The Inland Sea

We had a moment in our weekend to head to the sea.  It was a small group this time, only 4 cars, but we had good weather (around 95 degrees F) and a fun drive through the dunes to get there.

Stuart got a new kite for his birthday in March, and this was his first time flying it. 

The water was so warm and we spent quite a bit of time floating.  (Saudi is in the background.)

 The kids dug a big hole to make their own hot tub.

 A trip to the beach always means a bbq.  This time we had shrimp skewers.

 Maddie having a turn kite flying.

Tracks in the sand from 4x4s.

The Cost of an Emergency

After waking up with a swollen eye and a pretty obvious eye infection, I decided I should see a doctor to get some medication. I called around to find out where to go and was told that I should go to the emergency room at the hospital. So I went early and made sure to enter through the women's entrance. It was not busy at this time of day and I was able to see a doctor immediately. She took a look at my eyes, and said I had conjunctivitis and wrote out the prescription. I then went to pick up the prescription and was charged 2 riyal for the medication. (2 riyal = 59 cents). I thought I heard them incorrectly and handed over a 100 riyal bill, but the man behind the counter asked me if I just had 2 riyal.
I then went to ask where I could pay for the doctor visit and was told no charge. So I entered an emergency room and got medication for the grand total of 59 cents. Now I'm not sure if I will get a bill in the mail or not, but in the meantime, I shall appreciate the low cost of medical care.

(photo from panoramio.com)

Final Day in Kathmandu

Rob's parents have a connection with a man who has a brother in Nepal. This family very kindly had us over for dinner at their home. It was amazing to hear their stories and be treated to such a kind welcome.

They recommended that we visit at least one of the three palaces in Kathmandu. I suggested that we do this instead of going to a crowded place and seeing a cremation that our tour guide had planned for us.


The newer portion of this palace dates back to 1769 and has a British influence. The older portion was made from intricately carved wood.

The small reddish building in the center is the palace of the current living goddess. She is nine years old and was selected to be the goddess when she was 4. She makes an appearance everyday at 4pm.

This is the Boudhanath Supta. It is one of the holiest Buddhist sites and we happened to be there on a holy day. This meant that we were pushed and pressed amongst crowds of people trying to get to the monument. Fortunately, it started to rain so the crowds began to thin out. This supta is lined with prayer wheels that had monks and common folk, spinning as they walked by.

Trekking Day 5

Our final descent was very gradual but pleasant as we passed villages and walked along the river.


We took a photo of these young children on a homemade swing. After the photo I asked Connor to look for a small toy to give them. Pretty soon he had a group of about six children all gathered around his backpack saying ‘sweet, sweet.’ Fortunately we had some sweets to give them.

We passed a grandfather holding his little granddaughter and then he put her into a traditional basket bassinet that was attached to a beam so it could swing.

We had really wanted a donkey bell as a momento but hadn’t gotten one along the way. Near the end we managed to find a pack of donkeys that were used for trekking. They all had bells so we looked around for the nicest one we could find. After finding it, we sent Rajan to find the herdsman and he came back so we could make an offer. After some back and forth, we managed to take the bell right off the donkey for 600 rupees (80 rupees per $).


After packing up the van we drove back to Pohkara for a final lunch with our crew. Above is the traditional dal baht.

While waiting for our flight back to Kathmandu, we met a local Nepalese man who does search and rescue on Mount Rainier. It was fascinating to hear about his adventures.

Trekking Day 4

Today we began our descent. There were a few times that we were caught in a rainstorm and had to find a quick shelter.

At one point we were asked to move off the trail as this herd of sheep needed the space to pass by. Lots of lambs in the group and they were moved along by the little brother who was in front and the little sister at the end.

We had lunch in Ghandrunk (2000m) which was a quaint village with carefully planted vegetable patches and flowers. The guides taught the children a card game while they waited for their food.



By late afternoon we reached our final night’s destination. Syauli Bazar is located on the Modi Khola River. After the porters dropped off our bags, Rob, Madeline and I headed to the river and took in the scenery.

Trekking Day 3

This day wasn’t nearly as difficult as the previous, but still had its ups and downs. We hiked to some very windy peaks and down through valleys, stopping for tea along the way.


We continued to walk through amazing rhododendron forests.



After five or six hours, we arrived in Tanapani (2630m). This lodge was at the top of a hill, but the mountain views were clouded over. Our room were fairly cold (about 9 degrees C), but again there was a fireplace in the lodge. We also had hot showers available to warm up. This time Connor arrived feeling sick and he ended up vomiting.

The amount of electricity was limited and the lighting was limited. On the way back from the bathroom I was walking to my room and got hit on the head by a flying bat. They all heard my scream!


We woke up to blue skies and a glorious mountain view from our breakfast table.

Sunrise on Poon Hill

It was an early start for Connor, Stuart and I as we got up at 4:15am to see the sunrise on Poon Hill. Rob was feeling better, but not up for an early morning climb and he needed to stay with Madeline. So the rest of us bundled up in our limited warm clothes, flashlights, and walking sticks and met our guides Rajan and Ramess outside.


We sat down and were again served hot tea. It was extremely cold and we were appreciative of being able to at least warm up our hands.


We had a panoramic view of the Himalayas, including Mt. Dhaulagiri (8167m) , Annapurna South(7219m) and a mountain called Machhapuchhre or “Fish Tail.”

Once the sun had come up, we headed back down to our tea house for breakfast.

Trekking Day 2

This day we remember as grueling and exhausting. We were told in the morning that it would be difficult and that is exactly what is was. We started off by facing 3182 steps. I broke them into 100 step increments before taking a rest and then continuing up. We noticed that many of the people that stayed in our village the night before were also heading up the hillside so we'd use the excuse to stop and chat with them along the way.



Once we had reached the top of the stairs, we stopped for a tea break. It was only mid-morning and we were exhausted. I don't know how the porters managed it with our bags on their backs.


After a brief rest we were back into trekking through dense rhododendron forests with the scent of flowers from the Daphne bush. This plant is used to make a local paper called Lokta.


There were checkpoints along the way to ensure that we had the correct trekking permits.


Madeline was eager to stop at these rock rest points.. it was something that we would look out for and take a minute to have some water and often a light snack. Here our porters and guide are also taking a break.


After about seven hours of hiking (including tea break and lunch) we arrived in Ghorepani (2860m). At this height there was a noticeable temperature drop and we were thankful for a fireplace in the lodge. There was no hot water when we arrived so we huddled around the fire to warm up. Rob may have had some sort of altitude sickness or exhaustion, but he was chilled and dizzy at this point. Madeline also woke up in the night and was sick. Unfortunately, there was no electricity so we had trouble quickly finding a garbage can for her, but with a lot of shuffling about, we got one in time.

Trekking Day 1

For our spring break this year, we headed to Nepal to embark on a 5 day trekking adventure through the Annapurna Mountains in the Himalayas. After a quick night in Kathmandu, we headed to the domestic airport to take a 25 minute flight to Pokhara. We didn't realize we'd be on a 30 seater plane. The smallest plane I think any of us have ever taken.

Once in Pohkara, we met up with our two guides, Rajan and Ramess and two porters who would carry our 50kg of gear. We had to make a quick stop at the market to pick up some jackets and walking sticks and then take a hour and a half van ride to our starting point. Once we were dropped off, our porters bundled our gear together and loaded it onto their backs using a strap around their heads to hold it in place. We were finally off.

This first day of trekking was a gradual climb to Thikhedunga (1480m).

Some of it was spent along side a river and at other times we were passing by terrassed fields and farmland.

By about 4pm, we arrived at our tea house and were ready for a hot shower and some warm clothes. Our porters delivered our bags to our rooms and got our sleeping bags out for us. Then we were served tea.

The tea house was very simple with two showers that overlooked the river below and one toilet. The beds were a bit like sleeping on wooden platforms and the lights only worked at dusk. There are daily blackouts as there is limited electricity supply.