I am at the Himalayan mountains view point just outside the hilltop village of Bandipur, on the road from Kathmandu to Pokhara in Nepal. Five local lasses set upon me for a photo shoot, asking me through my guide after they spotted my large Nikon D750 dSLR. Session over, three of them eventually melted away, but two of them still pose with me for a selfie, courtesy my guide. Sadly he did not zoom in any closer, resulting in to much foreground. Oh well. I am not posting the many portraits of the ladies to respect their privacy but I think this group shot should be in order. (Bandipur, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

I am on the long trek up the stairs to the top of a hill in Pokhara, Nepal, to see the Vishwa Shanti Stupa or the World Peace Pagoda. I generally avoid long climbs as I am a bit past my prime, but my guide has brought me here, assuring me that the beautiful Himalayan views from on top of the mountain make the climb every bit worth it. So as I trudge wearily along, huffing and puffing, an oasis in the desert- sort of- was this ice cream vendor when we were almost there. A refreshing cold dessert is just what the doctor ordered! What added to the fun was that this gentleman makes his own ice cream cones. From wheat, so very healthy, he said. So basically, the gentleman makes ice cream cones while his wife fills out ice cream orders. A brief Hyperlapse video of the actual process appeared just before this. (see previous picture- my Facebook viewers will find this video in the separate Videos folder under my Profile). (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

We are back in the main town square of Kazbegi/ Stepantsmindo now, but unsuccessfully having spent nearly an hour to only find a seat in a restaurant earlier in the day and then having to back track some 15km just to have a meal, we did not stop for photos. This picture is therefore downloaded from the net. (acknowledgement appears at the end of this caption.) According to tradition, Stepantsminda, literally Saint Stephan was named so after a Georgian Orthodox monk Stephan, who constructed a hermitage at this location on what later became the Georgian Military Highway. It came under the control of a local feudal magnate, the Chopikashvili clan, who were in charge of collecting tolls on travelers in the area in the late 18th century. After the expansion of the Russian Empire into the Kingdom of Georgia in the early 19th century, the people of the region revolted against Russian rule. However, the local lord Gabriel Chopikashvili, son of Kazi-Beg, remained steadfast in his loyalty to Russia and helped to suppress the revolt. In return, he was promoted to officer in the Russian Army. He adopted the surname Kazbegi, and the village under his control was also frequently referred to as Kazbegi. The name was officially changed to Kazbegi already under the Soviet rule in 1925. Gabriel Chopikashvili-Kazbegi's grandson was the famed Georgian writer Alexander Kazbegi, who was born in this town. In 2006, the town reverted to its original name of Stepantsiminda. Almost all locals refer to the town as Kazbegi though. You can see the Gergeti Trinity Church high up on the hill in the far background in the middle of this photograph. (Kazbegi/ Stepantsminda, Georgia, Sept. 2016) thealoof.com/a-brief-trip-into-the-amazing-caucasus-mount...

Budding genius or blooming idiot? My good guide was so enahoured of this scene that he insisted on taking a picture of me against it. We are at the top of the Anadu Hill in Pokhara, Nepal, atop which is perched the Vishwa Shanti Stupa or World Peace Pagoda, which is just out of the picture. Behind me are freshly bloomed what I think is a strain of Coreopsis grandiflora sunflowers, and beyond that the cloud covered (as usual) snow capped Himalayan peaks of the Annapurna range. I have braved the strenuous trek here for these Himalayan views, too bad they were hiding behind cloud cover most of the time- just my usual luck with mountains anywhere in the world- they reveal themselves for barely a minute and disappear even before I switch on my camera and lock focus on them. Oh well! It was a glorious day though. (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

Last picture of the beautiful mountainscape on the Georgian Military Highway, on the road from Tbilisi to Kazbeti/ Stepantsminda. Just look at this beautiful scene- a wild river in the foreground with a rather rocky bed, pine filled mountains, agricultural fields, meadows for grazing with haystack pyramids, and cool, clean and fresh mountain air. Too bad so many Georgian males are heavy smokers though, which, if any of the residents here are, will sure pollute the clean and crisp mountain air here! (Kazbegi/ Stepantsminda, Georgia, Sept. 2016)

The Kanchenjunga from yet another angle, with normal wooded mountains in the foreground. (May 2009)

The clearest view I could get so far of Machapuchare (fish tail) peak from the sunrise point at Sarangkot, near Pokhara, Nepal. Mere seconds later, the peak was mostly obscured by cloud cover. Due to its southern position in the Annapurna range, and the particularly low terrain that lies south of the Annapurna, Machapuchare commands appears taller than it actually is, thanks to it's great vertical relief in a short horizontal distance. This, combined with its steep, pointed profile, make it a particularly striking peak, despite a lower elevation than some of its neighbors. Its double summit resembles the tail of a fish, hence the name Machapuchare, which means Fish Tail in the local vernacular. Machapuchare is also nicknamed the Matterhorn of Nepal, due to the striking resemblance to a Swiss peak of the same name. The height of Machhapuchhre is around 6,993 mtr. More notes and views of this peak appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). One picture also appears later on in this album. (see subsequent pictures). (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

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I am at the sunrise point at Sarangkot, just outside Pokhara, Nepal, waiting for the grand spectacle of sunrise over the Himalayas. While it is not yet sunrise, the sun has already announced it's impending arrival by lighting up the peaks of the Annapurna range in the Himalayas. The sharp, pointed peak at extreme right is Machapuchare, or Fish Tail Peak, about which we will talk later. No one really knew which side the sun will rise from, but everyone had their cameras pointed to the mountain peaks with the tops lit by the soon to arrive sun. One big nuisance though was the scores of cellphone camera users with their hands raised sky high, pointing their phones towards the grand spectacle. As a photographer myself, I du understand the anxiety to get a good shot, but one stupid fellow kept his hand in that raised position for a good fifteen minutes, obscuring the view of everyone behind him. Like this man in this picture- this man has his phone held up in portrait mode. The other stupid fellow was holding his phone in landscape mode and kept holding it for a good fifteen minutes. You are taking a picture, not making a movie for chrissakes! In the end I had to storm up to the fellow and bark at him for his total lack of consideration and while a few shots are ok, one doesn't just block everyone's view for fifteen minutes at a stretch! His response- to grin like an idiot. I finally edged my way ahead of him and shot off a few frames, hoping I had blocked him likewise for a few seconds at least. (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

Another look at the early morning sun shining off the snow capped peaks of the Dhaulagiri ranger in the Himalayas at the sunrise point in Pokhara, Nepal. Now isn't that a truly breathtaking scene! I will now ease off a bit on the commentary and simply let you enjoy the lovely Himalayan views. We are at the sunrise point at Sarangkot, just outside Pokhara, Nepal, and while the actual sunrise is still some way off, the sun has already marked it's presence by lighting up the peaks of the mountains, like the icing on a cake. Notes about the Sarangkot sunrise point appeared in previous pictures earlier in this album. (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

What do pine leaves look like once they whither? They turn a delicious orange. On our way back to the car after descending the steep Sihai Phangrei hill near Ukhrul in Manipur, NE India, I spotted this bunch of whithering pine leaves. This is something we don't see in my neck of the woods- in Poona (Pune) in western India, so this was something new to me and I simply had to take a picture of it. Detailed notes about the Sihai Phangrei hill as well as about the Shirui Lily flower the adjoining Shirui range is famous for appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). My son and I are here in Manipur to attend a wedding. (see previous pictures earlier in this album). (Phangrei, near Ukhrul, Manipur, NE India, Jan. 2020)

Apart from the Anadu Hill on which the Vishwa Shanti Stupa or World Peace Pagoda is located from which magnificent views of Pokhara town and the Pokhara (Phewa) Lake and the Himalayas can be had, (see previous pictures earlier in this album), there is another vantage point for great views located elsewhere in Pokhara. This is the Sarangkot sunrise point- here I am at dawn, waiting for the sunrise. My guide dropped me off at the base of the hillock and said he was going to park the car, but he did not communicate to me clearly that he would not be coming along. So I ended up wasting a lot of time waiting for him to turn up. We have to get to the viewpoint pretty early as it gets packed, so I lost some valuable time due to this, and so only got a not too good viewpoint. Still, I managed to squeeze my way in between a group of Korean and Chinese tourists and did manage some good pictures, as you will see as we go along. (see subsequent pictures). Sunrise is still some way off, but crowds are here in force already, with some of them already pointing their cellphones towards the Himalayas. (the sunrise is on the other side though- to your right as you view this picture). Sarangkot is one of the highest viewpoints in Pokhara, presenting magnificent sights of the Pokhara valley and the Himalayan peaks. The 1592-mtr summit is crowned by ruins of a kot or stone fortress of the Kaski Kingdom- of course I was not briefed about this so I was not even aware of t his at the time of my visit- neither were any of the others in the crowd either, as they all left immediately after sunrise.. From the Sarangkot Sunrise point, you can get the stunning vistas of the Pokhraa (Phewa) Lake, as well as the Himalayan mountain ranges of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna as well as the Machapuchare or Fish Tail Peak, which is already visible at extreme left and about which we will talk in detail later. (see subsequent pictures later in this album). For a clear view, one needs to get up pretty early or stay overnight in any of the lodges just below the summit. Coming in later than pre- sunrise would mean that all the wonderful mountains would disappear behind cloud cover. (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

I am at the sunrise point at Sarangkot, just outside Pokhara, Nepal. There is a total human zoo out here on the viewing area as we await the sunrise to unfold before us pretty soon. I had a good viewpoint against a balcony railing facing the other side (to your right as you view this picture), having clawed my way past a kind Chinese couple. No one really knew which side the sun was going to rise from- the side lighting of the mountain peaks up ahead should have been a dead give away- but in that confusion, and irritated state of mind at the herds of gaping humans up ahead, one's rational thinking takes a back seat. Adding to the confusion was the fact that most people were facing the snow capped mountain, and snapping away at a feverish pace- the sheer number of cellphone cameras pointing at the Annapurna range is proof enough! Machapuchare or Fish Tail peak is the triangular peak at extreme left- we will talk about that later on in this album. (see subsequent pictures of that peak in isolation). This peak is about 25 km north of Pokhara. (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

The Rimbi Bridge. It is rickety to say the least, and sways in the breeze. It is strictly one way. Cars at either end look out for each other, and use light signals to decide which one goes past first. Pedestrians walk across too, the brave souls! Despite its slender appearance, the bridge is also used by heavy trucks. There are not heavy or large buses in Sikkim due to the narrow mountain roads and tight curves and corners. (May 2009)

This the main town square of Kazbegi/ Stephantsminda. Barring a museum, there is not much of interest in the town itself to the casual tourist, except as a hop off point for treks into the surrounding mountains, or to get to the Trinity Churh way up on top of a hill, which you can see faintly at the extreme right. The absolute minimum recorded temperature is -34 degrees Celsius and the absolute maximum is 32 degrees Celsius. The town is dominated by large mountains on all sides. The most notable mountain of the region, Mount Kazbek, lies immediately to the west of town. The second most prominent peak, Mt. Shani, rises to an elevation of 4,451 meters (14,600 feet) above sea level, 9 kilometers to the east of Stepantsminda. The town is located 10 kilometers to the south of the famous Darial Gorge which we will see later. (pictures follow) (Kazbegi/ Stepantsminda, Georgia, Sept. 2016)

A slightly against the light shot with members of our host family atop the Sihai Phangrei hill near Ukhrul in Manipur, NE India. Detailed notes about the Phangrei hill as well as about the Shirui Lily flower this region is famous for appeared earlier in this album (see previous pictures), so I will save you the commentary and simply let you enjoy the picture. (Note: Some faces have been blurred to protect the privacy of the individuals). (Phangrei, near Ukhrul, Manipur, NE India, Jan. 2020)

After a rather rainy and wet night in Pokhara on the day of my arrival, it was luckily dry and clear the following morning. So my good guide carted me off to see the World Peace Pagoda atop a hill in the middle of Pokhara. Now I am a bit past my prime, and do not generally take to climbing steep hills, also partly due to my weight, but my guide assured me that the climb is well worth it, as some wonderful views of the snow capped Himalayas are to be had from on top of the mountain. And so I went along. After all, it makes little sense to go all the way to Nepal and miss out on some beautiful mountainscapes just because you have to slog up a hill, right? When we were half way up the mountain, we came across this ice-cream vendor who seemed to be doing brisk business- an ice cold desert was just what the doctor ordered during the course of a steep mountain climb! While the ice cream itself was nothing out of the ordinary. what fascinated me was that this gentleman was churning out his own ice cream cones. Made from wheat, they are healthy, he said. Here he is making one of the cones. A brief video of this process appears immediately after this. (see next picture- my Facebook viewers will find this video in a separate Videos folder under my Profile). (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

My clearest shot yet of Machapuchare or Fish Tail peak, taken from the sunrise point at Sarangkot, just outside Pokhara, Nepal. And today has proved to be my luckiest so far! My luck with mountains- of any kind- holds for a minute maximum, before the mountain disappears mostly, or even completely behind cloud cover, sometmes even when I look away for the briefest of moments to switch on my camera and focus the shot! But today, not only are the clouds missing but the early morning sun has actually lit up the top of the peak! Machapuchare (meaning Fish tail in the local vernacular) is a 6,993 mtr high peak, best seen from Sarangkot (this spot) or from atop Anadu Hill where the Vishwa Shanti Stupa or World Peace Pagoda is locate. (see previous pictures earlier in this album- in those pictures, this peak is almost completely obscured by cloud though). Machapuchare, also spelt Machapuchare, Machhapuchchhre or Machhapuchhre is a mountain peak on the Annapurna massif of Gandaki Pradesh, north-central Nepal. The peak looks taller than it actually is thanks to the comparatively low relief of the surrounding peaks. It is believed that Machapuchare has never been officially climbed to it's summit due to difficulties in gaining a permit from the government of Nepal. The peak is considered sacred by some, though why and held sacred by whom is not clear. More notes about this peak appear in the next caption. (see next picture). (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

I am atop the Sihai Phangrei hill near Ukhrul in Manipur, NE India after a pretty still climb which had me go completely out of steam. Having regained my breath, i take some pictures across the valley at what is probably the Shirui rainge, known for Manipur's endemic Shirui Lily flower. Detailed notes about the Sihai Phangrei mountain and the Shirui Lily flowe appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Phangrei, near Ukhrul, Manipur, NE India, Jan. 2020)

Another slightly against the light group shot with members of our host family atop the Sihai Phangrei hill near Ukhrul in Manipur, NE India. Detailed notes about the Phangrei hill as well as about the Shirui Lily flower this region is famous for appeared earlier in this album (see previous pictures), so I will save you the commentary and simply let you enjoy the picture. (Note: Some faces have been blurred to protect the privacy of the individuals). (Phangrei, near Ukhrul, Manipur, NE India, Jan. 2020)

That's me at one of the rest stops, which was actually just the beginning for a bout of stiff climbing to reach at the top of the Phangrei hill near Ukhrul in Manipur, NE India. Despite being a pretty touch climb up a steep hill, which is technically part of the Himalayas, I noticed that there were no boulders or pebbles along the climbing route. This is because the entire Phangrei hill is impregnated with spruce trees and grasses. The walk started off easily enough as a gentle uphill trail- almost like an unsealed road. Although I have done a fair bit of mountain hikes in my younger days, I am way past my prime now and don't do very well with steep inclines. I was initially surprised at my level as fitness as I could go about ten minutes without a break on the steep trail without a break. Little did I know how bad it was going to get as we climbed higher! I kept running out of steam pretty quickly after this and my stops became longer and more frequent. Lunghar Sihai Phangrei popularly known only as Phangrei is a long flat hill range and is one of the favorite picnic spots in Ukhrul district. Located about 35 Kms from Ukhrul, in NE India, the hill range joins with the Shirui Peak/Shirui Kashong, which is home to the famous Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae) flower, which is unique to this region and is de facto the 'national flower' (so to speak) of Manipur. (Phangrei, near Ukhrul, Manipur, NE India, Jan. 2020)

Behind all those clouds in the fabulous Annapurna range in the Himalayas, as seen from a viewpoint in the hilltop town of Bandipur in Nepal. With it's medium elevation, the excellent views of the Himalayas (Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh, Langtang Himal, the Marsyangdi Valley, Mount Manakamana and Gorkha with its high perching palace), the town's relatively easy accessibility and, of course, an old Newari town flair, Bandipur remains an interesting tourist site from which a few guesthouses and a hotel at the northern end of the Tundikhel try to benefit. It may well be that the seclusion of Bandipur saved the Newari architecture of its buildings which otherwise would have been replaced by faceless modern types found in many other towns of Nepal. Once an important stop on the Indo-Tibet trade route, Bandipur lost it's importance thanks to a new highway which by-passed Bandipur altogether, and a new and rather convenient airport in Pokhara. More notes about Bandipur appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Bandipur, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

Quite unknown to us, members of our host family took this shot of my son looking on as I photograph a scene across the valley atop the Sihai Phangrei hill near Ukhrul in Manipur in NE India. The adjoining mountain is probably the Shirui range, famous for Manipur's endemic Shirui Lily flower. You can also see the mountains of adjoining Burma (Myanmar) from here though I did not get to see those. Detailed notes about the Sihai Phangrei hill and the Shirui Lily flower appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Phangrei, near Ukhrul, Manipur, NE India, Jan. 2020)

The Flåm Line is a 20.2-kilometer long railway line between Myrdal and Flåm in Aurland, Norway. A branch line of the Bergen-Oslo Line, it runs through the valley of Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sognefjord. The maximum gradient is 5.5 percent (1:18) . The line has eight stops, twenty tunnels and one bridge.

Rated by The"Lonely Planet" as one of the worlds greatest train rides, it is a must do when visiting southern Norway. It is an ear popping and at times ear splitting climb up 800m as the train turns 180 degrees at one point. It is largely a "tourist" line but as it is a fully functional branch line you will see regular travellers with their luggage mingling with the hoards of camera toting tourists that frequent this spectacle.

Just as I was about to close my camera case to begin our climb downwards back to terra firma, I was taken aback when my good guide suddenly grabbed my iPhone and pointed it skyward. One of the microlight aircraft we had been seeing flying against the face of the mighty Machapuchare (fish tail) peak was now flying directly over us. The tiny aircraft looks like a mosquito in the sky! I could have taken one of these well but sadly that was not to be, thanks to a double dealing greedy so called friend of my guide who tried to rip us off, much to my good guide's chagrin. And why the mixed feelings I mentioned above? Happy that I have managed to trudge up here, happy at having seen the Vishwa Shanti Stupa or World Peace Pagoda, sad at my guide's friend greed, sad that I faced my usual poor luck with mountains hiding all the time behind cloud cover, sad because this would probably be my last major vacation as I had just retired from service in Dubai and am supposed to move to India as a retired person. Well, no major travels for the time being itself. I promised myself, I'll be back! (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

Waiting at the sunrise point at Sarangkot, just outside Pokhara, Nepal, I too spent a lot of time looking at the majestic Himalayan mountains of the Annapurna range. It was not sunrise just yet, but the sun has already announced it's presence by lighting up the snow capped peaks of the mighty mountains, making it look like the icing on a cake. No one seemed to know which side the sun would rise from- that side lighting of the mountain peaks should have been a dead give away, but thanks to the sheer bedlam there with countless humans in a herd, logical thinking takes a back seat, thanks to the irritated state of mind at these numbers. The triangular peak at the extreme left is Machapuchare or Fish Tail peak, which is believed to have never been climbed all the way upto its summit. The only confirmed attempt was in 1957 by a British team led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Roberts. ] No permits to climb the mountain have been issued ever after. The mountain is believed by some to be sacred but in what form, or to whom, is unclear.[ I have taken pictures of Machapuchare in isolation as well, so those pictures, as well as some notes about this peak, appear later in this album. (see subsequent pictures). (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

The Himalayan views at Bandipur were stunning notwithstanding the cloud cover. We have made a slight detour here to check out these mountain views, though we skipped a visit to the pedestrian- only hilltop town for want of time. Bandipur was established as a funnelling point of trade by Newar traders from Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu valley after it had been conquered in 1768 by Prithvi Narayan Shah. They took advantage of its malaria free location to develop it into an important stop along the India-Tibet trade route. With them they brought into Bandipur their cultural heritage and architecture which basically has remained unchanged to this day. Starting off as a simple Magar village in the early 19th century Bandipur developed into prosperous trading centre and a community with town-like features: substantial buildings, with their neoclassical façades and shuttered windows and streets paved with slabs of silverish slate. Bandipur had its heyday in the Rana times (1846-1951), when, as a measure of its power and prestige, it was granted special permission to have its own library (which incidentally still exists). Sadly, construction of a new highway at the base of the mountain by by-passing Bandipur completely, and due to the convenience of a newly developed airport in Pokhara, Bandkpur lost it's importance as a trading post completely. The town still survives as a tourist centre though- see notes in previous pictures earlier in this album. (Bandipur, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

The Flåm Line is a 20.2-kilometer long railway line between Myrdal and Flåm in Aurland, Norway. A branch line of the Bergen-Oslo Line, it runs through the valley of Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sognefjord. The maximum gradient is 5.5 percent (1:18) . The line has eight stops, twenty tunnels and one bridge.

Rated by The"Lonely Planet" as one of the worlds greatest train rides, it is a must do when visiting southern Norway. It is an ear popping and at times ear splitting climb up 800m as the train turns 180 degrees at one point. It is largely a "tourist" line but as it is a fully functional branch line you will see regular travellers with their luggage mingling with the hoards of camera toting tourists that frequent this spectacle.

prettiest mid size city in europe along with venice?

My son and I have just attended a wedding in the hilltop town of Ukhrul (sometimes called Hunphun), Manipur in NE India and are part of that large entourage that accompanies the bride to her new home along with her wedding gifts. A buffalo head is also prresented for the night's meal- that really freaked me out! Anyway, that ritual is entirely the prerogative of the local family so my son and I took a back seat. At any rate, he way to their new home was down a steep and narro path right into the village in the valley and it started raining cats and dogs at that point. Formalities over, the rains gave us some leeway when it was time to return to Pharung village and so I took this picture while we were waiting for our jeep. The clouds hanging around in the mountains reminded me of Sabah in East Malaysia. Pity about the intrusive wires- this was the best I could get at the time under the circumstances. NE India. (Ukhrul, Manipur, NE India, Jan. 2020)

Photo shoot with the five lovely Nepalese lasses over, (see previous pictures earlier in this album), I have the viewing spot back to myself again. This is on the Himaayas viewing point beside a large football field just outside the small hilltop town of Bandipur, in Nepal. The Newari town of Bandipur is one of central Nepal's hidden gems. It combines traditional village architecture, epic Himalayan views, lovely countryside walks, local adventure sports, and excellent accommodation. It's also an ideal place to break up the drive between Pokhara and Kathmandu while getting a relaxing taste of rural Nepal in the process. Bandipur was once an important trading post on the Indo- Tibet trade route. Over the years, construction of a highway at the foot of the mountain, hence by-passing Bandipur completely, as well as the establishment of a convenient airport in Pokhara meant that the town lost it's importance as a trading hub, but it still retains it's position as a quaint tourist destination. The little town is now pedestrian only, so I had to give it a miss as we were hard pressed for time- we still had about seven hours of driving ahead of us. (Bandipur, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

a memorial bench near peninsula bay Wanaka new zealand

I am at the sunrise point at Sarangkot, near Pokhara, Nepal, part of a sheer herd of humanity, each one vying with each other to get a better view of the Annapurna range in the Himalayas, just moments before sunrise, which as it turned out was from another spot- to your right as you view this picture. But the sun has already annonced it's arrival by lighting up the peaks of the mighty Himalayas, making it look like icing on a cake. This is a relatively nninterrupted view of Machapuchare or Fish Tail Peak- that triangular peak you see at extreme left. I have taken better views of this peak in isolation, for those pictures and notes about the peak appear later in this album. (see subsequent pictures). Getting clear views was a bit difficult though, thanks to the scores of people holding their cellphones up. As a photographer myself, I can understand the enthusiasm to get that perfect shot, but some idiots were holding up their phones for long periods of time- I finally had to bark at one stupid fellow who had his phone up for a good fifteen minutes, telling him rather harshly that he was not the only one there, and to give others a chance as well for a change! Machapuchare or Fish Tail peak is located at the end of a long spur ridge, coming south out of the main backbone of the Annapurna massif in the Himalayas. Due to its southern position in the range, and the particularly low terrain that lies south of the Annapurna range, Machapuchare commands tremendous vertical relief within a short horizontal distance. This, combined with its steep, pointed profile, make it a particularly striking peak, despite a lower elevation than some of its neighbors. Its double summit resembles the tail of a fish, hence the name Fish Tail. (Machapuchare means fish tail in Nepalese.) The peak is also nicknamed the Matterhorn of Nepal as it bears a striking resemblance to the famous Matterhorn in Switzerland. (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

Still smiling in one of the earlier rest stops on the long climb up the Phangrei hill in Manipur, NE India. Little did I realize how steep it is going to get after this. Trekkers can pick up one of the sticks- of the type lying next to me- a the base of the hill to use as a prop for the climb. With an end sharpened like a pencil, that stick was pretty effective. I was surprised though that you are not expected to put it back at the base- please simply leave them lying around once they reach the top. I found this odd, for looking for these stray sticks and collecting them would be hard work, especially considering how high Phangrei hill is, even for a local living in that area. Ad there is one of those neighbouring hilltop villages in the distance again. Looks magnificent, doesn't it? And doesn’t that remind you of the Batasia Loop at Ghoom in Darjeeling, NE India? No 2’0” gauge railway here though! Notes about Phangreil hill appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Phangrei, near Ukhrul, Manipur, NE India, Jan. 2020)

Now isn't that a magical scene! I am at the sunrise point at Sarangkot, just outside Pokhara, Nepal. And this scene is that of a misty morning over the Himalayas. Somewhere down there is Pokhra town- obscured by the fog, and you can clearly see the Pokhara (Phewa) lake in the foreground! I had been alarmed at the dense blanket of clouds I had just seen a couple of moments ago (to my right now as you view this picture- see precious picture), but luckily, those clouds decided to hold on until sunrise, and allowed me to capture this magical scene of fog over the Himalayas. Apart from the fantastic sunrise and views over the snow capped Himalayas (see subsequent pictures later in this album), Sarangkot is also a popular place for paragliding. Luckily it was still too early in the morning for the view to be obscured by paragliders all over the place- we did see them much later in the day on a previous occasion though, from the Aadu Hill on which is the Vishwa Shanti Stupa or World Peace Pagoda. (see previous pictures earlier in this album). Apart from the Anadu Hill with the Peace Pagoda from where beautiful Himalayan views can be had, (see previous pictures earlier in this album), Sarangkot (this place) is another of those vantage points, and is a 30 minutes drive from Pokhara town. (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

Views of the mighty snow capped Himalayas from sunrise point in Pokhara, Nepal. That is the Dhaulagiri (left) and Machapuchare (fish tail) (right) in one frame. We are waiting for the sunrise at this spot, but although sunrise is still a few minutes away, old man Sole has already made his presence felt by lighting up the tops of the mountain peaks, like icing on a cake. Notes about the Sarangkot sunrise point appeared earlier in this album (see previous pictures). Closer views of the Machapuchare (fish tail) peak appear later in this album. (see subsequent pictures) (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

Pleasant mountain views of the snow capped Himalayas from a hilltop viewing point in Bandipur, Nepal. I have always been very unlucky with mountainscapes- snow capped or otherwise, as any mountain I've tried to photograph in the 60 years of my life have been either totally obscured by cloud cover, or have disappeared behind clouds in those few nanoseconds I had taken to merely switch on my camera! Well, Bandipur here seemed to be no exception as well- as you can see, clouds cover most of the snow capped mountains except for one tiny peak at the extreme left. In the 1800s, the mountain-top bazaar town of Bandipur grew in wealth and importance. Traders came from Tibet with musk pods, mountain herbs, animal skins, and horses. Calico, tobacco, glassware, and kerosene came in from British India. However, when Nepal opened her doors to the world in the 1950s, Pokhara with its airfield began to gain importance, and in 1972 the Kathmandu- Pokhara highway by-passed Bandipur completely. Although it lost it's commercial importance, thanks to the new highway and the airport of Pokhara, Bandipur has managed to survive as a quaint tourist destination. It offers tourists lovely mountain views like this one, as well as a well preserved slice of history in the pedestrian-only village area. Tourists can in addition enjoy trekking and other outdoor activities here in Bandipur. I skipped visiting the town itself for want of time. (Bandipur, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

Misty morning over the Himalayas at Sarangkot, Pokhara, Nepal. The hill offers a spectacular sunrise view over the famous Himalayan mountain range. The sunrise view over the snow-capped peaks is breathtaking as well. Now thee mountain peaks are to our left, as we view this picture. And although we are now at the sunrise point at Sarangkot, no one really knew which side the sun would rise from- this place up ahead, or above the snow capped mountains to our left. The early morning sun in fact lighted up the tops of the snow capped mountains first (see subsequent pictures later in this album), and the actual sunrise only took place a few minutes later. I had a clear view of this scene, but there were too many people on the snow capped mountains side. In the end, the sun rose at this very spot so those people staring at the snow capped mountains ended up quite disappointed, as there was too much crowd for them to catch the sunrise this side. Here you can see that the colour of the sky has changed a bit somewhat, to a reddish tinge, hint enough that sunrise is not too far away. (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

Just behind the pergola in the Kundasang War Memorial is this very pleasant sit out, with Roman style pillars and with the alpine scenery of the Kinabalu Park environs in the background. Here's moi taking a breather and taking it all in. Photo shot by Rahman, my guide. (Kota Kinabalu, East Malaysia, Nov. 2013)

Machapuchare (fish tail) peak in Pokhara with an ultralight aircraft just above the peak’s very summit - can you spot it? The second one is just out of the picture. Chopper flights, paragliding and ultralight flights are offered over the Himalayas. My attempts at a chopper ride bombed as the operator tried to pull a fast one and rip me off despite his knowing my guide pretty well and a sunrise over the Himalayas earlier today from Nagarkot bombed as well due to dense fog. I do hope I have better luck with my scenic flight over the Himalayas by airplane which I have lined up for tomorrow. This view is from atop the Anadu Hill where I have trudged up to see the Vishwa Shanti Stupa or World Peace Pagoda (see previous pictures earlier in this album) and also for these Himalayan views, most of which are sadly under dense cloud cover. (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

I am at the sunrise point at Sarangkot, just outside Pokhara in Nepal. Sadly, despite my early start, the viewing platforms and gallery were jam packed with Chinese and Korean tourists, and I had to literally claw my way past a Chinese couple to get a place by the railing. I would have got only the back of several human heads otherwise. I lost some time as it is thinking my guide would join me after parking the car, which he didn't. I lost further time when I rushed expectantlytowards the totally empty viewing gallery on the terrace of the building you see at the right. Sadly, it was a residence (or so it seemed) or a hotel where that terrace was for the hotel guests only). I lost more time there, and was lucky to get a tiny bit of space to hold on. I was beginning to get alarmed by the dense blanket of heavy gog you see at the right. Fat chance of catching the sunrise- my usual luck with mountains, I thought sadly to myself. Happily, these clouds rolled in later- not much later, but a little later, soon after the sunrise shots anyway. Thank goodness for that! (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

The first rest stop on the long trek up the steep Phangrei hill near Ukhrul in Manipur, NE India. I was initially surprised at myself when I could trek about ten minutes and more without a break. I have done a fair bit of mountain hiking in my younger days, but now, forty years later, with a slight diabetic condition and added body weight, I am not at the fittest any more. Little did I know how bad it was going to get as we climbed higher. The wide trail has now died out, and now we are climbing on the mountain itself, as you can see here. So I had to take this first break, overlooking the beautiful mountaintop village we say earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). Sihai Phangrei is a long flat hill range, one of the favorite picnic spots in Ukhrul district. The hill range joins with the Shirui Peak/Shirui Kashong, home to the famous Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae) flower, which is unique to this region and is de facto the 'national flower' or Manipur, so to speak.

The villages neighbouring the Phangrei hill are the settlements of Khamasom, Longpi, Lunghar, Shirui, Mapum and Zingsui. I do not know whicn of them this beautiful village is though. (Phangrei, near Ukhrul, Manipur, NE India, Jan. 2020)

Let me ease off a bit on the commentary (thank goodness, I hear you say?) and let you simply enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature. This is sunrise over the Himalayas at sunrise point at Sarangkot, just outside of Pokhara, Nepal. As you can see, as the sun rose higher, the subtle mauve shades have now turned to distinct shades of orange. The sun is almost up now, and I have been fortunate to get a fairly unobtrusive view right in front, having clawed my way wast a kind Chinese couple, so all I can say is, Wow! Notes about the Sarangkot sunrise point and more pictures from here appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

The Flåm Line is a 20.2-kilometer long railway line between Myrdal and Flåm in Aurland, Norway. A branch line of the Bergen-Oslo Line, it runs through the valley of Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sognefjord. The maximum gradient is 5.5 percent (1:18) . The line has eight stops, twenty tunnels and one bridge.

Rated by The"Lonely Planet" as one of the worlds greatest train rides, it is a must do when visiting southern Norway. It is an ear popping and at times ear splitting climb up 800m as the train turns 180 degrees at one point. It is largely a "tourist" line but as it is a fully functional branch line you will see regular travellers with their luggage mingling with the hoards of camera toting tourists that frequent this spectacle.

A magnificent sunrise over the Himalayas at the sunrise viewing point at Sarangkot, just outside of Pokhara, Nepal. Note the clouds at waist level, threatening us with their presence. My luck with mountains (of any kind) is barely a minute or a minute and a half max, before they are obscured partially, or at times completely, by cloud cover. But here today, the gods seemed to be smiling down upon me, for soon after I took this series of pictures, dense fog enveloped the valley even as we were driving down the viewing point. For once in the 60 years of my life, my luck had changed!! Magnificent vista indeed, but the sheer herds of humans around me was the biggest off-putting factor to enjoying this magnificent sunrise. Pushing and jostling aside, the most irritating thing was when scores of them stuck their hands up in the air, cellphone cameras in hand, obscuring the view for everyone behind them. I even had to bark at one stupid moron who was in that position for a good fifteen minutes, without moving. But for now, I am lucky to have clawed my view past a Chinese couple right up to the railings, so there are no inconsiderate people in front of me. (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

I am now in the sunrise point at Sarangkot, near Pokhara, Nepal, with magnificent views over the snow capped peaks of the Annapurna range in the Himalayas. Just look at the crowds facing the mountains! I was quite pissed looking at the human zoo there, not knowing which side the sun would rise from. Fortunately, the sun rose from the other side- from my right, as you view this picture- so I got some pretty terrific sunrise views from my vantage point which I'd got after clawing my way past a Chinese couple. Somewhere up ahead are also other members of the Himalayan range like Dhaulagiri, Machapuchare (Fishtail) and others, Machapuchare (Fish Tail) peak is the triangular shaped mountain you see at the extreme left. I have taken pictures of this peak separately, so those pictures and notes about it appear later in this album. (see subsequent pictures). (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

Hidden behind all those clouds is Machapuchare or fish tail peak in the Himalayas. I got slightly better views with my dSLR with microlight aircraft flying in front of it, which will appear immediately after this, and really gorgeous and clear views later on from the sunrise point at Sarangkot a couple of days later. (see subsequent pictures later in this album). . This grand appearance of this peak was for just a couple of seconds before it disappeared again. Due to its southern position in the range, and the particularly low terrain that lies south of the Annapurna Himalayas, Machapuchare commands tremendous vertical relief in a short horizontal distance. This, combined with its steep, pointed profile, make it a particularly striking peak, despite a lower elevation than some of its neighbors. Its double summit resembles the tail of a fish, hence the name meaning fish's tail in Nepalese. It is also nicknamed the Matterhorn of Nepal. As I mentioned above, real clear views of Machapuchare appear later in this album when we are at the Sarangkot sunrise point. (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

Posing before the Vishwa Shanti Stupa or International Peace Pagoda in Pokhara, Nepal. It was a pretty hard climb up here though. The Vishwa Shanti Stupa in Pokhara is the first World Peace Pagoda in Nepal and the 71st pagoda built by the Japanese Buddhist group Nipponzan-Myōhōji in the world. This pagoda is 115 feet tall and 344 feet in diameter. The white pagoda has two tiers for tourists and religious visitors to circumambulate. The second tier displays four statues of the Buddha presented as a souvenirs from four different countries. I did not go up there as one had to remove footwear and photography was prohibited there at any rate. I generally avoid places which prohibit photography. (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

A final shot of the magnificent Himalayan sunrise at the sunrise point at Sarangkot, just outside of Pokhara, Nepal. The crowd that had gathered to catch this spectacle was unbelievable! I was fortunate to have bagged this vantage point, right at the railing of the viewing gallery, having clawed my way past a kind Chinese couple. Notes and more pictures of the magnificent Himalayan views at Sarangkot appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)

The sun is well and truly up now, and the herds of unruly humans are clearing quickly. The parking lot at the base of the hill at the sunrise viewpoint at Sarangkot, just outside of Pokhara was in total chaos, and it took some skill and patience from my good driver guide to be finally on the way down. As we go down, here is a quick shot of Machapuchare or Fish Tail peak, before the clouds rolled in- as usual, obscuring the peak completely. Notes about this peak appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). Going down the hill was not without it's own challengers with potholes, a very steep road with several sharp curves, underpowered cars packed to the hilt coming in the wrong lane right in the way of the descending traffic and getting stuck in the ruts and potholes nonetheless- most exasperating, but let's enjoy Pokhara and not even go into those! (Pokhara, Nepal, Oct/ Nov. 2019)