Trekking
in Nepal
Reham Firiri - Nepali Folk song
| Trekking
in Nepal
|
Reham Firiri - Nepali Folk song |
Nepal offers an experience few places can match not only in its diversity of culture, language and ethnic groups but also its legendary mountains, some known and some still remain unnamed to this day.
In March 1997, my colleague Suppayah and I toured
Katmandu and Pokhara, and trekked from Nayapul to Muktinah. The following
are daily accounts of our trip.
12 Mar 97 : Swayambunath and Durbar Square
We took Thai Airways plane from Penang, Malaysia to Katmandu via Bangkok. On arrival, we queued up for 1/2 hour to pay US$25 for a 15-day visa. Our guide, Kalyan met us at the airport and took us in a 20-years old Toyota Corrola taxi to the Pisang Hotel in Katmandu . It was not long before the driver kept us at the edge of the seat as he skillfully squeeze the Toyota in and around bicycles, pedestrians, motorbikes, buses and cars. It's best to concentrate on the scenery and not worry about getting hit by a bus or running down some bikers and cyclists. Like most Asian cities, the air pollution from 2-stroke engines and buses are quite bad and it is not uncommon to see locals wearing masks over their noses. On reaching the Thamel area we were pleasantly surprise to see a lots of life and activities.
First
stop is Swayambunath (aka Monkey Stupa) which is perched on a small hill.
Here one can get a good view of Katmandu. Try to catch young monks learning
and chanting in classrooms. At the Katmandu Durbar Square, it was buzzing
with activities from locals and tourists. IMHO it would be better to move
the souvenir stalls from the Square to an allocated place to avoid obstructing
the view.
13 Mar 97 : Paspupatinath and Bodnath
The streets of Thamel, is
not to be missed around 7.00am as people starts to go to work, school-children
walk to school, and the market springs to life. 
The Paspupatinah Temple is one of the holiest Hindu temple in Nepal. Hindus and sadhus from India make their pilgrimage to the temple. Entrance to the Hindu temple however is only for Hindus, and everyone who enters have to remove belts, wallets and other accessories made from cowhide as cows are sacred animals to the Hindus. That means my friend went in and I have to be contented with staying outside to observe and shop for saligrams (100 rupees each). At the bank of holy Bigmati River, we witnessed a cremation ceremony from across the river.
Next stop is the Bodnath stupa. This huge Tibetan Buddhist temple consists of the stupa and other temples and monastery. There are tons of tourist here, so you might want to go there earlier in the morning.
Patan the old town of the Malla kings, has one
of the finest woodcarvings that I have seen. Also it is not as crowded
as Katmandu Durbar Square. It is a shame that some carvings were stolen,
and it could be one of the reasons why photography is banned in some areas.
With the black market for antiques thriving, I hope the security is tightened
before further damage is done.
25 Mar 97 : Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur is IMHO, the most interesting old town in Katmandu. The entry fee is hefty but for a good cause as it helps to provide much needed funds for conservation. Again it is best to go around 8.00 am before masses of tourists and souvenir vendors start pouring in. You probably need the whole day to wonder around the streets, alleys and observe the locals. Better still, stay in one of the hotels here.
We flew from Katmandu to
Pokhara on a 16-seater plane. From the right, we could see the terraced
farms and meandering rivers, valleys and mountain ranges. From the moment
we stepped out of the airport, it was a nice relief from Katmandu's pace
of life. After checking in the Hotel Mountain Top, which is a great place
to stay, we headed to the lake for a ride in a sampan. This boat trip is
best around sunrise or dusk as the sun casts a golden glow over the mountains
and lake. After lunch we were off again in another old Toyota Corrola taxi
to the Tibetan camp and Dewi Waterfall.
15 March 97 : Nayapul to Tirkhedungha
From
Pokhara, our taxi took us out to the road to Nayapul. On the way , the
view of the mountain ranges and farmland is spectacular, and if we knew
earlier we would have spent more time roaming around. Up in the hills,
the taxi driver had to swerve the taxi to the gravel to avoid collisions
with on-coming buses that habitually drive round the bend and into our
lane. After the checkpoint, we started our trek to Tirkhedungha. The lodge
at Tirkhedungha is neat and the owner very friendly. Just don't forget
to hike up the hill to see the school and terrace farm. At this point,
we are slowly getting hooked on milk ginger tea which is a favorite among
locals. In the evening, the candles were out as there is no electricity
supply. Thanks to the advice I gathered from the internet, I packed enough
candles and a torchlight for these situations.
16 March 97 : Tiekhedungha - Ghorepani
Our trek to Ghorepani was
like climbing an endless flight of steps. According to some books, there
are about 3,300 steps to 
climb
but the view makes up for it. The vegetation is dense and a lot like a
tropical forest. As we ascend higher, we were greeted with beautiful rhodendendrum
flowers that were just beginning to bloom. According to our guide, Kalyan,
the rhodendendrum will bloom fully by late March. At this point we came
across mules which carry goods for locals living in the mountains. These
mules travel in groups of around 6 or more with the leading mule wearing
bells to warn trekkers of their arrival. After 8 exhausting hours of trekking
(or climbing up about 3,000 over steps according to the Lonely Planet's
guide book), we finally reached Ghorepani. Here we stayed at a lodge belonging
to our porter's sister. After dinner, we were entertained with Nepali songs
and dance. It was an early night for us as we prepare for tomorrow's hike
up Poon Hill for the sunrise.
17 March 97 : Ghorepani - Poon Hills - Tataponi
At
3.30am, we were up and getting our camera gear ready for the 50 minutes
trek up Poon Hill. Armed with torchlights, we trek up at 4.00a.m. in darkness.
At Poon Hill, the freezing cold meant hiding my camera under my jacket
to save the batteries from losing its power. Luck was smiling at us as
the clear sky and rising sun gave us the perfect sunrise. The panoramic
view of the magnificent Fish Tail, Annarpurna, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri peaks
was better than what I expected. 2 hours went by before we started the
descend to Ghorepani. Unlike yesterday, it is downhill all the way to Tataponi. 
Along
the trek, there were many landslides and consequently diversions from the
normal trek. So it is best to check with the locals if you are do not have
a guide or porter. As we approach Tataponi, we trekked on the riverbed
of the Kali Gandaki River for the first time.
At Tataponi, we checked in the Dhaulagiri Rest House. Their restaurant has the best food and layout so far. If you are taking a shower with water from the electrical water heater , just make it quick as blackouts are quite common in the evening. It is more fun taking a bath at the hot spring behind the resthouse.
18 March 97 : Tataponi - Ghasa
After a great breakfast, we were off to Ghasa. The trek is a good mix of ups and downs but some parts got very windy. The view is not as good as yesterday and the vegetation became sparse as we ascend to higher altitude. Ghasa is another village without electrical power. After dinner, we reward ourselves with local apricot brandy and Mustang coffee (local brandy 90% and coffee 10).
19 March 97 :Ghasa - Tukuche
From Ghasa, the view improved with the Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, Annarpurna and Nilgiri South peaks visible from most parts of the treks. While resting before reaching Kalopani, we were shooked up by a rumbling sound of rocks falling down on the path that we passed just minutes ago. Luckily no trekkers were there when it happened. After Kalopani, we were trekking on the Kali Gandaki riverbed again. I still can't get over the feeling of walking on a 1 km wide riverbed that is dry for most parts except for some streams. Without any warning, it became very windy and started to rain. We were glad to see some houses built on the riverbed itself and asked for permission to seek shelter from the rain. The Thakali family, consisting of father, mother and two sons, welcomed us in their modest 100 sq. ft. home. Firewood is used for boiling water and cooking. Minutes later, we were joined by two Sadhus and an elderly woman who was carried by one of them. They were returning to India after a pilgrimage in Muktinah. After a cup of ginger tea, we continued to Tukuche.
20 March 97 : Tukuche - Jomson
From Tukuche, the trek got
windy but with the wind blowing against our backs, it helped to 'propel'
us forward. At Marpha, we enjoyed the tidiest village of the trek. Here
the predominant ethnic group is the Thakali. The Tibetan Buddhist temples
and houses on the hill slopes are quite interesting. 
Leaving
Marpha for Jomson, the landscape is like a cold desert with little or no
vegetation. There are a number of apple, apricot and peach plantations,
not to mention the famous Marpha apple brandy. As we reach Jomson, there
are a numnber of agricultural reserach centre and a wind power project
building. Jomson is a cold and windy village without much character except
for an army outpost and some government offices. We checked in the Mona
Lisa Lodge which serves pretty good spaghetti on a hot plate and has a
satellite TV. This lodge is only a few minutes walk to the airport.
21 March 97 : Jomson - Muktinah
From Jomson, it is back to the riverbed of Kali Gandaki. Along the way we picked up a couple of ammonite stones and hoping to find fossils in them. But after breaking about 10 pieces, it is a better idea to buy them. At Eklaibhatti (2740m), a village of 5 lodges or so built on the riverbed, we stopped for tea at the Holiday Inn Lodge for ginger tea. Here the asking price for an ammonite fossil is 400 rupees (buy them for 100 rupees in Katmandu).
We took the other trail bypassing Kagbeni. The air gets thin at 3500m as we struggle to walk at a normal pace. The mind and body are willing but the legs just seem to be moving in slow motion. Maybe it is not a bad idea to rent a pony or horse to ride to Muktinah. The saddle is made out of a few pieces of rugs and the pony seems quite good-tempered. The landscape is rugged and spectacular, with some parts devoid of any vegetation. In a way it reminded me of the Grand Canyon. From this trail, one gets an aerial view of the Kagbeni village.
At
Jharkot (3550m), the buildings and forts, are very old and medieval looking.
We stayed at Ranipauwa (3700m), a village most mistaken it as Muktinah
(3800m). A 10-minute walk took us to Muktinah's Vishnu Temple. Unlike Pashupatinah,
I was allowed to enter the temple but the shrine is for Hindus only. In
the Jwala Mai Temple, the famous eternal flame (from natural gas) is visible
at two places under the altar. The third place has since extinguished.
Donations are needed to help maintain the temples. In the evening, it began
to snow.
22 March 97 : Muktinah - Kagbeni -Jomson
As we approached Kagbeni, it snowed heavily. This old village is worth exploring if one has the time. Two sadhus dressed only in loincloth and wearing sandals asked us for directions to a resthouse for pilgrims. Ginger tea was served during tea time at the Red House lodge. Try to go up the rooftop for a great view of the villages. Going back to the Kali Gandaki river, we had the wind blowing against us until we reached Jomson. The temperature dropped and it began to snow heavily.
23 & 24 March 97 Jomson - Pokhara
When I peered through the window of my room the following morning, I could see the Jomson airport runway covered with snow. Without proper equipment and tarred runway, there was no way the plane can land. This was the beginning of the struggle to get out of Jomson by air. The replacement helicopters was called off after some disagreement among the airlines, agents and other parties over who gets the higher cut. Next day, we coughed out US$200 for a helicopter ride to Pokhara, whereas the normal plane fare is US$60. If the government don't stop this blackmail and buck up the services in Jomson, the VISIT NEPAL 98 is not going to make a lot of tourists happy in Jomson.
Despite the exorbitant price, we were glad to board the 20-seater Russian Afghanistan War veteran helicopter which was used to ferry troops. I did not ask the Russian pilot whether he was a veteran as well but he piloted the helicopter like a pro. Two long seats run along the length of the helicopter and at the back, there is a railing for parachuters to jump off. Quite an experience for me as this is my first ride on a helicopter of any kind.
During the trek, he handled the logistics with lots of enthusiasm and professionalism. His knowledge of the history, geology and culture of Nepal made this trip even more enriching. Without him, we would not have learned so much about Nepal's culture and current political situation. I am confident that trekkers who engage his services will find the experience as rewarding as mine.
Please email to me for his contact info.
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