Monday, December 13, 2004
if i was a trader
well, it was 20 years ago that sergeant pepper taught the band to play, and 10 years ago that i started work. email, internet and mobile phones weren't even thought of but arthur andersen still was. on that first morning the big boss came out to tell us that was it, we'd now have to shave for everyday till retirement. how wrong he was... in true backpacker style i've managed it only once in the last 2 weeks.
anyhow, back to matters foreign. ending the annapurna trek we were in need of a few days rest and recuperation and pokhara proved the perfect place. 4 days spent doing almost nothing. we only strayed further that the street outside our hotel once. checking into one of the best hotels, we simply spent the whole week watching star sports while they endlessly replayed the weekend's premiership matches. even i was getting bored when blackburn v spurs came round a 4th time.
moving on from pokhara, the royal chitwan safari park in the south of nepal was the chosen destination. the royal apparently because edward VIII liked to go shooting tigers there. which meant that for future generations - ie us - there are hardly any tigers left to spot. nevertheless we spent a couple of days trying.
despite my protestations that i'd done elephant rides before and they were uncomfortable, we still found ourselves up at 6am and sat on top of an elephant. the first 30 minutes did nothing to confound my expectations, until suddenly the handler spotted 2 rhinoceros and launched us, and elephant, into the undergrowth after them. most of the ensuing next 10 minutes was spent trying to dodge huge branches swinging into our paths as the elephant tore up centuries old rain forests to allow us to photograph the rhinos. 2 more rhinos, a deer and a monkey were also spied.
the afternoon was less successful. 4 hours of driving around the park in the back of probably the same jeep that edward VIII used to use - and a grand total of almost nil wildlife. by the end of the trip the guide was getting so desparate that we had to stop and photograph a lizard. there were some crocodiles but they were behind bars in a sanctuary. more entertaining were 3 spanish tree enthusiasts on the trip with us who insisted on stopping the jeep to take photos of trees the whole time.
anyway, from there it was a hop, skip and a jump into india. if only. 24 hours of solid travel including 8 hours on a bus (with 1 blown tyre for good measure), 2 in a jeep and finally 6 on a train. which brings us to varansi. oh, and finally we spotted a tiger as it run in front of our bus and nearly killed us and the 30 other nepalis.
and india - rather suprisingly it doesn't appear to be full of high streets packed solid with english style curry houses. when i told the waiter at lunch that we'd like 8 poppadums, all the works and 16 pints of carlsberg, he just looked at me dumbfounded and instead served us some sort of cottage cheese curry. full story to follow once we've got up the courage to venture beyond the relative safety of our hotel room...
anyhow, back to matters foreign. ending the annapurna trek we were in need of a few days rest and recuperation and pokhara proved the perfect place. 4 days spent doing almost nothing. we only strayed further that the street outside our hotel once. checking into one of the best hotels, we simply spent the whole week watching star sports while they endlessly replayed the weekend's premiership matches. even i was getting bored when blackburn v spurs came round a 4th time.
moving on from pokhara, the royal chitwan safari park in the south of nepal was the chosen destination. the royal apparently because edward VIII liked to go shooting tigers there. which meant that for future generations - ie us - there are hardly any tigers left to spot. nevertheless we spent a couple of days trying.
despite my protestations that i'd done elephant rides before and they were uncomfortable, we still found ourselves up at 6am and sat on top of an elephant. the first 30 minutes did nothing to confound my expectations, until suddenly the handler spotted 2 rhinoceros and launched us, and elephant, into the undergrowth after them. most of the ensuing next 10 minutes was spent trying to dodge huge branches swinging into our paths as the elephant tore up centuries old rain forests to allow us to photograph the rhinos. 2 more rhinos, a deer and a monkey were also spied.
the afternoon was less successful. 4 hours of driving around the park in the back of probably the same jeep that edward VIII used to use - and a grand total of almost nil wildlife. by the end of the trip the guide was getting so desparate that we had to stop and photograph a lizard. there were some crocodiles but they were behind bars in a sanctuary. more entertaining were 3 spanish tree enthusiasts on the trip with us who insisted on stopping the jeep to take photos of trees the whole time.
anyway, from there it was a hop, skip and a jump into india. if only. 24 hours of solid travel including 8 hours on a bus (with 1 blown tyre for good measure), 2 in a jeep and finally 6 on a train. which brings us to varansi. oh, and finally we spotted a tiger as it run in front of our bus and nearly killed us and the 30 other nepalis.
and india - rather suprisingly it doesn't appear to be full of high streets packed solid with english style curry houses. when i told the waiter at lunch that we'd like 8 poppadums, all the works and 16 pints of carlsberg, he just looked at me dumbfounded and instead served us some sort of cottage cheese curry. full story to follow once we've got up the courage to venture beyond the relative safety of our hotel room...
// posted by courtney and pete @ 13:24 
Comments:
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Peter,
That's a good post, is that. Anyway, to cover off some of the minor points.
1) How do you manage to shave once in two weeks, and still not grow any stubble
2)Even in India, your ability to consume beer travels before you. The dumbfounded waiter clearly must have know that you've never managed 16 pints in a week, let alone an afternoon
Also FYI, the 10 year party (well wine evening) in London missed you .... if nothing else to buy the champagne(!).
Rob has a sleeker briefcase, Will additional slyming rhang, Wrighty and Francis turned up in their Green wellies, and Naughty with her new bloke.
As for me, I cried into my spritzer at the impending second city derby humiliation on Sunday.
PS at the next curry house you go to, can you order an omlette for Will.
Keitho
That's a good post, is that. Anyway, to cover off some of the minor points.
1) How do you manage to shave once in two weeks, and still not grow any stubble
2)Even in India, your ability to consume beer travels before you. The dumbfounded waiter clearly must have know that you've never managed 16 pints in a week, let alone an afternoon
Also FYI, the 10 year party (well wine evening) in London missed you .... if nothing else to buy the champagne(!).
Rob has a sleeker briefcase, Will additional slyming rhang, Wrighty and Francis turned up in their Green wellies, and Naughty with her new bloke.
As for me, I cried into my spritzer at the impending second city derby humiliation on Sunday.
PS at the next curry house you go to, can you order an omlette for Will.
Keitho
# posted by 
: 1:53 pm
: 1:53 pm
Pete - love the blog, but i gotta tell ya - I read it for the first time on Monday at approx 7 am EST. It is now Wednesday at 8:38 am EST and the words and music of Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band have been playing in my brain, on a continuous reel, for the past 48 hours!!!!! I can't make them go away!!! I'm placing my pending insanity squarely on your shoulders!
Love,
Aunt Sharon
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Love,
Aunt Sharon
# posted by : 1:57 pm
: 1:57 pm << Home
