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Read more: Kepler Track, South Island New Zealand November 2016After driving south to Lake Te Anau, I did two long day hikes along the Kepler Track. It is one of the ‘Great Walks’ tracks. My first walk began by crossing one of the many cable bridges. NZ must have a cable bridge engineering department! Soon I was hiking through a dense, mossy forest. The trail proceeded at first along the Waiau River. When I reached the shores of Lake Manapouri, I came upon Moturau Hut, one of the many huts maintained by the Dept. of Conservation for hikers. This is the kitchen/eating area. It has propane burners, sinks and water.…
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Read more: New Zealand South Island November 2016Welcome to Year Two of my global seeking adventure. Just one year ago I began by flying to New Zealand. I loved it, but needed more time to even scratch the surface of this big beautiful island nation. This time, I’ve allocated 3 more weeks to South Island, and three weeks to North Island. Here is my plan for the next five months: First destination: Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand Beautiful as ever. November 23rd is the ‘down under’ equivalent of May, and snow is forecast for the 25th at 2600 feet and higher elevations. My first day hike was around Moke…
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Read more: Seoul, South Korea October 2016On my way back to Washington, nearing the end of my five month journey begun in early June, I decided to stop over 3 days in Seoul. Judy and I had booked a trip to tour South Korea, but had to cancel it when her health declined. This will just be a scouting stop for a later visit. Incheon Airport is one of the best world airports. Immigration was quick and efficient, and it was easy to follow signs to the express train into central Seoul. 45 minute trip cost less than $7, in a very comfortable modern train. A…
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Read more: Paro, Bhutan October 2016After trekking, I returned to Paro for two nights before departure. The yellow areas are rice paddy. Originally a watchtower, this building now serves as part of the National Museum, high on the side of the valley. It is under renovation in 2016. There are many children living as monks in Bhutan. They primarily come from poor families, and the state is the main source of funds to feed and clothe them. There is a program now where you can sign up and ‘sponsor a monk’ for $12 a month to help them with food and clothing. Here, they are…
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Read more: Bhutan Trek October 2016I’m embarking on the highest altitude trek that I have done so far, in Bhutan. I will be hiking along with a Bhutanese guide (required), and a mountain pony to carry the tent and food. I will carry my own gear in a backpack. As you can see, we’ll be camping many nights at 13,000 feet or higher, and hiking up over some very high passes, including one 16,420 feet high. I am going to place a Buddhist prayer flag for Judy per tradition on the highest pass, and scatter some of her ashes there. I hope that I will…