`The people of Nepal, especially the children, are so gentle.' Ann Smith Gordon made an amazing three week trip to Nepal, landlocked between British India and Tibet, with her good friend Margaret Tricker in 1990.

She reflected, "Nepal was the most eventful trip of my life! We were tear gassed in riots for democracy where 500 citizens were killed in Kathmandu, the capital. We endured a three day `shoot to kill' curfew comfortably at our hotel. Anyone who set foot outside was shot.'' While in Kathmandu Ms Smith Gordon explained that she was stunned by the cremations which occurred on stone platforms in the city.

"Cremations are an ordinary thing there. The corpse is wrapped in white cloth then placed on the funeral pyre. Then you see all this smoke coming up!'' It seems that adventure has a way of finding Ms Smith Gordon on her tours.

After she left the city, her party of four went on a four day trek from Kathmandu to Pokkara.

This was the same tour which had been devised for Prince Charles. They had three Sherpas, one cook and eight porters accompany them.

The adventurers had been out a few days when hurricane winds of about 75 miles per hour roared through their camp in the middle of the night. They were situated on the edge of a mountain and horrific, howling winds taunted them.

Thankfully, they were protected by the efforts of the Sherpas. Sherpas held Ms Smith Gordon's tent and the tents of the rest of her party down with their bodies many hours. The Sherpas lost their own tents, however.

"These Sherpas are incredibly strong, fit, remarkable smiling men of the Himalayan people who act as porters, cooks and guides. They did an excellent job of taking care of us. They boiled our water and we put iodine in it to avoid sickness.

"Known for their endurance, they carried about 80 pounds of gear on their backs including all of our supplies: tents, food, tables, chairs. They do not use beasts. This made our meals very civilised each day,'' she said.

Beautiful valleys of terraced agricultural fields and tiny villages of very gentle people who sang a lot were observed.

Agriculture is the mainstay of the people and provides about half of the country's export earnings. The average wage equals to 160 US dollars annually.

They travelled as far west as you can to Tiger Tops Karnali Lodge which is a jungle lodge on the edge of the Royal Bardia Wildlife Reserve and a comfortable Tented Camp Wildlife Reserve.

There was no electricity here but hot and cold showers were available, jungle toilet amenities, a stocked bar and delicious Nepali and Western food was served under a thatched roof.

All of their food was cooked upon open fires outdoors. The camp was lit by kerosene lanterns.

Dal bhat takari is the staple dish in the Nepalese diet which consists of: bhat - steamed white rice, dal - lentil soup, tarkari - a seasonal vegetable curry in a rich spicy broth and achar - a pickle.

Other Nepali dishes are: sekuwa - barbecued meat of chicken, buffalo, wild boar or lamb, and momocha - dumplings filled with minced meat or vegetables served steamed or fried.

The reserve is rich and varied in wildlife such as the leopard, wild elephant, swamp deer, rare one-horned rhino and the elusive Royal Bengal tiger. Ms Smith Gordon saw three tigers but some travellers never see them.

"The elephants fascinated us. Everyday they received a bathe on the river and they just love that. They are such wonderful, gentle creatures and very smart! They understand about 35 to 40 verbal commands and comply with about 15 to 20 physical commands,'' she explained.

The driver, perched on top of the elephant, gives the commands with his toes behind the elephant's ears and they respond immediately.

"Trust me, it is very amusing trying to climb up on an elephant out in the wilds. It takes a lot of upper body strength and you only have the elephant's skin to grab until you get over the rump, then you can grab the seat.

"The elephant graciously bends down and the driver takes the elephant's strong tail and makes a ladder step where you place a foot and you have to hoist and pull yourself up with all your might,'' she said with a big laugh.

The trip offers the chance of viewing wildlife and the jungle as well as white water and scenic float trips through the exciting rapids, gorges and remote villages of little known rivers.

"We nearly lost Margaret on the white water river trip in the rapids. It was a harrowing experience!'' This is a trip for the physically fit as they walked trails about seven hours each day up and down mountains, hills, valleys and along rivers in the jungle.

The country is best accessible on foot through these rugged crisscrossed walking trails. It is very cold at night and very hot during the day.

"To us it was very tough and demanding, but the Sherpas just laughed when we said this. They are use to the altitudes and the life. They do all this walking with all this gear and they wear flip flops as shoes!'' Nepal is landlocked with about three-fourths of its mountainous terrain and covers an area of 56,827 square miles. Mount Everest, the world's highest peak at about 29,000 feet, is on the Northern border.

Nepali is the official language and English is largely used by the educated class.

Namaste is the word you hear more that any other and it means either hello or goodbye, depending on the context. An approximation of its meaning in English would be "I salute the god within you''.

Here are a few common phrases. Thank you is, Dhanya baad. How are you is Tapaainlaaee kasto chha. Try this one, How do you say? Laaee ke bhannuhunchha? The best seasons for visiting Nepal are spring (March - Mid-May) and fall (mid September to mid December). Ms Smith Gordon went in April. She flew from Bermuda to London, then to Delhi and onto Kathmandu which took about 15 hours.

On her way back she was en route for about 47 hours before arriving in London.

Fall offers the clearest mountain view and the landscape is beautiful with the rhododendron forest, mustard fields and blooming jacarandas.

Gentle people of Nepal: Ann Smith Gordan, travel photographer, was touched by the people because they are so kind and polite, especially the children. She captured some wonderful shots. Sherpa of Nepal: Margaret Tricker's amazing muscle man carrying gear up and over mountains all day. Climbing aboard isn't always easy! When you are at camp you get to the elephant seat easily with a ladder but not true in the wild.

The tiers of land in Nepal: The farm land is highly utilised to provide food for the people. It has a natural artistry about it.

Weary after a day's trek: Ann Smith Gordon and Margaret Tricker take a few moments to `catch themselves' after a day's adventure.

TRAVEL TVL