Last Post from Nepal

Namaste Friends and Family,
HAPPY NEW YEAR! We wish you all a happy and healthy start to 2008. We are spending our last few days visiting friends and family in Kathmandu and throwing a New Year's party at the house. Though we are sad to leave Nepal, we are extremely excited to arrive in San Francisco and start this new chapter of our lives. We hope to speak to all of you soon. Thanks for checking out the blog while we were away. We enjoyed creating this collection of memories from our travels.
Enjoy your new year's celebrations.
With Love, Sudhir & Rachel

India Photos!

We never did manage to get a perfect photo of us at the Taj Mahal, but this one will do. We spent more than 4 hours there in complete awe of the immense beauty of this architectural masterpiece. It certainly lived up to its reputation!

Bahai Temple (Delhi). Bahai Faith was founded almost century and a half ago in Persia. The essential message of the founder Baha'u'lla'h is to emphasize the spiritual unity of humankind. The religion welcomes people of all beliefs and backgrounds into its temple. It is incredibly serene inside.



Humanyun's tomb(Delhi). The Tomb was built by Emperor Humayun's widow in 1562 in his memory.


Humanyun's tomb.

Jaisalmer Fort stands out on the scrubby plains of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan (western India).
Intricate stone carvings of the Jain Temples in the Jaisalmer Fort.

Havelis were the homes of the the prominent business men and wealthy families in India. They are extraordinarily ornate, every inch is covered with intricate stone carvings.




We were lucky enough to meet a kind soul named Badal who runs a bed and breakfast in Khuri, a village on the edge of the Thar Desert dunes west of Jaisalmer. His son (the boy with the huge smile in the middle) took us on a camel ride at sunset in the dunes. Badal and his son were without a doubt the kindest and most genuine people that we met on the entire trip in India.Rachel was overjoyed to take a break from her camel's back and watch the sun set behind the dunes. When the camel is standing, he is over 12 feet high off the ground and he doesn't care too much about the passenger's safety or security on his back. Rachel's camel had a knack for kicking up his hind legs and sending her heart racing and her hands grasping for the saddle. We are not sure what was louder, the camels snuffs, snarls, and sneezes, or Rachel's yelps and gasps heard in the desert dunes! Sudhir's camel had a thing for jogging, which Sudhir didn't seem to mind, but his backside paid the price- camels aren't the most comfortable creatures on earth!

We returned to the dunes to watch a glorious sunrise, then headed back to Jaisalmer to catch the night train to get to Pushkar. One of the funniest moments of our four months' trip was our departure from the train at Phulera Station. We boarded the train at 4 PM in Jaisalmer, set up our "bunks" with sleeping bags, books, snacks, etc. and relaxed for the next 10 hours. The train had departed an hour late and we were originally supposed to disembark at Phulera at 4 AM. At 2:30 AM, Rachel got up to visit to the unsavory train bathroom and noticed that according to the schedule, the train was now running and hour and a half late. She settled back into her bunk and went back to sleep thinking that we had at least 2 hours before our stop. Sudhir woke at 4 AM when the train slowed down to make a stop. He casually strolled to the bathroom and happened to peak out the train door to check the station stop. He knew it wouldn't possibly be Phulera because the train was running one and a half hours late, but when he peered at the tiny sign in his half-sleep, he noticed the word started, p-h-u... Sudhir came running back to the bunk and shouted to Rachel to wake up and get off the train. Trains make barely a 5 minute stop at small stations, so we knew we had a maximum of 2 minutes left before the train took off again. OK, waking up and getting packed is easier said than done at 4 AM in the pitch dark in a tiny cramped train bunk space shared with two other people and their belongings. Sudhir fumbled with the bag locks, Rachel busied herself grabbing everything and anything that looked remotely familiar, and we both literally ran off the train seconds before it started to chug away. So, this is when the scene gets even funnier. We are now standing on the empty platform of a tiny train station in the middle of nowhere in India at 4 AM with all of our belongings in our arms. Characters began to emerge from the dark to witness the tiny cloud of chaos that had disembarked from the train. We assessed the situation, with anxiety gripping us with fears that we had left anything important behind. So, here's the list. Rachel was carrying in her arms no less than an open sleeping bag, carry bag, fleece, blanket, sneakers, ipod, water bottle, hiking backpack, and a plastic bag with bananas and crackers. Sudhir had been a bit more prepared for the departure, so he was disheveled, but much more together than Rachel. In any event, amazingly we made it off the train without leaving a single thing behind and we caught the next train to take us to Ajmer and on to Pushkar.

We rented a motorbike for a day and explored the Shiva temples in the desert hills on the outskirts of Pushkar. We had so much fun bumping along the road and skidding on the sand paths!

Pushkar is considered one of the holiest places in India according to the Hindu religion. People believe that Brahma, the creator of the world, carved this lake out of the earth. It is a gorgeous and peaceful town where we stayed for 2 nights.

We enjoyed a serenade at sunset by this musician. He was kind enough to let Sudhir have a try on his Chikara, stringed instrument that he plays with a bow with tiny bells attached.Jaipur is called the Pink City. The walls surrounding the city and many of the prominent buildings are pink! This is Hawa Mahal, a lookout over the city built by the Maharaj for his numerous queens.


Our auto-rickshaw weaved through the Jaipur traffic behind these giggly children on their way to school. View of Amber Fort on the hill above Jaipur.

The Taj Mahal.
Reflection pools .The Main Gate to the Taj Mahal.

After arriving in Kovalam, Kerala at midnight in the dark, we were blown away the next morning by the beauty of this little oasis. The crystal clear blue water, classic lighthouse, and coconut and banana trees created the perfect backdrop for a relaxing few days. Our first morning we were lucky enough to witness these local fisherman pulling in their enormous nets. It took a crew of about 30 men and two hours to pull in the nets. When the net gets closer to shore, a line of men stand in the water, splashing their arms and shouting to scare the fish into swimming back up into the net. The whole process was unbelievable and beautiful. The men sing the whole time they are working.
On this particular day, the fishermen caught thousands of fish in the net. They take it from the net in buckets and dump it into their wooden boat to divide amongst themselves and sell.


At sunset, the fishermen again gather on the shore to prepare their nets to drop at night.



Varkala beach was our next stop, only two hours north of Kovalam. It is set on a cliff top with restaurants and cafes galore overlooking the beach. We spent one relaxing night there and had a delicious fish tikka dinner cooked in a tandoor oven.
Our next stop was Alleppey, a small town on the edge of the famous Kerala backwaters. Hundreds of kilometers of inland water canals link villages and towns along the coast of Kerala. We spent three hours one afternoon exploring the backwaters in a traditional wooden canoe with a local man. It is incredible to see streets of water. We even saw children coming home from school in a boat!
Houseboats are a popular option for locals and tourists who want to live on the water.
This was one of the small canals winding its way through a village.
Our last stop in India was Fort Cochin, a small town with a long history of foreign occupants. The Dutch and Portuguese influence can be seen in the many churches and the mismatched architecture. These nets were built during the period of Kublai Khan's influence in India. It is a Chinese cantilevered fishing net based on simple pulley and lever physics principles. There are about 10 of these enormous nets in a row along the waterfront and the fishermen work in teams to lower and raise the nets continually during high tide.

On our last night in Kerala, we went to a traditional Kathakali performance. The men spend over an hour applying their make-up and getting into character in front of the audience, then emerge onto the stage in bright costumes. The performance is comprised of dancing, drumming, and sign language between the characters. The performers tell a story of the Hindu gods and it is VERY dramatic. On this particular night, the script was about a demon female trying to lure a beautiful prince from heaven. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.


The short one hour flight from Delhi to Kathmandu delighted us with views of the Himalayas.

India was an unforgettable experience!

Hi Folks- We are back in Kathmandu after a fantastic trip in India. We endured the busy streets of Delhi, rode on camels in the desert at sunset, explored Rajastani forts, shopped in the amazing markets of Jaipur, were awed by the immense beauty of the Taj Mahal, bodysurfed in the clear blue waves of Kovalam, lazed in a canoe on the backwater canals of Alleppey, ate delicious seafood caught in the Chinese cantilevered fishing nets in Fort Cochin, and experienced a traditional Kathakali performance. We had so many diverse experiences and interesting snapshots of India. We hope someday to return to explore the vast country more. We will post photos in the next couple of days. Wishing you all happy holidays and healthy new year from Kathmandu! Love Rachel & Sudhir

The Last Group of Annapurna Circuit Shots

This group of photos picks up in Muktinath, after our descent from Thorung La. The landscape was drastically different on this side of the mountains. It resembled a desert canyon scene, dry and scrubby, with little visible life.
After our incredibly long day of crossing the pass (we were up at 3:30 AM), we arrived in Muktinath around 3 pm, took HOT showers, ate momos and slowly hobbled up to Muktinath temple. The temple is a pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists from around the world. This temple and village attracts many national and international tourists. It is not difficult to understand why it is considered a holy place. The temple sits up on a hill, peering out into the wide expanse with mountains circling at 360 degrees. We were fortunate to be there at sunset. Not only were we the only people at the temple, but the mountains were lit up from behind with the setting sun yielding a silhouette view that was magnificent. Visiting the temple was indeed a spiritual experience to end an incredible day for us. The trek in the days building up to the pass challenged our minds and bodies more so than ever before, both with the physical strain of the trail and the worries about altitude sickness. Standing at the temple at sunset on weary legs, we both felt such a sense of fulfillment in our hearts. We are so thankful to have had the opportunity to do this trek together.


Prayer flags and old chortens.

Sudhir was fascinated by these balanced rocks. Look closely and you'll see the dark silhouette of a mountain in the background.

View of Jharkot Village across from Muktinath.

The zig-zag etched into the side of this cliff is actually a long, arduous trail (that we did not attempt) that takes travelers to the Upper Mustang region. Upper Mustang is a very old region of Nepal that borders Tibet. The traditional villages have a strong Tibetan influence and a lot of trade is done between these villagers and Tibetans. The Upper Mustang area is carefully protected by laws that require foreigners to pay USD $700 for a permit to visit for any period of time. Though we cringe at the thought of paying so much to visit, we are pleased to know that the traditional cultural and lifestyle are being preserved. Some of you may have seen the movie Himalaya by a famous French photographer that documents the Dolpo area of Upper Mustang. We hope someday to make a trip back to explore this region! Anyone interested in joining us?

Desert-like surroundings on the trail between Muktinath and Kagbeni.



This is a "famous" little place in Kagbeni that attracts "McDonald's" fans by calling themselves "YacDonald's." Beef is rarely served in Nepal, but yak and buffalo are meatlovers' favorites.

View of the old settlement of Kagbeni, right on the edge of the Kali Gandaki river and Mustang region. We visited a temple and several stupas that were built in the 1600's and are still well-preserved today with thankas, murals, and Buddha statues that are beautiful.

View up the Kali Gandaki river into the Mustang region.

Our trek from Kagbeni to Marpha was exhilarating with howling, gale-force winds whipping up the river. We were forewarned not to try to trek after noon because the winds come up strong every day, but we wanted to spend the night further along the trail. We were completely bundled up and still managed to get sand between our teeth and in every crack and crevice. Though we followed the flat riverbed for much of the trail, at one point we went up the side of a cliff and on our way down the steep trail, the wind was so strong that we could balance leaning into the wind with no effort!

Many strange rock formations delighted us along the way. Geologists from all over the world come to this region to study the rock mysteries.

The wind can be seen in the distance whipping up sand storms along the dry riverbed.

Sun setting over the mountains behind us as we rounded the corner to Marpha.

Sudhir "conquered" this rock on our way from Marpha to Lete.

A common sight on the trail were caravans of ponies carrying goods (salt, groceries, hotel supplies) from village to village. When we saw them in the distance, we always looked for a safe place to stand. The ponies often push through with no idea of space between them and an innocent trekker. We had a couple of intimate encounters with ponies when we were on narrow cliff paths!

Annapurna I (26,493 feet). Mountaineers acknowledge that this is the most dangerous of all "Eight Thousanders," mountains with a height over 8,000 meters. Actually, 40% of those attempting to summit Annapurna I have died ( compared to a 15% average of people summiting other Eight- Thousanders) and only about a third of the attempts have been successful. Maurice Herzog, with his French team and Nepali sherpas, summited the peak in May 1950 making it the first mountain above 8,000 meters to be summited in the world.

View of the Dhaulagiri Icefall from Lete. This was the mountain that Herzog and his team had originally planned to summit, but upon arrival and surveillance, they realized that it would not be possible and they went for Annapurna instead.

Sunrise behind Annapurna I

On the trail from Lete to Tatopani.

Swings are built all over Nepal for the festival of Dashain. These kids were swinging on a cliff edge next to a deep gorge!

A landslide consumed the trail on the top righthand side, which has now been replaced by a lower trail that can be seen on the lefthand side of the photo. Landslides were common along the trek and we never did manage to get used to walking on a narrow rocky path, with loose boulders looming over our heads and steep drops to the river down below.

On our way to Tatopani, we came across this caravan of sheep that were traveling from Tibet.

Buffalo relaxing in the warm afternoon sunshine.

The trek from Tatopani to Ghorepani was ridiculously arduous. We literally trekked up hill for 7 hours straight, gaining 1,560 meters in one day! We were absolutely exhausted by the time we reached Ghorepani. Unfortunately, we had our first morning of fog and clouds in Ghorepani and missed the supposedly spectacular view of the Himalayas from Poon Hill.

The last day of the trek lead us through gorgeous old forests, thick with moss, vines, and lush vegetation. Though it was our last day, it was a very long one. We hiked 11 miles, including one stretch that consisted of 3,421 rough stone steps down hill! We made it back to NayaPul just as it began to rain (the first time on our whole trek!). We shared a taxi back to Pohkara with our newfound friends, Catherine and Gregory. Unfortunately, just when we thought we could relax, we ended up on a hair-raising ride through the rain on dark, slippery roads in a taxi with no windshield wipers, no headlights, and a maniacal driver who thought he was competing in a race against time. Just as we arrived in Pokhara, the suspension shocks on the car broke and we screeched to a halt on the pavement. We were exceedingly happy to catch another, safer taxi the rest of the way to Pokhara, where we were met with the next challenge- to find a hotel in rain, in the dark, in an area of town with a power outage. It was not easy to do given the circumstances (and after having hiked 11 miles and suffered an insane 2 hour taxi ride)!

Phewa tal (lake) in Pokhara

Finally resting! It was sheer pleasure relaxing by lakeside in Pokhara and enjoying a good meal.

We thoroughly enjoyed our two nights in Pokhara with Catherine and Gregory(and fine steaks, ice cream, and cold beer). They are a lovely couple from France whom we hiked with for several sections of the trek .


THAT'S ALL FOR OUR ANNAPURNA ADVENTURE. STAY TUNED FOR PHOTOS AND STORIES FROM INDIA. WE ARE OFF TO DELHI THIS MORNING AND WILL NOT POST AGAIN UNTIL WE RETURN IN MID-DECEMBER. LOVE SUDHIR AND RACHEL