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The World For You to Choose in 2003:
Egypt, the Himalayas, Africa, a Bike Ride to an Island called Madeline Everyone has an Everest |
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Have a bountiful 2003 and yes, there are clouds internationally. But there usually are. That condition doesn't have to erode the powerful attraction we all share for new horizons in our lives. A sizable clan of us, for example, will be heading for East Africa in two weeks, many to climb on Kilimanjaro and others to experience ten days roaming the most exotic wildlife plains on earth. I thought today I'd give you a glimpse of our plans and options for 2003 and, just as importantly, to ask for your thoughts and preferences with those options in mind. I truly welcome your response. As an indication of its importance, we're traveling this month to a part of Africa that was the strong choice of most who responded to a similar survey last spring. A simple line or two (by all means more if you'd like) by email, or a call at 763-258-1371 would make you part of the decision process. 1. Africa in January. We have a substantial group ready for departure Jan. 17. For the information of those with a continuing interest in Africa, we're also tentatively planning a trip there in 2004, probably early in the year. The options might Tanzania of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro and Kilimanjaro, or Uganda of the source of the Nile, Lake Victoria, the gorilla country, Murchison Falls and the great Ruwenzori Mountains of the Moon. 2. The Jaunt With Jim Bike Ride. This will run from June 14 to June 20, with a staging campout on June 13. We're going to Wisconsin. For the first time in the ride's nearly three decade history we'll be doing the entire ride beyond Minnesota's borders, with the centerpiece being two days in Bayfield on Lake Superior and a free day on renowned Madeline Island in the Apostles. Detailed information on itinerary and other matters will be offered both here and in the club's mailed newsletter sometime in February or March. 3. The Himalayas in October. Granting that the political situation in Nepal remains unsettled, we're planning another trek there in October of 2003. A year in the political life of Nepal is both (or either) a flash in time or a virtual eternity. So we'll go ahead with our plans and expect them to materialize, although there's always the possibility of change. We have options for you to consider. One is a trek to the former base camp of Machupuchare, one of the most beautiful of all mountains in its fishtail elegance, a trip that takes us into the heart of the Annapurna Range from Pokhara and to an elevation of approximately 14,000 feet. The other is a trek from Lukla into the great Solo Khumbu country of the Everest district to Lake Gokyo and over the pass linking Gokyo with the traditional route to Everest. It will reach an elevation of approximately 16,000 feet. Both of these treks would put us on the trail for 10 or 11 days, and in Kathmandu for three to four days and a night in Bangkok. The approximate cost for either would be a little beyond $4,000, slightly more for Gokyo. Remembering that this does not entail a commitment at this point, let me urge all with a strong interest in the Himalaya for October of 2003 to indicate a preference for Machupuchare or Gokyo or--and this would be a total delight--for either. 4. Egypt in early to mid-November, 2003. This tour will be offered sometime in the next two months. It entails: A flight to Cairo, two nights in the historic Mena House in the very shadow of the Pyramids of Giza and the Syphinx, an experience in the desert, a flight to Aswan and then to the famed Abu Simbel statuary and temples from the reign of Ramses II, three nights on a five-star cruise ship on the Nile, going ashore to the spend whatever time you want at sites like Edfu, Kom Ombo and Esna, and then on to Luxor and the incomporable Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, Karnak and more, and finally the National Museum in Cairo and the market of Khan el Kahlil. It's all packaged in less than two weeks and will cost approximately $3,400, all transportation included. Let us know of your interest in this trip, particularly if it's a strong interest. We'd love to share the road with you, the trail or perhaps (briefly) some fashionable royal tomb in the desert in 2003. Cordially Jim Klobuchar
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