Advertisement
Published: October 20th 2014
Haven't posted anything for a while, been trekking and then Pokhara is too beautiful to waste time typing a blog out!
We set off on the Annapurna circuit trek, not really knowing or thinking about what a trek a really is, in hindsight it would've been greatly advantageous to have checked this out, because it turns out trekking is fucking hard work and lots of walking! As oppose to the brisk walk we expected. Stupid to think that really when the highest point of the trek is 5416M, but there you go.
So we set off in high spirits, excited for the scenery we would encounter over the next three weeks...yes, 3 fucking weeks!
The start of the trek was littered with Chinese mines and lots of construction, slightly ruining the beautiful mountain scenery surrounding us. Once we got past day three, Bahun Danda, the mines stopped and we were staring into a valley, literally one of the most astonishing views I've ever seen. Mountains towering above us on either side, the river far below, literally looks exactly like the kind of area Rivendel is in, in The Lord Of the Rings. Actually, turns out J.R.R Tolkein lived in Pokhara and middle earth is based on Nepal and the himalaya, which makes sense, when you look at a map of the world Nepal is roughly right in the middle, hence "middle" earth.
Fucking first fucking experience of a leech! Little cunts love me for some reason! On a walk from Bahun Danda (one of the villages on the trek) to some hot springs suggested by the locals for a short 20 minute walk on our rest day. Turns out this walks fucking 1/2 hours and a 700M decent to the river below! Fuck sake! Wasn't even worth it when we got there, the hot spring looked disgusting, loads of mould and green fucking water.
So I took my shoe off at the river to dangle my feet in, and there's this huge fucking leech, must've been sucking my blood for a while, pulled it off and squashed it with my shoe and it burst like a massive fucking blister!
For about a week the trek goes on in this subtropical terrain, which after a week of walking up and down hills gets fucking boring to look at, and we're hoping for new scenery, the mountains to change, the next valley to be completely different. Also, on a side note, the guide book fails to mention the amount of time you walk up/down a 2-400M incline, to then drop straight back down/up and have to do it again after another 20 minutes walking!
Frankly, the guide book can fuck off after that trek, most of the information was out dated or just incorrect in general.
So after a week of fucking walking every day, we finally see salvation, a new looking mountain! I wish I knew more about this mountain when we initially walked past it (can't remember the name), but thousands of years ago it used to be a glacier and the wind had blown against it because it was at the corner of two valleys, the wind had shaped what was ice into a perfect curve, almost like a half pipe on a skate park or something, and then eventually turned into stone and rock, forming the mountain. The weirdest and coolest looking thing I've seen nature do!
A couple of days on from this, we're all starting to hate the trek, and regretting embarking on it altogether, and we arrive in Manang, we were running out of money, and the guide book and people of nearby Chame had told us there was an ATM and a bank. Turns out the bank is for fucking savings only, at 3500M! What a waste of building material! And the only way of getting cash is to get cash back in a shop, that charges 10% and the guy who runs it is a dickhead. In the guide book it mentions the people of Manang to be unusually rude to foreigners, which is strange considering we fund pretty much every cunt in the town. This guy sells me wifi for the for 500rs but doesn't explain it's only for the day and it doesn't fucking work anyway! I go back to next day to try and get my money and the cunt starts having a do! So I told him he's a dickhead and he's like "this is Manang, this isn't your country" so I respond "this is Manang and you're a dick a head" and left his shop before he got more racial. Imagine being in a shop in England with a white owner and saying something like that to an Indian or Nepali! Fuck me! It'd be uproar, you'd probably be arrested, and there's bear faced racism going unnoticed all over the place! Even foreigners having to pay more to go into attractions! I get it, we have more money in some cases, but come one, more than double the price most of the time! Fuckers!
So we're Manang, we're two days from the Thorung La pass, and we're desperate to get out, we've been in Manang a week and I'm going crazy, feeling claustrophobic surrounded by fucking mountains, to 7000+M peaks just behind us from the hotel window.
We managed to get money and the quickest way back was motor bikes to Chame and then a jeep from there for 11 hours, and roads just wide enough for one jeep that the drivers feel can actually fit two!
There was one point me and Steve are looking out of the window and the back wheel leaves the floor where the mountain drops away and butterflies and fear rush through me! Fuck!
We arrive back in Pokhara, finally and it's the most relieving thing ever, we've all been dreaming of this for longer than a week!
Then we find out the news about the freak blizzard up the Thorung La! Terrible news, two days after we leave Manang to come back to Pokhara the blizzard come and people are dead, we'd have been up there if we'd decided to push on or that was the quickest way back. It's depressing to think some of the people we met would've been up there when it happened. There's names of people to add on Facebook but I'm afraid the request won't get responded too!
Horrible.
In the end our bad luck and how very underprepared we were saved our lives. As fucking shite as it was doing the trek, I think one day I'll return, more prepared and smash it, there's even more of an appeal to do it now, with the blizzard, it gives it that extra element of danger that wasn't there before, until then though, the most trekking I'll be doing is to the pub and back, or probably not even that because our pubs shite!
Pokhara!
We arrive back in Pokahara and collect our stuff from the peace eye, it's high season now and everywhere is booked out, so we head for the hippie end of town, it's not even in the guide book, it's THAT cool. Now hippies, when you think about what they are, seem quite cool, and while they are extremely nice people and you can always get along with them, some of them, mostly the guys, are fucking douche bags! I actually think they believe the shite they say themselves sometimes!
Anyway, hippie end of town, Kouree (no idea how to spell it) brilliant view of the lake, a lot quieter, cooler places to eat and more interesting people to meet, plus you can smoke hash wherever you want, spot on.
Just spent the remaining time in Pokahara chilling through the day and partying at night, one day we went to a 4 star hotel to use the pool and waited on all day, class.
So the second to last night we hear about this "party" at the other side of the lake, meant to be a kind of rave in the jungle on the far side of the lake. Should've listened to Santos, our Nepali mate, when he said the party would be shit because not many people are talking about it...we get to the ther side of the lake in a taxi, then get this weird pully boat thing across part of the lake and have to walk around an hour to the fucking party, which when we arrive is a fucking shop, selling overpriced beer and the amp had broken. Brilliant. It's desperate and a few of us are looking for a way out, I go and do a little reconn mission to find a boat, or other mean of getting away. I find a boat and 6 of steal it and start to row accross the lake, instead of heading straight for Pokahara like me and Dave suggested and had towed during the day countless times, the guys decided to row directly across to the other side and walk back! Fuck sake. Then we get stuck in loads of shrubs on the lake and have to turn back, we end up walking away from the worlds worst fucking party and getting back at 2AM. Stupid bitch who invited us to it, If I see her In freedom I'll fucking spit on her. I've literally had better parties with louder music alone!
Anyway, finally time to say goodbye to the Aussie boys and leave Pokahara for Varanasi, apparently the most fucked up place on the planet! Looking forward to my first experience of an Indian train!
I was meant to stay in Nepal for 20 days, that went out the window! I fucking love the place! Wish I could have stayed in Pokhara for a few months! Maybe next time, bye Nepal, you've been good to me!
Now, into the chaos.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.079s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 6; qc: 45; dbt: 0.0531s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
sbh
non-member comment
do your homework work, before you head up
Glad to know, you survived. As a local guy,and seeing the changes, I couldn't stop but like to add few words. Trekking in the high mountains in not a joke. Its lots of up and down. Make sure to have proper clothing and yes you do need good sleeping bag. Yes hotels do provides some blanket but its not enough specially in a busy seasons. I have seen people attempt to go basecamp and thorung la with running shoes, basic fake jackets that they bought in thamel or lakeside and no gloves and hat. On the budget and $ sides, overall Nepal is getting expensive every three months. This is due to real state bubbles and high labour costs( we had to fucking compete with middle east). Every one is leaving for foreign country for work, those. Who are left ask god damn money and are morans. So if you planning to trek, be prepared. Nepalese people always says yes.(is this jacket, shoes good enough? The answer is yes, with double yes.yes) You only hear noooooooohhhhh in a shops and business area. The latest guide book is outdated by 8 years in current Nepali time. The common phrase in a Nepali homes is,"Rs 1000 will not buy you anything". So be ready to spend more than what is your budget. suman bhattarai kiwi guest house backpackers hostel, pokhara