"Hardcore" Trekking in Nepal
Ok, it has been a "while" since my last post and technically it shouldn't fall under this blog but I thought I needed to get this down as it was such a fun(ny) experience.
Those who know me quite well may understand that I am fairly impulsive by nature, so when I was offered to join a trip to Nepal starting in 10 days all I thought was "Why the hell not??" ;). From there it was simply a matter of checking the work holiday calendar for openings and once that was cleared, book my trip.
I've been really interested in going to Nepal for quite some time. My interest was sparked during my time trekking in Patagonia. People would always say that if you liked Patagonia, then you would LOVE Nepal. My invitation came by way of a Russian lady called Nika. We had known each other for some time and she was en route to visit her Aunt Lesya who was living in Kathmandu. An open offer from her got me furiously checking flights, dates and itineraries.
I only had up to 8 days to spend so I needed to be efficient with my time allocation... something I wasn't used to compared with my trip last year when I had 7 months to see everything. Flights were booked and as the day drew closer we had a decent idea of what we wanted to do.
The flight left late Saturday night from Heathrow to Delhi. 10 hours later and with very little sleep, we touched down in the new Indira Ghandi Terminal 3 Airport of New Delhi. It was still early in the day (about 1pm). We didn't have our boarding passes yet for our connection to Kathmandu so we queued for an hour to sort that out. Next was the security check. In India it seems that men and women are checked separately so there are two separate queues. Bags are first checked as is standard and then every person is body searched. Women need to get searched within an enclosed cubicle so as to ensure there is no indecent exposure ;).
Once through, we moved on to our gate and boarded the plane. After 30 minutes of waiting we were told there was a minor technical fault which was being seen to. An hour later the fault was still being looked into. Another hour passed and we were finally informed that the plane was not suitable for the flight. It was 3:30pm now so we figured that Air India shouldn't have a problem finding a replacement plane to take us. It was then announced that due to "Sunset restrictions" in Kathmandu, no flight from Delhi was able to take off after 3:30pm... GREAT. We were ushered off the plane and greeted by a rep who assured us we would all be looked after. We camped out in the airport hallway and waited. It soon became clear we would not be flying out that day and instead had to check in to the earliest flight the next morning. As it stood, some people who were flying from Delhi at their initial leg were allowed to exit the airport. For us transit passengers however, none of us had a visa and we weren't allowed to obtain one as our bookings were to Kathmandu, Nepal and not within India. This meant we couldn't leave the airport to get to a hotel. The terminal also doesn't have it's own hotel so we basically had nowhere to stay.
Camped at the ticketing area of Delhi International
After about 3 hours of wrangling with the rep trying to get information we were handed some food and water and told we could check in to the next flight at 10pm and then move onto the departure lounge again. At this point he disappeared and we were on our own. Nika amusingly ranted at some officials. This caused much shuffling and consternation but in the end only resulted in her being offered a second portion of the crappy food. So we had to be content to spend our night with a mixed bag of 8 travellers, a disabled toilet and a smoking room.
We finally got our tickets and went through the whole security check procedure again. In the departure lounge we pushed 3 lounger chairs together and tried our best to get some rest between the intermittent airport announcements and flashing lights.
My Delhi bed
At 7am we were finally cleared to board the plane to Kathmandu. Once again it was delayed by over an hour but thankfully took off in the end and we arrived safely in Kathmandu airport. Our bad luck however had followed us. My bag did not arrive with the plane... By now I was fairly angry at the way we had been treated. I was quite rude to Miles the lost baggage official who apologised profusely and promised to let me know when it arrived in town.
So now I was 2 days into the trip with still the same clothes, no sleep and no bag. What a start!!
We trudged out the airport wearily and met up with Lesya, Nika's Aunt who greeted us with some flower Lei's which we hung round our necks. We hopped in a cab and joined the crazy Kathmandu traffic.
Kathmandu is vibrant, energetic, filthy dump of a city. There is a thick smog everywhere fueled by the throngs of scooters, motorbikes, small Suzuki Maruti 600 cars and burning garbage that seems to be everywhere. Many people wear face-masks to minimise inhalation of the fumes. I quickly felt my throat and nose clog up and get sore.
Thamel market district in Kathmandu
We arrived at the Yellow House Guesthouse in the Thamel district. The place was owned by a Swiss man called Nicholas and his Nepali wife Padma. Lesya had arranged us excellent accomodation where we dumped our belongings and moved to the in-house restaurant for some chai (tea) and food. It was a relief to be able to finally relax and eat some decent food. Lesya and Nika started to catchup and I picked up that Lesya had been living in India and Nepal for the last 5 years. While we ate we met several other travellers and discussed our plans for the rest of the trip.
That evening we popped out to a nearby Israeli restaurant for dinner where we enjoyed a light meal and some drinks. Lesya had suggested we spend one more day in Kathmandu and then head for the hills in Pokhara for some trekking. This sounded like an excellent plan however I still had no kit for trekking in so we retired early that night and woke up to do a spot of shopping. I acquired some trail shoes, new pants, socks, underwear and a warm shirt which I hoped would tide me through until my bag arrived.
Dinner at the Israeli restaurant where I sampled the local Nepal Ice beer
Kitted out, we hopped in a taxi and went to one of the nearby hilltops to get some views of the Himalayas. We stopped on the summit of one of the hills for some tea and took in the spectacular panorama in front of us. I was beginning to get hooked on Ginger and lemon tea (it contained big chinks of ginger) and was knocking back at least 2 cups at each sitting. After chilling for a bit we moved onto a nearby trout farm where we had dinner of fried trout and trout curry. Filleting didn't seem to be part of the preparation so our trout came all in, heads, tails and bones included.
Himalayas Ahoy
Drinking tea with this view was really quite something
Something that we would have preferred not to see as we had just been driving on that stretch of road above!
Later that afternoon I received a call from our baggage man Miles who said that my bag had arrived and I could pick it up. I couldn't believe I actually had to go fetch the thing after so many cock-ups on Air India's part. I grudgingly took a taxi back to the airport and fetched it. We were due in Pokhara the next day and had a taxi booked for 5am. I hadn't been sleeping well the last few nights probably due to a combination of jet lag, clogged airways and the very firm bedding provided at the guesthouse. Nonetheless we were all up before 5am in anticipation of our taxi... which never came. Lesya got on the phone and finally managed to sort out another taxi... which picked us up a whole 2 hours later! We piled into the small car, unamused about our long wait but thankful we were finally on our way.
The drive through the Nepalese valleys was really beautiful. I snoozed for quite a bit on the 6 hour drive as I tried to catch up on lost sleep. We stopped for lunch at the Green Park Highway Restaurant which served a mainly vegetarian buffet. Tables were set-up in the midst of a lush garden which was teeming with butterflies. After an excellent lunch we continued the last leg of our journey and arrived in Pokhara in the early afternoon. Pokhara is a popular town for tourists as it is famous for the beautiful surrounding countryside and tranquil lake Fewa. It is also the starting point for trekkers who want to do the Annapurna mountain circuit, one of the most popular trekking routes in the world.
We checked into the Blue Heaven hotel and met Chabilal, our trekking guide for the next few days. Chubby (as I ended up calling him simply because it was the easiest way to remember) was a quiet, unassuming local who had grown up in a rural village in Nepal. He was incredibly knowledgeable of the area and all the trekking routes so we quickly became comfortable that we were being led by the correct hands. Dinner was spent at a pizza restaurant which had views over lake Fewa. This was also the first place we sampled the local delicacy that is the Momo. A Momo is a steamed dumpling filled with chicken, veg or cheese and is delicious!
We awoke the next morning to a spectacular clear sky with the Annapurna and Machapuchare (Fish Tail) mountains on display from the hotel balcony. We packed into a taxi and were taken to(LOCATION) which was to be our starting point for our trekking. Even from this initial point we could see the huge Himalayan range in front of us.
Machapuchare (Fish Tail)
After having some tea and lunch (chicken Momos) at a restaurant on the hilltop we started our walk to Puthana camp. The path was fairly busy with trekkers returning from Annapurna base camp and the surrounding villages. En route we passed a ritual celebration with upwards of 20 people singing and chanting. They were about to slaughter 2 lambs. Not really keen on witnessing such a thing we hurried on. The rest of the trek was very mild and we arrived at Puthana after only a few hours.
Some of the local kids
Puthana camp
After checking into the Heaven's Gate Guesthouse, Chabilal guided us up to the nearby hilltop. En route we passed some of the local water buffalo and one of the bulls had the audacity to mock charge us. Nika did not take kindly to this behaviour and vowed a fatwa on them. Up on the hilltop we watched the sun set over the Annapurna and Machapucherra ranges.
Nika's best friends, the water buffalos
Back at camp Chabilal suggested we sample some of the locally made brew called Tungba. This sounded like a good way to round off the day so we seated ourselves outside and wrapped up warmly as the temperature had plummeted since the sun had set. We were each presented with a large metal flagon with a hole in the top and a long metal straw protruding out. Inside the flagon was real fermented millet which had quite a pungent odour. The method of drinking involves filling the flagon with hot water (from a large thermos provided), placing the lid back on and drinking it up through the straw. The water mixes with the fermenting millet and gains flavour and alcoholic potency. It tasted quite strongly of a warm mix of wine and beer. We persevered with our drinks and idle chitchat. Chabilal became quite animated from his usual quiet demeanour and was fervently refilling our flagons whenever we ran dry. Very quickly the Tungba had taken hold and we were laughing out loud and getting fairly raucous. Chabilal in contrast had suddenly become very quiet. As we got drunker and drunker, Chubby got quieter. I remember quite vividly how after laughing at some joke of Lesya's I noticed out of the corner of my eye Chubby leaning back in his chair. He continued his recline backwards until finally reaching a tipping point he crashed over backwards. I recall the distinct hard smacking noise of his head making contact with the flagstones. Suddenly there was no more joking. Nika, Lesya and I all exchanged alarmed glances and quickly got up to check on him. It was pitch black so I needed to take out my hand torch to check properly. Chabilal was splayed out on the ground not moving at all. It is surprising how quickly one can get sober in such a situation! I quickly checked his head and noticed no blood but he was staring out wide eyed and not moving. I did some basic checks to see if he could move his hands and legs - he could thankfully - and he managed to respond coherently to my questions... it appeared there was no serious issue in my mind at that point. The next moment some local guys from the restaurant trundled along with big grins on their faces. In very broken English they insisted he was ok and we needn't worry about him. This was easier said than done and all of us still kept a concerned eye on him lying there. One of the guys asked me to help turn him which I did and only then did good old Chubby throw up all over the ground, several times. Turns out he was totally pissed! Our concern began to fade and we manage to squeak out a few more laughs and drink some more Tungba, with Chabilal just lying there. Finally we reckoned it was time to move him back to his bed so a bunch of guys carried him there where Nika dumped 3 whole duvets on top of him to ensure he didn't get too cold. It was only around 8:30pm at this point so Nika, Lesya and myself carried our Tungba flagons back to the restaurant and had a spot of dinner. Lesya at this point was also beginning to feel the effects and suggested she was heading down the same road as Chubby. We quickly bundled her to bed and retired. What a hilarious night!
The next morning there were a pair of sheepish faces. Lesya and Chabilal were slightly embarrassed but took our teasing with good humour. The weather that morning was totally clear and the mountains looked spectacular in the crisp morning air.
Annapurna in the morning light from Puthana camp
After settling the bill we moved onto Australia camp which was a simple 30 minute hike. this camp also had impressive views of the range albeit at a different angle and perspective. We drank some more tea, ate some more Momos and chilled out for a bit before beginning our walk to Sarongkot camp which is very close to Pokhara.
Our initial hike took us to a roadway which led to the camp. We looked for a taxi but had no luck so instead decided to hop on a local bus. This thing was totally packed so we had to stand in the middle aisle and the roof must have been less then 5 feet high... this meant locals had no problem standing but I had to stand stoop legged and head cowed holding on for dear life as the bus roared along the road.
At an intersection we got off and took a few moments to recover. Our next option was to take a taxi the rest of the route. We secured a Maruti Suzuki 600 and started off on a crazy rutted broken road. The road got so bad that after 15minutes we figured we would be better off walking. This proved to be an excellent idea as we walked through the rural homesteads and were greeted warmly by the families that lived there. The kids had all been trained in basic English to say "Where you from?", "Give me sweets" and "Give me money". I simply high-fived them and carried on walking.
As we were nearing Sarongkot we passed by an old homestead where an old woman gesticulated to Chabilal. She had prepared tea for us and wanted us to join her and her husband. How could we say no? We sat down in their garden as the tea was prepared. The couple had several terraced fields and farmed it for vegetables. they grew a large variety of crops including spinach, pumpkin, butternut and some other strange green thingies I have no name for. After tea, it was suggested we stay for dinner which we politely accepted. they cooked us a spinach (Saag) curry with roti bread. The vegetables were harvested and prepared in front of us and tasted delicious! We sat in this simple place with spectacular views as the sun slowly set. It really was a special experience.
Sunset
We bid the couple goodbye and walked into Sarongkot camp. It was still early so we went to a nearby restaurant for teas and Momos before getting some kip. Sarongkot is famous for it's sunrise views so I was up at 6am and walking up some steep steps to the viewpoint. The place was already crowded with tourists and locals alike. There was a group of elderly white tourists who were being led through a mantra as the sun rose.
It was decided breakfast should be had at our favourite little homestead again so we walked back down the road and were received with delight by the couple. We brought eggs along this time so they served us roti and omelettes and more saag curry! Once our bellies were full we were shown pictures of their Chori (daughter) who lived in Israel. We asked them to pose for some pictures with us and then went on our way.
Water Buffalos being used to plow the land
It was yet another glorious sunny day so we got Chabilal to organise us one of the popular activities offered in the area... paragliding! It was at this point that my camera battery failed me so Chubby kindly offered to lend me his. We walked to the launching site high up on the mountain slope and met with our pilots, Christophe (French) and Claudio (Venezuelan).
The launch site
Nika geared up and ready to go!
There is basically no training involved in this so after we were kitted up in the harness all we did was wait for the wind to pick up and sprint down the slope at our pilot's instruction. Waiting around is not the most relaxing experience and I wasn't sure I was entirely comfortable throwing myself off a slope only to be held by a large plastic packet attached by strings. However the moment came and Nika was off first with Claudio and into the air closely followed by me and Christophe. All I could say then was WOW!!
Just after take-off
We glided out into the valley and then Christophe, using his expertise, caught the rising thermals to send us up even higher, well above the launch zone and over a couple hundred metres in the air! Soaring around in a spiral is amazing and exhilarating! I could see all over Pokhara and the mountains.
Soaring over Phokhara with lake Fewa below
There were lots of other paragliders out that day so the biggest risk we faced was a collision which we luckily avoided. While we were up there a few large eagles joined us in our flight. This was certainly an incredible experience and after 45 minutes or so we were taken down to the landing zone on the shore of lake Fewa all pumped up with adrenaline.
This was our last day in Pokhara and we ended it with a boat trip across the lake at sunset with some food and beers. This may sound idyllic but 4 of us and the elderly woman rower were cramped up in a boat that was incredibly unstable and slowly leaking. Mild panic set in with the girls when we were halfway across the lake but luckily we had no major issues and alighted on the other side with very little fuss.
Our final evening in Pokhara ended quietly. We had a flight booked back to Kathmandu the following morning where we would say farewell to Chabilal and have a final look at the Nepali capital before returning to freezing London.
Morning dawned with us all well rested. The plane we hopped on was a small 18 seater propeller carrier that actually seemed to be fairly new. The flight was surprisingly smooth and only took 35 minutes. Back in Kathmandu we had a busy day planned. We taxi'ed back to the Yellow House and made brief greetings to our friends there, dumped our bags, said farewell to Chabilal and hopped in another taxi to take us to the Boudhanath Buddhist Stupa. This Stupa sits on a hilltop in central Kathmandu and it's mandala can be viewed from almost anywhere in the city. I need to apologise for there will be no pictures from this point as my camera was totally dead and Chubby had left us. We walked up the steps past small Buddhist shrines and beggars and trinkets vendors. Another notable thing to mention is that the area is inhabited by many monkeys and also has the nickname of the Monkey Temple. At the top was the mandala which we entered. The construction is certainly large and impressive with the shiny golden mandala reaching up very high. Prayer wheels surround the central spire.
There is a small building off to the side which houses the ritual chamber of the resident Buddhist monks. We were allowed entry to view their meditations, prayers and singing as long as we kept quiet. Now through what I have read and seen on tv, I had come to expect monks to be solemn and composed with some sort of serene aura. These monks however DID NOT seem like that. As soon as the girls stepped into the chamber it was blatantly obvious the looks they were getting from the monks. I didn't want to imagine the dirty thoughts they had but the girls clearly felt their attentions too and we made a quick retreat. So now we were all slightly disillusioned by the whole thing and needed to sit down, drink some tea and eat pancakes. The pancakes were delicious. Instead of taking the conventional steps down again, we opted for a more brazen path through the surrounding monkey infested forest. We spotted large groups of monkeys rampaging through the forest and spinning on makeshift ropes and discarded prayer flag banners that were left over from celebrations. They had even worked out how to wind a hanging rope up by spinning around continuously until it got taut and then letting it spin them around the opposite direction... this was hilarious to watch!
Once out of the forest, Lesya was determined to sample some more Tungba. A nearby restaurant had supplies which we indulged in. This Tungba was significantly less alcoholic than the last we had drunk due to the fact that demand in the city was much higher meaning less time for the millet fermentation. We left slightly inebriated and took a cab to Pashupatinah temple. Pashupatinah is to Hindu's what Mecca and the Vatican are to Muslims and Catholics. It is the main site for Hindu pilgrimages. It was getting dark now but luckily the temple is open at all hours and we picked up a guide who took us on a tour. There is a river that flows through the centre of the area that is a tributary of the Ganges river. For this reason it is treated with a holy status. The banks are lined with pillar-like stone altars which are used for human cremation.
You can see the burning altars on the sides of the river here
When a Hindu person dies, their family can bring them to the temple and pay a small fee to cremate them on one of these altars. This is the appropriate way to send off the departed except for children who are less than 5 years old who are buried in the ground. There was even an open fire that was slowly burning down when we were there. The body had largely been cremated at this stage but it was still a slightly intense experience being there and viewing it. This temple is also swarming with monkeys. They bound over the rooftops at random and use the electric cables to traverse the wider gaps. Safe wiring in Nepal however has much to be desired and several monkeys were running around on their hind-legs as they had had their hands burnt off in an electrical accident. This proved to be a slightly comical albeit sad thing to witness.
We were shown the rest of the temple and were taken to the eating area of the resident Holy Men who spent their lives at the temple. They ritually would apply the burnt ashes of the cremations to their bodies and didn't seem to cut or wash their hair.
Holy men
With our time at the temple up, we got back to Yellow House and joined a big group of the "locals" for dinner and drinks. One Canadian chap suggested we go to a gig that night called Dub Tec. We hadn't had a proper party in a while so decided to check it out. The gig was fantastic with the front man using his dub plate to record beat box rhythms and then sing along with that. Several drinks later it was all over and we were back at Yellow House.
Our flight was quite early the next day so with our bags all packed we said goodbye to Lesya and the other friends we had made and took our final cab back to the airport.
I had made a point of not checking in any luggage for the return journey as my trust of Air India was close to zero. Thankfully we only had to endure some minor delays on our flight to Delhi and then onto London. The wintery chill in London was not altogether appreciated but we were glad to be back in more comfortable surroundings. Having said that, we had only experienced a fraction of what Nepal has to offer so undoubtedly I will be making an effort to return at some point!
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