Day 6 - Bamboo to Thulo Shyafru

A Short Reintroduction to Ascension
Distance - 5 miles
Time - 4 hrs
Elevation - from 6,397 to 7,414
Equivalent flights of stairs = a blessedly small 100 flights

Out of the twelve, this was my favorite day.  We departed the "trekking trail" which follows the river and turned onto the "pilgrim's trail" which climbs from the valley south, towards the sacred lake of Gosaikunda.  What made this day memorable was our destination - the beautiful village of Thulo Shyafru.  I would've happily stayed there for the rest of our journey.

Day 5 - Langtang to Bamboo

All Down, All Day
Distance - 10 miles
Time - 7 hrs
Elevation - from 11,236 to 6,397
Equivalent flights of stairs = 484

We decided to bite off a bigger chunk of downhill to shorten the following day's hike, which would be steeply uphill.  We descended almost 5,000 feet.  First things first, this was our morning view.  I stretched and took in the cool air as my breakfast chapati was cooking.

Nepal - Flora and Fauna

Characters
We met fellow trekkers on the trail and in the tea houses.  Our first encounter was with a young, dread locked Israeli guy.  He was hiking alone, without a porter or guide.  He was more interested in spending his money on marijuana, he later explained.  I wondered if he just plucked it from the ground, it grows wild along the trail below 9,000 feet.

Day 4 - Ascent of Kyanjin Ri and Return to Langtang

The Dodo Made Me Do It
I gave her an out, told her we didn't have to do it if she didn't want to.  Even after the worst, shallowest excuse for a night of sleep we'd had so far, she stood firm.  "Try lah.  See how" she said, slipping into Singlish.  I have to hand it to her, my girlfriend is tough.  I gained a new level of respect for her.

Day 3 - Langtang to Kyanjin Gompa

To the Glacier's Edge
Distance - 7 miles
Time - 6 hrs
Elevation - from 11,236 feet to 12,700
Equivalent flights of stairs = 150

Nepal - Sharing the Trail

Wide Variety
We saw many porters along the Langtang trail.  They carry everything you can imagine.  Iron stoves, gas canisters, rice, sacks of cement, wood beams and even re bar twisted into ten foot paperclips. At one point we saw a string of porters with baskets of live chickens.  They were headed up to a group of Koreans who couldn't bear the thought of a single meal without poultry.  Everything in the higher elevations of Langtang was lugged up on someones back except for the stones.  They make it look easy, at an altitude above which planes are required to be equipped with oxygen masks.

Day 2 - Lama to Langtang

The Long Day
Distance - 7 miles
Time - 7 hrs
Elevation - from 7,939 feet to 11,236
Equivalent flights of stairs = 333

Day 1 - Syapru Besi to Lama

The First of a Million Steps
Distance - 8 miles
Time - 6 hrs
Elevation - from 4,790 feet to 7,939 feet
Equivalent flights of stairs = 311

Day Minus 1 - Drive from Kathmandu to Syapru Besi

And We're Off
We chose to trek within Langtang National Park next to the Tibet border.  Compared to the Everest base camp trek, which is rated difficult, our trek was more suited to out-of-shape people like ourselves.  The drive from Kathmandu to Langtang, though just 40 miles as the crow flies, is a seven hour slog via jeep over the scariest roads and through the most beautiful countryside.

Day Minus 2 - Flight to Kathmandu

A "Quick" Hop
Forty five minutes to Kuala Lumpur then another four hours to Kathmandu.  Our trekking guide, MB (initials for an unpronounceable name), met us outside the airport.  He led us to a waiting car and we were followed by two guys who did absolutely nothing except whisper "tip, tip" to me unsuccessfully as I closed the car door.  First impression: India.  We drove to the headquarters of the trekking company and were met with smiles by a man named Samden, whose mother owns the company.  He gave us an overview of the trekking itinerary and then we were off to our "hotel", below, for a night.

Siem Reap - Temples

The Temple Region

Angkor Wat is but one temple in a vast temple graveyard north of the city.  Every patch of blue on this map is a moat surrounding an old temple save the large rectangled "Barays", ancient reservoirs that feed the rice paddies.  Angkor Wat is the small blue square closest to the city.  Angkor Thom and Prasat Bayon are inside the larger blue square between the Barays.  Ta Prohm is at the SW corner of the East Baray.  Song took me to all of these via tuk tuk.

Siem Reap - Khmer Cooking

Heading into the Countryside for Class
My afternoon cooking class started with a long tuk tuk ride south of Siem Reap.

Siem Reap - Money

Uncle Sam Rules
You can either pay in US Dollars or Cambodian Riel.  It takes a quick mind as you will be quoted a price in one or the other and often get change in both.  One dollar is worth 4,000 riel.  This is the first country I have been to that has no coins.  Or, rather, they are not used and I didn't see any.  If you are quoted a price of fifty cents you can either pay 2,000 riel or hand over a dollar and get 2,000 riel in change.

Siem Reap - First Visit to Cambodia

Gas on High, Light Match
I flew on Malaysia Airlines via Kuala Lumpur, three hours in total.  As you might imagine, with the recent Malaysia Airlines news, I got a great price.  Thailand to the left, Laos above and Vietnam to the right.  Siem Reap is just north of the large lake in the middle of the country, Ton Le Sap lake.  It feeds Ton Le Sap river which meanders southeast where it joins the Mekong outside of Phnom Penh.