Heinz Schuehle октябрь 2000

When my friend from St. Petersburg, Lucia, asked me last summer if I would like to join her party for a little trip to Nepal in Ocotber 2000 I was immediately attracted by the idea.

I hadn't seen this part of the world before and was really looking forward to a few exciting adventurous days. As I didn't have enough time to help with the planning and organising, Lucia said she'll sort everything out - I knew I could rely on her. And she said there were some Russian friends of hers in Nepal that would help us and that I should bring my trekking gear for a week in the mountains, too.

Looking back, this little trip turned out to be one of the most agreeable and interesting ones of my backpacking career. (The only thing that annoyed me was the fact that I couldn't stay longer.)

First of all Nepal, as I see it, is just ideal for travelling - it offers the perfect balance of natural and cultural beauty, very often in combination. One may also find it difficult to decide where to go and what to visit - there are so many interesting places. So consult the guide book or fellow travellers to check out a route that suits your personal flavour. Or just decide spontaneously what to do next.

Second - anywhere we have been we always felt we were welcome as visitors and treated with great hospitality. This friendly atmosphere made it really easy for me to escape from the routine of everyday life at home - something that I was really looking for at that time.

And then there was Katja and Igor, Lucia's 'friends in Nepal', who contributed a great deal to the pleasures of this trip. You could feel the know and love the country and the people and they organised virtually everything for us in a very professional way: Accommodation, local and public transport, sightseeing, trekking permits - you name it. And then they were always like almost like friends Just what we needed with the limited amount of time we had. Big compliment!

I remember especially Igor's big energy and hiking talent when he accompanied us on the Annapurna Trek, one of the absolute highlights.

And Katja who was showing us round in the Katmandu valley with expert knowledge and her sympathetic temper...

Surely there are still plenty of things to discover and I'm sure I will return in the near future and hopefully meet again with 'our friends in Nepal'.

Finally I would like to greet my friends in St. Petersburg: Alexei, Lucia, Masha, Olga, Pasha and Tanya from Moscow. Thank you for your pleasant company, your friendship and many inspirations. Namaste.