al's journey

Ten days to the Himalaya

2011-08-01T07:54:00.001-07:00

A blanket of cloud swirls over Mount Everest in this imagegrab from footage I filmed for Maldivians on Mountains in 2009. Less than two years later, I'm gearing up to go back to Nepal, where I'm hoping to stay longer. Although I've gone there four times already, this is the first time I shall be flying in; I almost always took the train from Trivandrum to North India and crossed the border into Nepal on foot previously.

Hopefully I'll be armed with a new camera when I leave the Maldives and plan to visit and experience more of the Himalaya and the mountain people this time around.

Maldives trekkers cross Cho La Pass and summit Gokyo Ri

2010-05-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

Elvis and co have updated their blog from Namche, after crossing the difficult Cho La pass, summiting Gokyo Ri, and descending down the Gokyo valley. Check out Kala Pattar summit, EBC, Cho La, and Gokyo Lake photos on their blog.

Breaking news: six Maldivians summit Kala Pattar!

2010-05-10T01:45:00.000-07:00

I've just had a call from Saaxu that six out of the nine Maldvians trekking in Nepal summited Kala Pattar (5,600m) a few days ago. This a record for the highest number of Maldvians on the summit of Kala Pattar in a single day.

Saaxu, Elvis and Athi developed headaches and nausea, symptoms of altitude sickness, and did not ascend to the highest point of the trek; a very wise move since people who ignored the symptoms and go up have died!

All nine of the 2010 team made it to Mount Everest Base Camp (5,360 metres, which should have been buzzing with activity since it's the climbing season.

Saaxu, Athi, Shadu and Nasee today returned to Lukla, to catch a plane back to Kathmandu, and to visit Pokhra, as they wait for the others to return from the trek. Again, this is a good decision because they appear to have assessed their performance at 5,000 metres and decided who should attempt the much more difficult Cho La pass.

By my calculations the Cho La pass crossers would have accomplished that challenge yesterday and would now be relaxing in the beautiful Gokyo valley (pic) to re-energise for the relatively easy climb up Gokyo Ri tomorrow.

If Elvis didn't get to climb Kala Pattar he shouldn't be too bothered; Gokyo peak affords arguably a more spectacular view of Mount Everest and three other 8,000-metre giants, as well as the stunning Gokyo Lakes.

Hopefully they'll update their own blog so that we can see the photos!

Nine Maldivians to 5,600 metres today

2010-05-05T09:49:00.000-07:00

If all goes well nine Maldivian trekkers, who are currently in the Khumbu region of Nepal, will summit the brown hill behind Narcu in this image from Maldivians on Mountains. They should be at the top at around 9, Maldives time, this morning.

At 5,600 metres, the hill affords a stunning panorama of Mount Everest, which is immediately to its east, and the surrounding mountains.

The first part of the climb is fairly steep, but slopes off after 50 metres or so. Then on it's relatively easy, if there's no ice. But the final climb up the rocks is tough and disorienting. It can take anywhere from one and a half to three hours, depending how acclimatised the trekkers are, to summit Kala Pattar.

Seven Maldivians, including three women, have climbed this peak. But if all of the 2010 team make it up there, it would be the highest number of Maldivians summitting Kala Pattar in a single day.

The current record is three; achieved in 1990 and in 2009.

At this altitude the air has only half the oxygen at sea-level, the wind is strong and biting, and night-time temperatures can plunge to -20 degree celcius or more.

I'm hoping to see all of the 2010 team on the summit of Kala Pattar in the classic pose with Mount Everest in the background, later today, on their website.

They last updated their blog on 1 May 2010 to report their arrival at Pangboche, which is 3,800 metres above sea-level, and their plans to trek to Dingboche (4,300m) on 2 May. Although there is a cyber cafe at Dingboche, they didn't bother to update the blog. But if they kept to their schedule, they would have arrived in Gorak Shep yesterday.

The village of Gorak Shep is at an altitude of over 5,000 metres, but boasts an internet cafe. Mount Everest Base Camp is just over two hours from here.

Nine Maldivians to Everest

2010-04-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

Olympic swimmer Ahmed Imtiyaz stands on Gokyo Ri at 5,300 metres, with Mount Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu (respectively the highest, fourth and fifth highest mountains in the world)in the background, in an image grab of Hulhevi Media's documentary Maldivians on Mountains. If all goes well, at least nine more Maldivians may stand on the same peak this May.

This new group of young adventurers, three women and six men, are flying out to Trivandrum, India, tomorrow, to begin a one-month trek to the foot of Mount Everest in the Nepal Himalaya.

They will travel more than 4,000 km overland by train and bus to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, fly out to Lukla, from where they hope to hike all the way to up to Kala Pattar, above Mount Everest Base Camp, cross the Chola Pass, and summit Gokyo Ri.

I'm delighted that so many Maldivians are visiting the mountains that have given me so much pleasure in the last 15 years of my life.

It was in 1990 that three Maldivian girls first summitted Kala Pattar, 5,500 metres above sea-level. I first climbed Kala Pattar in 1994, followed by Muha in 2005. Ahmed and Narcu summitted Kala Pattar last November.

So seven Maldivans are known to have climbed Kala Pattar, three of them women.

I'm very excited about the new adventurers and will be following their blog, kaalhuguibangaalhu, every day for the next month.

I'm sitting on a terrace in Hulhumale as I write this post, and drinking a cup of green tea (for which Muha and I acquired a taste in Tibet in 2005) to celebrate their journey.

Best wishes to Elivs, Shaz, Mona, Ayya, Zoona, Athi, Nasee, Shaad and Yaabe. Elvis and Shaz trained to go on the trek back in 2004, but the Maoist unrest in Nepal prevented them from completing their adventure.

Maldivians on Mountains trailer

2009-12-18T12:27:00.000-08:00

Ahmed crossing the Cho La pass in an image-grab from a preview of Maldivians on Mountains, the planned film of our trek to the Everest region of Nepal, which is now available for viewing on YouTube. Please check it out when you have time and pass on the message to as many people as possible, as we're seeking sponsors to be part of the release of this film.

Everest 2009 concluded

2009-12-10T02:18:00.000-08:00

All three of us are safely back in the Maldives after the 6,000 kilometre round trip overland through India into Nepal and to the foot of Mount Everest.

Al is now capturing the filmed footage of the trip which he hopes shortly to edit into a 15 minute preview to show friends, family, and supporters.

Each of us, in their own way, is re-adjusting to what we call home.

This officially concludes the Everest 2009 blog entries.

Everest 2009

2009-11-29T01:46:00.001-08:00

Lukla

Group B (Ahmed and Al) have just completed the last day of their walk and are now safely in Lukla. We have a flight early tomorrow morning to Kathmandu, but no plans on when we return to India for our journey back to Male.

Everest 2009

2009-11-27T01:24:00.000-08:00

Namche Bazaar

Lots have happened, Narcu developed knee problems after the Kala Pattar ascent and left; Ahmed and I carried on to cross the Cho La pass, climb Gokyo Ri and are now back in Namche on our way down to Lukla, from where we'll fly to Kathmandu. Narcu should be on the train to Trivandrum now and will probably be back in Male long before us. Ahmed and I had a great trek, the weather cleared, the pass was exhausting but worth it. Sadly we didn't take any photos, so none to upload, but all has been captured on hi-def video. Hopefully we'll be able to show a preview to all friends, family and supporters in Male.

Everest 2009

2009-11-18T21:22:00.000-08:00

19 November: From Gorak Shep

Everyone summitted Kala Pattar (5,600 metres) yesterday afternoon, and is in relatively good health despite minor symptoms of altitude sickness.

"I must say it hasn't been the easiest of walks up to the summit of Kala Pattar, but the stunning views were worth the two months training and the cold chilly winds, the icy slippery path, the subsequent falls, the endless uphill climbs, the sleepness nights fighting for an ounce of extra oxygen." Narcu

Al has had minor headaches for two nights, Ahmed had a severe headache going up Kala Pattar, Narcu developed a headache coming down and exacerbated the muscle pull around his knee. However everyone is in good spirits and enjoying the extraordinary mountain views and food.

"Yesterday was the toughest climb up Kala Pattar because of unprecedented snow, ice, and blistering winds. We climbed after a gruelling walk from Lobuche to Gorak Shep and sumitted around 4pm. Part of the descent was therefore in the dark, maybe not a risk we should have taken. But we're glad to have done it." Al

Everest 2009

2009-11-11T01:57:00.000-08:00

11 November

On the way down we met a three times Everester, Mingmar Sherpa.

Everest 2009

2009-11-11T01:51:00.000-08:00

11 November

Mountain views accompanied us all the way.

Everest 2009

2009-11-11T01:47:00.000-08:00

11 November

The classic view from the Everest View Hotel. Although we could see Ama Dablam (the mountain on the right), cloud cover prevented us from seeing Mount Everest.

When Ahmed woke up his headache was gone, so everyone had a good climb up to the hotel.

Everest 2009

2009-11-11T01:43:00.000-08:00

11 November

On this acclimatisation day in Namche, we took a day trip up to the Everest View Hotel. The view on the way was stunning, showing the valley we trekked up from.

Everest 2009

2009-11-10T00:24:00.000-08:00

9 November
Namche, at 3,600 metres, is a necessary acclimatisation stop. At this altitude, the air contains only two-thirds of oxygen at sea-level. Ahmed and Narcu said the final climb to Namche, a steep 2 hour climb, was the toughest thing they'd ever done in their lives.

All are well but Ahmed has developed a headache, so we might stay in Namche until he's recovered to carry out the next leg of the trek.

Namche gets very, very cold at night but the views are spectacular.

Everest 2009

2009-11-10T00:21:00.000-08:00

9 November

The second day of the trek, and a tough climb up to Namche ahead. A day of steep ascents and crossing of wobbly suspension bridges.

Everest 2009

2009-11-10T00:18:00.000-08:00

8 November
The first day offers the most in terms of colours. Another pic by Narcu, who's taking most of the photos.

"Although I've done this trek 3 times before, this is the best first day of the trek so far." Al

Everest 2009

2009-11-10T00:16:00.000-08:00

8 November
On the way to Phakding, Narcu clicks the landscape and people.

Everest 2009

2009-11-10T00:13:00.000-08:00

8 November
Narcu and Ahmed are greeted with brilliant clear weather and stunning mountainscape on the start of the trek.

Everest 2009

2009-11-10T00:10:00.000-08:00

8 November
On the flight to Lukla.

Everest 2009

2009-11-07T03:52:00.000-08:00

7 NOVEMBER

We're packed and ready for the trek; flying out at 6.45 am tomorrow. We start the walk tomorrow, as soon as we've had some breakfast. We will be unable to post anything more until the 9th, when we hope to be in Namche Bazaar, the centre of Sherpa country.

Everest 2009

2009-11-06T05:56:00.000-08:00

6 NOVEMBER
Every day we try to go up the Helena's, which claims to be the highest rooftop cafe in Kathmandu, more for the view than the food. On the trail we won't have the culinary choices on offer in Kathmandu, so we do try different places and food here.

We've got seats on a flight to Lukla on the morning of 8 November. From Lukla, we start the trek, which should take us 24 days and take us to the foot of Mount Everest and surrounding Himalayan giants.

Someone at our hotel said Gayoom had been Maldives president since he was a little kid and he was glad that the we now had a new president. "I don't like dictators", he told us. A lot of the Nepalis have heard of Gayoom and seem pleasantly surprised that he's no longer in power.

A guy at the Nepali tourist promotion board said his country's cabinet was taking cue from the Maldives and planning to hold a meeting on Mount Everest to draw the world's attention to global warming.

Everest 2009

2009-11-06T05:53:00.000-08:00

6 NOVEMBER
After a visit to Durbar Square, we extended visas and started shopping for gear for our trek. Too bad Shanoo and the Gongaboo doctors were not there to assist us.

Everest 2009

2009-11-06T05:50:00.000-08:00

6 NOVEMBER

The day started in Durbar Square, where filming began in earnest. All are healthy and acclimatised to Kathmandu, which is at 1400 metres.

Everest 2009

2009-11-06T05:47:00.000-08:00

6 NOVEMBER
"Kathmandu, a city with a lot of hustle and bustle but a lot of character." Narcu

Everest 2009

2009-11-04T21:11:00.000-08:00

4 NOVEMBER

The Indian immigration was surprisingly easy on us and we crossed into Nepal without incident. Sadly, Nepal has changed its rules and we only got a free visa for one month.

Everest 2009

2009-11-04T21:09:00.001-08:00

4 NOVEMBER

Ahmed Shafeeu poses with a car.

Everest 2009

2009-11-04T21:07:00.001-08:00

4 NOVEMBER
Tea break as we as Nepal draws ever so close.

Everest 2009

2009-11-04T21:04:00.000-08:00

4 NOVEMBER

The sun rises over the mist on the way to Sanauli, which borders India and Nepal.

Everest 2009

2009-11-04T21:00:00.000-08:00

3 OCTOBER

Ahmed Shafeeu without makeup in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, on the eve of the border crossing.

Everest 2009

2009-11-04T20:57:00.000-08:00

2 NOVEMBER 2009

As India flashes past, you realise how each state has its own landscapes and colours.

Everest 2009: Train journey

2009-11-04T20:54:00.000-08:00

2 NOVEMBER 2009

"The toilet is not the most pleasant place in the train, but you can't avoid it. You never know the sight you can expect to see." Narcu

Everest 2009: Raptisagar Super Fast Express

2009-11-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

1 NOVEMBER 2009

It took 60 hours to travel 3,500 kilometres from Trivandrum in Kerala to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

Everest 2009

2009-11-04T20:44:00.000-08:00

HULHULE, 31 OCTOBER

"This is not a spiritual journey, or one to try to find myself in the cold wintry Himalaya. I really don't want to lay such importance or make it look like this is a journey that one should do if they want to find a deeper meaning in their life.

I'm going just to have a good time, and to test myself against the challenges that will be posed by the climate and the environment." Narcu

Two weeks to Everest

2009-10-18T06:28:00.001-07:00

Ahmed, a former Olympic swimmer, trains in the sea for his trek to Mount Everest in Nepal.

Many thanks to Shaari, who took this photo of Ahmed a few days ago and only asked for a bottle of passionfruit juice as payment.

We're using the photo to seek sponsors for this adventure, which we will be filming on high definition. In two weeks, we'll be heading off to Trivandrum from where we catch a train to the Nepali border. Once in Kathmandu and acclimatised, we'll fly to a mountain airstrip in the village of Lukla from where our 3 week trek will start. We intend to climb up to 5.600 metres and cross a snowy mountain pass during the trek.

We can tie flags emblazoned with sponsor logos at the highest point of the trek, where they'll flutter in the shadow of Mount Eversest!

Currently in our last stages of the physical training, we've taken to climbing up and down stairs and walking several kilometres carrying loads of 10kg.

More updates to follow.

Hulhumale walk this Saturday

2009-10-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

Fancy a modest physical challenge this weekend? Join me and swimmer Ahmed (Narcu is away) this Saturday afternoon on Hulhumale as we take up our second challenge for our planned November trek in the Himalaya. The Saturday challenge for us involves three legs round Hulhumale carrying 8kg in our backpacks. But others who just want to give us some company for all or part of the walk needn't carry any weight except water.

We start the walk at 4pm outside Hulhumale ferry terminal and will be walking counter-clockwise on the main road round the island, expecting to finish around 7pm.

Please wear good shoes and bring at least 2 litres of water in a backpack if you plan to do the full walk, preferably mixed with ORS. Also, some dried fruit during the walk will fuel the exercise.

We might also go somewhere to gorge a meal after the walk!

Everest Challenge 2009

2009-09-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

This is a stitch of some photos I took in Gokyo, in the Everest region of Nepal in the spring of 2007. Now I'm nearing the completion of a physical training for another trek, this time with two friends. Ahmed, a former Olympic swimmer, and Narcu, my co-worker, are carrying out their own training to join me for a two month adventure, which will take us across India and into Nepal, from where we hope to trek to the foot of Mount Everest and cross the mountain pass of Cho La into the stunning Gokyo Valley.

This time round, we hope to walk at a more leisurely speed to enjoy the mountain scenery. We plan to stay at the monastery village of Tengboche to film the life of the people there for a documentary Narcu and I are making, and will also capture parts of the trek on high-definition.

All three of us have been training hard for nearly two months now, involving a rigourous strength and endurance programme. Although we do the training independently, we do meet once a month to walk round Hulhumale together, carrying a backpack with a progressively bigger load each time. We started off with under 5 kg and have now raised the load to 8kg. Before the end of the training, we hope to raise it to 10kg and walk round Hulhumale 4 times (more than 22km) in 4 hours.

I've based the training on the programme developed for the 2007 trek by Zinan and Hussein who, sadly, are not available to supervise us this time.

As I did before, I hope to update the blog regularly for the duration of the trek.

A story from the heart

2009-03-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

"How do I look?" Indian actress, activist and filmmaker Nandita Das asks me.

We're in Film City, Mumbai, in early January 2008, and it's the last day of the principal shoot of Nandita's directorial debut Firaaq. I'm filming a video interview of her and to me she looks fine, calm and composed. The toll of two months of shooting in Hyderabad and Mumbai doesn't show in the gentle winter sun of a glorious morning. Throughout the shoot Nandita has been steadfast and, actor Paresh Rawal commented, "sure-footed", her unflagging energy the admiration of everyone in the 60-odd film crew.

Firaaq, which Nandita co-wrote with Shuchi Kothari, is close to her heart. After the 2002 massacre of thousands of Muslims in Gujurat, Nandita was looking for a way to express what she saw and felt, and the screenplay of Firaaq emerged from her many interactions with people who were directly affected. Nandita wrote Firaaq in the hope that things would fall into place to enable her to make a film. The strong conviction and determination paid off when a host of India's top actors and technicians came on board and Percept Picture Company took up its production.

Firaaq stars Naseeruddin Shah, Deepti Naval, Raghubir Yadav, Paresh Rawal, Tisca Chopra and Sanjay Suri, among others. It was photographed by Ravi K Chandran, with music by Rajat Dholakia and Piyush Kanojia. Most of these people became part of the project before even reading the script. Nandita's sensibilities as an actress, evident in a wide range of films including Bhawandi, Fire, and Earth had already earned her a mountain of respect and she didn't take long to put together an exemplary team.

Firaaq is an ensemble piece with five loosely connected stories depicting the physical and emotional journeys of its characters, one month after the Gujurat massacres, over a period of 24 hours. Some people have criticised the film as pro-Muslim and anti-Hindu, Nandita sees it as "pro-human" film. The film doesn't judge or point fingers, as its fast paced narrative unfolds from the deft editing of Sreekar Prasad.

According to novelist Salman Rushdie, who introduced the film at Telluride International Film Festival: "Firaaq succeeds because it allows the humanity of its characters to shine through the darkness, even the horror, of the events it describes, and because of the skill with which the many narrative strands are interwoven. It's a remarkably assured directorial debut by one of India's finest actresses."

After premiering at Telluride, Firaaq went on to receive accolades at several other film festivals around the world, including a special prize at Thessaloniki, and the best film and screenplay awards at Asian Festival of 1st Films, Singapore.

The eve of its release in India must be an especially nail-biting time for Nandita. The Hindu rightwing BJP nationalist party has already alleged that the film's release was aimed at creating unrest among the communities on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls, and to show the party, which rules the state of Gujurat, in a bad light.

At the time of the upload of this post, the film had already been banned from the multiplexes of Gujurat.

Firaaq grew out of an urgent need to tell a story, the conviction and determination of a brave activist, a fantastic actress and a director with a social consciousness.

As Paresh Rawal said: "I think she's here to stay."

The Bangladeshi queue

2008-07-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

About 30 Bangladeshi workers were made to wait in a line at Hulhumale ferry terminal by MTCC staff on Friday afternoon, while Maldivian passengers were ushered into the pre-departure chairs. Bangladeshis had to watch helplessly while Maldivians, many of who came much later than them, got on the ferry to Male. According to many people, this discrimination is not uncommon at weekends.

When I phoned the MTCC a woman at the counter admitted to holding Bangladeshis in a different queue but said they only did it because, "there's too many of them." I reported this to a friend in the Maldives Human Rights Commission, who checked with MTCC and got back to me. Apparently they told him Bangladeshis were in the habit of turning up in large numbers and pushing their way through other passengers to get on the ferry. I don't buy it.

Even if some Bangladeshis have in the past been over-zealous to catch the ferry, the MTCC have no right to punish all their compatriots for it. In fact I've seen more pushing against each other in the mad rush to the ferry. I have yet to see MTCC do anything to encourage orderly queueing or, indeed, run enough dhonis between Male and Hulhumale to meet the demand.

What happened on Friday seems to me to be a clear instance of discrimination based on nationality. But the MTCC staff I spoke to didn't share my view, nor did she seem to be aware that the Maldives in 1984 had signed the international convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination. I have to confess I wasn't aware of this either until a human rights activist friend of mine told me. So much for human rights awareness work.

Concerned Maldivians need to send a clear signal that such discrimination is not what they want to see in their vision for a 'new' Maldives .

Thedhekey Thedhekey completes music video trilogy

2008-06-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

Maldivian singer Aishath Naseera makes a comeback today, with the music video Thedhekey Thedhekey, which premiered on TVM's Heyyambo. Written by Ahmed Naseer with original music composition and performance by Ahmed Nashid of Zero Degree Atoll, the music video was gifted by Naseera to Manfaa, an NGO working for the interests of the aged.

Thedhekey Thedhekey is also the unintended conclusion of a trilogy of public service announcement music videos produced by Club Hulhevi. Heyva Heyva, the first of the trilogy, sung by Zoona, was a maternal mortality awareness spot that became a phenomenal musical hit in 2002. Three years later, Vehey Iru Fen Nagashe, sung by Unoosha, brought to young audiences the 'libaas-levvun' ritual, or the robing of girls upon attaining puberty. And now, three years later, Club Hulhevi has completed the trilogy with Thedhekey Thedhekey.

All three songs were shot on location in remote island communities and starred a host of non-actors. While the first two focussed on old customs, Thedhekey Thedhekey follows a group of elderly people living out their active lives in the beautiful island of Fiori, in Gaaf Dhaal Atoll.

All three songs can be viewed on YouTube by typing their titles in the video search.

Ahmed Amir and Club Hulhevi

2008-06-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

People interested in Maldivian music videos can now view Club Hulhevi's productions on YouTube, including Zoona's phenomenal 2002 hit Heyva Heyva.

Heyva Heyva was commissioned by UNFPA for its maternal mortality awareness campaign. Club Hulhevi produced a second music video for the agency, Vehey Iru, which was sung by Unoosha.

These two songs were shot on location in Farukalhu Funadhoo, Shaviyani Atoll, and Nilandhoo, Gaaf Alif Atoll, and gave Club Hulhevi a chance to exploit island culture and natural beauty, and to draw on the untapped acting talent. A third song, Thedhekey Thedhekey, depicting healthy ageing, will be released shortly to complete the cultural trilogy.

Other songs on YouTube include two from Club Hulhevi's feature film 30 Dhuvas (30 Days) and the first ever music video we produced, Aadheys, from Ahmed Amir's Fanvaiy album, starring Sajna, who became an overnight sensation.

Ahmed Amir (in the image grab) and his MAARStudio team have been close partners of Club Hulhevi. Although it's not widely known, Ahmed composed and performed the music of Heyva Heyva, as well as many of our other music videos.

To watch the songs go to the YouTube home page and type Club Hulhevi in the video search. The full collection will be found in the "More from Club Hulhevi" box on the right.

Enjoy.

Moving on

2008-03-13T23:27:00.000-07:00

Many changes have come into my my life in the last year and a half and one of them has been moving to Hulhumale, the artificial half-formed island a few kilometres north of Male.

Many of my once close friends in Male, where I was born and bred, have no idea of the impact of these changes. But I've been lucky enough to make new friends who've shared and supported my attempts to build something of a new life out here.

As someone who likes an active lifestyle involving physical exercise, a healthy diet, and hard work (in my case filmmaking) Hulhumale seems an obvious choice to drop the anchor. Although it took some time to adapt to the new routine, initially, for instance, I had to commute to and from Male for my short-term but full-time job, I now feel that I'm 'acclimatised' to my new life. I'm still behind work, but catching up fast, and in a fortnight or so, hope to start looking for regular, meaningful work.

I'm currently editing a making of documentary for an Indian feature film and also writing the script for a short film to be made on my new home island. Sha-sha and Ya-ya, fellow-filmmakers, came to photograph Hulhumale and to look at some of the planned locations for this film, and I hope they don't mind me putting an image grab of them in this post.

I still think of my close friends back in Male with whom I used to interact regularly, to share thoughts on things going on around the world and within ourselves. But these are gradually becoming a thing of the past. It's amazing how a few kilometres can make such a big difference to friendship.

Fortunately my active lifestyle, my new friends, my work, and my plans for future work are keeping me busy.

I have just rented a nice place on Hulhumale for an year.

So, I don't think I will be returning to Male.

Lofty dreams

2008-02-28T06:48:00.000-08:00

Far away from the coral islands of the Maldives, and towering over the icy peaks of the high Himalaya, is Mount Everest. At least five people from the tiny Indian Ocean nation have stood on the windy hilltop yielding this view of the giant, different thoughts running through their minds at the culmination of more than a week of arduous trekking in the high altitude mountain footpaths of Nepal.

Mount Everest soars 8,850 metres above sea-level. At its summit, the air has less than a third of oxygen found in the air at sea level. Yet human beings, who've prepared themselves properly and taken time to acclimatise, have survived on the icy crest without additional oxygen for up to two days. Climbers who summitted Mount Eversest are proof of the vast adaptability of the human physiology and psychology to the very margins of existence.

Back at sea-level here in the Maldives, many people, especially youth, are struggling to adapt to day to day demands of a very different kind. The inability to deal with being dumped by a boyfriend/girlfriend, it seems, is enough for many young people to contemplate and carry out self-harm, often with fatal consequences. Essential life-skills and coping strategies appear to have been lacking in the upbringing of many young people. Inadequate parenting, poor preschooling, and low standards in education with little or no psychosocial support are proving to be a disaster in the making. Many in the mental health profession have said a significant number of young people in the Maldives may be moderately to severely depressed.

I was party to a conversation between a group of cousellors who'd done an informal survey on the number of suicide attempts treated at Male's IGMH Hospital last year. Over a period of month, according to them, there were around 37 cases of attempted suicide registered there out of which seven were successful, many were repeaters and none were referred to psychosocial support.

I have no way of verifying the authenticity of these facts and figures but everyone knows the country has experienced a spate of suicides in the last two years. Many other young people have turned to drugs.

Meanwhile up in the Himalaya, people can't afford the luxury of pining for elusive lovers as they struggle for daily existence in the harshest of conditions. And, a new batch of mountaineers will have started conditioning themselves physically and psychologically to take on the challenges of climbing the world's highest mountain this spring.

I took the picture in this post last spring while on a solo trek to the Everest region, my third visit there. I wondered then if I would ever feel a need to return to gaze at Mount Everest again. If recurring dreams are anything to go by I know now where I want to spend the month of April.

Why I've not been blogging lately

2008-01-07T22:34:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've posted anything. The reason for this is I've been away from home, filming a "making of" documentary for a feature film shot in Hyderabad and Bombay, India. I'll go into details in a later post but, on the eve of my return to the Maldives, I just wanted to say what a fantastic experience it has been for me. I've met some great talents in Indian cinema and made many friends. No one ever treated me like an outsider, but always went out of their way to make me feel part of the production team. Sadly, in the Maldives we don't always treat our co-workers from the subcontinent in the same way.

Now, more than ever before, I want to make a really good film in the Maldives.

Day 12: Dzongla

2007-11-22T11:37:00.000-08:00

22 April 2007
Dzongla, 4830 metres, 3.00pm

Took nearly 5 hours to get here from Lobuche because I lost my way. It was a fantastic walk to begin with; the landscape was covered in a carpet of snow, even the trail. At first I was a bit unsure about walking in the snow rail. But I soon found my feet. Also footprints, both human and yak, abounded so it was easy to follow the trail. It was a fresh, gorgeous morning and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. But after I crossed a flat snow field, I had trouble connecting to the trail to Dzongla.I could see a trail higher up on the mountain so I just walked up to the bottom of the hill and climbed up to the trail. Thereafter I was alone for a long time. after a few hours I met a couple of trekkers and was relieved to find out I was on the right trail. There was snow on the trail and their footprints were prominent enough for me to follow. But after a while the footprints disappeared and i found myself walking up to the crest of the hill and following what looked like a trail. But it vanished into nothing and I had to backtrack to the crest. There I found another descending path. This led me to Dzongla. Some of the trail was slippery and for a lot of the time I was afraid I wasn't on the right trail. Apart from the 3 trekkers I didn't meet anyone on the path.

But I enjoyed the walk and the sense of total isolation in the mountains.

As for Dzongla, I have yet to see a more cold, desloate place on earth. Preched high on a little bit of flat surrounded by mountains it has just two lodges and a toilte that is spectacularly filthy.

soon after I arrived, it started snowing. Even my down jacket didn't seem to keep out the chill.

But theres also a kind of satisfaction in being so far from anywhere.

i'm a bit worried about the pass tomorrow. It has a slippery bit on the other side and I don't know how I'll do on it.

But I'll have a porter to guide me so I'll at least know where I'm going.

It'll take all of 6 hours to go to the next village and I've a feeling I'm going to take much longer.

Last night was the most social evening of the trek. I met an English family and 3 Americans and we had a great evening, chatting about all sorts of things. Come to think of it I haven't seen that many English on the trek.

Day 11: Lobuche

2007-11-13T20:44:00.000-08:00

21 April 2007
Lobuche, 4940m, 2.10pm

Took 3 hours to get to Lobuche from Gorak Shep. The twists and turns over the moraine were not easy, but after a bit I found myself singing. I was right in the middle of the Himalaya, walking alone in a valley that led to Mount Everest, in glorious weather. The morning mist was dissipating and on my immediate left Nuptse once again materialised.

I also found myself thinking about my future. I would like to make a feature film in the Maldives and this was on my mind as I descended to Lobuche. I also thought about building a house, a rustic stone-walled one with windows all round it. I liked the inisde seating in the Sherpa kitchens I'd been in. I want the inside walls to be plastered but left uneven.

When I got to Lobuche, I decided not to have the customary nap but to sit outside in the sun and stare at Nuptse and the people arriving here on their way to Kala Pattar. But even in the sun it was pretty cold. Later on the sun disappeared and I had to go in and get my down jakcket. I'm now in the kitchen but it's freezing in here.

Days 9 , 10: Gorak Shep

2007-11-10T22:41:00.000-08:00

20 April 2007
Gorak Shep, 5,170m, 3.30pm

I've had the most wonderful summit day yet. I breakfasted on toast and jam and by 6.30am was climbing the first steep bit of Kala Pattar. The sun was still behind Everest. I was unusually frisky this morning, overtaking slower trekkers and keeping within the pace of others. I have to say, however, that a few did go past me. On uphills, I kept a slow steady walking pace in harmony with a breathing pattern and this sometimes worked so well that I didn't have to stop for rest.

As the sun rose over Everest, I knew it was going to be a gorgeous day---blue sky all around with Everest and its trademark plume of cloud backlit. I was on the higher 5,600m summit of Kala Pattar at 8.15am (7.30am Maldives time). This means I took only 1 hour 45 minutes to reach a peak I had taken 3 hours to climb in 2005. In the glorious morning sunlight, the euphoria was very much in evidence with groups and individuals snapping summit pictures.

I found myself a nice spot on the crowded summit and looked down on the amazing view (in the photo), enjoying every minute of the 45 minutes I stayed there. It was surprisingly mild and I was only wearing my fleece. In both my previous Kala Pattar summit days I was wearing a down jacket and still feeling cold. This time around, the general atmostphere, the beauty of the monring and, of course the fact that I had taken a relatively short time to get here, made it the best climb up Kala Pattar ever.

The return took slightly longer, but I still made it under 2 hours. It has to be said that the initial steep bit, which had been somewhat scary, very much on my mind on my way down. In fact, I'd gone straight up over this bit instead of zigzagging like the others did---I only saw this switchbacks on the return.

Although today is one of the best days of this trek yesterday was the worst.

I went to Everest Base Camp over the endless moraine and it took 3 hours, 15 minutes. The rout was sometimes not very marked and I was quite often by myself. Moreover, the headach had come back and I was not in good spirits. But I'm glad I trekked to EBC, because it was only in the spring that you can see all the tents and the activity. More than 30 expeditions were here this year, I was told. The arrival at EBC was marked by a crashed helicopter. The air here, with only half the oxygen at sea-level, is so thin that the rotors have almost nothing to hit on.

The initial part of the walk was over snow, since it had snowed all afternoon on the 19th. The roofs of the lodges, and even Kala Pattar had a dusting of snow when I started. But by afternoon, the snow had melted. The return to Gorak Shep, with the worsening headache, took me nearly 4 hours!

Back in the lodge, the kidchen was crowded with groups of trekkers and their porters and guides. People were garrulous and althought my headache had gone by then, I wasn't feeling too good.

Last night I seriously considered skipping Kala Pattar and heading down to Lobuche. But the thought of coming all this way and not climb KP, the main objective of any trek here and, in my case, the test to see if Zinan's training had made a difference, was something I just couldn't bear. Since I first climbed KP in 1994, the summit day, in different visualisations, has been my most recurring dream.

On the way down KP, I thought I felt a slight headache but by the time I got to the lodge I was fine.

I now feel confident enough to attempt Cho La pass, Gokyo Ri and any other challenges ahead of me.

My only real worry now is that the money might run out. Also, I'm getting filthier every day. I'm really looking forward to a hot shower in Namche.

As I sit here writing this, the sun is dipping and I can see the last rays on Kala Pattar.

I wonder if I will ever be back up on that hill.

Day 8: Gorak Shep

2007-11-08T03:27:00.000-08:00

18 April 2007
Gorak Shep, 5,170m, 4.00pm

It's been snowing since around 2pm and all the roofs of the lodges are covered in a sheet of snow. There were quite large patches of snow on the way here too.

I think it's been my slowest day so far. I took about 3 hours, 45 minutes to get here. I found the moraine quite daunting, even though there weren't any sharp ascents or descents. I think this is because of the altitude; the headache returned on the trail. This seems to be a pattern since Dingboche--I develop a headache around lunchtime, on the trail, which then dissipates after I've had some refreshment at the day's destination.

At one point on the trail I almost went into the I-don't-care-anymore-zombie mode. In any case, the headache seems to have gone again, but it's freezing in the kitchen. The kitchen's the warmest place here. I'm also a bit worried about eh hike in prices. Ican't afford dhal bhat anymore, so I've switched to fried vegetable noodles. Here's a sample of prices at Gorak Shep:

Milk tea: 50 Rupees
Toast with jam: 250 Rupees
Dhal Bhat: 250 Rupees
Setamed vegetable momo: 180 Rupees
Mars bars: 250 Rupees

I'm hoping I'll regain my strength and stamina in the next day or so, so that I can do Kala Pattar and go to Lobuche on the same day. I can then go across the Cho La pass into the Gokyo valley, where things are cheaper. I can then also cut short the trek by 3 days.

Yesterday, Lobuche, I gave an interview to a Polish filmmaker--I blabbed on for quite a bit, but not really sure about what, as I was recovering from the headache. Elvira--that's the name of the filmmaker--came all the way to Lobuche without any acclimatisation stops. I was shocked but she seemed bubbly and fine. But this morning she'd got the headache. I met her on my way here; she was descending down the route without having climbed Kala Pattar and looking really bad. But she had a long day ahead of her as she was going all the way to Periche.

Day 7: Lobuche

2007-11-07T01:49:00.000-08:00

17 April 2007
Lobuche, 4,940m, 3.00pm

The headache returned and, although not unbearable yet, is persistent. I started to feel it during the second half of the walk. I'm generally feeling a bit out of sorts and was exhausted on the trek here.

Dingboche to Dughla was 2 hours, 15 minutes, and Dughla to Lobuche took 2 hours, 30 minutes.

It took an hour to climb the steep rocky bit immediately after Dughla on the summit of which are several chortens or stone monuments, a memorial to people who've died climbing Mount Everest.

The place is a grim reminder that not all those who pass this hill make it back alive.

Day 6: Dingboche

2007-11-05T02:11:00.000-08:00

16 April 2007
Dingboche, 4,350metres, 2pm

I might have the beginnings of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickeness). Last night I woke up a few times because my head felt heavy. But when I adjusted the pillow a little I was OK. And, this morning I was fine also. So, after breakfast, I headed off to Chukhung (4,750m). It took 1 hour 45 mins to get to Bibre and another 25 minutes to reach Chukhung. The return trip took less than 1 hour 30 minutes.

I was Ok for most of the trip but on the gentle uphill I did stop a few times to rest. For the last 30 minutes or so I didn't stop at all.

At Chukhung, it emerged that 2 American climbers were on Ama Dablam so there were a lot of people trying to spot them through binoculars. Chukhung has fantastic views of Lhotse, Island Peak and a fluted snowfall (in the photo).

I felt a slight headache there and it was with me on my way back, still is actually. I'm a little worred but I'll see how it goes. If it's still there in the morning I'll just stay here another night.

4.30pm
I'm sitting by the window watching people sow potatoes as clouds roll up from the valley. It's freezing out there but they're cracking jokes and smiling as they work the tough land. It's a picture of hardy folk struglling for existence in an extreme environment.

My headache's gone and my appetite is back. As I look out of the window I can see groups of tired trekkers arriving--I probably looked worse when I got here.

Day 5: Dingboche

2007-11-04T01:36:00.000-07:00

15 April2007
Dingboche, 4,350 metres, 16.15pm

It's snowing, but only lightly. Clouds have covered the surrounding peaks and it's bitterly cold without the sun.

I made acceptable time again. Tengboche-Pangboche was 1 hour 50 minutes while Pangboche to Dingboche was 2 hours 50 minutes.

I'm finding it easier to negotiate the steep uphills and, to some extent, even the stone steps.

I met Pasang and his family (in the photo) at Pangboche and delivered a copy of Himalayan Dreams. They watched it while I ate lunch and had a laugh. Pasang's son recognised me as soon as he saw me and they woke up their new baby daughter so that I could take a photo to show Muha.

Pasang has a lodge in Dzongla, on the route to the Cho La Pass. He said I can hire a porter there. I'm seriously considering doing the pass, but everything will depend on how I feel and do further up, and snow conditions on the pass.

In Dingboche, I have the lodge all to myself, a welcome change after having had a to squeeze myself into a tiny kitchen in Tengboche last night with noisy trekkers.

So far I seem to be doing well, but the altitude here is well above 4,000 metres. It was here that I got symptoms of altitude sickness back in 1994. Last time, because we stayed two nights in Pangboche before coming here I didn't really feel any symptoms of altitude sickness.

Day 4: Tengboche

2007-10-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

14 April 2007
Tengboche, 3750metres, 1800hours

Arrived in Tengboche at 1430, after 5 and a half hours on the trail. The first part from Namche to Panki Tenga is a series of stone steps, uphills and downhills. Panki Tenga is actually at a lower altitude then Namche Bazaar. Although I found the stone steps daunting, especially on descent, I think I'm much better.

After 3 hours, I descended to the river at Panki Tenga for lunch. After that, it was a mixture of switchbacks and long uphils up to Tengboche, which took 2 and a half hours. By the end of it I was very tired as Tengboche is on a ridge up a steep hill. But for most of the uphill I found I could do long stretches without stopping, often able to overtake slower porters with large loads.

I also felt I was not really pushing myself, that I was a bit lazy.

The lodge at the edge where Muha and I stayed the last time was full so I went to one further down. The lodge-owner said that as I was his first guest from the Maldives he would charge me only 50 Rupees (about a fourth) of the room rent. At first I was the only guest, but soon a group of boisterous Indians arrived and completely took over the dining room.

I spent the remaining daylight hours looking over the ridge at the speactacular views. I could see the trail from Namche, as well as the villages on the way. Tengoche is one of the most dramatic locations on the trail and I would love to spend some time here.

Day 3: Namche Bazaar

2007-10-29T22:54:00.000-07:00

13 April 2007
Namche Bazaar, 3440 metres, 1630 hours.

Although it's my rest/acclimatisation day, I didn't stay in the lodge. Instead I had quite an adventure. I thought I'd go to the Everest View hotel (3,900metres), the world's highest 4-star hotel, just over the mountain from Namche. But someone directed me to a really steep route up. By the time I was a hundred metres up the narrow ridge, I was too scared to climb down so I just carried on. I wasn't tired in the least but too afraid to move fast. In the end I did make it to the hotel, where I had a pot of tea in the verendah overlooking Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam.

Mount Everest seems to have had more snow this year and no longer looks the black pyramid jutting over the Lhotse-Nuptse wall. The clouds, as I sat sipping my tea, streamed past barely 50 metres above my head and I couldn't help thinking how dramatic the scene would have looked on video.

On the way down I decided to detour to Shyangboche, which has an airstrip. It's a longer route but less steep. Unfortunately, the last part of the descent to Namche was over rocks and stone steps. Still, I was back in the lodge before 1400hours, enjoying a hearty meal.

Despite my initial scare, I had a great day and I asked myself if I'd like to live and work here for an year. The answer was a resounding yes.

Days 2: Namche Bazaar

2007-10-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

12 April 2007
Namche Bazaar, 3440metres, 1845hours.

I did the first part of the trek a bit slowly because of the innumerable steps up and downhill, but I am pleased to have done the final slog up the steep hill in just over 3 hours. This means I took a modest 5 hours 45 minutes to get from Phakding to Namche Bazaar, more than 3 hours down from last time.

Phakding-Jorsale: 2 hours 30 minutes
Jorsale-Namche: 3 hours 15 minutes

Jorsale, the last houses before Namche, is just beyond the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park, the Everest region, where you have to show/buy your permit. As a citizen of SAARC I only had to pay 100 Nepalese Rupees, whereas other foreigners are charged 1,000 Rupees.

The last 30 minutes were exhausting. I tripped at some point, but nothing too serious. When I got to Namche I was so tired that I could barely walk up the easy steps to Buddha Lodge, where I’d stayed on the previous trek.

Still got stiff legs but am otherwise fine. As is becoming the norm on this trek I had a short nap before going out to look over the edge at the mist. The day started great with brilliant sunshine, blue skies and mountain views, but after noon clouds gathered. You could still see snow peaks through breaks in the clouds and, in Namche, breaks in the mist.

Namche Bazaar has only two thirds of the oxygen at sea level and it is here that most people feel the effects of altitude first. To acclimatise to the elevation gain, you have to spend two nights here.

I have to confess swtichbacking up to Namche I did wonder if I’d do this again. Unlike the previous year, I had no answer.

Homesick for Himalaya

2007-10-29T00:29:00.000-07:00

For several weeks now, I’ve been dreaming mountains and wanting to return to the Himalaya. Every evening before going to bed, I find myself re-reading the Nepal guidebooks and notes I wrote during my spring trek to Kala Pattar, Everest Base Camp, and Gokyo, in the Everest region.

Although I kept a blog-journal during the trek (see the April-May entries), the posts were only a sentence or two long, and failed to capture the totality of experience. I often read other people’s journals of this trek, and it’s likely that there are people out there who might be interested to re-trace their trek to the foot of Mount Everest through my accounts.

I am therefore publishing, for the first time, the full notes from my trek.

Every day, I’ll upload entries for a single day on the trek. I hope trekkers and adventurers enjoy reading my journey.

11 April 2007
Rangding, 2,600 metres, 1415 hrs.
I’m in Rangding [see photo], just across the bridge from Phakding, chilling out in an idyllic campsite-cum-lodge. Very luxurious, rooms even have ensuite facilities!

It took me 2 and a half hours to arrive at Phakding from Lukla, the airstrip, and about 20 minutes more to descend and cross the river. If I remember correctly, it took Muha and me more than 5 hours to get to Phakding from Lukla in December 2005, but we did stop somewhere for a cup of tea back then.

So I’m happy with how I’ve done on the first day of the trek. I even found myself singing on the way here, I was so pleased to be back in the Himalaya. But I have to say I still found some of the steep steps downhill quite taxing; they really slowed me down. Also, after 2 hours I did begin to get tired, but never enough to want to stop. When I got here, my legs were a bit stiff. I think the first day on an uneven mountain trail is bound to cause discomfort.

It’s cloudy and somewhat cold, especially inside my room, but the view from the window is fantastic.

It was nice to get off the aircraft in Lukla this morning, and lovely to see Nawang and his mum again (they were in Himalayan Dreams), and to give them a DVD of our film.

The flight didn’t yield mountain views, but just before we landed, I did have a glimpse of the jagged snow peaks through a break in the clouds.

1730hours.

Had a nap and then went for a walk over to Phakding, where I had Tibetan bread with jam and ginger tea. I shared the bread with a shaggy dog. Legs seemed better but I detected a slight pain when I bent my right knee over larger rocks and steps. Nevertheless I did much better in the stroll over the steep bits than I did on the way here.

In 2005, I sat on a stone slab at the end of the bridge, looked up at clouds rolling down the steep hillside and thought about something which at that time had caused me a great deal of unhappiness. But as darkness enveloped the hills, I was able to see a new perspective on the matter.

So this time around, I sat on the same spot again, thankful to the Himalaya for helping me learn to deal so well with what was bothering me.

I haven’t been unhappy about anything for a long time.

Friends

2007-10-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

A friend once remarked that I went to the Himalaya because my basic need for intimacy and connection is met not through relationships with other human beings but barren mountain terrain. At the time I was, for some reason, researching the subject of clinical depression, having stumbled on an interesting book called The Depression Learning Path from clinical-depression.co.uk.

Created by people who are not medically trained, the book challenges conventional thinking about clinical depression, anti-depressants, and psychotherapy. But what struck me most was their basic needs checklist, which included taking care of the mind and body; the need for meaning, purpose and goals; and the need for stimulation and challenge. According to the book, a human being needs to have seven of these needs met in order to function ‘properly’.

I didn’t score too badly except in the need for intimacy and connection. But my friend pointed out that intimacy did not necessarily have to be with another person. True, for most this need involves another person or persons, but for some it can be fulfilled by a pet. Mountains, my friend concluded, were my intimate partners.

In the last year or so, however, I’ve deliberately cultivated intimacy and connection with human beings. In the process, I've discovered a frantic world of fleeting friendships, where two-way communication of intimate details with people you’ve just met is commonplace. I’ve also made some surprisingly good friends, people who know more about me than my oldest and closest ‘conventional’ friends. The anticipation of meeting someone new, the thrill of connection, even the pang of parting have been rewarding beyond imagination.

Unfortunately all relationships have an expiry date, a point brilliantly articulated in Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-Wai’s 1995 film Chungking Express. When that milestone has been reached, moving on is the only option. A mistake made my many people, including myself, is trying to cling on to an expired friendship against instinct, always the best judge in such situations. There's no logical reason not to let go, because someone else is just round the corner. What’s more, feeling nostalgic for the special people in our lives long after they’ve gone is, in itself, an exquisite experience. Extreme caution, however, is recommended where the risk of relapse exists.

I still feel for people who’ve moved out of my life. I also feel for the mountains that I know I will always go back to.

Seattle reviewer rates Maldives documentary among the top two

2007-10-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

This is a review of Himalayan Dreams by Jaspreet Bakshi, a software engineer from Seattle, who attended the 4th South Asian Independent Film Festival.

Himalayan Dreams (Rated 5/5)

This was a fantastic short documentary. One of my top two movies from the festival. It was a documentary about contrasts. A man living in Male, Maldives, a tropical, warm and densly populated place dreams of going to to Himalayas where there are wide open spaces, altitude and freezing cold tempreatures. He does go and this is a chronical of his travel.

What made this movie so good was the personality of the main character, Muha. He was the most likable and down to earth guy you will come accross. Yet he has this incredible bigness about him. The film totally captured this and his extraordinary journey as he went from sea level to one of the highest points in the world.

In the movie, he touches on the practical aspects such as the preparation and training he underwent, the bouts of altitude sikness and the logistics of his travel. He also talks about his feelings as he encountered people and landscapes on the way and how the journey affected him.

It’s a great film and I highly recommend it.

Click here to read the whole article.

Mountain photos

2007-10-02T23:39:00.000-07:00

Muha is publishing, for the first time, a selection of his Himalayan photos on Flickr. This is to celebrate the planned screening of our film "Himalayan Dreams" in Seattle, USA, on 7 October at the 4th Independent South Asian Film Festival. Muha will post a photo from our Nepal trek every day until Sunday, when "Himalayan Dreams" has its American premiere.

Himalayan Dreams to Seattle

2007-09-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

Club Hulhevi's mountain introspective Himalayan Dreams starring Maldivian photographer Muha is to be screened in Seattle, USA. The film was officially selected by Tasveer, a non-profit organisation promoting independent South Asian cinema, for their 4th Independent South Asian Film Festival 3-7 October.

Himalayan Dreams premiered last December in Kathmandu, Nepal, at the prestigious Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival KIMFF 06, and was attended by Muha and friends in the city at the time.

A clip of Himalayan Dreams on YouTube has had more than 40,000 views in 10 months, but the film is yet to be formally screened here in the Maldives.

Rainbow over Vilingili

2007-09-11T23:49:00.000-07:00

A stunning half-rainbow over Vilingili greeted me as I turned left, at the end of Majeedi Magu. Thankfully, a colleague, Niran, captured the sight and graciously donated it to my blog, which has been in need of an update badly.

A lot has happened in my life since the last post, most of it unexpected. I’ve taken up a full-time job in Male and moved to Hulhumale. My earlier plans to move to a North Maldives island community has, therefore, been shelved for now. Instead, I’m settling down to my new life on the artificial but quiet and spacious island of Hulhumale. In fact I would be content there if not for the nagging thought that I haven’t done anything creative for a while now.

But this may change soon. My friend Centerey and I are planning to shoot a music video on Hulhumale for Ramazan. This will give us a chance to work together again and hone in on our filmmaking skills.

Also planned for Ramazan is a new fitness and nutrition programme with very specific strength and endurance goals. But if I can get the windsurf board I’m trying to put together it would make this programme truly enjoyable. Windsurfing, I believe, combines all the components of the pre-trek strength training developed for me by Zinan. It builds coordination and balance, and strength in the legs, knees, arms and back. I suspect, that windsurfing may well fall into what the personal trainer in his blog describes as “functional training”. In other words, windsurfing is probably the ideal strength trainer for a trek in the Himalaya!

Nobody will be surprised to hear that, in the last few weeks or so, I’ve been dreaming mountains again. As soon as my contract is up I plan to go back to Nepal. Yes, in the spring or autumn of 2008, I hope to be in the Himalaya.

I realize now that my attachment to that part of the world may be the only really endearing attachment I have, left.

Going north

2007-05-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

I've been toying with the idea of living in a remote island in north Maldives for a few months. It should prove an interesting contrast to the weeks I've spent in the high Himalaya.

For some reason I was flooded with ideas for a film about a tiny island community on the verge of extinction, as I made my way up well-worn mountain trails in mist and snow. If I could swan off to Haa Alif Atoll with my Mac and camcorder, this film, conceived at altitudes so high that not even grass grows, could well become a reality.

I've been showing the pictures from the trek to friends, and going through the images again is stirring a familiar longing to return to the Himalaya, even though I've only been back in this country for a few days. I think Muha felt a similar longing as he scrolled through the pictures yesterday.

I took the photo in this post about 50 metres or so up Kala Pattar. It's so early that the sun is still rising behind Everest. The highest mountain in the world reveals itself bit by bit as you ascend Kala Pattar. By half-past seven Maldives time (I hadn't changed my watch to the Nepali timezone) I was on the crest, gawking at the black pyramid and the panorama of snow peaks, with several dozen other trekkers.

I sat in the morning sun for an hour or so, nibbling coconut biscuits, drinking water, and thinking this was probably the last time I would be on the summit of Kala Pattar.

But as I look at the pictures again, I'm not so sure.

Bisugir Sharif

2007-05-16T04:21:00.000-07:00

Visitors may recall that in my last trek to Nepal, Muha and I came across a town called Bijgirsharif somewhere in north India. At the time we couldn't recall its exact whereabouts. Well, this time around I was on the look out and I can now put the matter to rest. In fact, although the town is spelt Bijgirsharif in my India Railway Atlas, it is called Bisugir Sharif, and it's an insignificant station lying a few kilometres north of Warangal, a main railway junction in Andhra Pradesh.

Sadly, I wasn't able to verify whether bisugir meant big in Andhra but it looked little more than a disused station so I very much doubt it.

I hope Sharif is pleased with this information.

I should point out that there are two islands in the Maldives which appropriate his surname: Ali Fushi and Fee Ali.

Motorcycle diaries

2007-05-04T00:58:00.000-07:00

I unexpectedly bumped into a friend in Kathmandu and we hired a motorcycle and rode into the mountains. It was a bit like The Motorcycle Diaries, only shorter. Due to the secretive nature of the person in question I'm unable to say who he is, though.

Room with a view

2007-05-04T00:54:00.000-07:00

The view from my room in Lukla, minus myself, especially for Shari. Looking out of the window from there was like looking into a live painting.

Hardy kids

2007-05-04T00:07:00.000-07:00

Children grow up hardy in this environment, essential for their survival.

More rhododendrons

2007-05-04T00:05:00.000-07:00

As my trek drew to a close I walked through yet more rhododendron forests. But the colour of the flower had paled somewhat.

Dole

2007-05-04T00:03:00.000-07:00

After several days in the bleak high-altitude environment, descending through the clouds to Dole was a visual treat. The green reminded me of England.

Yeti land

2007-05-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Machchermo in the Gokyo valley is famed for yeti sightings. In the seventies, there were reports that the yeti had abducted a woman and killed some yaks.

Unclimbed peak

2007-05-03T23:58:00.000-07:00

On the day I was in Gokyo, there was a mist early morning and by the time it had cleared, there were clouds covering the mountains. so I didn't bother climbing the peak opting, instead, to descend down the valley.

Cho La Pass

2007-05-03T23:54:00.000-07:00

I hired a porter, Santosh, for a day, to guide me over the Cho La Pass. It later emerged that the young Rai from the village of Bung had never crossed the pass himself. Nevertheless, he was great company on the most challenging climb on rock and snow. It was a long day for both of us and as I grew increasingly tired and grumpy Santosh was singing, chirpy as ever.

Dzongla

2007-05-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

Dzongla lies at the foot of the Cho La Pass. Cold and snowbound, it's the bleakest spot I've seen on the trek.

Snow

2007-05-03T23:50:00.000-07:00

It snowed every afternoon from around 4,000 metres upwards. The Sherpas said this season was more like winter than spring.

Mount Everest

2007-05-03T23:47:00.000-07:00

My third time up on Kala Pattar which affords, arguably, the best view of Mount Everest. I summitted KP very early in the morning, in less than half the time I took the last time. Summit fever was very much in evidence as 40 or so trekkers basked in the morning sunlight and cameras clicked.

Everest base camp

2007-05-03T23:44:00.000-07:00

My first visit to the famed tent city. The climbing season is in full swing around the feared Khumbu icefall.

Gompa

2007-05-03T23:42:00.000-07:00

The Tengboche Gompa, or monastery, and a yak rests after day of carrying loads.

Monk

2007-05-03T23:40:00.000-07:00

A female monk pants up the steep hill to Tengboche, the spiritual centre of the Everest region.

Rhododendrons

2007-05-03T23:36:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I undertook the trek in the spring was to see the rhododendrons in bloom. I was not disappointed.

Like mum like son

2007-05-03T23:34:00.000-07:00

Children learn load-carrying very early on here. It's a harsh life up on these mountains and everyone must contribute to earning an income.

The centre

2007-05-03T23:31:00.000-07:00

Namche from a different angle. On my acclimatisation day there I climbed a steep ridge to the Everest View Hotel, the world's highest 4 star hotel. On the way down I took the longer less steep route and got this view.

The lure of Everest

2007-05-03T23:29:00.000-07:00

Above Namche trekkers are greeted with spectacular views of Everest, which for many is the main attraction of this trek.

Green

2007-05-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

From Lukla to Namche is the really green part of the trail. It's also a packed highway.

Alive and well

2007-04-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

A self-photo taken yesterday in Lukla, the trail-head for the Everest trek. The view from my room there is out of this world (pity I got in the way, eh?)

Anyway, this is just a quick post to let everyone know I arrived safely in Kathmandu this morning.

Apart from cracked lips, sore legs, and a reduction in the muscle mass so painstakingly developed by Zinan---a small price to pay for all that I've seen and done---I'm basically unscathed.

I've had the most marvellous time in Khumbu, the Everest region, and over the next day or so, I'll post images which I think capture my experiences there.

Border crossings

2007-04-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

I'm safely installed in a cheap but clean and comfortable room in Thamel, Kathmandu. But getting here included the most frustrating overland border crossing exercise I've ever done. Had everything gone according to plans I should be trudging uphill in pine forests to Namche Bazaar today.

Instead I will now only be flying out to Lukla on the 11th, and my estimated arrival at Namche will take place a day after that.

But I need this time in Thamel to eat, rest and re-engergise for the trek after the ordeal through India, which I'm now about to describe. But I warn readers that this post is probably the longest post they'll ever have read on this blog.

1)BAKSHEESH IN BIHAR
Having intended to spend as little time in India as possible, I didn't bring along any India guidebooks. When I failed to get on the train to Gorakhpur from Bangalore, everything just fell flat. The next train was a week later so I got myself a berth on a train to Howrah, Calcutta, instead, from where I knew I could catch a bus to the border. When I arrived at Howrah, however I had to rely on a fellow train passenger to direct me to the bus station. It turned out there were no buses to the border crossings I knew but there was another one that would take me to Jogbani, a Bihari town on the border. The travel agent assured me that I could catch a bus to Kathmandu from there and later, my Nepalese fellow passengers on the bus confirmed this.

I'd arrived in Calcutta in the morning and the bus left just after sundown, so I only really had enough time for a shower and a few hours of badly needed sleep in the "city of joy". It was a bustling city, even more crowded than Bombay, but there seemed to some order in the movement of traffic that I hadn't seen anywhere else in India. Indeed I was able to get on a local bus and find my way to the bust station without a map or a guidebook.

The city certainly promised to be worthy of exploration if I'd had more time. The lasting image of Calcutta for me would be the extraordinary sunset over the impressive Howrah bridge as I rode to catch my bus to Bihar.

After a bumpy, sleepless ride, much of which I spent worrying about the effects of the reclining seat in front of me on my knees. I arrived at the border around lunchtime the next day.

The Indian immigration officer took one look at my passport and, despite my protestations that Maldivians didn't need visas for short term visits to India, said my passport was "invalid" he was "seizing" it, and I wouldn't be allowed to leave.

He went in search of his colleague who seemed to know a bit more about India-Maldives foreign relations. He even knew "Abdul Gayoom" had recently attended a SAARC Summit in New Delhi. He gave me a few forms to fill so I knew all was not lost. In the end they hand-wrote my exit on the passport (not having a stamp) and indicated, in no uncertain terms, that they expected "baksheesh" or payment for their trouble. They also insisted I had a cup of tea with them and, before sending me off to the Nepalese side, said they would allow me back into India via the same route even though I didn't have the visa.

On the Nepalese side, there was no immigration, only a customs checkpost where an officer politely informed me that this was not an international entry point into Nepal and sent me back to India.

The Indian immigration officers were furious that I had been turned back and advised me to sneak back into Nepal, past the customs and catch a bus to Kathmandu. But I didn't want to be an illegal immigrant so I told them I preferred to do the 8 hour bus journey to the next border crossing near Siliguri, in West Bengal.

The fact is, Jogbani is a local crossing point for Indians and Nepalese, which I'd have found out if I had a guidebook.

Back in India and at the nearest bus stop, a guy befriended me and promised me if I got on his bus, which was going to Patna, he'd make sure I got on the bus to Siliguri. He cautioned me that I was in Bihar and even though he was from the state it was a state renowned for its "goodas and badmashis" (crooks and outlaws).

Some time into the ride, he said his friend, the driver, would take over from him since he had to get out at the next stop. I got off with him to have a cup of tea, during which he asked my name. When he realised I had a Muslim name he said he was a Muslim too and regularly practised his "namaaz" (prayers). I told him I wasn't as devout as he and he said "You should be!"

In any case our shared Muslim brotherhood didn't prevent him from taking his baksheesh from me, a rather large one too. After settling me in a seat by the driver, he added that the driver would probably expect baksheeh from me too. I wasn't surprised.

By now other passengers in the driver's compartment were casting curious glances at the exchanges that were happening between the driver, me and my Muslim friend. But I avoided their questions only informing them the driver was dropping me off at some point to catch another bus. They nodded their heads at each other and declared the driver and the other guy were taking advantage of my helplessness.

As we drove in the dusk, rows broke out between the passengers and the conductor. The driver seemed to able to mediate by saying he was not from the state and, pointing at me, informed everyone that rescuing "this unfortunate foreigner" from the rouges of the border area. The passengers, who'd seen money exchanged, were skeptical and advised me, when the driver got off for a pee, to get out at a place called Purnia where I could catch a bus to Silugiri.

When we reached Purnia somebody told the driver I should get off but he told them I was under his care. Some minutes later he did drop me off, at a shanty eatery on the highway, and said my bus would arrive soon. Then, making sure everyone heard, he said he'd helped me out of the goodness of his heart and would not take money from me. I was saved from my third baksheesh in Bihar.

At the eatery I had my first proper meal of the day, drank a cup of tea, went to the loo and, actually started to feel better. But the flatlands of northern Bihar were infested with mosquitoes and I was soon worrying about the possibility of getting malaria. By midnight I was in a desperate situation, convinced I'd been conned and dumped. I decided I was too tired to do anything about it and put my fleece over me and tried to sleep on a makeshift bed. But a few minutes later the Siliguri bus appeared miraculously and I was back on the highway.

2)CROSSING INTO KAKARVITTA
I arrived at Siliguri just before dawn and a travel agent ushered me into his office, trying to sell me package tours to Darjeeling and Sikkim (only a short distance from here). I told him I would come back for all that but I needed to get to Kathmandu fast. He booked a seat for me on a bus that would leave from the border in the afternoon.

I squeezed into a 4WD that took me to Pani Tanki, the Indian border. Immigration asked me the inevitable "Where's the visa?" but a phone call seemed to satisfy them that I didn't require one. They stamped my exit and I got on a rickshaw without bothering with customs.

As the sun broke through the morning haze, we rode a long bridge over a dry river bed, wisps of morning fog over either side. The air was cool and it was the most picturesque overland border crossing I'd done and one that really felt like you were going from one country to another. Muha would have loved it.

Nepalese immigration formalities were a breeze and as I waited for my bus, I had my first momo for this journey in a teashop which stocked whiskey, vodka and beer, along with biscuits, crisps and chocolates. Yes, I was truly in Nepal at last!

Nandi Hills

2007-04-02T05:15:00.000-07:00

Bangalore, 2 April, 2007.

Things aren't going according to plan. I wasn't able to get a ticket on the direct train to the Nepalese border; instead I've got one on a train going to Calcutta. I'll have to try to get to Patna or Gorakhpur from there and then cross the border.

I'm also stuck in Bangalore for three days. This morning I went to the city centre where there are lots of parks and shops. But I enoyed more an excursion to the Nandi Hills yesterday, on a local bus.

The locals call it the "Ooty of Karnataka". I haven't been to Ooty so I don't know how accurate the description is. But it was nice at the top of the hills where a superb view of the somewhat parched countryside awaits you. There was also a vertical drop of more than 500 metres on one side, which I thought was rather dramatic.

I was squeezed into the bus on the way back, but hey when you go to a country of 1 billion people and use their public transport, you have to bear these sort of inconveniences!

I'm not enoying being stuck in Bangalore, never having been much of a city man, however hi-tech the city in question may be.

I should add I had trouble finding a cyber cafe where I'm staying---near the railway station---in India's "Silicon Valley".

But I've never seen so many pubs in any other city I've been to in India!

Adieu Maldives

2007-03-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

It's the eve of my departure to Bangalore, in India, where I plan to take the train to the Nepalese border. I'm travelling to Nepal to trek to Mount Everest again. This time, my third visit there, I hope to climb Kala Pattar, the most popular viewing point for the world's highest mountain, and also trek to Everest Base Camp as it is the climbing season. In addition, I will try to cross the Cho La pass into Gokyo valley which has stunning lakes and also a hill from which you can see four of the world's 8,000-metre mountains. This time round, I'm going alone.

I've completed a two-month training for the trek, supervised by my friend Hussein, a former Olympic marathon runner, and his associate Zinan, a personal trainer. Being an athlethe himself, Hussein was not afraid to push me and I managed to swim and walk long lengths while keeping my heart rate in the aerobic zone, something I hadn't done before due to ignorance in these technicalities of sports science.

Zinan was my trainer in the gym. The most important thing I learnt from him was developing a core balance and strength system needed for the trek. I have a repulsion for the gym in general, but Zinan convinced me that it could help the task ahead of me. Being an advocate of functional training, or movement-based exercise, he avoided putting me on resistence machines. I am looking forward to finding out how this kind of training helps trekking, and for people interested in learning more about it I've added a link to Zinan's blog.

As well as doing the Everest trek, I hope to look up possible work contacts in Kathmandu. Having worked for more than six years in making films on social issues in the Maldives, I'm now looking to broaden my horizons by working in other parts of South Asia. A recent workshop I attended in Lahore, Pakistan, where human rights activists from the region shared their experiences, has only strengthened my desire to explore my South Asian identity.

So it's goodbye to the Maldives for a while, but I will think about my family and friends as I walk in the foothills of the Himalaya.

For Mais

2007-03-09T22:13:00.000-08:00

Mais, the little boy in the picture, visits his granddad, who has sadly been bed-ridden for the last six months, as much as he can. Mais often wipes his face for him and gives him a much-needed cuddle, as his granddad drifts in and out of consciousness.

Mais is the son of my friend Centerey and Gamar. The photo was taken by Gamar on her mobile phone, and it's the most moving image I have seen for a long time.

Many thanks to Gamar for sharing this beautiful photo with me. I think she should take up photography!

Hulhumale by night

2007-02-06T02:58:00.000-08:00

Arriving at Hulhumale by 6.30pm, I start walking briskly round the island. It grew darker and cooler but, for the first twently minutes, I'm sweating my bollocks off. Thereafter I begin to enjoy the exercise. Because of the dark, there aren't any people around except in the centre of the island, where most of the housing is. For most part, I am walking in blackness, lights glimmering in the distance, and a pale moon rising over the silhouettes of the palms. Walking round Hulhumale at night is quite an experience.

I'm 10 days into a training programme involving swimming, walking and, for the first time in my life, gym. I'm hoping to maximise my strength and endurance for a trek to Everest this spring. If all goes well, I'll be flying out to Bangalore early in April and taking the train to the Indo-Nepalese border. I want to spend more time in the mountains this time around, cross a mountain pass and take in the Gokyo Valley as well as the Khumbu Valley in the Everest region. Because I'm going alone, I have to be as fit as I can make myself in the two months that I have.

I'm currently finishing off a video project that I have and then I'll focus entirely on my training. But I may take a week off to do a writing assignment to fund the trek.

I can't wait to be back in the Himalaya and to see the rhododendrons in bloom.

Nepalese have Himalayan dreams too

2006-12-10T05:52:00.001-08:00

The second and final screening of Himalayan Dreams yesterday concluded with more audience support, reports Shanoo. "They really seem to like the film," she said.

When Muha got on stage to speak, a young woman praised the film and told Muha it wasn't only Maldivians who had Himalayan dreams. Many Nepalese too have never trekked to Kaala Pattar, and dream of doing so.

Adam was able to make it to the screening, along with Shanoo, Tho and Muha.

KIMFF wraps up tomorrow and then Muha is off on a trek.

"Very good films"

2006-12-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

Muha is enjoying himself at the festival, which according to him has got some very good films. I agree and, although I would love to see all the films being screened, I've especially wanted to see Mountain Patrol and 37 Uses For A Dead Sheep. I hope I can get the dvds of some of these films.

Meanwhile Himalayan Dreams appears to be receiving considerable interest. A Nepali language paper Mahanagar Daily interviewed Muha, asking what Maldivians thought of the Nepalese.

Many people seem to have liked Himalayan Dreams, audiences as well as filmmakers.

Apparently more people now went to Everest Base Camp from the Tibetan side, because the trek from Nepal, which is covered in the film, is more difficult.

Himalayan Dreams will be screened again tomorrow at 5.00pm local time, followed by discussions.

"Simple but nice"

2006-12-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

"Himalayan Dreams" premiered well at KIMFF 2006, reports Shanoo, who was able to make it to the screening in the nick of time.

The audience liked the idea of someone from sea-level going all the way up to the Himalaya and back, and described the film as "simple but nice". After the screening, Muha said a few words and took questions from the audience. Shanoo also reports that a local paper took his picture and it looked like he was getting famous!

In addition, around nine Maldivians went to see the film, which is pretty nice of them really.

Many thanks to Shanoo for rushing from OPD to the screening and also for sending a report.

KIMFF 2006 kicks off

2006-12-07T02:13:00.000-08:00

The Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival kicked off at the Russian Cultural Centre at 11 am local time this morning. A Canadian film "100% Woman", about a man who became a woman to take part in a women's mountain bike competition, was the opening film.

Nazir Sabir, the first Pakistani to summit Mount Everest, was the chief guest of the ceremony.

"Himalayan Dreams" will be screened at the same place at 4.00pm local time and in addition to Muha, many Maldivians are expected to attend. Unfortunately Shanoo and Adam can't make it to the screening.

Reported by Muha.

Muha in Kathmandu

2006-12-06T05:59:00.000-08:00

Muha arrived yesterday in Kathmandu and is staying in Thamel, which has great shops and restuarants. He is well after the long flight there. He has already met filmmakers and is today going out to see the Gongaboo doctors because he has to deliver stuff for Shanoo from home, probably rihaakuru or Maldivian fishpaste. No doubt he'll be gorging himself on momos, if Shanoo takes him out for a meal.

"Himalayan Dreams" premieres tomorrow at 4.00pm. For the full schedule visit:

http://www.himalassociation.org/kimff/kimff06.htm

Amin, your support has been invaluable in our Himalayan journey and I'm sure Muha agrees with me. You must come to Nepal next year, when I'm there! Everyone should walk in the Himalayan foothills for a few weeks if they can, and it's so easy to do this in Nepal. As Muha says, once you've been there you can't stay away for more than a few months before you start yearning to go back.

Muha on the rocks

2006-12-03T06:39:00.000-08:00

Muha materialised at the "Track", or Male's swimming area, today for a last dip before heading off to the Himalaya. He leaves late tonight on a rather long flight to Kathmandu, via Dubai and Dhaka, to attend the screening of Himalayan Dreams at KIMFF 2006. He didn't swim much, just climbed the four-legged concrete blocks which serve as Male's seawall and sat there looking at the sea and thinking whatever it is that he thinks when he sits there. Yasir and Ayya, under Zunej's instructions, were practising their swimming drills but got out soon after sunset to see a Leonardo Di Caprio film! But Yasir said it also starred Jack Nicholsen, who bears an uncanny resemblance to him. Then Sharif arrived there and said he'd seen the film too but only because it was a Martin Scorsese film.

In any case Muha is looking forward to going to Nepal. He said the night-time temperatures dipped to 2 degrees celcius.

It was a beautiful sunset today, great clolours. But I couldn't wondering how it would feel, looking at the sunset and the moon up in the mountains in the chill of the evening.

Himalayan Dreams selected for Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival KIMFF 2006

2006-11-09T22:36:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to announce that our film Himalayan Dreams (left) will premiere in Kathmandu this December. Muha will travel to the Nepalese capital to attend the festival and Shanoo has said she'll try to join him for the screening. Adam, a good friend and the narrator of the film, also expects to be in Kathmandu around the same time so I'm hoping he can join the contingent. I'd love to go as well, but unfortunately my work will not allow it.

We will also run a modest media campaign in the Maldives that will hopefully attract buyers for the film, so that we can have funds to do more of this kind of work.

Post-Himalayan blues

2006-10-02T01:06:00.000-07:00

This is just a brief post to let everyone know I'm back in the Maldives.

I'm experiencing symptoms of my now familiar post-Himalayan blues. I'm finding it difficult to feel I'm really back in the Maldives and although interesting and promising work seem to be in the offing, it's an effort to summon the necessary concentration and passion.

Since coming back in my dreams, every single night, I'm still in my Himalayan journey, planning a new leg. But being with friends and family and starting work should cure me of the I'm not not really here feeling.

Yesterday I went for a swim, so I may be settling down sooner than I think.

I wonder if the Manali-Leh is closed now. It must be getting colder in the Nubra Valley.

Backwaters

2006-09-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

It's raining hard here in Trivandrum and the roads are flooded. But the last few days were great. I'd still some money left, there was no work or anything else to go back home to, so I thought I'd explore the area around Trivandrum.

First up was the famous Kovvalam Beach, a former hippy hangout. For the first time in my life, I saw black beaches. In the distant, I also saw two blue sails, sliding gracefully through the Arabian Sea, into the reflection of the afternoon sun. Although no Maldivian would think much of the beach or the water, Kovvalam does have a certain charm. Then there are the many eateries lined up along the beach, serving seafood, fermented toddy, and other beverages.

Then I went to the Varkala beach, in the photo, which is less "happening" but more scenic to my mind.

But the best was the backwaters. I took a longer bus ride to do a shorter cruise on the canals on a local ferry and enjoyed every minute of it. The view from the backwaters really is different. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures because I was busy videoing. The starting point of the trip in Allepy, with the painted boats, reminded me of the canals in England!

The backwaters definitely need more exploration.

Keralan monsoon

2006-09-21T04:41:00.000-07:00

The long distance travelling is done with. After a kilometre count of around nine thousand, I'm safely back in Trivandrum, my launching pad to and from the Maldives.

It's been raining ever since the train crossed into the hills around Coimbatore, the border between the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, early this morning. The paddy fields looked even more lush in the monsoon.

I'll stay here a few days to check out a few places I haven't been to yet and, hopefully, do a boat ride in the famed backwaters.

For anyone interested I've spent just over four hundred US dollars ever since arriving in India nearly four weeks ago.

I'm sure I'll love the monsoon, the backwaters, and the greenery, but I may have left my heart in the cold deserts of Ladakh and its isolate villages, such as Tiksey in the photo.

As for the Maldives, I've no idea what I'm going back to.

sHANU, I think Sharif missed you initially, dunno where he is now.

MARTIN, man, believe it or not you were one inspiration for me to travel alone this time.

JINT, I think the Nubra Valley deserves a re-visit in the real. I'll find it very hard to resist the calling come 2007! Of course I'll also be revisiting it a hundred times or more when I wade through the video footage, lucky me!

Back in Manali

2006-09-17T00:07:00.000-07:00

I'm spending my last few hours in the Himalaya. This morning I looked out of my window at the tall, steep pine hills of Manali. I have to admit it was a nice feeling descending into the greenery of Manali after 10 days in the barren deserts of Ladakh.

It's also good to soak in the relative luxury of the Manali hotel---they treated me like a VIP because I went back there and wouldn't hear of registeration or payment until I was rested---and sample the different food here. I was so hungry when I got here yesterday evenig that the first thing I did was to eat a full Punjabi thali (set meal) and a chiken kebab.

I'm booked on a bus to Delhi leaving tonight. I only plan to spend a day there, enough to meet up with a cousin (another one, the world is full of Carnation Cousins)and, probably Shareef, who emailed to say he would be in Delhi too what a coincidence! Hopefully I'll be on the train to Trivandrum the day after that.

I might spend some time in Kerala---perhaps go for a boat ride in the backwaters--depending on how much money I've got left.

I should mention that I left the keys to my house and room in Khunder in the Nubra Valley. My first thought when I realised what I'd done was I can't think of a better place to get lost!

Homeward bound, again...

2006-09-14T23:44:00.000-07:00

Having travelled about 4,500 kilometres from the southern tip of India to the northmost that a foreigner can go, I'm now southbound again. I've seen spectacular mountain scenery in Himachal Pradesh, Nepal and Tibet but Ladakh, in particular, the Nubra Valley, beats them all. I've never felt so comfortable and at peace with my surroundings as well as myself.

I didn't mean to do much filming on this journey and really only brought the old XL1 along just in case I wanted to capture a particular scene. But the inspiration for filming has been stronger than anything I've ever felt.

My only regret is I've only spent two days in the Nubra Valley. Next year---for I must come back here as soon as I can---I hope I can wander off there on my own free from the confines of an organised tour.

A WORD TO MARTIN AND EGAN: You have to come to the Nubra Valley, Martin because of it's out-of-this world appearance (I know you can overcome the erm mod-cons aspect if you put your mind to it), and Egan because because of the rich Buddhist art and heritage.

I'm leaving for Manali around midnight tonight and trying to get to Trivandrum as soon as I can in order to keep to the budget I'd planned for this journey.

I don't know what I'll do in the Maldives but the thought of earning enough money to come back here next year takes away some of the sadness of leaving this place.

Gangster

2006-09-14T23:35:00.000-07:00

The last stop on the trip, Panamik, was unremarkable except for the hot springs there. But it is the furthest north that you can go in India bordering China and Pakistan. Afghanistan isn't too far either.

For me even the drive there and back was worth it. We stopped at a beautiful lake and a monastery on the way back.

The driver played a song from a Hindi film called Gangster which I'd been hearing on and off on this trip. I like it and am thinking of editing it into the soundtrack of the Nubra video to send to everyone on the trip. While the girls in the back were overcoming the effects of the altitude the driver and I found ouselves humming the song. It goes "Beeghi beeghi..."