Hi everyone ... 27 days later and Mike and I have completed our trekking adventure around the Annapurna Circuit and the Mardi Himal. It would take me for ever to recount all the wonderful experiences we had along the way but suffice to say, we will be forever changed from this trip. Our adventure was everything we hoped for, and more - a cliche I know but very fitting. Every day we encountered something different - different scenery from dry, arid ridges to sensational green and lush Rhoderdendron Forests - different trekking surfaces from skinny, dangerous, landslide ridden tracks, gorgeous pine needle covered meandering trails through the forest, to dusty, rocky wide (one lane) 4-wheel drive only roads. We walked through sites where locals were widdening the road by blasting the Himal (mountain) away with dymanite and only one soldier with a walky talky to advise of the danger ahead. These young men were all working on the very steep sides of mountains with absolutely no safety gear whats0ever and in thongs!! Completely astounding. And then, after the blast, the guys would go to the area that was blasted and start throwing boulders down the cliff face and into the river below. God help anyone, or any animal that just happened to be wandering down below!
It took us around 10 days to reach Thorong La which is the pass across from Manang District to the Upper Mustang and we reached a height over 5600 meters. It was unbelievably freezing! We estimated it would have been easily 15 degrees below and we were wearing absolutely every article of clothing we could find. I even had socks over my gloves!
We braved a God aweful windy walk to Karbeni in Upper Mustang with winds gusting up to 70 knots - the wind literally stopped you in your tracks. However, the walk was well worth it it because Karbeni was a treasure trove of history and amazing local surroundings. We even managed to find a few fossils in the Kali Gandaki River - a real treat.
As I mentioned in my earlier blog, Jomson was a bit of a disappointment but you can't like every place you visit. It was about here that we realised our Guide, Krishna wasn't well and we were obliged to stay in Jomson longer than we hoped. However, we were soon on our way - jumping into a Jeep (with if you can believe it - 18 other locals and one Finnish guy) for a three hour hair-raising trip to Ghasa (I think) where we then joined another 20 or so people on a local bus to Tatopani - two hours of 4-wheel driving expertise you can only see in Australia if you're a Rally Car Driver. I swear, these young Nepali drivers have no fear and hurl these vehicles left, right, over massive boulders, into divets and around each other, and any unlucky trekkers that happen to be on the road - on skinny little one lane trails. I just closed my eyes for all the scarey bits - they were closed a LOT!
Tatopani was nice, we stayed on a really nice lodge and had a soak in the Hot Springs. I was disappointed in the Springs - unfortunatey in their wisdom, the Nepalese have turned the Springs into a bit of a cement bath, but the water was hot and it did take away some of the aches and pains.
Next Ghorapani and sadly our Guide was getting sicker by the hour. We were really concerned because he got some kind of rash on his face and felt quite ill. We stayed two nights here and trekked up to Poon Hill for the 5:30am sunrise. It was very hazy and we didn't get to see the beautiful mountains, but the sun rising a brilliant red was pretty special. From here we trekked to Ghandruk and poor Krishna was no better. In fact, we finally figured out why he was so unwell - he had Chicken Pox!!! Horrible blistery welts all over the poor fellow. He had no idea what was wrong with him and it took us a while to explain he'd picked up this virus from another traveller, most likely another Porter or Guide back in High Camp (dirty place).
So poor Krishna needed to get back to Pokhara asap and we contacted his boss to arrange to get him to hospital and for us to get another Guide. Krishna had to walk 5 hours to Nayapul and then another 1.5hrs in a taxi to Pokhara - we felt really terrible saying good bye to him, he's a really nice guy and had a long way to go, alone, before he could get any treatment.
And so for the rest of our trip we had Dunbar (soon to be christened Dunbabble - he never stopped talking!) as our guide and Mardi our porter. We headed off for the Mardi Himal leg of our trek from Ghandruk which was to be a wonderful six day walk through some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen. Most of it, green, lush, ancient Oak and Rhoderdendron Forest with little villages tucked along the ridges of the many Himal we traversed during our trek. We even saw a big group of monkeys!
This particular trekking route is only recently opened to travellers and apart from meeting one Austrian man, we were the only trekkers on the trail. As you can imagine, the locals were facinated by us and eager to say Namaste and welcome to there little piece of untouched, unspoilt paradise. We stayed at camp sites where we needed to call ahead so the owners of the sites could come up from a nearby village to open up for us, cook for us and see us on our way next morning. This happened at three stops, Forest Camp, Low Camp and High Camp. The accommodation was extremely basic, the food very basic - Dhal Bhat for just about every meal (in fact we ate Dhal Bhat constantly for six days and it was different every time!), no hot water, no toilets and when there was one, the great outdoors was a far better option!
Once we reached High Camp it was bitterly cold and raining - we spent most of the eveningin the tiny kitchen with everyone to keep warm. It was great, we drank hot Chay Kharte (local rum made from rice and Raxi a local alcohol from millet). it was all worth it - the views were to die for the next morning! We literally felt like were were one with the mountains. So close to Annapurna South and Maccapuchare we felt we could almost reach out and touch them (well, not quite but it felt that way!!). We walked for a few hours from High Camp until we found a high peak where we hung up our Prayer Flags and happy snapped for ages. It was just such an amazing feeling - the sky was crystal clear, the mountains right near us and we had 360 degree views of everywhere! Heaven.
So from here it was a two day trek back to Pokhara - incredibly long days but beautiful country side and happy, engaging people along the way. We walked through age-old Gurung villages, with their skinny, rock paved streets and lovely white and ocre mud-rendered houses - quite a picture.
At one lunch stop we ate with a group of young local women who were undertaking a training course on how to be a Homestay host. They were learning basic hygiene and traditional cooking. They were so thrilled to meet us, all laughing and giggling - none could speak much English. Anyway, after lunch, the two young men who were running the course asked if we would like to speak with the ladies about our trek and give them some tips on how to run a good house for travellers. Me, being me - jumped at the chance, so up we got and talked about our adventures and about some of the little things that could be done to keep the whole idea of a traditional homestay Nepali style but just a couple of basic necessities for trekkers. They loved it and we were told afterwards that the ladies would never forget meeting us and would go back to their village and tell everyone about these nice Australian travellers who took the time to talk with them - we were thrilled.
That very same day, we were not too far from our destination (about an hour) when we could hear singing and music and Mardi said it was a local wedding - would we like to join them? You bet! So off we went and as it turned out it was the home of the groom and all the women of the family were celebrating the arrival of the new wife. It was a ceremony for women only so even though Mike, Dunbar and Mardi were there, I was the only one invited to join in the dancing. I felt like such a giant!! Nepalese people are quite small and I towered over these ladies. They were all dressed up in beautiful saris adorned with jewels and they were having such a great time. They were so excited that I was there, they sang songs about me and I had to dance with the two sisters and mother. It was a hoot! They even bought out food for us all! And when I got my camera out, they went photo crazy. I loved it - what a great way to finish the day.
But it didn't stop there, we finally reached Mardi (our Porter's home) where we had agreed to stop the night. Mardi's home was quite small and he has three children. The family had never before had anyone stay with them from outside their family unit and they were completely overwhelmed to have us. The kids were fantastic, they wanted to see all our stuff, look at our photos, through our bag - they were fascinated with my 'toiletries bag' full of things they couldn't imagine! Mardi works incredibly hard to support his family, one boy is a great soccer player, the other boy very academic and his two daughters are star runners. Anisha(14) is the regional champion 800 meters runner and Manisha (16) is the National 400 meter champion and soon will represent Nepal in Singapore at an international level. However, if you saw the way this family lived, you would be completely blown away by just how Mardi and Bhagwati have managed to give their children these possibilities. They are so poor but so very happy and so very loving. Mike and I bought the boys a new soccer ball because the one they had was completely trashed - it was just hanging together by threads. And more unbelieveably, Anisha runs bare feet because she has run her shoes to death. It broke my heart, but I just didn't have enough time to organise a new pair of shoes for her. When we get back to Australia we hope to arrange to support these kids somehow.
So now we're back in Pokhara and head off for Kathmandu tomorrow morning. We've had the best time. Nepal is an amazing country - it might be small and one of the poorest nations on our planet, but it is jammed packed with wonders, beauty and amazing sights and people.
So what are you waiting for - come and visit this place - it will change your life!
We're looking forward to seeing everyone back in Australia soon. I hope you've enjoyed following the adventures of the Habitat for Humanity Team Workcover. It's been one heck of an experience.
Love and hugs to everyone.
Christine and Mike
Friday, May 8, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Dot in India
Hi Everyone, having an amazing time on the rest of my trip. I saw rhinos galore in Chitwan National Park. You can get really close to them when you are on an elephant.
Am now in Varanassi, India and spent this morning on a sunrise cruise on the Ganges. I'm about to set sail for an over night cruise, camping overnight on the banks somewhere.
See you all soon, Dot :-)
Heading Home, Poon Hill Trekkers
After our great trek we headed back to Pokhara for some rest, sightseeing and shopping. On Friday 17th we, Kylie, Dean, Jason, Dot, Julie, Matt, and myself travelled by minibus to Kathmandu. The trip was quite an eye opener. Because we hired a bus we did not have to endure a slow uncomfortable trip in a local bus, we also had a chance to see some more of the real Nepal and more of the poverty. On the road side in some places were sheets of poly fabric flimsy making a makeshift shelter as mothers breast fed their children on the road shoulder or were cooking on a kero stove. There were a number of serious car and bus accidents on the road side including the shell of a truck that 2 had dies in a number of days earlier. We also had a great vista of the valley(s) between Pkohara and Kathmandu as the road winded its way up and down the river valley.
We arrived at our hotel in Thamel about 2.30pm after a trip through the industrial outskirts of Kathmandu where bricks and cement blocks were made. At that point I was thinking I did not want to spend another 5 days in a city with so much pollution. That afternoon Dot left the team to join her Intrepid group to travel through India. On Saturday morning the rest of the team took a flight around Everest had breakfast at the hotel and headed to the airport for home.
Over the next 5 day I had a chance to venture to 2 fair trade shops at Lazimpat and talk to the staff about fair trade and the current political situation in Nepal and buy various item, Pashminas etc, for family. I also travelled to Patan by bus to hunt down a really beautiful cast bronze bear and cat for gifts. Patan is the centre of the cast bronze craft in Nepal the main items cast are Buddhist and Hindu sacred items and some erotic items which some tourists seem to buy.
I also spent hours walking through the narrow winding streets (lanes) past Thamel the tourist area. Once you leave Thamel the tourists disappear. The architecture is a mish mash of crumbling traditional old buildings, new and partially completed buildings. The lane ways wind through the city with markets, stall, and sellers competing for any free space to set up and sell their products anything from garlic to hair clips and fruit juice. The sound of loud high pitched vehicle horns, the heat, the throngs of locals, the smells of garbage, and the polluted air which can be really hard to breathe can all be overwhelming at times and more so when you have a chest infection.
On Tuesday I ended up in a Pashmina shop while the owner was showing his wares to 2 Australians who were talking of buying a number to take home. After about an hour he pulled out the most expensive pasmmina in the shop. The best quality, it was transparent, and so thin, and had intricate hand embroidery all over which he said took 2 women a year to complete. He was asking US$ 5,000.00 . The next day I ended up buying an embroidered cashmere shawl for a much smaller price.
On Wednesday I headed to the airport for my flights home (which I was unable to check in online)
posted 25th April by John
We arrived at our hotel in Thamel about 2.30pm after a trip through the industrial outskirts of Kathmandu where bricks and cement blocks were made. At that point I was thinking I did not want to spend another 5 days in a city with so much pollution. That afternoon Dot left the team to join her Intrepid group to travel through India. On Saturday morning the rest of the team took a flight around Everest had breakfast at the hotel and headed to the airport for home.
Over the next 5 day I had a chance to venture to 2 fair trade shops at Lazimpat and talk to the staff about fair trade and the current political situation in Nepal and buy various item, Pashminas etc, for family. I also travelled to Patan by bus to hunt down a really beautiful cast bronze bear and cat for gifts. Patan is the centre of the cast bronze craft in Nepal the main items cast are Buddhist and Hindu sacred items and some erotic items which some tourists seem to buy.
I also spent hours walking through the narrow winding streets (lanes) past Thamel the tourist area. Once you leave Thamel the tourists disappear. The architecture is a mish mash of crumbling traditional old buildings, new and partially completed buildings. The lane ways wind through the city with markets, stall, and sellers competing for any free space to set up and sell their products anything from garlic to hair clips and fruit juice. The sound of loud high pitched vehicle horns, the heat, the throngs of locals, the smells of garbage, and the polluted air which can be really hard to breathe can all be overwhelming at times and more so when you have a chest infection.
On Tuesday I ended up in a Pashmina shop while the owner was showing his wares to 2 Australians who were talking of buying a number to take home. After about an hour he pulled out the most expensive pasmmina in the shop. The best quality, it was transparent, and so thin, and had intricate hand embroidery all over which he said took 2 women a year to complete. He was asking US$ 5,000.00 . The next day I ended up buying an embroidered cashmere shawl for a much smaller price.
On Wednesday I headed to the airport for my flights home (which I was unable to check in online)
posted 25th April by John
The Annapurna Circuit so far...
Hello everyone.
We are now in Jomson after 12 days of trekking. We have experienced the most exhausting, the most physical, the most emotional and challenging days we have ever had, particularly the few days it took to acclimatise and reach the Thorung La Pass. But... WE MADE IT!!! and it was BRILLIANT.
So much so that when we finally reached the top, all I could do (apart from try to breathe), was cry. We had walked up 1800 meters in two days (don't know how many kms, but it was lots!). It was freezing freezing cold, blowing a gale but totally exhilerating and completely overwhelming! After we registered that we'd actually made it (some of the people we met didn't), we hugged and laughed and quickly took a few happy snaps of us at the top. Then began our decent to Muktinath. Oh my God! Going down was bloody hard! It was well over 5km of down down down, and more down. We were close to the bottom at one point when we heard running behind us and here was this guy (we later had dinner with from Isreal) who was running full speed down the mountain ... unbelieveable to see. Bloody idiot!
We've been living on carbohydrates 'til they're coming out our ears ... I'm sure there's a potato patch in my ear'ole somewhere just waiting to sprout! The Dhal Bhat is different everytime we eat it, sometimes lovely, other times not so great. And we've even managed to score a good pizza here and there. But mainly it's been fried noodles and vegies or fried rice and vegies. Oh, yesterday I had a delicious Apple Pie and Custard while the boys slept ... it was bloody great!
So as I said, we're in Jomson now ... nothing flash to mention here. We were hoping to get some money here as it's the only town with an ATM this far north, but you wouldn't credit it, the locals in their wisdom have deemed today a holiday and the bank is closed! We're down to our last 2,000 rupees which will not get us through our next 14 days (in fact it will only last a few days at the most) and we're in a bit of a pickle because tomorrow is Saturday and everything is closed (it's like our old fashioned Sunday). We're not quite sure what to do now, but I'm sure we'll figure something out.
Hello and much love to Jade, Lucy, Adam and Nan. Sorry it's been so long between contact, but you've got to see this place ... it is very very third world and there is simply no communication for many many kilometers. In fact, in 12 days we have only had 4 hot showers. I've got a plan to bottle my sweat and stinky clothes and sell a new perfume ...Chanel Nepali style - what do ya reckon?? Pretty stinky I can tell you. Actually I never believed I could wear the same stuff day in day out and not wash anything (except the odd undies here'n there). I'm quite impressed with myself! And my hair ... don't even go there!!
We've seen some amazing places, met some really nice people from just about every walk of life, trekked along paths that we never dared possible, visited a Lama in an 860 year old Gompu (Buddhist Monastry), tasted Yak and the local wine, Raki - not bad, searched for fossils in the holiest river in Nepal, the Kali Ghandaki Kola, and worn my poor body to a frazzle. We've loved every minute!
So, with luck we'll score some more cash some how soon, and hope to send another blog to you all in Ghoreparni (or somewhere!) in the next few days, or so.
We're both well and having a great time ... I think I've dropped a dress size!!
All our love to everyone,
Christine & Mike
We are now in Jomson after 12 days of trekking. We have experienced the most exhausting, the most physical, the most emotional and challenging days we have ever had, particularly the few days it took to acclimatise and reach the Thorung La Pass. But... WE MADE IT!!! and it was BRILLIANT.
So much so that when we finally reached the top, all I could do (apart from try to breathe), was cry. We had walked up 1800 meters in two days (don't know how many kms, but it was lots!). It was freezing freezing cold, blowing a gale but totally exhilerating and completely overwhelming! After we registered that we'd actually made it (some of the people we met didn't), we hugged and laughed and quickly took a few happy snaps of us at the top. Then began our decent to Muktinath. Oh my God! Going down was bloody hard! It was well over 5km of down down down, and more down. We were close to the bottom at one point when we heard running behind us and here was this guy (we later had dinner with from Isreal) who was running full speed down the mountain ... unbelieveable to see. Bloody idiot!
We've been living on carbohydrates 'til they're coming out our ears ... I'm sure there's a potato patch in my ear'ole somewhere just waiting to sprout! The Dhal Bhat is different everytime we eat it, sometimes lovely, other times not so great. And we've even managed to score a good pizza here and there. But mainly it's been fried noodles and vegies or fried rice and vegies. Oh, yesterday I had a delicious Apple Pie and Custard while the boys slept ... it was bloody great!
So as I said, we're in Jomson now ... nothing flash to mention here. We were hoping to get some money here as it's the only town with an ATM this far north, but you wouldn't credit it, the locals in their wisdom have deemed today a holiday and the bank is closed! We're down to our last 2,000 rupees which will not get us through our next 14 days (in fact it will only last a few days at the most) and we're in a bit of a pickle because tomorrow is Saturday and everything is closed (it's like our old fashioned Sunday). We're not quite sure what to do now, but I'm sure we'll figure something out.
Hello and much love to Jade, Lucy, Adam and Nan. Sorry it's been so long between contact, but you've got to see this place ... it is very very third world and there is simply no communication for many many kilometers. In fact, in 12 days we have only had 4 hot showers. I've got a plan to bottle my sweat and stinky clothes and sell a new perfume ...Chanel Nepali style - what do ya reckon?? Pretty stinky I can tell you. Actually I never believed I could wear the same stuff day in day out and not wash anything (except the odd undies here'n there). I'm quite impressed with myself! And my hair ... don't even go there!!
We've seen some amazing places, met some really nice people from just about every walk of life, trekked along paths that we never dared possible, visited a Lama in an 860 year old Gompu (Buddhist Monastry), tasted Yak and the local wine, Raki - not bad, searched for fossils in the holiest river in Nepal, the Kali Ghandaki Kola, and worn my poor body to a frazzle. We've loved every minute!
So, with luck we'll score some more cash some how soon, and hope to send another blog to you all in Ghoreparni (or somewhere!) in the next few days, or so.
We're both well and having a great time ... I think I've dropped a dress size!!
All our love to everyone,
Christine & Mike
Friday, April 17, 2009
Team WCA Nepal does Poon Hill
Hi, Thought is was about time to update you all on our trekking. Our 'boss' Jason exercised his superior negotiation skills and managed to bargain our trek down to US$22 per day. This included a guide, 3 porters, all meals and accommodation. An absolute bargain.
Day 1 - We met our organiser -Dhaka, guide - Indra and porters-Krishna, Ram and Bhagunta. Loaded all our gear into the van and set off for the 1.5 hour drive to Naya Pul. We had a quick stop on the side of the hill to get a good view of the mountains we had come to see - breathtaking but we had hopes of better views to come. At Naya Pul we started our ascent with a 'gentle' 2 hour walk till lunch - after that it got interesting. Our stop for the night was Ulleri. To get there you must first walk /climb for 1 hour then scale 3400 steps. We had never needed a Tuborg so much in all our lives. We got our first taste of Guest House living - Interesting. Imagine a few rickety planks of wood nailed to the side of a very steep hill - yep.. that's what it looks like, but we had a great nights sleep.
Day 2 - a 5 hour walk, mostly uphill slopes and steps to reach Ghorepani but what a sight, the mountains are spectacular. We had the rest of the afternoon off rather than climb to Poon Hill for sunset. Instead we found a prime spot in Ghorepani to watch the sun set on Annapurna South.
Day 3 - Only Matt, Dean and Jason braved the predawn climb to Poon Hill for sunrise. The sleepyheads went to yesterdays viewing spot after an extra hours sleep, again a spectacular sight. After breakfast we set off for Tadapani our first quick stop was to a point the same height as Poon Hill (3200m) so the boys had climbed to that height twice in the space of 5 hours. By the time we had stopped for lunch we were down at 2650m at Ban Thanti. As we arrived at Tadapani we were swamped by Tibetans selling all kinds of jewellery and trinkets and some really great Yak wool blankets. We saw Monkeys (Langurs) while having an after trek Tuborg and during the night Kylie managed to all out of bed and wake the entire village.
Day 4 - Our goal, the hot springs at Jhinudanda via Chomrong. Mainly downhill now but every bit as challenging and even harder on the legs. Chomrong is the base of the Annapurnas and we expected magnificent views. Unfortunately it was a little too misty and we didn't get the best views available but what we got was pretty good. By the time we arrived in Jhinudanda only Jason, Dean and John had any puff left for the 20min downhill walk to the hot springs but they said they were brilliant.
Day 5- Our last down hill run to Naya Pul via Syauli Bazar. Indra promised 'little down then flat then little up'. Should have known better. The first 4.5 hours lots of down and only some flat and some up. After lunch about 10 mins of straight down then a blissful 2 hour stroll on what you could almost call a road. And then we had done it !!!! An unbelievably amazing 5 days followed by a death defying roller coaster ride back to Pokhara
I'll do pics later
Missing you all, Dot :-)
Day 1 - We met our organiser -Dhaka, guide - Indra and porters-Krishna, Ram and Bhagunta. Loaded all our gear into the van and set off for the 1.5 hour drive to Naya Pul. We had a quick stop on the side of the hill to get a good view of the mountains we had come to see - breathtaking but we had hopes of better views to come. At Naya Pul we started our ascent with a 'gentle' 2 hour walk till lunch - after that it got interesting. Our stop for the night was Ulleri. To get there you must first walk /climb for 1 hour then scale 3400 steps. We had never needed a Tuborg so much in all our lives. We got our first taste of Guest House living - Interesting. Imagine a few rickety planks of wood nailed to the side of a very steep hill - yep.. that's what it looks like, but we had a great nights sleep.
Day 2 - a 5 hour walk, mostly uphill slopes and steps to reach Ghorepani but what a sight, the mountains are spectacular. We had the rest of the afternoon off rather than climb to Poon Hill for sunset. Instead we found a prime spot in Ghorepani to watch the sun set on Annapurna South.
Day 3 - Only Matt, Dean and Jason braved the predawn climb to Poon Hill for sunrise. The sleepyheads went to yesterdays viewing spot after an extra hours sleep, again a spectacular sight. After breakfast we set off for Tadapani our first quick stop was to a point the same height as Poon Hill (3200m) so the boys had climbed to that height twice in the space of 5 hours. By the time we had stopped for lunch we were down at 2650m at Ban Thanti. As we arrived at Tadapani we were swamped by Tibetans selling all kinds of jewellery and trinkets and some really great Yak wool blankets. We saw Monkeys (Langurs) while having an after trek Tuborg and during the night Kylie managed to all out of bed and wake the entire village.
Day 4 - Our goal, the hot springs at Jhinudanda via Chomrong. Mainly downhill now but every bit as challenging and even harder on the legs. Chomrong is the base of the Annapurnas and we expected magnificent views. Unfortunately it was a little too misty and we didn't get the best views available but what we got was pretty good. By the time we arrived in Jhinudanda only Jason, Dean and John had any puff left for the 20min downhill walk to the hot springs but they said they were brilliant.
Day 5- Our last down hill run to Naya Pul via Syauli Bazar. Indra promised 'little down then flat then little up'. Should have known better. The first 4.5 hours lots of down and only some flat and some up. After lunch about 10 mins of straight down then a blissful 2 hour stroll on what you could almost call a road. And then we had done it !!!! An unbelievably amazing 5 days followed by a death defying roller coaster ride back to Pokhara
I'll do pics later
Missing you all, Dot :-)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Christine & Mike in Chame
Hi All,
Well here we are in lovely downtown Chame, 2600mts above sea level. There are quite a few trekkers here as it's a main stopping spot for most since it's about the only place in the last five days with phone access and internet.
We've had a great five days so far, the scenery is spectacularly unbelievable and changes from one village to the next. Everyone is happy to say Namaste and the kids just love to get their picture taken. As access to the internet is frighteningly expensive here, no pictures will be displayed unfortunately, but stay tuned, as soon as I can I'll share some great snaps with you all.
Our trail so far has been filled will beautiful waterfalls, steep gorges and high mountain ranges. We've only been able to see the highest peaks today as the sky is always so very smokey and often cloudy.
Donkey and Pony trains share the trail with us two legged travellers and more than often have right of way. They come hurtelling down steep slopes and I for one am happy to step out of their way! They are adorned with lovely coloured tapestery blankets and decorated headwear, some with no load as they're on their way back down for more, others filled on each side with kilos of food stuffs and an assortment of essential living needs for the locals. Many of the people in these high ranges are Tibetans who have crossed the border in the last few years to escape the rampage of their country by the Chinese and have quickly become Nepalese nationals. They appear to intergrate well with the Nepali people and are a peaceful, loving and extremely resourceful people.
As far as the track goes, Mike's statistics are that 50% of the track is do-able, 30% is only just manageable and the other 20% is f**king difficult and dangerous to the unwary. He says this after falling flat on his face on our very first day, 15 minutes into the trek!! Poor BaBa (his new nickname --- means Old Man, or Father), our Guide, Krishna thinks he's pretty good actually, strong and very Australian. Funny about that!
Actually Mike saw a really amazing thing yesterday, he was trailing along behind at one stage, walking with a team of donkeys and a group of young men on mountain horses came galloping full speed down the hill, yahooing all the way. They came smack bang into the group of donkeys and nearly knocked one poor animal off the cliff. The Donkey owner was yelling and roaring at these renegates who took off down the mountain without a care in the world. However, at US$800 a donkey, it was not really a funny ordeal for the poor donkey or his owner.
We saved a young Pommy girl from a day's agony today. Thankfully our walking phamarcy came to the rescue for this girl who hurt her knee ... gotta love anti-inflamatories and Nurafen Plus!!! We have caught up again with her this afternoon, and she feels MUCH better!
Thought we'd fill you in quickly on our trip so far, and let everyone know we're still alive and having a ball. We've met some very nice people along the track, most are more than willing to have a chat and natter about their days - mainly English, Swedish and a couple of Aussies - Oh and two Scottish lads who are actually doing the Annapaurna Circuit on mountain bikes - I don't know how they are doing it, but they're having a blast! Everyone is tired and weary at the end of the day, so there's not alot of partying after 8pm as most have totally crashed, resting up for early starts each morning.
We should be in Manang in two days and will be able to post another blog then, hopefully with pictures.
Love to everyone.
Christine and Mike
Well here we are in lovely downtown Chame, 2600mts above sea level. There are quite a few trekkers here as it's a main stopping spot for most since it's about the only place in the last five days with phone access and internet.
We've had a great five days so far, the scenery is spectacularly unbelievable and changes from one village to the next. Everyone is happy to say Namaste and the kids just love to get their picture taken. As access to the internet is frighteningly expensive here, no pictures will be displayed unfortunately, but stay tuned, as soon as I can I'll share some great snaps with you all.
Our trail so far has been filled will beautiful waterfalls, steep gorges and high mountain ranges. We've only been able to see the highest peaks today as the sky is always so very smokey and often cloudy.
Donkey and Pony trains share the trail with us two legged travellers and more than often have right of way. They come hurtelling down steep slopes and I for one am happy to step out of their way! They are adorned with lovely coloured tapestery blankets and decorated headwear, some with no load as they're on their way back down for more, others filled on each side with kilos of food stuffs and an assortment of essential living needs for the locals. Many of the people in these high ranges are Tibetans who have crossed the border in the last few years to escape the rampage of their country by the Chinese and have quickly become Nepalese nationals. They appear to intergrate well with the Nepali people and are a peaceful, loving and extremely resourceful people.
As far as the track goes, Mike's statistics are that 50% of the track is do-able, 30% is only just manageable and the other 20% is f**king difficult and dangerous to the unwary. He says this after falling flat on his face on our very first day, 15 minutes into the trek!! Poor BaBa (his new nickname --- means Old Man, or Father), our Guide, Krishna thinks he's pretty good actually, strong and very Australian. Funny about that!
Actually Mike saw a really amazing thing yesterday, he was trailing along behind at one stage, walking with a team of donkeys and a group of young men on mountain horses came galloping full speed down the hill, yahooing all the way. They came smack bang into the group of donkeys and nearly knocked one poor animal off the cliff. The Donkey owner was yelling and roaring at these renegates who took off down the mountain without a care in the world. However, at US$800 a donkey, it was not really a funny ordeal for the poor donkey or his owner.
We saved a young Pommy girl from a day's agony today. Thankfully our walking phamarcy came to the rescue for this girl who hurt her knee ... gotta love anti-inflamatories and Nurafen Plus!!! We have caught up again with her this afternoon, and she feels MUCH better!
Thought we'd fill you in quickly on our trip so far, and let everyone know we're still alive and having a ball. We've met some very nice people along the track, most are more than willing to have a chat and natter about their days - mainly English, Swedish and a couple of Aussies - Oh and two Scottish lads who are actually doing the Annapaurna Circuit on mountain bikes - I don't know how they are doing it, but they're having a blast! Everyone is tired and weary at the end of the day, so there's not alot of partying after 8pm as most have totally crashed, resting up for early starts each morning.
We should be in Manang in two days and will be able to post another blog then, hopefully with pictures.
Love to everyone.
Christine and Mike
Now we have returned from our relaxation part of the trip (5 days of walking up and down and up and down bloody high mountains) I thought I would share my memories of the project to build houses.
The 12 people worked extremely hard in harsh conditions where safety was not the highest priority. (our resident safety inspectors failed us !)
We had a few days where we were totally exhausted and frustated about some of the work we were doing, we were soon cheered up by the beautiful local kids who wore the same clothes just about every day but were so happy and carefree.
The last few days were very emotional for me as I could see how much these people appreciated what we had helped provide, which after all was a stone building much smaller than the toilets in the Workcover building.
The poverty in Nepal is beyond description and there are a lot of westerners here just trekking and sightseeing. We have seen a lot more of the real Nepal and have contributed to the local community in a way that just sending money could never.
This is an experience I for one will never forget!
Lots and lots of photos and.
Matt McCarthy
The 12 people worked extremely hard in harsh conditions where safety was not the highest priority. (our resident safety inspectors failed us !)
We had a few days where we were totally exhausted and frustated about some of the work we were doing, we were soon cheered up by the beautiful local kids who wore the same clothes just about every day but were so happy and carefree.
The last few days were very emotional for me as I could see how much these people appreciated what we had helped provide, which after all was a stone building much smaller than the toilets in the Workcover building.
The poverty in Nepal is beyond description and there are a lot of westerners here just trekking and sightseeing. We have seen a lot more of the real Nepal and have contributed to the local community in a way that just sending money could never.
This is an experience I for one will never forget!
Lots and lots of photos and.
Matt McCarthy
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
