Author Archives: angusmccoll

The sign says 3,581 steps. That’s our challenge for the day. That’s easily a few mars bars worth. My porter/guide Ganesh and I catch a taxi from Pokhara to start our trek. For 45 minutes we wind our way on on even roads to Naya Pul. From here we start walking. We not alone. ThisContinue reading “Thursday 25 February 2016”

News of a plane crash here near Pokhara comes through to me from friends in Australia. I hadn’t heard of any news from here but I’m not watching tv of listening to the radio. All 20 plus passengers and crew were killed but they’ve been unable to identify the bodies yet. Today I mainly prepareContinue reading “Wednesday 24 February 2016.”

Went for a walk along the lakes edge today. I didn’t take my camera with me because the light was bad and offering little chance of nice photos. It was a mistake. I met a couple of beautiful ladies. They escaped Tibet in 1959 when the Chinese moved in and have been living in aContinue reading “Tuesday 23 February 2016”

Surprisingly there are some cricket tragics here in Nepal. Nepalese are new comers to cricket. I’m not sure where it comes from because Nepal has never been colonised and they will proudly tell you this when they get a chance. Yet there is an extraordinary enthusiasm for the sport from somewhere. They are having greatContinue reading “Sunday 21 February2016”

Postscript to the royal family assassination. On the bus to pokhara I met an American missionary who has lived in nepal for 20 years. He also has a view. The good King was a progressive, doing good things for nepal. He was pro Chinese and anti communist Maoists. And it’s probably these views, as wellContinue reading “Monday 22 February 2016”

I’m fascinated by the story behind the death of the royal family. And at every opportunity, when in conversation with a local, I will ask for their point of view. In 2001 the the very popular ruling royal family were disgracefully wiped out while relaxing in the gardens at the palace here in Kathmandu. TheContinue reading “Saturday 20 February 2016”

Not much to report today. I finally organise with Raju my trek to Annapurna Base Camp (ABC). I’ll catch the bus to Pokhara on Monday and start trekking on Thursday. That will give me a few days in Pokohara to look around. I’m told it’s completely different to Kathmandu. It’s on a lake and thereContinue reading “Friday 19 February 2016”

Visited Swayambhu today. It’s a spiritual place for Buddhists atop a hill in Kathmandu. I walk there from my hotel. We visited here 10 years ago and little has changed. It all looked very familiar and I suspect it hasn’t changed much in the last 100 years. At the base of the hill, possibly allContinue reading “Thursday 18 February 2016”

Big day today. Starts with a visit to the morning parade at the school to say farewell. The position us up on the stage and al of the teachers have a say to thank us for our help. I get called up first thinking that I was speaking for all of us so I rambledContinue reading “Monday 15 February 2016”

We have a brief teaching at the school before going for a walk up to a monastery. It’s about a 40 minute hike up some steep stairs. Monasteries always seem to locate themselves in places with amazing views. The monastery has been badly damaged by the earthquake, and now considered dangerous. We sneak inside forContinue reading “Sunday 14 February 2016”