|
|
|
|
|
|
A picture may paint a thousand words but a story can capture the emotions of travel better than anything else. We will share our experiences here and would love to hear your stories. Please feel free to submit your experiences or share that very special place with us.
Destination USA
Four States in Fifteen Days
Lobuche East Island Peak Expedition (New 11 Sept)
China - A country of true diversity
Sabah - Malaysian North Borneo
The Grizzly Bears of Knight Inlet British Columbia Canada.
Istanbul - Where West meets East
Everest Region - Nepal
Truly the Roof of the World
Our journey began at LAX, I was flying in from Miami and the rest of the family from Australia on their first visit to the United States. After our mid morning arrivals and clearing of US customs and immigration, a vast improvement on the chaos of a couple of years ago we were shuttled to our accommodation in Anaheim to spend a day and a half at Disneyland. The last time I was at Disneyland I was 13, the same age as my eldest son. The Disney magic hadn’t changed despite me getting older! It was a joy to watch our kids enjoy what is still the happiest place on earth. Being December the crowd numbers were way down and out longest queue times rarely exceeded 15 minutes. While some of the attractions change over time the magic has proved to be timeless.
After two days we hired our Buick Lucerne and headed for Las Vegas. After getting used to the signage (which requires at least an elementary sense of direction to figure out North, South and East, West) we headed for Las Vegas and our second state Nevada.
The drive to Vegas is not scenic but is straight forward freeway driving all the way. Las Vegas just looms out of the desert as an Oasis and the drive down the strip is as mind boggling as ever. We stayed at Circus Circus at the far end of the strip. Circus Circus, as the name suggests has a circus theme and its own big top and amusement park, which is great if you are travelling with children. It really doesn’t matter where you stay along the strip as it is well serviced by the Deuce bus service running every 10 minutes or so. If you are not a serious gambler 2 nights and a full day is plenty of time to take in all of the must see sights. Vegas is still good value for money with accommodation and meals being very cheap.
From Vegas we headed for the Grand Canyon, with the mandatory stop at the Hoover Dam. This is a solid days drive and a thing to remember is that at the Dam you cross from Nevada into Arizona and loose an hour on a time change to mountain time. We stayed just outside the Grand Canyon National Park at Tusayan. Here there are several motels, a good general store fuel and some restaurants. We stayed at the Best Western which was comfortable and very well appointed including a recreation area and bowling alley downstairs. Being December it was our first taste of a North American Winter with the temperatures dropping to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. By morning there was a light dusting of snow on the ground as we made our up into the park. Arriving at the South Rim Visitors Centre carpark the vista of the canyon had opened up before we even got out of the car. Walking a few steps to the rim trail the whole magnificence of the Grand Canyon opened up beneath us. You might see things like that on the TV or in pictures but the shear magnitude just took our breath away. I have been fortunate enough to stand in the Himalaya, on the Great Wall of China and the Inca City of Machu Picchu and on each occasion the feeling of awe is the same.
Being the off season we were able to drive ourselves along the Rim Road to Hermits Rest. During the season cars are not permitted past the visitors centre carpark and a shuttle bus service operates. December, while cold, is great viewing with clear air and very few visitors to contend with. The added magic of snow on the rim was a bonus. We spent the full day in the park and after watching the sunset over the canyon headed back to our accommodation for a second night. Your park pass allows unlimited entry and exit from the park for a period of seven days for $US20. If you are visiting a number of federal national parks a yearly pass is worth buying for a cost of $80. That pass allows unlimited access to all federal national parks for a year.
Heavy snow the following morning saw the first major "plan B”. We had intended to drive to monument valley and 
stop for the night at the roadhouse and spend the afternoon at the Native American Reservation. Heavy snow and the threat of road closures saw us drive right through to Moab a long day in difficult driving conditions. Despite the conditions the drive through Monument Valley took on an eerie feel totally different to the desert landscape depicted in the movies. Moab is a quaint town in Utah but its major claim to fame is the Arches National Park.
Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, and other unusual rock formations, creating a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures. The colours and patterns change with the changing light conditions during the day and with the changing seasons. Our visit was unique with the colours contrasting against the blanket of snow adding an extra dimension.
After a morning in the park we headed for Bryce Canyon. This was a spectacular drive through ever changing desert landscape. The drive took us through the spectacular Capital Reef National Park, through the moon like Escalante and over Canaan Peak to the Bryce Canyon settlement just outside the Park Entrance.
The following morning we headed into the park making use of the crisp early morning and a soft light. Bryce Canyon is high with the highest lookout just over 9000 feet. Each of the lookouts are spectacular and from Rainbow Point you can see right to New Mexico on a clear day. The walking trails within the park are immense and the campsites that are available make Bryce Canyon the perfect destination for an extended stay for the keen walker.
Leaving Bryce Canyon we headed through the Zion National Park with its spectacular canyons and solid Rock formations. The drive through the park is grand but, like Bryce Canyon, the walking trails would warrant an extended stay.
Leaving the Canyons behind we headed back towards Las Vegas and on to Pahrump just outside Death Valley. Pahrump is another typical Nevada gambling town without the bling of Vegas. The following morning we headed through Death Valley stopping off at the lowest point in the western hemisphere, Badwater Basin at 282 feet below sea level. Death Valley is as desolate as you would believe and winter is a good time to see it, without the searing heat of summer. Our next stop was Yosemite, but being winter the Glacier Point road was closed making it a long day going the long way round.
Yosemite is a magnificent setting with its deep valleys and towering rock walls, it is in stark contrast to the desert canyons with the lush vegetation and forests, made even more memorable by the last of the autumn colour.
Leaving the parks behind it was time to head for the coast and on to San Francisco. San Francisco is still one of my favourite cities in the world with a character all of its own. There is nothing quite like the feeling of driving across the Golden Gate bridge, riding on a Cable Car, eating takeaway seafood from Fishermans Wharf or taking a cruise around Alcatraz. No visit to San Francisco is complete without a drive or walk down Lombard Street (the crookedest street in the world) which we did as we headed south for the coastal drive down the Big Sur.
The drive from San Francisco to LA can be done in a day but taking the coastal route is spectacular. Allow at least two days for the drive as not only is the coastal scenery to die for but the little iconic towns along take time to investigate and enjoy. Towns like Santa Cruz, Monteray, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara, Malibu and Santa Monica. Morro Bay is a good half way point to do the drive in two days with a large range of accommodation of all standards and a wide selection of restaurants along the wharf precinct. The drive is best done from North to South as you are driving on the outside and get the full vistas. It makes stopping at the numerous lookouts easier and safer.
Our final afternoon was spent slowly meandering along the coast before arriving back at LAX in the late afternoon for our evening flight home. In 15 days we had covered 3500 miles four states and some of the most spectacular scenery the west coast of the United States has to offer.
With our dollar sitting around .90 US Dollars America is great value for money and a destination that offers something for everyone. Please feel free to email me about our road trip or any other US destination on bill@harveyworldfrankston.com. My photo gallery is on our web site at www.harveyworldfrankston.com
Bill Forrester
20 Years ago I was introduced to Christine and Margaret Gee who had recently started a company called Australian Himalayan Expeditions. It was one of the world’s first adventure tourism companies, that at the time, specialised in treks to
Both the ocean and the Mountains are special places in my mind as they both have life and a spirit that gives them both beauty. They are both unforgiving environments that demand respect and those who ignore their power often pay the ultimate price. Over the intervening years I had visited the European Alps, in
Finally I fulilled my lifelong dream and embarked on a mountaineering expedition to two of Nepal's trekking peaks Lobuche East and Island Peak.
The following blog is a detailed account of an unforgettable 32 days. Read more......
We had 4 days in Saigon before we joined the 14 day Geckos tour from Saigon to Hanoi.
Our first day in this city we decided to follow what we believed was to be a 6 hour walking tour of Saigon which we found in the Lonely planet guide book, but ended up taking a day and a half to finish.. This was a great way to see the city, as every thing is so close to each other, some of our sights were The Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, Ben Thanh Market, Notre Dame Cathedral and the adjacent Gustav Eiffel designed Central Post Office.
We joined our tour group of 12 people and headed off to the Cu Chi Tunnels.. What an experience.. To see how the Vietnamese lived whilst the war was going on was a big eye opener. We then headed for the War Museum, this was horrific. They had old paper clippings showing pictures of soldiers holding pieces of bodies, articles on the war, pictures of the defects that agent orange had caused. It was horrific to see!
We took a day trip to the Mekong Delta, where we had lunch in a traditional Vietnamese Village eating rice paper rolls with whole fried fish. It was great to see how they lived.
We then traveled from Saigon to Dalat by bus, Once the bus has cleared the outskirts of the city, our journey took us past rubber and teak plantations before ascending the jungle-clad pass to Boa Loc. We then continued past tea and coffee plantations where we began to notice that the people and their houses looked very different to those in Saigon. Once we arrived into Dalat, our guide had organised drivers and motor bikes for us, to travel to the ‘Lat Village’ a local ethnic hill tribe community located just outside Dalat.
We then went onto Nha Trang. Nha Trang is more so the relaxing part of our trip, we spent the rest of the day at the thermal pools, and finished off by a great dinner at the Sailing Club..
We then traveled by over night Train to Danang. That was experience!!
After a long night on the train we arrived into Da Nang, there was a driver waiting for us to take us the extra 45 minutes into Hoi An.. This is a beautiful little town known for the tailoring of clothes..
We then traveled to Hue by bus, we got on our local ‘shopping’ bikes, as they’re known here, and cycled down to the riverside. Here, we put our bikes on the ‘Dragon Boat’, and enjoyed a cruise up the timeless Perfume River to one of Hue’s most beautiful landmarks, the Thien Mu Pagoda. After visiting the Pagoda, we got back onto the Boat and continue to the Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc (1847-1883), the fourth emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. Constructed between 1864 and 1867, it was more of a pleasure garden than a tomb and the Emperor Tu Duc used it as his second residence. The interesting thing is that it is not known if Tu Duc is actually buried here. No one has yet discovered his burial site and the treasures that must lie within. Not as extensively damaged during the Vietnam War as Hue’s Citadel, Tu Duc’s Tomb remains a significant reminder of the opulent lifestyles enjoyed by the Nguyen Dynasty emperors. After visiting the tomb you we then hired a driver and a motor bike and traveled back into town.
We were on the home stretch now, we boarded the ‘Reunification Express’ which again is an over night train and traveled to Hanoi. Once arriving into Hanoi we set off for a half day walking tour. We started with the One Pillar Pagoda situated near the Soviet-inspired Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, then to the Temple of Literature. We finished the day with a visit to the Hoa Lo Prison, probably better known to most of us as the ‘Hanoi Hilton’. Hanoi’s tallest building now occupies most of the original site, and no, it doesn’t belong to the Hilton Hotel chain, but the eastern wall and a small section of the prison behind have been retained and today serve as a museum. It mostly serves as a reminder of the Vietnamese who were incarcerated here by their French masters.
Vietnam is by far a one of my favorite destinations.
Kelly Martin
On the first of July this year Hong Kong celebrated its 10th anniversary of the British Hand back to China, and I was fortunate enough to visit Hong Kong again 3 days after this event. Hong Kong has long been a favorite city of mine and ten years ago I wondered whether the magic would be lost with the return of Chinese rule. It is fair to say that magic is well and truly alive and well and the Latest slogan of the Hong Kong Tourist Board of "Live It - Love It" couldn't sum up the atmosphere better.
In their wisdom the Chinese have left the city as it was as a thriving centre of commerce and business. The city still grows at an alarming rate (some have often joked that if the reclaimation continues you will be able to walk across Victoria Harbour between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.) and the evidence of development is everywhere. There have been some significant changes, however. The cities infrastructure has improved significantly over the last ten years and even over the last two years since my last visit. The old rutted footpaths and dirt and litter that used to mar a Hong Kong experience has all been cleaned up. New areas along the foreshore on the Kowloon side often a great vantage point to view the island both by day and night and give the best view of the nightly light show, the "Symphony of Lights". The wide pedestrian mall stretched right from the Star ferry terminal to the "Avenue of the Stars" in front of the entertainment complex.
A major new development has occurred on the peak, above the Peak Tram terminal. A new muti-level entertainment complex has been 
opened offering some of the best dining in Hong Kong with arguably the best city view in the World. On the roof of the complex is a new observation deck that gives a superb view over Victoria Harbour and Kowloon on one side and the South China Sea over Aberdeen on the other. The views are great both during the day and at night and now with escalators and lifts are accessible to anyone. In my view the trip is worth doing twice during a visit to see the city lights at night.
The other major redevelopment has been the building of a new Star Ferry terminal on the Hong Kong Island side right next to the interisland ferry terminals. This makes for a very easy transition to the outer islands or to the business centre or MTR via a new elevated covered walk way.
Most people visiting Hong Kong do so for the shopping. With the strength of the Australian dollar at the moment Hong Kong is extremely good value for money with most "Brand" items being now approximately two thirds of prices in Australia. The shopping reliability has also now improved with a Hong Kong Tourist Board accreditation system. Every brand in the World is available in Hong Kong with the best places still Harbour City, Causeway Bay and Mongkok Stay clear of the tourist area of Nathan Road.
Market shopping for clothing and imitation goods is always great fun in Hong Kong and no visit is complete without a visit to the Ladies Market in Mongkok, The Temple Street night market, Stanley Market, the Jade Market or even a walk down old Shanghai Street. As a guide tee shirts sell for around 5 dollars, jeans for around 8 - 12 dollars and handbags for between 10 and 30 dollars. Bargaining is a must in any of the markets and the best buys are to be had early in the market sessions or towards close. A little known area in Hong Kong is the antique market on Hong Kong Island near the famous ladder street. Brass, Jade, Glass, and Ceramic items of good quality are all available in this precinct.
Tens years ago I would have said that Hong Kong wasn't the place to take children. That has now largely changed for two reasons. The first is the opening of Disneyland which gives Hong Kong two major attractions for children with the Ocean Park. Disneyland opened late last year and is still small consisting of Main Street USA, Tomorrowland, Fastasyland, and Adventureland. The park is being expanded with further construction underway. It is designed for younger children at this stage with the only really serious ride being Space Mountain. Having said that it is still a full day and night of activity to cover the entire park and the night fireworks. The main 
advantage over other parks in the Disney Stable is the relatively short queue times, rarely longer than 15 minutes and often as short as 5 minutes. The one constant all over the world is the Disney magic. Hong Kong is no exception and while is sounds like a cliche Disneyland is truly the happiest place on Earth!! (and that is coming from a 49 year old)
I said earlier that there were two reasons Hong Kong had become more child friendly, the second is eating. Ten years ago eating was either expensive in Hotel coffee shops, expensive in good restaurants, or very Asian in street type stalls not really suitable for western children. The evening meals could often cost as much for a family as their accommodation over the course of a week. Hong Kong is now full of cheap American style fast food outlets, coffee shops, and good quality but very well priced Asian food courts. Eating with kids is now not only relatively inexpensive but can be a lot of fun.
Hong Kong has always been one of the great cities of the world and one of my personal favorites. Over the last ten years it has got better and now offers a far broader range of activities for people of all ages. Whether it is shopping, taking in the sights, visiting the many outer islands taking the kids to the attractions or relaxing on the beach, Hong Kong will surprise you. Hong Kong is a vibrant city that has a pulse all of its own - the more you live it, the more you will love it. For more information please email me at bill@zoomersadventureholidays.com.au
Bill Forrester
Despite having traveled extensively in Asia, I felt some trepidation as I boarded the aircraft for the 10 hour flight to
Our arrival into
We stayed at the St Regis hotel, one of
A visit to
Extending from The Bund is
Not far from The Bund is the
No visit to
From
Xian is both a modern and ancient city. The main city centre is contained within its old city walls which are intact. It is possible to cycle the entire wall in about three hours. The wall provides an extensive view of the city below and is in marked contrast to the high rise, glass fronted buildings that make up the modern Xian.
Despite its size of 6.5 million people, Xian is relatively easy to get around and the central town square with its bell tower an ancient mosque is worth wandering around. The mosque dates back to the period when Xian was at the end of the
The following morning we flew to
No visit to
started in the Northern Qi Dynasty (550 - 577) and was restored in the early Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). A pass was officially set up there in 1404. Carefully repaired in 1569, this section has been extremely well-preserved through the ages. In 1982, a new program began to establish the Mutianyu Great Wall Tourist Area. Finished in 1986, the area now has become an AAAA national tourist attraction, complete with cable car transportation. Mutianyu is a bit more rugged and slightly less crowded than the more famous Badaling. This area of the wall allows people of all fitness levels to enjoy the experience of standing on one of the seven wonders of the world. We chose to climb to the highest available point to take in the full splendour of the wall as it snaked its way across the ridge tops. The climb is at times steep but well worth the effort. For the less fit a stunning view and experience can be had from the top of the cable car and a short climb onto the wall. The magnitude of the construction is beyond comprehension, just looking at this short 11 kilometre section, let alone its full length of 6100 kilometres.
On our final day in
Outside the city and across the road is
With our final walk through the square our brief journey to this fascinating country came to end.
Bill Forrester
Our destination this month is Sabah in Borneo (the Malaysian part and most northern tip of
After a short transfer from the airport we arrived at the Nexus Resort Karambunai. A luxury beachfront resort. A large hotel with 485 rooms, most of them with some kind of seaview. The bathrooms were huge A huge manicured garden with lots of ponds and fountains. Everything was well looked after and clean like you would expect from a 5 star hotel.
The Nexus is well known for it’s “Borneo Spa” and I wasn’t going to miss a visit for anything in this world. It’s most probably one of the nicest Spa’s I have ever seen. There is a big pool in the middle with about 4-5 little islands where you (after you changed into one of their soft white bathgowns) can relax on a large chair until the someone comes to pick you up for your treatment. You can hear the water running down the walls it’s sounds like little waterfalls. While you are having your treatment they will serve you some herbal teas if you desire. After the treatment you are free to use the sauna, spa’s etc. as long as you like. And all that comes at a very affordable price.
Breakfast is served in the coffee shop, there is a mix of eastern and western style buffet beautifully arranged and a huge variety of top quality food. Needless to say that breakfast became our preferred meal. There are 3 restaurants and a Pub open in the evening for meals.
There is a Kids Club available but there were not too many children while we were there.
After a couple of nights we moved on to the Shangri-La Rasa Ria, which actually is only a couple of kilometers around the bay. As a matter of fact you could actually see it in the far distance while standing on the beach of the Nexus.
Friendly staff welcomed us at the reception and we were served with a refreshing welcome drink while they checked us in.
We had booked Rainforest rooms, the rooms vere spacious with small bathrooms.
The Shangri-La has a great Kids-Club and the staff take the children for visits to their own Orang-Utan rehabilitation sanctuary. There were lots of children every day and they were well looked after . If you have children book them in for the “Lightening Ceremony”, every night one girl can be the “Princess” during the ceremony.
The spa of the Shangri-La Hotel is next to the Golf-Club about 10 minutes walk from the hotel or the friendly staff are very happy to drive you there.
Both hotels are very nice but if I ever go back to
If you like to do some sightseeing don’t miss the Borneo Railway that will take you from Kota Kinabalu through a couple of villages to a local market and back. It has all of charm of the bygone colonial era.
Liselotte Hennequin
I have recently returned from a twelve day tour of Canada’s majestic Rocky Mountains in all of their winter glory. Our journey started in Vancouver with a day trip to Grousse Mountain, one of three ski resorts within 20 minutes of the CBD and one that offers night skiing over the entire 
mountain. From Vancouver it was “all aboard” VIA Rail’s overnight sleeper train to Jasper. The sight that greeted us in the morning was nothing short of awe inspiring as we entered the magnificent snow covered Rocky Mountains. For the next six hours we absorbed the continual grandeur before arriving into Jasper around lunch time. The Jasper Park lodge is a luxury, yet rustic lodge spread around a pair of lakes, both of which were frozen and used for skating and skiing. All around the peaks of the Rockies dominated. An afternoon sojourn into the national park to Medicine Lake and Maligne Canyon brought the magic of winter even further alive. The following day we travelled the Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise. The journey is akin to watching a good game of tennis as you are continually looking from one side to another taking in the never ending views. Every turn in the road brings another vista better than the last. The Chateau Lake Louise is situation on the edge of the emerald green Lake Louise. This time of the year it takes on a fairyland persona as the lake is frozen and covered in snow. The tinkle of the bells on the horses drawing the Belgian Cutters can always be heard in the background and the lake is alive with skaters and skiers exploring the magic of the glaciers at the end of the lake. At night it takes on a different atmosphere as the moonlight reflects off the surrounding peaks and the lake itself. The grounds were adorned with ice sculptures all lit up and the trees were all illuminated with fairy lights.
Our journey concluded with two nights at Fairmont’s Banff Springs Hotel. Reminiscent of a medieval castle the Hotel dominates the Bow Valley. Banff was the highlight of the trip for two reasons. The view from the top of Sulphur Mountain affords a magnificent view of the Rocky Mountains and the Bow River Valley. The view is all the more special in winter with the mountains and valley floors covered in snow. The absolute highlight of the trip, however, was our day of dog sledging high on an alpine plateau. Not only do you have the chance to ride a dog sled but you have the opportunity to drive it over a long 10km course culminating in the traverse of a majestic alpine lake.
All too soon our trip was over and we left Calgary with sad hearts as we took our final glimpse of the Rockies from the aircraft. The Canadian Rockies in winter is truly a magnificent experience. For more information please email me at bill@zoomersadventureholidays.com.au
Bill Forrester
Every once in a while you come across a new destination and experience that simply takes your breath away. I have just returned from one of those such experiences. Nestled away on the west coast of Canada, in the heart of the former glacial fiord land in Knights Inlet Lodge. This rustic floating lodge is located in Glendale Cove surrounded by pristine wilderness and is home to a major 
population of Grizzly Bears. For two days we had the privilege of watching these magnificent animals in their natural habitat feasting on salmon in preparation for their winter hibernation. The lodge offers all types of viewing options from estuary observation from boats, close up viewing from their many permanent hides, and kayaking options in the lower Glendale River. While they are careful not to guarentee a bear sighting we saw 47 Grizzlies in our first afternoon. There are experienced guides on hand and group sizes are kept small, allowing not only close up viewing but informed commentary on the Bears life cycle and habits. Each of the resident guides is passionate about the bears and tend to spend the entire season at the lodge. Some have been comong back for several years, with other spending the Northern Hemisphere's winter in Australia, New Zealand or Africa in similar roles. The information is continued with informative after dinner sessions in the lodge’s cosy lounge area. The lodge is truly isolated from the outside world with no phone access, radio or telephone. Total numbers at the lodge are kept down and are are usually four activities per day done on a rotation system. I would recommend 2 nights at Knight Inlet to take full advantage of all of the activities on offer and to appreciate the uniquness of the experience. A pre night is also required at Campbell River on Victoria Island in order to catch the morning flight into Glendale Cove. The only form of transportation to and from Knight Inlet is by float plane. As you leave Knight Inlet you can’t help but feel humbled by the experience of seeing these majestic animals in their natural environment. For more information please email me at bill@zoomersadventureholidays.com.au
Bill Forrester
As a boy studying ancient history, Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul, always featured by whatever name it went by. Its history dates back to 657 BC. It was conquered by Alexander the Great, subsumed by the Roman Empire, headed the Ottoman Empire and today is Turkey’s cultural 
heart. Straddling two continents, split by the Bosphorus (the strait flowing between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea), European Istanbul lies to the west, comprising the bulk of the city while Asian Istanbul lies to the east. European Istanbul is itself divided by the Golden Horn into the old city to the south, and Beyoglu and other modern districts to the north. The Old City is where you’ll find all the main sights, such as Topkapı Palace, Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii), Aya Sofya (Sancta Sophia), the Atmeydanı (Hippodrome) and the old city walls. It is also where you will find some of the best shopping. The hustle and bustle of the Grand Bazaar is a must. Here you will find traders selling everything from carpets, ceramics, leather goods, fine cloths to trinkets. The Bazaar itself is fascinating, but if you delve into the labyrinth of back streets surrounding the covered market you will find those stalls where the locals come to shop. Like all markets bargaining is a must and know your prices. Istanbul is a living museum oozing history and culture from every quarter. It is all too easy to immerse yourself and loose all track of time. It is a city that lived up to all my expectations and then some.
Bill Forrester
Namaste.
So you might be asking "what are the Himalayas really like?", to which I reply "truly a photographer's dream". We went during October, which people say is the best time to go as the skies are clearest and the blue shades provide a perfect backdrop for the snow capped rugged mountains. Wherever you turn it reminds you of the trademark for Paramount Pictures, the mountain 
you always see before the movie starts. Huge valleys separate the huge giants from one another where small villages can be found protected from harsh winds by the surrounding hills.
The higher you go in the Himalayas the more dry and desolate it becomes and a prime example is the Gokyo Peak region. A barren rocky place the mountains are interspersed with large turquoise lakes and mile long glaciers. What at first looks like a quarry is in fact hundreds of metres of thick ice that resounds large cracking noises down its path as it forever moves, shifts and grows. Another example is the Kumbu region, the region where the giants sleep ... Everest (8848m), Lhotse (8801m) Nuptse (7879m) ... some of the highest points in the world and that is indeed how one feels when you are up there looking at them.
Getting to the summit of Kala Pattar (5545m) is not the most exciting thing you'll do in a lifetime as it involves a constant climb up a steep slope. But once you scramble over a few large boulders and sit down on the rocky ledge the whole region's glory is spread out before you. Fortunate enough to get a clear afternoon I sat there looking like an Eskimo, with a thousand and one layers of thermals, fleece and Gortex, the mission being to see the sun set set over these legendary mountains. As the sun descended into the horizon its rays of light were hindered from spreading over the entire region due to the peaks that towered in the West. As a result only the tip of Everest's rocky structure was able to feel the heat of the last days light. Like a dying flame of a candle I watched the summit turn bright yellow, pink, red and finally lavender/blue, each time taking on a different mood and degree of beauty. Casting an eye out to the distance one could see a body of thick clouds slowly making its way up through the valley, truly making you feel as if you were caught in a magnificent dream.
Suzette Vranjes