BOLD enough to ENJOY life now!: November 2011

Things gonna be as SIMPLE as ABC :)

Things gonna be as SIMPLE as ABC!

yeah! i'd completed my ABC trek smoothly! frankly speaking, before the trip, i'd actually prepared for the worst... that's to abandon the ascent any time if ...... ...... in fact i am pleasantly surprised that i made it without too much difficulties ;)

the 10 times pre-trip training are definitely insufficient and 'not at all comparable' with the ABC trek... however the training acted as the foundation, prepared me for the challenges... and i was physically and mentally prepared for the challenges... btw we did not nap at all during the trekking trip as compared to 5 years back where we collapsed to the bed immediately after checked-in...... so...

be physically and mentally prepared for the challenges ahead...
don't limit your challenges, challenge your limits... :)

btw st & i are continuing the weekly trekking on every SAT morning from around 8:30am... start from MacRitchie and end at MacRitchie or Bukit Timah for now... we will explore other places in future... just to keep fit... do join us if you are keen :)

our team of 4 :) ... thank you so much to amir, yuba and st for the deep friendship... i'd enjoyed your awesome companion ;)

as what i told st during the night of her fall... i just can't imagine the outcome of st's fall if...
... if we did not treat amir & yuba as a team with sincerely, the bond between us will not be so strong... for example if we start the blaming games when we ended up in the camping tent, dining hall,... our 'kinship will be blemished'...
... if the bond between us is not strong, we will not be trekking physically so close to each other, allowing us to react so fast to 'save' st...
... if...

how each member of a team reacts at times of adversity depicts the level of the tie between them... i am grateful that there is trust between us... no doubts and no blames over unpleasant encounters... just overcoming the challenges hand-in-hand :)

so... trust and respect your teammates... treat them the way you like to be treated :)

below are the links to my post on my ABC trekking trip:

06 OCT 2011 THU – Nepal D01 Singapore / KUL ... sleeping at KL airport :)

07 OCT 2011 FRI – Nepal D02 KUL / BKK / Nepal-Kathmandu ... hahaha flight cancelled! :)

08 OCT 2011 SAT – Nepal D03 Kathmandu / Rafting / Lumbini ... made up what we missed 5 years ago :)

09 OCT 2011 SUN – Nepal D04 Lumbini / Pokhara  ... too short the trip :(

10 OCT 2011 MON – Nepal D05 Pokhara / [ABC D01 Nayapul - Tikhedhunga] ... a taste of what to expect for the rest of the trek :)

11 OCT 2011 TUE – Nepal D06 [ABC D02 Tikhedhunga – Ghorepani] ... adjusting my pace :)

12 OCT 2011 WED – Nepal D07a [ABC D03a Ghorepani – Poon Hill - Ghorepani] ... my path to enlightenment hahaha ;)

12 OCT 2011 WED – Nepal D07b [ABC D03b Ghorepani – Chuile]  ... enjoying the strenuous to my heart's content :)

13 OCT 2011 THU – Nepal D08 [ABC D04 Chuile - Chhomrong] ... sweet sweet encounter :)

14 OCT 2011 FRI – Nepal D09 [ABC D05 Chhomrong – Dovan]   ... sleeping in camping tent :)

15 OCT 2011 SAT – Nepal D10 [ABC D06 Dovan - MBC]   ... the transformation :)

16 OCT 2011 SUN – Nepal D11 [ABC D07 MBC - ABC]  ... yeah! ABC :)

17 OCT 2011 MON – Nepal D12 [ABC D08 ABC - Sinuwa] ... bye bye ABC :)

18 OCT 2011 TUE – Nepal D13 [ABC D09 Sinuwa - Jhinu]  ... hot spring! cannot enjoy leh :(

19 OCT 2011 WED – Nepal D14 [ABC D10 Jhinu – Ghandruk]  ... zero damages mishap... so blessed :)

20 OCT 2011 THU – Nepal D15 [ABC D11 Ghandruk – Pothana] ... the last night :)

21 OCT 2011 FRI – Nepal D16 [ABC D12 Pothana – Pedi] / Pokhara ... yeah! completed ABC :)

22 OCT 2011 SAT – Nepal D17 Pokhara / Nepal-Kathmandu ... filming at airport? :)

23 OCT 2011 SUN – Nepal D18 Nepal-Kathmandu ... hahaha flight cancelled again! :)

24 OCT 2011 MON – Nepal D19 Nepal-Kathmandu / KUL ... 'localising'... reviving memories... :)

25 OCT 2011 TUE – Nepal D20 KUL / Singapore ... home sweet home :)

i am grateful that i brought along the right 'read'... frankly i was quite disturbed during the first two days of my ABC trek because of the 'noises' around... these noises included those heard and unheard, from inside and outside, ... my 'read' indirectly calmed me down to maintain my perspective, to place issues in their proper perspective and to gain a broader perspective on issues... so as to just look at the positive aspects of all happenings, ... and for those that i failed to find the positive aspects, i laugh about & let go instead of dwelling on them lol...

sharing some here:

btw i am rather surprised at the 'amount of my buy' this time round, excluding the necessities like trekking pole, waterproof pants, raincoat and headlamp [though the trekking pole ended up to be a nuisance and no chance to wear the waterproof pants], i just bought these books and ...

... and some bookmarks...
... my favourite bookmark 5 years back is
[ The art of Himalayan travel - and indeed of all adventure - is the art of being bold enough to enjoy life now. ]
... this time round being
[ Man says: Time passes. Time says: Man passes. ]

06 OCT 2011 THU – Nepal D01 Singapore / KUL

taking tiger air to KL, TR2462 SIN/KUL 2050/2145
wanna take bus then mrt from home to airport... suddenly heavy rain when i was about to leave home... so took taxi instead...

1935 snack @budget terminal kopitiam (after check-in)

the kopitiam uncle very cute lor... display-menu got xx noodle soup but when we ordered, uncle said you come tomorrow morning... i said wow uncle you really got sense of humour (幽默) leh... hahaha we had a good laugh... he said he cannot say don't have because is in the menu, just that that is only served in the morning and afternoon only lol...... we ordered 2 milk tea, he asked how concentrated the tea we want... he really 'got the heart' when serving his customer :)

2233 prawn noodle soup @old town LCCT

2251 onboard bus from LCCT to KLIA... st's backpack so long? um... tall

2355 our 'beds' @KLIA ;) ... taking nepal air from KL to kathmandu the next morning [RA416 KUL/KTM 0845/1105 4hr35min flight]... nepal 2hr15min behind singapore

i did not use my sleeping bag initially... my upper back and lower calves were bitten by bugs... the affected areas spreaded quite badly... lumpy patches... lucky st'd remedy cream to ease the itchiness... lucky the affected areas fully recovered 2 days later, after the 'more or less soaking in the white water' during the white water rafting ;)

07 OCT 2011 FRI – Nepal D02 KUL / BKK / Nepal-Kathmandu

0856 thai air???
... we're supposed to take nepal air from KL to kathmandu [RA416 KUL/KTM 0845/1105 4hr35min flight]... flight cancelled... the nepal air staff at KL airport arranged for us to take thai air to BKK, then to KTM

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1224 hahaha i was telling st before the trip that lunch is not included on our first day in kathmandu and dinner also not included in kathmandu after our trek... so on our first day in kathmandu we gonna starve a bit then have late lunch [via nepal air... suppose to touch down nepal time 1105 which is 2hr15min behind singapore, so by the time we ready for lunch is about singapore time 3pm]... so now on thai air, delayed a bit but got free lunch hahaha...

1254 done! neat hor hahaha... i cannot tahan people ending with a mountain for the stewardess to slot into the narrow bin ;)

around 1400 (nepal time) visa upon arrival done... i can't remember what time we touched down kathmandu airport

st noted sarkee (we were under his care 5 years ago...), then saw my name on the paper he was holding... yuba was with him, waiting for us outside the arrival hall...

1445 Hotel Marshyangdi

the orchids from thai air

1530 briefing by sarkee & yuba... suggested us to buy trekking pole, waterproof pants, headlamp, raincoat,... we checked with them the price range... they said no need take diamox, the medicine for AMS [Acute Mountain Sickness] because the degree of our ascent each day is gradual with enough time to acclimatise...

sarkee did not remember us... but when we mentioned about the curfew 5 years back and he brought us to attend yoga class,... he remembered!... he said todate he had brought only us to attend yoga.... haha he said we repeating clients, will treat us dinner when we return from trekking [our package is breakfast + 1 meal when not in the mountain]... hahaha another free meal...... it's like reunion with old friends...

we shopped around thamel before dinner, i managed to get the trekking pole and waterproof pants...

at dinner we also see familiar face... the restaurant manager... we told him we were here 5 years ago and remembered him... he said he has been with hotel marshyangdi for more than 10 years already... of course he can't recognise us la... but still... warm :)

1830 starchy dinner at Hotel Marshyangdi

08 OCT 2011 SAT – Nepal D03 Kathmandu / Rafting / Lumbini

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1431 it's FUN though the rapid is not as challenging as what i had in rishikesh in mar2008 :)

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1451 lunch is included in the white water rafting package... dal bhat

1914 hotel in lumbini... heehee i forgotten the hotel name

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1948 chicken noodle soup

2002 chicken biryani

2002 seasonal veg curry with chapati

2021 kheer (rice pudding) n banana apple fritters

09 OCT 2011 SUN – Nepal D04 Lumbini / Pokhara

Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha... click here if wanna read more about this place of pilgrimage :)

i'd no interest to visit this place 5 years ago... this time round i told st i wanna visit this place... um... i also dunno why, no specific reason, just wanna visit... haha after back from this trip, i told st this lumbini trip was too short, we should have stayed there for a few more days to explore further... perhaps next time when i visit nepal again, maybe for EBC trek, i will visit lumbini again... why?... again no specific reason, just wanna visit and explore further...

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0816 sacred tree on the other side of the pond

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0819 temple, pillar, pond and remains
The Buddhist temples fell into disrepair and eventually into ruins, not to be rediscovered until they were identified in 1896 by Dr A Fiihrer and Khadga Samsher, then Governor of Palpa, who discovered the Ashoka pillar.

0822 me sitting by the sacred bathing pool known as Puskarni, it is believed that Queen Maya Devi took a bath in this pool before the delivery of the future Buddha...

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In 249 BC, when the Indian Emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini, it was a flourishing village. Ashoka constructed four stupas and a stone pillar with a figure of a horse on top. The stone pillar bears an inscription, which in translation runs as follows: 'King Piyadasi (Ashoka), beloved of devas, in the 20th year of the coronation, himself made a royal visit, Buddha Sakyamuni having been born here; a stone railing was built and a stone pillar erected to the Bhagavan having been born here, Lumbini village was taxed reduced and entitled to the eight part (only)'.

0826 Ashoka pillar

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0829 about to enter... btw no photography inside :) ...... what's inside?...

... inside are ruins surrounding the Queen Maya Devi icon and the marker stone (see the following 2 pics)

pic from UNESCO... Queen Maya Devi icon

pic from wiki... the marker stone, the exact birth place of buddha

0846 Dharma Swami Maharaja Buddha Vihar

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0926 german temple

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0959 chinese temple

1007 korean temple... under construction

1015 world peace pagoda [japanese]

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1030 japanese temple

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... around 1045, set off to pokhara...

1317 lunch... wow so much rice! i asked the boy to reduce the rice by half for me :)... st finished all!

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1331 our uncle driver so 'fatherly'... saw me like never drink the water from the metal cup, thought my stomach cannot take the 'local water'... quietly went to get a bottle of mineral water for me ;) he saw me finished all the bananas... he 'packeted' some bananas for us to snack on the way to pokhara :)

1334 this is the place we had our lunch... that's our 'fatherly' uncle driver

1334 haha me & the bottle of water i 'A'ed'

1458 see the passengers on top of the buses

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1646 the road condition very bad... very low maintenance i guess... the road for vehicles more or less like the path for trekkers, ascend then descend then ascend then descend then ... our uncle driver has very good driving skill :)

1740 reached pokhara... yuba was already there waiting for us... checked in hotel meera

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yuba introduced amir to us, we four gonna trek as a team :)
yuba went with us to nearby shop to buy headlamp and raincoat... he helped us bargain :)

1905 chicken noodle soup