Welcome to my travel pages
The pages are in chronological order, each page contains
selected images from my travels to each location.
All photos are by
Chris, except the photos OF Chris!
(Well, there are occassional shots by CJ, but very few!)
This website was created by CJ upon arriving back in San Francisco
in early June, 2001. Questions? Email me at
cjay AT well DOT com
Click HERE to read the posts we sent to our
travel list friends
Please scroll down on each page, as well
as this one, for all images!
* * * * *
On the 2nd of October, 2000, I flew, with a friend, from San Francisco, via
Tokyo
and Bangkok, to Bombay, India. After a week exploring Bombay, we headed
north
to Kathmandu, Nepal to begin what turned out to be 8 months of adventure
and
incredible experiences backpacking through Nepal, India, and Thailand...
Nepal
Mid-October thru mid-December,
2000:
The first part of our travels was trekking around the Annapurna range in
the
Nepal Himalayas. This trek is known as the Annapurna Circuit, and is quite
popular
with international travelers. It took us 25 days, we walked over 180 miles with full
pack,
and a young Nepali porter, who carried some stuff and acted as a guide. Our
camera
failed after the pass, so there are no photos of the last half of the trek,
but other than
the first couple days after going over the pass, the scenery was basically the
reverse
of the way up, without most of the high peaks. We bought a new Pentax MZ-30
auto-everything camera in Kathmandu several weeks later.
Around Annapurna trek Day1
Around Annapurna trek Day 2
Around Annapurna trek Day 3
Around Annapurna trek Day 4
Around Annapurna trek Day 5
We stayed in Manang for three days, acclimating to the 12,000 ft altitude,
as suggested
by everyone and the guidebooks. While there, we did a 1000 foot or so
climb every
day to see local attractions, and to help acclimate. There is a trail over to
Tilicho Lake (world's highest lake), which passes through the tiny settlement
of
Kungsar, from Manang, requiring three days round trip, and ascending
to
over 17,000 feet at the lake. We decided to do it, I mean, at this point,
what
the heck, when are we ever gonna be back here again?
Around Annapurna trek Days 6 -
8, in and around Manang
Around Annapurna trek To
Kungsar, as we take a 3-day detour from the main trail to hike up to
Tilicho Lake.
Around Annapurna trek Special
3-day detour over to Tilicho Lake Base Camp, at 4600 meters elevation.
Around Annapurna trek up to the
lake, at 5200 meters!
Around Annapurna trek to Yak
Karka, and back to the trekking trail
Around Annapurna trek The day
hike to Thorong Pedi Base Camp, below the pass.
Around Annapurna trek Up to
the pass, at 5416 meters (17,600 feet)!
The sign at the pass read:
THORONG PASS 5415 M. (17599 FT.)
MANANG ACAP
CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR SUCCESSFUL CLIMBING AND PASSING THE
THORONG LA PASS, ONE OF YOUR CHALLENGES ON THE ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT.
WELL, WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR TREKKING IN MANANG, ALONG THE
MARSYANDI RIVER, AND WE HOPE YOU WILL EQUALLY ENJOY YOUR TREK
AS WELL ALONG THE KALI GANDAKI RIVER.
WISH YOU ALL THE BEST
GOOD TIME, AND SEE YOU SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE AGAIN.
ACAP, MANANG
The camera failed right after the pass, so we didn't get pictures of the
last half of the trek, but other than the day after the pass, from
Muktinath
to Kag Beni, where the scenery was just incredible, the scenery was
basically
green, with few tall peaks in view, as we walked through the Kali
Gandaki
River valley.
One notable experience on the second half of the trek was our four-day
rest at Tatopani, at the Dhalgiri Lodge, with the hot springs, and the
bungalows in the beautiful garden setting, with orange and lemon trees,
and rhododedron, and purple coleus growing everywhere. And the
incredible
food! We simply didn't want to leave! Our porter didn't complain either!
We walked several more days to Beni, where we caught the 4 hour bus
ride back to Pokhara.
After the trek, which totaled 25 days, we rested in Pokhara, Nepal
for about 10 days, then bussed back to Kathmandu to explore
the attractions around it.
Kathmandu/Patan Last
Kathmandu visit, Kopan Monastary, Patan, late Nov/early Dec, 2000
We spent a week in and around Kathmandu, then traveled out to Nagarkot
where we got an awesome view of the 100-mile long range leading over to
Mt. Everest. After an overnight there, and a beautiful ride back down to
Kathmandu, we took a two hour Everest flyby flight out of Kathmandu. Photos
of these events have not yet been digitized for this page. Someday!
A week later, we left Kathmandu for the last time, heading south, on a 15-
hour bus odyssey to Lumbini, the birthplace of the historical Buddha.
Lumbini was beautiful and very peaceful, and we stayed several days.
Lumbini Lumbini, Nepal -
birthplace of the Buddha, early Dec 2000
During our three-day stay in Lumbini, we took a day trip to Kapilavastu, where
lie the ruins of the palace in which the young Buddha lived before venturing
out into the world to seek his eventual enlightenment.
Kapilavastu Kapilavastu, Nepal,
near Lumbini, childhood home of the Buddha,
Early Dec, 2000
After a full-morning’s bus trip, we crossed the border from Nepal into
northern India at Sonauli on 11 Dec 2000.
India
Click here to read an account of CJ’s solo travels in
India, from Sravasti thru
his month in Bodh Gaya, to reunion with Chris in south India to continue our trip
thru India.
Why?
(Sandra - "Your Way To India", 1992 UK, 4.6MB mp3)
(opens in new page - minimize page to continue here)
Bodh Gaya, India Bodh Gaya,
India, late Dec 2000 thru Jan 2001
Chris traveled alone on the overnight train to Calcutta, then boarded the
two-day train to the south tip of India at Trivandrum, in order to attend
a
several-week course on yoga, while CJ remained in Bodh Gaya for the
month,
to attend the 25th annual 16 day Vipassana (silent meditation) retreat sponsored
by the Gaia House in London at the Thai Temple Monastery.
Yoga Ashram, India Sivananda
Yoga Ashram, south India, Jan 2001
After a month in Bodh Gaya, CJ took the same train journey, meeting up
with
Chris in the south Indian coastal resort village of Varkala.
Varkala, India Varkala, south
India, early Feb 2001
We then began a gradual northward journey to arrive in Dharamsala, in
Northwest India, at the foot of the Indian Himalayas by 5 March, as we
had reservations at the Green Hotel for that time.
Leaving Varkala by train, we spent the night in Kollam, then caught the
8-hour boat ride north to Alleppey, through the quiet and beautiful
backwaters
along the South Indian coastline.
the backwaters The backwaters
between Kollam and Allepey, India
After a fancy dinner at a luxurious restaurant on a rainy night, and a good
night's
rest in Alleppey, we headed on a daylong bus journey north to Cochin, city of
spices.
Cochin, India Cochin, India, Feb
2001
We spent 5 or 6 days in Cochin, enjoying the sites and the wonderful
south Indian food, then boarded a bus to Munnar, a small town high in the
mountains, surrounded by huge tea estates.
Munnar, India Munnar, India,
Feb 2001
We then took the classic 4-different-buses, 14 hour, all-day Indian travel
odyssey,
from Munnar to Mysore, starting at 5 AM and ending at around 7 PM.
Mysore, India Mysore, India, Feb
2001
After three days in Mysore, an overnight train took us to Hampi, where we
relaxed
for about 8 days, in preparation for a six-day effort to get to Dharamsala on
the 5th of
March,
stopping at the Ellora Caves on the way.
Hampi, India Hampi, Feb 2001
From Hampi, we traveled by train through Hyderbad, to Bangalore, where
we laid-over for about six hours, and visited the hi-tech area of town, where
young Indian youth walked about in 'mod' clothing and crowded into
Internet cafes. This one street looked as if it was transplanted there from
suburban southern California. We boarded an evening train, which took us
overnight to Aurangabad, arriving at 6 AM. The next day, we took a ride out
to the Ellora caves, where we explored and photographed for about four
hours.
Ellora Caves, India Ellora Caves,
late Feb 2001
We left Aurangabad that evening, bound for the small town of Manmad,
where we rented a room for the night. At 5 AM, we caught the train for
Delhi, one and a half days away. After 36 hours of on-train Indian madness,
including several drunk Indian soldiers, an 8-hour on-track delay because of a
derailment, plus being searched by Delhi police, we got off at New Delhi,
and found a room for the night, and a bus to Dharamsala for the next evening.
We arrived in Dharamsala on the 5th, and remained there for the month of
March, relaxing in the Tibetan culture, and getting to see the Dalai Lama,
and the young Karmapa, who will lead the exiled Tibetans after the Dalai
Lama dies, until the next Dalai Lama is old enough to retake the leadership.
Dharamsala Dharamsala, India,
March 2001
Barely surviving the 12 hour overnight bus back to Delhi from DS, we spent a
week arranging our Thai visas, and checking out Delhi.
Delhi, India Crazy in Delhi for a week, early
April, 2001
Thailand
We flew to Bangkok on the 6th of April, checked it out for the week,
and
decided to go to an island to relax and get some peace for a couple
weeks
before heading up to Chiang Mai, in the North.
Ko Chang resort island in the
Gulf of Thailand, early April 2001
Snorkeling trip Snorkeling for a
day in the Gulf of Thailand, April 2001
Ko Wai resort island in the Gulf of
Thailand, April 2001
Time to head north towards Chiang Mai, and tired of long bus and train
rides, we took short buses to several beautiful towns, then boarded the train
to Chiang Mai from Lopburi.
Kanchanaburi Kanchanaburi
Province, Thailand, where the bridge on the river Kwai
and several beautiful National Parks are located.
May 2001
Lopburi Lopburi, a small and
very old town with a royal palace from the mid 1600's.
May,2001
Chiang Mai Chiang Mai,
Thailand, May, 2001
We spent 17 days in Chiang Mai, and made trips to various sites in and around it.
Chiang Mai was awesome - great food and comfortable, inexpensive accomodations.
We flew out of Chiang Mai on the 30th of May to Bangkok, where on the 3rd
of June, Chris boarded a flight to Ubon, in Northeast Thailand, to visit a
Buddhist monastery. Two days later, I flew back to San Francisco to take
care of our personal affairs and pack up for new future adventures.
Due to numerous requests, a travel tips page has been under construction HERE .
"Ten Tips For World Travelers" - highly recommended reading.