Stepping onto Alaska soil

Alaska welcome party!

There's no place like home

Egg hunt

Giggling over the spoils

Giggling over the spoils

The "cousins" also stopped by for a visit. Aunt Carol, Andrea, Ryan, Spence, and Ollie drove up for the day from the Toledo area and Megan and Grace (Rocky had to work) visited from just a few blocks away. We went out for lunch to a Mongolian BBQ where Vala created her own gourmet stir fry of carrots, tomatoes, and edamame. She didn't want sauce, but I squirted a bit of ginger, garlic, and soy sauce in the bowl when she wasn't looking. Vala was only with us for a few days when we discovered that she LOVES brinjal (eggplant) pickle and seemingly eats ANYTHING so long as it has a bit of pickle smeared on it. Hoping to help ease her into western foods, I sent Nanny on a quest to find some (which I've seen in stores) before meeting us in Detroit. She was successful and we smuggled the jar of pickle into the restaurant. One slight deficiency on my part is that I failed to describe it to Mom and didn't know that the kind I had seen in stores was sweet and not just spicy. Vala took the tiniest little nibble and then wrinkled her nose informing us that it was NOT brinjal (or at least the kind of brinjal that she would allow into her mouth). So we added a new sauce to the selection at the restaurant and mom will be returning the three remaining unopened jars when she gets home. After lunch, the kids (including Dad) went swimming and had another egg hunt (well, actually Dad took a nap during the egg hunt after all, he had a 3:30 AM wake up call).

Ollie, Vala, Syri, Spence

Always best buddies

New buddies

Mmm...Candy (thanks Mom)

Grace

Headless peep (possibly from the floor)

Discovering bubbles

Megan had researched and found for us a South Indian restaurant that makes idli, the food Vala is still requesting at every, single meal. I decided I could no longer hold off getting idli for my precious girl and so Mom and I drove across Detroit and through the snow to Ashoka (no relation to the Ashok hotel, thank goodness) and proceeded to get three orders of idli (praying the leftovers would taste ok microwaved the next day) along with some other dishes I thought Mom and Dad, Indian food greenhorns, might like. The naan was a hit, the paratha wasn't (but even I didn't think their paratha was all that good). They found the tandoori chicken and hakka noodles ok. But Dad was ready to leave Vala with no sambar for her idli. I gave him a taste, honestly thinking he wouldn't care for it, and he gobbled it down. He compared it to Progresso's Lentil Soup (sorry Ashoka) which I disagree with, but it was darn good. And Vala was in heaven then and over our last few days in Detroit as I rationed out her idli and sambar.

Yesterday, Jen and Sherry and her daughter, Danielle, drove over from Cleveland to visit. We went swimming all afternoon (what's new) and then Mom and Dad ordered pizza for the girls and babysat while Sherry, Jen, and I ran off for dinner and more chatting. While Vala was just along for the ride, Syri really enjoyed her visit with Danielle. Most likely, just glad to have another girl around besides Vala.

Jen, Sherry, Ange

Pizza and a movie

Vala, Danielle, Syri

Swimming

Giving Poppa a workout

Every swim ends with a good shiver

The girls crashed before the pizza arrived (gotta love places that deliver to hotels) and woke us up with bright eyes, big smiles, and lots of giggling at... let's be generous and say 3:30 AM! It's going to be a LONG day.

Ready to fly

Ready to fly

Ready to fly

Hugs for Nanny

Before I talk about shopping, I have to mention that we have been pigging out here. For under 1000 rupees ($25 US) we have been having the most gorgeous meals. Paul got half a tandoori chicken the first dinner here and he and the girls gobbled it down before I could even taste it. I have twice ordered the delicious malai kofta (vegetable dumpling with this rich cashew-cardamom sauce). And last night, Paul got mushroom jafreezi. I've seen this in many cookbooks but have never tried it. It was almost a cross between an Italian pasta sauce and a sweet-and-sour sauce. I am not the least hungry after last nights meal, but still, my mouth is watering just thinking about the food we've eaten here. These have definitely been the best meals of the trip!

So I've discovered the Walmart of India: Vishal Mega Mart. They are sprinkled all over Delhi and Agra, although the one I went to near the airport was pretty small (like the Walmart you might find in Homer, AK). But the others I've seen have been huge, multi-floor establishments. They advertise food, beauty products, clothing. You name it, they've got it. And they have a signature florescent pink and blue logo that is recognizable even as you zoom by on expressways high above the neighborhoods. Vala and I went shopping there, while Paul and Syri went for a shave. Yeah, yeah, you know what I mean. This one had a pretty weak clothing section (only men's things and I was hoping to pickup some cheaper dresses for Vala who wants to wear her dupatta dress EVERY day) but otherwise, we picked up everything on our list. Tea (you can probably guess who requested this). As if there isn't enough tea in America. Although Paul's right (shh, something I rarely admit aloud) that the tea is so much better here. I don't know if it's the freshness or what, but I've nearly (not quite, but darn close) been drinking as much tea as Paul. Vala also is a tea lover (although I'm curious to see if Paul shares his Brook Bond Taj Mahal tea with her... or me for that matter). Yes, I realize I'm using many parentheses (something Grammar Girl would probably not approve of) but I don't feel my smart ass remarks really fit anywhere else so I guess you'll just have to deal with it. Anyway, back to shopping. Next on the list was powdered creamer. The stuff we've been getting in all the hotels is made by Nestle and called EveryDay (yes, sounds more like a feminine product that a non-dairy creamer) and it beats the socks off Carnation that forms that glossy film on the top of your tea or coffee. It's so smooth and creamy. Yum. That was my request. Next on my list was ready-made idli mix. Something to help out until I perfect my own idli recipe. I think I mentioned this before, but idli is Vala's all-time favorite food. Or at least she asks for it at every single meal (I've asked Mom and Megan to scout out any South Indian restaurants in Detroit where we can get a load of idli to last throughout our stay there). I picked up a load of spices: garam masala, sambar spice, dal makhani spice. I don't even remember all I got, as I was just grabbing boxes (only 50 cents each). I just realized that this will be a nightmare for international security. They will surely think we're trying to smuggle something in with all these powdery substances. Oh well, if they dump it, at least I spent under $25 on the lot.

Today we returned from Agra to Delhi for a few final days and we had reservations (yes, I said had… I'll come back to that) at Sri Nanak. This hotel is in a busy motorbike shop neighborhood very near a temple with a hundred foot statue of Hanuman. The girls were asleep the first time we drove by but when we passed it again, they went berserk! This monkey god statue towers over an expressway and the smaller neighborhood below with bright colors and a powerful presence. (We only got photos on the SLR, so they'll come later). Even I couldn't help but gaze when we passed it.

Taj Mahal was beautiful, as always. We didn't stay long as it was stinking hot there, but I got the obligatory photos of the girls holding the top of the Taj Mahal. And the other goofy poses the onsite photographers take. Of course, all my photos were taken on Syri's digital camera. I didn't want to risk either of our good cameras getting ruined with a dousing of green dye.

We returned to the hotel where all the staff were asking why we didn't "play Holi". I replied that no one wanted to play with us and they laughed! The girls were sad about the paint (or lack of), so I took them to the hotel beauty parlor for mendhi (henna painting on the hands). I was so proud of Syri for sitting still; a great feat for her. She let it dry for a good 30-40 minutes before she began picking at it. Vala didn't mess with the henna but worked off her energy by dancing around the parlor and touching everything else in sight. Luckily, there was a young lad there who worked there and since we were the only customers, Nimit hung out with us while our hands were being painted. He sang and played and helped entertain the girls.

Dressed for Holi

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

Vala has such a robust personality. You can't help but sit back and watch her in admiration... wondering what obstacles she's overcome in her short life. She has such a twinkle in her eye and smile that shines through her entire body. She is a survivor.

She is very independent and it's made for some interesting interactions with Syreeta, who also thinks she can do everything on her own. We've seen more sisterly arguments which have moved from the "mine" bickering to the "let me help you" bickering. Syri has this wonderful mix of cleverness and concern and kindess and she wants to do everything for Vala instead of letting her figure it out on her own. Vala will not have that and it's so funny to see them argue over such good intentions.

Vala has a sense of humor that fits right in to our family. She loves pretending and playing practical jokes and can't hold a straight face for long before cackling away with a grin that covers her whole face. She even giggled and said "ewww" when Paul tried out the "pull my finger" trick. We've had to watch our sarcasm a bit as there have been a few incidents where she couldn't tell if we were joking or not. She got a pretty confused look before bursting out with laughter.

Vala is a hard sleeper. Once she's out, there is no waking her until she's ready to get up. But then I have never seen anyone wake up as cheery as she does. We try to slowly wake her up, but she goes from deep sleep to big smile and eyes wide open in a single instant. The first day when she woke up so suddenly with a giggle, I thought she had been faking her sleep. But it has been like that every single day and I just don't believe she's THAT good of a trickster.

Vala is very self-sufficient at caring for her body. She loves brushing and grooming her hair with bands and clips. She loves putting on cream. And she LOVES showering. She would take five hour long showers a day if we let her. She wakes up in the morning saying "cleaning, cleaning". She always wants to shower again before lunch and again after lunch and again in the afternoon and again and again. We've had to limit her to a couple each day and also limit the amount of time she spends in the shower. She scrubs and scrubs and shampoos and shampoos and would not get out if she we didn't tell her to. I give her a two to five minute warning and she always wants more.

Vala is very calm and observant. She picks things up quickly so we've been coming down hard on Syri's bad habits. Vala has picked up a bit of whining from her big sis, but we've tried to immediately nip that in the bud. Vala is very respectful to adults and listens... most of the time. She is a joy to be around and we feel so blessed that she is part of our family. We couldn't have wished for a sweeter little girl to join our family.

More swimming

We're finding that the friendly competition between Syri and Vala is also working to our advantage. I gave Vala a foot massage this evening and she immediately grabbed the cream and wanted to rub lotion on to my legs. Syri saw that and suddenly wanted to give me a massage as well. I ended up covered in an inch of cream from head to toe and two girls vigorously rubbing lotion on to my face, arms, and legs.

Tom and Jerry

With all the complimentary fruit plates, we have discovered a love of Vala's. No longer will fresh fruit go to waste in our house. Vala turns from a petite little nibbler to a bottomless pit when it comes to fruit. Vala would have gone through all the oranges in one go if I didn't think that three oranges was plenty enough for such small girl. When I cut her off from the oranges, she wanted to move on to the bananas and apples as well.

Well, the video is over and the girls are begging to go swimming. The pool is one of only two things we like about the hotel. The other is the overpriced food. It's expensive, but has been tasty. We've eaten the breakfast buffet each day filled with Indian breakfast, Western breakfast, and then some (fried fish, spaghetti, shepherds' pie and other odd choices for first thing in the morning). We've eaten two meals at the Chinese restaurant which have been fantastic, despite the mediocre service.

Waiting for our car

Waiting for our car

Waiting for our car

Waiting for our car

First jealousy. Today, Syri was really acting up and not listening. Her signal to us that she felt Vala was getting too much attention. While Vala enjoyed the airplane ride, Syri lost her treat privileges for the day and sat sulking. Syri has taken to copying many of the things Vala does to make us giggle and seems to be wavering on her confidence a bit. Especially after getting in trouble, we've had to continually reassure her and let her know how much we lover her. Luckily, Syri's envy has not affected her affection towards Vala. They are both so caring and helpful towards on another. Even though they've had a few bickering moments, mostly the which-book-belongs-to-whom type of incident, they are super close and spend almost all their time together doing the same thing.

First tickle. Vala has been a little apprehensive when Paul and Syri have been tickling each other... until today. She has now been fully initiated into tickle time on both the giving and receiving side. She loves it. Vala and Syri have been running around and tickling each other and us. Paul was pretending to sleep and the girls were tip-toeing around and sneaking up on him then pouncing on him with hugs and tickles. Vala just can't get enough. And this, naturally, has led to the next first.

First injury. Now anyone who knows how Paul and Syri both love to roughhouse will giggle to know that I was the one who caused Vala's first injury (at least with us). I was gently flipping her over my shoulder, when she stood up quickly behind me and somehow fell head first off the bed and landed with a loud bang. I turned around to see two skinny legs sticking straight up in the air and one little noggin on the wooden floor. She sat straight up and began laughing. Meanwhile, my heart started beating again (I had visions of having to explain stitches to immigration) and I grabbed her back up onto the bed. Paul was brushing her hair later and felt the remaining bump. Oh well, she got me back later when we were playing and she split my lip with her elbow. Really, we're not that rough of a family.

First tears. Vala had some tears for the first time today. After she banged my lip, she said that Syri did it. I told her that she did it, but it was an accident and okay. Something about that incident set her off and she cried for a while. She wanted me to hold her, but did not want us to say anything to her at first. After giving her some time to sob, we asked her to use words and tell us how she was feeling. She said she was not sad, but obviously grieving. She really wants to call Manjula, her foster mum. We're really torn over this one. We exchanged email addresses with the family and I have no problem with them writing back and forth. But I'm not sure it is best for Vala to speak with them so soon. Especially since we will not know what's being said.

Despite today's tension, we still feel Vala's adjustment is going extremely well. There has been some whining as Vala tests the limits, and few more short time outs for not listening. But the rest of our time is filled with laughing girls who have quickly become good friends and loving sisters.

Morning smiles

Shivering around the pool

Big sister

Morning

Heading to breakfast

Syri, Anvita, and Vala

Ashley, Syri, Anvita, and Vala

Little Miss Sunshine

Doing school work

Here are some photos from Michell:

Yesterday, both girls fell asleep on the way back to the hotel but regained all their energy as they emptied their fun bags of dolls, gadgets, pencils, books, and all the other distractions we packed out of their princess roller bags. After a few hours of exploring goodies, we decided to take Vala down to look at the swimming pool. They stuck their feet in for a couple minutes, got told off for splashing Paul while he was trying to take photos, and then we ran back up to the room for swimsuits realizing that they were going in the water... one way or another! I cannot even begin to describe the cackling laughter from Vala as she dunked herself right under with her mouth wide open before we had to chance to stop her. Our tiny girl was just shivering and we weren't sure if it was from being cold or simply because she was so darned excited. She ran back and forth between the pool and the towel every few seconds; getting wet then drying off over and over and over again. She had a blast and made our move to the palace worth every penny (except that the palace was cheaper)!

After swimming and dinner, the girls dressed in their Ariel pajamas from Nanny and jumped into bed together. When I woke up at 4:00 (again this morning), the two were cuddled together in a near choke hold, both with big grins on their faces. Syri woke up first and just held Vala stroking her head and kissing her cheek. What a joy to be the mother of two such beautiful girls!

Later this morning, Syri taught Vala how to use her camera. For anyone interested in seeing photos of Jayamahal Palace, we have covered every square inch of the interior of room 111. Actually, Paul got up early and got some great shots of the exterior during sunrise. Sorry, I can't post photos from our SLR until we return. My favorite is one of the gardens where a shadow of some plant looks like a snakecharmer's cobra. I hate to admit it, but that may win photo of the trip.

Other news. Michell and Bob and family moved from Solitaire to the Jayamahal Palace as well. The staff there was NOT happy and tried to charge them some outlandish fees for leaving early as well. Let's just say Paul handled it with his English charm. Or whatever it is you call that.

We had fun hanging out with them today. The girls took off for some shopping and left the guys to fry in the 90 degree sun. While Bob didn't fare as bad, Paul is pretty in pink. When we returned from shopping excursions, we spent more time splashing in the pool. At which time Vala experienced her first time out. Now before you all shame me for allowing my husband to send out daughter to time out when she hasn't even been with us for 24 hours... let me re-emphasize that Vala is a little Syri (recall the title of this journal). Thus ends my defense. (Michell and Bob were giggling).

Vala's English is fantastic. She seems to be able to say everything she needs to say in English and also seems to understand what we say to her. She communicates a little with her hands (we've been signing when we can) and is very expressive overall. She picks things up quickly and after only a few prompts, went from "gimmee" to "please may I have". She and Syri have been sharing dolls and books and other goodies and still getting along well. We keep waiting for this bubble to burst because things just seem to be perfect.

I would say our biggest challenge (we are so not complaining) at the moment is eating. Mary Paul said she has a good appetite and loves spicy foods. She licks the plate clean but then adamantly refuses to take more food. So we're having trouble gauging whether she's cleaned the plate because she's hungry or if she's cleaned the plate because she's been taught to do so. We've been trying to give her smaller amounts and then having her ask for more. We've also been letting her know it's ok to leave some food on the plate if she's full; she now tells us she is all done when she doesn't want more. Tonight, we had a special treat for dinner: banana split. I wasn't sure she'd eat it. But Syri wanted the strawberry scoop and Vala wanted the vanilla scoop and of course, I couldn't let the chocolate scoop go to waste. So it got eaten.

Arriving at our hotel

Dipping toes in the pool

Walking around with Daddy

At 10:00 AM, we were supposed to meet at VCT, the child care center that has coordinated Vala's foster care and adoption on the India side. The hotel manager said it could take anywhere from 10-60 minutes depending on traffic and so we called for a car to pick us up at 8:30, just to be on the safe side. Our car arrived and apparently we took too long getting downstairs, because he turned around and left. We spent a while trying to arrange for a different car and after several unsuccessful attempts, decided to just walk out to the front gate and flag down a rickshaw. I'm glad we planned for the unpredictability of India, because it took us every bit of an hour to get there. Not because of the traffic, but because we got lost and stopped for directions at least 15 times. I was so bummed that I couldn't get the GPS to lock on any satellites that morning because our route was comical and it would have made for a fantastic map! Every time we stopped, the person would say they knew were it was (and we were generally stopping to ask reliable sources) and point us in an already explored direction. We were basically zig-zagging around this small residential area. We arrived right at 10:00 and laughed because we were actually the first ones there. Michell and her family arrived shortly after us. They also got lost as well, and actually passed us when we were stopped for directions at one point! Jeni and her husband arrived then as well.

Jeni and Kelly were taken down to meet Ranjitha (Macy) since she resides at VCT while we waited with Michell, Bob, and Ashley for our girls to arrive. Anvita arrived first, as she lives near to VCT and they moved out into the office/lobby area while we continued to wait. Syri kept saying over and over, comments like "I'm so excited to meet Vala" and "I can't believe we get to meet her soon". We were told that Vastravalam and her foster family lived further away and then they were late due to traffic. Suddenly I heard the shuffle of little feet run into the room behind me. I turned around and was met with possibly the biggest smile I have ever seen followed by "Hello Mummy. Hello Daddy. Hello Sister." She jumped right into our arms and we have not stopped grinning since.

Vala and Syri hit it off immediately and within minutes had emptied out the bag of snacks and goodies that Vala brought with her and were running around passing out treats to all the aunties and children in the building. I don't think they moved more than a foot away from each other for the rest of the day.

The most difficult part of the day for all of us was saying goodbye to Vala's foster parents, Manjula and Padmanabha. Manjula was very, very sad and did not want to leave "Vasu" (her nickname). We felt so clearly the love and care they gave Vala. We feel so fortunate that she has been so well looked after while waiting to meet us.

Our first moments together

Vala's foster family

Meanwhile, Syri and I met up with Michell (from the Holt forum and getting her daughter Anvita tomorrow) and her family and joined them for some shopping. Still recovering from who knows how many hours of travel, I didn't feel up to testing my math and bartering skills, so I observed. The driver took us to a couple really overpriced places first, but after much emphasis on the "CHEAPER" comments, we did finally stop at this great place (KempKids, thanks for the tips everyone) where I will return to buy the girls some fantastic Indian dress. I was just drooling in this store as the clothing was absolutely stunning.

We are safe!

Don't know if you've seen the news, but there were riots in Kathmandu yesterday after a shooting at a demonstration.

We are near the southern border of the country now, in Chitwan National Park. The roads throughout the country are closed down for 24 hours. And we are stuck in a jungle resort with plenty of activities and great food.

The only bad news, because of this we are having to cancel our final child visit to Savita in India. We were supposed to leave by taxi this afternoon to drive to the Indian border.

Today, we are canoeing and then taking a jeep drive through the jungle. Our camp overlooks the river and upon our arrival, we saw an elephant just up the river. Since then, a "domestic" one came right up to where we were eating lunch and Syri got to pet her and jump on for a very brief ride (Syri got a little scared and wanted off). We also visited an elephant breeding center where we got to pet, feed, and get chased around by several 2-3 month old elephants. One was quite feisty and was really going after us. This morning, there was a wild elephant running loose through the village which drove us to take cover. She never came near our camp, but it was quite exhilirating all the same; especially when you see the locals yelling and running around.

Again, I'm writing from Kathmandu. But this is the story about our visit to Supriya in Kolkata.

We were picked up from our hotel by Urmila, our hostess, who took us to the village where Supriya lives. She lives only 10 km from Kolkata, but the drive there is an hour long. When we arrive, there is no sign of a nearby bustling city in this quiet, agricultural area.

Supriya is 5 years old and lives with her parents, who are both daily workers, and her 7 year-old brother, Bapi. Their monthly income is around $15 USD. Their house has a small entry way which includes the kitchen area and one room inside with a single bed. The children sleep on a mat on the dirt floor. Their house is in a small complex off a dirt trail with four other houses surrounding a small communal area.

We drove to the nearest road and walked ten minutes back to Supriya's house. At the trail, we were met by several project assistants and Supriya, her family, and neighbors. They immediately invited us into their house and then pulled out mats for us to sit on in the center of their complex.

Syri and Supriya hit it off instantly and they were running around playing hide and seek. Well, Syri was playing hide and seek. Supriya was tagging along and having a wonderful time chasing her. To see them together, you would never guess that they just met or that they did not understand a single word the other one was saying. They were chatting away, holding hands and hugging. It was lovely to see Syri react to meeting this new friend without prejudice. The love they were showing towards one another spoke louder than anything else.

When Syri distributed the gifts, her mother, Bina, just beamed with the dish set we gave. We chose enamel campware for its durability and they received a set of four plates, bowls, and cups. We also gave Bina a personal gift of lotion. She did not set the gifts down, but held them close to her heart during the remainder of our visit.

Paul chose the father's gift; a large and small multi-tool with a buck knife. The father was nearly in tears upon receiving his gift. Sankar kept picking Syri up and hugging her and whispering in her ear. As they speak Bengali, we will never know what he said. But I suspect he was thanking her for coming into their lives.

Syri was very excited to give Supriya the baby doll she picked out. The doll was dark skinned and looked very much like Supriya herself. She and Syri played with the doll throughout our visit. I captured one photo that says it all; Supriya is throwing the doll up with the air and catching her with the biggest grin you could imagine.

We gave Bapi a yo-yo and some other small gifts. We also gave balls with jacks and hair barretts to the other children that greeted us during the visit. Before we left the village, the family presented us with a very large bunch of bananas, one of their local crops.

After our visit, we went with Supriya and her brother back to the head office for a fantastic homemade lunch.

We sponsor Supriya through Children International. Our contributions go directly to her family in the form of school supplies, family education, preventative medical treatment, and to empower the family with money to begin a small business. A doctor visits the project headquarters twice a week to treat ailments. Supriya and her brother are freed from chores and field work to attend school fulltime.

We're off tomorrow to Chitwan National Park. This is the highlight of the entire trip for Syri - elephant ride!

Next time, I'll write about our visit to Ajay in the southeast of Nepal. Yes, I'm several days behind. By the time we return to the states, I should be caught up to Kathmandu? Love, Ange

We're not really in Varanasi, and I haven't been ignoring those of you anxious to hear about our travels. I wrote a nice long journal in Kolkata, but at the end of the hour, internet connection was automatically shut off and I lost all that was written. Bummer. I'm just now able to find more time to catch up.

Last I wrote, we were preparing for an overnight train to Varansi from Agra. More interesting than the train ride really, was the taxi ride to the train station. We had to travel a couple hours from Agra to Tundla to catch our train and left Agra around 4:00 in the afternoon, just as the sun was going down. Our grand exit out of Agra was crossing the river on what American's would consider a one-lane bridge. We were in a car amongst walkers, bicycles, mule carts, horses with riders, rickshaws, and any other transport you might find in India minus planes and boats. More amazing than the mix of people and transport on the bridge at once is the fact that no one was send plummeting over the edge. At any given point, there were at least multiple lines of people and two other vehicles (besides us) crosswise across the bridge. Paul got some fantastic video footage as the sun was going down. The next part of the adventure was driving to Tundla on a two-lane divided highway. Expect that each of the lanes had traffic moving in both directions. Head lights were optional.

The driver stopped suddenly and declared that we had arrived, although a train station was no where in site. Paul went exploring to find that we were not being dropped in the middle of nowhere. We sat around for a couple hours waiting for the train among very few westerners, 6 to be exact.

Paul had a scare. We were in car S1. Paul was going to load our luggage in the luggage car and meet us aboard. He was looking frantically and not finding us among the passengers in car A1. Fifteen minutes or so after departure, he arrived at our car looking very pale; and probably ready for a very stiff drink, which was not accessible on board. So he had water and cheese crackers instead.

We traveled 2nd class and lucked out in a train car with an Indian couple and two-year old daughter. She and Syri giggled together, surely annoying all the other passengers around us, as our car was only separated from the others by a curtain. I slept fairly well, given Syri wanted to sleep with me on the top bunk and kept asking me to scoot over. I was ready to switch places and let her sleep on the outside. Heah, our luggage would have made for a semi-soft landing below! We arrived early in the morning to Varanasi and had a fabulous breakfast along this very quite lane away from any sign of tourists.

I messed up plans in Varansi. I thought we could fly direct to Kolkata, which was not the case. So we didn't have much time there (less than 24 hours) and plan on stopping there for a couple days on the return back to Delhi.

We made our way slowly to a hotel in Meer ghat. This is one of the bathing bhats, not a burning (cremation) ghat. Our hotel was high above and only reached through a maze of very narrow alleys and climbing up and down stairways. We could never have found it on our own. Someone graciously led us there; and naturally expected rupees for his trouble upon our arrival. The rupees were well worth it, we had a phenominal view of the Ganges River. So fantastic that I spent most of the afternoon people watching from above and snapping photos.

Early the next morning, our driver picked us up at 5:00, and led us back through the alleys to the street where he drove us three hours to Allahabad to catch a flight to Kolkata. This drive was beautiful as well. We stopped for tea, served out of small clay "disposable" cups. We passed several camel trains making their way on foot from Rajasthan to Bangladesh. Paul also made the drive spew chew all over the place. People on foot and bicycles dart across the highway with little warning. One person did this which caused Paul, riding in the front seat, to jump. The driver found Paul's reaction so comical, that he in turn started laughing and sprayed his chew everywhere. I wasn't paying attention and thought a huge bird had taken a crap on our windshield; until I realized it was on the inside! Quite gross. But I guess a little funny as well. That's all for now. I'll write more soon and tell about our first two child visits, which were incredibly humbling and touching. We're in Kathmandu for a few more days before heading down to Chitwan and our final two child visits. Love, Ange

We're here! We left home at 6:00 AM Friday morning and arrived around midnight Saturday. Things have changed very much since my last visit here. First was the organization of the taxi service at the airport. Last time, I prepaid my taxi and was immediately swamped by hundreds of eager taxi drivers waiting to take me to my hotel, the location of which none of them knew but would never admit. Now, at the prepaid taxi stand, I received a printed receipt with my name and hotel and was assigned to take a particular taxi #. Of course, there were still many men waiting to help with our bags, and we couldn't find our taxi for ages, which ended up being at the very end of the queue of hundreds of cars, but this was so hassle free comparatively. But then to remind that we are in India, our driver got lost and couldn't find our hotel. He stopped and asked several other rickshaw drivers and some rather seedy folks who eventually pointed us in the right direction. Some things probably never will change. We arrived to find our choice of rooms. Simple hotel. Comfortable beds, warm blankets, and free serenade by a local club with live Indian band playing until approximately 4:37 AM.

We slept in Sunday until Syri decided she couldn't stay in bed a second longer, around 7:00. We got dressed and went out for our first adventure; finding a place to eat breakfast. Syri was the highlight of the morning bustle as people opened their shops. Syri was full of energy and soaking up every unusual sight and everyone was running over to say good morning to this smiley white youngster who waved avidly at every person who looked her way. Although, I'm not sure if people were more intrigued by Syri or the stoller. We walked around loads of small streets and eventually made our way over to the Red Fort. They were having a parade for HIV/AIDS and security was heavy. We've also seen several tourist security "kiosks". Apparently there was a tourist death (ignore that mom) last year and since, they have really stepped up security in tourist areas. These tents are on practically every corner, manned 24-hours a day by police ready to shoe away touts and other locals who are annoying or threatening tourists. We've had no problems. If anything, we have to shoe away the people wanting to hold and touch Syri.

We got up early this morning to catch to 6:00 train to Agra for a short visit to the Taj Mahal. I though so on my first visit here and still think this is one of the most amazing places I've seen. Pictures don't do it justice, although we've taken hundreds, just in case we do. The most photographed area is certainly the mausoleum, although we believe that today Syri came in second place. We have had twenty or so groups of people come up and ask to take their photos with Syri. Mostly groups of young men and the rest families with and a few without children. And don't you know, she acts like the shyest little thing you've ever seen. She's been such a trooper, smiling and posing for each person as they jump in and out of photos with her. She may be shy on the outside, but you can tell she is just beaming with pride.

Tonight, we're on an overnight train to Varansi. Next, Calcutta. Love, Ange

Just want to let you all know I'm back on American soil. Or more accurately...American snow! I knew to expect cold weather, after all, I'm returning to Alaska. But I'm having trouble dealing with the reality of 20 degrees here in Anchorage...it really SUCKS! I was quite accustomed to lounging around lakeside in Pokhara soaking up the sun. Who knows - I may just decide to jump the next plane back to Nepal...and stay there until spring? Of course, my wallet might have something to say about that...as would work, I'm sure.

Between 12 hour long doses, I made it out of the house and sent my film off this weekend. And I'm now looking for a second job to support this excessive photography habit of mine (26 rolls of film!). I'm hoping to create a webpage filled with pics and stories from my trip. I'll keep you all posted on the status of that.

Thanks for all your prayers and positive thoughts! I couldn't have asked for a more incredible journey.

The day before the kayak trip, we spent on the lake learning basic strokes and a bit of rolling. Somewhat uneventful, except that I swallowed some very nasty lake water which I attribute to the sore throat and head cold I've had since. There were 7 of us in the group plus 2 instructors and 2 guides who handled the oar boat with all our gear.

We got to our put in point where Paul and Dave, the instructors gave us lessons on breaking in and out of the river's current. We ate lunch then started on the way. The first day, we some minor rapids. Emma and I (the only two girls) where to only ones who didn't "swim" the first day. Swimming, an event we all experienced at least once, is when your kayak gets capsized, you don't roll it back upright, and have to bail from the boat. We got into camp around 5:00 and half of us helped cook dinner. Just as we were eating, a group of 20 locals came down from their village and joined us on the beach. They brought drums and began singing and dancing. Things like this rarely happen while trekking, just because of the large quantity of people on the trails. But along the river, these people don't see too many westerners, so they're very interest in us. Paul, one of the instructors, did some magic tricks for the kids and we all loved it.

Funny incident with Paul...he's been in Nepal since June and trying to learn Nepali, so he has many of the basics down. After the initial greeting of "Namaste", people usually ask how you're doing. Paul replies and everyone giggles. Kumar, our Nepali guide runs over and asks him to repeat what he just said. The "ch" and "t" are pronounced very similarly, but are distinct sounds in their language. In this case, Paul thought he was answering "how are you?" with "well", but was actually answering with "having sex"... I decided to just answer questions in English after that!

The second day, we hit a couple class II and III rapids in the morning. Again, Emma and I stayed dry. And then we had lunch...

Swimming lesson #1 (approx. 2:05 pm):
I don't know what really went wrong...but I do know when you capsize, there's no way in hell you're rolling the boat in some of these rapids. I got twisted around and went over a rock into a hydraulic (any funky water formation caused my obstacles in the water) backwards. I was pretty much toast from there. Kumar and Krishna rescued me on the oar boat. Emma and I both swam here, and ironically, all the guys made it. That gave them a pretty good laugh.

Swimming lesson #2 (approx. 2:15 pm):
The guides scouted the rapids and said "no problem"...never trust a Nepali who says that. We had hit a couple large rapids earlier that were too big for our skill so we rafted up the kayaks in pairs (basically, lean together and hold on to your partners life jacket for dear life). But Krishna and Kumar said we could do it. They turned out to be class III+ rapids. Everyone swam but Emma and there was "carnage" everywhere. I personally picked up two paddles that others lost, as I swished down the rapids hanging tightly to my boat. One guy lost his boat...one of the instructors had to book down river to catch up with it and bring it back.

Swimming lesson #3 (approx. 2:45 pm):
Stephan, a very head strong German who kayaked virtually out of control hit into me and pushed my kayak down a very wicked pour over (waterfall?). I bailed out of the boat, came up for air, and saw two kayaks heading in a V formation right towards my face. I shoved myself under the water and felt the one guys bang the side of my boat. This was by far the scariest...I just had the instant vision of my face with a nice big kayak imprint across it. I was a little ticked, as this wasn't the first time Stephan crowded me out of the main line...and I'm sure he was doing it to others, too.

Swimming lesson #4 (approx. 3:30 pm):
I don't know what happened and I don't really care.

By this time, I was completely exhausted and I didn't even care. I was ready to just swim down the river instead of trying to kayak it.

So in the course of 1.5 hours, I managed to completed wreck my perfect kayaking record...but I was too tired to care. I decided that if we approached another section of rapids, I was just going jump in the water and swim from the beginning. It had been a long day and the sun had set behind the gorge we were in, so it was chilly, too. Everyone was tired and grouchy.

That evening, we built a fire and sat around drinking rum punch all night long...or at least until we all collapsed from exhaustion around 8:00 PM!

The third day, we woke up at 6 AM to hordes of children running through our campsite singing. So much for sleeping in. We all got up and had some tea. Several children came and sat around me. They were laughing at my pale skin, compared to theirs. Then the little girls decided to braid my hair...all ten of them...at the same time. And they did such a good job...I spent the rest of the day in pigtails!

The third day, we encountered more class II-III rapids...and I survived them all with no sweat. About 30 minutes before our take out, we hit the grand finale...called the "coffee grinder"...a major class III+. We banked our kayaks and went to scout the rapids. HOLY SH*T! Paul and Dave gave us 4 options:
A. Portage the boats around the rapids.
B. Take the "chicken shoot". The river was divided by a rocky bank and the right side was pretty flat.
C. Take the main route, rafted up in groups of two.
D. Take the main route, solo.

After half an hour of contemplation about the worst that could happen, each of us decided to go for it! Krishna and Kumar took my camera and parked the raft right along side the main drop and took pictures of each of us coming down the rapids. Dave and Paul were at the bottom...ready to collect the swimmers.

I went second...and survived...WHAT A RUSH! We were supposed to navigate to the right of some splashy water, then around the left side of a huge rock. But right after the rock, we had to immediately turn the kayak 120 degrees or so into the opposite direction to keep from going over a really deep drop with bad water at the bottom. I swept the kayak around too hard and went over the fall sideways. I thought I was a swimmer, but just began paddling like hell and somehow managed to pull out of it! Three of us made it down without dumping our boats!!!! And I'm hoping Krishna took some awesome pictures!

I head to Bangkok tomorrow and home on Friday. But I'd really love to stay another month or so. I will return...maybe sooner than later...

The second half of the trek was certainly more relaxing for me. In Tatopani, I met a hodge podge group of trekkers from all over who were heading in the same direction as I and they asked me to join them.

We got up and on the trail bright and early in the morning and faced the immediate challenge of a 700 meter ascent...of stone stairs. One thing to realize for those who've never encountered stairs in the wilderness before - they're not nearly as uniform as those you might find in your house. In fact, I think the builders purposefully alternated between the 2 foot high steps and the 2 inch high steps just to tick off the trekkers. In any case, we felt pretty good about the climb. All of our books said 3.5 hours and we reached the top (panting) in a little over 2...and only lost one person along the way. At the bottom of the hill was a checkpost, where the military checks our trekking permits and each person has to register. After leaving the checkpost, there was a sign about 2x3 feet big saying Ghorepani with a huge arrow pointing up. Somehow, one of the guys, who was in the middle of the group, missed the sign and went straight. Apparently, he continued for about 45 minutes before he realized that he was supposed to be going up and was on a flat trail and he didn't see anyone else from the group. He caught up to us during our very disappointing breakfast. It took 2 hours for them to prepare cereal and finally inspector gadget (who just kept pulling things out of his bag) ran up, bought some eggs and boiled them on his own msr stove. We continued up another 500 meters or so before stopping for lunch, which took even longer. Finally, another person and I went into the kitchen to find out what was happening. It was one of the big festival days, so everyone was out drinking chaang and smearing red rice on their foreheads. The old man and his even older mother were the only two working in the kitchen. At this point, I grabbed a knife and began chopping vegetables and fixed my own lunch...and didn't even get a discount. We made it a little further that night, to Chitre and woke up to an incredible panoramic view of the Daulgiri range (across the Kali Gondaki river from the Annapurnas). The next day was somewhat uneventful. We went down, down, down, only to turn around and go back up to the top of the next mountain. We played volleyball with some locals, who were more interested in showing off their spiking skills, then making the youngsters jump over the edge of the hill when the ball rolled off. Our next night was spent very close to some more hot springs...although the water was only luke warm. We ended up swimming around in the river which felt much better after a long day on the trail. Then the lodge owner had this game that we played until it got too dark to see. It was like a small table top pool table, but you used plastic chips and flick them around, instead of balls. Our final day in was pretty easy trekking, but we were walking along the terraced fields in the sun all day and one of the guys had somewhat of a heat stroke. We made him jump in the river to cool off...and then did so ourselves, just to make sure the water wasn't too cool for him. We finished of the trek by riding on top of the local bus for two hours back to Pokhara. Since then, I've been lounging around the lake eating and drinking entirely too much. The gang all left Pokhara yesterday. So this morning, I got a bit of motivation and kayaked across the lake then climbed to the top of the valley around Pokhara for the most incredible view of the Annapurnas.

Additional trekking tidbits:

-Pack mules
You will meet trains of mules along the trail. They are especially stingy and take up the entire trail. When trying to negotiate the trail with an oncoming mule, never stand cliff side...or it may be the last mule you pass. They stop alot to eat grass and smell the roses, and by the end of the trek, we all knew the calls and hisses that made them move on - although we're fairly sure some of the porters accompanying the mules were hissing at us to move and not the animals. Some, obviously the more intelligent of herd, did not need humans to accompany them and they traveled alone. Most had humiliating tassels on their heads and obnoxious bells around their necks. They looked more like parade mules than pack mules.

-Pack mule droppings
With the pack mules, come lots of droppings. The first few days, you are very aware and careful to avoid each and every pile. As the trail steepens and your patience wears you avoid only the steaming piles. Besides, you know there will be a stream crossing before too long, and even if there are a few rocks, you'll probably slip and fall in anyway...so you just go for it...unless it looks like it didn't come from an animal?!!

-Porters
Porters have a way of making us all feel like weaklings. While we're struggling along breathing as if we'd just run a marathon and stopping every 25 steps or so...here comes a train of porters carrying everything from coke (in glass bottles!) to live chickens to eggs to who knows what else they have in those baskets three times the size of my backpack. And they wear flip flops. And they glide along the trail as if they were on roller skates. The sad thing is...those porters who don't reach the destination on time are given extras loads on the next journey. Sucks to be the last one in.

-The menu is the same...only the food changes
When hiking in the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, all "approved" lodges must use the same menu and the same rates for food and lodging. Literally, the same exact menu is printed up for each lodge. The menu looks so appetizing at first...everything from mexican to chinese to italian. What you come to realize is there's dal bhat (the Nepali dish of beans, rice, and vegetables...sometimes) and then there's about four other dishes under 30 different names on the menu. After a few days of exhausting the menu, you figure your chances are best if you order the same thing for each meal...then you might just hit upon a place that fixes it well.

-Mustang coffee
In the Mustang region of the ACAP, mustang coffee is worth trying...once. This is coffee with a splash (or more) of the local apple brandy. One of these after a day of hiking...and you're sleeping at the table that night.

-Beer
Prices for a San Miguel beer on the trail ranges from 110-185 rupees.

-Rice wine
Prices for homemade rice wine (i.e. saki) on the trail is 20 rupees...and just as potent as a beer at the high altitudes.

-Lodging
When you stay at a lodge, you are expected to eat dinner there. This makes choosing a lodge doubly important. You're not only selecting the bed you'll be sleeping in (with or without bugs or worse), you're also choosing where you have to eat dinner. Prices for a single room ranges from 20-50 rupees on the trail (70 rupees = $1 US).

-Hot shower
All lodges have signs that say hot showers. One percent of the lodges have hot showers. Most lodges don't even have warm showers. And all lodges make you pay 20 rupees for the showers...no matter how cold they are! And at 3800 meters, you might as well go for a dip in the river...that's where the water's coming from.

-Texans
I'm quite embarrassed for the US and even more so for the state of Texas. Before I joined the group, they ran across three cheerleaders from Texas with big hair and makeup. They were all decked out in the latest trekking gear, including safari vests (just in case of a rhino spotting along the trail!). One was complaining that by the time they ate in the evening, it was too dark to file her fingernails. And they were all devastated at the lack of shower and toilet facilities. Pitty... Pitty they didn't push these three over the cliff.

Hope everyone is doing well...and not too bored with my letters!

I began by flying into Jomosom and hiking up the Muktinath Valley (Salvation Valley) to the village of Muktinath at 3800 meters. It's an important spiritual place for both hindus and buddhists and I was heading there during one of the biggest festivals of the year, so there were lots of Indian and Nepali pilgrims along the trails. I must say a felt a bit physically inadequate when this 80 years old woman wearing no shoes and carrying a load twice the size of my pack kept up with me the entire day. I think we both had a good laugh over than one.

I met up with a German fellow and traveled with him for a few days...he was a nice guy, but I was really glad to get away from him. There were several warnings, but I'm just too darn nice... I was breaking for a snack about halfway up a steep 700 meter ascent on a windy, sandy ridge when this completely distraught man walks up and asks if he could join me. He then proceeds to tell me that he was heading up to the pass, got halfway there, and realized he left his passport and money in the lodge from the previous night. He dropped his bags at a guesthouse, and was heading back to get his stuff, then returning that night. So he rested for a few moments then went on his way. Meantime, I made it to the next town, another 3 hours up the road and got a room for the night. Well, wouldn't you know of the four lodges in this little village, I chose the same one he was staying in. So we ate dinner together in the kitchen as the woman cooked each persons meal on a little wood stove...one at a time...it took hours (and you learn very quickly what meals they usually cook first and just how long they take). He said he was heading up to Muktinath for a few days then down to Pokhara. I said I was leaving my bags in Khingba, going up to Muktinath just for the day, then back down. He asked if he could join me on the uphill stroll (another 700 meter ascent...man those suck) to Muktinath and I said sure. The next day we head up there and he is absolutely dying and stopping for drinks every few minutes...in teahouses, as he wasn't carrying his own water. Of course, I was trucking along...I didn't have my backpack. He also insisted that the main trail climbed over this rock wall and into the middle of the field of yaks...and we ended up way off the trail. That ordeal killed an hour or so. We get to Muktinath around noon, checked out the monastery area (very disappointing...it's just this side of the pass and is pretty much just a little tourist haven) and I was ready to head back. We ate lunch and then he says that he'sdecided not to stay in Muktinath and can he trek with me back to Pokhara? I just couldn't say no...but I did tell him I get up very early in the morning and hit the road by 6:30 to arrive at the final destination in early afternoon...which he groans at. We start heading back to Khingba and he wants to stop again...this time I put my foot down and said I wasn't stopping and would just meet him back at the lodge. He arrives at the lodge an hour after me...bleeding and looking a bit disheveled. First he got lost. How, I have no idea, as I didn't see anything that even resembled a trail leading off the main trail I followed back. So he ended up in some field and realized the trail was down below and climbed back to the trail then slipped while crossing a stream and fell and scratched his arm up pretty good. OK, so this was warning number two that I ignored. He gets up early the next and is ready to leave by 6:45...I was patient. Then we get on the trail and I realize that his idea of trekking with someone is orbiting within 3 feet of them at all times. If I slowed down, he would stop and wait for me about once every 2 minutes. If I sped up, he would push himself to keep right next to me. And then there was the nonstop talking. You think I can talk your ear off. He was nonstop, and again wanting constant breaks. Around 9, I pulled away and said I wanted to quiet, meditative time alone and would meet him in a town a few hours down the road. I did this for two more days...this person should NOT have been travelling alone.

I made it to Tatopani (which means "hot water"...hot springs!) just moments before a torrential downpour. He arrived a few hours later, soaked to the bone, and decided he was staying there a second day. I must say the thought of sitting in the springs the following day was quite tempting, but not so much as the desire to get away from the leech.

My time is up...more later...

Love, Ange

1. When given the choice to walk or drive the steep 5k hill from the Nepal-Tibet border to Chinese immigration...walk. Even if it's raining. They said the hill takes 2 hours to climb. It took us 90 minutes to drive it and we had to stand up in the truck anyway. Oh, and the tarp covering the truck had holes so we still got drenched.

2. Don't assume that others in your tour group will speak English.

3. You can learn a lot of German in 8 days.

4. Don't assume you'll share a room with a person of the same sex. Don't be surprised when your "roommate" walks around in his underwear, smokes in bed, and wakes up at 4 AM (with lights on).

5. "Tibetan style hotel" means dormitory rooms with 3-5 beds. They don't necessarily divide the rooms between "girls" and "boys".

6. Altitude sickness comes in a variety of flavors, including thumping headaches, nausea, and shortness of breath. Lhasa beer doesn't help (of course, alcohol at high altitudes does other things to you, even if it doesn't relieve symptoms). Tylenol with codeine does. Diamox (specifically for altitude sickness) doesn't always help...but it makes your fingers tingle.

7. Drink lots and lots and lots of water. And then drink some more. Oh, and then drink a little bit more than that.

8. Central Tibet is a man's world. Very few big rocks or ditches for protection while women try to discreetly relieve themselves.

9A. Farmers usually won't watch. Children stare...and sometimes wave. Waving back helps pass the time.

9B. If you see a toilet, use it...even if you don't have to go. Chances are it's the last one you'll see for several days. And take toilet paper, unless you wish to do as the Tibetans do (which is why they never pick up food with their left hand).

10. If your car breaks down, AAA is not available in Tibet.

11A. Never drive in a different car from your luggage. Your luggage could arrive at the hotel 6 hours before you do...if you arrive at all.

11B. If your car breaks down while trying to cross a river, look on the bright side. There may be some Tibetan road workers willing to carry you and your luggage to the other side. Then again, they might not.

12. The people of Tibet love to smile.

13. The people of Tibet have tempers.

14. Especially if they're driving a mule-pulled cart and you hit them with your truck.

15. Accidents will bring Tibetans from all the neighboring towns.

16A. Children will beg for pens, candy, and money...in that order. Once they realize you're not giving them anything, they'll settle for holding you hand.

16B. Children wear pants with the crotch cut out for easy bathroom relief. They do not make such pants in adult sizes.

17. Children are fascinated by watches...even if they have no idea what they are.

18. Yak butter tea isn't as bad as it sounds...unless your expecting regular tea when you take your first gulp.

19. Tibetan thungpa is glorified ramen noodles.

20. Always walk clockwise around temples, stupas, and the market. You could go the other way, but you'd be the only one and it's not worth the effort.

21. Lhasa is a Chinese city. There's very little Tibetan culture there.

22. There is a disco across the street from the Potala Palace.

23. The disco is cheesier than the worst show in Las Vegas.

24. The stars are magnificent above the Potala Palace at 6 AM.

25. The sun rises at 8 AM in Lhasa at this time of year. Don't believe anyone at your hotel who tells you otherwise.

Tibet was an adventure. Not a dull second. I was with a group of six others...3 Germans, 2 Dutch, 1 Swiss and myself. Our Tibetan guide, Lap-Songh spoke average English...I often had to translate for the rest of the group. We saw several monasteries and chanted with the monks.

The day after my arrival back to Katmandu, I took a flightseeing tour over the Everest region. That could have been the hilight of the entire trip. I felt so insignificant as the tallest mountains in the world towered over and all around our tiny little plane.

I'm in Pokhara now and fly to Jomsom at 6:00 tomorrow morning. This village is north of the Annapurnas. I'll hike back towards Pokhara, hopefully having enough time to trek to the Annapurna Base Camp...also known as the Annapurna Sanctuary.

Hope everyone is well! Miss you!

-Ange

Everything about India was intense...the heat and humidity especially. I saw very few foreigners around Delhi, which surprised me. I took the "budget" tour of the city and ended up on an "air-conditioned" bus (the air might have been conditioned, but it sure wasn't cool - and I think I paid extra for a/c) with all Indians and a guide that didn't speak English. Lucky for me a Turkish guy joined the tour, so he and I stuck together the entire day. A few stops were stressful because we weren't always sure where we were or what time we were supposed to return to the bus. Then we realized that whatever time they said, we had an additional 30 minutes or so before the bus would leave. That day was non-stop seeing the Red Fort, government buildings, Gandhi memorial, India Gate, Qutb Minar, Baha'i temple...all the major sights around Delhi. I also made it to Agra for a couple days. The Taj Mahal is BREATHTAKING!!! No matter how many pictures you see of it, they can't begin to display it's beauty. It's much smaller than I expected. I spent several hours there, walking around it and sitting up in it. Those few hours made all the heat and grime of India worth it!

Nepal, although only an hour flight from Delhi, is like worlds away. It's cooler, the people friendlier, and very clean. Well, my time is up. I'll be thinking of you all!

More later...I'm off to the monkey temple!

I left Anchorage Wednesday morning around 7 and arrived in Bangkok Thursday night at midnight. I skipped a day. Crossing the international date line got me kind of confused. Fortunately, I don't feel like my internal clock got thrown off too bad. I went to bed around 2 AM and woke up feeling pretty good around 7 AM this morning. I was going to do some sightseeing, but opted for a nap around 10 instead.

I stayed last night near downtown Bangkok in the Best Western Baiyoke SUITES hotel. I emphasize that because the taxi driver took me to the wrong hotel...Baiyoke SKY hotel. Lucky for me, the right hotel was just a couple blocks away. So the bellman carried my bag and walked me to the other hotel. Dad, you would have hated this hotel. I was on the 41st floor. Of course, I had a fantastic view of the city. I could see some temple looking buildings and a waterway with the long water taxis. Kind of smoggy though.

I also just had the most fantastic lunch at my hotel...prawn red curry, rice, and tea for under $5. I was expecting prices to be higher here. The food was delicious...very spicy. Also full of vegetables I've never seen before. Besides the red and green thai chili peppers, I think there were some Japanese eggplant (they're about the shape and size of a ping pong ball) and something that resembled plump, crunchy peas. Although my favorite Thai in Anchorage is really great, this food did taste more authentic (maybe because of the local ingredients).

As far as Bangkok goes...it doesn't seem too different from any other big city that I've been too. Most of the signs are written in English. One thing I didn't know...they drive on the left side of the road here. That was a surprise. I was expecting more traffic. They have pretty smooth moving expressways here. It took me 1/2 hour to get to and from the airport each way (and it only cost $5).

Well, I better head to the gate. I'll be in touch!

MARCH 28, 2010
Hiatus.
Pictures of the Week for