Visit South India The Unchanged Culture But Rich In Technology

Introducing South India

Like a giant wedge plunging into the ocean, South India is the subcontinent's steamy heartland – a lush contrast to the peaks and plains up north.

Sophisticated Cities

The south's vibrant cities are the pulse of a country that is fast-forwarding through the 21st century while also at times seemingly stuck in the Middle Ages. From in-yer-face Mumbai (Bombay) and increasingly sophisticated Chennai (Madras) to historic Hyderabad, IT capital Bengaluru (Bangalore) and quaint, colonial-era Kochi (Cochin) and Puducherry (Pondicherry), southern cities are great for browsing teeming markets and colourful boutiques, soaking up culture and indulging in India's trendier side. Think fashionable cafes and coffee houses, imaginative gourmet restaurants and a blitzkrieg of hipsterised microbreweries and cocktail bars.

Why I Love South India & Kerala

By Kevin Raub, Writer

Forgetting the first time I landed in Mumbai on the tail end of a late '90s monsoon is a hopeless endeavour. Never had I encountered such thunderstorms, an absolute onslaught of Armageddon proportions. But once the clouds cleared over the gateway to South India, one of the world's most cinematic cities sprung to life, a kaleidoscopic potpourri of colour and chaos, a high-spirited melange of mayhem and masala. Be it Mumbai's gastronomic feats, Goa's sun-drenched sands, Tamil Nadu's heaving temple towns or Kerala's lazy backwaters, the South Indian see-saw of shock and awe never lets you forget.

Luscious Landscapes

Thousands of kilometres of coastline frame fertile plains and rolling hills in South India – a constantly changing landscape kept glisteningly green by the double-barrelled monsoon. The palm-strung strands and inland waterways of the west give way to spice gardens, tea plantations, tropical forests and cool hill-station retreats in the Western Ghats. The drier Deccan 'plateau' is far from flat, being crossed by numerous craggy ranges and often spattered with dramatic, fort-topped outcrops. And across the region, preserved wild forests shelter wildlife from elephants and tigers to monkeys and sloth bears.

A Fabulous Heritage

Wherever you go in the south you'll be bumping into the magnificent relics of the splendid civilisations that have inhabited this land over two millennia – the amazing rock-cut shrines carved out by Buddhists, Hindus and Jains at Ajanta and Ellora; the palaces, tombs, forts and mosques of Muslim dynasties on the Deccan; Tamil Nadu's inspired Pallava sculptures and towering Chola temples; the magical ruins of the Vijayanagar capital at Hampi…and a whole lot more. It's a diverse cultural treasure trove with few parallels.

Delicious Dining

South India's glorious culinary variety and melange of dining options beckon hungry travellers. Some of India's most famous and traditional staples hail from here: large papery dosas (savoury crêpes) and idlis (fermented rice cakes) are the backbone of South Indian fare. Mouth-watering Mumbai is India’s top destination for gastronomic indulgence, be it vibrant street food or diverse haute cuisine; Goa's spicy, Portuguese-influenced fare is inventive fiery fusion at its finest; and Kerala's coconut-laced seafood is the stuff of legend – all resulting in a deliciously rewarding culinary journey for visitors.

The Beautiful Rara Lake Treeking

Trekking In Nepal

(Trekking in Off The Beaten Trail)

Rara Lake Trekking (Camping Treks)

Best season :	Mar - Dec
Trekking duration :	10 - 11 Days.
Trekking grade :	C (Strenuous)
Mx. altitude :	3,710 m.
Starting from :	Nepalgunj
Ending Point :	Jumla – Nepalgung – kathmandu by flight.
Culture :	Mixture of different ethnic groups, Magar and Gurung at lower and Tibetan origin at higher
Mode of Trekking :	Fully Organized Camping Trekking.
Himalayan Sights :	Western Himalayan ranges surrounded the lake
Highlight :	Remote part of Nepal, wilderness and solitude travel, one of the largest lake in Nepal, offers spectacular scenery of snow capped peaks, green valleys, with dirrerent cultures of people.

Rara Lake Trekking:

A journey to Rara lake is one of the most incredible and fascinating treks in all the Himalayan range lie northwest of Kathmandu in the remote area of Karnali. If you are looking of wilderness and solitude travel, this trek is an ideal choice. The route is very much 'off the beaten track' and affords glimpses of cultures and scenery very different from the rest of Nepal. The clear, high altitude lake of Rara, which mirrors the snow capped Himalayas is ringed with blue pine, black juniper forest and Himalayan cypress Lake Rara is a popular serenity pilgrimage for Nepalese. In summer rainfall is low, and ideal for trekking. In the winter there is often snow on the ridge surrounding the lake, in the autumn season trekkers are rewarded with a profusion of alpine flowers. Rara Lake is five kilometers long and two kilometers wide and is the largest lake in Nepal. The national Park is one of the best places in Nepal to see wildlife: musk deer, leopards, ghorals, tahr, Himalayan black beer, and the rare red panda are all native. The park is also a bird watcher’s delight, especially during November and April when many species of birds visit during their seasonal migration.

Day to Day Itinerary
Day 1:	Arrive In Kathmandu This is the first welcoming day that we meet upon arrival at the Kathmandu International Airport and transfer to Hotel. Short briefing will be followed about necessary formalities and rest of the program. Depending on your arrival time you will have choice of visiting nearby sanctuaries or rest of the time free for leisure.
Day 2:	Sightseeing / Cultural Day In Kathmandu Valley Half day sightseeing around Kathmandu, Patan city where you will have time to fascinating Buddhist and Hindu temples and shrines reflecting ancient local tradition are highlighted on my guided tour. There’s time to explore the city’s many charms on your own or take a rest while I finalize trekking area permits. In the evening delicious traditional Nepali well come dinner await for you. Q/N in Kathmandu.
Day 3:	Kathmandu - Nepalgunj Fly to Nepalgung. Overnight at local hotel.
Day 4:	Nepalgunj – Jumla – Padmara By flight. Jumla town (2340m) is in a valley and their paddy is cultivated (making Jumla the highest place on earth where it is grown). The town is the administrative headquarters of the Karnali Zone. From Jumla we start walking towards Padmara. There are two tracks leading north to Gumgarhi and Rara. One is a trail leading directly form the north of the town. The other is more popular trek route that turns east of the town towards Dansanhu (2347m) at the confluence of Tila Nadi with Chaudbise Khola. We transverse northeast along the right side of the Chaudbise Khola through pine forests. Two hours further is Urthu (2520m) at the confluence of Chaudbise Khola and Ghurseni Khola. The bridge leads east to Chaudbise area. The trek now ascends steeply through the narrow gorge of the Ghurseni Khola, keeping all the time to its right slope. Padmara (3017m), a Chhetri village at the head of the valley is one hour beyond the canyon head. Overnight at camp.
Day 5:	Padmara – Bumra The track beyond Padmara continues rising along the north side of Ghurseni stream. We leave the last fields at 3048 meters and climb to the first pass, Khali Langa (3545m), four kilometers from Padmara. We follow down the right bank of stream to a foot-bridge at 3353 meter and cross it to the west side. We continue descending north for one hour through dense forest to reach a log bridge at 2743 meters over Sinja Khola, here called Lah Gad. Cross the bridge to the north side, turn west and climb to Bumra (2830m) about two kilometers further. Overnight at camp.
Day 6:	Gumra – Pine The track beyond Bumra keeps high above the river and skirts two small spurs to reach Bhargaon (2890m) in 1.5 hours. After one kilometer at the end of the fields, the track turns north into the tributary stream of Ghautha Khola. We cross the stream by a log bridge to the west side and climb to Chautha (3100m) in a forest clearing. After an hour the valley opens out into a pleasant meadow. We keep to the left stream until a western tributary joins it. Before reaching Ghurchi Langna (3457m) we climb up the narrow gully on the north east slope and skirt north across a series of spurs to reach Pine (2430m) Overnight at camp.
Day 7:	PINE – Rara Lake RARA LAKE is only eight kilometers west of Pine. It is a short, pleasant trek with fine views to the north. From Pine, we take a trail turning west that transverse a steep north-facing slope. After crossing a stretch of fields, we climb a small spur and descend to the stream. We cross the bridge and climb up to the hamlet of Jhari from Pina (2500m). It will take just over two hours to reach Jhari form Pina. From Jhari, we ascend west along a ridge for about 700 meters to reach a low saddle in two hours. The large lake is visible directly north of this saddle. From here, it is pleasant descent to the meadows on the south side of the lake. The village site of Rara (3040m) on the north side is a pleasant two hours walk along the western bank of the lake. Overnight at camp.
Day 8:	Rara Lake Rest day and explore Rara area- Rara area was designated a National Park in 1975 and it takes about eight hours to walk round the lake. Overnight at camp.
Day 9:	Rara Lake – Ghorasain We walk the lake outlet (2980m) and follow the down stream of Khatyar Gad for an hour. There is a log bridge over the stream below Murma (3139m). Cross the bridge to the south side and clime steadily over the 400 meters to reach an open clearing at 3277 meters. The trail continues climbing south through dense forest until the tree line is reached at 3658m. The ridge continues to south for another 200 meters but it is pleasant trail with distant view of the mountains. There is no pass on this high ridge and the trail turns south-east at an altitude of 3749m and descends by the east side of Chuchemara Danda. It is a fairly steep descent to Ghorasain (3271m). Overnight at camp.
Day 10:	Ghorasain – Sinja From Ghorasain there is trail down the valley to Botan (2895m). A more interesting trail with better scenic prospect is to climb Diyabala Danda due south of Ghorasain. The climb begins immediately west of Ghorasain and takes about an hour through forest to top the crest at 5351 meters. The trail then skirts south-east above the high fields of Lumsa. There are good views to the south along the Sinja valley. The trail descends to Okharpati village (3100m) on a high shelf above Mindrabali Gad. The descent from Okharpati to Sinja takes less than two hours. Overnight at camp.
Day 11:	Sinja – Chere Chaur We cross the log bridge over Sinja Khola to the east and follow the south bank of Jaljale Gad beyond Kotgaon near Lamathada. We follow the stream for another five kilometers due east. Then we ascend the ridge (2865m) briefly to descend to the same stream again. The trail clings to the south side of the stream all the way for another nine kilometers. The trail twists and turns along the stream but it is a pleasant trail amidst forest wilderness. Finally, the trail climb east along a gully to ascend a pass at 3597m. We descend east along a wide meadow into the headquarters of Ju Gad that drains to Jumla town. Descend east along the stream and transverse another kilometers to Chere Chaur (2987m). Overnight at camp.
Day 12:	Chere Chaur – Jumla Chere Chaur is a delightful alpine pasture where flowers are in profusion during later summer. It provides good views of the Jumla town, Tila valley and Chyakhure Lekh beyond. The return to the town camp is pleasant descent in slow stages. Overnight at camp.
Day 13:	Jumla – Nepalgunj – Kathmandu by flight Transfer to hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Climb Mount Everest- The Top Of The World

Mt. Everest. The tallest mountain in the world soars almost five and a half miles into the sky and pierces the jet stream with its iconic summit. Embarking on an expedition to Mt. Everest can be the pinnacle of a climbing career and deserves all of the personal support and guidance that RMI offers.

EXPEDITION HIGHLIGHTS

• Join a small and personal climbing team with a 3:1 climber to guide ratio and a 1:1 climber to Sherpa ratio.
• Enjoy the best Base Camp facilities available.
• Take comfort in the comprehensive medical support available through our unlimited access to Everest's Base Camp clinic and highly trained guides.
• Navigate the Khumbu Icefall, cross the Yellow Band, and ascend the Hillary Step with the guidance and partnership of RMI's experienced Everest guides.
• Take part in an RMI Everest Expedition and see why we continue to set the standard in guiding excellence.

RMI's small, exclusive team is led by tenured RMI Guide and Everest veterans. RMI's guiding approach on Everest differs notably from many other guide services as we intentionally keep our team small. Instead of running a large expedition with many climbers, we focus our attention on leading a more personal climbing team, concentrating our resources on each individual to ensure the safest, most enjoyable, and most successful experience possible for each one of our climbers. RMI's Everest Expedition has one of the best climber-to-guide ratios on the mountain. This lower ratio provides our climbers with many benefits including:

1. Providing the flexibility to tailor climbing agendas and acclimatization schedules to individual needs.
2. Giving climbers consistent guidance from our experienced western guides throughout the climb.
3. Allowing our climbers to build solid rapports with their guides and fellow team members; we share our meals around one table, discuss route and weather conditions together, and plan and approach the climb as a close-knit team.
4. Superior Sherpa support.

Having a smaller team facilitates stronger team dynamics, better communication, individualized attention, helps avoid the fragmentation inherent to larger expeditions, and we believe creates the strongest and most enjoyable climbing team possible.

With over four decades of mountain guiding experience RMI has rightfully earned our standing as one of the most distinguished guide services in the world: we maintain strict standards of safety, climb with small ratios, offer an unparalleled level of service, provide you with the best, most experienced Mt. Everest guides, and have an infrastructure that is entirely geared toward your individual safety and success on Mt. Everest.

Short Trek In Annapurna Region- Nepal

I'm just back from my second trip to Nepal this year, I go out to do some training for farmers but if I'm lucky can get some time to myself. August was monsoon time and generally not recommended for trekking (you can't see the mountains for cloud anyway), but March was great and I did a 3 day trek in the Annapurna Region. Based in Pokhara, "Thamel by a lake", with its good hotels and food, we started out from Nayapul and trekked clockwise to Birethani, Ghandruk, Potana, Dhampus and finally Phedi.

There was some rain but short and sharp, I preferred to shelter in one of the frequent tea houses along the way rather than wear hot sweaty waterproofs. Light trekking shoes were fine rather than heavy boots - but make sure they have good quality soles with grips as the rocks on the paths can be treacherous when wet. I took a 35l backpack with 8kg weight, including a 0.9kg sleeping bag (ultralite and compact, from Tesco UK, excellent quality and price, GBP35).

The scenery was, well, amazing as you might expect. Waking up in Ghandruk village and seeing the Annapurna range, across the pristine meadows and in silence was unforgettable. I do a fair bit of hill walking in Scotland but I found the trekking in Nepal more strenuous, the ascents and descents were more frequent and steeper, at least on the trek that I did. Also, I was unfit after all work and no play before I left the UK.

If you haven't been trekking in Nepal before, I wouldn't recommend it first time without a guide as the routes are mostly not signposted, maps not detailed enough and taking a wrong turn is costly in time and energy. My guide was Ram Shrestha of Splendid High Adventure, Thamel, Kathmandu (http://splendidhighadventure.com/index), who was recommended by a friend in Nepal. Ram organised everything, from airport pickup, accommodation in Pokhara and en route, and was my attentive guide on the trail. I felt safe and well looked after - thoroughly recommended - thanks, Ram.

Annapurna_Mountain_Range-Annapurna_Region_Gandaki_Zone_Western_Region_Nepal

Kathmandu- The City Of Temples

For many, stepping off a plane into Kathmandu is a pupil-dilating experience, a riot of sights, sounds and smells that can quickly lead to sensory overload. Whether you’re barrelling through the traffic-jammed alleyways of the old town in a rickshaw, marvelling at the medieval temples or dodging trekking touts in the backpacker district of Thamel, Kathmandu can be an intoxicating, amazing and exhausting place.

The 2015 earthquake brought devastation to parts of the city - including Kathmandu's Unesco-listed Durbar Square - but many areas emerged unscathed, and the soul of the city endures. Stroll through the backstreets and Kathmandu’s timeless cultural and artistic heritage will reveal itself in hidden temples overflowing with marigolds, courtyards full of drying chillies and rice, and tiny hobbit-sized workshops.

This endlessly fascinating, sometimes infuriating city has enough sights to keep you busy for a week, but be sure to leave its backpacker comforts and explore the ‘real Nepal’ before your time runs out.

Pokhara- The Heaven Of Asia

Far from the earthquake epicenter, and almost unaffected by the disaster, Pokhara ticks all the right boxes, with spectacular scenery, adventure activities, and accommodation and food choices galore. Whether you’ve returned from a three-week trek or endured a bus trip from hell, Lakeside Pokhara is the perfect place to recharge your batteries.

The scene is a chilled-out version of Thmel, stretching along the shore of a tranquil lake with bobbing paddle boats. From the lake, and possibly even from your hotel bed, you can enjoy a clear view of the snow-capped mountains, just twenty or so kilometres away.

There’s much more to Pokhara than its laid-back charm. It also boasts a booming adventure sports industry; it is arguably the best paragliding venue on the globe and is surrounded by white-water rivers. There's a fascinating museum dedicated to the world-famous Gurkha soldier. And last but not least, it’s the gateway to the world-famous treks in and around the Annapurna range and beyond.

5 Tips For India First-Timers

Chaotic, bamboozling, intoxicating, crazy, exasperating, wonderful, squalid, beautiful, daunting, overwhelming, and fantastic.

India is all these things, and more. How can you possibly prepare yourself? Start with our tips for taking the ultimate travel plunge: going to India for the first time!

Early morning at the Taj Mahal, Agra.

1. Pick the perfect route

India packs a lot into a massive space, and you'll never have time to see it all on one trip. Think about what interests you, what you like doing and how much time you have, and tailor your trip accordingly. Be realistic about how much you can fit in. Rather than trying to see the whole country, you may get more out of your trip if you concentrate on the south of the country, or on the north. However, internal flights are plentiful and inexpensive so you can hop from north to south if you want a taste of both worlds. The itineraries section at the front of Lonely Planet's guidebooks to India can be a great help, but here are some possible itineraries to get the ball rolling.

The classics: The most popular India tour is the all-time classic Golden Triangle. If time is short this is a fantastic introduction to three of India's top destinations, Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, and you can squeeze it into a week if you don't mind moving every couple of days. Start in Delhi, with sights such as Humayun's Tomb and the Red Fort, before hitting Agra and touring the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. Then it's on to Jaipur to explore the Pink City and the fort at Amber, before returning to Delhi's wonderful bazaars for a final shopping spree before you fly home.

The towering gopuram of the Virupaksha Temple, Hampi.

Religious sites: If it’s temples you’re after, you’ll find them everywhere, but in north and central India, you'll be truly spoiled for choice. There’s the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the erotically carved edifices of Khajuraho, Konark's rock-carved Sun Temple, and cohorts of exquisitely hewn milk-white-marble Jain temples in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Temples in the south are something else again, with towering, statue-covered gopuram towers; there are stunning examples at Hampi, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Tiruvannamalai, and exquisitely decorated temple caves at Ajanta and Ellora, and Elephanta Island near Mumbai.

Mughal magic: Fans of Islamic architecture will find some spectacular monuments in Delhi, home to the Red Fort, the mosques and minarets of the Qutb Minar complex and Humuyan’s Tomb. Nearby you can revel in more graceful Mughal splendour at Fatehpur Sikri and Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, before exploring Rajasthan's captivating collection of Mughal forts, including Jaisalmer, the very vision of an Arabian Nights desert fortress.

Sun, sea and sand at Vagator, Goa.

Beaches & waterways: Head south to enjoy India’s finest beaches. Munch bhelpuri (puffed rice, noodles, green mango and a tangy sauce) on Mumbai’s Girgaum Chowpatty beach before drifting south to the sand and sun in Goa. Take your pick of the Goan beaches – Arambol, Vagator, and Palolem are top spots – or try the black sand beaches of Kovalam and Varkala in Kerala, as well as lesser-known, golden sand in the north of the state. Kerala is also famous for its meandering backwaters, where you can hire a houseboat or a canoe and let the world glide gently by. Similarly serene is beautiful Dal lake in Srinagar in Kashmir, where – depending on the security situation –you can watch the mountains rise out of the mist from the walnut windowframe of a traditional wooden houseboat.
Wildlife encounters: Your best chances of spotting a tiger are in the national parks of Madhya Pradesh or Rajasthan, but there are national reserves all over India where you can track down wildlife as exotic as lions (Sasan Gir, Gujarat), wild asses (Little Rann, Gujarat), one-horned rhinos (Assam) and wild elephants (Wayanad, Kerala), as well as abundant birdlife (Bharatpur, Rajasthan). Not quite wildlife, but certainly wild, are camel treks through the desert from Jaisalmer or Bikaner in Rajasthan.

Royal Bengal tiger in repose, Rajasthan. 

Trekking & mountains: The north is a playground for adrenaline seekers, with pretty much every outdoor activity imaginable on offer in the Kullu Valley and the high reaches of Uttarkhand and Himachal Pradesh, from treks to skiing and white-water rafting. Shimla, the classic hill station, is a great place to start, as is Manali, still further north. Ideal trekking season is in September/October, after the monsoon. To take adventure up a notch, set off from Manali for the epic two-day journey (possible from mid-June to mid-September) to Leh in Ladakh, whose towering mountain peaks are criss-crossed by epic hiking trails. Rishikesh is another top spot for rafting and trekking, with a famous pilgrimage trail to four sacred mountain temples, and more treks await in mountainous Sikkim.

Vividly-coloured statues at Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Trivandrum, Kerala.

Spiritual India: For religious fervour, Varanasi reigns supreme, with its ancient funeral ghats where Hindus pay their last respects to the dead beside the sacred River Ganges. But you’ll encounter India’s spiritual side all over the country, particularly at pilgrimage towns such as Ajmer and Pushkar in Rajasthan, or the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in the Punjab. If you want to get more involved, you'll find classes in meditation and yoga almost everywhere, from the Delhi suburbs to the ashrams of Rishikesh. For Buddhist encounters, aim for Tibetan-Buddhist centres such as Leh in Ladakh and McLeod Ganj(Dharamsala), home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile.

2. Slow down

Many people try to cram too much into a visit to India. To get the best out your trip, concentrate on a few places rather than trying to tick off as many as possible. Seeing one place slowly can be much more rewarding than seeing loads of places, but not having time to appreciate any of them. Spend a few days in a place and you'll be less stressed, gain a deeper understanding of where you are, and have more time to get to know the people you meet.

Contemplating the desert in Zanskar.

3. Escape with crowds

With over a billion locals, many parts of India are certainly crowded. The bustle and mayhem can be fun, particularly if there's a festival in town, but it's easy to reach the point of saturation. Fortunately, India has plenty of quiet retreats, so plan some relaxing escapes into your journey. To keep your batteries charged, spend some days or weeks in a city, followed by some days or weeks in the countryside or in a small town. For inner (and outer) peace, head south to the backwaters and beaches of Kerala, or north to India's captivating hill stations or the Tibetan-influenced valleys of the Himalaya in Ladakh, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh.

4. Stay healthy

No one wants to get ill, particularly if you’re on a shorter trip, so it pays to take steps to avoid a dodgy tum. Never drink tap water, and steer clear of any food that may have been washed in it. As a precaution, avoid ice, ice cream, and salads and fruit you haven't just peeled yourself. Let your stomach acclimatise for a few days before launching into a street food feast, and whenever buying street food, do a mental assessment of standards of cleanliness. Are the owners freshly cooking the food or has it been standing there for a while? Is the stall busy with lots of customers or only attracting hoards of flies?

The classic Indian thali, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

Many travellers go veggie whilst in India, and it's not a bad idea, as a dodgy bit of meat will do you a lot more harm than undercooked vegetables. Plus, many Indians are vegetarian, so the country offers perhaps the world's most fabulous choice of vegetarian food. If you do eat meat, make sure it's well cooked, and stick to stalls and restaurants that are packed with locals (the best barometer for hygiene standards).

When you’re on the road, you may well find you have to use some less than sanitary toilet stops, but these don't have to be health hazards. Toilet paper is rarely provided, but the left-hand-and-water-jug method preferred by many locals can be fine if you carry soap with you so you can wash your hands properly afterwards. Anti-bacterial wipes and anti-bacterial gel are also handy to keep in your day bag for a last minute clean up before eating with your fingers.

Old Delhi's colourful, chaotic sprawl.

5.Keep your cool

As well as its beauty and wonder, India has an often deserved reputation for touts, scams, and other hassles. There are ways you can reduce the chances of being overcharged or cheated, but you will have a few encounters with scammers on your trip, so keep your wits about you and remember that deals that sound too good to be true usually are. In particular, be wary of taxi and rickshaw drivers who insist on taking you to specific hotels, shops or travel agencies – the cost of their commission will added to your bill.

The single most important piece of advice for any India first-timer is to try to remain calm, no matter what. Frustrations boil over easily in India, and being able to control them, take a deep breath and move on, is key to enjoying your time here. If you’re getting stressed about losing some money or being scammed, take a moment to consider how much you’ve really lost and whether it’s worth getting that fussed about.