<p>What a terrific experience that must have been! </p>
<p>Wolf Halton<br>
--<br>
<a href="http://wolfhalton.info">http://wolfhalton.info</a> <br>
Apache developer:<br>
<a href="mailto:wolfhalton@apache.org">wolfhalton@apache.org</a></p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On May 31, 2013 10:26 AM, "Aaron Ruscetta" <<a href="mailto:arxaaron@gmail.com">arxaaron@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
YES, dear ALE friends, I have safely (and somewhat<br>
triumphantly) returned from my four months of volunteer<br>
IT work at a Buddhist monastery in Kathmandu, having<br>
also experienced many related adventures in the utterly<br>
amazing nation of Nepal.<br>
<br>
Most appropriate here is to express my huge appreciation<br>
to fellow ALE organizer JDP for joining me in the work there<br>
for 10 days in April, bringing his formidable Linux Fu, a<br>
custom firewall router system, a much needed replacement<br>
for my stolen video camera, his gracious, good-natured<br>
camaraderie and the valuable motivation to take some time<br>
out from the volunteer work to just be a happy tourist in a<br>
culturally fascinating and geographically stunning part of<br>
the world, where the diversity in both those arenas is<br>
purely inspirational.<br>
<br>
Once most of the work was finished I felt OK claiming<br>
a little more tourist time as well, so over the final few<br>
weeks of my stay I logged over 1300 kilometers riding<br>
and navigating classic Royal Enfield motorcycles through<br>
the countryside, sacred cows, national parks, elephants,<br>
farm carts, mountains, bicycles, pedestrians, school<br>
children, townships, goat herds, buses, trucks and scenic<br>
vistas of Nepal. For an old biker who conceded to the<br>
needs of parenthood and stayed off 2 wheels for the past<br>
25 years, it was nothing short of paradise to be cornering<br>
the mountain twisties again. All the old touring skills<br>
returned to me effortlessly, though adapting to the right<br>
side, reverse pattern shifting of the pre-1990 Enfields<br>
was a bit of a new trick for an old dog. All totaled I<br>
enjoyed 11 ideal days of the most perfect (and perfectly<br>
bizarre) roads and driving conditions an antiquated biker<br>
riding on some antique "Harley's of Asia" could ever<br>
ask for.<br>
<br>
I'll hope to see you all and share more at the June ALE<br>
barbeque social once the date for that is settled.<br>
<br>
in peace,<br>
aaron<br>
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</blockquote></div>