ENGLISH SHANKAR HAS EXCELLENT ENGLISH SKILLS. HE SPEAKS FLUENT ENGLISH AND UNDERSTANDS EVERYTHING THAT IS EXPRESSED TO HIM. AT TIMES HE ALSO ASSISTED OTHER TOUR GROUPS WHEN THE CLIENTS WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY MAKING THEMSELVES UNDERSTOOD BY THEIR GUIDES. NEPALISE DIALECTS SHANKAR WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITH LOCALS IN ALL THE VILLAGES WE VISITED. KNOWLEDGE SHANKARS KNOWLEGE OF LOCAL CUSTOMS, POINTS OF INTEREST AND ROUTE OPTIONS AVAILABLE ALOWED US TO MAXIMISE OUR HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE. WHEN I ARRIVED IN NEPAL I HAD A CHEST INFECTION AND FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO EXERT MYSELF AT ALTITUDE. AS I WAS OVER SIXTY AND MY WIFE WAS IN HER LATE FIFTEES WE WERE ALSO NOT FIT ENOUGH TO EXERT OURSELVES FOR EXTENDED PERIODS, SHANKAR ASSESSED OUR ABILITIES AND PLANNED A ROUTE WHICH ENABLED US TO MEET OUR OBJECTIVES AND WITHIN REQUIRED TIMETABLES. WE REQUESTED A ROOM WITH ELECTRICITY, A CLEAN BED AND AN ENSUITE EACH NIGHT AND THIS WAS ACHIEVED EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A RARE COMMODITY IN NEPAL. AS THERE ARE NO PHONE SERVICES ONCE TRECKS COMMENCE AND YOU CANNOT MAKE FORWARD BOOKINGS, SHANKAR SENT OUR PORTER AHEAD EACH DAY AND HE WAS ABLE TO MAKE THE NECESSARY BOOKINGS BEFORE WE ARRIVED. WE HAD PLANNED TO REACH ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP BUT IN THE LAST LODGE BEFORE THE BASE CAMP TRECK SHANKER PREDICTED SNOW AND BAD WEATHER IN THE PASS TO THE BASE CAMP AND ADVISED AGAINST PROCEEDING IN THAT DIRECTION. OTHER GUIDES DID NOT UNDERSTAND HOW TO ACCESS THE WEATHER AND CONTINUED ON WITH THEIR PARTIES. WE SPENT AN EXTRA DAY RESTING AT THIS LODGE AND SAW HELICOPTERS FLYING IN AND OUT OF THE PASS ALL DAY RESCUING TRAPPED TRAVELLERS AT $4000AUS PER HEAD. SHANKER WAS ABLE TO PUT A DIFFERENT TRECK PLAN IN PLACE AT SHORT NOTICE AND WE EXPERIENCED CHIWAN NATIONAL PARK INSTEAD. FRIENDLINESS MY WIFE AND I STILL COMMUNICATE WITH SHANKAR AND HE SENT US A LOVELY CHRISTMAS CARD MADE BY HIS CHILDREN LASY YEAR. HE IS AN INTELLIGENT FRIENDLY PERSON AND DOES EVERYTHING HE CAN TO MAKE HIS CLIENTS HAPPY. RESOURCEFULNESS SHANKAR UNDERSTANDS THE RISKS OF NEPALESE TRECKS. AT EVERY HOSTEL WE STAYED IN HE WENT INTO THE KITCHEN AND PREPARED OUR MEALS SO THAT WE WOULD NOT EXPERIENCE ANY DISENTRY, WE WERE HEALTHY DURING ALL OF OUR VISIT TO NEPAL AND WITHIN A DAY OF ARRIVING IN INDIA AFTER THIS I GOT THE DREADED BELHI BELLY FOR TWO WEEKS. ON ONE OCCASION AS WE WERE LEAVING A VILLIAGE A MALE OXEN ON HEAT AND IN A VERY AGGRESSIVE MOOD BROKE FREE FROM HIS HANDLER AND STARTED TO RUN DOWN THE NARROW PATH WE WERE ON. SHANKER IMMEDIATELY RAN PAST ME AND MY WIFE AND STOPPED THE OXEN FROM RUNNING ALONG OUR PATH. IF HE DIDN'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO DEAL WITH THIS WE COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN KNOCKED OFF THE NARROW LEDGE INTO A STEEP RAVINE WITH SERIOUS RESULTS. CONCLUSION SHANKER GREW UP IN THIS ENVIRONMENT AND HAS DEVELOPED THE ABILITY TO COPE WITH ALL CHALLENGES. HE HAS PERSONAL CONTACTS IN ALL VILLAGES AND IS LIKED BY EVERYONE HE MEETS, HIS LOCAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE ENTIRE REGION ENSURES THAT ITEMS OF INTEREST ALONG THE WAY ARE NOT MISSED. WHILE WE RESEARCHED OUR HOLIDAY BEFORE WE LEFT ONCE TRECKS START ADJUSTMENTS NEED TO BE MADE TO SUIT LOCAL CONDITIONS AND HE IS EXCELLENT AT ENSURING AN UNFORGETTABLE HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE. TRECKING IN NEPAL IS SOMETYHING EVERYONE SHOULD EXPERIENCE AND A GUIDE LIKE SHANKER ENSURES THE BEST ACHIEVABLE OUTCOME.