Nepal Trip: Bhaktapur, Patan

On the way back we stopped at another big stupa which is actually in Kathmandu city. This was the "Golden Temple", it was a very big stupa, though it didn't have the complex of other temples or the bits and pieces all around it.

Golden Temple

What it did have was a complete circle of little shops of all sorts, and the whole life of the city - people going about their business, little children playing, and so on. It was absolutely fascinating, it would have been easy to spend half a day here. We walked the whole way round, taking care not to lose our bearings, for there were entrances at each of the four points of the compass, all looking pretty much the same, and it would have been very easy to lose track of which one we had come in.

The next morning we got up at 4.30am, and left the hotel with our guide at 5.00am. It is very chilly and foggy. We are off to see the sunrise over the Himalayas.

We are told that we can't go the usual viewing point because the road has been blocked by fallen boulders. The fog is so thick we can only see a few yeards of the road ahead.

We drove for about an hour. At first there were lots of people already making for the city, carrying their wares for the various markets. We went further and further into the country, and eventually arrived at a hill which, in the dark, we climbed.

There was not a soul about now. Well, actually there was one, a man who had climbed the hill behind us, and was now squatting down, doing what people do when they first get up in the morning!

Cold and damp, so high, and so early in the morning. We had our jumpers and jackets on, but still felt chilly.

After a short time the sky started to lighten, and slowly, we began to see the outline of the snow covered mountains. And, ever so slowly, the tips of the mountain tops became tinged with pink. Then, as the sun came up, the mountains came to life, glowing like jewels in the distance.

It was very, very beautiful, and we understand we were very lucky to see it. Very few people do actually see the sunrise (NOW they tell us!!) as so often the fog doesn't lift in time. In fact the very next morning some friends who we had met in India went on the same trip and saw only fog. Apparently, the fog as we left Kathmandu was a promising sign, for when it is foggy in the valleys, it is often clear over the mountains. And vice-versa.

We were disappointed when we saw our photographs at home, and we had to remind ourselves that we were seeing the mountains at a distance of about 70 miles. It was fine to the naked eye, but there must have been a lot of haze intervening, and the conditions were not good for photography. Still the main thing was, at least we saw it. Was it worth getting up at 4.30am?? You bet it was!!

We left the hills, as most of the local village seemed to be coming up to our field for their morning loo call. I needed a loo by this time. Everybody else in Nepal seemed to be gaily squatting in the fields as we went by. "They are there in the fields every morning" our guide says, "just like mushrooms."

Our guide was a bit flummoxed by my needing a loo. We were on our way to Bhaktapur and he didn't think there was one, anywhere in Bhaktapur!! When we got there the driver made straight for one of the main squares - Nyatapola Square - and here was a rather famous coffee house, which actually had - according to him - the only loo in the town. There was one, pretty primitive, but I was glad to see it, I didn't fancy being a 'mushroom'. After an excellent coffee up on the first floor which was open on all sides, we sat and watched the town come to life. Being high up in a main square in the middle of town was a perfect place for people-watching


Bhaktapur means the "City of Devotees". Bhaktapur is about eight miles east of Kathmandu. It is an elongated city, built in the shape of a guitar. Fields fan out on all sides. The City has essentially one major street which passes through a large gate to reach the Durbar Square.

Time now to explore. What can one say of Bhaktapur?? A wonderful, enchanting experience. It was like being in a time warp. Totally medieval, one can imagine London being very like this five hundred years ago. Old buildings with all their timberwork heavily carved, almost meeting at first floor level in the narrow alleys and streets.

The shopkeepers started to open up for trade. They sit on earth floors in their tiny little open-fronted shops, plying their trades. We saw silver smiths, embroiderers,

Corn merchants, vegetable shops, fruit growers. Some of them had already walked miles into the city with their produce. There was just about every trade you could think of. We stopped and watched a man who was making bright braids for plaiting into hair. Very clever.

In the town, down a very narrow alley, was the famous Peacock Window. This window is 600 years old, and carved from a single piece of teak. The whole window consists of a carving of a peacock in full display.

Close by, we saw the priest's house, where they use an unusual in/out sign. When the priest is out of the house, a puppet is placed in the window, and when he is in, it is removed. We looked up, and sure enough, there was the puppet, and the priest was out this morning.

We remarked to our guide that the Nepalese people always looked and seemed happy. Our guide told us that even if they are sad, their religion says that it is wrong to go around spreading gloom. And if they do, they will lose some 'Brownie points' for the next incarnation. He say he sees people "with corrugated foreheads," and he thinks they are not as happy as they seem.

Back in the main square our guide obviously wasn't hurrying us along, and was quite content to let us just wander around, soaking up the ambience.

We saw a temple with large stone figures sitting on the steps which led up to the entrance. These figures depict increasing levels of power as they go up. So, wrestlers at the bottom, but the elephants above them are stronger, and the lions of the next level are stronger still. Then come a pair of gryphons, and at the top, most powerful of all, Ganesh the Elephant God.

Young children were playing happily. One little boy with a wooden bat had a flat wooden "ball" which he was tossing into the air. He was very adept at it, and concentrating hard, but when he realised that Ralph was videoing him, he went all shy and embarrassed, and dropped his ball, much to the amusement of his Dad.

All the people were going about their business. A couple of young girls doing their laundry at the public standpipe in the square. We loved this place and would love to come back one day.

On the way back to civilisation we saw Annapurna, but again, it was a long way off. The sky had cleared, and we were able to get some distant views of the high Himalayas.

Our guide told us about the way the Nepalese give offerings to their shrines. One fifth of all the wheat and rice grown in Nepal is given to the shrines as offerings. Even though the people may at times be starving, still they give all that food "to the gods". Some of it is given by the priests to the really destitute, in a sort of social service. Still it seems a rather hard discipline.

Jack Glatzer, the American violinist who we met at Delhi Airport has left a telephone message to confirm two complimentary tickets for us at his concert tonight which is at the American Clultural Centre.

After lunch we went on a tour of Patan. When we got to the city gate, which is very colourful, bedecked with large eyes and parrots, and a sign saying "wel-come."

Patan means "city of art" and it boasts the the finest wood carvers, the best bronze-casters and possibly the most talented painters in the Valley. Wood carving has been a tradition here for at least a thousand years, and probably more. Master carvers still exist, working with time honoured religious patterns handed down through the years, turning out new pieces as they sit beneath exquisite wooden relics of the past.

In the Palace Square is a tall pillar, with a statue of the King, overtopped by a cobra with a bird on its head. Local legend has it that, if the bird flies away, there will no longer be a king in Nepal.

We went into the temple where the young boys go for a month to decide if they really do want to become monks. The whole family go too, and their job is to look after the boy: he is not allowed to do anything. The courtyard of this temple is quite small and dark, but very ornate, and obviously very richly endowed. Most of the boys who come here are from the guild of goldsmiths, so it has become a very rich temple.

We walked around the outside on a raised ledge. We could have gone into the inner courtyard, but we would have had to take our shoes off. There was a statue in a glass case which was of solid gold.

In one of the old royal buildings we went in, in the middle of a rather darkish courtyard, was a huge walk-in sunken bath.

Here the King used to bathe every morning, and it took six hours! First, he had to "wash" in cow dung, then several more applications of various unspeakable concoctions, ending up with honey, and finally, water. No wonder it took six hours!! Then, naked, he sat on the sacred stone and prayed. Whilst we were being told this, a cow wandered in from the street, went through a door into one of the apartments, came out again, and started licking one of the doors. Cows are allowed to wander wherever, and do whatever they please. And they do.

We saw a little girl who was hugging a black puppy; she obviously loved it. Ralph gave her some rupees for the privilege of photographing the two of them - and thereby clearly made another life-long friend.

We wandered around the city admiring the magnificent carved work on the buildings. Our guide drew our attention to pots which are hung from some of the roof struts. These are filled with water or honey for the benefit of ancestral spirits. And the water, etc., disappears (by evaporation), thereby proving that the ancestral spirits appreciate a drink!!

From the city we went to visit some Government craft workshops. The main business here is the renovation of the city itself, replacing the decaying metalwork, and especially the magnificent carved timberwork, where it is falling into disrepair.

We were greatly impressed watching some young men doing superb paintings, highly coloured religious paintings. Some of the paint is actually metallic gold, and much of it is done with a brush of just a single hair. So intricate and delicate, quite lovely.

But what impressed us most were the wood carvers. The work these people were doing was quite breathtaking, and we were quite surprised to find that many of the carvers were women.

They were carving doors, door frames, screens and panels. Tables, chairs and bureaux, and lots more. And with what patience and skill. So far as we could judge, craftsmanship equal to the carvings from way back, all over the old town.

There was a scaled down replica of the Peacock Window, and after a lot of thought we decided to buy it. It was a sandalwoody sort of colour, and we left it to be stained and delivered to our hotel tomorrow.

We took a taxi and went to the American Cultural Centre. We enjoyed the recital no end, although by the end of the concert my eyes were starting to droop - the 4.30am start was rapidly catching up with me.

Jack explained the story and background behind each piece he played, which made it so much more interesting. And he certainly played the violin beautifully. After the concert we thanked Jack and got him to sign our programme, maybe we will see him in London one day.

When we got back to the hotel we found that our flight over Mount Everest is booked for tomorrow morning.

The following morning we again have fog in the valley early on, but it seems to clear by about 10.00am. This morning we are going on our flight over Everest. The Mountain Flight has its own check-in desk and in no time we are sitting in the small departure lounge. The flight has been delayed because of the fog.

There is lots to watch. There are lots of locals waiting to fly back to their villages. Small aircraft, mostly Islanders, are coming and going all the time. Quite an aerial bus service. There was a group of Nepalese waiting for their flight to Pokhara. One of the women had a baby in a straw cradle. When the flight was called, she slung the cradle on to her back, with a wide strap across the top of her head. It left her hands free for all the fruit and vegetable she was also carrying. They were all loaded down with goods and produce they were taking home. I don't think they can recognise excess baggage on Nepalese domestic flights!

We are finally called aboard a couple of hours later. I had a window seat. It was a very good flight. The only criticism would be that the windows were very heavily scratched, which was no help at all to photography, as we discovered when we got home.

The cabin crew were very good. We were given a chart of the mountain range, and they kept coming back and forth, pointing out where we were, and which mountain we were looking at.

It was a spectacular flight, one of those "Once in a lifetime" occasions. We flew along the mountain range. On the outward leg, the people on the port side had a good view. We had been asked to keep our seats, as everybody would in due course get their turn. Then the plane was turned around, and on the return leg, those of us on the right hand side got the view.

What surprised me most was that I had expected Everest to tower above everything, and it is only slightly higher than the other mountains all around. In fact, if the cabin crew hadn't pointed out which was Everest, I wouldn't have known.

It was all very impressive, and good to know we had flown alongside and seen the highest mountain in the world. The tops of the mountains were all snow and ice, but the valleys are black rock at this time of year.

Our last morning in Kathmandu. We took a taxi down to New Road. We ambled around the old town, in and out of the squares, and up and down the narrow streets. I was sure we would get lost, but it was good to be free of guides and on our own, for once.

Time to leave for the airport. We have enjoyed Nepal. The people are friendly, they smile a lot. And the towns are so much cleaner than in India, in fact the whole country smells clean, even the back streets. Even though they are mostly dirt streets. And even though there are no loos!!

We are aware of political tensions here. Our guide told us, and we have read of it in the local papers, that there is a strong pressure group working for "democracy" and to limit the power of the King.

As we drove to the airport our courier told us about the unrest in Nepal. They are worried that serious trouble may start tomorrow, and "Kathmandu will not be a good place to be." Both the courier and the driver were obviously worried. People, it seems, are already trying to get early flights out of the country.

The King is due to open the new airport building officially tomorrow, so there are flags and bunting everywhere. Security has been tightened up, and our courier wasn't allowed into the airport building with us.

As we went through into the departure lounge we discovered Jack Glatzer, our violinist. He had been at the airport all day, they had cancelled his flight this morning and he was concerned because a lot of people are trying to leave Nepal before the trouble which is expected to start tomorrow. Certainly, the locals are nervous!

Our visit to Nepal was in 2002. I do hope that it hasn't been spoiled. It is such a beautiful country. If anybody has been to visit Nepal lately, I would very much like to hear from you.

Nepal Trip: Kumari, The Living Goddess

The views as we flew into Kathmandu were lovely - the late evening sun low across the Himalayan mountains, shining on the big, fluffy clouds, made our entry into Nepal very memorable.

The first thing that hit me as soon as we got out of the aircraft was the clean, fresh smell of the mountains. After India it was a real breath of fresh air. I noticed, on the side of our plane was the word 'Yeti'. I asked if I could photograph it. I got permission with a smile.

In the airport building we are greeted with smiles all round. The man checking our passport said to me "You remember the war?". I told him I was too little then. He then saw Ralph's date of birth and said "YOU remember big war!?" Ralph said that he did, and all was big smiles. "You come from England - very good place." We felt really welcome.

Our porter walked to the head of the queue, and put our cases up. "English," he said, pointing at the passports. Cases chalked, video camera checked, and we were away.

We were met by a lady who welcomed us with garlands of flowers. I think we are going to like Nepal. We arrived at our hotel 'Himalaya'. After dinner we watched a cultural show which was very funny, especially the yeti dance.

The next morning I threw back the curtains to get my first good view of the Himalayas. FOG!! We couldn't even see to the end of the hotel grounds.

Nepal is the only Hindu kingdom in the world, lying on the southern slopes of the Himalayas between India and Tibet. It is quite a little kingdom - about 500 miles east to west, and varying from 80 to 150 miles, north to south .

After breakfast we set off with our guide to explore the old parts of the city which are quite enchanting. Tiny streets, temples and palaces. Hundreds of little shops, and the traders are not pushy as they were in India.

Old Kathmandu was built for people - not vehicles. Even cycle rickshaws barely negotiate the throngs of shoppers and residents. The narrow streets have venerable houses crowding in on both sides, the buildings stacked one beside the other. Many residences possess intricately carved widow frames, some now splitting with age and decay.

We entered Asan Tol, one of the busiest markets in Kathmandu. There were lots of people bargaining and selling. The babel of tongues is joined by the ringing of bells, the quarreling of dogs, the chanting of prayers, the advertising of herbal medicines, and above it all, the twittering of swallows and swifts as they dart to nests beneath the eaves of the houses.

We entered a sturdy building through a low passage guarded on both sides by large stone lions. We found ourselves in a small courtyard overlooked by massive and elaborately carved window frames. This is where Kumari - the living goddess - lives. The Kumari is selected by the priests as a young child from the community of the Sakya (goldsmith) clan, and reigns until puberty. She is designated a living goddess, and is recognised by all the different religions in their different ways, and worshipped even by the king. She has to stay confined to her palace, and can only leave it on special religious occasions. The priests have ways and means of delaying puberty, and often a Kumari is into her twenties before it occurs - sometimes even keeping her "baby" teeth until that time.

Many stories circulate about how she came to be venerated, a popular version goes: "Once upon a time, the beautiful goddess Taleju, the protective deity of the royal family, was playing cards and dice with the king. Beside himself with her beauty, the king tried to touch the goddess, whereupon she vanished from sight. But not wishing to leave the kingdom unprotected, the goddess indicated that she would return in the form of a virgin who must be worshiped as if she were the goddess herself".

Kumari will come to the window if called, and she appeared twice when we were standing in the courtyard. She is always dressed in red, and she looked a very spoilt and petulant young lady. But who could wonder at that?

When she matures, the unfortunate girl is replaced by a new selection, and goes back to live in her original village. No longer a goddess, but obviously not capable of returning to the life of an ordinary citizen. She very rarely marries, as potential suitors are scared off. It seemed to us a pretty dreadful fate for a young girl to be taken from her home so young, and to have to lead such a life.

Wandering on through Durbar Square, our guide introduced us to "My friend, who is very good at palmistry." So, sitting on the steps of a temple, in the middle of Kathmandu, we both had our palms read. My health is fine. Money will never be a problem. I will travel a lot up to the age of 65. I should write - I could make money writing. And if I write, I should wear my birthstone - a ruby - on my right hand. I am strong-willed (has he been talking to Ralph?) and if I want something, it is in my power to get it. My lucky number is 4, and lucky days are Monday and Tuesday. He told me other things, but I can't remember it all.

Then came Ralph's turn. He wasn't overly keen, but I convinced him. I got most of Ralph's "fortune telling" on the video. He did mention a heart problem - which is OK now. He shouldn't drink too much - but it is OK to drink on Fridays! He would be lucky if he gambled, but he shouldn't bet - not sure where the fine distinction lies! Money comes easily. And goes easily. His lucky number is 1. He also told Ralph that he could write, and dammit! that he could write better than me!! Well, I suppose he couldn't get everything right!

Anyway it was great fun, and we collected quite a crowd of spectators. The man reading our palms got quite worried when the crowd closed in - I think it spoilt his concentration.

Kathmandu is a remarkable city, though it is nothing like any other 'city' I have ever been in. You can wander around, feeling quite safe and unthreatened. There were children playing hopscotch on the pavement. The people seemed so happy, everywhere was so clean. The streets in places are very narrow, and the houses heavily and beautifully carved.

We went into Kasthamandap Temple, which is where Kathmandu derives its name. Kathmandu is a combination of two words: 'kath' (wood) and 'mandu' (temple). This temple was built entirely from the timber of a single tree. It's hard to believe when you see it and it measures about thirty feet square, and though it is open on all sides, it's a solid two-storey building - so it must have been some tree!! The building stands three tiers high, with much of the superstructure weight resting on four massive wooden columns. The core of the tree stands as a pillar in the middle of the temple; If you have any aches or pains, you rub the affected part on this pillar, and all will be well. Our guide told us he had tennis elbow not long ago, and the doctors couldn't seem to cure it. He came every day for two weeks, and rubbed his elbow on the pillar. And it got better. His story, not mine. And he does have a very tongue-in-cheek dry sense of humour. Anyway I rubbed my neck on it, but suspected I would need to do this for a couple of weeks. The wood is worn very smooth where people come to rub their painful parts against it.

There was a sweet little girl here, who went into the shrine in the temple for a dab of red pigment which she put on our foreheads. The sign is known as "tika" and it is a gesture of welcome from the god.

Kathmandu is a valley of bells. Bells peal deeply in distant temple grounds. Large bells - rarely plain, most are elaborate affairs and some are intricately engraved. There is a continuous sound of bells - many of the temples are hung with bells, and it is a mark of respect to the deity to give a ring in passing. We gave one for our friend Ganesh, the elephant god who we came across in India. Ganesh is also much in evidence here, too.

We saw a window that in 1989 was being cleaned by a team of Germans, and only then it was discovered that the central section was of solid gold, and the sections of either side were of solid ivory. One wonders how many more things of this sort might be laying undiscovered in a place like this.

Our next stop was to see Swayambhunath Temple - the oldest Buddhist shrine amongst many in the Kathmandu Valley. Leaving our car halfway up the hill we climbed past painted images of Buddhas, various peddlers and craftsmen. We watched several who were carving prayer stones. People buy them and then take them to the temples and shrines as offerings.

We walked right roung the stupa. There were a number of other temples, Hindu as well as Buddhist, in fact, there was quite a community up there.

There are prayer wheels mounted all around the base of the stupa, and people were constantly going round, spinning them. There are 211 prayer wheels that encircle the white dome at shoulder height. These Tibetan Buddhist instruments hold the sacred mantra and other prayers, they become activated with a clockwise motion (with each revolution, prayers are stored in heaven on the supplicant's behalf). We saw quite a number of boy trainee monks.

Two hundred feet above the Valley floor is dominated by the main Swayambhu Stupa, its white dome and gilded tower, all flag-bedecked, and the "pairs of eyes" of the prophet gazing in all directions (one pair for each compass point). They are painted in orange, white, blue and black. Between each set of eyes, in the position of a nose, is a figure resembling a question mark, which represents the Vedic symbol for the number "1" - the figure signifying Buddha's primacy among the gods, and the eyes his eternal watchfulness over his followers. This site has traditionally been held sacred for over twenty centuries. We are surrounded by numerous shrines, idols, curio shops and an active monastery, the entire area bustling with local people. There was a feeling of friendly peace up there, we would have liked to stay longer.

After lunch we went to a wildlife park where we met our elephant, and climbed aboard. We plodded up through the woods. The sunlight was filtering through the trees. It was very peaceful, and very beautiful. Our elephant plodded on up some very steep and narrow paths that you could never have got a Landrover up, and had us holding our breath. He seemed to go very slowly, carefully picking where to put his feet down securely, aided by the mahout. But he covered the ground very well, all the same. It was great fun, just being up on top of the elephant.

About halfway round the ride, high up in the woods, I noticed that we were silhouetted against the hillside - all three of us and the elephant. I asked the mahout to stop, so that I could photograph the silhouetted shadow, which I did.

The mahout commanded the elephant to go down on its knees, then he jumped off, took my camera, and took some photographs of Ralph and me on top of the elephant. Then, to my horror, he commanded the elephant to stand up!! So there we were, up on high, with our mahout down on the ground.

The funny thing was that I had been reading a book on tiger hunting the night before, and I had just read a chapter about:

"If your mahout should have an accident, or get killed!! here are a
few commands you will find useful."

There was I, frantically trying to remember some of the commands. All that would come to mind was "How to get your elephant to salute." Why one should be concerned about getting the elephant to salute when one's mahout had just been killed, I couldn't quite figure. I wondered if any of my dog training commands would help.

Well, I needn't have worried. At a command, the elephant put down his trunk, and the mahout climbed up it - strap-hanging on the ears, while the elephant raised his trunk and deposited the mahout back on the top of his head, where he belonged.

We ambled back to the centre. When we got there we asked the mahout to do his trunk climbing act again so I could photograph it, which he duly did.

It had been a perfect afternoon, perfect weather, beautiful countryside, a super elephant, and a mahout with a wicked sense of humour!

Nepal: The Himalayan Kingdom

The Himalayan kingdom of Nepal is located between India in the south and Tibetan Autonomous Region of China in the north. At latitudes 26 to 30 degrees north and longitudes 80 to 88 degrees east, Nepal is topographically divided into three regions: the Himalaya in the north, the foot hills consisting of the Mahabharat range and the Churia range, and the Terai to the south. The highest point is Mount Everest (8848m) in the north and the lowest point (70 meters above sea level) is at Kechana Kalan of Jhapa District.

Altitude increases as you travel south to north. In the high Himalayan regions of the north, the temperatures sometimes reach below -40 degrees Celsius. In the Terai, temperatures rise to 40 degrees Celsius in the summer. June through September brings the monsoon season, when trails may turn into rivers and waterfalls.

The Himalayan ranges make up the northern border of the country and represents about 16% of the total land area of Nepal. Eight out of ten most famous peaks are found here all rising above 8,000 meters. They are Mt. Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu, Cho Oyu, and Lhotse Shar. Sparse vegetation of various species is found up to 4,500 m. Some of Nepal's most beautiful mountains, animals and plants are also found here. Most people in this region raise live-stocks such as Yaks, Naks, sheep and goat as the main economic source. The high mountain region is the source of potato, radish and vegetable farming and of Nepal's famous Yak cheese. Many people work as guides and porters on the trails and much of the remaining regional economy is based on trade with Tibet/China.

The hill region represents about 65% of the total land area of the country. Elevations range from about 500 to 3,000 meters above sea level. Nepal's capital city, Kathmandu is located here at an elevation of 4,400 ft. At some locations during summer the temperature reaches an average of 32 degrees Celsius. Winter temperatures sometimes reach -1 degree Celsius. The eastern hills receive higher annual rainfall than the western hills. This is because of monsoon clouds influenced by jet streams on the Tibetan Plateau and the Bay of Bengal. The western hills are more arid and depend on glacier melt from the Himalayan peaks. The fauna here includes the barking deer, ghorals, Himalayan black bear, fox, jackal, spotted leopard, and flying squirrel and over four hundred different bird species. However, these are not the only wild animals seen here. There are many other species yet to mention. The hilly region is popular for over four hundred different species of birds. The majority of the hill people are farmers, but the growing tourism industry provides much needed income.In fact, from this region many have made tourism business their main employment.

The Terai covers about 17% of the total land area of Nepal. The average elevation of these flatlands is approximately 100 to 300 meters above sea level. Sub-tropical forest areas and marshes cover much of the area and are home to Nepal's most famous lowland wildlife: the Royal Bengal tiger, one horned rhinoceros and the ghavial crocodile.

The Terai is the main source of hardwood lumber for metropolitan areas. Being mostly flat lowland, it's easily developed for farming in addition to its abundance in forest resources. The eradication of the Malaria in the 1960's escalated the migration of people to the Terai in search of better farmland. Currently, about 48% of Nepal's total population occupies this region. But not everyone living in the Terai has migrated from elsewhere. The malaria immune Tharus are the original inhabitants. The region enjoys easy access to major roads within Nepal and is a commercial link to the metropolitan hubs of neighboring India. Hence, the Terai is experiencing fast growing industrial developments in towns like Bhairawa, Butwal, Birgunj, Janakpur and Biratnagar.

The ancient cultural landscapes are as diverse as the spectacular landscapes you will encounter. In Kathmandu Valley alone, there are seven 'World Heritage Sites' designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Religion, art, music, dance, social and socio-religious festivals are perhaps the most exquisite expressions of Nepal. The ancient cultural landscapes-Shrines, pagodas, intricate wood carvings, bronze and stone images all embody the national character. The natural beauty of the majestic Himalayas, rich cultural heritage and the diversity of sights, sound and other adventure opportunities, makes Nepal one of the most motivating and fascinating travel destinations in the world!

The ways of Kathmandu, Nepal

Day 1 Departure from Paris

Cancellation of the flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines due to the mist, postponed to the next day. We are six persons, the usual quatuor (Jacques, Nathalie, Christian and Alain) plus Fred, the young brother of Nathalie and Delphine the girlfriend of Fred.


Day 2 Flight from Paris to Kathmandu through Dacca

Flight is delayed a couple hours, arrival at Dhaka, Bangladesh at 06h00 in the morning. We spend seven boring hours in the dirty waiting room. Arrival at Kathmandu at 13h00. We take 2 taxis to Thamel. We choose Marco Polo guesthouse near immigration office. Double beds chamber with shower at $6 and $8. First contact with the busy streets of the city. Rickshaws, bicycles, cars, scooters, traffic jam is on the way, many colours and smells. We take contact with several travel agencies for a tour in Bardia national park in the Téraï.


Day 3 Kathmandu

The streets of Kathmandu are full of tiny statues of god especially Ganesh (the god with the elephant head). During the morning we visit of Durbar Square, a large plaza full of Hinduism temples. Foggy weather. Animal inhabits also this place, holy cow, monkeys, dogs and birds. An impressive long beard sadhu blesses Alain with a red mark on his face called "tika". Today it is the day of Hanuman (the monkey god). Nice statues of Ganesh, Garuda, and Hanuman. The most representative temples are theses of Krishna, Vishnu and Taleju. Temples are made in red bricks, the number of roof varies from one to seven. At noon we draw cash nepali's rupee at Grindlay bank and eat a curry in a small shop.

In the afternoon we visit of the hill of Swayambunath, 3 km outside the city. Sunny weather. On the hill's top, a huge stupa look after the valley. A stupa is a kind of cairn, on the summit of which are painted the eyes of Buddha. We feel a great atmosphere of peace among theses Buddhist monks with red dresses. Some funny monkeys play all over the monument. Fine view of Kathmandu.

Evening shopping inside Thamel. The streets are overcrowded. It's full of people asking if we want rickshaw, change, or hashish! Finally we choose Sunny river adventure for a 3 days tour in Teraï. We clinch the deal for $500 for all, including the flight to Nepalgunj.

Day 4 Kathmandu valley’s holy places

Visit of Pashupatinath, on the banks of Bagmati river. Holy place for Hindu. Sanctuary of Shiva. A lot of Nandi statues. Near the river stand the gaths where the body of dead are burned, ashes follow the flood until the holy Gange. Sadhu who propose us to lift a 50 kg stone with his sex!

Afternoon we walk to Bodnath, the biggest stupa of the valley, 40m high. Praying rolls all around the monument. The coloured praying flags float in the air. It is said that the wind read these prays. Noisy Buddhist ceremony with a huge olifant. Bodnath is located among a Tibetan district. Most of them are political refugees. May be Tibet free again.

Our flight to Nepalgunj is cancelled because of mist. We celebrate Delphine's birthday in an Austrian restaurant, her boyfriend, Fred brought champagne from France!

Day 5 Kathmandu-Bardia

The flight to Nepalgunj is cancelled again. We decide to save time and money. We hire a van and a driver. Very long way, 550km on uncomfortable roads. We leave Kathmandu at 16h00. The road belongs to huge coloured Tata trucks and old overcrowded buses. The driver listens Indian music, especially the song "Shankita". We spend a short night inside the car.

Day 6 Bardia national park

We arrived at Bardia at 12h00 after a trip of 17h. We are tired but satisfied. We met our guides from Rhino Lodge : Ram Shahi and Ram. Walk inside the park. Bardia is in the Teraï a lowland close to Indian border. The park is located in the western part of Nepal. Fauna and flora are similar to Chitwan National Park, however Bardia is far less visited. Fauna includes about 60 one horned rhinos, 7 elephants, 50 tigers and even some rare Ganges dolphins. We are stressed because at foot we are subject to dangerous encounters. We walk among clear forest, high grass savannah. We see axis deer, blue bulls and peacocks. We spend 30m to spot the river, unfortunately no dolphin at all. On the way back, many fresh footprints of tiger make us feel a little bit scared.

Day 7 Bardia national park

We rent 3 elephants for 650 rupees each. All elephants are old females (one is 98's years old). We ride about 2h. Elephant back safari is a very exciting experience. We feel safe on such big animals. We see axis deer, monkeys.

Afternoon we trek inside the park again. We climb into a tree near the river to wait for rhino. Where are there? We spot axis deer, monkey, and vulture. Walk into a nice sal forest where we see otter and pheasants.
During the evening we entertain with a lovely Tharu traditional dance.

Day 8 Bardia national park

Visit of the tharu village near the lodge. Smiling childrens, clean huts, life seems to be quite. The classroom is an open place under a tree. Water buffaloes take bath in an ingenious network of small water canals.

Again we take elephants for a final ride. Ram want to show us rhinos, he decide to chose an other place. Christian sees an orange flash among the long grass, a tiger? We hear a deep sound, Ram say it is a rhino.

We enter into a fierce bush; elephant are obliged to break a tree to go away. Finally we are in front of a huge rhino. It 's a male, he is very close from us, elephants are nervous. Behind, a noisy female crosses the no man's land. It is an unforgettable moment; we can hear the breathing of the monster. On the way back we see 2 vultures on a tree and an enormous snake, a python. We feel like characters of the "Book of the jungle" from Kipling. We congratulate both Ram for their marvellous tracking job.

Transfer to Pokhara with the same car and driver than previously. We sleep in a nasty hotel near Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha.

Day 9 Pokhara

We arrive at Pokhara at 12h00. Impressive view of Machapuchare (6997m high) the holy mountain, and lake Phewa. The summit of the peak looks like a fish tail. We go to Baba lodge from $8 per chamber (very comfortable room with hot shower and TV). Our goal is to do the trek of the Annapurnas Base camp (A.B.C) at 4000 m of altitude. The Tridevi trek agency provides us the trekking permits, a guide and one porter.

Day 10 Pokhara –Birethenti- Gandhrung

We drive to Birethenti, 40 km from Pokhara, the starting point of the trek. Our guide belongs to Brahman, the highest cast in India. His name is Chakra Pani, the porter’s one is Hostha. We stamp our trekking permits at the checkpoint. The high is around 1200 m. The climb to Gandhrung is tuff, it takes 4 h to climb the huge stairs. Altitude is now over 2000 m. We sleep to Trekker Inn Hotel voted the lodge of the year 95,96,97. It is a pleasure to hike without cooking and bringing the tent.

Day 11 Ghandrung- Chomrong
Fine scenery and wonderful view on the Machapuchare (6977m), South Annapurna (7273m) and Hiunchuli (6441). This is country is inhabited by the gurungs. The road goes up and down crossing several valleys. We lost 2h1/2 waiting for a long meal. Chomrong (2400m) is our next step. Fine weather, mist on evening. We stay at Lucky guesthouse. This is the New Year’s celebration. Jacques brought special " foie gras " from France for the diner.

Day 12 Chomrong-Himalaya hotel

Long stairs to go down. We cross a noisy orchestra going to a wedding. Up through a bamboo forest. The way is muddy at moment. Arrival at Himalaya hotel (2850m). During the night a noisy mouse enter into Fred and Delphine's room, looking for food.

River Rafting In Nepal: River Permit Required

River rafting is journeying on the torrential river on an inflatable rubber boat. A river trip is often an adventure but not always. An amateur with a little sense of adventure can equally enjoy it. A river trip also provides opportunity for geological surveys and fishing. You are provided with whitewater life-vest to put on all the time while on the river. You are also provided with a helmet. A trained professional river guide heads the rafting team. Normally, all camping equipment and meals are provided by the river outfitter. In a country like Nepal, a river trip is one of the best ways to explore a typical cross section of the country's natural as well as ethno-cultural heritage. The river is regarded as a form of goddess and used for the purpose of various religious rituals such as cremation under both Hinduism and Buddhism. A variety of cultural activities can be witnessed being performed along the river. The adjoining slopes of the river often harbor dense vegetations and interesting wildlife. Several varieties of fishes also abound the Nepalese rivers.


River Rafting In Nepal.


Nepal's River System:

Nepalese rivers can be grouped into three categories on the basis of their origin:
1) Antecedent to Himalaya
2) After the Mahabharat, and
3) After the Churia range

River Permit Required:

A foreigner must obtain a permit before going on a river trip. A fee must be deposited at the Nepal Rastra Bank, Thapathali, Kathmandu, A copy of documents must be submitted to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Mountaineering section located at Singha Durbar. This process could be completed through your rafting agent.

Arranging a River Trip:

There are rafting agents and river outfitters who operate river trips in Nepal. These outfitters could be approached in two ways; one way is through your local agent and the other is to make a direct contact with any of the outfitters after your arrival in Kathmandu.

If you have package tour, which does not include a river trip, you can still book one after your arrival in Nepal.

The river outfitter normally provides you with an inclusive trip which includes river permit fee, all meals during the trip, all river equipment (such as inflatable rubber raft, life-vest, helmet, water proof camera container, waterproof day bag) both way transportation, all the camping equipment such as tent, sleeping bag, mattresses, and so on.

Help Clean the River and Beaches:

Growth in the number of rafters over the years has put some strain on the environment of the rivers and beaches. A little thought and action is required to conserve the river environment. The river outfitters and the rafters can play a role in the conservation by burning down such items as toilet paper, left over foods etc. Undisposable items such as tin cans, bottles, could be handed out to the local villagers who could use them for their domestic purpose. While digging a toilet pit, make sure that it is a deep enough. Please do to throw any thing in the river. If you care the river, it will be with you forever nice and clean.

Trekking In Nepal: Selecting the Right Trek and Equipment, Itinerary

A trek in Nepal is a unique and unforgettable experience for a whole lot of reasons. Trekking in Nepal is a special and rewarding mountain holiday. In fact, it is usually a thoroughly memorable and positive experience. Eight out of ten highest mountains in the world are in Nepal like Mt. Everest (8848m), Mt. Kanchangunga (8598m), Mt. Lhotse (8501m), Mt. Makalu (8475m) etc, and if you want to see these for close up you must walk. While trekking you see far more than the mountains- you can walk from the tropical lowlands to alpine meadows and glacial moraines while in the spring Nepal's brilliant rhododendron will be in bloom and you may see rare species of birds. Not only is scenery interesting and ever changing but also it can be seen in relative safety. Theft, robbery, assault all the problems of western civilization and many Asian countries are still relatively unknown in Nepal. Nepal is a country of contrasts and this extends to the people as well as landscape. Trekkers pass through picturesque villages inhabited by Sherpas, Magars, Gurungs and Tamangs in the highlands and Brahmins, Chhetris and Newars in the lower altitudes. These are among the many ethnic groups that exist in Nepal.

Nepalese cultures respect Natural features:

• Respect religious sites by passing them clockwise. Never take cultural objects from shrines, homes or the trailside.
  
• In Buddhist Gompas, take off your shoes and hats. Ask before taking pictures inside. Never smoke in temples. Donation is used to maintain the temples.
  
• Be modest while bathing; never be nude
  
• Respect individuals' privacy when taking photos.
  

Trekkers are always impressed be the friendliness of the people they meet along the local trails, which are in constant use and humming with activity. This is a totally different experience from hiking along the often-uninhabited trails in the US rockies, European Alps or Australian Bushlands. There was a time till the seventies when no household in a village would turn away a weary traveller arriving late in the evening . There are still possibilities of staying in Nepali homes -especially along the less frequented trails. A trek can last half a day or over a month. A short walk up to Nagarkot to see the sunrise takes three to four hours from Bhaktapur While the walk to Everest Base Camp will take atleast two weeks. Make sure you enjoy walking before setting out on a long trek. Trekking is not mountaineering but it is as well to remember that the Himalayas begin where other mountains finish. An average trek will oscillate between 1000 meters and 3000 meters but the trek to Everest Base Camp will reach 5545 meters. Most of the times you will remain within the altitude range 1500 to 2000 meters. It is important to remember that 4000 meters in Nepal is not the same as in Europe or North America as the country is much closer to the Equator.


A day On the Trail:

Trekking usually consists of a series of ascents and descents walking five or six hours in a day. To ensure good acclimatization in high altitudes it is wise to halt for the night at a lower level than the high point reached during the day. A long mid-day meal stops are usually made and the night can be spent in village tea shop, camp or one of many lodges which have opened along more popular trails depending on whether you are on your own or with an organized trekking agency.

When to Trek:

The best trekking season is in October and November just after the monsoon: visibility will be clear and h weather mild. March and April is the next best season and has the added bonus of the rhodendrodons and other flowers. Trekking can be done during December, January and February but it can get very cold particularly at night at higher altitudes. April and May are good months for high altitude treks. Trekking is not advisable between mid - June and early September when the monsoon rains make the trail slippery and leeches come out to make walking measurable. Some travellers do trek it even at this season. During monsoon, it does not mean that it will rain everyday. Besides, some of the most frequented trails will not be crowded and some people like it that way. It can actually be enjoyed in the upper part of the Annapurna Circuit around Marfa, Jomsom and Muktinath as the monsoon does not get in this trans-himalayan area.

If you are with an organized trekking group, everything is taken care of you and you'll sleep mainly in tents set up by the porters. On the other hand, if you are trekking independently, you stay either in teahouses, lodges and sometimes in private homes in the villages.

Equipment:

If you do not already have good equipment, it can be bought and rented from trekking shops in Nepal. The equipment is often top quality. There are many trekking shops so it can be easily rented the trekking equipment. But if you go through some trekking agencies, you needn't worry about it because all the equipment will be provided by such agencies.

The excluding things when you go through trekking agencies are:
Medicine Personal expenditures like - beers, chocolates, cigarettes, sleeping bags.
Tips.

Selecting the right trek:

If you had couple of weeks time and wanted to trek in Nepal, which trek would you select? It all depends on what you're looking for and your budget. Some off the beaten track treks such as Kanchenjunga or Dolpa are only open to organized trekking which means expensive trekking. Some recently open treks to Mustang are even more expensive as trekking permit fee is higher.

It also depends on your physical fitness. While some of the shorter treks and those around Pokhara are relatively easy, there are many, which could be very strenuous. Along some trekking trails, you have to cross passed above 5000 meters.

If you are liking for diversity in both landscape and people the best trek is Annapurna Circuit or parts of it such as Pokhara-Jomsom or Pokhara-Ghandruk-Ghorepani. It is also relatively easy unless you go to Manang and cross the Thorungla Pass. You can also have apple pie and beat on the trek. If you continue to manang across the main Himalayas you will also walk through the Tibetan culture milieu which is also briefly visible at Kagbeni and Muktinath.

The Everest Trek, well known because of the name Everest gives you a chance of viewing the highest mountains and essentially one ethnic group of Nepal - The sherpas - specially if you fly to Lukla and a trek from there. You'll actually be flying high and staying high. There will be less variety of foods compared to Annapurna area. Unlike in Annapurna circuit, where you'll be going around the peaks and be in Tibetan plateau, you'll remain on the southern slope of he main Himalayan Range.

Langtang and Helambu situated just north of Kathmandu are easily accessible from Kathmandu. The views of the Himalayan Peaks from Langtang are also excellent. However, you will remain in he southern side of the Himalayas unlike in the Annapurna Circuit of Dolpa. The recently opened treks to Kanchenjunga, Dolpa and Mustang are not easy ones and he food is not easily available along the trail. This is perhaps one of the reasons why traveling independently is not allowed at this time. There are also more rewarding. Few westerns have visited these places.

Trekking Itinerary Short And Easy Treks: Duration Altitude Varies. 1. Doing the Khumbu 10 Days 2650m - 3875m 2. Pokhara to Ghandrung 8 Days 850m - 1950m 3. North Bound Helambu via Panchkhal 8 Days 848m - 2450m 4. Dhampus and Naudanda 5 Days 850m - 1800m 5. Machhapuchre Trek 8 Days 850m - 3682m Stretch Treks: Duration Altitude Varies. 1. Everest Base Camp Trek 15 days 2250m - 4930m 2. Langtang And Gosainkunda Lakes 14 days 1970m - 4300m 3. Annapurna Santuary 15 days 850m - 3690m 4. The Lake: Rara Jumla 13 days 2434m - 3100m 5. Jomsom to Muktinath 14 days 850m - 3802m 6. Gorepani : Poon Hill Trek 11 days 850m - 2823m 7. Mystery Mustang Trek 14 days 2713m - 3722m Strenuous Treks: Duration Altitude Varies. 01. Around Everest: a. KTM / Jiri - Classical Everest Trek 23 days 2650m - 4930m b. Gokyo and Everest - Chola Pass Trek 21 days 02. Around Annapurna : Throngla 23 days 03. Exploring Dhaulagiri 21 days 850m - 5240m 04. Around Manasulu 24 days 490m - 5220m 05. Kanchenjunga Trek 23 days 06. Makalu Base Camp 19 days 07. Mustang Exploration 22 days 850m - 3820m 08. Ganesh Himal Trek 19 days 09. Rupi Nala Trek 20 days 10. Discovering Dolpa 26 days 850m - 4230m

Hiking in Nepal: Annapurna, Dhampus, Pothana, Deurali, Ghandruk, Kmrong Pana, Chomrong, Kulditigar (Part XI)

Thursday, March 28

We went to breakfast at the Rum Doodle and had a feast of eggs, apple pancakes, omelets, and toast. Then we met our city guide for a half day tour of the city. We visited Patan, the arts & crafts factories, the Tibetan refugee camp, and Swayambhunath - the Monkey Temple.


Patan is the oldest of the three city states that comprise the Kathmandu Valley, with buildings tracing back to the 3rd century. We walked along Durbar square and visited the Royal Palace, Krishna Mandir Temple, Vishawanth Temple, and the Golden Temple. Being the 3rd day of a religious festival in Nepal, many Hindus were still celebrating and providing offerings to the gods.

At the arts & crafts center we watched people create metal work, wood work, and rugs. The work is very labor intensive, with everything done by hand. There were lots of people lined up on the floors of the "factories" creating individual pieces. The women at the rug factory were delighted to see Sean and wanted him to visit their work areas. One woman gave him a piece of wool before she spun it into yarn. A salesman showed how the Nepalese rugs changed colors when you turned the rug around changing the nap. Sean was fascinated with the "magic carpets".

We also stopped at the Tibetan refugee camp to see their handi-work with carpets. The saleswoman spoke very good English and repeatedly told Sean to stop eating chocolate and candy. She felt he was too skinny and needed to bulk up on potatoes and rice, instead of food that was not good for him.

Finally we went to Swayambhunath, better known as the Monkey Temple. This temple was over 2,000 years old. A Stupa also occupied a spot at the top of this hill overlooking the city of Kathmandu. Monkeys roamed freely, pilfering the food offered to the gods.

After our tour we ate lunch at a Mexican cafe and searched for miniature wooden chess sets. We also purchased more T-shirts (a "yak yak yak" one for Sean), a hat for Sean, string bracelets for Sean and his friends, and fruit.

Balaram came to our hotel to visit Sean while he was napping. We woke him up and Sean was happy to see his friend again. After a short visit Sean fell fast asleep again. Natang took us out to dinner at a nearby hotel. I had buffalo fried rice, Sean had fish & chips, and Bill had chicken. Sean enjoyed watching the men play pool.

Bill was not feeling well - his cold got worse and his digestive system was under attack. He developed a fever and didn't sleep well. Sean had no trouble sleeping his last night in Kathmandu.


Friday, March 29

Natang told us last night that breakfast was provided by the hotel, so we decided to try it. We had eggs cooked any way we wished, potatoes, toast, cereal, and bacon. After breakfast we headed to Durbar Square for the last time. Gene opted to stay near the hotel, since he had enough of the local culture. We did not get harassed much by the street vendors wandering around. But we did get approached by several guides willing to take us back into the mountains. We returned to the hotel via rickshaw and mailed several postcards to ourselves from the photography store across the street. The postcards never arrived.

Natang picked us up at 11:30 AM for our trip to the airport. Natang will be visiting his sponsor in Portland in May. He plans to stay in the states with his wife for 6 months and wants to visit the East coast. We told him to look us up if he comes our way! He and his assistants made our trip the huge success it was, by expertly coordinating all our travel arrangements, preparing delicious and sanitary meals, explaining the history and culture of Nepal, protecting our welfare, and attending to our every need.

We boarded our flight to Bangkok and arrived in Thailand at 6:30 PM. We spent the evening in the Amari Airport Hotel, preparing for the long journey home.


Saturday, March 30

What a long day! In fact, this day was actually 2 days in one. Our flight left Bangkok at 7:45 AM and we got to the gate close to boarding time due to the inefficiency of the hotel checkout procedures. Unfortunately, the only seats left were 3 rows in front of the smoking section. Since the flight was booked, the seats couldn't be changed. Thai Airlines did manage to switch our seats for the flight to LA when we arrived in Seoul.

I was feeling very sick before we boarded the plane. My head felt like it was ready to explode and I was very nauseous. The only thing that made me feel better was sleeping, which would not help me acclimate to the east coast time zone. Bill was not feeling much better. Sean had to entertain himself for most of the flights, since neither one of us were up to the task. He got headphones and watched the movies and listened to music most of the trip.

The flight to Seoul, South Korea tool a little over 5 hours. Then we waited an hour before our connection to Los Angeles, CA boarded. That flight took 12 hours and we crossed the International Date Line, which meant that Saturday started over again! Bill witnessed the sun rising twice in the same day. We landed in LA at 1:10 PM (LA time). After going through customs and passport control we waited an hour before boarding our flight to Newark, NJ. We landed in Newark at 9:30 PM (NJ time). Sean fell asleep 20 minutes before we landed. He had a tough time waking up.

The limo driver was waiting for us and our luggage came out early. By the time we dropped Gene off at his house, Sean was ravenous and extremely tired. He calmed down when we agreed to make him macaroni & cheese (with Velveeta) when we got home.

Arriving home at 10:45 PM, our garage door wouldn't open. The key pad broke so we had to break in through a window to gain access to the house. A note from our next door neighbor, Amelia Grek, greeted us. She had purchased some basic supplies for us and wanted us to go to her house to retrieve them. It was great having milk, orange juice, bread, eggs, and salad makings without having to make a trip to the grocery store! Sean ate his macaroni & cheese at midnight and then collapsed. I was wide awake at 1:30 AM (it was the middle of the afternoon according to my internal clock), so I unpacked and started the laundry.

Going to work on Monday was the hardest, since I couldn't sleep past 3:00 AM. I was exhausted by 5:00 PM and couldn't stay awake any longer. It took a week and a half for my body to readjust to NJ time.

Our film was mailed to the developers on Monday afternoon and we received the prints and slides on Friday. The task of sorting through the thousands of pictures was daunting. Sean selected slides to present to his first grade class, the fourth grade classes, and some neighbors and friends.

While discussing his adventures in Nepal, Sean stated, "The kids in Nepal could never imagine all the things I have! They would go crazy in a Toys R Us or grocery store." He realized how fortunate he was and gained a new appreciation for things he used to take for granted. He wants to go back to Nepal again, but next time he wants to climb Everest. It will be hard to select another adventure that can top this one!

Hiking in Nepal: Annapurna, Dhampus, Pothana, Deurali, Ghandruk, Kmrong Pana, Chomrong, Kulditigar (Part X)

Tuesday, March 26

We were awakened at 5:30 for the 6:00 AM elephant ride. Gene had decided he had had enough of the elephants so he stayed behind. We only saw a wild boar, some deer, and a flying peacock on this ride.

Breakfast was served from 8:00 - 9:00 and consisted of eggs, porridge, toast, and potatoes. We were scheduled for the 9:45 canoe ride. Skyam was our guide and we had to walk through the jungle to get to the canoes. Before entering the jungle, Skyam explained the rules to follow when animals are encountered. If you cross paths with a tiger, never turn your back. Face it and walk backwards slowly. For Sloth Bears, everyone needs to gather together and make noise. When in rhino territory, either climb a tree or run in a zig-zag pattern. Rhinos can run at speeds of up to 45 mph, but it is difficult for them to repeatedly change their direction quickly.

We walked near monkeys, spotted deer, hog deer, and even saw 2 gharial crocodiles. These crocodiles have very long slender snouts, with lots of teeth. Sean only wanted to see them from afar! We also saw a sloth bear den and it's claw marks on a tree that contained lots of bee hives. Sloth bears love honey. The canoe ride went through a few "rapids" and we saw Siberian ducks in the river.

Lunch consisted of chicken, potatoes, carrots and cauliflower, with bananas for dessert. Sean went down for a nap and Bill and Gene headed to the elephant washing at 2:45. Luckily Sean was exhausted, or he would have been in the river attempting to wash the elephants.

The 4-6 PM nature walk was the most exciting! We saw monkeys, wild boar, spotted deer, a tiger foot print, and lots of rhinos - one of whom charged us! Sean and I were in the front of the pack of 12 walking through the jungle. We had 2 guides leading the way - each armed with a walking stick and a very small knife. We were walking along a slight uphill grade and hadn't reached the crest of the grassy hill when the lead guide came running past us shouting "RUN!". Thinking back over our instructions, the only animal you need to run from is a rhino. I started to look for trees to climb, but there were none in the area. That left running in a zig-zag pattern. No one seemed to be reacting to the situation. We felt this was a theatrical stunt staged for the benefit of all the tourists. Especially since you couldn't see or feel a charging rhino. But just to be safe, everyone behind us started to jog in a straight line along the path. Since Sean and I were closest to the suspected rhino (other than the remaining guide), I didn't want to be near the head of the line. Sean and I started running toward the right of the path after conferring with the guide. Unfortunately, the path I chose quickly came to a 10 foot drop. I stopped and looked back towards the guide. He was standing in the middle of the path less than 30 feet away from us holding out his stick. It was then that I felt the earth shaking and realized that this was not a false alarm. The only thing Sean and I could do at this time was attempt to hide. Rhinos have very poor eyesight, but excellent hearing and smell. We ducked behind a very scraggly bush and sat perfectly still. Just then the rhino came over the crest of the hill at a full run. It looked like the rhino was about to gore the guide, but instead it ran full speed towards him and then turned 90 degrees and came to a sudden stop. Very graceful for a 2 ton animal! Unfortunately, he was now facing us no more than 30 feet away. You could hear him trying to catch his breath. The guide never explained what to do if a charging rhino stopped in front of you. Would it make him mad if we got up and ran away? Would he be even madder if we stayed in his territory? I turned to the guide who was still standing in the path holding his shaking stick and he yelled "RUN!". I wasn't going to argue so I picked up Sean and started running back towards the rest of the group. Natang met me and grabbed Sean so we could escape more quickly. The rhino didn't follow us.

Bill was relieved when he saw us return unharmed. His first words were, "Did you get a picture?". Gene wanted to know what we were running from. He was stuck in the middle of the pack of people and didn't see a thing! Sean didn't talk much after we were charged. He wanted to be carried on someone's back and wanted to know whenever we were approaching rhino territory. We did encounter more rhinos on the walk, but the guide called them "scare-dy rhinos" and Sean was no longer fearful.

There was a 6:30 slide show of the flora and fauna of the park. The pictures were not very good and the speaker wasn't the best, but we did learn something about the park and it's animals. Dinner was chicken, Dal Bhat, potatoes, cabbage salad, and an Indian pudding for dessert. We sat by the river and had a beer with Natang before retiring.


Wednesday, March 27

The 6:00 -8:00 AM bird watching hike took us through yet another portion of the jungle. We saw 2 varieties of storks, Bee Eaters, Rollers, King Fishers, Pintail ducks, quails, egrets, ibis, and commerants. Rollers act like balsa wood models, gliding through the air and then diving down and rolling about. The King Fishers were attempting to catch fish. They hovered 20 feet above the water until they spotted their prey, then they would dive-bomb into the water. Most of the time they were unsuccessful.

Breakfast was eggs, toast, and fruit. Sean was extremely hungry! At 9:00 AM we headed back across the river to an awaiting bus/truck. The vehicle took us to Bharatpur, where the airport was located. Luckily Natang was with us. The vehicle was stopping to pick up local people and wasn't going to take us directly to the airport. Natang convinced the drivers to take us to the airport so we wouldn't miss our flight. We got to the airport in plenty of time, since our airplane was still in Kathmandu, due to bad weather. Natang contacted his office and confirmed that a plane was coming, but would be delayed.

The airport was very tiny and livestock grazed on the grassy field used for a runway. A siren sounded whenever a plane was approaching and people attempted to herd their animals off the runway. Luggage had to be weighed carefully and none of the 18 seats were assigned. As we watched our plane arrive and waited to board, the temperature on the airfield was 90 degrees. Sean and I sat in the first row and got to watch the pilot fly the plane (there was no door separating the cabin from the passengers). Bill spent most of the bumpy trip filling his air sickness bag. The 27 minute flight got us into Kathmandu at 1:30 PM. Natang escorted us through the airport luggage claim and Pemba was there to drive us to the hotel. It was humorous listening to Natang relay to Pemba his Chitwan experiences in Nepali - with English interspersed.

We ate lunch at the hotel garden cafe (Sean loved the fish and chips) and then Sean went down for a nap. Bill and Gene searched the streets for souvenirs. They came back armed with several Ghurkha knives, prayer wheels, silver boxes, bracelets, hand-made purses, and other random trinkets.

We walked to the Rum Doodle for dinner. Bill had the barbecue (major mistake) and I had chicken Kiev. Sean ordered macaroni and cheese, but didn't like the yak cheese.

Hiking in Nepal: Annapurna, Dhampus, Pothana, Deurali, Ghandruk, Kmrong Pana, Chomrong, Kulditigar (Part IX)

Sunday, March 24

We were on our way before 7:30, as usual. The morning was very clear and we had great views of the mountains and the sanctuary. Everyone washed their hair before eating a breakfast of rice porridge, eggs, and toast.

We hiked from Dhampus back to the trail head at Phedi and caught a bus back to Pokhara. One of our adopted watch dogs followed us all the way! Sean bought a friendship bracelet (like Wandi's) while waiting for the bus. It stayed on his wrist until it finally fell apart in September! We stopped to visit the 1,000 Buddha Tibetan temple along the drive back to Pokhara. After arriving at camp we had a lunch of lemonade, fried potato chips, salad, tuna, and Tibetan bread. Then we said good-bye to the remaining 4 porters (700R tip each).


We walked through the town of Pokhara and rented a kayak for Gene and a row boat for us to paddle around the lake. We had to rescue a German who appeared to intentionally roll his kayak on the lake. He must have thought that he could get back in - which is impossible. On the way back to camp we saw a man with a Sloth Bear entertaining people in the street. The bear was controlled by a rope strung through its nostrils. Sean unsuccessfully attempted to take a nap while Bill and Gene explored the rest of the town. A German family who drove a tank-like vehicle all the way from Germany was camped nearby and Sean played frisbee with their 6 year old son. It started to rain heavily and hailed from 3:00 PM on. We hung out in the cooking shelter and played cards.

For dinner we had noodle soup, fresh chicken, Dal Bhat, potatoes, vegetables, and chocolate layer cake. We bought beer for our crew. Another trek is being organized at a campsite near us. The assembled crew sang and danced through the night. The dogs joined in the chorus. Luckily we didn't camp under the electric lights. We walked around town after dark while Sean slept.


Monday, March 25

We were up at 5:30 AM and it was another clear morning. After breakfast we said good-bye to our crew. Only Natang is joining us for our venture to the jungle. Originally we were to travel to the World Heritage Site of Chitwan on our own, but Journeys wanted to ensure that we got there safely and were treated fairly. So they decided to send Natang with us.

Sean distributed some of his toys and trinkets to his friends, along with the tips. Everyone exchanged hugs with Sean, who was sad to leave his friends behind. They took such good care of us - especially Sean! The crew had to clean all the equipment and take it back to Kathmandu in preparation for the next trek. Balaram, the cook, arranged to meet us when we returned to Kathmandu.

Our Range Rover arrived and we started the 42 mile trip to Chitwan at 7:40 AM and didn't arrive until 1:00 PM. The road (one of the main highways through Nepal) was paved and full of ruts which we had to slow down for continuously. We got to listen to 5 hours of monotonous music from the one cassette the driver owned. The signs to the park were virtually non-existent and we had to stop several times and ask directions to ensure we were on the correct road.

A dugout canoe took us across the river to Royal Chitwan National Park Island Jungle Resort. It was extremely warm and we had to walk a while until we reached our accommodations. Our combination tent/cabin reservations were upgraded to enclosed cabins, complete with a working bathroom. Gene would have preferred to stay in the tents because they had an unobstructed view of the river.

We sat through a short orientation, dropped our gear in our rooms, and headed for lunch, which is served from 1:00 - 2:00. We ate buffalo burgers, French fries, vegetables, and fruit. This food can't compare to the fare our cooks prepared! Our first elephant ride was scheduled for 4:00 and dinner was not served until 7:30. Sean took a nap while we had a chance to read and relax. Walking unescorted in the jungle was prohibited, except for within the cabin area.

The elephant ride was extremely bumpy. Sean & I got to sit in the front, while Bill and Gene rode in the back. We saw spotted deer, a one-horned rhinoceros, Rhesus monkeys, and another elephant. The ride lasted for almost 2 hours and the entire time our elephant kept smacking my foot with her ear. Hanging out at the observation area/bar, we saw a herd of spotted deer and some wild boars crossing the river before dinner. The sunset illuminated the sky, but you couldn't see the sun setting.

Dinner was fried rice, potatoes, buffalo, lo mein, and pudding. Sean couldn't stay up long enough to eat anything. He also missed the cultural show which consisted of staff people singing, dancing, and trying to get the visitors to join in. There were about 20 visitors on the island, but more were scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

Hiking in Nepal: Annapurna, Dhampus, Pothana, Deurali, Ghandruk, Kmrong Pana, Chomrong, Kulditigar (Part VIII)

Friday, March 22

Another cloudy morning and fresh snow is covering the mountains closer to us. This is the third day of fresh snow following us down the mountain. Sean did not want to get up this morning. We had to dump him out of the sleeping bag and he cried that he wanted to go back to sleep. The thought of eggs and pancakes for breakfast got him up.

We started our hike to Landruk via New Bridge at 7:30 AM. It was warmer than previous days, but not as hot as it was when we hiked in. Everyone's knees (except Sean's) were very sore. Sean spent a lot of time getting carried by Wandi. He tried counting the steps in Chomrong - but got tired after counting 100. I'm not sure he could have counted high enough! The guides are teaching him how to count in Nepali. He can count from 1-5 and knows the number 10.

After the steep climb out of Chomrong, it was mostly downhill. We crossed 3 bridges and went under one. Lunch was served by the river and we had French fries, chappati (unleavened bread), yak cheese, salad, and orange drink. It started raining lightly and continued for a while.

We arrived at our campsite in Landruk at 1:00 and Sean played Frisbee with the guides and remaining porters. Natang maintains that one of the porters is 18 or 19, but I suspect he is probably 15. The Nepalese are quite short, but this porter doesn't even have facial hair yet. It rained off and on for the rest of the afternoon. Sean had no trouble working on his journal (for a change).

For dinner we had noodle soup, tuna and yak cheese pizza, popcorn, curried potatoes, fried rice, and pineapple. The Nepalese put slices of tomato (or a dab of ketchup) on their pizza instead of sauce. Then we played Hearts and went to bed around 8:30. A dog has been standing guard outside our tent - probably waiting to howl all night. The guides went into the wooden building on the premises and are having a grand time. A young Nepalese woman and her family have been entertaining them.

Sean was up most of the night complaining of an upset stomach - "like someone punched him". I wasn't sure if it was hunger pains or something he ate. The only thing that made him feel better was rubbing his belly, which I did for most of the night. At 2:00 AM I gave him some granola, thinking he was just hungry. It helped slightly, but at 5:00 AM he threw up. Then he felt much better, but didn't go back to sleep.

Considering that every family has many children (they don't practice birth control according to Natang), I find it strange that we haven't seen any pregnant women. Starting at 3 or 4 years of age the children from the smaller villages are usually sent to boarding school. Nepal has a literacy rate of 26%, among the lowest in the world. Girls are often kept home from school to help in the fields. Education has recently become more valued and is viewed as the only way to obtain a better standard of living. Primary school (up to age 11) is provided free by the government. High school (up to 10th grade) is expensive and is followed by 2 years of college. There are 2 universities for college students to attend.

Public displays of affection between the opposite sexes are considered inappropriate. However, it is not uncommon to see men (and occasionally women) walking together with their arms draped over one another or holding hands. Nepal is very conservative with regard to acceptable clothing. Shorts are frowned upon (especially for women), but accepted along the popular trekking routes. We did not feel we were offending anyone by wearing shorts along the trek, but we did wear long pants in the cities.


Saturday, March 23

Sean has little appetite for the scrambled egg with onion, porridge, and toast for breakfast, and he had no energy. Pharendra had to carry him for a good portion of the day and he almost fell asleep in the basket. Bill had to invent adventure stories with Sean most of the day.

We left Landruk and had great views of the mountains we were leaving behind. It was a beautiful clear day. Most of our hike was protected by trees so we stayed cool. We stopped for lunch in Deurali after hiking for 2 1/2 hours. We feasted on water buffalo (or buff as Sean calls it), salad, pita bread, French fries, and yak cheese.

Gene bought some trinkets from a Tibetan man. At one of our rest stops Sean got to hold some chicks and we watched a woman weaving cloth. It took her 2 weeks to complete a strip 1 foot by 10 feet. She wanted to know how old I was. She told me she was 39 and had 5 children and 1 grandchild. She brought out pictures of her family and I recognized her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild. They were partying with our crew the night before in Landruk. Everyone is amazed that I only have one child and they have difficulty telling whether Sean is male or female.

We camped in a different site in Dhampus. Watch dogs adopted our tents and they would not let other dogs get near them. Two of the dogs entertained us by wrestling with each other. Water buffalo live above our camp and keep "moo-ing". Sean spent the afternoon playing Frisbee (until it went over the barbed-wire fence) and watching the crew play cards. They play a game similar to Spades, but their version requires you to throw the cards down onto the table as hard as you can. A nap for Sean was futile, since he was enjoying sitting on the laps of the crew while they played cards.

We had tomato and onion soup, fried noodles, hash browns, eggs, vegetables, and apple fritters for dinner. Sean stayed up to play Wild Joker with "the guys". Later that night, Bill played cards with the staff and let them win their version of Spades.

Hiking in Nepal: Annapurna, Dhampus, Pothana, Deurali, Ghandruk, Kmrong Pana, Chomrong, Kulditigar (Part VII)

Wednesday, March 20

It was 25 degrees at 7:00 AM. Bill's wash rag and socks froze within minutes! We ate breakfast in the lodge - even though the heater wasn't going. Breakfast was apple pie, eggs, and granola.

The trail down the mountain traversed frozen snow and ice until it began to thaw into mud. Bill slipped on an icy rock and stepped into a stream. Gene fell head first into the stream, but Dev dove to the rescue. Gene stayed dry, but Dev got his feet drenched. Eventually the trail turned to solid mud and I stepped into a huge puddle. Unfortunately my boots lose all traction when covered with mud.

On a very narrow portion of the trail along the edge of a cliff my foot slipped off a rock and I started falling down the exposure. Luckily for me a tree was growing at the edge! My left arm grabbed the tree as I dangled over the edge. I have no idea how far down I would have fallen, since I decided it wasn't a good idea to check. Pharendra was carrying Sean in the basket ahead of me and Bill and Gene were well behind me. The slick rocks and mud prevented me from getting back up on the trail. I didn't want Pharendra to endanger Sean attempting to rescue me, so I just hung there waiting for the rest of the group to come along. I considered dropping my backpack down the cliff to give me a better chance of getting back on the trail by myself, but it contained our water, rain gear, snacks, and first aid kit. Someone would have had to retrieve it. Besides, I wasn't tired of hanging there yet.

Pharendra noticed that I was no longer behind him and came running towards me with a look of sheer panic on his face. I think Pharendra was more scared than I was! He was able to extend an arm for me to grab while still balancing Sean on his back. That's all the leverage I needed to get back up on the trail. A rib and my left leg were bruised but it didn't hamper my hiking. Bill and Gene missed all the excitement and Sean didn't seem the least bit phased after seeing me fall over the edge.

We descended 4,000' to Bamboo where we camped. The last hour of hiking it rained heavily with some hail mixed in. The bamboo forest protected us somewhat, but everything was damp and Sean was exhausted. He napped from 2:30 - 5:00. For lunch we had water buffalo salami, orange drink, salad, pita bread, baked beans, and French fries. A troop of Langur monkeys played in the trees above our campsite. You didn't need binoculars to see them clearly - but they were too far away to get a good picture.

One of the porters badly sprained his ankle. We gave him some Tylenol with codeine for pain. He was barely limping in the morning! Sean was back to his normal self again - only he had more energy. He talked the entire day and entertained the guides with his antics and stories. I'm not sure they understood what he was talking about. They just smiled and nodded occasionally. Sean created some of his own inventive stories today and they were very entertaining.

For dinner we had tomato soup, pizza, cauliflower tempura, rice, and fruit cocktail. Because Sean napped, he was still awake after dinner. We went into the tea house to warm up. Sean worked on his journal and played some cards. The mountains behind us were getting covered with fresh snow. It's a good thing we left the sanctuary when we did!

Sean got to see the stars before he went to bed. Orion was clear and you could see the Milky Way. He was impressed by the vast number of stars you could see and wondered why you couldn't see them in New Jersey.


Thursday, March 21

It was a cold (39 degrees when we started hiking) and overcast morning - but everyone slept well. We have a short hike today, from Bamboo to Chomrong, that will take less than 3 hours. Breakfast was French toast and porridge. Sean got his usual hard-boiled egg, as well.

The hike was very easy and we arrived at camp before 11:00. Along the trail we met another Journeys' trek going to the sanctuary. One man from Boston was going with 9 support people. Unfortunately he didn't make it - due to the fresh snowfall that was following us down the mountains!


We ate a traditional Nepalese lunch with the staff, by our request. Lunch consisted of Dal Bhat, salad with tuna and tomatoes, and curry potatoes with greens. We were taught the correct way to eat with your right hand and how to scoop the food with your thumb. Sean got into it after a while and seemed to enjoy the meal. The staff definitely enjoyed watching us struggle to get the food into our mouths.

The sun was out so we washed some clothes and Sean found some kids to play with. While working on his journal, the proprietor of the Annapurna Guest House climbed onto the roof to get some spiral rice noodles that were drying there. She came back with a plate for Sean. They were quite tasty.

The porter who sprained his ankle and his friend, the "complainer" according to the guides, were let go with a 500R tip each. The "complainer" did not want to leave and it took lots of coaxing to get him to go. The guards seemed more diligent at night. Now we are down to 4 porters!

Sean played volleyball and soccer (with his inflatable globe) with some kids returning from school. Then the "ring boy" came and everyone joined in the fun. Two girls started chasing Sean until he became too tired to run. They didn't want to stop. Two of the younger boys decided it would be fun to climb on me. Sean handed out lots of stickers. It was interesting watching how the Nepalese children played. Some of the girls used larger rocks to round out smaller rocks. After collecting 5 similar-sized rocks they played a version of jacks. Some other girls took clumps of grass and used them as hacky-sacks to practice their dribbling abilities. Just about any object can be used as a toy!

Dinner was mushroom soup, somosa (potato and broccoli in a pastry crust), macaroni and cheese with peas, cauliflower and carrots, and chocolate layer cake. It's amazing what they can do with a kerosene stove! We bought beer for the staff to thank them for taking us to the sanctuary. We showed them pictures of our house and different parts of the United States that we have traveled to. They were most impressed that Gene had 5 bathrooms in his house! Gene got sick again and suspects the beer.

It was a warm night, which was nice for a change. Sean couldn't make it through dinner. He used up too much energy playing with the kids. The staff was commenting on how much they are going to miss him. He thinks he is one of the guys and hangs out with them whenever he can!

Hiking in Nepal: Annapurna, Dhampus, Pothana, Deurali, Ghandruk, Kmrong Pana, Chomrong, Kulditigar (Part VI)

Monday, March 18

Bill is beginning to feel better and Gene is a lot better, his appetite has returned. We were packed and on the trail by 7:30 AM. The temperature was 40 degrees. For breakfast we had rice porridge, pancakes, and eggs.

We climbed a total of 3,500' today and it was almost all straight uphill. Sean was a very strong hiker. He was only carried in the very muddy spots and at the end of the day. Lunch consisted of grilled cheese, tuna, French fries, and vegetable salad with hot lemonade. When the sun disappeared behind the constant clouds it got cold!


We passed lots of snow fields and waterfalls along the trail through the Bamboo Forest. Eventually the clouds overtook us and Sean was no longer excited about being in a cloud. We got very damp and then grapple (small hail) started bombarding us. It got much worse when we arrived at the Machhapuchhare (fishtail) Base Camp (13,000') at 2:15. Bill even considered getting a room for us at the tea house! We did get a room for the porters at a nearby lodge, since they were not prepared for the weather (90R per porter). The cooks will spend the night in the cooking shelter and the guides share a tent.

Sean and I hung out at the warming table in the lodge. The tables were built over a concrete pit where a kerosene stove was placed. A woolen blanket hung from the sides of the table to contain the heat. It was great for drying out your boots and warming your hands! The weather was bleak. Tons of pellets covered the ground, but melted when the temperature rose slightly. Sean worked on his journal and taught Dev and Wandi how to play Wild Joker. He almost fell asleep during dinner again. We ate dinner at one of the two tables in the lodge (Natang had to pay the proprietors a fee to use the table). We had noodle soup, dal bhat, bitter celery greens, potatoes and carrots tempura, and mangos for dessert. It would be nice to be able to finish my meal before I have to put Sean to bed!

I took some Diamox for my altitude-induced headache and didn't have any trouble with my respiration or heart rate. Sean doesn't appear to be bothered by the altitude either. His base respiration rate is 18 breaths per minute and did not change noticeably. It was 35 degrees in the tent when we retired. Because we need to drink so much due to the altitude, I had to get up in the middle of the night to visit the bathroom tent. The sky was full of stars.



Tuesday, March 19

We woke up around tea time and it was very cold outside the sleeping bag! We quickly dressed and went into the lodge for a breakfast of fried eggs, toast, and porridge. We started hiking to the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) at 7:30 and opted to leave the basket behind for today's day hike, since Sean is healthy and well rested. Wandi and Pharendra carried Sean on their shoulders or back for part of the climb. Wandi also brought a plastic sheet for sliding down the snow and ice. That was Sean's favorite part of the hike!

The climb was all uphill over frozen snow which is quite deep. My foot fell through the upper layer in some spots and the snow reached well over my thigh. We avoided the avalanche areas, but did hear some rock slides. Within 2 hours we arrived at the ABC (14,300'). The cloud cover lifted and we were surrounded by majestic mountains. The view was absolutely spectacular! Only Annapurna I remained covered by clouds. The workers at the ABC were busy shoveling snow away from the rooms. Most of the camp was covered with snow.

Sean wasn't the first kid to reach ABC this year, but he was the youngest. We met a family of 3 (kids were 12, 9, and 7) and another family with 2 older children descending from ABC yesterday. The family with three kids came from England and has been living in Nepal for 3 years.

We stayed at the ABC for 2 hours - eating lunch, exploring, and taking pictures. Bill's camera batteries died, so we shared the batteries in my camera whenever Bill needed to rewind his film. We were given a bagged lunch of Tibetan bread, yak cheese, a hard-boiled egg, and a container of crackers. Sean got his favorite orange cookies (wafers with a pink cream between them) and felt very special.

It only took 1 hour to get back to camp. The clouds covered us most of the way down and it hailed for a short time. We got the best views of the mountains while we were at the Annapurna Base Camp! Our feet were drenched (even wearing plastic bags in our hiking boots). Sean wore his snow boots and stayed dry. The heater wasn't fired up under the warming table when we got back to the lodge. On the way down Gene convinced the women from Australia and New Zealand to stay at our lodge instead of attempting an ascent at 12:30 PM. They were feeling the altitude and agreed. Gene was happy. We spent the rest of the afternoon in the lodge playing cards and other games.

Sean lost his appetite and complained of a headache. I think the altitude is getting to him. Natang told us that Sean set a new record for him. He has been a guide for over 13 years and Sean was the youngest kid to ascend to the sanctuary with him. He admitted that he had his doubts originally, but when he saw how strong and resilient Sean was he knew there would be no problems. Natang was also amazed that Sean enjoyed trying all the new foods - and so am I!

For dinner we had mushroom soup, hash brown pie, fried lo mein noodles, green beans, bitter green celery, and apple pie! We stayed up playing Hearts with Natang until 9:30 - our latest night! The temperature dropped to around 10 degrees Fahrenheit overnight. After a half hour in the sleeping bag my feet became frozen and didn't warm up all night. Bill had trouble keeping his feet warm too, but Sean slept soundly. I didn't want to get out of my sleeping bag to check the temperature!