By late November, it was very obvious that we had more than satisfied our travel bug for the time being. This left us with the choice of going back to Luang Prabang in Laos one month earlier than planned to live and work there for a while or to go back to Chiang Mai first where I could take some training in Thai massage which I had been feeling called to do for some time.

We decided on Chiang Mai so from Chennai India, we flew into Bangkok where we stayed at the Win Long Place near China Town. We thoroughly enjoyed our time getting to know the staff there, in particular, Rud, who we call our angel, as she is one of the most thoughtful and supportive friends we’ve met on our journey.

From Bangkok, we took the overnight 12-hour train journey to Chiang Mai. We stayed at Vanilla Place where we had stayed a few times already. Mr. Kem, who we now look at as our grampy, offered (or should I say insisted) to meet us at the train station and took us to his guesthouse. We stayed there for approximately one week while our tired bodies began to recover from so many months of travelling, and in particular, our time spent in Incredible India which was quite mentally and physically exhausting.

We did some shopping at the mall as we knew very little would be available in Luang Prabang. We also used this time to apply for our second Laos visas.  I unfortunately spent time at the dentist as I had to have my two last wisdom teeth removed which took a lot out of me, likely because I was already a bit run down.

We visited Sunshine College where I would be taking my Thai massage training starting on November 30 for two weeks. This college had been recommended to me by Maria from Mexico whom we met at the Forest Monastery in Northern Thailand in August. I absolutely loved the atmosphere and the energy in the classrooms which all had two walls of windows overlooking many trees with a nice cool breeze blowing in. This turned out to be a great recommendation. Thanks again, Maria!

A few days before my training began, we moved to Imm Eco, where we had stayed in August, as it is walking distance to Sunshine College and has free wifi, a wonderful garden environment, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool for Ricky to enjoy while I was in class.

Little we knew, he ended up renting one of his favorite motorbikes, the Yamaha Fino, and spent most of his time on the move exploring all the amazing things Chiang Mai has to offer and he had a blast!

On Day 1 of my training, I was not sure what to expect. I felt both excited and a bit nervous. I knew nothing about Thai massage except how much I liked receiving one. Thai massage is much more of a healing massage which assists in getting energy flowing through your body and increases your flexibility over time. It  gives you the feeling of release felt after a great yoga class, but without the effort, which is why Ricky calls it his lazy yoga class!

We were eight students in my class from around the world, including Ireland, Germany, Australia, Laos, America, and Ukraine, and our teacher was a  32-year old Thai man, named Yan (short for Suriyan). Yan is a dynamic young man who is passionate about healing with Thai massage and Ayurvedic Indian medicine which makes him a great teacher.

Of course we had to practice what we were learning on each other so this meant getting a couple of massages a day which was so powerful. Everyone was super super relaxed by the end of the two weeks. I know I felt like I had a new body.

Unfortunately on Day 3 of the course, one of my molars broke in two in my mouth as I was having Pad Thai with some of my classmates and I had to rush off to the dentist only to find out that the fracture reached below my gum line so this would mean many visits to the dentist including one and a half hours of surgery to cut the gum and grind down the bone before they could put a crown. WHAT!? I hardly ever have problems with my teeth. Why was this all happening now? Well, I guess one of the benefits was that I could receive a couple of massages a day to help me relax and get through this and there are no such well-trained dentists in Luang Prabang!

Well, I loved learning and practicing Thai massage and Ricky loved it too, as he has gotten many Thai massages from me since, which is really helping him increase his flexibility and helping me improve my technique!

All of us really connected in the class and Ricky and I spent a lot of time with some classmates enjoying some lovely dinners, playing with Ricky’s Tibetan bells, and a social sauna night.

As it turns out, my two weeks at the college were an amazing learning experience in so many ways. There is no question I was meant to be there during those two weeks to meet the beautiful souls who were in my class. I learned so much from each and every one of them. The thing that stood out the most to me about some of my classmates was how relaxed and easy on themselves they were, which was absolutely refreshing and contagious.

One of my classmates, Traci from the US, lived in Chiang Mai for four months in 2008 so she really knew the good spots to go in Chiang Mai and she was up on what was happening which she graciously shared with us. She invited us to a workshop on Intuition which we quickly accepted and she introduced us to some of  her friends which we enjoyed being around. The longer we stayed in Chiang Mai, and the more we learned what was there, the more the two of us loved it!

After a few weeks in Thailand, we had no choice but to leave the country as our visa had run out and we had already paid way too much to extend for seven days. We found ourselves experiencing feelings of sadness about leaving Chiang Mai. What did this mean? We even questioned if we still wanted to go to Luang Prabang or just exit Thailand at one of the borders and then come back with a new visa. We had said from the beginning that we would stick to our new life goal of not getting attached, in this case going to Luang Prabang, and we would remain open to anything else that may speak to us in the meantime. In the end we decided to go to Luang Prabang as we knew something had really connected with us the first time we were there so we needed to go back and see if that was still the case or else we would always wonder what if …

We took the slow boat to Luang Prabang from Chiang Mai via the Great Mekong River. It’s a three-day trip, one day in a van to the border, and two days on one of the long wooden boats the South-East Asian countries are known for.

The trip along the Mekong was beautiful.  It afforded us 360 degree views eight hours a day as we meandered our way along the Great Mekong.

It was interesting to watch some of the village life along the way such as these locals and  elephants working away at logging that takes place in Laos.

As this was a typical backpacker experience, the comfort was very low ie. small, narrow, wobbly, wooden benches to sit on. There were a few soft chairs at the back (bucket seats taken out of car!) but one also had to endure the head splitting noise and fumes from the engine at the back of the boat. One should be aware, however, that this journey can be done in a lot more comfort if one so chooses. There are also luxury boats available, but, of course, with a bigger price tag. 

We met this incredible couple, Denise and Bruce,  from Australia on the boat with whom ended up spending some time with in Luang Prabang having great conversations. We went to a village across the river to visit a temple which is where this photo was taken.

We know we were meant to be in Luang Prabang. For starters, getting to know Denise and Bruce alone would have made every minute of the boat ride worth it. We know for sure we will be visiting them in Cairns… maybe in April or May???

We also spent time with Sayfon, the student I helped out with English last summer. He took us out to his university to proudly show us around and to a nearby Hmong festival. And last but not least, we realized how much we had gotten to know ourselves during the last few months as we were much clearer on what we wanted and what our guts were telling us. We realized this when we revisited the businesses where we were going to work. It took a couple of days to actually listen to that voice but when we did it was clear this was no longer what we wanted. Once the decision was made, it was obvious it was the right one as we sensed a real feeling of peace.

We spent two weeks there just relaxing and spending time with Denise and Bruce and Sayfon, as well as three other couples we met at the guesthouse, one from Holland (Lea and Ben who plan to come to PEI this summer!), one from Hungary (Zoltan and Ilona, who we also bumped into in Chiang Mai and spent time together here), and one from Israel (Bettia and Neill, who are here in Chiang Mai now!).  Sorry no pix!

Any time spent in Luang Prabang is a lovely time. It is such a laid back and relaxing place with a lovely atmosphere. This spiritual town, with an abundance of active Bhuddist monasteries and young monks, is full of  beautiful blooming trees and gardens. Above is a photo showing the view you can expect to get from most of the guesthouses in Luang Prabang. 

The food is also a highlight here. We enjoyed healthy and tasty vegetarian buffet stalls that dot the main street each night near the market filling the air with a mouthwatering fragarance of fresh food. 

Luang Prabang, as many towns along the Great Mekong, is known for its fish which they stuff with lemongrass and Laos herbs, wrap in a banana leaf, and cook on the grill…mmmmmm.  

There is no doubt we were meant to be back in Luang Prabang as we felt many shifts within ourselves during our time there. We are now back in Chiang Mai which was calling our names and where we will stay for a few months. There is no doubt in our hearts that we will back to Luang Prabang in the future as its a great place to unwind and reconnect with your core.

We are now back in Chiang Mai where we will be staying for a few months enjoying the great people, food, relaxing atmosphere, and weather.  We are currently staying at the Seven Suns Guesthouse where Add is taking very good care of us.

The intention of our “2009 Year of Exploration” blog was to allow us to share our experiences with friends and family back home and with new friends we met this year who chose to be part of this journey with us. Sharing with all of you and receiving all of our comments has enriched our year in so many ways. We feel blessed and are so grateful to have such amazing people in our lives back home in PEI and around the world. We are so thankful to have put the time and energy into this blog as it also serves as a diary and a constant reminder to us to live in the moment and make the best of every day.

We would love to stay in touch with folks. We now can be both found on Facebook where we are already communicating with some of you. We also plan to post pictures and comments on our pages every now and again. If you prefer e-mail, our address is spiritquest@live.ca.  For the folks back in PEI, we look foward to seeing you in June!

With much gratitude,

Ricky and Lori Ann

The following day was pretty laid back, well, as laid back as one can get going through the streets of an Indian town, I guess. However, as it neared late afternoon, we made our way towards Meenakshi Temple to have an outside look and to admire the lavishly decorated towers with the countless colourful and eccentric Hindu figures covering the towers of this complex.

Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple is a historic Hindu temple located in the holy city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva (in the form of Beautiful Lord) and his consort, Goddess Parvati (in the form of Meenakshi). The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2500 year old city of Madurai.

The complex houses 14 magnificent Gopurams or towers including two golden Gopurams for the main deities that are elaborately sculptured and painted. The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, though the present structure is believed to have been built in 1600. The tallest temple tower is 52 metres (170 ft) high. The complex is around 45 acres (180,000 m²) and the temple is a massive structure measuring 254 by 237 meters.

The temple is the geographic and ritual center of the ancient city of Madurai. The temple walls, streets, and finally the city walls (ancient), were built around the temple in squares. Ancient texts mention that the temple was the center of the city and that the streets radiated out like the lotus and its petals. It is one of the few temples in Tamil Nadu to have four entrances facing four different directions.

The Thousand Pillar H all of Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple was built with the oldest Nellaiappar Temple as a model and contains 985 (instead of 1000) carved pillars. It is considered culturally important and is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The Thousand Pillared Hall was built by Ariyanatha Mudaliar in 1569. He was the Prime Minister and General of Madurai (1559-1600 A.D.). At one side of the entrance, we can still see his statue; the majestic pose of Ariyanatha Mudaliar seated on a beautiful horse-back. The statue is still periodically crowned with garlands by modern worshippers. Each pillar is carved and is a monument of the Dravidian sculpture. There is a Temple Art Museum in the hall where icons, photographs, drawings, and other exhibits of the 1200 years old history are displayed. Just outside this mandapam, towards the west, are the Musical Pillars. Each pillar, when struck, produces a different musical note. The kalyana mandapa, to the south of the pillared hall, is where the marriage of Shiva and Parvati is celebrated every year during the Chithirai Festival in mid-April.

In the middle of this enourmous complexe, was what appeared to be an important worshiping place, as Hindus gathered in numbers performing all sorts of rituals in the company of this special place reserved for the Hindu Gods.

Among these rituals performed in this central complex, was Hindus going up to this large Indian elephant, placing coins in the elephant’s trunk after which the elephant would automatically give them a blessing on the head. As one Hindu after another came up to the elephant, they left with a grin on their faces, either in joy of having been blessed by this elephant or some more casual way. Nevertheless, it was quite entertaining for the tourists watching, and perhaps to the Indians as well.

The next day we were making our way to Chennai to take our flight to our beloved Thailand, but before getting on the train one more time, we decided to take a stroll up and down the streets of Madurai one last time, only to have the most amzaing encounters with the Indians living in this town. It seemed that for every 20-30 steps we took we came across someone. This was so rewarding. The first such encounter was with a lady sitting on the street making and selling flowered garlands in an array of beautiful coloured flowers; however, she was not to be outdone, as she wore a beautiful vibrant turquoise-coloured saree that simply jumped out at you. By the time we left her company, Lori Ann was adorned with a garland on her head and around her neck.

We then moved on passing by many shops with beautiful sarees in the most amazing bright colours that completely lit up the streets, it simply stopped you in your tracks and invited to go in to simply be surrounded by this rainbows of sarees.

Continuing down the street, we then encountered this lady and five beautiful children of various ages with the most spectacular smiles. It was so refreshing, to meet such a group of joyful Indians, not wanting anything from you but mear conversation and to enjoy interacting with a few Westerners. They were a great gift for us!

As we got to the Meenakshi Temple one last time, we met a mother and her three young children, who interestingly enough all had their heads shaved, no doubt having some Hindu meaning for this family. Two of the children were twins and were rather shy or maybe this encounter with two Westerners was somewhat bizare to them as our appearances were different from the ones that would surround them. Finally however, they did come around for the beautiful picture below, with the help of their mother who seemed to want us to have a nice picture of her children, we are assuming this was simply an expression of this mother’s pride and joy for her beautiful children.

With this most amazing experience of meeting some more local Indians down the streets of Madurai, this truly capped off our Journey into Amazing India, as India wished us off by showing us how beautiful its people are when we can let go of the fear and see that those positive and joyous experiences continuously surround us.  India has provided us with the most amazing experiences that have touched us in a myriad of ways and that we shall carry with us for the rest of our lives. It has taught us many lessons not only about ourselves but life on our planet. We truly feel like different people than we were four months ago when we left Thailand to come hear. Regardless of the difficult and challenging experiences we have been thrown into, we come out at the other end better and stronger people because of it. This foreign and exotic land has provided us with a most unique experience which has us tired and weary, so as we say farewell, we now look forward to making our way to the solitude of Thailand where we shall bring this 2009 year of exploration to a close.

There is really no hurry to do anything here but simply relax and take in the beautiful Varkala coastal beach scene, which is set in a coconut grove that covers the whole state of Kerela, along with huge crushing waves on a beautiful crested beach which you can hear continuously from any of the cafes, bistros, restaurants and accommodations perched high above on the cliffs edge.

When we say there is no hurry to do anything here, it’s really a part of the reality of the Varkala lifestyle. What makes it so is the fact that there is no “tourist attraction” to run off to…period. Therefore, nothing to plan your day around or to organize, no tickets to purchase, no means of transport to find or anything else for that matter. So why does one come to Varkala? Well to RELAX of course, and with a beautiful tropical setting to boot, Varkala is just the place to do just that. So we settled in at the Hills View Beach Resort and did just that. So what does a typical day look like when in Varkala? Well, first of all, it all starts up by getting up when your body chooses to, and not by a loud and obnoxious alarm clock that jolts you out of your PJ’s.

Afterwards, comes the beauty of being in Varkala, what one does next is completely up to you, you get to do what your little heart absolutely desires. On most mornings that means strolling out of bed and down to our regular breakfast hang out, the Harmony Bistro, where we enjoyed having our favourite breakfast, pancakes topped with yogurt and an assortment of fruits along with granola, nuts and raisins, and honey drizzled on top for good measure. This, of course, accompanied by a refreshing cool lemon mint drink to get us started on the right path for another great Varkala day. Afterward, from the comforts of the Harmony Bistro, one could simply gaze out to sea and admire the pounding waves making their way onto the beach, read a good book, talk away for an hour or two, or write away as I am choosing to do now.

What follows after that, whether it be through your own will or not, you are most likely drawn to the allure of the sand and water below, yes the BEACH! After finding your spot to get comfortable and lounge around for part of the day, or the full day for that matter, you’re instinctively drawn to jump into those refreshing waves to cool off from the days’ heat and have some good FUN and exercise. Yes I said exercise, since there is nothing simple about getting into the water here at Varkala Beach, it’s actually a skill, and some people have acquired the manner in which to enter the water, and some unfortunately have not.

Actually, it’s quite entertaining to see people inching their way towards the water only to have them be picked up by a huge wave and deposited back up on the beach on their bum or flat on their back. Entering the water at Varkala Beach is all about confidence and timing and simply running in and diving strait into and underneath those imposing waves to get beyond the crashing surf on the beach. From then on, it’s just good FUN, where one second you’re in water up to your chest and the next it’s three feet over your head, or you can simply float or ride the waves up and down and eventually have them carry you 10-15 feet forwards towards the beach, to the point where you then find yourself in water up to your knees. Oh, and no time to rest here, because if you do the next crashing wave will simply deposit you onto the beach in its own way, true the force of nature. So yeah, one can get a workout and have FUN all at the same time while at Varkala Beach.

Once that you’ve made it safely back to the beach without being carried on to it by one of those giant waves, and are resting comfortably on your towel or beach lounger, it’s quite entertaining to simply sit back and watch a bunch of beachgoers bopping up and down to the rhythm of the waves. How simple it can be to have a little FUN sometimes. I guess the lesson in all of this is to not take ourselves so damn seriously, we would all be well served to let the “Kid” in us come out more often for some good old fashion FUN, after all, laughter certainly has its benefits, we all know that!  

We also found it interesting to observe how just about everyone on the beach was reading a book. It seems that being part of the beach scene and reading books goes hand in hand very well. From an “Insights” perspective, many of these people must be predominately “Green”, as a “Red/Yellow” wouldn’t be able to quietly lounge around all day like this without socializing up a storm or getting something done, it would simply be unproductive time to get some worthy task accomplished or to make a lot of new friends and invite them all for supper this evening.

After spending two or three hours down on the beach, your body instinctively knows that it’s time to make your way back up to the cliffs edge and veg out at one of the cafes or restaurants, and I do mean “veg out”, as in a good vegetarian meal. India is a great place to dabble and experiment in vegetarian food if you haven’t previously done so like us, and we’ve found the Indian cuisine to be quite appealing and tasty, much to our surprise actually. Some of the restaurants and cafes that we enjoyed during our stay in Varkala included the Hillview Restaurant at the beach resort in which we were staying, as well as the Kerala Coffee House, Cafe Italiana and the Abba Cafe. A few hours can go by during this mid-day lunch break from the beach, simply sitting back and relaxing all while gazing out to the sea and the beach below, watching people stroll up and down the cliff side road along with the beat of the drum merchants, all while enjoying some good chatter and something refreshing to drink.

Afterwards, it may be back down to the beach for another three to four hours and to cap the day by watching the setting sun fall into the Arabian Sea as it slowly changes from a bright yellow, to a burning orange, to finally melting away in alluring reddish-purple glow. Or it may involve going back to your room for a quick mid-day nap, going shopping at the many little beachfront shops, e-mailing or calling family and friends back home to say hi and catch up on what they are up to, or perhaps to indulge yourself with an Ayuvedic message that Kerala is so well known for (Bamboo Hut Ayuvedic Centre pictured above). Regardless of what you choose to do, it’s always comforting to know that if you didn’t quite experience something during the course of the day, there is always tomorrow, or the next day for that matter, as that’s the pace and lifestyle down in the seaside beach town of Varkala, where “Time and Life” are the great “Luxuries”, and not the resorts.

A unique cultural experience in Kerala is the Kathakali traditional temple dance. A costumed performance with elaborate face painting, much of the story in communicated to the audience through facial expressions of the dancers, especially their eyes, along with simple hand gestures.

Once your initial attention leaves the costumes and face paintings and you begin to focus your attention on their facial expressions, you discover how talented these dancers are at conveying the different emotions required along with the story line of this love story.

As more and more people are craving for serenity in this fast-paced world, the Backwaters offer a welcome breath of fresh air and rejuvenation. With an array of shallow and narrow palm-fringed canals and lagoons and open lakes and running rivers to admire. Life on the Backwaters is as unhurried as the slow moving water of the canals themselves that seem to nourish an infinite number of rice paddies and coconut groves along with a vibrant community life.

As sleek little boats cruise deep into the water highways from one small village to another, one can appreciate the simple and unhurried lifestyle of the people living in these Backwaters. Going about doing the essential things, from cooking, to washing cloths or pots and pans, business, schools and places of worship, all happens along the canals for the people of the Backwaters, which is the blood of life in these small communities of the Backwaters.

Along these shady canals, one can also observe coir (coconut fibre), copra (dried coconut meat) and cashews being loaded onto boats. Long before the advent of roads, these waterways were the slippery highways of Kerala, and many villagers today still use paddle-power as transport, which is why Alleppey has often been referred to as the “Venice of the East”.

As we sailed down these tranquil waters on our Backwaters journey, with the gentle sways of the coconut trees and the gentle sunrays fighting their way through the lush greenery, just to kiss our faces and wake us up to the abundance of beauty that surrounded us, this was Kerala’a way of saying “Good Morning and may you have a most plesant day”.

As we stopped at one of the many islands to quench our turst on freshly-cut tender coconut water, we could not but be drawn to the coconut trees taking  a dip into the water like cranes looking to quench their own thirst. We were told that by drinking coconut water we would be kept cool on this very hot day.

At our stop for the fresh coconut, we were also fortunate to view the Saharan White Heron which had made their migration to the rich infested rice fields of Kerala to feed on the plentiful small fish and insects.

As you gaze around in this nerver ending network of canals which occasionaly find their way to prestine lakes, where we enjoyed a refreshing swim, the coconut trees seem to form grand awnings, adding drama to the harmony and tranquility that are these beautiful Backwaters of Kerala.  

As we paddled our way through the vast and endless corridors of canals in these coconut grooves, we often felt like we were moving in a painting, with blue skies, greenery all around, and the reflection of the palm trees on the water, as the boat moved us slowly through this most stunning scene.  

For our Backwaters experience, we rented a private boat to take the two of us down the canals for the day, this way we could thoroughly and truly experience the Backwaters and be able to simply sit back and relax in complete peace and tranquility.

We choose to rent a smaller boat, since it was able to go in smaller more remote canals that the larger boats are not able to, and man were we pleased with our decision, as these smaller remote canals were without question the hightlight of our day, the time we spent in them was simply blissful! 

A Backwater journey is without question a cherished and most unforgettable moment in one’s life. We now understand why floating leisurely down these Backwaters has been referred to as one of the “Top 10 Experiences to do Before You Die”.

When your on the Backwaters, it’s no surprise that when it comes to having lunch that the recommended dish is fish. Barbecued with herbs and spices, it all makes for a tasty dish, which is accompanied with rice, of course, and an assortment of veggie side dishes.

As we sailed slowly along the canals, we noticed that there were also a network of pathways that villagers use. As we saw children going and coming home from school, men going on about conducting business or going to some village meetings, others going to temples and churches, while others simply played along the canals.

Some interesting facts that we discovered about the state of Kerala was that it was the first in the world to “freely” elect a communist government in 1957, which has had a pretty impressive track record. In addition, Kerala has been labelled “the most socially advanced state in India” by Nobel prize –winning economist Amartya Sen.  While another impressive observation that peaked our attention was the fact that Kerala’s literacy rate is 91%, the highest of any developing nation in the world, fuelled by a long history of education.  Furthermore, the infant mortality rate in Kerala is one fifth of the national average, while the life expectancy is 73 years, 10 years higher than the rest of the country. Kerala is certainly doing a number of things right that is positively effecting people and their lives.

The Backwaters are highly recommended to anyone making their way to southern India, you will undoubtably not be disappointed, especially if you are looking to simply kick back, relax and leave your fast-paced life behind…Two Thumbs Up for the Kerala Backwaters!!!

From Varanasi we embarked on a train ride to the spiritual town of Rishikesh as we were sensing a need for some more down time and self renewal. The small town of Rishikesh is found in the north of India and considers itself to be the yoga capital of the world. The fact that the fast flowing Ganges runs through this spiritual place and that it is surrounded by forested hills attracts many Indian pilgrims and foreign spiritual seekers alike, to practice yoga and meditation.

The town has an abundance of ashrams, yoga classes (including laughing yoga!), traditional music lessons, crystal healing, ayurvedic treatments and massage, and meditation classes, including gong and humming meditations, which really intrigued us. Sounded like a great place to explore different types of meditations and enjoy our first ashram experience. The most famous Ashram, which made Rishikesh what it is today, is the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi where the Beatles rocked in the late 60`s. This is apparently where they wrote most the `White Album’.

We arrived late at night and were immediately put to our first challenge which was finding a guesthouse in a particular area we had chosen. We hired an autorickshaw at the train station and tried to explain where we thought this guesthouse was, as the driver then went on to informe us that the bridge that traverses the River Ganges to our guesthouse is a pedestrian-only bridge, so he could only take us as far as this bridge and we would have to find our way from there. OK! The feeling of walking over the River Ganges near midnight by ourselves under the moon and stars with the sound of the fast flowing Holy River Ganges below us is undescribable. It is moments like these that make travelling in a country which poses so many challenges worth it.

Once on the other side, we walked along the Ganges past a big clock tower and a large marble statue of Shiva out over the water and then made our way through a maze of narrow alley ways until we found a guesthouse we were happy with and crashed for the night.

We spent our first couple of days searching for an ashram that appealed to us where we could spend a week. We also searched for the different types of yoga, meditation, etc, that we read about in our guide book and on the numerous posters around the town, which were suppose to be available there. Well, after three days of searching in this town, which has no road signage and where you practically have to run into something to find it, we were getting very frustrated and gave up! When things prove to be this hard, we have learned to accept it as a sign that we are not on path and change course rather than stress ourselves out trying to make something happen.

At this point, we just surrendered and let whatever Rishikesh had in store for us just happen. I enjoyed some morning Hatha and Iyengar yoga classes offered in our area and we sat around this beautiful spiritual town reading, journaling, meditating, and watching hundreds upon hundreds of Indian pilgrams bath themselves in the Ganges both day and night. 

We spent time in some of the numerous small, cozy, outdoor cafes overlooking the Ganges with spiritual music playing in the background which served delicious vegetarian meals, healthy drinks and natural herb teas.  This was yet another big lesson for us on our journey of exploration to cut down on expectations and be open to any experience that may present itself. We had made a picture of what it would be like based on things we read and when we couldn’t find those experiences, it caused unnecessary pain. Lesson learned…. we hope!

One evening we ran into a very interesting gentleman who certainly caught our attention to say the least! He was propped up on a little altar-like stage on a chair outside a restaurant. From what we could gather, he is the mascot for this restaurant and has been hauling people in there for the last 40 or 50 years. All we can say, is that he is certainly makes enough of a statement to make you stop and notice the restaurant!

Every evening around 6 p.m., temple bells rang as Sadhus (Hindu spiritual men), pilgrims, and tourist alike, started gathering for the nightly ganga aarti ceremony (Hindu ceremony also called puja and described in the Varanasi post) directly on the Ganges where the huge Shiva statue sits above this holiest of rivers and looks peacefully onto the people surrounding her to give worship at this electric ceremony which takes place while the sun sets.

Sitting amongst these crowds of people, including a large number of young boys learning about the Hindu religion and serving at each and every ceremony, singing and chanting their hearts out, as a fire was lit in a pit near the reiver and then spread amongst the crowd one by one, this was one of the most beautiful experiences we had witnessed this year.

The energy vibrated through our bodies and we got the sense that some emotional healing was taking place within us. Thank you, Rishikesh, for this memorable experience.

Music shops blaring spiritual music and chants dot the narrow streets of Rishikesh. The array of incredible music and chants at these shops makes you stop in your steps and your heart sing. We are very happy with our purchases of music in Rishikesh and listen to them on a regular basis. The streets of Rishikesh are also dotted with a number of bookstores selling masses of some of the best spiritual and self help books (in English, too!) available. These were also hard not to give into which is part of what caused the need for a new large suitcase along with Ricky’s Tibetan bowls purchase.

At this point we decided we had had enough of the north of India and it was time to head south to the province of Kerala to finally experience the Backwaters of India, which are suppose to be one of the highlights of India….. but no expectations this time! ; >)

The principal reason for our stay in Agra, of course, was to see the iconic symbol of India, the Taj Mahal, plus the imposing Agra Fort, which is romantically connected to the whole story of the Taj. As much as one can’t come to Agra without laying eyes on the impressive and massive Agra Fort along the Yamuna River, which for us was as soon as we arrived into Agra by train as we crossed over the river in the early morning hours. As we arrived at the entrance gate to explore Agra Fort’s palaces, temples and courtyards, we were immediately taken back by its sheer size.

As we entered Agra Fort, we were dwarfed by its tall red sandstone walls that rose 20 meters high into the sky, as we stood in its shadows feeling somewhat like ants.

Apparently this outer wall goes on for 2.5 kms to fortify Agra Fort, in addition to the moat that surrounds it for an additional defence measure, and as if that was necessary…really!

At one point as you go through one of the palaces and onto a small courtyard next to this imposing wall, one can gaze out into the distance through one of the many stone-cut windows to appreciate a splendid view of the great Taj Mahal, as many visitors were doing. Considering that construction of the various buildings in Agra Fort commenced in 1565, it is remarkably well preserved and is an impressive site to visit.

Of course the lure to Agra is without question, as much for us as for many people, whether they be tourist, Indians or Muslims, is quite essentially the great Taj Mahal. As we passed through the gateway and into its manicured grounds, one leaves the noise, dust and busy streets to be quickly enveloped into this tranquility and beauty of green gardens and trees, and of course the imposing monument as its most striking and captivating feature at the far end, the Taj Mahal.

At first sight, chills came upon us, as its majestic beauty takes your breath away. There is literally no words to describe the Taj Mahal, you simply are taken up in an array of emotions and feelings. Many have tried to sum up its beauty “a teardrop on the face of eternity” according to Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, “the embodiment of all things pure” according to British writer Rudyard Kipling. Immediately, it casts its spell on anyone who lays eyes on it, you are memorized and captivated by the Taj Mahal’s simplistic beauty and elegance.

Perhaps this is one of its great features, in its pure and simplistic design, one can absorb its grandeur, compared to other temples and monuments that overwhelm you with their decor, statues, use of colors and varied stones and materials, symbols and intricate designs, enabling you to truly appreciate the magnificence that is before you. You feel as if you have fallen in a trance, as your eyes are constantly drawn to gaze at it, and why wouldn’t you. As you stand before it, you quickly understand why it is considered one to the greatest world wonders along with the likes of the Great Pyramids of Egypt and the Angkor Wat Temple of Cambodia.

The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his second wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631 (no wonder!:>). The death of Mumtaz left the emperor so heartbroken that his hair is said to have turned grey overnight. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in the same year and wasn’t completed until 1653. Not long after it was finished, Shah Jahan was overthrown by this son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in Agra Fort where, for the rest of his days, he could only gaze out at his creation through a window. Following his death in 1966, Shah Jahan was buried here alongside Mumtaz.

In total, some 20,000 people from India and Central Asia worked on the building. The spectacular mausoleum was designated a World Heritage site in 1983 and looks as immaculate today as when it was constructed. The only unfortunate impact that has occurred over time has been the recent atmospheric pollution which has begun to gradually discolour the white marble and erode the fine carvings and inlays.

The Taj Mahal is all about symmetry, and one can appreciate this by observing the monument itself, as well as the surrounding grounds, in great detail. An interesting fact that we discovered was that the height and the width are the same, which is contrary to most buildings. It stands 1002 feet in height, while its bulbous central dome having a height of 213 feet. The four minarets stand 40 meters in height, and after three centuries they lean slightly outward, which may have been purposely part of their design in the event of an earthquake, so that they wouldn’t fall on the precious Taj Mahal. Standing on any side of the Taj Mahal, you basically can appreciate the same design which is repeated on all four sides, pure symmetry. Impressive vaulted arches embellished with pietra dura scrollwork and quotations from the Quran in a style of calligraphy. You can also appreciate beautiful carved flower patterns inlaid with thousands of semiprecious stones in the white marble.

However, it’s from the front of the Taj Mahal and its manicured gardens that its beauty truly abounds and is embellished. It’s the ideal postcard picture, in every sense of imagery. Looking into the long narrow ponds of water, one can savour the reflection of the Taj Mahal which is simply magical as the sun rises to light it up in a golden color before the light of the day exposes the purity of the white marble. Interestingly enough, the white marble in which the Taj Mahal was constructed from came all the way from (Ragistan), by elephant express of course.    

On both sides of the Taj Mahal is two rather large red sandstone buildings, one of which is a mausoleum while the other served travelling visitors. Later on, this building was used as an area to host gatherings as well as a guesthouse for important guests of the King. We have to say, it’s one big guesthouse!

Apparently, the story goes that they build the mausoleum on the left hand side first, and then soon realized that the symmetry had been broken, so they built the second one on the right to rectify the situation and re-establish the perfect symmetry of this magical place.

There is also another story that the King wanted to build another Taj across the river in black marble for himself, ying and yang  if you will, but that never materialized obviously, but may have very well have been the reason he was imprisoned as the story goes.

As we were leaving the mausoleum, we encountered an Indian couple who stopped and were trying to make some kind of interaction with us but did not speak English. We suggested a picture together and they seemed quite happy with that, as most are and are often asking if they can take our picture as though we are the first foreigners they’ve encountered.

After spending five hours in company of the Taj Mahal, at the end we couldn’t seem to bring ourselves to leave. We would start to make our way towards the exit, but would quickly find ourselves either sitting on a bench or  a ledge gazing at the Taj once again. Its seduction is simply relentless, but hey, what’s wrong with that, it’s not every day that you get the privilege to spend your morning in the company of the world’s most extravagant monument ever built for LOVE!

So voila, the last segment of the «Fabulous Forsome», it’s been a blast going from Hangin with the Buddha in Bodygaya, to being in the Great Himalayas, to experiencing the amazing Holy River Ganges to the memorizing Taj Mahal monument, all in a very short span, it’s seemed that we’ve been spoiled with the abundance of life during this last month, an example to us both of how wonderful life can truly be everyday!

Our first night in Varanasi was highly fascinating, as around 7 p.m., we took in the elaborate “Ganga Aarti” ceremony with puja (giving of offerings, respect or prayer) to the rising and setting sun, fire and dance. This elaborate ritualistic ceremony was conducted by five Brahmans (monks or priest) on the edge of the Holy Ganges River at the Dasaswanath Ghat and lasted for a good hour.

The Ganga Aarti ceremony consists of numerous rituals, from bell ringing, incense burning in a perfusion of smoke, flowers thrown in the air, over a small temple and into the Holy River, candles burning, and so on, all for the benefit of the Holy River Ganges.

Another enjoyable and essential experience when in Varanasi, is to walk along the Ganges and along the many bathing Ghats that dot this most incredible scene along the river’s edge.

One thing that is for certain when doing this walk, is that you never know what you’ll see or experience. Such as meeting many of the “sadhus” that stroll up and down the Ganges in their striking costumes, and I do mean costumes, as some of these are what you would call “tourist sadhus” who are dressed up for the benefit of tourist and to get some free and easy money, while others are the real thing, with spiritual intentions. Our guess would be that the one in the background of this photo meditating is the real thing and the one asking for money and wearing Lori Ann’s sunglasses was not! :>)

Another daily scene is the washing of clothes in the holy Ganges river, we are not quite certain if it’s the fact that it’s a holy river or the intense beating of it on concrete that gets the clothes so clean, because we can’t comprehend washing clothes in water dirtier than the clothes themselves. Regardless, it makes for a very colourful scene as the sarees are laid out to dry on dirty concrete to create a rainbow of cloth along with the rest of the wash. 

As we walked along the Ganges, we observed in silence our first cremation ceremony on this holiest of rivers. The river Ganges in Varanasi is a very auspicious place for any Indian to be cremated, as after the body is burned with approximately 300 kg of wood, preferably sandalwood if the family can afford it, the remains of the body are wrapped in a cloth and sent down the Holy River Ganges, back to the earth.

At the top of another of the bathing steps, a large Hindu temple stood as a fixture of the religious nature of the Ganges. 

Below was an ongoing number of people going in and out of the Ganges to bathe, while others prayed and meditated on the steps or prepared to go worship in the temple among the variouis Hindu Gods. 

On another occasion, on a very hot day, which are very common here we should add, we noticed a very particular scene along the edge of the bathing steps to the Ganges, as we made our way to check it out, we discovered that it was water buffalos bathing themselves in the water, to escape the days heat no doubt. All lined up in a row, they looked like a bunch of kids taking swimming lessons from their swimming instructor at the city pool.

Afterwards, we made our way to the nearby Lotus Restaurant, where perched up high, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast as we gazed down this amazing river, which was the Ganges and its many ghats. This was a great place to simply relax and take in this most amazing experience that we felt privileged to experience, a pinch me moment you could say! With good food and service, a relaxing quiet atmosphere and an amazing view, we visited the Lotus on many occasions during our stay. One thing that we’ve discovered on our travels, is when you find a good place to eat, enjoy its benefits, especially in places where they are not plentiful and easily accessible.

Leaving the restaurant we made our way down the back narrow allies of Varanasi, never really knowing where we were going but believing that we would eventually find our way as we were meant to in order to find an ATM of all things. The next thing we knew we were in a meditation centre doing a shaking and dancing meditation which was inspired by the teachings of OSHO. As we shook our bodies for about 20 minutes and then subsequently danced for another 20 minutes, when we came to doing the sitting meditation, we felt as if all the tension and stress within our bodies had melted away to allow us to meditate in a state of mind of complete peace and calmness. After having meditated for 20 minutes, we got into a sleeping pose in order to attain an even deeper state of rest and relaxation, so much so that Ricky fell asleep and snored (as per the account of Lori Ann Hitchcock).

An hour and a half later, we were once again going down the back allies of Varanasi discovering and seeing the true India, and a way of life that we previously never thought of experiencing and seeing with our own two eyes.

Every corner of every building on the back streets of Varanasi are plastered with directions to yoga centres, and other forms of healing practices.  

The next morning we woke up at 5 a.m. to go down for our boat ride down the Holy River Ganges, which is the most essential of experiences when in Varanasi. Already at this time, in the morning darkness, we could hear the Indian people chanting, bells a ringing and see people bathing in the Holy River. At this early time of the day, the air was cool, but within four to five hours, the day’s heat would be upon us reaching between 30-35 degrees, as Varanasi is known to be a very warm place.

As we hopped into our boat, a version of a large dore, we set off up the Ganges, appreciating the views of this ancient holy city with its perfusion of bathing steps, ghats, and palaces that were once occupied by the emperors, oh what it would be like to go back in time to see this place. An interesting element of a day along the Ganges is the noticeable changes in light that brings a different effect on the scene before you.

As you set off, the early morning darkness soon changes to a dim light, until the sun appears over the horizon on the other side of the Ganges to transfer this amazing scene in an array of colors. Going from an orange to an inspiring golden color, which is the most striking, the clear light of the day seems to quickly make its appearance, as one is completely drawn into this most amazing of spectacles. All of this of course happening in a morning haze which eventually seems to dissipate by mid-day.

As we floated by one the main cremation ghats of Varanasi, we could see a body ready to be cremated already at this early hour. As we turned around to make our way back, we leisurely flowed down the Ganges to the Dasaswamedh Ghat, where there was an absorbant amount of people who had come down to bathe in the river. This is without question the most surreal river experience we have ever had the joy and privilege to experience, even more so than our Ghondola ride down the canals of the great city of Venice in Italy. It simply felt like a very special moment for us, or as they say, a very “auspicious” moment.  

We also had to occasion to send off a lit candle down the Ganges…

As we disembarked from our boat, we made our way to the Dasaswamedh Ghat to be amongst this most magical scene we had appreciated from our boat on the Ganges.

As we walked around the Ghat and along the river, we could observe in silence and respect, groups of women all gathered in a circle performing a ritual prayer. The whole prayer was a very colourful display of Hinduism. There were also a large number of priest under these large straw umbrellas performing prayers at the request of people.

Everywhere we looked was this most incredible morning experience, we could see the faces of India down on the bathing steps of the Holy River Ganges…these were the faces we had expected to see in this Holy City.

Afterwards, in the mists of all this, something quite unexpected happened, Ricky got a most needed shave in this most auspicious of places by an Indian barber, a very unique experience to say the least.

After a short retreat back to our hotel and a mid-morning breakfast back at the Lotus Restaurant, we escaped the afternoon heat by going to the Surya Hotel to enjoy their refreshing pool and enjoy an Indian Ayurvedic message at the Centre Point Message Shop adjoining the hotel.

In the evening we walked through more narrow back streets of Varanasi to make our way to the Manikarnika Ghat, the main cremation ceremony ghat. As we got there in complete darkness, with only our head lamps to help us find our way down to this ghat, we were immediately struck by the scene before us. (sorry but no pix as it is strickly forbidden to take photos of cremations and understandably so)

The whole ghat was simply filled with flames, as 12-15 bodies were being cremated all at once. All these fires were creating a very noticeable heat. There were three different areas where bodies were being cremated. In an elevated platform, bodies of the upper cast of the society were being cremated, while down below at the waters’ edge, bodies of the lower castes were cremated.

The cast system is very predominant and apparent in Indian society, and I guess it applies from the day you are born to the day you die. Everyone knows their place in society according to this caste system, and they don’t hold back in reminding others when they are a higher caste.

We also learnt that there are basically five castes in Indian society, with the Brahamn being the highest caste, to the untouchables, being the lowest caste. The untouchables were in fact the men which we could see before us this evening burning bodies for cremation in the constant heat. The shocking thing that we discovered as well was that the fathers and grand fathers of these men were also untouchables. Unfortunately, even sadder yet, was the fact that the children and their children’s children of these men would be as well, their destiny was already defined for them, they wouldn’t have a choice in the matter, they would simply be pegged into this profession. 

As this was the most auspicious of all places for an Indian to be cremated, which was rendered quite obvious by the fact that on any given day, a minimum of 100 bodies could be cremated and up to a maximum of 200. From dawn to dusk bodies are continuously being cremated at this ghat. During the brief time we were there, bodies were regularly making their way to this place in a procession of men carrying the body to the Holy River Ganges all while they chanted away.

Walking down the side streets of Varanasi, one can’t miss the bangle shops, it’s like going to a jewellery store, but these shops only carry bangles, and in every colour of the rainbow. Every Indian women, from the infants to the elderly, wear bangles, and some in large numbers, too.

So Lori Ann decided to get her own bangles, and after 15 minutes, the shop keeper had her all decked out with an assortment of beautiful orange and green ones inlaid with some semi-precious stones to boot, another happy customer.

Another thing that we discovered while in India is that they truly enjoy shopping, just as people in North America or anywhere else for that matter, do. The only difference being that 80% of the shops are either selling sarees, bangles, jewellery or clothes. It’s a shopping chaos with people filling the streets and more signs and banners that you can wave a stick at, it’s simply overwhelming to the senses, with the perfusion of colour, chatter of the people, horns honking and smells of street vendor stalls, etc.

The next morning we ventured to Sarnath, which was the place where Buddha gave his first lecture and teachings to his followers. Many people make their way to Sarnath as part of a pilgrimage, coming from many countries throughout Asia. On site are the ruins of an ancient monastery as well as a huge stupa that marks the spot Buddha gave his first lecture.

Many groups surrounded this stupa singing chants together. There are many countries that have established monasteries in Sarnath. Apparently, there are nearly 1500 monks that actively reside in these monasteries at any given time. This is also the home of Deer Park, a great place for meditation and reflection, but unfortunately it was closed on this day, which was somewhat disappointing. 

As we made our way back to Varanasi, we had our last lunch overlooking the Holy River Ganges before making our way to Agra by train. All in all, our Ganges experience has without a doubt been a memorable one which will mark the rest of our lives.

Considering that we had not prepared ourselves physically for any significant trek, we opted for a trek in the Annapurna Conservation Area, one of Nepal’s most popular trekking regions. This trek would be our very our very first six-day personal trekking expedition beginning in a small place called Jomson, which we would fly into from the town of Pokhara which would also be our finish point and the location of a wonderful rest and recouperation time for a few days after the trek and before returning back to Kathmandu. Having chosen a trek was all fine and dandy, but how was this actually going to happen?  In other words, how were we going to get’er done! This is where we enlisted the help of Mountain Leader, a trekking agency and much more, who was able to book all our necessary transport, flight to Jomson, acquire our trekking permits, and find us a guide and porter to lead us on our trek. We were then all ready to go and quite excited (and a little nervous) about the whole experience in front of us.

As we set off from Kathmandu early morning by car on our seven-hour journey to Pokhara, we meandered our way up, down and around mountains following a river much of the way. This route is extremely busy with car and truck traffic, and because of it, the road is quite hard going, but a few hours in, the road conditions improved and it was smoother sailing from that point to Pokhara. Just to make the journey interesting, the air conditioning in the car we rented did not work and experienced two flat tires on the way. But hey, that’s all part of travelling. Once  we had finally arrived in Pokhara, we settled into our guesthouse, took a refreshing shower and strolled down to one of the local restaurants for a nice meal before settling in for the evening as we had an early start the next morning to embark on our Himalayan trekking adventure.

The next morning we woke up at 5 a.m. to make our way to the Pokhara airport for our 20-minute flight to Jomson which left at 6 a.m. From our small 16—seater plane, we flew into valleys and between mountains giving us amazing views of the terrain we were to explore over the next six days.  Shortly after, the plane touched down in Jomson, the door opened sending us off into a wonderland of mountains known as the great Himalayas.

The noticeably cool and fresh mountain air was so refreshing  it jolted us with energy, enthusiasm, and excitement as we set off on day one of our Annapurna trekking experience. Before even taking our first step on our trek, we soon realized that we were at the highest elevation we had ever been at in our young trekking careers as our young guide, Gokul, informed us that Jomson was at an elevation of 2,720 meters.

As we looked across the valley through the Tibetan paryer flags to the other side, we were immediately treated to a snapshot of what was in store for us over the next six days, as there stood majestically Nilgiri North at 7, 661 meters (25,134 feet), with its snow capped peaks against this beautiful blue sky, what a send off as we began our Himalayan adventure.

The Mountain hillside and valley provided an exceptional panoramic view of the diversity of this mountain landscape, which filled us with a sense of well-being and strength that we would no less need to fully experience the beauty and power of this magical place.

Trekking along the Kaligandaki River with the excitement of a couple of young kids, we soon realized we were in true Himalayan mountain country, as we met porters carrying everything from trekking and camping equipment to various crops on their backs, it was impressive to see them carry so much weight on their small frames as the Nepalese are known for.

An hour into our trek we came to the small town of Marpha, we were really excited as Gokul had told us that the journey to this point was to take two hours. Walking down the narrow cobble-stoned road to this Himalayan village, we got our first sense of life in the mountains, and how things were very simple and at an absolute slower pace.

Moving on through Marpha, we marched on to the village of Tukuche (2950m) which was a few hours walk. Upon our arrival in Tukuche, we were immediately greeted by a number of young Nepalese children, who were as curious about us as we were about them. Being that we had been trekking for three hours and that it was approaching lunch time, we stopped into the Dutch Bakery Guesthouse to have a delicious meal to replenish us and to give us energy for the next leg of our trek, as well as for a well deserved rest.

We then moved on to Kalopani that would be our last destination on this first day and where we would spend the night. The terrain during the trek from Tukuche to Kalopani changed as we made our way onward. For almost the first two hours, we trekked along a wide, dry, gray, gravelled river bed where we experirenced some high  winds causing a dust storm.

Along our trek, we crossed several Rock Gates, that are used as a gateway to enclosures for livestock. To us they represented a gateway to a most amazing place, the Great Himalayan Mountains.

Once past the village of Passing and Larjung, the terrain went from a dry gray arid landscape of stone, to a greener landscape with four to five thousand-meter ‘’hills’’ covered in great green forest. Leave it to the Nepalese to call a four to five thousand-meter mountain a hill! I guess their perspective is all together different considering they are surrounded by an abundance of peaks that reach up from seven to eight thousand plus meters. I guess it’s their way to distinguish them from the BIG peaks, plus they would then need to give them all names, which would be an endless and impossible task… and then to have to remember them all!

Regardless, the environment we were passing through was simply stunning and captivated our spirit of being in the mountains and in the great outdoors appreciating nature. Adding to this, was at different times along the trek from Tukuche to Kalopani, we could see either Nilgiri North (7,061m), Nilgiri Central (6,940m) or Nilgiri South (6,839m), all in all making for a most impressive trekking journey on this first day in the Great Himalayas.

At one point of our trek, we came along a large flat stone that had most likely come to rest along the trail after having broken off the mountain hills above. What made this large stone grab our attention was the fact that the Tibetans in this area had painted their well know chant on it, OM MANI PADME HUM. The Tibetan Buddhists believe that saying this mantra (prayer) out lout or silently to oneself, invokes powerful blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion. Viewing the written form of the mantra is said to have the same effect, it is often carved in stone and placed where people can see it, like the one pictured here. 

As you trek along, you notice many walking bridges that cross the Kaligandaki River, giving access to the villagers living deep into the mountains a way of transport when they want to make their way to either Pokara or even Kathmandu. As we neared Kalopani, we crossed the river on one of these long narrow bridges at Kokhethanti and then went through a few very small villages, one of which was getting ready for a festive wedding event.

Getting close to Kalopani, we left the trail to trek in a dry portion of the river bed, weaving our way along the small stream of water, but we could not make it all the way without going through them. So we took off our hiking boots and socks and walked through the freezing cold mountain water, we thought our calves were going numb. Once through, we dried off and continued on a short way to arrive in Kalopani (2,530m) where we stayed the night and had dinner at the Kalopani Guest House.

All in all, our first day had simply been invigorating, we had trekked six hours while the complete journey had taken us seven and a half hours with a stop for lunch and short breaks. We had travelled approximately 15+ kilometres on our first day, we were so excited we weren’t feeling any pain or aches…not yet anyway… we could sense we were running on adrenaline and high energy from the mountains. As we have observed and learned in our young trekking careers, nights in the mountains usually consist of replenishing your body with a good nourishing meal, relaxing and engaging in some interesting conversations and heading to bed early to rest the body in order to get an early start the next day.

As we woke the next morning, Day 2 would entail trekking from Kalopani to Tatopani which would be a 12km trek that would take us six hours over another full seven and a half hour day. As we had our breakfast to send us off on yet again another beautiful sunny day with blue skies and light clouds, from our guesthouse, we could appreciate the grandeur of Dhalagiri mountain which stood so impressively at 8,167m (26,794 feet). From this most impressive peak, we could appreciate the Naurikot Glacier of which the catchment must be huge considering its size which was visible to us. The evenings and mornings are especially cold, that’s when the fleece jacket and wool socks came in handy along with the warm blankets as we tucked in for the evening.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        This would be another extraordinary day, as we trekked through green hill valleys of 4000-5000m and mountains of 7000-8000 m on both side of us which were at times visible to leave us in complete amazement of the beauty of nature, all while following the Kaligandaki River. About a hour or so into our trek that morning, we came upon a mountainous feature that was both stricking and impressive, as we could observe a flat slab of rock that had to measure about 2,500 to 3,000 metres. We had seen slabs of rock before, but nothing like this, welcome to the Himalyas, where everything is bigger and especially taller!

The valleys on this day would present us with many gifts, complements of Mother Nature, as we would walk through one wonderous sight after another. 

Some of the marking features on this day included trekking through a very rocky mountainous area with a deep gorge with a rushing river with large boulders of stone creating rapid-like conditions.

We trekked on a path with one side of sheer rock going up and up and the other side dropping a thousand feet to the bottom of this rushing gorge river…it was impressive to say the least.

We followed this river gorge for a stretch of trail before transitioning to another green valley with great mountain forest and stone.

As mid-day fell upon us, as well as some hunger pangs, we stopped in Ghasa (2,084m) to relax in the lovely garden setting of the Annapurna Guesthouse and Restaurant and enjoyed a hardy meal and a welcomed rest. Then we were off once again, as we hit the scenic trails of the Annapurna Circuit.

About one and a half hours out from Tatopani, we arrived at the largest fall that we saw while on this trek, it was actually just off the trail we were on, so we took a short break to appreciate it.

A few young Napalese men had stopped at the falls to appreciate it as well and had climbed up a ways on the rather large stones which were part of the falls. As they waved, they invited us to come up, before being able to have any type of conversation, Ricky was taking off his backpack and was climbing up, just like the true adventurer and explorer that he is. There something about rock and water coming together, whether it be a waterfall like this one, or a small trickling brook, they are always special places that people feel good in.

As we arrived in Tatopani (1,190m), we settled into the Tatopani Guesthouse for the evening to have our dinner, but before we ate, Gokul had a surprise for us, we were going to relax and replenish our muscles at a nearby hot springs, WOW, what a treat!  

So we grabbed our swimming trunks and off we went to the hot springs. As we arrived at the hot springs, we quickly realized that this wasn’t the Banff Hot Springs, but hey, who cares, you are in a hot spring in the Great Himalayas, how cool is that?!!!  It’s safe to say that a fair number of the guests staying in Tatopani for the evening were at the hot springs, and why not!

After we had soaked in the hot springs for a fair bit, we returned to the guesthouse for supper and to admire the surrounding valley and Nilgiri South in the distance from the guesthouse restaurant terrace as the day turned to another cool refreshing night to bring yet again another fulfilling day.

As Day 3 came upon us, we embarked on our toughest day yet, climbing 800 meters for a steady three and a half hours to arrive at the See You Lodge in Sikha, our destination for this day. We were fortunate that this day would be cloudy, giving us good cool conditions to take on this piece of our trekking adventure, otherwise it would have been extremely hard going and we would have resembled a few sponges.

As gruelling as it may have been, it was a very rewarding expeirence for us from the physical and mental perspective, as we pushed ourselves  and succeeded in not letting our minds or bodies give up on the climb, as we pressed even when we felt that we couldn’t take another step. We also discovered that we have a competitive nature to us while we are in the mountains, as we wanted to arrive in Sikha before the others (who had 10 + years trekking experience!) who had left at the same time, we found ourselves not wanting to have other people pass us. Discovering this competitive nature, we had a good chuckle amongst ourselves afterwards. And yes we did start at the bottom of the valley you see pictured below.

What marked this day was a splendid one and a half  piece of the trail just before arriving in Sikha. It was most likely the most demanding stretch, but equally rewarding, as we climbed steadily down this narrow rock stepped path in a beautiful forest, passing through one small mountain-side village to the next. Every turn provided a postcard view or a panoramic view down or across the valley, as one could appreciate the mountain hills dotted with a few houses here and there. It was simply beautiful and revitalized us with energy to press on this demanding piece of the trail.

                                                                             On this day, as well as on other days, we encountered packs of ponies taking potatoes and other commodities down the mountain to the road, where they would be loaded up onto a truck and brought to either Pokhara or Kathmandu to sell. You always knew when the ponies were coming, as they all had these deep sounding bells tied around their necks. When you heard the bells of the ponies you prepared yourself to move aside and let them through, as they weren’t stopping for anyone, so you didn’t want to get in there way.

Also, as you passed through the small mountain villages, you would on occasion see these large buffalo being guided along by these small children, who didn’t appear to be older than six or seven years old, it was kind of entertaining actually, as they seemed to have a complete command of the animals, as if they had been doing this for years. It appeared so natural to them, and it likely was, being part of their conditioning living in such a mountainous environment!

After having gone through a gruelling uphill climb the previous day, Day 4 was not going to get any easier, as we were to leave Sikha climbing steadily for another 900 metres in order to get to Ghorepani at an elevation of 2,874 metres. This would end up being a two and a half- hour climb that would simply be stunning in a myriad of ways.    

This piece of the trail was captivating, as it passed through an old mountain forest as we trekked up on a predominately stone path. 

Other sections would be a climb on large rocks, only to discover that once at the top of that steep section another would face you only five metres down the path, no rest or let up for these trekkers, as we pressed on with great determination to ensure noone passed us!

As we had walked along this trail for the last few days, we had noticed these stone formations, so we asked Gokul what they were! He informed us that they were in fact resting places for the local people as they walked along this path going from village to village or carrying commodities down the mountains. Today they serve more as a resting place for the weary trekker like us, as commodities are carried up and down the mountains by ponies today.

As we were arriving in Ghorepani, the last little stretch of trail passed through this most amazing old forest, you just wanted it to last forever, as it was simply stunning with the rock-stepped path weaving its way up and around these old trees.

Leaving the old magical forest and entering into a clearing, we arrived in the village of Ghorepani and made our way to the guesthouse which would end up being our mountain home for the next two evenings.

During our first evening at the guesthouse, the large restaurant was full as everyone huddled around the large wood stove that also dried and warmed their clothes. But once that everyone had eaten a lovely meal, the porters and guides entertained us all with some lively Napalese music and dance, there was no doubt that they were enjoying dancing as much as we were enjoying watching them share their traditional dances with us all.

The reason we stayed two nights is that there is a rather popular hike up to what is called Poon Hill to have a 360 degree mountain peak view of about a dozen mountains. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating on the next day either as the fog swept into these mountain valleys and surrounded the peaks around us to obstruct any magnificent views that were to be had, so it would have to be for another time.

However, this gave us plenty of time to spend with Gokul and Yul to learn about Nepal, its people and its culture. We asked many questions, and they were more than willing to share their country with us. As we had times on our hands, we introduced them to the 10,000 Dice Game which they absolutely loved, as well as some card games, and they did the same in turn. Gokul and Yul were not mearly our guide and porter to us, we felt as we were taking on this grand adventure as a team more than anything else. They added so much to our Himalayan experience, it just wouldn’t have been the same without them.  Thanks guys!!!                                                                                                                                       However, not was all lost, as we got a nice afternoon peak at Annapurna South (7,219m) and some of the valleys that surrounded us, we felt like kids in a candy shop when Annapurna popped out of the clouds to show us her majestic presence. It was like a Hollywood superstar coming out from behind the curtains to walk down the red carpet. Everyone in the restaurant grabbed their camera and ran for the wall of windows to appreciate Annapurna’s beauty, as a dismal grey day was instantly turned to excitement with the simple appearance of her snowy peak.

After having our hardy breakfast on Day 3 at Ghorepani, we waited it out a bit to see if we were going to make a run for it up Poon Hill, which didn’t pan out, so we departed for what would be our Day 5 of trekking in the Himalayas. This day would consist of trekking from Ghorepani to Ghandruk (1,939m), which would take us some six hours, while experiencing rain for most of that time. Oh, and for the records, about a little more than an hour into our trek, we reached the highest elevation of our young trekking careers, as we hit a height of 3,103 metres (9,300 feet), YES!!! 

However, rain or not, as amazing as the last four days had been, this was the day that had us leaving this place saying we’ll be back! It was also at this juncture of our trek that we started our descent, and that we discovered that we enjoy climbing over descending. We found it hard on the knees as we descended, even though the large stone path was probably the best conditioned part of the trail we had encountered to this point.

Once we passed the mountain village of Tadapani, we entered this place they call the jungle forest, which was a respite in a myriad of ways. Firstly, the path was mostly flat in this forest, so the going was a breather from the last two previous days, I guess it was our break before we hit the actual descent.

Practically this whole forest is covered by these great big Rhododendron trees, which created this eerie feeling, as moss grew on them and hanged everywhere, like icicles on a Christmas tree. Gokul tells us that this place is simply amazing in mid to late March when the trees are all full of an array of coloured flowers, this alone is reason enough to come back and see. Along with the Rhododendron trees, this part of the forest was full of large ferns that seemed to be on some type of steroid and adding to the beauty of this Himalayan mountain landscape.

Once we started the actual descent, going down from one small river gorge to another, we discovered a water wonderland of gushing waterfall that spouted out, over, under and around these large boulders of black stone.  In the midst of this beautiful forest and along a rising cliff face on the opposite side of our trekking path filled with growing moss and shrubs, it wasas if we were in some type of adventure movie on a path to discovering some lost city.

Once past the wonderland of waterfalls, we then followed the ridge of the mountain going from one valley to the next appreciating the view and the fog that kept rolling in and out and wanting to engulf us it seemed.

As we arrived in Ghandruk some six hours later, we quickly noticed that the emplacement of this mountain village was a sight to behold. Besides the beautiful valleys that seemed to go off in every direction; the place was so quaint and so very lush and abundant with an array of vegetables, fruits and herbs growing everywhere.

Spread about were these simple stone houses as we could see the villagers going about their business of preparing meals for their families, socializing and kids playing and laughing. This very peaceful village was simply a Garden of Eden, a place that we can see ourselves just coming to in order to relax and commune with Mother Nature.

For these reasons, Ghandruk was indisputably our favourite mountain village along our trekking adventure in the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal.

After drying off from our previous day of rain, Day 6 would be no better, actually we would get drenched in rain all day, in a very intense kind of way, putting our gear through the test. On this day, we would make our way from Ghandruk to Nayapul, the end point of our amazing Annapurna Circuit Trek.

After trekking for a few hours as we followed the valley, we started to make our way down to a resting place where we would get lunch. However, with the rain yesterday and constant rainfall continuing to come down on this day, nature gave way, as a land slide occurred below us inhibiting us from reaching this place. So our guide Gokul and porter Ram, as well as the other guides from other groups, decided to head for a path on higher and safer grounds. So up we went, going back up what we essentially just came down.

At this point, small rushing rivers of water were intensifying and even forming at places with all this rain, as all the water eventually finds its way down these mountains to the river at the bottom of the valley. As you looked across the valley, you could see small waterfalls now sprouting all along the side of the valley. With these small rivers intensifying, which we would usually cross easily by stepping on large rocks, was now becoming a little trickier, and so we would occasionally find ourselves smack down in this cold rushing water, but our good porter  Ram was always there to support us, even though, as we learned at the very end of the trek, he had been feeling quite ill for the past wo days but had still trudged on without a complaint while carrying our big backpack.

Being so close to our final destination on our trek, we decided at this point to make a run for it and get back to Pokhara and out of the rain. As we neared Nayapul, our path followed the river at the bottom of the valley, there was so much water coming down from the mountains and hills that this water was running at a category 5 rapid, it was truly impressive to see that much volume of water going down a river, thank goodness we had a strong iron bridge to get us over to the other side.  

As we arrived at the end of our Annapurna Circuit Trek, we were both thrilled with what we had experienced and of what we had accomplished over the last six days, but we were also sad to see it all come to an end. This trekking adventure has truly cemented our love for the mountains as we see trekking as part of our lives for a very long time. Everest Base Camp here we come and thank you Nepal, Gokul, and Ram for the honour to have walked amongst the Great Himalayas!!!

Well, you have now shared into  Part 2 of  the amazing experiences we have had most recently, and which has turned out to be named “The Fabulous Four”.  Part 3 and 4 are ready to go and will be posted over the coming week to finish off The Fab Four collection. Take care everyone and wishing you all the best in the coming year and for many more to come!

After one week of being sick, we wanted to see what laid out and around Kathmandu and to get ourselves physically ready for the trekking we would be doing the following week. We booked a four-day excursion into the Kathmandu Valley with Mountain Leaders. We dealt with one of the owners, Kashev, and the manager, Jayendra who we got to know fairly well by the time we left Nepal. They certainly offer more than a service. They offer commoradery and inject you with a passion for life.

This four-day excursion would allow us to see the mountains, walk through small villages, meet the locals, get an insight into the religion and culture of Nepal. We started with a two to four-hour walks to build up our strength, and visit a few famous sights. As it turned out, our four-day excursion took place during the main days of one of Nepal’s biggest festivals, the Dasdain.

On Day 1 we were picked up at our hotel by car and driver along with our guide for the day, Krishna. Krishna is a bright, astute, young man who takes great pride in his work and is very knowledgeable and personable. Krishna was gracious enough to share about his personal life. He was mourning the death of his father some eight months before and he would continue to do so for another four months as he is the eldest son. Some of the religious customs he was following were: only wearing white socks and shoes, keeping his head shaved except for one strand of hair at the top of the back of his head, refraining from celebrating any festival, and eating no meat, for starters!

We started the day at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. One of the most sacred Hindu shrines in the world, Pashupatinath is one of the major temples devoted to Shiva (Pashupatinath) on the Indian subcontinent and attracts thousands of Hindu pilgrims each year. Shiva is the patron deity of Nepal. The Temple of Pashupatinath stands on the banks of the holy Bagmati River, a tributary of the Ganges, and is renowned for its beautiful architecture. It is surrounded by numerous other temples, shrines, statues, and pagodas making it a temple complex, rather than just a temple. The complex is home to Kathmandu’s funeral ghats, a series of cremation platforms spread along the river where the bodies of Hindus are burnt and the ashes scattered into the holy river. The complex swarms with Sadhus (holy Hindu ascetics) and Shiva devotees daily, meditating and praying on the steps throughout the temple. A World Heritage Site, Pashupatinath is also one of the richest temples in Nepal, having received a great deal of wealth from kings and aristocrats in devotion to the god. The temple buildings are closed to non-Hindu visitors, but the site can be enjoyed by all.

Next we were off to the famous Buddhanath, a Tibetan Bhuddist Stupa. We were extremely impressed with how well kept the areas around the Buddanath was maintained. A pedestrian-only road goes around the Buddhanath which is a real treat in itself. After the walking experience in Kathmandu’s narrow chaotic streets, where pedestrians are the last on the totem pole and have to constantly dodge the vehicles squeezing through these narrow roads at top speed honking their horns, this was a welcomed treat!

On the outer side of the road are well- kept shops and restaurants, several of them offereing rooftop seating which is where we went first to enjoy a nice breakfast and a splendid bird’s eye view of the Bodhanath.

The frist thing that jumps out are the famous Bhudda eyes painted on all four sides of the big white dome and the numerous Tibtan Buddhist flags strung around this massive Stupa. We enjoyed just walking around the Stupa in peace as Krishna shared his knowledge of this spiritual monument.

Krishna took us to a Tanka School which is where students can normally be seen creating these absolutely beautiful Tibetan Bhuddist paintings, but because of the festival, the place was empty; however, we did get an explanation of the ancient process of making these from one of the reps salesman and a tour around the shop to view all the different paintings available. All the paintings have a specific spiritual meaning and are framed by an elegant silk wall hanging hung on a wooden rod which has a flap that can either be down over the painting to protect it or tied up with bows by two strands of silk when on display. It was an ancient tradition for monks to carry these paintings on their backs as they travelled with the flap closed to protect the painting. Today the Tankas are very popular with both locals and tourists as they are thought to bring a very positive energy into a home and serve as a meditate object.

Our favourite Tanka is the Peace Mandala. The Peace Mandala is the pattern that the Dalai Lama goes around the world and has monks build out of piles of colored sand and then just as they finish this meticulous work that can take days, He blows hard on it to destroy it to remind people that everything in life is only temporary and that we are not to take things so seriously and get so attached. 

As the Boddhanath is a holy place for the Tibetan Buddhist, it is no surprise that one would find a Tibetan Monestary nearby. We were so fortunate to be there at the time that we were, as the monastery was full of Tibetan Buddhist Monks and worshipers. The inside of the monastery itself was just as those we had seen in Tibetan movies, lavishly decorated in the five colors one finds in the Tibetan prayer flags, along with the typical red and gold of Tibetan monasteries. Large golden Buddha statues encircled the interior of the monastery as monks chanted Tibetan prayers in deep resonating voices.

As we walked out of the monastery, we noticed a Tibetan Monk chanting prayers as he turned and went around a rather large and impressive Tibetan Prayer Wheel.

We then drove to a nearby village   where we began a 2.5 hour walk through the Kathmandu valley, which became almost a four-hour walk when we missed the turn off trail, so we had to take the long way along the road to Nargakot a very small village near the top of a mountain.

Up and around the mountain we went… for what seemed like forever…Oh MY our hip flexors were on fire … not exactly the ‘warm up’ we had in mind… it was more like doing the actual trekking!

It was totally worth it though, as it was our first ground view of the Himalayan Range which we got from our hotel room window at 7 a.m. the next morning when we woke up which was absolutely spectacular…. and almost made up for the fact that the hotel had no hot water on this cold night! The sky was so clear and blue. The snow-capped mountain peaks glowed in the early morning sun in all their gracefulness and magic.

On this day we had a trekking guide coming named, Ramsing. He is about 5 feet tall and does not weigh more than 80 pounds soaking wet. He was wearing a baseball cap, a dress shirt and black leather dress shoes, as for Ramsing, the four-hour walk we were to do that day to Nala was a walk in the park compared to other treks he guides in the mountains.

Ramsing was going to be our guide for the next two days and ended up being one of the dearest people we met in Nepal. He touched our hearts at a very profound level. He is a very genuine, caring and positive sole and has a great big heart. Ramsing enriched our experience in Nepal in many ways.

At 9 a.m., we set off on a three to four-hour walk to Nala where we would take a local bus to Dulikhel. On this day most of our walking was done on peaceful trails weaving through mountain valleys. Unfortunately, clouds rolled in as the morning passed and we missed out on what are suppose to be spectacular mountain and valley views.

Again we passed through small villages and met some of the locals going about their daily chores and enjoying festivities during the big Dasdain festival, such as swinging on large home-made swings made of bamboo branchs, although this one was simply tied to a large tree.

When we arrived in Nala there was no sign of local buses which are suppose to  go by every 15 minutes. The locals there informed us that they did not think the buses were operating today due to the festival. Oh!…. so off with our very tired legs, still soar from the last marathon of uphill walking, we continued on in the heat. Luckily we met a bus going to Nala which would be turning around there and coming back so Ramsing hollered at the driver with a big smile as he drove by to hurry up and come back to pick us up! So we sat on the side of the street and waited for the bus to come back.

In Nepal as in India, if the bus seats are full, it is no problem as there is always standing room. In Nepal, when the standing room runs out, there is always the roof… yes, the roof of the bus! That is exactly where we went as Ramsing guided us to the back of the bus where we found a ladder leading to the top and up we went! Railings for luggage line both sides of the roof but Ramsing brought us to his favourite place directly in the front above the driver where there are no railings. Ramsing absolutely loves riding on top of the bus. He sat there with his two arms up in the air yelling: “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I’m free!” We have to admit it was a lot of fun and very refreshing. We began to relax once we learned that the bus never really had much time to pick up much speed and the road we would take was actually paved unlike the other dirt stone, bumpy, dusty roads we had been on. About 15 minutes later, we arrived in Dulikhel and checked into our guesthouse. We enjoyed a well-deserved shower, rest, and late lunch.

Ramsing then took us into town to tour around the town. We then sat outside the guesthouse and admired the lightning in the distant sky.

The next morning, we boarded a local bus to Baktapur, this ride would be much longer, so we took the more boring seats inside the actual bus. We would spend the day and night in Baktapur to take in the most spectacular Square in Kathmandu Valley but first we had to say our goodbyes to Ramsing as he was heading back to Kathmandu.

The Dubar Square in Baktapur, as the other two Squares in and around Kathmandu, is an assortment of pagoda and shikhara-style temples grouped around a fifty-five-window palace of brick and wood. The square is part of a charming valley as it highlights the idols of ancient kings perched on top of stone monoliths, the guardian deities looking out from their sanctuaries. The wood carvings of gateways and windows is most impressive, all seems to form a well orchestrated picture into a fascinating history.
Walking through Baktapur, one discovers that this town is dotted with many impressive Squares that are the hub of activity, as tourist and locals alike congregate in these very social gatering places. Many of them dotted with impressive temples and places of worship, as the one above.

No matter where you go, there are always ample opportunities to do some local traditional shopping, often times down narrow street which light up in an array of colourful traditional clothes, handbags, scarves and many other products for the visiting traveller.

Taking a break to take in the grandeur of Baktapur Dubar Square and its many temples. One can’t leave this place without being impressed by its history and the Napelese people.

It was an extra bonus to visit during festival time. We got a firsthand look at how locals celebrate this festival. We followed the crowds to a temple outside the city late that night where they were preparing to sacrifice a cow which is the main ritual performed during this festival.

Many of the younger boys and girls are all decked out in their best clothing for the festival and we couldn’t help but ask permission to take a photo of this precious little princess!Interestingly, the young infant girls tend to have short hair and the boys, long hair??

We watched young children fly their kites off the roof tops which is another activity enjoyed during festival time. At times the sky is completely filled with these small kites, and it seemed that every young boy in town was flying a kite and trying to get theirs to go the highest. 

During the late evening, we enjoyed a lovely meal at the roof top restaurant of our guesthouse and took in the sights, sounds, and smells of Baktagpur during festival time. At different times during the day, we could see different groups of men playing an array of instruments, including drums, symbols and flutes, all part of the Nepalese traditions during this very festive time. 

The next day, Krishna came back and we went to visit the Patan Durbar Square complex, situated in the center of Patan city. This complexe houses the residence of the former Patan royal family. Patan Square and its surroundings are a good specimen of ancient Newari architecture. The square is a UNESCO world heritage site for its cultural significance.

While we were visiting the Patan Square, we ran into a sadhu, a Hindu holy man, it’s always impressive and a colourful scene to see them coming your way. Unfortunately, nowadays many simply wear the costume to play the part in order to get some funds from unexpecting tourist.

Mid-afternoon, we made our way back to our lovely little guesthouse, the Mustang Holiday Inn, to rest and get ready to go trekking in a couple of days when we would make our way to Pokhara where we would meet up with our trekking guide and board a short flight to Jomson where we would begin our 7-day trek on the Annapurna Circuit.

We made our way to the Mustang Holiday Inn, which is not the Holiday Inn chain as we know it back home to make things clear, a small guesthouse/inn which would serve as our home base as we travelled repeatedly in and out of Kathmandu. We really liked this simple little Inn as it is tucked away down a quiet side street away from all the street chaotic hype of Thamel, Kathmandu… tourist central in other words.

As we were both not feeling that well during our first week in Kathmandu(especially Lori Ann who had diarrhea for an entire week!), the Mustang provided us with a comfortable and quiet place to get better, while the nearby Gaia Restaurant provided us with a lovely atmosphere and great food to replenish ourselves back to health. They catered to our every need and cooked up whatever we wanted and needed to get better. The Gaia restaurant became our signature restaurant whenever we were in Kathmandu. There was absolutely no reason to search out for other restaurants, because this place had it all going. Firstly, it provided a simple yet diverse menu of dishes that were nutritious and safe as we discovered. The staff told us that they had their own water supply, and the ingredients to make the salads they were well known for, are washed four times before they found their way onto the tables. That was very reassuring and immediately sold us on this place. Although the place could only accommodate about 30 people, it made for a charming and cozy atmosphere, which certainly was another reason why it was always busy. But the icing on the cake without question were the guys operating and working as the servers at this awesome little place. They were so welcoming and sociable in their own unique way as they charmed their guests. They could just simply not do enough for you! This picture was taken on our last day in Nepal. We met at Gaia for coffee with Kashev, who booked our excursions in Nepal. He gave us a traditional Nepalese hat and scarf as parting gifts. 

As we got back on our feet and out and about in this famed metropolis city of Kathmandu, we quickly discovered the unique charm of its chaotic streets. Your senses are quickly vaulted into a state of shock, it’s just like flipping a breaker in your home. Its just too much to handle and an overload of input. Right from when  you make that first step onto the street, your eyes are inundated with shop signage from the street level to some three or four stories up, almost one on top of the other in some cases. When you step back from the initial shock, it’s actually much like its own unique form of modern art… I guess! We also found it so interesting how you can in one instance find something so repulsive and then later quite stimulating… oh the mind works in funny ways.

In addition to the profusion of signs, you then have the onslaught of shops selling all kinds of unique and attractive merchandise from clothes available in a rainbow of colors, to Tibetan bowls and mandalas and an array of jewellery, tshirts, and trinkets, and that’s after the countless number of hiking equipment shops to boot.

Then one is continuously drowned with the obnoxious honking of taxis and motorbike horns and merchants requesting you come and have a look in their shops. Then you add on top of that, the street vendors wanting you to buy their trinkets and goods, while DVD movies blare out onto the streets from the movie vendors shops. All amongst this melting pot of sound, somehow one is brought back to calmness, as the seductive Buddhist and Tibetan chants play in the numerous music shops on the streets of Kathmandu. In the end exploring the street scape of Kathmandu is a fascinating experience, as much by day as by night, and is all part of truly experiening this unique city.

From our time in Bali where we first experienced a singing meditation at the Yoga Barn in Ubud, I (Ricky) have always wanted to have my very own Tibetan singing bowls. So in a very instinctive manner, it wasn’t a surprise that on one of the first days in Kathmandu, I made my way into a singing bowl shop to rub away on the hundreds of singing bowls on display. As I started talking to the shopkeeper about my interests and intentions to play the singing bowls, he realized that this was more than just a simple sale. I immediately sensed a change in the him at that stage, as he openly shared his love and knowledge of the singing bowls with me. He himself has been playing for many years and has been going to Switzerland to learn and share his talents. I felt fortunate to have chosen this shop to purchase my bowls, as I left with much more than simply my bowls.

Leaving the shop, I was now in proud possession of a large singing bowl from Bhutan, a medium-sized one from Nepal, and a small bowl from Tibet, a variety from each Himalayan country, which I found appealing and quite cool, actually. I also got a few accompanying instruments including some chimes, a Tibetan bell, and a dorjay. I was now ready to move on and to start playing the singing bowls.

Much to our delight, Van Fa, our special new friend from Pai in Thailand, was in Kathmandu on business and we got to enjoy a few outings with her. She was there for a one-month duration to purchase some natural stones with which to create more of her stunning pieces, and to begin creating her own designer clothing. She is so talented and so much fun to be with. She really helped lift our spirits after being sick. 

Kashev, mentioned above, is part owner of The Flight Centre and Mountain Leaders. We got to know Keshav fairly well while in Nepal and admired the pride he has for his country and people, and his dedication to helping his community.

Our trekking guide from Mountain Leaders, Gokul, who we will post on later, mentioned to us that his cousin, Bishnu, was studying his masters in business (major in HR) and planning to go to North America to study his PhD.  We had the pleasure of meeting Bishnu when we arrived back in Kathmandu to answer his questions about Canada. He is a very personable and bright young man who is obviously destined for great things and we are glad to have met him and hope to continue to keep in touch.

Three other souls that touched our hearts in Kathmandu were the three main staff at the reception desk of the Mustang Holiday Inn who always had a smile on their faces (except when we wanted to take their photo!) We enjoyed plenty of laughs with them and they put up with us just fine even when we were sick and cranky!

 Being amongst the Great Himalayan Mountains, it was instinctively in the back of our minds to see Mount Everest with our very own two eyes. So when we learned that there was a Mt. Everest flight every morning, we booked our tickets and off we were to the top of the world of our little blue planet. As we woke up at 5 a.m. with great excitement and anticipation, we made our way to the domestic airport to board our 6 a.m. Mt. Everest flight with Bhudda Air… with a name like Buddha Air we felt in good hands… know what I mean, know what I mean, say no more, say no more?!

As we took off on this crisp and clear morning, our little plane headed East of Kathmandu. As we started to near the region of the Upper Himalayas, it was as if we had arrived in Heaven.  It was truly a magical moment, as we had made our way up and through some small clouds to come eye to eye with the summits of some of the highest mountains in the world. Most of these peaks were 7,000 plus metres in height. Actually, the Himalyas represent the greatest mountain system on Earth, and include more than 110 peaks rising to elevations above 24,000 ft (7,300 m), including Mount Everest. Nepal is home to eight of the ten highest peaks on our planet. No wonder this mountain range is referred to as the Great Himalayas. The Himalayas also cover an impressive 595,000 square kilometres (230,000 sq. miles) passing notably through the countries of Tibet (China), Bhutan, India, and Pakistan, in addition to Nepal, while extending some 1,550 miles (2,500 km) from east to west. An interesting fact is that these mountains are still rising in height, as the tectonic plates that formed them in the first place are still driving them upwards.

As we looked at this natural phenomenon from our vantage point in the airplane, it was fascinating how you could see the snow-covered peaks and then a row of thin clouds below the peaks, to see the rest of the side of the mountains down to the valley floor. As we continued onward, rigid peaks were making for a spectacular wonderland of snow and ice which resembled large iceburgs of the great north.

Finally we arrived at our prized destination, where one by one we were invited to go up to the cockpit to have a panoramic view of the top of the world… Mount Everest… which towers at some 8850 metres (29,035 feet) in height. At first it was hard to believe that we were actually laying our own two eyes on this great mountain, but there it was in all its splendor standing majestically like the lion on a high ridge looking down upon all the other animals of the serengetti. It was truly the King of the Mountains, standing  proudly while it casts its memorizing spell on all of us or anyone for that matter that has the honour to stand in its presence. Everest truly has that effect on you, as everyone on the plane, from 30 to 60 year olds were immediately transformed into kids, as they bubbled with excitment as they peaked through there window and waited for their turn to go up to the cock pit…it was kind of funny actually. 

On our last evening in Kathmandu, Kachev kindly invited us to attend a traditional Napelese evening of song and dance, accompanied by some authentic dishes of Nepal, all of which was to take place in a customary restaurant with the ambiance to make it a lovely evening.

During the evening, several Nepalese dances from different regions of Nepal were performed for our entertainment. They were both colourful and quite unique, as the dancers went across the room singing with great smiles, making you want to get up and join them as they seemed to be having so much fun!

All this performance was of course accompanied by a small group of musicians playing various instruments typically played during traditional Nepalese performances.

We enjoyed our evening very much and it was yet again another opportunity for us to experience Nepalese culture first hand. We thank Kashev and Jayandra for this lovely evening that we are very grateful for.