Friday, October 21, 2011
SFO and beyond
time left at posting: 0:55 minutes
Kissed my wife good-bye and am now @ SFO. Truly on our way now! Next stop Hong Kong.
Going, going....
Time left at posting: 5 hours
I just kissed my children goodbye as Kate took them to school. They are both doing great and seem to be excited for me. I am sure that there will be some sadness at some point, but they are doing great.
Final gear check and I am still trying to get it all together. Just under two hours before I leave and I have not even showered yet. Will try to check-in from SFO and then when I arrive in Hong Kong.
Off we go...
I just kissed my children goodbye as Kate took them to school. They are both doing great and seem to be excited for me. I am sure that there will be some sadness at some point, but they are doing great.
Final gear check and I am still trying to get it all together. Just under two hours before I leave and I have not even showered yet. Will try to check-in from SFO and then when I arrive in Hong Kong.
Off we go...
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Weather Report
Time left at posting: 26 hours
Just checking the weather for Hong Kong and Kathmandu. Looks like Hong Kong will be nice and sunny with highs in the low 80's and lows in the mid 70's. Kathmandu is mostly sunny with expected highs in the mid 70's and lows in the lower 50's. I was also able to get the weather for Lukla Nepal and it looks like we might get wet. It calls for periods of rain during the time we are expected to pass through that area, with highs around 70 and lows in the 40's. All good however as I actually enjoy the rain. My only concern is that it clears enough for us to see the views such as Mount Everest! It is also not so great on the camera gear.
Just checking the weather for Hong Kong and Kathmandu. Looks like Hong Kong will be nice and sunny with highs in the low 80's and lows in the mid 70's. Kathmandu is mostly sunny with expected highs in the mid 70's and lows in the lower 50's. I was also able to get the weather for Lukla Nepal and it looks like we might get wet. It calls for periods of rain during the time we are expected to pass through that area, with highs around 70 and lows in the 40's. All good however as I actually enjoy the rain. My only concern is that it clears enough for us to see the views such as Mount Everest! It is also not so great on the camera gear.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Trip Itinerary
Time left at posting: 97 hours
Alright, so here is our basic itinerary for the trip. All this is subject to change at anytime, but it is our general plan.
10/21 - SFO to Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific Flight CX0879, Depart 1:35pm)
10/22 - Arrive Hong Kong (6:30pm arrival) 23 hour layover
10/23 - Hong Kong -> Kathmandu (KTM) (Sightseeing in Hong Kong in AM)
10/24 - Obtain supplies and depart KTM for Jiri by car
10/25 - Jiri to Deurali (This is where we start walking)
10/26 - Deurali to Sate
10/27 - Sate to JunBeshi
10/28 - JunBeshi to Numthala
10/29 - Numthala to Karila-pass
10/30 - Karila Pass to Phakding
10/31 - Phakding to Namche Bazzar
11/01 - Rest day in Namche Bazzar (Mandatory for acclimatization)
11/02 - Namche Bazzar to Phorche Thanga Via Khumjung
11/03 - Phorche Thanga to Luza or Muchhermo
11/04 - Muchhermo to Gokyo
11/05 - Rest day Gokyo
11/06 - ? (Extra day, but not sure what we are doing yet)
11/07 - Gokyo to Mungla
11/08 - Mungla to Namche Bazzar
11/09 - Namche Bazzar to Lukla (This is where the trail ends for us)
11/10 - Lukla to Kathmandu by Air (am flight and then sightseeing in KTM)
11/11 - Sightseeing in KTM and depart for Hong Kong at 11pm
11/12 - Depart Hong Kong for SFO (Cathay Pacific Flt CX0870, Arrive 10am)
The dates may look like they don't add up correctly at times, but don't forget we are across the International Date Line. This makes it possible to leave Hong Kong at 2pm local time on Saturday and arrive in San Francisco at 10am the same day. So going strictly by the clock, it takes us 29 hours to get to Hong Kong, but minus 4 hours coming home. It's the only way I know how to time travel without breaking the laws of physics! Nepal is very close to being exactly on the opposite side of the globe from California, but is still in the Northern Hemisphere and is 12 time zones away. So when it is 12 noon on Monday here on the West Coast (PDT), it is 12:45am (NPT) early Tuesday morning in Kathmandu. So they are 12 hours and 45 minutes ahead of our time.
The flight from SFO to Hong Kong is just under 7000 miles and will take about 14.5 hours going over and right around 12 hours coming home. I believe the flight from Hong Kong to Kathmandu is about 4 hours each way. Finally the ride from Kathmandu to Jiri in a private car is supposed to take around 7+ hours, but it is much faster and more reliable than the scheduled bus ride. So while this trip will include quite a bit of walking, there will be lots of time spent sitting on our backsides as well.
Alright, so here is our basic itinerary for the trip. All this is subject to change at anytime, but it is our general plan.
10/21 - SFO to Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific Flight CX0879, Depart 1:35pm)
10/22 - Arrive Hong Kong (6:30pm arrival) 23 hour layover
10/23 - Hong Kong -> Kathmandu (KTM) (Sightseeing in Hong Kong in AM)
10/24 - Obtain supplies and depart KTM for Jiri by car
10/25 - Jiri to Deurali (This is where we start walking)
10/26 - Deurali to Sate
10/27 - Sate to JunBeshi
10/28 - JunBeshi to Numthala
10/29 - Numthala to Karila-pass
10/30 - Karila Pass to Phakding
10/31 - Phakding to Namche Bazzar
11/01 - Rest day in Namche Bazzar (Mandatory for acclimatization)
11/02 - Namche Bazzar to Phorche Thanga Via Khumjung
11/03 - Phorche Thanga to Luza or Muchhermo
11/04 - Muchhermo to Gokyo
11/05 - Rest day Gokyo
11/06 - ? (Extra day, but not sure what we are doing yet)
11/07 - Gokyo to Mungla
11/08 - Mungla to Namche Bazzar
11/09 - Namche Bazzar to Lukla (This is where the trail ends for us)
11/10 - Lukla to Kathmandu by Air (am flight and then sightseeing in KTM)
11/11 - Sightseeing in KTM and depart for Hong Kong at 11pm
11/12 - Depart Hong Kong for SFO (Cathay Pacific Flt CX0870, Arrive 10am)
The dates may look like they don't add up correctly at times, but don't forget we are across the International Date Line. This makes it possible to leave Hong Kong at 2pm local time on Saturday and arrive in San Francisco at 10am the same day. So going strictly by the clock, it takes us 29 hours to get to Hong Kong, but minus 4 hours coming home. It's the only way I know how to time travel without breaking the laws of physics! Nepal is very close to being exactly on the opposite side of the globe from California, but is still in the Northern Hemisphere and is 12 time zones away. So when it is 12 noon on Monday here on the West Coast (PDT), it is 12:45am (NPT) early Tuesday morning in Kathmandu. So they are 12 hours and 45 minutes ahead of our time.
The flight from SFO to Hong Kong is just under 7000 miles and will take about 14.5 hours going over and right around 12 hours coming home. I believe the flight from Hong Kong to Kathmandu is about 4 hours each way. Finally the ride from Kathmandu to Jiri in a private car is supposed to take around 7+ hours, but it is much faster and more reliable than the scheduled bus ride. So while this trip will include quite a bit of walking, there will be lots of time spent sitting on our backsides as well.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Wait, wait, hold on! I'm not ready yet...
Time left at posting: 269 hours
Holy ding dongs, time is really starting to fly now! The anticipation is starting to build to the point where my pulse is racing just a little while writing this post. Anyhow, according to my little count down clock over on the right side of the page, I have only 11 days left before taking off. Only 11 more nights in my comfortable bed, 11 more days of hanging out with my kids and just 1 more day of school. Oh yeah, except for a couple units I plan to test out of, I am pretty much done with school. It is hard to believe that this is my last day of classes at the University of Phoenix. Not sure I can put how happy (relieved) I am in to words, but lets just say it's a good thing.
I finally starting laying out all of my gear. This is so that I can verify that I have everything and to make sure it is still in good shape. Thanks to the big sale this weekend at REI, I was finally able to cross the last few items off my gear list. Feeling pretty good that the cold won't get to me when we get up to the higher altitudes, but I am really starting to look like I stepped right out of the outdoor store and on to the trail. This is a hikers fashion faux pas of course, but sometimes you don't have much of a choice. I usually like function over fashion, but perhaps it's time that I stopped looking like I just crawled out from under a rock. I must admit I look pretty damn good in all my new stuff.
As for the non-gear related stuff, I was able to locate my airline tickets and put them together with my passport. Seems almost strange to have paper tickets issued to me anymore as I am so used to electronic tickets. There was some concern that I would place them in some safe spot where I would completely forget about them. I have had them for over nine months, so there was plenty of time to misplace them. We have our Visa for Nepal and our guide will be getting our trekking permits, so the paperwork is mostly done. I do have one more round of vaccinations this week just to top me off, but the only major concern at this point is getting out butts to the airport on time so we can make our flight.
Holy ding dongs, time is really starting to fly now! The anticipation is starting to build to the point where my pulse is racing just a little while writing this post. Anyhow, according to my little count down clock over on the right side of the page, I have only 11 days left before taking off. Only 11 more nights in my comfortable bed, 11 more days of hanging out with my kids and just 1 more day of school. Oh yeah, except for a couple units I plan to test out of, I am pretty much done with school. It is hard to believe that this is my last day of classes at the University of Phoenix. Not sure I can put how happy (relieved) I am in to words, but lets just say it's a good thing.
I finally starting laying out all of my gear. This is so that I can verify that I have everything and to make sure it is still in good shape. Thanks to the big sale this weekend at REI, I was finally able to cross the last few items off my gear list. Feeling pretty good that the cold won't get to me when we get up to the higher altitudes, but I am really starting to look like I stepped right out of the outdoor store and on to the trail. This is a hikers fashion faux pas of course, but sometimes you don't have much of a choice. I usually like function over fashion, but perhaps it's time that I stopped looking like I just crawled out from under a rock. I must admit I look pretty damn good in all my new stuff.
As for the non-gear related stuff, I was able to locate my airline tickets and put them together with my passport. Seems almost strange to have paper tickets issued to me anymore as I am so used to electronic tickets. There was some concern that I would place them in some safe spot where I would completely forget about them. I have had them for over nine months, so there was plenty of time to misplace them. We have our Visa for Nepal and our guide will be getting our trekking permits, so the paperwork is mostly done. I do have one more round of vaccinations this week just to top me off, but the only major concern at this point is getting out butts to the airport on time so we can make our flight.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tick Tock Tick Tock
Time left at posting: 556 hours
23 days left until we leave San Francisco, so I thought it was a perfect time to post an update.
After the earthquake recently in Nepal, I emailed our guide Raj just to make sure he and his family were okay. Fortunately they did not have any damage or injuries, but they were a bit nervous after such a large quake.
Preparations are finally getting serious and I have been starting to gather my stuff together and make a few last minute purchases so that I have everything ready. Lately I have been shedding some of the things I was planning on bringing, such as a GPS and my Kindle in favor of going old school. We will have a GPS that Jeff is bringing and I don't see the need for two of them, and I really don't want to have to worry about charging or breaking anything. I should still be able to post updates to my blog if and when an Internet connection is available with the MacBook Air that Jeff is bringing, so it is not like we won't have our precious gadgets (Although there is this altimeter watch I have my eye on that has been very difficult to resist purchasing, so perhaps I may make this one concession). Otherwise my plan is to go with a paper journal and large paperback book for my reading and writing pleasure. As we are planning on packing as much of our own stuff as we can, no point in taking anything that will only add weight. I can carry more beef jerky and gummy bears this way!
As we get closer to the departure day, I am starting to get the same excited feelings as I did when going to pick up Jack from Kyrgyzstan a few years back. It is kind of an emotional soup with so many feeling mixed in together. There is of course excitement and anticipation, but there is also a bit of guilt mixed in as I am leaving my family for so long. Plus there is always that small amount of fear that something will go wrong, such as getting injured or sick. It's nothing major or anything that would lessen the excitement of my trip, but it is always hanging out there in the back of your mind. Don't worry though as I don't let any of that bother me, in fact it has become increasingly difficult to keep my excitement level down to a point where I can still function at work and school. Trust me when I tell you that I am totally fired up for this trip!
I am sure that the updates will start coming a bit more often now that we are getting so close to leaving, so I will sign-out for now.
23 days left until we leave San Francisco, so I thought it was a perfect time to post an update.
After the earthquake recently in Nepal, I emailed our guide Raj just to make sure he and his family were okay. Fortunately they did not have any damage or injuries, but they were a bit nervous after such a large quake.
Preparations are finally getting serious and I have been starting to gather my stuff together and make a few last minute purchases so that I have everything ready. Lately I have been shedding some of the things I was planning on bringing, such as a GPS and my Kindle in favor of going old school. We will have a GPS that Jeff is bringing and I don't see the need for two of them, and I really don't want to have to worry about charging or breaking anything. I should still be able to post updates to my blog if and when an Internet connection is available with the MacBook Air that Jeff is bringing, so it is not like we won't have our precious gadgets (Although there is this altimeter watch I have my eye on that has been very difficult to resist purchasing, so perhaps I may make this one concession). Otherwise my plan is to go with a paper journal and large paperback book for my reading and writing pleasure. As we are planning on packing as much of our own stuff as we can, no point in taking anything that will only add weight. I can carry more beef jerky and gummy bears this way!
As we get closer to the departure day, I am starting to get the same excited feelings as I did when going to pick up Jack from Kyrgyzstan a few years back. It is kind of an emotional soup with so many feeling mixed in together. There is of course excitement and anticipation, but there is also a bit of guilt mixed in as I am leaving my family for so long. Plus there is always that small amount of fear that something will go wrong, such as getting injured or sick. It's nothing major or anything that would lessen the excitement of my trip, but it is always hanging out there in the back of your mind. Don't worry though as I don't let any of that bother me, in fact it has become increasingly difficult to keep my excitement level down to a point where I can still function at work and school. Trust me when I tell you that I am totally fired up for this trip!
I am sure that the updates will start coming a bit more often now that we are getting so close to leaving, so I will sign-out for now.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
A daughter with a big heart!
Time left at posting: 1292 hours
My daughter Mackenzie decided some time ago to donate some of her hard earned cash so I can purchase school supplies in Nepal and deliver them while trekking. I will be buying about $50 worth of supplies in Kathmandu in her name and our guide will help us to donate them to schools along the way that could use some help. I am so proud of her for doing this, I could just burst with pride. I always knew she had a big heart, but she just put her money where her mouth is. I am also planning on taking some personal notes and self addressed stamped envelopes from her to pass out along with the supplies. Hopefully she will get some letters from the children there in return for her kindness.
I am also taking a few Geo Caching items to place in the caches over there and can hopefully bring a few back with us as well. If you have never gone Geocaching, you should really give it a try. It is a modern day treasure hunt using a GPS. It is a heck of a lot of fun and is a great way to get you and your children outside. You can find out more about Geocaching HERE
Curious if anyone has some suggestions for places to visit while on our layover in Hong Kong. I was thinking that we take the tram up to The Peak, but not sure what to do beyond that. Not a lot of time to play around, but we do have most of a day to see the sights. I will probably be jet lagged and completely trashed from the flight over from the states, but we should be able to get a couple of hours sleep and take in some of the sights before catching the evening flight to Kathmandu. Contact me if you know of anything interesting we should try to see.
My daughter Mackenzie decided some time ago to donate some of her hard earned cash so I can purchase school supplies in Nepal and deliver them while trekking. I will be buying about $50 worth of supplies in Kathmandu in her name and our guide will help us to donate them to schools along the way that could use some help. I am so proud of her for doing this, I could just burst with pride. I always knew she had a big heart, but she just put her money where her mouth is. I am also planning on taking some personal notes and self addressed stamped envelopes from her to pass out along with the supplies. Hopefully she will get some letters from the children there in return for her kindness.
I am also taking a few Geo Caching items to place in the caches over there and can hopefully bring a few back with us as well. If you have never gone Geocaching, you should really give it a try. It is a modern day treasure hunt using a GPS. It is a heck of a lot of fun and is a great way to get you and your children outside. You can find out more about Geocaching HERE
Curious if anyone has some suggestions for places to visit while on our layover in Hong Kong. I was thinking that we take the tram up to The Peak, but not sure what to do beyond that. Not a lot of time to play around, but we do have most of a day to see the sights. I will probably be jet lagged and completely trashed from the flight over from the states, but we should be able to get a couple of hours sleep and take in some of the sights before catching the evening flight to Kathmandu. Contact me if you know of anything interesting we should try to see.
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