10 cheapskate tips for the Poon Hill trek in Nepal
on Nov 19, 2009 in Nepal Poon Hill Pokhara The Poon Hill trek is one of the easiest and most famous shorter treks you can do in Nepal. It takes a minimum of four days but can be easily extended to six. The views to the Annapurnas will melt your heart at least if you are new to the Nepali Hima...

Pokhara, Nepal: At least the rat should happy
on Nov 16, 2009 in Nepal blogsherpa Pokhara Pokhara, or Pokhara base camp, like the gore tex gang likes to call it, was a similar exprerience to the Indian town of Leh. I had massive expectations which were not met. I was hoping to see a Nepali town but instead I ended up in a tourist ghetto,...

A tricky trip from Rishikesh, India to Pokhara, Nepal
on Nov 12, 2009 in India uttarakhand uttarakhand-uttaranchal Rishikesh Nepal Mahendranagar Bambassa blogsherpa Pokhara Folks, the one road in Eastern Terai is fine. Other than that, travelling from Rishikesh India to Pokhara Nepal is hellish. Here's a short version of what happened during the 40 hour killer trip.1. I took a vikram (a shared ricksha) from High Bank, R...

Ten best places to visit in India and why you should go there too
on Nov 7, 2009 in India After reading some enraged comments to my posts on India I think I should make it clear once and for all that I adore India.Dear India! I never meant to hurt your feelings. I never meant to offend your religious views. I fully understand that you are...

5 Karmic do's for Rishikesh
on Nov 5, 2009 in India uttarakhand uttarakhand-uttaranchal Rishikesh blogsherpa 1. Arrive in the oh so New Age Rishikesh weary of all the hippies and yoga nutters, conviced that this would not be your place. Laying your eyes on the sacred Ganges have a total change of heart. Not knowing exactly why, you now want to join their ra...

10 do's for McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala
on Nov 1, 2009 in Himachal-Pradesh India himachal pradesh Dharamsala blogsherpa 1. Arrive in McLeod Ganj two hours early from Manali at 4 AM when everything is closed. Fight with touts who want to take you to the shabbiest guesthouses down some freaking long steps. Say no to the overpriced lousy rooms and walk the even longer se...

A cheater's guide to surviving a ten day Vipassana course
on Oct 26, 2009 in Himachal-Pradesh Vipassana meditation India himachal pradesh Dharamsala blogsherpa If you are seriously thinking of doing a ten day Vipassana meditation course you might not want to read this. In a Vipassana course you commit yourself to not communicating in any way for ten days.In exchange of all the nice things in life you get to...

13 tips to a perfect day in Manali for 4 euros - all inclusive!
on Oct 24, 2009 in Himachal-Pradesh India himachal pradesh Manali blogsherpa 1. Get up early in your Old Manali guesthouse (Laxmi is nice and cheap). Have breakfast at Shiva Garden cafe. 2. Walk up the hill to the Manu Rishi temple. It's not great but I it liked the little statues there for their text book lack of originality...

How to make the best momo soup in the world - recipe!
on Oct 20, 2009 in India Jammu-and-Kashmir Leh Jammu and Kashmir blogsherpa I sneaked in to the kitchen of Tenzin Dickey Tibetan in Leh to see how they make their potato and cheese momo soup for which they ought to be world famous and millionaires. And this is how it's how it's done. Teenage son chops veggies. Mom makes momo...

Sent the Koh-i-Noor back to Punjab!
on Oct 16, 2009 in India Amritsar blogsherpa Punjab As my infatuation with the turban wearing men keeps growing, I bought a book on Sikhism called the Sikhs by Khushwant Singh, a famous Sikh scholar.The following is a brief summary on the most curious passage involving Koh-i-Noor and the cruelty of th...