Dinner at the Jesuit Residence- Jawalakhel

Fr. Boniface, who was the principal at St. Xavier's-Godavari when Amy was teaching there, is now principal at St. Xavier's Jawalakhel. He invited us over twice--once to a party at a friend's home and the second time for dinner at their residence. We enjoyed both!

Padre Boniface, quien fue el director de la escuela St. Xavier's-Godavari donde Amy ensenio. Ahora el es el director de la escuela St. Xavier's Jawalakhel. El nos invito a una fiesta y a cenar en sus residencias.
Fr. Boniface, Rabin (former teacher in Godavari, now living in the D.C. and home in Nepal for a visit), Fr. ----, Fr. Augustine(standing), Fr. Jiju (another former Godavari teacher) and Amy.

Padre Boniface, Rabin (fue maestro y ahora vive en D.C.), Padre ---, Padre Augustine, Padre Jiju y Amy.

At the party - Fr. Augustine, Amy, Omar (sipping the local "wine" called raksi) and Fr. Boniface.

En la fiesta -Padre Augustine, Amy, Omar (probando el vino local, raksi) y Padre Boniface.

Swayambhunath

Back to sightseeing in Kathmandu we walked up to Swayambhunath, a buddhist temple on a hill just west of Kathmandu. It's known as the "monkey temple" because they are everywhere--stealing peoples guavas and popsicles! It was a busy Saturday --lots of Buddhists and Hindus (there is also a Hindu temple) visiting to worship there.

Regreso a los sitios en Kathmandu. Caminamos hacia el templo Buddha llamado Swayambhunath. Tambien es llamado el templo de los monos porque hay muchos y se roban las guyavas y paletas de las personas.
Omar comiendo su paleta.

View of Kathmandu

Golden Buddha in a small gompa on the site/Buddha de oro
Offerings left by worshippers/Ofrendas

Swayambhunath stupa- under renovation--looks like they are painting new eyes. In the foreground is the Hindu temple and many small shrines.

The gateway to the stupa at the bottomof a long flight of stairs.

Entrada de la stupa.

Jungle Safari - Chitwan

De Pokhara fuimos a Chitwan para nuestro safari en un area protejida por el gobierno. Estuvo muy divertido, fuimos en canoa por el rio, montamos elefantes y nos interamos en la selva y vimos varios animales.

From Pokhara we went to Chitwan National Park. We went on a canoe ride, a jungle walk and an elephant back safari. We spent some fun time with elephants, saw rhinos, deer, lots of birds and a few leeches-- no bites though....

Returning from the elephant safari, riding through town and back to our hotel on an elephant.
Regresando de nuestro safari hacia nuestro hotel.

Amy and Omar riding an elephant. The elephant "driver" is standing on the elephant's head to get this picture!

Amy y Omar arriba de elefante.

Rhinos! Rinocerontes!

Rhinos with an elephant -- we were riding on top of one just like that.

Deer. Venados. We also saw wild boar, peacocks and monkeys.

Omar went swimming with the elephants! Omar nadando con los elefantes!

Baby elephants at the Elephant Breeding Center.

Despidiendonos de los elefantes.

Omar on the jungle walk.

Our dugout canoe ride--we saw a crocodile and lots of birds.

Omar in the garden of our hotel.

Omar en el jardin de nuestro hotel.

Relaxing in Pokhara

After our 17 day trek we spent three days relaxing in Pokhara. We had rainy cloudy weather so not too many mountain views, but the lake was beautiful and the eating and relaxing so nice! This was a view of the lake from the "Elegant View" restaurant one evening.

Despues de nuestros 17 dias de montania nos relajamos en la ciudad de Pokhara. Tuvimos un dia lluvioso, asi que no estaba clara la vista hacia las montanias pero la vista del lago estaba muy bonita. La comida era muy buena y nos relajamos bastante. Esta es la vista desde nuestro restaurant "Elegant View."

The Honeymoon Trek!

We are back safe and sound in Pokhara after our 17 day trek around the Annapurnas. It was spectacular! There is so much to see--the landscape and villages change so much from day to day. It was hard--we are limping around Pokhara after our last two days of up, up, up and then down, down, down. We have tons of pictures--here are more than a few of our favorites.

Llegamos a Pokhara sanos y salvos despues de 17 dias de recorrer las montanas del Annapurna. Estuvo dificil pero estuvo incredible. Amy y yo estuvimos embarados por los ultimos dias (subimos, subimos y subimos y bajamos, bajamos y bajamos). Hay demasiado que ver, los paisajes y las villas cambian cada dia de una a otra. Aqui estan algunas de nuestras fotos favoritas.

Our local bus from Kathmandu to Besisahar. A pretty good but long ride--we did have a flat tire delay, but no chickens and goat passengers until the very end....

Nuestro autobus de Kathmandu a Besisahar. Un camino de curvas, baches, una llanta ponchada en el camino y un chivo como pasajero a un lado mio, asi empezo nuestro viaje....

The rooftop of our lodge in Besisahar.

And we are off. Day one Khudi (we took a bus from Besisahar to Khudi) to Bahundanda.

Rewarded after a long hot climb to Bahundanda with these views from our lodge.

Vista despues de subir a Bahundanda desde nuestro hotelito.

Omar doesn't look a bit tired relaxing after our lunch in Bahundanda.

Despues de un buen lunchesito, se me olvido el cansancio.

We didn't stay in this lovely room, but note the sign above Amy--the "honeymoon sweets."

Day two!

Rice terraces-- a person in the foreground with a heavy load.

Los de campos de arroz, estan en toda esta area.

Crossing a landslide.

Amy trying to get out of the way of a donkey train.

A few days later, this is a Buddhist Mani wall leaving Chame.

Saliendo Chame. Estos pequenios templos estan a lo largo del camino.

This is day six, climbing up to two ancient villages on the "high route" to Manang. We missed putting a picture here of the village, but see Omar's video (maybe later we can't get this to load right now).

A view of the mountains from our room in Manang.

Our lodge in Manang. We were two nights here, acclimatizing and eating apple pie :) Manang is 11,614 ft (3540 m). /Nuestro hotel en Manang.

The buckwheat harvest in Manang.

Omar with Gangapurna glacier in the background. This is on our "acclimatization hike" above Manang. When we took a break from visiting the bakery.

Our photographer--the gorilla in action. /Nuestro fotografo en accion.

Looking back on Manang.

Leaving Manang, enroute to Letdar and almost to the pass.

This is us on the trail (the gorilla tripod in action).

We got an early morning start on the day we crossed the Thorong La. We left our lodge at 6 and watched the sunrise as we stopped to catch our breath on the steep trail. Thorong Phedi, where we spent the night is 14,600 ft (4450 m).

Thorong Phedi al amanacer desde nuestra ventana.

We made it! 17,769 ft.

El cruze de las montanias a 5,416 mts de altura.

And now the long, steep, climb down.

Despues de subir, hay que bajar, bajar y bajar....

This is a view from the temple complex in Muktinath--first stop after the pass.

Vista del templo en Muktinath. El segundo templo mas importante para la cultura Hindu. Lo interesante de este templo, es que es compartido por la cultura Budda y la Hindu.

Muktinath village

Here is the Muktinath jeep stand. I was so suprised to see a road! You can now take a jeep from Jomsom to Muktinath and a bus from Jomsom all the way back to Pokhara. But we walked--and the walking trail was different than the road for most of the way.

A jeep trying to pass some yaks. Amy is scrambling up out of the way of the huge and scary yaks. Omar is busy photographing the whole scene.

Pilgrims on the way to Muktinath. The temple there is the second holiest Hindu temple in Nepal. If a Hindu bathes under all the 108 taps there it is said to bring salvation. It is also a Buddhist holy site.

Marpha village

The rooftop of our lodge in Tatopani

Omar on a Dashain swing! It's a tradition to build these bamboo swings for the Dashain festival that just ended. We both had a try on this one.

Omar probando que este nuevo columpio aguante.

Our long, long, five + hour climb up was to Ghorepani and the famous Poon Hill. It was worth the tough climb--here you have an amazing view of Dhaulagiri (the world's seventh highest peak) to Manasalu (the 8th highest) with the Annapurna range between them. This picture is of Dhaulagiri.

Nuestro premio por escalar casi 6 horas a Ghorepani. La vista al pico numero 7 en altura del mundo.

Salimos a las 5 de la maniana para poder ver la primer luz del dia en estas montanias.

And now we head down...this is the first part through a beautiful forest. After this was 4000 steps. Thank goodness we were going down!

Omar on the steps

Our last night on the trail we stayed at this beautiful guest house in Tikhedunga.

Nuestro hotel en Tikhedunga antes de terminar nuestro recorrido en esra area.

Amy started the birthday celebtration with an apple fritter birthday breakfast cake!

Feliz Cumplenios Amy! Y los mariachis cantaron en Nepal.

Back in Pokhara. This is a rainy Sunday morning breakfast at Mike's--delicious and relaxing.

En Pokhara disfrutando la vida. De hecho, "Huevos Rancheros" fue el desayuno de hoy.