Our Guide Wan Zu (phonetically correct) wanted us to depart for the border at 8:30 but we negotiated a 9:00 departure which ended up being 9:30. Along the way we passed a multitude of Nepalese trucks all laden with Chinese merchandise bound for the stores of Kathmandu. The irony is that all these goods are transported to the border in Chinese trucks, off loaded into a warehouse and the reloaded, all by manual labour onto the Nepalese trucks.
When we reached the border control area we took our place at the end of a very long queue. Alex (English) started to feel dizzy and was on the verge of passing out. James sprang into action and sat him down before getting a good dose of sugar into him. As we slowly moved down the line we managed to get a wheelchair for him. This meant he was able to jump the queue with his travel partners Irwin (USA) and Francois (France obviously).
After searching our bags for Tibetans trying to illegally exit the country James and I reached the immigration counter. Imagine our chagrin when both of us had our passports confiscated and told to stand aside. Visions of Midnight Express and James being strip searched entered my mind! Luckily, our passports were returned and duly stamped. We concluded that they were doing the usual bureaucratic dance because we already had our visas for Nepal. All of this action took 1.5 hours. As we crossed the Freedom Bridge into Nepal, Carlos (Japan/Brazil) decided to take a picture. He was soon set upon by the Chinese military who gave him a stern warning and deleted the picture.
From the relative order of China we entered the chaos of Nepal. No queues just pushing and shoving as everyone tried to get a visa. No problem for James and I as our entry was completed quickly. Carlos and Lorie his Canadian wife were one of the last ones to be processed. They are travelling to Kathmandu with us in a jeep that will cost us 6000 rupees ($65). The Nepali guy who was going to drive us was in a dither as his brother who had the key to the jeep had wandered off and could not be found. He was pissed! Down from the roof came our luggage and we set off to find another. After loading our gear on to another one they upped the price to 7000 rupees. James told them to remove the luggage which had the desired effect and the price was once again 6000.
It had only taken 4 hours to get to this point and at 1:30 we joyously started our 120km journey to Kathmandu. After the reasonably good roads of Tibet we were back to the potholed poorly maintained roads of Nepal. Great scenery, dal baht with beer for lunch and Kathmandu traffic jams we finally came to the end of our road trip. With some directions from a local and lugging our heavy backpacks we made our way to the Himalayan Java Cafe (opposite Fire and Ice Pizza). It is an oasis in a sea of chaos. James then contacted his sister Michelle who will escort us to her house in Kathmandu. The iced coffee with ice-cream washed away the tension and the dust that had slowly built up over the course of the day.
Michelle duly arrived, loaded up a taxi and headed to her house in Balutar which is about a ten minute drive from Thamel. Did I say house, no it is a three storey mansion with views of the mountains from the tiled rooftop. A load of washing, hot shower and then a quick taxi trip to the Everest Steak House. I should not have said a quick trip because we had to abandon our taxi which was stuck in a Friday night traffic jam. We made our way on foot through some narrow lanes towards Thamel. I took a wrong turn which increased our walk time and after a 30 minute walk the steak house was reached. All of the Tibet group was there and Alex looked a lot better. The meal was a hearty affair and I was a little tipsy after a few beers and a couple of reds. An easy taxi ride home and I was soon asleep on the ground floor couch.
Saturday 28th September – Kathmandu Capers
A relaxed start to the day was made even more enjoyable when Michelle took us to the 1905 farmers market which is near the Greenline bus depot. This little haven, in the middle of Kathmandu is open every Saturday and sells fresh produce, cheese, meat and other delicacies. We ordered a freshly cooked omelette, pineapple juice and a huge chocolate brownie.
In Thamel our first order of business was to put the Netbook in for repair. The guy at the first shop we went into seemed to know what needed to be done so we entrusted him with the computer. He gave me a rough quote of 3000 rupees and thought it would be ready by 5:00pm. Our next stop was Snowland where I always go to get my North Fake gear. They always give a reasonable price without the need to haggle. I picked up a pair of XL shorts for 500 rupees ($5.50), a good quality poncho with zippers (500 rupees) and a small case for my toiletries. They asked me to come back around 6:00pm and they would have another pair of shorts and a down puffer jacket for me. Last stop before lunch was the Himalayan Trailfinder agency to book a two day white water rafting trip. At approximately $50 each including meals and transport you can’t argue about the quality of the trip. We will also use them to book our trip to Chitwan National Park.
Lunch was taken at another old favourite the Pumpernickel Cafe. James and I opted for a bread roll with ham and goats cheese which was sensational. Afterwards we trolled numerous stores looking for a down puffer jacket that would comfortably encircle James’ girth. In the end we gave up and went to the genuine North Face store where he picked up the real article in a perfect size for 6000 rupees. It wasn’t worth going back to the house so we killed an hour by slurping two rounds of blended ice lemon drink at the Java cafe.
The netbook was ready and appears to be functioning perfectly again. I now have a better version of Windows 7 and they also loaded Microsoft Office 2007 as well as restoring all my old files. Total cost was about $33 which would not even get me through the front door of a computer repair shop in Brisbane. At Snowland they had my shorts ready and a jacket for 2800 rupees. I also picked up a genuine Buff (goes on your head) from Mountain Hardware for $20.
This evening we are a little worn out so Michelle has suggested a restaurant within walking distance of her house. I knew I would be in for a good experience as the name of the restaurant was “Alice”. There was a great ambience to the restaurant and the salad that I had was excellent. Michelle’s house mate has gone away for the weekend so I have been upgraded to her bed on the second floor with James.
Sunday 29th September - Kool in Kathmandu
This morning has been real lazy as we just lounged around the house. Chef James cooked up an amazing omelette which I gorged down. Around lunch time we headed back into Thamel conclude our business. We paid 8500 rupees for 2 nights and 3 days at the Tiger Camp in Chitwan. The price includes accommodation, meals and activities. Michelle is now considering joining us in Pokhara and Chitwan. Another superb lunch at the Pumpernickel and blended ice lemon drink and our day in Thamel was complete.
After purchasing some supplies at Michelle’s local supermarket we picked up James’ T-shirts that he had put in for repair. It may be the best value of the whole trip as the ripped T’s were repaired for 100 rupees ($1.10). James and I had an early meal at Alice’s as we have an early start in the morning.
Monday 1st October – Trisuli River
In the middle of the night James’ spicy chicken wrap caught up with him. His sphincter was emptied three times and he looks a little drawn in the face. The Imodium should see him through the bus trip ahead. Michelle found us an early morning taxi which dropped us off at the tourist bus stand around 6:30. After struggling and pushing our way down the narrow footpath we located our conveyance among the long line of buses. It was the usual slow trip through the environs of Kathmandu and then the familiar potholed highway down the mountain range. The highway follows the Trisuli River and at 11:30 the bus pulled over approximately 13 km from Mugling.
The rafters stopped for lunch which consisted of tuna, coleslaw, baked beans and fruit. The rapids have been quite mild and suspect that this section of the river is made to order for the Chinese tourists. Nevertheless we had a lot of fun swimming and having splashing fights with the other rafters. Our rafting for the day was all over after two hours. We are the only ones doing a two day rafting trip and are a little concerned that tomorrow we will have another late start and do it all over again. James and I waited while the gear was packed into a small ute. He jumped into the back with the rafting boys who whooped it up all the way to where we started from.
Back at rafting headquarters which is fairly basic James and I looked forlorn. Our spirits picked up when the manager said that we could have an early breakfast and shoot some rapids with just us and three guides. After that bit of news even the mosquitoes did not annoy us. The old chef who turned out to be 15 years younger than me produced a bowl of freshly cooked popcorn and hot water for coffee. He followed this up with noodle soup, chicken and dal baht. We had a couple of Gorkha beers and then adjourned to our tent that was set up on the river bank. The only noise was the sound of cicada’s, the rushing river and me grunting due to the rocks under my sleeping mat.
Tuesday 2nd October – Adrenalin Rapids
I feel surprisingly refreshed after a broken night’s sleep due to the rocky ground and punctuated by light rain and James dashing for the shelter of a large boulder. Unfortunately, through the night he had to squat a couple of times by the edge of the river. We were called up for a breakfast of eggs and pancake before boarding the ute for our little adventure.
At 8:30 we piled onto our raft and it wasn’t long before we hit the first series of rapids. The first two were called Twin Rock and Ladies Delight. After we passed through Landslide the adrenalin kicked in as we negotiated Monsoon, Upset and Second Upset. The force of the water was so strong that the big man James who was sitting at the front was knocked backwards. We were totally drenched from the waves that were created by the turbulence from the rapids. Our last rapid was called Surprise which made me think of Gomer Pyle. Our fun was all over by 9:45 but we had a much better time than the day before. After changing out of our wet gear the cook rustled up some lunch for us. The rafting crew are a good bunch of guys who like to have fun but at the same time they are aware of the safety of the customers. We definitely had $50 worth of value but I would consider paying more next time and go with a company that has a more permanent camp setup with more time actually rafting.
We negotiated with the manager to stop a tourist bus for our trip to Pokhora rather than a crowded local all stops bus. It cost us an extra 500 rupees and when he pulled over a near empty bus emblazoned with an Open Heart Tours we were on our way. Hopefully we will not need open heart surgery when we reach Pokhara. I would have to say that this has been my best journey to Pokhara. There were no accidents or unforseen delays and we arrived at a very sensible 2:30pm.
We both wanted a little luxury for the next two nights so we have taken a top floor room at the Peace Plaza Hotel for $US45 a night. The room has a view of the lake and comes with satellite television (if we need it) and air conditioning. After a couple of quick phone calls home we headed off in search of a porter. The hotel eventually offered us a rate of $US12 a day for each porter which we have accepted. I am sure we could have found a cheaper rate however our trek will only be 10 to 12 days so it wasn’t worth the hassle. They will also arrange our trekking permits, Annapurna Sanctuary pass and a taxi to Phedi which is our starting point. Nothing to do now except go out and enjoy a nice cheap Indian dinner at the Punjabi Restaurant. Both of us could not finish what was an excellent meal.
Wednesday 2nd October – Poking Around Pokhara
We had a very comfortable night’s sleep compared to our previous night. Breakfast was included in our room rate so we chose the Trekkers breakfast which had juice, muesli, eggs with hash browns, toast with jam as well as coffee. This would normally cost 280 rupees ($3). I have decided to spend the morning bringing the diary up to date, lucky you. James has tracked down some granola bars for energy whilst trekking.
After a relaxing lunch we hired some sleeping bags for 60 rupees a day. We may need them if the tea houses along the route run out of blankets as this is the start of the busy season. The rest of the afternoon was spent just chilling. Whilst I was on the rooftop I did notice that there had been a collision between two motorcycles. The Nepalese crowd gathered around the accident like crows feasting on a piece of road kill. They just stood in the middle of the road as if they were on a picnic. The traffic just had to veer around them. For dinner we feasted on a large piece of steak which will have to suffice while we are on the trail.
Thursday 3rd October – Let the Trekking Begin
Phedi to Landruk (1030 ascent, 540 descent)
Our day started when we met our two porters Tip and Gurung. Our transport to Phedi is a very nice Fiat sedan. On arrival at Phedi we donned our ponchos as it was raining. Not a nice way to start trekking but the weather was cool. The elevation here is 1130 metres and at 8:45 we started walking up to Dhampus Village which is about 500 metres higher. Even with the cloud cover we had great views of the valley and nearby mountains. The trail then climbed through a rhododendron forest as it followed the ridgeline to Pothana (1990m). We stopped here for an early lunch and to have our trekking card checked and stamped. Our lunch of soup and spring rolls was whipped up fairly quickly. It cost us 400 rupees each and was delicious.
After 6.5 hours of walking James and I are feeling remarkably well. Not too bad for a couple of government fat cats. It must have been the high altitude training that we did in Tibet. Hopefully we will still feel this way in ten days time. We have placed our dinner order which is nearly an exact repeat of lunch. My theory is that if you eat plenty of garlic or onion soup then you are unlikely to pick up an influenza type bug. On the health scene James seems to have recovered from his regular jaunts to the toilet. An early night tonight as our porter wants to start trekking by 7:00am. We will have to wait and see if his plan comes to fruition.
Friday 4th October – Landruk to Sinuwa (1000m ascent, 610m descent)
Up just after 6:00am and we were lucky enough to see the snow capped Annupurnas in the distance. It was short lived as the clouds obscured them by 7:00am. It started to rain last night at 2:00am and was still raining during breakfast. We were still off to an early start at 7:30am and to our relief it stopped raining. Down, down, down we went until reaching a small wooden suspension bridge beside a lovely waterfall. The trail was thick with leeches and both James and I had to remove a couple of these little bloodsuckers. James also took a fall when he slipped on a rock whilst going downhill. The trail then wound its way through some thick jungle. After crossing the New Bridge (Naya Pul) we arrived at Himal Qu (1410m). It was here that I discovered I’d left my towel back at the lodge. I immediately sprinted back for over an hour to retrieve it. Only joking, I’ll just have to buy another.
From this point the trail ascends steeply towards Chhomrong. After a steep climb we stopped for a rest break at Jhinu Danda (1750m). It is very humid and James is sweating buckets. He is dripping that much sweat that you would think he has just come out of a shower without drying himself. We continued slogging upwards and arrived at the upper section of Chhomrong (2210m) just after 12:00 noon. Both of us need some fuel and a little rest as it has been a hard 4.5 hours.
After a hearty lunch of spring roll and garlic and onion soup we were off to Sinuwa. The break has not done me any good as the ligament in my right knee is quite sore on this downhill section. In the lower section of Chhomrong I noticed a store selling a few towels. The quick dry towels were a little small so I ended up purchasing a normal old towel for 400 rupees. The trail descended down over 150m on a stone staircase before crossing the Chhomrong Kola on a swaying suspension bridge. The trail then went up for about 90 minutes through forests of bamboo and rhododendron. We are really starting to feel it in our legs and were relieved when the Sinuwa Lodge at (2340m) came into view. James reckons he has lost 3 to 5 kg after today’s walk.
Saturday 5th October – Sinuwa to Deorali (960m ascent, 140m descent)
Up early this morning and we were treated to a great view of Annapurna South, Machhapuchhare (Fishtail) and Hiunchuli. Another big day of trekking awaits us so we hit the trail at 7:10. The first section was downhill and my knee ligament was feeling good so I powered down the steps like an agile 20 year old. The trail continued to descend down a steep slippery staircase, no slips this time into a deep bamboo and rhododendron forest before arriving at the village of Bamboo (2310m).
A quick rest and we were soon climbing steeply through the forest. Occasionally the trail dropped slightly to cross tributary streams on narrow bridges that were made from tree trunks. After about two and a half hours of walking we reached Doban (2500m). The sun was out so that gave us an opportunity for a drink and the chance to remove our boots and wiggle the toes. I’m still suffering from the burning feet syndrome (Ann Hill knows this problem) and the short break seems to rejuvenate them. We are slightly ahead of schedule as we powered onto the Himalayan Hotel (2840m). We had been going for about 1hour when to our disgust the heavens opened up. Out came the ponchos and the rain jacket for the bags. Luckily for us it was only another 20 minutes to our lunch destination which we arrived at 11:30. By this time the rain was really tumbling down so it was good to get the usual soup into us.
At 1:00 we decided to kick onto our next destination which is supposed to be 90 minutes away. The trail is really rocky in this section so I settled in behind one of the lodge porters who were setting a good steady pace. These guys are amazing as they carry in all the supplies including steel 9 to 12 kg gas bottles for the trekking lodges. Some are wearing gum boots but quite a few are just in thongs.
Tip will deserve his tip (ha, ha) as all the accommodation in Deorali was gone by the time that I arrived. Once again we have a hot shower for the bargain price of 150 rupees. Feeling clean and refreshed we have broken out our puffer jackets and long johns for me as all this rain has made it quite cold. Tip has brought the dinner menu to our room so we have chosen the garlic soup again but have broken with tradition and ordered a dal baht. That should really fill us up with carbohydrates. Another early night as Tip is determined to have us on the trail by 7:00.
Sunday 6th October – Deorali to Annapurna Base Camp (990m ascent)
During the night after I had been to the toilet I thought I felt something scurry across my feet. Not long afterwards James was woken up by a rustling noise near his Granola bars. A greedy little mouse was happily gnawing on tomorrows snacks. Up at 6:00am again but the good news was that it had stopped raining. Tip our porter has forged ahead in an attempt to secure us a room at Annapurna Base Camp. James and I hit the trail at 7:20am and it was not long before the valley widened and became less steep. The rain started again which made the walking more arduous. The altitude is also starting to have an impact on our breathing and I for one will be glad when we reach our destination.
After two hours of walking we passed Machhapuchhure Base Camp which is just a cluster of four lodges. The trail from this point could have been very pleasant but the rain which has increased in intensity has turned the track into a quagmire. There is still 430 metres to ascend and the cold wind is gusting directly into our faces. The trail follows a stream through what I would call an alpine meadow. There were also a couple of flocks of sheep quietly grazing away.
After lunch the clouds rolled in and we thought that was the end of mountain gazing for the day. My netbook has died again which makes us think that it is allergic to extreme cold weather. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and deciding what we would have for dinner. The excitement for the day was not over and just after 5:00pm there was a break in the clouds. For around 30 minutes there were great views of most of the major peaks that surround base camp.
Monday 7th October – Annapurna Base Camp to Sinuwa (30m ascent, 1810m descent)
Just after 5:00am Tip knocked on our door and said that the sky was clear and there were no clouds in sight. James and II bolted out of bed and were greeted with a stunning view of all the peaks silhouetted against a starry sky. After taking a few photographs we adjourned for an early breakfast. When the sun crept over Fishtail it lit up the snowy peaks. We could have stared at this scene for hours but there is a big walk in front of us today. Starting off at 7:20am we dawdled down the valley to MBC taking photographs along the way.
James definitely needed a hot shower and managed to get in front of a few Chinese. They obviously do not know the meaning of a quick shower as the ones that followed James took at least 20 minutes each. They can be polite but culturally it is their nature to queue jump, push and shove. James can’t stand it! Our estimate is that 75% of the trekkers that we have encountered are from China. They tend to have a two week break from the first of October as this coincides with their national holiday. If I come to Nepal again I would probably choose mid to late October to avoid the Chinese crush.
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