Wow!
Finally, finally....Eureka!
What can I say....this was the view at 6:30 this
morning:
What's quite incredible is that those peaks are over 80km away - and still completely overwhelm the horizon. We've spent all morning staring!
Unfortunately, we didn't go on our, hoped-for, hike with the kids up to Tiger Hill early this morning. Yesterday had enough cloudy weather that the school was worried it would continue today (so trying to see a sunrise over Mt. Everest would likely have been futile). In retrospect, though, it would have been AWESOME! We hear, however, that sunset from the same spot is also very cool...so we'll see if we can organize a trip up.
Yesterday was pretty relaxed. Compuset (our regular internet cafe) wasn't open, so there's a double-header of posts going up today. We killed the morning and early afternoon wandering around town examining the local dog population and the vagaries of local veggie burger concepts. On the former topic, there certainly are a lot of dogs around and, except for the two overgrown Pomeranians on a nearby rooftop which appear to be owned by a compulsive knitter, appear to be owned by no one in particular. Here's our knitting friend with one of his canine companions...
The general pooch population, isn't quite so well taken care of....let alone the object of knitted affection. They are pretty cute, however, being the result of generations of random breeding. It seems strangely quirky that, in the land of arranged marriages, the dogs get together for love (or lust)....while in the West, we spend so much energy on "arranging" breedings! Here's a pair of the local gang hanging out in the Chowrasta...both off them desperately in need of a "Love Your Dog" shampoo and blow-dry.
I can just see Mel setting up an NGO for the express purpose of sprucing up the local doggie population (&, of course finding them loving homes).... All these ponderings on canine issues had left us a little hungry so we headed for a fast-food joint called Amigos. There, I developed one of those "homer" cravings - Veggie burger, fries & shake. Of course, I don't think I would have managed the whole lot for $2 at home. All, however, was not rosy in the "Land of the Thunderbolts" ...much to our amazement, the locals had taken the veggie burger concept literally - a couple of slices of tomato & some sliced raw onion in the middle of a bun....
Ahh well...at least the fries were hot and and the shakes cold! As this trip is apparently about eating, eating...and yet more eating...we had to tear ourselves away from Mexico in the Himalayas and head over to the school to meet the good Fathers for tea. It certainly is a very pretty walk....
punctuated by the occasional side-splitting hysteria.....
We arrived at the school and found Kinley performing a credible imitation of Michael Jordan. Amber, normally never wanting to be close to celebrity just couldn't help herself this time....
After a highly technical discussion about the cross-cultural implications of the oil-based radiator heater (Amber had experienced them in China...and the Bhutanese alumni had sent one to Fr. Van. - who now, finally, feels warm in his bedroom after being at the school for 52 years! Unfortunately, 130 year old buildings tend not to have central heat.)
...we polished off a variety of cookies & Diwali bread with tea and then headed off to have a look at Loreto School....& yet more tea...!
This is the school where my Mum spent some very happy years in the mid-'50's.
Apparently, most of it looks the same - except there are no boarding students anymore. Don't worry Mum...we took lots of pix! We were shown around by the rather feisty Sister Carmela (who on at least one occasion produced a rather Alice & Wonderland'ish - "Off with their heads!") and the somewhat more sedate Sister Phyllis.
A couple of hours later, still not sated with cookies, jam & bread & tea....we headed off for dinner. We took the good Fathers out for dinner at...wait for it...Glenary's (the third floor restaurant this time) and consumed Veggie Sizzlers. These things arrive still sizzling on hot plates and contain potatoes, paneer, carrots, potato cutlets and a variety of other beaten down vegetables. I, obviously misguided, decided to try a glass of Indian red wine...hmm...there's a very good reason why most locals drink beer! After a couple of hours of great conversation and laughter, we headed back to the hotel...and were asleep by 9:30!
Pathetic really....but it did mean we woke up this morning in time to see that staggering view outside the window!
PS: the Indian-English word of the day is "scamster"....as in one who conducts a scam. Love it!
What's quite incredible is that those peaks are over 80km away - and still completely overwhelm the horizon. We've spent all morning staring!
Unfortunately, we didn't go on our, hoped-for, hike with the kids up to Tiger Hill early this morning. Yesterday had enough cloudy weather that the school was worried it would continue today (so trying to see a sunrise over Mt. Everest would likely have been futile). In retrospect, though, it would have been AWESOME! We hear, however, that sunset from the same spot is also very cool...so we'll see if we can organize a trip up.
Yesterday was pretty relaxed. Compuset (our regular internet cafe) wasn't open, so there's a double-header of posts going up today. We killed the morning and early afternoon wandering around town examining the local dog population and the vagaries of local veggie burger concepts. On the former topic, there certainly are a lot of dogs around and, except for the two overgrown Pomeranians on a nearby rooftop which appear to be owned by a compulsive knitter, appear to be owned by no one in particular. Here's our knitting friend with one of his canine companions...
The general pooch population, isn't quite so well taken care of....let alone the object of knitted affection. They are pretty cute, however, being the result of generations of random breeding. It seems strangely quirky that, in the land of arranged marriages, the dogs get together for love (or lust)....while in the West, we spend so much energy on "arranging" breedings! Here's a pair of the local gang hanging out in the Chowrasta...both off them desperately in need of a "Love Your Dog" shampoo and blow-dry.
I can just see Mel setting up an NGO for the express purpose of sprucing up the local doggie population (&, of course finding them loving homes).... All these ponderings on canine issues had left us a little hungry so we headed for a fast-food joint called Amigos. There, I developed one of those "homer" cravings - Veggie burger, fries & shake. Of course, I don't think I would have managed the whole lot for $2 at home. All, however, was not rosy in the "Land of the Thunderbolts" ...much to our amazement, the locals had taken the veggie burger concept literally - a couple of slices of tomato & some sliced raw onion in the middle of a bun....
Ahh well...at least the fries were hot and and the shakes cold! As this trip is apparently about eating, eating...and yet more eating...we had to tear ourselves away from Mexico in the Himalayas and head over to the school to meet the good Fathers for tea. It certainly is a very pretty walk....
punctuated by the occasional side-splitting hysteria.....
We arrived at the school and found Kinley performing a credible imitation of Michael Jordan. Amber, normally never wanting to be close to celebrity just couldn't help herself this time....
After a highly technical discussion about the cross-cultural implications of the oil-based radiator heater (Amber had experienced them in China...and the Bhutanese alumni had sent one to Fr. Van. - who now, finally, feels warm in his bedroom after being at the school for 52 years! Unfortunately, 130 year old buildings tend not to have central heat.)
...we polished off a variety of cookies & Diwali bread with tea and then headed off to have a look at Loreto School....& yet more tea...!
This is the school where my Mum spent some very happy years in the mid-'50's.
Apparently, most of it looks the same - except there are no boarding students anymore. Don't worry Mum...we took lots of pix! We were shown around by the rather feisty Sister Carmela (who on at least one occasion produced a rather Alice & Wonderland'ish - "Off with their heads!") and the somewhat more sedate Sister Phyllis.
A couple of hours later, still not sated with cookies, jam & bread & tea....we headed off for dinner. We took the good Fathers out for dinner at...wait for it...Glenary's (the third floor restaurant this time) and consumed Veggie Sizzlers. These things arrive still sizzling on hot plates and contain potatoes, paneer, carrots, potato cutlets and a variety of other beaten down vegetables. I, obviously misguided, decided to try a glass of Indian red wine...hmm...there's a very good reason why most locals drink beer! After a couple of hours of great conversation and laughter, we headed back to the hotel...and were asleep by 9:30!
Pathetic really....but it did mean we woke up this morning in time to see that staggering view outside the window!
PS: the Indian-English word of the day is "scamster"....as in one who conducts a scam. Love it!
Posted: Tue - October 28, 2003 at 11:34 AM
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Published On: Nov 21, 2003 04:41 PM
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Published On: Nov 21, 2003 04:41 PM