Recollections of a homeless, lost, little rat

Recollections of a homeless, lost, little rat aka me. There were a few times I felt a little like a homeless drain rat as I was travelling solo in Europe... However, I will always be taken in by kind strangers  It was raining continuously these two days in Milan and I always showed up at my favourite vegan restaurant half an hour before they open and they always took the drenched me in before time... hahaha

This got me thinking about that night in Munich... I was staying in Belle Blue Zentrum Hotel for the entire time I was in Germany. However, on the last night there, I did not book a room as my train left at 3:20am in the morning so I thought I would just wait it out.

However, after spending 5 hours just shopping and doing nothing (cuz there's nothing to do in Munich), I was tired and bored so I went back to the hotel. I was initially using my phone in the hotel's dining area but was getting more and more tired so I laid down on the couch. The receptionist on his night shift saw me and he told me he will have to close the dining area soon. When I said it was alright and was about to leave for the train station with my luggage at 11:30pm, he asked if I wanted to sleep in his room. My initial reaction in my head was "what???!!" Then he clarified that he will go back to his house for the night and I could sleep in his spare room in the hotel. I very politely rejected his kind offer but he kept insisting... Seeing that I'm really homeless and tired, I agreed to his very kind offer in the end LOL.

So he showed me to his room and gave me extra duvets as it's cold at night... He then checked with me if there's anything else I needed. Before he left, I saw him double checking all the doors to make sure they could be opened from inside so that I don't get locked in when I have to leave 3 hours later. I had a really good sleep and left at 2:30am. I am really really grateful to him 'cuz he's sooooo nice! I mean he totally did not have to do that. All the staffs in Belle Blue are really friendly and the hotel is really really comfortable so I would totally recommend you to stay there if you wanna stay in a nice hotel at Munich.

Writer is Li Dong Ying (https://www.facebook.com/dongying) who is currently wandering around the streets of Lombardia Italy.  She is a former French language classmate of mine in Singapore.  She's been travelling around Europe since January and doing voluntary work with Czech children for a month.

Day 11 & 12: Bhaktapur and Patan durbar squares. Farewell Nepal!

Previous post: http://physikality.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-8-9-10-downhill-to-pothana-back-to.html

After an eight hour journey by bus from Pokhara back to Khatmandu, we had some free time at the hotel.  Some of us decided to explore the surrounding Thamel area and have dinner at the numerous cafes on the roofs of buildings.  There was nothing really special on the menu as they were mostly north indian food or nepali food.  At the time, we were all thinking of food back home.

The next day, or rather last day of our trip to Nepal, we visited two durbar squares, Bhaktapur and Patan.  These were once separate kingdoms on the Khatmandu basin ruled by different kings.  Then one day one of the kings of the Shah dynasty, Prithvi Narayan Shah decided to unite all so he went to war and united all of them in 1769.

Anyway, entrance fee for tourists is NR1500.  But the place is huge and the money hopefully goes to conservation and restoration works.

Man frying local Nepali bread.  Guy in red attempts to get into my shot.

What? You looking at me?

I personally like this shot very much.  The oil lamp seems to be arranged till infinity.

A peacock window.  Very intricate.

The story of Buddha

At the pottery square, you see many works been left out to dry in the sun before being oven baked later.  Besides pots, you will see clay figures of farm animals like chicken.

The kings used up bath here.

Bhaktapur durbar square

Day 8, 9 & 10 : Downhill to Pothana, back to Pokhara and another long bus trip.

Previous post: http://physikality.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-6-7-tadapani-jhinu-danda-to-laze-in.html

As we were travelling down towards Dhampus, the weather started to get much warmer and I was back to my tropical outfit of a T-shirt and shorts.  I still had my furry boots on and my feet were sweating very much inside!

On the way, we had to report ourselves to the local park ranger office.  There was a Nepali brahmin style wedding on the side of the office so we went to take a look.  Bijan and the porters told us that the wedding was held the previous day and we had missed the party last night  D:

Wedding of so and so, you are all invited?

Looks like santa, acts like santa but he's not santa?

A very much colourful wedding I think took place there.

The road to Pokhara.

My tourist pass, and the guide that can prove I did it yeay!

Day 6 & 7 : Tadapani, Jhinu danda to laze in hot springs

Previous post: http://physikality.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-4-5-trekking-to-ulleri-and-ghorepani.html

Yak meat curry.  Very hard to chew. 

Slippery slopes of ice.  One of the toughest parts of the trek.  You are always at risk of sliding and falling on your bum.

Beautiful sunset.

How the locals and travellers keep warm in the cold nights.  A good old fireplace.

This is where we stayed in Tadapani.  From here you have a nice view of the Annapurna range.

Down the hill we go.

Soaking up solar energy.

...with boots I got from Sweden.

Nepal's national flower, the Rhododendron.

Puppies and cabbages

Next post: http://physikality.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-8-9-10-downhill-to-pothana-back-to.html

Day 4 & 5, Trekking to Ulleri and Ghorepani

Previous post: http://physikality.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-3-long-bus-ride-and-pokhara.html

So off we went hiking near the Annapurna range.  Our van brought us from the hotel at Pokhara where we had stayed for the night, with hot showers and wi-fi, luxuries we no longer will have unless you pay for them at the tea houses along the hiking trails.  It was a fairly easy hiking trail, mostly flat with some hours of uphill climbing on stone made stairs.

Along the way we saw many empty guesthouses and cafes.  It was not tourist season yet in mid-February so we got the choicest of inns to stay in with the best mountain views.

Mount Machhapuchchhre, sacred mountain of the Annapurna Himal about 25 km from Pokhara.

Villages like this is very commonplace.  In the background, the majestic snow capped mountains of Annapurna.

One happy camper (or hiker!).

Bijan or guide asking us to hurry up! Haha

You can get everything you need at the local grocery.  This store is located in the village that was our beginning point.

Poor frightened lambs.

Another Siva shrine.

One cannot get enough of snow mountain shots.

We left for Ghorepani from Ulleri at about 7am.  The trail is stll fairly easy until we met with ice on the ground.  Walking started to be tricky as we had to make sure we did not fall and slide down the path or worse down the hill slope.  As we went higher, we got more snow and ice on the ground.

The morning sun makes the mountain shiny gold.

Some goats we saw from Ulleri chewing on thorny bushes.

Calf seems curious.  I don't have chocolates for you!

Yeay! Almost there!

Its a sample of the icy path we hiked on.  I recommend that one avoid the ice and step on the snow.

Cabbages apparently need snowy ground?  Sorry I come from a tropical country.  This seems strange to me.

The hotel or teahouse that we stay in at Ghorepani.

At the teahouses, there are separate charges for wi-fi and hot showers, NR200 and NR100 respectively.  Food wastage is also frowned upon.

Snowstorm!

Happy I made it!  Missed the snow!

Doesn't it feel like Christmas?

We stayed a night at the tea house warming ourselves near the fireplace.  We met hikers from Hong Kong, Australia, China sharing stories and details on where to we had been and where we are heading next.

Early the next morning, we hiked another hundred meters or so upwards to Poonhill, where one can clearly see the Annapurna peaks, some of which are more than 8000m.  Poon hill itself is 3210m above sea level.

Poonhill, 3210m above sea level with hikers.  During the peak season, there won't be much space to move around and take photos.  I'm glad I came to Nepal during the off-peak season.

An unexpected snowman.  I wonder how long has (s)he been there.

A very beautiful sunrise as seen on Poonhill.

Prayer flags and the wonderful Annapurna mountains.  I think that's the Annapurna south peak.

Poonhill at an earlier time.

Next post: http://physikality.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-6-7-tadapani-jhinu-danda-to-laze-in.html