Moving on..........................

This is likely to be my final post to the blog for the next several months. I leave Kathmandu tomorrow morning for China and several months of travel in China's southwestern provinces: Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou and Guangxi.

I'm told that there is no access to Google-hosted websites throughout the PRC, so it appears unlikely that I'll be able to keep up the blog during my travels there. E-mail will be available and I'll do my best to remain in touch. Forgive me if I send group mails from time to time. You know how to find the "delete key" if you're not interested.

Thank you all for your friendship and love, Rick

Peaks of the Annapurna Range

Seeing these peaks from 4130 meters left me without words, so why try to write something here that would only minimize their beauty and mystery? What could I write that would speak more poignantly than the photos themselves?

Experiencing the majesty of the peaks was only one small part of the journey. Every step, every rushing mountain river, every beautiful wild flower, every meadow or rice paddy, every Nepali encountered, every gasping breath made the journey.

Jagrit Bhattarai, Himalayan guide/porter extraordinaire

Jagrit Bhattarai was my guide/porter for the Annapurna Trek. He sprinted up the trails with my 10kg pack on his back and he hopped down steps with the ease of a mountain goat! Most significantly, he treated me with great respect and grace, always accommodating my need for rest stops and time out. He was understanding of the challenges an older trekker might encounter and he always anticipated my needs -- an outstretched hand when I was in a difficult situation climbing over a landslide or while crossing a narrow bridge. His assistance was immeasurably kind and thoughtful.

In fact, Jagrit acted more like he was my butler than my guide. Thank you, Jagrit, for a most enjoyable trek!

Flora and Fauna of the Nepal Himalaya

The Beauty of a Himalaya Monsoon

Who is it who said that "You cannot have paradise without rain"?

During our descent from Annapurna Base Camp, my guide and I trekked in rain for three days. Sometimes we walked in the mist of fog or cloud. It simply enhanced the beauty of an already spectacular ecosystem of mosses, bamboo, rhododendron, pines and mountain flowers. I was in awe and I repeatedly muttered "how beautiful this is"! Why be bummed out by having to wear rain gear when the trade-off is what you see in these photos?

Faces of the Nepal Himalaya

Taking photos of people is often very sensitive, as some cultures believe that a photo taken steals the spirit in them. It's always important to ask before shooting. After many years of exposure to tourists, some children have learned that a photo is worth a piece of chocolate or a pen; adults might even ask for money in exchange.

Here are a few photos of Nepali who seemed eager to have their photos taken, perhaps learning too late that I had no chocolate! No harm done. Everyone was happy.

Stone Meditation for the Himalayan Trekker

I’ve just enjoyed a nine day walking meditation that required single-pointed concentration focusing on 100,000 stones! My teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, is fond of reminding his students that any experience can be enjoyed as meditation when one has 100% awareness. Fully awake and aware, we can walk, care for a child, go to the toilet, sit at a traffic signal; each of these experiences can be meditative even though we are not sitting on a cushion.

The trails of the Annapurna Sanctuary carry trekkers and supplies by foot, horse-back, donkey, mules and yak to an elevation of 4130 meters; hiking this trail was itself “a meditation on stones”. The meditation brings the trekker to the Annapurna Base Camp and unobstructed views of snow-capped peaks looming at 8000 meters and higher – Macchapuchre, Hiunchuli and Annapurna I, II, III and Annapurna South.

Unlike the trails of high mountain ranges elsewhere, these steep ascents and descents have been created by placing tens of thousands of stones. Some create flat steps numbering several hundred in succession; others are round and irregular, more erratically situated.

As I hiked, I became aware of how essential it was to carefully test each next stone with the tip of my trekking boot: Was the stone solidly in place? Was it slippery or could it provide traction for my boot? Would it move under my full weight? Only then would I settle into that particular stone and search for the next. It was indeed “a meditation on stones”. I was totally focused on the stones before me.

Some stones were covered with wet leaves; others fully immersed in the running waters of monsoon streams. Moss grew liberally on stone surfaces. Some stones were covered in the dung of horses or donkeys. There were hazards to be assessed and obstacles to be skirted. I remained fully aware and focused on the stones, sometimes even missing the environment around me.

I will now look at stones with an appreciative smile and deep gratitude for the opportunity to have learned stone meditation.