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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Apr 09, 2009 02:00 PM Spring flowers in Wojtkowka...
It was minus 20 Celsius when I was departing in January. Now I have an early spring... Plus 18 Celsius...
Before unpacking my backpack I went to my Wojtkowka - it is doing well, nothing wrong happened when I was travelling the world. Mruczek (The Purr)- my wild cat was really happy to see me again... Mrrrruu... Spring flowers are in blossom and there is a lot of work to do - but that's what I like (just after travelling).
It is the time to rest, to enjoy Polish spring and... to think about the next travel (flying the world I collected enough miles for the airline award ticket). - You are born to travel! - said one of my good friends. Maybe he is right...
Thanks, all my friends for your congratulations. And have a great Easter time wherever you are!
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Apr 08, 2009 02:00 PM 8th Round-the-World Voyage is completed!
You have to bargain taking a taxi from Kathmandu's Thamel to the airport. Little "suzuki" should not cost you more then 300 NRP - like 4 USD. It is acceptable price even for the backpacker like me...
In the airport there were unpleasant message: I had to pay the airport tax! - 1700 NPR. Those unexpected airport taxes payable in the airport are a nightmares of the budget traveller - your smart travel agent know nothing about them. Do you remember my Quito story?...
Fortunately in KTM you can pay it by credit card... I did.
Another story was at security control: there were young, uneducated boys searching my camera bag. They were stupid and rude, but they are here in charge... They found few little safety-pins in my bag and took them. -Not allowed on the plane! (Even strict US security did not care about them). I had also there half bare of the chocolate - my emergency food. Thery decided to try it to recognize what is that!
Shame on KTM airport!
Well, we started anyway on time. I had connections in Delhi (quite well disorganized airport) Amsterdam and Warsaw.
The sun was shining when I landed in Gdansk.
Home, sweet home! 8th Round-the-World Voyage was completed. It was the longest of my eight loops, 46 starts and landings, buses, trains, boats and miles of walking... Almost 100 days of adventures. Thousands of pictures, 19 hours of video recording! I had a great time, but it is good to be home...
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Apr 07, 2009 02:00 PM Tourist Thamel and Bhuddist Swayambhunath...
Thamel quarter is like a tourist ghetto in Kathmandu. It has plenty of little hotels and guest houses, bakeries selling European breads and pastries, internet cafes (100 NRP per hour) laundries (50 NRP per kilo), travel and trekking agencies and of course souvenir shops. Walking narrow streets you are all the time bothered by localc offering their products and services... I do not like it.
I escaped to Swayambhunath - I did not visit it when I was here years ago. Yhe Bhuddist temple of Swayambhunath is situated on the top of the hill on the west outskirts of the town. From Thamel it is like half an hour walk. This temple is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. I was walking long and quite steep stairs uphill another 10 minutes acommpanied by monkeys... On the top there is white stupa with altars, praying wheels, offering places - you can stay and see crowd of local people coming there to pray... Sorry, the view of the town is poor due to the cloud of smog over it...
It is my last day in Kathmandu... Almost 100 days left since I started from Poland... I pack my backpack for departure...
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Apr 06, 2009 02:00 PM Kathmandu after years...
It was horrible night. The bus was crampy and old TATA junk. The road was bumpy and the people on the bus was not gently... It was not possible to sleep on board. -You must understand that you are carrying people, not potatoes!- I said to the driver during the first break. He was laughing, for him it was a joke...
We entered Kathmandu after 13 hours - at sunrise. My backpack was very dirty... Be happy you are here - on the lowlands they are on strike very often and then the roads are blocked! - said my neighbour. I took a little taxi to Thamel, found the quite hotel and took a shower...
Cup of coffee and then walk to the Durbar Square - the heart of the town. How is Kathmandu after 25 years? Sorry, it is not nicer! It is noisy, dusty, crowded and polluted. Many people wear face masks to avoid the smoke in the narrow streets... Sorry... The hit of the day was a walk to the Tibetan stupa in Bodnath - just few kms away - it is little enclave of the peace in the capital of Nepal... I prefere my first image of Kathmandu...
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Apr 05, 2009 02:00 PM Leaving Sikkim... entering Nepal...
I booked again the front seat in the jeep going from Pelling to Siliguri in West Bengal. They charge 175 rupees for 5-hours trip down the mountains. In Sliliguri - an important tansport hub - cycle rickshaw took me to anoteher jeep station - those cars are heading to the border of Nepal (32 km - 50 rupees).
There is only one borded crossing in Kakarvitta - they left me in front of Indian immigrations post and escaped. It was already hot afternoon when I got my exit stamp in the passport, I put my pack on my back and started to walk through the long bridge on the dry river to Nepal. Uff...
They issue Nepal tourist visas on the spot - what you need is one picture, 30 USD and one form to fill - after 10 minutes I got my visa. Bank nearby will change the rest of your Indian rupees and dollars or euro.
Welcome to Nepal!
It is 150 m from the Neleese immigrations to the Kakarvitta bus terminal. I recognized that all buses to the distant Kathmandu depart at 5 pm. It is long, 13-hours ride and they do not want to deliver you in the middle of the night... I bought the ticket - 910 Nepaleese rupees and took a shower in the one of few little hotels neat the terminal... Only one shop offers bread... It will be another night on the bus...
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Apr 04, 2009 02:00 PM I saw again Kangchenjunga - the third peak of the world!
Sikkim. You must be lucky to see Kangchenjunga 8,586 metres. I woke up at 5.30 to cook my morning tea. Then I saw through my window above the clouds the long range of white peaks. Himalaya! The central one was Kangchenjunga - third summit after Everest and K2... The spectacle took about 30 minutes, then all was covered again by the mist...
It is good idea to make a day tour from Pelling to Yuksom - the first capital of Sikkim. I found 2 companions and it cost us 10 USD per head to go by jeep with a local driver to three nice waterfalls, sacred lake and Yuksom - little, nice village "when Sikkim was born". At leat we saw some thatched houses on the high slopes and also nice, white rivers - we crossed them by suspension bridges. At the end we visited old gompa and photographed the stone throne of the first Sikkim's king. Yuksom is more atmospheric then Pelling, but you will not see Himalaya from this place...
Cold evening, brrrr... But it sems that the last one in the high mountains...
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Apr 03, 2009 02:00 PM Road to the clouds...
Sikkim. It was early morning when I said bye-bye to misty Gangtok. Our jeep was full - always try to buy a ticket a day before - you will not be cramped in the back seats... The price for the front is the same but you have here more space for the legs and a chance to take a pictures.
Narrow, but paved road was climbing mountains, up and up... to the clouds. Then little village, descent to the bridge in the valley and climbing again - more then 5 hours...
We reached Pelling in the mid-day. It is not a season so I found easily a nice room with the view from balcony for just 400 rurpees.
In the afrernoon I took a long walk to the nearest gompa - Tibetan monastery and to the ruins of Rabandtsee - the socond capital odf Sikkim (17th-19th century).
People come to Pelling mostly for the view of Mt Kangchanjunga - the third mountain of our world. Today the sky was covered by clouds. Lets wait till tomorrow...
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Apr 02, 2009 02:00 PM Tibetan monasteries and flowers of Sikkim
It is hard to find in Gangtok a flat going street. You are always going up or down. Most of the streets are very steep. And - can you imagine - it is very good exercise if you carry 20 kilo backpack!
Probably the only exception in MG Marg - wide walking-only street in the heart of the town with fancy shops and Sikkim Tourist office.
The best method to wisit the hilly are around is to rent a car with a driver. After bargaining I paid 800 rupees for 6-hours private tour. The highight were Tibetan Monasteries of Rumtek and Lingdum. The first one is the place where Karmapa - the leader of Black Hats sect should reside. For political reasons he is not there but mosatery still is very important and keeps the atmosphere...
Then I visited waterfall, Chuten Stupa and finally - Sikkim Flower Exhibition with orgy of colors and smells...
I saw handicraft emporium, but truly - it is hard to find in Gangtok any local folklore. Tomorrow I am heading by jeep (buses are unknown on this mountain routes) to Pelling in the West Sikkim (6 hours -150 rupees per head) - hoping to fing there remains of the old days...
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Apr 01, 2009 02:00 PM Sikkim in the mist...
I arrived to Sikkim. It was independent kingdom until 1975 - like Bhutan it was considered one of the last Himalayan Shangri Las.... How it looks like now?
It took me 4 hours driving in the mist by jeep from Darjeeling to reach the capital city - Gangtok. On the way there was check point at the border - passports and permits of the foreigners were controlled there and registered.
Road became much better then. And Gangtok appeared like a large Indian town on the slopes of the mountain.
I found Sikkim more expensive then Dar - the small room in Travel Lodge costs me 500 rupees. In the afternoon I climbed the hill to the Enchey Gompa - the oldest capital's monastery. Then I took a long walk along the ridge to the former Royal Palace (sorry - closed for visitors). Then there was a nice surprise: I found the gate to Tsula Khang - former Royal Chapel - now a monastery - and I had opportunity as the only guest to see the ceremonies in the temple - young monks were playing traditional instruments - I had a great time...
Now it is the time to order my favourite Tibetan dish - momo dumplings (just 15 rupees per plate) and to have a rest - tomorrow there will be another busy day! I hope that the mist will go down...
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Mar 31, 2009 02:00 PM View of the Himalaya...
Yes, today in the morning the sky was almost clear and I saw from the roof terrace majestic and snowy Himalaya range!
Darjeeling where I stay has plenty of steep, narrow streets... It is a bit tiring to walk around - also because of less oxygen in the air.
I took a walk to the oldest gompa: Bhutia Busty Tibetan Monastery - you cannot go there by car, walking only. Location is nice and since few people go there it is well worth a visit.
Then I visited Happy Valley Tea Plantation - 25 percent of Indian teas comes from Darjeeling so it was worth to see how the production looks like... Interesting...
I am heading to Sikkim. Before I have to arrange a travel permit to this former kingdom. It is free. I visited two offices - quite far walk and now my permit is ready. It is time for the rest and preparations to the tomorrow's departure by shared jeep... It cost only 130 rs to Gangtok!
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