Nepal Himalaya Trek - Some Highlights

my favorite shot from my trip
That's one of the peaks of the Annapurna in the Himalaya,
shot from the bus on the way to Nayapul from
Pokhara for the first day's trek

It's been 1 or 2 weeks now since I got back from my trek in the Himalayas. Things kept me busy on the home front since my return, with family visiting from other countries and us going on another vaca while they were here.  And then finding out that my old laptop keyboard has gone bust the day we got back home.  What's a girl to do?  hehe.

Anyhow, this trek was my first weeks-long trek anywhere.  We took the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek, not the Everest one.  Hearing the name Everest alone sort of makes a newbie trekker like me hesitate to undertake one's first long trek.  Lol.  However, just because the Annapurna Base Camp trek can also be for newbies doesn't mean it's any less challenging.

One thing's for sure, if you're not fond of taking walks or have a pretty serious problem with your knees (I have no knee problem but ended up having to wear knee support to be on the safer side when the right knee started feeling weak/sore... still managed to carry my daypack everyday though) or aren't really into the outdoors, trekking in the Himalayas isn't for you, including this one -- Annapurna or not.  But if you're like the Hong Kong residents who typically walk fast or Westerners (mostly Europeans) we encountered on the trek who are used to hiking and have similar terrains back in their hometowns, it probably would be a breeze for you.  And maybe I'll blog more about this in another post.

This is the itinerary we chose to undertake:
On the way --

Binondo Church

My last shots of Binondo Church before I left Manila, using my Olympus XZ-1 point and shoot:

no effects, cloudy white balance

used art filter mode, dramatic tone (possibly my favorite option from the said mode.. hehe!)

Cat on the Table

just a shot of what's on the table at a hamburger place nearby, where 

I had dinner last week, while waiting for our orders.

coke bottles by the tables

my dinner.. was really hungry after a day out and about.. hehe!

Current Phone

while installing the Skype app

Just got myself a new phone plan, and it came with a free Google Nexus S phone.  It seemed to be the best deal so far with many unlimited features (including unlimited international texting) and the phone was a bonus.  I deliberately avoided choosing plans with Blackberry units or Nokia with Symbian OS (we all know where both are headed I think. hehe! :P ).

Wasn't really planning on an Android phone but needed a new mobile plan asap and it just so happens that the Samsung Google Nexus S is the best with the offer so far, since Apple's iPhone 5 is not yet released (tsk...).  I've been waiting for the iPhone 5 but need a mobile phone service asap so this free Android phone that came with the plan will do for now.  After all it came free when its actual cost is 400-500 USD thereabouts.  Gosh.  hehe!  Wasn't even aware of this model 'til I started looking around in shops for a new mobile phone plan the day before I got it.

So far so good.  Been like bringing a pocket PC with me with this smartphone.  hehe.  I just hate the apps running in the background when you don't need them.  And one big caveat?  My Macbook Pro with Lion OSX (yes I replaced my 5-year-old Mac with the striped feline OS) can't read the thing when I connect it via USB.  Gaaah!!  What's up with that?  :(   So might really switch to an iPhone 5 later once it's available.  Good thing I didn't shell out any cash for this free Android phone.  *sigh*

Design - I Like Some Felines

 my shot of one such feline at a teahouse in the Himalaya, Nepal

I've been liking felines and it's only now that I've realized it.  I like Sanrio/Hello Kitty.  I like my different Mac OSXs (a striped one, and my current roaring feline... skipped the one in the snow).  And I like Puma since 2007.

These words from my Puma's shoebox too made my day:
"Re-cyle

1. As a doll's house, for a small doll.

2. As a container for useless stuff you really should have chucked out by now.

3. As a place for private photos you can't store on your hard disc."

And I was even thinking to keep the shoebox for actual photos (not necessarily the private kind) am packing, before I read those words on the box package when I got home.  Lol!

Am removing old photos from their photo albums instead of packing the albums and having those taking a bigger space in a moving carton.  Then put back the shoes into the box once am at my new destination.

The box also has a guide on shoe sizes where it compares some selected sizes to real life items. Case in point: If your shoe size is a France size 47, it's as long as a "party blower blown", or if it's a US men's size 16 and 1/2, they're as long as "a gangster's gold chain". hahaha! Crazy Puma!

The barcode's kinda funny too.  

screenshot from http://martin318is.blogspot.com/ website

To know more about Puma's re-inventing the design of the shoebox as we know it: click here.
(Indeed it'd be great if several other shoe companies follow suit.)

To read a rather funny and cool story about this shoe company: click here.
(No wonder I like this feline then:  I liked its sibling's shoes, too, before this feline's revival).

Yeah... I'm definitely not gonna throw out this old box yet! hehe! :P

Hmmm

sneak peak of my trip

Guess where?  Will post some more info in the next month/s I guess.  Hehe.

Manila - Trek Gear Shopping Tips

I am a trekking newbie and when I decided late last year to go on my first serious trek at a mountain range overseas (scheduled months down the road back then), let's say I had an interesting as well as fun time of it for some months researching, window-shopping, and finally purchasing online and in Metro Manila whichever items I don't have yet .

So, in the interest of sharing with fellow trekking newbies where I shopped for my trek/outdoors gear and other shopping tips, I'm posting here my shopping tips/directory for the semi-budget-conscious trekker.  Lol.

1.  amazon.com

• women's leather boots: I chose a relatively inexpensive waterproof Timberland pair with ankle support.  It was recommended by an experienced trekker friend of mine.  I bought a half-size larger and I'm glad I did because it fits almost like my usual shoe size, and because I'll be wearing thick wool socks with it:  one thick merino wool outer, and one liner sock...to minimize blisters. So it had to have extra room.  It arrived today and I tried it on, and it fits great with the socks.  Thank goodness.  Hehe!  I was afraid it might not fit me.  Lol.  I'm wearing it on a climb to a really well-known high-altitude mountain range overseas whose topography/climate arguably differs with that of the Philippines's so I'm not sure if it would be the best footwear to recommend for Philippine mountain climbs.

• merino wool socks:  warm socks; anti-bacterial, can be worn more than once without having to wash them; more expensive than your usual or athletic socks
• point and shoot camera pouch: I chose a Lowepro Tasca 30 for my Olympus XZ-1
• poncho: covers yourself/bag if it rains torrentially up in the mountain, can do double duty as a makeshift tent with the right gear; possibly available in Metro Manila (supermarts or Ace Hardware maybe?) 

2.  my Deuter Act Trail 28 SL pack (includes pack rain cover):  Recreational Outdoor Exchange, otherwise known as R.O.X., also available in Toby's Sports

3.  trek pants

Lunar Eclipse June 2011

That's the best shot out of my amateur efforts last week. Used my Olympus DSLR with telephoto lens.  All photos are cropped from the original.

Below was when it became red/orange courtesy of an erupting volcano in Chile.

And here are the views from afar.

How to Train Your Dragon...and then Some

*Sigh*   Would have been really great to have attended this were it at my own backyard so to speak.  Such a talented person, how do they get this ability?  Composing music is abstract to me..  Makes one wish to have an exceptional and distinctive talent of one's own.  Lol.  And if there's one reason I'd visit London, it's to watch and listen to the Royal Philaharmonic Orchestra perform in their turf if anyplace else isn't possible.

Below is someone's youtube post of music composer John Powell conducting the Royal Philharmonic with selected music of his creation for the animated film How to Train Your Dragon.

From 03:25 is my favorite. Amazing!  Argh get me out of here.  Lol!  Makes me wish too that this was officially recorded with professional camera work, with nearer shots of the composer and orchestra performing.  There's a part 1 to the video as well in youtube.

It might be illegal to post it so just as the original poster was advised to do, I am giving credit where credit is due:  The concert was for charity, Concert for CARE at the Royal Albert Hall.  By CARE International:  If you enjoy this video, we kindly ask you to make a donation to CARE International. The idea of the concert was to raise money for the charity and all the composers gave a huge amount of time to help support us.  Please contribute by donating online here: http://bit.ly/cs3cw6

I came across the above video after some online research on the soundtrack to the movie How to Train Your Dragon.  I just finished watching it tonight.  Gosh!  It's among my favorites now.  Beats Avatar, or even Toy Story 1, 2, or 3 I must say on the movie enjoyment scale.  Lol.  Too bad I didn't get to see it on IMAX.

And below is my favorite track in the film: Forbidden Friendship.  It's the song that made me look for the sountrack initially, until I couldn't help but notice that the rest of the music in the film are quite outstanding as well while watching it.  Incredible.  hehe!  Seeing the film makes me wanna have my own cute dragon.  haha!

I also liked that they used Scottish actors/accents for some of the main characters.  Despite the incongruity of it with the story supposedly about a Viking community, the accents were effective, the words very clear.  One of them sounded so familiar, turns out it was the Spartan Leonidas (300's Gerard Butler) doing the voice for the Viking leader.

At certain angles, Toothless -- the protaganist's dragon (above) -- resembles Japanese animation characters like those in Pokemon/Pikachu.  Lol!  Cute.

I loved cinematographer Roger Deakins's work here too (especially the forest scenes, the aurora borealis, candle light cast on the characters, etc).  Lucky cast, crew and tech whizzes for having this film in their portfolio.  I'd be extremely proud if I were one of them.  hehe!

Anyway, now you know which movie and CD are newly added to my wish list.

Paris - No Woman No Cry...at the Arrondissement 18

Why do I like France/Paris...?  It's not so much the monuments, or the food, but rather its richness and appreciation of arts and culture, and not just for the high art sort of culture... hehe.

I like listening to many different sorts of music, sometimes in different languages.  And Paris is a pretty good place to be for this.  Arts and culture appreciation is so inherent in them it's not uncommon to find it manifested quite more overtly in their urban landscape than in many other urban cities.

A lot of times, you can encounter talented or interesting artists and musicians performing on the streets, the metro, etc...like it's just another ordinary day,  like this guy Ben L'Oncle Soul singing in the Metro.  I was listening to an online French music station when I heard it play one of his songs -- Elle Me Dit.  And I was like, Wow.  Loved what I heard and now I have mp3s of his album.  I took a look in youtube today to know more about this artist and found this, probably one of his older performances.

Nice no? Effortless talent indeed, especially with his rather distinct voice.  You should view their accoustic cover of Acqua's Barbie Girl song.  Lol! Here's another show of talent from him:

Below are videos I recorded of some performances I encountered on the streets in Paris, taken with my old point and shoot camera's video feature:

This one was recorded on a footbridge along the Seine, at the arrondissement 4.  That was pretty cool too.

Trek Gear List

Below are lists of things I'm bringing/wearing/using on a multi-day/week trek this year.  The destination's a cold place especially as we go up to a higher altitude, but am not going during winter so I won't be bringing any down jacket.


Bags

1. Deuter ACT Trail 28 SL pack - a pack designed for women's bodies..    
   
   
2. 1 sturdy duffle bag
   - holds all items that I need not carry while on the trail
   - to be carried by porter once trek starts
3. small pack
   - for my on/off trail carryon items 
   - might use my small and lightweight MEC Ridgemont pack (pictured below with my Bad Badtz Maru plush) or my small Millet pack.
   
   - This small pack would be put inside the Deuter pack when on the trail, and pulled out when at accommodations and dining at accommodations, for convenience with my carryon items.  Not camping with tents see.
4. stuff sacks/bag
   - usually nylon drawstring bags or small zip up toiletry bags (freebies from cosmetics/skincare/perfume product purchases.. lol) or plain plastic bags to organize my packing of items into stuff sacks: i.e., electronic gear peripherals in one, toiletries in another bag, undgergarments and socks in another bag, food packets, first aid kit, etc.

Electronics + Peripherals

1. DSLR camera with extra lens
   - especially for landscape, macro, evening, and astro-photography
2. point and shoot camera
   - mainly for trail, people, and other camp pics
3. lightweight tripod
4. lens filters and cleaner
5. my iPod video/classic (5th gen)
   - so can backup photos straight from the camera to here, not to a cumbersome laptop.. then transfer to PC/laptop when I get back home
6. cellphone (whether or not it's going to be used)
7. chargers, cables, and extra batteries and cards
8. camera pouch for my Olympus XZ-1 point and shoot camera, clipped on to my pack's strap/harness for easy access when on the trail
   

Other Gear

1. poncho
2. trekking poles
3. head torch
4. gloves
5. watch
   - I got myself an inexpensive and basic sporty Timex Marathon watch (in torquoise) 'cause I don't want to lose track of the date and time while trekking for several days/weeks. It also looks cute even when not trekking. hehe.
   - It has a daily alarm, 2 timezones, 24-hr timer, stopwatch, 50m water resistance, etc.
6. fleece blanket
7. towel
8. sarong 
9. metal water bottle
10. plastic drinking cup
11. my double-walled tea tumbler
    - got this in Vancouver
    
    
12. spoon and fork
13. gaiters (I'm not sure yet how useful a pair would be for me)

Apparel

Recently Bought Online

Another day, another mundane post.   :P

Mainly for an upcoming trip, I've bought a couple of items online in the past 2-3 months; all on amazon.com.  It's just  more convenient that way, especially when I know some friends coming over to Manila from the US who are willing to bring the items for me, but also because most of the items are stuff on my to-buy list but can't find sold in the country.

 

I don't really enjoy going to the malls unless I am hanging out with friends/family, or I feel like buying new clothes at Promod, or some kawaii stuff at a Sanrio store, or some books at the bookstores, or am researching/window-shopping for outdoor gear/apparel and gadgets/computers to compare with online shopping price and availability. Yeah?  hehe!

So anyhow, my latest online purchases are kind of related to some future plans which involve trekking/the outdoors and my other interest which is photography, and the rest are items I like but which I can't find in the Philippines.

So let's see the stuff I bought online (for a planned trip) which I can't find in shops in Manila:

The Life Aquatic

I think this is my favorite scene in the film. 

It's just so cute and funny.  That whale... swimming in and out behind Bill Murray like he's having fun while these two adults are talking seriously.  Strange and funny contrast but it works!  Lol.  I can't help but crack up especially at that part when the whale enters the scene swimming by belly-up, totally care-free, just hangin' out.  haha!

I liked this movie's soundtrack too.  Particularly the guitar songs being performed by one of the characters (played by Seu Jorge) singing in a different language in some scenes.  Turns out they're his rendition of David Bowie's songs in Portuguese. 

Looking for an Alternative to Flickr?

I created an ipernity.com account just recently; after I got fed up with Flickr since Flickr only displays the last 200 of one's uploaded photos and I'm not yet ready nor willing to sign up for a paid account to display all my uploaded photos.  Hehe!

screenshot of my ipernity.com albums

So I looked around for another online photography album alternative that's similar to  Flickr, and discovered ipernity.com.  And a good thing too!  ipertinity.com displays up to the last 1000 photos uploaded vs Flickr's 200.  That's a vast difference.  

And one can upload up to 200mb worth of files each month.  But since I optimize my photos by resizing them for web display anyway, I'm able to upload a lot before it can even reach 200mb.  Teehee!

I was able to create about 20 sets or albums of photos and haven't yet reached uploading a thousand pics.  Nice!

So this is where I post selected photographs I took and organize them by category (i.e., black and white, macro, etc) rather than make it a mirror of my albums in my multiply.com account.

home page 

It's Summer in the Islands

and my pet is trying to beat the heat!  Lol!

caught sleeping at a shaded corner of 

the garden, behind a huge palm plant

I didn't realize just how cool the area was until my pet woke up, trotted up to me, and I stroked the fur on the side where he laid on the soil.  Felt cool on my palm indeed!  It's like he's just been to a room with air from the air conditioner vents pointed at him the whole time.  lol!  No wonder he stays in that area. hehehe!

As viewed from behind a screened door.  Notice how strong the sunlight is on the right of the pic.  Been a really hot, humid and muggy summer.  The sort where it's prudent to drink some water before heading out of the house.  All photos taken with a cellphone camera set to warm white balance.

Mi Auto

Speaking of car accessories/decor... This is what you'd see with mine. =)

Sanrio plush dolls along the windshield: My 

Melody, Bad Badtz Maru, and Hello Kitty

early morning on the highway, with some cyclists

view with monsoon rains pouring quite heavily just as I arrived at 

work and parked across my office building (bummer!  hehe!)

More car pics...

Manila - Taxi Decor

Below are pics -- taken in the past few years -- of noteworthy windshield or dashboard decors in some taxis I've taken along Paseo de Roxas (where my old workplace was located) in the central business district/Makati. 

 

Santas hanging off the windshield.. 

It was just rather fun seeing them especially everytime the cab

moved and they all start swaying at the same time.  lol!  :D Maybe 

should have taken a video.  This was at Xmas time 2006.

I just had to get a snapshot of this.  

This cab had a lot of toy figurines on its dashboard!  They've
practically taken over the dashboard.  Lol!

Music - Sublime Sigur Rós

My favorite band. And I think the world's best, too, at the moment. hehe! Most of their songs never fail to make me feel emotional -- happy or sad or a combination -- or inspired, and except for one song they don't even have English lyrics. Gah!

My favorite album of theirs: Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. Don't worry, I couldn't read it either. Lol! It means "With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly".

I especially like the following tracks:

• Við spilum endalaust 
• Starálfur
• Hoppipolla - performed in the video above
• Festival - happy inspiring music; used in the Danny Boyle film 127 Hours
• Ára bátur - the song that made me a fan.. lol.  My utter fave... and amazed to learn that according to the band's website, it's "the largest musical undertaking in the band's career, as it was recorded live in one take with the london sinfonietta and london oratory boys' choir, a total of 90 people playing at the same time"
• Með Suð Í Eyrum
• Fljótavik - really atmospheric
  
• Góðan Daginn 
• Untitled #8 (Popplagið)
• Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur - another happy song
• Illgresi - the most meaningful for me... hehe!

 And below is the same song as used by a trailer for the BBC's Planet Earth series.

*sigh* Thank you BBC. Lol! Makes one want to go run and buy a DVD/blu-ray of this BBC series. hehe! If there's one best reason to get blu-ray, it would be this production. Anyway, needless to say, I've copies of the above videos in my iPod, too. Hehe!

Trekking and Me

As is evident in this blog, none of my travel experiences involved climbing or hiking or trekking mountains in the Philippines....only leisurely drives, picnics, explorations, and beach stays in Philippine destinations.  

It's only when I started working that I met people who do mountaineering, and even then, it didn't catch on with me.  I always feel it's too rugged an activity, especially with the heat and humidity, and ruggedness of such places in the Philippines.  And I know myself when it comes to these things.  I'm not that strong a person either and don't look forward to carrying a huge load on my back for a long period of time in such conditions.  Hehe!  So it doesn't interest me much to join local mountain climbing treks.  I always think it's too challenging for me and not worth so much effort.  I'm more of a leisurely explorer I guess.

Despite all these, I'm the sort who actually enjoys and looks forward to walking; as well as hiking in places where it's not too hot.  I owe this I think to having lived in a district of Manila and Makati where everything's within walking distance except for my school.  

At the same time, I like taking pictures.

My Travel Bug

Ever since I can remember, my family has always gone out of town for trips especially during my siblings' and my school vacations.  You wouldn't find us at home almost every Sunday during the summer school break.  At other times, they were spontaneous weekend day trips.  My dad is the sort who likes going out on long drives.  We either go to the beaches or Baguio or Tagaytay way back when.  We all loved and enjoyed these trips.  My dad takes lots of pics too.  

My mom also enjoys her travelling outside of the country.  Whereas my dad only usually does it for business or to visit relatives.  And us kids got our overseas vacations like they were our right of passage in the family.  So growing up, my siblings and I all ended up being travel bugs, some more than the others.  Lol.  It became one of my raisons d'etre for having gone into the career I am in now (IT with multinational companies... means opportunities to work and therefore travel as well, to overseas with minimal visa application hassle.. lol)

Shots of me in San Francisco, Germany, Paris, and Spain

Therefore, for me, as long as I get to explore/travel a city, a rural area, or a place with varying topography, or where I can shoot pics with interesting subjects, I'm happy.  I like this activity better than I do shopping.  And if I'm not shopping for Sanrio items, I best like shopping only when it has something to do with shopping for items for my travel, shopping for souvenirs, or shopping for home decor/items at the country I'm visiting.  Lol.