Veterans Day

Just a few weeks longer than 55 years ago, I had received my draft notice. I was 20 years old and had been lollygagging in life. I had dropped out of college and had a job. It wasn’t a desirable job and I could see no pathway to a future. What future? I had no sense of that. I had no direction in life and I had no idea what I should do about the notice of conscription. There was no one to advise me about the military. I had no plan. I did not want to be a part of the draft. I did not want to go to southeast Asia (the evening news on television had much to say about Laos, but Vietnam was not the headlines). I had no dreams of seeing the world. But, the mail had been delivered and that damned draft notice was sitting on the kitchen table. 

I knew that I had to do something, and it had to be now. So, I hopped on the bus to downtown and went to see a recruiter. There was no song and dance. There was no promises made. My meeting with the navy recruiter was deadpan and uneventful. I had no idea what questions to ask. I didn’t believe that I had anything to offer other than flesh and bones. Did I mention that I did not want to go to southeast Asia? I was neither John Wayne (although we all loved his movies, “The Green Berets” had not been made yet) nor Arlo Guthrie (“Alice’s Restaurant” had neither been sung nor recorded yet). I did not want to kill, or be killed. I loved my country I suppose, but there was no reason for me to want to join the military. That simply did not equate! At 18 I had experienced a semester of college ROTC. That view of the Army was less enticing than my experience with the Boy Scouts. I had been kicked out of the Boy Scouts.

My joining the Navy was a rather complacent act of “casting my fate to the wind.” Instead of a two year commitment to the Army, I chose 4 years in the Navy. A ridiculous choice, but a “no-brainer!” During that four years, there were plenty of times when I questioned the wisdom of that choice. In retrospect, I bumbled into what was, without a doubt, a brilliant decision. Not only did I survive those years, but I did not go anywhere near southeast Asia. My lollygagging was allowed to be amped up and become much more creative in nature. At the same time, I learned to do a meaningful job that was both useful and worthwhile. And, I learned to serve. Also, I learned to hate the military just as my peers did.  It was the 1960s and the military was an unpopular option that was being imposed upon us by a political establishment that did not have our best interest at the top of their priorities. We all wanted to get out and return to the task of defining our lives. Four years of the 1960s taken from us and replaced with military service that had never been our first choice. I hated the Navy right up to the day that I was allowed to leave it. I hated the Navy for quite a while after as well. Yet, I had learned to serve. Not necessarily “my country,” but my family, friends, social peers, and fellow citizens. 

Today, however, you will not find me hanging out with the other ol’ farts, bragging about my heroic years of service. In the military I did my job well. I learned how to analyze what I did and to reconcile it with my existence. I had fun and served a useful purpose by performing my military mission well. I did nothing heroic but met, and became familiar with, a terrific group of individuals who broadened by perspective on life and gave me a wealth of personal knowledge that I might never have gained otherwise. Finally I realized that serving, although usually not heroic, gives more meaning to life than just about anything. I learned that serving my fellow citizens of this planet is far more important than a mythological “god and country.” In the end, the Navy was good to me. That experience has served me well. I’m a veteran now and not a hero, but as it turns out, proud of my service. 

Surviving the Coronavirus (# 15) - Virtual Travel to Nepal

Holiday in the Annapurna Region

Up to this point on our stroll in Nepal the weather had been good and, since we were all good walkers, we were ahead of schedule. Thus, we were able to enjoy a holiday. 

Our camp was in a gorgeous location with a truly spectacular view of Annapurna II just an easy quarter mile from our camp. We enjoyed a sunny day encamped just above 8,000 ft. We did laundry, rested, and read.

Sikles 

The next day, we descended slowly through thick forest towards Sikles, the largest Gurung village in the Annapurna region (just over 6,500 ft.). The men of Sikles have had a long tradition of supplying some of the finest soldiers to the Gurkha regiments of both the British and Indian armies. 

The huge ‘whaleback’ peak of Lamjung Himal (22,920 ft.) dominates the skyline above Sikles, a mere 6 ¼ miles distant. Our campsite above the village provideed stunning views, particularly at sunset and sunrise.

The following day, our descent from Sikles was a long steady drop of about 1,600 feet to the Mardi Khola (Mardi River). 

In the valley we continued to follow the river downstream. Heading south we passed through small villages and cultivated fields, stopping for lunch at Tabrang Pheding.  

Our afternoon hike is short and we camp by the river in the small Chhettri, Brahmin settlement of Laamokhet (about 3,000 ft.). This area along the Mardi river is sub-tropical, with a spectacular backdrop of snow-capped Himalayan peaks.

Continuing downstream the next day, we cross the Mardi Khola to the east bank, trekking an easy trail to our lunch spot at Bhainse. After lunch, we climb steadily through terraced landscapes to Kalikasthan. 

Our final campsite is only a short distance further on, the site of an old palace from the Gorkha dynasty. Here there is an unrivalled panorama of the high snow peaks from Dhaulagiri (26,794 ft.) in the west to the Annapurnas, Manaslu (26,758 ft.), Peak 29 (24,740 ft.), and Himalchuli (25,718 ft) in the east.

On our final morning, we were up with the sunrise (and it was worth it).

But wait, there's more . . . 

Surviving the Coronavirus (# 14)

No Direction Known

Which way?

Globally there are now over 2 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 136,000 deaths. 

In the United States there are approaching 650,000 cases and 30,000 deaths. There may be a “flattening of the curve” in regard to the daily increases in confirmed cases but does that actually mean anything. Without more widespread testing, the actual number of cases is unknown. Talk of “normalizing” the economy seems premature.

An Interesting Week

It’s been an interesting week. The CBS News Magazine show “Sunday Morning” had a piece called “What America Needs From Its Leaders During a Crisis.” There were some definitive comments made by retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal, Dr. Penny Wheeler, the president and CEO of Allina Health, and Father Joseph McShane, the president of Fordham University.

Then, on Monday afternoon I happened to be watching the BBC America report when they went live to President Trump’s daily coronavirus briefing. Unlike other briefings of this type by the president, where we watched Dr. Anthony S. Fauci standing in the background as sort of a visual endorsement of the president’s comments (a task that Fauci didn’t excel at when he seemed not to be able to maintain the serious demeanor required), the president immediately stepped aside to allow Fauci to “clarify” his comments made during an interview the day before on a CNN news program. On that broadcast, Fauci had commented that more lives might have been saved had the country been shut down earlier.

• Fact check of President Trump's April 13th briefing

Fauci's Apology

Fauci seemed to swallow his humble pie in one enormous gulp. Then the president returned to the podium, showed a propaganda video, and ranted about his amazing performance for the next hour. Basically what happened on Monday was a fiasco with the president, digging in on his heels and turning a “briefing” into a clumsy defense of his performance over the past few months.

20/20 Hindsight?

Like anything that is critically examined in hindsight, it is easy to isolate poor judgement and find the mistakes. In the heat of any moment, we all make mistakes. Our reactions, when pushed in the moment, are corrupted by emotional and “gut” responses. Hindsight may give us the benefit of temporal perspective but suffers the bias of experienced outcome. We are unable to objectively know how any of us might act in a particular circumstance. It is for these reasons that our leaders need to be well read in all kinds of history and have a broad background experience. Furthermore, leadership requires that we acknowledge our limits and surround ourselves with well-read, knowledgeable, and experienced advisors rather than donors and bootlickers.

Trump's Leadership

Sadly, President Trump has not performed well as a leader, particularly based on the manner in which leadership had been described in CBS News’ report on “Sunday Morning.” He has danced around truth and fact as if they existed simply to be manipulated for personal gain (political, economic, or personal), not because of any principled effort on behalf of the public good. He was elected because voters have become more and more disillusioned by the antics of political behavior in this country. Both political parties have fallen into this rut and are dragging the entire population of the country down with them.

We are now under attack from a pathogen called COVID-19. This is not a political enemy like in a military battle. Pathogens are invisible. We don’t know how to react to them without some expert guidance from an agency like the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The CDC is a federal agency that is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services. It is supported by American taxpayers and is meant to provide protection of the public’s health with a particular focus on infectious disease.

Secretary of Health and Human Services

The leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services is a cabinet level position, the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The current Secretary is Alex Azar. Has anyone seen him lately? It has been reported that Azar had urged President Trump to respond early (back in January) to the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.

Daily Beast: "Trump Didn't Like Azar's Warnings, So He Disappeared Him"

Lethal Consequences

Currently, we are being subjected, by our leadership, to incessant quibbling about what we coulda, woulda, and shoulda done. The consequences are lethal in more ways than one. Primarily, we have no protection from COVID-19 – no antidote, no preventative vaccine, and no universal testing. We can be confident that medical science will develop a pharmaceutical defense but, in the meantime, we need to acknowledge that it will take some time. A defense against this coronavirus is not a simple challenge. Drugs need to be extensively tested. Not only does the drug need to beat COVID-19, but it needs to do so without doing other harm. How will it interact with other drugs that we are taking? What dosage will be effective? We will not have this defense next week or even next month. Experience warns us that this sort of development will take a year or longer.

New York Times: “The Huge Cost of Waiting to Contain the Pandemic”

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We also need to acknowledge that our economy must adapt to the circumstances. This is a wartime situation that is unlike any experience that our leaders have. People need, and want, leadership that gives them confidence and we are not getting it. Leaders all over the world need to take a step back and stop their “doublespeak.” They need to get a whole lot more creative in their thinking. Put their heads together, listen to the ideas of others, and come up with a global plan for a global challenge.

Virtual Travel to Nepal will continue next . . .

Surviving Social Distancing (# 13)

Rude Awakening

One thing about virtually traveling with Google Street View and Google Image Search is comparing the images that we find with our own images and memories, especially when a significant amount of time has passed. Places change, and memories are influenced by an array of factors like the amount of sleep we might of had (or didn't have), smells, tastes, sounds, weather, lighting, etc. 

Actually physical travel, in the sense that we think of as "mass tourism" today, may have gotten its start when industrialists like George Westinghouse, who early in the 20th Century, initiated paid vacations for workers. Working and middle classes had both time and means along with education and curiosity for travel. 

After World War II millions of people, who had been exposed to new, different, and exotic places, wanted to reconnect with friends made during their wartime experiences. They wanted to visit (or revisit) places they had seen or heard about. Automobiles were becoming more affordable, as was gas. Jet aircraft became commercially viable. Credit cards with worldwide purchasing ability became popular. New worlds were opened! 

Predicted employment loss in travel & tourism
due to the coronavirus pandemic
worldwide by region (in millions)

Now, those worlds have closed down due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Both business and leisure travel has come abruptly to a halt. Like many, we've had to cancel plans for travel in the coming months (probably for the rest of the year).

Virtual Travel

Virtual travel provides some interesting insights when "returning" to places that we have visited in the past. Comparing our photographs and memories to what we find online today can reveal some rather dramatic contrasts. Because of the the ubiquitous growth of the travel industry, a quarter century of change makes any place that we have visited into a totally new place. Except, of course, it can't. Our memories cause biases to our vision and insight. 

Climbing (Virtually) is Easy

From Dhiprung our trail heads east, crossing the grain of the land. Our first ascents and descents begin today. We cross the muddy Seti River a short distance upstream.

Climbing steadily through the terraced fields of Khajibung, the trail levels off after a short but steep staircase to give excellent mountain views.
Continuing beyond the ridge we reach a saddle before descending to the little-visited Gurung village of Chyanglung.

After a short stop at the Chyanglung settlement, we descend to the Sardi Khola valley for lunch.



Kyabrang

The afternoon’s walk is a steep climb through terraced fields to the village of Kyabrang.

Kyabrang

From here, a further climb to the top of the ridge brings us to our campsite, commanding fine panoramic views, particularly of the Annapurnas and of Machapuchare.

Another Day Begins

One of the nice things about an arduous trek such as this is waking up to the morning tea service.

Morning tea service

The next two days of the trek are spent crossing the heavily forested ridge separating the Seti and Mardi valleys. 

The first day took us through a hauntingly beautiful rhododendron, oak and bamboo forest.

The morning’s walk is short and the trails are narrow, but easy to follow.

We have lunch in one of the few clearings made by the locals as grazing areas for their water buffalo. 

Encountering water buffalo, by the way, along the trail is truly what defines the trail as "narrow". 

Where are we?

This itinerary seems so easy in our virtual travel reality. At the time, however, we had no idea where we were.

In the afternoon we continued to ascend to the high ridge (8,695 ft.), then we gradually descended to our campsite at Baradhara, a water buffalo pasture

To be continued . . .

Surviving Social Distancing (# 12)

Nepal

At this time Nepal has just 9 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, and no deaths. That's the good news. The bad news is that we all live in a global economy and the tourists who flock to Nepal for trekking and climbing are not there.

"Nepal May Escape the Coronavirus but Not the Crash"
by Arun Budhathoki, Foreign Policy, March 31, 2020

Nepal is a poor country, dependent on tourism. There is a shortage of doctors and hospitals have very little personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, oxygen cylinders, and intensive care units.

Nepal has a national lockdown with the borders closed, and most tourists sent away. Seems like a good time to go back with our ability to virtually travel.

On to Pokhara

After an early departure from Kathmandu, it is a long bumpy drive to Pokhara where we stop at a Tibetan refugee camp for lunch. After lunch we have a tour of the community's carpet factory before heading out along the terraced banks of the Seti River. It is about a two hour hike to an area called Lampatha. Here we spend our first night in a tent. 

In the morning we wake up to a magnificent view of the Annapurna Himal. 

Departing our campsite at Lampatha, we follow the banks of the Seti River upstream. On reaching the small village of Mardiphul, it is time for the first tea stop with the local Chhettri and Brahmin villagers.  

Crossing the river, we head north through the villages of Lahachok and Ghachok. These straggling linear settlements. The valley has relatively fertile soils as can be seen from the intensive use of terraced hillsides. The day’s walk is easy, with a very gradual gain in altitude.

The wide river terraces of the Seti River narrow into a more pronounced V-shaped gorge where it flows from the snowfields of its origin on Machapuchare and Annapurna III and Annapurna IV. Our campsite is at the Gurung village of Dhiprung (just below 5,000 ft above sea level).

Continued . . . 

Surviving the COVID-19 Pandemic (Number 11)

No End in Sight

We've been hunkered down for over a month now. It's been a bit more than "social distancing" but a bit less than total isolation. On one hand, it's terrific to be retired because we can stay home. On the other hand, we're in that demographic that is over 65 and more prone to die from the COVID-19 virus. 

In North Carolina there have been 3,221 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 46 deaths. Most confirmed cases have been in the 25-49 age group with 42 percent of the total. So far, only 7 percent of that group has died. The over 65 age group is third in confirmed cases (the 50-64 age group ranks second in confirmed cases at 29 percent). The over 65 group currently accounts for 20 percent of total confirmed cases. Unfortunately, the over 65 group has 80 percent of the deaths with 3 men are dying for each woman. 

As we move forward this week, our leaders are claiming that this will be a week of peaking and that afterwards progress of the contagion will "flatten" out. They seem pretty sure of themselves, but their accuracy for predicting anything having to do with this pandemic has been less than confidence building. There are many densely populated areas that do not seem to be anywhere close to peaking. 

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• "Why outbreaks like coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to 'flatten the curve'” by Harry Stevens, The Washington Post, March 14, 2020
  https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/

Kathmandu

Bodhnath Stupa

Seems a good idea to get back to the wonder of virtual travel. Climbing out from under the shelter of our isolation, we find ourselves back in Kathmandu nearly 25 years ago. 

Today we go exploring, and find ourselves at Boudhanath Stupa (one of the biggest Buddhist Shrines in the world).  There we can visit the surrounding monasteries and perhaps join the monks as they chant their daily mantras.

Built hundreds of years ago, allegedly just after the passing of the Buddha, along a trade route passing through the area with the hope of gaining converts. Although popular locally, it wasn't until the 1950s that it became a center for Tibetan Buddhism as refugees from China came to Nepal. 

We walked all around the shrine spinning prayer wheels and feeling the enlightenment.

Pushupatinath Temple

A couple of kilometers west, in the direction of our hotel, we visited the most famous Hundu temple in Nepal, Pashupatinath Temple. Legend has it that the temple dates back to around 400 BC. The temple complex includes over 500 temples, buildings, and structures. The main temple is designed as a pagoda structure. Located along the Bagmati River, we see Hindu holymen (or Sardhus), pilgrims bathing, and occasionally funeral pyres burning on the ghats (there were actually several on the day we visited).

The Bagmati River is considered the source of Nepalese culture. It originates from the convergence of three rivers coming out of the Himalayas but its flow comes more from monsoon rainfall than from melting snows. The Bagmati flows gently through the Kathmandu Valley and ultimately south into India. At one time, it flowed directly into the Ganges River but now passes through a number canals and tributaries before joining the Koshi River at Badlaghat in India.

After returning to the Hotel Shanker, we explored the shops in the nearby commercial district but didn't do any purchasing. The following day we would head west on a 5-6 hour drive to the Tibetan Refugee Camp in Pokhara.

 

To be continued . . . 

Surviving the COVID-19 Pandemic (Number 10)

My Complaint

After three days in a row that have been, perhaps not violations of the principles of social distancing, but still social. I have a complaint. I find that I am not withdrawn enough. 

social distancing in the neighborhood

We live in a neighborhood that is populated by decent friendly folks. Many are of a common age, older, retired folk. Separately, yet together, we have been diligently practicing social distancing. 

As parks and recreation areas have shut down, more and more are showing up on the streets of our community to exercise. We live in a beautiful mountain environment and we are accustomed to walking, hiking, and doing outdoor activities.  Our generation, known as "baby boomers" grew up after World War II and benefited from a growing global economy and youthful exuberance. We are idealistic and used to a certain level of success. We have shared that success and expanded both the notion of, and the size of, a middle class. We are gregarious and often like-minded. We find ourselves greeting our neighbors more often than usual and becoming more and more familiar with each other. We see each other every day and sometimes have multiple encounters during the course of the day. 

It is not unusual to find several people standing around in the middle of the street, maintaining "social distancing" and conversing about our common goal of defending against the threat of the COVID-19 Pandemic. There is the constant talk about how our political leadership might be botching the fight, how the strategy has been inconsistent, and what might happen next. We are discussing how to make masks that will protect us from any transfer of the coronavirus. We talk about our strategies for procuring fresh fruits and vegetables. The topic of toilet paper doesn't seem to be coming up everyday though. That's a good thing. 

My complaint, therefore, is that I'm not having the right kind of distraction, or that there isn't enough distraction. My intention in writing this journal has been to document how we pass the time, how we are managing while hunkered down while a defense against the COVID-19 pathogen is developed and implemented. This is expected to be a lengthy process that includes not just our peers, but everyone of us worldwide. We are all concerned. 

Statistics

The statistical measures that we see each day remain crude. Testing globally has been inconsistent at best, which hampers analysis. The statistics are compelling, but not telling us what we want to know. They are, however, the only measure that we have. They are what we know, for what they are worth.

The average person, more than likely, would like to learn more about what is happening around them, and around the world. More about what life is like in the "hot spots," and where the stress is greatest. People want to empathize with others, it's simply human. Some may want to gloat and make themselves feel good at the other's expense, but for most it would be simple human interest. We care about our humanity and want others to be comfortable and get by as we are. For the downtrodden, most just want to be able to live like the rest of humanity, with security and free of trouble.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus is trouble. And it is trouble for all.

Confirmed Cases (per capita)

Meanwhile, Back in Kathmandu

My virtual travel, revisiting a trip to India and Nepal from more than two decades ago, seems all the more distracting after reading this article about people who have been stranded during this Pandemic. It is even worse when people think that the stranded foreigners are the ones who brought them the coronavirus.

Read:

• “StrandedAbroad, Americans Ask: Why Weren’t We Warned Sooner?”
  by Kai Schultz and Bhadra Sharma, NY Times, April 3, 2020

Listen:

The virtual trip to Kathmandu continues next post . . .

Surviving the COVID-19 Pandemic (Number 9)

Virtual Travel

Topiary at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi

Memory is a funny thing. Recalling where we've been, how we got there, the time it took, and the physical energy required to get there is not exactly the way that my brain works. I don't remember what the jet lag felt like. I know that it was difficult sometimes but the stimuli of experiencing new places (old places too) far exceeds the stress of the journey. If anything, it makes the arrivals even more special. Sort of a light at the end of a tunnel effect.

Virtual travel eliminates the emotional rush that "arriving" offers us. That's not a bad thing but we miss that special feeling of excitement. No matter how much research was done in preparation for a new place, there is nothing like that first moment of arrival. The experience of the "reveal" is special because it is so sensory. We feel the air, temperature and humidity. The smells. The cacophony of sounds. And it begins even before with our anticipation. 

Kathmandu

Our flight from New Dehli to Kathmandu seemed routine to us, at least the departure, after all we had arrived in India just a few days earlier. However, once over the Himalayas, the view from the airplane window is spectacular and more than we had been imagined.

As a Geography student studying Cartography years before, I had learned that the amount of ink imprinted on the largest sized world globes rose above its surface higher than the highest of the earth's mountains rose above the surface of the earth. When you move your fingers across the smooth surface of a globe, this is hard to imagine. And, as you are flying above the profound terrain of the Himalayas, it seems even more difficult to wrap your brain around.

The approach to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, nestled high in the steep Himalayan terrain, is a remarkable experience. It involves a tight turn between the mountains in order to achieve the least dramatic descent to the valley. The airport is known by pilots as one of the most challenging in the world.

This video illustrates the approach and landing at Kathmandu:

Hotel Shanker

In Kathmandu we stayed at the Hotel Shanker, located near the Narayanhiti Palace, which long served as the residence and principal workplace of the reigning Monarch of the Kingdom of Nepal. The Narayanhiti Palace has a long storied history that is worthy of reading about. 


The Narayanhiti Palace had been home to the country's ill-fated royal family. Now it has become a public museum.

• "A peek inside the palace of Nepal's last monarchy"
  The Guardian, May 27, 2009

Hotel Shanker

The Hotel Shanker had previously been known as the Lazimpat Durbar (and the Agni Bhawan). A palace complex that lies in the heart of Kathmandu, to the north of the Bagmati River. It contained an impressive and vast array of courtyards, gardens and buildings. The history of the palace is closely linked with the history of Nepal and its rulers.  

In 1964, Ram Shanker Shrestha bought this palace and converted it into the hotel. When we visited, I don't recall there being the large swimming pool that exists today (it may have been there but, if so, was not operating). The gardens are beautiful, however, and provided an amazingly quiet and peaceful refuge from the bustle of Kathmandu. 

After settling in and enjoying a cup of tea in the garden, we headed off to explore the surrounding area. About a half mile away, in the midst of a commercial area that catered to western tourists, we found some very good pizza for our dinner.

. . . to be continued.

Meanwhile Back in New York State

New York State has just suffered its greatest loss of life in a single day. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is in disbelief of the difficulty in obtaining protective clothing for health care workers who are on the frontlines of the battle against the COVID-19 pathogen. 

Half of planet Earth is in lockdown, but only half of the states. Our politician's concerns for the economy and lack of leadership regarding healthcare, may very well be the biggest challenge to the economy. Let's just try to do the right thing and the economy will follow.

Surviving the COVID-19 Pandemic (Number 8)

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Coronavirus Statistics


There are now over 900,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in 206 countries, areas, or territories (according to the World Health Organization) with 45,693 deaths. 

In the United States, we have 213,144 confirmed cases with 4,513 deaths.

North Carolina has had 1,857 confirmed cases and 16 deaths in 83 of the 100 counties.

Much More Information is Available

For more info:

• CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• WHO (World Health Organization)
• Johns Hopkins Medicine
• The New York Times 
• WorldOMeter 

There are many more resources available online. I try to find simple data without all the media and political noise that is out there. It's just too depressing.

Worldwide Cases of COVID-19

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A Virtual Visit to Nepal Tomorrow

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