Reflections
And time seems to go by so fast In the twinkling of an eye Let’s enjoy it while we can (let’s enjoy it while we can) To the bright side of the road (Van Morrison) I’m a great admirer of professionals who make difficult work look easy – none more so than the guides, cooks …
Continue reading “The Bright Side of the Rhodo(dendrons) – Nepal 2024”
My friend Peter and I were about to embark on a 185 kilometre, eight hour bus ride from Kathmandu to Jiri, a village at the end of what’s generously described as a road. From there, we would be trekking with our Nepali crew to Everest Base Camp at the foot of the great mountain; retracing …
After walking across the Pyrenees from France into Spain, my plan was to continue along the thousand-year-old “Way of Saint James” as far as Pamplona. There I’d declare an end to my brief pilgrimage and catch a train for Madrid and a flight home. But what I love about the Camino de Santiago is its …
Spring is a fine time to walk the “Way of Saint James” from the south of France and across northern Spain to the great cathedral at Santiago de Compostela. It can mean fewer crowds and cooler (if unpredictable) weather. On the other hand, some things are still closed early in the pilgrimage season, not least …
Continue reading “Plodding Across the Pyrenees – France to Spain”
I’m about to take a three-month sabbatical to deal with webmaster matters and do a bit of travelling, but before going offline I need to make a correction. In April, and for that matter whenever I’ve written about visiting the world’s highest mountain, I’ve repeated the common story that the Tibetan and Sherpa name for …
Continue reading “Naming a Goddess – The many guises of Mount Everest”
Tourists are told that Tibet’s Rongbuk (Rongphu) monastery is the highest in the world, but it isn’t. That honour goes to the slightly higher monastery at Dirapuk, facing Mount Kailash far to the west.(*) Nonetheless, at 5,000 metres (16,400 feet) above sea level, Rongbuk is magnificently located on the northern approach to the world’s highest …
I’m off to Nepal again soon and may take the opportunity to do some site maintenance after I get back, so it may be a couple of months before the next post. Meanwhile, there are sixty-one stories from around the world already here (or, if you’re really bored and desperate for something to read, links …
I would have expected my secular Western sensibilities to be offended at the very idea of secluding a prepubescent girl as an object of worship. Yet reflecting on an experience of darshan – a Sanskrit term for beholding a deity – in Nepal, I’m left with more nuanced thoughts as we approach International Women’s Day …
Links to Categories and each of the stories are listed below. In addition, you can look for any keyword using the “Search” function on any page. Most stories are also linked by thematic tags (#) at the bottom. If you have questions or comments, feel free to email me. CATEGORIES Arts and Culture Common Humanity …
After two years of posting a new story each month it’s time to take a couple of months for site maintenance, upgrade and, perhaps, rebooting the design. This post originally included a list of all essays from the beginning to latest. I’ve now incorporated that into the new “Index of Posts” page.
Our Nepali sirdar (expedition team leader and guide) moved quietly from tent to tent, waking us in turn. In the cold pre-dawn darkness we dressed quickly and followed him up to a small plateau above the town of Namche Bazaar, 3,500 metres (11.500 feet) above sea level in Nepal’s Khumbu Valley. There we stood as …
Continue reading “Trekking to Mount Everest – Goals and Intentions”