Two of the things that do not change in Kathmandu is the continuous hawking of the local residents, careful where you step and the electricity load shedding.
Since our last visit it would appear that little money has been spent on upgrading infrastructure. The potholes in the roads are getting larger and the traffic thicker. Anyway I made some purchases and headed down the road to the Everest Steakhouse. A medium fillet steak served with chips, vegetables and a light pepper sauce which I washed down with an Everest beer was just what the doctor ordered. Really good value at just under $10. After the meal I navigated my way safely through darkened streets back to the hotel.
I needed a shower to get the dust and accumulated grime off me and was pleasantly surprised when the water came out nice and hot. The hotel has a generator so I had some light to read a little before dropping off to sleep. There was plenty of noise outside with someone letting off fire crackers, motorbikes and the ubiquitous barking dogs. Maybe the local authorities will consider changing the name to “Dogmandu”.
Thursday 11th November – A Quiet Day!
I woke at around six, feel reasonably refreshed and ready for breakfast. The hotel has a great garden area where you can dine and relax away from the outside madness.
After breakfast I went out hunting for the rest of my trekking supplies. I did not get lost this morning and soon found the trekking store that Jemma and I used in 2008. My plan was to jog his memory and hope that he would take pity on me and discount the prices. I was lucky as at that point in time I was the only customer and I do believe that he remembered Jemma and I as I was able to pinpoint the time that his uncle died.
In the end I spent $75 on a torch, sunglasses, windproof North Face (Fake) jacket, waterproof garters and another bag. Overall it was pretty good value. My next purchases were at the supermarket whee I bought a chocolate bar, toilet paper, tissues and some detol hand wash. After all this activity I needed a break so I settled in for a Yak cheese sandwich and a pot of black tea at one of my favourite spots the Pumpernickle Cafe. The food was good as usual but the outdoor area has really deteriorated.
When I arrived back at the hotel I jumped onto the lifesaver “Skype” and made contact with my Darlin'. It is always a pleasure when you can speak with someone that you love. It was also time to settle my trekking account which was just over 20000 rupees. I tried ringing Jemma and my sister Annie but all I got was the infernal message bank.
Well I needed some more cash to settle my hotel account and to fund my accommodation and food whilst trekking. After walking around for ages I managed to snare 10000 rupees which will at least settle my bill at the hotel and pay for dinner. There was a problem with a couple of the ATM's.
I was supposed to meet my guide at 6.00pm but he had shown up early and I had missed him by 10 minutes. The only saving grace was that my permits and bus tickets were available. It may have been serendipity as I gave Jem a call and this time she answered her mobile. We had a good chat before her battery ran out. After a short rest I decided to go out for dinner. As I past the Everest Steakhouse I dropped in and made a booking for another serving of iron laden red meat. My main goal however was to top up my cash for the trek. I finally found an ATM that was working but typical of banks they slugged me about $6 for the privilege of using their machine.
Back at the Everest I ordered the pepper steak once again and was not disappointed. I washed it down with a bottle of Everest and two red wines. The bill tonight was a measly $17. Back to the hotel I went to settle up my account and prepare for an early morning start. The bill for 2 nights accommodation, 2 large beers, 1 breakfast and laundry came to a staggering $55. You can bet “That I'll be back”.
Friday 12th November – On The Road Again
My 5.45am wake up call has jolted me out of a good night's sleep. My bags are packed and I am ready to leave at 6.45am on the tourist (no stops) bus to Besishahar (760 metres). My guide Netre has organised a taxi that gets us to the bus terminal with time to spare.
Our bus is nothing special and the leg room is non existent. After about one hour we finally escaped the clutches of Kathmandu's urban sprawl. The two young guys who do everything on our mini bus were touting for extra passengers as we drove out of town. So much for being a non stop service. As usual when I catch a bus in Nepal something goes astray. This time it was only minor as the bus blew out a rear tyre. A good excuse to get out and stretch my legs.
After four and a half hours we stopped just short of Mugling for lunch. At around 1.30pm we arrived at Dumre where the guys proceeded to fill the bus. When we left it was pretty squeezy.
About 25km from Besishahar we came to a sudden halt as the bus that was five minutes ahead of us had a head on collision with another bus. Luckily nobody was seriously hurt but traffic was at a standstill. After 90 minutes the police moved the vehicles which could have been done 80 minutes earlier. This delay provided a golden opportunity for the bus as none had been through for a while and we were the first in the queue. The boys packed them in like sardines. Eventually we arrived at our destination a mere 9 ¼ hours after we started.Netre has decided that we will spend the night at the New Tibet Hotel. On inspection it looks like the old Tibet. The room is small and I will gauge how the sharing goes tonight. I'm too tired to argue and have a splitting headache as a result of dehydration and a kinked neck from the bus trip. A couple of Nurofern and plenty of water should fix me up.
Saturday 13th November - Syange (1100 metres)
Surprisingly, I had a good night's sleep despite the noise made by the Nepalese guests who came home after 10.00pm. The meals were just Okay but they filled the void. My plan for today was to catch a bus to Bhulbhule (try saying that with your mouth full) and then catch a jeep to Syange.
The bus departed at 8.00am and for once we were not jammed in. Best plans always go astray as there were no jeeps that had spare room available. I had no choice but to follow in the footsteps that Jemma and I made in 2008.
We set off at 9.00am and were traveling at a nice easy pace that I felt I could keep up. The road follows the Marsyangdi River and you are rewarded with fantastic scenery and waterfalls. Along the way you could see women and men working at harvesting rice. Water Buffalo tethered to a stake walked in endless circles crushing the rice underfoot. The good news at the moment is that my feet are not giving me an real trouble. I have to remember to rest at least every 90 minutes so that my feet can breathe.
I kept hoping for a jeep but nothing came along. On one section I looked down to the river and spotted 8 kayakers who were absolutely flying. At about 1.00 pm it started to rain quite heavily (it is supposed to be the dry season) so we took shelter in a teahouse.
After about an hour we continued on slushing our way through the mud. Finally reached Syange at 3.00pm but we only did about 4.5 hours of walking. My guide had no choice on accommodation as I wanted to stay at the Waterfall Guesthouse where Jemma and I stayed. The room is cheap but the food by Nepalese standards is expensive. One price for tourists and another for the guides which is not a problem considering how much they are paid.
Netre has told me that he is receiving 650RP per day out of the 1100RP that I paid the agency. Everyone has to make a profit. It will be early to bed again and still no alcohol has passed my lips. All I have for a drink is water and black tea and a little soup. The meal tonight is a break from Dal Bat so I hope the vegetable momo is up to scratch.
Sunday 14th November – Tal (1700 metres)
After a good nights sleep Netre and I hit the trail at 7.30am blessed with sunshine. The road has now been extended way past Syange almost to Jagat. The road/trail continued to follow the Marsyangdi River. I have never seen so many waterfalls in such a short stretch. We reached Jagat (one guesthouse even promised a high speed internet connection) after 1.5 hours and pushed on to Chyamche which was where it all went to hell for poor Jem in 2008. After resting and taking a few photographs we pushed on.
This is where the trail really begins to get hard. There are lots of loose stones and rocks and you are continually running into donkey trains who don't give an inch. The trail is mostly ascending but you do get an occasional respite with flat ground. The last uphill section before Tal really takes it out of you but when I spied a huge eagle soaring on the air currents my spirits lifted.
Just doing this reminded me of the courage that Jem displayed when she tackled this section feeling as sick as she did. When Tal came into view it lifted my spirits to know that I had nearly finished walking for the day. Walking time was about 5 hours and my feet were just beginning to get sore. I doubt that I could have gone much further without a big rest.
The guesthouse is called Mona Lisa and I had a room by 1.00pm. It is the typical style with wooden floors and detatched bathrooms. Hot water was promised so I jumped in for my first shower since Kathmandu. I would not say it was cold but I just was able to bear the water. It was also a good opportunity to hand wash my socks and jocks. Hopefully the cold wind that has replaced the sunshine will dry them by morning. There is a safe water station here so I will fill my water bottle and do my bit for the environment by not buying plastic. It is pretty cold so I might even get the long johns out tonight.
Monday 15th November – Chame (2670 metres)
This morning I have taken time out to remember my Mum whose birthday it would have been today. She may be gone but she is not forgotten.Netre and I started walking at 7.45 am with the intention of reaching Dharapani as early as possible. Our path is still following the Marsyangdi River which has a milky blue colour.
There have been plenty of trekkers heading back down and as I'm such a friendly person I always greet them with good morning. The majority of them could barely grunt and if they did it was almost surly. Maybe they have had enough of trekking and want some of the good life again. My guess is that they are French.
The other surprising thing is the high number of trekkers who appear to be older than me. Well we made Dharapani by 10.15 which was ahead of schedule. I lingered for a while and took a few photos to remind Jemma of the place she spent four days trying to recuperate. After completing our trekking formalites at the checkpoint and devouring a boiled egg we continued on to Bagarchhap. From this point we had a good view of the snow caped peak of Manaslu.
We stopped for lunch at Danakyu and I filled up on some fried potato. After a half hour break and my feet well rested it was time to move on. At a restaurant five minutes up the road we encountered a German trio whom we spent the night with in Tal. They had decided to spend the night in Thanchok as they were not confident of reaching Chame. I had similar thoughts and said that I might see them there.
About 15 minutes after leaving them I began the long and arduous ascent to the village of Timang. I have to say that the climb really took it out of me and I'm glad that Jem never had to tackle it when she was sick.
Even though it was cloudy (beautiful sunshine until about 11.30) and cold I was sweating like a pig. The view from the top was terrific as you could look back at the villages hundreds of metres below. From Timang the trail flattened out somewhat which made it easier for walking. We were walking through pine forests and every now and then you would come across a pit where two Nepalese manually worked a two handed saw to cut trunks into usable timber planks.
After reaching Thanchok at 3.00pm I decided to try for Chame as it would make tomorrows trek more bearable. There was another checkpoint at Koto and the police officer on duty reckoned that there was not much accommodation available at Chame due to a large police presence. Netre reckoned he knew a place so we soldiered on. Twenty minutes later we were on the outskirts of Chame and straight into the Nurpu Linga Guesthouse.
I have to say this is the best room so far. It is clean, nicely laid out and has a power point so I can recharge the camera battery. The shower was also a warm trickle but it was sufficient to get the days grime off of me.
By the time I got back to my room I was freezing so I jumped under the blankets fully clothed and contemplated the days walk. I calculated that we must have walked for at least 7.5 hours plus breaks. It was a good test for the feet which just held up today. I think that I might need to take more frequent breaks.
Down for dinner at 5.45 and my extremities were numb from the cold. When I least expect it something good happens. The lady who owns the place came in with a stone slab and a brazier full of hot coals. The first thing I did was warm the pinkies and toes. It felt soooo good when the blood started circulating again. Dinner was good and was same, same. There are two English guys (Sean and Matt) staying here so we stayed up late until 9.00pm just chatting. Nice guys and it was great to have a chin wag in English even if it was only for a short time.
Tuesday 16th November – Upper Pisang (3300 metres)
Would definitely recommend the Nurpu Linga Guesthouse as the hospitality was great and they even have a western style toilet. Today we set off at 8.00am and it to ok about 30 minutes to walk from one end of Chame to the other. It is a big village with a doctor, high school and of course an internet cafe that charges 20RP a minute.
The police were out in force and some were carrying riot equipment. Apparently there is a dispute regarding who was awarded a contract for building a road in the area.
The trail is still following the right bank of the river and it is mostly flat with a small incline. The pine forest needles that line the path dampens the noise of your footsteps. The big plus this morning is that we have sunshine and a clear view of Annapurna 2 (7937m) and Annapurna 4 (7525m).
I think I must have had a slight touch of mountain sickness as I had a slight headache and a dry throat. I popped a Diamox tablet just in case the symptoms got worse. One thing with this tablet is it creates the need to pee so I ended up taking a few breaks.
After crossing the river to the left bank via the swing bridge we had our first and only steep incline. It was no where as bad as yesterday so I put my head down and plugged away at the slope.
The one thing I have noticed is that I am really short of breath when tackling any of the uphill sections. I come good as soon as it flatens out so I suspect that it has to do with the altitude. Not long afterwards we reached Dhikur Pokhari where we broke for lunch. It was great sitting in the sun eating a vegetable noodle soup.
From here it was only a one hour walk to Pisang. The accommodation did not look that great at Lower Pisang so I headed uphill to Upper Pisang. The walk up was straight up for 100 metres but it was certainly worth it. The Annapurna range is so close that you can almost touch the mountains.
We were the first ones to arrive at the Manang Marshyangdi Hotel at about 2.15pm so had the pick of the rooms. The hotel has completely filled up and the last guests to arrive were the English Matt and Sean who have the double bed in the honeymoon suite. Lucky guys!
Wednesday 17th November – Manang (3540 metres)
A very cold night at Upper Pisang but the view was worth it. The food was a bit ordinary and was probably the worst Dal Baht so far. The majority of trekkers are taking the high route for the views but I have settled on the flatter low route to conserve energy and time.
Started trekking around 8.00am but was soon interrupted by a funeral procession at Lower Pisang. It was a Budddist funeral where all the men followed the pall bearers. The women were nearby canting and humming.
The trail to Manang was quite easy with only one small incline. I'm glad that I took the lower path as I am struggling today. I feel like throwing up and my back aches. The views of the mountain ranges are great and I had good vision of Mt Pisang (6091m), and some of Chulu peaks which are also around the 6000m mark.Today was a first as I headed down the hill towards Humde I was able to touch snow for the first time. I continued to struggle and after a few rest breaks we reached Manang just before 1.00pm.
Another first today, this is the highest altitude that I have ever reached without a plane!
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