Nepal - Day 57 - Trekking Day 14

Lobuje to Gorek Shep गोराशप, and climb Kala Pattar

Some clouds

At last, the big day. The reason we'd all come this way and gone through so much hardship and deprivation.  The day we would get our closest, best view of Everest, and the highest point in the world, and our highest day in altitude reaching 5545m.

[the height of Kala Pattar is a little disputed, but I am typing here from my diary and the heights given in Lonely Planet at the time - see link]

It was a worrying start with clouds down the valley. I wasn't in the best of moods because just after I've got to sleep people started getting up to arrive early at Gorek Shep to climb Kala Patar. Although they were quiet as could be expected, it was still impossible to sleep.  I tend to be a person who likes and needs his sleep~~

Breakfast in the cold lodge (4930m)
Gump, Cindy, Robin & Paul (L to R)

Breakfast was pretty good and we packed and headed for Gorek Shep (5160m).  The clouds cleared a bit and the first part of the walk was reasonably level following the broad Khumbu Valley.  After resting by a huge boulder it was a gruelling climb up a steep hill and here we left Paul way behind. The altitude was affecting as all differently, the main problem being left short of breath and having to stop and pant on any strenuous uphill section.

Trail north to Gorak Shep

The trail became very uneven as it went over an active glacial moraine. Usually the path was well defined, but occasionally had to look out for the cairns to find the way.  We passed over fast flowing stream which was 20% ice. To freeze it must get very cold.

Looking down on the Khumbu Glacier on the way to Gorak Shep

Kalar Pattar (our destination at 5545m) is the brown peak in the foreground
with Pumori (7145m) towering and snow covered behind

Partly frozen stream

We arrived at Gorek Shep (Nepali: गोराशप), a small settlement inhabited during the trekking season, soon after 10 a.m. and had a quick rest. Paul arrived much later and so Robin, Gump and I set off while he was still resting.  The walk up the peak was one of the most demanding things I've ever asked of my body, although I seem to have a acclimatised to the altitude really well and made the summit at 12:05pm; a time of just one hour 20 minutes, half an hour before the others.

The last section was rocky making it hard to walk with any rhythm.  Not that you could go for it anyway as after every four of five steps you felt dizzy and your head started pounding.

A few seconds rest cleared it and you could continue. The rest due to admire how high you’d come, but more importantly to look out at Everest, which became ever more and more in to view as you ascended. I wondered how on earth you would want climb so high, I was struggling enough at this height.

The top was not at all how I expected. I imagined a round peak, instead it's a rock jutting out with huge drops on either side. I was dizzy enough just from the altitude and didn't need vertigo to add to my head's problems. I stayed at the very top for less than ten seconds and then had to return a bit lower where I fely more secure.  I wasn't concerned when more people coming up forced me down another metre so to an even safer position.

I stayed up there for about an hour admiring the views and taking photographs.  There were a number of large crows who performed some amazing aerobatics as they waited for crumbs from the climbers.  They got none of the Snickers bar Gump had thoughtfully brought up for each of us though.  Never  will chocolate be so welcome and taste so good again.

Nathan reach the summit soon after us and with him we walked along the ridge to the north.  By the time I’d got to the end of the ridge I had a banging headache and was feeling quite nauseous.  My stomach churned and I had to squat behind some rocks.  The act of getting back up made my head swim, but thankfully the path down was short and sweet.  The walk back across the sand and up a little hill to the lodge was perhaps on the 150m but felt like walking across the entire Sahara Desert.

I collapsed in the shade and returned a hat I’d found on the mountain to a 68 year old Englishman who with his wife had multiple sclerosis had also reach the summit that morning. They shamed me to make no comment on my pathetic state and after a few glasses of hot lemon water with sugar I felt better again.  I was dehydrated which I had already realised as my symptoms had started on the descent meaning it was unlikely to be altitude sickness.

The British group who had met in Jiri turned up and I spoke to them for a while.  They had seen Damien earlier in the day and he’d successfully made it to Lobuje.

The sun went behind a ridge at 3:30 p.m. and the temperature plummeted to probably below zero, so we huddled into the dining room where the yaks dung brazier soon had it cosy and warm. We played cards and by 4:30 p.m. the kerosene lamps were lit and dinner was being served. The woman who ran the lodge (the name for such people seems to be Didi) was brilliant with her baby, which never uttered a sound, strapped to her back under her coat.  She managed to produce gorgeous food at amazing rate on one burner.

We played cards and talked for a while, but slowly after 7:30 p.m. people started to drift to bed. The dormitory was unheated and it was a cold, cold night. Getting into the sleeping bag was torture, but my hired down sleeping bag is great and I was soon snug and warm.

Due to my dehydration I drank gallons of hot lemon sugar water, encouraged by Robin who is envious of my ability to go through the night without having to get up to empty my bladder, a symptom of high altitude.

However this night he got his wish and 2:30 a.m. I found myself outside in long johns and t-shirt admiring the stars I've never seen so abundant or bright. Needless to say, I didn't stay out there too long as it was probably well below zero [I later found it was -15 degrees C that night]

Nepal - Day 52 - Trekking Day 9 - Acclimatisation day in Namche

Clear at first; cloudy later

At long, long last a chance to lie in, but my bladder let me down and by 9am I had to get up.  We had a leisurely breakfast while Damien had gone off shopping.

Once he returned the rest of us set out with the aim of getting our trekking permits stamped by the police.

We ended up walking up to the ridge and along the path we must take the next day, and were rewarded with an amazing view to the north of Nuptse (7,879m) and Lhotse (8,501m) - finally some of the really big boys!  We could also see the trial to Tengboche and the monistery and surrounding buildings on another ridge - it didn't seem too far away.  Unfortunately, the view of Everest was still obscured by cloud.

View from the hotel window of Transerku (6,608m)

Nepal - Day 51 - Trekking Day 8 - Phakding to Namche Bazaar

Phakding to Namche Bazaar

Mix of sun & clouds

This was to be the shortest day's walk so far as we headed to the "town" of Namche Bazaar and a somewhat higher sleeping altitude of almost 3,500m.

The day started quite easily with porridge and omelettes for breakfast before setting off again to follow the Dudh Kosi Valley north.  We soon crossed over to the west bank on a good suspension bridge and half an hour later back again on a very rickety one.  At Mogo we entered the Sagarmatha* National Park.

Sherpa porters often carrying up to 85kgs - incredible!

We followed close to the river for a while and then had to make a steep but short climb up to a frighteningly high suspension bridge to cross the river again.  I was wary of yaks coming the other way and pushing me off.

Scary suspension bridges 

Damien halfway across....

Yaks safely across without knocking anyone off

We realised that we had barely climbed in altitude at all so far that day, but we had some 700m to go vertically from the lowest point, so it was a long, long slog up the hill and we all got spread out as we kept to our own pace.  It was hot and seemed a long time before Namche came into sight, but it was a beautiful town set on a steep hillside and it was weird to be in semi-civilisation again.

We went to a restaurant called Thawa for lunch and ordered some food which took ages and ages to come and wasn't actually that good to eat.  On the next table were a group of Americans who had been climbing Pumo Ri (7,145m).  They had failed miserably in their quest as the weather that had brought us clouds lower down had brought snow here higher up and further north.

They were an obnoxious and loud bunch and we prayed for the food to be served quickly.

We found a cony little hotel called Sun Sites with a good view and vegged there for the afternoon enjoying the start of our altitude acclimatisation period.

I phoned home to wish Helen, my sister, good luck on her impending move to the USA, thinking after the group we had met at lunch that she would need it :), however, she wasn't in and I spoke only to mum.  It was a bit of a complicated process to make the call, but the line was surprisingly good.

Robin & I tried yak steak for our evening meal, which was a bit tough, but the accompanying roast potatoes were excellent.

*Sagarmatha ( सगरमाथा ) is Nepalese for Mount Everest

Nepal - Day 50 - Trekking Day 7 - Puiyan to Phakding

Puiyan to Phakding

Cool  & Cloudy, cleared later on

WE set off about 8:30am (quite good for us) having squared the bill and bought biscuits for the walk.  It was quite a steep ascent at first to a ridge at 2,800m and then another higher one from which we could see Lukla and its steeply sloping runway.  It looked a very frightening airport and I was now dreading our return flight booked for 11th November.

It was cold as you hit the ridges and occasional spots of rain fell as we descended to the small village of Surke at 2,293m.  Fearing it may rain later, we plodded on going back up hill, but now as high as Lukla, instead following the path around and below the town until we got to the town of Chaunrikharka.  It took a little while but eventually we found a place for daal-baht at the Oriental lodge.  It was a very simple place with a couple of tiny old folks and their two beautiful granddaughters (so we guessed).  While the food was prepared Damian and I played with two young lads outside.  The skies cleared a little and we could see a range of mountains to the east which studying the map we thought would be from Tashing Dingma (5,303m) north to Zair Pass (4,580m) and Gonglha (5,833m).  These hulks of black rock were covered with a powdering of snow.

AS we carried on after lunch we could see the impressive pyramid peak of Karyolung (6,681m) and further up the valley (6,858m) again both covered in snow.  We were getting excited to be getting among the big mountains now, and we got better views of them as we carried on up the valley passing through the village of ghat and onto Phakding which we arrived at around 4:30pm.

While the views became ever better, the character of the trail worsened.  Many people fly into Lukla to save on over a week of their trip walking up as we had done.  They were easy to spot in their clean, expensive clothes, shaven faces and most with ski poles to aid walking.  The average age of trekkers also doubled and the range of nationalities became much more international.  I guess we were somewhat resentful that it had changed from backpackers hiking along to a larger commercial enterprise with tourists.

We stayed at Kumba Travellers Lodge.  We were scold on this place by the promise of a heated dining room, advertisements of electricity (which failed soon after dark as they were solar powered and there had been little sun of late), and the promise of hot water brought to your room in the morning (which never arrived)!

However, it was a cosy place none-the-less and the owners were friendly.  Their kids were a pain, but the food was good with their apple pie even having cinnamon in it - a nice touch and rare treat.

We spent the evening talking to the owner on the subject of the many porters who carry goods up and down the route.  He told us they carry as much as 85kg using a strap across their forehead, but the pay is still not good and they barely have enough for food and other necessities.

The sky was crystal clear again as we went to bed, but that meant it was very cold as you climbed into your sleeping bag.

Nepal - Day 49 - Trekking Day 6 - Khari Khola to Puiyan

Khari Khola to Puiyan

Cool & Cloudy

It was really cold when I woke up and depressingly the sky was cloudy.  It was hard to get out of bed, but we eventually managed and had a good breakfast of porridge and an omelette.  We are all eating huge amounts and double portions as our bodied cry out for calories, and we are glad the prices for food are so cheap.

Steve & Deland, the English/Hong Kong couple set off with their porter Telat long before us and we were rather ashamed that it was 9:15am before we finally got under-way.

There were some cute kids playing hop-scotch and negar (where the person who is "it" has to hit you below the knee with a ball).

We descended the 60m to the river at 2,010m and then it was an agonisingly long and steep climb of 300m altitude to the town of Bupsa.  We stopped here only for a rest, although we needed quite a long one.  There were some kids around and Robin entertained them (and us) with his stick trying to perform tricks (he'll never make it in the circus) and Damian performed on the didgeridoo.

The agony was far from over as there was another 600m vertically to climb.  The trail was occasionally less steep, but it was heart pounding stuff.  With the damp weather and views mostly obscured by the forest, it was hard to enjoy this day as much as we had the others.  The temperature varied from warm & humid to cold & windy and it was never particularly pleasant.

At long last around 2pm we had reached the top of the hardest hill so far and rounded a ridge to give a view of Puiyan, our destination for the day, on the other side of the valley.  The trail was now much more pleasant and the trees were picturesque in their autumn colours of yellows and browns.  Even the evergreen firs were colourful as they had ferns and other plants growing out of their moss covered trunks which were dying back for the impending winter months.

We stopped by a little steam and Paul got out his stove and Robin his freeze dried hikers' food and we did a bit of cooking.  It was a nice change and the noodles and pasta in a cheesy sauce tasted great.

The fog rolled in and made it chilly, so we decided to have tea when we got to Puiyan and it wasn't too long before we arrived.

After looking around Damian decided on the Yellow Cafe for us to stay which looked snug and homely, which indeed it turned out to be.  The five of us had become quite a close team and we all ordered the same of hot lemon water, garlic soup, fried rice with veg and egg and then shared a banana cake and an apple cake, which were delicious.  Still craving food we had chocolate bars to finish off with.

We were amazed that the lady could prepare all this under the light of one small candle with only the occasional beam of her torch to see what she was doing.  She was very friendly and her little son, who we names "namaste" as this was all he said over and over again, was cute, but seemed a bit spoilt by his mum.

We didn't stay up too late as it seemed we were keeping them from going to bed, though this may have been mistaken as the kid was still making a racket an hour later.

Nepal - Day 48 - Trekking Day 5 - Nuntala to Khari Khola

Map   Numtala to Khari Khola

Cloudy

The Pesky Czechs were making a right old racket early in the morning, but they set off before we'd even finished breakfast.  We aimed for 8am and actually got out of town by 8:30am - not too bad for our group.

Robin and I witnessed the town stud get his lady - cattle that is.  The female's neck had been put in a Y-shaped bit of wood and held there while the bull was led up behind.  It was all over in five seconds and she didn't seem too impressed...


The first half of the day was downhill and the going wasn't too bad most of the way with just a few very steep bit, but we were slowed by Damian's knee which was still bad.  Many of the houses were pretty with marigolds all around.


Gump, Paul & I had a good conversation about computers which looking back seems a strange conversation, considering our surroundings.


Near the lower part of our day's trek, we had a quick cup of tea, but there were lots of flies around so we quickly continued on crossing the Dudh Kosi (Milk River) at our lowest point on the walk at 1,500m, 350m below our starting point at Jiri, making our earlier climb up to 3,530m seem a bit of a waste.


[You will see we were a bit obsessed with the altitude we were at.  Of course it was important to know for safety's sake, but also it was very exciting and would get scary later]


This was the end of the eastwards part of the trek, which now turned north and into the Dudh Kosi Valley.  We'd seen some peaks further up the valley all day and now really felt we were getting close to the big mountains.


You crossed the river on a suspension bridge and below you could see the old bridge which had been washed away in a flood.  It must have been quite a flood at the moorings were well above the river's current level and we could sense we were entering Mother Nature's realm with all her awesome power now.


It was about half an hour trip up to a beautiful tea-house for lunch in the village of Jubling at 1,680m and the five of us and Michael enjoyed veg-fried-rice although it took a while to come.


Damian hired a young guy to porter his back-pack to ease the stain on his knee, while I was getting used to carry the didgeridoo by now, and we continued up the hill which was pretty steep and hard work in the humid weather.


Eventually we rounded a corner and the village of Khari Khola  lay before us.  We decided to stop at this view point and use Paul's camping burner he'd been carrying and not had chance to use to make a cup of tea and eat chocolate cake we had bought a bit lower down.


It was a lovely spot and I reflected how lucky I had been to meet up with a great bunch of people to share this adventure.  We were joing by two excellent little lads who seemed fascinated by us preparing tea as we were.  It was still early as this was an easy day's hike, so we sat around for quite a while, enjoying where we were and drinking our tea which we'd made was a bit rubbish being far too strong, but was too minor a thing to ruin the good mood.


As Paul, Robin & I who were in the lead walked the last stretch into town we were confronted by a group of eight young kids singing and dancing in Nepali.  They were super and Robin taped them on his Dictaphone and we danced along with them.  One lad, the boldest, was really an excellent dancer and another girl had a powerful voice - you could tell she would be a firey character when she grows up.


We stayed the night in the Tashi Delek Lodge in Khari Khola at 2,070m.  We thought we had lost the Pesky Czechs and the Crazy Koreans as they had gone on ahead.  Instead we shared the lodge with a couple who live in Devon, but who had met in Hong Kong.  She is Hong Kong Chinese and they were both very pleasant if slightly mad.  They provided an entertaining evening.

Nepal - Day 47 - Trekking Day 4 - Junbesi to Nuntala

Map   Junbesi to Numtala
Cloudy

We were even worse at setting off early on this day mainly due to Damian wanting to send off a letter from this somewhat remote post office.  Paul joined us making us a five now and we eventually got going at 9am having completed the formalities of signing the police register.

After a few minutes of downhill it was a steep ascent through a forest, but it soon levelled out to a more gentle climb all the way up to Everest View Sherpa lodge (3,080m).  Unfortunately our first chance to see Everest was blocked by thick clouds although we could see some impressive peaks further east.

[We late found out that these clouds were causing big storms on the mountains and led to some deaths in a Japanese team]

It was disappointing, but on the way up that morning we had spoken with an English girl heading back down, and she reported that as she had come through this view point it was raining hard and they couldn't even see the other side of the valley (good job we started late!).  She was lovely, but wouldn't shut up and we got the impression she had been a bit starved for company the past few days as she returned alone.

The trail gently descended to Salung at 2,980m which we reached by 11am.  Here we spoke briefly to an old man before continuing down to Ringmo Khola (Khola means river) at 2.650m which we crossed on a suspension bridge.  For a while we'd been walking with a lady with a baby in a basket on her back.

It was a steep but short walk up to Ringmo.  We witnessed a boy of about 6 years old riding on the back of a goat.  To get it to move he lashed it on the head with a thick stick!

Ringmo proved to be a nice little place with lots of apple orchards.  We avoided the frst lodge because the Czechs ("Pesky Czechs" we called them - quite a big group who we occasionally ran into) were there, and instead went to the next place, but the "Crazy Koreans" had got there first and had their order in before us.  Having arrived at 12:45pm it was 2:30pm before our dal-baht and excellent apple pie was eaten and we were back on the way.

It only took ½hour to get to the top of the Trakshindo Pass at 3,071m where there is a chorten, and the gateway to the Khumba Valley.

It was a long long descent to Nuntala, made much longer as we had to wait long periods for Damian to catch up as his knee was worryingly giving him pain.

It was after dark by the time we arrived, being after 6pm, and we were lucky the moon was full to give us some illumination.

We had sent Robin ahead and he had found us a decent lodge where we spent a good evening with the five of us, plus Michael, telling travelling tales.

I stayed up "late" again along with Paul, both of us keen to catch up on our diaries.

---

So far I was really enjoying the trek.  It was hard work, but the scenery is breathtaking and the locals and the other trekkers are fun and great people.

Still it was a long long way still to go...

Nepal - Day 46 - Trekking Day 3 - Sete to Junbesi

Map  Sete to Junbesi (coming soon)
Hot & Sunny

Our hopes and plans of setting off early soon went out of the window, but breakfast was excellent consisting of apple porridge (you don't get too many bananas at 2,500m!) and we left the lads running the New Everest Hotel at around 8am back on the path.

Saying our farewells to the welcoming guys who ran Hotel Sunrise, Sete

We arrived at Dagcho at about 2,950m on schedule 1¼ hours later where we met two guys, one of whom wasn't very well.  In fact we had met quite a few people suffering from stomach upsets, and soon afterwards all of Robin's former bounce was gone as he made frequent trips to toilets or bushes, bright pink toilet roll in his hand.

By the time we had got to Goyem 350m higher up the steep hillside he was very pale.  The other three of us, however, were feeling much stronger than the previous days and although it was only 10am, Damian & I were ravenous and had to have a cheese omelette, which was unfortunately very greasy.

Robin isn't one to give up however and we pressed on.  It was very hot and the going steep, but eventually we came to a mani wall and get some great views.  We could now see another snow capped peak, Konaklemo at 4267m and also all the way back to Kosaribus Pass & Bhandar.  We'd come a long way!

Looking all the way back to Kosaribus Pass & Bhandar.

There were many pretty blue flowers around, the first we had seen for some time.

Many helicopters were flying overhead and now that we were quite high they were very close and noisy.  In fact we commented there were so many coming back and forth that day it was like being on Heathrow flight path.

Helicopters buzzing over head on this day

Looking north to Konaklemo (4267m) with a helicopter at about our height flying through the valley

Flowers

There were some little tea houses just before the top of the pass but we didn't stay long.  There was a bit of deforestation around here, but not as bad as the guide book had made out.

Damian

Me admiring the view.

The path teased us for another half an hour going up & down a little until eventually we popped out at the Lamjura Pass at 3,530m marked by prayer flags and piles of stones.

Lamjura Pass at 3,530m - we would not be this high again until reaching Namche Bazaar

L to R Robin, Gump, Michael (crouching), me & Damian

We had a group photo along with Michael, the English bloke we had met at Sete.

Of course after a pass it is downhill, this time through a pine forest which at least shaded the sun, but it was a long long way down, around 400m loss of altitude.  The guide said we would open into meadows, but a few small fields teased us with false starts on the way down and we were then back in the forest and descending again.

Michael descending from the pass

Damian with the didgeridoo descending though the forests

Eventually we emerged and soon got to the small settlement of Tragdobuk (2,860m) with a beautifully carved rock and a chorten.

Robin, Gump and me

Tragdobuk (2,860m)

The kids here were really cute, but we didn't stop, instead walking along the reasonably level path to a large rock we could see - our next landmark which had some colourful script on it.

The path follows the left hand side of the valley to a large rock - our next landmark

Not long after we crossed a little ridge and rounded a corner to see Junbesi in the side valley below us.

Looking down to Junbesi, our stopping point for the night, but already in the shade of the valley

It was already 4pm and it didn't look too far, but actually turned out to be quite a long walk and a considerable drop down to the village.  Further up the valley we could see an impressive looking settlement and towering in the background a snow capped peak, though we could not make out from the map exactly which one.

We had arrived with daylight to spare for once, but my hopes of writing my diary in the afternoon sun were shot as Junbesi was already in the shadows of the valley sides.

Junbesi, however, is a pleasant little place and we checked into the oldest lodge in town where Edmund Hillary has stayed in the past (there is his signature on a prayer flag to prove it).

A lovely lodge.  The shower was luke-warm, but the dining room was heated and I stayed there until the very late hour of 10pm, trying to write up my journal, but talking to an Aussie guy called Paul from Tasmania.

Nepal - Day 45 - Trekking Day 2 - Bhandar to Sete

Map Bhandar to Sete
Hot & Sunny

I actually wasn't too stiff the next morning which surprised me and had an excellent breakfast of banana porridge again.  The lady who ran the lodge seemed to not want us to go and gave us free cups of tea.  They were a lovely family and had Damien perform on his didgeridoo again so it was 8am before we set off.

We walked just two minutes before having to sign the police register, but soon we were back into the swing of things as we gently descended for a while.

What had been torture the night before was now a pleasant walk with plasters on my blistered toes and rested limbs.  We passed some houses with beautiful flowers all around them and many cute kids who asked for, "photo" of which I was only too willing to oblige.  Many asked for "pen", "sweets", "one rupee", but didn't seem too upset when we said no.

The trail then dropped quite steeply for a while which is much harder than going up hill on the legs if not on the lungs.  Eventually we made it down to a stream which the path then roughly followed before eventually crossing to the other side where we stopped for a rest and some biscuits, meeting some French middle-aged people and some Koreans.

Once we set back off we descended until crossing a suspension bridge at 1,510m over the Likhu Khola River.. The trail followed the river going upstream for quite a away and the path only went up and down slightly, which seemed a nice change, but once across another bridge it was a steeper climb over a spur.  Here we were hindered by a very small woman and a young boy who pestered us for quite a while for pens, water, a play on the didgeridoo, sweets, sun glasses, etc etc... Eventually they fell behind us (not that we were storming along that fast) and we reached the nice little village of Kenja where it was time to take the boots off and have dal-baht at the New Everest Hotel.  The food was excellent and the people very friendly.

After lunch we had a very steep climb up the next hill.  It was very hot and I sweated like a pig.  It seemed to take us for ages.  The guide book said it would level off slightly as we ascended, but that was hardly noticeable.  Hard as the climb was it was still enjoyable.

Eventually we entered the clouds and when you stopped it became much cooler.  Just after 5pm we finally got to Sete and chose the first lodge, which was run by two young lads from Jiri.  When we later got talking to them, we learnt that they stayed up here year round and paid Rs3500 per month rent to their landlord.

They were friendly chaps and excellent cooks.  Along with Damien, Gump, Robin and me, there was another English guy at the lodge from South London.;  I stayed up for a while talking to him, but it wasn't long before I needed my bed too.

Damian who I was sharing the small room with was already fast asleep.

Nepal - Day 44 - Trekking Day 1 - Jiri (जिरी) to Bhandar

Map Jiri to Bhandar
Hot & Sunny

After what seemed like weeks of planning (actually just three days) it was hard to believe that this was the day we would have to climb into our rucksacks and actually start walking.

We got up at 6:30am to the sound of cockerels crowing and the general hub-bub of the little village waking up.  Breakfast was banana porridge and hot milk tea - hopefully good for energy.  With everything finally packed and the bill paid (Rs500 for us both!) we set off down the main street - actually the only street - and on to a dirt track.  The pack didn't feel too heavy as we set off.

I was worried we would get endlessly lost, but the trail was easy to follow and after 1/4km headed up a steep hill and the going slowed somewhat.  We passed many Nepalese and said, "Namaste" to them.  Even from the start many locals were curious as to what Damien's didgeridoo was.  I'm sure they think we are mad for carrying it. Actually I am not sure they are wrong.

[PHOTOS COMING LATER]

It took us a good few hours to reach the ridge at 2400m above sea level (a climb of 540m), but the skies were crystal clear and the gradient mercifully levelled off a little towards the top.

Along the way we met and chatted through puffs of breath quite a few other trekkers, of course all excited to be on their first day too, including a large group from the Czech Republic, two girls and a guy from South Korea and some Scandinavians with rope, crampons and all the works - that looked heavy!

Next the trail descended, gently at first, but then much more steeply which was hard work especially on the knees and ankles.  I was preferring the uphill to my surprise.  We passed through Mali which was just a collection of a few buildings at 2240m and then followed a stream, crossing a little suspension bridge, which I thought meant we were at Shavalaya where we planned to have lunch, but alas, we worked out that an old wooden bridge had recently been replaced since our guide was written and we had to trundle on for another half an hour before we sighted a much larger suspension bridge which was the beacon for lunch and finally to sit down.

However we we pulled up short of the bridge having bumped into Robin & Gump (Carol), the Canadian pair from the top of the bus journey the day before.  They'd had a break somewhere before and were now heading out for the afternoon again, while Damien and I tucked into a very reasonable daal-baht lunch.  The restaurant owners and kids loved the didgeridoo and they all had a try at playing it as we rested.


Refreshed and our energy levels replenished we set off through the little village of Shivalaya and signed our names on the police register.  Then it was a grueling climb of 350m from 1,750m to a school house at Sangbadanda (2,150m).  Here we met Robin & Gump again who had stopped for lunch & we joined them for a cup of milk tea and a rest.

The four of us set off again about 2pm and the trail continued upwards, though less steeply, but still steep enough to make you pant for breath.  We saw the first of many mani walls, which are usually about 10m long, by 1m wide and 1m high and are lined by flat stones with the Buddhist inscription, “om mani padme hum”.  Most of them are over grown with weeds and not particularly exciting although the script is beautiful.

It seems to take ages to get to the next landmark, a large house with blue windows, and thankfully the trail leveled out a bit for a while afterwards.

But soon after it was a bastard steep ascent to the top of the Kosaribas Pass at 2,705m.  The little village at the top was beautiful, built around a collection of mani walls.

WE got a good photo of two little boys, but their older brother shooed them away thinking they were annoying us before I could get my black & white film camera out.

The view of the Likhu Khola Valley and Bhandar wasn’t too good as the clouds had come in and it was into these that we decended the 505m altitude to Bhandar (our ghoal for the day).

Going down hill was terrible.  I had a blister on the big toe of my right foot which hurt with every step on it.  We were all very tired and aching, and pretty much zombie-like walked down the zig-zagging path.

Robil, however was an exception, and forged ahead like a machine.  We cought up to him at a little shop where we eat tiny bananas for a last burst of energy fuel to get us to Bhandar.

Thankfully the path leveled off a bit, but it was still tourture, we were so tired.

Just before dark (5.20pm) we finally arrived at the little settlement and after a quick demonstration on the didgeridoo from Damian to entertain the locals, we got a romm for RS10 each again in the Shoba lodge run by a very friendly woman.

There was a hot shower in the kitchen which was very welcome, but was actually so scalding hot it was almost impossible to get under – a stark contract to when you got out which was freezing!

We dined on garlic soup (good for altitude sickness prevention, so we are told), fried potatoes with cheese and lots of milk tea.  An Ausiie bloke there had been along the trek and was now on his way back so we asked him losts of questions and talked about various accents of Everest itself and the many fatalities.

We were in bed by 8.30pm and soon asleep dreaming of the mountains to come.

Nepal - Day 44 - (2 x 44) - Kathmandu to Jiri (जिरी)

Map
Hot & Sunny

We got up at 4:25am

A cycle rickshaw took us in the early hours of the morning to the bus station.

We got on the wrong bus to start with, but eventually found the correct bus and our allotted seats.  The available legroom was incredibly tight and uncomfortable, and once seated I was fixed in that position.  It was soon sheer agony.

There was only one music speaker on the whole bus and to add to our woos it was right above our heads and blasting local pop.

An excellent view once was got going of the Eastern Himalaya, started to make up for our pain, including the snow-capped peaks of Ganesh Himal, Langlang Lirung and Dorje Lakpa.

Around mid-day, we stopped for dal baht which was good.  we could stand our place in the bus no longer and so took a chance to climb on the huge bus roof rack with the bags for the rest of the journey which now afforded us excellent, unlimited legroom, no Hindi pop, plus the chance to chat to a Canadian girl and guy, though if there had been an accident I'm not sure how well we would have faired.  The journey was never too fast though to unduly worry.

We eventaully arrived in Jiri just before dark (5pmish) and followed a tout to the Sagarmatha Lodge & Restaurantant the wonderful price of Rs10 per night per person (8p)  We dined on veg curry and met a Northern Irish guy and an American from Detroit.  The latter had been teaching English in Singapore.

It was early to bed again!

Nepal - Day 40 - Pokhara to Kathmandu (पोखरा to काठमांडौ)

Hot and sunny

Cool in Kathmandu

Damian went for his morning walk before I got up at 8am.  We packed and went for breakfast a Ganga's one last time.

Pokhara had been a good, relaxing place and very easy from a travelers' point of view, but at 10am we were on the mini-bus heading for Kathmandu.

We got very good seats right at the front with loads of leg room.  The road was poor to start with but improved later on.  The bus stopped for half an hour for us to take a lunch break and again when we had a puncture.  At this second unscheduled stop we watched some kids play a game similar to pool, but with counters on a board made slidy with flour. They'd obviously played this many times before because they were very good.

The last bit of the road into Kathmadu was terrible - very dusty and crowded making the pollution unbearable.

We were dropped off a kilometre from Thamel, the backpackers' area of Kathmandu and walked to the centre.  We went to find "Ned Kelly's Guest House" where Paul & Maria were to have left a message, but it had been knocked down!  For almost an hour we were surrounded by touts and had a hard time finding a room.  We ended up at Deutche Hotel for Rs200 per night (+10% tax).  The room was okay.

We ate at Helena's Restaurant in the outside section which turned out t be rather cool and I had to go back for a jumper.  Well we were at 1,400 metres (4,600 ft).  Again I couldn't finish my meal.

Thamel is a bustling area with lots of businesses catering to travelers and tourists, but it is nice enough.

Nepal - Day 39 - Pokhara (पोखरा)

Hot & Sunny

We got up early (8am) and managed to see the mountains before they disappeared behind the clouds.  We had a leisurely breakfast in one of the lakeside garden restaurants, did a bit of shopping and then hired a boat out.

We rowed (not very skillfully or fast) across to the little island on which there was a temple.  We'd just missed two goats being slaughtered, thankfully.  We rowed across to the far bank and climbed the hill to the Buddhist Monastery at the top.  The monastery was shut, but the views over the lake and Pokhara were fabulous.  We didn't hang around too long as there was a very annoying kid begging for money.

We had a good lunch at the Typical Restaurant where we'd stowed our oars and played with some tiny puppies.  The row back was very leisurely and we dived into the lake.

Damian went back to the room, but I went for another quick shop and then to "Boomerang" to write up some of this diary.  I hadn't done much when Damian reappeared and we sat there until dusk.  He has decided to come with me and do Everest Base Camp which is great news and makes life much easier,

We went back to the room and listened to some music, before a quiet meal at "Once Upon a Time".  I still don't have my full appetite back, but felt much better.

We went to bed quite early.

India - Day 2 - Delhi

Lots of rain, but warm

I hadn't slept well that night with my body clock still 5 and a half hours behind me and so fell fast asleep in the early morning, though managed to drag myself out of bed around 10am for breakfast at "Appetite Cafe" next to "lord's" of poached eggs on toast.  The toast was like cardboard and the yolks of the eggs were as white as the whites, however the coffee was damn good.

I headed down to the railway station to get a ticket out of Delhi and after finding the tourist office got a ticket easily for US$4 to Shimla further north in the foothills of the Himalayas, then returned and lunched at "Lord's" before walking for miles to Old Delhi to find Chandni Chowk which the LP describes as a "colourful shopping bazaar"  It took me over an hour to find and I had to fend off hundreds of offers from rickshaw drivers.

When at last I did find the place most of the shops were shut, apparently in response to a demonstration about the government increasing the traders' rents.

I walked down to the Red Fort which dates from the peak of the Mughal Empire built between1638 and 1648. Details of the Red Fort  After I had entered through the Lahore Gate and reached the first main building the Indian monsoon rains, which were meant to be over by now, decended in full force and I sat sheltering and rested my weary legs.

An Indian lad who called himself Rocky sat by me and started talking

India - Day 1- Arrival in Delhi

Misty with some rain,

but warm and later hot

I landed in New Delhi Airport at just after 7am.  It was very foggy and raining, but a pleasant 25'C.  The airport  was scruffy and a bit run down, but customs was reasonably efficient and hassle free.

I change some pounds to rupees and caught the government bus into the city.  I was tired from the plane journey, but excited and I guess just a little scared.  Here I was in a new country I had dreamed of for so long, all alone, knew only three words of the language [Ich, Dou, Tin = 1, 2, 3] and was here to stay for 6 months if I could.

I'd read that cows were everywhere in India, but I was surprised to see them wandering the streets as soon as the bus pulled out from the airport.  Suburban Delhi looked a little grim and foreboding under the monsoon mists as I look out through the window of my old TATA bus.

I got off at the New Delhi Railway Station and took a deep breath to face India...

I didn't fare well at first.  I was trying to find Main Bazaar in the Paharganj area using the trusty Lonely Planet guide book map, but didn't relaise I was at the wrong side of the railway station and the map was making no sense.

Easily spotting a lost tourist the auto-rickshaw drivers who were everywhere began hassling me sensing some easy money.  One guy who spoke good English beckoned me into a tourist office and said he would take me to the hotel I'd chosen at random from the Lonely Planet for Rs2 if I would just go into the office so he would get some commision.  The sun was now beating down and a crowd gathering so I went in, but I was determined there was no way I would book a hotel from there.

I was ushered into the back room where the 'agent' phoned the Anoop Hotel I had chosen, and of course it was all booked up, but he had a lovely one near by at a little more money.  I said thank you and walked back out.

My auto-rickshaw driver took me to the Anoop after that and I kicked myself when I realised my mistake with the map as we buzzed through the crowded streets .  On arrival he decided I owed him Rs100 for the 2 minute journey which was a blatantly huge rip off and we haggled it down to Rs50 (HK$12) which was still daylight robbery, but I was too exhausted to care.

The Anoop Hotel did of course have rooms as it was still only 9:15am and I booked into a windowless single room with a fan and attached bathroom for the princely sum of Rs160 per night and collapsed onto the surprisingly comfortable bed.

I went out and walked up and down Main Bazaar avoiding beggars and traders as best as possible.  Main Bazaar is a narrow street with stalls and little eateries on either side with a road surface which is either muddy or strewn with rubbish or rotting vegetables.  It's incredibly hard to walk up and down as there are so many people, cows and auto and cycle-rickshaws all jostling for room.

I dived into a little cafe where there were already some westerners needing a bit of reassurance on my first day and ordered daal makani, rice, naan and a banana lassi.  All were very good and cheap and I know I was going to love the food in India at least.  The staff were friendly too so I stayed there for a while reading in the relative security from the madness outside.

I was suffering massive jet lag and went back to the room for a nap.

I again ventured out around 8:30pm to a restaurant just up the road, Lord's Cafe as suggested by the guide book.  Aagin the food was good but I was gutted to learn the Delhi's licensing laws prohibit the sale of alcohol after 9pm and I was stuck with coffee.

An English lad from somewhere near Birmingham sat with me for a while.  He was friendly enough, but then started going on about selling my travellers' cheques to him and/or visa card and then that I should pay around Rs1,500 to get to Shimla.  "Yes, mate" I replied with heavy sarcasm and he left me.  I'd mentally prepared myself for occasionally getting ripped off by the locals, but hadn't expected westerners to get in on the act on my first day.

I have no photos to show for these first few days - it was all too much to take in to worry about expensive camera equipment as well, but as my confidence grew over the next few days,i would relax into it all.

And so it was back to my room later that evening where the drain in my bathroom had exploded, leaving turds all over the floor.

Welcome to India, my friend.