ANC-SEA
SEA-AMS 10 hours
24 bleary-eyed jet-lagged hours in AMS
AMS-Delhi 9 hours
Wait 10 hours for 2hr flight to Bagdogra
Bagdogra to Gangtok 5+ hours drive

WTF was I thinking???

Ok, Amsterdam was pretty cool, very old canal city, and bikes reign king!! I was so very tired though with about a 10 hour time difference… Arriving around 9am, took train from Schipol airport into town, all very efficient! In the short time I was awake, AMS is interesting for sure. The whole cannabis thing is very present, and every time you walk by a “coffee” shop you smell it wafting out. Couple that with the whole red light sex shop thing, Amsterdam is certainly not Alaska, toto! Outstanding espresso though!!!

One interesting memory is of Carol teaching Z years ago how to say “good morning” in Dutch with all the gutteral G slurring… She taught it right!!!

I met a guy from Istanbul on the train, he was a stock guy in Boston, then started his own company extruding polystyrene to fiber optic shielding in Istanbul. He speaks four languages; English, French, German, and his native language. He went to Boston College until completion a few years ago. There are so many interesting life stories in this world!! I’m reminded of the political and ethnocentricity common among Americans whenever I travel…

Was not energetic enough to take many pictures in AMS, but a few are below. Back at the AMS airport now waiting for the flight to Delhi, another beast of nine hours, and three more time zones. I can’t think of any trip I’ve taken that has been so long to get to the starting point! I see daylight out there, but my body hasn’t the slightest clue what it’s time is…

Gangtok does offer great promise and interest, as it sits in a finger of India bordered by Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan.

If I ever get there…

Departing Jomsom on the bikes about 8am to Tatopani.

Very tough technical off road for nearly five hours over 35k with 75% downhill.

Seeing buses on this road, you realize it’s these kind of roads when you see the headline “Bus off cliff, 20 die” in the news.

At times riding on the side of the mountain over huge stones; would have been very damaging to fall off. Only one time did I nearly bonk on the rocks; and it woulda been really bad cuz my ‘nards were behind the seat at the moment of averted tragedy!

Arms and wrists taking a beating on this second day of rough boulder, rock, gravel mix roads.

Spectacular scenery though with many scenes identical to Alaska.

During lunch, the rain started. We were all a bit spent by then; Flavia crashed not hurt though; I got my second flat; finally reached the town of Tatopani and the funky little Old Kamala Inn and Restaurant. They have hot water so I’m happy after a wet muddy day’s end!

In arrival, we all went down to what is essentially a public bath; two large concrete pools fed by natural hot springs; situated between the road and the river. Fantastic!!! One pool is hot; the other very hot! Lots of Nepalese… Then raining cats and dogs all night!!!

Ox invited me out again for rum and dried yak; there were some other cycling guides that were on the same path as us now; two Nepali guys were escorting one Japanese man on the portion of the same route we were on so we were chatting with them for a while.

There were some other European tourists staying at the same place, and in the morning it was interesting to see their Sherpas load their huge heavy gear on their backs; using a rope attached to a piece of fabric that was placed around their forehead which was the method of holding the bags on the back. I caught a couple pictures of them below. Amazing!

In the morning, we started on the bikes again on a very rough muddy 24k after breakfast.

Finally the cycling is done! These trips seem so long at times, and then suddenly the cycling is over with! It’s amazing how quickly the time goes by. Into the van, the cycling sadly ends. Drive 2.5 hrs to Pokhara, shower in the same Hotel Bougenville. (Say au revoir to Flavia who stays in Pokhara for five days, then heads back to Jomsom and starts a 16 day Teahouse to Teahouse trekking in Upper Mustang along the Annapurna Circuit; part of the same one we already did to Mulkinath on bikes. A Sherpa will carry her larger bag. Fantastic!!)

We caught 30 minute flight on Yeti Airlines back to Kathmandu for our final hotel night. Just the Brits and I remain; along with the crew of three.

KTM is huge, about 1.5 million pop.

On arrival in Kathmandu, we transferred to a very nice hotel, certainly the nicest one we’ve had this entire trip, the Royal Penguin. After just an hour, at about 7 PM we we then headed out to a fancy restaurant for the official farewell dinner. The meal was many small courses of traditional Nepali food that was pretty tasty. During the meal, dancers and singers were performing traditional music and dance, and though it sounds cheesy it was actually pretty entertaining. And of course, as expected the rice wine alcohol flowed freely.

The evenings fun was just beginning though. After dinner, we went to another place that is hard to describe. Sort of a cross between musical performance, karaoke, and dance hall. Perhaps a dozen young men and women on the stage all with microphones in hand, along with several musicians on drums and an accordion-like instrument; singing traditional music back and forth to each other. The women would sing for a while, then the men would sing for a while. A bottle of whiskey. On the table, and that seemed be the drink of the night. Ox knew the emcee guy, and so there was a lot of Nepali language back-and-forth between them, and us foreigners were remarked about favorably. We were certainly the only westerners in this place, that’s for sure! On some invisible cue, many of the men in the audience would get up on the dance floor and dance in a sort of interesting style. No women were ever dancing at any point, just the men. Of course I got up there and resembled the dance style, and it was actually very very fun! Then everyone would sit down for a while, drink more alcohol, and then again in an invisible cue would occur, all men get up on the dance floor yet again! This seemed to go on for hours, or at least until the whiskey was gone.

Got back at the hotel at some point in the evening, immediately went right to sleep. Woke up knowing that I had had a good time in Nepal.

(pix posted separately)

Fri 19 th April: Jomsom – Tatopeni

We set off from Jomsom over sandy and rocky tracks alongside the Kali Gandaki river. Today’s ride is 100% off road over rolling hills. We pass through various villages including Marpha, a picturesque place with white-washed houses and cobbled streets, that is well known for its apple production. The next section is easy riding, following a jeep track to Kalopani, a beautiful village set below the Dhaulagiri Himal. From the village there are panoramic views of Dhaulagiri, the Nilgiri peaks and Annapurna I. After about 25 km we reach Kalopani (2,530 metres) which means ‘black water’.

From there the route is downhill at first. We cross a suspension bridge and ride through pine forest to reach Ghasa. The trail then goes steeply down to the Rupse waterfall, one of the biggest along the route. Beyond, the trail is much easier, passing through Dana village and crossing rice paddies to Tatopani (1,190 metres), a small town on the north bank of Kali Gandaki River. Tatopani means ‘hot water’ in Nepali and the village took its name from the hot springs nearby. At this point we have ridden 48 km.

Sat 20 th April: Tatopeni – Beni – Pokhara – Kathmandu

The trail follows the Kali Gandaki River through the World’s deepest gorge to reach Beni. (830 m). This is an easy ride through stunning scenery. The remainder of today’s route is 100% on-road which will be a relief after the last couple of days of dirt tracks. We leave Beni, headquarters of the Parbat District, and head back into the tranquil countryside. We continue following the Kali Gandaki river in order to reach the Baglung Highway towards Naudanda, an attractive village perched on a hilltop and surrounded by steep rice terraces. From here we ride to the Sarangkot viewpoint (1,592 metres) which offers the most spectacular panoramas in the Pokhara area. We can marvel at the views of Annapurna (8,019 metres), Manasalu (8,165 metres), Ganesh Himal (7,446 metres), Dhaulagiri (8,167 metres) and Machhapuchhre (6,993 metres). We now have a final steep downhill ride back to Pokhara with lakeside views en-route. We bid farewell to our bicycles here and transfer by road back to Pokhara. From here we fly back to Kathmandu for our final night of the tour when we can celebrate the end of this epic cycle ride.

Up at 5am to catch the twin otter from Pokhara to Jomsom. We see the Himalayas for first time as the haze cleared from the overnight thunderstorms! We fly from around 3000′ up to Jomsom at nearly 13,000′ and see Annapurna the whole way! Funny that they hand out candy and cotton balls (hearing protection) before we take off. FYI, our bikes were flown here the previous day while we were chillin in Pokhara.

On arrival, it is immediately apparent it is much colder at this elevation! After a quick breakfast, on the bikes at 845am. We ride on very very rough gravel jeep track beside a huge mostly dry river bed, but it is in fact part of the famous Annapurna Ciruit Road/Trail!!! Eventually leaving the river, we head up and up; climbing most of the day; still on rough mountain gravel roads; I frequently had to walk the bike up the steeper portions. Eventually we arrive at a place called Muktinath; stop at the Nirvana Guest House for lunch. Wow; we are just under the massive and beautiful Annapurna mountain in the Himalayas. Very cool place by any measure!

And this is one of those times I know neither my words nor my photos can do justice for where we are, and what we saw today here at the foot of the Himalayas. Imagine trying to describe the grandeur of Denali, but even more magnificent, bigger, and higher; and in certainly a more foreign environment, here in unique Nepal. Amazing!

After a fine baked veg spaghetti dish for lunch, we start back down the valley in truly gale force up-valley winds! Serious kinda winds, blow you over kinda winds. We see many trekkers walking the circuit most with day packs; a Sherpa carrying their big bag. I talk to several, we are the ONLY mountain bikers they’ve seen; no wonder, really a tough rough road with large gravel, dodging jeeps, riding across streams. All the time, Annapurna right there! Really a fantastic day!

After making it back to the hotel, and each in turn taking a shower in the one shared stall, we noticed there is surprisingly a “German bakery” in little Jomsom; so we all stop there to avoid the wind. I had a cinnamon roll and a hot toddy. Satisfying…

I left the gang there and was heading back to Windy Valley Hotel and Teahouse (aptly named) for a brief quiet time after a long tough day and ran into Ox and Suneel on the street; they graciously invited me for momos with them. We walked two doors down to a very small local place (that the others would have thought was unacceptably filthy) and we had some spicy yak meat bits cooked with onions, hot peppers and tomatoes. Delicious!!!! Then came three plates of yak meat Momos! More deliciousness!

We had a sip of the local made wheat liquor as well; nasty tasting but effective! We talked a lot about possible future trips; Ox would love me to come on a trip in either Tibet or Ladakh later this year; he calls me “colorful man”… but I think he means I bring a positive energy to the mix. Anyway, he was implying I would play some sort of support role; maybe that westerner “expectations manager” bike trip job I’ve always wanted. I mean, that’s kinda what I do in my job now, right? Regardless of whether I’m able to make it back here later this year, the invitation is rather gratifying.

Finally back to the hotel; more food served in the upstairs room that looks out directly at Nilgiri Peak… Temperature will drop to a very chilly 38F tonight…

A very incredible day coming to an end in this noisy and cold little hotel. Just two more cycling days and yet another biking adventure will be completed, but never forgotten.

(No photos now; no wifi and approaching limit of my international data allotment…)

The official blurb:

Thurs 18 th April: Pokhara – Jomsom – Muktinath – Jomsom

This morning we take a short flight from Pokhara to Jomsom (2,713 metres). Jomsom is the headquarters of the Mustang District and a key location along the popular Annapurna Circuit trekking route. We cycle off-road from here through a dramatic, arid landscape towards Muktinath (3,825 metres). It is a tough ride over rocky terrain which resembles the Tibetan plateau with some fascinating rock formations en route. Muktinath is as pilgrimage centre for Buddhists and Hindus. The shrines, in a grove of trees, include a Buddhist monastery and the Vishnu temple of Jiwala Mayi. An old temple nearby provides shelter for a spring and the natural gas jets that provide Muktinath’s famous eternal flame. The earth – water – fire combination accounts for Muktinath’s great religious significance. Spectacular views of the Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, Tukuche peaks and several other 8,000 metre peaks are visible. We return to Jomsom to overnight.

Having a relaxing day in Pokhara, much a touristy spot, many Westerners and Europeans here. I got up late because I was drinking substantial amounts of whiskey engaging in cultural exchange with the crew last night after dinner; a nice time. Finally now out having coffee at a terrace café overlooking the lake and saw so many paragliders coming off the mountain beyond the lake. So spur of the moment, I decided to go do that even though it’s hazy and it won’t be all that fantastically clear, it’s still something I have never done before so for less than $100 I’ll be paragliding in about one hour from a mountain overlooking Pokhara starting at 4600′ back down to town.

It was fantastic!!! After a harrowing jeep ride up this mountain, we ended up close to 5000 feet above the town. After a brief briefing, I rode with Sebastian, a Swiss guy who comes here every season just to do the paragliding rides for tourists to make money. Apparently he makes pretty good money at it! Here are a couple videos I posted on YouTube; turn down your volume first!

After, back out to the street and had a very tasty fresh mix fruit drink. Extremely delicious!

Flavia and Ox and maybe some of his friends are going out to dinner for local food, but I’m thinking I can have one more night of Western food here, and I know it seems so strange in a sense, but the comfort and familiarity of western food and the predictable digestibility quotient seems still appealing to me since I know once we leave here, that won’t be an option again until we get back to Kathmandu. Lookin for momos and a plate of pasta!

Early up 5am for flight to Jomsom tomorrow, so horizontal early tonight. Enjoyed Pokhara…

The blurb:

Wed 17 th April: Pokhara

We have a break from our bikes today in order to spend more time discovering Pokhara and its environs. If Kathmandu is the cultural hub of Nepal, Pokhara is its adventure centre. There is the opportunity to sample some of the activities on offer in this spectacular setting (for an extra charge). They include: trekking, rafting, kayaking, canyoning, paragliding, horse riding and jungle safaris. Pokhara is also a place of remarkable natural beauty. The serenity of Phewa Lake and the magnificence of the fish-tailed summit of Machhapuchhre rising behind it create an ambience of peace and tranquility. You may decide to simply relax by the lake enjoying the temperate, sub-tropical climate. Alternatively you may choose to discover what the town has to offer – Pokhara bazaar, Devi’s Falls, World Peace Pagoda and Seti Gorge. This evening we hear more about the final 3 days of cycling from the local team.

This day started after experiencing the second worst sleep this trip in a really wanky Nepalese hotel where the people running it seemed truly pissed off we were there. Food nasty, rooms nasty, bed really nasty… On the other hand, from the roof you could see Nepali life go by, and the opening above our shared outdoor sink looked over a beautiful terraced valley. And the dramatic thunderstorm before dinner was really great! This morning, a funky greased egg-fest for breakfast and off we go.

Letting Brits set the pace intentionally; part of what I do on these trips is to read the group, and play the appropriate role to ensure group morale. Today; many stops, very slow; hope they get to evaluate their afternoon biking in the heat theory; bottom line is that Mariola was in the lead all day. (Slightly passive aggressive, I’m fully aware…) In the hills all day; mostly climbing; eventually descending to Pokhara

Sample of Brits complaints today… Too many hills. Too long between breaks. Too hot…. What they really want is to ride for 30 minutes and break for 20 minutes continuously. Whiners. (Serenity now…)

Even the Swiss Flavia goes on about “where are the mountains!! When are we gonna see the mountains??” “Why aren’t things more clean???” “The haze is still there!”

Arrival in Pokhara!!

After a fantastically luxurious hot-water shower and doing laundry, I was treated to another fantastic thunderstorm that I could see directly out the little veranda off of my room. I’m very fortunate here, I think I’m the only one of the group that has a little back veranda. Me so lucky!

The thunderstorm and attendant rain continued for a bit, so I decided to hang out in the room chillin’ for a change (w gin/tonic ) rather than walk out with the rest of the folks. Besides, I definitely feel like I need a break from their energy anyway. And I’m sure they need a break from mine as well! So back in the room, doors and windows open, enjoying the thunderstorm and wind, waiting a while for the weather and then I will go out for dinner. I have been carrying a little bit of gin and tonic water with me, so today is the day for a basic gin and tonic sans limes, but that’s okay it still tastes pretty darn good compared to whiskey or beer!

I have had absolutely fantastic Nepalese food here, and some really marginal Nepalese food as well, but tonight since there’s so many western type restaurants here, I’m thinking about pizza! It is such a cliché food to eat pizza, and while I’m Pokhara, Nepal; why would I do that? Well, because it’s familiar, and sometimes that’s very comforting and desirable.

If you remember the photo of the Buddhist Pancha Sila that I posted photo of previously, the five things that an enlightened person avoids… Well, in the last 20 hours, I’ve violated two of them; killing that spider that I never intended to except the Brits called me in to deal with their problem, and now drinking some gin. The other three I’m usually pretty good at minding anyway.

Pokhara is probably the second most visited tourist city in Nepal. As we were riding our bikes into town today, we saw so many white people (as Nepalese call us), and it was almost a shame in a sense because so many Europeans and their shorts and T-shirts and bald heads and fat butts, it’s somehow not a welcome sight after every where else we’ve been so far as “they” have been completely absent, except Kathmandu I suppose. (And yes, the hipocracy of that comment is not lost on me…)

One thing about Asia is the common practice of copying or duplicating things without concern for copyright. You see it frequently with name brand clothing, bags, etc. so I stopped at a place called godfathers pizza, which certainly not at all the godfathers in the US, but a knock off with same name. Regardless, I stop in and have woodfired oven pizza that was absolutely fantastic!

From there, I walked down the main sidestreet and ran into what looks like a barbershop but also doubles as a massage place; a common pairing here… So I’m walking by, and the barber guy says, excuse me sir, do you want massage? And I’m thinking this is the first offer of a massage from a male barber ever, so I agreed, went into a little room behind his barbershop, and received an outstanding deep and strong leg and shoulder massage that was really first class.

After that, headed back to the hotel we’re staying at, and it was maybe about 9 PM by this time. I went straight up to my room, was thinking about sleep, then the (first-ever) room phone rings Ox calls me and says to come downstairs, we’re going to have a snack and a drink. As you know, whenever the locals invite me, I consider it an honor and I certainly always try to say yes (though I don’t think I’ll say yes to a drink-fest like this turned out to be again.) So downstairs in the hotel with the hotel manager, Ox, Ganesh the driver, we had some vegetables (tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, onion) sliced up very thin with a pepper curry sauce dip, and some ground black pepper. Fantastically fresh tasting! Christian the Brit was there as well and he already seemed pretty well drunk when I got there; so we all and drank whiskey and water for a little while. We learned more about Nepali life and culture in that exchange; about Ox wife and marriage, about his cycling history, his hopes to visit the US and UK, his relationship with Redspokes, etc. Again, I just think it’s a cool to be invited to local situations like this; if you just ride a bike and wait to be served fried potatoes, you will learn little of the culture that you’re cycling through.

Finally made it to bed with a bellyful of whiskey, veggies, and friendly conversation in Pokhara, Nepal.

Tue 16 th April: Waling – Pokhara

We set off along the winding Siddhartha Highway which links Waling to Pokhara. It is a rugged, dramatic landscape offering breathtaking panoramic vistas and there are several viewpoints en-route. During the first 47 km the road undulates from around 850 – 1100 metres until we reach the pass (1,284 metres) which is the highest point along the highway. The road then nose dives for 3 km only to rise again slightly before tumbling down to Pokhara (827 metres). The scenery becomes more and more impressive as we near the end of the ride. Pokhara, located in a magnificent valley of lakes and mountains, is the second largest tourist destination in Nepal. It offers one of the best mountain panoramas in the world with spectacular views of the Himalaya. The most impressive peak is Machhapuchhre (Fishtail Mountain), which stands only 25 km away from Pokhara. Its reflection in the Lake Phewa is considered one of the most beautiful sights in Nepal.

The first few pix are from the previous night; the rest are from Day 10…

A bad night sleep in a sketchy place with whiney Brits… But here’s the view while I’m brushing my teeth…

First about last night… after the group dinner was completed which was very good, Ox invited me out for the crew dinner and drinks. I’m always very honored and appreciative when that happens, and I like to think it’s a reflection of the fact that I try to be a good client and good foreigner on these trips; and bring a positive affect to the other clients as well. In fact, Fox said that Red Spokes should offer me half-price on any trip that I want to go to since I’m such an all-around good guy!

The additional meal that Ox was so excited about was pork. There were two kinds, one was a fried pork; other one was the same chunks of pork but in a curry tomato spicy green chile pepper sauce that was really fantastic! But when the Nepalese say pork, it’s prepared similar to nothing in the western world I’ve seen, but I have had many times in the Asia. Imagine you take a slab of unsliced bacon, instead of the usual thin slices lengthwise like we’re accustomed to, you cut it the other direction so that you have a small chunk of meat attached to a large chunk of fat. It actually tastes better than it sounds, but you can’t eat very much of it because it’s just so fatty and rich. Ox also brought out the bottle of signature whiskey, so we had a couple sips of that as well, the hotel manager and the kitchen manager also joined us, so I felt honored to be in that group.

Earlier at dinner with the group, we got the lowdown on marriage tradition in Nepal. The culture is certainly one that still practices arranged marriages involving the parents. Ox estimated
99% of the marriages are still arranged that way; as he explains it seems completely and absolutely normal in their culture. It was interesting because the Brits were asking questions like “what if you meet somebody else and you fall in love?” and the concept almost seemed completely alien to Ox in when they asked that question; it just doesn’t happen very often apparently in Nepal. You have your arranged marriage, that’s what you get. End of story. However, apparently it is not completely uncommon though for Nepali men to have a second wife if they are wealthy…

Now to today’s spectacular cycling! What Ox calls a magical day; started with 29k downhill! After that undulating through brilliant terraces, river, mountains, and much clearer air than we’ve ever had here. Saw two more monkeys crossing the road today of a different type from two days ago…

We ended early and landed at the one star Jomsom Hotel! Electricity, cold water only, harder than the usual Nepali hard beds. In other words, fantastic!

Waling is a pretty small town; quiet by Nepal standards. A swim in the river was promised; the Brits walked down there straight away. I got the first of the single stall shower that we all shared (not at the same time) and did laundry in there too. A very one star basic Nepali hotel, but the view of the river valley is really amazing!

After, Flavia and I walked down to the river; about 1k from the hotel, with every intention of taking a swim; but on arrival a bit too much trash and such floating around to think that was a good idea.

At the river, a gang of elementary age hoodlums appeared; they were actually friendly but filthy ragamuffins. We left the river in search of a cold beer in the blistering heat, since we’re lower elevation now; probably near 100′ today in this town.

We found a little shop after the hoodlum gang departed our trail; got two large cold beers for 330 Nepalese rupees; or $1.90 each for the big ones. Sitting there, another gang of 11th graders appeared and hung out for a while; common language limited but fun nonetheless.

After that, back to the hotel for another beer for me; Flavia away for a nap. (I had three today; that’s two too many of the Nepalese lagers…

Just now, I’m sitting on the front steps of this little Nepali style hotel, drinking my beer (which I’ve had very few of this trip do far) listening to three Nepali men chat in the shade while their furry white dog naps at my feet. Actually a pretty good moment!

Went up to the rooftop; what did I see? The rooftop chicken coop across the road. The evening delivery of propane canisters for cooking. The buses with people on top and hanging off the sides going by. The street vendor on a bike selling ice cream cones. The cart going by with a cage of quail selling eggs. More motorbikes than cars. More people walking than vehicles. A woman sitting in the breezy stairwell reading a newspaper. Kids on New Years holiday until next week running around happily screaming at eachother. A guy cleaning out the street gutter by hand; no shovel or tool. Roof laundry being collected by women. Babies crying. Birds chirping. Houses, very basic brick with concrete troweled over, in tve hills above with amazing views. Farm tractors driving by. Women with young children sitting on benches watching the kids play. Men in small groups sitting on stools beside the road talking. A woman using a large flat tray to toss rice up in the air to separate the husks. The thousands of terraced fields behind the hotel waiting for wetter weather and planting the rice. A different place, but very alive and vibrant place full of chores and everyday life. I wonder if these people ever take the time to think obsessively about whether they’re “happy enough?”

A 180′ topic from there; the Brits have repeatedly revealed a bit of Asian cycling travel ignorance. Tonight at dinner (which was a moderately difficult to stomach combination of pickled veg, rice, chips, and watery dal) they started lobbying for later starting times with the logic that they want to sleep later and arrive later. I of course jumped right in on that; and the illogic of starting later, taking more breaks as they suggested; and spending therefore more than half the day in the hottest sun! After that discussion ran its course, I apologized if I was my conversation was excessively aggressive (as I thought their argument was inherently faulty) and they assured me no problem. They went on to say SERIOUSLY that they expected to be cycling through green meadows at the base of the snow-capped Himalayas! Really???? Realistic expectations are the foundation of a balanced and healthy life perspective, doncha think?

Okay, unfortunately I just had to kill a spider after being called into the Brits room by fearful Mariola. It was unfortunate that I had to catch it under a mop after it climbed up on their bed (they freaked) after I couldn’t catch it under a mug; it moved too fast! It was probably three inches across leg tip to tip. Beautiful tan colored spider! Really wish they hadn’t called me in there in the first place…

Overall a fantastic day of cycling with some complex interactions and events in the evening. This is a bit of a filthy and sketchy hotel really; but there is no extra charge for the Nepalese ambiance!!

No 3G or wifi here, so will post pix tomorrow…