(First Published Oct 2005 at http://www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal)
One of the valuable things that I learned while traveling is that there’s no shortage of kindness everywhere. Journalism (and should I say, adulthood and the bitter experiences that I had to overcome) has made a cynic out of me, always suspicious of people’s motivation, especially of strangers who want to befriend or help me. ( I was like, why? Do you need anything from me?). (read more here)
The castle was built by the local lord Cormac MacCarthy, other tourists find it disappointing being relatively small compare to the other castles (He must be in tight budget perhaps). The castle itself sits on a cliff of rock, serving as an excavation site for the castle. The castle structure implied that it was built in two stages; the right hand is a thin tall tower. The castle can actually be viewed in many angles; one of the good angles would be from the North Wall, giving the most imposing view of the castle, with walls that seems to slope inward. One can also immediately spot an encased large bay window projecting from a wall and supported by a corbel or bracket, which is actually the Earl’s bedroom window. There are also three large square holes as outlets for garderobes, and before you google the meaning of it, apparently it was built downwind :p (read more here)
First published Sept 19, 2005 at http://www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal
Nepal —Trekking is something one has to do with a group. Unless one has really mastered the trek route and/or prefers solitude (like if you want to meditate in the forest), trekking alone especially in an unfamiliar territory (like the rugged terrain of Nepal), is just plain stupid (not to mention, dangerous). (read more here)
First published Sept 12, 2005 at http://www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal
Beni, Nepal — Kulu and Maita – both are Magars whose families live in Nangi Village, took me to the local bus station in Pokhara. (read more here)
The Guesthouse
I stayed at the Chettri Sisters’ Guesthouse in Pokhara (read more here)
First published Sept 11, 2005 at http://www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal
Pokhara, Nepal — It took me some time to update this blog as I was ill. (read more here)
First Published Sept. 11, 2005 at http://www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal
Pokhara, Nepal —Most of the time I travel light, preferring to buy essentials like pocketbooks, t-shirts or toiletries in any country where I’m staying. Given the might of the Singapore dollar (1 SGD = 2.2 ringgit = 22 baht = 5,000 kips=41 Nepali rupees ), I can easily stretch my budget without having to suffer from a backache or shoulder ache. As much as possible, especially now that I’m living a nomadic lifestyle (I spend most of my time in transit-waiting in airports, in bus stations), I really try to make my backpack weigh less than 15 kgs. (read more here)
First Published September 8,2005 at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/gypsygal
Kathmandu — Despite the hot and dry weather (and the fact that I can’t wear shorts and spaghetti straps in this conservative country) and my dizziness (side effect of the anti-malaria tablets that I ingested), I still managed to take a tour around the Kathmandu Valley, visiting some of Nepal’s most important temples from September 6 to 8. I guess, the fact that I had a tour guide and a chaffeur helped (thank you so much to my Thamel-based travel agent Bishnu Subedi). (read more here)
The Gypsygals 