Danger Dog Blog

Live from Kathmandu: Megh Raj Thapa's finals

Jasmine the Boxer

Jasmine the White Boxer by Megh Raj Thapa.

Henry the Boxer

Henry the Boxer hand painted on metal by Megh Raj.

Two Shih Tzu Dogs and their Shepherd friend

Tater Tot, Minnie and Maggie by Megh Raj Thapa.

Rupert by Megh Raj Thapa

Rupert by Megh Raj Thapa.

Mavis by Megh Raj Thapa

Mavis the Chihuahua and Papillion dog by megh Raj.

Tattoo the German Shepherd by Megh Raj

Tattoo the German Shepherd by megh Raj.

Grizz by Megh Raj Thapa

Grizz the Chesapeake Bay Retriever by Megh Raj.

 

Khilisi the Tabby Cat by Megh Raj Thapa

Khilisi the Tabby Cat by Megh Raj Thapa.

Birdy by Megh Raj Thapa

Birdy the American Staffordshire Terrier by Megh Raj Thapa.

Chester and Cooper by Megh Raj Thapa

Chester the Foxhound and Cooper the Beagle thanka style by Megh Raj.

 

 

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Now is the time to order:   Be ahead of the Pack!   Orders have closed for this trip.   Next trip is scheduled for October 15, 2017, and I will be back in plenty of time to mail your holiday orders.

1. Please send me a photo of your pet.  I will give it to three different artists, giving you a choice of 3 paintings and three people will get work.   Each painting is about one square foot and is on metal with synthetic enamel paint.   These can be hung indoors or out.

2. Let me know what you would like it to say.

3. Let me know what style of portrait you would prefer:   naive, realistic, colorful, etc.

4. Tell me your pet's name and breed.   

5. Send your photo to me at:   [email protected]  
That's it !

Satisfaction is guaranteed as I accept no money up front.   If you do not like one of the three, you pay nothing, and the 3 artists are paid in full in any case.   Let me know what you want it to say and that's it!

The cost is $250 plus shipping.   Shipping is around $20 per sign (to and from the US).   And 9.75% California sales tax for California residents.  
Pay after choosing your portrait. 
Multiple pets on one sign cost more ($325 for Double, $400 for Triple).

Let's keep these artists painting.

This hand-painted art form is fast disappearing in Kathmandu, as it already has in most parts of the world.   I pay fair trade wages, the artists get to paint again, pet lovers get a choice of three paintings for each commission, and I get to help Nepali artists make a living.   Everybody is happy.   Rescue dogs from America get to rescue artists from Nepal!

Live from Nepal: Jajala pass in full bloom!

Off the Beaten Path in Nepal, part 6.  This spring in Nepal, the haze is unprecedented.   However the Lali Gurans bloom is in full swing.   Nepal is famous for their huge Rhododendrons and this year's flowers are big and beautiful!  

Jajala Pass with many Lali Gurans

The trek from the Dhorpatan Reserve through the Jajala Pass to Moreni was a 7 hour walk.   We hired a porter to carry our load.   It was not such a big uphill, approximately 500 meters, but after the pass there was a precipitous drop of 1200 meters in only 2 or 3 kilometers!   Not easy on the knees.  

Jajala Pass in full bloom

The views were breathtaking.   I can only imagine what it must look like when the Himalayan Mountains can be seen...

The fires came through here 2 years ago

In the 7 hour walk, we passed through at least 7 kilometers of remnants of a forest fire that struck the region 2 years ago.   There are signs that the pines are returning however, and many Lali Gurans made it through.   Rhododendrons are hardy.

Lunch break at Jajala with our porter Badahur

Lunch was at 3414 meters at the top of Jajala.   We had a little apple brandy to prep us for the 3 kilometer and 1200 meter drop!

This spectacular Lali Gurans was along the way...


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This post is part of a series of posts of our adventures (without guide) through a rarely visited part of Nepal.   We started in Baglung, went north to Burtibang, through Bobang and up to the ex-Royal Hunting Reserve in Dhorpatan.   Then we walked through the lovely Jajala pass and out through Myagdi province.   This year was unusually hazy, so the Himalayans were not out - not even a single glimpse of Dhalaghiri or the Gurja Himal!   But the magnificent bloom of Nepal's national flower, the Lali Gurans made up for that.   Known in the West as Rhododendrons, these flowers ranged from a fragrant white to lilac and many shades of pink and red.   

Hotels are not posted with signs, but you can trust the Hotel symbols on your map and just ask a lot of people until you find the only hotel in town!   Prices were 100NR per person a night and Dahl Baht - the only food you are likely to get - is 150NR per plate.   The food is simple and tasty and clean.   Water is available in every town from the local spout and is safe and delicious.   Bring along some bottles for the long treks between hotels.   We enjoyed eggs every morning for breakfast, sometimes with chapatis.   

Even the locals here have supply problems, which is why we could not always get chapatis.

Along our way, we did not see any other foreigners until the 2nd to last day when we met a pair from South Korea who were on their 6th trip to Nepal.   They did have a guide.   

For parts of the trip, buses and/or jeeps were available, but their schedules were erratic and they were never comfortable.   

The highest point of our trek was 3400 meters (11,000 feet) and it was about 1100 NR each day.   Prices were never posted and there were no menus, but that was food and drink (including local wine aka roxi) for 2.   Millet roxi was 50NR for a Tuborg bottle full or 660ml.

In May, 2016, there are 105 NR to one US Dollar.

Live from Nepal: Flora and fauna of Pokhara

The wildflowers of Nepal are colorful and varied.   From the large Rhododendrons (known as Lali gurans - the national flower) to the tiny blue Gentian, there is a wide range of flora here.

Tiny Gentian flowers cover the hillside

You can imagine how pretty these tiny flowers are as they spread across the hillsides near the village of Ghatchyina, an hours bus ride north of Pokhara.

Rhododendrons in Nepal

The pretty flower above is a Lali Gurans, the national flower of Nepal.   We know them as Rhododendrons.   They cover the hillside.   Higher up in the mountains, they are red in color.   Nepal is home to hundreds of varieties of the Rhododendron.

 

Tumeric root in flower

 There is a field of Tumeric not far from our hotel in Pokhara.   This healthy root also has a lovely flower.

Wild strawberries and ageratum

Here we have wild ageratum along with a mini-strawberry.   They are as tasty as they are pretty, though I did not eat this one!

Bird's nest in a shop near Pokhara

These nests are in nearly every shop in Pokhara.   The parent birds fly in and out and feed their babies.   This nest is hanging from the ceiling at a small restaurant.  They are considered good luck for the store.   There are 3 nests in this shop.  These birds do not eat grains, only nectar and flies - always a good thing.

Gautali birds (Swallows) in Nepal

Here are the baby birds' parents.   These birds are known as Gautali in Nepal and Swallows in English.   Notice the split tail...

Lou the Eurasian Dog

This is Lou, a Eurasian Dog - a mix of Spitz, Samoyed and Chow.   A good example of what you can expect when you order your very own Danger Dog from Nepal.   The above portraits are by Dilip Niroj, Sagar Bitsa and Sufraj Khadka (clockwise from above left)

More later.   Stay tuned to hear more about Nepal and the Danger Dogs from Nepal fair trade art project.   

If you are near Brighton, England, during the month of May, please stop by and see the Danger Dogs live...

 Where and when to see The Dog Show?   

THE DOG SHOW  

33 sillwood road, brighton, bn1 2le

Brunswick TOWN trail venue 2

Saturday and Sunday, 30th April, 1st, 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd, 28th, 29th May,

11.00 to 18.00

You can learn more on their facebook page:   https://www.facebook.com/thedogshowbrighton

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Now is the time to order:   Be ahead of the Pack!   Orders now being accepted for the March 2016 trip.  I will be back in June 2016.

1. Please send me a photo of your pet.  I will give it to three different artists, giving you a choice of 3 paintings and three people will get work.   Each painting is about one square foot and is on metal with synthetic enamel paint.   These can be hung indoors or out.

2. Let me know what you would like it to say.

3. Let me know what style of portrait you would prefer:   naive, realistic, colorful, etc.

4. Tell me your pet's name and breed.   

5. Send your photo to me at:   [email protected]  
That's it !

Satisfaction is guaranteed as I accept no money up front.   If you do not like one of the three, you pay nothing, and the 3 artists are paid in full in any case.   Let me know what you want it to say and that's it!

The cost is $250 plus shipping.   Shipping is around $22 per sign (to and from the US).   And 9.75% California sales tax for California residents.  
Pay after choosing your portrait. 
Multiple pets on one sign cost more ($325 for Double, $400 for Triple).

Let's keep these artists painting.

This hand-painted art form is fast disappearing in Kathmandu, as it already has in most parts of the world.   I pay fair trade wages, the artists get to paint again, pet lovers get a choice of three paintings for each commission, and I get to help Nepali artists make a living.   Everybody is happy.   Rescue dogs from America get to rescue artists from Nepal!

Live from Kathmandu: Day Hikes above Jharkot in Mustang

We spent a little time up at 3800 meters in April.  Or that is where we started...

High above Jharkot

This shot was taken high above the Mustang village of Jharkot.   After about a two hour walk, up up up,  you arrive here.   Like most passes in the area, there are shrubs decorated with Buddhist prayer flags, chortens, or piles of rocks to mark the pass.

 

The wind whips my dress as I walk.

It is very windy up here, but worth every minute.

Prayer flags festoon the cave's opening

We stopped at a cave along the way.   These small caves can be hard to see, even though this one is very near to the path to Lupra from either Muktinath or Jharkot.

Interior cave in Mustang

There is rarely much in these caves - a small fire pit and perhaps a flat rock to sit on.   And fast food wrappers!

But what a view!

On a clear day in the Himalayas, one can see forever.

Jharkot and Muktinath valley

From the heights, you can see the villages of Jharkot, Jhong, Purang and Muktinath.   And you can hear the wind whistling in your ears.

Himalayan Primroses dot the path

In April, there are few wildflowers in bloom (May is a much better month for Himalayan wildflowers in this area), but these pretty pink primroses stand out against the white mountain tops and green grasses.

The chorten at town center in Jharkot

And after a long day of magnificent views, we pass the town's mani wall, just past this chorten, and return to our hotel, the New Plaza.

More later.