October 28 - November 14, 2000

October 28, 2000 Saturday Fly BWI to LA to Tokyo

Got up at 4:58 and shaved. Drank some orange juice and ate a banana. At 5:28 we drove to Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) arriving at 5:48. The airport is jammed with traffic. I thought it would be desserted but Anne tells me everyone flys on Saturday morning. I wonder who everyone is. Anne dropped me at the curb and we said goodbye quickly.

I checked my baggage through to Bangkok. We took off on US Air flight number 29 on an Airbus 319 in seat 8B at 7:00 am. Breakfast of orange juice, fruit salad, blueberry yogurt, eggs, potato, sausage, sweet bread, milk and mint chocolate was served. Being in the middle seat and not having a very good view, I napped a bit during the flight. I talked to a young Mormon Information Technology (IT) business owner from Los Angeles for the last half hour of the flight. We landed at 9:15 (12:15 EDST) having been in the air for 5 hours and 15 minutes.

I am in terminal 1 and have to walk ¼ to ½ mile to TBIT (Tom Bradley Internal Terminal or terminal 4 for those uninitiated in LAX speak as I wasn't). It was pleasantly cool and it felt good to stretch my legs a little. I ate a chicken quesadilla for $6.98 for lunch then munched a banana and granola bar I brought from home. Watched Oklahoma crunch Nebraska on TV. It seemed strange watching a football game in the morning. Talked to Israel Serr from Santa Fe, NM who was standing next to me watching the game. I thought he might be part of my group trekking in Nepal. He was trekking in Nepal and Bhutan for a month basically on his own.

After a 5 hour layover I took off on Thai Air flight number 773 on a Boeing 747 in seat 66A at 2:10 pm (5:10 EDST) headed across the Pacific ocean to Tokyo's Narita Airport.

October 29, 2000 Sunday Fly to Tokyo to Bangkok

I was served potato and shrimp salad, grilled marinated chicken thigh teriyaki, Japanese steamed rice and vegetables, roll, crackers, butter, cheese, banana cake and red wine. My second meal consisted of mixed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, tuna lasagna, fresh fruit and red wine. I was also served a sandwich just before we landed in Tokyo. The food was decent especially for airline food. We flew into the dark then light and then dark again. I slept some but it was always brief and not very comfortable. We landed at Narita at 6:15 pm (4:15 am EST) after 12 hours and 5 minutes of flight in the dark and rain so I couldn't see anything.

We had to get off the plane as it was fueled. I went to the toilet which was a slotted hole in the floor in a booth. It obviously was not designed for a 6 foot 2 inch American so I had a very difficult time. A few days later someone told me they had regular booths with western style fixtures which I verified on the way home.

I reboarded Thai Air flight 773 seat 66A and we took off at 7:20 pm (5:20 am EST) for the 5 hour and 40 minute flight to Bangkok, Thailand. I was served another meal of sushi roll of shrimp and cod roe, cha-soba (I don't remember what it is but I must have eaten it and thought it was good.), fish curry (chu-chee), steamed rice and vegetables, roll, butter, pannacotta and red wine. We landed at 12:00 midnight (12:00 noon EST). I checked through immigation and picked up my bags. Went through customs and walked across a footbridge over a highway to the Amari Hotel. They insisted on taking my bags before I checked in. I waited an eternity for my bags. I only had large American bills so I couldn't tip the porter for my bags. I finally got to bed at 2:30 am (2:30 pm EST) after being up for 33 hours and 42 minutes. I was facing a very short night.

October 30, 2000 Monday Fly Bangkok to Kathmandu, Nepal

Got up at 8:25 (8:25 pm EST) before my 8:45 wake up call. Shaved and showered. Went down in the elevator and it stopped due to a power outage so I was stuck for 5-10 minutes. It got very hot since the fan was not working. Several people were talking to me over a loudspeaker but they were hard to understand with their Thai accents. When the door finally opened I was about 4 inches from level with the floor. Checked out and didn't owe anything probably because my stay was too short (I had a Thai Air voucher.).

Walked back to the terminal and checked my bags with Thai Air and got a boarding pass. I had to convert $50 to Thai baht and received 2146.50 bahts (42.93 bahts per dollar). Paid my airport exit tax of 500 baht ($11.65). Used the internet in the terminal to send a message to everyone for 20 minutes costing 10 baht ($.23). Called Anne for 75 bahts ($1.75). I met more people traveling with REI but not on my trip.

Loaded on Thai Air flight 319 a Boeing 777-200 at 10:30 am (10:30 pm EST) for the 3 hour 45 minute flight from Bangkok to Kathmandu. Sat next to 3 guys joining a friend living in Kathmandu for a month of trekking in the mountains. We could see the Himalaya Mountains for quite a while as they are as high as we are flying. We could see quite a bit of the range of snow capped mountains probably up to 200 miles as we flew parallel to them in the clear morning sun. Mt Everest was very clear as one of the guys was identifying most of the mountains in sight. We arrived in Kathmandu about 12:30 (1:30 am EST) so the flight took about 3 hours.

I waited for a long time in line to get my 30 day visa which cost $30. After clearing immigration I waited a long time again as one of my bags was the last piece of luggage to come off the plane. I walked through customs and outside where a large group of people were holding signs for hotels, tour groups and individuals. None were from REI as I searched the group over and over again. I asked a person and he said that the REI group had left a long time before. While talking to a group, Bob Beazley from the Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina and their tour leader arrived. He offered to give me a ride into Kathmandu and find the REI outfitter so I accepted. He dropped me at another outfitters office owned by New Zealanders and said he would return when he had taken care of his group. The New Zealanders had a local man working in the office who called The Fort my hotel for the night in Nagarkot. They told him my local outfitter was Last Frontier Treks. He called LFT and they sent a man with a taxi to get me. I met Mingma Sherpa and Keshore at the LFT office and Keshore our tour leader took me in a taxi 12 kilometers east to Bhaktapur an ancient royal city where I joined my group on tour.

We walked through the streets filled with piles of wheat and straw from the harvest. We visited the durbar (royal) square and the Nyatapola, Bhairab Nath and Changu Narayan temples.

We bused up the mountain on a torturously twisted one lane road that clung to the side of the mountain. There was a constant stream of cars, buses and trucks descending in the same single lane so it was a very slow and adventuresome trip. It got dark as we drove. I sat with our guide Lokesh C. Sharma (Bike Man) as we talked about bikes, bike racing and bike touring particularly about a bike trip from Lhasa, Tibet over the mountains to Kathmandu, Nepal. We had some beautiful views of the snow capped mountains which showed up well in the dimming light.

Checked into room 121 (actually a cabin of 2 rooms) at the Fort Hotel in Nargarkot at 6:15. Mike Wiseman, a young Canadian living in Ann Arbor, Michigan is my roommate. The Fort is not fancy but very inviting and comfortable with a friendly staff. Ate a great dinner of curried seafood and vegetables, rice, salad and a Carlsberg beer $1.70 in the hotel at 7:15. After the long flights with little sleep, everyone was ready for bed early.

October 31, 2000 Tuesday Mountain Bike into Kathmandu

Got up at 5:45 am and walked to the hotel rooftop to watch a glorious sunrise over the Himalaya Mountains about 6:15. Changed $50 for 3550 rupees at the hotel desk a rate of 71 rupees per dollar. Hiked around the top of the mountain for about 30 minutes and then went to breakfast of apricot juice, corn flakes, omelet, bacon, sausage and potatoes. Picked out my mountain bike which was too small and helmut which was too big.

Biked down a steep road that was deeply rutted, rocky, loose sand and gravel, with about every condition imaginable at 9:15 am (10:15 pm EST). We had great views of the mountains and valleys below. There were many people and various animals on the road. All the kids had runny noses and a rattle in their chest. They loved to ring the bell on my bike. I noticed that a lot of adults had coughs and respiratory problems. It is sunny and about 85 degrees, a little warm for me. I was stopped by a schoolmaster in a village and we talked to the kids. They were much more knowledgeable than the kids in Africa and had a lot more books and school supplies than in Africa or Cuba. I gave him a 500 NR ($7.04) donation. Others in our group gave as well. We biked about 18 kilometers to the town of Boudha where we were met by a bus. I really enjoyed the biking as everyone else seemed to.

We loaded our bikes and ourselves onto the bus and were bused to the Snow Cloud Restaurant next to the Bodnath Stupa near Kathmandu. I ate lunch of dumplings (mono), fish curry, rice and a 650 ml Tuborg beer $120 NR ($1.69). The stupa has 13 steps at the top leading to Nirvana. Numerous multicolored (blue-sky, white-clouds, red-sun, green-trees and yellow-grass) prayer flags streamed from the top to the sides in all directions. Hundreds of prayer wheels lined the the outside circular wall with large prayer wheels on each side of every entrance. Buddhaist monks and passersby would spin each wheel as they walked by the wall. Buddhaists walked the streets with prayer wheels on handheld rods and they were for sale at many street vendor stalls. An attendant burned incense in a small barrel at one entrance.

We bused back to the Vaishali Hotel about 4:10 and Mike and I checked into room 4103. Our hotel is quite nice and spacious. Traffic in Kathmandu is crazy with people, all kinds of animals, every description of vehicle and material all competing in a frenzy for the same space. This is done in foul polluted fumes for air with constant near misses amid a cacophony of horns and loud motor sounds. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to the streets and there are no street signs in any language to help. There are smelly piles of garbage and trash everywhere once you leave the Thamel area dominated by tourists.

All 13 in our group had a meeting in our hotel at 6:00 pm with Mingma Sherpa and Kumar the man in charge of our rafting. After the meeting I went to dinner at the Krua Thai Restaurant with Mike Wiseman, Morgan Green, Darcy May and Janelle Clark all except Mike from Santa Barbara, California and about 23 to 27 years old. I ate Thai prawn soup, pork curry, rice and bottled water for 600 NR ($8.45).

I walked to the cyber and telecommunications shop a ½ block from the hotel and sent a email to everyone on my Hotmail address list for Nepal. It cost 1 NR per minute for a total of 35 NR ($.49).

It is wheat harvest time in Nepal. You see people cutting it in the fields by hand with little sickles. It is then bundled with string. You see people carrying large loads of bundles strapped to their backs with a head harness or on their bikes. Mostly women then walk on it or beat it with a stick or beat it on a hard surface to separate the grain from the straw. They then winnow the wheat by tossing it in the air to blow away the chaff and where there is no wind several wave woven hemp mats to create a draft. You see piles of wheat everywhere in the streets, squares and roads.

November 1, 2000 Wednesday Hike to Tirkhedunga

Got up at 5:50. Packed up separating things I needed for hiking and rafting in one bag and everything else in another. Went down to breakfast of omelet, pancakes, sauage, bacon and juice at 7:15. A tip for Lokesh (Bike Man) and I gave 500 NR ($7.04). We stored one bag in the hotel storage until our return to Kathmandu.

Loaded our other bag and ourselves onto our bus and drove to the airport about 9:00. We flew Mountain Air on a Beech 1900C with twin engines and 19 seats. It was very small and you couldn't stand up inside. We flew westward parallel to the high himals with great views. I could recognize and name many of the mountains. The mountains are higher than we are flying in the plane.

We landed in Pokhara after the exhiliarating 50 minute flight. We could see Machhapuchere (Nepalese for fish tail) 6993 meters or 22,943' clearly as it looks like a big Matterhorn from this angle. Machhapuchere has never been climbed because it is a holy mountain to the Buddhaists. We bused from the airport over a large mountain with spectacular views on a serpentine route to the trailhead near Birethanti 4,264'.

We unloaded and hiked down and across a stream about a mile to a picnic lunch on a tarp in a flat shelf field. We were served a tomato sandwich, french fried potatoes, tuna?, cauliflower, slaw with tea and Tang to drink.

We started up through Birethanti and it got warm quickly. We turned left in Dangsing away from Ghandrung at 11 kilometers distance. The trail is always up, very rocky and follows the pale blue/green Bhurung Kohla (River). It is sunny with scattered clouds and warm. I talked with our lead guide for the day Namgen sherpa. He is small, good looking, friendly and has a good sense of humor. He pointed out many things along the trail and called a porter carrying an old woman in a basket a "Nepalese Ambulance". Everything is carried by porters or burros to the mountain villages along the trail. I saw several chicken men (Nepalese trucks) carrying 15-20 chickens on their backs in wire cages. Porters sometimes carry huge heavy loads hanging from a strap over their foreheads. Their loads must equal 80% of their small trim body weight. They often wear flimsy shoes, sandals or even shower shoes. Strings of Buddhaist prayer flags are common even in the country along the trail. Prayer flags are blue, white, red, green and yellow representing sky, clouds, sun, trees and grass. They have prayers written on them. We got in to Tirkhedunga 5,400' about 5:00 pm after hiking up 1,100' in about 6.9 miles in 3 hours.

Mike and I have tent #32. Drank tea and munched on cookies and crackers in the dining tent. Washed in a basin of hot water and set up my sleeping bag in our tent. We ate supper of potatoes, rice, chicken, carrots and green beans, spinach and tea at 7:00 pm. It got chilly after the sun went behind the mountains. The stars are really bright and much more numerous than at home. They should get better each night as we get higher.

Many people have breathing problems. There are many animals and people on the trail. I saw wheat, buckwheat, rice, millet, and popcorn being harvested and ground. A sherpa told me they make a strong wine out of the grains which they ferment only 1-2 weeks. We have 20 porters, 5 servers, 5 guides (sherpas) and a sirdaur. Keshore is the man in charge and follows the group. Mingma sherpa runs Last Frontier Treks. He told me that they do climbs of Mt Everest which take up to 2 months. The permits cost $70,000 each.

November 2, 2000 Thursday Trek Tierkhedunga to Ghorepani

Got up at 5:15 to beat the toilet tent rush. Packed up my gear for the day. It is 60 degrees in our tent and 52 degrees outside at 6:00 am. Kitchen staff came around tents at 6:00 am with hot tea and warm wash water at 6:15 am. Ate breakfast of egg, cereal of nuts, grains, porridge with fruit and milk, hot chocolate and toast at 6:45.

Hiked out of Tierkhedunga 5,400' at 7:30. We climbed steeply for some time to Ulleri 7,052' along the dwindling head waters of Bhurung Khola. We were out of the sun and got some cooling effect from the tumbling stream. I still was sweating profusely soaking all my clothes. I am hiking with Man Bahpdur Tamang the lead sherpa today. Man grew up on the side of Mt Everest and is a Sherpa. He is a climber with extensive experience up to 6,500 meters or 21,320'. He told me about all the mountains, the various expeditions he has been on and a friend killed within the last year by a basketball sized ice chunk hitting him in the head during an avalanche. Peter and Jenny Emsky and Morgan Green are hiking with us. We had a great view of Annapurna South in a slot in the mountains we are in. Later we saw Machhapuchhere that now looks like a fish tail and not the Matterhorn like yesterday. The slope wasn't bad from Ulleri up to Banthanti 7,216' where we stopped for lunch. We were about ½ hour ahead of the rest of the group. We ate lunch of whole fried potatoes, sausage and onions, peas, slaw and Tang.

Morgan Green left lunch alone. I followed a few minutes later. I caught Morgan and passed him into Ghorepani. The trail up was steep in places. Man had told me to wait for the group in Nangethanti an hours walk from lunch in Banthanti. I went through Nangethanti in 20-25 minutes and I didn't recognize it. When I reached Ghorepani 9,500' in 40-45 minutes I was surprised and stopped to wait for someone who knew where camp was located. Man with Peter and Jenny Emsky soon arrived and we walked through the village to camp at 12:34 exactly 1 hour after leaving. We covered the 2 hour walk in 1 hour. The Nepalese measure everything in terms of walking time and not distances. Every town has a trail map and distance chart in hours and minutes. We hiked up 4,100' in about 6.6 miles in 5 hours and 4 minutes including the lunch stop.

There were no porters in camp yet so there were no tents, kitchen, etc. It was sunny and cool but comfortable. We had spectacular views of Dhaulagiri II 25492', Dhaulagiri I (8,167m) 26,795', Tukuche 22,703', Dhampus Peak, Nilgiri 23,166', Annapurna I (8,091) 26, 545', Annapurna South 23,683', Hiunchuli 21,132', Gangapurna 24,457' and Machhapuchhere 22,942' in the clear sunshine from our camp site. I walked down the trail to the shops and bought a Snickers bar for 60 NR ($.85) for energy. Walked across the trail from camp to the Dhaulagiri View hostel for a steaming (literally with no cold water) shower for 50 NR ($.70). What a treat despite the heat! It cooled down to 52 degrees and windy later in the afternoon with the temperature dropping since we arrived in camp. Returned to the shops and bought an Everest Himal panorama for 125 NR ($1.76), a Dhaulagiri Himal panorama for 150 NR ($2.11) and salted peanuts in a clear plastic bag for 25 NR ($.35).

We ate a cool supper in the dining tent in the dark by lantern light. We had vegetable pizza, potatoes, fried cauliflower, cake and hot tea.

November 3, 2000 Friday Trek Ghorapani to Ghandruk

Got up at 4:30 am to hot tea. Walked up 1300' in about 1 ½ miles in the dark to the top of Poon Hill 10,479. My batteries










were weak and my light almost totally failed by the time I reached the top. Was one of the first to reach the top and bought a hot chocolate for 100 NR from some locals who set up there. The stars are magnificent as it is perfectly clear. Everything is covered in frost. The sun finally came up about 6:00 am for a great show of the Dhaulagiri Himal and the Annapurna Himal including Mahhapuchhere (fish tail). The top was covered with several hundred people. Hiked back down to camp for breakfast of an egg sandwich, musli and tea. Packed up gear.

Hiked out of camp at 8:00 am. We climbed steeply for about a 1,000' to a grassy ridge for more great views of the mountains in the full sun. The hiking wasn't to steep as we continued on through a lot of mud and streams in a jungle. Saw many small monkeys climbing all over a vertical rocky cliff.

Stopped in Todapani for lunch about 11:00 am. We ate dough with cheese, dough blossom, vegetable sandwich, omelet and sausage. The morning was sunny and warm but then it got overcast towards afternoon and cool.

Hiked out after lunch and saw many large white monkeys with black faces in the trees. They were scrambling and leaping from tree to tree. I tried to photogragh them in mid air but was not successful. I was surprised at their size. We hiked mostly downhill through jungle and saw some nice waterfalls. Stopped and waited several times for the group as they descended the steep wet and rocky slope. Arrived in the Ghandruk camp about 4:15. Counting our round trip to Poon Hill we hiked about 13.2 miles this day.

I took a shower with a gallon tank that is pressurized with a hand pump. It was a little chilly and difficult but it really feels good being clean. We had tea, cookies and popcorn about 5:00. Ate supper of onion, potato and mushroom soup, potatoes fried whole, mixed vegetables, spaghetti, spinach and mushroom filled dumplings, salad and apple pie at 6:30 supper. Drank a Tuborg 650 ml beer for 120 NR ($1.69).

November 4, 2000 Saturday Trek Ghandruk to Pathana

Got up at 5:30 and shaved. Hot tea was served at our tents at 6:00 am. At 6:15 we got basins of hot water at our tents to wash. Ate breakfast of a hard boiled egg, pita, musli, poridge and tea.

We got underway at 6:45. We walked through Ghandruk 6725' perched on a knoll on the edge of the mountain high above the stream cut valley below. We descended steeply to the Modi Khola (river) at 3,937'. A side stream tumbling from the cliffs next to Ghandruk drove a grist mill that was really interesting. The guesthouse also had a sawmill and stone cutting operation. Drank a Sprite bought by Keshore. The cliffs across the river is where the National Geographic recently did a TV special on the bee hives.

As we crossed a modern bridge in good repair, Benjo sherpa showed me and explained the site of a Buddhaist funeral pyre on the river bank where it was put into the river. We climbed very steeply about 1,300' through terraced fields with good views down the river valley to Landrung 5,250'. Every village has guest houses 6-10 rooms, stores that sell candy, soft drinks, post cards and maps. Every village has electricity and running clean water.

We continued up with great views of the valley below and the terraced mountainside across the valley. Everything is clean. The Nepalese seem to be concerned about the environment or are beginning to understand issues. There are lots of solar hot water showers.

Stopped near Tolka about noon for lunch of vegetable pastry envelope, slaw, potatoes and juice. We picked up a stray yellow dog with scars all over and especially concentrated on his face. He joined us early this morning and has stuck with us following us all the way to camp. We kept going up over a ridge and down to camp in Pathana 6,250' about 4:00 pm. It was partly sunny in the morning but ended in overcast as the day wore on.

Again we have good mountain views from camp. I showered with the gallon pumped tank in a shower tent. We were served tea, cookies and crackers in the mess tent at 5:00 pm. Good views of Annapurna III, fish tail and the whole range. Ate supper of soup, tea, potatoes, pizza, mixed vegetables, fried chicken, shish kebob and cake. The porters and staff built a fire and they did some Nepalese dances for about an hour. We had some people from another group join us to watch. We took a collection for tips and I gave 5,300 NR ($74.65).

November 5, 2000 Sunday Trek Pathana to Highway

Got up at 5:50 am and packed up. Tea was brought to our tent at 6:30 and hot water basins at 6:45. Ate breakfast of pancakes, musli and oatmeal, eggs and tea at 7:00 am.

It is sunny and warm and we ate on tables outside with great views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Machhapuchhere and several others.

Hiked from camp at 7:45 down a gradual downhill towards Dhampus. We had continuous great views of several mountains to our left. It is getting very warm. We stopped at a farmhouse short of Dhampus for lunch arriving about 10:00. The family was very nice. Several of us were sitting on the concrete porch in the shade. The lady brought us all handwoven round wicker stools with a colorful woven wool mat on the seat for us to sit on. They were very comfortable. We waited an hour for lunch of onion and pepper curry in a pastry shell, sandwich, cauliflower, green beans, potatoes and Tang. We were apparently ahead of schedule.

After lunch we were soon in Dhampus 5,700' where we sat on the steps and walls in the shade at the trail junction. We watched some kittens playing in a screened window. We followed the trail down steep almost vertical steps to the road 4,100' and the nearby river arriving at 12:00. We had covered about 4.7 miles.

We were soon loaded onto the worst looking Tata bus you have ever seen. We saw Scarface the yellow dog as we drove away. After two days he abandoned us for a Japanese group around Dhampus. We drove through Pokhara to the luxurious gated Shangri-La Village in our disgraceful bus.

Mike and I checked into room 124 which has a king size bed. We went back to the desk clerk and he gave Mike another room. The hotel is a large walled compound and quite nice. There is a pool, fish ponds, gardens, lawn, etc. separating the various buildings. I called for laundry and it cost over a dollar per item. I sent out 2 shorts, burmudas, khakis and 3 T-shirts which were done in a few hours for 897.66 NR ($12.64). They were returned very clean and nicely done with the T-shirts folded over individual cardboard inserts. I washed some things in the sink. Showered and shaved getting rid of the vestiges of the trail. I walked across the lawn and a bridge over a fish pond to dinner at 7:00. I sat with Keshore along with Peter and Jenny Emsky who joined us. Dinner was buffet style and I ate a little of everything as usual which included rice, beef, shrimp, various vegetables and a fruit salad. I drank a 650 ml Carlsberg beer which cost 247 NR ($3.48).

November 6, 2000 Monday Raft 20 km on the Trisuli River

Got up at 5:15 and packed up. Went to buffet breakfast of egg, bacon, sausage, cressant and juice at 6:15. Took my luggage to the lobby and checked out charging my beer and laundry.

Our Mercedes bus, driver and helper were there at 7:00 to bus us 4 hours southeast to the put in probably around Bairen on the Trisuli River. During the drive we stopped for several police roadblocks. Many towns have a roadblock (long pole lowered across the road) where you pay a toll. Saw a dead cow in the ditch with 5-6 men crouching around it building a fire next to it's stomach. After crossing the Trisuli River we stopped in Muling for a break. Several men were eating in an open hotel lobby with their right hands (no utensils). A big goat (known by all the locals) walked in and licked their compartmented metal trays clean after they left.

There are two rafts with Peter, Jenny, Susan, Noelle, Morgan, Emily, Connie and me in one. Mike, Janelle, Darcy, Brian and Mary are in the other. It is sunny and warm but comfortable on the river. We stopped after an hour of rafting about 12:30 having run a few class 2 and 3 rapids. We ate lunch of an onion, tomato, cheese and tuna sandwich, cucmber, carrot, squash, banana, cookies and lemonade. We got underway again and had some great rapids up to class 4 and long. On the flat areas we saw many kingfishers that flew straight up into a power stall where he hovered several seconds then fell into a dive hitting the water with a big splash and coming up with a fish. We got in at 3:30 having rafted about 20 kilometers.

We camped on a beach. We were served tea on a tarp at 5:00 pm with cookies, popcorn and crackers. It was very pleasant on the river and everyone hung around talking until supper at 6:30. We ate by candlelight sitting on the sand listening to the river. We were served large amounts of very good soup, chow mein, french fried potatoes, chicken, rice, lentil sauce, vegetable sauce, various vegetables, apples, oranges and tea.

November 7, 2000 Tuesday Raft Trisuli River into Narayani River

Slept really well waking at 5:45. Today is an annual Hindu holiday 11 days after the new moon. Crowds of people are on both sides of the river and would continue coming and going all day. People came and ceremonially washed in the river many stripping (men and women and families) to do so. They then sent down the river little prayer floats made of 7 leaves and decorated with flowers and lighted candles. Some threw flowers or strings of flowers in the river. All left with marks of red, yellow or red and yellow on their foreheads a sign that they had worshipped. I saw one raft that was like a little gondola of flowers. We ate breakfast of egg sandwichs, potatoes, sausage and hot chocolate.about 8:30.

We started down the river about 9:30. We had some good rapids but not as many or rough as yesterday. We floated most of the time through a narrow canyon. We came to a junction with the smaller Budhi Gandak River entering from the north on our right. The joint river is called the Narayani which flows into the Ganges in India. We stopped and the guides scouted the three successive rapids down stream with a bridge over the river. We ran the rapids which were really fun and as rough as the ones yesterday. We saw a large group of monkeys on shore. We stopped for lunch of potato vegetable salad, cheese and sardine sandwich and orange drink about 1:15. We floated down river another 40 minutes. We covered another 20 kilometers or more. Our bus met us and we collected a tip for the rafting crew of about 700 NR ($9.86) from each of us. We were upstream from Muling. It was sunny and warm with an overcast later in the afternoon.

The road follows the cliffs above the river and is very narrow and in bad shape with lots of construction. Everywhere there are communal water pipes or hoses with the water running continuously. We turned off the highway onto a dirt track towards the Island Jungle Resort. Being a Hindu holiday the track is packed with people in colorful clothing, assorted vehicles and animals for the entire 8 km to the river. It took at least an hour to get to the river. We finally got out of the crowds as we drove along the river .

We stopped on the bank and loaded aboard three small boats for the ride across the river in the gray light. We walked about ½ mile on a beaten dirt path to the village. Mike and I are in room #2 in the Kingfisher cabin that has four rooms. It is dark and we have a kerosene lantern outside our door for light. We have a bathroom and solar hot water (translation - no hot water). It is quite rustic with plenty of bugs crawling around and jungle sounds coming through the open windows including the call of an elephant. Fortunately the kerosene lantern is so dim you really can't see what is going on around you. Walked down to the bar for a 650 ml San Miguel for 130 NR ($1.83) and joined several others on a gently sloping deck over the river. At 6:30 we watched about 12 stick dancers and a bongo drummer perform some kind of war games. Went into the dining hall for buffet supper of chicken, rice, mixed vegetables, spinach, bread and rice pudding at 7:30. The US presidential elections started about 15 minutes ago.

November 8, 2000 Wednesday Chitwan National Park

Got up at 5:30. Walked down to the center for tea at 6:00. At 6:30 we walked into the jungle to a tree with a circular platform around it. We walked up steps to the platform and loaded 3-4 people on a platform strapped to each elephant as they backed under the tree platform in turn. I am facing backward on an elephant with Mary Kelly and Brian Livezey. We fanned out through the jungle and saw nothing for about an hour and 45 minutes.

Got back about 8:15 and walked to breakfast of pancakes, sausage, hardboiled eggs, baked beans and oatmeal.

At 9:30 we hiked through the jungle with Santa Gurung. We came across a rhino in the brush very quickly. We spent about 40 minutes trying to get a good view. I got about 30-40 feet from the rhino and got a brief unobstructed view of him next to the trail but we had to run as Gurung said the rhino was getting agitated. We came across some deer and several little gray monkeys. We hiked out to a tower on the river and saw many male and female tiger tracks in the sand. We headed back to camp and got a good look at another rhino. Soon thereafter we heard two male rhinos jousting but we stayed away and continued on to camp arriving at 12:10. Many people got leeches. Emily bled through the back of her pants leg leaving a stain 2-3 inches in diameter.

Bought a bottle of water and ate lunch of roast water buffalo, mixed vegetables, rice, cabbage, mushroom soup, potatoes and rice pudding.

At 1:30 we went to see the elephants bathe in the river. Several in our group got on elephants and got dunked several times in the river. Some man (Swiss I think) listening to a radio said Bush had 246 and Gore 242 electoral votes at 3:20 pm. It is hot and muggy with a haze or light overcast blocking the sun.

At 4:00 we hiked about an hour to a sandbar in the river to see crocadiles but there were none. We boated back downstream to camp in the dimming light which was very pleasant.

Took a solar hot water (cold) shower. Walked down for a warm 650 ml Tuborg beer for 130 NR($1.83) with the group. Watched a slide presentation and talk on the Chitwan National Park. I heard at 8:00 pm that it was 271 for Bush and 249 for Gore with a recount in Florida. Ate buffet supper of noodle vegetable soup, rice, chow mein, chicken, mixed vegetables and fruit salad outside at 8:15.

November 9, 2000 Thursday Safari & Drive to Kathmandu

Got up at 5:30. Gurung led Peter, Jenny, Connie, Mary, Brian and I on a plant walk at 6:30. We stopped by the elephants. We walked a short distance when a rhino was spotted. We got a couple of good looks. We then chased the rhino through the high grass to the beach along with the elephants. Got some more good pictures. Spotted more tiger tracks and looked at about ½ dozen plants including mint and curry. Got back to camp at 8:00 am for breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage and juice. Tipped Gurung with money collected from the group. Boated back across the river and our waiting driver, helper and Mercedes bus. A couple of soldiers with rifles stood by as some officials went through Emily and Morgan's bags before loading on our bus. Bused back the 8 km on the dirt path to the highway. We retraced our route back past our take out and put in points for our raft trip. Stopped at the Hilltop Restaurant at 12:30 for lunch of rice, soup, radish curry, spinach, vegetables and bottled water. The drive back to Kathmandu was really interesting. LOVE IS LIFE is on most truck and bus windshields. Most trucks have cabins with seats for about 6 people and are usually highly decorated with tensil, paint, etc. The rules of the road don't seem to exist but there are few accidents. People pass on blind curves and brows of hills with horns blaring and there are continuous near misses. People, animals like elephants and water buffalo, herds of animals, products of every description and vehicles of every description are all over the road.

We arrived in Kathmandu about 4:00 pm and checked into room 2104 of the Vashaili Hotel. Got our second bags out of storage. Sent an email to everyone and read all my messages for 25 NR ($.35). Bought 5 post cards for 50 NR ($.70) and called Anne for 60 NR ($.85). Went to the Krua Thai restaurant at 6:20 for dinner of rice, pork curry, vegetable curry, bean curd soup and a 650ml Carlsberg beer for 850 NR ($11.97). Bought a Nepal map for 400 NR ($5.63).

November 10, 2000 Friday Kathmandu

Got up at 6:15. Walked down to breakfast in the lobby with Noelle, then Peter and Jenny and then Susan at 7:15. Ate pancakes, omelet, cressant, bacon, sausage, orange juice, fruit salad and potatoes.

The bus was late but we finally got going after 9:30. Norvine was our guide. Bus had problems and stopped near the temple so we walked about 5 minutes to visit the monkey temple Swayambunath on a high hill. Visited a Tibetan refugee rug factory. A Tibetan lady gave us a nice talking to about voting then Tibet, China and the US. Visited an outlet where I bought Anne a yellow topaz ring for her birthday for 1000NR. Visited the durbar and Royal Palace in Patan after walking through its streets. Returned to the hotel about 2:00.

Walked through the Thamel district and bought an Everest map for 275 NR ($4.04), a chess set for 1050 NR ($15.44) and some cashews for 60 NR ($.88). Returned to the hotel and bought a 650ml Kingfisher beer for 140 NR ($2.06). Showered.

Met Connie and Emily at the bar and drank a Kingfisher beer for 140 NR ($2.06). Took a cab to the Bhanchha Ghar Nepalese Restaurant with Connie, Emily, Brian, Mary and Susan for 50 NR ($.74). Ordered a Carlsberg beer and drank rice wine while sitting on the floor with no shoes watching a series of various ethnic costumed dances by 3-5 women. Ate dinner of rice, vegetables, pork, greens, etc and more rice wine for 1100 NR ($16.18). Took a taxi back and paid 200 NR ($2.94). Connie called and she with Emily and Mike went out for a beer in an upstairs bar. There is a curfew and we were virtually alone in the streets.

November 11, 2000 Saturday Fly to Bangkok, Thailand

Got up at 7:15 and packed up. Met Peter and Jenny for breakfast of orange juice and huevos rancheros at the Northfield Cafe for 280 NR ($4.12). Susan joined us later. Exchanged $10 for 722 NR on the main street through Thamel. Our bus arrived at 10:30. Said goodbye to Mingma and Keshore. They draped a pale yellow very light scarf around our necks.

Put all my extra Nepalese money about 365 NR ($5.05) in the tip collection for the driver and his helper. The driver was very good and friendly. Paid the 1100 NR ($15.22) exit tax and started the long process of checking in and going through Nepali customs and immigration. Spent 80 NR ($1.11) for a Snickers bar in the airport.

Loaded Thai Air flight 320 on a Boeing 777 seat 51A and took off 50 minutes late at 2:40 pm. Once we climbed through the clouds heading east out of Kathmandu, we had great panoramic views of several himals including Everest. We arrived in Bangkok about 6:25 pm after the 2 hour and 45 minute flight and a one hour time change.

I got my bags and checked through Thai customs and immigration pretty quickly. Said goodbye to everyone and found Got with my name at the exit gate. He escorted me to a big Mercedes with a driver. Got gave me a running narrative on what to do and not do as we breezed into Bangkok on freeways to the Montien Riverside Hotel room 2015.

The hotel is very spacious and very nice. My room on the 20th floor is an executive suite with a super king size bed and very large. My bathroom is larger than many hotel rooms I have been in. I have a great view of the river and tonight is the Festival of Lights celebrated over most of southeast Asia. There are lighted boats, fireworks and all manner of light displays. Went to a buffet supper of spaghetti, pork, chicken, vegetables, cake and a Carlsberg beer off the hotel lobby for 865.10 baht ($20.07). Showered and went to bed early.

November 12, 2000 Sunday Tour Bangkok

Got up about 6:30. Went to breakfast of mellon, orange juice, bacon, omelet and cressants about 7:10 off the hotel lobby. Was picked up by a guide and driver at 8:00.

Drove to Wat Traimit (Temple of the Golden Buddha) and met my guide Nai. I was joined by a Greek couple living on Cypress. Saw the Golden Buddha 5 ½ tons of 18 karat gold. We then visited the 46 meter Reclining Buddha in Wat Pho. The Wat is actually a very large complex of temples, monk quarters, etc. It is quite elaborate with king's ashes buried there. There are 394 bronze Buddhas from all over Thailand in the complex. We were taken to Wat Benchamabophit (The Marble Temple) built of marble from Carrera, Italy. I wore long pants and shoes because it is required in the temples. I am hot and sweaty in the hot sunny weather.

I got dropped off at the MBK market which is 10 floors of shops of every description. I walked through the food mart and saw restaurants of every kind of food. Went to an internet shop and sent an email to everyone on my address list for 25 baht ($.63). I went to the Bar B-Q Plaza for lunch of pork, shrimp, mushrooms, rice and a small Singha beer for 195 baht ($4.53) at 12:30. I had to eat with chopsticks which is interesting when eating rice. I cooked my lunch on the brass grooved domed grill with a canal around the perimeter which covered a gas burner in the center of the table. A sauce was mixed by the hostess from 4 small dishes of ingredients. It was very good.

Took the BTS elevated train for 30 baht ($.70) to the Oriental Hotel where I left a note for Connie and Emily. Rode a free water taxi across the river and back then to the River City dock. Met a couple from Philadelphia and relatives from northern Virginia. It clouded over late in the afternoon. Waited until 5:00 pm for the hotel boat that took me back to the hotel arriving at 5:30.

Went to dinner of spicy shrimp soup, rice, shrimp, asparagus, banana split and a Carlsberg beer for 635.58 baht ($14.74) in the cafe off the hotel lobby.

November 13, 2000 Monday Tour Bangkok

Got up at 6:30 am. Went to breakfast of omelet, cressants, orange juice, pancakes and mellons at 7:10.

Caught the hotel river shuttle at 8:38 am to the River City docks. Withdrew 1000 baht ($23.20) at an ATM. Walked a few blocks to the Oriental Hotel where I met Connie and Emily in the lobby at 9:30 am. Richard our guide arrived and we were driven to the Royal Palace. We saw the Emerald Buddha and the other numerous buildings in the complex. Paid Connie 1300 baht ($30.16) for the tour as she had charged it to her room. We were dropped at River City. We caught the river ferry for 24 baht ($.56) for 3 to Tha Tien to photograph Wat Arun as we passed. Returned to River City and said goodbye to Connie and Emily.

Ate lunch of chicken, onion and tomato melt, peach melba and a Singha beer for 369 baht ($8.56) at the Sala Thai about 2:00 pm. Caught the 3:00 pm ferry back to the hotel.

Went to supper of seafood shish kaibob, rice, chicken chunks with cashews, onion sprouts, vanilla ice cream and a Carlsberg beer for 568.11 baht ($11.74) at the Sala-Rimnam outside the hotel by the river about 6:30. It is very pleasant with a nice warm breeze, strings of small lights in the trees, flowers and hedges and lights from across the river shimmering on the water. The food and service is excellent. Retrieved my passport and tickets from my safe deposit box in the lobby.

November 14, 2000 Tueday Fly Bangkok - Tokyo - LA - Baltimore

Got up at 5:00 am and packed up. Drank a couple of glasses of orange juice in the hotel lobby.

Picked up by a guide and a taxi at 5:40 am. Drove to the airport and the guide escorted me through airline check-in and paid the 500 baht ($11.60) exit fee. Tipped the guide 150 baht ($3.48) plus $10.

Boarded Thai Air flight TG 772 a Boeing 747-400 in seat 36A. We took off at 8:27 am on the 5 hour and 10 minute 2888 mile flight. We flew over Thailand, Laos and Da Nang, Vietnam. We flew near Hong Kong and over the tip of Taewan. Was served salmon, rice, orange juice, roll and butter. It was very cloudy landing at Narita Airport in Tokyo but I got to see a little during landing at 4:00 pm local time. I thought I could see Mt Fuji and two other peaks poking through the clouds as we approached Tokyo. I was amazed that we flew at 41,000' and reached a speed of 727 miles per hour with a 161 mph tailwind and an outside temperature of -81 degrees all records for me.

Took off from Tokyo at 3:42 EST in the dark and could see the ground lights very well. Our flight to LA took 8 hours and 40 minutes to cover 5,445 miles landing at 12:23 EST. Was served shrimp, scallops, pasta, carrots, peas, noodles, red wine, roll, butter, salad and a chocolate mousse. It was dark across the Pacific until the last couple of hours. Watched 3 movies of no note but the last was "A Perfect Storm".

Went through immigation and customs with no problem even though they scanned my passport. Walked from terminal 4 to terminal 1 and checked in for US Air flight 38. I have about 4 hours and 30 minutes to kill. Ate lunch of pizza and pink lemonade at the Host International for $10.05.

We took off at 3:00 pm on an Airbus 319 on the 4 hour and 56 minute flight to Baltimore. Was served dinner of crab, noodles, roll, butter, mixed vegetables and fruit salad. Landed in Baltimore about 10:20 pm or 40 minutes early. My luggage came out early and Anne was outside at the curb with the car. Drove home arriving about 11:30.