Walking in the Gods

On a 6-week trekking stint in Nepal in 2001. Basically I did three treks, met up with my brother who took the liberty of joining us from Australia. On each one I was violently ill at some point, but soon recovered to take on the misty giants.

The final hike I did by myself, although with a sherper as it was rare for westeners to go this way, and you needed someone to show the way and barter with the locals to put you up.  Here I really was ill. I remember being in bed upstairs in this hut in this little mountain top hamlet, whilst the children would take it in turns tocome up and stare at the sick westener.  Outside a heated political debate developed with about 40 locals – I thought the Maoists had come back to shoot us all.

Having survived that, and struggling down low enough to hitch hike a lift on a Nepali 1940’s lorry negotiating the most precarious high moutain track you could possibly imagine – finally got back to Pokhara. 

    

The Brno Home Guard

    

These photos take me back to my military days at the Military Academy in Brno. I spent my time preparing Czech officers from all over the country for the dreaded STANAC 3 English communications exam - a NATO qualification which the Czechs insisted in making extraordinarily difficult. It was also a university, and a military school (see the kids above who saw me as a source of free beer).  Such a hard working and disciplined lot they were – I couldn’t imagine English kids getting up at 6.30 at the weekend of their own accord!!

That was a good time in my life. I had some wild nights out with my officer students. Their families living the other side of the country, they were up for a good time. In class they were masters of taking the piss out of each other, incredible English skills, and a humorous bunch.  

  

The Older Generation

Down in a cave near Eger, in Hungary, with European tabletennis veterans (May 2000).

LEFT: Lars – famous for the time he drove 6 of us in one day, in one car, from the northernmost point of mainland Denmark to central Poland, and for his detour through a couple of Polish fields and one hedge along the way.

CENTRE: My brother – for better or for worse.

RIGHT: Barry - renowned for his verbal with the opposition.

  

My Roots

This is me when I met my girlfriend in the mountains surrounding Pokhara in Nepal.  She cooks a wonderful chicken madras, delicious dal baht with pilau rice with all the trimmings, and much more besides. I was very lucky to meet her.