Tuesday, 01 December 2009

• Day 2: 14th Nov, Bus Ride to Pokhara

  Sleeping in Kathmandu was easy for me, I bascially crashed out at night, thanks to my overwhelming sleep debt. Any noise from my trekking mates were effectively blocked out by my deadman deep slumber.

  The hotel complimentary breakfast comprised of the regular suspects; toast, sausages, tomatoes and eggs, plus also interesting chapati, dhal and garnished small potatoes. A thumbs up for fusion breakfast! I can't say enough how much I love chapatis.

  

  After breakfast was the hotel check out and loading up of the hired van for our 6hrs drive to Nayapul (trail head). We could have opted to fly domestically to Pokhara and ride 45mins to Nayapul but miss out the chance to observe the daily life/culture of Nepaleses. Hence we chose to ride and be trigger happy along the way.

   

     

   

  After weaving along several mountains, crossing a few bridges and travelling along the river, our van made an abrupt turn into an unsuspecting house along the '2-lane highway'. Our lunch stop! It turns out to be a pretty decent resting place, with a choice of Continental or Nepali buffet lunch. Not willing to test their Continental cooking skills, Kordy and I headed to the Nepali side, savouring our first taste of authenic Nepali food. Their diet consists of rice, 2 kinds of vegetables (usually spinach and mixed curry veg), some meat (usually chicken) and a big serving of dhal (savoury curry). I was more than happy to have my mouthful of spinach.

   

  

  (PS: We were pointing to a goat which was tied to the roof rack. Poor fella travelled on the road standing up. I wonder if it'll ever got jelly legs or scared itself sh*t silly with the rough winding roads)

  It was back on the road for us after lunch. The scenary slowly morphed from the urban to the rural landscape. Scores of padi fields lined the horizons. Families were out in full force to harvest the riped grains. Our guide replied my query that it was subsistance farming, the families grew rice for their own consumption, not for commercial reasons. Wow... that thought struck me. Rice, for me, comes in a rice bag from the supermarkets. I've travelled widely in Thailand, where mostly commerical padi plots covered the hills. Subsistance farming means what you grown is what you eat. It doesn't turn into cash, thus cash needs to be earned elsewhere. With padi cultivation as such a back breaking job, I wondered how they survive days with lousy harvest, then I remembered how God has plans for everyone and takes care of everyone. Why worry about work and your next income when these people are living from hand to mouth? My life and worries suddenly became so minute.

  

  Just when my butt went to sleep, my van once again did an abrupt stop. This time, we have reached our destination, the trail head at Nayapul! Without a minute to spare, our guide (Pemba) introduced us to our assistant trekking guide (Krishna) and our porters (Ochunan and Maran). Likewise, the porters wasted no time in arranging our bags, tying them up and carrying them to our first pit stop for the night.

   

  

  Moonlight hotel wasn't much of a hotel per say, but its pink walls and smiling hosts made our first night very comfortable. The room was spartan. 4 bare walls, 3 single beds and a little table formed our first resting spot. The toilet and shower room were shared and located down the corridor. Since it was located only 45mins away from the trail head, the hotel was pretty empty of people but filled with my group's idle curious chatter. Soon the chatter turned into shrieks as we proceed for shower... hot water was available on demand, a flask for 100 rupees (less than 2 SGD) but we decided against spending money this early in the trip and thus braved the trickling cold water shower.

  Shrivering from the numbing session, I soon found myself attracted to a warm stove. Gaining permission, I stepped into the back kitchen, warmed myself up beside the firewood stove and observed the kitchen happenings. Apparently someone ordered a duck dish and the helper was preparing the dish! I starely silently as the helper soaked the carcass in hot water, picked the feathers and ripped out the innards. How's that for a reality check? What you eat was still walking about 30 minutes ago.  Hmmm, I wonder what that little dog was thinking as it witnessed the act? *Will I get the yummy bones or leftovers tonight? / Will it be me next?*

  

  I decided it was safer (and more humane) to order a bowl of mushroom soup and a plate of egg vege fried rice, accompanied by my canned curry tuna, for dinner that night.

  

  Without the sun, the entire village plunged into darkness, save for some flickering light bulbs and radios blasting at high levels. My group had a small after dinner chit-chat session with the other Divine International trekking group (Sylvia, Catherine, Hui-zhi, Samuel were also from SG, on similar itinerary as us but less 1day), but soon retired to our rooms and mummy sleeping bags with fleece liner, saving our energy for the first official trekking the next morning.

  PS: The weather at night was about 15 deg C. I was happily prancing around the room in my shorts and tees, while Tina and Kordy wrapped themselves in thermals and PJs. The fleece liner soon proved too good for me and I ditched it early in the night to lay within just the mummy bag instead. I love the cold!

  • 4:36 PM
  • 8 Views
  • 4 eProps
  • 4 Comments

• Day 1: 13th Nov, Flying to Kathmandu

  Check-in at Changi airport is always a breeze. The automated gantry made immigration even easier. A quick detour to the cosmetic duty free section to get my beauty supply, I headed for the boarding gate and proceeded to plant my butt on seat 27F, the right most window seat at the last row.

  In-flight breakfast consists of curry fish, rice and spinach... an introduction of the Nepali food which I will come to expect. 

   

  Thanks to many late nights previously, I slept like a pig baby after breakfast. 5hrs nap was good since the only in-flight entertainment was a silent movie and I was stuck with 2 other guys sitting to my left. When I woke up, the scenery which I have been dreaming about for the last few months appeared before my eyes.

     
  

  
  The mountains peaked above the clouds (unfortunately Everest went into hiding) and they seem to blend in perfectly with the clouds, almost like a heaven on earth. Below the clouds revealed beautiful mountain ranges which were dotted with villages but linked with windy pathways. I wondered how someone can live in such seclusion and how long it'll take to move from mountain to mountain, unknowing that the answers will be revealed to me and experienced by me later. Immediately a feeling of calmness overwhelmed me, I was struck by God's creation. The material world was behind me and I was going to embark on a self-discovery route.
  
  

  
  

  
  The visa application and immigration was a breeze. The spartan Tribhuvaninternational airport had no frills but the essentials to receive foreigners who were lured by the country's blessed wonders. I blended into the crowds with my backpacks and adventure gear, ready to absorb what this country had to offer.
  
  

      
  
  

  
  Locating my name among all the various name plates held up by local guides was a breeze (the only asian surname, short and sweet) and a short ride later, we were whisked to our lodging for the first night. Royal Singi Hotel was a local 4 star hotel and I personally thought it was too polish for a rugged traveller who was gearing up to hit the dirt track. Nonetheless, I appreciated a nice hot shower, which will prove to be a luxury in days to come. View outside our window was pleasant but a little too urban for my liking.
  
  A 45mins briefing session by our local guide in the hotel lawn prepped us (Tina, Kordy, Tianfa and I) mentally on our trekking expectation for the next 7 days. We will be travelling from village to village (Birethanti, Ulleri, Ghorepani, Tadapani, Chhomrong, Ghandruk) and the highlight would be the dawn climb up Poon hill (3120m). Weather is expected to be cold and we should bring enough gear for our comfort... Hence a trip to the trekker's shopping paradise, Thamel, was warrented!
  
  

      
  
  

  Thamel was a 10 mins walk away from our hotel, hence our local guide took his own initiative to forgo the van transport and got us to start exercising. Being the capital of a third world country, Kathmandu was bursting with life but caked with dust. I marvelled at the range of transportation used.
  

  
   
  
  

  Thamel was swarming with tourists/trekkers who are seeking the best bargain on adventure gears (sleeping bag, trekking shoes, outer/winter wear...) and naturally most of the stuff should be factory over-runs or rejects, because I bought a North Face zippered pants (those that can be unzipped to become shorts) for only SGD$12!

  
   

   

  Occassionally there were some shops which reached out to the inner souvenir-hungry-for-anything-cute visitors. I only wished I had more budget to spend and need not worry about baggage limit (whatever I buy now will be borned by my porters during the trek!), which I now think was a blessing. Cast my materialistic, commodity-owning self aside!!
  

  
   
  
  

  Our Thamel 2hr visit ended with a commotion along our way back. Apparently there was a Maoist protest earlier and we caught the last glimpse of the group fleeing the scene and the riot police calling it a day. Pity how the Maoist seems like a group of youngsters disillusioned or had nothing much to lose while the police team seemed like bored teenagers on a payroll. I guess your birthright determines your choice and destiny?
  

   

  

  
  Dinner was an Indian-meets-Chinese-meets-Nepali hotel buffet, which was rather disappointing as our first official meal in Nepal. However the hearty exchange of conversation between my new trekking mates was pleasant and it laid the foundation many happy days to come.

  • 11:06 AM
  • 4 Views
  • 2 eProps
  • 4 Comments