Most of our group got up to watch the sun rise at 6:30am and shine on the top of the Annapurna range of mountains. It was spectacular beyond words.

We took a photo of the group holding prayer flags in the early morning breeze.

It was a really grueling effort for us to get here, much more physically challenging than we expected. It was not a technically difficult trek but very much an endurance test – especially the second half.

The trails are in excellent condition but are significantly different from what we are used to in Canada.

Many parts of the trails here are “paved” with large flat stones & much of the vertical rise is accomplished by climbing stone steps straight up rather than following winding footpaths with switchbacks like we have in Western Canada’s mountain parks. We are in awe of the effort that had to be made by the people who built these trails, villages and terraced farms over several centuries.

Unfortunately I had some awful vertigo due to all the steep stone steps with no railings and the thought of going back down all those steps terrified me. We all have our challenges. My nemesis is vertigo on hiking trails & Catherine’s is any degree of heeling on a sailboat.

After talking it over with each other & with Kalpana, we decided to forgo the rest of the trek and stay here in Ghandruk for another night. No hardship there with views like this!

Our decision was further affirming because I now have a full blown head cold. Hopefully it will only last a few days.

We are going to take a jeep back down to Pokhara tomorrow morning and meet up with our group at the hotel.

While we are a bit disappointed at not completing the trek, we felt it was much wiser to recognize our limits – especially considering that we still have 3 more weeks of traveling in Nepal & in India ahead of us. Plus, we didn’t want to be a burden to Kalpana & the rest of our group by slowing them down.

There wasn’t a lot of opportunity to stop and enjoy the views yesterday as we had to get here before sunset. Parts of the terrain were kind of tricky so we had to really focus on our footsteps rather than the stunning scenery all around us. Kalpana and our porters were exceptional so we always felt safe and supported.

By staying in Ghandruk another day we have been able to rest, take it all in, walk around the village, and Catherine & I were able to enjoy Nepal & Mount Everest brands of beer (me) & Masala Chai (Cath) all day as we have had our own private & modern toilet close by!

We have had a porter stay behind with us because the tour company policy requires guests to always be accompanied. Our porter’s name is Krishna, after one of the Hindu gods so we know we are in good hands. He is 23 and this is his 4th trip with g-Adventures. He will come all the way to Pokhara with us – which is also where he lives.

It was a bit sad saying goodbye to our tour group friends this morning but we are happy to be having a rest & are looking forward to catching up with them tomorrow night & sharing stories & photos of our adventures.

Krishna took us on a late morning tour of the village. We were joined by another young boy – Anooj, who is the son of the owners of the guest house. Anooj was Krishna’s unofficial assistant guide – a role & responsibility he took very seriously.

Guess what?! More stone steps but these were not as daunting & there were only a few hundred of them. The village is quite spread out over the mountain side.

Krishna showed us the building that housed the communal dhiki where people were grinding rice into flour used for baking. He asked the people inside if we could take a photo and they graciously agreed and appreciated us asking them first.

Not everyone is open to having their photo taken and some people ask for money in payment for being photographed. Our guide & the porters discourage us from doing that because it leads to the locals becoming aggressive in asking the tourists for money.

We came across a wall of prayer wheels on our way to the village. Note the marigold garland that was put up for Tihar. Krishna showed us the appropriate way to spin the prayer wheels.

We are very conscious of our intrusion on peoples lives as we are walking through their neighborhoods and backyards. We wouldn’t dream of being that intrusive at home so as much as we would like to take pictures of people going about their daily daily lives here we just don’t unless it is not an intrusion upon them.

Just before we descended into the town we had this fantastic view of it.

We walked along narrow pathways to view the old section of town.

Everyone has a small garden and marigolds are the predominant flower.

We visited the local museum which was tiny but well done. There were many exhibits of elements of traditional homes.

Krishna showed us how the dhiki works!

We returned to our home – the Breeze Guesthouse – for lunch and had a little rest. The Breeze is very modern with comfy beds and ensuite western toilets which is almost unheard of up here.

Most places have shared squat toilets facilities which really isn’t a hardship, just different. Construction on some parts of The Breeze isn’t quite finished yet but all of the essential elements are finished nicely & the views from the rooftop are great.

The village is pretty lively with Tihar celebrations in full swing with groups of people visiting the different courtyards with singing and dancing. We watched from afar as they appear to be more like like private celebrations. After dinner, we returned to our room for a rest.

And settled in to write this blog entry!

We will get up early tomorrow to watch the sunrise again and have breakfast while waiting for the jeep and driver who will take us us down the mountain back to Pokhara. I think they should put blinders on us as it will be another thrilling ride, hopefully not as thrilling as descending miles of stone steps!

Cheers!

This morning we travelled for two hours from the city of Pokhara to the trailhead at Nayapul for the beginning of our trek/hike to Ghandruk. The mountains in the background in the photo below is where we are headed. Annapurna Mountain is on the left & Fishtail Mountain is on the right.

The drive to the trailhead was pretty much a repeat of our drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara – a thrill a minute in the traffic plus very winding roads with precarious drops to the canyons below!

There was a sizeable crowd at the trailhead depot. Lots of buses with groups like ours getting ready to depart on an adventure or returning from one.

The night before our tour group leader had provided us each with a heavy duty duffel bag & we were each permitted to bring belongings with us weighing no more than 7.5 kilograms. We were also told that we would carry our own water & other things that we wanted during each day.

Our heavy duty duffel bags were distributed to our porters & they proceeded to vigorously combine & compress them in size to bundles of three for our porters to carry to our destination.

When we were ready to start out our group leader introduced us to our porters & we headed off.

Catherine also checked out the road ahead.

The first part of our trip was through a little village selling lots of trekking supplies & equipment.

At the edge of the village there was a small sawmill operation.

We walked on the road for the first 45 minutes until we reached the sign officially marking the Annapurna Conservation Area area.

We started to see Fishtail Mountain.

We came to a bridge on the road & our group leader Kalpana pointed to the stone steps on the right & said that’s where we are going – “jumjum” (meaning “let’s go!”). This should have been our first clue as to what we were heading in to.

After climbing the steps we started walking through terraced fields of rice that was just beginning to be harvested.

At one point we stopped with our porter Ale to enjoy the view of the Annapurna Mountain Range. Ale is 45 & has been a porter for more than 20 years.

Next up was a short crossing over a steel suspension bridge.

An hour further down the trail we arrived at a rest stop for lunch.

Kalpana had ordered a hot lunch for all of us.

Fed & watered we were back on the trail with layers of clothing off as the sun was getting hot.

We were starting to climb a lot more & Kalpana kept encouraging us.

Each step brought a more rewarding view but they were beginning to take their toll.

At this point the trail sign indicated “only” 4 more mile (up) to our destination.

The trail was now a variety of terrain comprised of dirt roads & many more stone steps.

We finally arrived at our destination just in time to see the sun’s fading rays on the mountain tops.

After settling into our very nice rooms at Breeze Guest House the group reconvened to the dining area for delicious hot supper & to debrief about our day’s trek.

We had hiked almost 17 kilometers in 7 hours, climbed thousands of stone steps & gained about 1,000 meters in altitude – whew – we were pooped!

Once the sun went down it cooled down a lot. We piled on more clothing & went to the guest house rooftop to view the stars. The mandala in the photo below was on the landing at the top of the stairs.

Then off to bed in our comfortable, but unheated room. Cath came well prepared with silk long underwear from her mom Jeanne. Thanks Mom!

Cheers!

November 6 – Kathmandu to Pokhara

Today we travelled by bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara. The distance was only 200 kilometers but because of the road conditions and traffic it took us almost 9 hours (including a 45 minute break for brunch and two fifteen minute rest stops along the way)

Our bus is new & relatively comfortable but the seats are pretty close together so there is no room to stretch your legs. There is no luggage compartment so all that gets tied to the roof – just like the locals!

I guess the upside of this is that our economy class seats on the plane trip home in a few weeks will feel luxurious.

It seemed like we were constantly going downhill through canyons & valleys and there was a lot of traffic going both ways – especially trucks & busses of all sizes. This is the main route from India into Kathmandu so it was literally bumper to bumper in a whole different kind of traffic congestion than what we see at home!

The road is so narrow that when you approach a hairpin turn in a bus or heavy truck the traffic coming the one way has to stop to allow oncoming traffic to use both lanes in order to safely make the turn.

The highway is only two lanes wide for the vast majority of the distance. The concept of no passing zones does not exist here. Its a total game of nerves – when drivers see any opportunity at all to pass they go for it – even on corners & up & over small hills – honking their horns like mad. If you encounter oncoming traffic while passing then one lane slows down to a crawl while the other passes & two lanes with narrow shoulders become four lanes. This is not for the faint of heart!

Along the way we passed dozens & dozens of “highway truck stops” that serve drinks & hot food. Masala chai to go! Some places even had buskers!

These places range in construction from a simple lean to made from bamboo poles & sheets of tin to much more elaborate concrete buildings complete with flush toilets.

The land in this part of Nepal is intensely terrace farmed with crops of rice & several varieties of vegetables including cabbage and cauliflower. All of the farmed areas look very orderly & productive.

The climate is also quite temperate – warm enough to allow year-round agriculture & to even grow bananas!

About halfway to Pokhara we began to get glimpses of some of the snow-capped mountain peaks. We also drove past the road that leads to the village of Gorkha, which is the home of the first Gorkha soldiers & it was also the epicenter of the massive earthquake in 2015.

In late afternoon we finally arrived in Pokhara. This city is beside a beautiful lake & is very popular with tourists. Unlike Kathmandu, the tourist shopping & restaurant district here has wide streets & wide sidewalks – making a much more pleasant experience.

There are lots of Westerners here as it is the departure point for the popular Annapurna trekking circuit. It reminds us a bit of Canmore, just outside Banff, catering to the trekkers and tour companies. Except for the Nepalese street vendors and souvenir hawkers, most of whom are less than 5 feet tall!

Even though it felt like we were going downhill for much of the road trip, Pokhara and Kathmandu are actually the same elevation of 1400 m. which is roughly the same as Banff! From the lakeshore, we can see the Annapurna range and the peak of Fish Tail Mountain – Machapuchare – at 7000 m!

It is revered by the local population as particularly sacred to the Hindu God Shiva and hence is completely off limits to climbing. I guess we will have to find another peak to plant the Canadian flag on!

We were pleasantly surprised by our spacious and luxurious room at the hotel which even has a rain forest shower and abundant hot water. We are soaking it up before we head out on our trek tomorrow morning. The only way we will get a rain forest shower is if the heavens open up along the trail but there is a promise of a dip in a hot spring along the way so Cath and several others have actually packed swimsuits to take. Good thing it’s light weight!

As part of the Diwali festival in Nepal, today is the day that dogs, man’s best friend are honored as protectors of the home. There are feral dogs everywhere & many today were adorned with garlands of marigolds & tika or red marks on their heads & given special food treats. I guess every dog has his day – and theirs is today.

Tomorrow we begin our 3-day hiking trek into the Annapurna mountain range. We are excited and, at the same time, a bit apprehensive. Should be lots of photo opportunities along the way. We have packed most of our trekking items in a large duffel bag that the porter will carry and the rest of our stuff we will carry with us in our day packs. We have packed light and can leave the rest of our luggage at the hotel. Our tour guide Kalpana says it won’t be too cold where we are going but we have lots of layers!

Not sure if we will have any access to the internet at our overnight stops along the way so we may not be able to make any new blog postings for a few days.

Cheers from Wally & Cath

November 5 – Exploring Kathmandu

Today we visited one of the main things on Cath’s bucket list -Boudhanath Stupa – the largest Buddhist shrine in Asia and a centre of Tibetan culture in Nepal.

The drive from our hotel to the Stupa took about 30 minutes. It is in the center of a mostly Tibetan community surrounded by shops, restaurants & monasteries.

We had breakfast on an upstairs outdoor patio restaurant overlooking the stupa and then were able to walk around the base of the stupa with crowds of tourists, monks & pilgrims. As we circled the stupa we spun many of the prayer wheels. Our guide told us that each spin of a prayer wheel is said to represent 108 repetitions of a mantra. It was a spectacular experience under a clear blue sky.

Next we drove to the medieval district called Bhaktapur which had fascinating temples and architecture, very narrow streets with no sidewalks and a continual of barrage of small scooters and motorcycles. Fortunately they drive fairly slowly but sure like to honk their horns!

The temple area had lots of people but no vehicles were allowed in the square.

From there we then went on to a women’s resource centre called Sisterhood of Survival, which was actually started in Nepal in 2008 by a Canadian woman through g-Adventures. It helps girls and women escape from sex trafficking and forced labour. It’s an appalling problem all over the world and Nepalese women are particularly vulnerable due to their poverty and very limited education.

As part of g-Adventures’ efforts to support the program they bring their tour groups for a fun workshop making momos – Nepalese dumplings – followed by a delicious lunch and presentation by staff about their work.

The reasons for this organization to exist are difficult to discuss but it’s a great program that is making a huge difference in women’s lives.

We are holding up well, getting somewhat adjusted to all the traffic, noise and pollution which are the most tiring aspects of our adventure so far.

Today is the start of the Tihar festival which is the Nepalese Diwali or festival of lights so lots of strings of lights are hung outside buildings. It goes for five days. Each day has a focus & today was the honouring of crows as divine messengers. Tomorrow it’s dogs so apparently the dogs will all have tikkas or red marks on placed on their heads and they will get extra food! There are stray dogs everywhere we go and they are in a little better shape than the ones we saw in India. Not sure what animals come next but brothers and sisters are the focus on the last day.

We are heading to Pokhara tomorrow at 7:00 am on the tour group’s bus which is just big enough for all 15 people plus the tour leader and an assistant driver who we think is an extra pair of eyes for the driver. It’s a 6-8 hour drive, depending upon ….. Maybe we should spin a few prayer wheels for our driver Naveen & his assistant Ram!

Cheers from Kathmandu!
Wally & Cath

November 4 – First Day In Kathmandu

Back home in London we are often woken up early by police, ambulance or fire truck sirens. Here it’s roosters, crows and workers beginning their day – and ours – at 4:00am!

The air quality is very poor here. Lots of smog from all the traffic & smoke from people burning small piles of garbage on the street. We were excited to open up the curtains to see Kathmandu & the surrounding mountains but could not see much through the haze.

We decided not to get Nepal currency at the airport last night so we had breakfast in the hotel restaurant and then headed out walking in search of a bank or ATM.

Prior to beginning this trip we watched lots of videos about Kathmandu on YouTube but nothing prepared us for the onslaught of complete & utter chaos of people, cars, motorcycles, small trucks, tractors & bicycles. There are no traffic signs, traffic lights, pedestrian crosswalks or sidewalks – it’s simply a free-for-all & you just have to dive in. Strangely it all works. Everyone respects the limited space & shares it without emotion or road rage.

I especially like the electric grid wiring.

I had our route to the bank all mapped out on my cellphone GPS but there was a fatal flaw in that plan as there were virtually no street signs & the few that were posted were in Nepalese.

After a few close calls with motorcycles we decided that our safest option was to follow close behind a mother taking her young son to school. That strategy worked well especially with Catherine following her first so the lady didn’t think she was being stalked.

After about 90 minutes of wandering through the maze of streets we finally arrived at a bank. I had to join a 30 minute lineup for service & when my turn came I was informed that I couldn’t change any money because I left my passport back at the hotel in a safety deposit box.

At this point we were tired, hungry & frustrated. We stopped at the first reasonable looking money exchange kiosk & traded our US dollars for Nepalese Rupees. With local money in hand we headed for the first cafe we could find. Two cups of Masala chai tea with MoMo dumplings & vegetable biriani did much to save the trip & our marriage.

Fully recharged & feeling confident navigating the chaos we headed back to the hotel. The walk back seemed a lot shorter until I was nearly wiped out by a load of cardboard boxes that toppled off a cargo bicycle. After traveling halfway around the world to go trekking in the Himalayas it would be ironic to be done in by a bunch of cardboard boxes filled with aluminum pots & pans.

Despite all of the chaos there are many surprising pockets of beauty that catch your eyes.

Finally back at the hotel we headed directly for the rooftop bar & I steadied my nerves with a jumbo-sized Gurkha beer. We were also treated to our first glimpse of the Himalayan mountains off in the hazy distance.

We met up with our tour group at 5:30.
The group leader is a delightful Nepalese young woman named Kalpana who has been a tour guide for 8 years. She is very attentive to everyone and really knows her stuff.

It’s a pleasant group of people, the majority are the under 30 crowd and there are a few others our age so that is good. Four people are from the UK, three from Australia, two from Germany, three from Switzerland and one American. We are the only Canadians! After introductions & an orientation talk we walked into the tourist area for a dinner. Safety in numbers with a seasoned local showing us the way. Hope the lights stay on!

Tomorrow we head out to explore the city.