by Calvin Sun | Sep 25, 2011 | Crisis, Nepal, Post-travel Reflections
About 2 months ago I was extolling the wonders of seeing Mount Everest with my own eyes. I woke up today to read that the same Beechcraft 1900D turboprop airplane I had been on just crashed a few hours ago, killing all onboard: 2 Americans, 10 Indians, 6 Nepalese, and...
by Calvin Sun | Jul 2, 2011 | Fail, How Did You Do That?, How's the weather?, India, Lessons Learned, Let me tell you a Story..., Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Nepal, Public Transportation, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
The last 36 hours have been no less than a harrowing series of events and run-ins. For our last hours in Kathmandu, I got to head over to the suburbs of Chisablani to meet with a family that hosted my cousin when he was in Nepal last year. This was the same Sherpa...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 29, 2011 | Nepal, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, What Dreams May Come
Today I saw Mount Everest with my own eyes. Whether it’s the 14-day trek to Everest Base Camp or a 1 hour mountain flight from Kathmandu, everyone should see Earth’s tallest structure at least once in their lives. I went in thinking it...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 28, 2011 | Community Service, Fit for Foodies, Nepal, Serendipitous!, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Way Way Off the Beaten Path
Before I post up my entry on Everest, I should mention our unexpected detour to Hindu Vidyapeeth (HVP) last night. HVP is a non-profit educational trust that enrolls Nepalese children from regions as far as Myanmar and provides them a quality education and prepares...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 28, 2011 | Let me tell you a Story..., Nepal, Public Transportation, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
I was warned about this. One day someone will ask me what is the worst bus I’ve ever ridden. Would it be a 16 hour overnight bus from Udaipur to Mumbai where the A/C dripped water on my face for half the time? Would it be a 10 hour overnight bus from Hyderabad...
by Stephanie Quan | Jun 28, 2011 | Let me tell you a Story..., Nepal, Public Transportation, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
The bus ride that no one but Calvin and I found hilarious, then not so hilarious In Nepal, the transportation is..well…not like Turkey’s. So to travel approximately 200 km, we alloted a day each way. The ride to Pokhara, was a little...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 27, 2011 | Fail, Introspection, Mythbusters, Nepal, Public Transportation, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, The Nightlife
Went paragliding this morning…and didn’t die. Our place where we were staying, Karma Guesthouse (highly recommended! 250 rupees per person, which is around $3-4 USD), arranged it for us: It’s about $78 USD to get on a 9:30am pickup van that took me...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 26, 2011 | Fit for Foodies, Nepal, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
Pokhara is a backpacker haven, especially for those looking for a respite from the hullabaloo of Kathmandu. But because of this allure, it’s hard to get away from other tourists, unless you’re going during low season (i.e. right now). But the downside to...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 25, 2011 | Epiphanies on the Road, Introspection, Let me tell you a Story..., Nepal, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, What Dreams May Come
Doubt is useful for awhile. . . . But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation. – Life of Pi, Chapter 7 In the course of 6 hours on the bus from Kathmandu to Pokahara I have finished...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 25, 2011 | How Did You Do That?, Let me tell you a Story..., Nepal, Public Transportation, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
Other than metaphysical discoveries during the trip, our ride to Pokhara from Kathmandu was everything you’d expect from a local bus in the subcontinent: Departs 15 minutes earlier than scheduled As a result, had to be flagged down by 2 American travelers...
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