tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37059837488079960672024-03-14T11:26:24.524+08:00Athma SpeaksAthmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-42461394116352518432024-03-04T00:27:00.000+08:002024-03-04T00:27:28.021+08:00Winterlit festival @ Mountsberg<p>After my first winter camping in Canada (<a href="https://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2024/02/my-first-winter-camp-arrowhead_12.html" target="_blank">here</a>), I felt more comfortable getting out in Winter. My driving skills are not ready for primetime winter yet, so, I continue to rely on <a href="https://parkbus.ca/" target="_blank">Parkbus</a> for all my car-less adventures. And, they continue to surprise me with their reliability and consistency, despite the uncertainty in demand.</p><p>Winterlit is a festival organized by Halton Conservation (<a href="https://www.conservationhalton.ca/winterlit/" target="_blank">here</a>) - two of their easiest trails are illuminated with local art and beautiful lights on Winter evenings. If you are wondering about the cold, they have campfires to warm your sprits and your body. The walk is mesmerizing - the combination of snow, cold temperatures, campfires and twinkling trails makes the experience memorable. When we arrived at the site, we had a couple of hours of daylight, so, as a group, we went on a couple of trails in the village. We were back in the village by sundown. Then began a magical experience...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oelrLdAb_zY" width="320" youtube-src-id="oelrLdAb_zY"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhvzN_kFrz0_ffaY_d2a-zlYXZdvvjH5JJWwoHpA9OQGVcCQ7HHqPQKsXBMGc8N3eLrK9eaRcDDk-TztvOxr61K-WLutyN3imzQL1dNfPw53CUk-bMrDfxPgU4e9x1C6oMTV_ehIdTWH-RD-tHt5Sa4y6Vbd1yIwVkhcwk6WhBDQ7-8PmfFtjgRIZVo3N/s4032/IMG_3374.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhvzN_kFrz0_ffaY_d2a-zlYXZdvvjH5JJWwoHpA9OQGVcCQ7HHqPQKsXBMGc8N3eLrK9eaRcDDk-TztvOxr61K-WLutyN3imzQL1dNfPw53CUk-bMrDfxPgU4e9x1C6oMTV_ehIdTWH-RD-tHt5Sa4y6Vbd1yIwVkhcwk6WhBDQ7-8PmfFtjgRIZVo3N/s320/IMG_3374.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMeMAvueYqEOe56HENKYcd_hqS6JNP0zPNzc2gJrfjaKvyPKkuUaZSMhgO74wmonK7i1fgE1E_4qkMMlLlNoHX8WBRh7N4c2uYS1zR1prJ0edaj_TF1zpw1yw_8CbSc7iTGHcwI8EuQA6hoZ9dZ1LKkSP5OtgfYu8FZNrJoiDKRDt2lshQanBTT5Gis3f/s4032/IMG_3386.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMeMAvueYqEOe56HENKYcd_hqS6JNP0zPNzc2gJrfjaKvyPKkuUaZSMhgO74wmonK7i1fgE1E_4qkMMlLlNoHX8WBRh7N4c2uYS1zR1prJ0edaj_TF1zpw1yw_8CbSc7iTGHcwI8EuQA6hoZ9dZ1LKkSP5OtgfYu8FZNrJoiDKRDt2lshQanBTT5Gis3f/s320/IMG_3386.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-82297829583388314192024-02-12T06:57:00.001+08:002024-02-12T06:57:27.974+08:00My first winter camp @ Arrowhead Provincial Park (Part 2 of 2)<p>This is the final part of a 2-part series on my first winter camping experience in Canada. Part 1, with the gear list, is <a href="https://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2024/02/my-first-winter-camp-arrowhead.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p>With the gear all set, I was excited to experience Canadian winter first hand. I've skied (never beyond green slopes!) for 4-5 seasons but I always had a roofed shelter to get back to - this was the first time I'd be sleeping out on my own. My previous winter outing was in Ladakh (India) when, at ~-25C, we walked on a frozen lake and camped out in the open. On that trip, I had the support of a hiking group and also logistical support. I was on my own here in Arrowhead Provincial Park... </p><p>Since my driving (<12 months since I got my license) is not winter-ready yet, I decided to make this into another car-less adventure. There are a few car-less adventures on this blog. </p><p><u>Day 1</u> (Jan 14th 2024)</p><p>Ontario Northland to Huntsville</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Toronto Union Station to King City station - GO train</li><li>King City GO station to Huntsville - <a href="https://www.ontarionorthland.ca/en" target="_blank">Ontario Northland</a> Bus</li></ul><p></p><p>The pickup at King City station is at the transit shelter at the intersection of Keele St and Burton Grove. There is one more identical transit shelter, near the GO train station and a couple of hundred feet away from the intersection - that is NOT the pickup location. </p><p>There was active weather all through the journey. Check out this 15 second video from the bus:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fuE4v-xKcoA" width="320" youtube-src-id="fuE4v-xKcoA"></iframe></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Once I reached Huntsville, I called one of the local taxis (no uber available), Al's taxi, to take me to Arrowhead Park which was a 15-min ride. Once I reached the site and setup the tent, I got started with clearing snow and setting the site up for dinner. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s5pjqgOousw" width="320" youtube-src-id="s5pjqgOousw"></iframe></div><br /><p>Once all the snow (well, let's call it as much as possible) was cleared out, we started a fire with the firewood we purchased from the Park. The wood was damp (surprise!) and it took an effort to keep the fire going. At dinner, my MSR Whisperlite stove malfunctioned - it couldn't give me a steady flame. So, I reverted back to my tried and tested MSR PocketRocket Deluxe, which I carried for emergency use. There was a minor hiccup with the canister sticking to the table after use but we were able to work around it. Overnight, we had ~4-5 inches of snow - not bad at all but it did give us a good feel of what to expect. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzsyjqQ6sOnPUaxiZXZbCf3QACj7EX-Rph_rPKlSY6jRlHmvA_u5HFrx8sJpqLDq947-PrZyuscuN6YFGNnK1FSbTK_6Rf3AI883z7KPhu2rlo0L1EHFlBvQ8y7VCOq8jqUrm3nReHfkqGZEhK-rmxP4yx6VGtHC_1xrzjucBBQfPNZ_PNS-EXWZujMhO/s4032/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzsyjqQ6sOnPUaxiZXZbCf3QACj7EX-Rph_rPKlSY6jRlHmvA_u5HFrx8sJpqLDq947-PrZyuscuN6YFGNnK1FSbTK_6Rf3AI883z7KPhu2rlo0L1EHFlBvQ8y7VCOq8jqUrm3nReHfkqGZEhK-rmxP4yx6VGtHC_1xrzjucBBQfPNZ_PNS-EXWZujMhO/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vIRNm9N3G9s" width="320" youtube-src-id="vIRNm9N3G9s"></iframe></div><p> </p>Overall, here is how the gear fared: <p><u>Sleep system</u>: My wife used the Nemo Sonic -20F, I used a couple of summer sleeping bags - we both were warm throughout the night. The tent (MSR Access 2) insulated us well and shielded us well from the snow and cold. There was condensation inside the tent (obviously) overnight - I'd like to try a couple of different configurations to find the perfect setup for this weather. </p><p><u>Kitchen</u>: I returned the MSR whisperlite on my return to the city. Not a great experience with the stove but I saw a lot of good reviews of it. I might have been just unlucky. On my next trip, I intend to use my summer kit, with some precautions on Canister (like storing it inside the sleeping bag to prevent it from freezing). </p><p><u>Clothing</u>: I have seen a few Canadian winters, so, I was well prepared with the layers. I wouldn't change anything on clothing for the next trip. </p><p>This was a great experience and another "first". I realized a few things: </p><p>- The gear, described in <a href="https://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2024/02/my-first-winter-camp-arrowhead.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a>, fared very well and it made the experience very enjoyable. The sleep system, in particular, was perfect. </p><p>- I am not ready for back country in the winter yet. I need a couple more "accessible" winter camping trips to learn more. I have always respected mother nature and will continue to do so - I'll wait until I feel ready for the back country. </p><p>More coming soon!!! </p>Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-12423324846587856842024-02-12T05:41:00.002+08:002024-02-12T06:58:47.922+08:00My first winter camp @ Arrowhead Provincial Park (Part 1 of 2)<p> I've been wanting to graduate to winter camping for a while. I always knew that it'd be challenging and, in the back country, any situation could easily escalate into a life threatening one. So, I decided to try it out in an accessible provincial park of Ontario (Arrowhead Provincial Park) in the heart of Canadian winter. This allowed some room for gear malfunction and also granted access to emergency services should something go wrong due to inclement winter weather.</p><p>Arrowhead is a popular provincial park sitting just outside its bigger brother, and my favorite, Algonquin provincial park. The park has a well established trail system for winter activities and also hosts Fire and Ice nights (more on that <a href="https://www.discovermuskoka.ca/fire-and-ice-nights/" target="_blank">here</a>) on the natural skating rink. </p><p>The temperature that day was -12 degree Celsius (-17 with wind chill) or 10 degree Fahrenheit (near zero Fahrenheit with wind chill). And, we had a lot of snow a day before and there was an active warning for more on the day I was to camp. I couldn't have asked for a better night... </p><p>In my research for winter camping, I realized that having the right gear is mission critical. Good gear is important for back country escapades in other seasons as well but you could, potentially without risking your life, overcome malfunctions in the summer/shoulder seasons (see my Highland trek in Algonquin park (<a href="https://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2022/09/hikes-without-car-from-toronto.html" target="_blank">here</a>)) with minor workarounds. With winter camping, the margin of error is incredibly thin and a minor error in judgment could easily put your life in jeopardy. </p><p>So, I put in a lot of time researching the right gear - I had to literally refresh every component of my summer camping setup. Here is what I ended up with :</p><p><b><u>Sleep</u></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Tent: MSR Access 2 (<a href="https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6008-236/access-2-person-tent-2.0">https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6008-236/access-2-person-tent-2.0</a>)</li><li>Sleeping bag: Nemo Sonic -20F (<a href="https://www.nemoequipment.com/products/sonic-ultralight-mummy-sleeping-bag">https://www.nemoequipment.com/products/sonic-ultralight-mummy-sleeping-bag</a>)</li><li>Sleeping pad: Thermarest NeoAir NXT MAX (<a href="https://www.thermarest.com/ca/sleeping-pads/fast-and-light/neoair-xlite-nxt-max-sleeping-pad/neoair-xlite-nxt-max.html">https://www.thermarest.com/ca/sleeping-pads/fast-and-light/neoair-xlite-nxt-max-sleeping-pad/neoair-xlite-nxt-max.html</a>)</li><li>Down balaclava: Outdoor Vitals LoftTek Hybrid (<a href="https://outdoorvitals.com/products/lofttek-hybrid-balaclava?_pos=2&_sid=19e431e99&_ss=r">https://outdoorvitals.com/products/lofttek-hybrid-balaclava?_pos=2&_sid=19e431e99&_ss=r</a>)</li><li>A cheap insulating tarp like insulating fabric from Amazon (I used this inside the tent to increase insulation; and used the regular MSR tent footprint under the tent)</li></ul><p></p><p><b><u><br /></u></b></p><p><b><u>Kitchen</u></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Primary Stove: MSR whisperlite universal (<a href="https://www.msrgear.com/ca/stoves/liquid-fuel-stoves/whisperlite-stove/11782.html">https://www.msrgear.com/ca/stoves/liquid-fuel-stoves/whisperlite-stove/11782.html</a>)</li><li>Backup Stove: MSR PocketRocket deluxe (<a href="https://www.msrgear.com/ca/stoves/canister-stoves/pocketrocket-deluxe-stove/10955.html">https://www.msrgear.com/ca/stoves/canister-stoves/pocketrocket-deluxe-stove/10955.html</a>)</li><li>Soto utensils</li><li>Fuel (White gas for Whisperlite and Canister fuel for PocketRocket )</li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>Clothing</u></b></p><p>Base layer; Fleece; Winter jacket (<a href="https://www.kanuk.com/" target="_blank">Kanuk</a>, a local Montreal firm - I am a big fan); wind breaker gloves; lightweight 800 fill down jacket for emergency use</p><p><b><u><br /></u></b></p><p><b><u>Other accessories</u></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Snow shovel (BCA 2H: <a href="https://backcountryaccess.com/en-ca/p/dozer-2h-avalanche-shovel-2024">https://backcountryaccess.com/en-ca/p/dozer-2h-avalanche-shovel-2024</a>)</li><li>Hatchet (Fiskars X7: <a href="https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6026-372/x7-hatchet">https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6026-372/x7-hatchet</a>)</li><li>Fire starters, emergency matches, emergency blanket</li><li>Pee bottle (you don't want to walk to the compost toilet in the middle of the night)</li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>In the next part, I'll go into the detail on how the gear fared and also on the overall experience. </p><p><br /></p>Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-43388941574030594012023-10-16T03:18:00.000+08:002023-10-16T03:18:09.741+08:00Algonquin Provincial Park - Western Uplands backpacking trail<p> If you are short on time and would like to view just the itinerary and the gear list for this Western Uplands backpacking trail in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario (Canada), please see <a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2023/08/hikes-without-car-from-toronto.html" target="_blank">this</a> post.</p><p>Now that you have to opted to read this detailed blog, I am about to bombard you with all the unnecessary detail, day by day. </p><p>Let us start with my route : </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsb4gAaPrYE8kXmtsZGQ97t6IbrYskZSShw_GLgqK_EPJJkNwK07ub60LtRdoO5_M5he2SasvBH7GQRHXMVb92AqpnfEyAzsEFKRHF3rh0T-NwFkknoqo6llkVX0wQFhFgs4-MPsQSY91CjM_3uR-RV9wfQ3aVcN6MXuLyKwBRpW7UXaVMo_fKdDOKrFW/s3573/route%20map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3573" data-original-width="2152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsb4gAaPrYE8kXmtsZGQ97t6IbrYskZSShw_GLgqK_EPJJkNwK07ub60LtRdoO5_M5he2SasvBH7GQRHXMVb92AqpnfEyAzsEFKRHF3rh0T-NwFkknoqo6llkVX0wQFhFgs4-MPsQSY91CjM_3uR-RV9wfQ3aVcN6MXuLyKwBRpW7UXaVMo_fKdDOKrFW/s320/route%20map.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail in yellow, direction of hike in purple, and night stays in red</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><b>Western Uplands Backpacking Trail (88kms, 28th July 2023 to 5th August 2023)</b></p><p><b>Day 1 - 28th July - </b>Toronto to Algonquin Provincial Park (Walk 3KM on the highway, hike ~11KM on the trail; Camp at Steeprise Lake)</p><p>As with other car-less adventures in Canada, I relied on the very reliable <a href="https://parkbus.ca/" target="_blank">Parkbus </a>to take me from <a href="https://www.blogto.com/city/2017/08/study-confirms-canadians-dont-know-how-pronounce-toronto/" target="_blank">Toronno</a> to Algonquin Provincial Park. The bus dropped a diverse bunch of hikers (one Latin American traveler, 2 PhDs from Austria and an Indian guy (of course, that is me)) at West Gate right on time at ~11:15AM. West Gate is also known as KM Zero (KM 0) as this is where Algonquin Park officially begins on highway 60. All distances to camping sites and other attractions on Highway 60 are measured from this reference point. </p><p>The other hikers had a long day ahead of them, so, they started the hike immediately. I stayed back to repack my backpack for the trail (travel mode to hiking mode) and set on the grueling 3KM walk on the highway. The last thing you want to do while on a hiking trip is to walk on the shoulder of a highway with cars speeding at ~100Km/hr. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdYedq6p_6Ufky4Js1biFt2dktYa5S1wLayTgh8e8hT9xnBnnWAubNKaIvaRvlwG_if9GLR_m9YTCiItZ8pQ2Su5lcavEYUuIv6cOLDu7VeLSWAh5uUQkh5Zyifdq_ynojFUD5v6gp7GQLNckLooCfFEEedKGwlGu8kyiTVA73iPo8pid5YFJHT8RjwDe/s4032/IMG-2820.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdYedq6p_6Ufky4Js1biFt2dktYa5S1wLayTgh8e8hT9xnBnnWAubNKaIvaRvlwG_if9GLR_m9YTCiItZ8pQ2Su5lcavEYUuIv6cOLDu7VeLSWAh5uUQkh5Zyifdq_ynojFUD5v6gp7GQLNckLooCfFEEedKGwlGu8kyiTVA73iPo8pid5YFJHT8RjwDe/s320/IMG-2820.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trailhead is at km 3.0</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I reached the trailhead in ~45 mins and started the hike, not following one of the recommendations which, very specifically, asked NOT to hike alone. To me, there is no better way to experience the wild - so, despite being a very obedient civilian, I choose to accept the risk (with a very detailed, multi-month prep before the hike)</p><p>As soon as you start the hike, in a couple of minutes, you come across a fork, where left takes you clockwise and right, anti-clockwise. I took left because my campsites were reserved for a clockwise loop. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmFR56shTv-BWR1sDUPNiuX4BBLiuovutUc6lf6a1q7wYWgRvRl_v3A5I1UWsoVgz90q886nbRWqt9fCnhkJTd-c6OL8aj3jLV9yiO5LtC2WP8dfXzJg6rF7nOJFSqKyU-94A-GYvfGSPlPfiBjiNYiFuVGJOvOlGfDWltwS0ofrTzzyWm9yCwL5fdpSQ/s4032/IMG-2824.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmFR56shTv-BWR1sDUPNiuX4BBLiuovutUc6lf6a1q7wYWgRvRl_v3A5I1UWsoVgz90q886nbRWqt9fCnhkJTd-c6OL8aj3jLV9yiO5LtC2WP8dfXzJg6rF7nOJFSqKyU-94A-GYvfGSPlPfiBjiNYiFuVGJOvOlGfDWltwS0ofrTzzyWm9yCwL5fdpSQ/s320/IMG-2824.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left is a clockwise loop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The trial was wet and slushy all along. My boot (Lowa Renegade) did a very good job of keeping me dry - I'd recommend a shoe that covers up over your ankle. </p><p>A couple of hours into the hike, another solo-hiker overtook me (I walk slowly and am generally not in a hurry unless absolutely necessary). A few minutes later, I caught up with him and we started a chat. He was from Windsor, Canada and his friend had a last-minute change of plans and hence, he had to do this alone. While we were discussing our plans for the night, we came across a fork, without signage. This is a very rare occurrence - I've found the trails in North America to be very well marked. Both options on the fork seemed plausible - so, we took one trail each and hoped we'll see each other on the other side. That couldn't happen because my trail ended abruptly a few minutes later. I retraced my path to the fork and took the other option. I was surprised to see the hiker from Windsor heading back to the fork - this was strange because I was sure that my trail wasn't the right one and this one had to be the correct path. I was curious to know his story of the route - he mentioned that a sign board indicated that the trail was going down to the lake and didn't seem like the right way. I told him that the trail I took from the fork initial was surely not our trail, so, this had to be it and I convinced him to explore this further with me. A couple of hundred meters later, we realized that it was indeed the right trail. This was one of the two occasions on this trail where the marking could have been better. </p><p>As we neared the campsites, we went our ways and I invited him for dinner since he didn't have a stove (his friend was supposed to carry the stove). I settled in, waited for a while and since he did not return, I assumed that he was able to light a fire. </p><p>For me, the first night in multi-night solo adventures is always the most difficult one. I am generally very anxious, transitioning from a city life into one in the wild. And, fresh bear dropping near my site did not help! </p><p>Here is the view from Steeprise site #2. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5ivdT8DXmIdV_yxMH9LhxqXpqhVRLDd9GyncFm3PZ7DPN7MSLXRrZ23VwD5oOnL2UNl6SxOjOz1AHZBmDKH24L1HEynlYcqR1CXBy-upDtWQzmXG53jIE5go6JMPbjgW-11jhGpVfPcdIwwE6p5mQV6e8zHRIG3_RlbAMJ0bI26mAeK2tV2HByTxooXK/s4032/IMG-2829.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5ivdT8DXmIdV_yxMH9LhxqXpqhVRLDd9GyncFm3PZ7DPN7MSLXRrZ23VwD5oOnL2UNl6SxOjOz1AHZBmDKH24L1HEynlYcqR1CXBy-upDtWQzmXG53jIE5go6JMPbjgW-11jhGpVfPcdIwwE6p5mQV6e8zHRIG3_RlbAMJ0bI26mAeK2tV2HByTxooXK/s320/IMG-2829.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner by the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><div><p><b>Day 2 - 29th July</b> - Steeprise Lake to Pincher Lake (~16km hike)</p><p>There were no incidents the previous night and I woke up to a beautiful morning. I packed up and started my day and in a few minutes, reached the detour for Steeprise Lake site #1 where the Windsor guy was at. I thought about checking in on him but wanted to respect his privacy and decided not to. He seemed experienced enough to light a fire or to get through a night with cold food / energy bars. </p><p>The trail goes through the east of Maggie lake, a very popular site for folks doing one of the shorter loops. It's distance from the highway (~11km - ~15km depending on the campsite) makes it an ideal first night or the last night for hikes from Highway 60. </p><p>The trail has frequent uphill and downhill sections with a few steep corridors thrown in. I had a good flavor of the terrain from my <a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2022/09/hikes-without-car-from-toronto.html" target="_blank">Highlands </a>trek last year. As I approached Clara Lake, I thought of the South American guy who was supposed to camp here for the previous night - it must have been a very long day for him after the bus ride. </p><p>As I reached my campsite, I saw a chipmunk waiting for me. This one, it seems, was fed by the hikers and was accustomed to seeing people and was used to being around with people. I don't feed animals while in the backcountry and, despite the disappointment it caused to the chipmunk, I continued my practice of not interfering with wild life. Earlier in the day, one of the hikers who I met was complaining about chipmunks and squirrels at his site - I was now able to relate to his story. This was night 2 of my trip and If I had lost my food on this night, it'd have been an excruciatingly long hike back to the highway (and that too without food). </p><p>Anyways, I settled in, took a dip in the lake, had dinner and hung my food in a "bear-safe" way and hoped that it'd be as is when I wake up the next day. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspDm4JClwSEKq80cLXpe6xxPi4u4KSPNCIOKMmS496OxDfMFAevTkmm_6X5dLRqWlkkwUMB5mINX4A3qojaOiqI4aoc3bKX5Os92K9oxV_Ib6BHJoF6TWY5MiqRBWr0DNInO8qxQBRYgv2rdr4SN8UukBx4BZoYnd3GOlzpnUW-GgAkVhncNbuskTyZuQ/s4032/IMG-2847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspDm4JClwSEKq80cLXpe6xxPi4u4KSPNCIOKMmS496OxDfMFAevTkmm_6X5dLRqWlkkwUMB5mINX4A3qojaOiqI4aoc3bKX5Os92K9oxV_Ib6BHJoF6TWY5MiqRBWr0DNInO8qxQBRYgv2rdr4SN8UukBx4BZoYnd3GOlzpnUW-GgAkVhncNbuskTyZuQ/s320/IMG-2847.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bear footprint</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eNrw3ZDGA9DETMGY3y4HWXQhjA9olP7uBAJMCLrpXFDfySpm-AC2XpnWSuhAdSAucjDpKGgV5djzHQFpZMxTQYznxFVyLmDt_WtZHY080eTPRH1cLPxlIW2EOiRp1Gqd-OwfCTTiOhjBAfpqaG2GNXJumliiB8tGZ3TXWFNaEjLqJdYBr8yHhmMghk3x/s4032/IMG-2857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eNrw3ZDGA9DETMGY3y4HWXQhjA9olP7uBAJMCLrpXFDfySpm-AC2XpnWSuhAdSAucjDpKGgV5djzHQFpZMxTQYznxFVyLmDt_WtZHY080eTPRH1cLPxlIW2EOiRp1Gqd-OwfCTTiOhjBAfpqaG2GNXJumliiB8tGZ3TXWFNaEjLqJdYBr8yHhmMghk3x/s320/IMG-2857.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pincher Lake Site #3 - Beautiful view of the lake from the site</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><b>Day 3 - 30th July</b> - Pincher Lake to Ishkuday Lake (~13km hike)</p><p>I woke up to a beautiful sunrise and my food was intact too. I couldn't have asked for more. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4E6Kl838R7iDqAoa8iXWciUQHbb3q3ZdA5nv9djF85Zc2_UZK3j6biRtL2_KQrYj9-Ch9k4-HeH-wN_P2AH5k6KSjiFYuJ1rZHK5BtTiZTPG-5zL7PgewSXMO5fqeES7lqmAYsa7F81xHvCIeIXcrbKqYjX2W8Hzyh5dZojDABD2AEdt_3BDB19rLTK1/s4032/IMG-2867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4E6Kl838R7iDqAoa8iXWciUQHbb3q3ZdA5nv9djF85Zc2_UZK3j6biRtL2_KQrYj9-Ch9k4-HeH-wN_P2AH5k6KSjiFYuJ1rZHK5BtTiZTPG-5zL7PgewSXMO5fqeES7lqmAYsa7F81xHvCIeIXcrbKqYjX2W8Hzyh5dZojDABD2AEdt_3BDB19rLTK1/s320/IMG-2867.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise from Picher Lake Site #3</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_OunfeGyz7lWJ7hOF96iyGK7xrfBZ6kHi_dG4tBs25X7YDfzECjqd5tevSIyt8HTvrKX1c2-7VO5XWXZbTeZWSy084lZRLlZN52Sne3eeHhyphenhyphenme4klUxS5vziGHyzht5dg-j8kjaGLZw8StbXbEkgyMePYy-uF9Zhzknzp0pOn9_eM5S-raPSzIjRDQO5/s4032/IMG-2873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_OunfeGyz7lWJ7hOF96iyGK7xrfBZ6kHi_dG4tBs25X7YDfzECjqd5tevSIyt8HTvrKX1c2-7VO5XWXZbTeZWSy084lZRLlZN52Sne3eeHhyphenhyphenme4klUxS5vziGHyzht5dg-j8kjaGLZw8StbXbEkgyMePYy-uF9Zhzknzp0pOn9_eM5S-raPSzIjRDQO5/s320/IMG-2873.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chipmunk (not the one on the left)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Once you cross Pincher Lake, and head North, the trail becomes more isolated when compared to the South. Fewer folks attempt this trail from the Rain Lake access point to the Northwest - Highway 60, where I started, is more popular. Ishkuday was the farthest point on this loop and if I had lost my food to bears (or other wildlife), I'd have had to exit the park via the Rain Lake access point in the North. I was now getting familiar with the terrain and was getting more comfortable in the wild after a couple of anxious nights. I reached Ishkuday in the afternoon. At first sight, it seemed to be a lovely site - however, as I tried to fetch water, I realized that there is no easy access to the lake. If you are prepared to wade through bogs, and submerged branches, you'd be able to get to sediment free water. I decided not to pursue and managed the night on energy bars. Over time, one gets to know what the body needs during extended backcountry trips. With years of hiking behind me, I knew my body well. So, I was not worried about skipping an important meal this night. I conserved whatever water I had and decided to get a refill at Brown Lake the next day. </p><p><b>Day 4 - 31st July</b> - Ishkuday Lake to West Otterpaw Lake (~10km hike)</p><p>Per my plan, I was supposed to stop at Brown Lake for a water refill. However, I decided to make the push to my site at West Otterpaw. This was a short day and I was comfortable reaching my site fairly early in the afternoon and ruminating over my thoughts. Some more bear footprints and droppings but no signs of any wildlife, even on the more remote northern part of the loop. </p><p>I managed to get a fire going for a while with some dead wood from near the site. Couldn't keep it going for long as the wood was wet from recent rain. Nevertheless, it was fun... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuie4NtV4IMGOn5dsdX8hzYJW8LrqLE1H2ioPT7fD3vXGRn6pwqLRfKPNh3pSdC-mitWUMQppPkcyCsTjpbtoQYlkiKEaHA_SUhQ3Gxa30XP6kl9cq-gvI_cmi9uNphuBcliXzNhBqSQYvHvxTGii33d6MVZagPKESeclunpfY4ooqc6-WOfg7ksgfdDlQ/s4032/IMG-2899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuie4NtV4IMGOn5dsdX8hzYJW8LrqLE1H2ioPT7fD3vXGRn6pwqLRfKPNh3pSdC-mitWUMQppPkcyCsTjpbtoQYlkiKEaHA_SUhQ3Gxa30XP6kl9cq-gvI_cmi9uNphuBcliXzNhBqSQYvHvxTGii33d6MVZagPKESeclunpfY4ooqc6-WOfg7ksgfdDlQ/s320/IMG-2899.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I settled into my site, had a hot dinner and "checked in" like every other night. </p><p>I used Zoleo satellite communicator to send "check in" messages to my wife - The last time I carried a satellite device with me was for the <a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2011/08/into-arctic-auyuittuq-national-park.html" target="_blank">Auyuittuq hike</a> in the Canadian artic. This communicator has 2-way messaging capability as well but I've never used that feature and do not intend to unless it is an emergency. When you press the "check in" button on the device, it sends an SMS message with your GPS coordinates to phone numbers configured before the trip. <span style="text-align: center;">When the receiver clicks on the SMS message it opens up the location in Google or Apple maps. </span>I found this to be a very useful companion on this "no mobile network" route. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdU-NVTNr1W3Q_HsljrqyOiE0UOw6ViMP9FZesIcgLTDVuV0ii4N4H09z535z2RIC5lJifxzG9wWqMxI8ujIaF6EApXO9dR9W3pLLUZw_GgZck-yM-W8TAKuxcHQbRlY4Ncea46WCc0r6GVWKd3AQssLPZ-a1D4FQZzYcdlZy5A3ZuXmhRPzQGcGIvZRJN/s1976/Open%20IMG-2893%20copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1976" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdU-NVTNr1W3Q_HsljrqyOiE0UOw6ViMP9FZesIcgLTDVuV0ii4N4H09z535z2RIC5lJifxzG9wWqMxI8ujIaF6EApXO9dR9W3pLLUZw_GgZck-yM-W8TAKuxcHQbRlY4Ncea46WCc0r6GVWKd3AQssLPZ-a1D4FQZzYcdlZy5A3ZuXmhRPzQGcGIvZRJN/s320/Open%20IMG-2893%20copy.png" width="182" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The device needs to be pointed to the sky<br /><br /> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9QPFLz2mbekj-z0DcFmwBNhs5UC7DTMXLVpl8jnQzOHP4VKccSecf9HCcMgs9UnrDcUgsygt-lWvPJrOwT8zuC44Hgwj6QQC2skw3ycLvrSzVHXSbkUcfpnLXzeocO8NEnuc_0sY5QBYelrW69v92YHVmwXub3VkYqo-FRJIKrhvYoRwCfgjLTsti5YJ/s1286/Open%20IMG-6047.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9QPFLz2mbekj-z0DcFmwBNhs5UC7DTMXLVpl8jnQzOHP4VKccSecf9HCcMgs9UnrDcUgsygt-lWvPJrOwT8zuC44Hgwj6QQC2skw3ycLvrSzVHXSbkUcfpnLXzeocO8NEnuc_0sY5QBYelrW69v92YHVmwXub3VkYqo-FRJIKrhvYoRwCfgjLTsti5YJ/s320/Open%20IMG-6047.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="280" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sample "check in" message from Satellite communicator</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9QPFLz2mbekj-z0DcFmwBNhs5UC7DTMXLVpl8jnQzOHP4VKccSecf9HCcMgs9UnrDcUgsygt-lWvPJrOwT8zuC44Hgwj6QQC2skw3ycLvrSzVHXSbkUcfpnLXzeocO8NEnuc_0sY5QBYelrW69v92YHVmwXub3VkYqo-FRJIKrhvYoRwCfgjLTsti5YJ/s1286/Open%20IMG-6047.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Day 5 - 1st August</b> - West Otterpaw Lake to Susan Lake (~9km hike)</div><div><br /></div><div>On the way from West Otterpaw to Susan Lake, the trail crosses Otterpaw Creek twice. The crossings are beautiful except that you may have to wade through waist deep water at some locations if the bridges are broken. Another beautiful day on the trail came to an end with no incidents - I settled in, hung my food (see below, 2 bags at different locations), and prepared for the next day. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbahn3yg90qu5nM_aAhyBPkx_yfWyrIwUbweiRFn4Y-AS5DulrIvltWMhDkukGf6Ikgm9L1tLX7qCL0jW4Gu9yCTTbzuig8bY10HbwQ2XKN2xoaXg2kwpeSFrAgLdXOpV2lZWx-1GpZDF5S0t9KKmYfW5P3PGcCQJ8fmFdGRmGg6ysaIE2536ocVPYA8t/s4032/IMG-2911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbahn3yg90qu5nM_aAhyBPkx_yfWyrIwUbweiRFn4Y-AS5DulrIvltWMhDkukGf6Ikgm9L1tLX7qCL0jW4Gu9yCTTbzuig8bY10HbwQ2XKN2xoaXg2kwpeSFrAgLdXOpV2lZWx-1GpZDF5S0t9KKmYfW5P3PGcCQJ8fmFdGRmGg6ysaIE2536ocVPYA8t/s320/IMG-2911.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBN2AfMhtXJ1wvQCRomAvypynhgpihpEifF9K6Y5JY_fVX5nh3KTOG_24aF4486wUmsX8qFHmMRCPaZZy3Uk8pihfu6mIEKNdPa6xZrC64AXv3uT8NT4hdEqfbCZYkc4543HMlUHjCKiTAxkQRcaHoWsCwwW3h2HFRbQGvnvIs_WUTPOm-oeF3Dge5cCB/s4032/IMG-2912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBN2AfMhtXJ1wvQCRomAvypynhgpihpEifF9K6Y5JY_fVX5nh3KTOG_24aF4486wUmsX8qFHmMRCPaZZy3Uk8pihfu6mIEKNdPa6xZrC64AXv3uT8NT4hdEqfbCZYkc4543HMlUHjCKiTAxkQRcaHoWsCwwW3h2HFRbQGvnvIs_WUTPOm-oeF3Dge5cCB/s320/IMG-2912.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 6 - 2nd August</b> - Susan Lake to Panther Lake (~9km hike)</div><div><br /></div><div>Got off to a beautiful start to the day with an amazing view of the lake. This view had become a fixture on this trip - I always woke up to out-of-this-world, mist-laden lakes. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkEkzXj-CKexeQE490b42qM7skKIGS0Yn841apevRux6Ia0GVbBVNFQ4zxcoOi3Fm-ZKVfh5xaHmVZuyGxlIXuQO27T-qkHPxg6bssg0KNjhUUwNpqQbW8c159Idjdtdmx76HaY4eNE-pic32i3A5a7tHJQkgwcozvblxf4qQnoNp5qiUJxdl07MnaFZg/s4032/IMG-2921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkEkzXj-CKexeQE490b42qM7skKIGS0Yn841apevRux6Ia0GVbBVNFQ4zxcoOi3Fm-ZKVfh5xaHmVZuyGxlIXuQO27T-qkHPxg6bssg0KNjhUUwNpqQbW8c159Idjdtdmx76HaY4eNE-pic32i3A5a7tHJQkgwcozvblxf4qQnoNp5qiUJxdl07MnaFZg/s320/IMG-2921.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>I was also getting used to shorter days and lots of time at the site. The way to Panther was about a 9km hike in a terrain that I was now very familiar with. There was one tricky creek crossing (Lupus Creek, see below) where the bridge was flooded. I had to use my hiking poles as support to avoid getting wet while I scrambled my way through. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oNlMR1Mu5HuGleDtFZ9yNZei4tLEMpzMVqh4g0PFHcN0pNkGccKmSMGYMffIMoij51F1R9LciFZ2Bx0PSSP_uqV7HpbEShIp78XrkrEXmRqGzM4Ic8-elLPfuVGCrDJUfmHNR06Moa51TG5mUURVvs5X6WVWa63HU_3i8mrAicsNOa24n4r02i9X6c_d/s4032/IMG-2927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oNlMR1Mu5HuGleDtFZ9yNZei4tLEMpzMVqh4g0PFHcN0pNkGccKmSMGYMffIMoij51F1R9LciFZ2Bx0PSSP_uqV7HpbEShIp78XrkrEXmRqGzM4Ic8-elLPfuVGCrDJUfmHNR06Moa51TG5mUURVvs5X6WVWa63HU_3i8mrAicsNOa24n4r02i9X6c_d/s320/IMG-2927.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flooded Lupus creek</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 7 - 3rd August</b> - Panther Lake to Guskewau (~7km hike)</div><div><br /></div><div>My initial plan was to head to Norah Lake for night #7 - However, my back was showing some signs of pain and I hate seeking help to get myself out of the wilderness. So, I decided to change the route to go to Guskewau instead - this meant that I had to use the emergency site at Guskewau. I was to camp at this site the next day but decided to try my luck with the bus one day prior. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 8 - 4th August </b>- Guskewau Lake to the highway (~8km round trip)</div><div><br /></div><div>Instead of waiting 24 hours at this site, I wanted to make a push to the highway so that I can call the bus company to evaluate my choices, if any. Unfortunately, when I called them after reaching highway 60, they informed me that they weren't running the service that day and that I had to wait for my scheduled trip the next day. Now, I had two options: #1, hitch a hike to the nearest town (Huntsville) and try to find my way to Toronto via public transit or #2, go back to the wild for another day (I had a back country reservation through this night) and return for the bus the next day. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am well aware of the state of public transit in North America and therefore, decided against option #1. So, I had to reset myself and start another hike back into the wild only to return the next day. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 9 - 5th August </b>- Guskewau Lake to West Gate (~4km hike and ~3km on the highway)</div><div><br /></div><div>I traced the same path as the previous day to the highway and walked along the highway to the West Gate for my pickup. It was the end of an awesome trip, and quality time alone in the wild. And, it was also time to get back to the madness! See you soon Algonquin...</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyO6Yiw9KAYoOfpV92OwByFOjr_il0AfJ2u6_NAIRoBpReSs_xArz9m4G0ZKfQRZ-jjtx9qOgMioHyf5iwMdC8wEYcYhYN_9cDyUnl1tGLcTKxDFDvpttTrwSuOYJ1l6E2KAzrXisKub1uWNZVb98fuJkydqXZk8CP4C7LsthD6nFBUgR1lh-r40qxTQb/s4032/IMG-2969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyO6Yiw9KAYoOfpV92OwByFOjr_il0AfJ2u6_NAIRoBpReSs_xArz9m4G0ZKfQRZ-jjtx9qOgMioHyf5iwMdC8wEYcYhYN_9cDyUnl1tGLcTKxDFDvpttTrwSuOYJ1l6E2KAzrXisKub1uWNZVb98fuJkydqXZk8CP4C7LsthD6nFBUgR1lh-r40qxTQb/s320/IMG-2969.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guskewau Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMc3AMZKptMzEbX_PJhntGsfgwlUTdW_ft95r0gnIDcAj6uqjnoMCqraK5VNeVMNliQ6EozaSh5VKOM_YZ-Uds6q-mK64GDr06qGvhajASU3lahREqvOsM-7pSSjmNiGWaofV3BL5rMAAA8piw5gmAuvlrgBoDWyKkqXLdouGp0fTdnKH8ZzzGeQH3VdcZ/s4032/IMG-2972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMc3AMZKptMzEbX_PJhntGsfgwlUTdW_ft95r0gnIDcAj6uqjnoMCqraK5VNeVMNliQ6EozaSh5VKOM_YZ-Uds6q-mK64GDr06qGvhajASU3lahREqvOsM-7pSSjmNiGWaofV3BL5rMAAA8piw5gmAuvlrgBoDWyKkqXLdouGp0fTdnKH8ZzzGeQH3VdcZ/s320/IMG-2972.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Managed to get a small fire going on the last morning<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiAI1K7p2QQ9OVBn3W7t4vTnzM-jZp_EtTQJSZ_anbrRoosInahI4IaQdCrLoHJyQ7138C6uHVcLZDwJbWOC0pd-9tuB0YGGrS0vJryRmZHd_0PZSe-X6oqIs4R_c_qhxptIWNq-LbxrqLI-5cFsoRppK_rBshX0AQqsCOGHuyhoFUovPfISeTpSVlYiY/s4032/IMG-2963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiAI1K7p2QQ9OVBn3W7t4vTnzM-jZp_EtTQJSZ_anbrRoosInahI4IaQdCrLoHJyQ7138C6uHVcLZDwJbWOC0pd-9tuB0YGGrS0vJryRmZHd_0PZSe-X6oqIs4R_c_qhxptIWNq-LbxrqLI-5cFsoRppK_rBshX0AQqsCOGHuyhoFUovPfISeTpSVlYiY/s320/IMG-2963.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See you soon Algonquin!!</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-29785860713247330682023-08-22T07:27:00.004+08:002023-10-16T03:20:57.323+08:00Hikes without a car from Toronto - Algonquin Provincial Park - Western Uplands backpacking trail<p><br /></p><p>So, my tryst with Algonquin continues. After my solo backpacking trip to <a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2022/09/hikes-without-car-from-toronto.html" target="_blank">Highland Backpacking Trail</a> (~40KM) last year, I decided to do something longer this year. I did the Western Uplands Backpacking Trail (88KM loop per the park map) this summer - of course, solo again. </p><p><br /></p><p>If you'd like to cut to the chase, here is the itinerary and gear list :</p><p><b><u><br /></u></b></p><p><b><u>ITINERARY</u></b></p><ul><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Day 1:</b> Toronto Downtown to West Gate, Algonquin Park (<a href="https://parkbus.ca/">ParkBus</a>)</li></ul><br /><ul><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Night 1</b><b>:</b> Steeprise Lake (back country; walk 3KM on the highway, hike ~11KM on the trail)</li></ul><br /><ul><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Night 2</b><b>: </b>Pincher Lake (back country; ~15KM)</li></ul><br /><ul><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Night 3</b><b>: </b>Ishkuday Lake (back country, ~13KM)</li></ul><br /><ul><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Night 4</b><b>: </b>West Otterpaw Lake (back country, ~10KM)</li></ul><br /><ul><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Night 5</b><b>: </b>Susan Lake (back country, ~9KM)</li></ul><br /><ul><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Night 6</b><b>: </b>Panther Lake (back country, ~9KM)</li></ul><br /><ul><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Night 7</b><b>: </b>Guskewau Lake (back country, ~6KM) - Unplanned emergency stop, to try if a bus ride is available for my ride back the next day. I had planned for Norah Lake for this night.<b> </b></li></ul><br /><ul><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Night 8</b><b>: </b>Guskewau Lake (back country, ~8KM on the trail and 4KM on the highway) - This was the scheduled stop at this site; Walked to the highway to get cellphone coverage so that I could check if a bus is available. It was not, so, had to walk back to the site. </li></ul><br /><ul><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Day 9</b><b>: </b>Bus from West Gate, Algonquin Park to Toronto Downtown (~4KM on the trail and 3KM on the highway) (<a href="https://parkbus.ca/">ParkBus</a>)</li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><p><b style="text-decoration-line: underline;">GEAR LIST</b><b> </b>(Total pack : ~16kgs including food and water)</p><b></b></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Backpack </b><b>: </b><a href="https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6024-233/exos-pro-55-backpack?colour=Dale+Grey%2FAgam+Blue" target="_blank">Osprey Exos Pro 55L</a></li></ul><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Sleep </b><b>:</b> <a href="https://www.moosejaw.com/product/msr-hubba-nx-tent_10419363" target="_blank">MSR Hubba NX Single person tent</a> and footprint ; Cosmos Female Sleeping bag (basic and light weight version) - I use my <a href="https://www.thenorthface.com/en-ca/bags-and-gear/sleeping-bags-c211749/cats-meow-sleeping-bag-pNF0A52DZ" target="_blank">North Face Cat's Meow</a> for colder temps ; <a href="https://www.decathlon.ca/en/p/8492712/camping-foldable-foam-mat-mt-500-grey#" target="_blank">Decathlon Forclaz MT 500 Foam pad</a> (my first trip with this one and I am not disappointed at all)</li></ul><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Kitchen</b><b> : </b><a href="https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5061-929/pocketrocket-deluxe?colour=NO_COLOUR" target="_blank">MSR Pocket Rocket Stove</a> ; <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/SOTO-Navigator-Cook-Set-Size/dp/B07JHNFFD2?th=1&psc=1" target="_blank">Soto Cooking set</a> ; MSR Fuel (Two 8oz (net weight) canisters)</li></ul><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Food </b><b>: </b>Dehydrated food (multiple brands), energy bars, electrolyte tablets, energy gels; 2 1L water bottles</li></ul><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Emergency </b><b>: </b><a href="https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6013-634/satellite-communicator?gclid=CjwKCAjwloynBhBbEiwAGY25dO2ZBfQFNgGZtoO8r3RhQ9vac2p2wTHSuIE_4k-dwXzY7IsWKuB99hoCPSUQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Zoleo Satellite communicator</a> (my first-time with this one, worked like a charm for "check-in" messages) ; Swiss knife ; Sol Emergency blanket ; <a href="https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6022-195/ultra-sil-day-backpack?gclid=CjwKCAjwloynBhBbEiwAGY25dNsH9bojDxrrdjx-pKSNK1LbOOiJ1CnOIbwy_mBcrU4pFUOtU3FrqRoCwGgQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Sea to Summit ultra-sil daypack</a> ; North face down jacket (for an unforeseen cold night out without the tent) ; 3 extra meals for unplanned extension of the trip; One 3.9oz (net weight) MSR Fuel canister</li></ul><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Bear protection</b><b> : </b><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B005NI433Y/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Coughlan's Emergency horn</a>; bear spray; 2 ropes of 15m each to hang food</li></ul><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Clothing </b><b>: </b>2 Base layers; 1 hiking shorts and 1 hiking pant; Backpacking towel; Rain Jacket; mosquito net for the head; underwear</li></ul><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Footwear</b><b> :</b> <a href="https://www.lowa.ca/en/product/renegade-gtx-mid/" target="_blank">Lowa Renegade</a> hiking boots; one sandal pair for creek crossing (learnt a lesson from Highland trip - had to wade through water in that trip); 3 pairs of hiking socks</li></ul><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Medication </b><b>: </b>Tylenol 500 mg, Anti-histamine (prevent insect-bite infections), insect repellant spray, water purifier tablets; band-aid (burns), band-aid (bruises), after-bite cream (insect bites)</li></ul><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><div><b> </b></div><div><br /></div><div>A detailed write-up is <a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2023/10/algonquin-provincial-park-western.html" target="_blank">here</a> and a video log is coming soon. </div><div><br /><br /><p><br /></p></div>Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-58906736875926723822022-09-19T01:43:00.003+08:002023-08-22T06:19:30.340+08:00Hikes without a car from Toronto - Algonquin Provincial Park - Highland backpacking trail<p>I can't believe that I have survived this long without a car (and, without knowing how to drive!) in North America. And, that has forced me to find ways to get to where I want to with public / shared transport. It has made me tremendously patient - you'll know what I mean if you've ever used public transport in North America outside of major cities. </p><p>I moved to Canada in 2020 in the middle of Covid, pre-vaccination and when lockdowns were widespread. Almost all of 2021 passed by without much action. In 22, I wanted to get back to some form of normal like everyone else. For me, normalcy meant hunting down hikes within reach of public transport. I stumbled upon one of the best parks in the country, Algonquin Park in Ontario. <a href="https://parkbus.ca/" target="_blank">ParkBus</a> runs a point-to-point service from <a href="https://www.blogto.com/city/2017/08/study-confirms-canadians-dont-know-how-pronounce-toronto/" target="_blank">Tronno</a> (what's in a name anyway!) to Algonquin. They were a godsend for people like me. I can't thank them enough for continuing to operate this summer. (I used a similar service in the US for skiing (<a href="https://ovrride.com/" target="_blank">Ovrride</a>)). A video blog on this Algonquin trip is below and detailed itinerary follows: </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1lb4m-Xjc-c" width="320" youtube-src-id="1lb4m-Xjc-c"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b><u>Detailed Itinerary:</u></b></p><p><b>Day 1</b>: Toronto Downtown to Algonquin Park (<a href="https://parkbus.ca/" target="_blank">ParkBus</a>)</p><p>Hike to Provoking Lake from Lake of Two Rivers Store (Bus drop-off / pick-up point)</p><p><b>Night 1</b>: Provoking Lake (back country)</p><p><b>Night 2</b>: Harness Lake (back country)</p><p><b>Night 3</b>: Head Lake (back country)</p><p><b>Night 4</b>: Provoking Lake (back country)</p><p><b>Night 5</b>: Lake of Two Rivers Campground (car access available to campground)</p><p><b>Day 6</b>: Bus from Lake of Two Rivers Store to Toronto Downtown (<a href="https://parkbus.ca/" target="_blank">ParkBus</a>)</p><p>A detailed blog on my thoughts during this solo trip in bear country is still wrapped up in my mind and when I do manage to get it out, it'll be out here on this blog! </p>Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario 60, Ontario K0J 2M0, Canada45.8371591 -78.379123917.526925263821155 -113.5353739 74.147392936178846 -43.222873899999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-15171921827659560302022-09-13T08:23:00.002+08:002022-09-13T08:23:35.106+08:00Time to reset<p>It has been a very unusual past few months for all of us. We'll never forget 2020 in our lives. </p><p>As I look back at this year, it feels as if the "sorry, I was on mute" on zoom calls applied to our lives as well. It has been a year of learning (to fight a pandemic), yearning (to live more), and appreciation (of what we had before entered this period). It was a year when the underlying cracks in our societies surfaced, dysfunctional political systems emerged and people united for common causes. </p><p>The real question is how do you unmute safely and we all have our own answers based on our risk appetite. </p><p>But, here we are at the end of the tunnel. Time to look forward. Time to reset our lives to the new normal. </p><p><br /></p>Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-10537857339565494622020-07-11T10:50:00.003+08:002020-07-11T11:42:59.005+08:00Running is...<div><br /></div>... <b>Everything listed below</b><div><br /></div><div>... <b>living in the moment and focusing on one step at a time</b>. I remember crossing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorong_La" target="_blank">Thorung la pass</a> in Nepal (~17,800ft) and telling myself to focus on one step at a time. That was easily the most challenging hiking day of my life. </div><div><br /></div><div>... <b>pushing yourself harder each day</b>. You add a hundred metres everyday and voila!, in ten days, you have added a km to your routine. I used to struggle to complete 3 km a few months ago, and now I do 8+kms (~5+ miles) everyday these days.</div><div><br /></div><div>... <b>to keep pushing forward, one leap at a time and to not stop when your body tells you to</b>. I remember the struggle I had on <a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2010/08/colorado-trekkers-paradise.html" target="_blank">Capitol Peak</a> in Colorado - I was lagging behind all the time because I was not prepared to keep pushing forward. My body was not used to it at that time. Ten years and a few gray hairs later, things are a little different. </div><div><br /></div><div>... <b>to get lost in the music in your ears</b>. As <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanni" target="_blank">Yanni</a> builds up his tempo, so does my run </div><div><br /></div><div>... <b>to observe the world around you as it passes by. </b>Sometimes, it feels like each run is a time lapse of your entire life and you are just a witness looking at all the fun and laughing at the awesome ride you had</div><div><br /></div><div>... <b>to share the stories of people whom you come across. </b>Each person you come cross has a story, a success, a tragedy and a rich life - you just keep wondering what those events could be. </div><div><br /></div><div>... <b>forgetting yourself, even if for a few brief seconds along the way. </b>Along the run, there are always moments when you are completely lost in a thought or in a thoughtless moment - these are the ones I always look forward to. Paradoxically, these moments during the run let you detach completely from the act of running and that, to me, is fulfilling. </div><div><br /></div><div>... <b>to let your body switch on autopilot and to detach from it. </b>Your body is a great machine. You oil it well and it keeps running without giving you trouble. Most of the days you run, each step you take is a subconscious activity and your body just takes care of it so that you could focus on better things. On one of those autopilot days in Mumbai, I was bitten by a stray dog and had to take rabies shots! At least that is not a consideration here in NJ/NY...</div><div><br /></div><div>... <b>feeling your sweat burn your eyes. </b>Oftentimes, the autopilot makes you forget that there are maintenance activities that need to be completed and the body reminds you to wipe your sweat by burning your eyes a bit. </div><div><br /></div><div>... <b>to wake up before sunrise and to feel child-like happiness when you see the sun rise half way along the run. </b>I have been fortunate to find a peaceful, not so busy running path near my apartment and each time the sun rises, it brings along the sense of a new beginning. I have a few pictures below. </div><div><br /></div><div>... <b>to feel the rain, your sweat, body heat and the cold breeze at the same time. </b>On days when you are caught off guard, you get to feel all these items at once. </div><div><br /></div><div>... <b>realizing the power of "now". </b>Getting lost in the moment is not that easy and is often underrated. I consciously run the same path(s) every day to ensure that I get lost in my thought.</div><div><br /></div><div>... <b>to disconnect from yourself to find your true self. </b>Yeah, this one is cheesy. But, the act of disconnecting from everything else is indeed finding yourself. </div><div><br /></div><div>-----------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Keep running. Be driven. Do whatever that makes you feel the above...</b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FXWUZgCeQl0/XwkcY-2jB9I/AAAAAAAANZ8/aE5RmkxgUj81SMyM1ZWQxWisY5bUQPd4QCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG-1253.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FXWUZgCeQl0/XwkcY-2jB9I/AAAAAAAANZ8/aE5RmkxgUj81SMyM1ZWQxWisY5bUQPd4QCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG-1253.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EH2ia4viCAc/Xwkcc0U_mzI/AAAAAAAANaI/VNMLGNHRZZYRNN8zrszV3m7h0gdJlhejACNcBGAsYHQ/s3675/IMG-1257.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="3675" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EH2ia4viCAc/Xwkcc0U_mzI/AAAAAAAANaI/VNMLGNHRZZYRNN8zrszV3m7h0gdJlhejACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG-1257.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kacDQ9KoNz8/XwkcZBg_fRI/AAAAAAAANaA/ZWkA5kybAvIp4Uu8z_QUNi0Ztg9cimMkQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG-1260.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kacDQ9KoNz8/XwkcZBg_fRI/AAAAAAAANaA/ZWkA5kybAvIp4Uu8z_QUNi0Ztg9cimMkQCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG-1260.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>All pictures are views of Manhattan from Jersey City, taken during early morning runs.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> </div>Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-32813464558411313302020-07-06T02:16:00.001+08:002020-07-06T02:16:51.224+08:00The united colors of humanity<div><br /></div><div>It has been more than a decade since I wrote about race (the brownie sizzles <a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2009/09/brownie-sizzles.html" target="_blank">here</a>). </div><div><br /></div><div>In these 10+ years, </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I have grown wiser (due to lack of evidence suggesting otherwise); My hair has <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ageing" target="_blank">evolved</a> into a new color (for better or worse); I have experienced two bitter cold Canadian winters, the cosmopolitan life of Singapore, a failed startup in India and most recently, the Corona virus in the US (well, across the globe)</li><li>I have lived in </li><ul><li>A multi cultural university locality in 'French first' Montreal, where you are welcome with open arms the moment you attempt speaking in French,</li><li>A predominantly Asian Singapore, where my Singaporean Physio and I got into a debate over Chinese vs Singaporean identities,</li><li>A tier II Indian city called Pune where my wife had to say "Mein Japani hoon" to identify herself as Japanese (the phrase translates to "I am Japanese"),</li><li>The cultural hotspot of New York / New Jersey where people were too busy with their lives until the virus struck and made people think.</li></ul></ul></div><div>Each one of these experiences had racial underpinnings that gave me perspective. Be it Montreal where, without French, you are treated like an outsider or Singapore where Singaporeans uniquely identify themselves or India where anyone a small nose is called a "Nepali" or "Chinese", each one of these experiences showed me the impact of conscious and unconscious bias against people of certain characteristics.</div><div><br /></div><div>The recent events in the US have made me think about the future of humanity as a whole. And, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is just the tip of the iceberg - across the world, we have systemic issues of discrimination within castes, races, colors, religions and countries. Makes one wonder if we are a self destructing race and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk" target="_blank">Musk</a>, foreseeing this, is aggressively pursuing another planet to destroy. </div><div><br /></div><div>History, in the absence of a better guiding post, acts as a good reference point to gain perspective. Machines evolve as they accumulate more history. However, we seem to be going backwards with time. Makes machines better candidates for evolution than us - Maybe <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin" target="_blank">Darwin</a> knows better. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nevertheless, let us try to understand race by looking back at history.</div><div><br /></div><div>4,000 Million (Mn) years ago - Life on Earth</div><div>~500 Mn years ago - Animals</div><div>~200 Mn years ago - Mammals</div><div>~50 Mn years ago - Monkeys</div><div>~10 Mn years ago - Close human relatives</div><div>~200,000 (K) years ago - Homo Sapiens</div><div><b>~50K years ago - Modern humans emigrate from Africa</b></div><div><br /></div><div>As we can see, we have not been here for more than a couple of hundred thousand years and in the larger scheme of things, we have done more damage than potentially any other species. In the most recent 50,000 years, as humans migrated to different parts of the world, Darwin's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_selection" target="_blank">natural selection</a> took over and ensured that we adapt to the new environments. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Evolution since the grand migration</b></div><div><br /></div><div>We all know that human skin color is affected by, among other things, the amount of melanin. As humans migrated from higher UV exposure (near equator) to farther areas, lighter skin types evolved. </div><div>And, with the invention of agriculture ~12,000 years ago, we started settling down as there was no more a need for a nomadic lifestyle. This resulted in a change in human genome which altered height, immunity, skin color etc. over a period of time. </div><div><br /></div><div>As humans moved into colder climes, the noses evolved to become smaller to accommodate colder, drier air which irritates the nasal membranes. </div><div><br /></div><div>Similar changes in body structure, immunity came across as we adjusted to the new environments. This was natural selection working its way through. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>The most recent history revisited </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>With the above background, now, let us look at the events that have taken place in recent history. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>1700s</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1707 - United Kingdom of Britain was formed. This was a key event that resulted in colonization of the world</li><li>1757 - Beginning of the British empire in India</li><li>1776 - American declaration of Independence; America celebrates 244th anniversary in a unique set of circumstances this week.</li><li>1789+ - French revolution that leads to Napoleon becoming the First Consul</li></ul></div><div>Overall, the 1700s set the foundation for colonization with France, Britain and Russia leading the way. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>1800s</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Across US and Europe, show of power continues. </li><ul><li>US executes Louisiana Purchase, and doubles its territory with more acquisitions. </li><li>In Europe, Napoleon extends his reign until 1814 when France is defeated and Napoleon is exiled.</li></ul><li>1824 - Mexico gains freedom from Spain</li><li>1833 - Slavery is abolished in the British Empire</li><li>1861 - US Civil war begins</li><li>1867 - Japan ends 675 year old Shogun rule</li><li>1868 - Civil rights granted to blacks </li></ul></div><div>Throughout the 1800s, there is debate on equal rights and slavery and significant progress is made.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>1900s</b></div><div><ul></ul></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1914-1918 - First World War</li><li>1919 - Mahatma Gandhi initiates his non violence movement against the British</li><li>1930s - The great depression</li><li>1934 - Hitler becomes Fuhrer</li><li>1939-45 - Second world war</li><li>1960s - Unrest in the US over black rights. Martin Luther King Jr. rises as a leader but is assassinated in 1968.</li><li>1969 - Gay Rights Movement in New York</li></ul></div><div>This century saw numerous conflicts and wars, fights for freedom resulting in the end of colonization and birth of new, free countries. Significant progress was made with respect to equal rights, be it for women, African Americans or gays. This century also saw the rise of great leaders and visionaries like Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa etc. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>2000s</b></div><div><br /></div><div>We experienced the rise of the internet, a force that changed the order of life on this planet. Other key events include 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, the financial crisis of 2008 and an overall economic boom across the world. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Putting it all together</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Agree, that was a lengthy history - but it was necessary. </div><div><br /></div><div>We evolved from simplistic bacteria to very complex homo sapiens. And then, with the invention of agriculture, we transitioned from nomadic beings to stationary settlers. And post that, with all this time on our hands, we started inventing things to improve our lives. We ventured into other geographies, created colonies and subsequently, gave birth to countries with bubbling economies. And, while we were busy doing all this, evolution was working its own vicious plot in the background - it created variants of homo sapiens that were better suited for survival.</div><div><br /></div><div>If we look at the most recent couple of hundred years, we have transitioned from slavery and colonialism to a mostly democratic bunch of diverse countries. Rights for women, people of color, and people of various sexual orientations have significantly improved during this period. </div><div><br /></div><div>While the recent events in the US do indicate that criminal justice has lagged behind in treating blacks fairly (RIP George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery), there have been great strides forward in terms of education (<a href="https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2018/comm/black-education.html" target="_blank">~24%</a> under 25 complete their bachelors), representation of African Americans in the US congress (<a href="https://www.senate.gov/CRSpubs/617f17bb-61e9-40bb-b301-50f48fd239fc.pdf" target="_blank">~11%</a>) and other areas here in the US. The rise in education will lead to a rise in wealth and help bridge, to some extent, the income inequality that exists today. It might be a good idea to set diversity targets for corporations, local governments based on the population mix of the region in which they operate. I am sure there are better brains working on this one. </div><div><br /></div><div>Let us now take a step back and consider the whole of humanity - somewhere along the process of evolution, we lost the ability to accept differences. We have so many examples in recent history but we somehow find it difficult to learn - Shia muslims fighting Sunnis in the middle east, scheduled castes treated poorly in India, China angering neighbors with petty border issues, natives and indigenous tribes being sidelined etc. And now, most recently, the Black Lives Matter protests to fix the criminal justice system. </div><div><br /></div><div>All these wars, conflicts, protests must drive home the point that we don't gain much by fighting against one another. We would be better off if we accept the natural order of things i.e. the diversity arising out of evolution and work towards embracing differences. If these BLM protests morph into a movement that addresses the perennial issue of our collective inability to accept diversity, it would be a giant leap forward. And, once that happens, Darwin would be a happy man! </div><div><br /></div><div>--------------------------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div><u>References</u>:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2018/comm/black-education.html" target="_blank">https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2018/comm/black-education.html</a></li><li><a href="https://www.senate.gov/CRSpubs/617f17bb-61e9-40bb-b301-50f48fd239fc.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.senate.gov/CRSpubs/617f17bb-61e9-40bb-b301-50f48fd239fc.pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics/historical-foundations-race" target="_blank">National Museum of African Amercian history and culture - Smithsonian</a><span> </span></li><li><a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151123202631.htm" target="_blank">https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151123202631.htm</a></li><li><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-climate-changed-shape-your-nose-180962567/" target="_blank">https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-climate-changed-shape-your-nose-180962567/</a></li><li>Wikipedia references embedded in the article and the ones below:</li><ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_human_migrations" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_human_migrations</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_skin_color" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_skin_color</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recent_human_evolution" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recent_human_evolution</a></li></ul><li><a href="https://www.infoplease.com/history/world" target="_blank">https://www.infoplease.com/history/world</a></li></ul><br /></div><div><br /></div>Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-42939870549899984252020-07-03T23:13:00.000+08:002020-07-03T23:13:24.275+08:00Day hikes/trips from NYC without a car - Part III - Wildwood State Park<div><br /></div>This is the first time I ventured into Long Island. All my previous trips have been to the Hudson valley. <br /><div>(In the NY state map below, #8 is Hudson Valley region and #10 is Long Island)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAgdLXskDwI/Xv82ngP4esI/AAAAAAAANSo/atOxw2blQL4m02fYU15sYaJvVZNE_crXACK4BGAsYHg/s432/regionsmap.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="432" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAgdLXskDwI/Xv82ngP4esI/AAAAAAAANSo/atOxw2blQL4m02fYU15sYaJvVZNE_crXACK4BGAsYHg/s320/regionsmap.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Source : <a href="https://www.dot.ny.gov/regional-offices" target="_blank">NY State Department of Transportation</a></i></div></div><div><br /></div><div>As always, since we are traveling without a car, let us start with the commute. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>THE COMMUTE:</b></div><div><br /></div><div><div><b> 1. Get to Penn Station in NYC</b></div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;">From Jersey city / rest of New Jersey </blockquote><div><ul><li>Path takes you to 33rd street, from where Penn Station is a few minutes walk.</li><li>NJ Transit takes you to Penn Station. </li></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div>From NYC, you know how. Take any of the subways that leads you to Penn. </div><div></div></blockquote><div> </div><blockquote style="border: none; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;">Of course, if you have more dollars to spare, use Lyft or Uber to get to Penn. </blockquote><div><br style="background-color: #214552; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.05px;" /></div></div><div><b>2. Take the Long Island Railroad to Riverhead</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>You have, in general, 2 options to get to Riverhead. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>Option 1</u>: Take the train to Greenport and get off at Riverhead. Please check the latest schedules - Long Island Railroad (LIRR) is operating limited lines due to Covid. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>Option 2</u>: Take the train to Ronkonkoma and then transfer to the train to Greenport and get off at Riverhead. </div><div><br /></div><div>The option you choose will depend on the time you reach Penn station - so, it is very important to plan ahead. Pick the train you want to take for your onward and return journeys before you begin the trip. </div><div><br /></div><div>LIRR's map is <a href="http://web.mta.info/lirr/Timetable/SystemMap.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Riverhead looks like this - well, nothing fancy or noteworthy, just that I had a photo taken so why not throw it at you!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w3caECHK3rQ/Xv9Hm_DYRJI/AAAAAAAANWk/vUMvCtD-WyMEt5msoIpUwtVHMz4Bntk_QCK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w3caECHK3rQ/Xv9Hm_DYRJI/AAAAAAAANWk/vUMvCtD-WyMEt5msoIpUwtVHMz4Bntk_QCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0795.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><b>3. Take Uber / Lyft to Wildwood State Park</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>The journey is about 10 miles / 15 mins and you will pay approximately $15 for the ride. I had an interesting conversation with my Uber driver. He had lived 50+ years of his life around Riverhead and didn't know about this park! And, here he was, driving an Indian who lives in another state, took multiple trains to come to this place. As I was thinking about this conversation, I realized that it all goes back to our desire to look for exotic locations away from home. Maybe we should start appreciating our home a little more. I guess the Covid pandemic has forced us to do just that. Your home has become everything it is not supposed to be and in a way, this has made us appreciate a lot of small things which were otherwise taken for granted. Well, more on that later, let us get back to Riverhead.</div><div><br /></div><div>Across all my car-less hiking trips in the US, I have hardly seen anyone using Uber or Lyft for national/state parks. Of course, this is not a factual statement but just my opinion based on the number of people I have seen waiting for cabs. Wiki has an extensive <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/0" target="_blank">page</a> for the number I am referring to.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Therefore, I would recommend you to tip more than normal as the driver is not going to get another ride back to town. I always do that when I take Uber or Lyft for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_mile_(transportation)" target="_blank">last mile</a>. This is the least we can do to support local communities. </div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>THE HIKE:</b></div><div><br /></div><div>The trails are very well marked, and there is hardly any elevation gain or any signs of tricky terrain. This one is accessible to all skill levels. Most of the folks who come to this park come here for the beach. The beach is clean and can be a good detour from the trail if you would like to scramble your way to the water. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wTlpOzh9vrc/Xv9FmAcFDKI/AAAAAAAANVI/HGe37R6NPegoR1HgGnvXQNXu_McKnpWWwCK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wTlpOzh9vrc/Xv9FmAcFDKI/AAAAAAAANVI/HGe37R6NPegoR1HgGnvXQNXu_McKnpWWwCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0805.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vJe2G_RjHcQ/Xv9GaFvElnI/AAAAAAAANV0/h7s0CHV8p7kiMaXBtm96OS2XpR2GZ8ASQCK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vJe2G_RjHcQ/Xv9GaFvElnI/AAAAAAAANV0/h7s0CHV8p7kiMaXBtm96OS2XpR2GZ8ASQCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0801.JPG" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't see a lot of folks on the trail. The trails are well marked and you can do whatever length suits you fine. I liked the solitude and the peaceful setting on a beautiful, sunny day. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2jmKZFV0mXE/Xv9GOLVlrzI/AAAAAAAANVc/Hooi8WQst3cs5RkBcjwu_9sNeZfeQAkzwCK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2jmKZFV0mXE/Xv9GOLVlrzI/AAAAAAAANVc/Hooi8WQst3cs5RkBcjwu_9sNeZfeQAkzwCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0810.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div>I almost walked on every trail possible and once bumped into a private property along the park. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vd7_J-zDCeE/Xv9GToJcf_I/AAAAAAAANVo/IMNwskj-JA4Sp73uRhqELnmCtvgR1DuuQCK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vd7_J-zDCeE/Xv9GToJcf_I/AAAAAAAANVo/IMNwskj-JA4Sp73uRhqELnmCtvgR1DuuQCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0812.JPG" /></a></div> </div><div><br /></div><div>And then, once you are done, you take an Uber/Lyft back to Riverhead train station to get back to your <a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-five-day-migration.html" target="_blank">5 day migration</a> !!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div>-------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>This is part III of a 'car-less day trip/hike around NYC' series. Previous blogs are listed below:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2020/06/day-hikestrips-from-nyc-without-car.html" target="_blank">Part I : Arden Point and Glenclyffe</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2020/06/day-hikestrips-from-nyc-without-car_29.html" target="_blank">Part II : Breakneck Ridge</a> </div>Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-75184362681530454602020-06-29T07:11:00.002+08:002020-07-03T23:14:02.494+08:00Day hikes/trips from NYC without a car - Part II - Breakneck Ridge<br /><div>This is the second blog in the series. The first one was <a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2020/06/day-hikestrips-from-nyc-without-car.html" target="_blank">Arden Point and Glenclyffe</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>Breackneck Ridge is easily the most intense day hike in upstate NY. It is a steep ~3-4 mile round trip hike. It is strenuous and I would <u>not</u> recommend this one for first time hikers. Also, this trail is not pet friendly, please try yourself before taking your pet. </div><div> </div><div><b>THE COMMUTE</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b> 1. Get to Penn Station in NYC</b></div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>From Jersey city / rest of New Jersey </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Path takes you to 33rd street, from where Penn Station is a few minutes walk.</li><li>NJ Transit takes you to Penn Station. </li></ul></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>From NYC, you know how. Take any of the subways that leads you to Penn. </div><div></div></blockquote><div> </div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>Of course, if you have more dollars to spare, use Lyft or Uber to get to Penn. </div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div><b>2. Take Metro North, Hudson Line (Green Line) from Penn to Breakneck Ridge. </b></div><div><br /></div><div>Please note that the train schedule is different for weekdays and weekends, when you have more trains stopping at Breakneck Ridge. Please check Metro North schedule before you plan.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>You can buy tickets at Penn station or</li><li>Use the MTA eTix Mobile App (most convenient) or</li><li>Buy ticket on the train with cash (more expensive than station and app). I haven't seen card machines with ticket collectors, so please ensure that you have sufficient cash and change, if you choose this option.</li></ul></div><div> I always use the MTA eTix app - It is very convenient. You can book the ticket whenever you want (I do it when I am on the way to Penn). Activate the ticket after boarding the train - DO NOT activate before boarding. Once you activate your ticket, there is no way to reverse the action and the ticket is valid for the time period of the journey. You have to present the app if demanded by the ticket collector, so ensure that you have enough battery before you activate. I have seen an example where someone's battery ran out and had to buy a new ticket from the collector.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>3. Once you reach Breakneck Ridge, walk to the trailhead</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Facing the direction of the train (i.e. North), get to the right side platform. I have been dropped on the right platform on the 2 trips I made. </li><li>Once you are on the right platform, walk through the the only exit to route 9D </li><li>Without crossing 9D, turn to the right and walk for a few minutes along 9D. </li><li>Just before the tunnel, you will notice a small registration center (during summer). Even if you don't see it, the trailhead can be easily seen before the tunnel. DO NOT cross the tunnel - The trail will take you over the tunnel. </li></ul><div><br /></div></div><div><b>THE HIKE</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>The trail begins on route 9D before the tunnel and gradually takes you over the tunnel on to the rocky sections ahead. The incline increases gradually as you move forward. Once you enter the rocky section, please be careful of rock falls initiated by fellow hikers ahead of you. You have to scramble through vertical rock sections on this hike, please wear appropriate clothing. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZesqLg6m0BI/Xvka8HEyenI/AAAAAAAANPA/mnaw5YK_7QEzlGlJoCQ-4wWYsZkPSsmyQCK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0439.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZesqLg6m0BI/Xvka8HEyenI/AAAAAAAANPA/mnaw5YK_7QEzlGlJoCQ-4wWYsZkPSsmyQCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0439.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This hike is immensely popular and gets really crowded on summer weekends. And, the crowds come here for a reason - Breakneck Ridge offers stellar views of the Hudson river. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VXrWbm5ZU5A/XvkbYKhqGaI/AAAAAAAANPU/j9qfEt4HvN0YrmKIu7T6fr4efK5vdCNxACK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0446.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VXrWbm5ZU5A/XvkbYKhqGaI/AAAAAAAANPU/j9qfEt4HvN0YrmKIu7T6fr4efK5vdCNxACK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0446.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The first view point offers a beautiful view. Don't mistake it for the summit, there is more to go. The views get better as you go higher. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C8DEBZW6XOw/XvkcG5msIlI/AAAAAAAANQY/yBROeJF_JQY9cRMke_eLDIoo66NVEm4OwCK4BGAsYHg/s16382/IMG_0458.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3628" data-original-width="16382" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C8DEBZW6XOw/XvkcG5msIlI/AAAAAAAANQY/yBROeJF_JQY9cRMke_eLDIoo66NVEm4OwCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0458.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cr4kxNzQpj0/XvkbohLZS_I/AAAAAAAANPo/JAF7RkKZ_50CXBVs8AOUbLZwTpkPoLeFwCK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0453.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cr4kxNzQpj0/XvkbohLZS_I/AAAAAAAANPo/JAF7RkKZ_50CXBVs8AOUbLZwTpkPoLeFwCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0453.JPG" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hQ67SaPti0M/XvkbsjcpKiI/AAAAAAAANP0/yWCz3MMa3cMpvil-SLQd8xCaLybndo2HACK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0456.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hQ67SaPti0M/XvkbsjcpKiI/AAAAAAAANP0/yWCz3MMa3cMpvil-SLQd8xCaLybndo2HACK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0456.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3IbbPNYa6nY/Xvkb5UbCtsI/AAAAAAAANQI/dowEwQKrjqAJGWo1p9ihJjzlR6MTGkcDgCK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0466.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3IbbPNYa6nY/Xvkb5UbCtsI/AAAAAAAANQI/dowEwQKrjqAJGWo1p9ihJjzlR6MTGkcDgCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0466.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On an average, it takes about 4 hours for the round trip back to the station - Please plan accordingly. You could do much more depending on how much energy you have left. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O3X4H3GDlOo/Xvkf6oUpJGI/AAAAAAAANRc/RV_pfiWA5QQxnk3XaMYrnlBeX3lXAU4fACK4BGAsYHg/s1027/breakneck.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="758" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O3X4H3GDlOo/Xvkf6oUpJGI/AAAAAAAANRc/RV_pfiWA5QQxnk3XaMYrnlBeX3lXAU4fACK4BGAsYHg/s320/breakneck.png" /></a></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div>In the trail above, I have marked the starting point (i.e. breakneck train station) in a red circle. A few trail options are marked in blue: </div><div><br /></div><div>Option 1: Easier, shorter - BR-UC-BK</div><div><br /></div><div>Option 2 : A little longer but ideal for a day hike : BR-BB-WM</div><div><br /></div><div>[BR, UC, BK, BB and WM are trail IDs. Details are in the link <a href="https://parks.ny.gov/parks/attachments/HudsonHighlandsTrailMapNorth.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, you can always continue on to Beacon towards the North or Cold Spring to the South (not marked by me, there are multiple options). On one of my trips, I took Option #2 above and then took a cab to Beacon - you can enjoy a drink in this historical city and then take the train back to NYC.</div><div><br /></div><div>---------------------------------------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>Earlier blogs in this car-less, NYC day hike series :</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.com/2020/06/day-hikestrips-from-nyc-without-car.html" target="_blank">Part I : Arden Poing and Glenclyffe</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-72911978149626284732020-06-28T03:11:00.002+08:002020-07-03T23:13:46.160+08:00Day hikes/trips from NYC without a car - Part I - Arden Point and Glenclyffe<br /><div>I don't own a car. I don't know how to drive one. </div><div><br /></div><div>These constraints make me evaluate car-less hiking alternatives wherever I live. As my current stint in NYC comes to an end, I thought, this might be a good time to document the trips I made. </div><div><br /></div><div>This blog is the first in the series. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, why Arden point and Glenclyffe? </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>This is a good start for anyone who wishes to start exploring the region around NYC. </li><li>Easy trails - if you can walk, you can do this one.</li><li>Reasonably well marked trails - A couple of areas are not very well marked but you would never get lost. </li><li>Less than a couple of hours by train from NYC</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>THE COMMUTE</u></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>1. Get to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Station_(New_York_City)" target="_blank">Penn Station</a> in NYC</b></div><div><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>From Jersey city / rest of New Jersey </li><ul><li><a href="https://www.panynj.gov/path/en/index.html" target="_blank">Path </a>takes you to 33rd street, from where Penn Station is a few minutes walk.</li><li><a href="https://www.njtransit.com/" target="_blank">NJ Transit</a> takes you to Penn Station. </li></ul><li><span>From NYC, you know how. Take any of the subways that leads you to Penn. </span></li></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">Of course, if you have more dollars to spare, use Lyft or Uber to get to Penn. </div></blockquote><div><span><br /></span></div><div><b>2. Take Metro North, Hudson Line (Green Line) from Penn to Garrison. </b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>You can buy tickets at Penn station or</li><li>Use the MTA eTix Mobile App (most convenient) or</li><li>Buy ticket on the train with cash (more expensive than station and app). I haven't seen card machines with ticket collectors, so please ensure that you have sufficient cash and change, if you choose this option.</li></ul><div><span> </span><span> I always use the MTA eTix app - It is very convenient. You can book the ticket whenever you want (I do it when I am on the way to Penn). Activate the ticket after boarding the train - DO NOT activate before boarding. Once you activate your ticket, there is no way to reverse the action and the ticket is valid for the time period of the journey. You have to present the app if demanded by the ticket collector, so ensure that you have enough battery before you activate. I have seen an example where someone's battery ran out and had to buy a new ticket from the collector.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="1436" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J27VVywPNIA/XveTYtXrX3I/AAAAAAAANMA/YnPooJ1x_B0rduXnN_vWVYFWAxMZdqeWgCK4BGAsYHg/s320/Metro%2Bnorth%2B2.png" width="320" /></div><span><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><span><b>3. Once you reach Garrison, walk to the trailhead </b></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span>Facing the direction of the train (i.e. North), get to the right side platform. I have been dropped on the right platform on the 2 trips I made. </span></li><li><span>Once you are on the right platform, with the railroad behind you, walk towards the right on the road in front of you. It is not more than a 2-3 min walk. So if you have walked longer, you have missed it. </span></li><li><span>Look for this sign - this is the trailhead. The trail begins to the left of this sign board. </span></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FKRch0uNViM/XveTnKWCiTI/AAAAAAAANMU/JAC6dx0ubvUK5Hcz03eaJN0qVkqhavb2gCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0311.JPG" width="320" /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span><br /></span></div><div><b><u>THE HIKE</u></b></div></div><div><br /></div><div>It is a fairly easy hike with some good views of the Hudson river. You could literally walk anywhere there is a trail and not get lost. Even if you go off the trail, it is very difficult to get lost. There are some key landmarks :</div><div><br /></div><div>The first one is a bridge that takes you over the railroad. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gc99_dHiB-8/XveU0z4PxgI/AAAAAAAANM0/c0zh-WzEG-YYs0OJJXyxEx2ytCN45TrtwCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0324.JPG" width="320" /></div><div><br /></div><div>The next one is the river. </div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iN6Xpi2mJCY/XveVx4lz-1I/AAAAAAAANNc/9hnxshYuzzMXH2yrX4VK51l9tueNGimVwCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0328.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Between these 2 landmarks, even if you get lost, you could find yourself !!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TnVexL1GA3Y/XveV4vYCz4I/AAAAAAAANNo/pD6ohjRE5n0j6Qb4ku2IoIvCBBVHOstOQCK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0314.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TnVexL1GA3Y/XveV4vYCz4I/AAAAAAAANNo/pD6ohjRE5n0j6Qb4ku2IoIvCBBVHOstOQCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0314.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On my first trip, I tried completing the Glenclyffe loop, but could not complete as the trail was blocked with very dense vegetation after this lookout / dilapidated camping spot. I scrambled my way to a private property and then back to the main road that leads to the station.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mO-zP83bMaE/XveWi_YvQEI/AAAAAAAANOY/i2ShDlIYzhovjHe5uEKjPAGWt-Biof2owCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0340.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div>This place is not that crowded - I have visited on weekends and have found just a few people. If you would like some solitude without straining yourself that much, Arden Point and Glenclyffe is a very good option. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Up next</b> : Breakneck Ridge.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-35950878457059037392020-06-22T00:23:00.008+08:002020-06-22T00:27:11.240+08:00To go or to not go<div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">"To go or to not go" is a frequently occurring question in our lives. Could be in the context of going to office on a beautiful, bright sunny day or trying to push for the next camp, on an already long day of hiking or waking up early for that early morning run or for that matter, contemplating having a kid. </font></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">On a hot summer day in May, I was sitting (and sweating) in our home in Pune (India) wondering if I was to start a company of my own. It was not an easy question to answer. The probability of finding a business in my family hierarchy is almost equal to finding a polar bear on the streets of Mumbai. There was no precedent in the family and nobody to guide. My earlier half-hearted, part-time attempt a few years ago did not end well. </font></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">I was anxious to trace the origin of this question. </font></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><b><font face="inherit">The Origin</font></b></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">My exile in the Himalayas made me learn a few things. One key learning was persistence, the drive to keep going beyond what would have normally been a time to stop. There have been excruciatingly long days high up on the mountain (15,000 ft+) when I have been tempted to stop but kept going because it was the right thing to do. Everything in real life seems a breeze when I compare these situations to "those" days. </font></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">Post my return, after giving away my life savings to a family emergency, I was on the lookout for a job. This was my first time in the open job market - my earlier jobs have been fairly easy to get on college campuses. I was soon going to figure out how privileged my life was. The jog hunting approach was wrong, the types of jobs I applied to were wrong (hiking guide being one of them) and the entire process backfired. I must have applied for a couple of hundred jobs and was not able to land a single interview. Indian companies, at that time, were not ready for the transparent disclosure of a voluntary, 4 month break in career. </font></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">There are times when, unbeknownst to you, life is planning its own vicious plot. One of my close friends reached out to me with an assignment and gave me an option to help him fix his business. Of course, he wanted me to do this in my free time which, at that time, included every degree of the clock that the hour and minute hand can cover. </font></div><div><font face="inherit"><span> </span><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">This project set in motion a detailed review of off-the-shelf products for enterprise resource planning for small businesses. When I couldn't find anything that met the requirements, I turned to customization of open source alternatives. I found one of them to be very promising - OpenErp (Now called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odoo" target="_blank">Odoo</a>). customizing this Open Source product meant that I had to learn Python. I spent the next 3 months learning its syntax and the code structure of OpenErp. In the next few months, step by step, I customized this open source to meet the requirements of my friend. </font></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div>I felt a tremendous uplift from this creation (I was tempted to call it "customization", but that didn't fit the feeling I am trying to describe here). I was able to solve a problem and that made me happy. It was natural to think of extending this effort to make it a commercial venture. That, right there, gave birth to my company called Monakus. <div> <br />"<a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Monachus</a>" is the Latin name for a monk. This company's sole purpose was to provide direction to companies just like a monk. I was tempted to use the name "Monachus" but dropped the idea after a few friends apprised me of the negative connotations in Hindi when you break it into two. It would have translated to "Mona suck" and that would have been a tremendous distraction throughout the life of the company!<br /><div><b><font face="inherit"><br /></font></b></div><div><b><font face="inherit">The Struggle and the end</font></b></div><div><b><font face="inherit"><br /></font></b></div><div><font face="inherit">With no prior experience in sales, I resorted to tried and tested approaches like cold calling, attending exhibitions, etc. to score customers. There were days when I made 100+ calls in a day and then, there were other days, when I would spend the entire day in industrial complexes knocking the doors of small businesses. I was given the same treatment that other cold callers receive, ranging from polite declines to extremely uncivil responses. I did not take any of this personally but the whole process was taking a toll on me. With each passing day, I was running the risk of running out of money and nearing my breaking point. </font></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">I kept going. </font></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">Six months passed by with not much progress. I did not have a sustainable sales pipeline and was beginning to question the viability of the venture. Just then, on one of those blind pitches, I met my partner. He had a very strong network due to his real estate background, and I was good at managing everything else. We clicked instantly and, after a few conversations, converted the company into a Private limited entity. </font></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">We did well for about a year. And by "well", I mean visibility into the next 2-3 months and a consistent cash flow to manage our expenses. We had one or more 6+ month assignments with recurring monthly billing. We grew from just us to a team of 6. Things were looking up despite the fact that we running on thin margins. Basic technology based projects like websites were proving to be bread and butter. High value consulting work, though, was proving to be elusive. </font></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">And, in a desperate attempt to raise money, we digressed. Side projects started to consume more time. Fondofood.com (home cooked food delivered from centralized kitchens), Ghartak.com (Grocery delivery), Monakus realty (real estate) folded up after pilots and did not even take off to a real commercial launch. We spent time pitching these ideas to investors in the hope that we would land seed capital to launch one of these. Our travel schedule was becoming hectic with these frequent trips to Mumbai to meet potential investors. </font></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">The grand idea was to make Monakus an incubator where these new ideas and businesses would be born. </font><span style="font-family: inherit;">The dream was big, time was running out and cash was running out faster. </span></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">After a few desperate attempts, we had to acknowledge the fact that we were on a downward spiral. We started trimming down our expenses and tried to get back to our bread and butter website projects. Unfortunately, it was too late. We had lost time, opportunities, employees and leads. By May 2015, I took the call to end the venture. My partner wanted to continue using the name and trademarks. He pivoted back to his real estate business and I turned back to corporate life. </font></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">Both of us are doing well and often wonder where we would have been, had one of those ideas grown into a real company. </font></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><font face="inherit">And for me, the monthly (or bi-weekly) paycheck has a new meaning now - I now know how difficult it is to earn that by yourself!</font></div><div><font face="inherit"><br /></font></div><div><br /></div></div>Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-68254852194764146192020-06-10T19:39:00.000+08:002020-06-10T19:39:42.009+08:00Catching up on life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Well, it has been an eventful last few years since the Grand Himalayan Exile. Here are a few events that have transpired and I would love to throw some light on each one of these in separate posts to give them the importance they deserve.<br />
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- <b>A failed startup experience</b>. Lots of learning without any earning - Nevertheless, now I know what it means.<br />
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- <b>Marrying a Japanese</b>. I prefer to avoid personal topics but this one might actually help those in interracial relationships or plan to be in one or are curious about one. The actual signing event was so bizarre that even the Indian registrar couldn't believe - he, in fact, asked my to-be wife if she was being forced into this marriage because she couldn't pronounce my full name!. Well, if pronouncing my full name was the bar, it is too high for anyone to cross it.<br />
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- <b>Life in Mumbai</b>. In my earlier Mumbai stint (2008-09), working from home was decided by how much water there is on the street outside my house - Ankle deep, and you know that Kurla is under water and trains are not operating. Well, working from home has a new meaning with the current pandemic. All this and more on witnessing the life of an expat in Mumbai, what it takes to live in Mumbai if you are not from "here".<br />
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- <b>Jersey City</b> - the only thing that stops it from being a part of India is entry visa for Americans. It is a beautiful, diverse oasis where almost every culture can find something to call its own.<br />
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- <b>Hikes around New York City - </b>There are abundant "things to do" websites for NYC. I will talking about day hikes around NYC that can be accessed without a car. Not that I am against owning a car, I just don't happen to know how to drive one! <br />
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- <b>Canada - </b>In a few months, I will be starting my second episode in Canada, a beautiful country with awesome people. I will provide a laundry list of items for first time movers to Canada. I have found a few blogs and articles that cover bits and pieces but haven't seen anyone documenting it well.<br />
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I hope I can turn these around in days rather than months...<br />
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Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-80145431708757776412013-11-22T13:51:00.001+08:002013-11-22T14:01:00.711+08:00The new age of Indian online retail - The case of Naaptol.com<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It has been a while since I have blogged. It has also been a while since I have felt strongly about something.<br />
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Welcome to the new age of online retail in India. You find everything right from clothing to kitchen ware to bedroom furniture in a few clicks. Electronics and books have always been available online - Atleast as far as my memory goes back. (I do need to get myself checked for '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesia" target="_blank">Amnesia</a>' - Wiki says it is curable though !!)<br />
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My abode in Pune was frequently seeing guests and there was a need to transform the bachelor's accommodation into something that is more livable (for lack of a better word). So comes the decision to jazz up a bit - Now, being who I am, the word 'Jazz up' doesn't go too well with me. I get a couple of beds that are good enough for a few nights. I have been using my good old sleeping bag for those cold nights - however, it is not a commonly used solution for cold. Most people are better off with blankets - I get a couple of them too.<br />
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Now comes the tricky part - Kitchen. I have been using my mountain stove for cooking (Please excuse my usage of words - what I 'cook' cannot be placed in the category of cooking). Nevertheless, with a liter of petrol (Kerosone is tough to get!), I can go for a fortnight without a refill. It may not be the most efficient and eco-friendly way of cooking but seems a good bet under the current circumstances. I re-fuel and use it on demand. This sounds pretty much like SaaS (Stove as a Service and not Software as a Service!) - I was excited and life went on smoothly.<br />
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But the thought of my guests going through a hardship convinced me to get an 'induction stove'.<br />
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I browse through Naaptol.com and others like Flipkart, ebay and Amazon. I found my perfect fit at Naaptol.com. I had never heard of this name before. I am usually quite cautious when it comes to online purchases - I have been purchasing a lot of stuff online but mostly from trusted companies. It was the 30th of October and Saturn was busy plotting a wicked plot against me. I had no clue that this was a plot that was more twisted than the human DNA.<br />
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I fall into the trap.<br />
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I ordered an 'induction stove' from Naaptol.com. I called them immediately to check if there is way to shorten delivery times from the current '7-8' business days. I have received shipments in 2-3 business days on most of my purchases before. I am assured that delivery would be done in 3-4 business days but it cannot be guaranteed. Now, the difference between an 'assurance' and a 'guarantee' is the same as the difference between 'water resistant' and 'water proof'. As for the latter, I realized that on a dark rainy night on a ~13000ft peak in Colorado. And, as it turns out, I realize the true meaning of 'assurance' after this episode with Naaptol.com.<br />
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I call them every 3 business days from the time I ordered till today. I was given an 'Airway bill number' that supposedly belonged to Blue Dart. I tried to track delivery on Blue Dart website - Apparently, that number neither belonged to Blue Dart nor did it belong to '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muggle" target="_blank">Muggles</a>'. I called Blue Dart and I get an audio confirmation of the same. I was told to seek help from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogwarts" target="_blank">Hogwarts</a> to track the shipment. Looked like my stove was '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_spells_in_Harry_Potter" target="_blank">Evanesco</a>'ed by somebody !! <br />
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There was a positive twist too. There was always a new excuse every time to keep me entertained. First it was Deepavali, then it was 'fault with dispatcher' and then it was 'damaged parcel from retailer' and then today, 'being processed'. I have gone a full circle in 23 days.<br />
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I haven't received the shipment and I have no clue whatsoever as to what happened to it. Maybe <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albus_Dumbledore" target="_blank">Albus</a> knows !!!<br />
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Naaptol.com, Good Bye and God Bless.<br />
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<b>POST SCRIPT:</b><br />
The author, after being subjected to immense psychological strain over the last 3 weeks, has cancelled the order half an hour back. He intends to take this to consumer court if he doesn't receive a full refund.<br />
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<b>Terms and their meaning:</b><br />
Goodbye - The author does not intend to visit Naaptol.com again and neither does he intend to recommend this site to anyone.<br />
God Bless - Naaptol.com, if you would like to survive in the harsh world of online retail, you need to pull up your socks quite high !<br />
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<b>Afterthought:</b><br />
I guess, with the advent of third party resell, these delays are bound to occur more frequently. The online resellers are no more in full control. Well, Amazon does have a <a href="http://services.amazon.in/services/fulfilment-by-amazon/benefits.html" target="_blank">solution</a> !.<br />
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<b>Disclaimer:</b><br />
All thoughts are personal and are based on true events. Of course, we can agree to disagree if you don't trust my short term memory !<br />
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Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-45588759529361440962013-05-22T18:50:00.000+08:002013-06-16T18:53:26.872+08:00The Grand Himalayan Exile | Updates<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have been asked by many friends and colleagues to post updates of my Himalayan adventure so that they could track my movement. I will update this post as and when possible throughout the next 3 months.<br />
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<b>16th <i>June 2013, 0630 PM Bali Local time - Bali, Indonesia</i></b><br />
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Bali was much better than I had anticipated. There are quite a few good non touristy locales. Staying in a hostel in Sanur right next to the beach. Returning to Chennai on the 20th. Looking at spending the next <u style="font-weight: bold;">few months</u> gathering my thoughts, journal logs and video logs.</div>
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<b>28th <i>May 2013, 0630 PM IST - Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, <u>India</u></i></b><br />
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CHANGE OF PLANS !! The Himalayan exile is now extended into Non Himalayan terrain as well. Heading to the beaches of Indonesia for the next 3-4 weeks - Starting off with Bali. Jammu-Delhi-Kolkata-Kuala Lumpur-Bali !<br />
Just reached Jammu after a 45hr ride from Leh - easily the longest single ride of my life. Spent 2 nights on NH1 in the taxi amidst scary conditions of the core elements of nature (snow, rain, landslides, lightning!). Leaving for Delhi tomorrow early in the morning.<br />
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<b>25th <i>May 2013, 1115 AM IST - Leh (Ladakh), Jammu and Kashmir, <u>India</u></i></b><br />
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Pics uploaded - available below. Return journey finalized. 5 days of road travel from the 27th of May to reach Pune on the 1st of June - Includes 30+hrs of bus/taxi and 40+hrs of waitlisted train journey.<br />
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<b>22nd <i>May 2013, 1230 PM IST - Leh (Ladakh), Jammu and Kashmir, <u>India</u></i></b><br />
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For a change, I am doing nothing for the next few days. A pleasant 'do nothing' time in Leh with books, coffee, mint tea and smoke ! I am getting to terms that this lovely trip is nearing its end. It is not easy to accept !<br />
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<b>20th <i>May 2013, 0221 PM IST - Leh (Ladakh), Jammu and Kashmir, <u>India</u></i></b><br />
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Nubra valley was lovely. Crossed Khardung La (5602m), apparently the highest motorable road in the world.. Rest for the next few days before Pangong lake. Should be leaving Ladakh before the end of this month.<br />
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<b>15th <i>May 2013, 0900 PM IST - Leh (Ladakh), Jammu and Kashmir, <u>India</u></i></b><br />
Just came back from the Lamayuru to Chilling hike. It was beautiful. Crossed Konzke La pass (4950m) and DunDun Chen La Pass (4620m) - Both of them really challenging because of snow on the pass. We were the first ones to cross the pass this season - intense route finding in knee-deep snow. Luckily, the guide was superbly experienced and took us home safely on a non existent trail. I was joined by an Israeli guy named Ofer. Easily, the toughest snow conditions I have ever faced in my life - Thorung La pass (5416m) in Nepal made me walk 9hrs on snow but was not as risky as this one.<br />
Nevertheless, a very beautiful hike - Rural Ladakh is outstanding. All the nights in the hike were spent in small rural villages with less than 7 families. Simple peaceful life.<br />
Planning Nubra valley next - Should be leaving Ladakh in less than 10 days.<br />
I am getting a feel that this exile is going to be extended beyond the 3 months that i had initially anticipated.<br />
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<b>07th <i>May 2013, 0830 PM IST - Leh (Ladakh), Jammu and Kashmir, <u>India</u></i></b><br />
Starting an 8 day hike tomorrow. This one is guided because of the high altitude passes that are covered with snow. Would traverse from Sham valley onto Markha valley - 3 passes between 4600m and 5000m. This one is going to be demanding because of snow on the passes as well as the high altitude. I am very well acclimatized - hopefully there should not be any high altitude issues. Fully geared with crampons, sleeping bags and adequate winter clothing. Should be good fun ! Next update on my return.<br />
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<b>04th <i>May 2013, 0140 PM IST - Leh (Ladakh), Jammu and Kashmir, <u>India</u></i></b><br />
Back in Leh after a wonderful hike in Sham valley. Rural Ladakh, mountain passes and solitude - i cant ask for anything more. Couple of days rest in Leh before i head out to either Nubhra valley (along the LoC with China - exactly where the Chinese have pitched up tents) or Zanskar region. I'm lovin it !<br />
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<b>30th<i> Apr 2013, 1100 AM IST - Leh (Ladakh), Jammu and Kashmir, <u>India</u></i></b><br />
Leh is stunningly beautiful and delightfully peaceful with hardly any tourists around. It is still early spring and hence it is pretty cold too. Climbed up to the Shanti Stupa yesterday - the altitude does make easy climbs slightly difficult. Slowly getting used to the altitude. Doing another Stupa today - These climbs are helping me acclimatize faster. Starting a 5 day hike in Sham valley tomorrow. I am getting a feel that one month may not be enough for Ladakh !<br />
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<b>28th<i> Apr 2013, 1230 PM IST - Leh (Ladakh), Jammu and Kashmir, <u>India</u></i></b><br />
The boat house stay in Srinagar was lovely. After a 15hr picturesque journey across J&K, I am now at Leh. Reached here 1AM last night - Staying with a very nice family here at Leh. The ride from Srinagar was awesome - Srinagar, Zozila Pass, Drass (The second coldest inhabited place on this planet), Kargil and then Leh. I would have never thought i would ever cross these places - heard them during the war more than a decade back. Everything is peaceful nowadays and J&K Tourism has done a good job in promoting these as tourist destinations.<br />
Planning to get acclimatized to the altitude of Leh (3500m+) over the next 2-3 days. Will start a hike after that.<br />
I am in love with J&K - It is rightly called 'Heaven'. This surely is not going to be my last trip to 'Heaven'.<br />
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<b>25th<i> Apr 2013, 1230 PM IST - Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, <u>India</u></i></b><br />
In heaven (Jammu and Kashmir) for the first time in this life ! First a 7 hr bus ride from Dharamshala to Jammu and then a 11hr shared taxi ride to Srinagar. Local Srinagar sightseeing today. Off to Gulmarg tomorrow - maybe a couple of days there. Should be in Ladakh in less than a week - It is a 15 hr shared taxi ride from Srinagar. If all goes well, I am planning to spend 4 weeks in Ladakh. Also planning a long hike in the Ladakh/Zanskar region. Some bad news - no prepaid roaming in J&K - no new SIM cards in J&K - So, no phone contact for the next 4 weeks. Will be out of internet reach too once i leave Srinagar - Hopefully, I should be able to post another update before i leave Srinagar.<br />
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<b>21st<i> Apr 2013, 1115 AM IST - McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, <u>India</u></i></b><br />
In McLeod Ganj for the last six days. Day hikes keeping me busy. Planning to do the 4 day hike upto Indrahaar Pass if the snow clears up - Will wait a couple of days. Heading to Jammu and Kashmir in less than a week. Completed 50 days on this trip !<br />
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<b>13th<i> Apr 2013, 1220 PM IST - Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, <u>India</u></i></b><br />
In Dharamshala. Hectic travel to reach here - First, a 10hr bus ride Bhutan to Siliguri, then a 36hr train ride (that was 26hrs late) to New Delhi, and finally a 13hr bus ride from New Delhi to Dharamshala. Going to take a couple of days of rest right under the 'Inner Himalayas' before i head out further north.<br />
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<b>08th<i> Apr 2013, 720 PM IST - Siliguri, West Bengal, <u>India</u></i></b><br />
Just reached Siliguri after a 10hr bus ride from Bhutan. Will be starting my 32hr train journey to Nayi Dilli in 12 hrs - Now, this is some travel !! Had to cut short my Bhutan trip due to immigration issues - I was not allowed to exit alone into Assam from Eastern Bhutan - hence had to return back to Siliguri. Apparently, Bhutan feels that I am not safe 'alone' in the eastern part of my home country - In hindsight, I do agree with their decision. My plan was indeed risky.<br />
Would spend a few days in New Delhi until I figure out the next leg of this journey (The Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh / Ladakh / Tibet).<br />
This is just getting better everyday !<br />
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<b>31</b><b><i>st Mar 2013, 145 PM Bhutan Local time - Thimphu, <u>Bhutan</u></i></b><br />
It rained yesterday and all my plans were washed away. Went around Thimphu today - it is a beautiful little town. No traffic signals all throughout ! The immigration office was closed and so were most of the other establishments. Future plan will be decided tomorrow - would be chilling out for one more day. Smoking is banned at public places and sale of tobacco products is illegal throughout Bhutan ! 200% duty applies on getting in tobacco products. Alcohol though is freely available.<br />
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<b>30</b><b><i>th Mar 2013, 500 PM Bhutan Local time - Thimphu, <u>Bhutan</u></i></b><br />
Reached Thimphu - the largest city in Bhutan. I am in love with this country. One month here is going to be enough for this lifetime ! (it is probably smaller than the smallest state in India). Exploring options of doing a road trip + day hikes or do the classic 10 day gruelling Jhomolhari trek + a smaller road trip. Whatever be the case, will out of touch after the next 48 hours or so - will be heading to rural Bhutan towards the east (Thimphu is not strictly urban though - everything is relative !). Would be crossing some wonderful passes over 4000m on the way/on the hike.<br />
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<b>29</b><b><i>th Mar 2013, 1045 AM IST - Siliguri, <u>India</u></i></b><br />
Crossed over to India after a long rickety bus ride across Nepal. Crossed the border at Kakkarbhitta (Nepal) - Panitanki (India). Easiest border crossing in my life - No documents !!<br />
In West Bengal for the first time ! Leaving for Phuentsholing (Border town - Bhutan) in an hour.<br />
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<b>24</b><b><i>th Mar 2013, 215 PM Nepal local time - Pokhara, <u>Nepal</u></i></b><br />
19 days and 210 Kms of hiking in the Himalayas in Nepal - Annapurna Circuit complete. The best hike ever !<br />
Now in Pokhara (Nepal). Should be in Bhutan Himalayas by the end of this month.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">18</span></span><b><i>th Mar 2013, 1130 AM Nepal local time - Jomsom, <u>Nepal</u></i></b><br />
At Jomsom (~2800m). Crossed Thorong la Pass (5416m / 17770 ft) successfully - lucky to have had excellent weather. Might be the highest point i will ever hike in my life. Now descending into civilization - should be in Pokhara in 8-9 days.<br />
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<b><i>11th Mar 2013, 500 PM Nepal local time - Manang, <u>Nepal</u></i></b><br />
@3500 metres - Manang - 2 nights from today for acclimatization.<br />
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<b><i>3rd Mar 2013, 445 PM Nepal local time - Thamel, Kathmandu, <u>Nepal</u></i></b><br />
Trekking Permits, Pashupatinath Temple and BoudhaNath Stupa. I am all set - will be on the trail tomorrow. Updates will be less frequent from now on.<b></b><br />
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<b><i>2nd Mar 2013, 820 PM Nepal local time - Thamel, Kathmandu, <u>Nepal</u></i></b></div>
Went around Kathmandu - Durbar square and Swayambhu Stupa. Should be on the trail in 48 hours.<br />
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<b><i>1st Mar 2013, 630 PM Nepal local time - Thamel, Kathmandu, <u>Nepal</u></i></b><br />
Well, Nepal just seems to be an extension of India! Chaotic, order-less and oozing with energy !<br />
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<b><i>1st Mar 2013, 715 AM SGT - Changi Airport, <u>Singapore</u></i></b><br />
I am all set ! Goodbye Singapore. I can't believe I am saying this - "I will miss you Singapore !"<br />
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<i><b>26th Feb 2013, 5 PM SGT - <u>Singapore</u></b></i><br />
Just about 48 hours to go ! I can feel it now !<br />
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<b>Related posts:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.sg/2013/02/the-grand-himalayan-exile.html" target="_blank"><b>The Grand Himalayan Exile</b></a><br />
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<a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.sg/2013/02/the-grand-himalayan-exile-gear-list.html" target="_blank"><b>The Grand Himalayan Exile | Gear List</b></a><br />
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<b><a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.in/2013/05/the-grand-himalayan-exile-pics-best-of_2794.html" target="_blank">The Grand Himalayan Exile | Pics | Best of Bhutan</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.in/2013/05/the-grand-himalayan-exile-pics-best-of_22.html" target="_blank">The Grand Himalayan Exile | Pics | Best of Nepal</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.in/2013/05/the-grand-himalayan-exile-pics-best-of.html" target="_blank">The Grand Himalayan Exile | Pics | Best of Kashmir and Ladakh</a></b></div>
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Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-48430089264013916802013-05-22T18:38:00.002+08:002013-05-22T18:38:48.897+08:00The Grand Himalayan Exile | Pics | Best of Bhutan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5pSPN6ak-Ek/UZycyb69pOI/AAAAAAAAE9w/WAaresc8eY0/s1600/DSC01651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5pSPN6ak-Ek/UZycyb69pOI/AAAAAAAAE9w/WAaresc8eY0/s400/DSC01651.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Smoking is prohibited at public places</b><br /><i>Between Phuentsholing (border town) and Thimphu</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TAEGmi6ZE24/UZyc57mbQVI/AAAAAAAAE94/8k3HhV6vkDU/s1600/DSC01660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TAEGmi6ZE24/UZyc57mbQVI/AAAAAAAAE94/8k3HhV6vkDU/s400/DSC01660.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Thimphu, Capital of Bhutan</b><br /><i>Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DvumYl-2INA/UZyc-FSEgSI/AAAAAAAAE-A/mmCP80fXmdI/s1600/DSC01680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DvumYl-2INA/UZyc-FSEgSI/AAAAAAAAE-A/mmCP80fXmdI/s400/DSC01680.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>TashiChhoe Dzong (Monastery)</b><br /><i>Thimphu, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kq3h0zItLiQ/UZydHcdVxzI/AAAAAAAAE-I/jGx2Tn9q1Kk/s1600/DSC01684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kq3h0zItLiQ/UZydHcdVxzI/AAAAAAAAE-I/jGx2Tn9q1Kk/s400/DSC01684.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>TashiChhoe Dzong (Monastery)</b><br /><i>Thimphu, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0yMn3yT9KYw/UZydK43hI6I/AAAAAAAAE-Q/VWuIWijCuCQ/s1600/DSC01697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0yMn3yT9KYw/UZydK43hI6I/AAAAAAAAE-Q/VWuIWijCuCQ/s400/DSC01697.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Buddha Statue</b><br /><i>Thimphu, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-InpGQw4uSII/UZydSXpmLjI/AAAAAAAAE-Y/W6eSNkdPF9w/s1600/DSC01716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-InpGQw4uSII/UZydSXpmLjI/AAAAAAAAE-Y/W6eSNkdPF9w/s400/DSC01716.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>The only time I indulged in Luxury</b><br /><i>Do Chu La Pass, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pADU9GDDFm4/UZydWw3PqBI/AAAAAAAAE-g/MtYg4s_RAB0/s1600/DSC01727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pADU9GDDFm4/UZydWw3PqBI/AAAAAAAAE-g/MtYg4s_RAB0/s400/DSC01727.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Journal logs - also on Annapurna notebooks</b><br /><i>Do Chu La Pass, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bqX5VvJ8m-Y/UZydbsFKPsI/AAAAAAAAE-o/6_1RFndSUSs/s1600/DSC01732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bqX5VvJ8m-Y/UZydbsFKPsI/AAAAAAAAE-o/6_1RFndSUSs/s400/DSC01732.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Sunrise from Do Chu La</b><br /><i>Do Chu La Pass, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQlnoDYvX24/UZyddJpgtKI/AAAAAAAAE-w/st-u45J_53Y/s1600/DSC01754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQlnoDYvX24/UZyddJpgtKI/AAAAAAAAE-w/st-u45J_53Y/s400/DSC01754.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>At Do Chu La resort</b><br /><i>Do Chu La Pass, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JiY3GwhBoSc/UZydjGx9e7I/AAAAAAAAE_A/s7k647RDI9c/s1600/DSC01765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JiY3GwhBoSc/UZydjGx9e7I/AAAAAAAAE_A/s7k647RDI9c/s400/DSC01765.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>108 Chortens at Do Chu La</b><br /><i>Do Chu La Pass, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6bP67-hU-Tw/UZydh-4L0xI/AAAAAAAAE-4/WRMz0Ri9i6A/s1600/DSC01767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6bP67-hU-Tw/UZydh-4L0xI/AAAAAAAAE-4/WRMz0Ri9i6A/s400/DSC01767.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>108 Chortens at Do Chu La</b><br /><i>Do Chu La Pass, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xDUz2buwS6w/UZydnjA1RLI/AAAAAAAAE_I/uv9FPPoORPM/s1600/DSC01773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xDUz2buwS6w/UZydnjA1RLI/AAAAAAAAE_I/uv9FPPoORPM/s400/DSC01773.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Paro town</b><br /><i>Paro, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sc25kLf80NI/UZydpfO54GI/AAAAAAAAE_Q/-kh2AVCllTU/s1600/DSC01789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sc25kLf80NI/UZydpfO54GI/AAAAAAAAE_Q/-kh2AVCllTU/s400/DSC01789.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Tiger's nest Monastery (near the top of the mountain)</b><br /><i>Paro, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mn4IQdRbSG8/UZydp8s4aPI/AAAAAAAAE_Y/_EqfcGjC3jA/s1600/DSC01801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mn4IQdRbSG8/UZydp8s4aPI/AAAAAAAAE_Y/_EqfcGjC3jA/s400/DSC01801.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Tiger's nest Monastery in the background</b><br /><i>Paro, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YWAr8dZdvGI/UZydsKubKLI/AAAAAAAAE_g/dEpDF66MNcQ/s1600/DSC01806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YWAr8dZdvGI/UZydsKubKLI/AAAAAAAAE_g/dEpDF66MNcQ/s400/DSC01806.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Close up of Tiger's Nest</b><br /><i>Paro, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ifRibdcAavs/UZydy8X96uI/AAAAAAAAE_w/i67lWsYtnhs/s1600/DSC01824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ifRibdcAavs/UZydy8X96uI/AAAAAAAAE_w/i67lWsYtnhs/s400/DSC01824.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>One more close up of Tiger's Nest</b><br /><i>Paro, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XbCM2C9PKPw/UZydyGS5qhI/AAAAAAAAE_o/JfGlbENSZoA/s1600/DSC01828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XbCM2C9PKPw/UZydyGS5qhI/AAAAAAAAE_o/JfGlbENSZoA/s400/DSC01828.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>And another one of Tiger's Nest</b><br /><i>Paro, Bhutan</i></span></td></tr>
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Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-83958922511894731352013-05-22T18:23:00.000+08:002013-05-22T18:23:03.997+08:00The Grand Himalayan Exile | Pics | Best of Nepal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unfortunately, one of my 32GB cards went corrupt after Thorung La Pass (5416m / 17765 ft) and hence I lost the first ten days of my hike. I have not been successful in recovering it ! Here is what I have left !<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3SGP-mucfU/UZyYQdfGdEI/AAAAAAAAE9g/LG80Aj6hW_E/s1600/GOPR0788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3SGP-mucfU/UZyYQdfGdEI/AAAAAAAAE9g/LG80Aj6hW_E/s400/GOPR0788.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Near Thorung Phedi (4420m / 14498 ft)</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal<br />Image Courtesy: Jesper, Sweden</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i2EyjHO4RxA/UZyV-wkiOzI/AAAAAAAAE7g/sJyyzqy2Qbw/s1600/DSC01191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i2EyjHO4RxA/UZyV-wkiOzI/AAAAAAAAE7g/sJyyzqy2Qbw/s400/DSC01191.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Near Jomsom</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZBll2DGSzKI/UZyWK47FxvI/AAAAAAAAE7o/ahtfbNs7ntU/s1600/DSC01220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZBll2DGSzKI/UZyWK47FxvI/AAAAAAAAE7o/ahtfbNs7ntU/s400/DSC01220.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Fully sunburnt after Thorung La (5416m / 17765 ft)</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--tFCpVh-0RA/UZyWQGawNCI/AAAAAAAAE7w/RDsXoH_yZ0Q/s1600/DSC01221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--tFCpVh-0RA/UZyWQGawNCI/AAAAAAAAE7w/RDsXoH_yZ0Q/s400/DSC01221.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Stayed in the famous Jimi Hendrix room at Jomsom</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F6lxR8HszGA/UZyWTmYOI-I/AAAAAAAAE74/Au72oUt-45A/s1600/DSC01301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F6lxR8HszGA/UZyWTmYOI-I/AAAAAAAAE74/Au72oUt-45A/s400/DSC01301.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Nilgiri (7062m) from Jomsom</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GGImfb5gL0Q/UZyWTxA4fyI/AAAAAAAAE78/Lqxc6R5Oy0k/s1600/DSC01345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GGImfb5gL0Q/UZyWTxA4fyI/AAAAAAAAE78/Lqxc6R5Oy0k/s400/DSC01345.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Neat signboards on the circuit - No guide required</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rLRK6R5d9Ms/UZyWgB2r_KI/AAAAAAAAE8I/E9zW5Sqamj0/s1600/DSC01349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rLRK6R5d9Ms/UZyWgB2r_KI/AAAAAAAAE8I/E9zW5Sqamj0/s400/DSC01349.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>The road that is discussed a lot amongst hikers</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ay57b1DRGps/UZyWrM2rNoI/AAAAAAAAE8Q/PcsJq7P7AIY/s1600/DSC01371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="90" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ay57b1DRGps/UZyWrM2rNoI/AAAAAAAAE8Q/PcsJq7P7AIY/s400/DSC01371.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>View near Tukcha</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3QSXl_ClaZ8/UZyWzpZbz9I/AAAAAAAAE8Y/iPpeLJXdiZk/s1600/DSC01375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3QSXl_ClaZ8/UZyWzpZbz9I/AAAAAAAAE8Y/iPpeLJXdiZk/s400/DSC01375.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Dhaulagiri range from Tukcha</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_xkvLEBzePY/UZyW-gR249I/AAAAAAAAE8g/p0hfl7_yl90/s1600/DSC01380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="90" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_xkvLEBzePY/UZyW-gR249I/AAAAAAAAE8g/p0hfl7_yl90/s400/DSC01380.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Dhaulagiri range from Tukcha</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UpqE7wlE0mM/UZyXIlQwihI/AAAAAAAAE8o/XW0rlGZF7F4/s1600/DSC01426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UpqE7wlE0mM/UZyXIlQwihI/AAAAAAAAE8o/XW0rlGZF7F4/s400/DSC01426.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Somewhere near Ghyaru</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dtM104qRN_Y/UZyXTU6rmRI/AAAAAAAAE8w/ot-b79KLSno/s1600/DSC01508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dtM104qRN_Y/UZyXTU6rmRI/AAAAAAAAE8w/ot-b79KLSno/s400/DSC01508.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Nilgiri (7062m) from Tatopani</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mNUIO298SKM/UZyXfZfHFRI/AAAAAAAAE84/0cVxvSx0sCw/s1600/DSC01553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mNUIO298SKM/UZyXfZfHFRI/AAAAAAAAE84/0cVxvSx0sCw/s400/DSC01553.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>View from Poon Hill (3200m / 10500 ft) - Nilgiri (7062m, left) and Annapurna I (8091m)</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E7DOFLFycAw/UZyXoYOCLVI/AAAAAAAAE9A/6XSq3p1hL4s/s1600/DSC01573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="90" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E7DOFLFycAw/UZyXoYOCLVI/AAAAAAAAE9A/6XSq3p1hL4s/s400/DSC01573.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>View from Poon Hill</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Deai02j1VeQ/UZyXzRqtp-I/AAAAAAAAE9I/Cy7Eo5wh67Y/s1600/DSC01579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Deai02j1VeQ/UZyXzRqtp-I/AAAAAAAAE9I/Cy7Eo5wh67Y/s400/DSC01579.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>At Poon Hill</b><br /><i>Annapurna Circuit, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jAeeQ6niSFI/UZyX_LvFlII/AAAAAAAAE9Q/XXRAKCZrfTA/s1600/DSC01612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jAeeQ6niSFI/UZyX_LvFlII/AAAAAAAAE9Q/XXRAKCZrfTA/s400/DSC01612.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Lake view</b><br /><i>Pokhara, Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g700IdS3-gs/UZyYLcmeR9I/AAAAAAAAE9Y/4u6nME8Um5k/s1600/DSC01622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g700IdS3-gs/UZyYLcmeR9I/AAAAAAAAE9Y/4u6nME8Um5k/s400/DSC01622.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Rickety bus ride from Pokhara to Kakarbhitta (border town)</b><br /><i>Dinner stop somewhere in Nepal</i></span></td></tr>
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Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-25529645557690403602013-05-22T17:49:00.000+08:002013-07-02T18:58:54.614+08:00The Grand Himalayan Exile | Pics | Best of Kashmir and Ladakh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VFiYAyV34Bk/UZyBMipBtKI/AAAAAAAAE2E/__cBBx20qX8/s1600/DSC01896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VFiYAyV34Bk/UZyBMipBtKI/AAAAAAAAE2E/__cBBx20qX8/s400/DSC01896.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>The leftmost was the houseboat where I stayed !</b><br /><i>Srinagar, Kashmir</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GSPDZ6MibFE/UZyBRnuKQ2I/AAAAAAAAE2M/4e0QPnewN2g/s1600/DSC01902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GSPDZ6MibFE/UZyBRnuKQ2I/AAAAAAAAE2M/4e0QPnewN2g/s400/DSC01902.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Shikara (boat) ride on Dal lake</b><br /><i>Srinagar, Kashmir</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WFDmGi7sb1M/UZyBZshOToI/AAAAAAAAE2U/8yD2C_z8aHE/s1600/DSC01908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WFDmGi7sb1M/UZyBZshOToI/AAAAAAAAE2U/8yD2C_z8aHE/s400/DSC01908.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Shikara (boat) ride on Dal lake</b><br /><i>Srinagar, Kashmir</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ShzfhQHTdpg/UZyBfzOZhrI/AAAAAAAAE2c/PP9iUJpUiR8/s1600/DSC01913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ShzfhQHTdpg/UZyBfzOZhrI/AAAAAAAAE2c/PP9iUJpUiR8/s400/DSC01913.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Shikara (boat) ride on Dal lake</b><br /><i>Srinagar, Kashmir</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MmpT4hvaMJ4/UZyBmzCg1NI/AAAAAAAAE2k/Xptgjhwx1vc/s1600/DSC01928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MmpT4hvaMJ4/UZyBmzCg1NI/AAAAAAAAE2k/Xptgjhwx1vc/s400/DSC01928.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Shikara (boat) ride on Dal lake</b><br /><i>Srinagar, Kashmir</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VJ8T0mke0Qg/UZyBp7FrytI/AAAAAAAAE2s/vGLJyhz5_6s/s1600/DSC01940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VJ8T0mke0Qg/UZyBp7FrytI/AAAAAAAAE2s/vGLJyhz5_6s/s400/DSC01940.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Night view of Raj bagh - glittering lights of houseboats</b><br /><i>Srinagar, Kashmir</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fIAYImQvtFM/UZyAhCR7VxI/AAAAAAAAE1E/-yViNWURPWk/s1600/DSC00216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fIAYImQvtFM/UZyAhCR7VxI/AAAAAAAAE1E/-yViNWURPWk/s400/DSC00216.JPG" title="" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Buddhist Chortens</b><br /><i>Baby Trek - Sham valley, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PRaVsJCAb9o/UZyAs3ovefI/AAAAAAAAE1Y/aS7zL5j29Rs/s1600/DSC00241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PRaVsJCAb9o/UZyAs3ovefI/AAAAAAAAE1Y/aS7zL5j29Rs/s400/DSC00241.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Before one of the mountain passes</b><br /><i>Baby Trek - Sham valley, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--VZ0r68MH2c/UZyApjM4NAI/AAAAAAAAE1M/vsipYIH_O7Y/s1600/DSC00319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--VZ0r68MH2c/UZyApjM4NAI/AAAAAAAAE1M/vsipYIH_O7Y/s400/DSC00319.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Buddhist Chortens, Hemis Shupkachen</b><br /><i>Baby Trek - Sham valley, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--N_Hf6aI1Iw/UZyAsi4B-9I/AAAAAAAAE1U/Xf1vWoSFuVE/s1600/DSC00388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--N_Hf6aI1Iw/UZyAsi4B-9I/AAAAAAAAE1U/Xf1vWoSFuVE/s400/DSC00388.JPG" title="" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>At Hemis Shupkachen, a beautiful village !</b><br /><i>Baby Trek - Sham valley, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WwoKIVkb_5A/UZyBBDoT9CI/AAAAAAAAE10/XpNHU7SR9ks/s1600/DSC00434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WwoKIVkb_5A/UZyBBDoT9CI/AAAAAAAAE10/XpNHU7SR9ks/s400/DSC00434.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Prayer Inscription on stone, Hemis Shupkachen</b><br /><i>Baby Trek - Sham valley, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oPYK0F9id54/UZyA8JBOMpI/AAAAAAAAE1k/fiaPkr4mlyQ/s1600/DSC00469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oPYK0F9id54/UZyA8JBOMpI/AAAAAAAAE1k/fiaPkr4mlyQ/s400/DSC00469.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>One of the many mountain passes that I crossed !</b><br /><i>Baby Trek - Sham valley, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-siVgil6nYTY/UZyA-XpueJI/AAAAAAAAE1s/mMsZtZh9obk/s1600/DSC00481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-siVgil6nYTY/UZyA-XpueJI/AAAAAAAAE1s/mMsZtZh9obk/s400/DSC00481.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Mebtak La pass</b><br /><i>Baby Trek - Sham valley, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R-gV3FV5p3w/UZyBH76YXiI/AAAAAAAAE18/AWZMAKS_Gic/s1600/DSC00505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R-gV3FV5p3w/UZyBH76YXiI/AAAAAAAAE18/AWZMAKS_Gic/s400/DSC00505.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Entrance of Timisgaon</b><br /><i>Baby Trek - Sham valley, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BYl-paZaMdc/UZyF7LbzaZI/AAAAAAAAE28/rD2u30E_elI/s1600/DSC00566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BYl-paZaMdc/UZyF7LbzaZI/AAAAAAAAE28/rD2u30E_elI/s400/DSC00566.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>View from Likir</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6uRTVwg0XwM/UZyF79GwU3I/AAAAAAAAE3E/J5sR6MX4xJ4/s1600/DSC00580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6uRTVwg0XwM/UZyF79GwU3I/AAAAAAAAE3E/J5sR6MX4xJ4/s400/DSC00580.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>View from Likir</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kYHMoNsa3lQ/UZyGCkFw7oI/AAAAAAAAE3M/ylagekfGIaE/s1600/DSC00587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kYHMoNsa3lQ/UZyGCkFw7oI/AAAAAAAAE3M/ylagekfGIaE/s400/DSC00587.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Close to National Highway 1 (NH1)- Near Likir</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D0dJvk9UmIQ/UZyGD6ZhH_I/AAAAAAAAE3U/fORCMgaU8mQ/s1600/DSC00594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D0dJvk9UmIQ/UZyGD6ZhH_I/AAAAAAAAE3U/fORCMgaU8mQ/s400/DSC00594.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>National Highway 1 (NH1)</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VNRnPn0Ca28/UZyGK4NCrHI/AAAAAAAAE3c/x9fvjYW7tLE/s1600/DSC00602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VNRnPn0Ca28/UZyGK4NCrHI/AAAAAAAAE3c/x9fvjYW7tLE/s400/DSC00602.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Truck lift to reach Lamayuru</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h0b7tW_JM-A/UZyGVwdbBeI/AAAAAAAAE3k/4x1dJu-WQ_g/s1600/DSC00623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h0b7tW_JM-A/UZyGVwdbBeI/AAAAAAAAE3k/4x1dJu-WQ_g/s400/DSC00623.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Prayer inscribed on Stone</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iJgyzZmo66c/UZyGgTJaQnI/AAAAAAAAE3s/9yki5xv_dXs/s1600/DSC00635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iJgyzZmo66c/UZyGgTJaQnI/AAAAAAAAE3s/9yki5xv_dXs/s400/DSC00635.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>One of the mountain passes !</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j8o2vzRjZ9A/UZyGlZ6v05I/AAAAAAAAE30/m7gDn3_V7Rg/s1600/DSC00637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j8o2vzRjZ9A/UZyGlZ6v05I/AAAAAAAAE30/m7gDn3_V7Rg/s400/DSC00637.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>One of the mountain passes !</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWC0nKrXTpE/UZyG3oQAFQI/AAAAAAAAE38/FGTmGGX6U7s/s1600/DSC00714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWC0nKrXTpE/UZyG3oQAFQI/AAAAAAAAE38/FGTmGGX6U7s/s400/DSC00714.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Hinju village - very picturesque (Stanzin, our guide, is to my left)</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FzAvT3i4Ynk/UZyG8z6dxdI/AAAAAAAAE4E/JwYqwwCte38/s1600/DSC00770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FzAvT3i4Ynk/UZyG8z6dxdI/AAAAAAAAE4E/JwYqwwCte38/s400/DSC00770.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>At Hinju, looking at Konzke La (4950m) that we were to cross</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cxARzR4ftJU/UZyHHGbzhoI/AAAAAAAAE4M/_Wm5uJ33UI4/s1600/DSC00810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cxARzR4ftJU/UZyHHGbzhoI/AAAAAAAAE4M/_Wm5uJ33UI4/s400/DSC00810.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>The snowy climb to Konzke La (4950m)</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tQ0DNCv-46Y/UZyHRukN6MI/AAAAAAAAE4U/YAvn2p8EE9g/s1600/DSC00849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tQ0DNCv-46Y/UZyHRukN6MI/AAAAAAAAE4U/YAvn2p8EE9g/s400/DSC00849.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Konzke La pass (4950m / 16236 ft)</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k7MW8-OZsec/UZyHaxdnhoI/AAAAAAAAE4c/RSdUzLCJuE4/s1600/DSC00866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k7MW8-OZsec/UZyHaxdnhoI/AAAAAAAAE4c/RSdUzLCJuE4/s400/DSC00866.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Konzke La pass (4950m / 16236 ft)</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UmwHSbeK400/UZyHlMk5RmI/AAAAAAAAE4k/vDKgV3I2kb0/s1600/DSC00869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UmwHSbeK400/UZyHlMk5RmI/AAAAAAAAE4k/vDKgV3I2kb0/s400/DSC00869.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Ofer slips and we laugh !</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uXFyqFIda3I/UZyHqNjgQKI/AAAAAAAAE4s/v562IIvfGHc/s1600/DSC00895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uXFyqFIda3I/UZyHqNjgQKI/AAAAAAAAE4s/v562IIvfGHc/s400/DSC00895.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>A small pass before DunDun Chen La</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WOAONKBBxnE/UZyHzEEvXXI/AAAAAAAAE40/Pi9qahcCTt8/s1600/DSC00914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WOAONKBBxnE/UZyHzEEvXXI/AAAAAAAAE40/Pi9qahcCTt8/s400/DSC00914.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>A small pass before DunDun Chen La</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--3Sbv7hm7i8/UZyJJArdbhI/AAAAAAAAE6I/nzQY4FAH_WE/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--3Sbv7hm7i8/UZyJJArdbhI/AAAAAAAAE6I/nzQY4FAH_WE/s400/image.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>DunDun Chen La (4620m) ascent with heavy snowfall</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PT2v2geBk2U/UZyH7oKibNI/AAAAAAAAE5A/qWscvIs1nUg/s1600/DSC00922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PT2v2geBk2U/UZyH7oKibNI/AAAAAAAAE5A/qWscvIs1nUg/s400/DSC00922.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>DunDun Chen La (4620m) ascent with heavy snowfall</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R6dR4hvlQ1w/UZyIDwCMqpI/AAAAAAAAE5I/IPfHSKVgrtY/s1600/DSC00926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R6dR4hvlQ1w/UZyIDwCMqpI/AAAAAAAAE5I/IPfHSKVgrtY/s400/DSC00926.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>DunDun Chen La (4620m) ascent with heavy snowfall</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--3vIN50i-hg/UZyINjm05SI/AAAAAAAAE5Q/dT19KXGvNdE/s1600/DSC00931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--3vIN50i-hg/UZyINjm05SI/AAAAAAAAE5Q/dT19KXGvNdE/s400/DSC00931.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>View from DunDun Chen La (4620m / 15153 ft)</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-46tw7M4G658/UZyIXpdVgII/AAAAAAAAE5Y/VrH8PALhqHY/s1600/DSC00967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-46tw7M4G658/UZyIXpdVgII/AAAAAAAAE5Y/VrH8PALhqHY/s400/DSC00967.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>On the way down from DunDun Chen La (4620m)</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JxRDUbR7QOg/UZyIi4x4jmI/AAAAAAAAE5g/BFlJWhWs5Fw/s1600/DSC01036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JxRDUbR7QOg/UZyIi4x4jmI/AAAAAAAAE5g/BFlJWhWs5Fw/s400/DSC01036.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>View from Chilling</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8rLnfEHikkk/UZyIro9BfDI/AAAAAAAAE5o/fJitWoTbb1A/s1600/DSC01176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8rLnfEHikkk/UZyIro9BfDI/AAAAAAAAE5o/fJitWoTbb1A/s400/DSC01176.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>The unique pulling bridge near Skaya</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yzfgeKi967k/UZyJF2Fp4SI/AAAAAAAAE54/djoiwusJQBM/s1600/DSC01283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yzfgeKi967k/UZyJF2Fp4SI/AAAAAAAAE54/djoiwusJQBM/s400/DSC01283.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Truck ride on the way back to Leh - this time open air !</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I8MbbjlyaHI/UZyJHWDQ8KI/AAAAAAAAE6A/qkjLfKwbei4/s1600/DSC01299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I8MbbjlyaHI/UZyJHWDQ8KI/AAAAAAAAE6A/qkjLfKwbei4/s400/DSC01299.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Sumda Doh Village</b><br /><i>Lamayuru to Chilling Hike, Ladakh</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Near Khardung La (5602m)</b><br /><i>Nubra Valley</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Rickety bridge on the way to Anza Gompa, Panamik</b><br /><i>Nubra Valley</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Fellow Travellers - Ofer (Israel), Abhinav (India), Filip (Czech)</b><br /><i>Nubra Valley</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jO64avWlejs/UZyPRNJ3oVI/AAAAAAAAE64/_V98H9wGFho/s1600/DSC01417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jO64avWlejs/UZyPRNJ3oVI/AAAAAAAAE64/_V98H9wGFho/s400/DSC01417.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Desert valley - Panamik</b><br /><i>Nubra Valley</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Panamik</b><br /><i>Nubra Valley</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Rooftop bus ride to Panamik</b><br /><i>Nubra Valley</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Panamik</b><br /><i>Nubra Valley</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Sand dunes at Hundar - Desert, Snow capped mountains and Oasis all together</b><br /><i>Nubra Valley</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Camels, desert and snow capped mountains @ Hundar !</span></b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Nubra Valley</span></i></td></tr>
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Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-41935510531855977962013-02-19T13:20:00.001+08:002013-02-19T13:22:57.633+08:00The Grand Himalayan Exile | Gear list<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My trip to the Canadian arctic two years ago (Video blog <strong><u><a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.sg/2011/08/into-arctic-auyuittuq-national-park.html" target="_blank">here</a></u></strong>) helped get the right gear for long trips like this one. You can find my arctic gear list <strong><u><a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.sg/2011/07/into-arctic-auyuittuq-national-park.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</u></strong><br />
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Here is the complete list for this 3 month Himalayan extravaganza:<br />
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<strong><u>Backpack, Sleeping bag and tent</u></strong><br />
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Gregory Palisade 80 --> I took it to the Canadian arctic. Very comfortable on long trips. Make sure you purchase a rain cover (with a drain hole, if possible). <br />
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Summit Bag --> Gregory Miniwok 18L ( Nice little summit bag that is hydration compatible)<br />
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Sleeping bag --> The North Face Cat's Meow (-7 Deg C). Tried and tested on many hikes - my favorite sleeping bag.<br />
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Tent --> No tent. I would be hiking on Tea house trails where accommodation is available at the end of the day. This is possible only in Nepal - not possible in North America.<br />
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<strong><u>Kitchen</u></strong> <br />
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No Kitchen gear --> Tea House treks are easy on your back.<br />
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<strong><u>Food</u></strong><br />
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--> No cooking material - Only snacks.<br />
--> Lots of Powerbar gels,bars,Nuts & Chocolate. <br />
--> Electrolyte tablets that can be dissolved in water (Nice replacement for Gatorade- lightweight and less bulky)<br />
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<strong><u>Clothing</u></strong><br />
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Base Layer --> Polartek base layer from MEC (2) - lovely fit and very effective.</div>
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Mid Layer --> Arcteryx Fleece - Simple, elegant, made of Polartek material</div>
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Outer Layer --> The North Face 800 fill down jacket (Super light - packs into its own pocket), Arcteryx rain shell (Made of Goretex Paclite - ligthweight, waterproof)</div>
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2 Half sleeve 100% polyester T shirts (cotton is not advisable for cold conditions as it soaks in moisture)</div>
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1 full sleeve Polyester T shirt</div>
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2 Hiking shorts</div>
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1 North Face convertible hiking pant</div>
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Glove liners, Woolen Kanuk Tuque</div>
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Try to segregate night clothes from hiking clothes. You can easily do this with a dry sack. Good sleep is very crucial on long trips. </div>
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<strong><u>Footwear</u></strong><br />
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Timberland Earthkeepers shoes - Vibram/goretex mid hiking shoes - (Don't recollect name of the model. Light weight, comfortable and breathable+waterproof, good ankle support)</div>
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Timberland radler camp shoe --> 'Zip and fold' - Superlight shoe for walking on light trails and around the camp</div>
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<strong><u>Emergency</u></strong><br />
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High altitude sickness - Dexamethasone (4X4 mg), Nifedifine (4 tablets)<br />
Blister protection bandaids<br />
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Emergency survival blanket for 2 - for hypothermia</div>
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Adventure medical kit - ultralight 5</div>
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Sewing kit & adhesive</div>
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Duct tape - for backpack/sleeping bag etc</div>
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Goretex patches - waterproof patches for outer layer repair.</div>
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Spare laces</div>
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Insect repellent</div>
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Mosquito net for head/neck</div>
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<strong><u>Everything else</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
Mobile phone<br />
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Hydration pack 2L Camelbak</div>
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Nalgene 1L bottle (2)</div>
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Gaiters</div>
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Straps+cords etc. </div>
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Sony RX 100 camera - light and compact digital camera that is as good as a DSLR. Ideal for long trips like this one. It is expensive though. I am leaving my Nikon D90 home.</div>
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I hope all this would help me sail through the Himalayan landscape !! </div>
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Related posts:<br />
<a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.sg/2013/02/the-grand-himalayan-exile.html" target="_blank"><em>The Grand Himalayan Exile</em></a><br />
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Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-61203712579144027142013-02-19T12:38:00.000+08:002013-02-19T13:21:20.255+08:00The Grand Himalayan Exile !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Ten days from now, I would embark on the grandest trip of my life - a 3 month exile in the Himalayas. I would be traversing the Annapurna circuit (~300kms) in Nepal, hiking in Tibet and finally exploring Himalayas in Bhutan. <br />
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Hiking is certainly one of the key activities of this trip - However, the driving force is something else. It is more to answer some larger questions in life (yeah !) with an extended period of isolation from day to day life.<br />
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Ever since I shared this news with colleagues and friends, there have been so many people who came up to me and said that they have always wanted to attempt something like this in their lives. Somehow, due to various reasons, they have not been able to attempt a journey like this one. This makes me wonder - why are we complicating our lives with these so called "must haves"? Be it job security, owning a home or securing the future of your family...<br />
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Anyways, I am totally geared up and excited about the coming days. <br />
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I'll try to push updates as and when possible. <br />
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Enjoy and try to break free !<br />
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</div>
Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-17548775787501174622013-01-03T14:13:00.000+08:002013-02-16T20:58:20.706+08:00Exquisite Japan ! - PART II - Tokyo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After a wonderful time in Hokkaido (Part I <a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.sg/2013/01/exquisite-japan-part-i-skiing-in.html" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a>), I was all set for Tokyo. I was looking forward to the energy of Tokyo. <br />
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Right when I landed at the airport, I realized that Tokyo is going to be completely different from what I had just seen at Hokkaido. This was going to a tech savvy metro - a city that is more high tech than any other city on this planet. This is a city that is crazy about fashion too.<br />
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Here are just a few examples of the tech savviness of this city. <br />
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There is a real time traffic display at the airport - so that you can plan your route accordingly!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VSdIfMf7pB4/URezgZr88OI/AAAAAAAAEp0/GOSEyr1pQoM/s1600/IMG-20121222-00011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VSdIfMf7pB4/URezgZr88OI/AAAAAAAAEp0/GOSEyr1pQoM/s320/IMG-20121222-00011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Real time traffic display at Airport</strong></td></tr>
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And then as you roam through the city, you have display messages like this one. This one was displaying the height of the location with respect to sea level with a single decimal accuracy !<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-96q3VYsRw0Q/UR9XUs6oqMI/AAAAAAAAEqU/k882CC54Gzo/s1600/IMG-20121230-00047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-96q3VYsRw0Q/UR9XUs6oqMI/AAAAAAAAEqU/k882CC54Gzo/s320/IMG-20121230-00047.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Japanese take this too seriously !</strong></td></tr>
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And, the Japanese brought technology into toilets as well. One can never imagine that toilets can he high tech too. The picture below is the side panel on the wall. However, I must say, i did have a good time - heated toilet seats, heated sprays - all this is luxury in sub zero temperatures. You just need to make sure you press the right button, else you might have sprays pointed to all wrong places !!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g6I9nNoFCmc/UR9XvVioPaI/AAAAAAAAEqc/oaFYAuFSDkw/s1600/IMG-20121230-00048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g6I9nNoFCmc/UR9XvVioPaI/AAAAAAAAEqc/oaFYAuFSDkw/s320/IMG-20121230-00048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Technology in toilets !</strong></td></tr>
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Back to my trip. <br />
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I arrived in Tokyo on a bright sunny afternoon, checked in at Sakura Hotel, Jimbocho (Tripadvisor review <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/ShowUserReviews-g1066443-d304296-r148338197-Sakura_Hotel_Jimbocho-Chiyoda_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a>). I got a bed in the dormitory at the basement. There were people from as many countries as there were beds. There were backpackers from France to Switzerland to US to Germany - And, amongst them an Indian too !<br />
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Guillaume, a French guy, was staying on the bed adjacent to mine. He offered to take me to Shibuya for dinner. Shibuya, the local hangout spot for Japanese, is the Times Square of Tokyo. In fact, Shibuya Square is easily the place where you can find these many Japanese together !<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Shibuya Square</strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>If you didn't have Sake, your Japanese trip is incomplete !</strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Shibuya square</strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>With Guillaume at Shibuya</strong></td></tr>
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We walked around Shibuya and had a couple of Sakes with dinner. If you want to witness fashion, Shibuya is the place - you have people from all walks of life dressing to the best of their abilities.<br />
And of course, by the time it is mid night, you will start seeing signs of individuals who are "Sake'd"...<br />
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Later in the night we were joined by Ben, the American who was also staying at the same place. It was well past midnight when we were searching for a place to drink in Jimbocho. Finally, we landed at an Irish Pub. So here it was: A French guy, an American and an Indian in an Irish Pub in Japan !!<br />
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Guillaume left the next day. Ben and I walked around the whole day in Asakusa and explored the place thoroughly. Asakusa is called the old town and for obvious reasons. It is much more traditional that the other parts of Tokyo.<br />
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We visited the Sensoji shrine and all the museums in and around Asakusa. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Sensoji Shrine</strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Sensoji Shrine</strong></td></tr>
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The Sensoji Shrine is of very high religious importance to Japanese. It is the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ben and I at the Drum museum</strong></td></tr>
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We were looking at the information brochure that we found at the information center. There were a couple of museums in the region. Ben, being a musician, was very keen on this drum museum. It was indeed a wonderful display of instruments. The key differentiator of this museum is that fact that you are allowed play most of the displayed items. <br />
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And then came the bags museum. This is not a popular spot and most of the tourists would not find this place. We just happened to glance it in the brochure and decided to give it a try. It had an exhaustive collection of bags from across the world. It also had a <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Bags Museum</strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Bags from all regions !</strong></td></tr>
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It was close to sunset and we wanted to try out the Tokyo Sky Tree tower. We had some good views of it as we were nearing it. <br />
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We were taken aback when we saw the queue. It would have taken us at least 2 hours to get tickets and reach up. We didn't think it was worth it. Instead, we found the "World Beer museum" in the complex adjacent to the tower. It was a wise decision !<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ben and I at the Beer Museum</strong></td></tr>
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And then we parted and i went ahead to Shinjuku. Shinjuku is the gaming and electronics center of Tokyo. Shinjuku metro is the busiest metro station in Tokyo.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Shinjuk</strong>u</td></tr>
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<strong>Tenzan Onsen, Hakone</strong><br />
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The next day i planned a day trip to Hakone Onsen. I had become a fan of Onsens right since my first visit in Hokkaido. Hakone is about 100Km from Tokyo. I had to change 2 trains and then a shuttle bus to reach the Onsen. I must say, it was worth every bit of trouble I undertook to reach there. This Onsen was quite different from the one at Hokkaido. There were many small Onsens with varying temperatures of water. And, amongst those was one with cold water - I took a dip in that one too !<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Hakone Onsen</strong></td></tr>
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Hakone is like Ooty (in India) - a small hillside town, a weekend retreat for Tokyo dwellers. It has a stream running right through and offers some good views of hills surrounding the area. </div>
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This trip also gave me an opportunity to try the bullet train, Shinkansen. It was a short ride but the experience was exhilarating.<br />
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The next day, I went out with Simon, the Swiss guys who was on a long Asia trip. I took him around city in my style - no map - no list of destinations - just walk the whole day. He was taken aback when I told him this when we visited the Imperial palace. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simon and I at the Imperial palace</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imperial Palace</td></tr>
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Visitors are not allowed to enter the palace except for one day, 23rd Dec. We continued walking...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ginja</strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ueno Market</strong></td></tr>
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We walked the whole day and by the evening we had reached Ueno. Ueno market reminded me of TulsiBaug market in Pune. We had a tasty Lebanese wrap here - Lebanese cuisine is something that I cannot resist !<br />
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We deserved a treat for the long walk all through the day. We partied at Roppongi, which is just like Shibuya - just that this is the hangout for whites ! Simon being with me did help in getting entry into places where my skin color would not have granted me entry. We had a great time hopping bars all through out Roppongi. It was 230 AM by the time we finished - Now, we had to reach the hotel. Simon suggested taking a taxi - I convinced him for another walk. So, here we were, in Tokyo, without any map and without knowing the local language. We stopped at every police station on the way to ask for directions - it was not my idea ! My beard has landed me in trouble at many immigration checks.. Luckily for us, there were these police check posts every km or so. We walked back 7-8 kms to the hotel in the middle of the night - another superb way to experience the city !<br />
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I had my flight the next day - I was really happy with the way I have been able to see Japan. I did miss Kyoto/Nagasaki/Hiroshima but I am perfectly fine leaving them for the next trip. <br />
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One more beautiful trip comes to an end ! <br />
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<strong>Up next:</strong> The Grand 3 month Himalayan exile beginning March 2013.<br />
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Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-5188742111130541622013-01-02T14:10:00.000+08:002013-02-10T14:11:11.428+08:00Exquisite Japan ! - PART I - Skiing in Hokkaido<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em>This is Part I of a 2 part series on my recent trip to Japan..</em><br />
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I have been planning this trip for quite some time.. Almost everyone who has gone to Japan has come back spellbound with its beauty. I was thinking of doing a backpacking trip - but then, there is nothing called backpacking in Japan. You end up spending a fortune irrespective of the way you travel... <br />
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Winter was just a few months away and i had already missed a season of skiing.. That was reason enough to plan my trip during Christmas.<br />
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As with every trip this one too had its challenges.. I wanted to spend as little as possible (definition of 'little' expense in Japan is not little in any sense for anybody living anywhere). Japan is expensive and I had to find the least expensive way of skiing and traveling through Japan.<br />
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Here was the itinerary:<br />
A - Singapore<br />
B - Tokyo<br />
C - Hokkaido (Northern Japan)<br />
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<strong>One night at Haneda airport!</strong><br />
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Backpacking means compromises. But, they dont seem like compromises when you get used to them - I am getting there, but not there yet!<br />
I booked the cheapest set of flights from Singapore to Japan and then the cheapest domestic flight to Hokkaido. Now, this combination meant that i had a 12 hr overnight layover at Haneda airport. I decided against booking a hotel - just slept at the airport. It was indeed cosy... <br />
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The next morning, I took a flight to New Chitose airport in Hokkaido. The view from the flight reassured me of good times in Hokkaido. There was abundant snow...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Just before landing in Hokkaido</strong></td></tr>
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As i boarded the bus from New Chitose airport to Niseko, I was completely sure that Hokkaido was going to be fun. The route was as white as Hershey's milk chocolate...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Mid way break in the 3 hr journey between Chitose and Niseko</strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>On the way to Hokkaido</strong></td></tr>
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By the time i reached Niseko, it was dark. However, the bright lights illuminated the slopes beautifully. <br />
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<strong>Lovely powder!</strong><br />
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Looking at the amount of snow around, I immediately realized that the next few days were going to be good fun. After checking in at Owashi Lodge (Tripadvisor review <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Hotel_Review-g1025639-d2023986-Reviews-Owashi_Lodge-Kutchan_cho_Abuta_gun_Hokkaido.html" target="_blank">here</a>), I went straight to get my ski gear rental. I was all set for good times !!<br />
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I spent the next couple of days on the slopes. The snow was just too good. So soft that you feel like you are skiing on Talcum powder. The view from top of the mountain was awesome !<br />
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<strong>The Onsen</strong><br />
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Owashi lodge (Tripadvisor review <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Hotel_Review-g1025639-d2023986-Reviews-Owashi_Lodge-Kutchan_cho_Abuta_gun_Hokkaido.html" target="_blank">here</a>) organized a trip to an Onsen on one of the evenings. An Onsen is a natural volcanic hotspring which is supposed to have healing powers. We went to Niseko Grand hotel Onsen and i must say that is was awesome. This was my first experience of an Onsen and I coudnt have asked for more. The temperature was easily between -5 and -10 deg C and there was heavy snow. We were sitting in this outdoor Onsen completely naked (of course, under water!) in heavy snow. My hair was getting spiked up every ten mins due to the snow ! It was an awesome combination - we were in naturally heated water of about 40 deg C or so and out in the cold and in heavy snow. When we got thirsty, we ate snow ! We spent atleast two hours there - I could have never imagined spending that much time outside (in Japanese winter) without a single pice of cloth on my body.<br />
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One of the good things about these Onsens is that it removes all inhibitions one has about himself/herself - you are out there in nature with none of your belongings. I think that is what gives it spiritual significance.<br />
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If i were to point out one experience that tops everything on this trip, it would be this one. <br />
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<strong>Kutchan</strong><br />
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After couple of days of skiing, i thought it would be wise to explore the region. I head out one morning exploring the village of Niseko and then onto Kutchan town. Niseko village has few more resports apart from Grand Hirafu and i took the shuttle that connects all of them. Went to Hilton, checked out deer sledging but that was fully booked for the day. Nevertheless, i was atleast allowed a picture with reindeers.<br />
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Kutchan is a peaceful little town that reminds me of suburbs of Montreal in winter. It was a very cold day (less than -15 deg C) and i couldn't bear the cold for more than 2 hours. Went around Kutchan to get a feel of the life of locals living there. In this part of the country, English is not an option and all you can rely on is human sign langauge. The sign language is something that has worked for me everywhere !! The restuarant did not have english menus but lickily for me they did have pictures !<br />
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<strong>Bar nights !</strong><br />
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I spent almost every night at local bars spending time with tourists, and locals alike. I met a very nice family on one of those trips. Peter is an Australian who has settled down in Japan with his wife Taeko. They have a very cute little daughter called Leila. In fact, it is from him that i got to know that Sachin Tendulkar has retired from One day cricket !! We had very good discussions on cricket, as it used to be in golden days and on doing what one likes to do.. He runs a School in Japan, a hobby turned into a commercial enterprise. There are not many people in this world who are able to do that. Thankfully, he and his family did consent to posing for my blog.<br />
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It was sad that this leg of my trip was coming to an end but then what kept me excited was the energy of Tokyo, which was the next leg of my trip.<br />
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Part II (Tokyo) coming soon...<br />
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Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-6630874941356622532012-12-09T13:27:00.000+08:002012-12-16T23:34:23.987+08:00Life of PI (3D) - Beautifully Crafted !!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After a long time, here is a movie that is really simple in its storyline and yet has a powerful impact because of the style of narration and visual effects. I would strongly recommend you to watch it for those light moments which are so simple yet really deep. <br />
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Here are some of the wonderfuin moments:<br />
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<em><strong>Pondicherry</strong></em><br />
Pondicherry has been described exactly the way it is. Anybody who has spent a reasonable amount of time in Pondicherry would be able to relate to the description of "Southern France" on one side and "the Indian Pondicherry" on the other...<br />
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<em><strong>Piscine Molitor Patel</strong></em><br />
The idea of an Indian being named on a French swimming pool itself is reason enough for a good laugh ! Adding on to the humor is the resemblance of the name with 'Pissing'. The moments in school are wonderfully shot.<br />
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<em><strong>'Piscine Molitor Patel' to 'Pi Patel'</strong></em><br />
The humiliaiton from his name drives 'Piscine' to rename himself as 'Pi'. He links his name to the mathematic number for 22/7 (~3.14). He introduces himself in as creative a fashion as he could have in each of the classes. The maths class introduction surely deserves a mention - he wins the hearts of his fellow classmates when he writes the entire sequence of decimals that follow '14' in Pi (3.14).<br />
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<em><strong>Catholic Hindu !</strong></em><br />
Pi's encounters with religion throw some very important questions.. Is religion the only way to God and if so, which religion is right?. Adding to that complexity is 33 million Gods in Hinduism. His introductions with Krishna, Jesus and Allah are nicely captured in simple moments.<br />
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<em><strong>Introduction of Richard Parker</strong></em><br />
The movie would not have been complete without the character of Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger. Be it the first encounter with Pi or the ensuing battle of survival in the pacific, the bengal tiger adds a new dimension to the whole story. And the description of how he got his name is funny too.<br />
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<em><strong>Fully lit pacific</strong></em><br />
This is one of the scenes in the film that would linger in your minds for a long time. It is one of those long nights on the ocean and the midnight ocean is as calm as a new born baby. The oceanic creatures illuminate the bed of the ocean just like billboards in 'Times square' in NY. This moment is exceptionally captured and you are left with the feeling of wanting to be there. <br />
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There are many more exquisite moments which leave an impression on you and also make you think long after you leave the theater.. Whether you watch it in 3D or 2D (i've watched both!!), this movie is certainly not to be missed.<br />
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<strong>Actors:</strong> Suraj Sharma (Pi), Irfan Khan (Adult Pi), Tabu (Pi's mother), Rafe Spall<br />
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Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705983748807996067.post-70825446065073023922012-12-02T23:35:00.000+08:002012-12-17T00:09:19.033+08:00Strings and Indian Ocean @ Esplanade, Singapore - Live Concert<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This was my first concert in Esplanade Concert Hall. And i must say that the moment you enter the auditorium, you are spellbound by the architecture. It pumps up the adrenaline even before the show begins... I did attend the 'Sufi Gospel Project' in the open air theatre. That was an awesome performance too. <br />
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All these events were part of 'KalaaUtsavam - Indian Festival of Arts' - A wonderful compilation of Indian music and art. I attended only 2 events ('Sufi Gospel Project' and Strings/Indian Ocean) and both of them were outstanding. <br />
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Back to the live concert of Strings and Indian Ocean. <br />
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My room mate had booked tickets right in the center on the ground floor - it was possibly the best place to sit in the whole auditorium. The atmosphere was electrifying. I was reminded of the <a href="http://athmagyaan.blogspot.sg/2011/04/yanni-live-montreal.html" target="_blank">Yanni concert at Bell Center, Montreal</a>. <br />
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I have been listening to Indian Ocean for more than ten years now and it has been a dream to attend one of their live concerts. Today was the day of fulfillment. <br />
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Rahul Ram (Guitar and Vocals) first arrives with his famous 'sadhu like' beard and introduces the band. He makes good fun of Amit Kilam (Drums and Vocals). Susmit Sen, the Guitar maestro is the calm and composed lead guitarist. <br />
Asheem Chakravarty's death in 2009 indeed gave a blow to the band as they had lost their lead vocalist. The depth in his vocals in Kandisa can never be re-created. In the concert, his vocals were done by Himanshu Joshi and Tabla by Tuheen Chakravarty. <br />
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And then, they started.. Ma Rewa, Kandisa and the instrumentals by Amit Kilam stunned the audience. Although Joshi tried to do his best, he could not match Asheem's vocals in Kandisa. <br />
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Even those who were listening to them for the first time were amazed at the mix of folk and rock. We had hardly heard five songs when they gave way to Strings, the rock band from Pakistan. <br />
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Both these are so distinct in their genre. Indian Ocean is more of a folk-rock, sufism based band whereas Strings is a traditional pop band. <br />
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Strings too played some of the audiences' favorite like Dur and others. The ones in the front row were on their toes most of the time.. <br />
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The grand finale was a joint performance by both Strings and Indian Ocean. This was the first public performance of the song. It is about India-Pakistan and the sentiments of 'aam Janta' on either side of the border. <br />
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I am thoroughly satisfied with the performance of Indian Ocean, although i would have liked them to play more.. But, i guess, that feeling would have persisted irrespective of the length of the concert. <br />
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I really cannot wait until their next performance !!!<br />
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Athmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17761423632443545123noreply@blogger.com0