Hi, Today had the trip of my life --possible in India also but was unique since saw the sea bay righ from the top of a mountain - and on other side saw a snow capped peak and glacier emerging from it. In India sea is far from snow capped peaks of Himalaya range. Did the Grouse Grind (GG) trail of 800m high / 2400 feet (more like steps of stairs which even an Indian cow or buffalo can climb-when not giving milk--as usual) in one hour five minutes -not too good-best times are 27 minutes. Nice and sunny today and the GG trail was open again.
On top while enjoying the view of the bay ( www.grousemountain.com has many photos) saw the paragliders floating past - I want to do that too ( last night was dreaming that I am hanging from a huge kite high in the sky -its rope pulled by running dogs on the ground -who are chasing some other dogs etc) -my dream since childhood fanned by my father whose bosom friend was into hang-gliding and wanted us to do the same (until the friend sent a hand-written letter saying that he got injured all the three times he attempted it). Aravali hills have good thermals too and soft sand and steep hills -ideal for hang/para-gliding -- (so to in upper -Assam ?) But the guesthouse was only 1128m high -Grouse mountain peak was higher up at 1250m so went up and so the other side of the mountain and its snow capped peaks's view. On the top was the sign "Only Paragliders can go forward" --and lo !! in 5 minutes two SUVs arrived and the paraglders were back -with customers ($190 cash each) -right in front of my eyes they laid out their mass of cloth ans strings and soon it was all sorted out. With each expert was hooked a client and with a breeze they ran down the steep grassy slope together -furiously kicking the ground -and off the ground. the expert juggled with the strings to avoid hitting the trees on the right and getting strung up on it (like many Indian kites of kids). The experts said that in winters they go to New Zealand -since they have summer there --all year business!! While walking down from the infrequently visited peak -just round the corner the German (?) couple stopped and the girl asked me to stop "Bear ahead!! " she hissed. "WHere where!!" I was looking around. For their satisfaction I walked with them -giving them strength in numbers -a bear hug would have been wonderful !! After a few minutes the man pointed below down the cliff -- far down was the bear -black and clean and hairy -- sniffing up, seriously clambering down. Later another trekker told me she had seen 7 bears eating blue-berries while she was cycling in a park just below us - outside vancouver -the other day. I had seen the 2 caged ones already while on my way up to the peak. Saw the lumber -jack show (Indians may not find it very interesting -since axes are still used to cut trees) complete with climbing tree competition etc. It was mainly a kids show - made especialy interesting to children -with humor and jumpiness. Any ideas for paragliding in Eastern Himalayas? Umesh PS: Weblinks to the place: http://travel2.nytimes.com/top/features/travel/destinations/canada/britishcolumbia/vancouver/sight_details.html?vid=1086282837401 http://www.where.ca/Vancouver/guide_listing~listing_id~321.htm Umesh Sharma 5121 Lackawanna ST College Park, MD 20740 USA Current temp. address: 5649 Yalta Place , Vancouver, Canada 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone] Canada # (607) 221-9433 Ed.M. - International Education Policy Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Class of 2005 weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ ___________________________________________________________ Try the all-new Yahoo! Mail. "The New Version is radically easier to use" The Wall Street Journal http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
