10.10.2009

Dear Baral

Almost a week back home and we first want to thank you for a well organised jouney.
In spite of some minor problems, we had a wonderful time.
In Ladakh everything went smootly: Mr Akbar, from Himalayan Frontiers Adventures, did a good job.
We had a very good Englisch speaking driver, a comfortable car and the choise between a camp or a guesthouse enroute.
The hotel Omasila in Leh is recommendable.

- We had NO voucher for hotel Mayflower in Manali. So they charged the cost of the room to us, which of course we didn't pay. They , as wel as the local agent, blamed Druk Expeditions for not knowing that it was already payed by us.

- About hotel Ishan Villa in Amritsar: that is a bad choise.
There is no dining hall for the moment. So we had to take the meals in the room, which was far too small and unsuitable for it.
Then we foned Mr Bisan Lama, who arranged a room in hotel M.K. International.

When we first met Mr Bisan Lama in Delhi on 18 August, he didn't know that we (you and us ) agreed to meet him after the journey; so he said he would contact you.
The story of 8 september you know. When he phoned , we agreed to have diner with him, so we could solve the misunderstandings.
Thank you for interfering.

We are more than satisfied: we saw and met what we had in mind.
Whenever we will visit India again or Nepal, we will certainly contact you and also recommend your agency to our friends.

Thanks again, good luck in everything you do and
sincere greetings.

My dearest Baral,
I finally arrive home on 12 July...I had 17 flights, only two cancelled flights and I missed my last flight from JFK to PALM Beach but that is not bad for a month of agfressive Travelling.
It was so difficult leaving Kathmandu, Bhutan and, of course, Tibet. I still cannot belive that at first light on 4 July i was standing at base camp of Everest! What a glorious place, the history, the mystery and the beauty of such a wonderful part of the world.
I enjoyed every moment of this trip that is simply beyond description and I thank you for helping me succeed in all my planned endeavors. It was lovely to see you at the airport and then, off to the beautiful Dwarika which is a little bit of heaven in the middle of the hustle and bustle of kathmand.

The heritage sites are simply breathtaking with their confluence of historical genesis in being developed in the 15th and 16th centuries, their architectural integrity filled with Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim temples and with their stupas that have no religious authority but remain a place to pray and worship for those in need. I now understand how overwhelming they are as a religious and cultural significance that draws a pilgrimage ti them by one and all. How lucky you are to have all of this in your backyard.

I could not have accomplished this trip filled with education, adventure and culture that even after my return home is still so vivid, without you...the fondness of this trip and all the people that I met along the way and those who helped me grows freater with each passing day.

I regret that I didn't plan for more time...thankfully, you helped me puzzle these 10 days together after Morocco that has made this trip a trip of lifetime.

Baral, please find attached pictures of Kathmandu and Everest...I hope you enjoy this message and I look forward to another trip with you in the very near future.

Fondly,
Lin Gosman

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November 01, 2009

Dear Baral
How are you? Work has piled up since we arrived and it's only now that I found time to write you. It's holiday here in the Philippines. We are celebrating All Souls' Day. This is a special day when we remember our dearly departed ones by praying for them, lighting candles and offering flowers on their tomb at the cemetery.

My impression of Nepal and Tibet has not changed. I stood by what I told you before. I found your 7 world heritage sights mystical, Chitwan awesome, Phokara breath-taking and Tibet heavenly (well except for the toilet part). You are so lucky to have come from Phokara. The temples that we visited revealed your country's rich culture and history. These places should be preserved and taken care of.

It felt like we never left home because the people were so warm, friendly, accommodating and honest like you :-) Thanks for my purse! I was right when I said that you were an epitome of what a typical Nepali is. I hope this will not change. Bishnu was a super guide, always going out of his way to attend to our needs. He was like family. He was very knowledgeable of his craft and proficient in English. Never met a guide as nice and cool like him in our previous trips.

Everything went smoothly. We were very satisfied during this trip. We should have stayed longer in Chitwan and Phokara. We so love these places!!!!!!!!!! How can one ever forget the sunrise in Sarangkot? It was very dramatic!!!!!!!Thank you for recommending these places. If we didn't go, we would miss a lot. Forget about Bhutan for now ;-) Oh my!!!!! Ellen, Michelle and Patricia will have violent reactions as they like Bhutan very much.

On the other hand, I hope you will a good leader and government next year. I hope your economy will improve like ours so that majority of your people will have more opportunities to have better lives.I also hope the problem with your trash will be solved and of course, cleaner toilets please!!!! I remember them having headaches in Tibet not because of the high altitude but because of the smell of the toilets. We also noticed that you send money and documents via your passengers.We were a bit worried for you. You might encounter problems in the future. Your passengers might lose or misplace them. It's risky I guess. You'll never know. Just be cautious.

I would also like to apologize for so many things - my being annoying/persistent in my emails and taking most of your time.I know you are a very busy person but I just could not help it because I had two older ladies in my group whose preference and level of tolerance were not like mine and anton's.Sorry for not being able to hitch you in Phokara going back to Kathmandu. We would love to meet your son. The two older ladies thought they could still go shopping right away in Thamel not knowing that shops would open at around 5pm. Sorry also for not replying to your text message in Tibet as my mobile phone would occasionally lose signal from time to time.I just borrowed my groupmate's mobile phone to text you in Tibet.

Chitwan and Phokara are such lovely places. We will definitely come back and make sure we see the bengal tiger and all the animals that we missed, try river rafting and see the different species of orchids in bloom. Bhutan is still left there for us to see. Also Pakistan. I have a sample itinerary of Pakistan. Maybe I'll emails you one of these days. We are leaving our options open in the meantime. It's just so amusing to look at the photos we've taken during our visit.They bring back so many good memories about the trip.

What more can I say? I think I wrote you a novel already hahaha In behalf of my group, we would like to thank you for making this trip fun and memorable. It was indeed a learning experience for all of us. This is one of our trips that we will treasure for the rest of our lives. You can finally rest from my unending emails and phone calls.

30th April 2009

Dear Baral
This was the first time I booked directly through the WEB , and I thought it's a little risky, especially when I had to send my money to Katmandu and I wend to Delhi .

So I hoped somebody would pick me up at the airport in Delhi , I have to say that you have a very professional organization. From day one till the last day every thing was very good arranged. Professional and kind guides, good car and drivers, and very good Hotel's. And that all four a reasonable price.

I'm sure when we will visit Nepal and Tibet in the future we book through your organization. Thanks

Monday, August 21, 2009

Thank you for the fantastic journey that you made for us in India.

Everything was perfect, travelagency, organization of the journey, guide, cook, helpers, transport, tents, hotels, meals etc.The only thing that was not perfect was the weather, but we know that the connections with the sky are very difficult and not sure.

Kind regards and... until the next journey... but then in Nepal,