDpxxmVJMdB6VjvIIQ7x_TzWJKeq_XbHwzO5FQ6R-sukJb8AQAzJ3iZc66rMGMkXNhvWb8zW0D6o9Ad_03_rkE-MCaVuLqWpB6G6Im0ao0bHSfkfH7w/s1600/DSC_5060.JPG" height="141" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sri Lanka Bambi</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHNCOL9jrd_s9LpJ8WaCP8Xb7VyaNQ7n97epK3ViLmB_onZNTJmaNdASc6oVGvmDg2BI50AX2zVR3taW5Iaxd_0d7nQ7-yMPLKSoWPUNVIqkspDn3tvjjk8dn-TSFrY_HL1TGQsejpMMR/s1600/DSC_5097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHNCOL9jrd_s9LpJ8WaCP8Xb7VyaNQ7n97epK3ViLmB_onZNTJmaNdASc6oVGvmDg2BI50AX2zVR3taW5Iaxd_0d7nQ7-yMPLKSoWPUNVIqkspDn3tvjjk8dn-TSFrY_HL1TGQsejpMMR/s1600/DSC_5097.JPG" height="212" title="Sri Lanka elephant" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sri Lanka elephant</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1k-a18vRh21Cx89zpY1Y_x_7ZMg6YvnmF3a2tXJe3tg3g26sK3z_vyC_GWIBRYXIUSE0AvIeAZzCE_faid1kjyV81y4Ehg_JFEtnZWTzD-KY5ZmF6zU48qCG90thS3PvAMZncBA63co2z/s1600/DSC_5050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1k-a18vRh21Cx89zpY1Y_x_7ZMg6YvnmF3a2tXJe3tg3g26sK3z_vyC_GWIBRYXIUSE0AvIeAZzCE_faid1kjyV81y4Ehg_JFEtnZWTzD-KY5ZmF6zU48qCG90thS3PvAMZncBA63co2z/s1600/DSC_5050.JPG" height="243" title="Sri Lanka Leopard" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sri Lanka Leopard</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We continue our safari, hoping to see another one later. At 10:30am, we stop at the beach spot for a break, I counted more than 50 jeeps were there. It was also a long holiday for Sri Lanka, so there were a lot more local tourist in the park. Their jeeps mostly packed up to 12 people in it. Probably they paid lesser. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We continue our search and finally we saw a Sri Lanka elephant, moving alone in the bush not in a herd though. My first wild elephant, he was huge!! We continue to spot other animals like Sri Lanka Mongoose, Toque macaque, king fishers, etc. As our driver turn into another path, he stop abruptly and cut the engine. Yelled to us "LEOPARD!!" The moment of truth!! We saw a leopard 50m away walked out from the bush on to the path heading towards us, slowly taking his time, we kept our camera clicking, he came as close as 20m away until he disappeared into the bush. We were speechless for a moment with a big smile on our face. We finally saw our first leopard. I was still shock from that moment, could not believe what just happen. He was bigger than I expected. He was very beautiful with those spots on the body. We hung around for another 30 minutes to see if the leopard appear again. We were so lucky!!</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9EB9Anqo7xyg52PjwtUSM5pZtvLyjVwhEiRWGJu4pyveY8p1Q3Cwc-mbaurb40PK-J8GbFrABwIoXDkPx9Tqy9F-fk2us72HPjRkeSjGPo5knCHEWtxzRZ9TwCoVR97bEHTpVAZURI7P/s1600/DSC_5069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9EB9Anqo7xyg52PjwtUSM5pZtvLyjVwhEiRWGJu4pyveY8p1Q3Cwc-mbaurb40PK-J8GbFrABwIoXDkPx9Tqy9F-fk2us72HPjRkeSjGPo5knCHEWtxzRZ9TwCoVR97bEHTpVAZURI7P/s1600/DSC_5069.JPG" height="200" title="Asian Paradise-flycatcher" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asian Paradise-flycatcher</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHeq6MH49nLv1-H1QNOBWy3Hbl4vb2OrSdcc_H8OZKceWI7__R3Aa6w6xY5DnsjjA9DN9PPwliI3QMm72JNwOKh3XlcPzsPSd56zyIM-k6nCPOabvzruJ1r2p1OwZHH4Zy6VVg5HSE9Un/s1600/DSC_5029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHeq6MH49nLv1-H1QNOBWy3Hbl4vb2OrSdcc_H8OZKceWI7__R3Aa6w6xY5DnsjjA9DN9PPwliI3QMm72JNwOKh3XlcPzsPSd56zyIM-k6nCPOabvzruJ1r2p1OwZHH4Zy6VVg5HSE9Un/s1600/DSC_5029.JPG" height="156" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kingfisher</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4FaTXU1aGL9HsbeZ7qkzVt49TAES_QHcXM_YsrwnBAIhMxM0VHqQVjkGpQW9YhbQn9m_p7x-YFqAntvV_QUQUWgMT8mJuQgJXp8jmC8MJ9i66n9XLL5WoPlGMMDTxBAeL9RWrHUT0WK6/s1600/DSC_5090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4FaTXU1aGL9HsbeZ7qkzVt49TAES_QHcXM_YsrwnBAIhMxM0VHqQVjkGpQW9YhbQn9m_p7x-YFqAntvV_QUQUWgMT8mJuQgJXp8jmC8MJ9i66n9XLL5WoPlGMMDTxBAeL9RWrHUT0WK6/s1600/DSC_5090.JPG" height="200" title="Asian Paradise-flycatcher" width="140" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The half day safari finished at noon, we had lunch, check out and left for Ella. We have to take 3 buses to arrive at Ella. First from Tissa to Thanawalwila, from Thanawalwila to Wilawaya and lastly from Wilawaya to Ella. All 1 hour journey each. The connections were actually smooth, we didn't wait more than 30min for the next bus. Everyone was so helpful and they make sure we got onto the right bus. The journey up to the highland was refreshing and scenic. That made the trip less taxing.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmGoYRZyxo3bBhyphenhyphenor4_bH2_nh-vt-Sk6BXMtybNxz18taaYwWTrFkV7DYX4jf0_mCI7Cv7Zm4vt800I2zts9s6uXKa3TcFURTMZmDytsUXOCBb2MJslATSEb9GC35A4LzSKpKhds9jhI4/s1600/DSC_5081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmGoYRZyxo3bBhyphenhyphenor4_bH2_nh-vt-Sk6BXMtybNxz18taaYwWTrFkV7DYX4jf0_mCI7Cv7Zm4vt800I2zts9s6uXKa3TcFURTMZmDytsUXOCBb2MJslATSEb9GC35A4LzSKpKhds9jhI4/s1600/DSC_5081.JPG" height="313" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0BMxX04jWUzaEKmenLJJRFgweG5qOI6v9tCYJq5mi57fdrVMAO6WrRYFXz8bII8T7HjHjSBmWbxA1p-w8l7ucGI3a9NY8S6sc4CUkiK_9esWIAEGj-uuVZ9MRcaB851AhyphenhyphenKcCFGuXEsi/s1600/DSC_5108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0BMxX04jWUzaEKmenLJJRFgweG5qOI6v9tCYJq5mi57fdrVMAO6WrRYFXz8bII8T7HjHjSBmWbxA1p-w8l7ucGI3a9NY8S6sc4CUkiK_9esWIAEGj-uuVZ9MRcaB851AhyphenhyphenKcCFGuXEsi/s1600/DSC_5108.JPG" height="308" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water buffalo</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Accommodation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sundalanka Rest, Tissa Tel : 071 2244108 – 1500rp per room/night with fan, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">attached toilet with hot water</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local bus from Matara to Tissa - 150rp pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local bus from Tissa to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanawalwila - 51rp pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local bus from </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanawalwila to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wilawaya</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - 61rp pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local bus from </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wilawaya</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to Ella - 61rp pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recreation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yala National Park half day safari - 5500rp pp incl park fees</span></div>
Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-73318097865266112922014-01-25T14:30:00.000+08:002014-01-25T15:14:21.356+08:00Colombo and Galle, Sri Lanka 10-12 Jan 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxx2NN0H8iHSaR5FLP9yhOtRu7dhzCrL3Bx_J-luAeYtymsI8yPHtSDMzCaVbfaldsknlW1oirpppKw8O2ZZOr6Pb0VnHglxE653Uzg06IelU66JgtCf2p7Ub7-_Pv2b2GQbpRVZJc-fPD/s1600/346px-Topography_Sri_Lanka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxx2NN0H8iHSaR5FLP9yhOtRu7dhzCrL3Bx_J-luAeYtymsI8yPHtSDMzCaVbfaldsknlW1oirpppKw8O2ZZOr6Pb0VnHglxE653Uzg06IelU66JgtCf2p7Ub7-_Pv2b2GQbpRVZJc-fPD/s1600/346px-Topography_Sri_Lanka.jpg" height="320" title="" width="184" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sri Lanka</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxx2NN0H8iHSaR5FLP9yhOtRu7dhzCrL3Bx_J-luAeYtymsI8yPHtSDMzCaVbfaldsknlW1oirpppKw8O2ZZOr6Pb0VnHglxE653Uzg06IelU66JgtCf2p7Ub7-_Pv2b2GQbpRVZJc-fPD/s1600/346px-Topography_Sri_Lanka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sri Lanka is known as "the Pearl of the Indian Ocean" because of its natural beauty. The beauty came from the long history, the culture, the nature, and the people. It has never came across my mind that such beauty exist so close to me. After a quick study and googling, I am all ready to pack my bag.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was so happy that my brother Anthony is coming with me to Sri Lanka, we </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">had an amazing time</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> travelled together to Cambodia and Laos. I looked forward for another great trip with him. We booked our tickets and I made all the planning. We will spend total of 8 days in Sri Lanka. That is the maximum number of days I can squeeze out of my holidays. :-) Short but we will see what we can manage in that 8 days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we will land in Colombo midnight, I made a reservation for accommodation in advanced. I was shocked when I checked the prices online, even a hostel cost $25 per person. Since we didn't plan to stay or sightsee in Colombo, any place cheap and reasonable is ok. It was a house with SPA and rooms available upstairs. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We checked in at 1am early Sat, slept, had our breakfast and left. The person who run the place speak very basic English but he managed to help us with what we need. He told us that there are many buses going to Galle, he gave us the bus number to take from the main road to the Main Bus station at Fort. It was easy. We got to the main road the buses were there instantly.Colombo is clean and pretty rustic. The buses are non-aircon and the bus conductor sell us tickets in small sheet of paper. It was surprising cheap! We paid rp35 for 2 person to the main station, that is S$0.17 cents per person. :-)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1IG29JGRJme6qF4WdyXtORABZYld1ZFyvk9-A-4vtwbn-y8Rc52-Pd5PglhR-884Ij2BtvmvBtnlpPeDIAAkSAoE2urvvTxLZMkk4Kv3rxXLy_EQWkhKF5lhJ8_gle9vnmI0eaju5oGzV/s1600/DSC_4733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1IG29JGRJme6qF4WdyXtORABZYld1ZFyvk9-A-4vtwbn-y8Rc52-Pd5PglhR-884Ij2BtvmvBtnlpPeDIAAkSAoE2urvvTxLZMkk4Kv3rxXLy_EQWkhKF5lhJ8_gle9vnmI0eaju5oGzV/s1600/DSC_4733.JPG" height="146" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local market</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We started to realised that everyone was staring at us. With their big eyes you can felt the fierce stare even from far away. I look them back and gave them a smile, then everything change, they didn't look away and gave me a big smile back. Those who dares will start speaking to me, asking me where I am from, how long in Sri Lanka, do I like Sri Lanka etc. I started to realised how friendly Sri Lankan are, I started to like them. :-)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3PRDT6SmKYiRv6zdD5pnta7IzM67DUFAf8_fLGsQGFqpwDdHWwx9Hd0VkxE7rw76l7MLmwf23AEt3fcqQ8VEgT9ZnzZXKaYO24TkaIIf7zYP5FFbKCF1veRe702f5fijBuGUYqyPv7j_/s1600/DSC_4735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3PRDT6SmKYiRv6zdD5pnta7IzM67DUFAf8_fLGsQGFqpwDdHWwx9Hd0VkxE7rw76l7MLmwf23AEt3fcqQ8VEgT9ZnzZXKaYO24TkaIIf7zYP5FFbKCF1veRe702f5fijBuGUYqyPv7j_/s1600/DSC_4735.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local Market</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Someone showed us where to get off at the Main Station and where to get our bus to Galle, everyone was so helpful. We had time to walk pass a local market before we jump on our bus. The local produce are mangoes, beans, chillies, jackfruits, potatoes, carrots, onions, papaya, pineapple, orange, cabbages, etc. not much different from Malaysia.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBvZ-XmO-jHelHGStw8tkQGX07P8kI1kTT4a_kSHT507Um7hXeSygxKlbcCR7Bcu24TeCtf0N1AiOkoVAPL4cgn_boUo_6fUu18okNLDKKoBssjsBJE4MU8a3a1xt7gR9nvZIGlKlOKd7/s1600/DSC_4738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBvZ-XmO-jHelHGStw8tkQGX07P8kI1kTT4a_kSHT507Um7hXeSygxKlbcCR7Bcu24TeCtf0N1AiOkoVAPL4cgn_boUo_6fUu18okNLDKKoBssjsBJE4MU8a3a1xt7gR9nvZIGlKlOKd7/s1600/DSC_4738.JPG" height="186" title="Colombo Fort Bus Station" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colombo Fort Bus Station</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From an aircon minibus and a local non aircon bus, we decided on the local bus. We picked the first row, got ourselves seated comfortably and the journey begins, we enjoyed the view of Colombo town as the bus pass thru the city, a lot cleaner than I expected. The bus stops every 100m as the bus conductor hung on the door and call constantly "GalleGalleGalle..." Gave me a flashback of minibus service in Kuala Lumpur. The</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Indian Pop</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> music was blasting in the bus and we were fortunately sitting right in front of the speaker. :-( The bus driver was cursing using his honk. Colombo city seems endless, after an hour we were still in the city, after 2 hours we were still in the city fighting thru the traffic. We got bore and fell asleep. Finally I think 3 hours later we saw the coconut trees and beaches. Endless shoreline and beautiful beaches. Finally we arrived after 4.5 hours on that 119km route. It was a good start! :-)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DUlVUa4irphLiO1CAc57tygW9BdSn3VvOM8niW_5LYJMDazFgOaTt_vdiDGlPMlw-qODZnib-uMswdMykK0oMLfCPzBgbQ_YJwp4XpN9IMDj3JhJC2cMI047phfB-78PlCzZWXVYkON_/s1600/DSC_4748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DUlVUa4irphLiO1CAc57tygW9BdSn3VvOM8niW_5LYJMDazFgOaTt_vdiDGlPMlw-qODZnib-uMswdMykK0oMLfCPzBgbQ_YJwp4XpN9IMDj3JhJC2cMI047phfB-78PlCzZWXVYkON_/s1600/DSC_4748.JPG" height="320" title="Galle Light House" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galle Light House</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Galle was the main port of the island back in the 16th century. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Galle fort is a world heritage site and is the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by European occupiers. The bus stop is just outside the Fort, as we arrived at 2pm it was hot but not humid. We went looking for food, got into the first restaurant we saw in the fort. It was nicely decorated with Bob Marley photos. I got my first rice and curry. It was delicious! Not much different from Indian cuisine back in Malaysia except that it was less spicy.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWB0U_19t61UlNnwZfCYetPgM0C-mlW2RMTK-bxq3ZhShWbRFAHH2uVs2CEcHoP3LdyQjYeEDSRZdojPHlyvPjkwbuUqDVC83mUvLqjO6rjj2gp5RPQkBGN0fRHZpj8i7Z_kdJ9XnwS5OO/s1600/DSC_4843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWB0U_19t61UlNnwZfCYetPgM0C-mlW2RMTK-bxq3ZhShWbRFAHH2uVs2CEcHoP3LdyQjYeEDSRZdojPHlyvPjkwbuUqDVC83mUvLqjO6rjj2gp5RPQkBGN0fRHZpj8i7Z_kdJ9XnwS5OO/s1600/DSC_4843.JPG" height="186" title="Galle Fort" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galle Fort</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnYj78dlwZgzaMwj2cfuAr_Oiptqp0F5aEqf65PpZn3uz3WvM-xD-U9L5aTST_WynUKkORrUAduGTZnFwkqieiGbcH9Kxyelkr_MCBEGlQR13Ag2fxIRfD2rmHOt3uDFmfLXmGq1bkir8/s1600/DSC_4802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnYj78dlwZgzaMwj2cfuAr_Oiptqp0F5aEqf65PpZn3uz3WvM-xD-U9L5aTST_WynUKkORrUAduGTZnFwkqieiGbcH9Kxyelkr_MCBEGlQR13Ag2fxIRfD2rmHOt3uDFmfLXmGq1bkir8/s1600/DSC_4802.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galle</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtCLTiNJm_Dq2a5oBWGDiJs9J-rweq5G9OnbiRcSZh9qgD3HQbnsn8q6B8TUKid6zNFofS2wqm0N1XqDJK8LQjIegiSxm9NjtN5yDtUEj-fcg__33Jihzo7kDuNQnISKGMBgiIcmNfmVQ/s1600/DSC_4790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtCLTiNJm_Dq2a5oBWGDiJs9J-rweq5G9OnbiRcSZh9qgD3HQbnsn8q6B8TUKid6zNFofS2wqm0N1XqDJK8LQjIegiSxm9NjtN5yDtUEj-fcg__33Jihzo7kDuNQnISKGMBgiIcmNfmVQ/s1600/DSC_4790.JPG" height="132" title="Galle District Court" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galle District Court</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After checking into our guesthouse, we went to explore the fort. A walked along the wall, pass the lighthouse, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">beach, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a big mosque, churches, museum, lots of old Dutch buildings, gigantic ankle left over from the old days on display by the road and small little boutique of hotel and shops. Such a pretty little city, lots of photograph opportunities. We stop by a local fishing bay where the local fishing boats were dock. The traditional boat was built with wood, long and narrow body with one outrigger on one side to balance the boat. The other type was the fiberglass flat bottom type.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBdYJxg2Dxk8K_DgroNsrDHDaqRZjN4-gzxGrvcbhQpxqjI12bRZ11AbL4H6gkm3ZGz_Yak8tZ4ldky4B1DndCEH4y0tOKTDLAFfngbErq-UJZvcXb8Y3qL7iKK0BQu3zM-KYgD-qeVmd/s1600/IMG_6581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBdYJxg2Dxk8K_DgroNsrDHDaqRZjN4-gzxGrvcbhQpxqjI12bRZ11AbL4H6gkm3ZGz_Yak8tZ4ldky4B1DndCEH4y0tOKTDLAFfngbErq-UJZvcXb8Y3qL7iKK0BQu3zM-KYgD-qeVmd/s1600/IMG_6581.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional Fishing Boat</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrt13AL2ToTIjkSP5O8suEn3J2ebnxlXskFkxVHCCFLxjz8fAZXsvIZXuscz1PpARP0l6ICzoafzuWisSiCdESnW1N3GdU5H8Sd_BaTWHofvyH5zh531qnQXENrbhHrFoipu5YurfsSGL/s1600/DSC_4824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrt13AL2ToTIjkSP5O8suEn3J2ebnxlXskFkxVHCCFLxjz8fAZXsvIZXuscz1PpARP0l6ICzoafzuWisSiCdESnW1N3GdU5H8Sd_BaTWHofvyH5zh531qnQXENrbhHrFoipu5YurfsSGL/s1600/DSC_4824.JPG" height="200" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fiberglass Fishing Boat</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few of the locals came to chat, they told us the fishing was done at night, they leave after sunset, out the entire night and back at dawn. 2 type of fishing method were used, hand bait and net casting. For net casting a few boat has to work together to circle the net and trap the fishes. One of them actually invited us to join them that night. Ohh..If only we have the time...:-( it's our lost to miss such an opportunity but then again we might not survive the night. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQx4-wCQOfNKrOXPRLWlZ2D2bX3jwHAr69kGV2wSob2snE76pLzpvfDR47Eh4t_IrWyMAWwHFRuQBoMVpDE9Ur1-N7psBzfyu11VpQYj1donPeYvoVryH8XVDLaXw-OXhioR8c38wayVmW/s1600/IMG_6613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="devile" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQx4-wCQOfNKrOXPRLWlZ2D2bX3jwHAr69kGV2wSob2snE76pLzpvfDR47Eh4t_IrWyMAWwHFRuQBoMVpDE9Ur1-N7psBzfyu11VpQYj1donPeYvoVryH8XVDLaXw-OXhioR8c38wayVmW/s1600/IMG_6613.JPG" height="134" title="kottu" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kottu and Devile</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At night the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">guesthouse owner recommended us a place to eat, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">we tried out some local dishes introduced by the guesthouse owner. The Kottu is actually roti canai cut into small pieces and fried with vege </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">meat</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of your choice. The Devile is onions and chilies with meat of your choice fried with</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sweet soya sauce and we ordered an extra plate of vegetables. We love it! Anthony finished 2 plates of rice. :-)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW24DBQYJxmnr_BtQDL0camaoSguzhDizo1gUn-5SptFVKUwY-gtZd_0pl5zg5AXOJpjazWbYUnqVfZFt7UV9qJE1AReIHwkcuvmJFuwJwzDD5OFINQXWs4bbIjuD3jeoYP0dMz6KBXHdk/s1600/DSC_4887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW24DBQYJxmnr_BtQDL0camaoSguzhDizo1gUn-5SptFVKUwY-gtZd_0pl5zg5AXOJpjazWbYUnqVfZFt7UV9qJE1AReIHwkcuvmJFuwJwzDD5OFINQXWs4bbIjuD3jeoYP0dMz6KBXHdk/s1600/DSC_4887.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The catch of the day</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We left early the next day to Tissa. To get there we have to catch a train to Matara and change to a local bus to Tissa. The guesthouse owner was very friendly, he told us what time is the train and where we could find the fish market in the morning. It was where we pass yesterday, the fishermen came back with Tunas, Trevally, Grouper, Snappers all hand bait. There was one giant grouper just the head was 6kg, I don't know how they pull it out with their hands.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The train ride was nice and comfy, no more traffic jam! We got to Matara in 45mins. When we arrived a tuk tuk driver approach us and asked us where we want to go. We hesitated and told him bus station(we tried to avoid tuk tuk because they always overcharge) he told us it is 2km away 20 mins walk. We told him we will walk. In return he gave us the direction and said good bye. We were shocked by his feedback. Sometime this is what we miss and what made our day when you least expected it. A nice and humble person who just wanted to help.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGzdtuTdmpKm95S-zp1AV0-EX3QE5NE905n19noJaMpjXqopEaBp-2E5lcVo_SsF9JaLCJvmUGkgRx2Iid1exm_Rw6BCCRZObrV9njdiL-Xl-_pR1AICj6Sa7mUN7vvsIybERMZZxkXcbv/s1600/DSC_4904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGzdtuTdmpKm95S-zp1AV0-EX3QE5NE905n19noJaMpjXqopEaBp-2E5lcVo_SsF9JaLCJvmUGkgRx2Iid1exm_Rw6BCCRZObrV9njdiL-Xl-_pR1AICj6Sa7mUN7vvsIybERMZZxkXcbv/s1600/DSC_4904.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galle to Matara</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Accommodation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thusarehouse.jimdo.com/" target="_blank">Thusare House & Spa</a>, Colombo – $56 per room/night with aircon, shared toilet, hot shower, wifi. Breakfast - 1000rps</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://galletown.lk/leynbaan-villa-galle/" target="_blank">Leynbaan Villa, Galle</a> - 3000rps per room/night with fan, mosquito net, attached toilet with hot water, wifi.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cathay Pacific SG-Colombo return S$372.80 pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visa - $30 pp applied online</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taxi to guesthouse - 2700rp per taxi</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local Bus to Main bus terminal - 17.5rp pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local Bus to Galle - 150rp pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Train from Galle to Matara - 80rps pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recreation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NA</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFn715jxI4JjWizLrfxwNxJz9sygxAXgcU9K2kUVJPnkVSdwbgsH5UkuBf7KaY6Kj1D1509_zb4rpGDS4mgCDulySE-elFr7YvZHP2dEcDuaLBYQUU7YZnbZgHmMZwxThOsW-pydjt_yYq/s1600/079-Local.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFn715jxI4JjWizLrfxwNxJz9sygxAXgcU9K2kUVJPnkVSdwbgsH5UkuBf7KaY6Kj1D1509_zb4rpGDS4mgCDulySE-elFr7YvZHP2dEcDuaLBYQUU7YZnbZgHmMZwxThOsW-pydjt_yYq/s320/079-Local.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7th </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aug 2013</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : Lamayuru (3500m)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : Wanla (3160m)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High passes : </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prinkiti La Pass (3730m)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 3.5 hrs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : Easy</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We think we are ready for a higher trek now after the 3 days Sham Trek. Plus this trek we have a porter so our backpack will be lighter and we are over with our headache. So we met our guide Diskir, she is a trainee guide but only because her English is not good. She has been working as a porter for a year now, she know the trek and everything around. Our porter Dolkar will carry our 10kg backpack. We were doubtful because she weight not more than 45kg :-) Both of them were young only 21 years old so they should be ok.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4FK_SQv1SPSLzJKh699NRToaoHT-_E_zE1SgjEjSgHrOulakkcCk5uRbuE2AbPjfTGLuuXxEx171tuWNtj2o7VnSRGCdK7ZlN4a0pNFhUHAL7wMnQUemR9LHqu5ny_sZ8MIFNk7PIopn/s1600/083-Lamayuru+to+Wanla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4FK_SQv1SPSLzJKh699NRToaoHT-_E_zE1SgjEjSgHrOulakkcCk5uRbuE2AbPjfTGLuuXxEx171tuWNtj2o7VnSRGCdK7ZlN4a0pNFhUHAL7wMnQUemR9LHqu5ny_sZ8MIFNk7PIopn/s320/083-Lamayuru+to+Wanla.jpg" title="Prinkiti La Pass" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Prinkiti La Pass</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a good breakfast, we left our guesthouse. We descent along the main road and then cut into a narrow valley, the valley was actually a dried river bed, occasionally some fresh water surfaced from the ground. Shortly after we arrived at the base of Prinkiti La Pass. We saw the French group again ahead of us. The ascent to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prinkiti La Pass was not tough as we took it slowly. The view behind us was breathtaking. As we approach the pass there were big group of trekkers already there just resting and enjoying the view. From the pass we could view the Zanskar range at far. The feeling was so out of the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The descent to Wanla took us 2 hours, first 1 hour was a nice walk in the canyon. The formation of rocks and stones are in all sizes, shapes and colors. The final hour was spent walking on the road to Wanla. It was hot and boring, we prefered the path. We arrived at our homestay at noon when rain started. We could feel the sudden drop of temperature outside. Lucky us to get there on time to take shelter in the house.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanTuJh_D_DZUct75j7X7baRherlgqArua7SMR8bIghADWSih9nusKywLpR_PXdD_WCZkSQ3wTNb81OqkBdnhJoQVfUskDkUOrB7krPHlvwDAGr9JRxbgoTpCRRnojvtjEgQAV8SyxhXR9/s1600/091-Wanla+Village.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanTuJh_D_DZUct75j7X7baRherlgqArua7SMR8bIghADWSih9nusKywLpR_PXdD_WCZkSQ3wTNb81OqkBdnhJoQVfUskDkUOrB7krPHlvwDAGr9JRxbgoTpCRRnojvtjEgQAV8SyxhXR9/s320/091-Wanla+Village.jpg" title="Wanla" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wanla</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wanla is located at the juncture of 2 river, the Shilakong Tokpo flows into Yapola river. The lower altitude result to more warm in the climate which then brought forward the harvesting of barley and apricots. Every single apricot trees were fully bloomed and barley has been harvested and line up on the ground. It has a monastery that is dated back to 14th century. Small but pretty. It is a sub-monastery of Lamayuru which provides a caretaker monk responsible for daily rituals and for granting access to the temple. The monastery sits at the edge of the hill overseeing the village, the rivers and barley fields.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hpVqdXWAsw8kuGZeRcYGWgIVOfn_4EgNEFZPI0Oy2lajEjtL81UGMGhdG5nRCdsev280qZ5pZI_XNdmqvYIVroovt7T4P47uRJWZ3KXIban_pFHGtmiTm9YfV8DU3WuoCk9WgxMewPl8/s1600/097-Donkey+ears+pasta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Timok" border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hpVqdXWAsw8kuGZeRcYGWgIVOfn_4EgNEFZPI0Oy2lajEjtL81UGMGhdG5nRCdsev280qZ5pZI_XNdmqvYIVroovt7T4P47uRJWZ3KXIban_pFHGtmiTm9YfV8DU3WuoCk9WgxMewPl8/s200/097-Donkey+ears+pasta.jpg" title="Donkey's Ear" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Timok</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were made special dinner this night, it was Ladakhi pasta or they called it Donkeys ear or Timok, top with curry source. It was delicious! I had 2 serving for the first time since I arrived in India. We also tried the local Chang beer made by barley, tasted good not as strong as rice wine. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We slept early as we plan to leave very early the next day.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4Z9_kXEyg71PJ4WsbCygb1W25DhhHvpmZ3Oq0oKMZhfNe66Q24IQXFUG2OiM1TA6-DSWBKyuD_E02zIJtSfyFDFFXUCHEx7XFZHdWzXBihaMAOl6przoTn6I1vziSOwDuBbaYCONyv-Y/s1600/103-Wanla+to+Urtsi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4Z9_kXEyg71PJ4WsbCygb1W25DhhHvpmZ3Oq0oKMZhfNe66Q24IQXFUG2OiM1TA6-DSWBKyuD_E02zIJtSfyFDFFXUCHEx7XFZHdWzXBihaMAOl6przoTn6I1vziSOwDuBbaYCONyv-Y/s320/103-Wanla+to+Urtsi.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorful mountain</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8th </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aug 2013</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : <o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wanla (3160m)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : Urtsi (3500m)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High passes : NA</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 6 hrs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : Moderate</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Woke up at 5am to have breakfast and ready to leave at 6am. We were told that we are going to take the goat path to Urtsi. We were not aware until we got on the path off the beaten trek. The goat path is actually an old path used by the locals long before the road to Urtsi was constructed. No one is using the path now, the other trekkers used the road to get to Urtsi.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8nd2pkNGIkfLGhTuDHTKgdropE6-o5H3axp7RxdsAMmAynTGXhRD7K5gGsKlMugeUgqR7ey-CDQFglhfE1QKGsgiFnRtGvASC-Bf1K3K8DtmtsW1raAe9Kiu3XauTyP3qRAn9-5oXDpz/s1600/112-Goat+path.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8nd2pkNGIkfLGhTuDHTKgdropE6-o5H3axp7RxdsAMmAynTGXhRD7K5gGsKlMugeUgqR7ey-CDQFglhfE1QKGsgiFnRtGvASC-Bf1K3K8DtmtsW1raAe9Kiu3XauTyP3qRAn9-5oXDpz/s640/112-Goat+path.jpg" title="Goat path" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goat path</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The path is not even a path, sometimes we were just following some goat shits on the ground, who knows where the goat were heading. But of course we have a guide who can navigate with their eyes close. :-) It was kind of exciting yet scary coz some path was treacherous as it hangs by the cliff, one wrong step could be disastrous. I was not sure myself a couple of times if I could make it :-( my walking stick helps a lot to support and Kareen taught me to make sure I set my foot into the ground to stabilize before I take the next step and don't look down beyond my foot....well lucky me I live to tell the story :-) The good thing is we have the mountain all by ourselves and the scenery is so surreal, it just blown me away. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mountain range stood silently, bare and strong, the cloud movement made the mountain dance in front of us, constantly changing color. Every corner we turn, we see another perspective</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> of the mountain. Mind blowing!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGLiXQdDX-a-IG2OODwPIqc0Rb_jJJFmWGyjrXpLH9dm-1BNtL-IhBBjTSH_aJA1i1VaX8shXVhYpeOXix1q6nnTg6nNrYVQ4oKmxevD1Qo12zTl69qFc9zY8_lApTwic2YwBI8BKAUQx/s1600/131-Urtsi+Village.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGLiXQdDX-a-IG2OODwPIqc0Rb_jJJFmWGyjrXpLH9dm-1BNtL-IhBBjTSH_aJA1i1VaX8shXVhYpeOXix1q6nnTg6nNrYVQ4oKmxevD1Qo12zTl69qFc9zY8_lApTwic2YwBI8BKAUQx/s640/131-Urtsi+Village.jpg" title="Urtsi" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Urtsi</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We finally arrived in Urtsi at noon, our homestay family is a couple in their 40ies. Their house is in progress of upgrading. They build one room a year if possible more. We were surprise to find a shower with hot water. Yeah! So happy to get a nice shower and wash up my only trek pants and shirt and we have a bed to sleep on.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgTMF-nl_hah51gxIPQilVJd8u2y_R5TWJfMO8-sIVd1Xm3Vzx-ZWUikODAa536CnzofzpVxNTS6BXZA8QGMRani7pgmykEdsTNSyAdv6qyLqScAHNmDQg9QMGF2lEIauIqOOcjQ2YA0F/s1600/123-Unfinish+Urtsi+Homestay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgTMF-nl_hah51gxIPQilVJd8u2y_R5TWJfMO8-sIVd1Xm3Vzx-ZWUikODAa536CnzofzpVxNTS6BXZA8QGMRani7pgmykEdsTNSyAdv6qyLqScAHNmDQg9QMGF2lEIauIqOOcjQ2YA0F/s320/123-Unfinish+Urtsi+Homestay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At around 6pm, there was a big commotion outside, we hear locals shouting from roof to roof, sheep bleating, cow mooing, donkey braying, so we went to check it out. Apparently this happen every evening when the animals return from the mountain, those animals were calling for their babies or parents, those owners calling for their animals, very funny encounter. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNf_F78fkhghIZ9AtGeinWDPtmpkqhpRt1-4z9NVhpyqZ9kTOh3F07Q-84j-ElcbDAaSogJlJ321TWfXMS8GlPLWu81xr7uzfm1OaRT7E4_d0JC16-vn7tXiNUkeNEw5opgepK_GM7DWaZ/s1600/135-Urtsi+to+Hinju.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNf_F78fkhghIZ9AtGeinWDPtmpkqhpRt1-4z9NVhpyqZ9kTOh3F07Q-84j-ElcbDAaSogJlJ321TWfXMS8GlPLWu81xr7uzfm1OaRT7E4_d0JC16-vn7tXiNUkeNEw5opgepK_GM7DWaZ/s320/135-Urtsi+to+Hinju.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9th </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aug 2013</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Urtsi (3500m)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : Hinju (3740m)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High passes : NA</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 3 hrs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : Easy</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5th day in the trek, we started to get tired with the chapati bread, breakfast was always chapati bread with fried egg or with butter and jam. Our packed lunch was none other than chapati bread with boiled egg and boiled potato. It was too dry, I couldn't swallow them anymore. The best I could do was to eat 2 pieces during breakfast. :-(</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The goat path was pretty easy today, after 2 hours we arrived at a one family house by itself in a valley. They have an animal farm, fields of barley, garden of vegetables and a stream not far. That's how simple they live. It makes me ponder how we are always unsatisfied and demanding in live. This sets as a reminder to me everytime I hear myself complaining or dissatisfied. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkR0KX24sDvw1C18UG31N0zwcxMgJvSJbaGMp4wkZ4WBKIFSBHbn800CktXhxD9MJijJTb5b_NUbxTZTatUn6lU477nOVqZB8y9NeiLXMLMVLB2wDE1gxu9vr7OgPmL3ucMQHHmnFzNfxG/s1600/148-Lighting+a+candle+of+prayer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkR0KX24sDvw1C18UG31N0zwcxMgJvSJbaGMp4wkZ4WBKIFSBHbn800CktXhxD9MJijJTb5b_NUbxTZTatUn6lU477nOVqZB8y9NeiLXMLMVLB2wDE1gxu9vr7OgPmL3ucMQHHmnFzNfxG/s200/148-Lighting+a+candle+of+prayer.jpg" width="145" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We finished the last hour of our trek on the road to Hinju. The vehicle road ends at Hinju. We were disappointed that it's the end of the goat path for this trek. We really enjoy the goat path experience and those who has done the normal trekker's path via the road will not have a chance to see the spectacular view above the mountain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At Hinju, as most of the houses has transformed into homestay, they actually came out with a rotation system. Each family will have to take turn to host. We got a small family with 3 rooms (2 bedroom and a dining/kitchen) a family of 7. The village has a small monastery, Diskir and Dolkar light up a oil candle for prayer. On the way down from the monastery, a local invited us for tea in her house. Diskir knew her from her last trek. We tried the salted milk tea. It wasn't bad at all. :-)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6i97eqoPwZ-jVcqhoctlwu5UXoarETFJS0l8kQRdxmAEVghyjdypg_vhwzOrIxsK6D8CX3J7TfbVWzhzsJaYdttbw64FXLyuzFEs5A2xP4EzM5ozYMixJ_tcfXEbuUg5g5hC-cVmcx0D9/s1600/152-Sheeps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6i97eqoPwZ-jVcqhoctlwu5UXoarETFJS0l8kQRdxmAEVghyjdypg_vhwzOrIxsK6D8CX3J7TfbVWzhzsJaYdttbw64FXLyuzFEs5A2xP4EzM5ozYMixJ_tcfXEbuUg5g5hC-cVmcx0D9/s200/152-Sheeps.jpg" width="145" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After we finished, it was time of the day where the animals return from the mountain. We sat with the locals to watch the shepherds herd back about 20 ponies and 50 sheep. I was just wondering how they could recognised who sheep is whose? At this time of the year, there were many new born, the baby sheep and ponies were so cute!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We planned to sleep early for the big day tomorrow. Unfortunately it was the night of spiders! Kareen discovered a spider near her bed and another and another, the owner's son tried to get rid of all of them but they kept appearing. I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">t went on and on till late night. At last I switch my bed with her, to make her feel better. At last we fall asleep for couple of hours.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKatJE5jtxoWtndCeUijJx_nCrJdAitQNUG_OLwi5SOIvz4wBWOS6dmQbApUONgFuVLJvBzFUoNarKkjo78zwiyZhUDnZEclBpXXm4zuykfNxAYXWU4hCZjuwHDJoBoJMVMccxEudR2iFz/s1600/159-Wild+flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKatJE5jtxoWtndCeUijJx_nCrJdAitQNUG_OLwi5SOIvz4wBWOS6dmQbApUONgFuVLJvBzFUoNarKkjo78zwiyZhUDnZEclBpXXm4zuykfNxAYXWU4hCZjuwHDJoBoJMVMccxEudR2iFz/s320/159-Wild+flowers.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10th </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aug 2013</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hinju (3740m)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : Sumda-Chenmo (3810m)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High passes : Konze La Pass (4950m)</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 9 hrs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : Difficult</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4:30am we had to wake up. At 5:30am just as the morning light break we took off. I was excited to cross the Konze La Pass today as it will be my record hike thus far but I wasn't looking forward for the 9 hours trek. The initial 3 hours was a nice walk in the valley without the sun. We pass several camp sites along the way. They were just waking up.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The way up to Konze La Pass was steep, we took our time. At this altitude, oxygen is thin. We can't rush it. There were beautiful flowers growing at this altitude. We reached after 3 hours. I wouldn't say it was easy but it wasn't as tough as I was expected. Even though the overcast sky spoilt the scenery, we still enjoy it. At the pass, we had a view of the valley and the range of mountains around it. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RNuhNVn8-V9PE3bX2grdwVGOD1iCjEHeqxSr1sYYWlDlDKjHljw9Pddjh9o7tp-0_Cqm8tAWUY6tEfgWg0hgfDuHQuv5Z6MreYMD8UGW7ZyyVRrv3ZNHgi7mBEJgvXOdvrdjimePoTH3/s1600/162-Konzke+La+Pass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RNuhNVn8-V9PE3bX2grdwVGOD1iCjEHeqxSr1sYYWlDlDKjHljw9Pddjh9o7tp-0_Cqm8tAWUY6tEfgWg0hgfDuHQuv5Z6MreYMD8UGW7ZyyVRrv3ZNHgi7mBEJgvXOdvrdjimePoTH3/s320/162-Konzke+La+Pass.jpg" title="Konze La Pass" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Konze La Pass</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started to have headache due to the altitude. We continue down to Sumda-Chenmo. It was getting hot at noon. The way to Sumda-Chenmo was long, it took us 3 hours. By the time we got to the village, my headache was pounding hard, felt like it's going to explode. I took the last aspirin that Kareen has and crash. It was after 2 hours sleep that I recovered to normal. It was an exhausting day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sumda-Chenmo is a very small village with only 7 families. There is no road access and electricity here, they depend on solar power. The house we were in is also very old, simple but warm. This is our last homestay, it has been a great experience. Every family has given us something to take away, something from their heart and their </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sincerity.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmSIGrM3y9NXJBNki3umFuJrRF_C4wYFvlF7gH8710iyJzqSrFeo-L4xwli2xNrJ3snQN-lr1AGdvlJdBrvn5HkJ6sU_y0_Hs7kr-zFsUroH0C9IEQTrueNV3DSC518qGv0v1-seXtnTq/s1600/176-Sumdah-Chenmo+to+Chilling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmSIGrM3y9NXJBNki3umFuJrRF_C4wYFvlF7gH8710iyJzqSrFeo-L4xwli2xNrJ3snQN-lr1AGdvlJdBrvn5HkJ6sU_y0_Hs7kr-zFsUroH0C9IEQTrueNV3DSC518qGv0v1-seXtnTq/s320/176-Sumdah-Chenmo+to+Chilling.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11th </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aug 2013</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sumda-Chenmo (3810m)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : Chilling (3200m)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High passes : Pagal La Pass (4270m) and Dungdunchen La Pass (4710m)</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 8 hrs</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : Difficult</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last day and long day with 2 high passes. We left the same time as yesterday. We first descent to the river where we started zig zagging for 1 hour up to </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pagal La Pass. Weather was on the cloudy side today, good as it won't be too hot, bad as it will spoil the view. From the 1st pass, we walk along the shoulder of the mountain to arrive at Lanak camp site. A few group of campers have already packed up and left.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the camp is the steep ascent to Dungdunchen La Pass. It was much harder, I told myself repeatedly "Every step I take I am one step closer to the pass" to kept myself going. We got to the pass finally at 10am. Prayer flags flapping welcoming us! :-) We took a long rest to enjoy our last moment above 4000m. Several ponies carrying camping equipment went pass us. We could see the Markha range and the Zanskar range from here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The way down was long, we walk for 3 hours with gradual slope down to Chilling. Just after our lunch break, another guide spotted Blue Sheep at the top of the cliff, we were so happy that we finally saw it. It was our gift to end this trek. :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall it has been a tough trek due to the harsh and hot environment and altitude even though we didn't get any muscle ache from the entire 8 days trek. I enjoyed most the goat path with the surreal mountain view. The homestay experience is priceless. The worst was the headache and the bed bugs bites. The best was the company of Kareen, Diskir and Dolkar. The only regret I had was not bring enough food (energy bar or cereal) to make up for the chapati. :-)</span><br />
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Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-46558639559262274912013-08-30T20:56:00.000+08:002013-09-03T20:51:59.210+08:00Sham Trek - Likir Monastery to Temisgang, Ladakh 4 - 6 Aug 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nubra and Zanskar River</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We left at 7:30am with Stanzin our guide on a mini van to Likir Monastery. It was a 2 hours ride with amazing scenery. We pass many army camps, desert land, rocky mountain, villages and the Nubra and Zanskar river. Along the way, we noticed all their road signs are written in English. There were some specific one that spell like this, "Life is short don't make it shorter", "Better late than never", "Drive slowly, Reach safely", " Always Alert Accident Avert", "Drink Whisky Drive Risky" :-) That was quite an educational read.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDEY7-7f7DVdJU5coYYtOxdXt2HGaE4pGOnMCbNTRjCov3ksf1cdUtkpP9LDKYJgdKDLI98TNTpUn_l3Ra6CfhEcAveJ14fZgZ13REz92G2PtOqByvG-6MheOlhKCu_4j3EdfRpY5pJjp/s1600/026-Likir+Monastery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDEY7-7f7DVdJU5coYYtOxdXt2HGaE4pGOnMCbNTRjCov3ksf1cdUtkpP9LDKYJgdKDLI98TNTpUn_l3Ra6CfhEcAveJ14fZgZ13REz92G2PtOqByvG-6MheOlhKCu_4j3EdfRpY5pJjp/s320/026-Likir+Monastery.jpg" title="Likir Monastery" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Likir Monastery</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aug 2013</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : Likir Monastery (3530m)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : Yangtang (3590m)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High passes : </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Charatse La Pass (3580m) and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pobe La Pass (3730m)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 4 hrs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : Easy</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlu4jp24zyCUIDonIcYMYBYB9txkAskZ3B_x03ptNmufpqecadYcZVoIWTyj02IULqesO1M4W8BmI6fLlkU_2zcaFezHkkcR09LO3hqnlbP8KmOieZWzDCp6rqnvDJqB-bDPJlXuRSi35Q/s1600/030-Likir+Monastery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlu4jp24zyCUIDonIcYMYBYB9txkAskZ3B_x03ptNmufpqecadYcZVoIWTyj02IULqesO1M4W8BmI6fLlkU_2zcaFezHkkcR09LO3hqnlbP8KmOieZWzDCp6rqnvDJqB-bDPJlXuRSi35Q/s320/030-Likir+Monastery.jpg" title="Gold statue of Maitreya" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold statue of Maitreya</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6dISDF5a_g0dWhw3052pVyxEZTMEBCrkzVoVR1iIO8I-UIJkExV8ArvTliaKojkZt8VRBqXIlI97StqtN1y5B0JajbKKEm3c2wsFl79uBPsaomDegCAin6Jmq4LhpSxF-89AtQm6r2pr/s1600/028-Likir+Monastery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6dISDF5a_g0dWhw3052pVyxEZTMEBCrkzVoVR1iIO8I-UIJkExV8ArvTliaKojkZt8VRBqXIlI97StqtN1y5B0JajbKKEm3c2wsFl79uBPsaomDegCAin6Jmq4LhpSxF-89AtQm6r2pr/s320/028-Likir+Monastery.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Likir Monastery</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After 2 hours, we got to this huge monastery with a huge golden buddha statue. From here on we will be on our foot for 8 days. Pray hard not to get any blisters on the feet! Before we start our trek, we pay a visit to the 11th century monastery. Prayers was going on, we visited the museum that kept hundred years old coins, costume, weapons, art effects, pots, cooking utensils, etc. The were old prayer books stack up in the cabinet and some statues cover up with cloths. According to Stanzin, these statues are very powerful, they are only expose once a year during the September festival. After we visited the 25m tall golden buddha statue, we are all set to start our trek.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The trek started along the hillside towards our first pass of the day - Charatse La Pass (3580m) it was generally flat on a rocky path. Barley fields are the only green area that stands out from the brown rocky mountain and terrain. We reached our first pass in no time. It was just a warm up! After the pass we descend to the tar road and crossed path with a group of horses and ponies on the way to a camping trip with a few shepherds. Not far after, we left the tar road to descent to a valley. The group of horses and ponies were long gone. We couldn't keep up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was almost noon, the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">scorching</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sun was killing us, not a single tree in the vicinity Lucky we were wearing long sleeve and big hat, we reach our lunch spot at Sumdo, a little tent in the middle of nowhere but it helps to gives us shade. Lunch was pre-packed today, we have 2 chapati wrapped with vegetables, 1 egg and 1 expired banana. We have to eat to regain some energy. We carried along 2 litre of purified water each but Stanzin just drink from the river. We knew our stomach is not as strong as the local.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yangtang</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Sumdo (3470m) we had our first uphill </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">challenge</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to the 2nd pass of the day - Pobe La Pass (3730m). Even tho it's only 260m but with the altitude and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">scorching</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hot sun, it was exhausting. We took small steps and many stops to catch our breath and enjoy the view. We finally scrambled up the pass marked with prayer flags and a stupa. From the pass we could see Yangtang village, our destination of the day. The small village has only about 15 families. Green barley fields surround the village. Another 30 minutes later we arrived at the village but our homestay is located deep down in the valley by the river. We went down the steep slope to a hidden paradise. A beautiful house surrounded by trees and barley fields. They invited us in with a big smile. Jullay! this word is magic, anyone that comes to Ladakh must learn it, it means Hello, thank you and good bye. Magic word isn't it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our host family has 5 children, 4 are away in the city and only one daughter live with them. The couple are about 70 years old from my guess. They have winkles like lines on the mountain but they are strong and tough. They work in their field every day wherelse their daughter manage the house and cook.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGA1TFLdfzDdrlKf_vvuUTeH65BFSEfcD_kbxAjxBeFxYZdkjm7JkQqRjxDwEbtP-VeA87vRYVOFKTtUNvh0JIxTq4gH1qvKrV2H6Z0OZ7QqC5C4LGm5Svwwx3IgYFlJe_lr-8LuCh51D/s1600/048-Yangtang+Homestay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGA1TFLdfzDdrlKf_vvuUTeH65BFSEfcD_kbxAjxBeFxYZdkjm7JkQqRjxDwEbtP-VeA87vRYVOFKTtUNvh0JIxTq4gH1qvKrV2H6Z0OZ7QqC5C4LGm5Svwwx3IgYFlJe_lr-8LuCh51D/s200/048-Yangtang+Homestay.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bedroom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSC9HTMiTY4GnWvf1RtZFwfpHsyTT61TjfMstJ7QttDzIL0HIzN2f3nRVvi2yjiIcwIPM46yyfb9Qd7NZnVlE6RsB8wjgaPxJFOqFaS_pgJ1L_bwqmjhWKqyzJeLerViT6prgjMtPgjo3c/s1600/058-Kitchen+and+dining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSC9HTMiTY4GnWvf1RtZFwfpHsyTT61TjfMstJ7QttDzIL0HIzN2f3nRVvi2yjiIcwIPM46yyfb9Qd7NZnVlE6RsB8wjgaPxJFOqFaS_pgJ1L_bwqmjhWKqyzJeLerViT6prgjMtPgjo3c/s200/058-Kitchen+and+dining.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen/dining</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is our first homestay experience, we have to enter the house with our shoes off. In Singapore we have warm floor but here it's cold! We were welcomed with tea and cookies, they have a dining room decorated with small tables and shelf of golden and silver pots. We sleep in a room with 4 mattress on the floor and a table each. They provide us blanket for the night. There is no heater in the house but we don't need it at this time of the year. The toilet is outdoor, it is a hole on the ground where everything drops about 2m down. Some sands and a shovel inside the toilet for us to throw sand in the hole to cover up after our business. Very organic! There is no running water for shower. You will be given bucket of water if you want to clean yourself. We try to avoid this. The kitchen is the warmest place in the house as they cook with wood fire and dried cow dung. The field is planted with barley once a year. A small garden planted with spinach, spring onion, potato, beans, cabbage, etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That night, Stanzin and the family cook us momo. We had dinner together with the family in the warm kitchen. The 2 old couples were chatting away in local languages. The momo was delicious but I lost my appetite coping with the headache, stomach indigestion and insufficient sleep. I wish so hard for the headache to go away! Since there is not much entertainment besides star watching, we slept early to try to recover. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtTkTgePvakSaXhXjnV9mJSXalWBDToTKmqMt0wAk73uAXJOyAifP9oWc3zD3EON_vEsWl4_eZ4vo9ZrKLKNbbv4uegS28G8JgfkF-oKyVXR3qftmmJWPM8wamw_2ejycE1KrTMipGNPL/s1600/053-Yangtang+to+Hemis+Shukpachu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtTkTgePvakSaXhXjnV9mJSXalWBDToTKmqMt0wAk73uAXJOyAifP9oWc3zD3EON_vEsWl4_eZ4vo9ZrKLKNbbv4uegS28G8JgfkF-oKyVXR3qftmmJWPM8wamw_2ejycE1KrTMipGNPL/s320/053-Yangtang+to+Hemis+Shukpachu.jpg" title="Samanchan La Pass" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samanchan La Pass</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5th Aug 2013</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : <o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yangtang (3590m)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : Hemis Shukpachu (3690m)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High passes : Sarmanchan La Pass (3750m)</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 3 hrs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : Easy</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Woke up at 7:30am, I was glad that they made me porridge for breakfast instead of chapati bread. It was much better for my stomach. No the headache has not gone away. :-( We said our goodbye after breakfast. Today is suppose to be an easy day, we just need to get over one pass to arrive at our next destination. The path started along the river, due to the dry season the river has turn into stream</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Greens only stays where the water is, that made it looks like a oasis in the desert. We took our time heading up to the pass as we were still adjusting to the altitude. We got to Hemis Shukpachu in 3 hours, a bigger village with around 30 families.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was exhausted and weak, I crash out for half an hour after we check in to our home stay When I woke up I was feeling all light and shine with the headache gone. I felt more alive! We rest the whole afternoon, this family is younger and more modern. The kids are back from school holiday, they all speak English just a little timid. We went to the field to pick green beans and potato for dinner. That's the fun part about home stay, you get to connect with the local and participate in their daily activities, learn more about their culture and life. Most of them keep a farm house with cows, goats, sheep and chickens. In the morning they will let the cow out to roam around in the field. The goat, sheep and chickens stay in the farm as there might be predator out in the wild. It was nice to be in such peaceful environment with only the noise of farm animals.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-uiX2c5bCHVf9nmJnXyeRu8M7kwLXmKm_TIm3XtFWZLNFUUzJYSkOYqdDwLFc6t1LsTcy357tIAyaXtYqOuCOIRe16sjMrSpZTz-cNygUkVO80DFXopgU6KYa84C6qQ2KruhJQ1Z7ekp/s1600/067-Path+to+Lago+La+Pass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-uiX2c5bCHVf9nmJnXyeRu8M7kwLXmKm_TIm3XtFWZLNFUUzJYSkOYqdDwLFc6t1LsTcy357tIAyaXtYqOuCOIRe16sjMrSpZTz-cNygUkVO80DFXopgU6KYa84C6qQ2KruhJQ1Z7ekp/s320/067-Path+to+Lago+La+Pass.jpg" title="Lago La Pass" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lago La Pass on top</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6th Aug 2013</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek start : </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hemis Shukpachu (3690m)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end : Temisgang (3200m)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High passes : Mebtak La Pass (3820m) and Lago La Pass (3820m)</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration : 4.5 hrs</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficulties : Easy</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Hemis Shukpachu to Mebtak La Pass was easy. we met a group of french at the pass. After the pass it was a steep descent down to the valley. A group of ponies race us down the hill. We then follow the bank of the mountain till we reach the bottom of the 2nd pass. It was a steep 90 degree uphill on a zig zag path. The ponies climb up with full loads with no effort. :-( We took a pit stop to recharge before we head up. Stanzin told us we can make it up 20 minutes but we took extra 5 minutes to reach the top. The reward was a breathtaking view.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79hfRtTIxhndiLprCHLl8IuGJoy-m6Z4CtmlKeSKUfVIkKNnNjyOwkz9yXvYgIQ8H4Rc0vVsNb9MCZovH0hyphenhyphenOtkcmjy1h74uKn3Oprlq5D6iwasXPThtYrAsrlRsEvGx7eCB7DOgRxSl_/s1600/073-Apricots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79hfRtTIxhndiLprCHLl8IuGJoy-m6Z4CtmlKeSKUfVIkKNnNjyOwkz9yXvYgIQ8H4Rc0vVsNb9MCZovH0hyphenhyphenOtkcmjy1h74uKn3Oprlq5D6iwasXPThtYrAsrlRsEvGx7eCB7DOgRxSl_/s320/073-Apricots.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the 2nd pass, it was all the way down hill. We had our lunch break in Ang, another small village. One more hour descent via the road, passing line of apricots trees with orange and yellow apricots fully bloomed. We can't stop eating :-p finally we arrived at Temisgang, the end of our Sham trek. Here we catch our transport together with our new guide and porter to the next starting point of our 5 days trek. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This trek was a good way to help us acclimatize and get use to the environment. We think we are ready for the big haul now. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1yataUE81siPX_JTdClt8_u0FTV3Sdz35cDwM4eJenJZzWOzDPZjDHRCTbK7Y6nnLuUQDIsN3E6bRP6FiqPKQvx0RKEVa5DfAvrmImCTixvJ-dtmYFkp1mtEnMdwC5N5lWzAM7FcGnPb/s1600/Sham+Trek+Profile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1yataUE81siPX_JTdClt8_u0FTV3Sdz35cDwM4eJenJZzWOzDPZjDHRCTbK7Y6nnLuUQDIsN3E6bRP6FiqPKQvx0RKEVa5DfAvrmImCTixvJ-dtmYFkp1mtEnMdwC5N5lWzAM7FcGnPb/s400/Sham+Trek+Profile.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sham Trek Profile</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2S0DZ0Le2mBx7-xesLXy-ey95UmDl4isGxHjUstesDhThDZLeMqkGPjZRMopY05-jOFyLG6_Z2Bxih6_YwPqfglGRH8zst1NP24wwXpeV9oMmzii9pMs6micRZGYLC94oXJPrp8Y2Rery/s1600/074-To+Lamayuru.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2S0DZ0Le2mBx7-xesLXy-ey95UmDl4isGxHjUstesDhThDZLeMqkGPjZRMopY05-jOFyLG6_Z2Bxih6_YwPqfglGRH8zst1NP24wwXpeV9oMmzii9pMs6micRZGYLC94oXJPrp8Y2Rery/s200/074-To+Lamayuru.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From here we drove to Lamayuru, we drove along the Indus river and gorges between the rocky mountain. The road is constantly being repair due to the fallen rocks and land slide. We arrived Lamayuru at 2pm. We thank Stanzin for the great time and for sharing her knowledge about the culture of Ladakhi with us. She left us with our new guide - Dolkar and porter - Diskir. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We checked in to a guesthouse, opposite the stunning mountain view, we were too happy to find a modern toilet with hot shower and sitting toilet. Wee! First shower after 3 days.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVgYHkCkxw_XQ-6QGtscFV9LdSRGJWYZU9bH0A1rki4EMveLjPAlro1BgJnIRAWgYUfZ0kkRp2wfTZgOxeqHPV78fV_6W7qWSn5EcD4xIzS_1lnVt3Ha_e8-xFBCk2AtanTkcv3EVI7Zb/s1600/080-Lamayuru.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVgYHkCkxw_XQ-6QGtscFV9LdSRGJWYZU9bH0A1rki4EMveLjPAlro1BgJnIRAWgYUfZ0kkRp2wfTZgOxeqHPV78fV_6W7qWSn5EcD4xIzS_1lnVt3Ha_e8-xFBCk2AtanTkcv3EVI7Zb/s640/080-Lamayuru.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lamayuru</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lamayuru is famous for it's monastery. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The monastery was built in the 11th century, with a population of around 150 resident monks now. Lamayuru is host to two annual masked dance festivals, in the second and fifth months of the Tibetan lunar calendar, when all the monks from these surrounding gompas gather together to pray. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People from all over the world came to visit. I was surprised to find a group of Malaysian snapping away photos in the prayers room when it is clearly written NO PHOTOS ALLOW. I felt angry</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> when people doesn't</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> respect others and more ashamed of these people from my home country. </span><br />
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Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-25074540402438689262013-08-24T23:08:00.000+08:002013-09-03T20:54:01.291+08:00Leh, Ladakh, India 1 -13 Aug 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyE7YvmkeUb0_UBQ9xW2SC2g4P8UxxYaX2dZmK44OoJe7222a-FRXl_rhCM4P352lF2LCbBB_DVXHYtAFVG3wsmbKwUaxlfZtY3vRoRsS-PLWWpQPGlKoCxBtLfNv17m0n_sj7S9dOoIfk/s1600/India_location_map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyE7YvmkeUb0_UBQ9xW2SC2g4P8UxxYaX2dZmK44OoJe7222a-FRXl_rhCM4P352lF2LCbBB_DVXHYtAFVG3wsmbKwUaxlfZtY3vRoRsS-PLWWpQPGlKoCxBtLfNv17m0n_sj7S9dOoIfk/s320/India_location_map.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leh is located in the northern part of India, in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, border to China on the east, Afghanistan and Pakistan on the west. Not many people know about this place, people asked me how did I find out about this place. I think I saw a friend's photos online some time ago and it was stunning, ever since North Indian has been in my list of to go places. August to October is the best time to trek in this region. So there I was...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXHZ9wPXDrleZgMgJwgOBW8jrTmyzm1CwFk9_ErRK6GaCpUbF2WmrOPo0Bl8E7gtx9a5D7qPxIwnCM2pojnaZZLiPjrQ5FZzJpwZa-FJneqYLEndYrZt6UwCSKFEvG8p93rZZyaZcXDQw/s1600/Leh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXHZ9wPXDrleZgMgJwgOBW8jrTmyzm1CwFk9_ErRK6GaCpUbF2WmrOPo0Bl8E7gtx9a5D7qPxIwnCM2pojnaZZLiPjrQ5FZzJpwZa-FJneqYLEndYrZt6UwCSKFEvG8p93rZZyaZcXDQw/s640/Leh.jpg" title="Leh town" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leh town</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This place is nothing I have ever seen or imagine, bare rocky mountains, bare sandy plains, sharp peaks, monasteries after monasteries unique by itself, prayer flags flapping, stupas guarding the mountains, green valley emerge from nowhere and friendly and warm tibetan people. It's India but not India at all!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkRx_3XTSy7LS1NZjuBM0D-rD7e8Un7OF7iTHbif8VP7hv29_ec3jN5PG4iQ7bYwYkwi7lBKZBBOtitwUpIqXq-0RLKPZTR6iqJtzPAUa2woiYwPihJ56PRGUEwmzV_PxfQK9_nCm213s/s1600/015-Prayer+flags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkRx_3XTSy7LS1NZjuBM0D-rD7e8Un7OF7iTHbif8VP7hv29_ec3jN5PG4iQ7bYwYkwi7lBKZBBOtitwUpIqXq-0RLKPZTR6iqJtzPAUa2woiYwPihJ56PRGUEwmzV_PxfQK9_nCm213s/s320/015-Prayer+flags.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We planned our trip way back in April, I will be able to take leaves by August and to take advantages of the long weekend in Singapore. 5 days of leaves, 2 weekends and 2 public holiday gave us total of 11 days holiday. We booked our tickets with Jet Airways, Singapore - Delhi - Leh. The fastest way to get there and a direct ascent to 3500m. We were advised to stay in Leh to acclimatise for 2-3 days, which leaves us 8-9 days for hiking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One month before the trip, we train ourselves once a week at Bukit Timah and I was alternating between salsa and jogging. It was the best we could do. We did some research and found some information online about the weather, hiking path and places to stay. We were all set!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27JDmhFzWUEVoesp8uV5QCMuFoh9MDR6a2pWa4brI4OEOh8tCREQaQEADsn_R1XTsWfaT2hOfRuWiUX4ohTFTSg-PbHK6WAiyiONJlqF6arPwrdWI8aC0HNWTZYwOrTCGJXTAbuwFP_RT/s1600/001-From+the+plane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27JDmhFzWUEVoesp8uV5QCMuFoh9MDR6a2pWa4brI4OEOh8tCREQaQEADsn_R1XTsWfaT2hOfRuWiUX4ohTFTSg-PbHK6WAiyiONJlqF6arPwrdWI8aC0HNWTZYwOrTCGJXTAbuwFP_RT/s400/001-From+the+plane.jpg" title="Himalaya range" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Himalaya range</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>1 Aug 2013</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We spent one short night in Delhi airport, modern, big and clean which was a big surprise for me because when I was there in 2008, it was a crappy old airport. We catch the early morning flight to Leh, flew over the Himalayas range. It was stunning with endless snow capped mountain peaks!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintrKMJrYoWKtsJug0zL_oGEJQ2lHpuPf0tD51hbw2YpuIX8eUHPlt17atijDvCN93MfWfbBtFGtzIsQAHbfkHzqu12WrYS6pM7bhcbxpVK3jyX21-h4RhhyphenhyphennAPOOU3mbd9Eq2qPdt-r_c/s1600/002-Siala+Guesthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintrKMJrYoWKtsJug0zL_oGEJQ2lHpuPf0tD51hbw2YpuIX8eUHPlt17atijDvCN93MfWfbBtFGtzIsQAHbfkHzqu12WrYS6pM7bhcbxpVK3jyX21-h4RhhyphenhyphennAPOOU3mbd9Eq2qPdt-r_c/s320/002-Siala+Guesthouse.jpg" title="Sia-La Guesthouse" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sia-La Guesthouse</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>2 Aug 2013</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A short flight later we landed at the Kushok Bakula Rimpochhe Airport, one of the world highest airport at the altitude of 3,256 m (10,682 ft). We were surrounded by bare rocky mountain and flat sandy plains, looks a lot like the desert. The air was fresh early in the morning, we took a taxi to our pre-booked guesthouse - Sia La Guesthouse. There were probably more than 50 guesthouses in Leh, this one was our choice, located just 5 minutes walk to the center and they responded to my email efficiently. We arrived at a beautiful vegetables and flower garden and welcomed by the owner, she served us tea and told us to relax and don't do much today. :-) We got a huge room on the 2nd floor with the view of garden and mountain peaks afar.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5WnOFl5syiajxf6unLboiktuh196g6ZgsAoPr5H2cQAatX9KXxBljL2PhQbjfv6F5ZYHK2GmZQb-HdOqiIssUOYFLgoiX2fYMhDDU9gaDuP5XEOl1CO-a6wNrNiMsUB9vfi0WMsHX3wK/s1600/005-Stupa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5WnOFl5syiajxf6unLboiktuh196g6ZgsAoPr5H2cQAatX9KXxBljL2PhQbjfv6F5ZYHK2GmZQb-HdOqiIssUOYFLgoiX2fYMhDDU9gaDuP5XEOl1CO-a6wNrNiMsUB9vfi0WMsHX3wK/s320/005-Stupa.jpg" width="220" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a short nap, we were ready to explore the town. Just a short walk to town and we already spotted several stray dogs. There were travel agents and souvenir shops lining the street. We chose one of the many German bakery to have our brunch not that we want to eat the German bread. We ordered </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 local famous dishes</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">momo and tukpa, momo is like chinese dumpling and tukpa is basically noodle soup. We felt energized after the meal. 2 french ladies join us, they couldn't bother to speak english, chatting away in french with Kareen. I understood that they were here to do some charity work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have to get going to search for a travel agent for our trek. We first drop by the DreamLadakh Agency, asked for several options of trek and prices. There were several options of trek we can do in 8-9 days. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Markha Valley Trek </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Lamayuru - Chilling </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Rumste to Tsomoriri </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Phyang to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hunder</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were all camping trek, which means there will be guide and horseman and ponies carrying camping equipment and food. We will need good sleeping bag and camp along the way. We got a shock when we were given the price. It was extremely expensive. We opt out option 1 as this trek is pretty busy and crowded, option 3 is out of our budget, option 4 is out as it is difficult to get horseman and ponies in short notice. We are left with option 2 but this trek only need 5-6 days. We pop into another travel agency, this one doesn't even convince me, I was doubtful, even though the price is cheaper. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosque in Leh</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally we went to the Ladakhi Women's Travel Company (</span><a href="http://www.ladakhiwomenstravel.com/index.htm">http://www.ladakhiwomenstravel.com/index.htm</a>) <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">which I contacted before the trip. This company is run by Ladakh most experienced female guide, they employed only female guides and porters to encourage the women of Ladakh to show their abilities and skills. Their treks are homestay base, which means we stay in the Ladakhi home in the village, their homes are always run by the women, while the men are out earning the family’s income. By using the homestay system, we help the women to achieve the same status as the men. It also provide extra income to the locals and encourages people to remain in their villages instead of seeking employment in the cities. When using the homestay system we will get a closer look at the traditional Ladakhi way of life in a way we could never experience in a guesthouse or camp. We like the idea and we were sold! The ladies were very helpful in planning our trip, we finally put together 2 treks, a 3D2N Sham trek from Likir Monastery to Temisgam and continue to a 5D4N from Lamayuru to Chilling. We leave the day after. Another day to acclimatise in Leh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were feeling light headache the whole day from the high altitude. My eyes were itchy from the dusty surrounding. At night, I was feeling horrible with the headache getting worst and the rejection of the day brunch. We didn't get our dinner, instead we drank loads of water and sleep. The first night was terrible with the stray dogs fighting and barking at the neighborhood. We didn't sleep well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>3 Aug 2013</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the 2nd day, we struggle awake with the headache still lingering around. Ahhhh! I took 2 panadols to calm it. Today we plan to go easy as well, we will visit the famous Leh Palace and the stupa at the top of the mountain. Buy some supply that we need and pack for our trek. We decided to get a porter for our 2nd trek as we will be crossing 3 high passes above 4000m and we will pack more cloths for the coldness at night. For the 1st trek, as it is an easy trek, we will carry our own backpack.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnt4a9_hzDVILcYyhjIEu_2EIeKTrTGPw1U2f9GX9SfxA2AtvKYZypTGlKBFgS8ZUzxhJr2dMpxNniuNcXpVVk2S2OEL7ApnfOhP1bPscP3MThFWdzmlkIULnyobDfobCJt_dZvCl2Gyy7/s1600/016-Namgyal+Tsemo+Gompa+and+Castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnt4a9_hzDVILcYyhjIEu_2EIeKTrTGPw1U2f9GX9SfxA2AtvKYZypTGlKBFgS8ZUzxhJr2dMpxNniuNcXpVVk2S2OEL7ApnfOhP1bPscP3MThFWdzmlkIULnyobDfobCJt_dZvCl2Gyy7/s400/016-Namgyal+Tsemo+Gompa+and+Castle.jpg" title="Namgyal Tsemo Gompa" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Namgyal Tsemo Gompa</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Leh Palace stood atop the Tsemo Hill, overlooking the town and the mountain of Stok Kangri in the Zangskar mountain range. The palace was built in the 17th century, a ruin, is currently being restored by the Archaeological Survey of India. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We took a slow walk thru the</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> mud brick houses and narrow lanes of the old town up to the palace, stray dogs are everywhere and rubbish as well. The view on the way up was spectacular. We paid 100rps to enter the palace, the restoration work was almost finish. There were rooms after rooms and a museum inside with old chinese painting which are more than 450 years old.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLxRL9Hmp2OCcOAIwJTTo8E1_VHm_pqTNy5Y-eoyYWwmVMO6PS9bUE5c3fo2i5gh4gs5e-oZFcNLXhZcT-oY9IZAy4X60I6vg588KwxLB2AB1i1qf-1Rvkaeuah63GAWqUCBMbtNlQRSh/s1600/019-Namgyal+Tsemo+Gompa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLxRL9Hmp2OCcOAIwJTTo8E1_VHm_pqTNy5Y-eoyYWwmVMO6PS9bUE5c3fo2i5gh4gs5e-oZFcNLXhZcT-oY9IZAy4X60I6vg588KwxLB2AB1i1qf-1Rvkaeuah63GAWqUCBMbtNlQRSh/s200/019-Namgyal+Tsemo+Gompa.jpg" title="Maitreya Buddha" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Maitreya Buddha</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We proceed to the Namgyal Tsemo Gompa above the Palace, it has a three-story high gold idol of Maitreya Buddha. It is still visited by monks everyday to light the butter-filled lamps in the morning and evening. The last structure at the top is the old fort that is almost a ruins now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leh town is small, easy access by foot. We found a restaurant and had a delicious Indian vegetarian dinner. I have decided to be vegetarian the whole trip. Let see how it goes... This night I put on my ear plug with hope to get a good night sleep.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>4 Aug 2013</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the 3rd day, we were all set to be pick up at 7:30am to start our 8 days trek. Stanzin our guide was there on time. The adventure begins....to be continue....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Accommodation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sia-La Guesthouse – (<a href="http://sialaguesthouse.free.fr/">http://sialaguesthouse.free.fr/</a>) 1200rps per room/night with attached toilet, hot shower, TV. Breakfast - 100rps pp</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jet Airways - SG-DELHI-LEH return S$846 pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taxi to guesthouse - 200rps per taxi</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recreation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entrance to Leh Palace – 100rps pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entrance to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Namgyal Tsemo Gompa - 20rps pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entrance to The Fort - 20rps pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3D2N Sham trek - 7800rps pp (</span><a href="http://www.ladakhiwomenstravel.com/index.htm">http://www.ladakhiwomenstravel.com/index.htm</a>)<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5D4N Hemis NP trek - 11160rps pp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Porter for Hemis NP trek - 3500rps</span><br />
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Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-17842090177621970362013-05-18T11:42:00.001+08:002013-05-18T11:42:34.250+08:00Settling Back In<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycel8pRqgfMex4pnMehGt0E7ftIu-uinL0cxjxR9_MmlF8sPSXUHFiJoMucekLNaB5yQwckV1wlSUWsioS3xY1_lNqB0MzdjdjIev3WOwa4lm6dy5mL60nGUpxYantFaftWOFHlvzpIE0/s1600/snake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycel8pRqgfMex4pnMehGt0E7ftIu-uinL0cxjxR9_MmlF8sPSXUHFiJoMucekLNaB5yQwckV1wlSUWsioS3xY1_lNqB0MzdjdjIev3WOwa4lm6dy5mL60nGUpxYantFaftWOFHlvzpIE0/s200/snake.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After Chinese New Year, I finally have a changed of luck. According to some Chinese horoscope and fung sui, I should be lucky in the Snake year. "<i>Rats that are looking for employment in 2013 may find that their luck is taking a turn for the better as long as they are determined and are happy to approach their future employers. Although Rats are quite active people, you should try to stay as healthy and fit as possible throughout 2013.</i></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, I got a job! Not just a job but a job that I like. :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I return to Singapore for 2 more interviews, as soon as I got my letter offer signed. I started looking for a room to rent. I still love the East Coast, and fortunately I found a room exactly at the place I wanted to stay. It was the first room I view and I took it. The rent has increased over the past 2 years, right now I am paying S$700 monthly for a common room that include utilities. Only light cooking is allowed. The house is very clean and quiet, it is very convenient too, only 5 mins walk to the East Coast Park and 5 mins walk to nearby market and amenities. To get to work, there is a direct bus that usually take me 45 mins during peak hours to arrive to the office. So job and accommodation checked! Everything else will just fall into places.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why I like this job so much? I've asked for a job in town, this job puts me right in Raffles Place. I was looking for something less stressful and easy to start with. This job starts from 9am and finish at 6pm, no calls or work after 6pm or weekend. A big changed from my previous job. Workload is just nice, timeline are sufficient and not overkill. Colleague are mostly foreigner, Japanese as the majority, Indian comes second and Filipino/Malaysian/Singaporean comes as minority. The Japanese are extremely friendly, hardworking and respectful as you can imaging the entire Japan culture in one building. They come to work at 8am even tho the official working hour is 9am and they never leave before the bosses leave. :-( </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me of course I stick to the working hours unless there is something urgent to finish up. There is also cloths hanger at every offices, most of the Japanese wear suit, i</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">t is their culture but they slowly learn that suit is not practical in this hot weather.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting back to work life means getting back into routine life, basically wakes up everyday at the same time, beat the crowd to get into the bus first to find a seat, putting on dresses instead of shorts and t-shirt, heels instead of sandals and shoes, handbag instead of backpack, makeup instead of sunblock and perfume instead of body odor. :-p Actually it wasn't hard for me to get back into the old routines, it seems like just yesterday. Old habits never die, once settled down in the job, I open up the 2013 Public Holiday of Singapore calendar, with only 14 days leaves a year, I have to use them wisely. Planning the next holiday! Looking for long weekend! Deciding where to go....checking for flight....so here we go again....no more long holiday but short and plan ones.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the first few weeks, I got home by 7pm. I have lots of free time which I didn't know what to do with it. I started running, I pick up reading, still have plenty of time to spare, I went back to salsa and determined to be a better dancer by year end. Weekends even became a problem, I didn't know what to do. Cycling, running, reading, shopping has now </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">been</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my weekend activities. Life is too good! :-D What am I complaining about?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What did I miss? Time with my family is the most I miss. I also miss the things I had in Singapore before I left for the RTW trip. Like having my own place and having Ginger with me, having an aquarium, having a bicycle, having a kitchen that I can cook, having extra $$ to do more stuff. Well! I guess that is what I have to put up with in exchange of a 2 good year! Good thing is, Ginger is happy living in his luxury retirement home in Journey East, well taken care of by Anita and all the employees. I will never be able to provide anything better for him. I am thankful.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9jFjwZcZQitiDtTgISeOcSzOLH3siUVlTurpJHE8P-HmwdnzwLeFltbSkEWd9ZvIA3qjRP9XqVSRu5wb0mOkO_EQWkJ8KAJLY20wZZ57srT7FtN6GLBR0gb1EMrrvoE-0sc3ur5MIRVj/s1600/2013-05-11+17.04.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9jFjwZcZQitiDtTgISeOcSzOLH3siUVlTurpJHE8P-HmwdnzwLeFltbSkEWd9ZvIA3qjRP9XqVSRu5wb0mOkO_EQWkJ8KAJLY20wZZ57srT7FtN6GLBR0gb1EMrrvoE-0sc3ur5MIRVj/s320/2013-05-11+17.04.19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's coming? It is starting slowly but surely, with my job settled down and with my confirmation coming, I will be able to take leaves. A short diving trip to Perhentian at the end of May for a start, my paradise island off East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Gosh! I can't imagine I have been out of water for a LONG 9 months! Then, c</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">oming August, it will be a hiking trip to Leh, north of India. That will be some awesome place to look forward to. After that a dive trip to Brunei to dive The Cement Wreck, The Blue Water Wreck, The Australian Wreck and The American Wreck. I heard it can be challenging with the weather in Brunei. If anyone of you wants to join me, let me know. :-)</span></div>
Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-87632575780656202102013-02-15T23:39:00.000+08:002013-05-09T17:10:05.947+08:00Back to Reality<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuaPtHzNF-pZwoNWQ1qZg6rhAL-Df37EyDGtbuyci75RZJrsUCYpSKW9l0Mjexj3t3d5vRCxKDKfxiVSB1mw55sLAVdyZET5hYAPuB5aAP8gM_bLbOMd2jGeOnvuHosa1HH8EdY16YPL3/s1600/THE+END.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuaPtHzNF-pZwoNWQ1qZg6rhAL-Df37EyDGtbuyci75RZJrsUCYpSKW9l0Mjexj3t3d5vRCxKDKfxiVSB1mw55sLAVdyZET5hYAPuB5aAP8gM_bLbOMd2jGeOnvuHosa1HH8EdY16YPL3/s400/THE+END.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What
happens after the RTW trip?</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After 1 and a half year
on the road, it's finally time to come back and face the real world. I returned
to Singapore where I have lived for 11 years with hope to find a job as soon as
possible because living in Singapore without a job will dry my saving in short
3 months.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was lucky that Winnie and Amy offered me a place to stay. If you know Singapore well enough, the cost of
living here is high, the most expensive is property. Renting a room cost minimum
S$550/month, renting a flat cost minimum S$1800/month. Basic transport and food
cost S$600/month. So do your maths and you will know how much you need to live
in Singapore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I started browsing
jobs online and sending out my resume, I started to think of what else can I do
other than going back to IT? I like creative work, I like flower arrangement, I
like photography, I love diving and travelling but will any of these jobs pay me enough to
live in Singapore? Well, no!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0hK78uVsVR-hshEUJHVfoxwK7GW9qogTR7erKOTM5yTemVlWgityjnhgxhUzPVWRdAgPy3jeLAVU90OkTmGmhFzW98ZHWLHYNXgj8n3zW302ZxSpGzj0W2-Dnbqbq_xBkLqDDI6_ZKvC/s1600/556889_10151349109698126_1383877142_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0hK78uVsVR-hshEUJHVfoxwK7GW9qogTR7erKOTM5yTemVlWgityjnhgxhUzPVWRdAgPy3jeLAVU90OkTmGmhFzW98ZHWLHYNXgj8n3zW302ZxSpGzj0W2-Dnbqbq_xBkLqDDI6_ZKvC/s200/556889_10151349109698126_1383877142_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After 2 weeks of searching
and sitting at home. My friend Amy told me they need someone to work part time in
her co-owned Italian Restaurant urgently. I can choose from being a waitress or
dish washer. Both are paid in hourly rate. I chose to be a dish washer so I don’t
have to face the customer. :-) I only worked one shift a day, normally there
are 2 shift, lunch from 10am to 4pm and dinner from 5pm to 11pm. I started with
the lunch shift to stand in for the auntie who went on holiday. When she return
I went to the night shift. The job responsibility is simple, to keep the
kitchen and toilet clean. It sounded so easy. First few days at work, I had
back ache from standing long hours and pain in my palms for washing all the
heavy plates. The back ache went away after I got used to the hours but the
pain in my palms became worst. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2wYKpS3WnN5NH68ht_zVerWWn3c4mfkuBVSumEQ7HW8Mx5zG242nFKOASQ-yi3WYZSL3Z6QU9-uAeRUkHylPIgfpLuM39XFuWobEfNzXu9cBOipqd1u41H3iJArWKO9dHGhVwpL9HtOT/s1600/042-Black+Squid+Ink+Tonnarelli+Pasta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2wYKpS3WnN5NH68ht_zVerWWn3c4mfkuBVSumEQ7HW8Mx5zG242nFKOASQ-yi3WYZSL3Z6QU9-uAeRUkHylPIgfpLuM39XFuWobEfNzXu9cBOipqd1u41H3iJArWKO9dHGhVwpL9HtOT/s200/042-Black+Squid+Ink+Tonnarelli+Pasta.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the beginning it was
fun to learn new things but after a while it gets to be routine. As the
restaurant serve fresh seafood, I also help to clean them as well. Every week
there are 2 to 3 orders of squids, crayfish and prawns. Yaiks! If you are not
careful, you get cuts in the fingers and as your hands are constantly wet,
recovery is long. Luckily when I got to night shift there was no seafood
delivery at night. I worked 6 days a week and 6-7 hours a day. It is not too
long but it was physically hard. My salary was enough for me to survive (free accommodation
at friend’s house) and pay for my monthly commitment in Malaysia. Everyday is just going to work and home. I got to
learn how life is in the kitchen and how Italian cooking is. I got to try all
the good food and learn some of the recipe. :-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During these time, I went
for 3 interviews but none was successful. I wrote to many job offers but mostly
with no response. Depression kicks in, plus problem with a long distance
relationship made it worst. I really feel like giving up. Every day was
just a fight, emotionally and mentally! I kept telling myself not to give up! Be
patient! There are still people out there who are worse than me! Try to look at
the bright side…. I continued to work in the restaurant for another month until
the end of January. As Chinese New Year was around the corner, I went back to
Kuantan for a break, and to celebrate Chinese New Year with my family. With
hope that in the coming Snake Year, there will be better luck for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chinese New Year this year was with a special guest from Mexico, Fernando who hosted me in Playa is visiting South East Asia for a month. I invited him to our house for Chinese New Year. It was fun to have him experienced the new culture and festival. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkFG3u7sdxz16Sg6BgaEhYoCQNt4zdwW4NCRy1PprJFBnPjVQlmiStCio9UjgIEZr_LuDONy1nTwp6i0b28F_wF6MLDpQbHWGee9A8OYjxbd0wCOGmiC04nVdjP6da6Xqv_ErzA7rXNFa/s1600/Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkFG3u7sdxz16Sg6BgaEhYoCQNt4zdwW4NCRy1PprJFBnPjVQlmiStCio9UjgIEZr_LuDONy1nTwp6i0b28F_wF6MLDpQbHWGee9A8OYjxbd0wCOGmiC04nVdjP6da6Xqv_ErzA7rXNFa/s320/Family.jpg" width="318" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0YeObL8jla5DSU88Pco0VgcY1E1k69xOPm9gcRDTFP-6FO6VhXNvKl3zWUSgmR97s8F5ebsejSb21G0RcxhYGd4LbImdnMHvHwPCEb8em06TynbCdzHIL_mLsfY-sBoX8NFjZSCJHOdY/s1600/P1018468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0YeObL8jla5DSU88Pco0VgcY1E1k69xOPm9gcRDTFP-6FO6VhXNvKl3zWUSgmR97s8F5ebsejSb21G0RcxhYGd4LbImdnMHvHwPCEb8em06TynbCdzHIL_mLsfY-sBoX8NFjZSCJHOdY/s320/P1018468.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So returning to the reality has been tough but not enough to put me down yet! I still have good friends and family to support me. They keep me on my feet. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love them all.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-63509697951956933142012-12-18T18:29:00.001+08:002013-04-04T21:40:10.281+08:00World of Panorama<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is my RTW camera-Olympus XZ-1</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyL8tQD6Z3m1SQ9cH12wGaGtMjQedHER4cPio-b6agNoDUS8cTrzwoFMNBnMhLp44dtbAVTb2vp7sCyYiAMRBuMbltGi-vuyVzOHTHqtV4O21r4qqmFJ0iY8_H-VNQxlMS13OTmHyUgG03/s1600/2012-11-26+21.12.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyL8tQD6Z3m1SQ9cH12wGaGtMjQedHER4cPio-b6agNoDUS8cTrzwoFMNBnMhLp44dtbAVTb2vp7sCyYiAMRBuMbltGi-vuyVzOHTHqtV4O21r4qqmFJ0iY8_H-VNQxlMS13OTmHyUgG03/s200/2012-11-26+21.12.01.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She was my final choice after a thorough comparison with Canon and Lumix. She has been accompanying me through oet good time and bad time, she captured the moment as I travel, on land and underwater. She is my precious. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like her because she is light, only 275g. She can fit nicely in my travel bag without feeling a burden. She has a dedicated movie record button to switch from photo to movie instantly, the front dial is used to adjust shutter speed, makes manual setting fast and convenient She has an eye of an owl under low light condition and a super magnifying glass for macro subjects. On top of her 28mm wide angle eye, she can also captured 2 to 3 photos and stitched them to a panorama photo on the spot, this is my favorite feature of her. Panorama photo gives you a bird eyes view of the shot, gives you a "Wow" impact of the scene.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this collection, I want to show you the power of panorama. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Tips : Click on the photo for better view</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnWDUOSoJ58ZhvSvbSeUjk-wOy17cb4lzF1fyTF0WxmiHrPqqLcVBICULsGgkkbT8kEab_6IWkgyIoC2AIZIFnFuRzwfICAbnqs21n2wVrT1t-v0R2rQt6GBw_HVmLg7wm7GiTWNiqt06/s1600/41-Rinjani+Panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnWDUOSoJ58ZhvSvbSeUjk-wOy17cb4lzF1fyTF0WxmiHrPqqLcVBICULsGgkkbT8kEab_6IWkgyIoC2AIZIFnFuRzwfICAbnqs21n2wVrT1t-v0R2rQt6GBw_HVmLg7wm7GiTWNiqt06/s640/41-Rinjani+Panorama.jpg" title="Mt Rinjani, Indonesia" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="dr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the toughest hike I ever did. The hike up to the peak @ 3726m from the base camp was torcherest. The soft rubble and slippery path made me slide backward every time I move forward but the reward I get was this magnificent view.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsOEMnqatmrtPn6ziZjO9gKht_1YV6jmOxltv_5cW5tg_aRIdmuLy5VkAAPFIzr3KY41a9TjJ0i1psqHiL_Luw_1L3CsAuKZkQ3cas2SdQMGWEbpntzytcgOd5igtfvthOsrlm2w5Tnqg/s1600/29-Biggest+tree+in+the+world.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Biggest Tree in the world" border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsOEMnqatmrtPn6ziZjO9gKht_1YV6jmOxltv_5cW5tg_aRIdmuLy5VkAAPFIzr3KY41a9TjJ0i1psqHiL_Luw_1L3CsAuKZkQ3cas2SdQMGWEbpntzytcgOd5igtfvthOsrlm2w5Tnqg/s640/29-Biggest+tree+in+the+world.jpg" title="Tule" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The biggest tree in the world, Tule, Mexico<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tule, located 9km off Oaxaca. In front of the church Santa Maria del Tule, stand this enormous tree with the diameter of 9.38m.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZpP2mTbK3gTI2FkPIG1PGnnEELR1l9QurMOWgiQutXauPtS4zIInacreee__cJd90qkYbHLVwh5Hg_yFJ3FWBa6FnKQGDLmCl-H88fBHreOg-cOVY9L2zwWBtBISPendGSsxavk-4Ejz/s1600/22-Tulum+beach+sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZpP2mTbK3gTI2FkPIG1PGnnEELR1l9QurMOWgiQutXauPtS4zIInacreee__cJd90qkYbHLVwh5Hg_yFJ3FWBa6FnKQGDLmCl-H88fBHreOg-cOVY9L2zwWBtBISPendGSsxavk-4Ejz/s640/22-Tulum+beach+sm.jpg" title="Tulum, Mexico" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tulum, Mexico<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tulum is the top beach of Mexico, located 2 hours south of Cancun, long stretch of white sandy beach with turquoise sea water.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZ074AM5GttthgRkv2wH0SprYNMDgxkxrH0dQCPjAS0j48x-MuISLmmGCiV2T0gIkkY2gggqt4WYmorN8NxVQO_v2_ygxmBcn9klZENOfa-AI0U8p66YQ1EkNv0zO5CA8VlMJhCDIDMTr/s1600/32-View+from+Hierve+El+Agua-Boiling+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZ074AM5GttthgRkv2wH0SprYNMDgxkxrH0dQCPjAS0j48x-MuISLmmGCiV2T0gIkkY2gggqt4WYmorN8NxVQO_v2_ygxmBcn9klZENOfa-AI0U8p66YQ1EkNv0zO5CA8VlMJhCDIDMTr/s640/32-View+from+Hierve+El+Agua-Boiling+water.jpg" title="Hierve El Agua, Mexico" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hierve El Agua, Mexico<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hierve El Agua means Boiling Water, located 70km east of Oaxaca, the natural rock formation looks like a waterfall that rise over 50m above the valley.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTrAd7iV91K15w3LClYjqbgZ6gm1Vf32e-UOk9SD2SEex7jcrM4-0OyrU8iI_aL5yyM4CfrD_Qu0zkX2FqU96GG8_4Gy4DKc4SD-11VPTFjQzXb2P0UnIrR4PfUCqJaQ1uN6GrEHP1Mqd/s1600/26-Semuc+Champey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTrAd7iV91K15w3LClYjqbgZ6gm1Vf32e-UOk9SD2SEex7jcrM4-0OyrU8iI_aL5yyM4CfrD_Qu0zkX2FqU96GG8_4Gy4DKc4SD-11VPTFjQzXb2P0UnIrR4PfUCqJaQ1uN6GrEHP1Mqd/s640/26-Semuc+Champey.jpg" title="Semuc Champey, Guatemala" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Semuc Champey, Guatemala<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A 300m long limestone cascading waterfall, located near the town of Lanquin. Here is the signature view from the top of the hill.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQX9kCWEF64PAllNtYYVtQx9R_Qg3IFwXJkRfCyqB-hJUjsdnb2bZB_jj4Qkyuh26UG9ICpSRrSiA8Z4VCACnBm5ilQML0BkKAX-n-CepQan_HmqRFsz1x4UwPHLpBfkI1iJpMRG18Sij/s1600/01-Volcan+de+Agua+Volcan+de+Acatenango+and+Volcan+de+Fuego.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQX9kCWEF64PAllNtYYVtQx9R_Qg3IFwXJkRfCyqB-hJUjsdnb2bZB_jj4Qkyuh26UG9ICpSRrSiA8Z4VCACnBm5ilQML0BkKAX-n-CepQan_HmqRFsz1x4UwPHLpBfkI1iJpMRG18Sij/s640/01-Volcan+de+Agua+Volcan+de+Acatenango+and+Volcan+de+Fuego.jpg" title="Volcan de Agua, Volcan de Acatenango and Volcan de Fuego" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volcan de Agua, Volcan de Acatenango and Volcan de Fuego, Guatemala<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The view of the 3 volcanoes from Volcan Pacaya.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YhWx_eSG5FFyvnAzm9bp_4Il8vTqeIZTMhsAOWfeHdZG51BbOqglLRpsZxRJGMuZhjMzfvTWnVYovtrHwd3WFDq7kIrKjMwc8ZH8cXV5qWKUXwrzpe-N3xUJPdksvdv8rEczPScN3JOf/s1600/50-Panaroma+Lake+Atitlan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YhWx_eSG5FFyvnAzm9bp_4Il8vTqeIZTMhsAOWfeHdZG51BbOqglLRpsZxRJGMuZhjMzfvTWnVYovtrHwd3WFDq7kIrKjMwc8ZH8cXV5qWKUXwrzpe-N3xUJPdksvdv8rEczPScN3JOf/s640/50-Panaroma+Lake+Atitlan.jpg" title="Lago Atitlan, Guatemala" width="&40" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lago Atitlan, Guatemala<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most beautiful lake I have ever seen, located 50km north west of Antigua,1562m above sea level. Surrounded by 3 volcanoes at the southern side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8W49KHJ6t3iGncnFmc1Axgn5jvbeqibNp1REG2IjaPF6BG3PA7ENl5wuwrDqFjQ_Mf_FfUSYxN3LGGFd2W6YoAKrLxUY-wFBBdTOSTN3h9Okhuq-Yot8PMyylf1RTaMVEZVksMgEfuYGc/s1600/06-Volcan+Pacaya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8W49KHJ6t3iGncnFmc1Axgn5jvbeqibNp1REG2IjaPF6BG3PA7ENl5wuwrDqFjQ_Mf_FfUSYxN3LGGFd2W6YoAKrLxUY-wFBBdTOSTN3h9Okhuq-Yot8PMyylf1RTaMVEZVksMgEfuYGc/s640/06-Volcan+Pacaya.jpg" title="Volcan Pacaya, Guatemala" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volcan Pacaya, Guatemala<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An active volcano lies 30km from Guatemala City. Last erupted on 27 May 2010.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7YTWrB0ZG5-TKvL9G22vXeGujq7TOeqbqtEsZs3as8vZTwYwBRYDK0UfvL-6YG0w7__CA5Hu009JNGiqiASjYZDZyfk_EkUND7tnQPPjHhjMgdN0k4Dxf4eyprL33yycQV_hHHPdtcwQ/s1600/11-View+from+the+mirado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7YTWrB0ZG5-TKvL9G22vXeGujq7TOeqbqtEsZs3as8vZTwYwBRYDK0UfvL-6YG0w7__CA5Hu009JNGiqiASjYZDZyfk_EkUND7tnQPPjHhjMgdN0k4Dxf4eyprL33yycQV_hHHPdtcwQ/s640/11-View+from+the+mirado.jpg" title="Volcán Concepción, Nicaragua" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volcán Concepción, Nicaragua<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Concepcion is one of the 2 Volcanoes that form the Island of Ometepe, located in Lake Nicaragua at the altitude of 1610m.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMEi1vtlTZ5qQFbqkSSCmd9ViXefC5mK-g98cr3Krbpa8DK59w8LOQCEbi3bJWPzEawbwnKm6K05RFaXGvXYlLHKona9NKf6gX0ir-iTmxsjNrtnzzktyQDTMaP4MeUBkGQkjSkV5DYWj/s1600/34-Santa+Elena+Cloud+Forest+Reserve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMEi1vtlTZ5qQFbqkSSCmd9ViXefC5mK-g98cr3Krbpa8DK59w8LOQCEbi3bJWPzEawbwnKm6K05RFaXGvXYlLHKona9NKf6gX0ir-iTmxsjNrtnzzktyQDTMaP4MeUBkGQkjSkV5DYWj/s640/34-Santa+Elena+Cloud+Forest+Reserve.jpg" title="Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A less crowded reserve covered with dense cloud forest plenty of flowers, fauna and birds. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQAqihMpwtslY8wc8U9b-ni-VR6U-TIscPtHF3GMDXibfWj1hf-wkMCSMVIgVZNQEGW7yS2pltN2Pw0M_5kJU1otQJHYXZLrEXdLTAjRvnNdcleNf-lBunbEUI9myAPuyiBYGpgLV8Loe/s1600/82-Monserrate+and+Bogota.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQAqihMpwtslY8wc8U9b-ni-VR6U-TIscPtHF3GMDXibfWj1hf-wkMCSMVIgVZNQEGW7yS2pltN2Pw0M_5kJU1otQJHYXZLrEXdLTAjRvnNdcleNf-lBunbEUI9myAPuyiBYGpgLV8Loe/s640/82-Monserrate+and+Bogota.jpg" title="Bogotá, Colombia" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bogotá, Colombia<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hird-highest capital city in South America at 2,625 m above sea level.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbICbaGXSX4zEH_sntVzPt0QZwg_XV1iFo9MShLXcOb8eQ2lR_QLXcRTaceswxmZTs0BhIVYQJPQRljiO2jEFNZyOcFDhI3UHLeXmjIbFWPUXPmczK1tipBpleC3qEPixFaUahbJkX18Zo/s1600/12-View+from+the+top+of+Iglesia+Basilica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbICbaGXSX4zEH_sntVzPt0QZwg_XV1iFo9MShLXcOb8eQ2lR_QLXcRTaceswxmZTs0BhIVYQJPQRljiO2jEFNZyOcFDhI3UHLeXmjIbFWPUXPmczK1tipBpleC3qEPixFaUahbJkX18Zo/s640/12-View+from+the+top+of+Iglesia+Basilica.jpg" title="Quito, Ecuador" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quito, Ecuador<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any space left? The capital city of Ecuador, at 2800m it is the highest legal capital city in the world.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLygJpbub8zgDwxHiV0sY5tKdbe_U0Dd9EvkIqaNnXtiHKBqf7oifm3eHmXaof4WVXTkuO8lDw-XbAIk8fBUmDzhi7YHDCv-4mUylaxjT4E1p4WsGMYwTf59xoDnG4qOvab4SED67IbnQ/s1600/241-Bardolome+Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLygJpbub8zgDwxHiV0sY5tKdbe_U0Dd9EvkIqaNnXtiHKBqf7oifm3eHmXaof4WVXTkuO8lDw-XbAIk8fBUmDzhi7YHDCv-4mUylaxjT4E1p4WsGMYwTf59xoDnG4qOvab4SED67IbnQ/s640/241-Bartolome+Island.jpg" title="Bartalome, Galapagos" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bartalome, Galapagos<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most amazing landscape of sky, sea and island accompanied by penguins, sea lion, sharks, rays, turtle, birds and iguanas.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6oMHhMdF9uo3X8x6lqbs0aAmISBV0ESb4aQnVohKRYWOkOyvcPCFLB_H3tNNbYtPQfWU2PMtJyto9IqA75BzS45ILvls_BAZGmYjBMU_hvc1SyetfmlxE-ByxJakiZUYtzKxLUpJ9URw/s1600/18-Lake+Querococha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6oMHhMdF9uo3X8x6lqbs0aAmISBV0ESb4aQnVohKRYWOkOyvcPCFLB_H3tNNbYtPQfWU2PMtJyto9IqA75BzS45ILvls_BAZGmYjBMU_hvc1SyetfmlxE-ByxJakiZUYtzKxLUpJ9URw/s640/18-Lake+Querococha.jpg" title="Lago Querococha, Huaraz, Peru" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lago Querococha, Huaraz, Peru<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Located in the Cordillera Blanca at the altitude of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3980m. A calm and peaceful landscape.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vIKTQwvQTsLsz0L74LK3Sd4jWpJnvtacXuUsP_wbN1VuqLUN3Di8Z_Evi_k3YYoUrGOWGrtRHIAbc4JE0OVPc97tSCH6pYvkBw1STm5W1oVMgUvJvhrj1tSj_fWIS56IokzYY3n6QkV2/s1600/37-High+up+on+the+Inka+Trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vIKTQwvQTsLsz0L74LK3Sd4jWpJnvtacXuUsP_wbN1VuqLUN3Di8Z_Evi_k3YYoUrGOWGrtRHIAbc4JE0OVPc97tSCH6pYvkBw1STm5W1oVMgUvJvhrj1tSj_fWIS56IokzYY3n6QkV2/s640/37-High+up+on+the+Inka+Trail.jpg" title="Inka Trail, Peru" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inka Trail, Peru<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walking at the edge of the cliff, a short Inka Trail along the Urubamba River.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6-uFOopaGfE6Ky5BuboGNQ9Y7i90f8eZTv_lARczv8ED-7WpyL0L5OJ_TBuJ8BrHxM_c5T4wX7GwxhmFDFTm2lQPS_dITetmZQJfCjJgNVxMFcnoaRW1JO9heyk5AdqW1JMMY5GsIPmE/s1600/35-Isla+Del+Sol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6-uFOopaGfE6Ky5BuboGNQ9Y7i90f8eZTv_lARczv8ED-7WpyL0L5OJ_TBuJ8BrHxM_c5T4wX7GwxhmFDFTm2lQPS_dITetmZQJfCjJgNVxMFcnoaRW1JO9heyk5AdqW1JMMY5GsIPmE/s640/35-Isla+Del+Sol.jpg" title="Isla del Sol, Bolivia" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isla del Sol, Bolivia<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Island of the Sun, located in the southern part of Lake Titicaca at the altitude of 3812m. Climbing up the Inka stair case was a killer especially when you have your backpack with you but the sunrise and the trek from south to the north was amazing.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGjLhKeUNRr73Ytd-gL5ktJAeZ7kRt3vEgYFuKLb-ARNWsj5eBSdPzc7oWqDgZLe-Muiu6SCA0DQLAf3ue9as31uc8YjMxxmIKdeatb69y9fzTvubUG1Cj_GF4ot8UrlJGy6kLzJ-AbT4/s1600/61-Laguna+Colorada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGjLhKeUNRr73Ytd-gL5ktJAeZ7kRt3vEgYFuKLb-ARNWsj5eBSdPzc7oWqDgZLe-Muiu6SCA0DQLAf3ue9as31uc8YjMxxmIKdeatb69y9fzTvubUG1Cj_GF4ot8UrlJGy6kLzJ-AbT4/s640/61-Laguna+Colorada.jpg" title="Laguna Colorada, Bolivia" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laguna Colorada, Bolivia<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 days of 4WD brought me here to this red salt lake and lush landscape. </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lake contains borax islands, whose white color contrasts with the reddish color of its waters, which is caused by red sediments and pigmentation of some algae.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_L4zGc9NZfIi6n2ldlXBKwSOpJA0zK9q2qxKL_IW3vlZV7SZCjQuxICFwE6sfUMM-tL5F8WfkZBHhcU_oaC_2K7rt4-Zp18sy6sMXnV0e76Ks3EHAAAbz-716ZRdxcsy-nG8Jhgo2mS3W/s1600/94-Laguna+Verde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_L4zGc9NZfIi6n2ldlXBKwSOpJA0zK9q2qxKL_IW3vlZV7SZCjQuxICFwE6sfUMM-tL5F8WfkZBHhcU_oaC_2K7rt4-Zp18sy6sMXnV0e76Ks3EHAAAbz-716ZRdxcsy-nG8Jhgo2mS3W/s640/94-Laguna+Verde.jpg" title="Laguna Verde, Bolivia" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laguna Verde, Bolivia<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Green lagoon located at the border of Bolivia and Chile at the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">elevated of 4,300 m (14,000 ft) above sea level. </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its colour is caused by sediments, containing copper minerals. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sitting at the at the foot of the Volcano Licancabur.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3msF0z0DN99ZRMYnJFIKPxKsTnesOWDMUx2PKPW2Ozr3wHaO_4f1ISIFaCeMXjBgX0mMGKyxmL8VeKG_b2gZFr2AAecZfv3t0gE9zsjpKqFN8Ep8eo9OHxQUuHr5M-hLX5Job66VbzFOQ/s1600/07-Salta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3msF0z0DN99ZRMYnJFIKPxKsTnesOWDMUx2PKPW2Ozr3wHaO_4f1ISIFaCeMXjBgX0mMGKyxmL8VeKG_b2gZFr2AAecZfv3t0gE9zsjpKqFN8Ep8eo9OHxQUuHr5M-hLX5Job66VbzFOQ/s640/07-Salta.jpg" title="Salta, Argentina" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salta, Argentina<br />
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<span arial="" font-family:="" helvetica="" sans-serif="" style-="">A heaven for all travellers coming from Bolivia because we find choice of cheese, meat, salad, ice cream, wine and etc in the local supermarket. It is also a shock to our wallet when everything rises to almost 100%.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgub-qw43Yhvqp2IK3Ftopzt3jtfDq6iQwSgE3sieWtdGI3cohlctFFne7tKjRdcdAc91BChWKS7oJarz9Dt-NYZnyfKvY7ryMuF35WH3ZE_Y9dKHArKOm_KsN-cJlw4wAHjaRLS8nN7NQ9/s1600/98-Talampaya-El+Monje.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgub-qw43Yhvqp2IK3Ftopzt3jtfDq6iQwSgE3sieWtdGI3cohlctFFne7tKjRdcdAc91BChWKS7oJarz9Dt-NYZnyfKvY7ryMuF35WH3ZE_Y9dKHArKOm_KsN-cJlw4wAHjaRLS8nN7NQ9/s640/98-Talampaya-El+Monje.jpg" title="Talampaya, Argentina" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talampaya, Argentina<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An extra ordinary landscape formation result from the erosion by water and wind in a desert climate, with big difference in temperature - high heat by day and low temperature at night, with torrential rain in summer and strong wind in spring. It is also the land of dinosaurs million of years ago.</span></div>
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<tr><td ctyle="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixG5tmIFdnixL1nSyZ_JImdEZxHRYoy1PJ9Xnt7_YklEVDl3TWM2KT1Lw7g7Bo8x2Kl9L30tDcqsLwAyXevwdFdowc_fWI4l_4IbSO6Xuh8dSofThikwZDyvpbW0wR7muYU_6iXs3hnUlQ/s1600/33-Parque+Nacional+Torres+del+Paine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixG5tmIFdnixL1nSyZ_JImdEZxHRYoy1PJ9Xnt7_YklEVDl3TWM2KT1Lw7g7Bo8x2Kl9L30tDcqsLwAyXevwdFdowc_fWI4l_4IbSO6Xuh8dSofThikwZDyvpbW0wR7muYU_6iXs3hnUlQ/s640/33-Parque+Nacional+Torres+del+Paine.jpg" title="Parque Nacional Torres Del Paine, Chile" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parque Nacional Torres Del Paine, Chile<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lake Nordenskjöld is located in Torres del Paine National Park, the light blue color of the lake is due to the melting glacier water from the nearby glacier. Our 3D2N trek was a torcher with the amount of blisters we collected and struggle thru the freaking cold night with improper equipment.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_yh9wFYQL2NO-6SGIsCp4CA9bo3fFzKh6hAVhxXpqyjR5Q7xi-aSHNn95spEUIGYrSXOPPUx4YMwcWmPeO2pbLjEJt3BAkOIxvi55RBV18gkfkWwrKI_tQWqwqEWX5tt5aaaJR8AOOBC/s1600/03-Ushuaia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_yh9wFYQL2NO-6SGIsCp4CA9bo3fFzKh6hAVhxXpqyjR5Q7xi-aSHNn95spEUIGYrSXOPPUx4YMwcWmPeO2pbLjEJt3BAkOIxvi55RBV18gkfkWwrKI_tQWqwqEWX5tt5aaaJR8AOOBC/s640/03-Ushuaia.jpg" title="Ushuaia, Argentina" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td clasc="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ushuaia, Argentina<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The commonly known as the most southern city of the world, even thought</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Puerto Williams, a Chilean settlement of some 2000 residents is further down south.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxL6m9MkHu7vmFB_2O10CJiNEIIuXqtJZ9GP4_wcgD8bJu1kdonRYVsGN0W8KT8_sl40iwb4UB_pSsOcG6Qnsu80gVfZwVwHfuxu-Ol1vWfcnbZ56bmzfn6HZuG7LLwaYhq1hZRjPcvkE/s1600/16-Perito+Moreno+Glacier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxL6m9MkHu7vmFB_2O10CJiNEIIuXqtJZ9GP4_wcgD8bJu1kdonRYVsGN0W8KT8_sl40iwb4UB_pSsOcG6Qnsu80gVfZwVwHfuxu-Ol1vWfcnbZ56bmzfn6HZuG7LLwaYhq1hZRjPcvkE/s640/16-Perito+Moreno+Glacier.jpg" title="Perito Moreno, El Calafate, Argentina" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perito Moreno, El Calafate, Argentina<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mother of all glacier, the one we can get as close as touching distance. One of the few that is still growing.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCeV-q13LfhDnhQxZYfp2sxeYy5BO_MoqUzdHJ-DKKFU2f_k_IKTJHlEkQ4uwoEC_4yjV3xrKO6jPkF5Zz4fa3WEEjt4KUS7cqjAl_2H4bKCH_L3dmpqqQq1gjax0NgVrCUOR49s4ftFI/s1600/15-Parque+Nacional+Los+Glaciares.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCeV-q13LfhDnhQxZYfp2sxeYy5BO_MoqUzdHJ-DKKFU2f_k_IKTJHlEkQ4uwoEC_4yjV3xrKO6jPkF5Zz4fa3WEEjt4KUS7cqjAl_2H4bKCH_L3dmpqqQq1gjax0NgVrCUOR49s4ftFI/s640/15-Parque+Nacional+Los+Glaciares.jpg" title="Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Argentina" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, El Chalten, Argentina<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the most beautiful National Park I have ever been, consist of 47 large glaciers, of which only 13 flow towards the Atlantic Ocean. The ice cap is the largest outside of Antarctica and Greenland.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSBYVMJcZrvWxy7lyQk3dR9wAQEeUgCQi8e-HWlAR78aI52hhUnvBDuKigbfgCcQOrME1VIVw45rzx86HMPztGRGoXVOc1VZnLdkBKCDqByNg4wxqTuOm78d-U_ev9PiYa9W2yopvibpK/s1600/23-Lago+de+los+Tres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSBYVMJcZrvWxy7lyQk3dR9wAQEeUgCQi8e-HWlAR78aI52hhUnvBDuKigbfgCcQOrME1VIVw45rzx86HMPztGRGoXVOc1VZnLdkBKCDqByNg4wxqTuOm78d-U_ev9PiYa9W2yopvibpK/s640/23-Lago+de+los+Tres.jpg" title="Fitz Roy, El Chalten, Argentina" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fitz Roy, El Chalten, Argentina<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My favourite of all peaks and trek, Fitz Roy remains one the the most technically challenging mountain to climb.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJ6GWT_NY_8hyKpaYgbVq_9a-VmZH7IMG0iWm2G8tATvB_K3bt6LWjEF703dwNSgYtgw9suAI3-CHLsbVzL_O9BQJI4ufY2fzmwTQydQiik3jeGpijZ6c40pS0Dh3V2TAFg4VW_9hYqXC/s1600/60-Devil%2527s+throat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJ6GWT_NY_8hyKpaYgbVq_9a-VmZH7IMG0iWm2G8tATvB_K3bt6LWjEF703dwNSgYtgw9suAI3-CHLsbVzL_O9BQJI4ufY2fzmwTQydQiik3jeGpijZ6c40pS0Dh3V2TAFg4VW_9hYqXC/s640/60-Devil%2527s+throat.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Devil's throat, Iguazu, Argentina</span></td></tr>
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<span stile="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-size: x-small;">The gigantic fall, so big, so powerful, so loud and so stunning. Took me 2 days to visit the entire park.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJJNu7B7LdpSrQ1cOcYT5kod6eQGytmHfm9V4vFv6h7fiUqv1tDYx0NjIVWjv8anMY139IQb9yYkojZefaLwvDp4o11bLeJh2ph9Az55hdJGHORITrw3ukp6egI3JAvGCpmXCOiJI1fex/s1600/2012-04-20+17.58.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJJNu7B7LdpSrQ1cOcYT5kod6eQGytmHfm9V4vFv6h7fiUqv1tDYx0NjIVWjv8anMY139IQb9yYkojZefaLwvDp4o11bLeJh2ph9Az55hdJGHORITrw3ukp6egI3JAvGCpmXCOiJI1fex/s640/2012-04-20+17.58.52.jpg" title="Turtle Bay Divers, Perhentian Besar, Malaysia" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Turtle Bay Divers, Perhentian Besar, Malaysia</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My little paradise island, tranquil, laid back with a hidden underwater paradise. My work place for 3.5 months.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYVo436mUs9zbevIstQXFC2FzLk8TV2Gzb1Ip2EMH4ijkcTuomlqX_L_TDCApcBpR14U3SVm4drOmOMueOjx2lXWgNFRz78G4c9FXGz7Hxd0q-rfNFnxEjgt1q5Fq4Ab0Kfbo-0q5m-k4/s1600/2012-07-03+13.49.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYVo436mUs9zbevIstQXFC2FzLk8TV2Gzb1Ip2EMH4ijkcTuomlqX_L_TDCApcBpR14U3SVm4drOmOMueOjx2lXWgNFRz78G4c9FXGz7Hxd0q-rfNFnxEjgt1q5Fq4Ab0Kfbo-0q5m-k4/s640/2012-07-03+13.49.36.jpg" title="Long Beach, Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long Beach, Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The white sandy beach with turquoise blue water and calm sea. You will surely fell in love with this place.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXw2caCgSjOwLXhUA7qqFwMmUJAWpRe-gFMJuQ3RCQYaspatezDZ0Adi7vq0WswwRM2iuL9DiOksCJErzIxiWGDI81UO4QgFD9mm2a1GkB5s4RP7YgVxnT9XguLi-tt0n1A7My8LRRF3y7/s1600/69-Langtang+Lirung.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXw2caCgSjOwLXhUA7qqFwMmUJAWpRe-gFMJuQ3RCQYaspatezDZ0Adi7vq0WswwRM2iuL9DiOksCJErzIxiWGDI81UO4QgFD9mm2a1GkB5s4RP7YgVxnT9XguLi-tt0n1A7My8LRRF3y7/s640/69-Langtang+Lirung.jpg" title="Langtang Lirung, Nepal" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Langtang Lirung, Nepal<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of these breathtaking ice capped mountain and glaciers from Kyanjin Ri @ 4773m. The peak of Langtang Lirung is @ 7227m.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMAU0OeuYmbjyS4uAS_2wg2yDDhUZ2zZSZ_LgeLLK6T3x62qbXOdPpyJQhF1Cx5-T0GVW5EyJzR2NE1S59XWUFbHo7Gfh3MtcTIJdX6-YQOhYje6YR6abtOXl_VdPj-b7M2aj_bGL8QqK/s1600/29-Luang+Prabang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMAU0OeuYmbjyS4uAS_2wg2yDDhUZ2zZSZ_LgeLLK6T3x62qbXOdPpyJQhF1Cx5-T0GVW5EyJzR2NE1S59XWUFbHo7Gfh3MtcTIJdX6-YQOhYje6YR6abtOXl_VdPj-b7M2aj_bGL8QqK/s640/29-Luang+Prabang.jpg" title="Luang Prabang, Laos" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luang Prabang, Laos<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The charming town of Luang Prabang view from Phou Si Hill, just a short climb up.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOP-irlQ_eTMLFFyRdJUJEAsAbdrCrpdJKVDD1jY2jTQgdW3TDGKsgbDKNTG73sG-ollyxNVoK7ZdD1ZEcUlQ5UxpABmh0k-UW34p8bJ2VOPqFgX32B9lmhKZfHprbEp-w_y6X1dBiqr2/s1600/07-From+our+balcony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOP-irlQ_eTMLFFyRdJUJEAsAbdrCrpdJKVDD1jY2jTQgdW3TDGKsgbDKNTG73sG-ollyxNVoK7ZdD1ZEcUlQ5UxpABmh0k-UW34p8bJ2VOPqFgX32B9lmhKZfHprbEp-w_y6X1dBiqr2/s640/07-From+our+balcony.jpg" title="Vang Vieng, Laos" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vang Vieng, Laos<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Breathtaking landscape of limestone hills surrounding Vang Vieng.</span></div>
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Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-2719181713424503312012-11-15T15:08:00.001+08:002012-11-15T15:08:07.266+08:00Vientiane, Laos 3 - 4 Nov 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The journey to Vientiane from Vang Vieng was short, only 3 hours. The minibus drop us in town just 2 blocks from our pre-booked guest house. The city is so much quieter compare to the day when we arrived. The festival is over, no more make shift stores on the riverside. Plus there is the ASEAN meeting starting on the next day. Police standing at every junction and the street looks so clean. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We checked in to our pre-booked guest house, it was clean but the room was cramp with 3 single bed in it. We don't care as it's only for one night. Our final mission today is to visit the Laos golden landmark - Pha That Luang and the Buddha Park.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3EHbGhgurAe4Uk4lHkzDwTxcGluHJ8iFs3OSN68mbs4-jbg2AasX-1bvEubvN0-s9YpQBL90JtvQrDHuTX_A9v0eVKTIFBwF2Z02RezpxV2vncqf-X6ZLKeeNCWmW_jmbfxE83AU5aRu/s1600/10-Pha+That+Luang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3EHbGhgurAe4Uk4lHkzDwTxcGluHJ8iFs3OSN68mbs4-jbg2AasX-1bvEubvN0-s9YpQBL90JtvQrDHuTX_A9v0eVKTIFBwF2Z02RezpxV2vncqf-X6ZLKeeNCWmW_jmbfxE83AU5aRu/s320/10-Pha+That+Luang.jpg" title="Pha That Luang" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pha That Luang</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmmAa_VgTuskYGfAXPabgRGMKiTwhZ2H9umJpMKZ31x72su2iRVkkhiN-YUwRnvW-BhklVErnqyJ2wNPKCgopGv7PeK1Q-ZW98GvoUhFSOv2qMlOXq13PV_MePpi9JGz9M4MiX6yS7048/s1600/20-Around+Pha+That+Luang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmmAa_VgTuskYGfAXPabgRGMKiTwhZ2H9umJpMKZ31x72su2iRVkkhiN-YUwRnvW-BhklVErnqyJ2wNPKCgopGv7PeK1Q-ZW98GvoUhFSOv2qMlOXq13PV_MePpi9JGz9M4MiX6yS7048/s200/20-Around+Pha+That+Luang.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After lunch we negotiated a taxi to drive us to this 2 places. Pha That Luang is a Buddhist golden stupa, not as big as I was expected. It's only 44m tall but the reflection of the golden stupa from the sun makes it stunning. We could only walk around the ground level of the stupa, there were a few displayed rocks and Buddha heads, not much to see. Outside the compound, there was a small garden and a huge golden sleeping buddha.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRoV8iv7Qhn4Mq8UDMzOMOQtkseZ8V0KpRYKlWrQBaVBwGfwyAt6HIebZvq31Qf4rIXETiwEclnwaiHMgVpXWOUDSSwQzc0qBLlhq3MqbWzXnLOusXrc0MWs9YQ1F_2yn3zTGf9UFUHBm/s1600/21-Buddha+Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRoV8iv7Qhn4Mq8UDMzOMOQtkseZ8V0KpRYKlWrQBaVBwGfwyAt6HIebZvq31Qf4rIXETiwEclnwaiHMgVpXWOUDSSwQzc0qBLlhq3MqbWzXnLOusXrc0MWs9YQ1F_2yn3zTGf9UFUHBm/s320/21-Buddha+Park.jpg" title="Buddha Park" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buddha Park</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went on to Buddha Park which is 25km from Vientiane, the road condition was bad and dusty due to the sand removal from Mekong river. Lucky we got a taxi instead of tuk tuk, or else we will end up full of dust and backache. The Buddha Park is a sculpture park the size of football field, it contains weird structure built since 1958. The most enormous is the 120m reclining buddha. The is also a giant ball which has 3 stories representing hell, earth and heaven. One can enter through the mouth and climb up to heaven where there is a view point for the entire park. This place is too far from town and it is not worth the ride.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74LiYc72LCD1DqkTAkuyNYX6lytir853JdF6iZgQGdP51vSD7mkramB8JQiGsXePpzPhmABEOFfGVAc4Jn5myaHsWhxIVlpTQu4FYoe2PEjdxvQIi8KiSj7V0wNcmSeN7TGdl85K0kZHC/s1600/return.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74LiYc72LCD1DqkTAkuyNYX6lytir853JdF6iZgQGdP51vSD7mkramB8JQiGsXePpzPhmABEOFfGVAc4Jn5myaHsWhxIVlpTQu4FYoe2PEjdxvQIi8KiSj7V0wNcmSeN7TGdl85K0kZHC/s320/return.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the airport, we checked in our 2 bags. While we were getting through the security check. They stop me to check my hang luggage. Shit! I forgot my Swiss Army knife in it! I panic as this was a special gift from my friends, I didn't want to loose it. I plead to them badly to pass it to the crew on board so I could take it when I arrive in Malaysia, but the officer said they can't. I was almost crying, finally one of them said I can put it in a bag and try to check it in again. Wow! I was so happy, now I hope Air Asia won't give me any trouble. I am willing to pay for the extra luggage to check it in. I run down and check with the officer at the check in counter with a pity and guilty face, he asked for my boarding pass and said "Would you like to check in in the existing bag or new bag?", Huh! I thought in my mind, can I check in into my existing bag? Surely I said "In my existing bag pleaseeee....." He took out his walkie talkie and radio to someone to retrieve my luggage and in 5 minutes, my backpack is there for me to chuck in my Swiss Army knife. Yeah! Superb service! I don't know what to say other than repeating the word "Khop Chai" several times. I was really thankful for the office who suggested this option, and he told me that this is the first time they did it. I was very lucky! :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 days was just perfect to see these 4 important sites, it was not too rush or tiring. I like Laos for it's beautiful country site and the people, their friendliness and great hospitality makes me feel uncomfortable at the beginning because I was too used to harassment </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and rip off </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from tout</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that I am always ready to defend myself, but hey, I came to realise that I don't need to in Laos. Relax! Chill! Even though I was still on alert with my bags and belongings, especially when my brothers leave their bags and walk away. :-(</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, this kind of wrap up our trip to Laos and also my trip around the world. Travelling with my brothers was easy as we all like to take photograph and enjoy the laid back countryside. I would like to thank my brother Thomas for suggesting this trip, else Laos will still be in my to travel list.</span><br />
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<u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Accommodation</u><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mixay Guest house - 150,000kip fan with shared bath and wifi.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recreation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taxi to/return Pha That Luang and Buddha Park 250,000 per car</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entrance to Pha That Luang - 5,000 each</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entrance to Buddha Park - 5,000 each</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taxi to airport - 60,000kip</span>
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Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-91813278786962729082012-11-11T02:00:00.003+08:002012-11-14T21:39:08.214+08:00Vang Vieng, Laos 1 - 3 Nov 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng was just 6 hours, the shortest road journey for us so far. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vang Vieng is a tourist oriented town, with guest houses, hotels, restaurant, bar, travel agent and cafes lined the streets. This place as written on any website or travel book is famous for tubing and kayaking plus mushroom shakes, loud music and loads of drunken tourist. But we were here for the beautiful limestone carve mountains and the laid back countryside.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGWlHDsxFiDiGF54b2wycAfwRCSEdAV3aQXkBhc5VyBojxleQp5Q8KEd5aPEPPknkkDqkltwKVsEPIHJSdXRqa1HNr13fueJEIlbx4cLnneeVcwzIpQDAPxGnIXyfE0TVtjWWedl0dN9w/s1600/01-Room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGWlHDsxFiDiGF54b2wycAfwRCSEdAV3aQXkBhc5VyBojxleQp5Q8KEd5aPEPPknkkDqkltwKVsEPIHJSdXRqa1HNr13fueJEIlbx4cLnneeVcwzIpQDAPxGnIXyfE0TVtjWWedl0dN9w/s200/01-Room.jpg" title="Bountang Hotel room" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bountang Hotel</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHN5GpmtJdVGPtYviNKAwRiZaFGx8gzkq1MtDYkFTCdlmL8832V_-Ewpar9txeHrOhpMlwjvhm7IdJm54qOIrb_bIJI2i65QuYRt2dSSpG4Tjn46ctl_xWGqvA0TFdGwu75wUHzgwJlMA/s1600/02-Room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHN5GpmtJdVGPtYviNKAwRiZaFGx8gzkq1MtDYkFTCdlmL8832V_-Ewpar9txeHrOhpMlwjvhm7IdJm54qOIrb_bIJI2i65QuYRt2dSSpG4Tjn46ctl_xWGqvA0TFdGwu75wUHzgwJlMA/s200/02-Room.jpg" title="Bountang Hotel room view" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't research much about this place as it was not part of our trip itinerary. We have got a free day after Phonsavanh and Luang Prabang so we decided to make a pit stop here while making our back to Vientiane. Last minute preparation, I just checked out the map and find out roughly where we should stay. When we arrived at the bus terminal, we decided to walk to town while looking for a nice place to stay. It was about 20 minutes walk, and we found a pretty awesome place by the riverside road(no road name) walked straight to town from bus station and keep right, take the first right turn after the huge temple. As there weren't many tourist around, we were able to bargain and get the best room (top floor with full height sliding window) facing the limestone mountain. The room was the cheapest we've got for the whole trip yet the BEST. We stood and stared from our balcony for the longest time, the view was just breath-taking. We had yet another stunning sunset just from our balcony.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_9gv-pt_2C-TGuGo7PT8HlOe3RcvyMVGbDYEn77J532T8FkC12omkBO9q6xZM_u40ohzguJWfKFr4ggDC9hSod2RbmnSDttUdfZ9zHWQao5ifI89LQtqA2yBX8zv5moYXy7dgaEF7Dbk/s1600/03-Sunset+at+Vangvieng.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_9gv-pt_2C-TGuGo7PT8HlOe3RcvyMVGbDYEn77J532T8FkC12omkBO9q6xZM_u40ohzguJWfKFr4ggDC9hSod2RbmnSDttUdfZ9zHWQao5ifI89LQtqA2yBX8zv5moYXy7dgaEF7Dbk/s640/03-Sunset+at+Vangvieng.jpg" title="sunset at Vang Vieng" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the sunset, we had a stroll and dinner in town. The famous FRIENDS sitcoms were playing in a few bars/restaurant. We picked one that was playing Gang Nam Style music, with a few groups of foreigners but not the party type. I was expecting something worst than this but it was pretty quiet. Not sure if it was due to the low season or the recent news of the Government closing down bars by the river. Anyway this works for us! :-)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltMi-y-mMRFlCDv6f8gDL9b7zfoaYTZ0uamYXGuXZoKohltFsQiryVXfiWvdWav_YOROpaf0dtgmpRLwP7g7AcJrw9G8sZywLSER5aMKm9vdX9QWhHtPvjn1iHD6L-v0U04e4fV6HBxOw/s1600/06-Hotair+Balloon+over+Vangvieng.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltMi-y-mMRFlCDv6f8gDL9b7zfoaYTZ0uamYXGuXZoKohltFsQiryVXfiWvdWav_YOROpaf0dtgmpRLwP7g7AcJrw9G8sZywLSER5aMKm9vdX9QWhHtPvjn1iHD6L-v0U04e4fV6HBxOw/s640/06-Hotair+Balloon+over+Vangvieng.jpg" title="Vang Vieng" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The early bird catches the worm" My brother Thomas who is awaken everyday at 6am spotted a hot air balloon flying by. It was super cool! We could hear the sound of the flaming fire firing up in the balloon. The ride take about 40 minutes at the price of US$70. There is only one company that does this in the entire Laos. (http://www.laoballooning.com/)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0LNoUcJY_8bKZ3-7WK7jqsocp_27YBeGcln_B117_8ZfantT10rk5c08RoUOk9_oWhyphenhyphenpKrPH8hyphenhyphen4VYXx3w68eQtFKuU-Qp0cstvUZ8xlGZzYY7gwnbNMPJv3i-DSjFM7EFB5ZYl98HUT/s1600/08-My+bros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0LNoUcJY_8bKZ3-7WK7jqsocp_27YBeGcln_B117_8ZfantT10rk5c08RoUOk9_oWhyphenhyphenpKrPH8hyphenhyphen4VYXx3w68eQtFKuU-Qp0cstvUZ8xlGZzYY7gwnbNMPJv3i-DSjFM7EFB5ZYl98HUT/s200/08-My+bros.jpg" width="140" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXCnHTxujt6qLvG3V7sEwovIFw_VmYYRZzQYns6-dIYQoZtg43nF7eGJeTjY6HrAcfPylCStRCGe1Sp8V_fx4qvxitOgstSbsiNea5JWdzdXlFQAtlmj4FM3n_ATnGMdN2Sw5rTIVIwLW/s1600/11-Channel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXCnHTxujt6qLvG3V7sEwovIFw_VmYYRZzQYns6-dIYQoZtg43nF7eGJeTjY6HrAcfPylCStRCGe1Sp8V_fx4qvxitOgstSbsiNea5JWdzdXlFQAtlmj4FM3n_ATnGMdN2Sw5rTIVIwLW/s200/11-Channel.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After breakfast, we stroll around Saysong Island. A little island size of a football field that formed in the Nam Song river connected to the main land with 2 wooden bridge. The island is filled with chalets and guest houses but the scenery around it was nice to photographed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We continued to the paddy fields on the north of the town, taking tons of photographs. November is the end of harvesting season, most of the paddy are ready, yellow or gold in color. That makes a beautiful view with the background of the limestone mountain. The heat was killing us, by noon we got back to the hotel to chill out.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRqHQrTBfllw0IKWW1rHKhJ_S82RD0yImRsUPYTKD59lMrZ-7-p1j3EcvzKPBRXNiduXyzcEjcV7yaAsiNgG2meQEOSO_WSyvAYARlkTgyMQIfoyeJVZzl9bjbv0QUX8i2wJ7iaYCUtRS/s1600/19-Paddy+fields.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRqHQrTBfllw0IKWW1rHKhJ_S82RD0yImRsUPYTKD59lMrZ-7-p1j3EcvzKPBRXNiduXyzcEjcV7yaAsiNgG2meQEOSO_WSyvAYARlkTgyMQIfoyeJVZzl9bjbv0QUX8i2wJ7iaYCUtRS/s640/19-Paddy+fields.jpg" title="Vang Vieng" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After 2 hours rest, we now headed to the south. This time across the Nam Song river. There were many kids playing by the river, some were fish hunting with a diving mask, some </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">were </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> jumping off from wooden boat, some </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">were c</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">atching fish or shrimp with a net, some </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">were p</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">laying in the mud and some </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">were </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">floating on a tube. The kids were adorable. They reminds me of my childhood time. We were also playing in streams, catching fish or just out and about in the afternoon. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Hkc6qWCjv6dKlgYOIiGMAh9ogLr0gM4b2BEAg9GcpwV8ymgVZLeOZWvMTQ-RwfSVFrf6o-Qq2CwR4dUIIIvs3jGuPVjp3GVSIQZl333BoPSop0XKHzxWmQ0O5oaa-aNFzPaRuM2JjkQN/s1600/35-Fishing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Hkc6qWCjv6dKlgYOIiGMAh9ogLr0gM4b2BEAg9GcpwV8ymgVZLeOZWvMTQ-RwfSVFrf6o-Qq2CwR4dUIIIvs3jGuPVjp3GVSIQZl333BoPSop0XKHzxWmQ0O5oaa-aNFzPaRuM2JjkQN/s320/35-Fishing.jpg" width="248" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We finished the day with another amazing sunset and a eventful day. This little town has it's charm that captured my heart. :-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next day we took the earliest minibus back to the capital city-Vientiane.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Accommodation</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bountang Hotel (<a href="http://www.bountanghotel.com/">http://www.bountanghotel.com</a>) - 110,000kip (Tripple) with attached bathroom, aircon, wifi, coffee and water refill.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recreational</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toll fees to cross the bridge (2 way) - 4,000kip each</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Minibus to Vientiane - 40,000kip each incl pick up</span></div>
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Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-15152210108404150172012-11-09T14:38:00.000+08:002012-11-14T21:38:32.797+08:00Luang Prabang, Laos 29 Oct - 1 Nov 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The journey from Phonsavanh to Luang Prabang was long, we took the minibus option because it will be faster than the bus but it still took us 7 hours. The guy sitting next to me was vomiting the whole way, yuk! He is a local. I thought as a local one should be used to the local road. :-( All 9 other foreigners in the minivan were ok. The 7 hours ride was bumpy and windy, passing top of mountains with amazing scenery. We arrived to the minivan station, 5km from town. The Lao government is pretty smart in creating opportunity to the local, they built the station far away from town so to create work for the tuk tuk and taxi driver. Good thing is they don't quote us crazy price like any other place in SEA (except Myanmar) we don't have to bargain very hard, sometime it's even reasonable to pay that amount.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqcCW_N7GVOZ8OA_SnPPMCOdqT3YrjAIAm3Uf-2OvRNokp0qJrJHUKJAPiQQhn8O7tdtM59FXseUeNHJJH16gXclP2XxmIK4-R21Sjj8_YGPuoOLXTz1sw3emKRePJYnGfpmg2Y2z4mc_/s1600/PA307494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqcCW_N7GVOZ8OA_SnPPMCOdqT3YrjAIAm3Uf-2OvRNokp0qJrJHUKJAPiQQhn8O7tdtM59FXseUeNHJJH16gXclP2XxmIK4-R21Sjj8_YGPuoOLXTz1sw3emKRePJYnGfpmg2Y2z4mc_/s320/PA307494.JPG" title="Ban Vat That street" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Ban Vat That street</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We found a guesthouse at Ban Vat That street, here almost every house is converted to a guesthouse. Looks like the only income is from tourism. The family of the guesthouse was very nice and humble people, in fact the daughter was married to a Malaysian, she could speak </span>malay<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with us. :-) What a coincident! We settled down and Thomas is already in patient to go take his sunset shot at the Mekong river. The best thing about this place is that it is near to everywhere in town. 50m to the left is the Mekong river, 50m to the right is the Alms ceremony in the morning and 100m away is the night market yet it still lies in a quiet and charming little street. We highly recommend this guesthouse to everyone who is visiting </span>Luang<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Prabang<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lata0IgW-Mn2e7BtTcOOOb1VvlM62qOwlcl3YFIwIAJNUc4eCXm_xQBthINnsQgx9s9hAbr07fVVhfQoQSKb7w4zqNAVPFPCT1sf1YV28MSSu8MSdvq1a6wre6EFVWoSSi0qfRLfZO2A/s1600/04-Sunset+at+Mekong+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lata0IgW-Mn2e7BtTcOOOb1VvlM62qOwlcl3YFIwIAJNUc4eCXm_xQBthINnsQgx9s9hAbr07fVVhfQoQSKb7w4zqNAVPFPCT1sf1YV28MSSu8MSdvq1a6wre6EFVWoSSi0qfRLfZO2A/s320/04-Sunset+at+Mekong+River.jpg" title="Sunset at Mekong" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Mekong river and Nam Khan river made a peninsular out of this town. That means in most direction you walk you will end up at the river bank. :-) Mekong is the 7th longest river in SEA. It runs through 6 countries - China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. I wonder if there is a boat cruise that leaves from Yunnan, China where the river begins and finished in South China Sea.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Cnkh02dKN9j9f3WNqNauWjvjK1ZBCXnwk8FfkETciICD1S0gXI5W1mW3Yz6R94YK85x4MPKypNrbz2q2tDAhS8PAe1DmeVVRLgxBnuDRswSKC0XSLJfkaBtlc3z3s2K57_qyIp4eAZ4X/s1600/07-Night+market.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Cnkh02dKN9j9f3WNqNauWjvjK1ZBCXnwk8FfkETciICD1S0gXI5W1mW3Yz6R94YK85x4MPKypNrbz2q2tDAhS8PAe1DmeVVRLgxBnuDRswSKC0XSLJfkaBtlc3z3s2K57_qyIp4eAZ4X/s200/07-Night+market.jpg" title="Luang Prabang night market" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night market</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had a beautiful sunset by Mekong river and stroll to the night market. Wow! Now I understand why the Night Market is so famous here. There were lines of stalls, hundreds of them selling souvenirs, handicraft, tea, painting, stones, etc. All at a very reasonable price depending on your bargaining skill.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCuQqDwbpm3v6YVgibTtqktWZ-zhagKYzmRt2E_7_uzr4hD8SR8OeMGbjm6LghHuNU-mrCYc1jq92GzGp11P6UpeDp0itRzy0oDss0pUVBfAaob2AgC_5bubtRkaeZcZ6ytLXMllwbGWb/s1600/12-Alm+ceremony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCuQqDwbpm3v6YVgibTtqktWZ-zhagKYzmRt2E_7_uzr4hD8SR8OeMGbjm6LghHuNU-mrCYc1jq92GzGp11P6UpeDp0itRzy0oDss0pUVBfAaob2AgC_5bubtRkaeZcZ6ytLXMllwbGWb/s320/12-Alm+ceremony.jpg" title="Alms ceremony" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alms ceremony</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the 2nd day, we woke up at 5:30am in the morning to see the well known Alms ceremony. Just before dawn, hundreds of locals and some tourist lined up on the street kneeling down to prepare for the alms ceremony. They prepared food like rice, fruits, cookies, sweets, cakes, etc to offer to monks. There were only about 100 monks from several different monastery came walking in line. Each of them have their alms bowl filled with food, they even have extra to give to kids that were following them with a huge basket (the basket is bigger than the monk's alms bowl)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zm-5Chhi2_P6aB8qDGnB9HulvgiMri-jvh09JggxRL8GsSfOVyYrnxD24vziBohAugWLetvzMoBbhe88_qszffUkkpuEiZtEbKG1BpytTFrlNNVgKIL_SH8CiiEs8NpHhE4ZUq4v8LZH/s1600/18-Wat+Xieng+Toung.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zm-5Chhi2_P6aB8qDGnB9HulvgiMri-jvh09JggxRL8GsSfOVyYrnxD24vziBohAugWLetvzMoBbhe88_qszffUkkpuEiZtEbKG1BpytTFrlNNVgKIL_SH8CiiEs8NpHhE4ZUq4v8LZH/s640/18-Wat+Xieng+Toung.jpg" title="Vat Xieng Toung" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">Vat </span>Xieng<span style="text-align: left;"> </span>Toung</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We then rented a bicycle for the day, I don't remember having seen my brother Thomas on bicycle. :-) Good thing is everyone ride gently and politely here, so even thought Laos is a Left Hand drive country, we could still manage. We visited the oldest monastery in town - Vat Xieng Toung and just cycled around town to take photos. In the evening, we hiked up to Phou Si Hill to see the sunset. The top was packed with tourist waiting to take a good shot of the sunset. The local food market just by the entrance of the night market has some really awesome food at 10,000kip per plate, fill it up as much as you can.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMAU0OeuYmbjyS4uAS_2wg2yDDhUZ2zZSZ_LgeLLK6T3x62qbXOdPpyJQhF1Cx5-T0GVW5EyJzR2NE1S59XWUFbHo7Gfh3MtcTIJdX6-YQOhYje6YR6abtOXl_VdPj-b7M2aj_bGL8QqK/s1600/29-Luang+Prabang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMAU0OeuYmbjyS4uAS_2wg2yDDhUZ2zZSZ_LgeLLK6T3x62qbXOdPpyJQhF1Cx5-T0GVW5EyJzR2NE1S59XWUFbHo7Gfh3MtcTIJdX6-YQOhYje6YR6abtOXl_VdPj-b7M2aj_bGL8QqK/s640/29-Luang+Prabang.jpg" title="Luang Prabang" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luang Prabang from Phou Si Hill</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrA8PYXTWYAsorjDmpFxnzMuLbh42LB1r68cAYAWTrd0GpNvgI0f_o2n6abhD370pq1SH6O16hFV2lg5hwsuM9YJLJ9jzTtuTdNfoM1w45Mo6mpnby9a5T_-NoODqBcI7WfWcnpSk6QAs/s1600/46-My+bros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrA8PYXTWYAsorjDmpFxnzMuLbh42LB1r68cAYAWTrd0GpNvgI0f_o2n6abhD370pq1SH6O16hFV2lg5hwsuM9YJLJ9jzTtuTdNfoM1w45Mo6mpnby9a5T_-NoODqBcI7WfWcnpSk6QAs/s200/46-My+bros.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 3rd day, we rented a scooter to Kuang Si Fall, about 29km south of Luang Prabang. As usual, we had our daily noodle soup breakfast and local coffee before heading out. The way to Kuang Si Fall was very straight forward, we just missed one turn and the local already shouting at us "Kuang Si Fall" pointing the the correct direction. :-) We arrived at the entrance full of souvenirs stalls, parked at the "secured" parking spot, even though we could just park it by the street.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ao0ckXmkTZ-7LSxv76hNnZcqt64J1cQL3ueP3zfViFGuOB2BqByK9FpFrVm1eCEHmUuoKPkfV5WwWXIhnT9kRhECPhKPAwPndaPphqrHkQRCQww_Ho1e1g3ACLqGy2a0O-qCGv7jV7lN/s1600/45-Bear+Rescue+Center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ao0ckXmkTZ-7LSxv76hNnZcqt64J1cQL3ueP3zfViFGuOB2BqByK9FpFrVm1eCEHmUuoKPkfV5WwWXIhnT9kRhECPhKPAwPndaPphqrHkQRCQww_Ho1e1g3ACLqGy2a0O-qCGv7jV7lN/s200/45-Bear+Rescue+Center.jpg" title="Bear Rescue Center" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The park is well kept and maintained, we took the jungle path to the fall where it lead us to the Bear Rescue Center, it has an enclosure for endangered Asiatic Black Bears that have been rescued from poachers. They are much bigger than the Sun Bear in Malaysia. We saw one of the bear relaxing in the huge hammock, that must be Kayasin, the oldest and the biggest in the care center.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3Y6V1XGXe3u-MiNJb_KmoVw4b2ple_xQlKhPwJ9033xcqnZOct_apqvJo0g2u8hjU5QWjp88T3XNfYd6PMneCjSdYkw11cID2wB_wLGJpYr99yaTYFk2jaJ5dM9KXj8UW6zUD5jSL4c4/s1600/44-Kuang+Si+Fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3Y6V1XGXe3u-MiNJb_KmoVw4b2ple_xQlKhPwJ9033xcqnZOct_apqvJo0g2u8hjU5QWjp88T3XNfYd6PMneCjSdYkw11cID2wB_wLGJpYr99yaTYFk2jaJ5dM9KXj8UW6zUD5jSL4c4/s320/44-Kuang+Si+Fall.jpg" title="Kuang Si Fall" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kuang Si Fall</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We proceed to the waterfall, pass several turquoise blue pools, picnic area before arriving at the main fall with a 60m cascade. The area is surrounded by thick forest, really nice to chill out and spend the day. We took our time taking photos of the fall, pool and insects hidden in the forest. On the way back to town, we decided to go to the golden temple that we saw across from Phou Si Hill. It wasn't difficult to find it as it was on top of a hill. In the temple, there were display of hundreds of golden Buddha statues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRAilySAeQYbEakm9U6Kddv2wNVnkxFAblBGGhnRCmadMAqrd-2ZMeE_jev-Rn42u5RWdh4gFh6Od8EiNG_nCs3ZY0ilJhkSEXj3IaRzo2qMG_tmwZ2Va4_Yvr2To-9iNfl-sA3PCxGVu/s1600/66-My+bro+releasing+a+banana+leaves+boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRAilySAeQYbEakm9U6Kddv2wNVnkxFAblBGGhnRCmadMAqrd-2ZMeE_jev-Rn42u5RWdh4gFh6Od8EiNG_nCs3ZY0ilJhkSEXj3IaRzo2qMG_tmwZ2Va4_Yvr2To-9iNfl-sA3PCxGVu/s200/66-My+bro+releasing+a+banana+leaves+boat.jpg" width="150" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today is a big festival day called Awk Phansaa Festival and also a public holiday in Laos.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were told that it is the 2nd biggest celebration day after the Lao New Year. Everyone is celebrating the big day, they made many banana leave boat to be lighted up at night and release into the river. There was a parade at night where lines of banana leave boats were lighted up by candles followed by music, fireworks and offering of incense and small flower boats that were release into the river. Some believe that the offering is an act to pay respect to nagas that lives in the rivers, while others send the lighted boats down the river to ask for blessing and to float bad luck of the past year away enabling the good luck to flow in. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This colorful ritual was an eye opening event to me.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVQ2dx77rLqxzKzygmewKMI-dDSSCIRaifgnlQZjXKP9Brl7lk8cfhPvToO72BiRTCJcG3D-egvH53Hk50szB5tvBiMHEH4uLvEmwiGvfYC3bc60jC9snPlIiM20qVDUjO0z0GiBLRPKD/s1600/08-Pre+festival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVQ2dx77rLqxzKzygmewKMI-dDSSCIRaifgnlQZjXKP9Brl7lk8cfhPvToO72BiRTCJcG3D-egvH53Hk50szB5tvBiMHEH4uLvEmwiGvfYC3bc60jC9snPlIiM20qVDUjO0z0GiBLRPKD/s320/08-Pre+festival.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxbwDZ8dGPidlI1oNUt20l52brbiCDrDAzmrYFpB8uUI_2AkfFYMW04MDB161UygXZYbEaYseMMJ3r_RdXIjEbGQPtUYqt_Omm9A_zO6-mCAGv_jKqXLQFhGt8joV8y9TUrt0WtRiBwth/s1600/61-Awk+Phansaa+Festival+boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Banana leave boat" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxbwDZ8dGPidlI1oNUt20l52brbiCDrDAzmrYFpB8uUI_2AkfFYMW04MDB161UygXZYbEaYseMMJ3r_RdXIjEbGQPtUYqt_Omm9A_zO6-mCAGv_jKqXLQFhGt8joV8y9TUrt0WtRiBwth/s320/61-Awk+Phansaa+Festival+boat.jpg" title="Awk Phansaa Festival" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This ended our 3 days in Luang Prabang, we are moving on to Vangvieng, a small town which is famous with young foreigner partying and drunk, floating down the river. But we are not there for this, stay tune and find out more about our next destination.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Accomodation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wat That guesthouse (<a href="http://watthat.weebly.com/">http://watthat.weebly.com</a>/)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - 130,000kip (tripple) with aircon, attached bathroom and wifi</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recreation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bicycle rental for the day - 35,000kip for 3 bicycle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wat Xiang Thong entrance - 20,000kip each</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scooter rental for the day - 140,000kip each</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kuang Xi WF entrance - 20,000kip each</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parking at Kuang Xi WF - 2,000kip each</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuk tuk from Minivan station to guesthouse - 40,000kip</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuk tuk to bus terminal - 30,000kip</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bus to Vangvieng - 150,000kip each</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-83542326081357367062012-11-08T10:26:00.000+08:002012-11-14T21:39:28.607+08:00Phonsavanh, Laos 28-29 Oct 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We arrived
at Phonsavanh around 6am, when we step out from the bus, the cool temperature
welcome us. They were no tout around. We were obviously the only tourist that
step out from the bus. The bus station is 5km out of the city. We took a taxi
to a hotel, a hotel which I picked from the internet. We checked the room and
price and it was ok. Our room was huge with an attached bathroom. As it was
still early, we took a nap.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLlEkzyxZ6v3-iBkJjvaHjW0ElGNmlZqucDv_FFGhzrFrVls6UmXQ5b87YDMxKE6mtFdw3WCvanmGV8E9I8fULpfe76hfkyk0-n6FgkWOkT7JTUB5sVKFuS44aIQ-18p4g62UOIGQ-EwI/s1600/01-Groomy+day+at+Phonsavanh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLlEkzyxZ6v3-iBkJjvaHjW0ElGNmlZqucDv_FFGhzrFrVls6UmXQ5b87YDMxKE6mtFdw3WCvanmGV8E9I8fULpfe76hfkyk0-n6FgkWOkT7JTUB5sVKFuS44aIQ-18p4g62UOIGQ-EwI/s320/01-Groomy+day+at+Phonsavanh.jpg" title="Phonsavanh" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phonsavanh town</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Around
8:30am we were prepared to leave. We plan to visit the Plain of Jars site today
and then leave to Luang Prabang tomorrow morning. The tour agent at the hotel
offer us a package, as the price was reasonable after some negotiation, we took
it. Our day trip package includes visiting the 3 Plain of Jars sites, Hmong
village and the crater site, all entrance fees and guide included.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODGgZtE9GoTDa5agjyLfL3WErO29al4YYkqtcXiSaDDVQPi9B3sCVKmpm8yYySoDLLgmki1CEOUPx1qo-iVhlyNDAwYRNkJyeCjM38TraAC_8AXiROv3fCQV5pieiMZXz-McMbo54BBbv/s1600/09-Bomb+shells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODGgZtE9GoTDa5agjyLfL3WErO29al4YYkqtcXiSaDDVQPi9B3sCVKmpm8yYySoDLLgmki1CEOUPx1qo-iVhlyNDAwYRNkJyeCjM38TraAC_8AXiROv3fCQV5pieiMZXz-McMbo54BBbv/s200/09-Bomb+shells.jpg" title="bomb shells" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglByJkDJFWmc1rkCNT_L1LlT9aXcjl_JAVFfut0uT3V7JoE9GWa4zD4rH1KZKxcmZEXo_fnfCdPvtVddseA1kM1UIBxOqGPTB0HSC4pNVtz1CVpsT0ZE7PixvyMbaa9JEzo5fAKLxBSRO8/s1600/07-Tourist+Infomation+center+decorated+with+bomb+shells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglByJkDJFWmc1rkCNT_L1LlT9aXcjl_JAVFfut0uT3V7JoE9GWa4zD4rH1KZKxcmZEXo_fnfCdPvtVddseA1kM1UIBxOqGPTB0HSC4pNVtz1CVpsT0ZE7PixvyMbaa9JEzo5fAKLxBSRO8/s200/07-Tourist+Infomation+center+decorated+with+bomb+shells.jpg" title="bomb shells" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The city was small with a huge main street,
almost every shop or hotels have some kind of bomb shell on display, like a victory
medal. It was shocking for me! Slowly I discover the history about this place.
My god! 2 million tons of bombs were dropped in Laos during The Secret War
(1953 – 1975). I can’t even imagine how much is that. Out of these 2 million
tons, 270 millions were bombies, and out of that approximately 80 million were
left unexploded leaving the country massively contaminated, as dangerous now as
when they fell 30 years ago. Over 50,000
people have been killed or injured as a result of UXO (Unexploded Ordnance)
accidents in the period 1964-2008. Over 20,000 people have been killed or
injured as a result of UXO accidents post war period, 1974-2008. So it was not
a Victory Medal, it was to commemorate what happened during the Secret War and
how they are still suffering till to date.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Watch this
documentary to find out more about the Secret War. </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://vimeo.com/25923268">http://vimeo.com/25923268</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Locals
nowadays make used of the war scrap from the bomb shells and tanks to make
spoons, fences, tools, pump, BBQ fireplace and support for the house. MAG
(Mines Advisory Group) has been working with the locals to remove landmines and
unexploded ordnance from the contaminated area. They also create awareness by
teaching the local how to identify the UXO items, how to report a dangerous
item, what to do in an emergency, how to keep others safe etc. We stopped by
the office in town to find out more about their work in this area and made some
donations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ymPuHYz-X3GlkCp_2yxf6cVpzIj_w-y6ePZpKJvPmgM7UZEOiy_nX-wExF40J6W2JKtAriKLg8-ziGwsppj88Xzf7btTw7kG3dKhJ3dZ377PJ07NjBzHgZtg-ufoaeTjTbh5WpDhNHnD/s1600/10-Plain+of+Jars+Site+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Site 2" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ymPuHYz-X3GlkCp_2yxf6cVpzIj_w-y6ePZpKJvPmgM7UZEOiy_nX-wExF40J6W2JKtAriKLg8-ziGwsppj88Xzf7btTw7kG3dKhJ3dZ377PJ07NjBzHgZtg-ufoaeTjTbh5WpDhNHnD/s320/10-Plain+of+Jars+Site+2.jpg" title="Plain of Jars" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plain of Jars Site 2</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our first
visit is to the Plain of Jars site 2, hidden on top of a hill under a big tree.
There were about 80 jars scattered around. They come in all shapes and sizes,
carved out from sandstone. All of them have a lip rim, which presumed to be
covered by a lid. We found some lying on the ground. The view from the Jar site
2 was awesome, we were surrounded by paddy fields, forest and mountain. Our
guide gave us an explanation why these jars are here. The archeologist believed
that these are Iron Aged burial sites. However the local legends said that
there was once a race of giants who inhabited the area. Some said the jars are
used to brew and store huge amounts of lao lao rice wine. Some said it was for
storage of rainwater. I believed more that this is a burial site. We visited
the rest of the 2 sites, I especially like the walk to Site 3, where we pass
thru the paddy fields and cows to get to the hill. Site 1 is the biggest having
the most amount of jars and the biggest jar. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJG4vAIXerjwS72MMFHZgxprwW0eh4AqrUpP92wJY4PDf4lHsKALm8JAzRehbr3US53N7FR6eA0bYeVhTty8_69mhKJDoqNc7Jl12AIw-UuVeRC0T9nRJTJzO3jUN59v39EyOwy-VRB-NB/s1600/23-Plain+of+Jars+Site+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Site 3" border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJG4vAIXerjwS72MMFHZgxprwW0eh4AqrUpP92wJY4PDf4lHsKALm8JAzRehbr3US53N7FR6eA0bYeVhTty8_69mhKJDoqNc7Jl12AIw-UuVeRC0T9nRJTJzO3jUN59v39EyOwy-VRB-NB/s640/23-Plain+of+Jars+Site+3.jpg" title="Plain of Jars" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plain of Jars Site 3</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVaWVqTUV3MyXDToLvp63TB8Nq4kCH_nOjL603fALEssWxQ7S_v9rCkgrY-e7SxNKszNOX84s5dnZB9jvfUCFwOrD0xFquS-6wdFyrS4FTo4MmcPo72AbyMAtrtc5VQoiwnxuRL_01kkc/s1600/38-Bomb+shells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVaWVqTUV3MyXDToLvp63TB8Nq4kCH_nOjL603fALEssWxQ7S_v9rCkgrY-e7SxNKszNOX84s5dnZB9jvfUCFwOrD0xFquS-6wdFyrS4FTo4MmcPo72AbyMAtrtc5VQoiwnxuRL_01kkc/s320/38-Bomb+shells.jpg" title="Hmong Village" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hmong Village</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1V45wE34J26SuMeP0lB6e94IfpyaNznKfaDqsDeBxQ9xGsm1mt_alesFdHQDP-6f_3nTBMxjr6gdM5KHR0e_06ychb3mQZfpmbwctkEF4FugwsZoCxDc96aQUsQHQ5ch6-NozYZznmhjj/s1600/39-Bomb+shells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1V45wE34J26SuMeP0lB6e94IfpyaNznKfaDqsDeBxQ9xGsm1mt_alesFdHQDP-6f_3nTBMxjr6gdM5KHR0e_06ychb3mQZfpmbwctkEF4FugwsZoCxDc96aQUsQHQ5ch6-NozYZznmhjj/s200/39-Bomb+shells.jpg" title="Hmong Village" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-ZTpAPiIJSg-AzjzX6t9lgWX2nDIXq__CRv8SSZBKkh7Uwfe66-P9J8UICbWTZw8qz7cGf0u96jE6DviTLP_Nk0TcSrqhLS5N4CNHoPgMRtUKlcjrNcQYkS_v4-L1cLOxU8j3_c1Wz5s/s1600/37-Bomb+shells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-ZTpAPiIJSg-AzjzX6t9lgWX2nDIXq__CRv8SSZBKkh7Uwfe66-P9J8UICbWTZw8qz7cGf0u96jE6DviTLP_Nk0TcSrqhLS5N4CNHoPgMRtUKlcjrNcQYkS_v4-L1cLOxU8j3_c1Wz5s/s200/37-Bomb+shells.jpg" title="Hmong Village" width="200" /></a><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We moved on
to the Hmong village, this small village is unique because they turn war craps into
everyday used. We saw the giant bomb shell used as a vegetable planters, fences
and pillar to support the house. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our last
visit is to the crater site, where we saw many huge craters just few meter
apart from each other. We had a long day and for me an emotional day knowing
what had happen to the Laotian.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03Cts8dhIKgisnH0FywlgOIxwa102hUha6AxbEgtoBR2NOugaRWblWiPMOSUnPQGi5UIQV15DEtG_FWAxdga4Cyyw5akJrmmZVvpSzOtFCwFKTvoBcFoZC2bmlJx_rlYyhFCKRyFzOROx/s1600/42-Giant+crater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03Cts8dhIKgisnH0FywlgOIxwa102hUha6AxbEgtoBR2NOugaRWblWiPMOSUnPQGi5UIQV15DEtG_FWAxdga4Cyyw5akJrmmZVvpSzOtFCwFKTvoBcFoZC2bmlJx_rlYyhFCKRyFzOROx/s640/42-Giant+crater.jpg" title="Ban Khai Crater site" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ban Khai Crater site</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We leave to
Luang Prabang on a minivan the next morning at 8am. There was no choice of night bus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Accomodation</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dokkhoune Hotel - 120,000kip (Tripple) with attached bathroom, fan and WIFI</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recreation</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day trip to 3 Plain of Jars sites, Hmong Village and Crater site (Private van)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Include all entrance fees and guide - US$40 each</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Transportation</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taxi from Bus Terminal to town - 20,000kip each</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Minivan to Luang Prabang - 120,000 each</span></div>
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Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-43246572300151655512012-11-07T00:45:00.000+08:002012-11-07T12:53:15.541+08:00Vientiane, Laos 27 Oct 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vientiane
is the capital city of Laos, we flew in to Wattay International Airport, just
4km west of the city. We were surprised how clean and organized the city is,
for a capital city, I think this is the most relaxing one in anywhere I’ve ever
seen. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The currency exchange is US$1 to 8,000kip.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our plan
was not to stay a night here in Vientiane as there are more to see out of the
big city. We couldn't find any map in the airport, the hostel sells it for
10,000kip. Lucky I had one printed out from Lonely Planet, even though it is dated
2007 nothing much changed except for the blooming of guesthouses and hotels. We got to
the city center, walk around looking for a ticket agent. We found one at
Francois Ngin Road where we could drop our bags for the day while we go sightseeing,
we bought our overnight sleeping bus to Phonsavanh. Then we found a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">guesthouse</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for
our last night in Vientiane and pre-booked it. After which we hit the road,
trying to see as much as we can for the day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_a3WvMRMw65b3VcTRJ652jG5tqiWXaDoIZDrUvvFKc4wJNIillR2KOhdKkqKO0fEfzagTt2_OP7kt2wrNIuRtEMnWomUyHbTg_GSxP1bw4fwLebxJHW1t3VvWXrSkIEX1iJjC1gY9Ki_/s1600/PA277166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_a3WvMRMw65b3VcTRJ652jG5tqiWXaDoIZDrUvvFKc4wJNIillR2KOhdKkqKO0fEfzagTt2_OP7kt2wrNIuRtEMnWomUyHbTg_GSxP1bw4fwLebxJHW1t3VvWXrSkIEX1iJjC1gY9Ki_/s200/PA277166.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhogcy5lLeicAOYV8w4whRhgCDcdftDz4ie5tvgxEx5ANV5jRmRyaxwa5hoklzVz8Fzxb_Ch_39e8NShk9HMdwQJPg-Qsp7EKGWUZnzW2p3pUr6eD0kcx4WZZtbSBGKuiHh1PpwzAWRu6Te/s1600/02-BBQ+banana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhogcy5lLeicAOYV8w4whRhgCDcdftDz4ie5tvgxEx5ANV5jRmRyaxwa5hoklzVz8Fzxb_Ch_39e8NShk9HMdwQJPg-Qsp7EKGWUZnzW2p3pUr6eD0kcx4WZZtbSBGKuiHh1PpwzAWRu6Te/s200/02-BBQ+banana.jpg" title="BBQ banana" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">We found
out that the Boat Racing festival is around the corner. Lots of make shift
stores were setup by the riverside, it completely destroyed the charm and view
of the Mekong river but we found many types of street food. :-)</span><span lang="EN-US"> It seems like BBQ is the way of
cooking here, almost everything is BBQed, fish, chicken, sausages, eggs, banana
and coconut too.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKu7xcAJkaAtowyQIauiEjin0khlaXSoyitCFBSx3pnwk5muNfwxmcKlljBaDpXroAfzVOWSBOevk_lPp5CgyMTh44Z1mqGSZ3LQp3z-2ZFctDTnHI2N7S9HDekuLcm6eBT__dvvmJ1nj/s1600/03-Wat+Si+Saket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKu7xcAJkaAtowyQIauiEjin0khlaXSoyitCFBSx3pnwk5muNfwxmcKlljBaDpXroAfzVOWSBOevk_lPp5CgyMTh44Z1mqGSZ3LQp3z-2ZFctDTnHI2N7S9HDekuLcm6eBT__dvvmJ1nj/s320/03-Wat+Si+Saket.jpg" title="Wat Si Saket" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Wat Si Saket</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCh_FRTXNGUX_HTb7z2n-8gZ8aaaeVl55BKvjM_bO4k5yO_WFbl9c-MzaH9KJrzM8xzflSBofWoPf6IQk2Ni72UctONl3SfjIC93_A2YdoGUoU3K-xu4OrIz0X_qOfqudsxR-xM_jppng/s1600/07-Patuxai-Laos+Arc+de+Triomphe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCh_FRTXNGUX_HTb7z2n-8gZ8aaaeVl55BKvjM_bO4k5yO_WFbl9c-MzaH9KJrzM8xzflSBofWoPf6IQk2Ni72UctONl3SfjIC93_A2YdoGUoU3K-xu4OrIz0X_qOfqudsxR-xM_jppng/s320/07-Patuxai-Laos+Arc+de+Triomphe.jpg" title="Patuxai" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Patuxai</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">We pass the
Presidential Palace and arrived at Wat Si Saket around noon, it’s one of the oldest standing temple in Laos. The place is now a museum. It is closed from 12pm to 1pm. We walked around the outside, it is
surrounded by very nice courtyard with Buddha statues and stupas. We can’t bear
the heat </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">any more</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"> and took a nap under a tree.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After an
hour rest, we continue to walk to Patuxai (Victory Gate) Laos version of Arc de
Triomphe. It is dedicated to those who fought in the struggle for independence
from France. From the top of the tower(7<sup>th</sup> floor up), we get a
beautiful panoramic view of Vientiane. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZQX87y_eUoiOWdGAtIwNbOW46fnBfKEQeJztX8VBocai3HZiqKzn5LtR6UFUzC90f3n4aWBP4y6-bRwCya38cZB1CX_SOxlDsOEjltTs0hTm1NTOYAB29iYMupKOtnd5XK1r2RSKcKdU/s1600/08-That+Dam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZQX87y_eUoiOWdGAtIwNbOW46fnBfKEQeJztX8VBocai3HZiqKzn5LtR6UFUzC90f3n4aWBP4y6-bRwCya38cZB1CX_SOxlDsOEjltTs0hTm1NTOYAB29iYMupKOtnd5XK1r2RSKcKdU/s320/08-That+Dam.jpg" title="That Dam Stupa" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That Dam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the way
back to the riverside, we pass That Dam (Lao for Black stupa) Local believe it
is inhabited by a seven-headed nāga who tried to protect them from an invasion
by the Siamese army in 1827.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our bus to
Phonsavanh leaves at 8pm but due to the festival and traffic congestion, the
agent sent us to the terminal at 6pm. We will leave Pha That Luang the golden landmark when we return at the end of the week. We got a quick shower at the agent office
before the long haul night bus. The Northern Bus Terminal is far away from the
city. When we bought the ticket, transfer to the bus terminal is provided. The extra 50,000kip is
worth paying for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_H9vU6OQkdEsc4dB2hbgC5sKYPklL8ryOu62P1G3W6uFUBnkPYyXPmCXs-JgdYQtG0tpeAYP5VJOCsxY9MH304C0SAqeWdTnSglvTUhYjOkA-m3IEFhyuyoxwaVKv9klHqM-3BII4Rhc9/s1600/2012-10-27+19.51.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_H9vU6OQkdEsc4dB2hbgC5sKYPklL8ryOu62P1G3W6uFUBnkPYyXPmCXs-JgdYQtG0tpeAYP5VJOCsxY9MH304C0SAqeWdTnSglvTUhYjOkA-m3IEFhyuyoxwaVKv9klHqM-3BII4Rhc9/s320/2012-10-27+19.51.56.jpg" title="Sleeping Bus from Vientiene to Phonsavanh" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping Bus from Vientiane to Phonsavanh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">We got the sleeping
bus to Phonsavanh, as the other option is Local Bus (without aircon). We were surprised to find the bed
arrangement in the bus, there are double decker bed on both side with a small
walking path, the width of the bed is as big as a single size bed or size of 2
seats in a bus, the length is around 4 feet, not even long enough for Asian and
we have to share the bed with someone! Normally they will try to put the same sex
together. My brothers were not happy, how is it possible to sleep in this bed
with another person! Luckily the bus was not full, they got 1 bed each for themselves
and I moved to the front where there is a bigger bed for 3 but I shared with
another gal. :-)</span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
slept pretty well even with the bus rocking and bumping around. This is the result from the training I have
got from Central and South America.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><u><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Accommodation<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NA</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><u><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Transportation<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taxi from Wattay International Airport to city – 52,000kip/US$7</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sleeping Bus from Vientiane to Phonsavanh - 180,000kip<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Note : Ticket price at the terminal cost 130,000kip</i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><span lang="EN-US">Recreation</span></u></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Entrance to climb up Patuxai - 5,000kip</span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-28550319121497354672012-10-25T22:14:00.001+08:002012-10-25T22:18:26.959+08:00The End?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have decided to end my world trip by skipping the last continent-Africa. So is it the end? No more travelling? Get back into day to day 9 to 5 job? or perhaps I will take off again?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9CyIOyaWzHoj_QxGbsHb1-wstFe-6I7acy4TybdayJ8u6vA6gh9K9LsWoR5rBp_P8efdIHdKZZgobsiKbCV4czFzK5746LQTZJ2Wgak7FVDaxCwPQzCI-t5dh4wY_Nmx9KbfnBlzwm-Z/s1600/300px-PlainOfJarsView2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9CyIOyaWzHoj_QxGbsHb1-wstFe-6I7acy4TybdayJ8u6vA6gh9K9LsWoR5rBp_P8efdIHdKZZgobsiKbCV4czFzK5746LQTZJ2Wgak7FVDaxCwPQzCI-t5dh4wY_Nmx9KbfnBlzwm-Z/s200/300px-PlainOfJarsView2.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first week in KL, I was working on my Nepal blog and photos, basically still in the post travel mood, then I don't remember when or how, my brother Thomas brought up about the Plain of Jars in Laos. Laos is the only South East Asia country that I have not been and I have been wanted to go. Hmmm...I started checking the flights, return flight cost around RM550, and guess what? hehe....The travel bug in me bite me again, if I don't go now then when? Plus my brother said he will only go if I go with him, that gives me another excuse to travel. As soon as he confirmed his leaves we booked the tickets, then my other brother Anthony also decided to come along. This is going to be fun! I have never travel with the 2 of them together and Thomas has never backpack before. This is going to be a trip to celebrate his 50th years. :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Thomas was getting nervous about the trip, not knowing what we do, where to sleep, how we travel in Laos, what to bring, what bag to use so I did some research and planning and came up with a Travel Itinerary for him. Here is how it looks like :-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">_______________________________________________________________________</span><br />
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">LAOS 27 Oct
2012 – 4 Nov 2012<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Flight Details<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Flag_of_Laos.svg/300px-Flag_of_Laos.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Flag_of_Laos.svg/300px-Flag_of_Laos.svg.png" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Laos Flag</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">KL - Vientiane - KL<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">AK1412 Sat 27 Oct
2012, 0735-0910<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">AK1413 Sun 4 Nov 2012
0945-1330<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Visa not required</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Weather<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Wet season -
May-October temperature around 30</span><span lang="EN-US">°</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Dry season - November
to March temperature as low as 15</span><span lang="EN-US">°</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Currency<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">RM1 – LAK
2,600<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Budget</span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">US$40/RM120
per day</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Room
US$40/3=US$13</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Food
US$10-15</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Transport
/ entrance fees US$3-5</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">*Optional - Massage </span><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;">US$3-6/hour</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Electric
plug<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Alice\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png"
o:title="Flat blade plug"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Flat
blade plug or Two
round pins</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What to
bring</span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Passport,
Credit Cards (3% interest charge) Driving License</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Estimated
Cash to bring – RM120/day X 8 = <u>RM960</u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Travel
pouch/money belt - to store all the above</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cloths :- <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">**
Remember! No matter it is 3 days or 3 months or 1 year, you can survive with
this list **</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3+ t-shirts</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3+ trousers/shorts</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3+ pair of socks</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3+ sets or undergarments</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Long sleeve shirt/jacket/wind breaker or
raincoat</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">lightweight towel</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a pair of trekking boots or walking shoes</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Flip-flops or sandal - you need to rest your
feet after a long walking day in your boots or shoes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">Toiletries
:-</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">Soap,
Shampoo and toothpaste (we can share these)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN-US"></span><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Toothbrush</span><br /><span style="line-height: 115%;">Razor/blades</span><br /><span style="line-height: 115%;">Deodorant</span><br /><span style="line-height: 115%;">Insect
repellent</span><br /><span style="line-height: 115%;">Sunblock</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Medical kit
<b><span style="color: red;">(I have)</span></b><span style="color: red;"> </span>:-<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Medicines
for malaria, </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">diarrhoea</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">, fever, headache, couch and flu<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Water
Purifying tablets<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cream for insects
bites<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bandages or
plasters<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Vitamins or
necessary medications<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Things to
pack (Moderate) -things that you can buy along the way but good to have them
when you travel<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Padlock <b><span style="color: red;">(I have)</span></b><span style="color: red;"> </span>- to lock your luggage or locker in the hostel <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Universal
adapter <b><span style="color: red;">(I have)</span></b><span style="color: red;"> </span>- to charge your electrical devices in different
countries<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mobile
device or laptop or any devices that has WIFI features <b><span style="color: red;">(I have)</span></b><span style="color: red;"> </span>-
most of the hostel has Internet facility, some has computer to share but you
will have to queue for it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Battery charger
for the above<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Head lamp
or torch<b><span style="color: red;">(I have)</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Multipurpose
tool/ Swiss Army knife<b><span style="color: red;">(I have)</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Nail
clipper<b><span style="color: red;">(I have)</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Travel
pillow and ear plug - for long bus ride and noise disturbance<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Zip lock
bag - to store all your cloths or none wet proof stuff in your backpack</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">Rough travel
Guide (Flexible to change as we go)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 76.3pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Date<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="132"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Location<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 286.6pt;" valign="top" width="382"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Remarks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 76.3pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">27 Oct 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="132"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Vientiane<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 286.6pt;" valign="top" width="382"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Arrive 0910 in
Vientiane, half day to visit Vientiane<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Overnight bus to
Phonsavan 10-12 hours<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 76.3pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">28 Oct 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="132"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Phonsavan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 286.6pt;" valign="top" width="382"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Rest and visit
Phonsavan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 76.3pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">29 Oct 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="132"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Phonsavan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 286.6pt;" valign="top" width="382"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Full day to visit to
Plains of Jar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 76.3pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">30 Oct 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="132"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Phonsavan to Luang
Prabang<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 286.6pt;" valign="top" width="382"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Morning bus to Luang
Prabang 8 hours<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 76.3pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">31 Oct 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="132"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Luang Prabang<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td rowspan="2" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 286.6pt;" valign="top" width="382"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mekong River
cruise/Visit to Kuang Si Waterfall/Rent a bike to go around<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 76.3pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1 Sept 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="132"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Luang Prabang<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 76.3pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2 Sept 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="132"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Luang Prabang to
Vientiane<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 286.6pt;" valign="top" width="382"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Full day in Luang
Prabang<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Overnight bus to
Vientiane<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 76.3pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3 Sept 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="132"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Vientiane<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 286.6pt;" valign="top" width="382"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Full day to visit
Vientiane<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 76.3pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">4 Sept 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 99.2pt;" valign="top" width="132"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Vientiane<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Depart to KL 0945</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That is good enough to get him started. :-)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAX-_5do9KMf5yP31xw_1m4j_iL_HAP3id92Lz68QBcB-xNyNWSiVK5Z_jtQQN3YteeW35h2Ikw1QNHyk3sffQ1QE0eS1SwuqeErhiln0POwNzJPHX9H8jiAfPKnHr0igWFas6AMWHtK6/s1600/Ren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAX-_5do9KMf5yP31xw_1m4j_iL_HAP3id92Lz68QBcB-xNyNWSiVK5Z_jtQQN3YteeW35h2Ikw1QNHyk3sffQ1QE0eS1SwuqeErhiln0POwNzJPHX9H8jiAfPKnHr0igWFas6AMWHtK6/s320/Ren.jpg" title="Richie Ren" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richie Ren</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't feel like doing much while I was back, I don't know if I was depress or what. I was just catching up with some movies and cooking a lot at home. On one weekend I went to Genting Highland to attend a concert as a photographer. My sister is a part time photographer for some media, she needed an extra hand so I went. Transport, accommodation and food was provided. We just need to shoot as much image as we can and submit some best photos. It's not easy I can tell you, we have to carry the heavy camera equipment (DSLR) not my little Olympus compact camera. We have to squad in front of the stage or move around during the show to take some good shots. Sometime even fighting with the fans to take a good shot. Then when everyone goes back to sleep, we have to work on the photos and send it to the media on the same night. It was a good experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next 2 weeks I spent in Kuantan, with limited internet at home. I started to watch lots of movies, Taiwanese and Korean series with my mom....boring!! :-) I had lots of time to think....think about what I want to do next? and where I want to go? </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even thought now the best option will be going back to Singapore. I am open for anything new and interesting! Going back to IT is the last option but again w</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hat choice do I have? To live in Singapore I need to survive in Singapore first!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_j_HuNYxjNxio4QzcLNckjkrmdvHGaXjd7wgmbLNL1Pk69ldXDen23rz52gHRVvetC-1wUJBJFtUKC7_9Yz6u6rLis8VC5ClXbwWQBmnaRpLgAL_8rB0YUeUgO7cnBSNY9hUNpjStlQV/s1600/2012-10-23+17.58.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kuantan" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_j_HuNYxjNxio4QzcLNckjkrmdvHGaXjd7wgmbLNL1Pk69ldXDen23rz52gHRVvetC-1wUJBJFtUKC7_9Yz6u6rLis8VC5ClXbwWQBmnaRpLgAL_8rB0YUeUgO7cnBSNY9hUNpjStlQV/s320/2012-10-23+17.58.14.jpg" title="Tanjong Api" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanjong Api</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having spend lots of time with my mom at home means lots of GOOD food, lots of GOOD food means putting on weight! Yaiks! I started to run again, then I started to cycle as well with the old horse at home. First just to town only 1km from home then one day I decided to give the old horse a challenge, we went to Telok Cempedak, Kuantan's famous beach, about 7km from home. He was coughing quite hard on the way, lots of noise from everywhere. We made it over the hill and reach the destination in 40 minutes. :-) But on the way back, he started to have mild heart attack, the paddle started to jam! I have to take breaks multiple times, we took a bit longer but we made it back home.The old horse is still a tough horse! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">:-)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is almost time to leave for Laos, stay tune for the Journey of the 3 Lees. It is Not The End yet!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWH6kj2NdE04bSWmip6SDUj23pnX63XwRuKhni28_XlMNqZsAEaZTDNwdTPAiHom_VClU-mYtrd7jtNliKeFQJmkRwP5bEtVB-37E1HjimaIeieqjmBp7HwzAL-rKEFHMuGus8eBjoPMJ8/s1600/17-sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kuantan" border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWH6kj2NdE04bSWmip6SDUj23pnX63XwRuKhni28_XlMNqZsAEaZTDNwdTPAiHom_VClU-mYtrd7jtNliKeFQJmkRwP5bEtVB-37E1HjimaIeieqjmBp7HwzAL-rKEFHMuGus8eBjoPMJ8/s640/17-sunset.jpg" title="Tanjung Lumpur" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanjong Lumpur</td></tr>
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Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-20078187886421022012012-10-06T15:28:00.000+08:002012-11-14T21:41:19.928+08:00Langtang Valley Trek, Nepal 24 Sept – 1 Oct 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">24</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Sept 2012</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are 3
buses that leaves from Kathmandu to Dunche and then 2 carry on to Syaphrubesi
(8-9hrs), the buses leave at 6am,6:30am and 7am. Before I book the trip I found
out that there was a bad landslide after Ramche. The bus company only sells ticket
to Ramche, from there on passengers have to get off the bus and walk across the
land slide area. There will be another bus waiting on the other side to
continue to Syaphrubesi. Sounds like it’s going to be a long and interesting
day!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My guide/porter, his name is Bhes, sound like BEST, I hope he will be the best! :-p He picked me up at 6am, we arrived at this road side full of people who are waiting for something. Then one bus arrived, looks like a chicken bus in South America. Bhes told me that there is no tourist bus to Syaphrubesi, only local bus. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">:-)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> OK! That is going to be even more interesting!</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZ0MnfOKbtPVVIEQAPygPNTV_eft2hexD6aBK-6sivfik7puA-hdOJc-2dKNmvpF1bicmt0K0uZjNqN45pfyCUcy_PJbeqbhGR2GgBEMH8jEVuoZgaIGjusZyp-naPQALrjYXsTlBVb-B/s1600/06-all+from+one+bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZ0MnfOKbtPVVIEQAPygPNTV_eft2hexD6aBK-6sivfik7puA-hdOJc-2dKNmvpF1bicmt0K0uZjNqN45pfyCUcy_PJbeqbhGR2GgBEMH8jEVuoZgaIGjusZyp-naPQALrjYXsTlBVb-B/s320/06-all+from+one+bus.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Packed Bus to Syaphrubesi</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Move in please!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He got us our tickets, yeah we have seats, I
sat and wait watching at the locals loading everything they can on to the roof
top of the bus. There were a few other tourist on the bus also with their
guide. As the bus moved, locals go in and out, up and down from the bus every
few meters, the bus is packed even roof top as well. Every time when the bus is
going to pass an Army or Police check point, just 10m before all of them from
the roof top will have to get down and cramp into the bus. At the check point,
all of them have to get off and walked across, the police or army will come
into the bus to check if there is any weapon hidden in the luggage compartment.
After the check point, they will all climb back up to the roof top again. This
process goes on and on. I remembered after climbing out of Kathmandu valley, the
bus went zig zag down to Trisuli valley, oh gosh it was really bad, I had to
close my eyes and try to sleep. I thought of Winnie during our bus journey from
Inle Lake to Yangon, Burma she was throwing out the whole time. This is worst!
Even me I felt sick!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trisuli River</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Finally we
got to the end of this horrible road. We stopped for lunch before the bus hit
uphill. There were rice terrace landscape views along the Trisuli river.
Finally we arrived at the landslide area. Bhes told me this is the first one,
there is another one further down. </span><span lang="EN-US">L</span><span lang="EN-US"> We walked for about 20mins passing
thru a big landslide area where the authority is working on fixing it. We got
into a bus which is already waiting for us. Bhes said that from now on the seat
is on first come first serve basis. This stretch is only 30 mins ride until we
come to another landslide. Next bus will take 2 hours to Syaprubesi. The next
landslide was a major one, we walked for 45 mins till we get to the next bus, I
was almost running in order to beat the locals and porters to get a seat on the
bus. As my guide was carrying my backpack, I could walk faster. I only managed
to get myself a seat. After Dhunche, there were 2 check points for tourist, my
guide did everything for me. We finally arrived at Syapru around 5:30pm, 11
hours long bus ride.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local Porter</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">25<sup>th</sup>
Sept 2012<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek
start : Shyaphru (1460m)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end
: Lama Hotel (2340m)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration
: 5 hrs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficuties
: Easy<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">I had a
good breakfast from the Hotel, we are set to go at 7am. We passed the check
point and cross the first bridge, passing a very old village, we continue
crossing the second bridge and noticed that the other trekker who was in front
of us stop at the bridge and didn’t follow the same path. As we carried on,
Bhes spoke to 2 local porters, they told him that this is the old path, they
open up a new path this year just opposite the river, it is more flat and
easier to trek. Bhes told me he did this trek last year so he didn’t know about
the new bridge. We agreed to walk a little further to check the path condition,
the path slowly became more bushy. We decided to turn back, on the way we bumped
into another group of trekkers with a guide too, him too didn’t know about the
new way. We lost 45mins but we got back onto the right track. The way to Lama
Hotel is almost flat following the edge of the Langtang river in the valley. We
passed several small teahouse and plenty of waterfalls. It was relatively easy
walk compared to ABC. We arrived around 1pm. Lunch is Mixed Fried Rice topped
with Yak cheese. I am getting used to fried rice with cheese now. </span><span lang="EN-US">:-)</span><span lang="EN-US"> The teahouse here are much better
condition compare to ABC, the rooms are bigger and newer. But when I checked
the price I got a shock! It is almost double the price of ABC.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVu-HWhyV2sQJrVnjk8gmXwuX6rwXCf_CS5QgT7FPziKI9V1kpKWmQGns30xzt0p8f_ZfoHfnELr_YoahBs-Pt16D0xtjHMuPjFrKbELXnAILVlRHh71xMv7kbZAcniGdmVzxsKh96cjY1/s1600/21-Lama+guesthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVu-HWhyV2sQJrVnjk8gmXwuX6rwXCf_CS5QgT7FPziKI9V1kpKWmQGns30xzt0p8f_ZfoHfnELr_YoahBs-Pt16D0xtjHMuPjFrKbELXnAILVlRHh71xMv7kbZAcniGdmVzxsKh96cjY1/s400/21-Lama+guesthouse.jpg" title="Lama Guesthouse" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lama Guesthouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTST5aFqxQsC_j2jJ9fCbrVrQfDcgGGncMpQ1POzRQ4oxu8iW2tueYT0sGRJ3QU1j45MdGpdDpuG44yKOcM_oF_J14uovczIV96qHW-_6nczcUeLZKjBxQU5bNOiSGEfth6Wh9P8G4FRPW/s1600/20-mixed+fried+rice+top+with+cheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTST5aFqxQsC_j2jJ9fCbrVrQfDcgGGncMpQ1POzRQ4oxu8iW2tueYT0sGRJ3QU1j45MdGpdDpuG44yKOcM_oF_J14uovczIV96qHW-_6nczcUeLZKjBxQU5bNOiSGEfth6Wh9P8G4FRPW/s200/20-mixed+fried+rice+top+with+cheese.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixed Fried Rice topped with Yak Cheese</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrCQOhJFSha-WN05LPTcwNwvUSZx6VosZ4jfsIKcYZ4Y6FDURtpNqnVq-kFnfWgBPy4ZGPOiiCG9-DokXGUOeuJzv7Lxx70qrQ6phtwDcwBIgX1upGSa9zhMT7msDWtYdfR6s8EWk4Ylb/s1600/25-Langtang+Lirung+peak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrCQOhJFSha-WN05LPTcwNwvUSZx6VosZ4jfsIKcYZ4Y6FDURtpNqnVq-kFnfWgBPy4ZGPOiiCG9-DokXGUOeuJzv7Lxx70qrQ6phtwDcwBIgX1upGSa9zhMT7msDWtYdfR6s8EWk4Ylb/s320/25-Langtang+Lirung+peak.jpg" title="Langtang Lirung Peak" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Langtang Lirung Peak</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">26<sup>th</sup>
Sept 2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek
start : Lama Hotel (2340m)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end
: Langtang Village (3500m)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration
: 5.5 hrs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficuties
: Easy<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
started around 7:30am. Gentle slope upwards for an hour, occasionally we have a
glimpse of Langtang Lirung Peak, the valley widens up while we emerged from the
forest. Now we have the wall of mountain left and right, countless waterfalls
fall from the top, beautiful wild flowers covered the ground, the view is just amazing.
We stopped by Thyangsyap Village for an early lunch as my pancake has long
digested. As we approached Langtang Village, we could already see the
snowcapped mountain at the end of the valley. That’s where we are heading
tomorrow. I got a room with an awesome view of the valley. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxTu2wO77tqTnx0M0H04nnwCNJlErWjohcU-V18SI-MkZJ8i3Pw_swzgrtA4q3RXbbwGtfJs7Otr2h0ZeSdTQKzkYVUTQBqU3aHqp1Dmr_tnUgdmnFjoNdNi2_fc1cMd27w6-XEQkdyN5/s1600/37-path.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxTu2wO77tqTnx0M0H04nnwCNJlErWjohcU-V18SI-MkZJ8i3Pw_swzgrtA4q3RXbbwGtfJs7Otr2h0ZeSdTQKzkYVUTQBqU3aHqp1Dmr_tnUgdmnFjoNdNi2_fc1cMd27w6-XEQkdyN5/s640/37-path.jpg" title="Langtang Valley" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Langtang Valley</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Langtang
Village has a small settlement of Sherpa people. Their houses are made of stones
and wood covered with flat zinc roof that has tons of stone placed on top to
secure them from flying. They take cares of their Yaks and goats, drying as
much crops as possible before the winter comes. I find the people here more
friendly and smiley as compared to ABC. I could even strike a conversation with
a 100 years old man. He was using his best 10 words English to sell me a piece
of gold plated locket carved in old calendar. He said “I sell, buy shoe”
pointing to me his old croc. Unfortunately I didn't have any money with me.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwFOIhrNRedVmwnW7oSUl1VLm1SJslHqfBRTOhX050QArvqBnLQJ-uMhqbrBb0z-UeohCAD4VugHGCXdI7IvkIGb-OuyUOmQtH8EPlBEJUzsqnJ-8EzM8QoMMVTAJEljlO-GhSe5KHW5x/s1600/45-Sherpa+people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwFOIhrNRedVmwnW7oSUl1VLm1SJslHqfBRTOhX050QArvqBnLQJ-uMhqbrBb0z-UeohCAD4VugHGCXdI7IvkIGb-OuyUOmQtH8EPlBEJUzsqnJ-8EzM8QoMMVTAJEljlO-GhSe5KHW5x/s640/45-Sherpa+people.jpg" title="Langtang Village" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Langtang Village</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the
evening a group of Israelis check in to the hostel. They were loads of them on
this trek. Later I found out that there is a long school holiday in Israel,
that’s why they are travelling. There are nice in small group but nightmare in
big group. I chatted a bit with a couple and found out that they were not
paying for their rooms. As it was still low season, the Teahouses were fighting
for business, they will take in customers if the customer promised to eat
dinner and breakfast with them. Most of the Israelis paid for just the porter
service, meals and accommodations are not included, they will pay as they go,
so they bargain for good price. But this doesn’t apply at ABC. As for the
porter, normally they will get a free meal where their guest eat and a free
place to sleep in the same Teahouse. It can be anywhere in the Teahouse. Rooms
are reserved for customers first.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6VX3l24kVq6wlCLR7ejtru6EyGp3hLKCWp8U-5r-v-S8XcuwZItwASD1_HYjq1QnDarm4ZBfdb9s3dfSNdxLN55wLDmu0YdPr1NnbVRbwiPT3QI7OpTbZpIFMoOwyLuL84qKmpN3T81i/s1600/48-Langtang+village.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6VX3l24kVq6wlCLR7ejtru6EyGp3hLKCWp8U-5r-v-S8XcuwZItwASD1_HYjq1QnDarm4ZBfdb9s3dfSNdxLN55wLDmu0YdPr1NnbVRbwiPT3QI7OpTbZpIFMoOwyLuL84qKmpN3T81i/s400/48-Langtang+village.jpg" title="Langtang Village" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Langtang Village</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">27<sup>th</sup>
Sept 2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek
start : Langtang Village (3500m)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end
: Kyanjing Gompa (3800m)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration
: 2.5 hrs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficuties
: Easy<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">I woke
up on this special day, peep out of the windows and I saw only blue sky. </span><span lang="EN-US">:-)</span><span lang="EN-US"> What a beautiful day! Bhes was so
sweet to remember that it was my birthday. He kept asking me anything special
today? </span><span lang="EN-US">:-)</span><span lang="EN-US"> To
be here is already something special. I felt content.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since it
is a relatively short and easy walk, we took our time. At this altitude when we
walk, we don’t sweat even though the sun was strong and glaring. The way up to
Kyanjing Gompa is almost flat. The view was stunning; no words can describe how
beautiful it was. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaK3xMpjXRADLgNLGbetG6CWKy4ENhOEvZO7G4Zki9PtNSF8KUWAEnspLBCredjcF6onWMNYF5zh92scyUXAy-GSCrvxkPkjWcV9XjF9MjtaE2OO8UA9kOFXL3a-uxrC6-gh6hvHJ3Nr7/s1600/56-yak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaK3xMpjXRADLgNLGbetG6CWKy4ENhOEvZO7G4Zki9PtNSF8KUWAEnspLBCredjcF6onWMNYF5zh92scyUXAy-GSCrvxkPkjWcV9XjF9MjtaE2OO8UA9kOFXL3a-uxrC6-gh6hvHJ3Nr7/s320/56-yak.jpg" title="Yak" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yak</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">While we
were having a tea break half way, I saw my first Yak. Wow! They are sexy with
that long bushy tail. </span><span lang="EN-US">:-)</span><span lang="EN-US"> They look fierce but they are actually shy
animal. The yaks are kept for their milk, meat, skin and hair. There is even a
cheese factory in Kyanjin Gompa that produces Yak cheese.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
arrived to Kyanjin Gompa in no time. We were surrounded by snowcapped peaks. On
the left is the Langtang Lirung Peak standing at 7227m and Langtang Lirung
Glacier, straight in front at the far end is the white snowy Ganchenpo Peak
standing at 6387m, on the right is a series of peaks and the famous Kangja La
pass at 5845m. OMG! I am in heaven! It is so beautiful here.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">I got a
room with the view of Langtang Lirung and its glacier. There are yaks
everywhere here! </span><span lang="EN-US">:-)</span><span lang="EN-US"> After lunch we went for a short trek to the
glacier, on the way we passed by the cheese factory and the ancient old
monastery, clouds started to move in, when we arrived, top of the glaciers were
already covered by cloud. We sat down to enjoy a nice piece of raisins and nuts
chocolate that I brought from Kathmandu. </span><span lang="EN-US">:-)</span><span lang="EN-US"> Ahhh… what a special way to pass my
40<sup>th</sup> birthday. No party, no drinking, just silence, peace and
serenity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At night
I couldn’t sleep, maybe because of the altitude and too much noise from drunken
porters, guide and trekkers. When I look out from the window, the cloud has
cleared, the snowcapped Langtang Lirung peak glows at night. It was stunning!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtdrggcVdnMWnmD5cfRgWDDxEKrRHG15rqu8S8HcFztyWCj79sNhTSJ4hsh7C9onBDK12xssWQ2Uo24-dI0wsedMc66i1d3_19A9As9G8FfRndokj_EkduWupyhqWulj8ny_U3tlxu8YL/s1600/74-Me+and+Bhes+at+Kyanjin+Ri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtdrggcVdnMWnmD5cfRgWDDxEKrRHG15rqu8S8HcFztyWCj79sNhTSJ4hsh7C9onBDK12xssWQ2Uo24-dI0wsedMc66i1d3_19A9As9G8FfRndokj_EkduWupyhqWulj8ny_U3tlxu8YL/s320/74-Me+and+Bhes+at+Kyanjin+Ri.jpg" title="Kyanjing Ri" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kyanjing Ri</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">28<sup>th</sup>
Sept 2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek
start : Kyanjing Gompa (3800m)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end
: Thyangsyap Village (3140m)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration
: 7.5 hrs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficuties
: Moderate<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today is
a big day! We are going to hike up to Kyanjing Ri @ 4773m, this is going to be
my record hike so far in terms of altitude. We packed up some snacks and a
bottle of water, and of course my camera, we started at 6am. The sun has risen
and brightens up the peak of Langtang Lirung, the snow peak first became orange
and slowly turn to white.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">I hiked
extremely slow, because of the altitude and lack of oxygen my heartbeat beats
faster than my breathing, every few steps I took I have to stop and breath.
Finally we got to the top after 2.5hrs, the sun has brightened up the entire
valley and mountains, we could see the entire snowcapped mountain range, and
there was not a single cloud on the air. We were the only 2 up there, we
enjoyed the moment just for ourselves. I felt like I was on the top of the
world. </span><span lang="EN-US">:-)</span><span lang="EN-US"> We
spent an hour up there before headed back down. Going down took us 1.5
hours, it was slippery on the sandy rocky slope. A walking stick is definitely helpful.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXw2caCgSjOwLXhUA7qqFwMmUJAWpRe-gFMJuQ3RCQYaspatezDZ0Adi7vq0WswwRM2iuL9DiOksCJErzIxiWGDI81UO4QgFD9mm2a1GkB5s4RP7YgVxnT9XguLi-tt0n1A7My8LRRF3y7/s1600/69-Langtang+Lirung.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXw2caCgSjOwLXhUA7qqFwMmUJAWpRe-gFMJuQ3RCQYaspatezDZ0Adi7vq0WswwRM2iuL9DiOksCJErzIxiWGDI81UO4QgFD9mm2a1GkB5s4RP7YgVxnT9XguLi-tt0n1A7My8LRRF3y7/s640/69-Langtang+Lirung.jpg" title="Langtang Lirung Peak and Glacier" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Langtang Lirung Peak and Glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRwS8o97Z44JcZ4EG8Vnylt_Ip9w5oAsHHlaTP2GBTqVmIvZmB-L9Y9-EHgGnlBcaFF8LawkpJpNcOcDPTZUi3g3hxYPcEamMYALYU8dG0o67SExKI5yNZqG52YPAnbmsYb20kFHdzHYB/s1600/71-Peaks.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="" border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRwS8o97Z44JcZ4EG8Vnylt_Ip9w5oAsHHlaTP2GBTqVmIvZmB-L9Y9-EHgGnlBcaFF8LawkpJpNcOcDPTZUi3g3hxYPcEamMYALYU8dG0o67SExKI5yNZqG52YPAnbmsYb20kFHdzHYB/s640/71-Peaks.jpg" title="Langtang Peaks" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was
almost 11am, we had our lunch and left. We planned to walk as far as we could
today. After 3.5 hours I surrendered, we stopped at Thyangsyap Village for the
night. We planned to take a different way back to Syaphrubesi tomorrow, the
path split at Rimche. We will then continue to Sherpagon for one more night
before heading back to Syaphrubesi. Bhes has not been this way, it will be his
first experience as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJYAqE5R1_-G8AG4TBE0zl2o9QsjT9z88SpVvnyl5e_MQDNTvNKAhtB1hEPHvuU40FV58vnnjmdhyDKh_riftkE67MBUUYbMNIQqB4m8VVv7-mdk4s3p8WRHWUO7zuO2a0bfFdfJJKshh/s1600/80-path.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJYAqE5R1_-G8AG4TBE0zl2o9QsjT9z88SpVvnyl5e_MQDNTvNKAhtB1hEPHvuU40FV58vnnjmdhyDKh_riftkE67MBUUYbMNIQqB4m8VVv7-mdk4s3p8WRHWUO7zuO2a0bfFdfJJKshh/s320/80-path.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">29<sup>th</sup>
Sept 2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek
start : Thyangsyap Village (3140m)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end
: Khangjim (2235m)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration
: 6.5 hrs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficuties
: Moderate<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally
I got a good sleep. The weather was not so good today, it was overcast. When we
arrived at Rimche, Bhes asked for the direction. They told us only 1.5 hrs to Sherpagon.
It was up hill from Rimche, the path was by the ridge of the rocky mountain
with amazing view. Some parts are really narrow, a bit scary for me. We arrived
at Sherpagon, a very very small village, only 4 Teahouse and maybe 10 families. I
felt I could put in more hrs of walk, the next village will be Khangjim 2 hours
away. I decided to continue. Again it is going uphill, we ascent into the pine
forest, very quiet path with no other trekkers. Only occasionally some locals. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11Pl87ZYE2mAwTmwBDchMMpBgmRniplwnpRIePpAzMvyZiU3aX713YlAK53QwPyEjWA7son9hFWYteJMYNubL8JoD4g9hNSoAGq7SCY660GTzR_A5lu3WC875Ze1i5FzVGYZJeJEzg1fZ/s1600/82-new+teahouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11Pl87ZYE2mAwTmwBDchMMpBgmRniplwnpRIePpAzMvyZiU3aX713YlAK53QwPyEjWA7son9hFWYteJMYNubL8JoD4g9hNSoAGq7SCY660GTzR_A5lu3WC875Ze1i5FzVGYZJeJEzg1fZ/s320/82-new+teahouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surka Hotel @ Khangjim</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">We were
hoping in Khangjim we will find better teahouse. As we descent, I was thinking
how much I miss a proper toilet with a proper light and flowing water in a
basin. Not long after, we saw a huge Teahouse, looks brand new. We walked
straight to it, the room was spacious with attached toilet. The toilet was just
what I missed. We took it! </span><span lang="EN-US">:-)</span><span lang="EN-US"> I felt like I have checked in to a 5 start
hotel. Maybe there is a big buffet awaits? Dream on…. Bhes came with the menu,
I wanted to have a pizza and Masala Tea, he came back and said they didn’t have
them, I can only choose from rice, noodles and normal tea. :-(</span><span lang="EN-US"> I chose a mushroom soup and fried
noodles. There was no proper dining place, Bhes asked if I want to eat in the
kitchen, I had a chance to visit the house of the owner where she is cooking,
apparently the owner is not around, the brother of the owner who runs this
place is helping up tonight. The house is really ancient, there is only one
room where they sleep, cook, sit and eat. My mushroom soup and fried noodle
turned up to be extremely salty, I could not finished half of it. Looks like they
are not prepared for the tourist yet.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4k3v4We5K-0-saGhRlPibz19MQYSVjSpCc4NeQLdFyy3xsnFXhxw77t8E6V4Z7sCZ-JQT5oXjEuU-wVdA2RuSnO5wXc1IoUZskH3v9rDqzwAseW67I9WVktADgsYchdZvNojW6UvirgCz/s1600/87-5+star+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4k3v4We5K-0-saGhRlPibz19MQYSVjSpCc4NeQLdFyy3xsnFXhxw77t8E6V4Z7sCZ-JQT5oXjEuU-wVdA2RuSnO5wXc1IoUZskH3v9rDqzwAseW67I9WVktADgsYchdZvNojW6UvirgCz/s200/87-5+star+room.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attached modern toilet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizcCkMzisuqh8PjywsMJfM-9PpOJ8RcrbITI6UBaCbBrAn48UMqQRc0AQDz8X1ysUCR2gMi4w7EiZTMJUo8h-s6V79mQ6XcrMToaxbDoj9aZnurjK2Vk0ALKc2pxvcBRH0G19941nv-TCX/s1600/86-5+star+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizcCkMzisuqh8PjywsMJfM-9PpOJ8RcrbITI6UBaCbBrAn48UMqQRc0AQDz8X1ysUCR2gMi4w7EiZTMJUo8h-s6V79mQ6XcrMToaxbDoj9aZnurjK2Vk0ALKc2pxvcBRH0G19941nv-TCX/s200/86-5+star+room.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surka Hotel room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">30<sup>th</sup>
Sept 2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek
start : Khangjim (2235m)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trek end
: Shyaphru (1460m)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duration
: 2 hrs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Difficuties
: Easy<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The
sound of the bell from the cows woke me up, I had a good sleep. It was cloudy
again. Looks like I had been lucky this time to have a clear blue sky on the
top. There is supposed to be another peak on the opposite mountain but I could
only see a little. This morning, I tried to choose something simple for my
breakfast after the disaster last night. I just ordered 2 fried eggs with
Tibetan bread and milk coffee, even so my eggs arrived almost scrambled and my
coffee only tasted milk. Bhes brought me the whole bottle of Nescafe. </span><span lang="EN-US">:-)</span><span lang="EN-US"> He also agreed with me that they
have a lot to improve on the food. High season is coming soon, they should do
something.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9OljWfMq-03Bi39i1o-9TmTNb-7RA0Z6ZqRD-JKuviHIRpmT_issJXjkpQJ15IE_b388vxZUiRZHAvWNNzCBDJF1DAZM5P-K0VKZu0jkEquBMbdAEVotwJNrVhxo95g9969n7AmDJ8ch/s1600/97-Syaprubesi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9OljWfMq-03Bi39i1o-9TmTNb-7RA0Z6ZqRD-JKuviHIRpmT_issJXjkpQJ15IE_b388vxZUiRZHAvWNNzCBDJF1DAZM5P-K0VKZu0jkEquBMbdAEVotwJNrVhxo95g9969n7AmDJ8ch/s320/97-Syaprubesi.jpg" title="Shyaprubesi" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Shyaprubesi</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The way
to Shyapru is only 2 hrs of descent, I took my time to enjoy the last bit of my
trek in Nepal. At Shyapru, we checked in to the same hotel, there was a Bakery
nearby which sells some really nice cakes, a few hotel and teahouse. We spent
the afternoon sitting in front of the hotel people watching. The 2 buses from
Kathmandu arrived and brought in more tourist. I was really not looking forward
for the bus journey back. Bhes found out that there is only 1 landslide to
cross now and we get to keep our seats. Cool!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzNdDzSpiwQjhbYz9S97dsX2dexzaOUPDxSzQb10OgoyyXBHmT0xOWXheAVoLdG46I1TRPYe6RQE-IBDB1VsLcw4zFew3T9-2Cff45SntWFsV-8mdTlThmvPUxp-10r3fyoliH6TnDbG8/s1600/100-chicken+bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzNdDzSpiwQjhbYz9S97dsX2dexzaOUPDxSzQb10OgoyyXBHmT0xOWXheAVoLdG46I1TRPYe6RQE-IBDB1VsLcw4zFew3T9-2Cff45SntWFsV-8mdTlThmvPUxp-10r3fyoliH6TnDbG8/s320/100-chicken+bus.jpg" title="Chicken bus" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SBS Chicken Bus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1<sup>st</sup>
Oct 2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We caught
the 6:30 bus to Kathmandu, we arrived to the first landslide but seems like the
rain last night has caused new landslides on the road so it is back to square one. We had
to crossed 2 landslides. First one was 45 minutes walk, 2<sup>nd</sup> one was
just 15 minutes walk. The local traffic is lesser today, we got back to
Kathmandu around 3pm. Only 9 hours. Wee! Back online! I received so many Birthday wishes on
my FB. I was the happiest gal! :-)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I took
a bed in the dormitory, sharing with 3 other Chinese from China, 2 of them
came from Lhasa for business. They took the 20 hours bus here to buy loads of
winter wool stuff for their shops. They are leaving early morning to
make it back for the long holiday crowds in China. For them it’s just like
crossing from Singapore to JB for some shopping and return. I wish I could go
to Lhasa but USD1000 for 7 days….hmmmm.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUXjGszo3QN3nLl7aSTLis5_GdOCCf7FlkJoayQmv3Uvaz5QMVvca2pudX0_yr5AieG6zVxT0ba_sbpYabLrJEGv0kZO6b7ji2-MmjMIakoHW_VtT7qgeYhyaj7ya6nEkxoDOP1faXghL/s1600/LAngtang+Valley+Trek+Profile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUXjGszo3QN3nLl7aSTLis5_GdOCCf7FlkJoayQmv3Uvaz5QMVvca2pudX0_yr5AieG6zVxT0ba_sbpYabLrJEGv0kZO6b7ji2-MmjMIakoHW_VtT7qgeYhyaj7ya6nEkxoDOP1faXghL/s400/LAngtang+Valley+Trek+Profile.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3250794611126887389.post-47291458419130811682012-10-04T22:37:00.000+08:002012-11-14T21:41:45.685+08:00Kathmandu, Nepal 20-24th Sept 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUIS-RlWhLCrybC7T9ltgk04iwOps8KVMNhwJ_X9z-WPV5ruqVDc-iAwdhdH2NH6rBVlZG4WbZrGYGGR6nI4RBzsf4E6Xoj4P-XDCYbej7TBGF60YpXpgpAHJA4GSeltWpNVxz0y2E9vE/s1600/06-stupa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUIS-RlWhLCrybC7T9ltgk04iwOps8KVMNhwJ_X9z-WPV5ruqVDc-iAwdhdH2NH6rBVlZG4WbZrGYGGR6nI4RBzsf4E6Xoj4P-XDCYbej7TBGF60YpXpgpAHJA4GSeltWpNVxz0y2E9vE/s200/06-stupa.jpg" title="Kathmandu" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back to the
dusty and noisy Kathmandu. Our Tourist bus stopped not far away from Thamel, we
could easily find our way back to the hostel. This time we went to another
hostel which is also in the quiet street of Thamel. It is much cheaper than the
previous one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZY-hGvg8iEHfNWA7iL5e6oSdS5i709S3GFAPc-j5Z0FyxKEFIUq-IdRi6eiwNcRbx0xyPrTanN9KVRVEIwvOZA70SVDju98Cj_rNezzBLRf4cRVjDZVvyonFQ8QEGIOD9RgJ76WNLhutV/s1600/01-KAthmandu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZY-hGvg8iEHfNWA7iL5e6oSdS5i709S3GFAPc-j5Z0FyxKEFIUq-IdRi6eiwNcRbx0xyPrTanN9KVRVEIwvOZA70SVDju98Cj_rNezzBLRf4cRVjDZVvyonFQ8QEGIOD9RgJ76WNLhutV/s320/01-KAthmandu.jpg" title="Kathmandu" width="240" /></a><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our plan
for these few days in Kathmandu is to visit a few famous places recommended by
our guide Keshab like the Kathmandu Durbar Square, The Boudha Temple and The
Pashupatinath Temple. Andi will do some shopping and I will have to figure out
what I want to do next.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the Kathmandu
Durbar Square is not far away from Thamel, we walked there passing streets of old
buildings and small stupas. Approaching the junction of the square, we were
stopped by a security guard, he said to us we have to buy tickets, where we
could see locals walking pass, going in and out of the square. The price for
the entrance is NRP750 = US$9. We think that is too expensive. Then we decided
to go around looking for other way to sneak in. We tried another entrance but
it was all fenced up, after trying the last entrance and failed we decided to give
it a miss.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The road
condition in Kathmandu is really bad. There isn’t any line or properly pave
road, many holes and humps. All taxi are non aircon, they don’t use meter
system so we have to agree to a price first before we jump in. Ask for 50% discount
from the price they quote if not take the next one. Public bus is impossible
for foreigner to take because the location is only written in Nepalese
language.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybUXSg1cxeYu1VmX4M-H_WZDzIwdOx_rMMQGJrlIVDOLQXbWx9uwDYLBKUxWzQYAoRnNM2AOlULK2_yAlMr5N9hVGvB8G9Y4qUK0ojpDviRYHhMfPVBhnukYATgdLQPZxMgvwMYpYG-AD/s1600/10-Boudha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybUXSg1cxeYu1VmX4M-H_WZDzIwdOx_rMMQGJrlIVDOLQXbWx9uwDYLBKUxWzQYAoRnNM2AOlULK2_yAlMr5N9hVGvB8G9Y4qUK0ojpDviRYHhMfPVBhnukYATgdLQPZxMgvwMYpYG-AD/s320/10-Boudha.jpg" title="Boudhanath" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCBAhFwMgG42alpjfXZLoGl-N7UNCaY6Phln9lABogDZqVlg4vm_RZ263Op0e9SdfwLy0yi9G5mnviXpnlnYN_xxQbEc6Yek9VAgEWom2lVFNKSRDViHHRsgXUloCB8zJSLfa9pXEdnbm/s1600/12-Boudha+square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCBAhFwMgG42alpjfXZLoGl-N7UNCaY6Phln9lABogDZqVlg4vm_RZ263Op0e9SdfwLy0yi9G5mnviXpnlnYN_xxQbEc6Yek9VAgEWom2lVFNKSRDViHHRsgXUloCB8zJSLfa9pXEdnbm/s320/12-Boudha+square.jpg" title="Boudhanath" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">We took a
taxi to Boudha also called Boudhanath. A UNESCO World heritage site since 1979.
It has been an important place of pilgrimage and meditation for Tibetan
Buddhists & local Nepalese. The big stupa in the middle stands 43m in
height and approximately 40m in diameter. It is surrounded by prayer wheels
fixed on the wall. The entrance fees are reasonable; in the surrounding of the
stupa there are many shops, cafe, restaurants and some guesthouse. We walked
clock wise around the stupa and also one round on the top. The Buddha eyes are mesmerizing! :-)</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSdLPbfT2XV3lU31x3fC1jq7iVmGvyguBkAVDZZYDdK8ReN9xLOVqRvx6dTZSwRQo-4iRL6gEiyMePF7k2H6v7Ds8IOfFXNbSHDfs8AAKIsgUggqnO3-Jwb_sHIJRNZh4kVwWj1hw2tvn/s1600/18-Pashupatinath+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15_qmIpjQDm3MtJe0igTWw29t5gfwvSXFOnFMc425aOvFuGZ7eqN-pCPHqyN-_m3WBd5oD8d9xxzkZswVoETJQHC2uzMA3M8T4g7loysaU8MiU92pNPKcqbjT0E0t3xyYDhu216nszGUq/s1600/16-Pashupatinath+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15_qmIpjQDm3MtJe0igTWw29t5gfwvSXFOnFMc425aOvFuGZ7eqN-pCPHqyN-_m3WBd5oD8d9xxzkZswVoETJQHC2uzMA3M8T4g7loysaU8MiU92pNPKcqbjT0E0t3xyYDhu216nszGUq/s200/16-Pashupatinath+Temple.jpg" title="Pashupatinath Temple" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSdLPbfT2XV3lU31x3fC1jq7iVmGvyguBkAVDZZYDdK8ReN9xLOVqRvx6dTZSwRQo-4iRL6gEiyMePF7k2H6v7Ds8IOfFXNbSHDfs8AAKIsgUggqnO3-Jwb_sHIJRNZh4kVwWj1hw2tvn/s1600/18-Pashupatinath+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSdLPbfT2XV3lU31x3fC1jq7iVmGvyguBkAVDZZYDdK8ReN9xLOVqRvx6dTZSwRQo-4iRL6gEiyMePF7k2H6v7Ds8IOfFXNbSHDfs8AAKIsgUggqnO3-Jwb_sHIJRNZh4kVwWj1hw2tvn/s200/18-Pashupatinath+Temple.jpg" title="Pashupatinath Temple" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next stop
will be the Pashupatinath Temple not far away. Pashupatinath is a Hindu temples of Lord Shiva, only born
Hindus are allowed to enter the temple premises. We are allowed to have a look
at the temple from the other bank of Bagmati river. I wasn’t prepared for what
I was going to see. The Bagmati river is used by Hindus for cremation, according
to the Nepalese Hindu tradition, the dead body must be dipped three times into
the Bagmati river before cremation. The chief mourner (usually the first son)
who lights the funeral pyre must take a holy river-water bath immediately after
cremation. Many relatives who join the funeral procession also take a bath in
the Bagmati River or sprinkle the holy water on their bodies at the end of
cremation. The Bagmati River is considered to purify the people spiritually. I
felt gross as I see the death body lying by the river bank, kids playing with
tube in the river, Hindus showering and having a head shave and 5m downstream
death body are being cremated. I wasn’t feeling good the whole time I was there,
it was an eye opening scene for me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">We shopped
around a bit and I finally sat down to make my plans. I hesitated for Africa! I
did another round of calculation, flights, excursion, visa fees, time,
etc. It is just too expensive. I might be able to sustain 1 or the most 2 months in Africa not more. I think the most important factor is I felt I had enough. After some
discussion with Andi, I finally decided to end my World Trip here! My last
target will be an 8 days trek to Langtang valley. I have just enough time to
finished that and return to Malaysia before my visa expires. :-) Yes, it's the end!</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time I
took a porter/guide since Andi is leaving and not joining me for this trek. I
figured a porter/guide will be a good company. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I took a
package with another agency. The 8D7N Langtang Valley trek cost US$400. It
includes :-</span></span></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Guide/porter.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">All
food (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Accommodation.
(Lodge)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Hot
drinks. (Tea & coffee) 3 times a days.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Land
transportation (by bus)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">TIMS
(Trekkers Information Management System)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Langtang
National park Permit.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">All
food, drinks, Lodge, salary, Insurance, Medical, Equipments, Air ticket, land
transport etc for GUIDE/PORTER.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Down
jacket,Duffel bag and Sleeping bag.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">All
taxes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Airport
transfer</span></li>
</ul>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The night
before departure I met with my porter/guide, he is a small and older looking
man. He is able to speak good English. His name is Bhes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s
finally time for Andi to leave, back to Germany to start his work. Good time
always have to end. Hopefully we will meet again soon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Accommodation<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kathmandu
HI Thamel Hostel – (<a href="http://www.youthhostel-nep.org/">www.youthhostel-nep.org</a>)
NRP600 per room/night with shared toilet, NRP700 per room/night with attached
toilet, NRP300 dormitory with attached toilet.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Transportation<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taxi to
Boudha – NRP250<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taxi from
Boudha to Pashupatinath Temple – NRP150<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taxi from Pashupatinath
Temple to Thamel – NRP200<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><span lang="EN-US">Recreation</span></u><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entrance to
Boudha – NRP150<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entrance to
Pashupatinath Temple – NRP500<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8D7N
Langtang Valley Trek – US$400 with Mountain Delights Trek & Expedition Pvt.
Ltd. (<a href="http://www.gotomountain.com/">www.gotomountain.com</a> or
<a href="http://www.trekksnepal.com/">www.trekksnepal.com</a>)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15093983143855331376noreply@blogger.com1