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Dhaulagiri (8,167m)
The seventh highest mountain in the world.As I was conquering seemingly insurmountable peaks at 8,000 meters with my ice pick in hand and looking over the clouds and down on the rest of the world...
Okay, maybe it was mildly thin air and I was admiring those peaks while standing at half that elevation and did not see an ice pick the entire trek, but still, the views and everything were incredible. Pictures can do no justice to witnessing some of the highest mountains in the world and such vast expanses of virtually untouched land, along with everything in between.
After a quick stop in Kathmandu (where I fielded questions by some of the friendly locals that decided to sit with me while I ate such as: "Aren't all Americans rich?" and "Is it true that the government gives money to poor people even if they don't work?"), I was off to Pokhara for a day and then off to Jomsom where I found myself in the middle of the Annapurna Range of the Himalayas. It is pretty crazy to think that the 14 highest mountains in the world are all located in the Himalayas and eight of the top ten are located in Nepal
or on the border of Nepal and China or India.
I won't go into detail about each village I stayed in along the way (except for a few highlights because I think they are better expressed in some of the photos and it would be more than you'd want to read), but I thoroughly enjoyed all of them (whether it was because of the views, landscape, people, etc.), except one. I won't name that village, but it all had to do with the guesthouse where I stayed since I didn't like the guy running it, the room, and especially the food.
On a more positive note, it all started off great when I got to my first destination, Kagbeni. After completing the easiest portion of my trek (little did I know that at the time), I visited a very old Buddhist Monastery and Hindu Temple and then was off to the prize destination, Upper Mustang. It was about an hour off the beaten path from Kagbeni, but extremely worth it. I was fortunate to be able to go to Upper Mustang because it has been open to the public for only the past six months (actually, it has
The Hills
I asked Santu what mountains those were and he said they were just hills. I asked him if they were The Hills, but he just looked at me very confused. been open to the public in the past, but you needed a permit that cost upwards of $600-$700 and had to get it in advance). My guide, Santu, told me that most of the people who lived there, along with fellow guides, were not aware of this fact and that was later reiterated by trekkers I met on the trail. As a result, I was the only foreigner there. On top of that, there was a monk ceremony on it's second to last day, which was remarkable to witness as they let me sit in for a portion of it.
Several days later, while walking above the Kali Gandaki River, I saw a large group of people huddled around a small fire next to the river. I asked Santu what was going on and he informed me that they were having a funeral and burning a dead body. He went into further detail about their rituals, which was very interesting because that is not something you would ever see at home.
The best day for me to admire the mountains was on Poon Hill (he didn't get why I laughed when he said it). We went up there
early in the morning and were presented with clear skies and some much desired warmth from the sun. The views of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South, along with the surrounding mountains, were wondrous. They rose high into the sky unlike anything I have seen before. Natural skyscrapers. I was even able to see Nilgiri, which seemed to follow us along our journey through the Himalayas.
Some rainbows following hail storms, berry picking to break up the hikes, swimming around waterfalls, avoiding cow/bull/donkey/chicken/goat feces with practically every step (this became increasingly difficult when it started to rain at night and the dirt was wet while hiking the next day), eating food such as bamboo tips, twisting my ankles about 100 times, and playing Thumal (a Nepali card game) and chess with Santu made up some of the more enjoyable events not involving the mountains or my previous anecdotes. Santu told me that "there are no mistakes or losses, only lessons." Not only did I really like the positivity of that quote, I instantly applied it to our chess competitions. I don't think I am bad, but I sure received a lot of "lessons." In fact, according to his way of thinking,
On the "Road"
This picture was taken while riding on the back of a motorbike going about 30mph. Sketchy. We just got out of a "roundabout" and this was no Ladera Ranch-esque roundabout. We did not spit out into tree-lined streets with children playing at the local pocket park. We avoided cows sleeping in the road to take on this adventure. I AM UNDEFEATED IN LIFE. That has a nice ring to it.
After a wild bus ride following our last day of trekking, I ended up back in Pokhara for several days. I really enjoyed my time there and this is where I was able to check out Phewa Lake. The residents of this town are also exceedingly friendly. I was invited to have dinner with several groups of locals in their homes, which I gladly accepted every time. The people of Nepal that I have come into contact with speak surprisingly good English and that has made my time even more enjoyable and easy. One family stood out amongst the others as they had me over for dinner on more than one occassion and provided exceptional company for a lone traveler such as myself. Also, most Nepali people have Dal Bhat for lunch and dinner practically everyday. I am very glad that I enjoy it almost as much as they do and I am not being sarcastic.
Well, the time has come to say goodbye to Pokhara and now I am off to hopefully see an abundance of wildlife down in Chitwan...
[Sidenote #3: When a
On the "Road"
Saw these "vehicles" a lot more frequently than I thought I would. Not sure what they are. country (such as Nepal) makes it clear that you can pay for your visa upon entry and that it will cost you $30, don't show up with $14 and a debit card. Those two don't add up to $30 cash. Also, don't assume that a city, even if it is one of the largest cities in the country, will have an ATM. It is better sometimes to carry more local currency than expected.]
[Sidenote #5: A recurring question from a lot of the older European travelers I befriend (I use the world older and not old because most of these people are my parents age, haha, and I don't think of them as old), is more or less "is the US still getting away with giving you guys two weeks of vacation per year?" I go on to tell them that the answer is YES and that a lot of people have to work a
Flight to Jomsom
This flight was about 20 minutes long and Santu, my guide, had the flight attendant's phone number before we were on our way down. What a bad ass. By the way, she had to sit in between us because there were only 16 seats on the whole plane and that includes the 2 pilot seats. year to get these ten days of vacation time. My response is typically followed with a shaking of the head and a laugh from the person I am talking with. A general consensus seems to be that they (Europeans) get around 30 days per year and the younger people start with 25. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT ALL ABOUT? The Austalian consensus seems to be around 20-25 days per year. I know we are trying to be "productive," but aside from my personal enjoyment of extra vacation days, I think getting more Americans travelling around the world with this extra time will honestly help our international relations with countries from all over the globe. Start from "the ground up." A lot of people assume we are stuck up and just enjoy sitting in front of the TV with a bag of potato chips (to remain somewhat PC, I will refrain from any Middle America jokes). Instead of running off to some not-so-far destination for a week to cram in three weeks of traveling and rushing to see everything on the itinerary in an almost frenzied panic and not really getting to "visit" the place you are visiting, people should be
able to take their time. Actually unwind. Get into a happy and relaxed state of mind. Meet the locals. Turn off their cellphones. Not worry about the time or what the day it is. Create a relationship with the people from these other countries. After all, it's all about the people, right? Whether it's Democracy, starting a great company, or promoting world peace, right? Well, speaking of peace, I will put the peace pipe down, take off my hippie political hat, and end it there. After all, I have no company to run and am going to bed tonight without a care of what day or time it is and will just revel in my current freedom. I am going to continue to investigate this question of vacation time. On a lighter note, most of you are probably using your employer's time by reading all of this. Also, the largest billboard I have seen in Nepal read "Work Smart. Not Hard." I found it pretty funny. Shouldn't you do both?]
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susan
non-member comment
It is so enjoyable to read your blog, Casey. Your writing is truly incredible. I think that may be your calling in life. Your adventures sound remarkable and pictures are awesome. Continue enjoying your travels. Stay safe! Tole says "hi".