From Bhaktapur to Baja...
08 Mar, 09 - 20:30
(top) The Bhaktatourists (bottom) Phill and Kharel explore the Royal Nepali Forest by motorcycle
Along with the Spanish Nuns, we took Dawa's 'shortcut' to Bhaktapur on Thursday. Two on the mini-Time Machine...and two in a mini-taxi.
Note to self: don't follow a Sherpa(who has never driven a car or motorcycle in his life) in a taxi...especially when he's giving directions to the driver. Actually, it wasn't bad to put on the extra miles through some Secret Spots of the Kathmandu Valley. B^]
I'll dedicate an entire dispatch to fascinating Bhaktapur...in the next day or two. As E.A Powell noted with erudition in 1929:
----------------
"Were there nothing else in Nepal, save the Durbar Square of Bhatgaon(Bhaktapur), it would be amply worth making the journey halfway around the globe to see."
----------------
Yesterday, Kharel and I did some very dusty and bumpy motorcycle riding to an exceptional viewpoint that is high above the Kathmandu Valley. I learned that Kharel is a very capable rider. More about that in a future dispatch. Click below to view a very short video of us being very environmentally friendly during our ride through the Royal Nepali Forest.
Phill Michael saving energy in the Royal Nepali Forest in early March 2009
While Dawa and I enjoy very warm days and sunny skies in the Kathmandu Valley, Michael is cavorting with cetaceans of the Sea of Cortez. It appears that he is having another amazing season with the Friendlies! Check out the images! B^o
Wow! B^o
Here's Michael's most recent 'Summary Report for the Sea of Cortez' for the end of February 2009:
----------------
The 2009 Baja season is underway in the waters around Loreto. This is my 13th season here. We have seen a cow and calf blue whale which is always a stellar sight. We have seen them for 3 days and the calf has already gained around 500 pounds from nursing on the richest milk on earth. The oldest known blue whale on earth has already been re-sighted in fact I spent an hour with her today. She is at minimum 45 years old having been first photographed in 1970 as an adult.
We have had a lot of surface feeding blue and finback whales and had a spectacular breaching display by a humpback whale a few days ago. Images from that encounter will be coming in 2 weeks. This year the dolphin sighting have been down, but we had a lovely time with 60 bottlenose dolphins yesterday in which they rode our bow in flat calm waters in between feeding on fish and jumping.
Another scene from a typical day at the office...on the Sea of Cortez
The winds are a constant challenge this year but the whales are here. We departed at 5AM today and rode out to see with a neon green bioluminescent trail following us.
More updates to follow...
Michael Fishbach
Naturalist
SecretSpot.NET
PhillMichael.com
----------------
I am looking forward to seeing Michael's latest Sperm Whale images...that should be landing in my inbox any moment now?!
Hmmmm...I miss Baja...
Until Soon
Phill =^)
PHILL MICHAEL | Expedition Leader and Summit Climber
Everest Freestyle Expedition/Secret Spot Seven Summits
SecretSpot.NET
PhillMichael.COM
SherpaSchool.ORG
Along with the Spanish Nuns, we took Dawa's 'shortcut' to Bhaktapur on Thursday. Two on the mini-Time Machine...and two in a mini-taxi.
Note to self: don't follow a Sherpa(who has never driven a car or motorcycle in his life) in a taxi...especially when he's giving directions to the driver. Actually, it wasn't bad to put on the extra miles through some Secret Spots of the Kathmandu Valley. B^]
I'll dedicate an entire dispatch to fascinating Bhaktapur...in the next day or two. As E.A Powell noted with erudition in 1929:
----------------
"Were there nothing else in Nepal, save the Durbar Square of Bhatgaon(Bhaktapur), it would be amply worth making the journey halfway around the globe to see."
----------------
Yesterday, Kharel and I did some very dusty and bumpy motorcycle riding to an exceptional viewpoint that is high above the Kathmandu Valley. I learned that Kharel is a very capable rider. More about that in a future dispatch. Click below to view a very short video of us being very environmentally friendly during our ride through the Royal Nepali Forest.
Download | Duration: 00:00:29
Phill Michael saving energy in the Royal Nepali Forest in early March 2009
While Dawa and I enjoy very warm days and sunny skies in the Kathmandu Valley, Michael is cavorting with cetaceans of the Sea of Cortez. It appears that he is having another amazing season with the Friendlies! Check out the images! B^o
Here's Michael's most recent 'Summary Report for the Sea of Cortez' for the end of February 2009:
----------------
The 2009 Baja season is underway in the waters around Loreto. This is my 13th season here. We have seen a cow and calf blue whale which is always a stellar sight. We have seen them for 3 days and the calf has already gained around 500 pounds from nursing on the richest milk on earth. The oldest known blue whale on earth has already been re-sighted in fact I spent an hour with her today. She is at minimum 45 years old having been first photographed in 1970 as an adult.
We have had a lot of surface feeding blue and finback whales and had a spectacular breaching display by a humpback whale a few days ago. Images from that encounter will be coming in 2 weeks. This year the dolphin sighting have been down, but we had a lovely time with 60 bottlenose dolphins yesterday in which they rode our bow in flat calm waters in between feeding on fish and jumping.
The winds are a constant challenge this year but the whales are here. We departed at 5AM today and rode out to see with a neon green bioluminescent trail following us.
More updates to follow...
Michael Fishbach
Naturalist
SecretSpot.NET
PhillMichael.com
----------------
I am looking forward to seeing Michael's latest Sperm Whale images...that should be landing in my inbox any moment now?!
Hmmmm...I miss Baja...
Until Soon
Phill =^)
PHILL MICHAEL | Expedition Leader and Summit Climber
Everest Freestyle Expedition/Secret Spot Seven Summits
SecretSpot.NET
PhillMichael.COM
SherpaSchool.ORG
Posted by Phill Michael at 3/8/2009 6:09 PM 
Categories: SecretSpot.TV, Satellite Phone Store, SecretSpotAlaska, Sherpa, Nepal, Surefire, SecretSpotAfrica, Kathmandu, Oakley, Everest, SecretSpotEverest.com, Baja, SecretSpot.NET, Tilman Trek, Medtronic, Kilimanjaro, secretspot7summits.com, dolphins, Phill Michael, Seven Summits, Denali, Frick, Whales, tibet, Sea of Cortez
Categories: SecretSpot.TV, Satellite Phone Store, SecretSpotAlaska, Sherpa, Nepal, Surefire, SecretSpotAfrica, Kathmandu, Oakley, Everest, SecretSpotEverest.com, Baja, SecretSpot.NET, Tilman Trek, Medtronic, Kilimanjaro, secretspot7summits.com, dolphins, Phill Michael, Seven Summits, Denali, Frick, Whales, tibet, Sea of Cortez
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