2025 Jan-India Sat 25. Mumbai.

Mumbai by night is a good way to see things. It is easy to get around with the available public transport. This city is 24/7. A truly global living city. Sydney, by comparison, is sleeping by 1am.

Some transportation issues were encountered today. That is to be expected. Just leave ample time in between key sectors as risk mitigation. 

I will need some time to look over my entire journey and see what my final views will be.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-sat-25-mumbai.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Fri 24. Goa.

Goa done and dusted. Got to experience the beaches and Aguada Fort (Lower fort included).

Met some nice local people and got to do some basic activity. It was a nice way to essentially finish off the tour and to have some time to myself.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-fri-24-goa.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Thu 23. Hampi-overnight train.

Hampi is the best place to finish off the southern India tour.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-thu-23-hampi-overnight.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Wed 22. Hampi.

I had a ranting blog writing morning, as we wasted 4hrs in the hotel lobby for check-in. We had arrived too early. Instead of doing something, we just waited in the lobby. It gave me too much time to write a rant for the blog.

However, today turned out great!

We crossed the Tungabhadra River, visited an old village (Anegundi), drove through epic green rice fields, visited the wonderful Tungabhadra Left Canal, and saw the sunset at Anjanadri Betta (Kishkindha). Amazing views from the top. As we headed back to the hotel, we could see the glow of a sugar cane burn.

This turned out to be a great day, after all. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-wed-22-hampi.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Tue 21. Mysore-overnight train.

*There is something graphic mentioned in today's blog. You have been so advised.*

I had planned to visit the Zoo and also Karanji Lake. Sadly, both attractions were closed for Tuesday. If I had known that these would be closed, I would have changed my plans for the first day. 

I thus decided to walk the streets. The streets were quiet, with the exception of the area near the Devaraja market. A lot of activity is happening here. I was surprised that I missed this yesterday. It was good to get a feel of normal Indian life. I started thinking about the end of my holidays and returning to work.

*

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-tue-21-mysore-overnight.html

Tonight will be another restless sleep on the train. Will wake up in Hampi in the morning. 

I hope something excites me in the next few days.

2025 Jan-India Mon 20. Mysore.

2025 Jan-India Mon 20. Mysore. 

OMG! Someone nearly died today.

I nearly got ridden off the road by a nazi tuk tuk driver! 

The police were as useful as tits-on-a-bull or shit-on-a-stick.

Words were exchanged all around.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-mon-20-mysore.html

2025 Jan-India Sun 19. Madurai-overnight train.

A day of self-exploring. Sadly, there is not much more to see in Madurai.

Sites visited today were:
1) Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace.
2) St. Mary's Cathedral.
3) Neerazhi Mandabam.
4) Vandiyur Lake.

Much like the rest of India, the waters (lake and rivers) are always polluted. I dare not touch. 

Madurai was surprisingly polluted for such a small place. It really shocked me that people treat their city like a rubbish tip. This is the main culture shock that I take away from this holiday.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-sun-19-madurai-overnight.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Sat 18. Madurai.

A private shuttle transfer from Periyar to Madurai. 

Madurai is not really a walking tourist-friendly city. It's just a normal Indian city without a lot of things to see.

I joined the tour group members on the guided Meenakshi Amman Temple visit. It is sad that one can no longer take pictures in the temple (use to be able to take pictures back in 2018, before the fire).

The four main towers were all behind scaffolding. The overall structure with the internal and external towers and pool was nice. The compound contains the "Ayiramkaal Mandapam” or the Hall of Thousand Pillars.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-sat-18-madurai.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Fri 17. Periyar.

This was a partially disappointing day. The morning was disappointing but the evening was good.

In the morning, we headed for the walk to the Periyar Tiger Reserve (the walk should have been the giveaway). I was hoping it was a vehicle tour where the animals would be right next to the vehicle. There was no chance of seeing a tiger or leopard now.
Apparently, we saw the claw marks of tigers and leopards on trees. Yeah, maybe 100yrs ago, these animals were here, but not now.
Nonetheless, it was good to walk around somewhere with greenery and quiet.

In the afternoon, I strolled the few streets of Thekkady. The village/town did not have too much to offer tourists. There was an elephant camp... where tourists can have their pictures taken with elephants or ride them. I did not engage with this (not pay) as you could see the elephants were chained, and this was not in the best interest of the elephants. 

In the evening we watched a martial arts show. This was good, especially the fire show component. 

It was a mixed day. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-fri-17-periyar.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Thu 16. Periyar.

A transit day from Kochi to Periyar (5hr). 

As we left, we went up to the lush mountains. Here, there are a lot of rubber trees and tea plantations. Very green. This is probably the image of India I have in my mind - the old Dilma tea TV ads (yes, I know Dilmah was Sri Lankan).

We did a stopover at a spice farm as part of the transit. It was to learn about cinnamon (real vs. fake), vanilla beans (real vs. what you buy).

Periyar is a nice village/town. The weather is cooler than by the coast... Mountains are always better 😉

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-thu-16-periyar.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Wed 15. Kochi.

This morning, I joined the tour group to revisit the daytime  St Francis Church and the Chinese Fishing Nets (see it in 'action'). It was then a short tuk tuk over to the Mattancherry/Dutch Palace to check out the inside.

Nothing too special today. I headed over to Beach Road Beach. 

Southern India is completely different from northern India. From a sightseeing perspective, the South does not have the amazing palaces nor forts. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-wed-15-kochi.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Tue 14. Kochi.

We caught a 2-hour boat back to Alleppey, and from there, the local bus was 70km to Kochi.

Kochi is a small city that can be easily walked. It is by the seaside, but I would not be swimming in the ocean here. There is a petroleum plant nearby, and the outflow from the rivers makes it rather polluted.

I am getting used to having the afternoon nap to avoid the heat.

I saw the following:
1) Chinese Fishing Nets.
2) St. Francis Church. 
3) Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica. 
4) Jew Town.

Something I have been closely observing has been how people interact with each other. One member on the tour, from New York, USA, has a very particular mannerism. I am wondering if this is something that is common with New Yorkers.

The person would ask a question but not wait for the full response. They would interrupt in the response being provided.
e.g.
Yeah OK yeah.
Right, right, right.
Always interrupting before somebody can respond to the question they asked.

This irks me.

Similarly, the British (some) are trying sickeningly to be overly polite. It doesn't work in India. It causes more confusion. People need to be decisive when making a decision, on say a menu order. It ain't rocket science. 

If I were the waiter in India, I'd just say to them to point at the menu number and no substitutions. No need to ask if you want the curry hot or not... because the customer always agrees with the waiter recommendation (foreign westerner =not hot =mild). End of discussion. 

I am getting irked too many times. 
Is it a sign that I am getting my fill of holidaying? 
Or, is it a sign that there are annoying people on this planet? 
Or is it a New Yorker+British people thing?

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-tue-14-kochi.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Mon 13. Kerala Backwaters.

This morning, we caught the local train to Alleppey. We had a quick lunch and then onto a boat to our hotel on the backwaters.

Midday was still stifling, and I decided to nap instead of struggling with the heat. It must be horrendous in summer.

It was a cruisy day.

I needed a lot of catch-up sleep.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-mon-13-kerala-backwaters.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Sun 12. Varkala.

In the late morning, we walked over to the Shri Janardhana Swamy Temple. Most temples are small, relative to what I have been seeing (palaces and forts).

The heat was oppressive. I decided to go back to the hotel for the AC from 1:00pm-3:30pm. When I did leave the hotel, it was overcast. The sting of the heat had been taken away. 

I walked over to the Black Sand Beach and had a great swim. The ocean water temperature was cooler than yesterday. It was much more pleasant to be in the water.

Overall, it was a good day with some activity. We leave for the train station at 5:45am tomorrow.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-sun-12-varkala.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Sat 11. Varkala.

This southern Indian region is so much warmer than the northern region. It was a significant temperature change. The local temp is in the low/mid 30C.

I requested that we stop by the Veli Lake Tourist Village on the way to Varkala. It is only 7km from our starting point of Trivandrum. The main tourist zone was picturesque, but the beach area (carnival zone) was filthy. Rubbish and smell of sewerage. It's so sad to see the difference. That is why I will not touch any internal water sources in India (all polluted).

Varkala gravitates activity by the beach. The Black Sand Beach, Varkala Beach, and Cliff are all close to each other.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-sat-11-varkala.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Fri 10. Trivandrum.

When you have to wake up at 3:30am for a 7am flight, you never end up having a good night's sleep. 

I am still feeling very poor.

It doesn't help that the Indian Ciprofloxacin has not been fully effective. I have taken my third 2x500mg tablets. This time, it was the Peruvian dispensed ones, instead of the Indian generic manufactured. I hope it does the trick. 

I had a short meeting with the new tour group in the evening and did the very short orientation walk. I wish I was in better health as I would have at least hit a couple of tourist sites. We are near the Arabian Sea.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-fri-10-trivandrum.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Thu 9. Delhi.

From 11:30pm to 3pm...long train ride and then to the hotel.

My stomach is feeling better but not perfect. I am happy that I effectively saw Delhi at the start of the trip. It would not have been enjoyable having to rush to see sites when you are not feeling well.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan is supposedly a tourist stop. However, you can not go in. Don't waste your time with this 'attraction'.

The tour group members will catch up for one final dinner (one has already flown out). Those who go on to do the southern parts of India have a 7am flight out of Delhi. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-thu-9-delhi.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Wed 8. Varanasi - Delhi.

I'm starting to get sick again (shivers). Feeling weak and yawning all morning long. I have to be careful that I have not caught any stomach problems. Stomach not feeling iron clad.

Nonetheless, I made it over to the other side of the Ganges River to see the Ramnagar Fort and Ramnagar Ghat.

I decided to end the day early as it would be better to be close to a toilet and relieve myself out before the train ride tonight. Hope the Ciprofloxacin kicks in quick.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-wed-8-varanasi-delhi.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Tue 7. Varanasi.

This was a massive day of sightseeing. I have seen everything I wanted in Varanasi. Tired. I will take it easy for tomorrow before we do the overnight train back to Delhi.

The main sites visited today were:
1) Chaukhandi Stupa. 
2) Wat Thai Sarnath Temple and Buddha Statue. 
3) Dhamekh Stupa.
4) Archaeological Museum Sarnath. 
5) Golden Temple. 
6) Mulagandha Kuti Vihar.
7) Shechen Stupa.
8) Namo Ghat. 
9) Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple -Sinking Vishnu Temple.
10) Durga Kund.
11) Shree Durga Mata Mandir.

This northern Indian loop is nearly finished.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-tue-7-varanasi.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Mon 6. Varanasi.

As soon as we checked into the hotel, I was off to see the sites. Most sites are by the Ganges River (the ghat is a set of steps down to the water).

Sites visited today:
1) Ganges River. 'Ganga' is proper local pronunciation 
2) Dashashwamedh Ghat.
3) Harishchandra Ghat (cremations).
4) Assi Ghat.
5) Nagwa Ghat (nothing there).
6) Manikarnika Ghat (cremations).
7) Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple (just the outside and a little of the exit side).

I really needed to stretch the legs, and there is no better way than to go for a long walk by the river and through the city streets.

The food was great and also cheap.

This place is really happening... but is it a tad is too hectic...or is it just lively?

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-mon-6-varanasi.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Sun 5. Agra.

This morning was not as foggy as yesterday. 

The sites visited today were:

1) Akbar's Tomb. 

2) Agra Fort. 

What surprised me was that there were hardly any tourists at Akbar's Tomb. It was only a couple of foreign tourists and myself! We had the entire site to ourselves. 

Akbar's Tomb was a great escape from the busier tourist attractions. It is definitely worth visiting as the third main site for Agra.

After Akbar's Tomb, it was off to Agra Fort. Only around 30% of it is open for sightseeing. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-sun-5-agra.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Sat 4. Agra.

We left Abhaneri and headed towards Agra.

I visited the Taj Mahal in the afternoon. It was disappointing with the fog lingering in the afternoon. 

The Taj Mahal may just be over hyped...yes it is. I just prefer certain palaces and forts. It didn't help that the Taj Mahal crazy busy with tourists like myself. There are just too many people. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-sat-4-agra.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Fri 3. Abhaneri.

This is a short transfer day from Jaipur to Abhaneri. 

Abhaneri is primarily known for the amazing step well (Chand Baori stepwell). It is a small village. 

There is nothing else to really see besides the stepwell and the adjacent Harshad Mata Temple.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-fri-3-abhaneri.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Thu 2. Jaipur.

2025 Jan-India Thu 2. Jaipur.

It was a huge day of sightseeing. Very rewarding day, indeed. Uber motorcycles the fastest way to get around...if you can get a ride.
Sites visited were:
1) Amber Fort.
2) Jaigarth Fort. 
3) Panna Meena ka Kund.
4) Jal Mahal.
5) Royal Cenotaphs including Sawai Jai Singh ll Tomb.
6) Shri Garh Ganesh Ji Temple.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-thu-2-jaipur.html?m=1

2025 Jan-India Wed 1. Jaipur.

We got into Jaipur at midday. This gave me some time to do a couple of sites and see the city.

Sites visited were:

1) The City Palace. 

2) Hawa Mahal.

I got into the swing of things by using motorcycle transport. It is by far the fastest way to get around the whole place. The helmets supplied are oversized, and this is useless.

I am happy I saw off these two sites. It means less hustle for tomorrow. 

Feeling back to normal.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2025-jan-india-wed-1-jaipur.html?m=1

2024 Dec-India Tue 31. Pushkar (Ajmer instead).

2024 Dec-India Tue 31. Pushkar (Ajmer instead).

A big day of independent travelling. Not many pictures were taken today (300), but a lot of walking was done.

Main sites visited:

1) Taragarh Fort - not a fort per se, effectively walls now.

2) Ajmer Lake.

3) Khwaja Gharib Nawaz Dargah Sharif and bazaar streets.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-dec-india-tue-31-pushkar-ajmer.html?m=1

2024 Dec-India Mon 30. Pushkar.

Another early morning train ride to the next city (Udaipur to Pushkar). We arrived midday. This meant a free afternoon to power through the town. There's not much to see here in Pushkar. I think I would have preferred Ajmer (36 mins away where we got off the train and caught a vehicle to get to Pushkar from). I will do Ajmer tomorrow. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-dec-india-mon-30-pushkar.html?m=1

2024 Dec-India Sun 29. Udaipur.

Over 800 photos! A busy day indeed. It was only a handful of places visited but so much to see and take pictures of.

The places visited today were:
1) City Palace.
2) Sajjangarh Palace (Monsoon Palace).
3) Saheliyon Ki Bari (garden).
4) Fetah Sagar Lake.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-dec-india-sun-29-udaipur.html?m=1

2024 Dec-India Sat 28. Udaipur.

A transit morning with a free afternoon of local exploration. 

This city is very photogenic. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-dec-india-sat-28-udaipur.html?m=1

2024 Dec-India Fri 27. Jodhpur.

It was supposed to be a power-sightseeing day. However, I got to see everything without needing to power through. All the tourist sites are in close walking distances to each other. Only the Mandore Garden was further out.

Approximately 570 pictures are taken today! So much was seen.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-dec-india-fri-27-jodhpur.html?m=1

2024 Dec-India Thu 26. Jodhpur.

A boring transit day. There's not much to see nor do. It's best to have a rant about an annoying Canadian. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-dec-india-thu-26-jodhpur.html?m=1

2024 Dec-India Wed 25. Jaisalmer-Thar Desert.

2024 Dec-India Wed 25. Jaisalmer-Thar Desert.

Final sightseeing day in Jaisalmer. Spent the late afternoon and evening in the Thar Desert.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-dec-india-wed-25-jaisalmer-thar.html?m=1

2024 Dec-India Tue 24. Jaisalmer.

I am still getting over the cold and fever. Hope to have it shaken off by tomorrow. 

Visited the Jaisalmer Palace and Gadisar Lake Jaisalmer. The lake was a peaceful place. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-dec-india-tue-24-jaisalmer.html?m=1

2024 Dec-India Mon 23. Bikaner-Jaisalmer.

We reached Jaisalmer Fort. We are staying within the compound walls. Great architecture. 

I finally got sick on a trip. Hope to shake off the fever chills and headache in the next couple of days. Time to man the hell up.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-dec-india-mon-23-bikaner-jaisalmer.html?m=1

2024 Dec-India Sun 22. Bikaner.

An 'angry' day for me. Not too eventful, but you get to see the real poverty of India...not too different from many aspects of Delhi. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-dec-india-sun-22-bikaner.html?m=1

2024 Dec-India Sat 21. Delhi.

It was a really easy day. I visited the real Chandni Chowk. It was hectic. 

I then went back to Lodi Gardens to get away from the noise, and I discovered I had missed out on an area in the gardens.

I am keen to move on from Delhi. Delhi is a three day maximum tourist stay location. You do not need, nor want, to stay longer. It's good to get it out of your system.

I expected Delhi to be more developed. I was shocked how undeveloped it really is. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-dec-india-sat-21-delhi.html?m=1

2024 Dec-India Thu 19. Delhi.

I was supposed to take today easy...but I didn't. 

Nearly got into trouble, but it was not my fault. I blame it on poor 'signage' and poor security. 

My boss always says if there is a fault/inefficiency, I'd find it. It is in my nature.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-dec-india-thu-19-delhi.html?m=1

2024 Dec-India Wed 18. Delhi.

No sleep after arriving at 2am.

This can mean only one thing. Power sightseeing day!

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-dec-india-wed-18-delhi.html?m=1

2024 Dec-India Tue 17. Transit from Aus to Delhi.

This was a really uneventful travel day. When one has travelled heaps, particularly on long distances from Australia (to anywhere decent on this world), you get used to the long flights and transfers. Nothing really surprises me now. It is, however, nice to visit a welcoming airport such as Singapore's Changi Airport. Getting into india was fine. However, Uber sucks here. https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-dec-india-tue-17-transit-from-aus.html?m=1

Took more photos than I thought.

Mistake...total photos taken was 10,290. I took a lot more on my smartphone than I had thought.

My estimate was out by 900.

So many pictures!

I have a problem! 

I take way too many photos when I go on holiday.

My recent holidays resulted 9,300 pictures on the new camera. Not to mention the couple of hundred taken on the smartphone. 

Now that I am home, it will take time to back them up from the smartphone to my various network storage systems. Ouch.

Travelling is easy.

23hrs just in the airport-to-airport phase. Then add in the transportation to/from the airport. 

Pfft...what is a measly 24hrs+ in travel? Do it in my sleep. 🫠

2024 Oct-Turkey Wed 23. Istanbul (Final day)

I only had one thing left that I wanted to do in Istanbul. That was to check out the Anatolian side again, particularly Kadiköy. I am so happy that I did not miss this area. 

This will be my last entry for a while...until my next trip in mid Dec (to India)...or if something exciting happens.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-wed-23-istanbul-final.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Tue 22. Eskisehir

Eskisehir is a town that has a genuine, normal, living feel. It doesn't have any notable historical features. It just has great architecture that fits nicely. A well planned town.

A street photographer's paradise. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-tue-22-eskisehir.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Mon 21. Ankara

Final day in Ankara. Visited the Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi and the mandatory Anıtkabir (Atatürk's Mausoleum).

Atatürk led the groundwork for Turkey to be what it is today.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-mon-21-ankara.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Sun 20. Cappadocia/Ankara

We left the hotel for Ankara at 9:00 am. As we left Cappadocia, we stopped at Bogazkale - Hattusha UNESCO Archaeological Site.

This is a really well restored site. The Turkish keep digging up archaeological sites...because it has so much history.

Enjoying the last five days of the Turkey tour. I have had a long holiday so far. I can feel myself being drained. Generally, 2 months of holidays are enough. It really depends on the make-up of the group.

It will be depressing when I review the photos and transfer it to the NAS. These are just snippets of time. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-sun-20-cappadociaankara.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Sat 19. Cappadocia

I had a normal day tour to visit the sites around Cappadocia. Got the tourist bug out of my system.

This is definitely a must vist place. I could have done with maybe two more day to do the local walks/hikes that surround the place.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-sat-19-cappadocia.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Fri 18. Cappadocia

You can not take a bad picture in Göreme (Cappadocia region).

I have been very impressed by how they have integrated the tourism buildings into the environment. When you have a town/village that has existed over a long time, it would be a challenge to grow with the historical artefacts and natural features.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-fri-18-cappadocia.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Thu 17. Konya

7.5hrs of total transportation from Antalya to Cappadocia (hotel to hotel).

This place is small, and for us, it is more of a transit through to Cappadocia.

However, there are mosques to visit

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-thu-17-konya.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Wed 16. Antalya

Seeing two waterfalls in Antalya was the best part of the day (Dudan Falls Upper and Lower).

A simple boat cruise to view the Dudan Falls (lower) flow into the sea was the finish of the day.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-wed-16-antalya.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Tue 15. Antalya

The city (main tourist area) is not as large as I had first thought. You can see most of the place in half a day. I just did a self-exploring afternoon.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-tue-15-antalya.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Mon 14. Kekova

Made our way down to Kaleucagiz. This is where we left for our afternoon sailing to Kekova Island and the various swimming locations.

The water was warm = swim, swim, and more swimming.

This was the last opportunity to swim on the trip in the ocean. It is time to say farewell to the Mediterranean Sea.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-mon-14-kekova.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Sun 13. Fethiye

I enjoyed a good swim at Oludeniz and a nice stroll along the promenade in Fethiye. 

The Mediterranean Sea was not overly salty, and the clear waters were a comfortable temperature. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-sun-13-fethiye.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Sat 12. Pamukkale

Pamukkale is a tiny town with one significant feature...the Hierapolis Pamukkale with its natural travertine limestone terraces.

A lot to be done in 6-7hrs to see everything and to get your fill.

I took so many pictures as I walked along. Every corner/angle begged for a snap.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-sat-12-pamukkale.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Fri 11. Selcuk

I nearly picked up a wife 😉...

You're got to love the hard-sell tactics.

Visited the Greek structures and surrounding Selcuk.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-fri-11-selcuk.html?m=1

2024 2024 Oct-Turkey Thu 10. Selcuk

A 7.5hr transportation day. A bit too long to be stuck on a coach bus.

Arrived into Selcuk hotel by 8pm. Quite late. I had a quick shower, and off I go to do some night sightseeing. I even had time to sneak in a swim in the hotel warm swimming pool. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-2024-oct-turkey-thu-10-selcuk.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Wed 9. Gallipoli-Canakkale

Gallipoli and Canakkale done. Great mix of history and a fantastic little town.

I had one of my best fish sandwiches (2x)! Stuff the diet!

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-wed-9-gallipoli-canakale.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Tue 8. Istanbul day 3

I got to visit all the remaining places on my list for Istanbul. There are so many happening areas. A lively city indeed.

I will have one final afternoon of Istanbul at the end of my journey. That day, I can take it easy and not have to rush anything. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-tue-8-istanbul-day-3.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Mon 7. Istanbul day 2

Istanbul Asian side is definitely worth a visit. See the Bosphorus from a different angle. 

I always enjoy night photography as there are way less people floating around. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-mon-7-istanbul-day-2.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Turkey Sun 6. Istanbul

A huge day getting to Istanbul, slowly waiting for the public transport system to work. 

It is a huge city where every corner is a piece of history. I saw so much of the old town areas and the busy Karakoy at night.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-turkey-sun-6-istanbul.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Croatia Sat 5. Split (Final Croatia)

Split has been completely done and dusted. The island hopping was the best part. 

Croatia is just over touristed. There is so much opportunity for other areas to develop. 

Split is simply prime tourism.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-croatia-sat-5-split-final.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Croatia Fri 4. Split (Islands)

A big day island hopping.

Visited:

-Milna.

-Palmizana.

-Hvar.

-Blue Lagoon. 

-Trogir.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-croatia-fri-4-split-islands.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Croatia Thu 3. Split (Plitvice Lakes)

A very long day trip to Plitvice Lakes NP. 

It was a nice place to visit, except that our day was pouring with rain. An amazing natural wonder.

There are many paths/trails, so if visiting, it may be better to stay near the lakes to spend a couple of days there without the 4hr (each way) commuting from/to Split. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-croatia-thu-3-split-plitvice.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Croatia Wed 2. Dubrovnik to Split

Seeing final bits of Dubrovnik before I left for Split.

Lucky I did an extra walk around. There were things I would have regretted not seeing.

Dubrovnik is hectic. Best to find a quiet beach to swim and relax after visiting the old town and its wall.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-oct-croatia-wed-2-dubrovnik-to.html?m=1

2024 Oct-Croatia Tue 1. Dubrovnik (Final tour day)

Last day of the tour. It was a great tour.

Finishing in Dubrovnik. Sadly, it means goodbye to the well-gelled group. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/2024/10/2024-oct-croatia-tue-1-dubrovnik-final.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Montenegro Mon 30. Kotor

Kotor has some great hiking trails but the real activity is closer to the water.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-montenegro-mon-30-kotor.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Montenegro Sun 29. Kotor

A long transfer day from Tirana to Kotor, Montenegro. 

This results with a lot of night photography. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-montenegro-sun-29-kotor.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Albania Sat 28. Tirana/Kruja

We visited Kruja (castle) in the morning. Then, a basic stroll through Tirana to relax and to see if there was anything that I may have missed that I would have regretted. 

In the evening, I tried something new...shooting guns! It's a lot of fun.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-albania-sat-28-tiranakruja.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Albania Fri 27. Tirana

From the poo stench of Durres to the lively city of Tirana.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-albania-fri-27-tirana.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Albania Thu 26. Berat

Struga (North Macedonia) and Berat (Albania) are great little places to check out. 

Struga has amazing clear draining from Lake Ohrid, and the waterway setup is so polished.

Berat has a great old town and laneways. Also a good hill to walk up.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-albania-thu-26-berat.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Nth Macedonia Wed 25. Lake Ohrid

A relaxing day on the lake and walking the town. Then it was refreshing to be swimming in a clean lake.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-nth-macedonia-wed-25-lake-ohrid.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Nth Macedonia Tue 24. Lake Ohrid

Lake Ohrid is a fantastic lakeside holiday location. Sometimes, it reminds me of Lake Como with the clear waters and no beaches.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-nth-macedonia-tue-24-lake-ohrid.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Nth Macedonia Mon 23. Prizren and Pristina (Kosovo)

Keeping the politics aside, Kosovo rocks!

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-nth-macedonia-mon-23-prizren.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Nth Macedonia Sun 22. Skopje/Matka Canyon

First day out with the new tour group. Everyone appears to be normal (myself included).

Visited Matka Canyon. Great place. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-nth-macedonia-sun-22.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Nth Macedonia Sat 21. Skopje

A great hiking day in Skopje. Went up Mt Vodno. Best exercise I have had in over 2 weeks. The views from above were excellent. Skopje is so much bigger than just the main tourist zone.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-nth-macedonia-sat-21-skopje.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Nth Macedonia Fri 20. Skopje

Another great day in Skopje. I thought I had seen most of the interesting places but I was sorely mistaken. I nearly missed the Bit Pazar. It's such a huge market.

The clouds cleared, and I saw the top of Mt Vodno. I will head up there tomorrow. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-nth-macedonia-fri-20-skopje.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Nth Macedonia Thu 19. Skopje

What an amazing place Skopje is.

It is full of surprises. 

One of the best tourist days so far.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-nth-macedonia-thu-19-skopje.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Georgia Wed 18. Tbilisi

The last day in Georgia. Great place to spend a couple of days.

Got to see everything in Tbilisi that I had on my agenda. 

Ready to fly out from midnight to Skopje, North Macedonia. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-georgia-wed-18-tbilisi.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Georgia Tue 17. Gudauri to Tbilisi

Left Gudauri and headed over to Tbilisi. 

There is a lot to see in Tbilisi. It would full up 2 days nicely, if you power walk everywhere. Ideally, you would only stay in Tbilisi for 3 days max.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-georgia-tue-17-gudauri-to.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Georgia Mon 16. Gudauri/Stepantsminda

The best tour day so far.

Lot of things to see and laughter. Taking the piss (with good intentions) was had by all.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-georgia-mon-16.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Georgia Sun 15. Gudauri

A long day of driving. 

Highlight was the Tsinandali Estate. 

The natural mountains to Gudauri was also cool.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-georgia-sun-15-gudauri.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Georgia Sat 14. Telavi and Gremi

In Georgia! A big change from Azerbaijan. 

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-georgia-sat-14-telavi-and-gremi.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Azerbaijan Fri 13 Sep. Sheki

A very light day. 

Visited:

The Palace of Shaki Khan's.

Kish-Albanian Church. 

Kish-Village Visit. This was just a drive through the hilly village to get to the church.

https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/2024-sep-azerbaijan-fri-13-sep-sheki.html?m=1

2024 Sep-Azerbaijan Thu 12 Sep. Sheki (Nij - Udin village visit)

Left the mountains and headed to Sheki. I finally got to swim, at the hotel pool.

A lot of bus shuttle travel. Good to see how the non-Baku regional people live. They live like everyone else throughout the world. 

The more you travel the more you see the similarities. 

Daily diary entry on the page on the right.

2024 Sep-Azerbaijan Wed 11 Sep. Caucasus Mountains/Lahij

A transit day with some simple stops.

Chilling in the small village of Lahij. 

The village reminds me of some small Pakistani villages.

As always, pictures and diary entry on the right. 

2024 Sep-Azerbaijan Tue 10 Sep. Qobustan Petroglyphs +Baku Old City

A normal day turned out quite good by the end. Met new people and had a view of someone's life in Baku.

Page available on the trips section.

2024 Sep Sun 8 - Mon 9 Baku

First days in Baku. Eventful. Page available on the trips section.

2024 Sep-Abu Dhabi, UAE. A short stopover

Just on holidays. Sharing a quick stopover in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

That grand mosque is seriously awesome.

Simple travelling is always a positive experience. 

Check the page out on the right.

Everest 2019 summary finally completed

Yeah.  Finally finished writing up the summary.  Details can be found on the Trips/Expeditions section on the right.  I no longer need to tell my story multiple times over.  Do it once and you can then forget about it.

2018 Tassie MTB trip (Blue Derby and Mt Wellington North South Track)

A quick view of the MTB scene in Tasmania on the right trips/expeditions 'menu'.
https://gilianlee.blogspot.com/p/p.html

Nepali helicopter rescue scam

For those that do not know, there is a big problem with the dodgy rescue practices in Nepal. Here are a couple of articles highlighting the scams impacting the affordability of rescue services in Nepal:

-https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/near-everest-s-slopes-a-helicopter-rescue-fraud-preys-on-trekkers-20180905-p501yj.html

-https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-safety/southern-asia/nepal/nepal-heli-evac-scam

This has been going on for a long time and is unlikely to be resolved. You just cannot rely on the Nepali government to address the issue. The Nepali government cannot even ensure that their own Liaison Officers (LO) assigned to expeditions show up for work. If they cannot even get this LO issue right, then clearly they will have zero hope of fixing this complex issue.  It is up to honest clients and the rescue/insurance companies to stamp this out.

From my personal experience, Global Rescue has been fantastic. I used Global Rescue when I was helicoptered out of Manaslu base camp after suffering from frostbite on toes. I also talked to them in 2017 at Camp 2 at Everest when I suffered frostbite on the fingers and signs of HACE onset (nil rescue heli the second time around -I paid for my own heli taxi service).

Even at the hospital CIWEC, the Dr did not know how long I needed to stay after being brought down from Manaslu base camp. I chose to check myself out of hospital very quickly as I knew that there was no reason for me to stay when they couldn't do any more. This was the first sign that there was something not right. If Drs do not know how to discharge you, then you have a big problem. In Australia, hospitals would be happy to discharge you at the very first instance that nil care provision is required –the way it should be.

My concern is that too many people take-the-piss out of rescue services. I have witnessed, and heard of stories of fraudulent 'rescues'. I heard that a Romanian mountaineer on Dhaulagiri once couldn't be bothered walking down a mountain during acclimatisation, so he got a heli rescue down, but then went back up for a summit attempt when the weather window opened up. This was second-hand conversation. If you pay for your own heli down the mountain, then that is not a problem, but when you use the rescue service to get down, and then go back up for a summit attempt, then there is a very good reason to make you pay for the initial rescue.

Rarely do people need to be rescued that fast particularly if you are not an idiot. You should be prepared with good communications throughout your expedition/trip so that rescue services know when trouble is starting to set in.

When you make Everest a tourist trip then this is what happens. For my instances with Global Rescue, I always made sure that onset of problems were communicated through to Global Rescue early, or through the expedition support. Only when I think that I am absolutely poo pooed (about to die) or would cause much physical damage (frostbite/HACE) will I call Global Rescue. It is a rescue service afterall, not a taxi!

If one wants good affordable rescue service coverage, one has to support the rescue business, and to make sure that they are not being ripped-off. I for one need the services of reputable rescue companies (ie. Global Rescue), and when these businesses are being ripped off by dodgy people/operators, then my premiums sky rocket.

To be honest, heli rescue should not even be offered to trekkers. Plain and simple. There is only one solution and that is to descend. Simple. Maybe take an aspirin? How stupid does one need to be to trust the Nepali ‘guide’? Most client travellers are from say 1^stor 2^nd world countries…but you put your life in the hands of a 3^rd world country educated guide that you know nothing about, except that he has walked the route. If you seriously are that stupid then Darwinism really should apply. People need to toughen up. A light headache is not altitude sickness. You would be surprised how much punishment your body can take. The body can take heaps of punishment. When people say they ‘nearly died’, then I laugh when it is not related to avy/landslides, crevasse falls/falls or something like that. Even I can be melodramatic at times when the poo hits the fan and emotions are high.

What you need to do if you trek/expedition in Nepal/Tibet/Pakistan++:

1) Ensure that you personally have communications with Global Rescue when problems arise (or whichever rescue service you are using).

2) That you have communication with another source that has access to Global Rescue.

3) Be true to yourself when assessing your own condition. Drs are overly cautious...it is the nature of their job. A Dr would rarely advise you to do a 8000m mountain, yet here we are. If you want perfect health and zero risk then go fishing, play golf or tennis instead (if you want to be a cupcake then do not go trekking where ‘altitude’ could be a concern). If you want to 'live' then come and have a chat with me ;-)

4) Understand how to ascend (slowly) and do not take the word of the guide (unless your guide is truly good). Know your body and listen to it. The difficult thing is finding your limits…without putting yourself at real risk (trial and error is sadly the only way). Guides are overly cautious as well. It sounds ‘extreme’ when you are advised that you are suffering from altitude sickness…you must be extreme at 5000m :-D.

5) Trekkers – altitude is rarely an issue if you plan and read up on ascending rates. Do not exert excessively as it is more difficult to recover at altitude. That noted, 5000m is not high!

6) Take it slowly and don’t be stupid – is it worth taking a dangerous shortcut pass to save a mere 15mins?

7) You need to hydrate constantly as dehydration is the easiest way to invite altitude sickness. This is from experience. Dehydration is a real killer as the rest of the body starts to shut down very quickly, and it takes a long time to get rehydrated properly. It really messes with your mental state.

8) Do not walk in the heat of the day! This may be unavoidable given the long trekking days. You should commence your day very early and try to finish by 2pm or so. This gives you time to rest, and prep physically and mentally for the next day. If it is a long day, then leave earlier.

9) This last point is contentious. Avoid taking medication for altitude. I once tried taking Diamox at the start of my Aconcagua expedition and stopped taking it at a higher altitude, just to see if it made a difference. My head nearly exploded. When I tried to get back onto it, it was ineffective. What I am saying is that reliance on medication can mask the symptoms of what your body is really doing. If you need medication, then it means it is time to go down. I don’t climb with any performance enhancing altitude medication (nil medication for me). Most base camps are like pharmaceutical companies! Drugs everywhere…and everyone is an expert in how these things work. Ha, yeah, right. If you are going to use drugs, then make sure you have ample reserves as you could die if you rely on it and it runs out. I have heard that Viagra and other similar drugs are good for mountaineering…but I would think that this would be a negative as the mountain is full of males…unless you are lucky.

10) Oh, I almost forgot, for all expeditioners that have summited, please do not forget to write a book, or movie about your amazing O2 supported summit, and do the motivational speaker rounds. I genuinely want to know all about it. I have so much more to learn. This would be a riveting read/watch/presentation. ;-)

What Global Rescue/Insurance companies need to do (if they are not doing it already):

-As part of their post rescue assessment, review with the client the circumstances of the rescue and how it was performed. This will determine the proportion of the costs that Global Rescue needs to pay. I know that Global Rescue does undertake vetting to identify BS claimants. Also, dodgy Drs will write anything to get a claim for the client (and then they get paid).

-Should insurance companies come together and pool their own resources? Tough business model but at least they are getting smarter by blacklisting dodgy companies and closely vetting claims.

-Take a hard line on insuring trekkers. Either do not insure heli or premium the living daylights out of them.

-Take a hard line on expeditioners on BS claims…but please keep the premiums low :-). For expeditioners it is easy to assess their claim for rescue –the evidence is genuinely pretty clear (you can see it).

-Work with a few reputable companies and undertake significant vetting on them. Good companies will succeed and dodgy ones will hopefully go out of business. Focus on the few to limit your resource base and if they are caught, then immediate blacklist the individuals (company phoenix is easy and need to target the individuals instead).

Dodgy people/businesses in any industry need to be vetted out. They end up hurting the community and are dangerous.

Rant over – Gil over and out.

Everest 2018 (Unsuccessful) summary finally posted

Hard to write up the quick summary...but had to get it done and moved into the brain archive.  Click on the right to get a glimpse of the disappointment.

Review -Archer Components D1X wireless MTB shifter

Review on the right of the amazing Archer Components D1X.

Everest 2017 diary finally up on blog.

On the right hand side is the raw events from my unsuccessful 2017 expedition.  So many things went wrong.  Best to learn from it and leave the past behind.

A bit of humour -How to tolerate idiots on a mountain (undergoing development)

I have a plan…seriously! One of the toughest things about an expedition is tolerating idiots.  It is sadly unavoidable.  After a few expeditions I have continued to invest some serious thinking on this topic.

You can always pick them out from a crowd:

a) The ultimate show-off who knows everything and gives you advice even if you don’t want it.  They are the ones that tell you how awesome they are and how they are on TED Talks.

b) The ones that have zero experience and have never even walked with crampons, who will learn on the mountain, and rely 100% on the “experienced” sherpa that have claimed to have summited numerous times.

c) The ‘firsts’ or something like that.  Those that are trying to prove something based on a criteria that they have defined to be the best.

Here are a few strategies I was mulling over:

1) Mitigate by customising your own team. An expensive option.

2) Avoid the offenders.  Sadly this rarely works.  Better to confront and get it over with.  The reality is that some people just do not gel…and I gel with very few people because I cannot tolerate stupidity.

3) When alone on a mountain, cut the rope on them!  This can be highly effective but may have some “ethical” and “legal” concerns.  But what happens on the mountain, stays on the mountain 😉. 

I would recommend strategy 1 and 2 for the less courageous, and only use option 3 if you are at the end of your tether, or if you run into an annoying Icelandic, then cut the rope immediately!

I do have to say that there is satisfaction when a less than mediocre person such as myself summits before a ‘pro’ (a).  What does it really say about them?  A bit of humility goes a long way.  Oh, I am the type of person that will let them know all about it! 😆

As for those that put their lives in other people’s hands (b), I have absolutely nil sympathy for you if it goes belly up.  There is ‘stupidity’ and then there is “EPIC STUPIDITY”.

Category c people are a lot of fun! I love putting them in their place.  The true ‘firsts’ are only those that actually were the first to summit.  The rest is just self glorifying BS.  E.g. Mt Everest is Hillary and Norgay as the first summiters, and Reinhold Messner for the ‘pure’ way he did it (and he has great hair!). 

Review -Sony A7R camera with Sony Sonnar T* FE 35mm f/2.8 ZA lens

Review on the right.  Is it the right camera for mountaineering?

Review -ONA Presidio Leather Sling Strap (Antique Cognac colour) and Peak Design CapturePro setup

Review on the right.

Staying motivated

I have always seen house cleaning as a great motivator for mountaineering. Seriously. When you are cleaning and tidying you are applying a full range of motion. Yes, you may look a bit dorky in the process, but you get a workout and a clean house, a truly win-win outcome. No need for gym membership.
Similar to purchasing mountaineering equipment, you too need to spend time getting the correct house cleaning equipment...it could be a matter of life or death. The wrong vacuum cleaner will make your life that much more difficult and you lose focus. This is from experience. My Dyson vac just wasn't 'motivating' me so I sold it. I am just waiting for my Miele and I can't wait for it to be delivered and then working out with it :-) See, a new vac can be motivational.
Now, how can I make dish washing into an exercise? Wrist curls?
It is a boring Sunday.

The BS categories to mountaineering

I’ve had enough of the constant abuse and use of mountaineering/climbing terms that try to elevate a mountaineer’s achievements.

In Broad Peak I hear people say they were ‘soloing’ but in reality they were being supported.  What a load of BS.  I only saw one team (of 2 people) truly ‘solo’, and they were the Slovenians that summited BP…but even that is not ‘soloing’ as they were a pair of climbers…but I digress.  They did not use fixed lines, did not use the established route (for some of it) and did their own carrying.  These guys were honourable and earned my respect (but they technically were not soloing).

This raises the question of all the other BS self-proclaimed titles…and I am calling you all out!  Cut the crap and be honest with yourself and the public.  The simplest categories are (table below):

	No Supplemental O2	With Supplemental O2
Supported	(A) eg. Most of my climbing will be in this space)	(C) eg. Majority of climbers on Everest Sth Side expeditions
Unsupported	(B) eg. Slovenians on BP	(D) Not many people in this space that I know of

This table of category results recognises true effort without ambiguous terms being incorrectly used.  It gives credit to those that deserve it. 

The first categorisation is in regard to the use of supplemental O2 or not.  Very simple.  If you consume supplemental O2 from BC-Summit-BC (the measure of summit success) then it would be defied as ‘With Supplemental O2’.  This is aligned with what most people recognise as a successful summit climb.

A person can ‘gas’ themselves before/after a BC-Summit-BC climb, but so as long as they do not do it during BC-Summit-BC climb cycle, they can by categorised as ‘No Supplemental O2’.  Simple to understand and accept.

Now, for the controversial categorisation of ‘Supported/Unsupported’.  Whether you agree or not, this is simply what the true definitions of the words are. 

‘Supported’ is where any form of external service or infrastructure has been used. 

Includes:
-Use of fixed lines.
-Use of human service (Sherpa/HAP/Other human).

Excludes:
-Base camp services (not part of the climbing cycle BC-Summit-BC.
-Existing route/direction/trail breaking etc as there may be only one feasible route.

Many may not like the categorisations, but this is one opinion that provides true definitional clarity without subjective free-licence with ‘solo’/’alpine style’ and other definitions that have been bastardised to such an extent that it is truly meaningless.  Too many have claimed to be ‘solo’ when they are not.

When I saw the Broad Peak Slovenians do their thing, I recognised that their efforts were being undermined by others who claimed the same thing.  To these Slovenians I give you credit and these definitions, to honour your achievements.  To everybody else, use at your discretion but please cut the BS/lies.

I for one know that I would be in the table cell A (Supported/No Supplemental O2) and I know that many other mountaineers who claimed to be ‘Unsupported’/’Solo’ would be in the same table cell A.  Only a handful of highly skilled (or crazy J) individuals would be in table cell B. 

Be honest with yourself (if you can).  I will no longer use the terms ‘solo’.

How to go to the toilet –SERIOUSLY!

One of the difficult things to do on an expedition is to go to the toilet.  It could save you from frostbite!  Let me explain:

1) In base camps it is not so much and issue but you can save yourself from discomfort by building your thigh muscles.  If you do a full squat then you reduce blood flow to your feet.  If you hold this position for too long at cold/high altitude then frostbite to your toes can set in…this is what happened to me on Manaslu!  I felt my right toe go numb while doing a poo on summit night.  Even if you ‘bounce’ you still end up getting some serious leg burn as you have to hold that skiers position for a while.

Tip –Don’t mess around and get done with the business as quickly as possible.

Tip –Light bouncing can relieve pressure but don’t lose your aim.

Tip –At high altitude use real toilet paper as wet wipes have a tendency to freeze, and are cold.

2) Pee bottles are essential.  You never want to go out of the tent in wild weather just to do a pee, particularly if you tent site is precariously pitched.  Some people also use pee bottles as hot water bottles, but if you have no need for the extra warmth, then make sure you pour the bottle out to the outside of the tent instead of leaving it to be disposed of the next morning…as the pee will freeze in the bottle.

3) To do a poo is usually not too much of a hassle if your site is not in a dangerous spot, but if you are wearing a harness, then the struggle begins (where pants have no evacuation sippers).  The most important rule is to never compromise your safety equipment.  You may have to loosen your harness so that you can slip down your pants.  Make sure you don’t loosen too much of your harness!  There is very little modesty when it comes to things like this but if you need to evacuate…so it shall be.

4) I’ve heard of people (not me) taking a poo in the tent vestibule, onto a snow covered shovel, when the outside weather is very bad.  Once finished, they hurl the waste in a pre-determined direction.  The shovel is relatively clean (snow covered) and there is no need to leave the tent.  In such a situation you would want to be ‘very close’ to your tent buddy.

5) I’ve also heard about people digging deep into one end of the tent vestibule for number 2s, which they cover up with snow once finished.  Never tried this before but the previous option 4 sounds better.

6) Common courtesy –if you farts are going to stink then vent the tent.  My experience in Broad Peak with the Icelandic was he did not do this…was he seriously that inconsiderate? 

I believe that most issues come about from the act of pooing rather than peeing.  Depending on your environment the consequences of taking too long (too leisurely) can have some physical impacts.  Learn to do your business quickly and efficiently.  Learn how to manipulate your harness and clothing ‘safely’ to do your number 2s on a rope.

Not many people talk about these things but I am putting it out there so that you have a starting point in how to deal with toilet adventures on the mountain.  There may be heaps of other options so research for yourself.  Pants with front-back zippers or rainbow seats make things a lot easier.

Oh, if you think you have to ‘go’, then ‘go’ early.  You do not want to be rushing things getting prepared.  Take the necessary time to get ready so that you don’t make a mess or put yourself at risk.