Technical Difficulties

I know I owe you some writing. Okay, I owe you a lot of writing. But before you blacklist the blog and do something drastic like replace the time you spend checking this site with actual office work, let me explain.

I have three words for you: Act of God/Allah/Buddah/Ganesh.

Seriously.

An earthquake severed the underwater cables connecting China to the WWW via the Straight of Taiwan and as a result, I've been without internet connectivity for a week. I have been thinking about you though, and I hope we can put this whole ugly thing behind us soon.

Keep checking in, things should improve soon.

HIMALAYA

www.green-lotus-trekking.com/photos/photos_everest/photos_everest_menu_eng.html

India-Nepali piiri yletamine oli ka omamoodi elamus. Molema piiri tootajad yritasid jalle raha sisse kasseerida, millega siis oma taskuid taita. Indiast lahkumisel nouti meilt paberit mida meile lennujaamast "millegi parast ei antud", kuid meid rahustati sellega, et neil on onneks see paber olemas ja see maksab vaid 50.- roopi nagu. Parast pika ajalist vaidlust andis vennake alla ja noustus meie riigi voi mingisuguse rahaga, mis talle malestuseks voiks jaada (kuna ta kogub erinevaid rahasid yle maailma). Parast seda yletasime kiirelt vaikse silla, et lopuks ometi Indiast minema saada. Nepali piiril polnud tarvis aga muud kui templit sisenemiseks kuna meil olid juba viisad olemas. Sinna joudes selgus aga, et me peame maksma 100.-roopi nagu, templi panemise teenuse eest.Nagu naha, ei olnud me Inidast kuigi kaugele joudnud. Kui ma tydinult ytlesin, et neil pole motet mulle sama jama ajada mida India piiril tehti, vaitsid nad karmi haalega, et neil ei ole sellega mingit pistmist. Parast jarjekordset edasi-tagasi vaidlemist noustusin, et kui neil on mulle naidata dokument, kus on kirjas et templi panemine maksab miskit(kuna see teenus ei ole mulle yheski teises riigis midagi maksma lainud), siis maksan ma neile noutud summa. Selle peale tembeldati kiirelt meie passid ja lykati ruttu uksest valja, enne kui meie lahedal olev kutt asjast aru saaks ja oma raha tagasi nouaks.

Kathamndu oli aga vaike armas linnake, mis oli paksult tais turiste(kes oleks uskunud et ma turistidest-valgetest inimestest-puudust oleks tundnud). Linnakeses oli koikke mida turistid ihaladavad( kohvikud, shoppamine, vaatamisvaarsused ja vali tegevused).
Meie, oigemini Adam oli valja valinud 14 paevase matka Everest Base Campi, mille peale ma varem ei tahtnud moelda, kartes mida see endast voib kujutada. Meeleolu tostmiseks oli mul aga voimalus shopata 2 paeva, kuna kylma temperatuuti tottu pidime oma varustust taiendama.(joped, pyksid, magamiskotid jne.)
Paev enne matkamist kohtusime oma 7 liikmelise grupiga, kellest 4 olid Austraaliast, 2 (Adam kaasa arvatud) USAst ja mina esindasin EESTIT!!!!!!!!!!!
Iga paev ronisime umbes 7 h. et jouda oma jargmisse tee majakesse, kus siis sai jalga puhata ja syya lokke aares, kuna parast paikse loojangut (15:30-17:30) kukkus temperatuur tohutult. (Viimased ood Everest Base Campi lahedal oli oosel joogi vesi voodi korval jaatunud)
Everest Base Campi( 5364 m. vee pinnast) joudmine vottis 8 paeva. Ja sealt alla tulime 4 paevaga. Kokku umbes 106 km. Osadel paevadel parast 7 h. matka olime joudnud vaid 200 m.korgemale, kuid vahepeal olime korduvalt roninud yles ja alla 200-300 m. kaupa. Nii et trenn oli kova. Kahes kohas veetsime 2 ood jarjest, et siis korgusega harjuda ja lihtsalt ronida makke 600 m. et siis jalle alla tulla. See oli aga vajalilk, et hoida ara korguse haigust, mida osad siiski podesid. (symptomid: vasimus, ei taha syya ja pea valu). Vasimus oli meil koigil, kuid see oli arusaadav. Osad oksendasid ja osadel jai Kala Patthari (korgeim Erversti mae vaatamis tipp-5545. m. ) vaatamatta, kuna ei suutnud fyysiliselt yles ronida, voi pidid ymber poorama tohutu pea valu tottu. Nii siis 7st liikmest 3 joudsid tippu. 1 Austraallane, 1 USA(minu mees) ja 1 EESTLANE(arvake ara kes see vois olla!? ;) )
Huvitav kogemus oli ka see, et vaidetud horedane ohk korgemal magedes vastaski toele. Moned ood arkasin hingeldades yles, et ohku ahmida, kuna parast kylje pooramist oli tunne, nagu oleks maratoni lopetanud.
Pikem paev oli meil 10h.ne kui ronisime Kala Patthari otsa (5545 m.) ja sealt alla umbes 1500 m. et kodu poole ryhkida.
See oli raskeim 14 paevane trenn mida olen oma elus teinud, kuid kogemus ja vaatepildid iga paev olid vaart igat sammu ja pingutust. Reisi lopus avastasime, et koik tydrukud(5tk) olid mingil hetkel kas siis emotsioonidest voi fyysilisest koormusest nutnud ja isegi mehed tunnistasid, et ka neil olid omad norgad hetked, kus enam ei tahtnud jatkata.
Kathmandusse tagasi joudes pyhitsesime aga koik roomsalt oma edukust Rum Doodle's restoranis, kus me taitsime yhiselt ara suure paberist jala jalje, nagu paljud teised randajad, kes seal Himalayat kaisid vallutamas. Meie grupi juht andis meile nimeks " Mountain Killers" , mis on uhkelt jalatallal koos USA, Austraalia ja EESTI lipuga. Nii siis kui kunagi Kathmandusse lahete otsige yles jala jalg koos Eesti lipu, minu nime ja SAKUga restoranist Rum Doodle.

Kuna mu fotokale ei meeldinud korgus, otsustas see umbes 3000-4000 m.korgusel otsad anda ja kahjuks ei ole mul sealt maalt yhtegi pilti. Onneks Adami fotokas ei kartnud korgust ja me saime siiski oma saavutustest pilte klopsutada, kuid nyyd peate ootama kuni Adam need yles paneb.

Merry Christmas!

Hello Everyone.

It's December 24th and we've returned from the mountains safe and sound to the bustle of Kathmandu. We have about 20 more hours in Nepal before flying to Shanghai via Bangkok, but wanted to be sure to get out some holiday wishes for everyone before we hit the road. (more significant and hopefully humorous blogging will commence upon arrival in China - After all, if there's one thing China is known for it's their sense of humor). Topics I'm overdue on include Varanasi, Budgaya, Kathmandu, and Trekking.

Anyway, here's a little holiday cheer we captured during our recent weeks in the Himalaya.
That's Ingrid and I in the photo. The snow says "Merry Christmas 2006" (I thought it would be easier to read if it were in color, perhaps yellow, but Ingrid shot down the idea). We took this photo while returning from the 5545m (18,300ft) summit of Kala Patthar. We had to leave our camp at 5am to make the summit at dawn (more on this later). Oh, and one more thing, that towering dark peak in the background you may have heard of, it's a little known Mountain called Mt. Everest!

Merry Christmas to all and we hope you get to spend your holidays with Family and loved ones the World over. We're booked for a Christmas buffet at the hotel, Nothing says Christmas like curries and naan!

Just a Quick Sumpin, Sumpin.

Wanted to let everyone know that we're headed to Everest Base Camp today and won't have Internet access for roughly the rest of December.

I know it's tough, but trust me, it's for the best.

I also realize I'm a little behind in my narrative and I have some explaining to do about that photo Ingrid posted proving Horse is actually man's best friend. But I'll let that stew for the rest of the month and I'll hit the ground running after Christmas.

And to all those who've been regularly checking the blog and for any first timers, Ingrid and I wish you all a Merry Christmas.

KHAJURAHO

Khajuraho on vaike ja suhteliselt vaikne linnake, mis on tuntud templite poolest (enamuses yle 1000 aasta vanad). Ja kuigi templitel on igasugu ilusaid ja huvitavaid jumala, sodalaste, musikute ja loomade kujusid, usun, et enamus inimesed tunnevad enam huvi ylejaanud 10 % vastu.

Siin need on! Erootilised kujud. Huvilitele nii palju, et loomulikult on mul jarjekordselt tehtud ligi 1000 pilti nendest templitest mida hiljem saab soovi korral vaadata.

VARANASI

Varanasi-voi ka tuntud tolkes "vaga nasty(jalk, rove)".

See on koige pyhalikum linn Indias, kuna siin voolab Ganges'i jogi. Paljud Hindud randavad yle maailma, et seal end pattudest pesta.
24h. on trepid taidetud inimestega, kes seal praktiliselt end alasti koorivad, et siis pesta ennast ja roivaid.
Samas on treppidel 2 kohta jaatud surnute rituaalile, millest kyll kahjuks ei tohtinud pilti teha, kuid elamus ja lohn(hais) oli unustamatu.
Surnu tuuakse vee aarde poletusele, kus teda enne 5 x veega onnistatakse ja siis pere ees poletatakse. (Rasedad naised ja lapsed lastakse lihtsalt kiviga pohja) Nais sugulased ei ole enam aga poletamisele lubatud, kuna need tihtipeale hyppasid koos lastega ka tulle.
Kombe kohaselt riietub vanim poeg valgesse, onnistab end vees, loputab suud mone lonksu joe veega ja ajab pea kiilaks(jattes tutike jukseid pea peale).


Eks meil koigil ole patte, nii siis otsustasin ka mina end pesta.

Siiski piirdusin aga suure varbaga juhul kui see peaks otsast ara madanema.
Adam aga oli kovasti julgem ja pani isegi terve jala talla vette.

See, et vees ka lehmi pestakse, ja et sinna ka surnu kehasi ja nende sytt visatakse ja et seal yldse koikvoimalikud jaatmed visatakse ei ole mingi naitaja, kuna tegemist on ju pyhaliku veega.

Yhesonaga indialased on puhtad inimesed. Nad pesevad end tihti ja nagu naha, on ka nende puhtad riided asetatud ilusasti treppidele ja liivale kuivama.

Meie auto juht Indias

Kui me oma autojuhi-Roopiga esimesel hommikul kohtusime, olime onnelikud, et meie palvele vastati ja saadeti noor juht, kes oskas piisavalt inglise keelt, et me yksteist moistaks.
Kuigi paljud autojuhid ei raagi inglise keelt, on siin vaikestel poistel kombeks kysida kust sa oled parit et siis sinuga suhtlema hakata kas inlise, prantsuse, hispaania voi kes teab mis keeles. Kuid kui mu vastuseks on Eesti, siis jaavad nad suu ammuli seisma ja lopetavad tyytamise voi siis ytlevad et tulevad homme tagasi.(loomulikult jarjekordne voimalus raha kysimiseks)

Reisi alguses onnestus meil tutvuda Roopi perega ja naha tema kodu, kus meile pakuti hommik sooki.
Indias oppisime vahemalt yhe asja ara. ARA USALDA MITTE KEDAGI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kuid nagu koikjal, on ka siin erandeid. Ja onneks oli Roop meie ingel, kes meie eest vaga hasti hoolitses ja meid koiksugu asjade (selle juures ka oma pomo eest-kes meie reisi organiseeris) eest hoiatas.

Nii siis, kui keegi plaanib kunagi Delhi kanti tulla, palun votke Roopiga yhendust ja teie reis on probleemideta garanteeritud. Roop_Kishore8513@yahoo.om
Kodune tel: 0091(Inia)-011(Delhi)-22781284. Mobla: 0091-09810517677
Kuigi me arvasime, et ka Roopi pomo oli tore usaldusvaarne inimene, oleme nyyd reisi jooksul kogenud, et ta unustas meile bussi pietid ostmast. Ja see lisa $50 mis me rongi mugavuste eest juurde maksime laks tema tasku mitte piletite peale.
Siin siis vaike reklaam Roopile, kes oma reisi ari yritab alustada. Ja voin julge sydamega oelda, et ta on sydamest vaga hoolitsev ja tore reisi kaaslane, kes on usaldusvaarne inimene ja keda ma ka hea meelega oma sobraks voiks kutsuda.

On the Road

This post is dedicated to the sometimes frightening, often humourous and always interesting things we've seen on the road in India. Driving in India is an experience unto itself. While leaving Delhi for the major highways, I couldn't stop thinking "When's this road going to get better?". Two weeks have past and they never improved. The roads are "roads for the new century", unfortunatly that was the previous "new century" they were talking about. If you want to retrace the footsteps of Ghandi, don't worry, the same roads are still here. I was flabberghasted to find that the roads connecting Delhi to all major ports were nothing more than single lane afterthoughts of vintage Ingersol-Rand. But I digress.

I'll preface this section by explaining the rules of passenger seating in India. When traveling in India, the number of allowable passengers is governed by a simple equation.

To determine proper passenger allowance, multiple the number of seats in a vehicle (driver seat included) by Pi. Next divide that number by 1.37. Finally, multiple this new number by the number of pieces of Chipatti the driver had for lunch and you're all set*.

*Note: this equation does not hold true in the case of Massey FergusonTractors of which the proper passenger allowance, as you all know, is seven.

Beyond human cargo, a much simpler equation exists for general freight. I believe this photo demonstates the "10lbs in the 5lb bag" equation nicely.Loads aside, lets talk about the vehicles themselves.

As if the above truck isn't intimidating enough, allow me to show you what you must face down when it's time to cross a single lane bridge and "death before dishonor" driving comes into play.

These war-painted demon chariots are piloted by guys like "junior" here beside me. Behind the wheel these nepolian-complexed guys refuse to back down from anything, including each other. If there's an accident here, you can rest assured it's a head-on. Oh, and the god-awful horns! Somewhere in a backroom in India a sadistic little man is grining to himself as he manufactures the horns for these trucks and busses. Ingrid and I affectionately refer to them as the screaming Hindi banshees. It's basically the worst hindi-megastar scream you can imagine played at 110db. It shakes your bones when they hit the horns and they basically honk at trees - and encourage this behavior between one another. The horn is basically the Indian way of saying "Hey, you're here, I'm here too. Let's share the road and both get home safe. Just don't challenge me. Don't ever, ever challenge me."

Taking a look at other vehicles on the road, we come across a long list of options for those in need of transport.

The CLASSIC Autorickshaw.

The Mahindra - That's right, I can't believe it's not chrystler either. Don't worry America, just keep sending your IP over here for confiscation, I mean production.

The Moped, a family vehcile here in India. At just four passengers, this is particularly lightly loaded, especially considering the driver had FOUR chipatti for lunch!

The Nruck - Not quite a truck...

And my personal favorite mode of mechanised transport, the "Home Made" car.

People use a single cylinder water pump motor and Frankestein it together with other drive train components onto a WOODEN chassis. Love it. Note the use of electrical tape on the steering column! - and the seven passengers.

Then there's the Living transport.

Like Elephants (note car review in the photo):

Camel tractors

And monkeys on bicycles.

More coming, Internet running out in 5,4,3,2......