Everest Base Camp Trek - Cost components

Everest Peak

While planning for Everest Base Camp (EBC), the biggest question that comes up is - 'What is included as a part of the trekking cost that you pay the organiser'. 

Ideally, you should ask the organiser to spell out what is included and what is not. The list below is a guide for the same (may not be a complete one) - check with the organiser on each one of these.

1. Airport pickup and drop off at Kathmandu airport and transportation to & from the local hotel (Arrival from your home / departure to Lukla, arrival from Lukla and departure back home)
2. Hotel stay at Kathmandu.
3. Breakfast while at Kathmandu.
4. Local sightseeing, in and around Kathmandu.
5. Airport taxes at Kathmandu and Lukla.
6. Food expenses (3 times a day) starting from Lukla.
1. Open menu or restricted items.
2. Hot drinks (coffee, tea, milk etc).
3. If restricted items, menu for food.
7. Porter charges for carrying your luggage.
8. Complete day to day itinerary with route and stay information.
9. Rest day plan / itinerary.
10. First aid kit.
11. Facility for emergency medical evacuation.
12. English speaking guide (or your preferred language) and guide charges
13. Trekking gear rental - Down jacket, Rain jacket, gloves, trekking poles.
14. Sleeping bags rental (needed mostly at the higher camps only).
15. Type of tea houses.
16. Shared or individual accommodation at tea houses.
17. Tips that should be paid to porters / guide at the end of the trek.
18. Kathmandu to Lukla is a 1.5 hour journey in a 10 - 20 seater flight, going through the mountains. Since is weather is unpredictable, at times flights get cancelled and this delays the trek. Check with the organiser on additional costs if the trek is delayed due to weather or challenges.

My trek was completed in 11 days which was a very cramped schedule. A handful of trekkers fell sick on the way and they did not have enough days in the schedule to recover and join us later / continue the trek. All of them were left behind and were picked up on our way back.

Listening to the experience of other trekkers we met on the way, the Himalayan Rescue Association doctors, guides and locals we came to the conclusion that EBC should be long enough to accommodate any delays due to tiredness, medical condition that is not serious and one can quickly recover from. 12 - 14 days schedule is highly recommended with appropriate rest days during the ascent.

In the next entry, I will talk about the trek, route and my experience with photos :)

Planning for Everest Base Camp Trek

From the limited trekking experience I have had in the last few years, Everest Base Camp (EBC) has been one of the most grueling and best treks I have done till now. Planning for this trek started almost 2 years back when I came across the details for this trek on a website of a trekking organisation. The Everest word intrigued me and started reading more about others experience and details regarding the trek. I checked with a few trekkers I knew and no one was ready to take up because of this difficulty level and cost. Cost of this trek was (and is) very high (1000$ - 1300$). Hence I kept postponing the decision to take up this trek. 

Everest Peak

Late 2011, I started seriously looking at completing EBC trek and again started looking around for organisations arranging this trek. This time, a friend of mine (Preeti) also joined in the search. We came across three organisations that fit into our cost requirements. Only two of them fit into our timeline - i.e. completing the trek in the early half of 2012. Talked to both the organisers and spent sometime enquiring about them, their experience in organising such treks and the planning they have done till now. While both of them shared similar experience and background, one of them was half the cost of the other. It was a very difficult decision because both organisers gave different views on why their cost was low or high. Eventually, we settled down with the lower cost organiser because they had a confirmed departure / schedule. The other organiser, eventually, cancelled their trek due to lack of participation.

In hindsight, would have preferred an organisation that charged more, but provided better quality of service. Expenses during the trek increased due to improper planning and extreme cost cutting measures adopted by the organiser.  The organising team lacked the professional attitude and temperament that is needed in such strenuous treks. So it is important to shortlist the right trek organiser - search on internet, check with people whom you know and have used the organiser etc. (If you need details on the cost etc, please send me an email).

For an amateur trekker, EBC is like an expedition. It is important to plan for this trek very early (6 months or   before) and start physical / fitness training 3 months before. Even though the trek route is commercialised (to the extent that at times one doesn't get a feeling of being in mountains), its not advisable to postpone buying things during the trek. Many travellers / websites may give you a view about buying things on the way, but keep in mind that the cost increases as you move up. Packaged water bottle that costs 20 NPR (Nepali Rupees) at Kathmandu will go up to 350 NPR at the last camp (Gorakhshep) - you can negotiate and bring it down, depends on the energy left in you to negotiate. The cost escalation is justifiable to a larger extent since essentials are either flew in by helicopters and carried by porters / Yaks. Unless you have missed something in your packing or exhausted your rations early (like we did :) ), its advisable not to buy anything on the way up.

I confirmed my trek participation in early January (2012) and from then on clock started ticking for fitness preparation. I spent 40 mins on a cross trainer and 30 minutes on weights every day, which helped during the trek. Keep in mind, unless you have done high altitude treks, nothing can prepare you for the height - essentially loss of oxygen as you go up and altitude related illness. Proper planning, understanding the challenges one may encounter and knowledge about your own body will help you overcome any difficulties during high altitude treks.

Coming back to the planning part, essential stuff that I carried and were of use:-

(This lists below may not be complete or cover all essentials, its just a guidance.)

Trek wear (Quantity depends on your comfort and weight you can carry):

1. Thermals (top and bottom) - Look for performance thermals ( moisture wicking and odor-free) that can be worn days together. Helps in reducing the weight one has to carry.
2. Down jacket or thermally insulated jacket. If you have a used one and can withstand the temperature, carry them. Avoids any anxiety during the trek.
3. Normal or rain proof trekking trousers is enough, over the thermals for bottom layer.
4. Rain jacket, preferably a long coat type (knee or calf length) for better air circulation.
5. Water proof trekking shoes (preferably ones you have already used in treks).
6. Woolen socks for higher camps and normal socks otherwise. Its wise to wear a normal sock as an inner layer for woolen socks.
7. Woolen gloves for higher camps and water proof gloves for wet weather.
8. Hat to protect from Sun.
9. Woolen cap for higher camps (or a Balaclava)
10. Bandana for covering face, absolutely must if you want to avoid tanning on your face.
11. Extra fleece jacket (or thermal) for added protection.
12. Sunglasses (no blue colour in higher altitudes / snow).
13. Sandals for use inside tea houses.

In addition to the above, carry a couple of full sleeve t-shirts. Other clothes and quantity needed will be a personal choice.

Medical stuff:

1. Must to carry a trekking insurance. For Indians, very few providers offer insurance. I went through Ihi Bupa and my friend through Wold Nomads.
2. Medicines depending on your physician advice. I carried medicines for food poisoning (suffered from this almost throughout the trek), nasal decongestant, cough medicines, pain killer, fever / headache and Diamox. Amongst the medicines, Diamox is certainly a life saver, helps avoid Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). I took two tablets a day from the first day of the trek. Read about AMS thoroughly and consult your physician at the planning stages itself to understand it better.
3. First aid kit consisting of pain reliever (spray), band aid, alcohol pads for sterilisation and cotton rolls.
4. Carry crepe bandage(s) if you have a history of joint pain during trekking or to help with sprain.
5. Lip balm, cold creams and other cosmetics of your choice.
6. Wet tissues.

Most of the trek route is littered with Yak dung and when it rains this makes the routes difficult to walk. Also, during peak season, the trek route is very crowded as was our case. Always cover your nose with a mask or bandana to avoid picking up any respiratory infection.

Food

Chocolates and dry fruits will help retain energy. Glucose or Gatorade powder can be added to water for a refreshing drink on the way. Carry chlorine tablets or drops for water purification. Throughout the trek, there are nice and cosy tea houses which provide lodging facilities. Food should not be a concern as these tea houses serve good food.

Trekking gear and accessories

1. A good backpack.  Have a good backpack even if you are planning to use a porter (recommended), 
2. A small day pack if you are planning to walk around during rest days.
3. Trekking pole - most trekkers use two poles, its a personal preference. Two poles give better stability.
4. Water bottles, atleast 2 litres. I carried a hydration pouch (3 ltrs).
5. Rain cover for backpack or camera bags.
6. A small wait pouch (attached to the backpack waist strap or separate) to hold frequently accessed  items.

Photo, Video equipment is personal choice. Whatever you carry, make sure there is backup supply. Battery or mobile charging is available in most tea houses, chargeable on hourly basis.

Reference links I used before my trek:

1. http://www.himalayanglacier.com/equipment_list.php?productId=88
2. http://www.explorehimalaya.com/trekking_peaks_gear.php
3. Lonely Planet discussion forums.

Trek begins - Day 3 Sankri to Juda Talao

May 25th - Beginning of the strenuous trek. As usual the group was up by 5:00 AM - tea and exercises followed by breakfast. Went back to the tents and collected the trekking rucksack and backpacks. Need to mention that YHAI provides a basic rucksack for the ones who don't have one. Most in the group opted for that. Some of, having had the experience and a trekking backpack took ours. They also provided a cloth lining for the sleeping bags, a fresh one. This has to be carried with us and used at all campsites. We were given a great send-off by the instructors and office staff at the campsite and the long walk started. Being first day and with warm temperatures, the first hour was strenuous. First day, we were told, is all ascent - 6000 ft, Sankri Base camp to 8000+ ft Juda Talao. We were accompanied by a trekking guide who patiently waited for the last one at every stop. We had to stop every 15 mins or so to catch our breath and have some water before we could take our next step.

Photos: Steep ascent and group taking rest

Photos: One of the many water streams during the trek - our water source and locals taking essentials to the villages on the mountains using cows and bulls.

Photos: Lunch point, group relaxing and Tea served by the locals

Talking about the views - it was  breathtaking! We saw quite a few of the Himalayan peaks coming closer as we conquered the first day. Swargarohini, is supposed to be a famous peak and that's the one we tracked throughout the first few days of the trek.

Coming back to the trek, we reached the lunch point around 1:00 PM. The lunch point is always fixed - the locals serve packed juice and hot maggi at all lunch points, accompanied by hot tea. YHAI provides packed lunch - rotis and potato sabji everyday. Trekkers who need a change typically order maggi at the lunch point - prices always at a premium, but certainly a change instead of the daily rotis and potato.

One of the clear instructions to us was not to take a nap in the afternoon. Apparently if you are catching mountain sickness, you get very sleepy and that affects your body. After a tiresome walk and a great lunch on the first day, we relaxed under the shade of trees - talking, laughing and taking a dig at each other.

We left the lunch point around 2:30 and a short walk took us to the entrance of the next camp - Juda Talao. The camp leader came down to greet us and take us up the last climb - close to 60 degrees steep climb and when we reached the camp, the sight was awesome!!! The tents followed by a lake and the Himalayan peaks looming all around :-) A sight to cherish! Dumped my bags and spent a couple of hours taking photos near the lake! We also celebrated Rajesh's birthday at the camp with a cake made by the cook :-)

Photos: Different views of the camp site and the lake

Photos: Night view of the camp site and Dragon fly at the lake

Photos: A bird relaxing at the pond and Rajesh's b'day celebrations

This place was a great camp site for many reasons:

1) Just awesome to be in the midst of thick forest and mountains all around with a lake nearby

2) Excellent place for photography - great opportunity - check out the next day experience for one more great experience

3) The place somehow makes you feel at peace.

As usual, 10:00 lights went out - since it was almost a full moon, took a few shots in the night just using the moonlight. Back to Bangalore today, I miss that place! Sigh!!!

Kedarkanth trek - Day 2 / Acclimatisation

Day started off with exercises to get our body and mind adjusted to the weather and heights. The base camp is @ 6000 ft and it was essential for this acclimatisation process to start here. Jogging, followed by core exercises were completed and the group came back for breakfast. After that, we all packed our ruck sacks / backpacks for a short trek and rappelling.

First stop at the rappelling point, we were given instructions about rappelling and the instructors did a demo. Then one by one we all completed rappelling down a 55 ft cliff. Once that was done, a short trek uphill followed by a descent was done and we returned back to the camp for lunch.

Photo: Field Director Shravan Kumar Sharma giving instructions to the group on rappelling.

Post lunch, we segregated our belongings into two backpacks / bags. One for the trek and one to leave @ the base camp. By the time we got that sorted out, it was evening and we were ready for the tea and dinner routine.

Around the same time, the batch that left on 15th May - 40+ students from a college in Mumbai had returned. So the dinner time we had more people in the camp. Additionally 7 more people reported for their trek starting from 24th. Since that was a small group, they were merged into ours, making ours 28. Their acclimatisation was quickly done by an evening trek and they joined us for dinner and intro later.

The group that just returned warned us that the first trek will be the most difficult. With that in mind and the excitement of starting the trek, lights went out @ 10:00 PM :-)

Photos from day 2:
Acclimatisation & rappelling photos

Kedarkanth trek - Dehradun to Sankri

YHAI had provided stay @ a Dharamsala and by dinner time I realised I did not have space to crash. Only one room was left, without electricity and any other facilities. So I informed the director and took a room outside. We were asked to be up and ready by 5:00 - get some breakfast, pack our lunch and leave by 5:30.

Morning I reached the Dharamsala and the gates were locked. With 2 backpacks weighing me down, the wait was endless. Luckily my co-trekker Niraj showed up :-). He called up the director and the watchman showed up - eyed us suspiciously and opened the gates after we convinced him that we are not thieves :-).

Earlier, the night before more people joined the group. Originally the batch for 22nd just had 15 people. Like myself, others from later groups (23rd and 24th) added and we were 21 people that morning.

So when we reached Dharamsala, hot breakfast was ready. Oily pooris were a bit too much for me and hence I had a large quote of hot hot Dalia. It was simple, yet wonderful food. With breakfast sorted out, packed some pooris and bhendi in my box for lunch. Slowly rest of the group started streaming in for breakfast, welcoming each other.

By that time, we also realised that the 5:30 estimated departure may not happen. There was still some confusion about the bus and the final confirmation came for 7:00am departure. Since we had some time, Madam Gopi, one of the Volunteer camp leaders and an avid trekker from Karnataka got us together for an informal briefing and intro. At last, I got to know the gang for this trek. It was a mix of all ages starting from 3 kids around 13 yrs to 3 senior citizens. Madam Gopi took us through the dos and donts in these treks and safety tips. We all streamed towards the bus, myself and another guy got to the top and piled all our backpacks. The helper tied them down with a tarpaulin sheet and we were all set.

Officially, the trek started on the morning of 23rd May with a bus ride to the base camp @ Sankri. Close to 175 KMs from Dehradun to Sankri. Being a local bus and we were only 21 people, the bus stopped almost every 2 KMs to pick up or drop-off the locals. Winding roads, some 10+ mountains to cross, the total journey took 10 hours! Added to this, for someone tall like me, the seats are very uncomfortable. The bus stopped for breakfast, lunch and few times for tea on the way. The last hour, the trekkers were the only ones in the bus. After a quick stop @ the forest check post for entry fees, we finally arrived at our destination @ Base Camp Sankri - time was 5:30 PM Sunday, May 23rd !

All the tiredness from the travel vanished with the breathtaking views waiting for us. The camp was located in the middle of potato fields. First level was the reception and office, 2nd level dinner area and the last two levels were the tents.

The evening went in formalities, collecting our sleeping bags and other essentials. Mr. Shravan Kumar Sharma - Field Director, YHAI Kedarkanth trek, briefed on the schedule and we dispersed to our tents. One thing was common in this trek, that's the schedule. 5:00 AM Wake up, 5:30 tea, 7:00 AM breakfast, then proceed to the activities. If at the camp, 1-2pm lunch, 5:30 PM tea, 6:30 Soup, 7:30 PM dinner and by 10:00 PM lights out. This schedule was religiously followed (and enforced). Looking back, I feel this strict schedule helped us accomplish all the challenges thrown at us during this trek.

After a hot soup, I went to  the Sankri village (half km by walk) to buy sandals and poncho. I needed a size 10 and the last available size was 7 - shops stock for the locals and it was rare for them to need a larger size. Left with no choice, I picked up the size 7.

Came back for dinner and we all gathered for a formal introduction. The instructors, office staff, field director and the trekking group got to know about each other. Campfire (just a basket with lights) is a ritual, lighted by our group leader and the trek was officially kicked off :-)! 10:00 PM lights out!

Photos here @
Base camp @ Sankri photos

Trek to Kedarkanth (YHAI)

Finally, after 2 years of hesitation, work pressure and various other factors, I decided to take a plunge to one of the best rated treks. Youth Hostels Association of India (http://yhaindia.org) arranges trekking expedition every year to multiple places, especially in the Himalayan ranges.

I joined the Kedarkanth (not kedarNATH) trek and managed to take 14 days time off from work. Reported at the starting address today and met up with the camp director. Since i am a couple of days early from my actual starting date, they have agreed to let me join the group that starts today. As of now, I know there are 13 of us - names, will be able to recollect for the blog as days go by.

For more information on the trek program, refer to this URL.
http://yhaindia.org/files/adv_programs/description/kedar.html

For today, just the introduction to all members - all from different places in India. Had dinner with most of them - sumptuous dinner prepared by the YHAI employees. Need to take good rest tonight - have a 8 hour (175 kms) bus ride to the base camp @ Sankri. Though the distance is less, being a local bus, apparently the bus stops for everyone and anyone who waves at it. Have to ask the locals to tie down their hands, if they don't have any intention of taking that bus tomorrow :-)

Until i get network connectivity, Adios for now :-)

I feel betrayed!

I feel betrayed! - That is how I can sum up my emotions on the current controversies hitting cricket.

I am one among the millions of cricket fans in India - not a fanatic, just a lover of good cricket. I like to stand up and applaud a match winning score by a tailender or when Sachin hits 200 to rewrite the record books, once more. I just love clean cricket, free of unwanted controversies like Harbhajan vs Andrew Symonds. I felt angry when Harbhajan slapped Sreesanth live on cameras.

But what is coming out in the media is just appalling. Call it media hype or "trial by media", but the muck coming out of IPL is just unfortunate. A bunch of businessmen decided to exploit the emotions of millions of fans like me. A number of them pay a day's salary to watch a match live in stadiums. Some buy colour TVs just because India is in the Semis of world cup. Some stand in line, hours, to get a ticket that will give a glimpse of their favorite player. All of that stands exploited right now.

IPL came up with the concept of cities owning teams. Sachin getting out and the stadium goes into a frenzy! - in India, that was never imaginable before IPL. Such is the extent of the love for this game, that the little master is not above the fan's passion for his / her team!

What have we got back - Sleazy deals, money laundering, under the table agreements and perfectly smiling politicians saying "We do not have any stake in IPL" (except their relatives & friend's benefit from the businesses surrounding IPL).

All those irritating ads that doesn't even allow you to see a replay of a wicket that just fell, hours of game analysis, stupid strategies suggested by the non-playing "captains" of what we called as commentators - I was ready to bear all that, all for the love of this game.

I feel betrayed!

One of the owners said recently - "A group of *like* minded people came together and decided to buy a stake in IPL teams". I would like to rephrase the "Like Minded" to money minded. A bunch of money minded people decided that by owning a team in IPL, they can own the game. They decided to exploit the "passion of the nation" for their own profits.

Players are pure entertainers.
IPL promised to entertain the country - combination of fast paced game, music and celebrities - all in 4 hours.
IPL promised to build the budding entertainers from the host cities. A dream for so many players who may or may not make it to the national team to play with the likes of Zaheer, Kumble, Dravid, Ganguly and the list goes.
IPL promised a platform to bring out the talent in many. For many of them (except a handful from the current national team), getting a national cap is the ultimate achievement.

And IPL promised all of that.

Today, I don't know what is real - every six that is hit, mis-field yielding crucial runs, wicket taken at a critical juncture, mix-up leading to a run out, injuries and what not - have they been decided out side the field? Are the players mere entertainers, enacting the script they have been given. The thin line between Cine celebrities and Players, has it blurred? Did someone think that actors cannot become players, but the reverse is possible?

I don't know what to believe, but I feel exploited!

So what can we do?
Don't shy way from the game. Somewhere, in some corner, the game is still pure, in its original form. Continue to watch the game, but don't pay money to see IPL. No feeding into the millions of revenue that is a part of the forecast - no believing Abhishek Bachan's calls for "Ungli Cricket".

History has taught us a few lessons - when the common man starts questioning the system, it leads to a revolution. Be a part of the revolution that will clean this muck. Let the men who wants to run this game, understand that there is no price for the passion of a fan - it cannot be bid and won. Lets stand up!

Until that happens, I will feel betrayed!!!

One of the songs the team got crazy about.

Listen to this song ->

mat nai cha cha cha - Hong Ngoc

First day with clients and surprises...

(Photo: My introduction slide to the clients along with Zum)

On September 21st, the much awaited kick-off and introduction to the clients started on a silent note. None of us had interacted with the clients except maybe a "Hi" over email. Don't remember if any of us got a response. The clients were accompanied by a Senior Official from Labour Ministry, who was also the director of a local orphanage (separate entry about the Orphanage visit follows). Apparently Mark informed that there was some issues with the projects short listed and he was there to help us out. The presentation started with an introduction of ABV and its work in Vietnam. Also included was a brief talk about this program. Then my team member John started off with the introduction of IBM and this team, end with a personal introduction of himself. One by one we shared a few minutes about us. The earlier day, when the "musical chair" with translators happened, Mark has analysed the translators and sort of paired us in his mind :-) So Zum was assigned to me to handle my intro - went of very well, I must say. I kept my lines short so that she can translated and she prompted me when there were doubts. The initial apprehension about the translation died off and we were curious to know who our clients were.

(Photo: Clients at the presentation, with Mark and Sarah from ABV in the background)

All formalities completed and the meeting ended with each of identifying our clients. As with the previous days, I was in for a surprise :-). Apparently when Mark mentioned that there were some issues with the projects, he meant that my client dropped off from the program!!! I was like, excellent! The orphanage director was there to see if he can use one or two volunteers to help him out with the orphanage projects. This was to offset the dropped clients. Once the meeting was over, the Director was not interested in any of us for his projects and hence his response didn't change things :-)
Mark immediately assigned me to a Project that one of my team members was handling. This is for a boat company looking to improve its business. I was assigned to his project so that he can get a translator - there were ten of us with 9 translators. Jan was the team member and he did not have one. Looking back, I think that was one the best decisions Mark took because I enjoyed Jan's company so much. Jan had close to 15 years of experience with 8 years in IT. He is from Denmark and manages large projects. We hit it off really when the second we knew Mark's decision. The funny part was his client also was not there :-D
The joy of getting assigned to a project sort of went away since we didn't know if the client would show up. Mark asked Zum to handle this and follow up with the client. After some anxious moments, we did get a confirmation from the client that they are picking us up at the hotel in 30 minutes.

It was a morning of ups and downs, I must say! And as informed, exactly in 30 minutes, two people from our client walked in - Mr. Vinh (pronounced Mr. Ving) and Ms. Oanh (Pronounced Ms. "Why"ng) walked in, smiling and nervous (we were also nervous :-)). Perfect start to the assignment - introductions were quick, hand shakes exchanged and within minutes we were seated in their car heading to the client office.

(Photo: Like me, Jan was trying to impress the audience, without realising that his client was missing :-D ).

In hindsight, I guess Mark did not keep us informed about the dropped clients so that the enthusiasm is preserved. I am sure if I had know that my client was not there, I would have done a namesake job, maybe.

A seperate post will follow, all about the client, their business, what we did etc. Watch out!!! :-)
Until then, Xin Chao & Cam On for reading my blog.

Meeting with the Translators

As soon as we arrived a the hotel on Sunday night, Mark setup a meeting with the translators. It was a musical chair sorts where we 10 were seated in seperate tables and the translators had one minute to know about us and vice versa. 8 girls and one guy, all recent college graduates from a nearby city called Hai Phong, with major in English. They had a very heavy Vietnamese accent and was tough to understand. Half of them had previous experience with other teams in Vietnam (mine was the 6th team in 2 years). The ones new had trouble understanding us.
For courtesy and style, I asked one of the new (which I came to know later)
translators "How are you?". She heard is as "How old are you?" and said "23". Followed it by a question back to me "What is your age?" :-D I had to really try hard to control my laughter!!!
It was a fun experience getting to know them like that - most of them had a simple upbringing and even simpler ambitions in life. They were looking forward to get a job as a translator, interpreter, tour guide, teacher - smaller ambitions and looking forward to achieve it.
Both our team and the translators were tensed on how the pairing will be and how are we going to manage. But today when I look back after 3 weeks, all that started well, ends well :-)

Post that introduction, Mark took us to a restaurant with the translators. We were hosting the translators for dinner. The entrance to the restaurant was littered with Tubs & flowing water. At first I didn't get what that was all about. On a closer inspection, realised that was all live sea food. All kinds of fish, crabs, squid, clams, oysters and everything you can imaging of. For me, the smell was revolting and my mind was like "Welcome to Vietnam!!!". I was waiting at the entrance for the last cab to arrive and I heard some fast footsteps behind me - one of the other Indians with me came running down - he couldn't bear the smell and wasn't happy with the choice of restaurant.
All said and done, it was a very lively and fun dinner. The translators helped place the food order. The food kept coming, coming, coming and coming... At this point, it is important to mention that 99% Vietnamese are skinny. But the amount of food (touch wood) the translators consumed didn't say so!!! How can they maintain their body like that and still be able eat so much!!! Consoled myself saying its their Genes :-D

Translator meeting - The girl in the pink dress is my translator Zum. She has done her Graduation with English as major. She is going to pursue higher studies in english.



Dinner with Translators:

Towards Ha Long Bay...

(Sunshine through the trees near a temple in Hanoi)

The brief stay in Hanoi (24 hrs for me) included a nice stroll around a lake, a dinner hosted by the Country Manager (Photo posted in the previous post) and a good lunch on Sunday. Interesting part of the lunch was that we had to place the order the day before so that the "entrees could be guaranteed" :-). I had Spring Rolls, Veg Noodles and an Ice Cream Sundae. Then boarded the bus towards Ha Long Bay.













The drive towards Ha Long Bay was event less. We had a on-board briefing my Mark Warmington about the various things we "need" to know about the place. This included security, culture, food issues, medical briefing and some of his experiences. The heavy lunch and his talk did make some sleep :-). But all of us were clearly excited about the work, the clients, culture and everything associated with Vietnam.
I was at the front seat, next to the driver. It almost resembled India and a video from there could be posted as it was from the eastern parts of India. So much resemblance to the people, road rules or lack of etc :-)
Watch the video below - the bus driver overtakes at a bend :-) Towards the end of the video, you will see Mark and Sarah briefing the team.

Team Photo @ Dinner hosted by Vietnam office

Thats the team photo with the Vietnam Country GM Mr. Vo Tan Long.
Standing (From L to R) Naveen, Myself, John, Kerstin, Albert, Thu Trang, Kanishka
Sitting (From L to R) Jan, Rekha, Mr. Long and Juliana

Travel to Hanoi and more...

Reaching Hanoi was smooth, except a few anxious moments at the Bangalore Airport. The Airline had put me on standby as the flight was overbooked and everybody showed up. Interesting isn't it :-) I was like "This is an important travel and I am not staying back. Especially with so much preparation expectations and excitement, I am not ready to postpone my trip". Then the manager shows up and checks something on the system, comes back to me and says "I have one seat and its a middle row". My response - "Anything is fine, as long as I get into that flight and smiled at him :-)". Finally got an aisle seat and reached the flight on time. The travel was smooth. Transit in Bangkok went without any hassles and there I met my other team member from India. Took flight to Hanoi, immigration went through fine.

The hotel taxi came to pick us - reached the Golden Lotus Hotel in Hanoi. The hotel was in a crowded part of the town. The buildings shared a common wall, without any gaps between them. Hence the hotel was also dark and needed lights throughout the day.
Me and another team member checked in and went to our rooms.
I saw a "Do not disturb" sign outside the room given to me, which was weird. I knocked the door and did not hear a response. Then rang the bell - no response. So assumed that the sign was turned on by mistake. Hence used the card and opened the door - saw an opened suitcase and sounds of shower :-)) Silently closed the door and went down. And there I see my other team member standing at the reception and talking to the front desk. He had the same experience, except he encountered a half naked man in his room :-D Apparently, the front desk assumed that these people had checked out and gave our rooms. Excellent customer service :-)
Realising their mistake, they put us into a single room for an hour so that we can get refreshed and gave us our rooms later. So that was a good way to start my visit to Vietnam :-)

As in any new work, the first week is always exciting. Meeting new people, getting to know the place, who you are working with etc. For me, the first week was filled with so many events I will never forget :-) More to come.

Corporate Service Corps

Finally, I am in Vietnam - joining a bunch of enthusiastic people from different countries, going to do the best we can offer.

I am a part of a Volunteer Program called the Corporate Service Corps. We go through a self-application and a selection process, endorsed by the management. My team had 10 people ranging from 20+ Yrs experience to 3 yrs experience. The team consists of
1 Person each from Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, 2 people from USA and 3 from India. We are starting from tomorrow (Sep 21st) working with our clients and helping them without individual assignments.
https://www-146.ibm.com/corporateservicecorps/

The journey to this program has been so fast that I cannot believe I am finally here. Was excited to see the faces with whom I have been interacting for the past 4 months through calls.

Here, I need to mention about two important people who have made this possible for us - Sarah Patrick and Mark Warmington from Australian Business Volunteers. This is the NGO assigned to connect us to the clients in Vietnam and coordinate the logistics. Excellent people and have been taking care of us right from the time we landed (and even before with all our invite letters, VISA processing etc and getting our silly questions answered :-) ). It is not a simple task to coordinate 10 people, traveling from different countries, landing in Vietnam at different days and times. But right from the time I stepped out of the immigration into Vietnam, the journey has been flawless, thanks to the efforts of these two people!

Wait for further posts, day wise (or frequent enough to keep everyone posted of what I am doing here, of course with photos.).

Until then, Xin chào (Adios Amigos, Good Bye :-) )

Remembering Mahathma

(My pencil sketch in school days)

Remembering Mahathma with his Favorite:

Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye je
[One who is a vaishnav]
PeeD paraayi jaaNe re
[Knows the pain of others]
Par-dukhkhe upkaar kare toye
[Does good to others, esp. to those ones who are in misery]
Man abhimaan na aaNe re
[Does not let pride enter his mind]
Vaishnav...

SakaL lok maan sahune vande
[A Vaishnav, Tolerates and praises the the entire world]
Nindaa na kare keni re
[Does not say bad things about anyone]
Vaach kaachh man nishchaL raakhe
[Keeps his/her words, actions and thoughts pure]
Dhan-dhan janani teni re
[O Vaishnav, your mother is blessed (dhanya-dhanya)]

Vaishnav...

Sam-drishti ne trishna tyaagi
[A Vaishnav sees everything equally, rejects greed and avarice]
Par-stree jene maat re
[Considers some one else's wife/daughter as his mother]
Jivha thaki asatya na bole
[The toungue may get tired, but will never speak lies]
Par-dhan nav jhaalee haath re
[Does not even touch someone else's property]
Vaishnav...

Moh-maaya vyaape nahi jene
[A Vaishnav does not succumb to worldly attachments]
DriDh vairaagya jena man maan re
[Who has devoted himself to stauch detachment to worldly pleasures]
Ram naam shoon taaLi laagi
[Who has been edicted to the elixir coming by the name of Ram]
SakaL tirath tena tan maan re
[For whom all the religious sites are in the mind]
Vaishnav...

VaN-lobhi ne kapaT-rahit chhe
[Who has no greed and deciet]
Kaam-krodh nivaarya re
[Who has renounced lust of all types and anger]
BhaNe Narsaiyyo tenun darshan karta
[The poet Narsi will like to see such a person]
KuL ekoter taarya re
[By who's virtue, the entire family gets salvation]
Vaishnav...
(Lyrics & Translation - Courtesy ramanuja.org )

Columbia (Feb 1st) - Forever in our hearts

You reached for the skies,

while we looked at the skies.

You had a great vision,
Converted that into Space Missions.

The more I read about You,
"Inspiring" is what describes You!

Space, was Your ultimate goal,
Space for You , is what remains today in our hearts,
A space that no one else can Fill !

Deep in our Hearts,
For the Years to come in our Thoughts,
You will Remain For Ever.

Butterflies & Hummingbird

Butterflies, flowers, hummingbird - hmm, sounds like a nice vacation spot!

Location: Wild Seed Farms, Fredericksburg TX.

On the way to Winter Park, CO.

Great Sand dunes NM

Sunny day and breeze :-)

Nature, with wind as hammer has sculpted this wonderful Monument in sand.

Paddy fields.