Namaste everyone! That was one of my favorite things about Nepal... placing your hands together in front of you as if you're praying and saying "Namaste" instead of Hello. Even little kids running frantically around villages, would suddenly stop, smile, "Namaste!" and then continue on with their original speed.
Nepal is BEAUTIFUL! Well, the capital city, Kathmandu, is just as dirty and polluted as Dhaka, but with fewer people (although people in Kathmandu didn't seem to believe me), and even worse road conditions. One of its redeeming qualities is that it has many beautiful Hindu and Buddhist temples and stupas scattered throughout its streets and hillsides.
So, my trip... There are many reasons I chose to visit Nepal. First, EVERYONE I've talked to in this region when asking for travel advice says I need to see Nepal. That it would be shameful if I didn't during my time here in Bangladesh. Second, flights to Kathmandu are cheeeap (and I'm on an intern salary)! Third, I miss mountains! Bangladesh is SOooo flat and watery. Most of the main city of Dhaka used to be water or rice patties and has been reclaimed by pulling sand from the ocean.
I set off on a Friday afternoon with my roommate Kondrad to the Dhaka airport. We were on the same flight although we weren't traveling in Nepal together. We were lucky so many other teachers were on our flight that day, because it was delayed by about five hours, so we killed time by chasing little MayaLou (3 years old) around the airport! After arriving in Kathmandu around 10 at night, my car just took me to the hotel and I crashed. Up early for a domestic flight to a smaller city called Pohkara. That flight was nice, a small airplane, like one you'd take from Charlottesville to DC, and you could see all the mountains below you.
Pohkara is a beautiful town. It's in a valley so you're surrounded by mountains and lakes. It's very touristy though, lots of trekking shops, Internet cafes, bars, and restaurants. It's the base for a lot of trekkers. The Annapurna mountains are a popular range for trekking. I spent the day here walking around doing some shopping got some Mo-mo's and a beer. I also took a boat out on the water and went to the Hindu temple in the middle of the lake. Interesting little island. The rest of the evening I simply relaxed and got my pack ready for hiking, rented a sleeping bag and walking stick. I also met my guide, Lakpa, who arrived by bus that evening to talk about the trek, when we would wake up, and begin the trek the next day. I'll also mention here that Dasain, the biggest Hindu festival of the year, was happening this week, the 8th day of which everyone.... everyone... sacrifices a goat to the gods. I passed THOUSANDS of goats being herded into the city the day I was leaving the city...
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| View from my hotel in Pohkara |
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| Phewa Tal |
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| There's a temple on the little island |
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| Here it is up close. You ring the bells to let the gods know that you are there and making a sacrifice. |
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| Delicious Mo-Mo's and a beer on a beautiful afternoon! |
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| I'm not kidding... thousands of goats. |
We drove an hour to the village Naya Pul to begin our trek. I trekked for five days and four nights, staying in guesthouses, which are basically a kind of hostel. My room was usually by bed and nothing else. The nice ones had real walls, but many were just plyboard. They had restaurants where you could buy water, soda, beer, and Nepali food. I had lots of Dahl Baaht, mo-mo's, fried noodles/rice, soups, and for breakfast, eggs and chapati, a type of flat floury bread, a lot like a tortilla... but different. They all have a shared toilet, and you can pay a little extra for a hot shower. Those were nice on mainly two of the nights where it got SO cold! I was at 3,000+ meters, which is about 10,000 feet! I was thankful to have thought to rent a sleeping bag! The crappy blankets the guesthouses provided would not have been enough (nor were they awesomely clean or unsmelly). The views during this trek were amazing. After the first day, I could almost always see snow capped mountains, looming above me from 7,000-8,000+ meters (over 25,000 feet). It was so peaceful and quiet on the trail. Every now and then, other travelers would pass you, or you'd pass them, and say hi, namaste, ni hao, or whatever... but no horns, or busy streets, or construction, or yelling! And no one watching my every move... *aaahhhhhhhhh*
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| Nepali porters carry everything up and down the mountains balancing the weight on their foreheads. |
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| Momos with a delicious sour, spicy rubarb-type sauce |
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| Lakpa and I at the highest altitude point of the trek |
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| What a way to wake up everyday. Wish I could eat breakfast here EVERY morning. |
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| Tibetan prayer flags |
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| Trail + Waterfall = Awesome |
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| They build these makeshift swings for during festivals. I asked if I could play too!! |
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| Just gorgeous! |
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| Yummy Daal Baaht! |
Back in Kathmandu, I had a full day to explore the city. First, I met two other families from the school, the Denhartighs and the Birdwells, teachers from the school (my previous airport buddies), for breakfast. It was nice to see some familiar faces! The rest of the day, I simply walked around, looking at temples and stupas, and haggling with street vendors (bought a wall hanging, a painting, and some earrings for myself!). I'm getting much better at bargaining, although I'm still paying more than I should I'm sure. By dinner time, Konrad (who had taken a bus instead of flying) was back in Kathmandu so we met up for dinner. The next day, the two of us walked around a bit, doing some book shopping, then we headed back to the airport and back to Home Sweet Dhaka!
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| There were monkeys living all over this one temple! |
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| Buddha eyes on the Stupa. There are also prayer wheels around this one that you walk around, spin the wheels and repeat the mantra, or prayer. |
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| There always seemed to be some random cows wandering around. It is a Hindu country after all. |
