Dear All,
I'm back home, at my own computer so can write my last blog without power cuts or queues of people waiting for the computer - bliss! Its been great to know people have been following my journey - 943 visits to my blog pages - amazing!
There is not a lot more to tell of my adventure, but I kept jotting down 'new observations' so I'll have a round up of those at the end.
I left you waiting to get up before the crack of dawn to see the sunrise from a high hill in Pokhara. I duly arose at 4.15 and had just got dressed when the guide phoned to say as it was raining (it was like a monsoon outside the window!) there was no point in going, so back to bed. Up later for a day of sightseeing - I saw a beautiful waterfall then climbed down into the 2nd biggest cave in Asia where there is a huge vertical opening in the rock which frames the waterfall - stunning. Visited a tibetan refugee village where they spin the fleeces of goats and make beautiful rugs and then sell the rugs to pay for the upkeep of the village. So I had to buy a couple of small rugs there... Later in the evening I went for a boat ride across the attractive lake - rough canoes propelled by a boy with a paddle - very peaceful.
The next day, up at 4.15 again, raining again, back to bed with the arrangement we would go up the mountain later just to see the view, which we did before I took the plane back to Kathmandu. I don't think I told you about the planes... The airport building (domestic) at Kathmandu looks as if it could fall down any minute and is held together with electric wires. The one flight monitor mentions airlines like Yeti Air, Buddha Air, Nepal Air. There are 2 gates - nothing to tell you when you are boarding or which gate, so I asked someone who said it would be announced. Then I heard some shouting and a few people moving and I joined people going out of the gate onto a bus. No idea if this was right but other people on the bus had boarding passes which said Pokhara - no-one had looked at my boarding pass. The plane had 12 rows of seats, 2 on each side. I was 5D but there was a man sitting in 5D and taking up 5C as well so the stewardess sat me in the front with her! The airport building in Pokhara was a bit newer but the return flight experience much the same! I checked in to return to Kathmandu to be told the flight before mine hadn't yet taken off so I should go on that flight as they weren't sure my flight would go. So I arrived early in Kathmandu and was entertained, whilst waiting for my guide & car, by loads of monkeys in the car park, climbing over the motorbikes with their babies underneath them, going through the rubbish bins etc. Then it was a car ride up to a wonderful hotel, right up high. Cool and beautiful, wonderful views. I was meant to see the sunset but it was too cloudy - if its clear you can see Everest, but not that evening, sadly. Very beautiful around this area - Nargarcot. Hilly with all the hills terraced extensively. They can only grow crops during the monsoon season as that is the only way the crops can be watered.
Next day, 1st July, we drove from Nargakot to Baktapur where there are loads of 17th century buildings - most attractive in old red brick paved streets and a pottery area where two 'bonfires' are kept going 24/7 to fire all the pottery they make and sell. Then to Kathmandu airport (international terminal this time) to leave Nepal. I loved Nepal, it was a wonderful mixture of Tibet and India and I would love to go back there sometime. Next time its with an empty suitcase, there are so many beautiful things, clothes, jewellery, leather goods, etc. to buy so cheaply. So then back to Delhi and Mike and Sarah's house, to chill out and sort out bags before going home on 4th July. It was good to see Mike again - Sarah and the children are back in Devon for the school holidays. And one day I met up with the wonderful Indian lady I met on my memorable train journey to Kerala. I had lunch with her and her sister which was great. And I had a manicure and a pedicure to come home with.
So now I'm home. Slowly coming back down to earth, and sorting myself out. The house was clean and welcoming and my own bed and bathroom bliss! The garden will keep me busy for a while - if it stops raining!
So, now a random selection of observations from China and India which I haven't mentioned yet but which are quite fun.
The ability of the Chinese to sleep anywhere - if you get on a bus,more than half the people are leaning against windows, seats in front, asleep - even sometimes hanging onto straps and looking asleep. The other ability of note is that of being able to talk for HOURS. On the coach trips I went on the guide would talk for an hour and a half, regularly. I would ask the person who spoke English what they said and she would say - breakfast at 7 a.m. and leave at 7.30. That's all! Even during a massage the masseur was chatting for ages on his mobile!
Also in China they have park areas with lots of different things to help you to exercise and these are just for the elderly. If you go out early these areas are full of 'the elderly' twisting, turning, pulling up, cycling, bending, etc. Pretty impressive!
The beds are worth a mention - there are no mattresses as we know them. A bit of plywood covered with 2 or 3 inches of flock, covered with pretty material, is what you lie on. China, India, Nepal, everywhere. Sometimes you might get springs - which are between two boards, covered with flock, etc. With those beds and the car journeys, my back is taking its time to recover!
For some reason, they decorate shoe insoles. The type of insole you put in a shoe to make it smaller, will be beautifully embroidered. You can get d-i-y kits of insoles with a pattern printed on it and the embroidery silks needed to stitch it. People sit by their stalls stitching. I never found out the reason for this.
I don't think I mentioned the earthquake village... In 2008 there was a massive earthquake which destroyed quite a large area in Sichuan province. On my coach trip to the waterfalls we stopped at one of the villages where the affected buildings are a tourist attraction. It was in the what-used-to-be-Tibet part of the province and new homes have been built for the Tibetans and those who live there now have to dress in 'traditional' Tibetan dress and run the tourist part. It was quite an eye opener to see the collapsed buildings everywhere. On that coach trip a lot was made of the fact that we were 'in Tibet' and we visited villages supposedly authentic Tibet, where everyone dressed in 'traditional' dress and 'hand made' cloth, wooden items, food, jewellery, etc. But it was a far cry from Ganzi... In Ganzi I never saw anyone wearing what these people wore. On the subject of dress, the Tibetan women we saw in Ganzi and around often wear the most amazing hats - the sort you would see at the Queen's Garden party - all frilly and flouncy! some of the men wear them too!
So that's it folks. I have seen and experienced more than I ever could have imagined. Wonderful, amazing places, views, mountains, and wonderful people. Such beauty, so many unforgettable experiences. I am so lucky to have all my brilliant memories.
Thank you for staying with me throughout my journey.
With love to you all,
Liz
I'm back home, at my own computer so can write my last blog without power cuts or queues of people waiting for the computer - bliss! Its been great to know people have been following my journey - 943 visits to my blog pages - amazing!
There is not a lot more to tell of my adventure, but I kept jotting down 'new observations' so I'll have a round up of those at the end.
I left you waiting to get up before the crack of dawn to see the sunrise from a high hill in Pokhara. I duly arose at 4.15 and had just got dressed when the guide phoned to say as it was raining (it was like a monsoon outside the window!) there was no point in going, so back to bed. Up later for a day of sightseeing - I saw a beautiful waterfall then climbed down into the 2nd biggest cave in Asia where there is a huge vertical opening in the rock which frames the waterfall - stunning. Visited a tibetan refugee village where they spin the fleeces of goats and make beautiful rugs and then sell the rugs to pay for the upkeep of the village. So I had to buy a couple of small rugs there... Later in the evening I went for a boat ride across the attractive lake - rough canoes propelled by a boy with a paddle - very peaceful.
The next day, up at 4.15 again, raining again, back to bed with the arrangement we would go up the mountain later just to see the view, which we did before I took the plane back to Kathmandu. I don't think I told you about the planes... The airport building (domestic) at Kathmandu looks as if it could fall down any minute and is held together with electric wires. The one flight monitor mentions airlines like Yeti Air, Buddha Air, Nepal Air. There are 2 gates - nothing to tell you when you are boarding or which gate, so I asked someone who said it would be announced. Then I heard some shouting and a few people moving and I joined people going out of the gate onto a bus. No idea if this was right but other people on the bus had boarding passes which said Pokhara - no-one had looked at my boarding pass. The plane had 12 rows of seats, 2 on each side. I was 5D but there was a man sitting in 5D and taking up 5C as well so the stewardess sat me in the front with her! The airport building in Pokhara was a bit newer but the return flight experience much the same! I checked in to return to Kathmandu to be told the flight before mine hadn't yet taken off so I should go on that flight as they weren't sure my flight would go. So I arrived early in Kathmandu and was entertained, whilst waiting for my guide & car, by loads of monkeys in the car park, climbing over the motorbikes with their babies underneath them, going through the rubbish bins etc. Then it was a car ride up to a wonderful hotel, right up high. Cool and beautiful, wonderful views. I was meant to see the sunset but it was too cloudy - if its clear you can see Everest, but not that evening, sadly. Very beautiful around this area - Nargarcot. Hilly with all the hills terraced extensively. They can only grow crops during the monsoon season as that is the only way the crops can be watered.
Next day, 1st July, we drove from Nargakot to Baktapur where there are loads of 17th century buildings - most attractive in old red brick paved streets and a pottery area where two 'bonfires' are kept going 24/7 to fire all the pottery they make and sell. Then to Kathmandu airport (international terminal this time) to leave Nepal. I loved Nepal, it was a wonderful mixture of Tibet and India and I would love to go back there sometime. Next time its with an empty suitcase, there are so many beautiful things, clothes, jewellery, leather goods, etc. to buy so cheaply. So then back to Delhi and Mike and Sarah's house, to chill out and sort out bags before going home on 4th July. It was good to see Mike again - Sarah and the children are back in Devon for the school holidays. And one day I met up with the wonderful Indian lady I met on my memorable train journey to Kerala. I had lunch with her and her sister which was great. And I had a manicure and a pedicure to come home with.
So now I'm home. Slowly coming back down to earth, and sorting myself out. The house was clean and welcoming and my own bed and bathroom bliss! The garden will keep me busy for a while - if it stops raining!
So, now a random selection of observations from China and India which I haven't mentioned yet but which are quite fun.
The ability of the Chinese to sleep anywhere - if you get on a bus,more than half the people are leaning against windows, seats in front, asleep - even sometimes hanging onto straps and looking asleep. The other ability of note is that of being able to talk for HOURS. On the coach trips I went on the guide would talk for an hour and a half, regularly. I would ask the person who spoke English what they said and she would say - breakfast at 7 a.m. and leave at 7.30. That's all! Even during a massage the masseur was chatting for ages on his mobile!
Also in China they have park areas with lots of different things to help you to exercise and these are just for the elderly. If you go out early these areas are full of 'the elderly' twisting, turning, pulling up, cycling, bending, etc. Pretty impressive!
The beds are worth a mention - there are no mattresses as we know them. A bit of plywood covered with 2 or 3 inches of flock, covered with pretty material, is what you lie on. China, India, Nepal, everywhere. Sometimes you might get springs - which are between two boards, covered with flock, etc. With those beds and the car journeys, my back is taking its time to recover!
For some reason, they decorate shoe insoles. The type of insole you put in a shoe to make it smaller, will be beautifully embroidered. You can get d-i-y kits of insoles with a pattern printed on it and the embroidery silks needed to stitch it. People sit by their stalls stitching. I never found out the reason for this.
I don't think I mentioned the earthquake village... In 2008 there was a massive earthquake which destroyed quite a large area in Sichuan province. On my coach trip to the waterfalls we stopped at one of the villages where the affected buildings are a tourist attraction. It was in the what-used-to-be-Tibet part of the province and new homes have been built for the Tibetans and those who live there now have to dress in 'traditional' Tibetan dress and run the tourist part. It was quite an eye opener to see the collapsed buildings everywhere. On that coach trip a lot was made of the fact that we were 'in Tibet' and we visited villages supposedly authentic Tibet, where everyone dressed in 'traditional' dress and 'hand made' cloth, wooden items, food, jewellery, etc. But it was a far cry from Ganzi... In Ganzi I never saw anyone wearing what these people wore. On the subject of dress, the Tibetan women we saw in Ganzi and around often wear the most amazing hats - the sort you would see at the Queen's Garden party - all frilly and flouncy! some of the men wear them too!
So that's it folks. I have seen and experienced more than I ever could have imagined. Wonderful, amazing places, views, mountains, and wonderful people. Such beauty, so many unforgettable experiences. I am so lucky to have all my brilliant memories.
Thank you for staying with me throughout my journey.
With love to you all,
Liz
