Here’s a 5 minute video from a documentary my daughter Sonya made about near-slave labor conditions for thousands of children in Nepal.  Do you know about similar conditions?  What is your take on this issue?

I have to admit that this trek surpassed even my own high expectations. I’ve long desired to visit the remote Tibetan valleys of Naar and Phu located in the upper reaches of Nepal’s Manang District. My goal this spring was to travel with a small group and research a trekking route that would give the adventurous soul the opportunity to experience all of what I feel makes Nepal so very special and keeps many of us coming back for more – big mountain views, high pass crossings, remote trekking, some not so remote trekking and a rich helping of the Hindu and Buddhist cultures. This trek more than fills the bill.Our trip began with a 7 hour drive in a private coach from Kathmandu westward across the lowland countryside to the bustling town of Besisahar. Nowadays you can drive a further 45 minutes or so on a rough dirt road to the village of Bhulbhule, which sits along the mighty Marshyangdi River. One of the great attractions of the Annapurna area is the fact that most treks start at a low elevation and gradually ascend. At 2,625 feet/800 meters, Bhulbhule Village makes for an excellent jumping off point to begin the acclimatization process. Over the next three days we gradually ascended the Marshyangdi River valley camping at the villages of Syange, Tal and Koto respectively. These were wonderful days to wander through villages as the locals were bustling about getting the fields ready for planting. On an autumn trek, we would see villagers busily harvesting the rice, wheat and vegetables our group witnessed them planting. In the middle hills of rural Nepal, daily life consists of a beautifully orchestrated list of chores in which all family members play a role. Upon reaching Koto at 8,660 feet, we truly had the sense that we were about to enter a very special place. Koto is the eastern gateway into Upper Manang. Ninety-nine percent of all trekkers camped here tonight will continue west on the main Annapurna trail tomorrow. In the morning, however, our small group is the fortunate 1% that will be heading north into the narrow canyon with the huge sheer rock walls that we can see from the campsite. It looks as though we will be walking into a Lord of the Rings movie! We are all very excited. We now proceeded on the popular Annapurna Circuit and joined other trekkers on the pilgrimage over the Thorong La pass (17,765 feet). The Annapurna and Everest areas of Nepal have the reputation of being crowded and possibly undesirable, but there is a reason these areas are so popular – they are simply beautiful! After many years of trekking in the Himalayas, I am always amazed at how blown away I am every time I visit Nepal. From Manang we made the trek to the traditional camps at Yak Kharka (13,250ft) and then up to Thorong La High Camp at 16,010 feet. Being well acclimatized by this point, we decided to stop for lunch at Thorong Phedi and then continue an hour further up to the High Camp. Again, sleeping this high makes it hard to get a restful night of sleep but we had a 3:30am wake up and it was certainly great to have a shorter day when crossing the pass. It snowed quite a bit today so we were all quite anxious to get up and over as early as possible. The Thorong La pass is a bit higher than the Kangla pass but rather straight forward. The trail up is a series of steps consisting of a moderate climb and then an area of level walking. Many in the group thought these to be false summits but the climbing was rather moderate. The top of the pass is adorned with hundreds of colorful prayer flags and a sign welcoming you to the summit. There is even a small hut serving hot tea. The new snow from the day before made this morning even more spectacular. The view back to the Annapurna Range was superb! Every good uphill brings with it a very good downhill and it is 4 hours and 5,300 feet down to our camp in the holy town of Muktinath.

The Naar Phu region is the most remote of the Manang District and access is granted only with the purchase of a special permit. This area consists of two main villages – Naar with 300 permanent residents called Naar-ten and Phu with 200 permanent residents called Phu-ten. These remote villages are situated above treeline and completely cut off during the snowy winter months. Residents of these valleys make their livelihood mainly from herding yak and trading meat, wool and hides with the villages located in the lower regions of Manang. On this trek, we first make our way to Phu Village which is located in the northernmost corner of Upper Manang and only two days walk from Tibet. It takes four days of trekking to reach this remote community. En route we camped at the non-permanent winter settlements of Dharamsala, Meta and Kyang before finally crossing through the Phu Gate and arriving at this impressive walled citadel. We felt as if we had truly stumbled upon a lost civilization. Settled around the 10th Century by Tibetan herders and traders migrating south from Tibet, the inhabitants of Phu (also noted on maps as Phoo) once placed high value on their remote and strategic location. Tall stone lookout towers, now standing in ruins, where used to spot possible invaders coming from all directions and thick wooden doors where bolted shut at night locking the residents securely inside. We had the entire next day to explore this fascinating area. After a well appreciated late bed tea, our day was spent wandering around the village, visiting with the local school master who teaches 25 of the village’s children and had the great pleasure of sightseeing inside the Tashi Lakhang Monastery, which sits high above the village. Tashi Lakhang – ‘the blessed house of gods’ is one of the oldest monasteries (or gompas) in Manang. The gompa is one of 108 constructed by Lama Urgen Lhundup Gyatso and, along with the monastery in Braga, makes up the heart of spiritual life in the Manang District.

It takes two days to reach Naar, the principal and seemingly more prosperous village in these remote valleys. Naar, situated at 13,730 feet, is also called Chuprong meaning ‘the place of Blue Sheep’. The original inhabitants of this valley are believed to be from Tibet’s ancient Shang Sung Kingdom arriving sometime in the 8th Century and converted from Bon to Buddhism after the birth of Buddha in Lumbini. Naar Village sits above a large flat plain which make up the extensive agriculture fields being plowed by teams of humans and their yak. It seemed as though the entire village population were in the fields turning the soil and planting seeds in anticipation for the summer rains. Our camp was pitched above the village outside of the Shanti Lodge. We also had the option of staying in one of the lodge’s small rooms. As in Phu, wandering around the village and observing local life untainted by the outside world was fascinating. While visiting one of the village’s three gompas, I suddenly found myself trapped between a cow and her calf on one side and two yaks on the other. As I did not dare try to proceed in either direction, we all just stood there looking at each until an elderly woman came by smiling and cleared the cows out of the way.

From Naar, our path takes us on to a high plateau that gradually makes its way through prime Snow Leopard country to the end of the Naar Khola Valley. The Naar Phu region is known to have the largest population of Snow Leopard per square kilometer of any in Nepal. Only three hours up from Naar we made camp at 15,190 feet at an area called Naar Phedi. The top of the Kangla Pass is another 3 to 4 hours and 2,240 feet above us. At over 15,000 feet sleeping can be difficult and our 4am wake up came abruptly. However, an early escape from camp is necessary to give all of us enough time to safely ascend the last 100 to 150 snow covered meters to the pass. In fact, by the time we arrived at this last push (7:30am) to the large chorten marking the top, the snow was already soft and most of us consistently broke through. This was hard work at 17,000 feet! Our reward for the effort on little sleep? An INCREDIBLE VIEW of the Annapurna Range that few trekkers will ever witness. The scene played out before us stretched from east to west – Lamjung Himal (6988m), Annapurna II (7937m), Annapurna IV (7525m), Annapurna III (7555m), Gangapurna (7454m), Annapurna I (8091m) and beyond to Tilicho Peak and Nilgiri. This magnificent mountain view went a long way to making the 4 hour and 4,900 foot descent to the picturesque village of Ngawal enjoyable. Advil and a good evening meal helped me sleep quite soundly this evening.

After a week of trekking through a remote region where we did not see another group, the walk down to the main Annapurna Trail came as a shock. Not so much because of other fellow trekkers, but rather from the sight of lodges, stores, cafe, bakeries, internet and telephone services. I have to be honest, however, that once we settled in at our camping spot in Manang Village I had no hesitation in joining the others at one of the local cafes for a fresh coffee and chocolate danish. In Manang, I highly recommend a visit to the Manang Vujek Gompa built in the year 1100 by the Lama Kusho Wangyal. This gompa has an outstanding collection of old wall paintings and is open daily from 10am to 6pm.

The last day on trek was a very pleasant walk gradually down to Jomsom. After a leisurely morning we set out on the “road” passing by and giving a ‘namaste’ to the Hindu pilgrims making their way to the temples in Muktinath. We visited the monasteries at Jharkot and Kagbeni (the gateway to Upper Mustang) before making the windy approach along the riverbed (look out for fossils) to the airstrip village of Jomsom. The next day we were back in the comforts of the Hotel Shanker drinking expresso and eating Indian food by the pool in the gardens. Like I said awhile back, this trip has it all.

Well, Christmas is nearly here and New Year is just round the corner, and pardon me if I am the odd one here, but I have never really been the one who gets all worked up or over-joyed about a new year – its just another month, January in this case, for me, SMH. A new year for a new start, so be it. Well, blogging was fun too, but just wanted to try this out to, remotely for the idea of having a whole web-page with a .com at end …shallow na?? well, that’s how it is..so pay no heed to it. Anyhoo, this year was exciting I believe…though I can barely remember anything that happened in January 09′ or November 09′ either. I have always had a hard time trying to remember stuffs, and in case you don’t believe me, ask any of the girls I blatantly keep talking to till 2 in the morning – the are living alibis that can back my claim in me not being able to remember an over-night conversation, let alone keep track of the whole year. But some important things this year:

made a 4.0 – Sweet

This interest in photography making me take up photography as my associates – can’t wait for the classes to being already..

Still SINGLE and MAKING the MOST of it – anyone in relationships, you guys are missing out BIG, or not… your life, you decide !!!

Yea, Earning on my own, man it feels good. Never thought I’d be the one to say so, but guys, the money you earn is always, yup – ALWAYS, more fun to squander than your parents’, any earning person would agree probably, or not !!!

Adapting to the brouhaha around life in States.

PARTYING and WORK don’t mix – my co-worker spent the entire summer trying to make me realize that, I spent the entire summer ignoring her and yawning at work and feelin’ terrible every morning, but wouldn’t change a thing …it was SUMMER !!!

Saw a few places – New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houston, Dallas. Def. need to take some more time out for the road-trips, and some shitty DOLLARS too !!!

Yea, Six-Flags – one of the craziest things ever, and darn it, I am doing it all over again, YUP !!!

Realized I spent three times more time on facebook this year than on anything else – anything comprehends LIFE, SCHOOL, EVERYTHING else.

Realized flirts can turn ugly. Even scarily, serious sometimes, haha… So no more random stranger conversations. Not so sure for how long though !!

Yes, BHOJAN bhanda BHOK MITHO (Plain food while starving is always better that a lavish meal, as far as my translation skills go) … never ever agreed to that back home, and now, I truly understand what that means. And though I still nag about the veggies, at least I no more want meat or french fries with every dinner, and yes, that is a HUGE progress. My mumma would be so soo relieved upon knowing this – she still doesn’t and I don;t plan on letting her know..psssshhh !!!

The world might END in 2012, I hope it does. The world seriously needs a new beginning amidst all the chaos and hatred there is – I will blog about this because there is just too much I have to say on this…..

And last but not the least, I think I am more in LOVE with Nepal than ever before. To tell you the truth, I don’t think I ever loved Nepal, well, may be I did not know. I was always a city-boy, and I never really knew Nepal at all, nothing about it except for the facts and tidbits I read in my General Knowledge and Social Studies classes back in secondary school. But now, I am sure about one thing I want to do with my future, and I couldn’t be more glad with what I have decided. And yes, life is worth every struggle you put up with, for the end is always worth the hardships…and even if it’s not apparent, as time goes by, you’ll realize it, its only a matter of time.

Well, that’s my 2009 for you…I shall have a thing about what I want my 2010 to be like…in a day or two or three or more… till then, relish the chilly wind outside and enjoy the sunshine if it’s out..and peeps in East Coast, don’t FREEZE !!!

India: http://cid-9e1ceb7e64dcb80f.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/India

Nepal: http://cid-9e1ceb7e64dcb80f.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Nepal

Group photos from the top of the Thorong La Pass:

http://cid-9e1ceb7e64dcb80f.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Nepal/DSC%5E_0802.JPG

Group photos from the Amber Form

http://cid-9e1ceb7e64dcb80f.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/India/Jaipur%202009-12-03%20%5E5110%5E6.JPG

http://cid-9e1ceb7e64dcb80f.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/India/Jaipur%202009-12-03%20%5E5111%5E6.JPG

Day 7 – Thursday, 22nd October 2009

It’s a shame we couldn’t stay longer in this beautiful valley, with such spectacular views and magical atmosphere, away from everything and everyone. In this grand scenery, surrounded by enormous cliffs, I felt so very humble. It was the first time I truly felt the splendour and power of the mountains. In such enchanting moments strangers become good friends. You are hypnotised by nature and its magic and it becomes so easy to open your heart and share your deepest thoughts with another human being under the kind eye of the silver moon. At night the sound of water flowing in the river nearby lulled us to our sleep…

We left our camp, in a rush as usual, at around eight o’clock. We continued to follow the mighty Buri Gandaki. Our goal for today was a small town called Philim. After a while we passed a gate, from which a nice path made of colourful stone, led us to a village named Jagat. It was a beautiful, well kept village, different from everything we had seen so far. Banana trees grew symmetrically on both sides of the path and the street was very clean and tidy. There was no rubbish lying on the ground, because special bins were provided by the local authorities. It was obvious that the inhabitants of this compact village had a good sense of aesthetics and were very proud of the way it looked.

The village had a charming little school, with its own playground and a volleyball net. There were a few classrooms with desks and blackboards, all well looked after and neat. There was also a camping site with a public toilet and a shop with good supplies of soft drinks and chocolate bars. Most importantly, there was a telephone, from which you could make international calls, but I don’t think any of us bothered to try it out. A few of the local children were sitting in the shop staring excited at a TV, where the first part of ‘Jurassic Park’ on video was screened. It was a bit strange seeing how a film, which in the West was popular such a long time ago, was for these kids now a great cinematic adventure.

It was interesting to see that people in the places we visited led a relatively peaceful and slow life. The locals in Jagat were spending their time doing… nothing too stressful really. They were watching TV together, listening to traditional songs on the radio, sitting in front of their shops just chatting away… A group of Western tourists must have been an amusing site for them. When I think about the pace of our lives in the UK, for example, I realise how sad it is that we barely find the time to just sit down for a moment and do exactly nothing. Children in Nepal, despite the poverty they experience, seem to be happy. They are free to wander around, play in the fields and get dirty. Parents take care of them, but they are not obsessed with ’safety and health’ issues on each step, like people in the West have become.

We left Jagat and continued following the Buri Gandaki, climbing and descending ridges and crossing the river many times. Our walk that day was a short one and we were supposed to have lunch at our camp-site in Philim. Near the end we passed a village called Sirdibas, where we could admire several mani walls. ‘Mani’ is a stone plate carved with the Tibetan Buddhist chant om mani padme hum, which means ‘hail to the jewel in the lotus’. Mani walls, compilations of beautifully inscribed stone tablets, are usually built along paths. According to the Buddhist doctrine and custom, such walls should be passed from the left side, the clockwise direction in which the earth and the universe revolve.

The great number of mani walls we had passed indicated that we were now entering a region of Nepal influenced by Tibetan culture. On our way out of Sirdibas we met a few Buddhist monks, who were naturally very friendly and keen to have a little chat with us.

A police check point, a very long suspension bridge and a tiring climb uphill later we reached our destination for the day – Philim. It was quite a big Gurung village with large fields of corn and millet surrounding it. As we finished our walk in the early afternoon we still had a good few hours of relaxing in the sun. After lunch, when our tents were put up and our bags arrived, the whole group decided to take advantage of the warm rays of light and the village spring. A grand exercise in washing our clothes and ourselves took place.

At about 15:00 a few of us decided to go for a walk to see a small Buddhist temple situated on a hill above the village. We managed to somehow get lost in those vast millet fields, but we finally found our way out of the labyrinth. The temple was locked, but a woman, who was the building’s keeper, came out to greet us and let us in. We couldn’t see many details, because the temple was quite small and very dark inside. One of our Sherpa guides tried to obtain some information about the temple from the lady and he explained the meaning of some of the beautiful coloured paintings, which decorated the interior. There were statues of Buddha and his different incarnations. We could also see a huge gong and a prayer wheel. Outside there were prayer flags attached to a string, fluttering on the wind.

We went back to our camp to have tea with a delicious snack – tasty vegetables, which were a local variety of yam. After dinner we stayed in the dining tent for a while to listen to our guide Matt, as he was telling us about high altitude sickness, illustrating his theoretical knowledge with experiences he had on past treks and climbing expeditions. Hoping that nothing bad will happen to any of us, we went to ‘bed’ in anticipation of another day. Next destination – Bihi!

Thirty years ago, Peter Matthiessen wrote The Snow Leopard, one of the most acclaimed nature travel books ever written, a peaceful, spiritual account of Matthiessen and zoologist George Schaller’s search for the elusive snow leopard of the Himalaya. To date, no recorded commercial replication trek of their journey has been attempted, or offered––until now…

On September 7, 2010, fans and followers of Matthiessen and his snow leopard experience will have the opportunity to embark on a reconnaissance journey mirroring the steps Matthiessen and Schaller took during their 1973 expedition into the remote Dolpo region of the Himalaya. The trek is both a cultural journey and Himalayan exploration ripe with pristine mountain vistas, high pass crossings and adventurous, challenging territory. For 22 days, travelers walk through “the last enclave of pure Tibetan culture on earth” into the heart of the least developed district in Nepal. This committing and physically demanding trek crosses four 5000-meter (17,000 foot) passes and maintains camp primarily above 10,000 feet. It provides access to centuries-old monasteries and gompas rarely seen by Western eyes, some that even predate the Buddhism religion so devoutly celebrated throughout the region.

Beginning at the village of Juphal , our trek goes north through Rohagoan, and to the waters of Phoksumdo Lake. From Phoksumdo we journey over the great Kanga La, the first of Matthiessen’s major obstacles, crossing the pass a towering 17,630 feet above the sea. The trail continues toward Shey and cuts west for a two-day circuit around the Crystal Mountain Kora that ends in the village of Shey, where Matthiessen and Schaller spent several weeks tracking the snow leopard footsteps that appeared outside the Shey Gompa. From Shey we follow Matthiessen’s trail to Saldang––where he and Schaller parted ways––and detour north for a visit to the Yangjer Gompa. Head south then along the Nagon Khola to the village of Rakyo, where Matthiessen left the main trekking trail for an exploration into the Nagon Khola Valley and Chhula Lek, en route to Maduwa. The trek follows Matthiessen’s tracks through this remote region as closely as current maps will allow and brings us back to the waters of Phoksumdo, then south to our starting point in Juphal.

In addition to exposure to some of the Himalaya’s most isolated peaks, oldest monasteries, and difficult mountain terrain, the trek travels through the Shey Phoksumdo National Park, known for having one of the highest snow leopard populations on earth. Trekkers are treated to an extremely high likelihood of seeing one of the most majestic, elusive mountain animals in the world.

After one week of being sick, we wanted to see what laid out and around Kathmandu and to get ourselves physically ready for the trekking we would be doing the following week. We booked a four-day excursion into the Kathmandu Valley with Mountain Leaders. We dealt with one of the owners, Kashev, and the manager, Jayendra who we got to know fairly well by the time we left Nepal. They certainly offer more than a service. They offer commoradery and inject you with a passion for life.

This four-day excursion would allow us to see the mountains, walk through small villages, meet the locals, get an insight into the religion and culture of Nepal. We started with a two to four-hour walks to build up our strength, and visit a few famous sights. As it turned out, our four-day excursion took place during the main days of one of Nepal’s biggest festivals, the Dasdain.

On Day 1 we were picked up at our hotel by car and driver along with our guide for the day, Krishna. Krishna is a bright, astute, young man who takes great pride in his work and is very knowledgeable and personable. Krishna was gracious enough to share about his personal life. He was mourning the death of his father some eight months before and he would continue to do so for another four months as he is the eldest son. Some of the religious customs he was following were: only wearing white socks and shoes, keeping his head shaved except for one strand of hair at the top of the back of his head, refraining from celebrating any festival, and eating no meat, for starters!

We started the day at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. One of the most sacred Hindu shrines in the world, Pashupatinath is one of the major temples devoted to Shiva (Pashupatinath) on the Indian subcontinent and attracts thousands of Hindu pilgrims each year. Shiva is the patron deity of Nepal. The Temple of Pashupatinath stands on the banks of the holy Bagmati River, a tributary of the Ganges, and is renowned for its beautiful architecture. It is surrounded by numerous other temples, shrines, statues, and pagodas making it a temple complex, rather than just a temple. The complex is home to Kathmandu’s funeral ghats, a series of cremation platforms spread along the river where the bodies of Hindus are burnt and the ashes scattered into the holy river. The complex swarms with Sadhus (holy Hindu ascetics) and Shiva devotees daily, meditating and praying on the steps throughout the temple. A World Heritage Site, Pashupatinath is also one of the richest temples in Nepal, having received a great deal of wealth from kings and aristocrats in devotion to the god. The temple buildings are closed to non-Hindu visitors, but the site can be enjoyed by all.

Next we were off to the famous Buddhanath, a Tibetan Bhuddist Stupa. We were extremely impressed with how well kept the areas around the Buddanath was maintained. A pedestrian-only road goes around the Buddhanath which is a real treat in itself. After the walking experience in Kathmandu’s narrow chaotic streets, where pedestrians are the last on the totem pole and have to constantly dodge the vehicles squeezing through these narrow roads at top speed honking their horns, this was a welcomed treat!

On the outer side of the road are well- kept shops and restaurants, several of them offereing rooftop seating which is where we went first to enjoy a nice breakfast and a splendid bird’s eye view of the Bodhanath.

The frist thing that jumps out are the famous Bhudda eyes painted on all four sides of the big white dome and the numerous Tibtan Buddhist flags strung around this massive Stupa. We enjoyed just walking around the Stupa in peace as Krishna shared his knowledge of this spiritual monument.

Krishna took us to a Tanka School which is where students can normally be seen creating these absolutely beautiful Tibetan Bhuddist paintings, but because of the festival, the place was empty; however, we did get an explanation of the ancient process of making these from one of the reps salesman and a tour around the shop to view all the different paintings available. All the paintings have a specific spiritual meaning and are framed by an elegant silk wall hanging hung on a wooden rod which has a flap that can either be down over the painting to protect it or tied up with bows by two strands of silk when on display. It was an ancient tradition for monks to carry these paintings on their backs as they travelled with the flap closed to protect the painting. Today the Tankas are very popular with both locals and tourists as they are thought to bring a very positive energy into a home and serve as a meditate object.

Our favourite Tanka is the Peace Mandala. The Peace Mandala is the pattern that the Dalai Lama goes around the world and has monks build out of piles of colored sand and then just as they finish this meticulous work that can take days, He blows hard on it to destroy it to remind people that everything in life is only temporary and that we are not to take things so seriously and get so attached. 

As the Boddhanath is a holy place for the Tibetan Buddhist, it is no surprise that one would find a Tibetan Monestary nearby. We were so fortunate to be there at the time that we were, as the monastery was full of Tibetan Buddhist Monks and worshipers. The inside of the monastery itself was just as those we had seen in Tibetan movies, lavishly decorated in the five colors one finds in the Tibetan prayer flags, along with the typical red and gold of Tibetan monasteries. Large golden Buddha statues encircled the interior of the monastery as monks chanted Tibetan prayers in deep resonating voices.

As we walked out of the monastery, we noticed a Tibetan Monk chanting prayers as he turned and went around a rather large and impressive Tibetan Prayer Wheel.

We then drove to a nearby village   where we began a 2.5 hour walk through the Kathmandu valley, which became almost a four-hour walk when we missed the turn off trail, so we had to take the long way along the road to Nargakot a very small village near the top of a mountain.

Up and around the mountain we went… for what seemed like forever…Oh MY our hip flexors were on fire … not exactly the ‘warm up’ we had in mind… it was more like doing the actual trekking!

It was totally worth it though, as it was our first ground view of the Himalayan Range which we got from our hotel room window at 7 a.m. the next morning when we woke up which was absolutely spectacular…. and almost made up for the fact that the hotel had no hot water on this cold night! The sky was so clear and blue. The snow-capped mountain peaks glowed in the early morning sun in all their gracefulness and magic.

On this day we had a trekking guide coming named, Ramsing. He is about 5 feet tall and does not weigh more than 80 pounds soaking wet. He was wearing a baseball cap, a dress shirt and black leather dress shoes, as for Ramsing, the four-hour walk we were to do that day to Nala was a walk in the park compared to other treks he guides in the mountains.

Ramsing was going to be our guide for the next two days and ended up being one of the dearest people we met in Nepal. He touched our hearts at a very profound level. He is a very genuine, caring and positive sole and has a great big heart. Ramsing enriched our experience in Nepal in many ways.

At 9 a.m., we set off on a three to four-hour walk to Nala where we would take a local bus to Dulikhel. On this day most of our walking was done on peaceful trails weaving through mountain valleys. Unfortunately, clouds rolled in as the morning passed and we missed out on what are suppose to be spectacular mountain and valley views.

Again we passed through small villages and met some of the locals going about their daily chores and enjoying festivities during the big Dasdain festival, such as swinging on large home-made swings made of bamboo branchs, although this one was simply tied to a large tree.

When we arrived in Nala there was no sign of local buses which are suppose to  go by every 15 minutes. The locals there informed us that they did not think the buses were operating today due to the festival. Oh!…. so off with our very tired legs, still soar from the last marathon of uphill walking, we continued on in the heat. Luckily we met a bus going to Nala which would be turning around there and coming back so Ramsing hollered at the driver with a big smile as he drove by to hurry up and come back to pick us up! So we sat on the side of the street and waited for the bus to come back.

In Nepal as in India, if the bus seats are full, it is no problem as there is always standing room. In Nepal, when the standing room runs out, there is always the roof… yes, the roof of the bus! That is exactly where we went as Ramsing guided us to the back of the bus where we found a ladder leading to the top and up we went! Railings for luggage line both sides of the roof but Ramsing brought us to his favourite place directly in the front above the driver where there are no railings. Ramsing absolutely loves riding on top of the bus. He sat there with his two arms up in the air yelling: “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I’m free!” We have to admit it was a lot of fun and very refreshing. We began to relax once we learned that the bus never really had much time to pick up much speed and the road we would take was actually paved unlike the other dirt stone, bumpy, dusty roads we had been on. About 15 minutes later, we arrived in Dulikhel and checked into our guesthouse. We enjoyed a well-deserved shower, rest, and late lunch.

Ramsing then took us into town to tour around the town. We then sat outside the guesthouse and admired the lightning in the distant sky.

The next morning, we boarded a local bus to Baktapur, this ride would be much longer, so we took the more boring seats inside the actual bus. We would spend the day and night in Baktapur to take in the most spectacular Square in Kathmandu Valley but first we had to say our goodbyes to Ramsing as he was heading back to Kathmandu.

The Dubar Square in Baktapur, as the other two Squares in and around Kathmandu, is an assortment of pagoda and shikhara-style temples grouped around a fifty-five-window palace of brick and wood. The square is part of a charming valley as it highlights the idols of ancient kings perched on top of stone monoliths, the guardian deities looking out from their sanctuaries. The wood carvings of gateways and windows is most impressive, all seems to form a well orchestrated picture into a fascinating history.
Walking through Baktapur, one discovers that this town is dotted with many impressive Squares that are the hub of activity, as tourist and locals alike congregate in these very social gatering places. Many of them dotted with impressive temples and places of worship, as the one above.

No matter where you go, there are always ample opportunities to do some local traditional shopping, often times down narrow street which light up in an array of colourful traditional clothes, handbags, scarves and many other products for the visiting traveller.

Taking a break to take in the grandeur of Baktapur Dubar Square and its many temples. One can’t leave this place without being impressed by its history and the Napelese people.

It was an extra bonus to visit during festival time. We got a firsthand look at how locals celebrate this festival. We followed the crowds to a temple outside the city late that night where they were preparing to sacrifice a cow which is the main ritual performed during this festival.

Many of the younger boys and girls are all decked out in their best clothing for the festival and we couldn’t help but ask permission to take a photo of this precious little princess!Interestingly, the young infant girls tend to have short hair and the boys, long hair??

We watched young children fly their kites off the roof tops which is another activity enjoyed during festival time. At times the sky is completely filled with these small kites, and it seemed that every young boy in town was flying a kite and trying to get theirs to go the highest. 

During the late evening, we enjoyed a lovely meal at the roof top restaurant of our guesthouse and took in the sights, sounds, and smells of Baktagpur during festival time. At different times during the day, we could see different groups of men playing an array of instruments, including drums, symbols and flutes, all part of the Nepalese traditions during this very festive time. 

The next day, Krishna came back and we went to visit the Patan Durbar Square complex, situated in the center of Patan city. This complexe houses the residence of the former Patan royal family. Patan Square and its surroundings are a good specimen of ancient Newari architecture. The square is a UNESCO world heritage site for its cultural significance.

While we were visiting the Patan Square, we ran into a sadhu, a Hindu holy man, it’s always impressive and a colourful scene to see them coming your way. Unfortunately, nowadays many simply wear the costume to play the part in order to get some funds from unexpecting tourist.

Mid-afternoon, we made our way back to our lovely little guesthouse, the Mustang Holiday Inn, to rest and get ready to go trekking in a couple of days when we would make our way to Pokhara where we would meet up with our trekking guide and board a short flight to Jomson where we would begin our 7-day trek on the Annapurna Circuit.

I bought my mother and father gift cards and my sister some clothes. I got a PostSecret book, a gift card, and a simple Happy Holidays card as presents from friends. My parents will probably give me something small. It matters less and less every year what I get from others. It’s honestly a gift to just have a visit from old friends and  just spending time with family. We still don’t have a Christmas tree, something I’ve wanted since I was a little kid. I might get one during boxing day for next year.

I want to put this family together, I want to meddle in between the constant bickering and yelling between my parents. How can they fight so much, why are they so defiant of their own opinions? Why can’t they both realize that being a family means having it work, compromising from both sides? It’s frustrating especially when they are both right and equally stubborn to give in to the others’ opinions and wishes.

I want to guide my father into a sense of religious spirituality that doesn’t hinder the family’s need for a father-figure. Religion is bullshit in itself. I don’t think religion is highly necessary if you want to get close to God though if you’re lost, it’s a nice path to consider. My dad is deeply considering it, a pursuit for religious identity that feels normal at his age. We’re expected to have a better sense of dharma by my father’s age. While I admire his desire to become more spiritual, philosophical, and religious, I also do not think it’s helping the family function as a family should. Things need to get done, groceries need to be done, cooking needs to be done…why can’t he devote his time on family matters as easily as he does religious text and long odd hours praying? Make prayers through action more than through speculative thought about atman. It’s so weird that the more my father gets into religion the more I don’t want to. Yet I’m beginning to realize that my father likes to analyze me a lot,  I don’t know why. I must be a puzzle that he likes to crack. He loves it when he knows what my intentions are, he loves it when he can see my viewpoint or my beliefs or prove me wrong. He loves pissing me off*. So I think it’s important that I become more religious too, not to get close to God as much as to get close to my father. To make myself think, to make him think, and to play the devil’s advocate well on all the religious debates.

I want to go back to Nepal. I need to get an idea of what culture is all about back home. I need to learn the language fluently. I need to know how to cook like my mother does. I need to explore all that culture that I missed and I need to nitpick what I like about that culture and bring it back here to Canada. Then I need to nitpick the good habits and values that I have developed based off of this far more western culture and together, I need to make a tie-die tee shirt of me.  Lotta needs.

I’ve realized that I can not be ‘white’ (there is sub-categories for this racial group that is so commonly used; I’m talking ‘liberal arts white’) and I can not be ‘brown’. I will sing along to the perfectly memorized lyrics of  Train’s Drops of Jupiter on repeat while I add three cups of water to turn the chaamul into baath. Rather than running away from one side and feeling more at home at another side of all this culturally driven racial constructs, I’m simply going to sink more into both. So Nepal, I’m coming sooner or later.

I want to make my mother less pessimistic. I used to think this involved repeatedly telling her how to live a happier life, telling her to try to see the bright side. I realize the answer isn’t in any of that. The answer is to advocate such a strong sense of blind faith to the idea that the future will be better that it makes the present more bearable. With my father, I need to be more religiously aware but with my mother, I need to cook and stay in the kitchen more often in order to get close with her. I would hit two birds with one stone if I could keep her happy and develop decent cooking skills.

I want to be active in sports for myself and get my sister involved in school teams, clubs and reading just like I was when I was young. I feel like a horrible sister for not being more focused on her desires and her needs and everything that she doesn’t yet know that she wants. I have to work on her personality. What is a good parenting book?

*Almost all men close in my life have admitted, amusingly, that they love to piss me off. What gives???

I get this question a lot. We all read the adventure books and have seen the IMAX movie about Mount Everest but most folks are still not sure what it means to go on trek. When at home this type of activity is called backpacking. But, as soon as we fly halfway around the world to the Himalayas to do the same thing, the term we use is trekking. What is trekking? Why go so far away from home and spend so much time and money to join a trekking group? We all, of course, have our own reasons for participating in such a venture, but the one common agreement shared by almost all trekkers is that they want to break out of their day to day routines by walking through an exotic land and experiencing a different culture. The following excerpt was taken in parts from the book ‘Trekking in Pakistan and India’, written by High Swift and published by Sierra Club Books. It should give all of us something to think about and discuss on our next trek.The trail as metaphor is a broad and wonderful concept, for each person walks his or her own path through life, and each individual can be largely responsible for the direction that path may take. For many people walking trails in the Himalaya is an experience all the more powerful because its metaphorical teachings are couched neither in words nor within a system of organized thought.

The rhythms of the day and the days taken together acquire a connectedness, unity and dimension that is missing in urban Western society.

Pilgrimage has long been recommended as a means of salvation in both Tibetan and Hindu societies, not only for the merit that accrues in reaching a holy shrine or sacred phenomenon, but because of the character and inner strength induced by such travel.

Life, of course, is a matter of ups and downs like any trail. When one is going up, and the way is steep and tiring, the idea that there will ever be an easier time of it is only a vague belief. It is not real. The trail up and hard is real. The aching bones and burning lungs are real. Yet when one reaches the top and takes a shorter breath, the pain is soon forgotten and the misery of the climb has been left behind. Where I have been seems immaterial. Where I am going is what engages me.

Happy Trekking,

Andy Crisconi

One of the finest things to celebrate each year.

As each day draws us near the end of 2009, I continue to think about the days ahead in 2010.  The year before us is one filled with great opportunities. The possibilities are exciting and sometimes overwhelming.

There are always going to be financial needs in each of the school locations.  Let me list a few below for your consideration.  If you know of any individuals or congregations who would be interested in helping with this work in the new year, please let me know.  We will follow up with the necessary information.

*BVBIU in Gorlovka, Ukraine needs approximately $2,500 per month for student support.

*ITL in Guatemala needs support to pay for the property where a school will be built.  The need is approximately $60,000.

*ACSOP in Arusha, Tanzania has facilities to accommodate 48 students, but funds only allow them to take 20.  The need is $200 per month for each student.  More than 100 have applied and are qualified, but there are not enough funds.

*IBI of Siem Reap Cambodia desperately needs to finish the third floor of the building to prevent further damage to the structure of the school.  The cost will be approximately $35,000.

*VVBC in Visakhapatnam, India also needs to finish the building for the school.  The total cost needed is approximately $20,000.

*NCBS in Kathmandu, Nepal is working to raise $20,000 to cover the expenses needed to bring in people from all over Nepal for the short courses.  The work will help educate and strengthen the church in Nepal.

There are other one time and on going needs throughout all of the schools.  These are some of the pressing needs for the year ahead.  If you are considering any area of work in training men to preach the gospel, I urge you to contact me.  I will arrange to meet with you and discuss where and how you can be involved in making a difference.  The gospel needs to be preached around the world and through extension training the opportunities and possibilities multiply quickly.

Please pass the word along to others who can get on board.  It is going to take all of us with God’s help to reach the goal.

We have a great task before us as we enter into the new year.  My prayer is God will continue to work through you and others to help this work grow.  Thank you for your consideration.

Extension Weekly on Blog!!

I am encouraged by the response about the weekly report on the blog site.  Last week I sent an e-mail to everyone asking you to visit the site.  The first day more than 100 people visited the site.

The response within the extension schools has been extremely favorable.  The site is easier to open and read than trying to download a larger file through an e-mail.

I am not trying to belabor the point (okay, I am) but I do want to ask everyone to visit the site.  If you would like to receive notification each week when the site has been updated, then please subscribe.  The address is http://extensiontraining.wordpress.com

If you have already signed up at the site, please send me an e-mail to let me know.  I will then remove your name from the weekly e-mail list.  This way you will not receive two e-mails about the report each week.

Arusha Extension

The Andrew Connally School of Preaching report is attached below.  The work in Arusha is growing and exciting.  The following is the latest report on the work:

The Future Preachers Training Camp ended on Saturday morning. Roger Shepherd, several African evangelists and a some missionaries helped train 39 young men in sermon preparation and delivery. I spoke at the Friday morning devotional. There were several young men from the Arusha congregation. Those young men conducted the services at Arusha this morning. While our family did not attend there this morning we heard they did a great job. Roger will be leaving Monday night. Please pray for his safe travel.

The First Annual Tanzania Christian Camp (TCC) begins tomorrow. That means that the Fullers, John Rice, and Ben Thompson arrived safely. Approximately 90 children and adults will attend TCC this week. With daily Bible and singing classes, sports, crafts, evening worship services and evening activities the campers should stay busy, both spiritually and physically. I will be preaching on Tuesday evening. The theme for the week is “God’s Word.”  John Rice (camp director) is also the founder of Backwoods Christian Camp in Lineville, AL.  Our family has been associated with the camp since its beginning in 1977 when Trina was about 13 years old.  Since our family is a “preacher/missionary” family we have moved often.  So when we return to the states on furlough and visit churches we are always the “guests.”  Whether it is in our hometowns or churches where we were once the “preacher family” we are the “visitors.”  However, at Backwoods Christian Camp we feel like we belong…we have a sort of heritage there.  One of our children remarked that at camp it is as if everyone is one big family…what the church is supposed to be, right?  The influence of Backwoods Christian Camp will never be measured.  Hopefully, TCC will have the same effect and reach many young people with the Gospel of Christ.

We so very much appreciate your support and prayers. It means a great deal to us. We pray your week in service to God goes well.

Bates Report

Please go to the following link below or click on Donnie Bates name on the side column of the Extension Weekly blog to receive his latest report.

http://donniebatesreports.blogspot.com/

Cambodia Extension

Please visit the link below or click on the International Bible Institute of Siem Reap on the side column of the Extension Weekly blog to receive the latest report on the work of the church in Siem Reap and the extension school.

http://siemreapchurchofchrist.webs.com/apps/blog/

Also, see the weekly report below from Chann.

Dear Brethren,

Greetings in Christ name from Visakha Valley Bible College. Hope all is well with you. Attached is the work report for the month of Oct. – Nov. 09. Bible School work is going so wonderful, since time is running so fast we are looking forward to seeing some of you in next year very soon. I hope Bob is still thinking about visiting us, let us know little head of time so that we would schedule our dates.

During the last two months, the number of baptisms we had in last two months are 19 in this area. Restorations 9, conversion of denominational preachers 1, new churches planted are 2.

I also attached the financial report for the month of November. We appreciate you so much for your confidence in us, we continue to do the good we can. Please give our greetings to the Elders at Bear Valley and Lake Houston.

* Building work has come to a sudden halt because of lack of funds, kindly pray for it. Thank you so much for your love for the lost in India, we appreciate your efforts to spread the good news as well as edify the congregations in this part of India. I promise that our Lord is going to do some wonderful things through our Bible School.

We are under great uncertainty at our state level politics, from last 10 days we are under lot of pressure. Due to that various political parties are calling for strike suspending all sorts works/business/school etc., More than anything else, the northern part of our state has demanded for a separate state, for some reason the leading party has given approval and got in trouble with other part of our state which includes our eastern districts of Andhra Pradesh. So, no peace at all, if you see news papers online you will get more idea what I am talking about. Kindly pray so that our state would be peaceful. In fact the consulate general of US in Hyderabad has warned the US citizens that it is dangerous to visit India during this time. Kindly pray for peace.

Happy Holidays….God bless you all

In Christ

Samuel & John Dean Muppidi

Cambodia Report 20.12.2009

Attendance at worship – 41 people

Contribution – $26 and 38600 Reils

Number of baptism – We don’t have yet, but we are following up with some people who had been studying with us and they also used to have questions to ask about salvation, so I hope that sooner or later we can convert them to Christ through the word of God.

I personally have studied with some people around my house that I rent, and also went to visit the members and also had chance to study with their family as well. I’m looking to go and see them again next Saturday, and hopefully the word of God will change their hearts and becoming Christian.

Weekly sermon and Bible class:

Phanat still teach in the book of Acts (the history of the church)

I, myself preached for the service on subject True Christian lead to honest life.

Keep your pray for us that now we are ready to translate the tract and hopefully print it out and pass the tract very soon to the people in the city.

In His service

Chann

Happy Holidays

I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season.  I pray you are able to be with those you love the most.  There are many who are traveling to be with friends and family.  I pray everyone remains safe in their travels.

I also hope the year before you will be blessed. Thank you for your financial support, your prayers, time, talent and hundreds of other ways you provide

for the needs of the extension work.  The past nine months have gone by so quickly and I know the year ahead will pass quickly as well.

I look forward to reporting more and more each week about the work.  As the work grows, may we all grow to find ways we can better serve the Lord and strengthen His kingdom.

God bless

Bob