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| The interior of the caves are covered with paintings depicting both myth and legend along with real life. Unfortunately, | The interior of the caves are covered with paintings depicting both myth and legend along with real life. Unfortunately, | ||
| - | We spent the day at Ajanta, returning to Aurangabad that evening. The next morning we took another bus to Ellora. Here there are 34 cave temples built from the 7th to the 13th centuries A.D. We had all heard about Ellora, but were really not prepared for what we saw. Each temple is carved out of what once was a solid mass of rock, without scaffolding, | + | We spent the day at Ajanta, returning to Aurangabad that evening. The next morning we took another bus to Ellora. Here there are 34 cave temples built from the 7th to the 13th centuries A.D. We had all heard about Ellora, but were really not prepared for what we saw. Each temple is carved out of what once was a solid mass of rock, without scaffolding, |
| All of us were overwhelmed and spent the day exploring them. | All of us were overwhelmed and spent the day exploring them. | ||
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| In Egypt lies the Everest of River Drinkers. The Nile starts in two places - Uganda and Ethiopia. Both Blue and White Nile pass thousands of towns until they converge at Khartoum. Then through the Sudan, down the cataracts until Egypt is reached. Lake Nasser extends from the border to Luxor where the famous dam is. At Luxor I shall start my story. | In Egypt lies the Everest of River Drinkers. The Nile starts in two places - Uganda and Ethiopia. Both Blue and White Nile pass thousands of towns until they converge at Khartoum. Then through the Sudan, down the cataracts until Egypt is reached. Lake Nasser extends from the border to Luxor where the famous dam is. At Luxor I shall start my story. | ||
| - | I was the only passenger of European complexion on the 3rd class section, which happens to be a long punt that is pulled by a boat complete with engine and houses the first class riff-raff. Even though I was first aboard the punt when it arrived all the crew sold spaces to the passengers. This they'd do by spreading out carpets. There was a space about one foot wide with no carpet on it and my sleeping bag was there in 20 seconds, and I lay down immediately. Fait accomplit. I wasn't very popular. The train arrived from Cairo snd the punt was overloaded by the wildest looking mob in history. My section of the punt was then occupied by a family of three camel traders, who would place their own carpets down and await the trip. They were quite remarkable. It turned out that they had sold 1000 camels which they had driven down from the Sudan to Cairo or somewhere. I asked how much camels were worth in Cairo. £100 each it seems. Times 1000 = a small fortune. They were armed and as well had curved knives on their upper arms under their robes. They had no fear from me, so they became quite friendly. I gave them my eyedrops, but the oldest started to drink it. I told him to lay down and I would drop in the liquid. He was very frightened and I think he thought I was going to kill him. I was down on the carpet on my back and he was shouting in Arabic and jumping on my stomach. His sons pulled him off me and I gazed at the ruins passing by and brushed off this incident. | + | I was the only passenger of European complexion on the 3rd class section, which happens to be a long punt that is pulled by a boat complete with engine and houses the first class riff-raff. Even though I was first aboard the punt when it arrived all the crew sold spaces to the passengers. This they'd do by spreading out carpets. There was a space about one foot wide with no carpet on it and my sleeping bag was there in 20 seconds, and I lay down immediately. Fait accomplit. I wasn't very popular. The train arrived from Cairo and the punt was overloaded by the wildest looking mob in history. My section of the punt was then occupied by a family of three camel traders, who would place their own carpets down and await the trip. They were quite remarkable. It turned out that they had sold 1000 camels which they had driven down from the Sudan to Cairo or somewhere. I asked how much camels were worth in Cairo. £100 each it seems. Times 1000 = a small fortune. They were armed and as well had curved knives on their upper arms under their robes. They had no fear from me, so they became quite friendly. I gave them my eyedrops, but the oldest started to drink it. I told him to lay down and I would drop in the liquid. He was very frightened and I think he thought I was going to kill him. I was down on the carpet on my back and he was shouting in Arabic and jumping on my stomach. His sons pulled him off me and I gazed at the ruins passing by and brushed off this incident. |
| Abu Simbel ahead, and the boat pulled in and I was the only 3rd class person off. There were two New Zealanders, retired, from 1st class plus four or five Nubian types. Abu Simbel was swarming with Swedish engineers with 2 ft. long syringes that they were injecting into the porous stone that makes up this rock cut temple. (If you cast your mind back, this was the temple that was to have been jacked up to avoid being flooded. It finally was cut up and rebuilt with U.N. help on a cliff above its old site.) Myself and Kiwis wandered around with these Swedes as our guides and we all had a wonderful time. Going out into the sunshine, we were flabbergasted. The boat was gone. No toot, no nothing. There going upstream and rounding the bend was our transport. | Abu Simbel ahead, and the boat pulled in and I was the only 3rd class person off. There were two New Zealanders, retired, from 1st class plus four or five Nubian types. Abu Simbel was swarming with Swedish engineers with 2 ft. long syringes that they were injecting into the porous stone that makes up this rock cut temple. (If you cast your mind back, this was the temple that was to have been jacked up to avoid being flooded. It finally was cut up and rebuilt with U.N. help on a cliff above its old site.) Myself and Kiwis wandered around with these Swedes as our guides and we all had a wonderful time. Going out into the sunshine, we were flabbergasted. The boat was gone. No toot, no nothing. There going upstream and rounding the bend was our transport. | ||
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| Last Xmas with Helen Gray and Frank Taeker we were in beautiful down-town Benares. The Holy Ganges flows through to the Bay of Bengal all the way from Tibet. Early one morning we all walked down to the steps near the tilted submerged temple. Let me describe the surroundings. Behind us were 100 yards of steps climbing up to the base of the palaces. These buildings have a remarkable drainage and sewerage works. Simply it works like this - channel onto the top step and it will cascade down to the river. While we were watching along came a lad with a flat stone under his arm and a parcel under the other. It turned out to be a young goat that may have been killed for a sacrifice that very morning. He tied the stone to the animal and heaved it into the river only 20 ft. or so from where the pilgrims were immersed in their ablutions and prayers. Upstream 100 yards or so the burning ghats were blazing merrily and bones and ash were being plopped into the murky waters. Maybe you think that the ashes purify the water? That would be cancelled out by the ruling that all small-pox victims along with lunatics and babies are thrown in without burning or any preparation at all, apart from prayers. | Last Xmas with Helen Gray and Frank Taeker we were in beautiful down-town Benares. The Holy Ganges flows through to the Bay of Bengal all the way from Tibet. Early one morning we all walked down to the steps near the tilted submerged temple. Let me describe the surroundings. Behind us were 100 yards of steps climbing up to the base of the palaces. These buildings have a remarkable drainage and sewerage works. Simply it works like this - channel onto the top step and it will cascade down to the river. While we were watching along came a lad with a flat stone under his arm and a parcel under the other. It turned out to be a young goat that may have been killed for a sacrifice that very morning. He tied the stone to the animal and heaved it into the river only 20 ft. or so from where the pilgrims were immersed in their ablutions and prayers. Upstream 100 yards or so the burning ghats were blazing merrily and bones and ash were being plopped into the murky waters. Maybe you think that the ashes purify the water? That would be cancelled out by the ruling that all small-pox victims along with lunatics and babies are thrown in without burning or any preparation at all, apart from prayers. | ||
| - | We wera assured by these very same devout Hindus that here in Benares a miracle takes place. (Benares is the centre of the Hindu cosmos. When the world will came to an end, Benares will miss out. Good for an investment, eh?) The River Ganges at this very spot where we stood, becomes pure. It has been proven beyond all doubt. The scientists at the Universities; | + | We were assured by these very same devout Hindus that here in Benares a miracle takes place. (Benares is the centre of the Hindu cosmos. When the world will came to an end, Benares will miss out. Good for an investment, eh?) The River Ganges at this very spot where we stood, becomes pure. It has been proven beyond all doubt. The scientists at the Universities; |
| Of course I didn't drink it. Not enough dedication or drive. Certainly my hobby is now in tatters; River Collecting is all over for good. There must be other interesting things to collect! No doubt there are other readers of this magazine who collect strange things, and are bursting to tell. I'm sure the Editor would like to hear from you; this magazine will publish anything. | Of course I didn't drink it. Not enough dedication or drive. Certainly my hobby is now in tatters; River Collecting is all over for good. There must be other interesting things to collect! No doubt there are other readers of this magazine who collect strange things, and are bursting to tell. I'm sure the Editor would like to hear from you; this magazine will publish anything. | ||
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| All in all it was a rather hurried business and we could have done with at least another hour to have really enjoyed the pleasant walking conditions, weather and scenery. | All in all it was a rather hurried business and we could have done with at least another hour to have really enjoyed the pleasant walking conditions, weather and scenery. | ||
| - | I was amazed that no one had become lost on the walking part of the trip, quite a lot of people were observed scrambling out of the bush in many different places and some were even caught | + | I was amazed that no one had become lost on the walking part of the trip, quite a lot of people were observed scrambling out of the bush in many different places and some were even caught |
| An added bonus for the finish of the trip was a visit to the ' | An added bonus for the finish of the trip was a visit to the ' | ||
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| ===H Frame Packs - The Mountaineer De Luxe.=== | ===H Frame Packs - The Mountaineer De Luxe.=== | ||
| - | this capacious pack can comfortably carry 70 lbs or more. The bag is made from tough lightweight terylene/ | + | This capacious pack can comfortably carry 70 lbs or more. The bag is made from tough lightweight terylene/ |
| ===Bunyip rucksack.=== | ===Bunyip rucksack.=== | ||
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| Language of course has to be coped with wherever you are, and when you get your songs and (psalms) sams (numbers) mixed, then you're in trouble. Or perhaps it's the kais and KAIS chicken and egg depending on pitch - so you order an egg and instead get a confounded chicken. | Language of course has to be coped with wherever you are, and when you get your songs and (psalms) sams (numbers) mixed, then you're in trouble. Or perhaps it's the kais and KAIS chicken and egg depending on pitch - so you order an egg and instead get a confounded chicken. | ||
| - | And when brousing | + | And when browsing |
| The public transport system works well. No bus in Bangkok is ever full - there is always room for one or more passengers. They hang out of the doors like a human bunch of grapes with hangers-on on the hangers-on. If you survive all this and make the maze of the bus routes work for you, then you can travel anywhere in the city for 75 setung (1,000 = $1). But don't become too blase. Just to confuse you, now and again a bus appears where it shouldn' | The public transport system works well. No bus in Bangkok is ever full - there is always room for one or more passengers. They hang out of the doors like a human bunch of grapes with hangers-on on the hangers-on. If you survive all this and make the maze of the bus routes work for you, then you can travel anywhere in the city for 75 setung (1,000 = $1). But don't become too blase. Just to confuse you, now and again a bus appears where it shouldn' | ||
| - | Eventually we arrived in Kathmandu. Once again the battle to get to Kala Patter | + | Eventually we arrived in Kathmandu. Once again the battle to get to Kala Pattar |
| "Yes, we have flight," | "Yes, we have flight," | ||
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| Now I am not young anymore and my bladder is the same age, well worn but worn well, but aged. During the night, pitch black inside the house, likewise inside the head, my bladder gives me the message. Not wishing to disappoint anyone, let alone myself, I must of necessity, exit. Get up, put on boots, struggle with unfamiliar door bars, lift leg, duck head, stretch over bench, miss table - quietly, quietly and hang there teetering acrobatically, | Now I am not young anymore and my bladder is the same age, well worn but worn well, but aged. During the night, pitch black inside the house, likewise inside the head, my bladder gives me the message. Not wishing to disappoint anyone, let alone myself, I must of necessity, exit. Get up, put on boots, struggle with unfamiliar door bars, lift leg, duck head, stretch over bench, miss table - quietly, quietly and hang there teetering acrobatically, | ||
| - | Outside the air is sharp-edgea cold, the gems of the heavens picked out on a midnight blue and the shimmering, dancing sheen of the descending moonbeams lights this wonderland with a pearly luminance. Return to bed eventually after more acrobatics, only to find in the morning that our hosts had thoughtfully provided a torch at hand near the bed for just such an emergency, but neglected to inform us. | + | Outside the air is sharp-edged cold, the gems of the heavens picked out on a midnight blue and the shimmering, dancing sheen of the descending moonbeams lights this wonderland with a pearly luminance. Return to bed eventually after more acrobatics, only to find in the morning that our hosts had thoughtfully provided a torch at hand near the bed for just such an emergency, but neglected to inform us. |
| Engaging porters can be quite engaging, time consuming, infuriating and costly. Since not even the best of us can tell what the effect of altitude will be it was decided to hire 2 porters, mine at lest till I found out how I was going to perform. Like the "new chums" we were, we hired one for Rs.20 and one for 15 plus food - a big mistake as we were to find out. | Engaging porters can be quite engaging, time consuming, infuriating and costly. Since not even the best of us can tell what the effect of altitude will be it was decided to hire 2 porters, mine at lest till I found out how I was going to perform. Like the "new chums" we were, we hired one for Rs.20 and one for 15 plus food - a big mistake as we were to find out. | ||
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| The sheer joy of " | The sheer joy of " | ||
| - | I have never been a cow's best friend, nor would I say I was enamoured of the type of animal these hill people use as beasts of burden. On the contrary I have never been agin 'em, I haven' | + | I have never been a cow's best friend, nor would I say I was enamoured of the type of animal these hill people use as beasts of burden. On the contrary I have never been agin 'em, I haven' |
| Two thousand feet to Namche Bazaar soon went underboot, we turned a corner and there it was, the largest Sherpa village, with its rows and rows of fawn brown stone buildings, snow-capped peaks dominating the horizon. There we found traces of the Calnans, they had passed through the checkpost the day before. | Two thousand feet to Namche Bazaar soon went underboot, we turned a corner and there it was, the largest Sherpa village, with its rows and rows of fawn brown stone buildings, snow-capped peaks dominating the horizon. There we found traces of the Calnans, they had passed through the checkpost the day before. | ||
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| I paid off my porter - it cost me of course - I had decided to go it alone and decision was taken to press on to Tenghoche. Laughing at altitude the party was wheeling along in fine fashion. But the altitude demon of the Himalayas, the real yeti, bared his teeth. An hour and a half from Teng. I thought I'd exchanged my hikeboots with a deepsea diver, my pack for a bag of corn and my lungs for bellows. Glad was I to see the gate of the monastry and gladder still to throw off my pack and sit down. | I paid off my porter - it cost me of course - I had decided to go it alone and decision was taken to press on to Tenghoche. Laughing at altitude the party was wheeling along in fine fashion. But the altitude demon of the Himalayas, the real yeti, bared his teeth. An hour and a half from Teng. I thought I'd exchanged my hikeboots with a deepsea diver, my pack for a bag of corn and my lungs for bellows. Glad was I to see the gate of the monastry and gladder still to throw off my pack and sit down. | ||
| - | That greybearded, | + | That greybearded, |
| Washing - simple matter. Washing machine, soap powder, a couple of rinses and hang it out. Eliminate the machine, take the source of the water 400 yds. away - downhill, and add 12" or so of snow, then lower the temperature minus something °C, and you can appreciate part of the dilemma. Having done your washing, try to get it dry - ice evaporates with difficulty. Heavens! Clouds have blown up, get the washing. What you get is not what you expect. Instead of cold, wet, clammy flexible stuff you wonder what the hell you're going to do with these icecold, plywood cut-outs. In sunlight inside the house at Pangboche they refused to thaw. After having been thawed and part dried by the fire, damp tracksuits to go to bed in at -10°C can be uncomfortable!! | Washing - simple matter. Washing machine, soap powder, a couple of rinses and hang it out. Eliminate the machine, take the source of the water 400 yds. away - downhill, and add 12" or so of snow, then lower the temperature minus something °C, and you can appreciate part of the dilemma. Having done your washing, try to get it dry - ice evaporates with difficulty. Heavens! Clouds have blown up, get the washing. What you get is not what you expect. Instead of cold, wet, clammy flexible stuff you wonder what the hell you're going to do with these icecold, plywood cut-outs. In sunlight inside the house at Pangboche they refused to thaw. After having been thawed and part dried by the fire, damp tracksuits to go to bed in at -10°C can be uncomfortable!! | ||
197607.1472688409.txt.gz · Last modified: 2016/09/01 10:06 by tyreless