From the moment I arrived, Nepal was welcoming and beautiful. Coming from india, Nepal was immaculate with fresh air and clean streets. The people were so nice and hospitable, i was pleasantly suprised. Kathmandu in December is quite cold, as ou can imagine. Cold showers in Nepal are not fun. The Thamel region of the city was full of backpacker and tourist shops. But it was colorful and had a nice feel to it. everything there was easy compared to India. Durbar square holds the old temples of kathmandu with pigions everywhere. There is a mix of Hinduism and Buddhism, making for a accepting and peaceful atmosphere. Off of the hippie Freak Street, is the infamous Snowman Cafe. Possibly the best chocolate cake in the entire world.
A day trip to Nagarkot was my first sighting of the Himalayas. Wow. They were impressive as they streched about 180 degrees of the 360 view. We hiked nearly 7 miles. Then climbed on the roof of the bus for the windy ride back to the city. We watched the sunset over the valley as we ducked and dodged the hanging tree branches and wires.
After the long process of renewing our Indian visas, we took the 6 hr bumpy and curvacious bus ride to Pokhara. Such a relaxed little town with the gorgeous Phewa Tal (lake) and the towering snowcapped peaks of the Annapurna range. A few days of relaxing and day hikes. There are many tibetian shops. The town has a Sun Valley feel to it. We just had to renew our nepal visas for another 2 weeks. We set out for Nayapul to start our 7 day trek. With no guide, jenny and i walked uphill for about 3 or 4 hours on day 1. Stopping in Tikedhunga, we had a much needed Dal Bhat meal, with our hands of course. It tastes better that way. And Ive learned its always best to do as the locals do. Cheap rooms and expensive food. There is no road access to these villages. Local porters savagely carry rediculouosly heavy loads of food, beer, cooking supplies, wood, and everything else in a basket attached to their head. the stone trail was filled with cow poo. Day 2 we hiked literally stright uphill for 5 1/2 hrs. i was slowing jenny down. no joke. ive never been so tired. We reached the blue roofed village by 2 and enjoyed doing nothing. Day 3 we hiked to Poon hill at 430 am to see the sunrise over at one of the best viewpoints in all of Nepal. And it was. I took too many pictures and was in aww, and freezing cold. Poon Hill sits about 3200 meters high. It was tough to breathe on the way up. We rested all day and enjoyed the stunning views from our guesthouse room that was less than 1 dollar/ night. Day 4 we walked downhill for nearly 6 hrs to Tatopani, literally meaning hot water. there is a natural hot spring which was much needed for our bodies by this point. Downhill was maybe more bruttal than uphill. We passed through countless villages with locals stopping to stare as they plowed their fields and wove their baskets and yak shals. the next day we walked to Ghasa, and slept for the night. We decided that was enough for us. My body was beat and I defenitely had enough of the Nepal treking experience. Day 6 we walked back to Tatopani and day 7 took the bus back to Pokhara. the people we met along the way were so hospitable and continued to show us what "real Nepal" was all about. We rested and recovered in Pokhara for a few days. Christmas in Pokhara was very nice. the locals decorate for the tourists. they really made all foreiners feel welcome.
the next adventure was Chitwan national park. I watched elephant races, ate bodum (peanuts), watched traditional tharu culture dance, and did a 1 day jungle trek in the park. It truely felt like jurassic park. Many animals live here including the 1 horned rhino and the tiger. We searched all day for the rhinno, and finally came across 2 on the last strech of the hike. they are dinnosaurs. Theres no other way to put it. The next morning, i bathed with elephants in the river.
back to pokhara for new years. the street festival was crowded and hectic, but made for a great atmoshere for the holidays. then, the relaxing time was over. It was time to head back to india. Nepal for 1 month was amazing. My favorite country yet. The people there are so special. they have this attitude which create this chill atmosphere. i cant really explain it. but its worth experiencing for yourself.
