A Tribute to One of the Greatest Adventures

I haven't been doing much blogging lately. I've thought about it, I've wanted to do it, but I just haven't had the time. I realized the reason I was able to blog so much in Japan was because I worked at a job that actually required very little of me. When I wasn't planning lessons or grading papers I sat there studying for my MA or handwriting blog posts. That kind of leisure time no longer exists. But in the last few months I was able to piece together this little Tribute to one of the Best Adventures of my life--trekking around the Annapurnas. Enjoy!




If it doesn't fit your screen, you can view it on youtube.com

“Madam, what country is suffering because you’re here?”

We had planned 8 days roundtrip for the ABC trek. We were back in Pokhara after 6 ½ days. We tried to extend it as long as we could, but the trail finally came to an end and before we knew it we were back on a bus heading for Pokhara. Luckily, because we had an extra day there, we were able to do some laundry, although it came back smelling like all our dirty socks. On our free day we hired a boat to take us across the lake so we could climb to the top of a small hill and see the Peace Pagoda. The climb is supposed to take 45min-1hr. Even in our newly purchased hippy skirts (our clothes were being washed) and our flip-flops we did it in 30minutes! The view of the Pokhara valley was nice, but the pagoda was disappointing. We had tea and walked around up on top before heading back down to the boat. That night, as we were walking to the Punjabi Dhaba for dinner, we passed by one of 100s of Kashmiri shops that line the main tourist drag near the lake. The Kashmiri shopkeepers have a reputation for being sweet talkers and very persistent in their sales pitch. But one particular shopkeeper got our immediate attention when he said “Madam, what country is suffering because you’re here?” as we walked by. We all busted up laughing at his great command of a unique pick-up line! But we didn’t stop to buy anything! Although we promised another sweet talker that we would be back next year for a cup of tea. Ladies, have you bought your ticket yet?

The next day we were up early with our over stuffed packs and on a bus to Kathmandu. It was pouring and our bags were on the top. We had our rain covers on and there was a tarp over all the bags, with any luck our stuff would arrive only damp, not soaked! The bus ride is supposed to take 8 hours, but because of accidents, the rain and bad traffic before the big Nepali Daishan Festival, it took about 10 hours. Gyanu escorted us to our hotel and we agreed to meet the next day for our last DBT meal!

We had one day of sight-seeing and shopping before our last DBT meal together with Gyanu. He took us to a local Nepali restaurant and we sat and talked for about 2 hours eating snacks (chili chicken boneless, fried peanuts and momos) before we ordered dinner. We also drank a lot of beer which helped us all loosen up and ask questions we hesitated to ask before. Several of his friends came as well as his brother. It was fun to see him in his element and see part of his life.

The next day we had our final breakfast bakery meal together at the Brezel Bakery in Thamel. They took their last walk around our little neighborhood and said good-bye to Kathmandu.

It was surreal to see A&E off at the airport for our final good-bye. It is really hard to comprehend a month long adventure coming to an end. It’s hard to let it go and say good-bye to everything that had become our life:

the heavy packs

pumping water

porridge

DBT meals

cold group showers

mint tea

snickers bars

curling up in our sleeping bags at 7pm every night

sleeping 10-12 hours a night

trekking 5-8 hours every day

sucking on the group teat (water bag)

hand-washing all our clothes

backpackers laundry line (underwear hanging from our bags)

applying the 70 SPF sun cream

daily vitamin dose

cringing at the sight of suspension bridges

traffic jams of goats, donkeys and cows

‘namaste sweet’

‘namaste one rupee’

‘namaste pen’

Twenty-four hours after seeing off A&E at the airport, I was back at the airport to meet my mom. She had been traveling for 48 hours when she got off the plane and had spent 12 of those waiting at the Delhi airport overnight. Needless to say, she was thrilled to finally see a familiar face and settle in at the hotel. And it was great to see her after 10 months! She is a very eager listener and wanted to hear all about the trek and our adventures…perfect debriefing time for me!

We spent several days exploring Kathmandu: the monkey temple, Durbar Square, Thamel, Bhaktapur, and Patan. We hired Gyanu to ‘guide’ us around several of the places. It is so much better to be able to ask questions to a local then just wander around looking at things aimlessly. And of course it always helps to have a Nepali speaker negotiate taxis.

Sorry, couldn't flip it around. But check it out. Gyanu is carrying my mom's bag around Bhaktapur. He also hekped her up and down steep stairs and made sure to keep a close eye on her in traffic! He is the BEST GUIDE EVER!!

But after a few days in the capital, we packed up a small bag and got on the bus going to The Last Resort, located 14km from the Tibetan border. It is famed for having one of the highest bungee jumps in the world, about 160 meters. The bridge was enough to put me in a state of panic. There was no way I was even going to consider jumping off of it.

The Last Resort is a little oasis for adventure travelers. The land was originally rice terraces, like all the land that surrounds the resort. But after business break-up at The Borderlands down the road, one of the business partners, a world famous kayaker, opened The Last Resort and converted all the land to a beautifully landscaped resort. Another co-owner owns a rafting company in Japan. It was at his hostel in Hokkaido that I first heard about The Last Resort and promised to make a visit. Lucky for me and my mom, I kept my promise.

At The Last Resort all the guests sleep in safari tents and there are shared toilets and hot showers. There is a large open-air dining room/bar area where all the meals are served buffet style. There is a massage house run by a different company that only trains and employs untouchables. And of course, there are many activities to choose from: bungee, canyon swing, canyoning, rafting, kayaking, trekking, etc. We had planned a few days of relaxing and then a two day rafting trip down the Bhote Khosi, one of Nepal’s best white water rivers! But that wasn’t all that was in store for us. After we arrived, the adventure coordinator asked us if we would be interested in canyoning and sent the canyoning guide over to talk to my mom. The issue wasn’t if I wanted to go, it was if SHE wanted to go!

After an hour of explaining what canyoning involved, abseiling down waterfalls, my mom was almost convinced! It wasn’t that the guide was trying to sell her on an activity, he was trying to boost her confidence and explained all the risks as well as the safety measures they take. It was easy to tell that he was very experienced and trustworthy! And it was easy to feel comfortable knowing we would be putting our lives in his hands!

So the next morning, the sun was shining, and we met with our canyoning guide at about 10:30 to suite up. We wore a wet suite, a fleece, a spray jacket, a helmet, a harness and shoes of our choice. I only had my chakos with tread that is well-worn. Three of us, my mom and I joined by a solo Israeli traveler, set out with two Nepali guides. The stream and the 7 waterfalls were a 15 minute walk from the resort through a small village and rice terraces. The first waterfall was easy, the guide repelled us down. But after that it was up to us, we had to abseil—control the rope ourselves. The longest waterfall was something like 45meters. The biggest challenge was keeping my feet from slipping of the wet mossy covered rock face. Otherwise it was a lot of fun, even my mom thought so! It was something neither one of us thought we would do, but glad we did! I would totally do it again if the chance presented itself!

Our rafting guide, Sam, standing with my mom and Pat, the co-owner of The Last Resort and owner of Hokkaido Outdoor Adventure in Japan

The next big adventure: RAFTING! This was something my mom and I had really been looking forward to. As a family we all love rafting, and are always looking for a good river. When we travel, we like to find a good raft trip to coordinate our other plans with. So, since Nepal is one of the best places in the world for rafting, we had to get a good few days in. AND WE DID!! But perhaps we got a little more than we bargained for, or at least my mom did. The first day was fun but not overly crazy. There were some good floats in-between the class 3+ rapids. It was a good warm-up for the second day which we had been warned would be much more continuous and much more strenuous, was a little crazy. It was only the second post-monsoon raft trip to brave the river because the water was still really high. The first raft trip had flipped a boat in the first 10 seconds on the river! So we were in for some good rapids and good fun! It was everything everyone promised it would be…lots of big continuous white water. And at one point we hit a rock that titled the boat in such a way that my mom popped out. She tried to hold onto the boat, but the water was so strong she let go. Another guide threw her a lifeline, but with all the white water crashing in front of her face she didn’t see it just inches away from her. Luckily, the safety kayakers are great at their jobs and one came to the rescue. She grabbed on and he paddled her to shore. It took her some time to catch her breath and recover from the trauma of being in a serious rapid for about 20-30 seconds. But she jumped right back in another raft (we were on the other side of the river) and rode with them until we called it a day about 20 minutes later. I’m not sure if my mom will go rafting again, but she has a great story to tell and it is even more exotic because it happened in Nepal, a country most of her friends wouldn’t step foot, let alone go rafting or canyoning!

My mom with her safety kayaker and lifesaver!

We spent our last few days doing some more sight-seeing with Gyanu in Kathmandu and we went to Nagarkot for one night—hoping to see a Himalayan view. The real blessing in Nagarkot was the clear air and lack of traffic. The sunrise view was minimal. It was possible to see the outline of distant mountains, but the real view of the Himalayas was from our airplane window as we flew to Delhi where we met my dad and departed for our Dharamsala adventure!

The temples of Patan!

The view from Daramkot--can you see the spectacular Himalayas in the background??

Annapurna Base Camp Day #4

ABC Day 4 (Oct. 11)

Machupuchre Base Camp (3700m) - Annapurna Base Camp (4130m) - Bamboo (2335m)

15km

6:45am to 4:30pm

We did it!! We made it to ABC and we saw fabulous mountain views. It wasn’t super clear but enough to see almost all the peaks. Stunning! At the top we drank mint tea, ate a snickers and bounty bar and snapped photos of the 360degree view of snow capped mountains. But not just any mountains—the Himalayas! We were all a little worried leaving M.B.C this morning because there was a thick cloud cover and it has rained during the night. But luckily after our 90min walk up, it started to burn off. Our new Korean friend, Lion, was up there. He took some great group photos of us. We got one while picking up Gyanu, similar to the photo we got with JP at Poon Hill. I think that surprised him!

I love getting reactions out of him. He is so funny! Glad we hired him as our guide! He has been invaluable! On the way back to M.B.C. we were asking him about his family. His family lives in a village in the Himalayan foothills. They have lots of animals-buffalo, goats, chickens, cows, etc. And they grow most of their own food—millet, rice, buckwheat, veggies, and fruit. Very cool! But it sounds like a difficult life. And now it is just his parents and one younger sister living on the farm. His other siblings, there are 6 total, are living in Kathmandu or with their husbands. He might go back in December to help with the harvesting.

--Water pump break—

We kicked ass today!! Not only did we go to A.B.C this morning (two days earlier than expected), but we cruised it back down. We had plans to stop and stay in Dovan for the night. But when we arrived there, all the rooms, in all the hotels (about 4) were full. It seems the trekking season has JUST started! There was one room available, but it was in a tin shed behind a hotel. It had 4 beds and no windows. One of the pillow cases had a big blood stain and cigarette burns. Gyanu had seen it and reported back to us “no” and when I went to confirm, I whole heartedly agreed! So, the decision was made to keep moving! It had started raining about 45 minutes before we got to Dovan. We pulled out our rain gear, put our packs back on and started walking. But with our sights set on Bamboo we really started running. Gyanu said it would take us 90 minutes, we said we could do it in 60 minutes. We arrived in Bamboo in 40 minutes. We were all shocked. We were booking it, even in the rain and on the muddy trail! Nice work team—high 5s all around!

We got a room at the first hotel and it came complete with a gas powered hot shower—delicious! We’ve got out act together now. We have managed to filter and treat our water BEFORE dinner—an accomplishment! So now we are sitting in the dining hall waiting for our DBT (dal bhat thakali) and drinking tea. Gyanu is sufficiently impressed with our speed, and so are we! If we keep this pace we could be done in two days! But I think we will take an alternate route from Chomrong which will make it last longer. Plus there is another hot spring on that alternate route—fabulous! So far the knee is ok going down, but we haven’t hit the severe steps yet. Tomorrow is a mix of UP/DOWN. Great! The ALL down days are the killer! I prefer going up!

Today’s highlight: the amazing views at A.B.C and informing a group on their way to Dovan that it was full—shocked faces all around! Low light: Seeing our only option in Dovan, a bloody pillow in a windowless room.

Oh, and let’s not forget the delicious Dearoli DBT. We had it on the way up to A.B.C and we stopped at the same hotel on the way down. It is the best DBT we have had on the trail! I wonder how tonight’s DBT delicacy will compare?

Go DBT team go! Let’s keep trekking forever!

Annapurna Base Camp Day #1

ABC Day 1 (Oct. 8) Birethanti (1025m) - Khimrong Khola (1780m)

16km

7:15am to 4:30pm

The dynamics have changed! We waved good-bye to JP yesterday and rode off with Gyanu in a taxi to the bus stand. So now it is 3 women and our guide. We decided to travel to the start point in the late afternoon so we could sleep there and start on the trail early. The guidebook recommends taking the bus in the AM and starting the trail mid-day. But given the heat at the low altitude…and after having the circuit behind us, we knew better than to start late in the day.

Our porridge was served at 6:30am and we hit the trail about 7:15. We signed back into the Annapurna Conservation books and headed up the hill. The night at the Moonlight Hotel was uneventful except for some coughing fits in the middle of the night. We now sleep in a triple so my coughing wakes up 2, not 1. But without the husband around anymore we got to have some good girl gossip time…well needed after 18 days on the circuit! J

The morning walk started out hot but pretty flat. Then we hit a section of stairs-UP UP UP! And for lunch we made it to Ghandruk. I has stayed there 4 years ago when I did the Poon Hill circuit. It is a big town with lots of hotels. Our guide book suggests it as the first days stop. But since we had gotten an early start, we were there by 11:30am, much too early for stopping. Although never too early for eating! This is officially the International ABC Dal Bhat Tour. We are eating porridge for breakfast, and dal bhat for lunch and dinner!! It doesn’t get much better than that!

Gyanu taught us a new card game while we were waiting for lunch. It is pretty easy and a fun game—a good one to remember and teach other people. I gotta get the name of it again (Dunbull).

It has changed everything having a guide with us! I think it is motivating us so far. We were going pretty hard this morning. But we did stop for tea twice today! Great! The PM stop was another ‘get out of the rain’ stop! It was perfect timing too cause it started POURING as soon as we sat down and ordered tea. We drank more mint tea and played more cards! Then the decision was made to go DOWN to the next town. This trail has much more UP & DOWN then the circuit which was mostly UP and after we crossed the pass was all DOWN. So that means tomorrow morning we will have a long UP climb to get out of the valley…but better to push on now incase we need to slow down later.

A view of Machupuchre (Fish Tail) from the trail.

My left knee is starting to hurt again. Maybe I’ll never make it out at all. They might have to leave me in here to fend for myself. But we are ahead of schedule and ahead of the guide book, which is always good! Especially since the guidebook seems to give suggestions for days that are totally unreasonable.

Everyone else we met on the trail today 1) had guides & PORTERS and 2) didn’t make it this far! We aren’t walking fast, but seeing as we just finished an 18 day trek on the circuit, we are doing well! This town has 1 hotel and we are the only ones here. We are getting in just before the real trekking season starts! Time for a cold cold shower and dal bhat!

Annapurna Circuit Day # 10

Day 10 (Sept. 27) Letdar (4200m) - High Camp (4850m)

7km

8am to 2:30pm

I’m sitting in the dining hall at High Camp with my feet under a heated table drinking hot chocolate. And it is snowing outside. You can’t see anything beyond the few buildings that make up the camp. And it is COLD.

The dining hall is packed with people trying to stay warm and stay out of the snow. We are also all trying to decide if we should attempt the pass tomorrow or wait another day. All of us are braving the extra 100+m altitude gain in the hopes of saving 1-2 hours in getting to the pass in the morning. The last hour to High Camp was hellish—straight up on switch backs in the snow. But I’d rather do it in the afternoon with the light of the sun than at 4am with my headlamp.

Last night in our little guest house in Letdar, we sat around a yak shit stove to warm up. All the guides joined us around the fire and we talked about Nepali ethnic groups and how they can tell each other apart. We stayed at the same guest house as the Spanish guys. Their guides are really funny and super cute! We have been following them since the 2^nd day. They give us lots of great advice about where to go or where to stay. But their Maya Hotel recommendation in Lower Pisang was totally off the mark. The older guide, “Lama” is full of life, is always making jokes and wears a coat that says “HELP” on the back of it. The younger one (still don’t know his name) is a little more quiet and serious but very friendly.

The yak shit warmed us for awhile but then it died down and we got super cold and went to our sleeping bags to warm up. Last night was really chilly and I woke up gasping for air a few times. Amy reported it like I was snorting for air, but I’m sure it was much more dignified than that. Whether you are sleeping, eating, sitting, or walking with an overloaded pack…it is very hard to breath at this altitude.

A & J both had headaches when we arrived so we all took a Diamox—the anti-altitude sickness wonder drug. It is supposed to last 12 hours. So, if the symptoms don’t go away by the time we wake up to depart in the morning, we will know to stay another day or go back down to Thorong Phedi and acclimatize another day. The perfect scenario: we all feel great in the AM and clear sunny skies. Wishful thinking?

Oh shit…the Diamox is starting to set in. My teeth are tingling. And I feel like I’m sinking into the bench. Ugh!! These side effects are worse than altitude sickness. Oh no, the tingling has moved up to my nasal cavity. This sucks!

The worst part of the trail today was the landslip area and the climb from Thorong Phedi to High Camp. Apparently on the 500m length of trail that is very prone to landslides, a rock nearly missed my head. I didn’t see it, but that’s the story JP told after I crossed it.

Before braving the landslides, we were able to power up at a tea house. We drank mint tea and ate chocolate biscuits. Those tea house breaks are essential. It is getting pretty pricey with the altitude gain, but it gives a local family a business and everyone seems to stop at the higher elevation. We ALL NEED the calories and the hydration.

We stopped for lunch at Thorong Phedi after trudging through some pretty deep snow on the trail. We all ate pasta, a cinnamon roll, and garlic toast. It is the last water station before Muktinath on the other side of the pass, so we also filled up all our bottles using our Buy 1 Litre, Get 1 Litre free coupon because it is the most expensive water station on the trail (60rps/Litre).

Sweet…just got a Nepali lesson from the younger guide and found out his name is Gyanu. He wrote the Nepali alphabet in my journal and wrote out some key phrases for us to remember. We also had a great discussion about religion, reincarnation, God, and anthropology.

It’s 7pm! Time to fill our water bottles with hot water (keep us warm at night and for drinking tomorrow) and attempt to go to sleep. We have to get up at about 3:45am to decide if we are going to brave the pass. If everyone else is going, we’ll go with them. It’s better to go over in a group, especially if the snow continues and we need to break a new trail. Oh my…what have we done??

This was our bare bones room at High Camp! Mud walls, one small light bulb, no heat and no indoor plumbing. It was also snowing outside!!

Annapurna Circuit Day #4

Day 4 Sept. 21 Bagarchap (2160m) - Chame (2710m)

7am 12:45pm

14km

Our hotel last night was GREAT! The hot water was REALLY hot. The dal bhat had cauliflower and came with a papad. Plus they had electricity and a light in every room! It made such a difference. We played cards with Team Israel last night while sitting in the dining room. The only girl in the group is actually Russian and knew the Russian game JP and I had played on our volunteer trip with GBT on Lake Baikal. Also, the woman running the place spoke amazing English and had a perfect accent. I think she must have an English speaking boyfriend or something! It was perfect but she said she just picked it up from speaking with the trekkers--yeah right! It was the first place we saw in town and it turned out to be fabulous!

This morning we were up at about 5:30 and left at about 7, later than planned AGAIN!! No idea what takes boys so long in the morning. You would think it would be the girls that are slow...but no, boys are slower in the morning! We filled up our bottles at the water conservation station--anything to save from pumping! For breakfast we enjoyed another delicious meal of porridge. But this time it was a local porridge made from buckwheat. It was really smooth and dark brown in color. We are officially in apple country. We bought two bags of dried apples from the hotel. One for an after dinner snack and one for a trail snack today.

Super bummer...I got my period yesterday! Trekking with your period SUCKS!! But hopefully with all the physical activity it'll be over fast. The cramps are still there though--ouch! Loading up on the ibuprofen. And today...the period runs hit hard on the trail. We had to make an emergency stop after a road construction site. It was emergency poo status! I felt feverish and had goose bumps and chills, it had to come out and fast! We finally found a quiet tree, but had to let a group of pack donkeys pass before I could do my thing! Oh boy, I think that was the most amazing thing EVER! I felt like a new person.

Today was a lot of up and pretty steep in places. But there were also large sections of the trail that they are turning into a road. So there was construction and some landslides to navigate. It was wide and flat where the road has been 'finished'. We booked it when we could on the flat parts and went nice and slow on the uphill. Everyone's feet are sore. The shoulder and hip strap chaffing is getting to be a bit much too!

Right during our break (snickers and dried apple) on the landslide area (no end in sight and needed a pick me up) a man with a deep sore in his leg asked for help. We gave him some wet wipes to clean it out--lots of puss and very infected. Then Evie used a Q-tip and applied antibiotic ointment. We cut some gauze and taped it on. We gave him some band-aids to take with him--we have MANY between the four of us! He seemed happy for the help and will hopefully see a doctor. The leg looked very swollen and infected.

In Koto we stopped for tea and a snack--Tibetan bread with peanut butter. Also stopped to check in at the check-point and bought some applies. The last little push wasn't too long or hard. We walked though the town toward the end and found a great little hotel with private cottages for two. Evie and I had a romantic night in the cottage! It seemed like the place to be. Our Israeli frineds were there. As well as T&C from P-town and our Spanish friends and their guides! Everyone we knew ended up staying here. We picked the right place! It's going to be a party tonight!

This is a pretty big won. There are tourist shops everywhere and a new internet cafe. But it is SO expensive! An hour is about $15. Compare that to $1.50/hour in Kathmandu! We did buy a few postcards but I only know two addresses by heart: my family and Sara's parents. I hope they make it!

One big question that has come up a lot is about the guides and the porters. I would love to know what they think of us--our group of four without either a guide or a porter. Do they resent trekkers like us becfause we aren't paying local people? Or do they respect us because we are carrying our own weight? And what do they talk about at night? What do they really think of all of us trekkers in their country snapping pictures of cute kids and paying an arm & a leg for a coke that someone carried up the trail for 5 days! I want the real story!

Annapurna Circuit Day #1

Day 1 Sept. 18 Bhule Bhule (840m) - Ghermu (1130m)

7am 5pm

13km

I was up just before 6am and we started eating breakfast at 630am. We ate a delicious breakfast of porridge and black tea. The goal was to be on the trail by 7am. We sorta made it, but about 20 minutes out of town Evie realized her tevas were gone from the outside of her bag and walked back to look for them. No luck! They were already long gone. So she bought a used pair of flip-flops for 250rps (62rps=$1US). A total rip-off, but she needed something to wear besides her hiking boots.

Not more than a few minutes after leaving town we had to forge a river. Apparently the monsoon is still going strong and the river is raging. We waded through some high water and on the other side while we were waiting for Evie to return with her new shoes, we tested our water filter. A few hours later and up the trail we made it to Bahundanda. We ripped off our bags at the first restaurant we saw and chowed down on dal bhat for 150rps. Another delicious and well deserved meal. Our first morning of trekking and we were all exhausted...getting used to the weight of our packs, our boots, and walking UP. Maybe we should have stayed there, it was a happening little town. But our book said it was only an hour to a town called Syange. But almost 3 hours later we hadn't yet arrived, so we stopped at the first hotel we found "The Peacefull Hotel". Our rooms were upstairs in a loft/barn like area of the house and there were solar hot showers (for most of us). We ate another meal of dal bhat for 160rps. Hopefully tonight will be an early night and tomorrow will be an EARLY morning. Walking in the heat of the day at this low altitude is a killer. We gotta start out much earlier!! And hopefully no loud rainstorms will pummel the roof like they did last night. Loving the trail and the food so far!

I think we ate two snickers between the four of us today! Only 46 more to keep us going the next 260km!