September 22-30: Thailand
Our first day in Bangkok was a pleasant one, everything seemed almost too easy in comparison to other travel days. We explored a little around where we were staying and I was surprised at similarities between here and Japan. Lisa was pleased as she found a cheap shopping area, 6 floors filled with it. Luckily, they had food too.
The next morning we had breakfast with Tony and Marsha, friends from Japan/Australia now living in Bangkok. We had a great time catching up.
We spent the rest of the day taking a boat through the middle of the city and ended with a movie, complete with a golf cart ride back to the street our hotel was located on.
We noticed right away the friendly nature of the Thai people. It has been so much fun just getting to know some of them.
The rest of our time was spent in Chiang Mai. We went to the Thailand version of the golden triangle (Laos/Mynamar border), rode elephants, rafted a river with a bamboo and regular raft. However, the best part was getting to know Nan, Op, and Kno. The girls who ran the hostel we stayed at.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Week 17
September 16-21: India
The Golden Triangle in India consists of Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. These were the places we visited on our time here. The safest and easiest way to accomplish this was to travel by hiring a driver, which we arranged through our hotel.
Our first destination was Jaipur where we rode an elephant to the Amber Fort and outside were greeted by a snake charmer complete with a flute. The road to Jaipur was an adventure in itself, as would be the other travel days. Similar to Nepal, the rules of the road seem to be left to ones personal conviction. In addition to sights in Nepal we added seeing herds of camels and elephants.
Agra was a much anticipated destination, not just because of the Taj Mahal, we were able to meet up with my friend Brittany and met her friend Martha. We had an incredible visit and were able to hang out for the majority of the day, visiting the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and ended with a cup of coffee. We had lots of questions for them about the culture and their experiences over the past nine months. We were fortunate to meet back up with Brittany and met Julie once we returned to Delhi. It was Julie who convinced us to take our first motorized rickshaw ride. Our last day in Delhi we saw the India gate, Lotus temple, and the Red Fort.
The Golden Triangle in India consists of Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. These were the places we visited on our time here. The safest and easiest way to accomplish this was to travel by hiring a driver, which we arranged through our hotel.
Our first destination was Jaipur where we rode an elephant to the Amber Fort and outside were greeted by a snake charmer complete with a flute. The road to Jaipur was an adventure in itself, as would be the other travel days. Similar to Nepal, the rules of the road seem to be left to ones personal conviction. In addition to sights in Nepal we added seeing herds of camels and elephants.
Agra was a much anticipated destination, not just because of the Taj Mahal, we were able to meet up with my friend Brittany and met her friend Martha. We had an incredible visit and were able to hang out for the majority of the day, visiting the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and ended with a cup of coffee. We had lots of questions for them about the culture and their experiences over the past nine months. We were fortunate to meet back up with Brittany and met Julie once we returned to Delhi. It was Julie who convinced us to take our first motorized rickshaw ride. Our last day in Delhi we saw the India gate, Lotus temple, and the Red Fort.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Week 16
September 9-15: Kathmandu, Nepal
As we arrived in Nepal, after layovers in Belgium and Dubai, we were greeted by Dipak, one of the staff from Hotel Ganesh Himal. The car ride to the hotel was interesting in more ways than one. We were suddenly amidst a crowd of cars, bikes, people, buses, cows, and etc., all fighting for ownership of the road. As I was processing all this, we realized Dipak and I were in Japan at the same time. He proceeded to talk to me in Japanese, meanwhile, Lisa was taking pictures of all that was taking place around us. Before we arrived at the hotel we already had most of our week planned, thanks to the help of a lady from Baltimore who shared the ride with us.
The next day we took a walk through Thamel to purchase last minute items needed for our trek to Namche, on the Everest Base Camp trail. We managed to get all our gear for less than one pair of trekking poles at home. Later we meet Dipak for supper at a Japanese restaurant.
Friday we were ready to take the early morning flight to Lukla to begin our trek. However, the weather was not cooperating. We spent half the day waiting with delays.
During our wait we continually were confused by the boarding system, which consisted of a guy walking through the room yelling out flight numbers. We also got to meet the other Lukla passengers, one of whom was a mountaineering guide in Alaska. He had been away from home for a few months spending time as a guide in Africa.
Finally, we were told there would be no flight that day. Due to a limited amount of time and the unpredictable weather in Lukla, we called Dipak and arranged to have our flight changed to the Annapurna region of the Himalayas, another popular trekking site with a more accessible airport.
We arrived later that afternoon in Pokhara. This lake side city is famous for its mountain views. After checking into the hotel, we went for a walk around the lake and got something to eat. The views from the street of the mountain peaks were amazing.
Saturday we began with an hour and a half car ride to the trailhead in Nayapol. The first obstacle of the day was a pack of donkeys that were covering the entire path. The second was a river running over the path and the worry of whether this was indeed the right trail. Luckily, four boys were enjoying a swim and assured us we were on the right track. The first few hours weren't too bad, lots of great views and not too steep. We quickly learned to share the road with the various groups of donkeys that carried loads of goods on their back. I became particularly fond of one who was not only last in his group, but also, rather far behind. He would stand at the bottom of a long uphill portion and take three deep breaths before moving along. We caught up with this same pack in the next village taking a rest and noticed him right away. As they took his load off he seemed relieved and fell to the ground rolling around like a dog, maybe I liked him so much because I felt the same way once we made it to Ulleri, our destination for the day. In all we hiked for around 7 hours. The last two being the worst. However, this is where the views of the mountains were incredible.
We spent the night in tea houses ran by locals. The food was great and the families that ran the places were very helpful.
Our second day was the hardest. We started out around 5:30am and finished around 5:30pm. The goal was Poon Hill, via Ghorepani Village. We stopped there for breakfast at Hotel Sakura and were quickly convinced to return for lunch when the owner offered to keep our bags while we hiked the rest of the way up. Once reaching the destination of Poon Hill, known for its panoramic views of the mountains, we took a break to take it all in. It's hard to describe beauty, so I won't attempt to do so.
The clouds eventually moved in and blocked our view. We decided to begin our journey back. You would think going down hill would be a breeze but it was still hard work. That night we returned to the same teahouse in Ulleri.
Our final trekking day was probably the lightest day, but not an easy one. We returned to Nayapol and on to Pokhara. We shopped a little after returning but found it difficult to do too much as we were having trouble walking.
Finally, we returned to Kathmandu and toured the highlights of the city. The monkey temple was properly named as it was covered with them even on the roadsides.
As we arrived in Nepal, after layovers in Belgium and Dubai, we were greeted by Dipak, one of the staff from Hotel Ganesh Himal. The car ride to the hotel was interesting in more ways than one. We were suddenly amidst a crowd of cars, bikes, people, buses, cows, and etc., all fighting for ownership of the road. As I was processing all this, we realized Dipak and I were in Japan at the same time. He proceeded to talk to me in Japanese, meanwhile, Lisa was taking pictures of all that was taking place around us. Before we arrived at the hotel we already had most of our week planned, thanks to the help of a lady from Baltimore who shared the ride with us.
The next day we took a walk through Thamel to purchase last minute items needed for our trek to Namche, on the Everest Base Camp trail. We managed to get all our gear for less than one pair of trekking poles at home. Later we meet Dipak for supper at a Japanese restaurant.
Friday we were ready to take the early morning flight to Lukla to begin our trek. However, the weather was not cooperating. We spent half the day waiting with delays.
During our wait we continually were confused by the boarding system, which consisted of a guy walking through the room yelling out flight numbers. We also got to meet the other Lukla passengers, one of whom was a mountaineering guide in Alaska. He had been away from home for a few months spending time as a guide in Africa.
Finally, we were told there would be no flight that day. Due to a limited amount of time and the unpredictable weather in Lukla, we called Dipak and arranged to have our flight changed to the Annapurna region of the Himalayas, another popular trekking site with a more accessible airport.
We arrived later that afternoon in Pokhara. This lake side city is famous for its mountain views. After checking into the hotel, we went for a walk around the lake and got something to eat. The views from the street of the mountain peaks were amazing.
Saturday we began with an hour and a half car ride to the trailhead in Nayapol. The first obstacle of the day was a pack of donkeys that were covering the entire path. The second was a river running over the path and the worry of whether this was indeed the right trail. Luckily, four boys were enjoying a swim and assured us we were on the right track. The first few hours weren't too bad, lots of great views and not too steep. We quickly learned to share the road with the various groups of donkeys that carried loads of goods on their back. I became particularly fond of one who was not only last in his group, but also, rather far behind. He would stand at the bottom of a long uphill portion and take three deep breaths before moving along. We caught up with this same pack in the next village taking a rest and noticed him right away. As they took his load off he seemed relieved and fell to the ground rolling around like a dog, maybe I liked him so much because I felt the same way once we made it to Ulleri, our destination for the day. In all we hiked for around 7 hours. The last two being the worst. However, this is where the views of the mountains were incredible.
We spent the night in tea houses ran by locals. The food was great and the families that ran the places were very helpful.
Our second day was the hardest. We started out around 5:30am and finished around 5:30pm. The goal was Poon Hill, via Ghorepani Village. We stopped there for breakfast at Hotel Sakura and were quickly convinced to return for lunch when the owner offered to keep our bags while we hiked the rest of the way up. Once reaching the destination of Poon Hill, known for its panoramic views of the mountains, we took a break to take it all in. It's hard to describe beauty, so I won't attempt to do so.
The clouds eventually moved in and blocked our view. We decided to begin our journey back. You would think going down hill would be a breeze but it was still hard work. That night we returned to the same teahouse in Ulleri.
Our final trekking day was probably the lightest day, but not an easy one. We returned to Nayapol and on to Pokhara. We shopped a little after returning but found it difficult to do too much as we were having trouble walking.
Finally, we returned to Kathmandu and toured the highlights of the city. The monkey temple was properly named as it was covered with them even on the roadsides.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Week 15
August 31-September 8: Norway
A note from Lisa:
I find myself on a plane headed for Abu Dhabi and came to the realization that my time in Norway has sadly come to an end too soon. I have been in quite a few places these last few months, but as I look back to compare them all, each one pales in comparison with Norway. Was it so special because my Granny made elaborate dinners (while insisting it was nothing fancy) or cause my other grandmother had homemade tea ready for us night and day? I'm sure that helped :) along with all the other ways my family has spoiled us. Not only have we been berry picking with Matias and his roommates in Trondheim, but we have also had dinner and a movie with Fredrick, Anne-stine, Tone and Granny. I had the opportunity to be part of Linda's beautiful Norwegian wedding while hanging out with Catherine the amazing toast-master, got to watch Alexander play soccer, hung out with Christian and his dog Simba, enjoyed dinner and coffee with friends from Nordfjørd Folkehøgskule, hot chocolate and movie nights with Nina, and went to church with Annie. We have enjoyed various foods and had time to catch up with almost all my aunts and uncles, along with so much more. We have been showered with love and affection that is more than enough for a whole city. I almost felt selfish taking it all in. This trip has definately confirmed my thoughts that my home in Norway is just as much home to me as anywhere else in the world. Thanks to all my family and friends from both Denise and I. We are so grateful for you all.
A note from Lisa:
I find myself on a plane headed for Abu Dhabi and came to the realization that my time in Norway has sadly come to an end too soon. I have been in quite a few places these last few months, but as I look back to compare them all, each one pales in comparison with Norway. Was it so special because my Granny made elaborate dinners (while insisting it was nothing fancy) or cause my other grandmother had homemade tea ready for us night and day? I'm sure that helped :) along with all the other ways my family has spoiled us. Not only have we been berry picking with Matias and his roommates in Trondheim, but we have also had dinner and a movie with Fredrick, Anne-stine, Tone and Granny. I had the opportunity to be part of Linda's beautiful Norwegian wedding while hanging out with Catherine the amazing toast-master, got to watch Alexander play soccer, hung out with Christian and his dog Simba, enjoyed dinner and coffee with friends from Nordfjørd Folkehøgskule, hot chocolate and movie nights with Nina, and went to church with Annie. We have enjoyed various foods and had time to catch up with almost all my aunts and uncles, along with so much more. We have been showered with love and affection that is more than enough for a whole city. I almost felt selfish taking it all in. This trip has definately confirmed my thoughts that my home in Norway is just as much home to me as anywhere else in the world. Thanks to all my family and friends from both Denise and I. We are so grateful for you all.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)