All these scary people. Suited. Cleaned up. Straightened hair. Manicured hands. Cell phones. Smart phones. Old phones. Laptops. Laptops. Laptops. Economic Times. Bisleri bottles. Longines watches. Strapped-up breasts. Boxes. More boxes. Standardized boxes. Cups and coffee. Polished black shoes. Contracts. Please keep it confidential. Roving, unstable eyes. Balls. And eye balls. Uncoupled couples. Pouted lips. Sprayed hair. Botoxed cheeks. Tight-fitting tops. Hip-straightening jeans. Orders. Shipments. Customer is asking. Eye-glasses. Perfumed necks. Toilets. Watches. Video games on phones. Crumpled business jackets folded gently on laps over laptops. Hello, who is speaking - main abhi Dilli mein hoon - just boarded. Dinners. Vegetarian or non-vegetarian? I'll call you up - don't worry - I'll call you up tomorrow. Elevator music - no elevator. Scratchy crotches. Wriggly hands on seat belts. Cabin crew arm all doors and cross check please. Thank you. Snoozy people. Hurried demonstrations with yellow dropping masks. Books. Fiction books. Leadership books. 360 degree leader. Bombay Times. Diet. Exercise. Relationships. Sex. Muscles. Buy. Buy. Buy. Retail therapy inflight magazine. Hello 6E. Flat sandals. High-healed heals. Headsets. Small, white ones. Big, black ones. Won't switch-off electronic devices. Blue seats. White dots. Thin, matching blue leather belts. All these scary people.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Everest BC12: All These Scary People
All these scary people. Suited. Cleaned up. Straightened hair. Manicured hands. Cell phones. Smart phones. Old phones. Laptops. Laptops. Laptops. Economic Times. Bisleri bottles. Longines watches. Strapped-up breasts. Boxes. More boxes. Standardized boxes. Cups and coffee. Polished black shoes. Contracts. Please keep it confidential. Roving, unstable eyes. Balls. And eye balls. Uncoupled couples. Pouted lips. Sprayed hair. Botoxed cheeks. Tight-fitting tops. Hip-straightening jeans. Orders. Shipments. Customer is asking. Eye-glasses. Perfumed necks. Toilets. Watches. Video games on phones. Crumpled business jackets folded gently on laps over laptops. Hello, who is speaking - main abhi Dilli mein hoon - just boarded. Dinners. Vegetarian or non-vegetarian? I'll call you up - don't worry - I'll call you up tomorrow. Elevator music - no elevator. Scratchy crotches. Wriggly hands on seat belts. Cabin crew arm all doors and cross check please. Thank you. Snoozy people. Hurried demonstrations with yellow dropping masks. Books. Fiction books. Leadership books. 360 degree leader. Bombay Times. Diet. Exercise. Relationships. Sex. Muscles. Buy. Buy. Buy. Retail therapy inflight magazine. Hello 6E. Flat sandals. High-healed heals. Headsets. Small, white ones. Big, black ones. Won't switch-off electronic devices. Blue seats. White dots. Thin, matching blue leather belts. All these scary people.
Everest BC (D-16): It's not over until it's over
Lukla airport. 1,108 steps. 0.3km.
We didn't leave yesterday. We were supposed to. But the airport was shut down due to weather - here and there in Kathmandu. We now got boarding passes (via Tara Air) after a lot of fight and chaos for the 10am flight. No idea yet if it'll go, reach on time. Fun! I'm wearing Nir's Buddhist scarf and sitting by what's the gate. The rest of the gang is downstairs - an extension of the gate that's labelled VIP room. There's a small book stall and tea stall. Actually, the Lukla airport is quite amazing.
It poured y'day shutting most things down. There were choppers leaving - with nose down. We had a super enjoyable lunch at a dhaba shack. The kitchen had yak bones hanging by the stove. They cooked fresh fish - the group started with 6 but soon the bones piled up. :) We were there for a really long time. I had Chang - a local cold brew that tasted like buttermilk.
People have been waiting here for 3+ days in Lukla for their flights. I spent the afternoon at the fake Starbucks place - did email and stuff. They had banana nut muffins and very good black coffee.
Later at night, we unexpectedly ended up at the Irish pub that had purple tube lights. Amit had Jack and Thatho paani :) That Irish pub could've belonged anywhere. There was a snooker table, tourists, a couple making out, flags from lots of countries. Very interesting. Would we leave the next day or not? Who knew? San Miguel was nice.
*
We finally left Lukla (Amit was the most disappointed) and made it to Kathmandu flight almost on time.
We didn't leave yesterday. We were supposed to. But the airport was shut down due to weather - here and there in Kathmandu. We now got boarding passes (via Tara Air) after a lot of fight and chaos for the 10am flight. No idea yet if it'll go, reach on time. Fun! I'm wearing Nir's Buddhist scarf and sitting by what's the gate. The rest of the gang is downstairs - an extension of the gate that's labelled VIP room. There's a small book stall and tea stall. Actually, the Lukla airport is quite amazing.
It poured y'day shutting most things down. There were choppers leaving - with nose down. We had a super enjoyable lunch at a dhaba shack. The kitchen had yak bones hanging by the stove. They cooked fresh fish - the group started with 6 but soon the bones piled up. :) We were there for a really long time. I had Chang - a local cold brew that tasted like buttermilk.
People have been waiting here for 3+ days in Lukla for their flights. I spent the afternoon at the fake Starbucks place - did email and stuff. They had banana nut muffins and very good black coffee.
Later at night, we unexpectedly ended up at the Irish pub that had purple tube lights. Amit had Jack and Thatho paani :) That Irish pub could've belonged anywhere. There was a snooker table, tourists, a couple making out, flags from lots of countries. Very interesting. Would we leave the next day or not? Who knew? San Miguel was nice.
*
We finally left Lukla (Amit was the most disappointed) and made it to Kathmandu flight almost on time.
Everest BC (D15): Last day. Life is happening.
Monjo - Lukla. 18,892 steps, 6.4km.
Today's the last day of the trek. We will climb up to Lukla for about 4 hours to make it there by lunch - at least that's the plan (in reality, we made it there by 4.30PM). I hope to do it with awareness. It was all "back-in-the-plains" last night - TV, commercials, Bollywood, people drinking, extreme spice and of course my calls. I can hear Dudh Kosi in the background. Soon I won't. Or will I?
*
We just had our grand finale party (it's night). Funny having it in Lukla. I had the local brew - Thungba - it's barley fermented in a kinda conical aluminum glass. The hot water mixes with fermented barley and becomes alcoholic. Very interesting process. It's a slow, dull tipsiness that's almost non-existent but not. It's fun to watch people drinking. The most fun was the Nepali dance. It was nice to see Milan dance and let himself free - a bit at least. The walk/ trek itself was nice. The party's anthem was Farida Khanum's Aaj Jaane Ki Zidd Na Karo.
It's stupid actually - this whole thing - going away, isolating, getting lost, finding self and throwing it all away again, plunging into madness and repeating it. All over again. And again. Unsettled here or there. Here and there. Neither this is true nor that. Very, very stupid.
*
We are waiting at the Sunrise Lodge at Lukla. We are due to fly to Kathmandu (it's morning). I can see clouds. There are these yellow flowers. Bees are lazing and hopping alternatively from one bunch to the other. There are webs on the plant. Check-in time at Lukla airport is determined based on when a plane takes off and lands and takes off and returns from Kathmandu. You can hear it all.
Today's Nana's 69th birthday. It was nice to talk. Milan is lazing, meditatively. Others are in a hurry to nowhere land. It's getting busier now. Bags, logistics, airport - that's about 5min walk from here. Flowers are nice. Bright yellow. Swaying to a zephyr. Doing their thing. Wiggle. Clouds keep drifting slowly, slowly. Everyone is doing their thing. Life is happening.
Everest BC (D-13,14): How it feels to touch a yak's skull
Dengboche - Kyang Juma. 24,284 steps, 8.2km.
It's been an interesting day. The fact that the show is about to get over is settling in on everyone. A winding down state if you will - much like Samadhi. Jayanti took over the kitchen today and cooked egg curry for everyone. Spicy but yum.
I had an amazing Kriya today. Outside the window is Ama Dabalam. Spectacular. Went very deep during meditation. I do think it's the mountains and higher altitudes. It was the second longest trek of the trip but because we were descending, it became easier to breath. It didn't seem that hard. The mind keeps going down to the plains and the imminent tasks ahead. I guess it's the same for everyone.
The rooms here are very nice. The restaurant is full of pics of where the owners have traveled to. She came and spoke to us - her manner, diction and accent - much like the Nepalese dal we ate a few times -- puzzled out of shape by constant interactions with Western travelers.
We have two short days ahead - about 4-6 hours each. I had a veggie burger, cake, 2 coffees (yes) at the Lavazza place at Thyangboche. It's funny how wer crave for the mundane - depending on what is mundane and for whom.
I keep looking at the many Sherpas - their moderate to small frames are able to carry and walk with incredible weights - doors, windows, bags, utensils, jerry cans, gas cylinders, chickens - anything. They even chat on cell phones and have a steady foot while descending. Simply amazing.
*
Kyang Juma - Monjo. 16,435 steps, 5.5km.
The morning started in very interesting ways. I got up at 5am and saw the sunrise in all its amazing glory. Did a lot of photography. Very enjoyable. The walk itself was terribly boring :) - too short, too long. Getting down to the plains seems odd, funny, awkward. Just called home and learnt about Ahaan's latest antics. Fun. Seems like am in Mumbai or elsewhere in the plains. I can hear the Dudh Kosi in the background - a gentle reminder that am still somewhere in the Himalayas.
The most interesting thing today - was I guess - the skull of the yak that I touched and examined. I touched its molars, put my hand through the nose and felt a perforated like layer. It was all rough and smooth at the same time. Everything was shaped to perfection without requiring standardization or symmetry. Once you get past the grossness of it -- it's actually very beautiful. The horns were surprisingly of the same texture as the rest of the skull. It's dead and gone. No body. No skeleton. Soon even this skull will be dust. One day all of us will be thus.
It's been an interesting day. The fact that the show is about to get over is settling in on everyone. A winding down state if you will - much like Samadhi. Jayanti took over the kitchen today and cooked egg curry for everyone. Spicy but yum.
I had an amazing Kriya today. Outside the window is Ama Dabalam. Spectacular. Went very deep during meditation. I do think it's the mountains and higher altitudes. It was the second longest trek of the trip but because we were descending, it became easier to breath. It didn't seem that hard. The mind keeps going down to the plains and the imminent tasks ahead. I guess it's the same for everyone.
The rooms here are very nice. The restaurant is full of pics of where the owners have traveled to. She came and spoke to us - her manner, diction and accent - much like the Nepalese dal we ate a few times -- puzzled out of shape by constant interactions with Western travelers.
We have two short days ahead - about 4-6 hours each. I had a veggie burger, cake, 2 coffees (yes) at the Lavazza place at Thyangboche. It's funny how wer crave for the mundane - depending on what is mundane and for whom.
I keep looking at the many Sherpas - their moderate to small frames are able to carry and walk with incredible weights - doors, windows, bags, utensils, jerry cans, gas cylinders, chickens - anything. They even chat on cell phones and have a steady foot while descending. Simply amazing.
*
Kyang Juma - Monjo. 16,435 steps, 5.5km.
The morning started in very interesting ways. I got up at 5am and saw the sunrise in all its amazing glory. Did a lot of photography. Very enjoyable. The walk itself was terribly boring :) - too short, too long. Getting down to the plains seems odd, funny, awkward. Just called home and learnt about Ahaan's latest antics. Fun. Seems like am in Mumbai or elsewhere in the plains. I can hear the Dudh Kosi in the background - a gentle reminder that am still somewhere in the Himalayas.
The most interesting thing today - was I guess - the skull of the yak that I touched and examined. I touched its molars, put my hand through the nose and felt a perforated like layer. It was all rough and smooth at the same time. Everything was shaped to perfection without requiring standardization or symmetry. Once you get past the grossness of it -- it's actually very beautiful. The horns were surprisingly of the same texture as the rest of the skull. It's dead and gone. No body. No skeleton. Soon even this skull will be dust. One day all of us will be thus.
Everest BC (D12) - Kalapathar and the day I got lost in wilderness
Gorakshep - Kalapathar - Gorakshep - Dengboche.
4,874 steps, 1.6km (KP), 26,935 steps, 9.1km total.
It's 5.41am in the morning India time. I had an enjoyable dump in the open with a cow checking on stuff on the side. Divya and I brushed teeth staring at Lhotse and Lhotse Shar. The sun was yet to rise. Clouds were rising up from behind - much like fire erupting unhurriedly from a volcano.
I ordered Apple porridge for breakfast. Miss my Ahaan baby - 3 bears and Goldilocks. So cutely he said, "am missing you Daddy" the other day. Just saw db's watch - it's the 30th today. Let me write about yesterday.
We started the hike to Kalapathar at around 5.30am local. db geared up from 4.30am tsk tsk. It had snowed all night and visibility was minimal. As we kept climbing, quite magically the clouds cleared up. In the distance, Milan pointed out that the sun hitting Pheriche village. Imagine dull clouds - top and below - and a small patch of land glowing in a yellow hue of sunlight. I've never seen anything like it. In a few more minutes, we could see the Everest - the peak in the distance. A subtle glimpse first - a suggestion saying that hey, am here. Then out in all its glory. Pimori started showing up next. A few more minutes passed and the sun rose fully from behind the Everest. I think we could see South Col - the saddle between two peaks/ points in Everest. Nuptse was visible next, then Lola pass. Beyond Lola is Tibet. It was as if someone slowly and gently unveiled a sacred gift.
The hike is a near 20-25 degree incline all the way through. I stuck to Milan's advice - of going up very, very slowly and steadily without once increasing the heart rate. It worked well for me and I was energetic throughout the day. Everyone was already on top by the time I reached, Ali was on his way down. There were weather detectors. The view is 360 degree spectacular. Himalayas all around and around and around.
Kumar keeps saying that the mountains will keep coming back in consciousness for six months and one would feel totally out of place in the city. (aap sabkuch bhool jaoge - when you go back - he would tell me). Everyone is slowly sinking into their respective realities of the plains - the "descend" is apparent this morning. Kumar, Doctor, Divya are discussing her long hair and whether they might belong to a Bengali, South Indian or Sardarni. What a fan club! :)
*
The rest of the day - y'day - was our longest. We trekked back to the amusing village down of Dengboche. While reaching the Dugla pass, I got lost. Instead of reaching the lodge, I ended up 40min or so off before realizing that I was lost. I was thinking of CK, enki and lot of other stuff and was in some kind of a zone and suddenly I didn't know where I was. First, I saw the mountain range on the right - it distinctly looked unfamiliar - I'd never noticed it before. Next, the path seemed too narrow for a well-used trail. My immediate reaction was that of panic and I started simply hiking quickly. I realized what I was doing and paused. Checked the time - it was 15:00 India time. Works. Enough day light left for me to figure things out. I felt like taking a dump - did. Then had some water and then said, ok let's figure this out. Again (as in Lesotho and other times), I used a general sense of intuition. Inside, it said I had to go left - more to the left. Something kept pulling me to the left. Then I looked around for clues and found cow/ yak dung. There was some narrow path that the dung seemed to follow. Dung also meant that there would be some civilization nearby. I was in between a range and there was no way for anyone to see me or hear me. After some more time, I saw buddhist prayer flags and a stone wall. I hiked up there. It was a weather station. I then was naturally drawn more and more to the left and ahead. I just followed my gut feel. And I found Dugla village. Not surprisingly, Thaman had gone out on a search for me. Everyone had different reactions - from surprise to irritation to confusion.
Guess I have to go and pack now - it's another 5-6hr hike today.
4,874 steps, 1.6km (KP), 26,935 steps, 9.1km total.
It's 5.41am in the morning India time. I had an enjoyable dump in the open with a cow checking on stuff on the side. Divya and I brushed teeth staring at Lhotse and Lhotse Shar. The sun was yet to rise. Clouds were rising up from behind - much like fire erupting unhurriedly from a volcano.
I ordered Apple porridge for breakfast. Miss my Ahaan baby - 3 bears and Goldilocks. So cutely he said, "am missing you Daddy" the other day. Just saw db's watch - it's the 30th today. Let me write about yesterday.
We started the hike to Kalapathar at around 5.30am local. db geared up from 4.30am tsk tsk. It had snowed all night and visibility was minimal. As we kept climbing, quite magically the clouds cleared up. In the distance, Milan pointed out that the sun hitting Pheriche village. Imagine dull clouds - top and below - and a small patch of land glowing in a yellow hue of sunlight. I've never seen anything like it. In a few more minutes, we could see the Everest - the peak in the distance. A subtle glimpse first - a suggestion saying that hey, am here. Then out in all its glory. Pimori started showing up next. A few more minutes passed and the sun rose fully from behind the Everest. I think we could see South Col - the saddle between two peaks/ points in Everest. Nuptse was visible next, then Lola pass. Beyond Lola is Tibet. It was as if someone slowly and gently unveiled a sacred gift.
The hike is a near 20-25 degree incline all the way through. I stuck to Milan's advice - of going up very, very slowly and steadily without once increasing the heart rate. It worked well for me and I was energetic throughout the day. Everyone was already on top by the time I reached, Ali was on his way down. There were weather detectors. The view is 360 degree spectacular. Himalayas all around and around and around.
Kumar keeps saying that the mountains will keep coming back in consciousness for six months and one would feel totally out of place in the city. (aap sabkuch bhool jaoge - when you go back - he would tell me). Everyone is slowly sinking into their respective realities of the plains - the "descend" is apparent this morning. Kumar, Doctor, Divya are discussing her long hair and whether they might belong to a Bengali, South Indian or Sardarni. What a fan club! :)
*
The rest of the day - y'day - was our longest. We trekked back to the amusing village down of Dengboche. While reaching the Dugla pass, I got lost. Instead of reaching the lodge, I ended up 40min or so off before realizing that I was lost. I was thinking of CK, enki and lot of other stuff and was in some kind of a zone and suddenly I didn't know where I was. First, I saw the mountain range on the right - it distinctly looked unfamiliar - I'd never noticed it before. Next, the path seemed too narrow for a well-used trail. My immediate reaction was that of panic and I started simply hiking quickly. I realized what I was doing and paused. Checked the time - it was 15:00 India time. Works. Enough day light left for me to figure things out. I felt like taking a dump - did. Then had some water and then said, ok let's figure this out. Again (as in Lesotho and other times), I used a general sense of intuition. Inside, it said I had to go left - more to the left. Something kept pulling me to the left. Then I looked around for clues and found cow/ yak dung. There was some narrow path that the dung seemed to follow. Dung also meant that there would be some civilization nearby. I was in between a range and there was no way for anyone to see me or hear me. After some more time, I saw buddhist prayer flags and a stone wall. I hiked up there. It was a weather station. I then was naturally drawn more and more to the left and ahead. I just followed my gut feel. And I found Dugla village. Not surprisingly, Thaman had gone out on a search for me. Everyone had different reactions - from surprise to irritation to confusion.
Guess I have to go and pack now - it's another 5-6hr hike today.
Everest BC (D11) - Bliss at Base Camp
16:02 hrs, 15,218 steps, 5.1km, Lobuje - Gorak Shep - EBC - Gorak Shep.
We just completed Everest Base Camp. It was amazing. Just ate Wai Wai for the nth time. Divya, Milan, doctor saab are next to me. The guy from Holland (whose sprain doc fixed) is across. So is Gyan - he's eating Wai Wai too. A couple of medical students from Virginia are also across on the other side. Am also sipping lemon tea for the nth time.
I started with a moderate back ache on my left side. I popped an Ibuprofen 250 and carried on. Amazingly, the pain vanished the minute I reached BC. I was really, really happy. Amit and I were playing the fool as we reached. He had eye issues and a head ache. As we reached, I disappeared on a whim. Skid down on the side to the river. The Sagarmatha? Source of all there is in the plains below? I touched a glacier - part of the Khumbu - I think I slid down one without realizing it. After paying my respects to the Sagarmatha, I felt like taking a dump and I did. I guess it's the highest point I ever did one (my record woah! :)). While trying to pull myself up, I slid down ice and hurt my right hand a bit. I put a quick band-aid and figured a way to pull up and join the group. There were some fun photos. Doc saab was maha excited - it was so nice to see him. I called, texted family, friends (phone worked!). Nana suggested that I meditate and I did for a few min. And we had to leave. The trek back was fast, full of energy. It was simply amazing. On the way, Milan, Divya and I were suddenly happy to be united.
*
I realize the same thing again and again every time am in the Himalayas. Just a little more every time. It does its life's work slowly and unhurriedly - yet with a rigid determination that's as hard as the mountains. It does its work methodically. And it does it again and again. Untiring. Uncaring. Unstopping. Because it does what it does, it sustains all life (quite literally) in the plains. The water I saw and touched today will reach the plains in the distant future and sustains life there. No one there will know it, realize it or give thought to it. And it doesn't matter. The Himalayas doesn't care. Going further back, Eurasia and India collided, created the Himalayas that change weather patterns and life around. Everything seems so, so small - so really small in front of it all. Yet everything matters and everything is so, so big - every life from the lady bug to the yellow flower to mine. Whatever's outside is inside. Whatever's inside is outside. Bliss.
We just completed Everest Base Camp. It was amazing. Just ate Wai Wai for the nth time. Divya, Milan, doctor saab are next to me. The guy from Holland (whose sprain doc fixed) is across. So is Gyan - he's eating Wai Wai too. A couple of medical students from Virginia are also across on the other side. Am also sipping lemon tea for the nth time.
I started with a moderate back ache on my left side. I popped an Ibuprofen 250 and carried on. Amazingly, the pain vanished the minute I reached BC. I was really, really happy. Amit and I were playing the fool as we reached. He had eye issues and a head ache. As we reached, I disappeared on a whim. Skid down on the side to the river. The Sagarmatha? Source of all there is in the plains below? I touched a glacier - part of the Khumbu - I think I slid down one without realizing it. After paying my respects to the Sagarmatha, I felt like taking a dump and I did. I guess it's the highest point I ever did one (my record woah! :)). While trying to pull myself up, I slid down ice and hurt my right hand a bit. I put a quick band-aid and figured a way to pull up and join the group. There were some fun photos. Doc saab was maha excited - it was so nice to see him. I called, texted family, friends (phone worked!). Nana suggested that I meditate and I did for a few min. And we had to leave. The trek back was fast, full of energy. It was simply amazing. On the way, Milan, Divya and I were suddenly happy to be united.
*
I realize the same thing again and again every time am in the Himalayas. Just a little more every time. It does its life's work slowly and unhurriedly - yet with a rigid determination that's as hard as the mountains. It does its work methodically. And it does it again and again. Untiring. Uncaring. Unstopping. Because it does what it does, it sustains all life (quite literally) in the plains. The water I saw and touched today will reach the plains in the distant future and sustains life there. No one there will know it, realize it or give thought to it. And it doesn't matter. The Himalayas doesn't care. Going further back, Eurasia and India collided, created the Himalayas that change weather patterns and life around. Everything seems so, so small - so really small in front of it all. Yet everything matters and everything is so, so big - every life from the lady bug to the yellow flower to mine. Whatever's outside is inside. Whatever's inside is outside. Bliss.
Everest BC12 (D-10): Khumbu and the man who was climbing Everest
Hike to Research Pyramid and Khumbu. 5,142 steps, 1.7km.
We are here in Lobuche - about 16K ft in altitude. I'm not sure what day of the week it is, what date or how many days have passed since we started. Everything's getting a little fuzzy. Am slowly disintegrating with the past - of what's behind. I think it's around the 27th. I feel a little distant but close to the previous stuff - it's little weird to explain. It gets down to the basics - eating carbs, protein, drinking lots and lots of water, being able to poop, peeing, not having a head ache, cold or cough or any other ailment. That's it. Nothing else possibly matters. I keep thinking of the early explorers and how they did it.
The Khumbu is magnificent. It was a rocky hike. Milan and I had gone and it was fun because it wasn't slow and he let me do my thing. The colors, the white, the moraine, the rocks, the dust, the azure/ aqua colors - I've never seen anything like it. Milan said all this could be at least 10km away from where we stood - it didn't seem that way. It was almost as though I could get down and touch it. He kept referring to the cul-de-sac leading up to Everest. I couldn't follow but I kept nodding. We saw the basecamp in the distance (will be there tomorrow - phew!). This image is etched on my mind.
I've taken a Dispirin and I guess it's kicking in now. I'm kinda fuzzy - sleepy. Yday, we met Hemant Sachdev - a quiet, soft-spoken man from Delhi. He was wearing a HBS hat the other day and quietly sipping ginger tea. He's climbing Everest. He got sick after camp 2 or 3 and returned back to Kathmandu in an emergency chopper. After loading up on Chicken Tandoori, he's now returning back to basecamp. He flew back into Pheriche. He told us about one of his fellow-expeditioners who had edema in his brain and had a paralytic attack - he was rushed back to safety. Hemant's climbing along with people from the Indian army. He said the climb costs upwards of Rs.20L. There was a super sense of calm around him. He was observing everything actively but yet very quiet.
We are here in Lobuche - about 16K ft in altitude. I'm not sure what day of the week it is, what date or how many days have passed since we started. Everything's getting a little fuzzy. Am slowly disintegrating with the past - of what's behind. I think it's around the 27th. I feel a little distant but close to the previous stuff - it's little weird to explain. It gets down to the basics - eating carbs, protein, drinking lots and lots of water, being able to poop, peeing, not having a head ache, cold or cough or any other ailment. That's it. Nothing else possibly matters. I keep thinking of the early explorers and how they did it.
The Khumbu is magnificent. It was a rocky hike. Milan and I had gone and it was fun because it wasn't slow and he let me do my thing. The colors, the white, the moraine, the rocks, the dust, the azure/ aqua colors - I've never seen anything like it. Milan said all this could be at least 10km away from where we stood - it didn't seem that way. It was almost as though I could get down and touch it. He kept referring to the cul-de-sac leading up to Everest. I couldn't follow but I kept nodding. We saw the basecamp in the distance (will be there tomorrow - phew!). This image is etched on my mind.
I've taken a Dispirin and I guess it's kicking in now. I'm kinda fuzzy - sleepy. Yday, we met Hemant Sachdev - a quiet, soft-spoken man from Delhi. He was wearing a HBS hat the other day and quietly sipping ginger tea. He's climbing Everest. He got sick after camp 2 or 3 and returned back to Kathmandu in an emergency chopper. After loading up on Chicken Tandoori, he's now returning back to basecamp. He flew back into Pheriche. He told us about one of his fellow-expeditioners who had edema in his brain and had a paralytic attack - he was rushed back to safety. Hemant's climbing along with people from the Indian army. He said the climb costs upwards of Rs.20L. There was a super sense of calm around him. He was observing everything actively but yet very quiet.
Everest BC (D8-D9): What happens when AMS happens
Pheriche to Dhugla. 7,076 steps, 2.4km. 15,426ft altitude.
Dhugla to Lobuche. 1,016 steps, 0.3km. 16,269ft altitude.
I'm here at Thukla/ Dugla - 4,620mts altitude. Had an interesting dream during the second half of the night - something about Apple, Angelina Jolie's party and a guy from a tobacco company! Weird but interesting. AMS it is! Anyways, I arrived early here. I saw a girl in orange pants, a blue shirt and orange hair - head bent over her knees. All this set amidst the Lobuje background. Perfecto!
Am eating Wai Wai noodle soup with vegetables (this has become my staple diet now) - my prize for not pooping on the way. Saw this Australian guy - grey pants, blue jacket, beard - he walked with such ease. Was thinking about my own fitness levels. Have to keep at it. Actually, I think this guy is sitting next to me right now. It's a big group from Australia - orange hair is also with them.
Was talking to Gyan earlier. He told me he came second at the Everest Marathon - 65km down. He showed me his t-shirt. He comes from a family of 7. Saw a lot of yaks - some snorted at me or perhaps they generally snorted. The landscape has become very different - flattened shrubs, more and more raw.
*
We are here at the Alpine lodge in Lobuje. Given how we are doing, the itinerary has been extended by a day - an extra day at Lobuje to adjust to the higher altitude. Then we have 2-3 tough continuous days. The hike wasn't long but the altitude mothers it. It was difficult for me towards the end when my head became heavy. I found the Dugla pass very interesting. It's basically a memorial for the several people who died on Everest (and keep dying). The Sagarmatha claims many lives. Anand was narrating the story of Scott Fisher (an Everest guide) who died on Everest and on whom the book Into Thin Air is partially based.
AMS hit me bad yday. Had a headache for a really long time. Also loosies for a day. Tight poop is central to any discussion - it's almost a miracle if it happens! My AMS subsided after 3lts of water, 2 head massages by db, 2 bouts of sleep, 1 combiflam, Kriya. Don't know what worked but I returned to normalcy by evening. The moon in its crescent form was spectacular - dotted by distant constellations. The night was difficult. I had weird dreams (of my Michigan friends). My nose was blocked and I was breathing through my mouth. Throat gets dry. Polypros itched like crazy. I removed them in the middle of the night, threw away my socks. If I drank water, I'd have to go all the way to the bathroom and pee. If I didn't, my throat would dry up. My lips would crack up. My food pipe had a difficult-to-swallow sensation. But I have to breath through my mouth. The skin on my right forearm is all itchy now. Can't get out of polypro, can't get in. I need quite desperately - a baby wipe! But it's too cold. Argh! I think I want to punch someone - anyone. I want Wai Wai soup - my quantum of solace.
By the way, the views are amazing - Pimori, Lobuje (where we saw a base camp and advanced base camp).
Everest BC (D6-D7): Life stripped to basics (eat, drink and poop)
Thyangboche to Pheriche. 12,986 steps, 4.4km, 13,992 ft altitude.
We did this whole stretch faster than we expected (we shouldn't have because the AMS hit later). Suruchi dropped out today due to altitude sickness -- vomiting, head ache, loosies, fever etc. I think the main underlying reason is hydration -- we are supposed to drink 3-5lts of water everyday. It somehow regulates the body for higher altitudes. She will be taking a horse back to Lukla after a day's rest.
Last night, there were long, deep and funny discussions - my motorcycle trip, Chadar, the funniest and most intriguing was the rating scale that stumped me! It's about 6.40pm now - am sitting in the room after completing Kriya. Dinner's at 7pm. Even though the hike was short - the altitude did something. People really do get delirious and the head doesn't quite work the same. Some local kids are playing football outside.
The landscape is actively changing. There are fewer and fewer trees. It's getting dustier, windier. Pheriche is quite cold. We are amidst the Himalayas and it's no surprise that I can see only mountains outside my window - only spectacularly, fabulous mountains that is. Lunch was about 1hr+ late and it was driving everyone nuts - the altitude, hunger etc. (Moreover, I think I found a bloody egg (yes) here - I stopped having eggs after). I was thinking about the people who live here - hardened by the mountains - the things that they go through for the very basics. Was thinking about Abundance - there's a lot that needs to be done. enki's been on my mind. If people here can get access to healthcare then we would've arrived.
The next day, we acclimatized - did a hike to 4,600mts. Ali and Amit did an additional ascent and named a peak after themselves - A2. :) Acclimatization is all about staying put and hydrating. Life is stripped down to the very basics -- dress in 3+ layers, eat Wai Wai soup, pee and poop, drink lots and lots of water and repeat.
We did this whole stretch faster than we expected (we shouldn't have because the AMS hit later). Suruchi dropped out today due to altitude sickness -- vomiting, head ache, loosies, fever etc. I think the main underlying reason is hydration -- we are supposed to drink 3-5lts of water everyday. It somehow regulates the body for higher altitudes. She will be taking a horse back to Lukla after a day's rest.
Last night, there were long, deep and funny discussions - my motorcycle trip, Chadar, the funniest and most intriguing was the rating scale that stumped me! It's about 6.40pm now - am sitting in the room after completing Kriya. Dinner's at 7pm. Even though the hike was short - the altitude did something. People really do get delirious and the head doesn't quite work the same. Some local kids are playing football outside.
The landscape is actively changing. There are fewer and fewer trees. It's getting dustier, windier. Pheriche is quite cold. We are amidst the Himalayas and it's no surprise that I can see only mountains outside my window - only spectacularly, fabulous mountains that is. Lunch was about 1hr+ late and it was driving everyone nuts - the altitude, hunger etc. (Moreover, I think I found a bloody egg (yes) here - I stopped having eggs after). I was thinking about the people who live here - hardened by the mountains - the things that they go through for the very basics. Was thinking about Abundance - there's a lot that needs to be done. enki's been on my mind. If people here can get access to healthcare then we would've arrived.
The next day, we acclimatized - did a hike to 4,600mts. Ali and Amit did an additional ascent and named a peak after themselves - A2. :) Acclimatization is all about staying put and hydrating. Life is stripped down to the very basics -- dress in 3+ layers, eat Wai Wai soup, pee and poop, drink lots and lots of water and repeat.
Everest BC12 (D5): AMS delirium
22,633 steps, 7.6km. 12,771 ft altitude. Lunch at Phunki Thanga.
We are Thyangboche. I just finished Kriya (it's evening). Amazing. Reflecting on the whole. Everything seems so big and small at the same time. There was a stupa (chorten) in the distance on a big, brown mountain (others were white, snow-capped). Everyone's laughing in the other room - it's a nice group, coming together so well. I was looking at that Stupa (small from my perspective) and thinking about the person who had thought of building it high up there, the people who carried the building materials, and people who designed and built it. I can hear a Buddhist gong in the distance. It's nice.
I did well today - it's a steady incline. The altitude makes it difficult. Milan says Namche is tougher but I felt this one was tougher. He said it's the altitude. It's true. People also kinda got disoriented by the time we reached the lodge (Ama Dabalim). Doctor forgot his bag. Divya was delirious along the way. It has to be the altitude - or not! There were lot of yaks or rather one group of yaks along the way. One of the yaks nearly ran into doctor on a bridge - he lost his SLR's lens cap.
I met Ming Ma, a 17 year old boy along the way. He grew up in Darjeeling, then went to Sikkim to become a Llama. He couldn't take the 4AM rituals and ran out to become a Sherpa. He liked Shahid Kapoor, Salman Khan and Chiranjeevi.
I've ordered garlic soup. I pretty much have the same breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday (it's my hiking ritual - I stick to what works). Sherpa porridge, eggs, bread for breakfast. Thukpa, eggs for lunch. Thukpa, eggs and garlic soup for dinner. I sometimes ate fried rice when I needed more calories and carbs.
We are Thyangboche. I just finished Kriya (it's evening). Amazing. Reflecting on the whole. Everything seems so big and small at the same time. There was a stupa (chorten) in the distance on a big, brown mountain (others were white, snow-capped). Everyone's laughing in the other room - it's a nice group, coming together so well. I was looking at that Stupa (small from my perspective) and thinking about the person who had thought of building it high up there, the people who carried the building materials, and people who designed and built it. I can hear a Buddhist gong in the distance. It's nice.
I did well today - it's a steady incline. The altitude makes it difficult. Milan says Namche is tougher but I felt this one was tougher. He said it's the altitude. It's true. People also kinda got disoriented by the time we reached the lodge (Ama Dabalim). Doctor forgot his bag. Divya was delirious along the way. It has to be the altitude - or not! There were lot of yaks or rather one group of yaks along the way. One of the yaks nearly ran into doctor on a bridge - he lost his SLR's lens cap.
I met Ming Ma, a 17 year old boy along the way. He grew up in Darjeeling, then went to Sikkim to become a Llama. He couldn't take the 4AM rituals and ran out to become a Sherpa. He liked Shahid Kapoor, Salman Khan and Chiranjeevi.
I've ordered garlic soup. I pretty much have the same breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday (it's my hiking ritual - I stick to what works). Sherpa porridge, eggs, bread for breakfast. Thukpa, eggs for lunch. Thukpa, eggs and garlic soup for dinner. I sometimes ate fried rice when I needed more calories and carbs.
Everest BC12 (D4): How Hillary lost his wife and daughter
Namche acclimatization. 11, 620 steps, 3.9km. Khumjung area. 11,300 ft.
We went to Everest Hotel and Khumjung village. I liked the hike. We sat in the Everest Bakery (funded by several folks) - had caps and cookies - interesting to get it all the way up here. I loved the whole moss thing outside Everest hotel. It was growing on trees. There was a magical feel to the place. We couldn't see anything because of weather but it was just beautiful.
The group came together this day -- lots of talking and laughing. I think it's something to do with isolation - talking, gossipping releases the stress of the hike. It was interesting to observe.
I loved the hike back that I did mostly on my own. I mistakenly went into a yak farm - that the yaks didn't appreciate very much. One snorted at me and nearly ran out. We were pretty much above the clouds acclimatizing. There was a spot where I was overlooking the Namche village including the helipad that was identified with a big H. The clouds spread from the right and in just a few seconds engulfed the whole area. I knew technically, rationally-thinking that there was a big mountain on the other side but I wouldn't know it, know of it. Pretty much like everything else. You never know what's around you until your clouds move out.
Milan talked about the airstrip at Sangboche. It was here that Edmud Hillary lost his first wife and daughter in an air crash. He survives climbing Everest and couldn't have in the least expected that his family would die in an air crash. He had built a hospital and they were joining him for its inaugural. I kept thinking about this a lot and what might have gone through his head at that time.
Everest BC12 (D3): The mad hike to Namche - only the next step matters
17,078 steps, 5.8km, 8,586 ft to 11,286 ft altitude incline. Along the Dudh Kosi river. Glimpses of Thamaserku (for us - thumb shaku) mountain. Enter Sagarmatha national park.
Wonderful hike post lunch. Hiked mostly solo. It's 6.30am in the morning in Namche. Had decent sleep. Once everyone gets up, there's a lot of noise. Y'day's hike was interesting. People are interesting. First the hike. I think I hit home somewhere after lunch - along the steep upward hike to Namche. It has a near 20-30 degree incline through and through. It went down all the way to Dudh Kosi river and then went up again. Wonderful. I think endorphins keep kicking in on hikes and that keeps you going because you want more of it. My knees did great. The knee brace helped. I took my first dump outside - there was no water in the bathrooms. We are staying at Sona Lodge.
I experienced during the hike that broadly - yes, you need a place that you need to get to - it sets some direction. But beyond that it's always about the next step. It's the most important thing. And then the next step. And another step. However difficult the journey, all you have to care about is the very next step. You can rest, eat nuts and chocolate, chat, hydrate but you have to keep moving forward and put all focus on the next step. That's all there is to a hike - this one or any other.
The sunrise, the glow on top of the Himalayas - it was beautiful. I was thinking about how all this came about. 200+ million years ago, convection currents from beneath brought sediments of Eurasian and Indian landmasses together - constantly pushing, pushing. As the Indian landmass kept pushing towards Eurasia, the sedimentary rocks started moving up and up (this was about 50million years ago) creating the Indus Valley. Over the last 15million years, the landmass has been pushing more and more creating the Himalayas. It continues to grow by 1mm/ year. A slow, steady process. Milan kept talking about how Everest was originally called Peak 15. After the 1950s, the Nepalese called Everest the Sagarmatha - what a beautiful name.
The Alpine trees kept getting shorter as we approached Namche - or that was the indication to me that we had arrived. Milan says it'll totally dry up as we go higher up. Over lunch, people talked about Into Thin Air, Back from the Dead and other mountaineering books that they were reading. db was in a weirded out mood yday over some bridge episode (what amusement! :), in addition to physical discomfort. Last night, everyone had a passionate discussion on marriage, relationships and the sort. The boys got a whole lotta unneeded advice! Surprisingly (or not), it's a repeat topic from the Chadar hike.
Wonderful hike post lunch. Hiked mostly solo. It's 6.30am in the morning in Namche. Had decent sleep. Once everyone gets up, there's a lot of noise. Y'day's hike was interesting. People are interesting. First the hike. I think I hit home somewhere after lunch - along the steep upward hike to Namche. It has a near 20-30 degree incline through and through. It went down all the way to Dudh Kosi river and then went up again. Wonderful. I think endorphins keep kicking in on hikes and that keeps you going because you want more of it. My knees did great. The knee brace helped. I took my first dump outside - there was no water in the bathrooms. We are staying at Sona Lodge.
I experienced during the hike that broadly - yes, you need a place that you need to get to - it sets some direction. But beyond that it's always about the next step. It's the most important thing. And then the next step. And another step. However difficult the journey, all you have to care about is the very next step. You can rest, eat nuts and chocolate, chat, hydrate but you have to keep moving forward and put all focus on the next step. That's all there is to a hike - this one or any other.
The sunrise, the glow on top of the Himalayas - it was beautiful. I was thinking about how all this came about. 200+ million years ago, convection currents from beneath brought sediments of Eurasian and Indian landmasses together - constantly pushing, pushing. As the Indian landmass kept pushing towards Eurasia, the sedimentary rocks started moving up and up (this was about 50million years ago) creating the Indus Valley. Over the last 15million years, the landmass has been pushing more and more creating the Himalayas. It continues to grow by 1mm/ year. A slow, steady process. Milan kept talking about how Everest was originally called Peak 15. After the 1950s, the Nepalese called Everest the Sagarmatha - what a beautiful name.
The Alpine trees kept getting shorter as we approached Namche - or that was the indication to me that we had arrived. Milan says it'll totally dry up as we go higher up. Over lunch, people talked about Into Thin Air, Back from the Dead and other mountaineering books that they were reading. db was in a weirded out mood yday over some bridge episode (what amusement! :), in addition to physical discomfort. Last night, everyone had a passionate discussion on marriage, relationships and the sort. The boys got a whole lotta unneeded advice! Surprisingly (or not), it's a repeat topic from the Chadar hike.
Everest BC12 (Day 1-2): If you luk in Lukla, what do you do in Phakding?
Day 1 was all about shopping for gear in Thamel (in Kathmandu). A fake of every kind is available. North Face and Mountain Hardware also have original stores. We walked 6,652 steps and 2.2km on day 1 in Kathmandu and Lukla and 14,036 steps on day 2 (Lukla to Phakding) 4.7km. I guess the most interesting things that happened on the first few days - was the Indigo flight to Kathmandu where we met Surabhi the airhostess and covergirl on Indigo's inflight magazine, the pseudo Nepalese restaurant where we shouldn't have eaten, Kathmandu airport that resembled a busy-busy train station, the twin-prop flight to Lukla, Srikesh's call, meeting Nir who would become a very imp person in the next few days, busy unsettling, trekker traffic. The running j/k was if we luk in Lukla, what are we supposed to do in Phakding?
Overall it's a 120-150km hike - Lukla to Basecamp and back. I'm using an Omron pedometer. It's tracks but not all will be accurate. But it'll give some kinda ballpark.
Overall it's a 120-150km hike - Lukla to Basecamp and back. I'm using an Omron pedometer. It's tracks but not all will be accurate. But it'll give some kinda ballpark.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Everest Base Camp: Words before flight
Am sitting in Hotel Fuji, Thamel in Kathmandu. Tomorrow we leave at 6am to the airport (local time thaｔｓ １５min ahead of India) to Lukla. That:s where the trek starts. This keyboard is a Japanese keyboard and the alphabets are funky. Ali is sitting next to me wrapping up his work on the other guest laptop.
Ok what do I feel? I think am thinking about the single propeller flight tomorrow. The landing was pretty nasty today. It:s supposed to feel v cold in the plane tomorrow. It:s a 16-seater. That:ll be interesting. We would be at 8000 or so feet and will be going up to 18,000 feet over the next 10-15 days. I saw the map of the trek/ trail - it:s pretty amazing. I keep thinking of my left knee and heart rate. Other than that the cold and everything else will be cool or am cool about it. The whole of this afternoon was about shopping for gear that we would need. For some reason, I have work on my mind -- too many things going on with enki and to be wrapped up prior to mid-may the time of the conference. It:ll be interesting, it:ll all happen. I also saw several glaciers - at least on the side on the map. Day after is supposed to be a really tough day to Namche - it:s all the way up and long. Then we rest, acclimatize, do some testing on some mini mountains and we go up again. And then it continues. The first citing of everest should be day after from Namche itself.
Oh well, this will be interesting. I think I should go and sleep. And pack my daypack before that.
Ok what do I feel? I think am thinking about the single propeller flight tomorrow. The landing was pretty nasty today. It:s supposed to feel v cold in the plane tomorrow. It:s a 16-seater. That:ll be interesting. We would be at 8000 or so feet and will be going up to 18,000 feet over the next 10-15 days. I saw the map of the trek/ trail - it:s pretty amazing. I keep thinking of my left knee and heart rate. Other than that the cold and everything else will be cool or am cool about it. The whole of this afternoon was about shopping for gear that we would need. For some reason, I have work on my mind -- too many things going on with enki and to be wrapped up prior to mid-may the time of the conference. It:ll be interesting, it:ll all happen. I also saw several glaciers - at least on the side on the map. Day after is supposed to be a really tough day to Namche - it:s all the way up and long. Then we rest, acclimatize, do some testing on some mini mountains and we go up again. And then it continues. The first citing of everest should be day after from Namche itself.
Oh well, this will be interesting. I think I should go and sleep. And pack my daypack before that.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Koh Yao Nai - final words on doing unplanned journeys
There were a few firsts here - lagoon, captaining a boat, snorkeling, random island in an unknown country but what stood out is the fact that a journey is a lot more satisfying without a plan. When you plan there are expectations and when things don't go as per that there's pain. When you have no expectations as far as smaller things such as what activity or what location but do have broader clarity on what is meaningful for you, the journey is nicer. Regardless of where we would have gone, we would've enjoyed in a similar way. It isn't the destination per se but the whole idea of exploration and discovery. The joy of the unknown. Of unfamiliar cultures or cuisines or languages. Or about reaffirming that people are the same everywhere. That cities have similar challenges and strains. That the deeper you go inside a country the more real it gets. A clarity that it's impossible to see, experience everything. That who you are with at the moment is the most important person ever. That touristy stuff gets boring after a point. That no one really cares about your pictures or videos. That there's absolutely no correlation between money you spend and fun you have.
Because we were not on some self-created deadline, we were able to soak in everything one at a time without the pressure of getting onto the next because there was really no next. Because there was really no arbitrary goal to get to, we were able to listen closer to our own body rhythms and follow it whethe it was sleeping or eating. It was more natural. Because there was no checklist and because we knew that it would be impossible to experience everything there was, any activity that we did became more enjoyable. I couldn't find the correlation between working hard and setting goals. If I don't think about this like some relaxing vacation but more as something that I wanted to expose myself to and experience, then I think I 'worked' at my normal pace, sometimes more. I think we make plans to give some vague assurance to ourselves that we are in control. It helps us move through risk by thinking that we are minimizing risks. For e.g., the girl in the Nakhon Si thammarat plane minimized risk by making plans to go by ferry once she reached her destination. Technically, both our plans to go to a particular location didn't materialize (risk showed up) but reedirecting to Phuket brought tears to her eyes and joy to mine. Risk exists. Risk doesn't exist. Both are true and it's just a point of view.
Overall, it was refreshing. It reinforced this whole thing about letting go. The solution kept coming to us at the right time sometimes in the form that I foresaw, sometimes in a different form. We came across the right people at the right time who told us the right things to do. We took the most interesting street turns, chose the most interesting venues, destinations - all naturally and in a much better way than any book or website would've told us. Clearly the solution appears. Just as water, the journey flows - it doesn't stop, freeze because there's a crevice- it goes through it. Whether it was figuring out tickets to get back to Bangkok or deep inside the Andaman sea waters where I was seeing fish swim around my legs and arms or figuring out my way back from a jungle to nowhere, letting go is refreshing and relaxing and expands thinking. It increases faith in the natural order of things. It allows you to see everything more clearly for what they are and compels you to put priorities in the areas where they need to be.
Hey, that sounds like this other bigger journey I know...
Koh Yao Noi trip: Kharcha paani
Tickets are costly. Everything else is similar to India. The Thai baht is 30 baht to a US dollar.
Day 1
Visa 1000 baht
Taxi to Erawan 350 baht
Starbucks 350 baht
Lunch at Nara 610 baht for two
Boat on canal 1200 baht
Beer 80 baht
Wat pho entrance 100 baht
Dinner 25 baht
Tuk tuk 150 baht
Hotel stay 1400 baht for two
Thai boxing 2000 baht for ring side
Pop corn 60 baht
Day 2
Unknown Snack 5 baht
Taxi to airport 350 baht
Flight to Nakhon Si thammarat 4300 baht
Lunch 280 baht for two
Coffee and water 60 baht
Taxi to ferry 800 baht
Speed boat to Koh Yao Noi 400 baht
Tuk tuk to pha sey 80 baht
Koh Yao bungalow 800 baht per night for two
Day 3
Koh yao Noi food and drink 1300 baht for two
Scooter rental 300 baht
Boat to various islands 1800 baht
Lunch 310 baht
Petrol 40 baht
Internet 46 baht
Day 4
Tuk tuk to ferry 70 bah
Long tail boat to Phuket 130 baht
Subway lunch 100 baht
Phuket to Bangkok business class tickets 6100 baht
Train to phaya Thai station45 baht
Fruit mango 35 baht
Lunch 120 baht for two
Day 4: No flights to anywhere
Who would've imagined that our day 4 and final day and the day of our travel back to India from Bangkok would be the last day of new year celebrations in Thailand. Who would've imagined that there would be floods in Nakhon Si thammarat and trains and roads would be blocked. Thankfully, we took the first ferry out. We had a choice between Phuket airport and Krabi airport. I chose Phuket to increase our chances.
Once at the airport, I went to Thai airways and saw that there was a really long standby line. Huh. No tickets. Went to air Asia. No tickets. We were first on standby here. Orient Thai. Overbooked. Bangkok airways - only one ticket to pattaya, two hours from bangkok. Some hope. Malaysian airlines. No tickets.
After missing three flights, my standby got confirmed on Thai airways via business class. I flew leaving Pradeep back in Phuket with no idea if would make it. He did via Nok Air. On the plane I met an Australian finance guy settled in Guangzhou. He was reading a book called the next 100 years. He told me about possible war in 2012 and other oil stories. Ahem. We worried some fellow passengers with this conversation.
Pradeep and I reunited in phaya Thai train station. It's the last stop out of suvarnabhumi airport. We ate lunch at a really local restaurant. We walked around and finally ended up at a local mall. Played arcade games with Thai school kids. Then went to. Thai-Korean movie called The Kick. The girl at the ticket booth kept telling us "but it's in Thai" and we said exactly. It was quite an enjoyable movie. We couldn't complete it because I had to rush to the airport to shop for suz.
I managed to anger a tuk tuk driver and he offered "you wanna fight?" No I didnt fight. We flew back and I made it in time to Ahaan's birthday. The inflight magazine had an interesting article on luang prabang in Laos.
Wonderful!
Day 3: Koh Yao Noi the island that got split by the Naga dragon lover
I did kriya at the beach next morning. We had breakfast - egg but it didn't seem like a hen's. We resented a scooter and set out to explore the island. We pretty much covered all roads on the island by 2pm. Some twice.
I think the first place we went to was paradise point. It was a beachy place with a resort. It didn't catch my fancy and we drove back. All the while worrying about when we would run out of gas. We finally filled gas back on e main road at a fascinating, Thai speaking, automated gas station. I filled gas for 40 baht.
For an island of its size, I found it to be extremely well equipped. It has a well functioning municipality. Good roads, gas station, ATM, bank, hospital, school and even a college. It's 90% Muslim population. Women mostly had covered heads. Extremely friendly. Tropical and grows all kinds of tasty fruits. Internet costs 2 baht per min which I thought was very expensive. It's surrounded by beautiful little islands - hong island, James bond island (yes), paradise island...several. The sunrise and sunset is spectacular. It's Andaman sea all around. Amusingly we wee on the other end of the Andaman sea two years ago in Havelock.
Later in the day, we trekked had snails in the jungle. There were hardly any signs but there was somewhat of a path. Muddy. I thought I saw a iguana cross the road. We reached what seemed to be the end of the jungle trek. We got lost. We saw scores of shells that kept moving. I realized that there were snails and stuff in it. It was weird walking on it and having that sinking mars-land like feeling. We got lost there and took some time to find the way back. I also fell and hurt my knees.
We finally drove around to find a lunch place. It was really hot. I can't remember now where we ate but we had yellow curry and fried rice and fried noodles and it was yum. We met a Swiss family there. I asked them how old their three year old son was and that's how we got talking. The husband worked at the UN. Son was Fran and wife Marion was a naturopath. I think Marion suggested that we take a boat and see the islands. That's how we met zak the druggy looking rock climber plus boat guy. He introduced us to the 40 year old boatman called luk.
The boat trip did it for me. I guess that's what I traveled for. The islands were surreal. I think I'd seen them in the avatar - the floating islands in the movie but on the sea here! Wow wonderful. He took us to a lagoon first. I thought of blue lagoon movie that all of us fantasized in our childhoods. The lagoon was a consistent green, beautiful surrounded by the island mountains all over.
Later we went to paradise island where I went snorkeling on my own. That did it for me too. It was wonderful to swim with the fishes. I worried if it would go inside my shorts and also bite on my bleeding knees. It brought my mind to a standstill. Wonderful.
Another first was I drove that long tail fisherman boat. He said, ok you be captain and disappeared leaving it in my control. I was supposed to take it between two islands. Gulp.
We returned while it drizzled slightly and the sun set fully. Beautiful day.
But wait. We had to return to India the next day from Bangkok and we didn't have our tickets yet. After I came to realize (after checking on net and phone) that there may not be tickets available, I knew that would become the crux of our day 4.
Day 2: The flight that didn't land at Nakhon Si Thammarat (it flooded a day later)
I was surprised to find rice and shrimp for breakfast the next morning at the hotel. I slept almost 11hrs and was well rested. We started walking randomly in one of the inner streets. I think this was prakorn area - we were delicately trying to get lost and we succeeded. I wonder if there's really something like getting lost - we like to plan and follow a route to give ourselves comfort that we know where we are going but most of the time it doesn't matter. Nature doesn't care.
So we walked past several locals who were sitting outside their houses. We would exchange greetings. Keep walking. There would be a turn and we would turn. And another turn and we would turn again. Sometimes we would go straight. There was a local shop and we bought some snack whose name we didn't know or cared. It looked like a sweet and tasted so. We talked about random stuff including what we wanted to do next. We got out of the inner streets somewhere and we still didn't know where we were or where we were going and that brought a strange kind of comfort. I took pictures with a scooter taxi guy. He had pretty funky rayban driving glasses and he gave them to me to take pics. Right after, we hopped into a cab and said, "suvarnabhumi airport".
At the airport, we looked at the departures during the next hour or so. After debating on several places, I picked on "N. Sitammarat". I'd nevere heard of it and it sounded good. So went to e orient airways counter and asked if there were tickets to Nakhon Si thammarat. There were and the flight was to leave in 40 min or so. We bought one way tickets and ran to security.
At the airport, we looked at the departures during the next hour or so. After debating on several places, I picked on "N. Sitammarat". I'd nevere heard of it and it sounded good. So went to e orient airways counter and asked if there were tickets to Nakhon Si thammarat. There were and the flight was to leave in 40 min or so. We bought one way tickets and ran to security.
After initial excitement of nakhon, we couldn't find anyone who could tell us much about it. It was an island and seemed to have Hmong people. Most of the people on our plane were locals. There was one european girl who had it all planned out. She was to take a fry at 6pm that evening from Nakhon Si Thammarat. When Pradeep asked if he could sit next to her to know little more about Nakhon, she said no!
Our flight started wobbling. A wobble that brings butterflies and other creatures in your stomach. Pradeep noted that the pilot pulled the ailerons up again and he didn't intend to land. From the window, I saw that it had rained heavily. It was only two days later I learnt from the local papers that a local mountain developed a big crack. Anyways, we didn't land.
The pilot redirected the flight to Phuket. Phuket? How did this happen? So that's how we ended up in Phuket. We convinced the friendly flight agent to allow us to get off at Phuket. They made copies of our passports and let us go.
We went to the basement of the airport and found a small travel agency. I asked the girl there the question that I was now getting used to - tell me of a place that people don't usually go to. And that's how we went to Koh Yao Noi.
When we got on the last boat that was taking us there, we met David - an Englishman who was living there for the past 3 years - teaches yoga, climbs rocks. He meditated during the boat ride. We knew Koh Yao is it.
Once on the island we met Chris who had come from Australia to climb rocks too. He had been traveling for e past several months and couldn't recollect howling he stayed where. His first time traveling east and I could tell.
Once on the island we took another tuk tuk and got off at pha say beach that David recommended. That's how we ended up at Koh Yao Noi beach and bungalows. I sipped Chang beer with Ron the bartender and learnt about the island.
We later walked into the night and ate ice cream at a restaurant owned by a Danish guy. Pradeep and I got into some argumentative discussion. Finally we went to our bungalow that I thought was very luxurious for an island.
I didn't sleep very well that night and kept waiting for the next morning.
Day 1: Thai boxing and reclining Buddha
The on-arrival visa procedures are easy and straightforward. In fact, they have a 3min per person deadline to finish it up. The visa officer even wished us happy new year, the vibe was good. We have a rule that we travel with only one small backpack and nothing else - it's a wonderful rule that allowed us to be free to go wherever during the whole trip.
We walked to the Thai government's tourist booth in the airport and asked the very helpful lady there one main question - show us a place where most people don't go to. She pointed us to Chang Rai, which we decided to go to (but didn't). We then called mammut and family who were vacationing in Bangkok and met them at Erawan. We later took them up on their kind offer and freshened up in their hotel suite and we were ready for Bangkok.
After lunch, we got into the first tuk tuk that came our way. We started a conversation and decided to go for Thai boxing that night. He took us to a really local tourist agency and we purchased ring tickets for Thai boxing, we then took a private boat on the canal (the tuk tuk driver's suggestion) that took us from the southern part of town to war pho and grand palace area. The palace was closed around the time we reached and so we went to war pho temple. It has one of the longest reclining Buddhas in the world. It was fun losing Pradeep at the temple - especially with no working cell phones or hotel rooms. I simply thought like he would and went back and waited around the area that we lost each other.
Wat Pho is a huge temple complex, a university of Buddhist learning. It being new years day, there were a lot of people and several dances, shows and activities. I took pics with two giant walking dolls!
We walked a lot- the whole day. I found Thai people to be mostly friendly and very helpful to travelers. We met a German who directed us to a very touristy street (the starbucks girl had suggested this street to pradeep) where we had pad Thai on the street - pretty good actually. We got tired of walking and got into a tuk tuk who helped us find a hotel and then he took us to the Thai boxing stadium.
At the boxing stadium, we mostly kids punch each other out. It's free style boxing and you gotta be really into this thing I guess. One of the kids who was initially doing pretty well was totally knocked out and was carried away on a stretcher. Guess that was it for me. I also recall seeing an American guy totally infatuated with someone who seemed like a Thai escort - I wondered if I must hand him a note at said 'wake up'. I didn't.
I slept well that night.
36 hours in Koh Yao Noi
It's a few days since am back. Usually I have words before flight and after I return. This is supposed to be that.
To start with I didn't know I was going to Koh Yao Noi, the second of the islands off of Phuket. All I knew was that we (Pradeep and I) were going to Bangkok for 4 days. The excitement was in not planning at all and putting ourselves in a random unknown travel situation where every hour is determined by randomness and randomness only. As for Pradeep, he didn't know that we were traveling at all until the evening of 31st (the night of our travel).
Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai were apparently split by the Naga dragon that was racing to meet its separated lover in Krabi. Has a population of 13k and some of the most beautiful views, beaches, mountains, lagoons, islands ever. More later.
As with most of my travels, I had minimal thoughts. Just some feelings of missing home. And given the high wire day we had the day of our return, I was simply relieved to be back in time for Ahaan's birthday.
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