So, I went skydiving for the first time, last summer with my sister in law, Christine. It was amazing and I was hooked right away, so when a friend mentioned it would be cool to jump over Palm Island in Dubai, I was immediately in. I went with three amazing friends last weekend and we jumped. It was incredible. Again, I'm more a fan of living life than writing about it, so I'll let the pictures tell the story. Enjoy!
Skydive Dubai pictures
Jeddah Jenn
Friday, May 18, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Sri Lanka in April
Below are the links to albums of pictures (lots) from my recent trip to Sri Lanka with my best pal at Kaust, Stephanie. It was an amazing trip. Thanks goes out to Maduranga and Kristin for helping us organize it and to Rohan for being an incredible guide and driver. He became a close friend for life. Speaking of life...I LOVE MINE! Look at the crazy stuff I get to do. And people told me it was a terrible idea to move to the middle east. They are close minded and believe what television tells them to believe. It's too bad- more people should do this kind of stuff. One thing is for certain: EVERYONE SHOULD VISIT SRI LANKA! It is an incredible place with warm, wonderful people and a beautiful culture. I loved every part of it.
Have a look at our week in paradise!
Jeddah Jenn
Yala National Park Pictures
Misc Sri Lanka Pictures
Sigiriya Rock and Elephant Ride Pictures
Spice Garden and Temple of the Tooth Pictures- Kandy Sri Lanka
Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka Pictures
Amaya Lake and Monkeys in Sri Lanka Pictures
Hikkiduwa Sri Lanka Pictures
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Sri Lanka Pictures
Have a look at our week in paradise!
Jeddah Jenn
Yala National Park Pictures
Misc Sri Lanka Pictures
Sigiriya Rock and Elephant Ride Pictures
Spice Garden and Temple of the Tooth Pictures- Kandy Sri Lanka
Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka Pictures
Amaya Lake and Monkeys in Sri Lanka Pictures
Hikkiduwa Sri Lanka Pictures
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Sri Lanka Pictures
Wedding Bells in Kathmandu
So, I might have last posted in December. It would have been about my recent trip to Nepal, to hike in Langtang region. I mentioned at the end that I fell in love with my mountain guide, Rovin. Well I sure did and it was a whirlwind from that point on. I just got back from another trip to Kathmandu, where we were married on May 8th, 2012. We didn't have a formal ceremony (we will have one on June 23rd) because I'm still in work and don't have time off until school lets out. We just went to the city office and filled out an application, got some photos taken, signed our names a million times, left our thumbprints on a bunch of papers, paid a bunch of money, and waited, and waited, and waited. After about 3 hours, we were married. Below is a link to the album of pictures we took during the week and some I took when I got back. I'll let them tell the story....chapter one anyways.
I'm looking forward to the traditional Nepali wedding in June and to (hopefully- pending Rovin's tourist visa to the US) another party in Maine in July.
Enjoy.
Signing off now....
Jenn Sapkota (my new name is cool, eh?)
I'm looking forward to the traditional Nepali wedding in June and to (hopefully- pending Rovin's tourist visa to the US) another party in Maine in July.
Enjoy.
Signing off now....
Jenn Sapkota (my new name is cool, eh?)
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Nepal the Second Time Around: Langtang Valley Trek
So, with the school year well under way and a new onslaught of challenges which came with an exponentially growing student and staff body, I welcomed a chance to get out of the kingdom for a week. I have a very rewarding job, this year even more so. I work with wonderful teachers and kids and the school is in the process of a major overhaul, a face-lift that will ultimately change the way it looks forever. This change is a positive one, but a large undertaking and the stressful effects trickle down, even to my menial position on the totem pole of Kaust. I couldn't wait for this November's Eid al Adha/Hajj holiday. It meant one thing for sure for me: I would get back to the mountains. I would dance on the hillsides and feel the leaves in my hands. I would smell wet dirt and mud. My boot soles would grip to rocks. I fell in love with the place and decided (I think while I was still in Nepal this summer), that I had to go back to the Himalayas.
I convinced a friend to take the trip with me. The two of us left campus on a Wednesday night and touched down in Kathmandu (after a series of mildly inconvenient flight rerouting) at around 2pm, KTM time. The clouds caused a problem for our flight (as is the trend in a place stuffed in the middle of a mountainous region, complete with it's own weather system), so we circled around KTM until we ran out of fuel, then landed in Lucknow, India to refuel and wait for the clear skies to arrive in KTM. Thankfully, we landed a couple of hours later. The next day, the airport closed down for 4 days because of the clouds...I'm convinced Papa was up there, talking bullshit with someone high up and working out a deal for me. I after all, packed my travel set of cribbage- the game he taught me to play when I was no more than 7 or 8 years old. I'm certain he had a hand in our safe arrival at KTM.
We landed and spent a good hour and a half in the visa line. I went from standing, to wandering, to wavering, to sitting on the floor and reading. Every few minutes, I inched forward on my bottom, book out and open and bags in tow. I remember noticing there was a lot of German being spoken around me. I like the way German sounds...it's crisp and clean. Lots of right angles there. It isn't open for interpretation the way French or Italian are- you can't mistake the tone in German.
When we finally walked out of the airport, I looked to the left and saw, maybe the coolest thing I saw the entire week: Rovin our guide, holding a video camera and taping us (me) walk over to him. It was so good to see him again. We were all smiles and hellos, I introduced Loïc, and we got in the car. We met Ganesh (our porter) and Sangram (our driver) and went to the Ace office to see Prem before leaving for Sybru Bensi.
We arrived pretty late, so we only drove for about 3 hours and made it halfway to Sybru Bensi. We stayed in Trishuli, close to the Trishuli River. The legend goes: high in the Himalaya at Gosainkund, the god Shiva drove his trident into the ground to create three springs -the source of the river and hence its name, Trishuli. The river carved some truly impressive gorges in its lower part as it cut its way through the 2000 meter high Mahavarat Range. Nepal is a river runner's paradise because no other country has such a choice of multi-day trips away from roads with magnificent mountain surroundings, warm rivers, a semi-tropical climate, impressive geography, exotic cultures, wildlife and hospitable people. When I say I fell in love with the place, I mean it. It's a more incredible place than I could have dreamed was strewn across any map...real or made up.
Another shorter day of driving put us in Sybru Bensi and walking by 1pm. We stopped at about 6 that night in Bamboo. The whole thing was nothing short of birth like. I mean, I don't remember my birth (imagine how weird that would be), but I've got to guess it was full of newness, excitement, uncertainty, catharsis, tenacity, and anxiety.
P.S. I'm trying to find a way to work in Nepal, so I can live in Nepal. It feels like home, in a far away place. I also fell in love with my mountain guide (Rovin) when I was in Langtang. When I get back to Nepal, hopefully he's still there.
I could go on and on about the trek, but it would just be a bunch of words and they wouldn't be adequate. Check out the pictures. They aren't adequate either, but they set the scene.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2428832253493.127633.1632204269&type=1&l=49480a4882
If this works okay, you might be able to get a video here too. Copy and paste this into your URL bar:
http://www.facebook.com/v/2439260234186" />
http://www.facebook.com/v/2439339276162" />
*In this video, I'm trying to do mini interviews with the guys. It turns into a little birth month survey, which wasn't planned but ended up being fun. Ganesh speaks very little English, so it's understandable how nervous he must have been...though he walks right up to the camera and introduces himself when Rovin tells him to.
See if you can hear the Nepali I'm speaking...I actually picked up quite a few words in Langtang. For some reason- communicating with these guys was much more important to me this time than it was this summer.
Catch you on the flip-side people. Thanks for staying tuned in.
Check out the website for Ace. They are a great trekking company, which I recommend to anyone visiting Nepal. Here's the link:
http://www.acethehimalaya.com/index.php
I convinced a friend to take the trip with me. The two of us left campus on a Wednesday night and touched down in Kathmandu (after a series of mildly inconvenient flight rerouting) at around 2pm, KTM time. The clouds caused a problem for our flight (as is the trend in a place stuffed in the middle of a mountainous region, complete with it's own weather system), so we circled around KTM until we ran out of fuel, then landed in Lucknow, India to refuel and wait for the clear skies to arrive in KTM. Thankfully, we landed a couple of hours later. The next day, the airport closed down for 4 days because of the clouds...I'm convinced Papa was up there, talking bullshit with someone high up and working out a deal for me. I after all, packed my travel set of cribbage- the game he taught me to play when I was no more than 7 or 8 years old. I'm certain he had a hand in our safe arrival at KTM.
We landed and spent a good hour and a half in the visa line. I went from standing, to wandering, to wavering, to sitting on the floor and reading. Every few minutes, I inched forward on my bottom, book out and open and bags in tow. I remember noticing there was a lot of German being spoken around me. I like the way German sounds...it's crisp and clean. Lots of right angles there. It isn't open for interpretation the way French or Italian are- you can't mistake the tone in German.
When we finally walked out of the airport, I looked to the left and saw, maybe the coolest thing I saw the entire week: Rovin our guide, holding a video camera and taping us (me) walk over to him. It was so good to see him again. We were all smiles and hellos, I introduced Loïc, and we got in the car. We met Ganesh (our porter) and Sangram (our driver) and went to the Ace office to see Prem before leaving for Sybru Bensi.
We arrived pretty late, so we only drove for about 3 hours and made it halfway to Sybru Bensi. We stayed in Trishuli, close to the Trishuli River. The legend goes: high in the Himalaya at Gosainkund, the god Shiva drove his trident into the ground to create three springs -the source of the river and hence its name, Trishuli. The river carved some truly impressive gorges in its lower part as it cut its way through the 2000 meter high Mahavarat Range. Nepal is a river runner's paradise because no other country has such a choice of multi-day trips away from roads with magnificent mountain surroundings, warm rivers, a semi-tropical climate, impressive geography, exotic cultures, wildlife and hospitable people. When I say I fell in love with the place, I mean it. It's a more incredible place than I could have dreamed was strewn across any map...real or made up.
Another shorter day of driving put us in Sybru Bensi and walking by 1pm. We stopped at about 6 that night in Bamboo. The whole thing was nothing short of birth like. I mean, I don't remember my birth (imagine how weird that would be), but I've got to guess it was full of newness, excitement, uncertainty, catharsis, tenacity, and anxiety.
P.S. I'm trying to find a way to work in Nepal, so I can live in Nepal. It feels like home, in a far away place. I also fell in love with my mountain guide (Rovin) when I was in Langtang. When I get back to Nepal, hopefully he's still there.
I could go on and on about the trek, but it would just be a bunch of words and they wouldn't be adequate. Check out the pictures. They aren't adequate either, but they set the scene.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2428832253493.127633.1632204269&type=1&l=49480a4882
If this works okay, you might be able to get a video here too. Copy and paste this into your URL bar:
http://www.facebook.com/v/2439260234186" />
*In this video, Rovin is nervously playing with a wooden pipe we found for sale on the table outside of the spot we stopped at for lunch. Nobody in our party used it or bought it, but I think he needed to fidget with something because he was nervous that I was taping. He kept putting it up to his mouth....cute! He explained it's a special pipe used to smoke marijuana.
http://www.facebook.com/v/2439339276162" />
*In this video, I'm trying to do mini interviews with the guys. It turns into a little birth month survey, which wasn't planned but ended up being fun. Ganesh speaks very little English, so it's understandable how nervous he must have been...though he walks right up to the camera and introduces himself when Rovin tells him to.
See if you can hear the Nepali I'm speaking...I actually picked up quite a few words in Langtang. For some reason- communicating with these guys was much more important to me this time than it was this summer.
Catch you on the flip-side people. Thanks for staying tuned in.
Check out the website for Ace. They are a great trekking company, which I recommend to anyone visiting Nepal. Here's the link:
http://www.acethehimalaya.com/index.php
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Namaste! Nepal 2011
Well, it happened: I went to another place I've wanted to for a long time. After leaving Boston and 3.5 weeks with my family and friends this summer, I headed southeast on a 17 hour flight to drop off my luggage and repack for Nepal. After too much time in the air and the hassles of Kaust security, I dashed into my house and spent the next 6 hours frantically packing so I'd make my next flight heading...northeast. I got into Kathmandu pretty late, went right to the hotel and fell fast asleep.
I spent the next day sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley with a guide and driver. We went to Pashupati Area, which is on the river and includes a Hindu temple and old folks home. Nepalis have funeral ceremonies there and we saw a few cremations as we walked around. It was packed with people, some crying and some laughing and celebrating. We also went to the cultural city of Bhaktapur and took pictures of temples and shrines and all sorts of fun stuff. There is a pottery district in Bhaktapur, not far from famous Durbar Square. We watched artisans spin pots and haul hay in for drying the clay. We finished up at Boudhanath Stupa, where we ate lunch and went to see a Thangka school. Thangka is a popular form of Buddhist painting which involves a great deal of color and detail. The Boudhanath area is basically a big bazaar built around the stupa, where you can eat, shop, pray, paint, etc...mainly I ate and took some pictures.
The next morning, I flew to Lukla with a different guide, Rovin. We met our Porter, Santos at the airport in Lukla and began what we thought would be a 12 day program. Because of cloud cover in Lukla, we stayed an extra 4 days before returning to Kathmandu. Flights were canceled, so we stayed at the guesthouse playing cards and drinking Tongba. The trek was something hard to describe. It was an array of sights, smells, and surroundings. Sometimes I gaped at the landscape, sometimes I laughed, and sometimes I cried. I was very fortunate to be with Rovin and Santos and both of them took very good care of me. I stayed healthy the whole time, only coming down with mild altitude sickness symptoms which were easily resolved by an extra acclimatization day in Namche. It would be futile to go into an account of all the emotions I felt while there, so I'll leave the pictures to narrate.
When we got back to Kathmandu, I still had 3 days before I had to be in Saudi, so Rovin pretty much entertained me the rest of the time, taking me to the monkey temple (no pics....I was too busy relaxing), a close by hike, and all around Thamel and downtown Kathmandu for a traditional dal bhaat lunch. He taught me a good deal of Nepalese and became a good friend. I hope to go back again and again. Enjoy the pics....
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2129647774068.117335.1632204269&l=a687f7a29b&type=1
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2129629653615.117332.1632204269&l=789bcf8714&type=1
P.S. I really think this is something everyone should do if they have the means. It's a place unlike any I've been or even imagined. It will stay with me for a long time...probably always. Its not hard to do- trekking can be very cheap and even the walking isn't difficult in Everest Region. There are steep sections, but with varying terrain and experienced guides, it's feasible for people of most fitness levels.
If you do decide to do this, use the same company I used. Here is a link for them:
http://www.acethehimalaya.com/index.php
I spent the next day sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley with a guide and driver. We went to Pashupati Area, which is on the river and includes a Hindu temple and old folks home. Nepalis have funeral ceremonies there and we saw a few cremations as we walked around. It was packed with people, some crying and some laughing and celebrating. We also went to the cultural city of Bhaktapur and took pictures of temples and shrines and all sorts of fun stuff. There is a pottery district in Bhaktapur, not far from famous Durbar Square. We watched artisans spin pots and haul hay in for drying the clay. We finished up at Boudhanath Stupa, where we ate lunch and went to see a Thangka school. Thangka is a popular form of Buddhist painting which involves a great deal of color and detail. The Boudhanath area is basically a big bazaar built around the stupa, where you can eat, shop, pray, paint, etc...mainly I ate and took some pictures.
The next morning, I flew to Lukla with a different guide, Rovin. We met our Porter, Santos at the airport in Lukla and began what we thought would be a 12 day program. Because of cloud cover in Lukla, we stayed an extra 4 days before returning to Kathmandu. Flights were canceled, so we stayed at the guesthouse playing cards and drinking Tongba. The trek was something hard to describe. It was an array of sights, smells, and surroundings. Sometimes I gaped at the landscape, sometimes I laughed, and sometimes I cried. I was very fortunate to be with Rovin and Santos and both of them took very good care of me. I stayed healthy the whole time, only coming down with mild altitude sickness symptoms which were easily resolved by an extra acclimatization day in Namche. It would be futile to go into an account of all the emotions I felt while there, so I'll leave the pictures to narrate.
When we got back to Kathmandu, I still had 3 days before I had to be in Saudi, so Rovin pretty much entertained me the rest of the time, taking me to the monkey temple (no pics....I was too busy relaxing), a close by hike, and all around Thamel and downtown Kathmandu for a traditional dal bhaat lunch. He taught me a good deal of Nepalese and became a good friend. I hope to go back again and again. Enjoy the pics....
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2129647774068.117335.1632204269&l=a687f7a29b&type=1
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2129629653615.117332.1632204269&l=789bcf8714&type=1
P.S. I really think this is something everyone should do if they have the means. It's a place unlike any I've been or even imagined. It will stay with me for a long time...probably always. Its not hard to do- trekking can be very cheap and even the walking isn't difficult in Everest Region. There are steep sections, but with varying terrain and experienced guides, it's feasible for people of most fitness levels.
If you do decide to do this, use the same company I used. Here is a link for them:
http://www.acethehimalaya.com/index.php
Friday, April 8, 2011
Masai Mara Kenya Africa
Everyone should do this sometime in their life. It was amazing! The camp was beautiful and the people were warm and kind and welcoming. We made friends with a Masai man who called himself Joseph, though his Masai name was Oleshargegilololtoriroi, meaning son of the man with a long bladed spear. He was amazing and dressed in his traditional Masai garb. He told us stories of his village and family and way of life. He actually met some campers and became friends with them a few years back and he now goes to Bangor, Maine every few years in the summer. He visits them at their lake camp. Hahaha! Maybe I'll catch up with him this summer, when I'm home.
We saw everything you can imagine. Even the Rhino and Leopard...which is a rarity. I went with 2 best friends here at Kaust and it was the most amazing thing I've ever done by far! I wish I was still there. We had Baboons in the front yard of our tent. We heard no sounds except for animals and the wind....
Pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99467&id=1632204269&l=2015b7ab12
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99425&id=1632204269&l=a74827f909
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99464&id=1632204269&l=ed70bc8667
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99462&id=1632204269&l=83b9007921
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99461&id=1632204269&l=0ddb934fcf
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99460&id=1632204269&l=178e0142ff
Please go on a Kenyan safari and stay at the Mara Intrepids....you won't regret it. Look for Ole and get his ear for a moment. He's got some crazy stories!
We saw everything you can imagine. Even the Rhino and Leopard...which is a rarity. I went with 2 best friends here at Kaust and it was the most amazing thing I've ever done by far! I wish I was still there. We had Baboons in the front yard of our tent. We heard no sounds except for animals and the wind....
Pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99467&id=1632204269&l=2015b7ab12
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99425&id=1632204269&l=a74827f909
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99464&id=1632204269&l=ed70bc8667
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99462&id=1632204269&l=83b9007921
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99461&id=1632204269&l=0ddb934fcf
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99460&id=1632204269&l=178e0142ff
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99459&id=1632204269&l=892b7e67d3
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99458&id=1632204269&l=435a36db7d
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99457&id=1632204269&l=758d9a9403
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99458&id=1632204269&l=435a36db7d
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99457&id=1632204269&l=758d9a9403
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99456&id=1632204269&l=8de82ab3ee
Please go on a Kenyan safari and stay at the Mara Intrepids....you won't regret it. Look for Ole and get his ear for a moment. He's got some crazy stories!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Desert Dog Debut
I know I don't update my blog enough and I've never put any pictures of Bowie on until now, but its gets cumbersome because every time I open the site, its in Arabic and I have to go through like 4 or 5 steps to get it back to English and its just...well, annoying. But this post is long overdue...my friends from the dog park have all reminded me and teased me about it...what about Bowie, how is Bowie, why no pictures of Bowie?
My dog is the only family I have on this wild ride with me, so its only right he should have some mention here and some pictures, so everyone out there can see what the coolest zoetic being on this green ball named earth looks like. He is a four legged treasure and has total unconditional love for me...its really quite a thing to see- he is my shadow and always stays close, laying at my feet at the end of the day, racing up and down the beach walk ways to make sure I'm still following the same path, and always waiting on the other side of the door, tail wagging. He wouldn't dream of abandoning me...not even to get out of the hot, dry desert. He is a wonder dog.
He can be seen here in his natural surroundings, hanging out at the weekly doggie play group we go to. See everyone, he really does get to have some fun on this adventure! I'll let the pictures do the talking. Also included are some lounging around the house photos and one set from a night we were washed out here with floods...some flood footage made on one of the albums. Enjoy!
See pictures here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=89149&id=1632204269&l=931860af66
My dog is the only family I have on this wild ride with me, so its only right he should have some mention here and some pictures, so everyone out there can see what the coolest zoetic being on this green ball named earth looks like. He is a four legged treasure and has total unconditional love for me...its really quite a thing to see- he is my shadow and always stays close, laying at my feet at the end of the day, racing up and down the beach walk ways to make sure I'm still following the same path, and always waiting on the other side of the door, tail wagging. He wouldn't dream of abandoning me...not even to get out of the hot, dry desert. He is a wonder dog.
He can be seen here in his natural surroundings, hanging out at the weekly doggie play group we go to. See everyone, he really does get to have some fun on this adventure! I'll let the pictures do the talking. Also included are some lounging around the house photos and one set from a night we were washed out here with floods...some flood footage made on one of the albums. Enjoy!
See pictures here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=89149&id=1632204269&l=931860af66
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=89131&id=1632204269&l=1cac3684c2
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=88382&id=1632204269&l=bc79c127b7
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=87338&id=1632204269&l=ce8d7a619b
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=87338&id=1632204269&l=ce8d7a619b
Friday, November 26, 2010
A Dream Actualized
So I can remember wanting to go to India when I was very young. I didn't know what I was looking at-even that a place named India existed. I was interested, drawn to the pictures of mountains I saw in a book. I've enjoyed scaling, climbing, getting high...to higher places for as long as I can remember. There's a rush, a good, comforting felling about being a tiny speck, way up high in a huge, huge place. Its nice to feel small and be able to look across county lines, state lines, across rivers and lakes and lay your gaze clear through patches of sunlight on to encroaching clouds.
This began the desire and I tucked it neatly, safely, and quietly away in the dresser drawer, in a far corner underneath the conventions, conveniences, and niceties of my life in Maine and New Hampshire. It was a page in a book, 2D and glossy- bound. It was something romantically intangible and over time became just another thing that would be "cool to do".
I flew to Calcutta on November 11th. I flew to Bagdogra on November 12th. I spent 9 days seeing Calcutta, Darjeeling, Pelling, Gangtok, and Rumtek India. They are all cities in the sates of West Bengal (Calcutta and Darjeeling) and Sikkim (Pelling, Gangtok, and Rumtek) and each have their own charm. I didn't do any true mountain climbing. I was traveling alone and the weather was sub par, so I decided to see the cities and their people instead. I did 2 pretty long treks and one short day hike, but they certainly weren't what I envisioned when I made the plan to go to the foothills of the Himalayas. I'll climb from the Nepalese side this summer if everything works out. That being said, I had a blast in India. I was shocked, stunned, and stopped- speechless by its beauty. My pictures aren't great, not even good, but they begin to capture a little bit of each of the places I went.
Arthur and Oneil made the trip really great. I don't have anything much to say about it except enjoy the photos.
This began the desire and I tucked it neatly, safely, and quietly away in the dresser drawer, in a far corner underneath the conventions, conveniences, and niceties of my life in Maine and New Hampshire. It was a page in a book, 2D and glossy- bound. It was something romantically intangible and over time became just another thing that would be "cool to do".
I flew to Calcutta on November 11th. I flew to Bagdogra on November 12th. I spent 9 days seeing Calcutta, Darjeeling, Pelling, Gangtok, and Rumtek India. They are all cities in the sates of West Bengal (Calcutta and Darjeeling) and Sikkim (Pelling, Gangtok, and Rumtek) and each have their own charm. I didn't do any true mountain climbing. I was traveling alone and the weather was sub par, so I decided to see the cities and their people instead. I did 2 pretty long treks and one short day hike, but they certainly weren't what I envisioned when I made the plan to go to the foothills of the Himalayas. I'll climb from the Nepalese side this summer if everything works out. That being said, I had a blast in India. I was shocked, stunned, and stopped- speechless by its beauty. My pictures aren't great, not even good, but they begin to capture a little bit of each of the places I went.
Arthur and Oneil made the trip really great. I don't have anything much to say about it except enjoy the photos.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81996&id=1632204269&l=4ddf559b0c
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81997&id=1632204269&l=750359d79c
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82000&id=1632204269&l=14d45817d5
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82026&id=1632204269&l=f59b601fcd
Back to the binding, the reading, the touching pages for a while.http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81999&id=1632204269&l=11aaced551
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Madain Saleh and 20+ Hours on a Bus with New Friends
Went to Madain Saleh over the weekend. Its an ancient Bedouin village built in the hillsides of miniature desert mountains.
It was grand! The ride was supposed to take 7 hours, but ended up being a 10.5 hour trip. It was great though! Kaust teachers, university students, staff, and university professors all went, so it was quite the mixer. I met so many new people (always the best part of this wild ride I'm on) who I star gazed with when our bus got stuck in the desert sand and we waited an hour for taxis to come get us. We saw lots of old, old tombs, palaces, trains, and spots of sacrifice. I climbed a few mini mountains and laid in a 6,000 year old grave...spooky thing to do, but I was after all missing the Halloween bash back on campus to see all this history.
I'm still amazed that I get to live in a country most people will never see because of the restrictions on entering...its a wild, wild ride I'm on for sure. I stood at the foot of the king's tomb. Headless eagles are placed at the places of sacrifice and on the tops of the doorways entering tombs and palaces....they thought of the eagle as a guardian. I still don't know why the eagles are headless. I was too busy climbing mountains and laying in graves to ask our tour guide.
The hotel was fine and the food good. The company was great. The ride was long. The sights were just jaw dropping and the pictures don't really do them justice, but you can get a feel for the communal aspect of living by some of the shots and if you look close you can see the awe in my eyes.
On the way back, we got pulled over by the police. We were supposed to leave the hotel at 5pm, but left at 3pm and thus, didn't have the proper paperwork to be driving at that time. Our guide had to return to the hotel (lucky we had just gotten on the road 45 minutes prior) and fix the paperwork. The police then, gave us an escort the entire way back to Kaust, after yelling for all the women to cover up. We stopped for food at the halfway point (just outside Medina) and were hassled by the police to get back on the bus. Some men eating at a table spit at some of the people from the bus when they walked by....nice folk!
Anyway- imagine the rest and check out the pics. I'm off to India in 2 short weeks, then home for Christmas, then to Berlin and Bangkok in March....see you on the flipside.
Look for the pics here:
It was grand! The ride was supposed to take 7 hours, but ended up being a 10.5 hour trip. It was great though! Kaust teachers, university students, staff, and university professors all went, so it was quite the mixer. I met so many new people (always the best part of this wild ride I'm on) who I star gazed with when our bus got stuck in the desert sand and we waited an hour for taxis to come get us. We saw lots of old, old tombs, palaces, trains, and spots of sacrifice. I climbed a few mini mountains and laid in a 6,000 year old grave...spooky thing to do, but I was after all missing the Halloween bash back on campus to see all this history.
I'm still amazed that I get to live in a country most people will never see because of the restrictions on entering...its a wild, wild ride I'm on for sure. I stood at the foot of the king's tomb. Headless eagles are placed at the places of sacrifice and on the tops of the doorways entering tombs and palaces....they thought of the eagle as a guardian. I still don't know why the eagles are headless. I was too busy climbing mountains and laying in graves to ask our tour guide.
The hotel was fine and the food good. The company was great. The ride was long. The sights were just jaw dropping and the pictures don't really do them justice, but you can get a feel for the communal aspect of living by some of the shots and if you look close you can see the awe in my eyes.
On the way back, we got pulled over by the police. We were supposed to leave the hotel at 5pm, but left at 3pm and thus, didn't have the proper paperwork to be driving at that time. Our guide had to return to the hotel (lucky we had just gotten on the road 45 minutes prior) and fix the paperwork. The police then, gave us an escort the entire way back to Kaust, after yelling for all the women to cover up. We stopped for food at the halfway point (just outside Medina) and were hassled by the police to get back on the bus. Some men eating at a table spit at some of the people from the bus when they walked by....nice folk!
Anyway- imagine the rest and check out the pics. I'm off to India in 2 short weeks, then home for Christmas, then to Berlin and Bangkok in March....see you on the flipside.
Look for the pics here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=79449&id=1632204269&l=a41459bb23
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=79446&id=1632204269&l=d5229789e2http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=79438&id=1632204269&l=94c5afac7e
Jeddah Jenn
Jeddah Jenn
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Dubai for Eid
I spent the last 5 days in Dubai. It was amazing! My friend and I stayed at a friend of her family's house and they were wonderful hosts and gave us tours of the city, took us to an awesome restaurant for dinner (complete with wine and beer), to the Burj Khalifa, white sand beaches, the malls, and on an Arabian adventure riding camels and dune driving in the desert.
Dubai is unlike any place I've ever been and I was so happy my abaya was at rest in my suitcase the whole time. We got bumped to first class on our flight from Dammam to Dubai because this wicked cool dude was working and he was super nice and just put us in first class! When we told him it was our first time going to Dubai, he said "You'll have one question when you get back...how do I change my contract to Dubai!" He was so right. No problems in Dubai- friendly, laid back people (though the Saudis I've met have also been cool dudes), no covering, wine with dinner, people from all corners of the world, world's tallest building, malls with aquariums and skating rinks, and an indoor ski hill....what could be better. This is a must see for anyone coming to the middle east!
Maybe I'll go back in January for the 2011 marathon....but I'd have to enter myself in the half because there's no way I'll be ready for a full 26 miles by then.
I could go on forever about the trip, but I'd rather live life than write about it, so I'm out. The pics can do the talking. I'm trying to post public links for the first time, so I hope you can see them!
Back to work on Saturday....I'll never get used to having a case of the Saturdays!
Pictures (she says with finger crossed):
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=74878&id=1632204269&l=941f0ee04e
Dubai is unlike any place I've ever been and I was so happy my abaya was at rest in my suitcase the whole time. We got bumped to first class on our flight from Dammam to Dubai because this wicked cool dude was working and he was super nice and just put us in first class! When we told him it was our first time going to Dubai, he said "You'll have one question when you get back...how do I change my contract to Dubai!" He was so right. No problems in Dubai- friendly, laid back people (though the Saudis I've met have also been cool dudes), no covering, wine with dinner, people from all corners of the world, world's tallest building, malls with aquariums and skating rinks, and an indoor ski hill....what could be better. This is a must see for anyone coming to the middle east!
Maybe I'll go back in January for the 2011 marathon....but I'd have to enter myself in the half because there's no way I'll be ready for a full 26 miles by then.
I could go on forever about the trip, but I'd rather live life than write about it, so I'm out. The pics can do the talking. I'm trying to post public links for the first time, so I hope you can see them!
Back to work on Saturday....I'll never get used to having a case of the Saturdays!
Pictures (she says with finger crossed):
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=74878&id=1632204269&l=941f0ee04e
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=74879&id=1632204269&l=dd117c15fb
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=74880&id=1632204269&l=fc956ed5abhttp://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=74882&id=1632204269&l=f25e86a3bd
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