Research and Sightseeing in Ballarat

I took a train from Melbourne into an inland city named Ballarat. The town has two things to attract me: it is one setting for my next historical novel; and, the only person in Australia I know lives there.

Touring the Southeast Australia Coast

On November 24 and 25, I took two all-day bus tours of the coastal areas around Melbourne, Australia. The intent was to see wildlife and scenery. I got my money's worth.

Changing Plans: a Day on the Water

Two days ago, as the plane from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, prepared to land at Siem Reap, I saw great expanses of marshland below. When I landed, I told my guide Sopheak that I wanted to spend one less day temple hopping and do some birding.

Visiting Angkor Wat, Day 2

The Angkor Wat complex includes 246 temples. Today I visited 8 of them.

Cambodian Reflections

In retrospect, Kathmandu seems like a city recovering from an earthquake compared to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia.

Visiting Angkor Wat, Day 1

An hour after I arrived in Siem Reap, my guide picked me up for the first temple tour. Angkor Wat is the general name for a group of old temples in a complex that covers 401 sq. km.

Remembering the Dark Past

My morning in Phnom Penh was to include three stops; but because Obama might arrive anytime for the ASEAN meeting and the late Cambodian king's funeral, my guide suggested we cut the tour short to get to the airport before the army closed the roads. I insisted we make one visit—to the Genocide Museum. I felt it important to be a witness to the atrocity that befell these kind people, to in some small way honor the victims.

Last Day in Kathmandu

On our last day, we visted two ancient cities that have now been subsumed by Kathmandu's sprawl. Bhaktapur and Patan.

Chitwan Days 2 and 3

My second and third days at Chitwan were for the birds--several score of them.

Kathmandu to Chitwan

The four-hour drive from Kathmandu to the Royal Chitwan Forest is pleasant as long as you watch the scenery, not the road.

Lukla Back to Kathmandu

I imagine taking off in a plane from the Lukla airport is much like launching from an aircraft carrier.

Everest Trail Hike Day 8

Most visitors to the Everest region pass through Lukla. It is the gateway to the frontier and the last town you visit on the way out. It is a sprawling town just a cut above towns further up the valley due to being the center of commerce.

Everest Region Hike Day 7

Today we began the hike back to Lukla and the airport. In 3.5 hours of walking we covered the same ground in reverse as day 2 and 3 together, going from Namche to Phakding.

Everest Region Hike Day 6

As has been my habit, I rise when the first faint light of dawn illuminates the mountains and go for a walk before breakfast. Everest looks lovely in morning light.

Everest Region Hike Day 5

Today I was a much hardier trekker and I think I have Tang to thank.

Everest Region Hike Day 4

Today we set out on a five-hour day hike that took us to the highest elevation of our trek and presented closer views of Everest.

Everest Region Hike Day 3

We left Monju and enter the Sagarmathu National Park, which includes Everest. We had an easy hike along the Milk River for about an hour. At a fork in the river, we ascended to a high suspension bridge and thus began a tough 2-hour trek up a set of steep switchbacks through scenery so magnificent that an undisciplined person could easily drain a camera battery.

Everest Region Hike Day 2

I starting writing this post on a sunny afternoon patio in Monju (our second night stop), looking down the steep mountain gorge we hiked up this morning. Next to the patio are two solar water heaters and a solar cooker. The patio buzzes with many languages as trekkers lounge between hikes. A glass of local beer sits on the table.

Everest Region Hike Day 1

The landing in Lukla is like no other. There is no margin for error.

Kathmandu Temples

Today (November 4) we visited the Hindu temple of Pashupatinath on the banks of the holy Bagmati River, and the Buddhist temple of Bodhnath Stupa (next image)..

Mumbai to Kathmandu: The Slow Road

I arrived at the Mumbai airport about 11:30 PM local time November 2. The jet passengers disembarked to a bus that unloaded us in a domestic arrival area. I was expecting to wind up in a secure transit area, as at other airports. So, I had to exit the airport and enter by another nearby gate. The young soldier who checked my documents nearly didn't let me in because my flight was 10 hours away. After I said I had no place arranged to stay, he waved me in. (He was a pleasant chap. No complaints.)

It's the Destination, Not the Journey

Emerson said: "Life is a journey, not a destination.” With jet travel, it is the destination that counts—the journey by aircraft is wearing.

The flight to Toronto and then on to Brussels took 12 hours. The trans-Atlantic flight was at night. I hoped for some sleep. Not a chance. There must have been 30 kids under 6. At least two could be counted on to be howling in close proximity at any moment. The narrow isles are not designed for an increasing weight-gaining populace. Many people cannot walk the aisles—and someone was always walking—without brushing against people in the aisle seats, like me.