Cheban in KL Matta Fair

The food at South Pacific Restaurant, Petaling Jaya (opposite State Cinema) is simply delicious. With a group of people who share common interest in trekking, the evening (Monday 31 August) was fantastic with good food amid good company. Of course, the main star for the gathering is Cheban, the EBC trekking agent from Nepal.
.

Front (L-R): SC Yong, Lim, PK Chan, Cheban, Su
Back: Alexis, Jayne, Carina, KC Leong (Francis Chiong not in photo) ... Monday 31 August 2009
On table: Tafu, butter prawn, big cheesy crabs, fried chicken, steam fish, vegetable, dessert... hmmm, yummy yummy !!

Special thanks to PK Chan for choosing the restaurant and brought along a big bottle of red wine for this occasion. He passed by the restaurant in the afternoon and was told by the Captain that dining before 7:00 p.m. is entitled Happy Hours special rate. So Cheban and I arrived there before 7pm (direct from visiting Batu Caves) to enjoy the happy hours.

While distributing the red wine, one of the trekkers said she could not drink. Anyway, it is never late to train so that we could have more celebration after returning from Mount Everest Base Camp (start from 4 October for 17 days) with Khukri Rum, the oldest rum in Nepal, distilled by using only the freshest water from Mount Everest.

Cheban at Batu Caves just before the dinner
.

One runner friend jokingly commented that: Sounds like you are an even better tour guide than Cheban by bringing him to so many places in Kuala Lumpur... :-)
.

Reply from Cheban: Thank you so much for the wonderful evening. It was really so nice. Thank you all so much for everything that everyone did a lot for me. Hope I will be able to give a best possible hospitality in Nepal.

Climbing up the 272 steps

Currently, Cheban stays in Hotel De First Inn along Jalan Raja Laut, near to the T-junction leading to The Mall or PWTC. He stays there as he will be exploring and collaborating tour business opportunity during the Kuala Lumpur Matta Fair from 4 - 6 September.

If you have queries concerning trekking in Nepal (eg. Mount Everest and Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp, etc), he can be contacted via local handphone number at: 012-668 0536. He will be going back to Nepal on Sunday 6 September 2009.
.

Post-Annapurna Base Camp trekking trip in May 2008. Enjoying the Khukri Rum with Coke at the top floor of Hotel Norbu Linka, Kathmandu amid cool environment and warm frendship. L-R: Lili Ng, Yours truly KC, Weng, Rocky Dan (drink Coke only), Chiew Hong, PK Chan and Chooi Ling.
.

Posted by KC

.

Cheban in Malaysia

We are quite excited to welcome Cheban, the EBC Trekking Agent from Nepal, who came to participate in the MATTA fair in promoting Nepal tourism. For your info, the MATTA fair in Ipoh was held from 21 – 23 August 2009; Kuala Lumpur MATTA fair would be from 4 – 6 September 2009.

Saturday 15 August, 9 pm - I could not believe it: many smaller hotels in Petaling Street and Raja Laut areas were full house!! After the eighth attempt, we finally got one in Jalan Raja Laut. Reason for Cheban to stay there: the Putra Bus Station (to Kota Baru) is at The Mall (or opposite PWTC) and not in Puduraya. He would be going to Kota Baru the following day.

Savouring the King of fruits: (L-R) PK Chan, Lili Ng, Cheban, Tai. Photo courtesy of PK Chan.

Report from PK Chan (an EBC 4Oct2009 Team Member):

I fetched Cheban from a hotel opposite PuduRaya Bus station, Kuala Lumpur yesterday evening (20 August). He checked in early morning following a fruitful visit to Kota Baru where he met up the group who went to EBC in May 2009. He informed that the group of 6 successfully scaled EBC except one who suffered some mild altitude sickness.

I brought him to a vegetarian restaurant at Jaya 1 for dinner. Lili Ng and Tai (former Annapurna Base Camp trekkers in May 2008) joined us on last minute invite since they lived nearby.

Guess what, we later went to the famous durian stalls in SS2. Cheban was courageous enough to have durian for the first time in his life! (Attached photos from my mobile; sorry poor shots.)

.

Cheban, the EBC trekking agent from Nepal who come to Kuala Lumpur to participate in the MATTA fair in promoting Nepal tourism

Response from yours truly, KC (EBC Team Lead):
.

Thanks Pk for your kind effort. The photos are well taken that look like a tourism campaign promoting the King of Fruits with a model engaged from Nepal set in a misty environment ... :-)
.

Of course, other than the few leng chai gentlemen, it is good to see our gorgeous Lili Ng again.
.

Cheban, I hope you have a good time in Kelantan visiting our serene seaside which is just the opposite of Mount Everest. So you actually travel from the mountain top to the ocean deep (okay, could be just the surface)... :-)
.

Do inform us if you like the durians as it is in season. Eating durian is like drinking Guinness stout: you may not like it the first time but given time, you would savour the unique aroma and taste of this fruit. Cheers!
.

Reply from Cheban:
.

It was really so nice and a wonderful evening having durian and dinner with PK Chan, Grace, Tai and Lili. My visit to Ipoh MATTA fair was not much interesting and not what I was expected. There were very few companies around. Tomorrow I am coming back to Kuala Lumpur again. Will see you all soon. With kind regards, Cheban.
.

More about Cheban ... click here.
.

Cheban's trekking company in Nepal ... click here.
.

About ABC (Annapurna Base Camp) trip in May 2008 ... click here
.

Posted by KC

.

Cheban in Kuala Lumpur

Thursday 20 March 2008 was a holiday. That morning, I drove my car to Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman to fetch Mr. Cheban, the Trek and Tour Agent of Nepal. He was in Kuala Lumpur participating in the MATTA Fair from 14 - 16 March in promoting trekking and tourism in Nepal.

I was like a tour guide that day, reciprocating the task that he is going to do when the 12-member team go trekking at Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal from 28 April 2008 - Yes! In three weeks' time!
.

He stayed at the Swiss Hotel, which is just next to Dataran Merdeka – which conveniently was my first sightseeing location.

Mr. Cheban - The next location was the starting area of Pacesetters runners training runs at Bukit Aman.

Lake Gardens – where I showed him where Pacesetters Club stages the various runs.
.

I then take him to Putrajaya to see those magnificent bridges and Administration buildings. Going to Putrajaya via the new highway was just a breeze. The highway was wide, smooth and only a few vehicles were on the road.
.

From Putrajaya Convention Centre on one end and the Dataran Putra on the other end. I explained that this is another popular venue where Pacesetters runners train on Duathlon involving road racing bicycles.
.

Along Putrajaya Boulevard

In front of the Palace of Justice

The famous fishbone bridge
.
We have lunch at the food court at Dataran Putra.
.

We later went to Alamanda, the renowned shopping complex in Putrajaya.
.

According to Cheban, he has to vacate from Swiss Hotel as the hotel was fully booked for the weekend (22-23 March). From Putrajaya, I took him to Masjid India area to look for other hotel accommodation. After asking two hotels there, we were surprised that the hotels were fully booked for the weekend.

I could not believe it when the third hotel was also fully booked. So I asked the Front Desk, and the reply: "Possibly, it is due to F1 Racing." We actually walked round the entire Masjid India and Jalan TAR area enquiring for 7 hotels - all giving same answers.

Cheban has to stay near Masjid Jamid LRT station for ease in traveling and going back to KLIA on Sunday 23 March. So I took him to Petaling Street area to continue looking for accommodation. Ancasa Hotel and Hotel Malaya were fully booked also. Finally, we found one new hotel -- Winsin Hotel -- next to Kota Raya and in front of a row of Gold Smith shops near Jalan Silang.

We actually spent 2.5 hours looking for a hotel accommodation. It was only after that I realized the F1 Racing actually brought many tourists to Kuala Lumpur. Well, that was the effect when it was later reported that 125,000 spectators were witnessing the F1 Racing on Sunday 23 March at Sepang F1 Circuit.

Front (L-R): Tai, Cynthia, Cheban, LimKH, Chooi Lin
Back (L-R): Lok, Weng, PK Chan, Chiew Hong, KC
The other three members not here are: Dr. Hamdan, Yee Choi and Lili Ng.

.
At 5:30 p.m. I decided to continue the scheduled activity – to have a Chinese 10-course dinner near 1-Utama area with the other trekkers who are going trekking in Nepal.

We have a splendid dinner with good food amid good company. The followings are the feedback from Cheban: there are lots of greens in Kuala Lumpur. Yes, the grasses and leaves were radiating the vibrant green with the constant rainfall recently; the infrastructure was fantastic; and the people are very happy.

Cheban and Melisa

.

Cheban distributed the brochures that he printed when he participated in the MATTA fair. He told us that he has chosen one photos taken in 2003 to be the cover photo. You know what? One of the lady trekkers in the photo were dinning in the next table! That was real coincidence.
.

If you would like to arrange for the trekking trips in Nepal, you may contact Mr. Cheban at:

Mt. Manaslu Adventure Treks (P) Ltd.

P.O. Box 15145 Kathmandu, Nepal.

Tel.: 00977-1-4424632, 4423542

Mobile: 00977-98510-55876

Fax: 00977-1-4423542

E-mail: manaslutrek@wlink.com.np, info@alpinenepal.com

Web.: http://www.alpinenepal.com/, http://www.manaslutreks.com.np/

Treks & Tours organizer to Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India

Written by KC

Trek & Tour Agent of Nepal

This is the most friendly, good manners and caring tour operator that I have ever met – who treat you, the customer, like a friend. Together with his dedicated, committed and hardworking team of trekking crew, they make a winning team.

Yours truly at Mr. Cheban's (pronounce as shi-wan) office in Kathmandu (capital of Nepal)

I am referring to Mr. Cheban, the boss of Mt. Manaslu Adventure Treks Ltd. -- the trek and tour agent of my recent Cho La Pass trip in Nepal. In my trip, his group of trekking crew consisted of a main mountain guide (Mr. Rum), second mountain guide (Mr. Kumar), Pani and Rai as the two porters. Note: There are other crew members for other trips.

For a trek and tour company that is professionally managed, there was a briefing to our group of trekkers at his office after we had arrived at Kathmandu on 23 May 2007. In that part of the country, presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint and LCD projector was not necessary. Together with the mountain guides (yes, they have been waiting for us at the office), they briefed us enthusiastically the overview of the treks. While sipping over cups of milk tea, our doubts were answered by them with eased.

After the briefing, we walked around the Kathmandu area doing some last minutes purchases of the warm clothing. There are many shops there selling a host of items related to trekking and mountain climbing. The most prominent brand is North Face – with original and imitation versions that cater for one's budget. With Rum around, bargaining of prices was quite easily done. Recognizing that there was a local with us, the vendors charged quite reasonable prices. In the evening, Mr. Cheban treated us to a dinner savouring the local cuisine.

The best time to go trekking in Nepal is in May and October due to fine weather. If you are captivated by viewing those photos taken by me and Jean (please scroll down the postings) showing scenic landscapes, and are interested to go trekking there, you may want to take a look at Mr. Cheban’s company website:

http://www.manaslutreks.com.np/

Or if you would like, email him direct to inquire the treks that you are interested:
manaslutrek@wlink.com.np

Well-earned Certificate
Yeah, this is my certificate for completing the 17-day trek at Cho La Pass, Nepal. It is a well-earned (or hard-earned) award considering that I lost 4 kg in this strenuous trip. This will be my record to scale up to 5,400 meters above sea level without any headache (sign of high altitude sickness). I will framed it up and proudly display it – my maiden and memorable long-haul, overseas trekking trip.

I will organize my next trip to Annapurna in Nepal again (different location and trek) in early May next year through Mr. Cheban. Currently, I am liaising with him to determine the detail trek, duration and cost. If you are interested to come, please let me know.

Fellowship of Trekkers

As TanAB said: “The growing sentiment of most trekkers who have been to Nepal is that they will go back again and again.” Well, I totally agree with him after I have successfully completed my maiden journey – running is additive; so is trekking.TanAB running in New Balance - Pacesetters 15km run on 20 May 2007. Photo was taken by Jason Lee using Nikon D80 SLR. His muscular body is developed with months of training in preparation for Mount Aconcagua.

TanAB is a Pacesetters runner. He has been trekking to Gokyo (almost the same trek) one month before I reached there. I actually read his notes where he penned on a guest book in Gokyo – the same lodge.

He has been training to scale Mount Aconcagua in Argentina. Standing at 7,000 meters above sea-level, it is the highest summit in the western hemisphere. Any taker?

By KC
x

Awesome View of Everest

Please click at the link below to view the spectacular and magnificent photos of Mount Everest. The following three photos were extracted from the said web site.

http://www.project-himalaya.com/
x

Click "Photos and Diaries", then click at the links and enjoy the photos. Make sure your jaws don't drop in amazement.

x

Press F11 key for full scree; press F11 again to return to standard view.

x

Imagine that the Magnificent Seven Pacesetters runners were to continue their journey at Kalapathar trek. They would eventually reach the Base Camps of Everest; further up, the Summit.

Special thanks to Wendy Tan (please click here) for providing the Project Himalaya URL link. She has scaled the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro (the highest peak in Africa at 5,895 meters), Kalapathar, a few overseas treks and recently, trekked in Ladakh, India. Her favourite day-trip trekking ground is Klang Gate Ridge -- making and sipping coffee while admiring the scenic view at the peak.

x

By KC