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Published: December 4th 2007
Falls
A view from Day 1.Well...it came a bit later than planned, but I finally made it to my trek. It was long, crazy, and filled with experiences (and photos) - so I'm breaking it into multiple entries. Welcome to Part I...the first 5 days.
Rather than summarize it all into some general story covering the whole thing, I thought I'd go with the approach of copying what I wrote in my journal every day on the trail. This will hopefully keep the entry to a reasonable length...otherwise I'd go on all day. When writing by pen and paper, I generally write like a 6 year old because my hand can't keep up with my mind. They end up being short sentences with often fragmented thoughts. So I'll touch it up a bit - which means many of the sentences will be transformed into the rambling, over-elipsised (is that a word?) run-on style that I'm accustomed to at the keyboard. Lucky you/us.
Prep Trekking in Nepal doesn't require tents, packing your own food, etc. The trails generally wind their way through villages in which one can eat/sleep at places ranging from teahouses (basic 1-3 room buildings offering the basics) to rather well equipped lodges
(decent rooms, hot showers, etc). Nepal also comes fully equipped with guides and porters for hire. I originally was planning to head off on my own, but after the trek to Rukum, I decided it would be more enjoyable to have someone else carry the bulk of my gear for the next 2-3 weeks. A guy (Prim) at my hotel got me in touch with a porter - curiously named Santa - we struck a deal (Rs600/day) and the wheels were in motion. I picked up a few other items (trekking poles - Rs600, socks - Rs200, down coat rental - Rs35/day, mittens - Rs200, etc) at the fake gear shops in Thamel. Prim had Santa buy tickets for the morning bus and we were ready to go.
I forget...have I mentioned the exchange rate? It's $1=Rs63 (ish)
Note - All elevations are a bit suspect as typically the various maps & guides would give conflicting information. In some cases I've provided multiple numbers. Oh...and as is the case with all my blog entries...all other cultural & historical information is a bit suspect since all the info comes from a variety of sometimes suspect sources - locals, books,
Swing Bridge Crossing
The path onward is seen on the right side of the picture. Much of the first couple of days looked something like this. my memory, etc.
Day 1 (10.30.07) - Bhulebule (840m) - What Am I Getting Myself Into? Just 6.5 months ago I was sitting in a room in Queenstown listening to a (beautiful) Dutch girl tell me about the Annapurna Circuit. It was the first time I had heard of it and - as I was already unsure about the 3 day trek (tramp) I was starting the following day - I was amazed that someone could/would do a nearly 3-week trek. Well it turns out that I survived the Routeburn, Kepler, and Abel-Tasman tracks...each 3 days in duration. Whether that's prepared me for 20 or so days is yet to be seen. But the fact that I'm even here right now is amazing to me.
Side note -> Apparently there was an earthquake in Kathmandu yesterday...though I didn't feel a thing.
Today involved a total of 5 minutes of walking...the rest of the day was filled with more enjoyment of the Nepali bus system to get me and Santa from Kathmandu to Bhulebule. So not really much to say.
It's 7:45pm and I'm ready for bed. My variety of schedules on this trip cracks me up.
The Valley Into The Mountains
One can see the path in the lower right corner. We decended closer to the river and basically followed this valley all the way up to Manang (several days later). Still in elevations where they filled every available spot with rice paddys. It's Halloween tomorrow. I'm dressing up like someone who has a friggin' clue what he's doing here. I hope I pull it off.
Day 2 (10.31.07) - Chamje (1430m) - A Great Start Santa ended up snoring a bit last night, but I still slept well enough and was eager for the day to begin. Got up this morning to watch the sun rise onto the tips of Ngadi Chuli (7835m/7514m? - also called Peak 29 and Manaslu II) and Himal Chuli (7893m) that could be seen to the north-east up the valley.
The hike had some ups and downs, but nothing too sustained or crazy. Great river (Marsyangdi River) valley views of paddy terraces, waterfalls, and mountains - all below the snow line with the exception of the ones seen at sunrise.
I forgot to pay for lunch and had to run back 1km to pay. And since lunch had taken 45mins to make, the whole ordeal cost me 2 hours and set me back a bit on the day's progress. Oh well...remember that I'm not here to keep a schedule.
It's certainly peak season...lots of other trekkers out here...many in large tour groups
Wanna Carry This?
Was truly mind-blowing to see what some of these dudes carried. with guides and several over-loaded porters.
For some reason it seems that everyone here is from a French speaking country. France, Switzerland, and Canada. I hadn't come across this high of a concentration of French speakers yet. I wonder what causes this phenomenon?
Staying tonight at a tea-house just outside of the village with only 2 guest rooms. The room was sufficiently crummy that even Santa complained about it. Something is wrong when I've picked a place that is unsatisfactory for a poor man who jams his whole family into a one room place in Kathmandu.
Day 3 (11.1.07) - Danagyu (2300m) - Those Damn Militant-Commie Rodents Santa's snoring, the lack of glass in the windows (only discovered when I went to bed & could still hear everything outside with the door closed), and the mystery animal that crawled around the roof all night managed to keep me tossing and turning a bit. But I survived and was ready for another day.
Today was fairly entertaining. Started off a bit later than hoped, but began the ascent to Tal around 8am. Many great photo opportunities along the way & Santa kept getting way ahead of me.
Then he told me that Prim (the guy from the hotel) is taking a commission of Rs250 from the Rs600 daily fee that I'm paying Santa. I already don't like Prim due to his constant attempt to rip me off (including commission on the bus tickets)...and this sent me over the edge. (Hemraj, if you read this...don't mention to Prim that Santa told me that). Unfortunately, this was just the beginning of the day's frustrations.
You may recall that in an earlier entry I said something about how the Maoists here in Nepal were trying to be legitimate in politics...thus lowering the chance I'd encounter one of their notorious "donation" checkpoints on the trek. Well...after more than an hour of tiring ascent towards Tal (stewing the whole time about Prim) I saw a group of people ahead gathered around a table with some red flags flying in the air above. I disbelieving smirk of disgust appeared on my face as I recognized this to be a Maoist checkpoint.
Sporting their flashy YCL track suits, a team of militant commie rodents (see note below explaining) stood behind the desk and argued with each passing trekker until the trekker relented
Friendly Neighborhood YCL Checkpoint
Folks gathered around the Maoist (YCL) checkpoint table. and
volunteered a
donation. The original asking price was something like Rs1800-2000 and then people would plead their case to sometimes get the price down. Naturally everyone argues that we've already paid for our permit, etc...and the Maoists just sit there and keep intimidating until the trekker pays.
In my mind I had decided long ago that if I ran into any of these guys I'd just gladly pay and be on my way. I've read stories in the past of them being violent with people who cause trouble...though I've also read that these violent encounters were a thing of the past. But unfortunately the YCL guy made a claim in his spiel something to the effect of "...we're just a peaceful movement...". Right...I can be a rather passive person at times...but there is also an argumentative fighter inside of me that comes out from time to time when provoked. And when I heard something as stupid as "we're just a peaceful movement" from a guy who's part of an organization that literally fills 1/2 of the newspaper with stories about their misdeeds...for better or worse, the stubborn arguer came alive.
2 notes about this. 1) Some friends
Receipt of Extortion
At least they were kind enough to give me a receipt. (James and Nat) I trekked with in NZ had previously been to Annapurna and their guide said "See that house over there? It was blown up by a Maoist." Humorously, due to the Nepali accent, Nat heard him say "It was blown up by a mouse." Thus...James once referred to the Maoists as militant commie rodents. 2) The YCL (Young Communist League) does all the dirty-work but is not
officially associated with the Maoists...thus allowing the Maoists to claim innocence.
I knew I was picking a fight that I couldn't win - it's my understanding that logic and terrorists don't mix well - but I just wanted to tell the guy what an idiot he and his cohorts were. I stepped up to the table and asked him to clarify that they were a peaceful movement...he did...leading to the following exchange:
Me - "That's nice, because I don't want to pay some I'm just going go on ahead."
YCL - "No sir, you can't do that."
Me - "I don't want to pay so I'm just going to leave...and since you're peaceful, you won't stop me."
YCL - (shaking his head) "I know what you're saying sir, but
Post-Checkpoint Lunch
We all sat around a shared our stories. The Slavic dudes at the end of the table 'forced' me to take a shot with lunch. that's not possible."
Me - "So you're going to physically stop me?"
YCL - (no verbal response, but the message of the stare he gave me was clear)
Me - "I've already paid for my trekking permit. What authority do you have to charge us?"
YCL - "Sir, what country are you from?"
I'm embarrassed to include the next point because I did something I swore I'd never do, but he caught me off guard with the question and knowing that it would instantly end the argument if he knew I was American...I lied. Forgive me Uncle Sam, for I have sinned. Me - "Where am I from? Canada." (no offense to the Canadians...but it still hurts to think about this moment)
YCL - "You pay Rs1800 and you can go. Or you can wait some time...2 or 3 hours and maybe we can talk about lowering the donation."
Me - "Look, I've already paid Rs2000 to be trekking here and I'm also paying a Nepali porter every day. I'm giving enough money."
YCL - "Sir, which is your porter?"
At this point I pointed to Santa - who looked rather uncomfortable - and they talked for Chyang
Enjoying the local millet beer-like drink in Chame. 30 seconds or so.
YCL - (turns back to me) "Sir, which country are you from?"
Me - (crap...Santa blew it...the jig is up) "What does that matter?"
YCL - "Show me your passport." (I grudgingly do...he looks at it and throws it down on the table) "You're cheating me!"
(Nepalis often mistake "cheat" for "lie") Me - "
I'm cheating
you?" (I begin to realize it's heading down hill fast...slipping down the slope and trying to keep my case alive I try to convince him about how people can be dual-citizens...he doesn't understand the concept and doesn't buy my weak lie)
YCL - "You are American. George Bush supports the king..."
Thus began a long idiotic diatribe by him and the formerly silent guy next to him about Bush, politics, and the king...who I decided to not point out is basically powerless at this point. Me - (knowing it's completely hopeless at this point) "Dude, I'm just here to trek, I don't have any clue about my government's policy toward Nepal nor does my being from there necessarily mean I endorse it. Does the fact you're Nepali mean that you support everything your government does?"
I
Changing Scenery
Somewhere around the 3000m mark things got a little more coniferous. don't remember what he actually said, but it was angry and accompanied by him standing up, pounding the table, and pointing his finger at my face. Despite being fairly (sorta) confident that he wouldn't actually do anything, the fighter/arguer-Marc ran to hide and the wuss/I don't want any trouble-Marc reappeared. Much to Santa's relief I said "Ok Ok, I'll pay", reached for my wallet and threw Rs1500 on the table. He wrote up my receipt (yes, a receipt for extortion) and we were on our way.
The discussion was actually about 10 minutes long and there were other parts to it, but I've kept to the more fun stuff. During the argument, the small rational part of my brain was saying "dude, it's $25. is it worth messing up your trek for this?" Thankfully that part of the brain eventually prevailed.
I usually try to get on Nepalis good side by using the little Nepali I know and also introducing myself as "Mahendra" (since they all loved the late king), but considering that the Maoists hate the government/king/etc, I decided up front to pass on that approach.
Oh...and one of the YCL guys who didn't have the
Further Change
Things started to thin out a bit with increasing elevation. flashy track suit was wearing a coat with "USA" written across the front. I realize that people here just wear whatever they get their hands on, but this irony didn't escape me. Unfortunately, in the heat of the argument, I forgot to point it out...I'm really curious what the response would have been.
Santa briefly reprimanded me with "no no...Maoists...gun...fighting..." - which was about all his limited English allowed him. I have to admit, I kept looking over my shoulder during the remaining 20 minute walk to Tal for lunch. And I was really dying to know what would have happened if I tried to walk through the checkpoint.
To my disgust, upon entry into Tal, I walked by a table of policemen playing cards. I still don't understand what the tacit agreement is between the Maoists and the police...but for some reason, the government allows this crap to happen.
I stopped at a place for lunch, and one by one other trekkers strolled into town and joined me while we shared our experiences. Thankfully, my question was answered for me. There was another American (Jeff) who is a bit bigger than me (and less of a
wuss) and had tried to just push his way through. They sent 3 of their little minions after him to physically block the path and escort him back to the checkpoint. He claimed to be Israeli...lost his argument and paid as well. All in all...the only people to cause trouble were the two bull-headed Americans...and we all paid some amount. The most successful approach was the (real) Canadians who basically said "We're happy to pay, but we can't afford very much". They got off with Rs1000 between the two of them. The older French couple that had been behind me basically said to me "Well, after we watched your argument with them, we were pretty much stuck paying Rs1500 each." Oops. Some Slavic dudes were shaking off the frustration of the incident by doing a shot (which they apparently did with every meal) and offered me one as well. Now I was just frustrated with the stinging in my throat...
So to sum up this ridiculous encounter...there really wasn't any true danger...just a bunch of thugs trying to intimidate me/us. It worked. I (knowingly) picked the wrong argument and I paid. I guess I just couldn't pass on the
First Views of Annapurna Range
Either Lamjung or Annapurna II...it's sad, but I've already lost track. The lodge in the forefront is fairly typical for the larger ones on the trek. opportunity to get him to admit he was full of crap with his "donation" and "peaceful" nonsense.
I still wonder how much any of them actually know about Mao and communist principles...rather than just being thugs who want power and the general idea of "change".
Back to actual trekking...the river turned more into a gorge at this point with massive thundering rapids that seemed never ending. As a mild headache settled in (perhaps a mid-afternoon mild hangover?) I pressed on a couple of villages beyond where others were staying and I am surrounded by new faces at the lodge tonight. Hopefully an earlier start in the morning...
Day 4 (11.2.07) - Chame (2670m) - Dude, Where's My Porter? Not such an early start today (7:45am), but it turns out that it didn't matter much since I stopped by noon. It's almost all coniferous at this point and the mountain views are getting better and better.
I started off at quite a fast pace as we ascended for the first hour & then slowed down quite a bit as I started to really take my time enjoying the views and taking photos. For some reason Santa thought
Trail Getting A Bit More Dodgy
More care was required along this section as the path was narrow, loose, and dropped steeply into the river on the left side. I was ahead of him and kept cruising through every town (usually if we were separated whoever was ahead would stop at the next village and wait). And since he was cruising along, I had to pick up the pace to try to catch him so he wouldn't go on forever looking for me. It was frustrating a bit because I constantly had a part of my mind worrying about finding him - thus I couldn't fully relax and enjoy the morning. (Yes...these are the big problems in my life...not being able to fully relax and enjoy my views of the Himalayas). I was also getting rather hungry but didn't want to stop for lunch and get that much further behind him. I finally found him a little after noon at the end of a town called Chame & we decided to stop for the day.
I spent the rest of the day taking photos, doing some shopping (warmer hat, grape flavored Tang, and some snacks), and hanging out with folks I've met on the previous days. We looked for some hot springs that were supposed to be near the river, but couldn't find anything even resembling "hot" or
River And Heaven's Door
The large wall in the distance was huge, smooth, and unlike any mountain I've seen before - was called Heaven's Door "spring". Rather than eating at the lodge and paying the ever-increasing prices for mediocre food, I had dinner with Jeff (the American from the YCL checkpoint) and two Austrians at a local house. Much cheaper...but the chow mien was brutally spicy.
I really am thrilled to be here and am loving the trek. It started getting chilly today and the evening is definitely cold. At one point everyone kept commenting on the fact that I was walking around in only a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. Rather than just putting on warmer clothes I decided to give them something else to talk about and put on the oddest combination I could find. Why? I haven't any idea. I looked like a complete dork and got stares all evening. See the picture.
Currently I feel like I could go on like this forever. The trek is fun, beautiful, photogenic, and has enough exploring and adventure to satisfy that desire. Will see if I feel the same way 10 days from now, but currently I'm very content.
I was singing "Paul Revere" by the Beastie Boys today...all day. I have no idea why...but it was getting annoying.
Day 5 The North Face of Annapurna II
7939m...just misses the 8000m club. (11.3.07) - Upper Pisang (3300m) - Dude!!! Where's My Porter!?
An interesting day all around. I lost Santa...again. Despite telling him multiple times that I was headed to
Upper Pisang, he still went to
Lower Pisang. After spending 2 hours searching for him, I ran into Stefan (the Austrian guy from dinner last night) who said "Marc, your porter is down by the river looking for you. He's very worried." Annoyed, I went down the 150m to Lower Pisang and collected him...then had to climb
up again. Oh well...as they'd say here...
ke garne (what to do)? And really...how upset can I be when all I need to do is open my eyes and there are ridiculous views all around?
All the porters got drunk this evening. Santa claimed that he only had one glass of Chyang, but he seemed rather loopier than that. In any case, it was entertaining.
The trek today...started out a bit cloudy, but cleared up nicely for great views all day. Crazy landslides, huge rock faces, Annapurna II, Lamjang Himal, and then some views of Chulu East and Tilicho at the end of the day. Totally in pine trees now with some areas of
clearing as we near the tree/bush line. A completely different scene than 2 days ago.
It's been nice to have a couple of short days, but tomorrow gets back to a full day supposedly with a lot of climbing.
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I'm curious to know how the different people I know would have responded to the YCL gig. Who thinks they'd have the most entertaining encounter? Feel free to comment.
Another point of irony...the YCL/Maoists clearly hate England and the US...the world's primary english speaking countries...yet they call themselves the "Young Communist League" and use the YCL logo in english characters on their clothes. Wouldn't Nepali make more sense then using a foreign language that is used by countries they despise?
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See ya next time for Day 6 and beyond...
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Haack
non-member comment
Nice Work - Love the Pics
Haack is still watching...and very jealous of your travels. Keep up the good work!