Ballerinas in the Snow

The Vancouver buses came to a standstill this morning amidst the snow. A walk with a swan and raven seemed like a pleasant alternative.

Soul of an Ancient City

Turning down a narrow alleyway from the crowded, hectic streets of Kathmandu's Asan Market, and I catch a glimpse of the city's ancient sacred landscape.

Manaslu Circuit

Manaslu Circuit: a 200 kilometer trek around Mount Manaslu, the world's eight highest mountain located in the Nepal Himalaya. The route takes one from hot, lowland villages to Larkya La, the dizzying high pass at 5,160 meters above sea level. 2011 was the first year that the entire circuit could be completed as a tea-house trek - meaning that one no longer is required to fuss with tents or arrange to carry food for the entire journey. I hiked the trail in the late 2013 season with my British friend Tony. Fortunately we received  excellent assistance from Buddhi, the mandatory Nepali guide and our extraordinary porter, Sahndip.

What a journey! As it turned out, November was a very fine time to trek around Manaslu. Aside from one apparent diffused bomb that I had no awareness of until miles down the road, we encountered no problems stemming from the electoral process. After the first day's drive from KTM to Arughat - from where we began the actual walking - I was informed that along the way, a bomb intended to terrorize the voting public from casting their votes was dismantled with no incident.

The daytime weather was often shorts and short-sleeves warm, while the evenings were always down jacket crisp and cold.

Along the way we encountered a few unfortunate souls who needed to turn back on account of altitude or microbe-induced illnesses. There were relatively few trekkers doing the Manaslu Circuit and after a few days of hiking, a pleasant sense of comraderie developed amongst our small intrepid community.

 While trying to remain mindfully present-focused, it was difficult not to anticipate the big challenge ahead - namely the crossing of the 5,160 metre high-altitude pass, the Larke La. There were  morale-sapping stories circulating of how the pass had been made impassible due to heavy snow fall and how the stone huts at Dharnashala were eventually overwhelmed with trekkers which in turn lead to food and fuel shortages and an eventual decision by the owner to shut the establishment down entirely. Our guide remained optimistic and shepherded us along. Indeed, the snow subsided and  the place opened up one day before we arrived! The 5 AM start in -17º C was nevertheless  magical with one zillion stars lighting the way. The problems really only began on the way down. The topography on the descent was a treacherous massive skating rink. Everyone was sliding and falling, sometimes dangerously close to the edge. I had one especially harrowing brush with what could have been an "into the void" -type encounter. Bracing myself with my trekking pole, I said a spontaneous prayer of thanks upon hauling myself up.

The Himalayan views were mind-bendingly spectacular. The people we met in the villages were consistently warm, hospitable and gracious. Looking forward to a return visit.

Happy Trails Everyone.

Tridevi Temple

Kathmandu's Tridevi Temple amidst a jumble of wires, seems to capture the city's tussle between tradition and a quest for modernity.

Kathmandu - 15 Years Later

Following a 22 hour journey from Vancouver via Guangzhou, I arrived in Kathmandu late in the evening. Last time I was here, Nepal proudly proclaimed to the world that it was a Himalayan Kingdom. Since then the royal family was elected out - and then killed, under strange circumstances, by the crown prince. As I rode in from the airport, the taxi driver pointed to the Royal Palace and mentioned casually that it was a museum.

Elections are approaching, and transportation-related enterprises are apparently on strike. Violence is brewing amidst the chaos of the Nepali electoral process. Reading the Kathmandu Post this morning, I see articles pertaining to violence in remote mountain villages, grenade attacks, and the possibility of a general strike. The shadow-side of Shangri La.

In addition, as we are getting set to begin a 200 kilometer trek in the remote Manaslu region, I read the following in the warm and pleasant Kathmandu coffee shop where a delicious cup of Himalayan java is unfogging my fuzzy, multiple time zone-induced consciousness: " With mercury plummeting and snowfall starting, thousands of people in the high altitude districts have started fleeing the cold and into the plains." Except a few of us. I picture a scene representative of Tintin and Snowy (Milou) in the Himalayas - Tintin Au Tibet.

Samoan Islands

While I have yet to post travel tales and photos of a recent trip to the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific, my home is already a chaotic scene of  winter gear to be used in a more challenging environment - an upcoming high altitude trek in Nepal - the Manaslu Circuit. Before I embrace my inner Tintin in Tibet, I will put my packing (and unpacking, and re-packing) aside for a while and convey some of my experiences as somewhat of a Johnny Come Lately Robinson Crusoe.

After having attended a psychology conference in Hawaii, I felt a little more adventure was in order, and so I caught a plane from Honolulu to  - and I love to say this town's name - Pago Pago, capital of American Samoa. From there I would later travel to the nearby independent republic of Samoa - what used to be called Western Samoa.

Over the years churches have succumbed to volcanic eruptions and tsunamis, but the spirit of the Samoan people has remained intact amidst natural disasters. Their joyous disposition was evident in all my encounters.

Robert Lewis Stevenson wrote, "In the South Seas" in 1908 in Samoa. Reading his accounts while visiting those very islands a hundred years later, gave me an appreciation of the massive changes effecting island life, but at the same time how significant aspects of this culture  thankfully remain unaltered. The Victorian photographs arranged with traditional local artifacts gives us a peek into Stevenson's home in Apia, Western Samoa.

A Softer Side of the City

 

  Nature has a lovely way of  unexpectedly softening our harsh urban landscape. 

 A web of platinum lace.

 A boundary-blurring misty path.