Beautiful Nepal
I just got back from fifteen days in Nepal. What an experience! What an adventure! My older sister wanted to meet up with her son who had been in Bangladesh and asked me to join her on a trip of a lifetime. I packed my bags and we were off! I returned home with a bacteria that had me bedridden for a few days, but more importantly I returned home with SO many wonderful memories. After an 18 hour plane ride from Los Angeles to Bangkok, we flew another three hours to Kathmandu where we stayed for three nights at the Kantipur Temple House, walking distance to the Durbar Square next to the old royal palace. We took a smaller flight around the Himalayas and took a short trip to Bhaktipur where we visited the monkey temple. 
We saw the tallest Buddhist temple in Nepal, watched a dance performance where different schools were competing, visited the Bodnath stupa and ran around the prayer wheels. We drove to Bandipur, a medieval city nestled in the beautiful countryside, spent three nights at the Fish Tail Lodge in beautiful Pokhara and then went on to spend a night in Tansen where we played Frisbee with the kids and ate with the locals in their quaint Newari village.
After little sleep we were off to Lumbini, the foothills of the Himalyas, where we sat under the bodhi tree where Buddha was born. Despite being monsoon season in Nepal the heat was almost unbearable. Somewhere along the way we rode the Manakamana cable cars to a tall peak where sacrifices were made (don't want to embellish on that). We spent two nights in Chitwan National Park where we were chased through the jungle by a wild elephant that had only three weeks ago killed two locals.
I’ve never been so scared in my life! Every night in Nepal the lights would go out and we would have to find our way back through strange towns in the dark. The day after we were chased through the jungle we rode friendlier elephants in the river and played in the water while they sprayed us and rolled over, tossing us off their backs. I think that’s where I might have picked up a few parasites. We visited twin elephants at the breeding area. The babies drank from our water bottles and were so cute and loving. We saw a one-horned rhino and crocodiles. Nepal was incredible.
So, how about you? Ever been whisked off by a friend or a loved one unexpectedly? Have you ever taken a family trip that you still think about? Please tell all. Curious minds want to know where to go next!
Labels: Nepal, Theresa Ragan, travel
posted by Theresa Ragan @ 3:17 AM
10 Comments:
How exciting, Theresa, and glad to hear you're fully recovered. Never been whisked away by anyone but myself. I was a missionary in Thailand back in 84-85. What an incredible experience. I lived in England in the summer of 86, taking a bus tour to Scotland and hopping across the channel to Holland and France for a few weeks. At the age of 7, my folks took the whole family (8) in a Dodge Polara around the country. My older siblings were studying history and my folks decided they might as well see where it was made. I've never regretted a travel opportunity.
wow, Judy! A car trip sounds like fun. And what was being a missionary like? Did it change your life? What did Thailand look like back then? Thanks for sharing!
Oh, and I'm not quite fully recovered...I'm still in bed...hardly able to eat, but at least I can sit up and type! :)
Theresa,
What fabulous pictures! So sorry about the parasites, though. The most exciting trip I ever took was in the spring of 86. I was studying abroad that year, and some friends and I got Eurail passes and traveled all over Europe, mostly staying at youth hostels. We started in Amsterdam, then traveled down to Greece (so awesome to see the Parthenon) and went to the island of Paros, then back to Italy. We saw Rome, Florence, and Venice. We met a German who invited us to Munich so we went there next. Then we headed to Paris and spent several days with a friend of a friend there. We traveled to Bordeaux, then Brugge, Belgium, then headed back to the U.K. where we were enrolled.
Mo, that does sound like fun. Sounds like you really made the most of that Spring.
I would love to see Greece someday. Also Australia, New Zealand, and Scotland are top on my list.
Wow, Theresa, what at great trip! I envy you! Nepal is definitely on my bucket list!
I've been very fortunate to be able to travel all over Europe thanks to my voice. Another soprano in the company is from Amsterdam and during the Easter break one year she invited me to come home with her for a few weeks. It was a fabulous trip! Amsterdam is an amazing city. I never in a million years dreamed I would ever see the Anne Frank house. The Diary of Anne Frank still is one of my favorite books ever.
The trip we took into the Transylvanian woods in Romania was a spur of the moment trip and it was well worth it even if we were COLD the entire week! The trip the winding cliffside mountain road to see one of Vlad Tepes castles was a once in a lifetime experience. Especially as I saw my entire life pass before my eyes on that ride!
Theresa,
What a fantastic trip. Last summer I so enjoyed our Mediterranean cruise, but the trip I remember most often is the trip I took when my girls were 13 & 14. I drove from Boston, MA to Spokane, WA, where we met my husband who flew.(He could take off work for the month we were gone.) We went from there to western Washington State and drove up the Olympic Peninsula and took the ferry to Victoria, BC, Canada, then over to Vancouver, BC, then down to Seattle and back to Spokane. I wanted my kids to see the country from coast to coast. They weren't too excited at the time, but they still talk about it.
Romania sounds amazing, Louisa!!! You've had some great travels. I need to hear you sing!!!
Merrillee, I know what you mean. the few family trips we've taken have been the best of all!
Thanks for sharing your stories everyone! It's fun to see the world.
What a wonderful trip, Theresa! I don't think I've had any friends whisk me away- I'm usually the whisker. In 2004 my hubby was too reluctant to go to England (which means he would have been a bear) so I asked my son and a good friend. My friend had just come back from Peru, so I was a bit surprised when she decided to go. The three of us turned out to be perfect travel companions and had a fabulous trip.
Thanks Delle. Your a whisker like my sister. She's the one always getting all of us sisters to travel. She's also given my children a love of travel. I never had any desire to travel before she took me under her wing.
Ack! Theresa, get well! I was very blessed not to come home with anything. Being a missionary was the hardest thing I'd ever done, up to that point in my life. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, and I wouldn't want my best friend to miss it. My sister told me a joke once, about a post master in a little town. One of his regular people was there picking up his mail when a couple walked in and asked, "What is this town like? We're thinking of moving." The post master replied, "What is the town like where you live now?" The couple then complained about how rude people were. The post master nodded, and said, "Yep, people are like that here." The couple left in a huff. Then another couple walked in and asked the same question, as did the post master. The couple gushed that the people were so friendly. The post master nodded. "Yep, it's just like that here." The couple left, excitedly discussing the possibilities. The regular approached the post master, confused. The post master smiled sagely. "You get what you make of it." I saw things in Thailand that were so beautiful no words could ever describe it. I also saw things I will never tell another living soul because it hurts too much. I met wonderful people who have left a lasting impression on me forever. I learned how much we're the same despite the differences. There was actually a lot more culture shock coming home than there had been going over. I learned how smart I wasn't and that a smile crosses language barriers. From what I've seen on the travel shows, many things haven't changed. Like going home after being away a long time. There are some new buildings, but you recognize so much.
Post a Comment
<< Home
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]