Happy New Years - Back in Katmandu-Updated

Hello all, sorry for the lack of posts and pictures. The Internet in Pokhara was painfully slow, it was all I could do to check my mail and send out a few. I am back in Katmandu after 2.5 weeks of wonderful times flying in Pokhara. I fly to India tomorrow afternoon to a whole new setting, he sands of the Thar Desert. I am not sure I am ready to return to the chaos and dirt of India after my peaceful lakeside stay in Nepal. I will miss Nepal, it is an amazing place. I will return someday, hopefully with someone special to share it with next time. The people, places, sights, sounds and smells are hard to describe in words. I will try to sign on tomorrow and post a few picts of my trip, the net in Katmandu is much faster.

Driving into Pokhara was almost worth the 5 hour bumpy busride from Katmandu. For the last 20 km you drive straight at the amazing Annapurna Range. Numerous 25,000'+ snowcapped peaks, the most impressive is Machhupuchare, a Matterhorn like peak standing directly in the middle.

Awful picture from the bus windsheild of the Annapurna Range. I promise, the view was amazing.

My actual arrival in Pokhara was about how I expected it. After fighting through the crowd of touts, cabbies and hotel reps trying to get my business. I made my way to Lakeside (Where all of the paraglider pilots hangout) to see the one person, my friend Anita, I knew in town landing by the lake LZ. I hung out with Anita and Alex for a while then got introduced to the crew I would be hanging out with for the next 2.5 weeks. A bunch of great people/pilots from the UK, Spain, Australia, Iceland, France, Czech Rep. you name it. For the next 2.5 weeks it was like the movie Groundhogs Day wake up, eat breakfast, fly a few times, relax, eat dinner and drink beer, repeat. Not a bad vacation. Flying conditions were not all that great but it was still a good time. On New Years Eve we took a short trek up a near by 3200 meter peak and flew off New Years morning. It was a great way to ring in the New Year. It was a pretty spontaneous mission where about 9 of us just decided to head up there. It was one of those trips that just totally fell into place and turned out perfectly. We hired 3 taxis to take us as far as they could before the road went to shit. We then hopped into a jeep for the rest of the ride. The jeep took us as far as the village of Machhupuchare, it just so happened they were having a small festival in this village and our arrival was perfectly timed for dinner. We arrived in the city center like celebrties, everyone shaking our hands and asking our names. They had a special welcoming ceremony for us and everything. After dinner, drinks of the local hooch, dancing and other party favors we retired to the villagers homes to spend the night. In the morning Machhupuchare peak(a.k.a the Fishtail, which the village takes it's name from) was beautifully illuminated in the morning light. We began our trek early, with hired porters from the village. The hike was challenging but not too bad, the end result and our campsite was well worth the hike. Most of us soared for a while up top before heading out on glide to look for something better. One of our party reached 6100 meters ( about 20,000') ridge soaring the face of Machhupuchare. In case you didn't know that is huge.
Relaxing after the trek on top of Kourchon

There are 25,000' mountains under those clouds I promise

Here are some more pics from Nepal

Sunset on Annapurna V and Machhupuchare from evening camp New Years Eve

Alex hiking to Blue Sky launch

Katmandu temple in the early morning light

Main stupa at the Monkey Temple, Katmandu