j la berge

Joe,

I don?t know about India but in Nepal it is very easy to find a good guide. Boudhanath is one of the best areas to stay in Kathmandu, but go over to Thamel to hook up with a guide. There is many companies that offer hikes into the mountains, this can bee a good option for safety. In the spring of '04 when I was there many people were being stopped on the trails and had to pay the rebels to pass. I did not hear of anyone other than US citizens getting harassed too badly. It is also very easy to hire a car and a driver. At the Kathmandu Guest House I hired a guy for $20 a day. He would take me anywhere in the valley and was very good about getting me to the best photographic spots.

I have been using the D70 for about a week now and have found that in

all the lighting situations that I have been in the photos have been

1 to 2 stops over exposed. I have not done any custom curvs or white

balance yet. Just wanted to know if this was normal.

I am looking at going digital with a D70, I have been reading alot

of posts about the size of the viewfinder, can any one compare it to

the N/F70 or the F100. There is not a photo shop in my area that

carries the D70 for me to get my hands on and try it out. Most of

the work I would be doing with it is outdoor with a tripod.

After living and photographing in Europe for the last 5 years I can tell you that I have found that nomatter what you bring there will be a point that you say "I wish I had not left that at home." As far as theft, pick pockets are around but if you are smart about how you carry your gear you should be alright. In Germany I found several photo bags that do not look any thing like a photo bag, It may be something to consider.

On a side note be carefull with a tripod in Paris, security and police get kind of touchy about them and my tell you that you need a permit. And be prepaired to leave your cameras with the reseption desk in museums.