Shortly after my last post I began the walk to the airport for my journey back to Kathmandu. On the way I encountered a crowd of agitators attempting to enforce the Bandh. Not having a pen and paper to hand I recorded my thoughts on my phone as I walked. Not wanting to transcribe them, I present them here in an unedited form:

Walking with the protest

Incidentally the torch symbol which I mention is actually the symbol of Madheshi Jana Adhikar Forum an extreme party, with Communist sympathies, which campaigns for the rights of those who inhabit the south of Nepal. In the circumstances (i.e. given that the killings took place in this area of Nepal) their involvement in the Bandh was inevitable.

Five minutes later

These are my first attempts at on the spot commentary and are therefore an experiment. They are not perfect, but I hope that I managed to convey some idea of the mood in the street.

I’ve had a few weird days on the border of India and Nepal in Sonauli, Sonauli makes mad max look like Milton Keynes, but I did go and see the birthplace of the ‘Buddha’ in Lumbini which was a nice escape from the dust and constant flow of the border.. i’ve  fully arrived in Nepal via a bus stuffed full of people and chickens..yes chickens!..and I’m now enjoying the fresh air by Pokhara lake and planning my trip into the mountains…looks like i’m going to have my birthday in Kathmandu, i’ve had birthdays in stranger places so should be a home from home…I will report after my trip round the mountain! Hope you are all well..here goes…

Kiran was sitting on a rock by the roadside, when I trudged passed him.

“Where are you from?” He tossed me the national opening line of Nepal.

“China,” I threw back the answer and kept up my stumbling down the slope of Sarangkot, a mountainside range overlooking the city of Pokhara and its lake with panoramic Himalayan views.

Kiran started trailing me, quietly, just two steps away. Then I had to pay attention to this slender dark brown figure. I pulled out my Ipod earplugs.

“What’s your name?”

“Kiran.”

“How old are you?”

“Seventeen.”

But he appeared at most thirteen, with shoulders only slightly wider than his roundish head, from which two enormous ears jutted out. A mop of dark hair covered his forehead like an inverted bowl and the joined bushy eyebrows took up a significant amount of the real estate on his face. Two slim arms protruded from a green T-shirt and a pair of faded jeans pouched on the knees hang above his ankles.

“Do you go to school?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you not in class today?”

“We are in our holidays. We are celebrating our biggest festival of the year.”

That’s right. Nepal was celebrating Dashain , the longest and the most auspicious festival of the year. It commemorates a great victory of the gods over the wicked demons, and the celebration last fifteen days.

Kiran became lively. “Every family slaughters a goat tomorrow. You see that guy? He’s going home with a goat.”

A wizened old guy with a red Nepalese top hat was wrestling a goat up the steep mountain path. The goat seemed to possess some knowledge of its imminent death, sat back and pulled the other way. One minute the man tried to yank the goat forward by its horn. The next he strained to push it up the slope by its hind.

Kiran giggled. “You see! Every one has a goat.”

A motorcycle roared by. A young guy rode on top and a young woman sat on the back seat, cuddling a fuzzy goat on her laps.

A taxi zipped by, bulging with passengers. Those on the back seats were trying to hold down a goat, which managed to stick its head out of the window.

A rickety bus huffed upward. Two guys sat on top, tending to a small fleet of goats.

The eighth day during Dashain is called the ‘Maha Asthami’. Sacrifices are held in almost every house through out the day. The night of the eighth day is called ‘Kal Ratri’, the dark night. Hundreds of goats, sheep and buffaloes are sacrificed.

“Is your family going to kill a goat, too?” I asked Kiran.

“No. My mom doesn’t have money,” Kiran said matter-of-factly and volunteered his life story.

“My dad left us when I was little. He’s with another woman somewhere. He calls us once a year, but we don’t know where he is, and I’ve never seen him since he left us. I don’t remember when that was. My mom does odd jobs here and there. I’m about to graduate from high school. I wanted to study medicine, but my mom doesn’t have money to send me to college. Now I want to join the British army.”

For nearly two hundred years, the British army maintains a Nepalese regiment called the Gurkhas . In 1814, the British failed to annex Nepal as part of the Empire but Army officers were impressed by the tenacity of the Gurkha soldiers and encouraged them to volunteer for the East India Company. Since then, the Gurkhas have loyally fought for the British all over the world. More than 200,000 fought in the two world wars.

I couldn’t help but casting a concerned look at Kiran’s small frame. The selection process for Gurkhas soldiers has been described as one of the toughest in the world and is fiercely contested. Young hopefuls have to run uphill for 40 minutes carrying a wicker basket on their back filled with rocks weighing 70lbs.

I wasn’t quite sure what to do with the information Kiran spilled. Was he soliciting donation? But he related his story in such a calm and dignified manner as if at such an early age he had made peace with life’s arrangements. Was I supposed to offer sympathy? But there was no trace of bitterness or helplessness.

We kept walking. The sun climbed higher. Clouds rose and draped over the illuminant silver peaks of the mighty Annapurna range.

We took a break at the foot of the hill. Kiran asked to see pictures in my camera and let out awestruck exclamations at the sight of sunrise over the Annapurna.

We stopped again for some coke at a roadside shop, watching more goats being dragged or transported to their doom.

Kiran walked with me for two hours, all the way from the quiet mountain road of Sarangkot to the bustling lakeside in Pokhara.

“Can you give me your email address?” He asked.

“Sure.” I said.

He also wrote down his on my notebook and started making his way back towards the mountains.

On the page, his careful writing read: “www com parhocing kiran.com.”

More Photos of Pokhara and Sarangkot

My last day in Pokhara and I was a bit bummed. Although I wasn’t leaving Nepal today, the treks are definitely done and the rest of my time here is coming to an end – I’m going to miss this place! Going back to Kathmandu today seemed more like going back to sightseeing, although, I heard the Maoists were on the streets again in the capital trying to shake things up – so who knows, maybe a peaceful protest would make my last few days interesting?! Our flight out wasn’t until 3pm, so before heading to the airport, Eaklal suggested maybe seeing a couple more local sites, some off the beaten path…. SURE!! His cabbie friend along with his younger sister who came along for the ride picked us up and we had about 3 hours before we needed to check in at the airport so we were on a tight schedule.

Getting a ride by Eaklal's friend and sister

First up, the local Nepalese museum. It is rather small and a walk-through takes only about 10 minutes. The displays range form old potteries, clothing and pictures of the area through the decades. It was interesting to see meticulously maintained artifacts, but I’m not much of an indoors display kinda guy unless it’s a brewery, so we quickly moved on and headed towards our next stop – the World-Peace Stupa, which had been built on top of a mountain ridge overlooking Pokhara’s main lake Fewa. You can’t miss it when you are on the banks of that lake – I got a pretty good close-up view also from above on the Ultra-light paraglider the other day. If you are so inclined, you can climb up and it will take you about an hour – or if you know a friend of a friend, you may get chauffeured instead. I’m so glad Eaklal is well connected. Did I already mention it is a really good idea to have a knowledgeable and experienced trekking guide?!

The ride was a little rough, since we went up the rocky terrain in a Suzuki Maruti, the standard vehicle in these parts of the world. I’ve seen them predominantly in India where they are mainly manufactured – not surprising to see them here, since India is Nepal’s main trading partner. The Maruti looks and feels like a compact Yugo or upgraded Trabant – not exactly a luxury ride by any standard. Most of the times there are no seatbelts in the back so hang on! Surprisingly though for its small footprint and flimsy looking body, it does quite well around here and I’m sure you are getting great mileage! The majority of cabs in the city are Marutis and once you see them coming your way, you know you are in for a ride!

On top the view from the Stupa is panoramic and gorgeous, covering Lake Fewa on one side and Pokhara on the other. You also get a great view of the Annapurnas as well. The Stupa is traditionally painted in white with a golden top crown and you know instantly you are at a sacred Buddhist site, since a golden Buddha statue greets you on top of the steps leading up to the Stupa. We took a quick tour and shortly after made our way back down and had one more sight to see before our departure, which proved to be the most interesting of them all.

World Peace Stupa in Pokhara

The locals call it “the cave”; it’s a hole in the ground and leads to Devil’s fall – a waterfall seen from the bowels of the cave. You can also see the waterfall above ground but this was way more interesting of a perspective. Some daredevils have actually tried to jump the waterfall only to meet their untimely demise. I had to see this! To get there we stopped at a market place and at first I thought maybe we are having lunch, but Eaklal pointed the way leading between two vendor stalls leading to the back – Odd. We climbed down some steps and soon I started hearing the sounds of tribal drums and rhythmic chanting and it was getting louder. We turned a couple more corners when I noticed sets of stairs leading into the ground and a platform just below the surface encased with iron gates. Inside a group of Hindu worshippers chanted and prayed to Shiva – the supreme Hindu god – while men pounded on traditional Nepalese drums. As we climbed down, the cave opened up in front of us – we had to duck to make our way in – the walls are wet and slippery. Dim lights barely lit the path and you cannot help but sense the urge to hold a lit torch in your right hand and over your head – we were on the set of Indiana Jones - water drops hit the ground and the back of my head. I grinned like kid on Christmas Day!

The cave is saturated with moisture and the few dim lights placed along the path only cast a glow of a couple of feet ahead so your other senses have to compensate so you stay oriented enough to move forward without running into walls. We were totally alone. This does not appear to be a typical main tourist attraction – no explanatory signs mounted with descriptions of the origin of the cave, how many years it took to be carved out in its present state, no mentioning of mineral contents, no signs cautioning you to watch your step: Good times! We could still hear the drums from the surface as we approached one of the main attractions - the statue of Shiva. It was discovered many years ago and nobody really knows its origin. It is protected by a metal cage and a walk-way leads towards it. Several carved cobra snake heads top the statue, which signifies the endless cycle of life and death according to Hindu religion.

We moved further into the “tomb” (OK, so I’m running with this Indy theme). Eventually we arrived at a set of iron stairs bridging two massive boulders. At the end of those stairs we started to see Devil’s fall. Awesome sight – the fall is several stories high and you can see it from a short distance. On our way back we closed in on the drums and chanting again. As we emerged the devoted worshippers still performed the same song from earlier. What a unique experience.

After a quick lunch, it was finally time to head towards the airport. On our way there we could hear some commotion in the streets ahead. As it turns out, the Maoists staged a demonstration that day in this area and I just had to see this. We could hear the chanting (the theme for the day!) a few blocks away and I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive about getting too close simply because I didn’t know what to expect but at the same time I had a video camera in my hand and was itching to film whatever was ahead of us. The cabbie looked at me and nodded – basically saying, Ok, we take a quick look! The crowd began congregating near a government building. Red Communist flags everywhere and a crowd of maybe 800 to 1000 people occupied several blocks. It wasn’t a violent demonstration but they were definitely there to be heard. I opened the window, leaned out and shot some video and took a couple of snapshots. I didn’t exactly blend and instead got some obvious stares – the guy in the picture below wearing the camouflage type shirt with the shades didn’t look like he wanted to throw out the welcome mat for me. His partner next to him wearing the red mouth-mask noticeably either took aim at my camera or simply wanted to hi-five me as we drove passed them!

Maoists protesting outside government building in Pokhara

There were no toppled over cars set on fire today, like the clashes in the streets of Kathmandu between Maoists and the police earlier that month. This was largely a calm crowd. But I got a good enough whiff of it and certainly a bit of a head-rush as we decided to get out of there.

Our cabbie dropped us off at the Pokhara airport. Our “Buddha Air” plane came on time and around 4pm we arrived back in Kathmandu. Once back at the hotel I met again with Chet and we went over my trekking experience in the Annapurnas and the rest of the itinerary. Again, I could only relay how much I enjoyed my second trek – a story he has probably heard many times from his other customers. The last two days in Nepal were left wide open so there really wasn’t much left to do but explore the city. We were going to have a farewell dinner tomorrow evening before I was heading out the next day. Before leaving though I definitely wanted to see “Freak Street”, which was recommended by several people as a must-see place. It used to be the drug trafficking place in town – mostly hashish and is more or less a busy marketplace nowadays. So I decided to take a cab out and maybe grab dinner there as well. Eaklal offered to show me around, which was even better – he can fill me in on some of the details. I’ve seen Kathmandu and its crazy traffic and street life – but Freak Street or like the locals call it “Freaky Street” is a mecca! You have stores, booths, vendors laying out their goods on towels and blankets on the side of the street. Sherpas lugging 100kg of rice bags around – cars, motorcycles, bicycles, people… people everywhere. All orchestrated by a symphony of horns, bells, yelling… it is amazing (and dizzying) how this market can actually function without anyone getting run over in the process! But I’ve been thinking this since I first stepped foot into this city about a month ago. Admittedly, after a day or so you not only get used to it, you actually enjoy being in the middle of it!

It was getting dark and after walking awhile – more to the point – dodging motorcycles and cars, we tried to find a place to eat. I didn’t quite trust any of the abundant street foods with my docile, western stomach, although Pepto Bismol has saved me several times while on this trip. So a restaurant preferably serving local cuisine would be perfect! Problem was the electricity just went out again, like it does several times a day anywhere in Nepal or at least the places I’ve visited. But it usually comes back after a few minutes and it’s not a problem. No ransacking or looting of stores. People light a candle or wait patiently in the dark passing the time with small talk. Quite civil. Once the lights came back on, we found a rooftop restaurant overlooking the main square. Food was good and afterwards we headed to the main pagoda in the center of Durbar Square which can be climbed like a pyramid and people just sit on its massive steps, hanging out, eating or playing video games on their phones. Soon it was after 8pm and the vendors started packing up so we decided to call it a day as well. The hotel was too far to walk, so instead we took a Pedi cab back which costs about $2 for the 15 minute ride. I ended up giving the kid $3 dollars instead and he couldn’t thank me enough. $1 makes a big difference here!

I’m not a morning person, so rise and shine has never been my call to duty; but I had already skipped one sunrise opportunity in this area yesterday, so I knew I couldn’t miss this last one. The alarm went off at 6am; I peeked outside my window and could already see the morning sun glowing behind the Annapurna Mountains. Luckily for me, it would be visible just outside the lodge. As I staggered up the 100 or so steps to the “View Point”, I could already see the handful of vendors open their shops on the side of the hill. On top there was a crowd of about 30 people gathered for the event and I actually found a good spot for myself. The mountains looked imposing even at dawn and once the first rays hit the tips of Fishtail and Annapurna 2 mountains, everyone forgot about the outside temperature for just a few minutes, the sight is incredibly hypnotizing. Once again, I was in awe! A couple of professional photographers from Japan must have been first on the scene, because they had taken possession of the prime spots and had secured them with large tripods. The rest of us managed to snap a few of our own bragging rights images as well. After about 20 minutes, most people including myself felt the urge to head back down for a hot cup of coffee and a hearty breakfast.

The Annapurnas at sunrise, towering over Pokhara and Lake Fewa

The final leg of the trek was easy; it was all downhill. We descended for about 2 hours and ended up at a busy market on the edge of Pokhara around 9:30am and after checking into the “Base Camp Resort” again, it was finally time to begin the relaxing part of this trek – kick back and just hang out in town.

We decided to split up today. As I started exploring Pokhara, Eaklal caught up with his local guide buddies. He literally knows dozens of guides and locals in every town and village we visited. On the way to the town center, I ended up getting some trinkets from a Tibetan Refugee vendor working on the side of the road. I figured I had to buy something from this region as a souvenir as well as to help give back a little. Admittedly having learnt about Tibet’s people and history over the last few years, I am a bit of a softie for Tibetan refugees – I noticed that I barely haggled.

Pokhara - town center

Around 6:00pm, Eaklal and I joined up again and I needed something particular that I had grown accustomed to in these last few weeks. I asked him to recommend one of his favorite local dives for a Dahl-Bat fix. I was looking for a final good meal in Pokhara. There are plenty of over-priced tourist restaurants around, so beware! I had lunch at one of these places and was extremely disappointed with a basic ham and cheese sandwich so instead I followed my trusted guide as I have throughout these treks and he led me to a real hole-in-the-wall place in a back alley off the main street. They had six tables with no decor, two fluorescent lights and a nine inch TV blaring in the back with a noisy channel reception. Perfect! After we got started on a couple of local “Tuborg” beers, I couldn’t believe my eyes as I glanced over to the television screen. It was WWE Wrestling – have I slipped into an alternate universe? What’s in this “Tuborg” beer anyway?! After pinching myself, I realized that I probably couldn’t find a better place than this one in town. I’m eating Nepalese food with locals and watching a popular American entertainment export and I was thrilled to see how the Nepalese would view American wrestling. A show within a show.

It was “Cena vs Orton – the REMATCH! [Insert thundering pyrotechnics sound here]“. The locals were wide-eyed and glued to the screen. Their look was clear. How could anyone possibly want to play such a brutal yet so intriguing sport? I smiled and made a quick contemplation to do the right thing, as painful as it may be to these locals. I’m not a Wrestling fan but since I was the only westerner in this place, I felt an obligation to be the ambassador of American pop-culture to these people. So I (gently) spilled the beans regarding ‘Wrestling’ techniques, which were more or less rehearsed and perfectly choreographed moves by a bunch of body-builders. As trekking guides, their English was pretty good, so Eaklal could focus on watching the match instead of having to translate as he has done on countless occasions. As I looked up, I was met with a sea of dumbfounded and somewhat disappointed faces. The guide closest to me tried to confirm: “Is fake? Not real??” Note to self: Never become an ambassador.

After realizing I had just taken away the main reason for watching one of their favorite programs, I felt terrible – almost like taking a child’s toy away. I started explaining the “finer points” of wrestling and that its main purpose is to entertain, which it obviously has done so for them. Still their eyes stayed wide open and fixed on my lips. The only thought racing through my mind at that instance was that we must stop this export! What happened next, I didn’t expect. They started becoming intrigued on how the show was actually put on, orchestrated and executed. I guess in a way they began seeing wrestling from another perspective, still entertained and watching the show closely. The one hour match that ensued did not disappoint. It was a real nail-biter! Occasionally I had to reassure that the pyro-explosions at and around the ring are staged and well rehearsed, when the locals looked concerned. Cena, the obvious good guy, finally won in the last three seconds of the match… shocking! Then all the commercials aired towards the end and it was obvious that everyone would sleep in peace tonight. As I am writing this, I now remember seeing literally dozens of Sherpas wearing “Cena” WWE t-shirts while lugging supplies up the mountain trails in the Everest region.  Everybody loves a hero and who am I to rob these people from that. Regardless of the painfully skimpy briefs and gaudy black boots.

It turned out to be a late-night for us. Lights went out at 9:30pm.

Dear Visitors there are more than 19 hotels surrounding Bardia National Park, in the west Nepal, but you will find only six hotel information in Lonely Planet Book 2009,,,, so please get the rest of information from google or thourh other source.

Recently Lonely Planet book have been published about Nepal, which is used to read by many people while they plan to visit Nepal. This book is published to give the fact information of Nepal, realting to various chapters.

In the context of book, relating to west Nepal, Bardia National Park, the has provided information about wildlife and accommodation. The write should published all the hotel name but he has provided only six of hotel out of more than 19 hotels.

It is really very surprising how come the write forget to collect information? it means he has not missed only about bardia, he might have not provided information from other places of Nepal. How come he become a write to collect the information about nepal, if he cant collect the full information, do they have any idea to proivde rest of information. The visitors have choice and they should get exact information.

Dear writer, please investigate with your own effort not through the internet or via mail,,,,,,,, what you say to rest of information.

be active and get the facts, Lonely planet, thats the true and energy.

thanks

NEPAL. Pokhara. Woman waking on water. ⓒ Julie Mayfeng

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Nepal Travel Tour Packages with Information.

Special Nepal Travel and Trekking Packages for 2010.   

We provides you Special Nepal Travel and Trekking Packages for 2010 including Nepal  Travel ,Trekking Tour Information  With Tips and Package . Nepal is a unique destination for travel, trekking and tours because of its unbeatable combination of natural beauty and cultural riches. Trek and Tour around Nepal, you will directly experience our culture and way of life of different ethnic people, religion and festivals. Trekking and Tour  in Nepal is a big part to the Welcome Nepal Treks and Tours P.Ltd., and the majority of tourists include trekking and Tour in Nepal as a part of their itinerary. Trekking and Tour in Nepal is an unforgettable life experience for everyone.

We Are offering details of tours, leisure holiday, special honeymoon package tours, Himalaya  trekking, adventure vacation and mountaineering, eco tours , India, Bhutan, Tibet Tour , local city sightseeing, air ticketing, accommodation and adventure activities. Online booking are always available. Welcome to Nepal Travels! It is our Mission to provide you superior service at an affordable price. We can accommodate any travel plans and can custom fit any itinerary. At Nepal Travels, we are here to serve you! Our motto is “Where there is greenery, there is peace and happiness”.

Kathmandu Pokhara Chitwan Tour Package.

Kathmandu to Pokhara Tour & Chitwan Jungle Safari
This 10 day Kathmandu to Pokhara Tour and Chitwan Jungle Safari is a well designed tour program that gives you excellent opportunities to see and experience the sites and sound of ancients cultures to present day cultures of Nepal.

While in Pokhara, you will enjoy seeing the most extraordinary views of the Annapurna Himalayan range and the surrounding valleys. On the cultural side, you will closely experience the Nepalese way of life both in the cities and in the rural areas throughout the tour. Then, in Chitwan Jungle park, you will enjoy elephant safari through the jungle to see wildlife and indulge yourself at the comfort of luxury at our best choice of resort with swimming pool.
Highlight of Pokhara:
Pokhara is an extraordinary landscape and one of the most attractive destinations in Nepal. The treasures of Pokhara include the tranquillity of Phewa Lake, spectacular views of Annapurna Himalayan range and Mount Machhapuchhare (6,977 m), luscious green hills, terraced farm slopes, countless species of vegetation, rushing rivers in a tropical-like environment. Pokhara is, since ancient times, the traditional export center for trade with India and Tibet. Merchants from remote Himalayan regions of Nepal, such as Muktinath and Mustang still come here with mule trains.
The Gurungs and Magars are the aboriginal inhabitants and remain the majority in the hill regions. But the urban population is now made up of diverse ethnic groups seeking employment opportunities. The Gurungs and Magars have reputation as hardworking farmers and valorous warriors who have earned worldwide fame as Gurkha soldiers.

This calm city of Pokhara serves as a base camp for trekking and rafting trips through the regions of Annapurna and Western Nepal. Baidam on the southeastern end of Phewa Lake and is dominated by restaurants, bars, hotels and shops, is the gathering place for travelers in the western regions of Nepal. The island temple of Barahi is accessible from Baidam by dug out canoes. This two-storied pagoda is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Ajima. On Saturdays, devotees paddle across the lake carrying live animals for sacrifice.

Bindhyabasini Mandir is a local Hindu temple on the northeast of Phewa Lake in the vicinity of the Old Bazaar. It is dedicated to Goddess Bhagwati. Devotees perform animal sacrifices and have picnics in the courtyard on Saturdays. The Old Bazaar area is still the commercial hub of merchants from the remote Himalayas while Phewa Lake site is a pleasure spot for holiday maker from around the world!
Trip Facts of Kathmandu Pokhara Chitwan Tour Package :

Itineraries of Kathmandu Pokhara Chitwan Tour Package

Please note that:
1. Airfare is included in the tour price.
TOUR COST INCLUDES:
All hotel accommodations in Kathmandu and Pokhara at 4-5 star hotels based on a twin sharing and half-board basis,full board in Chitwan Jungle, two half to full day Kathmandu Valley sightseeing tours, all tour activities as mentions in the itinerary, one way airfare to Pokhara, luxury resort accommodation in Chitwan Jungle with jungle safari activities, monument and park entrance fees, all ground transportation within Nepal to and from start and end points of tours, all meals during the trek, Nepalese staff insurance, transfers to and from airport to hotel.
TOUR COST DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Visa fees, international airfares, airport departure tax, dinners while in Kathmandu and all dinners in Pokhara, personal clothing, personal insurance, alcoholic beverages, telephone, and laundry.

Welcome Nepal Treks and tours Pvt. Ltd.
P.O.BOX:19760
Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone: +977-1-4253677
Mobile: +977-9841767236 (Hari khadka)
Web: www.newnepaltrekking.com
www.nepaltourstravel.com
Email: welcometour@wlink.com.np
welcomenepaltreks@gmail.com

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** Previous story : – Trekking

** zapraszam na relacje z wypraw polskich himalaistów.

zapraszam do subskrypcji mego bloga

I’m a hoarder by nature, so my drawers and cupboards are full of all sorts of useless old tat – buttons for shirts I’ve long since got rid of, Top Trumps cards I haven’t used since I was 11, that sort of thing.

But when I go on holiday I can legitimately hoard things, and often what looks like nothing to other people has great significance to me: sat in front of me, for example, is a big stone which I am using as a paperweight to keep an unruly pile of receipts in check.  But it’s not just any old stone.  It was a stone I washed Bosante the elephant with in a crocodile-infested river in Nepal in the summer. 

Having a bath with an elephant - out of shot to the left is a crocodile...

I’m probably a bit sentimental with souvenirs, and I do tend to keep nigh-on anything as a reminder or keepsake.  But I love buying things which show the culture of the place I’ve been to, and Nepal was brilliant for that.

Ganesh painting

Above is a painting of the Hindu God Ganesh which I picked up in Pokhara for less than £5.  It is painted onto cloth and the colours and design are stunning.  Held up to the light or placed in a well-lit window, the colours glow and shimmer – it took somebody hours to make, and I feel privileged to own it and be blessed by its ‘good luck’ charm.

Hand-carved wooden face mask

Hanging beneath Ganesh on my wall is this slightly scary face mask which I picked up for the equivalent of about £3.50 in Pokhara.  I particularly like the third eye in the middle of the forehead, which I think is a nod to the wrath of the Hindu God Shiva whose third eye opens to see the evils of the world…

Buddhist prayer wheel

More religious iconography, this time recognising the influence of Tibetan culture into Nepal from the displaced refugees who have set up villages and monasteries throughout the country.  This prayer wheel opens up to reveal Buddhist scriptures and mantras which are chanted as the wheel is spun.

An Indian wall-hanging

To diverge away from Nepal, my greatest souvenir extravagance this summer was the above wall-hanging (£10.50) which I bought in Mandawa in the northwest of India.  According to the vendor, it was hand-stitched by “gypsy women” over a period of several weeks. 

I don’t doubt he was telling the truth, but maybe I do doubt his judgement (or his eyesight).  As I walked into his shop he beamed at me and shouted “James Bond!”

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http://www.nepaltourstravel.com/

Nepal Travel Tour Packages with Information.

Special Nepal Travel and Trekking Packages for 2010.

We provides you Special Nepal Travel and Trekking Packages for 2010 including Nepal Travel ,Trekking Tour Information With Tips and Package . Nepal is a unique destination for travel, trekking and tours because of its unbeatable combination of natural beauty and cultural riches. Trek and Tour around Nepal, you will directly experience our culture and way of life of different ethnic people, religion and festivals. Trekking and Tour in Nepal is a big part to the Welcome Nepal Treks and Tours P.Ltd., and the majority of tourists include trekking and Tour in Nepal as a part of their itinerary. Trekking and Tour in Nepal is an unforgettable life experience for everyone.

We Are offering details of tours, leisure holiday, special honeymoon package tours, Himalaya trekking, adventure vacation and mountaineering, eco tours , India, Bhutan, Tibet Tour , local city sightseeing, air ticketing, accommodation and adventure activities. Online booking are always available. Welcome to Nepal Travels! It is our Mission to provide you superior service at an affordable price. We can accommodate any travel plans and can custom fit any itinerary. At Nepal Travels, we are here to serve you! Our motto is “Where there is greenery, there is peace and happiness”.

Nepal Honeymoon Tour Package

Nepal Honeymoon Tour Kathmandu/Nagarkot/Chitwan/Pokhara 9 night/ 10 days

So you’re engaged…congratulations! One of the most fun parts about getting married is the planning that you could enjoy the honeymoon trip of a lifetime. And if you haven’t even narrowed it down to a country, much less an island or a resort, or an exotic destination, don’t worry-many (if not most!) honeymoon couples are in the same boat.

Some couples start by leafing through travel or bridal magazines and looking for pictures that are appealing and romantic-you can do this, But in this way you are likely to settle on the best suitable destination than best-MARKETED destination…? Which place can be better than Nepal !

While it was fairly simple to agree upon a perfect wedding spot, the best honeymoon destination was not so easy. After all, what is the best honeymoon destination? This is probably a different place for everyone. Why not visit a place that has the entire wanted test. Where you could enjoy the mountains, peak, beauty of nature, river, lake, wildlife, shopping. There are great package deals that cater to your every desire.

If you are in search of that best honeymoon destination, then why not Nepal, check out our packages, you can sort through infinite honeymoon package deals that will really get you excited. The hardest part is choosing one out of the many. No matter what your preferences are, you will likely find the best honeymoon package that suits you and your new spouse.

The great thing about these different packages is the price. When you look for all-inclusive deals, you really can save some cash. Granted, this is your honeymoon and you want to go all out, but you might as well plan smart in doing so. Airfares, hotel fees, and amenities for newlyweds are all provided in some of the best honeymoon destination package deals. A good thing to take into consideration is the surrounding environment. You want the amenities to offer all that you enjoy, while staying in a luxurious room. You can find out all dining and attractions before making that big trip.

The most treasured and waited moment of your married life. It is the golden period of your married life, which undoubtedly needs to be cherished in a memorable way. To spend few days in the lap of the Nature with your beloved is totally marvelous! We offer the best alternatives to those people who are looking for an unforgettable honeymoon. We have pre-established itinerary, but we can also tailor your honeymoon, taking into account your special needs and preference,

Trip Facts of Nepal Honeymoon Tour

Itineraries of Nepal Honeymoon Tour

Meal Plan
Day 2 – 4, & Day 7 – 10: Breakfast
Day 5 & 6: Breakfast, lunch, & dinner

Please note that:
Safari activaties could differ from one hotel to other.
The above costs are as per Standard Service for a per couple

Welcome Nepal Treks and tours Pvt. Ltd.
P.O.BOX:19760
Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone: +977-1-4253677
Mobile: +977-9841767236 (Hari khadka)
Web: www.newnepaltrekking.com
www.nepaltourstravel.com
Email: welcometour@wlink.com.np
welcomenepaltreks@gmail.com

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Départ par bus pour Pokhara à 9h après un copieux petit déjeuner. Nous avons choisi la compagnie Greenline (apparemment plus confortable) qui doit faire le trajet de 160 km en 6 heures.

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En terme de gros bus confortable on a fait les deux premières heures de trajet dans un minivan sans amortisseurs sur une route défoncée … on a regretté amèrement notre bus pas cher !!! Puis arrêt déjeuner (compris dans le tarif) dans un lodge assez chic. Très bon déjeuner népalais : riz, légumes au curry, poulet … on reprend la route dans le gros bus confortable. Pour ceux qui feront le trajet un jour, on a trouvé que ça n’est pas nécessaire de payer plus cher pour le greenline pour un niveau de confort à peine supérieur. Les tourist bus sont bien suffisants même si le déjeuner n’est pas compris. Celui servi dans les restaurants du bord de la route est de même qualité pour un prix total (bus+déjeuner) de 750 roupies (500 pour le bus, 250 le repas) contre 15$ c’est à dire environ 1120 roupies…

Aux abords de Pokhara, on découvre la chaine de l’Annapurna. Le ciel est à peu près dégagé, les montagnes enneigées superbes.

Pokhara est une ville calme, aérée, sans pollution. Que ça fait du bien ! Nous avons réservé 3 nuits au « sacred Vally inn » à lakeside. Hoel à conseiller à tous. C’est propre, fleuri, les chambres sont grandes et confortables. Il y a une grande terrasse sur le toit où l’on peut boire un verre ou diner. Les hôtes ont également accès aux balcons qui font tout le tour de la maison, là encore on est entouré par des fleurs colorées. Mais surtout, un accueil inégalable ! Alisha est un homme charmant qui parle assez bien le français ( il a travaillé plusieurs mois en tant que saisonnier en Corse) et qui fera tout pour vous donner de bons conseils et combler vos demandes (achat des billets de bus, lavage du linge ….)

Le lundi 16, nous nous sommes promenés jusqu’au lac dans lequel se reflètent les montagnes. Sauf qu’aujourd’hui il fait brumeux. On a même du mal à distinguer l’autre rive. Mais c’est au tour d’Alexandre de nous faire sa journée de fièvre : 40°C. Inutile de dire que du coup, ça été journée au lit.

Pendant que je gardais Jeanne et Julien qui en ont profité pour faire la sieste et Alexandre qui a passé la journée au lit, Pierre et Camille sont allés visiter un musée sur l’Annapurna.

Le mardi 17, tout le monde va mieux, plus de fièvre. Après un petit déjeuner en ville dans une boulangerie allemande (avec des croissants et du chocolat chaud, Hummm !) nous avons décidé de traverser le lac pour rejoindre l’autre rive. L’ambition du jour est de grimper jusqu’à la pagode du temple japonais, environ 1 heure de marche en montée sur un sentier à peu près aménagé dans la forêt. Malheureusement tout comme la veille, la montagne est sous les nuages, donc tant pis pour la vue magnifique sur le lac ! On croit les cartes postales sur parole.

En attendant le bateau du retour, Alexandre a eu droit à un cours privé de maniement de la rame.

Et c’est déjà l’heure de partir pour Katmandou où nous restons une nuit avant de quitter le Népal. Juste un petit détour par Thamel pour acheter un pantalon en toile pour Jeanne, Camille et Pierre-Mary, et nous voilà à l’aéroport !

Nos impressions sur le Népal :

Alixane : Katmandou est une ville qui trépigne, en particulier Thamel. Si ça peut choquer dans un premier temps on s’y fait vite et on se sent vite chez soi. Et j’adore leurs chemises, pantalons, sacs, foulards … . Chitwan est dépaysant : La jungle, les habitants du village tharu avec leurs sourires et bien sûr le périple à dos d’éléphants dans la jungle resteront des moments forts du voyage. Pokhara est reposante, et ça fait du bien de lever le pied …

Pierre-Mary : Le Népal a été une expérience intense et passionnante. 20 après mon dernier voyage dans ce pays, je ne savais pas à quoi m’attendre. J’ai l’impression que peu de choses ont changées : les rues sont toujours les mêmes, pleines d’encore plus de circulations et de toujours autant de marchands de toutes choses. La nouveauté la plus visible est bien sûr le téléphone portable, présent partout, et internet. Plus de monde, plus de pollution (l’accessoire à la mode des jeunes népalais – surtout les garçons – et un masque anti-pollution) , plus de police aussi. Par contre j’ai trouvé qu’il y avait beaucoup moins d’enfant dans la rue, et si le “Namaste-five-roupies-please” a remplacé le “one-roupie” (et oui c’est ça aussi l’inflation), nous avons croisés de très nombreux écoliers dans leurs beaux uniformes.

Camille : Moi ce que j’ai préféré c’était monter sur les éléphants (la baignade, la balade dans la forêt (où les animaux on d’ailleurs été tous très gentils de s’être montrés) mais j’ai été aussi très contente de retrouver la cuisine française (les pizzas, les frites etc …)

Alexandre : j’ai préféré le temple des singes, et aussi monter sur des éléphants et escalader la montagne à Pokhara.

Julien : j’ai aimé monter sur les éléphants et voir les singes. Je n’ai pas aimé le monde dans les rues de Katmandou et les voitures et motos qui vont trop vite et klaxonnent tout le temps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP_Hxe1jhZU

A short photo film of Pokhara, Nepal.

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I Recommend….

http://www.nepaltourstravel.com/

Nepal Travel Tour Packages with Information.

Special Nepal Travel and Trekking Packages for 2010.

We provides you Special Nepal Travel and Trekking Packages for 2010 including Nepal Travel ,Trekking Tour Information With Tips and Package . Nepal is a unique destination for travel, trekking and tours because of its unbeatable combination of natural beauty and cultural riches. Trek and Tour around Nepal, you will directly experience our culture and way of life of different ethnic people, religion and festivals. Trekking and Tour in Nepal is a big part to the Welcome Nepal Treks and Tours P.Ltd., and the majority of tourists include trekking and Tour in Nepal as a part of their itinerary. Trekking and Tour in Nepal is an unforgettable life experience for everyone.

We Are offering details of tours, leisure holiday, special honeymoon package tours, Himalaya trekking, adventure vacation and mountaineering, eco tours , India, Bhutan, Tibet Tour , local city sightseeing, air ticketing, accommodation and adventure activities. Online booking are always available. Welcome to Nepal Travels! It is our Mission to provide you superior service at an affordable price. We can accommodate any travel plans and can custom fit any itinerary. At Nepal Travels, we are here to serve you! Our motto is “Where there is greenery, there is peace and happiness”.

Kathmandu Pokhara Chitwan Tour Package.

Kathmandu to Pokhara Tour & Chitwan Jungle Safari
This 10 day Kathmandu to Pokhara Tour and Chitwan Jungle Safari is a well designed tour program that gives you excellent opportunities to see and experience the sites and sound of ancients cultures to present day cultures of Nepal.

While in Pokhara, you will enjoy seeing the most extraordinary views of the Annapurna Himalayan range and the surrounding valleys. On the cultural side, you will closely experience the Nepalese way of life both in the cities and in the rural areas throughout the tour. Then, in Chitwan Jungle park, you will enjoy elephant safari through the jungle to see wildlife and indulge yourself at the comfort of luxury at our best choice of resort with swimming pool.
Highlight of Pokhara:
Pokhara is an extraordinary landscape and one of the most attractive destinations in Nepal. The treasures of Pokhara include the tranquillity of Phewa Lake, spectacular views of Annapurna Himalayan range and Mount Machhapuchhare (6,977 m), luscious green hills, terraced farm slopes, countless species of vegetation, rushing rivers in a tropical-like environment. Pokhara is, since ancient times, the traditional export center for trade with India and Tibet. Merchants from remote Himalayan regions of Nepal, such as Muktinath and Mustang still come here with mule trains.
The Gurungs and Magars are the aboriginal inhabitants and remain the majority in the hill regions. But the urban population is now made up of diverse ethnic groups seeking employment opportunities. The Gurungs and Magars have reputation as hardworking farmers and valorous warriors who have earned worldwide fame as Gurkha soldiers.

This calm city of Pokhara serves as a base camp for trekking and rafting trips through the regions of Annapurna and Western Nepal. Baidam on the southeastern end of Phewa Lake and is dominated by restaurants, bars, hotels and shops, is the gathering place for travelers in the western regions of Nepal. The island temple of Barahi is accessible from Baidam by dug out canoes. This two-storied pagoda is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Ajima. On Saturdays, devotees paddle across the lake carrying live animals for sacrifice.

Bindhyabasini Mandir is a local Hindu temple on the northeast of Phewa Lake in the vicinity of the Old Bazaar. It is dedicated to Goddess Bhagwati. Devotees perform animal sacrifices and have picnics in the courtyard on Saturdays. The Old Bazaar area is still the commercial hub of merchants from the remote Himalayas while Phewa Lake site is a pleasure spot for holiday maker from around the world!
Trip Facts of Kathmandu Pokhara Chitwan Tour Package :

Itineraries of Kathmandu Pokhara Chitwan Tour Package

Please note that:
1. Airfare is included in the tour price.
TOUR COST INCLUDES:
All hotel accommodations in Kathmandu and Pokhara at 4-5 star hotels based on a twin sharing and half-board basis,full board in Chitwan Jungle, two half to full day Kathmandu Valley sightseeing tours, all tour activities as mentions in the itinerary, one way airfare to Pokhara, luxury resort accommodation in Chitwan Jungle with jungle safari activities, monument and park entrance fees, all ground transportation within Nepal to and from start and end points of tours, all meals during the trek, Nepalese staff insurance, transfers to and from airport to hotel.
TOUR COST DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Visa fees, international airfares, airport departure tax, dinners while in Kathmandu and all dinners in Pokhara, personal clothing, personal insurance, alcoholic beverages, telephone, and laundry.

Welcome Nepal Treks and tours Pvt. Ltd.
P.O.BOX:19760
Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone: +977-1-4253677
Mobile: +977-9841767236 (Hari khadka)
Web: www.newnepaltrekking.com
www.nepaltourstravel.com
Email: welcometour@wlink.com.np
welcomenepaltreks@gmail.com

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** Previous story : – Trekking

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I Recommend….

http://www.nepaltourstravel.com/

Nepal Travel Tour Packages with Information.

Special Nepal Travel and Trekking Packages for 2010.   

We provides you Special Nepal Travel and Trekking Packages for 2010 including Nepal  Travel ,Trekking Tour Information  With Tips and Package . Nepal is a unique destination for travel, trekking and tours because of its unbeatable combination of natural beauty and cultural riches. Trek and Tour around Nepal, you will directly experience our culture and way of life of different ethnic people, religion and festivals. Trekking and Tour  in Nepal is a big part to the Welcome Nepal Treks and Tours P.Ltd., and the majority of tourists include trekking and Tour in Nepal as a part of their itinerary. Trekking and Tour in Nepal is an unforgettable life experience for everyone.

We Are offering details of tours, leisure holiday, special honeymoon package tours, Himalaya  trekking, adventure vacation and mountaineering, eco tours , India, Bhutan, Tibet Tour , local city sightseeing, air ticketing, accommodation and adventure activities. Online booking are always available. Welcome to Nepal Travels! It is our Mission to provide you superior service at an affordable price. We can accommodate any travel plans and can custom fit any itinerary. At Nepal Travels, we are here to serve you! Our motto is “Where there is greenery, there is peace and happiness”.

Upper Mustang Trekking.

Until the 1990, the isolated region of the Kali Gandaki valley known as Upper Mustang was closed to trekkers due to its sensitive location next to the Tibetan border. Today, however, if you can afford the $700 trekking permit, you can venture into this arid and remote region, which is home to a relatively undisturbed Tibetan culture.

Mustang is one of the few places in the world that has long-lived a very close-niche life and that region was, until recently, inaccessible to outsiders. This isolation helped the people of Mustang to maintain their lifestyle and heritage that remained almost unchanged for centuries. Hidden behind the majestic Himalayan ranges of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna, Mustang is filled with beautiful trekking zones. Special Area Trekking Permits are required by trekkers when they visit this region and a Liaison Officer still accompanies every trek to Mustang.

Although officially part of Nepal, the Mustang region in the upper reaches of the Kali Gandaki River is a world unto itself. Long closed to foreigners because of its strategic location on the Tibetan border, Mustang has only been open to trekkers for less than a decade and is closely regulated by the Nepali government.

Only organized treks are allowed into the region, and those require an expensive trekking permit. Consequently, treks into Mustang are among the most expensive in Nepal. However, for many people the cost is more than justified by the chance to explore this high desert region that has far more in common with Tibet than it does with Nepal. The brown landscape, jagged peaks, and mud-walled villages are reminders of what Tibet must have been like before the Chinese invasion.

Note: B.B> Bed and Breakfast, B.L.D> Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Our Tour Package Includes:

• Airport / Hotel / Airport pick up & drop off by car / Van / Bus.
• 3 nights accommodation with breakfast at deluxe hotel in Kathmandu.
• 2 nights accommodation in Pokhara (inclusive of Government taxes, breakfast, lunch & dinner).
• Guided city tour in Kathmandu valley as per above program.
• Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with Tea & coffee during the trek.
• An experience Guide (trained by Ministry of tourism), required number of porters, their food, accommodation, salary, insurance, equipments.
• Surface Transfer to and from Kathmandu by private vehicle.
• Full board meal (veg. / non veg.) prepared by our expert cook.
• Trekking equipment (two men tent, dining tent, kitchen tent, Table with chairs, kitchen utensils, Down sleeping bag / Jackets, walking sticks, and other necessary equipments during the trek).
• Special Trekking Permit US$ 500 per person for 10 days (the above price includes 10 days valid trekking permit from Kagbeni to Kagbeni. If you wish to stay more than 10 days in restricted area, you are subjected to extra charge for extra days (US$ 50 per day / per person).
• Annapurna conservation permit, and all necessary permits.
• Domestic fare (Pokhara – Jomsom – Pokhara)
• Tourist service charge, Vat.
• Office Service charge.

Our Tour Package Doesn’t include:

• Any meals in Kathmandu other than breakfast.
• Travel insurance (if you want us to arrange your travel insurance, we would greatly be happy to assist). For detail information regarding the travel insurance, please click here.
• International air fare to and from Nepal.
• Nepal Tourist Visa fee US$ 25 or equivalent foreign currency with multiple entry for 15 days, US$ 40 or equivalent foreign currency with multiple entry for 30 days. You may easily issue the visa upon your arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport – Kathmandu.
• Disembarkation Airport Tax in Nepal – approx. US$ 24.
• Items of a personal nature
• Any kind of alcoholic drinks, hot water, hot shower, cold drinks, laundry, phone call, internet.
• Tips for guide, porters, driver…

NOTE: Tipping is expected but it is not mandatory
for other information please conatct to us.

Welcome Nepal Treks and tours Pvt. Ltd.
P.O.BOX:19760
Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone: +977-1-4253677
Mobile: +977-9841767236 (Hari khadka)
Web: www.newnepaltrekking.com
www.nepaltourstravel.com
Email: welcometour@wlink.com.np
info@newnepaltrekking.com

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Nepal travel and trekking information. Includes, tour, tourism, trek, hiking, expedition, peak climbing, adventure holidays trips in Nepal.

Around Dhaulagiri Trekking with

Dhaulagiri 8,167 meters 7th highest mountain in the world means “white mountain” though many mountains over the world have names, which translate to White Mountain; this is without doubt the most astonishing one. Everyone is familiar with the name Dhaulagiri which is in the western part of Nepal, probably the best spot for remote and adventurous trekking in Nepal. The simple reason behind it is that it consist more than fifteen 7,000 meter magnificent peaks with land of dramatic contrast.

This trekking routes starts after 8 hours scenic drive from Kathmandi to Beni, from Beni you head in a north-westerly direction through the villages of Babichour, Dorbang and Darapani to Muri from where you head north still keeping to the banks of the Myagdi Khola. Muri is the last major settlement on this trail and is inhabited by people of the Magar tribe, of Mongoloid stock and descended from the early settlers of the Nepalese middle hills. From Muri, you head north along the Myagdi Khola through the villages of Baghara, Dobang and Chartare to Pakoban. Beyond Pakoban there are no permanent settlements. Still heading north you skirt the Chhanbardan Glacier, keeping on its left side, to reach the Dhaulagiri Base Camp from where magnificent mountain vistas are available. Head north-east from the Base Camp and climb the steep incline to the French Pass (5,360 meters), between Tukche Peak (6,920 meters) and Sita Chuchura (6,611meters). Heading east you descend a little and pass through a portion of the Hidden Valley and climb to Thapa Pass (5,250 meters), between Tukche Peak and Thapa Peak (6,012 meters) from where you begin your descent, heading south-east to Alubari. From Alubari, the trail further descends to the village of Marpha on the banks of the Kali Gandaki River, and then heads north to Jomsom from where you fly back to Pokhara. For those who have got enough time there is an option continuing trek down to Kalopani, Tatopani, Ghorepani then to Pokhara.

Season: March – November
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: Yes
Minimum Per Person Price: 1800 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 2200 US Dollar (USD)

Details Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu airport (1,345 meters). There you will be met by our Airport Representative and transferred to hotel by private tourist vehicle. Overnight at hotel.

Day 2: Kathmandu city tour. Your sightseeing trip will start at 9AM in the morning after your breakfast. We will provide a private vehicle and professional tour guide. Places we visit Pasupatinath temple, Buddhanath, Monkey temple, Bhaktpur durbar square and Kathmandu durbar square. The afternoon includes a final briefing and preparations for the trek. Overnight at hotel.

Day 3: Drive to Beni (850 meters) by bus 8 hours. After your breakfast to your hotel, you drive to Beni this day. The drive should take 8 hours and you’ll find most of the part enjoyable, and offering good scenery. Beni is the district headquarters and has a police check post where your trekking permits will be examined. Beni is at the confluence of the Myagdi Khola and the Kali Gandaki. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 4: Trek to Babiachor (950 meters) 5 hours. Leaving Beni and Kali Gandaki the treks head west along the north bank of the Myagdi Khola through the village of Beni Mangalghat to Singa and Tatopani (hot springs). Crossing the bridge beyond the village to the south bank of the river, the trail makes a little half loop before crossing another bridge, near the village of Simalchour, back to the north bank from where it continues to the village of Babichor. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 5: Trek to Dharapani (1,400 meters) 6 hours. The valley widens and terraced hills develop on both sides of the river. The trail is fairly level and you pass the village of Shahashradhara, cross the Duk Khola and walking through fields arrive at Ratorunga. From here the valley narrows again and the terraces disappear on either side of the river. Continue to the village of Dharapani. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 6: Trek to Muri (1,850 meters) 5 hours. After crossing the river to its West Bank as you leave Phedi the trail starts climbing in earnest and there will be many switch-backs until you arrive at the ridge and the angle of ascent eases. Again the trail climbs steeply to the villages of Muri. Continue your trek to Sibang and Mattim. From here you continue up an incline to the snout of a ridge, descend to the Gatti Khola and reach Phalai Gaon (1,810 meters). Cross the Dhara Khola to once again emerge on the west bank of the Myagdi Khola and then climb a ridge to the large Magar village of Muri. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 7: Trek to Boghara (2,080 meters) 6 hours. Descend a little, cross a stream and continue through terraced fields before climbing a ridge to reach the pass from where you can see Mt. Ghustung South (6,465 meters). Descend to the Myagdi Khola and trek along its West Bank to the village of Naura from where you will climb a little before traversing a grassy hill and climbing a steep slope with switch-backs and then descend through a forest and terraced fields to Boghara (2,080 meters). Overnight at tented camp.

Day 8: Trek to Dobang (2,520 meters) 5 hours. The trail first descends through terraced fields to a small ridge and then through a forest to Jyardan which is the most remote permanent settlement in these parts. After the settlement a high winding path crosses a rocky area and then descends before climbing again to Lipshe where there is on single hut. The trail continues through a forest to Lapche Kharka and then climbs to the level area at Dobang. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 9: Trek to Choriban Khola (3,110 meters) 5 hours. After crossing a wooden bridge out of Dobang the trail ascends a forested area. Soon the west face of Dhaulagiri I (8,167 meters) becomes visible through breaks in the trees. Descend to the Myagdi Khola and cross it via a wooden bridge to the east bank continue to Chartare. Passing through forests again, you cut across a rocky area and cross a stream to Choriban Khola. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 10: Trek to Italian Base Camp (3,660 meters) 7 hours. Follow a trail to the terminal moraine of the Chhonbarban Glacier and enter the glacier from the right. Tukche Peak (6837 meters) becomes visible straight on; at the far end while the impressive north flank of Dhaulagiri I (8,167 meters) dominates the skyline to your right. After a short while you will reach Italian Base Camp (3,660 meters), which is also the site of your camp for the night. To the west are the peaks of Dhaulagiri II (7,751 meters), Dhaulagiri III (7,715 meters) and Dhaulagiri V (7,618 meters). Overnight at tented camp.

Day 11: Acclimatization and rest day. We will spend a day here in order to acclimatize and adjust to the thinning of the air. It is recommended that your body acclimatizes to the high altitude and be “tuned” for the even higher altitudes to come. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 12: Trek to Glacier Camp (4,210 meters) 6 hours. Set up early in the morning when the weather is expected to be clear. Trail is bit prone to stone fall, and pass through a narrow gorge. Today we stay overnight near at glacier. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 13: Trek to Dhaulagiri Base Camp (4,740 meters) 7 hours. This is one of our adventurous days to Dhaulagiri base camp. From here you can look up at the impressive north face of Dhaulagiri I (8167 meters) dominates the skyline to your right. To the west are the peaks of Dhaulagiri II (7,751 meters), Dhaulagiri III (7,715 meters) and Dhaulagiri V (7,618 meters). In front of you is the impressive ice fall that descends from the north east col. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 14: Another acclimatization and Rest Day. Another rest day, but very important for the acclimatization. Views from this place will be superb and there is plenty to explore. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 15: Cross French Pass (5,360 meters) then trek to Hidden Valley (5200 meters) 6 hours. After the glacier you climb two terraced hills, the first of which runs along the glacier, and then cutting across a mountain flank and a moraine you enter a gentle incline on the left from an ablation valley. Climb this gentle slope to the French Pass (5,360 meters). A great vista opens up from the French Pass and you will be able to see Mukut Himal (6,328 meters), Tashi Kang (6,386 meters) and Sita Chuchura (6,611 meters), all of which surround the Hidden Valley. To the south is Tukche Peak (6,920 meters) and beyond is the massive peak of Dhaulagiri I. From French Pass you continue along the right edge of the Hidden valley losing a little altitude to Thapa Pass (5,250 meters) between Tukche Peak and Thapa Peak (6,012 meters). Descending from Thapa Pass you will make a camp at about 5,200 meters. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 16: Cross Dhampus Pass (5,200 meters), and trek to Yak Kharka (3,680meters) 6 hours. Descend from the hidden valley, to the Dhampus Pass and continue to Yak Kharka. There is a perfect camp site to enjoy the surrounding. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 17: Trek to Jomsom (2,710 meters) 5 hours. Descend to the village of Marpha, on the west bank of the Kali Gandaki River. Marpha is home to many apple orchids as well as all the various food products made from the fruit. Apple Brandy is a local specialty that you may be lucky enough to taste en route. Continue to north, up the river valley to the town of Jomsom. Overnight at tented camp.

Day 18: Thirty five minutes morning fly to Pokhara (900 meters) and sightseeing same day. Today 35 minutes morning flight takes us to Pokhara from Jomsom. Once we arrived at Pokhara airport, we then drive to hotel. In the afternoon we will have a sightseeing tour around Pokhara valley, which covers Fewa Lake, Devi’s water fall, Museum, Tibetan refugee settlement and Gupteshower cave etc. Overnight at hotel.

Day 19: Leisure day in Pokhara. It’s also spare day in case of bad weather in Jomsom. Overnight at hotel.

Day 20: Drive to Kathmandu by bus 7 hours. Overnight back at the hotel in Kathmandu by bus. If you are interested in continuing on to the Chitwan Jungle Safari, River Rafting Adventure or any other tours you can start today. Overnight at hotel.

Day 21: Transfer to international airport for your final departure.
The trip ends, our Airport Representative will drop you to the Kathmandu international airport for your final flight departure from Nepal.

NOTE: The above information is a guide and standard template of what we provide. The trek can be customized at your request to accommodate your specific requirements.

Price Includes:
1. Airport/Hotel/Airport pick up & drop by private car/van/bus.
2. Standard accommodation in four/five star hotel in Kathmandu breakfast included. (3 nights)
3. Standard accommodation in two/three star hotel in Pokhara breakfast included. (3 nights)
4. Kathmandu and Pokhara City Tours inclusive tour guide, private car/van/bus.
5. Full board meal during camping, prepared by our cook with Tea & coffee.
6. Tented accommodation and equipment during the camping trek. (We will provide fully water proof two men tents, dining tents, kitchen gear, dining table, chairs, toilet tents, shower tent etc.)
7. A local government license holder Trekking Guide during the trek., a cook, required number of porters, their food, accommodation, salary, insurance, equipment, medicine.
8. Boiled and purify drinking water for the trek.
9. All trekking permits & fees.
10. Surface Transfer to and from Kathmandu.
11. Flight cost from Jomsom to Pokhara including airport departure taxes in Jomsom airport.
12. Down Jacket and duffel/kit bag by Ace the Himalaya (which needs to be returned after the trek.)
13. All our government taxes.
14. Tourist service charge, vat.
15. Official expanse.

Price Excludes:
1. Lunch and dinner whilst in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
2. Your travel insurance (compulsory).
3. International airfare and airport departure tax.
4. Nepal entry visa fee (US$ 30 per person) you obtain a visa easily upon your arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport Kathmandu for 60 days from date of issue. You will require 2 passport size photos.
5. Items of a personal nature such as alcoholic drinks, cold drinks, laundry.
6. Personal trekking Equipment.
7. Tips for trekking staff and driver. (Tipping is expected.)
8. Any others expenses which are not mentioned on Price Includes section.

Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.

Price can be also customized. Prices remain valid till December 2008.
Group and Travel Agent discount available as per request.

Please Note: US$90 per person per night if you need extra accommodation in Kathmandu or Pokhara including breakfast
-US$115 per person extra if you wish to take flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu.

Copyright Contain By:
Nepal Visitors Network
P.O. Box :19760, Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Tel :+977-1-4263133, Fax:+977-1-4216454, +9779841258665 (M)
Skype: nepalvisitors
info@nepalvisitors.com

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This past weekend, some of the girls of the house and I traveled to Pokhara, Nepal for a respite from Kathmandu. I haven’t been here long, so I didn’t really need the relaxing weekend two of the girls were planning, but I wanted to tag along simply because the opportunity was there.

We caught the 7 a.m. bus from Thamel, in the city center, to Pokhara on Friday. The trip was to take about 8 hours, so I pre-planned with my ipod, book and camera. The views were so stunning that even though I was tired from having woken up so early I couldn’t close my eyes for fear of missing something. At one point, the road was so steep and curvy that when I looked out my window all I could see was down.

Once in town, we found a cheap hotel room by haggling, and left our bags in the room to explore town. Pokhara is a quiet town on Lake Fewa and is a starting point for many a trekker headed towards Annapurna. We saw many Westerners: hippies, trekkers and tourists.

Our first full day there we slept in, ate a late breakfast, then hiked to the World Peace Pagoda, a Buddhist stupa or Buddhist religious monument. It was quite a hike and we were exhausted but the view from the top was amazing. There were lots of people, dogs (a frequent sight here) and trash. It wasn’t the greatest temple I’ve been to, but it was a crazy hike up and even crazier one down to the lake, where one of the girls had rented a boat and met us there rather than hiking. We lazily worked our way across the short distance back to where the boat had been rented. It is a peaceful lake with sweeping views of the mountains and once we reached the opposite shore I was feeling rested and rejuvinated.

Our next day we woke early and took a taxi up Sarangkot to view the sunrise. It was gorgeous and well worth the loss of sleep. As we descended from the village, we sung by the bat caves, where we were led by a local girl who informed us that “This is how many Nepali people earn their living, ok? I will guide you no problem, ok?” We understood this of course to meant that she would demand payment at the end of our tour.

Getting into the cave was easy, though very dark. We had rented a flashlight for 50 rupees, a rip off if you ask me, but what we get for forgetting our headlamps, and followed our self-appointed guide into the darkness of the bat cave. There was no Batman unfortunately, but we did see lots of bats. They were all sleeping, hanging upside down from the ceiling of the cave and every time water fell from above, I freaked out in case it was guano (bat poop). It was a short tour and we were not expecting, though she had told us, the rock-climbing and crawling that was required to leave the cave. I wish I had taken pics so that you could see the small crack we had to wiggle through to exit the cave. I literally had to climb up some rocks and half pull myself, half crawl out. I was laughing so hard that it proved difficult. One of the other girls had gotten out before me, so I was slightly embarassed to be crawling out on my stomach.

After the caves we went back to town for a late breakfast, then we all went our separate ways in order to nap, shop or just walk. I chose to go back and read my book and nap, then went into town to shop and have tea. It was a great, restful day and much-needed.

After spending a few days in Pokhara, it was time to head back to Kathmandu so we bought an early bus ticket and got up and out by 7 a.m. We had heard before we left Kathmandu that there were going to be protests by the Maoists for the next 15 days, but were hoping it wouldn’t affect tourist buses. We were wrong. We had gotten to the bus field (no stations here) late and were told that one of the buses hadn’t made it to Pokhara, so we were asked if we could wait until the next day. We had our fill of Pokhara, so 3 of the 4 of us decided to sit on stools in the middle of the bus aisle and await some people being dropped off for a rafting trip after 50 km. The other woman, Lindsey, decided to take an airplane home instead.

The bus trip was better than we had expected, though we did get stuck in a dead-end town for a few hours and hit a line of traffic a few miles long when we were only 30 min. from Kathmandu. We did get seats in the back of the bus after about an hour, so it wasn’t super uncomfortable and the other passengers were friendly and made our waiting time less painful.  A trip that normally would have taken about 7 hours took us almost 12 so we were extremely happy once we were dropped off at our house in Maharagunj.

It was a great weekend away and a much-needed rest before I started my work here. I am now ready to tackle anyone needing English lessons and the rowdy children of the orphanage. The adventure continues…

Hola.

Por mayoria absoluta gana la opcion trekking. Manyana me pongo en marcha. He alargado un poco en Pokhara porque hemos coincidido 2 catalanes, un madrilenyo (el de la moto – curiosos chequead el link) y yo y hemos hecho un poco el guiri. Basicamente hemos sacado a pasear a Jovi por los lagos y las montanyas. El tio esta encantado y no ve muy claro lo de la altura y el frio. En cuanto pueda pondre fotitos!

El trekking durara entre 2 y 3 semanas, dependiendo de mis fuerzas y de la canya que le meta. Asi que el blog se quedara sin updates pero a la vuelta habra mucha inspiracion himalayense e historias que contar. Me da respeto porque se sube hasta 5400 y mi unica experiencia a esa altura fue un poco nauseabunda! A ver si esta vez me aclimato mejor!

Abrazote.

Twenty years ago today a wall that separated not only a city into east and west but an ideology came down. At that time I was in India, and had been there for about three weeks. I was in the tribal state of Meghalaya, far from the western world in many respects. Luckily the Khasis are fairly affluent and my girlfriend’s mother had a TV. It wasn’t state of the art but they did get several channels. Only a very few houses had fridges or showers/tubs. Most still heated water with an electric coil in a bucket, and sponge baths were the norm.

Yet everyone had flush toilets and most had TVs. So it was that one night I watched the Berlin Wall coming down as they sliced through the concrete in big chunks and bulldozers pushed the wall apart. It was surreal, already being divorced from the everyday world by being on a trip. But I remember we were all very surprised. There’d been no warning. There had been no publicized event of this eventuality. It just…came…down. I’m sure it was different for the people living in Berlin.

After a month in Meghalaya, I went traveling to Nepal and to northern India. Somewhere near southwest Nepal, I think Pokhara, I took a bus toward the Indian border. It turned out to be too expensive for the locals. That meant there was a lot of space, no chickens or goats, and the few people were all tourists. There were three people from Japan, one a Japanese Tibetan. There was a couple from Germany and me. The three from Japan didn’t speak much English and though the Germans did, we didn’t chat a lot.

However, at one point in conversation I mentioned the wall coming down. These Germans were obviously from the democratic side of Germany but I don’t know if they were from West Berlin. However, when I said the wall had come down they said absolutely not. I said, but yes it has come down and they adamantly said no way. But I saw it being cut down on TV.

They had been travelling for a few months and it was inconceivable that this could happen. It was such a quiet affair really, and so sudden. I don’t think these Germans believed me even then. They probably had a bit of culture shock going back to their own country.

Culture shock comes with a change from one’s norm of living. It can hit people traveling or living in foreign lands because it is so different to what they’re used to. I had my own culture shock while in India for those two months. For me it was mostly brought on by the dysentery and exhaustion I experienced, making every change and difference hard to take or understand.

The sicker I got the more I longed for home, wishing I could have a glass of cold water, a crisp salad and a glass of real wine, not the sickly sweet stuff they love in parts of India. I felt the culture differences most in the language barriers (the signs if there were any weren’t in the Roman alphabet so I didn’t have a chance of reading them), the sense of time (the “what to do” attitude in India is partly because of the rampant corruption-baksheesh system, so many don’t try hard; that and the heat of course) and communication (you’ll get directions, possibly five different ones if you ask five people but no one will say I don’t know so you spend all day trying to get someplace).

At times I was in an incomprehensible mire as I tried to figure out the culture enough for travelling. At times I realized how different my world was when I asked a group of men where I was on the map I had for a city (Varanasi I think) and as they discussed it in their own language I realized they had probably never seen a map and had no idea how to read it.

Our cultures are different and sometimes a change, whether sudden or by immersion can toss us into a sea of uncertainty. But in essence we are all dealing with our world though our traditions and the events and elements that shape us. Here’s to the wall coming down in Berlin and may we have more positive moves like this throughout the world of allowing people their freedoms.

Hoy madrugon y lio habitual para coger el bus… pero al final lo consegui y me subi al bus rumbo Pokhara. El paisaje al salir de Kathmandu ha sido increible. Todo el trayecto ha transcurrido a lo largo de un rio. Un rio de esos que a ratos es grande y tranquilo, a ratos estrecho y agitado y siempre tiene vida alrededor: pueblos, gente lavando, terrazas cultivadas… Durante todo el trayecto no he dejado de observar a mujeres trabajando la tierra, segando, haciendo fardos, transportando hierba… y los hombres? Que hacen? Molestar a las turistas como yo cuando quieren coger el bus.

No se que ha ocurrido pero ha habido un paron general y los vehiculos no podian seguir. Como se hacia aburrido he subido encima del bus para hacer fotos y al final me he quedado cuando estaba en marcha. Ha sido lo mejor del viaje! Iba encima del bus, con los bultos, mochilas, 4 amis y sus kayaks! Lo hemos pasado genial hablando a gritos para entendernos y agarrandonos como podiamos para no salir volando! Asi las casi 9 horas de viaje (para hacer 200 km) se han pasado mas rapido!

Pokhara me encanta. Es la tercer ciudad mas grande de Nepal y mucho mas tranquila que Kathmandu. La naturaleza es espectacular.  Se ven 3 picos de 8000 metros: Annapurna, Manaslu y Dhalaugiri! Desde mi cama veo el Machapuchare, un 7000 con forma de cola de pescado. Tengo esta vista por 300 rupias la noche (3 euros) – eso si, con “nepalese toilet.” Un agujero en el suelo y la ducha encima!

En el hostal hay una moto de 1600 cc con matricula espanyola. Voy a localizar a el/la motorista y que me cuente sus aventuras. Debe tener muchas si ha venido hasta Nepal en moto! Alucinante!

En principio manyana voy a preparar el trekking para salir el miercoles: permisos, chocolatinas, minimizar la mochila y estudiar la ruta. Me apetece muchisimo aunque tengo un poco de lio con los monjes budistas. Me dijeron que tenian overbooking (atencion, atencion veo un posible negocio) para el curso de noviembre y ahora me acaban de comunicar que puedo ir!

Vaya lio. Trekking o retiro espiritual radical? Me apetecen las dos cosas. La opcion mas comoda y facil es el trekking. Ademas, el retiro dura hasta mitades de diciembre. Para entonces estara todo nevado y subir a mas de 5000 metros para las pixapins como yo sera mision imposible! Ja, ja. Vaya dilema. Que hago? Quiero votos y comentarios!

Today was important. I had a 7:30am ticket to an Ultra-light flight into the Annapurna Mountain range. I wanted to get some footage for my personal documentary about Nepal and the Himalayan journey. At first sight, it’s a little intimidating. The Ultra-Light plane seats 2 people: the pilot and you. It’s more like a motorized paraglider than a plane, or as my wife would say, a cardboard box attached to a very large kite. Having said that, if she were here, she would be the very first to jump into one.

I'm flying in this thing - Ultra light paraglider being repaired

The pilots operate out of Pokhara airport. We got there in time, but my flight was delayed a bit. No problem, time for more coffee and a look around the airport. I was eventually escorted to the “hanger”. I got my first close up look and saw the first glider in a semi-disassembled state. This is not a good first impression. I have parachuted out of a plane before but had no interest in repeating it today. The plane’s engine is manufactured in Russia.  They are also engineered, maintained, and flown only by Russian pilots and have an outstanding safety record. The main reason for their record is if there is an engine failure for any reason, the plane simply turns into a paraglider. The dare devil in me thought it would actually be kinda cool to experience that; but then again, after being forced to sign quite a few waivers, maybe not!

I was required to put on the proper attire which was given to me. I got suited up on the spot and then paused and looked at myself in a nearby wall mirror. A huge grin suddenly appeared across my face. I looked and felt like a Russian cosmonaut! Jacket, helmet, and all. I walked back to the plane and met Alexander, my pilot, for the first time. I looked deeply into his eyes to see if I could sense any diabolical fire about him but found nothing but genuine warmth. So I willingly squeezed into the back seat directly behind him on the plane. Camera in hand, we took off and headed towards the mountains – TOTALLY AWESOME! Pokhara below us and the mountains in front of us, this ride was unbelievable! It’s not for the faint of heart but if you can muster the courage and look past the dainty plane, I would highly recommend it. At a top speed of 130kph which is actually really slow, we headed towards the mountains and got pretty close. We never really entered the mountain region but I took plenty of amazing footage. Fishtail mountain is probably the most remarkable of the panorama and is highly popular among trekkers. The one hour ride went by quickly and after the landing, I enjoyed a cup of hot black tea and a sales pitch for pictures taken of me during the flight. It’s pretty standard for this type of ride. Like a sucker tourist, I got all the pics taken on a CD. Who knows, I may use one of those images for my documentary!

Annapurna mountain range - Fishtail mountain on left

Eaklal picked me up from the airport in the cab. The cabbie is a friend of his who first took us to get our trekking permit for the Annapurnas and then dropped us off at the edge of the city where our trek begins. After a lackluster lunch at a local road-side restaurant, the hike up began once again, ascending 400 meters to our first lodge – the Yama Sakura lodge. This lodge is great. As for our room, we have stone walls instead of cardboard. We also have comfortable beds and lights. I know, strange to point that out as a special feature but I couldn’t help myself. My room had two beds so I shared the room with Eaklal. There always seems to be a climb upwards wherever we are trekking, but as usual, the reward is always great. The view at the lodge at this altitude was simply stunning! It was a great panorama of the mountains, Annapurna South, Fishtail, and Annapurna 2. I quickly got settled in my room and grabbed my camcorder, netbook, and iPod. Then took a short walk and planted myself on a grassy hill in the back of the lodge with an unobstructed view if the mountains. The mountain range was enveloped with a thick and constantly shifting cloud cover.

I wanted to film this progression over the course of one and a half hours, so I can time-lapse it later. However, as soon as I opened my netbook, it took mere minutes before I was surrounded by a group of locals, both young and old. They were intrigued by all the electronics that were out in the open. A western tourist sitting alone on a beautiful hillside with a bunch of western toys; it was like ants on sugar. One of the kids, Sujan in his late teens, asked about the memory and hard disk size of my little netbook. As soon as I stopped typing and pointed out the technical specs, we pretty much lost everyone around us. No bling in programming talk, I guess. But Sujan expressed his interest in writing programs and that he would love to work more with computers. He had learned the programming language ‘C’ in school down in Pokhara but is now stuck running his store in the mountains, selling Pashmina scarves and gloves. I could sense some resignation in his voice. One could see his ambition and desire to someday make something more out of his current situation. I gave Sujan a few tips and probably talked with him for a good hour about getting a couple of .NET programming books and picking up some knowledge while he is running his store on slow days. He eagerly soaked up all I could give him. He shuttled, or rather ran, back and forth between sitting next to me on the hill and rushing over to his store which was close by whenever he saw a tourist trekker looking at his goods displayed. This young man is hungry and is not too proud to seek the advice of a total stranger about something so passionate to him. I have no doubt that Sujan will make something of himself one day. I wish we could spend more time together! He gave me his two email addresses and we agreed to stay in touch.

An hour passed by and I again started to seriously blog on my netbook. Suddenly I heard some cheerful screams coming towards me. A small group of local kids noticed me and ran uphill as fast as they could. They were playfully racing to get to me first. This forced a loud giggle out of me. I guess this is how Santa Claus must feel every Christmas season. The mother who was watching all the children play followed behind them. As they approached me with beaming smiles and laughter, they all began to huddle very close to me, as if I was their lost uncle. Though I doubt they could really understand much of my English, I proceeded to explain what I was doing and showed them some images of where I had been throughout the world. As they listened to my overly exaggerated voice, all around me both large and subtle grins suddenly spread even wider from ear to ear as I went from picture to picture. These local, adults and children alike, are always in awe of the world around them. They are totally intrigued with life and new things, and with no expectations other than a warm smile from a total stranger. We could all learn a lot from these people. I will remember this day the next time I take something for granted in the States.

Mobbed by local kids and mother - technology bridging cultures

Eaklal joined me on the hill before sunset. We were mesmerized by the mountain scenery, switching our gaze back and forth, in total fascination by the sunset spectacle in front of us. It’s an imposing sight. Video or photography can’t touch the real experience. All I can say is, “Come to Nepal and be amazed.” As the sun set we headed back down for dinner. Some of the best moments that I will cherish about Eaklal are our precious time together like these, without a single word spoken to each other, just staring at the natural beauty in complete silence. I slept like a baby.

I heard the phone ring at 9:00am. Joachim called about breakfast and was actually in the hotel lobby. Cool! I was hungry. A few minutes later we strolled to the Bakery Cafe again. This time I asked for my third waiter right away. As Joachim watched and followed, the waiter and I engage in our now familiar pointing at things and international body language. This time we were a lot more efficient. The food was great again and the discussion between Joachim and I were lively. We picked up from the last time we ran into each other at a much higher altitude on the trek and we probably could have filled the rest of the day with new stories and people we had met. I remember reading somewhere that Norwegians are very smart people. The country has an almost 100% literacy rate and the majority of adults have some form of secondary education. They are true intellectuals with a strong love for nature. Joachim was no different. Though, his generous nature and amusing personality made him stand out.

When you share a trek, most of the time you also learn a little bit about the person telling the stories. We all left home and took a chance to come to far away lands, each of us in search of something either similar or different. We talk about experiences and places that are all new to us. We try to process what excites us, what makes us angry, sad, happy, or proud; and like a child, we can’t hide the emotions that are associated with what we are saying. You get to know your fellow trekker pretty quickly in this kind of journey and become closer in a shorter amount of time than you would at home.  Today was one of those days with Joachim.

Almost 3 hours later we said our farewells and I walked back to the hotel to meet Eaklal. We then headed to the airport for another part of the Himalayas, the Annapurna Mountains. If the trek to Mount Everest could be called a backdrop for the “Lord of the Rings” movie, the Annapurnas trek would be the backdrop to the “Wizard of Oz”. Both are two very unique and totally different trekking environments.  Where the Mount Everest trek was all about shallow breathing, falling rocks, snow, ice, and danger, the Annapurnas is about beautiful, green, and flowery fields with majestic snow capped mountains in the background. Of course one could go higher to the more dangerous parts of the Annapurnas but most people who do this have already climbed mountains in the Everest region and are looking for a new challenge.

The Annapurnas

We got into the Annapurnas and arrived at a village called Pokhara around 3pm. We then checked into the Base Camp Resort Hotel. Then Eaklal showed off the surroundings by taking me to a beautiful lake with our hosting village against the background. Pokhara is laid back, warm and a popular destination for honeymooners. It’s a far cry from the busy, dusty, and congested Kathmandu. Just what I was looking for! We stopped by a restaurant right on the banks of the Fewa lake. It was the kind of place where you were surrounded by the gentleness of nature, with flowing trees, delicate flowers and fields of green grass. The wind was blowing ever so slightly, which made the hippie in me rejoice.

As the story goes, surprises are a common theme around here. As Eaklal and I were waiting for our dinner, two Chinese guys sat down at the table next to ours. I glanced over, pointed at them, and announced, “I know you! You’re Lung and Wong from Hong Kong!” I first met them about 2 weeks ago at Namche Bazaar on the east side of the Himalayas. Utter surprise smiles once again as we talked about what we learned from our journeys. They had spent just 2 days in Pokhara and were flying home the next day. Eaklal and I eventually made our way back and stopped by a local bar for a couple of beers. The popular brand down here: “Everest Beer”. If that doesn’t do it for you, well then there is “Everest Whisky”. What, no alcohol for you? No worries, they also serve “Everest Mineral Water”. We made our way back to the hotel around 8:30pm and I was ready to call it a night.

I Recommend….

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Nepal Travel Tour Packages with Information.

Special Nepal Travel and Trekking Packages for 2010.   

We provides you Special Nepal Travel and Trekking Packages for 2010 including Nepal  Travel ,Trekking Tour Information  With Tips and Package . Nepal is a unique destination for travel, trekking and tours because of its unbeatable combination of natural beauty and cultural riches. Trek and Tour around Nepal, you will directly experience our culture and way of life of different ethnic people, religion and festivals. Trekking and Tour  in Nepal is a big part to the Welcome Nepal Treks and Tours P.Ltd., and the majority of tourists include trekking and Tour in Nepal as a part of their itinerary. Trekking and Tour in Nepal is an unforgettable life experience for everyone.

We Are offering details of tours, leisure holiday, special honeymoon package tours, Himalaya  trekking, adventure vacation and mountaineering, eco tours , India, Bhutan, Tibet Tour , local city sightseeing, air ticketing, accommodation and adventure activities. Online booking are always available. Welcome to Nepal Travels! It is our Mission to provide you superior service at an affordable price. We can accommodate any travel plans and can custom fit any itinerary. At Nepal Travels, we are here to serve you! Our motto is “Where there is greenery, there is peace and happiness”.

Kathmandu Pokhara Tour Package

Kathmandu is a cultural hotbed of entwined histories and fascinating cultural encounters that never disappoint, making it one of the most popular and sought-after destinations in South Asia. It truly is a place for travellers to realise their dreams.

By contrast, Pokhara is a relatively peaceful, enchanting Himalayan valley nestled in a tranquil valley. It is the starting point of many of Nepal’s most popular trekking and rafting destinations, dotted all over with glowing faces pouring over trekking maps, and exhausted but happy backpackers returning from the mountains.

This tour is perfect for those who want to take a short break out of the capital city to Pokhara, Nepal’s second city, before returning to Kathmandu

* See : – Picasaweb Album – Kathmandu

Trip Facts of Kathmandu Pokhara Tour Package

Tour service: Economic

The cost includes:

• 5 night twin sharing accomodation in Kathmandu and Pokhara with breakfast in economic hotels.
• All transport and transfers as per itinerary including Kathmandu/Pokhara/Kathmandu by tourist bus.
• Sight seeing as per itinerary

The cost excludes:

• Air ticket from and to your country
• Bottled drinks
• Extra cost due to unforeseen expenses that may arise due to the factors beyond our control like political unrest, landslides, personal illness etc.
• Monument entrance fee
• Airport tax
• Visa
• Travel Insurance

Remark: The schedule of sight seeing on Day 01 could be changed if your arrival is late.

Please contact to us for more details.

Welcome Nepal Treks and tours Pvt. Ltd.
P.O.BOX:19760
Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone: +977-1-4253677
Mobile: +977-9841767236 (Hari khadka)
Web: www.newnepaltrekking.com
www.nepaltourstravel.com
Email: welcometour@wlink.com.np
info@newnepaltrekking.com

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** Previous story : – Trekking

** zapraszam na relacje z wypraw polskich himalaistów.

zapraszam do subskrypcji mego bloga