Advertisement
Published: March 31st 2009
Edit Blog Post
Splat
Do not stare directly into the pigeon. A steep learning curve for your mind is one thing, one for the body is entirely another. Fi and I, in our traditional urban setting of Seoul led what can only be described as wildly sedentary existences when compared to the sort of activity your average Nepali takes for granted. The first few days in what I now recognize to be the gently rolling foothills of the Himalayas hit us right in the potato-chip baskets. Our bodies collectively (that's me being generous) shat themselves, screamed, moaned, cramped, threw tantrums, begged for air, rest, and chocolate before snapping under the unrelenting and ever increasing punishment being thrown at them and decided to get with the program, burn some fat and build some muscle. I can't say which proceeds from which; mental toughness from the physical or vice versa, but either way, as I sit here in a coffee house writing this I feel confident that should any of my urban readers care to take a walk with Fi and me, we'd eat your lunch. (Just this morning we practically laughed and skipped for 30 minutes up stone staircases and footpaths that would have left us broken and bleeding just a couple weeks
Before
Last time I listen to one of GABE's ideas. ago. I dare you to walk with us.)
Once one's body ceases its bitching and moaning, the real fun of hiking through the Annapurna region starts to unfold. Slowly your eyes leave the ground beneath your feet, and start to absorb what's going on around you. In the case of where we were hiking, the world's most intensely gorgeous scenery is slowly sliding by. Once you stop sucking wind so hard you can't see straight, you start to hear all the sounds of the forest, jungle, desert, barnyard, village around you. If you're real lucky where your eyes and ears have begun to explore you brain will start to grasp and notice that while you're gaining altitude you're also going back in time. If I were to try to quantify the rate of time-travel I'd say we started somewhere in the 15th Century (a generous estimate) at the trailhead and were going back a century for every 1000m. When this realization hit me, I remembered the sage words of Keanu Reeves, my lips got into the act, and a "Whoa...." slipped out.
Of course then the altitude hits and the few Reeves quotes you've managed to string together
Superman
Just waiting for his capes to dry. slip away again behind headaches, dizziness, and the giddy feeling that things are finally going your way. This hiking shit isn't so hard. Why not take a little nap here by this rock or snuggle up to some soft warm donkey shit? Did I mention we did this for fun?
All the mental and physical challenges aside, no wait...include them and I'd still do the whole damn thing again in reverse tomorrow, or maybe the next day. Give my knees a fresh start, you fiend you. Honestly, I could write quite a lot more about the charms of each town, the challenges of particular stretches of trail, the rewards of views with vertigo that try to drag you into their arms and off that cliff face, but what's the point? Let's just say, I recommend it, and if you want a walking partner, I'm ready now and any other time you'd care to mention.
Carthago delenda est (Translation: Say nice things about my photos in the comments. Also, please do not say nice things about Fi's photos of me. I know you're hearts are in the right place, but I spend hours picking these photos out. I already
know I'm beautiful.)
Longing for Lok (Our Porter), this is Gabe, signing off. But keep it tuned right here, we've got Fi coming right up with another 15-20 words of spine-tingling prose that is sure to keep your eyes flicking side to side. Without further ado, here she is, the wife who needs no introduction FFFFFFIIIIIIIOOOOOONNNNNNAAAAAA.
***************************************
Gabe didn't start at the beginning. Just to get to Nepal we flew through Dhaka, Bangladesh, with an 8 hour stopover in their surprisingly clean airport. I was one of about 5 women in the whole place. Yep, got a lot of stares. Arrived into Kathmandu where the baghandlers were throwing an impromptu strike (quite common round these parts it turns out). We waited about two hours for our bags. Luckily for us our white-status got us hussled out of the airport quickly after picking up our stuff, in case things turned nasty (they didn't - don't worry mum/mom). Kathmandu is fun, but more on that later, cos we are heading back there for a few days soon.
Onto Annapurna. Oh, Annapurna. I love you, I hate you, I really love you, I REALLY hate you! I have never
Dunkey
He only looks innocent. had to work so damn hard for a good view before. Twenty-three days of walking. That's a lot. I only fell over twice (if we don't count the multiple times while walking in snow). I did however nearly get bowled over a rock wall by a rogue donkey. Luckily our superman porter Lok was right behind me so I just ended up on my butt instead. Pride hurt - bones intact.
I could wax lyrical about the Annapurna region, but I'm pretty sure that would bore you. Just look at Gabe's fancy pics and you will get a teeny tiny taste of how awesome it was for us. Oh, and my self-esteem has shot up by about a thousand points, since we crossed the world's biggest pass, Thorung La (5416m). Annapurna and Machapuchare Base Camps were spectacular. Get your butts there if you dare!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.058s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 8; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0381s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1mb