Nepal

---

Hello everyone...anyone...

This is my very first blog, so please go easy on me as I try to make it interesting!



After a pretty straightforward 14 hour flight, if you discount me being 'travel sick' after a bit of turbulence, we arrived in Kathmandu - Nepal's crazy capital. The noise of the constantly tooting horns assaulted our tired senses as the taxi (the mandatory, indestructible and suspension-less Suzuki) weaved its way around massive, colourfully painted trucks, tourist-laiden rickshaws and the occasional suicidal cow. After a couple of nights staying in the tourist district of Thamel, a riot of colour with streets full of fluttering prayer flags, lined with pashmina shops and trekking touts, we caught the tourist bus to Pokhara.



Pokhara, Nepal's other major city, is the starting point of all the treks into the Annapurna Massif and is situated in a beautiful valley alongside the tranquil Lake Phewa. The relaxed atmosphere of Pokhara, particularly the Lakeside area with its 'hippy vibe', was a welcome change from the noise and smog of Kathmandu. We were met off the bus by our guide, Lal, who had arranged everything for us and turned out to be one of the nicest guys you could hope to meet.



After a couple of days sightseeing in Pokhara we were ready to start our 13 day trek up to the Annapurna Sanctuary, which is a plateau surrounded on all sides by mountains and is the home of the Annapurna and Machhapuchhure Base Camps. The low cloud which hung over the Pokhara valley had so far only given us tantalising glimpses of the snow-capped peaks, but as we climbed higher we began to see the full extent of the scenery surrounding us. It is impossible to describe the sheer scale of the Himalayas. The beautiful foothills, with picturesque villages and stepped fields filled with colourful crops, are already bigger than the tallest 'mountains' in the UK. But then behind them, in the space you would only logically fill with clouds, rise the majestic Annapurna peaks - so tall they look like they belong more to the sky than the earth.



Our trek was challenging, exhilarating, awe-inspiring and everything in between. Having Lal as our guide, setting a reasonable pace on the steep uphill parts (where Lewys would probably have left me standing - I'm convinced he's part mountain goat..) and spotting wildlife like monkeys and exotic birds, made the trip extra special. We trekked through beautiful rhododendron forests, which though not in bloom yet still had the most amazing smell, and saw Nepali villages that don't seem to have change in centuries. There were highs: cresting the Deurali Pass and seeing the most amazing panoramic view you could imagine, reaching Machhapuchhre Base Camp despite waist deep snow and relaxing in the hot spring on our descent, and there were occasional lows: being stranded for a day at Gorepani because of a snowstorm (though not actually that bad because we met some great people), me managing to drop the camera down a squat toilet and having to fish it out (miraculously, it survived!) and not being able to climb the extra 300m to Annapurna Base Camp due to poor visibility. Overall I'd say it was the best thing I've ever done and would love to do it again.



Back in Pokhara we spent the next few days relaxing and drinking Masala Tea overlooking the lake. On a more adventurous day we decided to hire bikes and cycle to the 'bat cave.' The cycling itself was probably one of the more stressful experiences I've had, dodging cars, motorbikes, goats and cows not being one of my strong points, and the bat cave might have been interesting if we had remembered our torches to see it or put the battery in the camera to take photos... But that night we were treated to a home cooked meal of Dal Bhat with Lal and his family, which was a highlight of our stay in Pokhara.

Instead of going straight back to Kathmandu we stopped for a few nights in a beautiful little village called Bandipur, which is full of ancient houses and temples. Although it was too cloudy to see the view of the distant Himalayas, the picturesque farming countryside surrounding us was really beautiful and definitely the perfect place to spend a couple of days in the sunshine.



Arriving in Kathmandu yesterday wasn't as much of a shock as last time and we have enjoyed just wandering around the winding streets of the old town, where there seems to be an ornate shrine or ancient temple around every corner, and visiting Durbar Square, which is where the king was once crowned and has some of the most fantastic architecture I've ever seen.



Tomorrow we leave for Delhi and I will definitely be sad to leave Nepal. I fully expected the scenery to be amazing, but I didn't anticipate how overwhelming the beauty of the Himalayas would be. More than that though, I didn't anticipate the warmth of the Nepali people, with their "Namaste" and smiling welcome, or the friendliness of the other travelers we met, keen to share their experiences or just play cards.



Hope you're all coping ok without us (ha!).

Lots of love,

Kat xxx

---

Comments

[Stephen]

Namaste
Sounds like you're at the beginning of what will be a great adventure. Good idea to start blogging, I'll be following (you have one fan!). Pics? xx