AFVOA Newsletters of Year 2012

Page 76 of 80 Most of the locals eat a thick roti made of refined wheat flour called “eish” (meaning bread).They eat it along with a dish called “fuul” made from fava beans and akin to our rajma dal. The Government supplies bread which are like our rotis to the poorer section at subsidised rates. Local sweets contain dry fruits, honey and ghee and tastes good. The locals are friendly especially to the Indians. The shopkeepers around the pyramids and in the market area pester you to buy their goods. You keep saying “shukran” (“thank you”) and move on. Everywhere you have to pay entry fees (pyramids, temples, library and museums). One Egyptian pound is worth Rs 9/-. The weather in Cairo was excellent. Cool and nice in the mornings and evenings and tolerably warm during the day. Few rains during the year and none when we were there. I managed to play two rounds of Golf at Katamiya Golf course, Cairo. I played my usual game- (like I play the Game of Bridge), where I should use a club I used a spade!!!!!. We returned on 11 Oct 2012. We realized that we were in Chennai when our taxi driver spat on the middle of the road, the sewerage was blocked in the house and the electricity was gone!!!!! With all that we are happy to be back home. KAILASH MANASAROVAR YATRA by Col N Viswanathan Recently I had, by the grace of the Almighty, the blessings of my father who has completed 104 years, and the good wishes of family and friends performed a yatra to Lake Manasarovar and a parikrama of Mt. Kailash. It was a most exhilarating experience and I thought I should share my experiences with all of you. Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is extremely arduous (more so than the Vaishnodevi / Amarnath routes), involves trekking at high altitudes up to 19,500 feet, under inhospitable conditions including extreme cold and rugged terrain. This journey may prove hazardous for those who are not physically or medically fit. The yatra can be performed through government sponsorship or through privately managed tour operators. Government sponsored trips are cheaper, of longer duration (27 days) and follow stringent conditions including health check up. Private tour operators do not follow any such rule which also leads to fatalities. As I did not wish to be away for too long a period, I had opted for the private operator who covered the trip in 15 days ex Kathmandu to cover Manasrovar and Kailash. The cost will also depend upon duration and the places one wishes to visit .There are a large number of tour operators and they work in tandem with tour operators working in Nepal and Tibet. In most cases Indian tour operators take care only up to Nepal and another agency will take over from Nepal border. Since I started my journey from Chennai I found a tour operator in Chennai by name Sri Annapoorni Treks and Travels who have been organising the tours for the last 14 years. Of course they were found wanting in many ways. They had a tie up with another agency by name Shresta treks.