Lest We Forget

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

- John McCrae, May 1915

I know that I have posted this poem before, but with this being Remembrance Day, I thought it was again appropriate. I had the honour and privilege today of performing in a mass choir for our local Remembrance Day ceremonies. It was very well attended with over 6,000 people there. It was a great experience to be able to honour those who served my country in a tangible way. The best part I think was the two minutes of silence that is traditionally observed at 11:00am. It was very emotional to be among 6000 people who are completely silent at once.

I was thinking today about where we would be if those guys and gals had not given everything they had to protect the blessing of freedom that we have (and so often take for granted). Our world would definitely be a different place.

I for one remember them....

Epilogue



I just wanted to add a few final thoughts about the trip to Nepal and my recent travelogue. This trip was the "experience of a lifetime" for me. Unlike most vacations, it actually changed forever my view of the world and my place in it. It was truly amazing and edifying to be exposed to such new and different cultures and I really feel that I came away from it a better person. Reliving it through my journal entries and these blog postings over the last few weeks has been a great experience for me, and has helped me remember and reflect back on the things I learned. It's interesting that as wonderful as the scenery may appear to be, when I look at these pictures it is the faces of my friends, old and new, to which my eye is drawn. I consider myself so fortunate to have shared the experience with two close friends, and as well to have met people on the trip that are some of the best travelling companions ever!

I want to thank everyone that has been reading these postings, too - I know they probably weren't very inspiring, but to me they mean a lot.

Thank you for sharing the experience with me while I lived it all over again.

Now, for the next big trip.... Mt. Kinabalu in Borneo, the Inca Trail, or the Annapurna region of Nepal.. choices, choices....

Oct 31-Nov 2, 2005 - Kathmandu, Hong Kong, Home!



The last entry was actually the last day that I wrote in my journal, since this day was a VERY long one! I'll give some details here though for completeness.

We just kicked around during our last morning there - all our new friends had already left for their various destinations or home. We spent some time in the Kathmandu Guest House Garden to soak up some last peaceful moments before our long trip home.

We left the hotel about 10:30am and headed for the airport. After a looong series of security checks we finally got to the final boarding area. Where we waited and waited.. We left Kathmandu (:() about an hour late and thought we were going to miss our connection in Bangkok, but luckily that was ALSO late and we made it with lots of time. Not so our luggage however, and we arrived in Hong Kong late and missing most of our stuff. After reporting it missing (most of the people on the flight that had come from Kathmandu were in the same "boat") we blew off our original hotel reservation which was way downtown, and stayed at the airport hotel instead. It wasn't cheap, that's for sure!!

Our luggage arrived okay the next day (we slept in until quite late, since our flight didn't leave until about 3:30pm). We had Big Mac combos for lunch in Hong Kong and they actually were delicious! Our flight to Toronto left right on time - it was a quiet but looong flight (once again) back to Toronto. We all arrived VERY tired. After our short stopover, it was on to Saint John and home. It sure seemed weird to be back in Canada!! Everything seemed so different.

I'll post a few final thoughts tomorrow.

The tired but intrepid explorers arrive home!!

Oct 30, 2005 - Kathmandu



Today was a nice lazy day hanging around the KGH. After a breakfast with everyone, Matt and Freya left for their hotel and Dave, Mike, and I just hung out and read in the garden. After lunch, Anna went with us to go shopping and I picked up a few more scarves, etc. Afterward, I went with Anna to find posters and once again met up with Matt and Freya. Hung out with them for a while (met up with them again in the evening) so it was nice overall. Went to dinner with just Mike & Dave back to "New Orleans" and had Rosemary Chicken. It was a nice relaxing day, but it was sure sad to see everyone going their separate ways. We also got to see Kamal briefly and also Gambu, who was getting ready to go again to Everest. His new group didn't look as fun or as fit as we did!! :) One fellow asked is if it was hard. Um, yeah. Yes, it is...



This was "our" table at the cafe at the Kathmandu Guest House. Good thing nobody's using it!!

*apologies for the delay in posts - Blogger was not working for me the last couple of days*

Oct 29/05 - The Monkey Temple



Today we had breakfast and then rented some mountain bikes to drive to the Monkey Temple. What an experience! The drive there was thrilling with the people and traffic - it was an adrendaline rush! After a while, you start to get the feel of it though and just go for it. The Monkey Temple was interesting - a mix of Hindu & Buddhist places of worship/ritual all at the summit of a hill. A few monkeys around, but not a lot. Lots of beggars and sellers, though.

On the way back, we went a different way and went through some of the back streets - the poverty was staggering. We went along a river which smelled like... uh, it smelled. Matt said he saw a dead girl lying by the street. Anyway, the group got separated and Roly and I were lost!! We got stuck in a big traffic jam, then had to start asking directions from various people. It was like being on The Amazing Race!! We finally found some military guys to ask and the pointed us toward Thamel. Then we met a traffic guard and a bystander, who argued about which way to go. We followed the advice of the bystander! And then we started to recognize stuff so we knew we were on the right track. We made it back to Kathmandu Guest House and withing a few minutes Gambu arrived back and was greatly relieved. Everyone else was relieved as well! It was a real adventure! But everything turned out well in the end.

After, we just relaxed for a while and then went to dinner at "New Orleans" which was a very nice restaurant just down the street. It was amazing how peaceful and nice it was, just yards from the craziness of the streets of Thamel. It was Matt's birthday and Anna had bought a cake, etc. for him, so it was very nice.

Oct 28, 2005 - Lukla to Kathmandu



Today we left Lukla by air back to Kathmandu. The Lukla airport was chaos - people waiting for flights, no one at the check in counters - it seemed like a free for all. It was amazing how many planes manoeuvered in such a small space, all the while the "clipboard guy" was running between them. We finally left and had a smooth flight back - we got a special bus back to the Kathmandu Guest House and checked in and had a shower, which was GREAT! Just relaxed and then had dinner together at the Everest Steak House which was a nice change after so long. Went to "Tom & Jerry's" bar afterward, but I didn't stay long & went back to check email & go to bed.

Answer to Gambu's riddle: The fourth caterpiller is lying! I know - Sherpa humour, I guess...

Oct 27, 2005 - Phakding to Lukla



Today was a short trek from Phakding to Lukla. I wasn't feeling too well this morning as this was the worst day of my cold. Freya gave me a cold tablet which worked well - almost TOO well - it works like Contac C, so I feel kind of stoned. We arrived in Lukla to improving weather, so the planes are flying, which is a good sign.

The hike was only about 3 hours, so we were in Lukla for lunch. I had some good onions and an odd grilled cheese. For the afternoon, we went for a walk and went to watch a plane take off, then we went and played snooker with Gambu and Kamal. It seemed odd playing snooker with chickens clucking outside. I had a nap this afternoon (to shake off the narcotics) and now we're sitting down to supper. (Pizza and tomato soup - we'll see how that turns out!)

Saw Sherpa coin trick and thinking about Gambu's caterpillar question - 1st caterpiller says 3 behind, 2nd says 2 behind, Third says 1 behind, but the fourth says four behind. Why?

(I'll tell you tomorrow)

Oct 26, 2005 - Namche to Phakding




Today we left Namche pretty late after a bit of shopping and so on. Bought a couple of yak bells. Then we left in partly cloudy skies, but the clouds seemed to descend and it was fairly damp for the rest of the day. We hiked until about 3:30, when we reached Phakding. I am still not feeling well, (my cold) so I had a little nap before dinner. It's been a pretty uneventful day so there's not a lot to report. It's too bad for a lot of the people going up today, since the views are very restricted. We had our last glimpse of Everest through the clouds on the way down from Namche. No more views!
Tomorrow, we will leave for Lukla for the last full day of our trek - if the weather is okay! If it is very cloudy, we may have to stay over another day.

Dave, trying to pick up a 200+lb. porter load

Oct 25, 2005 - Orchos to Namche



Today, we really hiked a long way today - all the way from Orchos to Namche. It was a long day, but having a hot shower in Namche was well worth it. The scenery was beautiful today especially in the morning when it was clear. As the fog (clouds) descended, the hillsides really started to look like home, with the river at the bottom and the Fall foliage on the hillsides. We arrived at Namche about 4:30pm and after getting the rooms together, Dave, Mike and I went to get money changed and send some emails. Then we came back and ordered dinner and had a shower. For dinner, we had a small birthday party for Freya. It was fun and I think she really enjoyed it. Tonight we went and played pool at the "Paradise Bar" which is what is considered a hotspot in Namche! It even had flashing lights around the sign!! Just reading a bit tonight and we are allowed to sleep in a bit.

The Tengboche Monastery