Travel Footprints

The trekking team in the Himalayas pose for a group photo during a pit stop in Lukla

This post is a tribute to the wonderful people that made our trek in the Himalayas wonderful and oh so comfortable. First off, we would like to say thank you to Harkaraj Pariyar, whom we fondly call Kuya Henry or sometimes Jestoni Alarcon Kuya Henry is a Nepali married to a Filipina (Emma Pariyar) and they own and operate a tour agency for adventure travels in Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet based in Kathmandu.

This photo above was taken in his office in Kathmandu while we were given a briefing of our adventure and was also introduced to our guide (Sherpa). Kuya Henry patiently worked with us as we exchanged countless emails to revise and finalize our itinerary depending on our needs, capacity and budget.

If you want to get hold of Kuya Henry for any tour inquiries, contact –
International Adventures Treks & Expeditions
Mobile: 977 98510 27381
E-mail: treks@iate.wlink.com.np
Website: www.himalaya-trekking.com

We also acknowledge the wonderful support given to us by Ang Dawa Rai who did a fantastic job in guiding us all throughout the 12-day trek in the Himalayas. We were the third group of Filipinos he was able to accompany in the Himalayas – first was with the ABS-CBN crew led by Abner Mercado and the second was with a group of 3 Filipina tourists. We are very amused to see him sport a cap with the flag of the Philippines on it (he said it was given during the Everest Expedition of the Philippine team). He would patiently wait for us as we trudged slowly up the mountains, gently push us to our limits and encourage us when spirits are down. We are truly grateful for having such a pleasant guide to show us the way around the Himalayas!

Of course, we would not forget these two porters who came with us to unburden us with the load on our backs – literally. Our backpacks were carried by these two guys, who always have a generous smile on their face, all throughout the trek. They would also act as an advance team to our lodge, ably booking the best room available (e.g., closest to the common toilet room) so it is ready when we arrive. We will also never forget their sweet gesture of bringing tea when we need it in Gokyo Valley and Gokyo Ri.

And, last but certainly not least, we extend our warm thanks to our friend Chin who tirelessly researched for tour options in the Himalayas and sought tour packages we can avail that would fit our schedule, budget and capacity (we’re not exactly mountaineering people!). And for bringing the Diamox pills which certainly enabled us to cope with the altitude and ultimately finish the trek

It was such a pleasure to have had this wonderful experience of the trek with you all! ‘Til the next great adventure!

As a UNESCO-declared World Heritage Site, Kathmandu Durbar Square attracts throngs of locals and tourists alike that makes it an ideal place for hawkers to sell their goods. This post gives a glimpse of the fascinating shopping scene in one of the busiest, most crowded attraction I’ve seen in Kathmandu so far.

These sellers set up their mats by the entrance of Durbar Square everyday.  Close of business is usually at around 7pm.

You get a whole range of trinket selections. These pendants are supposedly from Tibet. Some had meanings that the hawker was trying to explain but I didn’t quite get.

More souvenir items from Nepal…

I was with a Buddhist Thai friend who had to buy Thangka (Tibetan silk painting with embroidery) for her mom depicting a medicine buddha. This signifies good health for the family. We went to this small shop in the heart of Kathmandu Durbar Square with a sign boasting that they are ‘featured in most travel guide books.’

They also sell these local food like our pan de sal in the Philippines…

…and have a version of our very own ‘dirty ice cream’

While staying in Raymen Beach Resort in Brgy. Alibuhod of Guimaras, I soon found out that there are more little islands of Guimaras that are waiting to be explored. So we hopped on a boat and set sail to our first destination – Sea Turtle Sanctuary!

There were about 7 sea turtles in captivity when we visited the site. One is the green sea turtle shown in the picture above and which I attempted to carry by myself but failed! That pawikan must have weighed about 15 kilos! The other species was a Hawksbill turtle which the caretaker opted not to show up close because of its rough back. They were saying they had an endangered Olive Ridley just a few months ago but was already released into the ocean. The caretaker tell stories about these released turtles sometimes being sighted near the sanctuary and about olden times where grilling of turtle meat is a common sight around the guimaras area. The visit to the turtle sanctuary is free but they do welcome donations to pay for the turtles’ medicines and food (they log every donation in their book!).

Next stop is Ave Maria Island, an islet with a pristine white sands beach and an ideal place to go snorkeling because of its low water level and abundant fish schools.

That’s Nemo and Gill! The fishes came from another boat with tourists who said they bought it in one of the islands. I asked where they intend to take it and how far can it be transported. Turns out they were just from Iloilo and they intend to put Nemo and Gill in their aquarium. Poor fishes! I hope they do survive the trip in that bag.

Our next destination from Ave Maria island was Baras Island. Before reaching the island, our boatmen steered us into a cave first –

We did take a dip in the water inside the Baras Cave. The water was deep in some parts of the cave but we stayed close to where the boat was parked in that rocky area of the cave. We would have stayed longer if not for a very close encounter of my travel companion with a 2-feet long banded sea snake who swam past her legs as we were chatting by the rocks which made us scurry to higher ground as fast as we can. I would have loved to get a photo of the harmless creature but we left our camera in the boat and the sea snake went about his business foraging for food out of the cave mindless of the panic it caused in our group

The sea snake sighting was a cue for us to pack up and head on to Baras Island. By this time though, I was really feeling the heat of the sun as we come close to mid-day. So we simply asked our boatman to just sail pass the islands as we contend ourselves with taking photos at sea.

That’s Fairy Castle island (private) and a cottage along Baras Beach. It was the perfect day for an island-hopping activity. The 2-hour boat ride cost us Php 550 (plus tip for the boatmen). Good thing about island-hopping, Guimaras-style, is that they have a boat association with standard rates of Php 300 for 1 hour and an additional Php150 for each succeeding hours. Just make sure to bring your own snacks and water bottles to tide you over during the island-hopping in wonderful Guimaras islands!

Ultimate adventurer and famed mountaineer Romi Garduce gives a thumbs-up sign for the Roaming Ronos as we embark on our great trek over the Gokyo Valley (even if our goal of 5,483-m Gokyo Valley climb may be dwarfed with his 8,848-m feat summiting Mt. Everest in 2006).

According to juice.ph (cover story for March 2010 issue), Romi is the first Filipino to climb an 8000-meter peak, one of the first three Filipinos to summit Mt. Everest and the current Filipino record-holder in the quest to climb the world’s Seven Summits (he’s climbed six out of a total of eight peaks in two different lists).

More conveniently, he is working in the same company as Mr. Rono! So at least, we get first-hand advice and tips for Nepal travel (he gave us contacts of his sherpa during his climb!). We also get heads up on what to expect while doing a high-altitude climb in the Himalayan mountain range (altitude mountain sickness, especially!).

Truth be told, altitude mountain sickness is basically what scares me most with this climb because I know that it’s not the greatest feeling in the world. I had some sort of an experience on it while travelling in Ethiopia a few years back (Addis Ababa is located at an altitude of 8,300 feet and I spent hours on the toilet because I was always felt like I had to throw up – and I did a lot of times!). Romi said AMS really causes serious health problems, even for healthy travelers.

AMS or not, we’re still really psyched for this climb! Thanks Romi for inspiring us to see the real outdoors and may our spirit of adventure live on!

We’ve given it a whole lot of thought and it was finally decided that, despite the odds, we would still want to do the 16-day trekking package for Gokyo Valley Lodge Tour. The package came out way higher than originally quoted because there are only 3 of us left willing to do the tour (minimum of 8 persons required for the original quote). But what the heck! We only live once

In a nutshell, this is what we will mostly do while in Nepal as part of the package tour we got :

Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,327-m.), meet and greet at airport and transfer to Thamel. Overnight hotel.

Day 2: Free day in Kathmandu to explore on your own while we prepare documents for your trek. Overnight hotel.

Day 3: Drive early morning to airport for short flight (35 min) from Kathmandu to Lukla (2,840-m). After arrangement of local porters, trek Lukla-Phakding (2,610-m) – 5 hours. Overnight lodge.

Day 4: Trek Phakding – Namche Bazaar (3,440-m) – 6 hours. Overnight lodge.

Day 5: Rest day for acclimatization in Namche/excursion to Syangboche (3,720-m), Everest View Hotel (3,859-m), Khumjung (3,780-m) and Khunde (3,840-m) & return to Namche – 5 hours. Overnight lodge.

Day 6: Trek Namche-Dole (4,200-m) -  6½ hours. Overnight lodge.

Day 7: Trek Dole – Machhermo (4,410-m) – 4½ hours. Overnight lodge.

Day 8: Trek Machhermo – Gokyo (4,790-m.) - 4½ hours. Overnight lodge.

Day 9: Rest day/excursion to Gokyo Ri (5,483-m) & return to Gokyo – 5½ hours. Overnight lodge.

Day 10: Trek Gokyo – Thore (4,300-m) – 5 hours. Overnight lodge.

Day 11: Trek Thore – Tengboch (3,860-m) – 5 hours. Overnight lodge.

Day 12:  Trek Tengboche – Monjo (2,835-m.) via Namche – 7 hours. Overnight lodge.

Day 13: Trek Monjo – Lukla (2,840-m) – 6 hours. Overnight lodge.

Day 14: Fly (35 min) Lukla – Kathmandu, on arrival transfer to Thamel / Trek ends. Overnight hotel.

Day 15: Free day (buffer day in case the flight from Lukla cancels on schedule) in Kathmandu. Overnight hotel.

Day 16: Departure day/transfer to airport for onward flight.

We are arriving in Nepal early on for better acclimatization to the place before we fly to Lukla, the trailhead for the trekking trip. We were told that unlike others, say Canadian or European trekkers, Filipinos need more time to do a high-altitude climb because the sherpas (guides) always have to bring them back down to a certain level to avoid altitude mountain sickness (AMS). Here are some of the pictures from the travel agent :

Landing at Lukla Airfield (Short Take Off and Landing)

Mt. Everest (8,848-m.) from Gokyo Ri (5,483-m.)

Yak, Himalayan Oxen, used for transporting goods

We’re a bit apprehensive that we don’t get to complete the trek all the way to Gokyo Valley but we will damn well make sure we try our hardest

We’ve seen how earthquakes have rocked the planet the past few months starting from Haiti, Chile, Taiwan, Turkey (very recently!) and our very own Cagayan, Philippines. Some geologists have even predicted that earthquakes may hit Nepal next! Check out this news article about Nepal ‘bracing for a big quake’ after Haiti.

Of course, these kinds of news makes us a bit concerned about our safety and got us thinking about revising our travel plans. We originally planned on doing the Gokyo Valley Trek tour which was described by the tour agency as –

“The Gokyo and Khumbu Valleys are arguably the most dramatic and interesting of the Everest region. This trek explores friendly Sherpa villages, visits monasteries, seeks wildlife and unveils dramatic mountain scenery. We have two days in Kathmandu to experience one of Asia’s most fascinating cities before flying to Lukla, the starting point of our trek. We follow the Dudh Kosi Valley to Namche Bazaar and then trek into Gokyo Valley. The trail ascends gradually and we enjoy a series of short trekking days to ensure proper acclimatization, walking beside the moraines of Ngozumpa Glacier and turquoise lakes to reach our lodge in Gokyo. From here we can climb Gokyo Ri (5,48-m.) to a view of all of the region’s 8000-metre peaks including Mt. Everest (8,848), Lhotse (8,414-m.), Mt. Makalu (8,485-m.) and Cho Oyu (8,153-m.) – a breathtaking panorama. From Gokyo we trek back to Lukla via Thore, Phortse, the beautiful Tengboche Monastery, Namche and Monjo.”

The package we originally considered was a 16-day moderately strenous trekking involving a domestic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla via a tiny twin otter plane. Here is a picture of Gokyo Valley sent by a friend –

Pretty eh? I fell in love with the place with this picture alone. Unfortunately, we have to revise our travel plans to a package where we would not have to be so far from the capital city of Kathmandu. So, instead of a full trek, we decided to do a bit of everything Nepal has to offer – trekking, rafting, bird-watching, cycling, etc. And we’re doing it just within the outskirts of Kathmandu, around 5-hour drive from the city.

This is how the travel agency describes our ‘revised’ Nepal package:

“This trip is designed to get most out of a short trip in Nepal with adventure and culture activities. It does not involve high altitude trekking but snowcapped mountain peaks are visible from Bandipur and Pokhara provided the weather is clear enough. Visiting Nepal during January to April and October to December for culture and trekking tour is mostly ideal with good moderate temperature. You will experience the country side, culture and see wildlife in their natural habitat.”

We’re still staying in Nepal for 21 days but this package will give us a more intimate experience of Kathmandu and its surrounding villages. I’d have to say, though, it was the cycling part of the tour that convinced Mr. Rono to go for a more subtle package compared to the Gokyo Valley trek. A website describes the experience as “dirt roads and trails in the hills of Nepal are excellent mountain biking tracks and are a biker’s dream come true. It can provide the adrenalin rush as well fantastic view of the Nepali countryside and the Himalaya. You however need to be physically fit if you wish to tour the countryside on a mountain bike as some of the up hills can be grueling challenges.”

There’s always next time for Gokyo Valley *cross fingers*

Before February ended, Mr. Rono and I decided that we’ll take a break from our training routine for Nepal and join members (and non-members) of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines on a bird-watching trip. The thought of just sitting back watching birds was appealing to me especially after a nasty fall on my mountain bike while riding the trails of San Mateo, Rizal on Saturday.

Ouch is an understatement!

Besides, my young sister and youngest brother are both avid members of WBCP for more than two years now and have long wanted to bring the family to a bird-watching trip so we gladly obliged on this lazy Sunday.

And off to Candaba, Pampanga we went…

…for some serious birding action!”

That’s me (Mrs. Rono), my brother and my mom with the beautiful Mt. Arayat at the background. The real ‘birders’ – my younger sister and brother – had gone here several times before and they were a bit disappointed that there were fewer birds on this trip than their usual. Personally, it was ok for my first bird-watching experience, we saw common kingfisher, blue-tailed bee-eater, yellow bittern, cattle egret, little egret, purple and grey herons, island-collared doves, red turtle doves, zebra doves and whole lotsa ducks – tufted duck and garganey! Oh, I sound like an expert rattling off bird names like that but I honestly wouldn’t have the slightest idea what they’re called other than, uh, birds, if the WBCP members weren’t there to guide me (so hooray for guided tours!)

Sometimes we see these birds perched on a branch like this common kingfisher -

Or, flying back to their homes after a day-long sumptuous buffet in the swamps of Candaba.

It was amusing how the ‘birders’ get excited when they spot a species and consult each other to identify it correctly. My younger sister even have the ‘Birds of the Philippines’ guidebook as a ready reference to show to us. For Mr. Rono and I, the experience was made more relaxing with the lovely breeze of the countryside and way more enjoyable with a dash of creativity where Mr. Rono imagines he is guarding the perimeter, on the watchout for the silhouette of imaginary enemy soldiers at the horizon. It happens when you’re watching late night re-runs of Band of Brothers.

Mrs. Rono shouts ‘Banzai!’ just to amuse Mr. Rono while he takes his post surveying the land (yes, with his pinky finger up!).

I’d love to do bird-watching on a regular basis but time is always a limiting factor. Well, UNLESS, Mr. Rono can mountain-bike first to where the birds are. That’s a thought to consider at least – MOUNTAIN-BIKING with BIRD-WATCHING!

For one thing, I do have a bragging right of sorts for being the first among our group to spot a white-browed crake idling playfully somewhere near the pond *pat on the back* Peak season for bird-watching is said to be November to February when migratory birds flock this area of Candaba by the hundreds to escape the cold northern hemisphere. And I don’t wonder why –

Candaba really does look like any bird’s tropical paradise!

Now, if there’s one more thing i can say about Pattaya, it’s the bustling night life of the place. After briefly hanging out by the beach and eating dinner, we made a beeline to see the Alcazar Cabaret. The buzz about the place revolves mainly on the performers – they are actually guys in dresses! It is hard to believe they are gay performers though because they all look so pretty!

There’s a pinch of drama there but the show is well, a cabaret, so lots of dancing and singing from these talented ‘men’. Think 45 minutes of flamboyant costumes with grand sets and background – pure entertainment indeed.

Pattaya has always been known as the coastal retreat conveniently located near Thailand’s city center. I am glad we went there NOT for the beach though, because frankly speaking i’ve seen better beaches in the Philippines. Instead, we were there to see the Nong Nooch Garden and Resort on a fun-filled day tour. For overnight stays, accommodations at Nong Nooch are available, you may check their website for details.

Our day tour started from Bangkok where we left early morning to go to Pattaya by bus. The moment we entered the Nong Nooch Garden and Resort we saw how huge the place was! We arrived just in time to see the Cultural Show in the morning where performances ranged from cultural dances, muay thai boxing to elephants in battle (yes, real elephants are performing in this scene!). The other performance highlight was the Amazing Elephants Show.

Buffet lunch is served at the resort restaurant and i highly recommend it. The restaurant served as the gateway to the perfectly-manicured garden at Nong Nooch. The garden was like the tea scene at Alice in Wonderland. We tried to plot out our afternoon itinerary with the map provided us so we don’t miss out too much. Luckily, we were at the terminal when the shuttle car for the resort passed by. For just a minimal charge, we were able to see a varied lot of the interesting botanical garden we could not have accomplished on foot.

An alternative mode of transport around the gardens are the elephants (with seats strapped in their backs). But i felt they already accomplished enough with the morning shows, they deserve an afternoon off to rest.

All the brouhaha about the dramatic turnout at an all-important event had Pattaya all over the news during Easter weekend. The ASEAN Summit (attended by no less than President GMA) actually had to be cancelled due to Thai protesters and consequently putting Pattaya in Thailand on world news. Made me want to look back and write about my Pattaya experiences, hence this series.

I went to Pattaya just once before and it was a fantastic tourist-y day indeed. I realized there’s a lot to write about this place. First and foremost is that this is where i had my very first close encounter with the famed elephants of Thailand!

Pattaya is a good 1 and a half hour ride away from Bangkok through expressways. Several tour agencies from Bangkok can arrange transportation service. The photo above took place at the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden Resort, where the elephants are some of the biggest stars around.

Need i say more? The Amazing Elephants show is just one of the many attractions at the Nong Nooch Botanical Garden in Pattaya.