197607
Differences
This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
Both sides previous revisionPrevious revision | Next revisionBoth sides next revision | ||
197607 [2016/08/31 13:52] – tyreless | 197607 [2016/09/01 09:33] – tyreless | ||
---|---|---|---|
Line 330: | Line 330: | ||
---- | ---- | ||
- | A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO KALA PATTAR! | + | =====A funny Thing Happened On The Way To Kala Pattar!===== |
by Gordon Lee. | by Gordon Lee. | ||
- | Here I sit in a grotty, noisy, rat-infested, | + | |
- | hazards, the obstacles, which had to be overcome getting there. | + | Here I sit in a grotty, noisy, rat-infested, |
- | Bangkok, for example. If you can survive the chaotic traffic | + | |
- | (definitely no place for the unwary) and the pollution, then watch your | + | Bangkok, for example. If you can survive the chaotic traffic (definitely no place for the unwary) and the pollution, then watch your step, you may be caught from above. Literally millions of martins (I think) roost on the overhead wires at dusk and if __they__ |
- | step, you may be caught from above. Literally millions of martins (I think) roost on the overhead wires at dusk and if Ltelieez | + | |
- | I have digressed - peacefully, when a string of longtails longtailing in | + | Back to the traffic again. Pedestrian crossings in Bangkok are only a means of gathering the citizens in one place so that the motorist can bag one - somewhat like the beaters on a shoot. Someone informed me on good authority that there were 100,000 traffic rules in Bangkok - one for each driver. Still there seems to be few accidents. |
- | the opposite dIrection threaten to swamp your frail craft with their huge bow waves. | + | |
- | Baal: to the traffic again. Pedestrian crossings in Bangkok are only a means of gathering the citizens in one place so that the motorist | + | Language of course has to be coped with wherever you are, and when you get your songs and (psalms) sams (numbers) mixed, then you're in trouble. Or perhaps it's the kais and KAIS chicken and egg depending on pitch - so you order an egg and instead get a confounded chicken. |
- | can bag one - somewhat like the beaters on a shoot. Someone informed | + | |
- | me on good authority that there were 100,000 traffic rules in Bangkok - one for each driver. Still there seems to be few accidents. | + | And when brousing through Theives Market it could take an immense summoning of word power to prevent being whisked off by the Grrr! Wow!! luscious (nice) young ladies leaning on the parking meters. Lin was no end of assistance. I have since had my arm replaced in its socket. Couldn' |
- | Language of course has to be coped with wherever you are, and when you get your songs and (psalms) sams (nuMbers) mixed, then you're in trouble. Or perhaps it's the kais and KAIS chicken and egg depending on pitch - so you order an egg and instead get a confounded chicken. | + | |
- | And when brousing through Theives Market it could take an immense | + | The public transport system works well. No bus in Bangkok is ever full - there is always room for one or more passengers. They hang out of the doors like a human bunch of grapes with hangers-on on the hangers-on. If you survive all this and make the maze of the bus routes work for you, then you can travel anywhere in the city for 75 setung (1,000 = $1). But don't become too blase. Just to confuse you, now and again a bus appears where it shouldn' |
- | summoning of word power to prevent being whisked off by the Grrrl, | + | |
- | luscious (nice) young ladies leaning on the parking meters. Lin was no end of assistance. I have since had my arm replaced in its socket. Couldn' | + | Eventually we arrived in Kathmandu. Once again the battle to get to Kala Patter was mounted. You quickly learned to duck for cover across the Lamjura Pass at 11, |
- | undressed, so the tops remained covered and bottoms unrevealled. | + | |
- | The public transport system works well. No bus in Bangkok is aver full - there is always room for one or more passengers. They hang out | + | "Yes, we have flight," |
- | of the doors like a human bunch of grapes with hangers-on on the hangers-on. If you survive all this and make the maze of the bus routes work for you, then you can travel anywhere in the city for 75 setung (1000 = | + | |
- | But don't become too blase. Just to confuse you, now and again a bus appears where it shouldn' | + | "Yes, we have - " - you only half listen, dragging, dull, hopelessly you get out to the airport once more. Gee, our stuff is actually being loaded. Surprise, surprise |
- | Eventually we arrived in Kathmandu. Once again the battle to get to Kala Patter was mounted. You quickly learned to duck for cover | + | |
- | Page 18 THE SYDNEY BUSHWALKER July, 1976. | + | But confidence drains to a low ebb when you look out to see a wingtip brushing a dirty great mountain, or you look down as you go over the pass before the strip to see what looks like 10 feet of air under the wheels. And there' |
- | across the Lamjura Pass at 11, | + | |
- | a whole plane. Thinking we were all set to fly out for a1.8.35 we fronted up in the afternoon to confirm. "So sorry, no flight, they flying in rice." Fair enough, rice is more important than bodies. Next time, " | + | So we step out into this fairyland at 9,000' |
- | "Yes, we have flight," | + | |
- | (we've heard that before). Sorry,I forgot to mention the snow and the weather and - Wheefl | + | That afternoon we once again joined a young Sherpa we had met and talked to at the airport. He invited us to visit his home, to which we agreed, it being about 1/2 hrs. walk from the strip. So off we set in high spirits. It transpired that Ung Pemba was in higher spirits than we had Suspected. The local chung and rukshi had (to put it mildly) caused a state of inebriation. And don't think the happy drunk Aussie husband who brings home some of his tipsy mates "to see the missus and have a feed" is unique. Here we were in Nepal 1, |
- | ' | + | |
- | "Yes, we have - " - you only half listen, dragging; dull, hopelessly you get out to the airport once more. Gee, our stuff'is actually being | + | However the atmosphere cleared, friendly relations were established when you heard a heavy clearing of throat above you. To be hit by a flying " |
- | loaded. Surprise, surprise | + | |
- | But confidence drains to a low ebb When you look out to see a wingtip brushing a dirty great mountain, or you look down as you go over the pass before the strip to see what looks like 10 feet of air under the | + | But thank heavens it is peaceful and quiet after the bustle of Bangkok. Things quieten down after 8/9 p.m. and by midnight the space is as still as a grave. Where the myriads of people disappeared to was and has remained a mystery. |
- | wheels. And there' | + | |
- | eiderdown, ruptured | + | When shopping in K'du it is advisable to wear a "crash hat" or World War II tin hat for the Nepalese have devised a method of stunning intending |
- | pilot! | + | |
- | So we step out into this fairyland at 9,0001 in brilliant sunshine and. blue Skies. We were at the starting point of our trek, the object of the visit to Nepal. | + | Every day you run the gauntlet of "Hello one rupee"; |
- | That afternoon we once again joined a young Sherpa we had met and talked to at the airport. He invited us to visit his home, to which we agreed, it being about -R,hrs. walk from the strip. So off we set in high spirits. It transpired that Ung Pemba was in higher spirits than we had | + | |
- | Suspected. The local chung and rukshi had (to put it mildly) caused a state of inebriation. And don't think the happy drunk Aussie husband | + | If this is not enough to bend the mind you are faced with the riddle of the maze of the old City street system. These are strung together spiderweb-fashion and from any one of the many " |
- | who brings home, some of his tipsy mates "to see the missus and have a feed" is unique. Here we were in Nepal 1, | + | |
- | sober. Because the language was Nepalese and the people Sherpa made | + | Flying out of Kathmandu to Lukla, or trying to was again fraught with hazards. A word of explanation. Kala Pattar is virtually the end point of the Everest Base Camp Trek to the east of K'du. There are several ways of getting there. Walking is one. You have to walk anyway to cover the final stretch. You could fly to Jiri, Paphlu, Lukla or Songhoche. Each of those in order brought you closer to your objective. The most popular and easiest (?) was to get a flight to Lukla. This put you about 6 days walk from Kala Pattar. |
- | no difference, the reactions were universal. | + | |
- | However the atmosphere cleared, friendly relations were established | + | The decision had. been made to fly in and walk out. Normal walking route is commenced from Lamsangu, some 5/6 hours bus ride from Kathmandu, then 150 miles walk across the grain of the country, rising at one stage and we were fed and watered, plied with hootch |
- | Page 19 THE SYDNEY BUSHWALKER July9 1976e | + | |
- | when you heard a heavy clearing of throat above you. To be hit by a | + | We were asked to stay the night. Having nothing better to do we agreed. Were provided with bedding, a bed and a room. Lovely. But pause, dear reader, to take stock. |
- | flying " | + | |
- | spits, and the streets and pavements (to give them a title) are literally | + | Now I am not young anymore and my bladder is the same age, well worn but worn well, but aged. During the night, pitch black inside the house, likewise inside the head, my bladder gives me the message. Not wishing to disappoint anyone, let alone myself, I must of necessity, exit. Get up, put on boots, struggle with unfamiliar door bars, lift leg, duck head, stretch over bench, miss table - quietly, quietly and hang there teetering |
- | cemented by spitt:e. Everyone in K'du seems to be afflicted by the dreaded | + | |
- | But thank heavens it is peaceful and quiet after the bustle of Bangkok. | + | Outside the air is sharp-edgea |
- | Things quieten down after 8/9 p m0 and by midnight the space is as still | + | |
- | as a grave. Where the myriads of people disappeared to was and has remained a mystery. | + | Engaging porters can be quite engaging, time consuming, infuriating and costly. Since not even the best of us can tell what the effect of altitude will be it was decided to hire 2 porters, mine at lest till I found out how I was going to perform. Like the "new chums" we were, we hired one for Rs.20 and one for 15 plus food - a big mistake as we were to find out. |
- | When shopping in K'du it is advisable to wear a "crash hat" or World War II tin hat for the Nepalese have devised a method of stunning intending | + | |
- | tongue as knee hits chin, and don't dent yOur dome, and don't trip then you have successfully entered - but wait, but wait, as with spider and fly you have came into the 1)arlour9 | + | We moved off just before dinner for Thumbug, below Namche Bazaar. After about an hour I took my pack for an hour (it was about 16 kg) and found it no trouble, however I saw trouble but didn' |
- | than it was to & | + | |
- | Every day you run the gauntlet of "Hello one rupee"; | + | The sheer joy of " |
- | " | + | |
- | If this is not enough to bend the mind you are faced with the riddle of the maze of the old City street system. These are strung together spiderweb-fashion and from any one of the many " | + | I have never been a cow's best friend, nor would I say I was enamoured of the type of animal these hill people use as beasts of burden. On the contrary I have never been agin 'em, I haven' |
- | Flying out of Kathmandu to Lukla, or trying to was again fraught with hazards. A word of explanation. Kala Pattar is virtually the end point of the Everest Base Camp Trek to the east of Kidu. There are several ways of getting there. Walking is one You have to walk anyway to cover the final stretch. You could fly to Jiri, Paphlp., Lukla or Songhoche. Each of those in order brought you closer to your Objective. The most popular and easiest (?) was to get a flight to Lukla. This put you about 6 days walk from Kala Pat-bar. | + | |
- | The decision had. been made to fly in and walk out. Normal walking route is commenced from Lamsangu, some 5/6 hours bus ride from Kathmandu, then 150 miles walk across the grain of the country, rising at one stage | + | Two thousand feet to Namche Bazaar soon went underboot, we turned a corner and there it was, the largest Sherpa village, with its rows and rows of fawn brown stone buildings, snow-capped peaks dominating the horizon. There we found traces of the Calnans, they had passed through the checkpost the day before. |
- | Page 20. THE S/DNEY BUSHWAIKER July _976. | + | |
- | Mtlemimemommw.... | + | I paid off my porter - it cost me of course - I had decided to go it alone and decision was taken to press on to Tenghoche. Laughing at altitude the party was wheeling along in fine fashion. But the altitude demon of the Himalayas, the real yeti, bared his teeth. An hour and a half from Teng. I thought I'd exchanged my hikeboots with a deepsea diver, my pack for a bag of corn and my lungs for bellows. Glad was I to see the gate of the monastry and gladder still to throw off my pack and sit down. |
- | and we were fed and watered, plied with hootch rukshi - almost to the state of our Sherpa friend - given our first taste of Sherpa Tea', prepared in traditional manner in traditional vessel likened unto a crude bilge pump. The brew is an almost undrinkable mixture of some Tibetan stuff (which must came from Tibet), rancid yak butter, tea and salt. Duhd Chiar (milk tea with sugar - when you ask for tea this is what you get) made in the same manner was beaut. | + | |
- | We were asked to stay the night. Having nothing better to do we agreed. Were provided with bedding, a bed and a room. Lovely. But pause, dear reader, to take stock. | + | That greybearded, |
- | Now I am not young anymore and my bladder is the same age, well worn but worn well, but aged. During the night, pitch black inside the house, likewise inside the head, my bladder gives me the messaEo. Not wishing to disappoint anyone, let alone myself, I must of necessity, exit. Get | + | |
- | up, put on boots, struggle with unfamiliar, door bars, lift leg, duck head, stretch over bench, miss table - quietly, quietly and hang there tettering | + | Washing - simple matter. Washing machine, soap powder, a couple of rinses and hang it out. Eliminate the machine, take the source of the water 400 yds. away - downhill, and add 12" or so of snow, then lower the temperature minus something |
- | on which to 10.1E3, At last you get thl ouh the door, cross the room, | + | |
- | along the landing - that was easy - miss the sharp right, backtrack | + | |
- | plished | + | |
- | of unknown substance on loft. But this is easy, there2s | + | |
- | 'Outside the air is sharp-edgea | + | |
- | Engaging porters can be quite engaging, time consuming, infuriating and costly. Since not even the best of us can tell what the effect of altitude will be it was decided to hire 2 porters, mine at lest till I found out how I was going to perform. Like the "new chums" we were, we hired one for,lls.20 and one for 15 plus food - a big mistake as we were to find out. | + | |
- | We moved off just before dinner for Thuthbug, below Namche Bazaar. After about an hour I took my pack for an hour (it was 6' at 16 kg) and found it no trouble, however I saw trouble but didnIt | + | |
- | no, hillocks of rice these fellows shovelled down their gullets you | + | |
- | realised the Zoolish: -3ss of your agreement. And it' | + | |
- | that disappeared but several. | + | |
- | Page 21, THE SYDNEY BUSHWALKER July, 1976. | + | |
- | The sheer joy of " | + | |
- | I have never been a cow's best friend, nor would I say I was enamoured of the type of animal these hill people use as beasts of burden. On the contrary I have never been agin 'em, I haven' | + | |
- | Two thousand feet to Namche Bazaar soon went underboot, we turned a corner and there it rras, the largest Sherpa village, with its rows and rows of fawn brown stone buildings, snow-capped peaks dominating the horizon. There we found traces of the Calnans, they had passed through the checkpost the day before. | + | |
- | I paid off my porter - it cost me of course - I had decided to go it alone and decision was taken to press on to Tenghoche. Laughing at altitude the party was wheeling along in fine fashion. But the altitude demon of the Himalayas, the real yeti, bared his teeth. An hour and a half from Tong. I thought I'd exchanged my hikeboots with a deepsea diver, | + | |
- | my pack for a bag of corn and my lungs for bellows. Glad was I to see | + | |
- | the gate of the monastry and gladder still to throw off my pack and sit down. | + | |
- | That greybearded, | + | |
- | on all the Calrans | + | |
- | Washing - simple matter. Washing machine, soap powder, a couple of | + | |
- | rinses and hang it out,. Eliminate the machine, take the source of the water 400 ydsb away - downhill, and add 12" or so 'of snow, then lower the | + | |
- | temperature minus something | + | |
- | Having done your washing, try to get it dry - ice evaporates with difficulty. Heavens! Clouds have blown up, get the washing, What you get is not | + | |
- | what you expect. Instead of cold, wet, clammy flexible stuff you wonder | + | |
- | what the hell you're going to do with these icecold, plywood cut-outs. In sunlight inside the house at Pangboche they refused to thaw. After having been thawed and part dried by the fire, damp tracksuits to go to bed in at -10C can be uncomfortable!! | + | |
(To be continued) | (To be continued) | ||
- | * *.* * * * * | + | |
+ | ---- | ||
Page 22. THE SYDNEY BUSHWALKER July 1976. | Page 22. THE SYDNEY BUSHWALKER July 1976. | ||
Dinner before the next General Meeting will be at the STONED CROW in Willoughby Road Crows Nest. Meet there at 6.00 p m. Licenced Australian style food | Dinner before the next General Meeting will be at the STONED CROW in Willoughby Road Crows Nest. Meet there at 6.00 p m. Licenced Australian style food |
197607.txt · Last modified: 2016/09/02 10:21 by tyreless