love those cupcakes

Last day of the year

There was a heavy white frost when I looked out of the window early this morning but it had mostly cleared by the time we went out for a walk in the park with Boo, which meant he had to be hosed down in the garden afterwards.  He knows the drill and sits at the kitchen door, waiting not exactly patiently for the mister to do the business. Then it's a rub down with a towel (Boo, not the mister) and breakfast (a bowl of dried dog food for the canine,a treat of freshly baked pains au chocolat courtesy of JusRol for his humans). 

And so, the last day of the year.  Looking back, it's been a good year, which started with an adventure at the bottom of the world, ended with a trip to the top of the world and had lots of other stuff in between.

Nothing special is planned to see in 2015 here.  As usual, I'll light all the candles, hopefully without the pyrotechnic display of a previous New Year's Eve, someone will be shoved outside just before midnight, on the telly Big Ben will strike twelve, a bottle of fizz will be opened and, who knows, we just might push the boat out and finish off the tub of Twiglets.  

Tomorrow, the number will have changed and there will be 365 blank pages in the new diary with the promise of new possibilities, opportunities, options, plans. 

'For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.'
~T.S. Eliot~

 

Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year.

 

Festive snapshots

Boo in a range of headwear I didn't know he owned * Glasses of posh bubbly after the predictably tear inducing church carol service on Christmas Eve * Piles of wonderful presents and an ocean of glitter * Coming over all Blue Peterish and making last minute table decorations * Clean plates all round (a first) at the Christmas lunch table * Aunty M declaring she was too full to eat anything else and promptly diving into a chocolate walnut whip * A trip to the cinema to see a surprisingly enjoyable film * Marking my first vegan Christmas with a far too crumbly nut roast but a tastier than expected/you'd never know the difference Christmas cake * A suitably seasonal Walter de la Mare poem with pictures * Playing a highly competitive board game, complete with timer, in the no schedule, slower paced lull between Christmas and New Year * Taking the winner's place on the podium with maybe a little more than a smidgeon of unfestive smugness *  Looking forward to an evening at the panto.  Oh yes I am *

 

It's almost here

 However and wherever you celebrate, stay safe, be warm, eat, drink and embrace those elastic waistbands.

Wishing you a very merry Christmas.

 

Sunday night

I was busy in the kitchen chopping veg for dinner.

There was a knock at the door.

Hopeful of the delivery of a last minute Waterstones order, the mister answered it.

'It's for you', he called.

Well, well, well.

Seems even the most experienced need to check their route before the big event.

 

Ringing out solstice bells

The late in the year holiday and recovering from its unfortunate, erm, aftermath have resulted in a very long Christmas to do list with very few ticks on it.  

The tree is still sitting in a bucket of water in the garage.

The decorations remain in the loft.

I've posted the wrong Christmas cards through neighbours' letterboxes.

The floor in the spare room is knee deep with shopping bags full of presents.

Seems that when I panic about Christmas, I buy more gifts.  

I started to scale Mount Wrapping the other day.  

Have you ever used glittered Christmas paper?

Take my advice and just. don't.

It's resistant to being stuck down with sellotape.

The glitter falls off by the shovelful and gets everywhere. 

The cats and Boo look positively radioactive.

We hardly need to switch the lights on, it's all so sparkly here.

The Boy complains that he lives in the House of Scrooge.

Can he not see all that glitter?

There's nothing for it but to stay optimistic and hang on to the belief that it will all come together in the end.

Which of course it will.

Until it does, I'll just ring out those solstice bells.

 

 

 

To the top of the world

Leaving the Kathmandu valley, it was time to head for the jungle and Chitwan national park in southern Nepal. 

After crossing the river in the early morning mist, we were introduced to our companionable transport for the next few days.

The permanent presence of the army in the park, and the regular patrols by soldiers, has reduced the incidence of poaching significantly and the numbers of Bengal tigers have risen to an estimated 200 as a result.  

Sadly, there were no encounters with Richard Parker or his relatives but exploring on elephant back provided ample opportunity to try and spot other inhabitants of the park.

One horned rhino numbers have also been on the increase in Nepal and we managed to get close to four of them.

Spending time in the nearby village, traditional ways (and the occasional traditional pet) were evident everywhere.

One young woman was mixing together mud and dung to carry out repairs to her house.

Children mostly attend the village public school with its very basic provision although some parents manage to pay for private education.

I was invited to teach a class (didn't see that one coming).  Unlike private schools, where all classes are conducted in English, only English lessons are taught in English rather than Nepali in public schools and often by teachers who have only a limited command of the language.  Everyone was so smiley and well behaved but they didn't understand a word I was saying.  Maybe it was the Smoggie accent (and, in my defence, when I taught for a living, my students were mostly postgraduates.  Just saying.)

Of course, a trip to Nepal wouldn't be complete without a glimpse of Everest.  We chucked the budget out the window and decided to do it in style, in a brand spanking new helicopter with a national hero pilot (he's an Everest rescue pilot and told us a Hollywood film has been made about one of his more high profile rescues and he's off shortly to the US to walk the red carpet). 

Flying out of Kathmandu, our first port of call (to temporarily ditch excess fuel to enable flying at higher altitude) was Tenzing-Hillary airport in Lukla, used only by helicopters and small light aircraft and arguably the most dangerous airport in the world.   It's surrounded by mountains and the runway is narrow, short, and scarily sloping with a sheer drop of over 9000 feet at the end, allowing for no error in take off or landing. 

Nepal is an economy based on agriculture and even the foothills of the Himalayas are utilised for farming. 

We flew high. Very high.

Eventually, a cloud shrouded Everest appeared.

Landing at the highest located hotel in the world afforded more views (and helped lessen the physical effects of being at altitude).

Then it was back to Kathmandu for a few days and some final sightseeing.

Bhutan and Nepal were truly amazing.

And I'm still recovering.

 

Taste of Nepal

After saying a reluctant farewell to Bhutan, we took a short flight over the Himalayas to beckoning Nepal.

Random stuff: 

• Total population is somewhere in the region of 29 million
• The capital is Kathmandu, once thought by some to be the fabled Shangri-La
• An estimated 2.5 million live in the capital and its streets are heaving with people and traffic
• 8 out of 10 of the world's highest mountains are in Nepal, the highest peak being, of course, Mount Everest (Sagamatha)
• The word ‘Himalaya” in Sanskrit means 'abode of snow'
• Nepal has the densest concentration of UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• Kathmandu Valley comprises the three ancient cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, home to seven World Heritage Sites
• Swayambhunath Stupa is the most ancient of all the holy shrines (there was probably a shrine here as far back as  the 1st century) in Kathmandu Valley.  It's also known as Monkey Temple because of the resident macaque monkeys which roam freely across the site 
• Nepal is the only country with a non-rectangular flag. The country's flag is maroon with two stacked triangles but we didn't spot it anywhere
• The traditional greeting is 'Namaste', said with palms together on the chest and head slightly bowed
• Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with about half of its population living below the poverty line and many living in shacks
• Althugh officially secular, Hinduism is the main religion of Nepal (90%) with a dash of Tibetan Buddhism (5%) and a pinch of  Islam (3%) and a smidgeon of a few others such as Jainism and Christianity (2%) 
• Nepal is the birthplace of the Lord Buddha
• Kathmandu is ranked among the 20 most polluted cities of Asia and the city is often shrouded in a thick haze
• Nepal has over 80 ethnic groups and 123 languages are spoken
• Rice is the staple food with Dal Bhat (lentils and rice) the national dish
• November is rice drying time and the grain is spread on large tarpaulins.  Any available space in villages and towns, including the central square,  is filled with drying rice, watched over by women who periodically rake and turn it to ensure it is dried evenly   
• The favourite national snack is a plate of steamed dumplings or momos which can be either savoury or sweet. We were shown how to make these by a family in Kathmandu who invited us into their home to have lunch
• Kathmandu has the most worryingly chaotic tangle of electric cables and wires ever seen
• Nepal has the only living goddess (Kumari) in the world.  She is a pre-pubescent girl selected from the Newari community. The Kumari is revered and worshipped and, whilst there are several throughout Nepal, with some cities having several, the best known is the Royal Kumari of Kathmandu who lives in a palace in the centre of the city.  She appears briefly in an upstairs window at certain times.  Photographs are forbidden
• Sadhus are wandering holy men ('good men') who have relinquished worldly possessions and attachments including homes and families to dedicate their lives to attaining motska or enlightenment through meditation. The Sadhus cover themselves with ash or chalk, and paint their faces according to the deity they have devoted themselves to 

 

 

Into a tiger's nest

Built in 1692, Tiger’s Nest Monastery (Taktsang Palphug) is one of Bhutan’s most sacred sites. Perched at the top of a cliff, it stands about 3,000 metres (10,000ft) above sea level.  According to legend, Guru Rinpoche, also known as Padmasambhava and the bringer of Buddhism to Bhutan, flew to this exact spot from Tibet on the back of a tigress. He came to subdue a demon and then took residence in a cave where he meditated for 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days and 3 hours.  The monastery was built around the cave which is still there and open for viewing once a year.

No trip to Bhutan would be complete without a sight of the monastery and so we set off very early one morning.  From the car park, the white buildings of the monastery were just about discernible through the mist.  With no expectation of reaching anywhere near the top but, having been advised that reasonable views could be had at the halfway-ish point, the aim was to try to reach the cafeteria there.  

We eschewed the ponies which were available to carry people two thirds of the way and set off on the steep and at times (too many times) precarious path.  

 With frequent stops for water, a nibble of an energy bar and to catch our breath (hiking at altitude certainly affects the lungs more than the legs), we managed to reach the target of the cafeteria and, despite the lingering mist (and I was so grateful not to have to walk in bright sunlight and overpowering heat), were rewarded with a much better view of the monastery. 

 Of course, the ever present dogs were hanging around the picnic tables, hopeful of a biscuit treat.   And there were puppies!

 I could have quite happily stayed to play with the pups but was encouraged to press on upwards, 'just to see how much further we can get'.  

Eventually, we arrived at the start of the approach to the Tiger’s Nest - a rocky outcrop overlooking a vast chasm, with the monastery on the other side.  There were stone steps (and no handrails) carved into the exposed cliff face heading down into the ravine. Descending via the steps, a waterfall, festooned with prayer flags, came into view with the path continuing directly across it.  Once beyond the waterfall, gruellingly steep steps, over 800 in total, climbed towards the entrance to the monastery.

I'm not sure how it happened but, dear Reader, we made it to the top and in good time, too.   Photography is not allowed inside the monastery where we received a blessing from one of the monks and took a peek inside the original cave, thinking ourselves lucky that we'd picked the day of the year that it's open for viewing.

 The descent was much easier, for me, at least,  and I ended up about twenty minutes ahead of the mister, in the company of three German tourists.  

And, of course, a dog. 

 

In the Land of the Thunder Dragon

 After brief stopovers in Qatar and Thailand, we arrived in the eastern Himalayas for a stay in the tiny landlocked Kingdom of Bhutan.  

 Random stuff 

• The total population numbers about 750,000
• It feels like there are as many street/feral dogs as people.  There are dogs everywhere
• The street dogs are very well fed by restaurants and local people
• The national animal is the Takin, Budorcas taxicolor.  Created, so the story goes, by the Divine Madman who ate a whole goat and a whole cow and then, using the leftover bones,  stuck the goat’s head on the cow’s body and, tadah! - the Takin
• Bhutan is a constitutional monarchy 
• The current king is the country's fifth, referred to as K5
• The current king's dad, K4, married four sisters in the same ceremony
• Bhutan is the world's only officially Buddhist country
• There are monastic orders throughout Bhutan with boys as young as seven, usually from poor families, entering monasteries
• Usually associated with a spartan lifestyle, Bhutan's strand of Buddhism allows monks to own a range of possessions and they are frequently seen using mobile phones and iPads
  
• Most people enjoy eating meat and fish but there are two meat free 'auspicious' months
• Chillies are regarded as a vegetable rather than a seasoning and red patches of drying chillies can be spotted in every village
• The national dish is chillies and cheese
• Bhutan has the world’s highest unclimbed peak, Gangkhar Puensum (7570metres/24,836 feet)
  
• Mountaineering on any peak above 6,000 metres (19,685 feet) is banned
• The cost to visit Bhutan is set very high to discourage influence from outside and to protect  national culture and the environment
• Travelling the country independently is not allowed
• Television and internet access have only been available since 1999
• The national sport is archery.  The target is small which the archers aim at from a distance of 120 metres
• Tall visitors, like the mister, attract attention. 'How high you?'  'He look very good'
• The selling of tobacco is banned
• Bhutan is the only country whose largest export is renewable energy (hydroelectric power)
• Progress and the success of governmental strategy and policy is measured by happiness - Gross National Happiness rather than GDP
• Thimphu is the only capital in the world with no traffic lights
• Every Tuesday is dry day and alcohol sales are forbidden
• As part of the effort to preserve its culture, citizens are required to wear national dress in public, men wearing something resembling a knee length dressing gown with long socks, and women a full length skirt and short jacket 
• About two thirds of the population work in agriculture, the majority as subsistence farmers, and the aim is to be the first organic country
• One of the largest statues of Buddha in the world is being constructed on a hillside overlooking the capital, Thimphu

 

View from the bridge

We've a history of bridge building here, with, amongst others,  the Tamar Bridge, the Auckland Harbour Bridge, the Bosporus Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Bridge to our credit.  

We built a bridge or two for ourselves, too, though only one, the Transporter Bridge (referred to by us Smoggies as simply 'the Transporter'), is still operational.  

Passengers and cars are carried across the Tees in a gondola suspended from the bridge.  Those reluctant to pay the 60p fare or simply feeling energetic can climb 210 steps, walk across the top and descend the steps on the other side.

Yesterday, the Boy jumped off the Transporter.  This wasn't a desperate cry for help, you understand, but part of an organised bungee jump.  Apparently people come to the Boro from far and wide to jump off the top of the bridge, in a bid to raise money for charity or just for the sheer hell of doing it.  

The weather deteriorated as we waited from the safety of the viewing area, but  it remained relatively calm (unlike me) so the jumps went ahead (apart from those who chickened out at the last minute).

If my dad had had his way, the jump wouldn't have been possible. The Transporter wouldn't be there at all. He wasn't a fan once industry in the town and therefore passenger numbers had declined and, prior to it being granted Grade 11 listed status, used to make his view on the then uncertain future of the bridge very clear:

'Melt the bugger down'.