Temples and Bhutan to come...

... currently in transit. 12 hours in Bangkok, early morning flight to Myanmar.

xx

Monkeys

Characters

Pottery

What to do, Kathmandu

Promptly, we’re on the tarmac awaiting clearance for the twin otter departure…yahoo we’re good to go back to Kathmandu. Within 45 minutes we’ve thread the needle through the mountains, clouds and peaks and now we’re weaving to and fro through the chaos of morning city traffic. Ahhh Dwarkis, museum like with a HOT shower and robes, how fantastic. It’s a haven in a bees nest of urban dysfunction, ergo the frequently cantered “what to do in Kathmandu”. We expunged the mountain sweat, organized our UNESCO guided tour/driver for the AM and treated ourselves to the six-course traditional Nepali dinner at Krishnarpan, mmmmm tasty.

Up and ready to absorb, we met Hari in the lobby and departed at 8:30 am, starting in the old city of Bhaktapur we were rubber necking one sacrifice after another—a duck and goat on leash were quickly ushered to their next incarnation. Between the open-air butchers, fishmongers and busy day of sacrifices Alex is well on her way to becoming a vegetarian. With little time to spare we were off to Patan Durbar Square where we had a lovely tranquil lunch moment in the Museum Courtyard, away from the maddening crowd. At the Golden Temple, a working gem of a monastery we watched the 12 year-old boy monk who lives by himself in the temple perform a ceremony for visiting Buddhists.

When in Kathmandu…visit the Monkey Temple—remember don’t stare at the monkeys as you walk through the sacred area. Big ones, little ones, fast moving ones, dogs chasing monkeys, screaming monkeys…what a ride! This is the sideshow, while religious rituals are going on around the stupa and in the monastery—never a dull moment.

Combating traffic we share our appreciation with Hari for his fountain of knowledge. Then quickly bid our driver good-bye, hop in a taxi to meet Peter for 5:30 pm who’s teaching a leadership class at Shree Mangal Dvip School while we try to digest all the things we’ve learned during the day.

Oh it’s show and tell and we’re the show—Alex does a great job talking with the young women during the leadership class, they gather around with curiosity and questions…a proud moment for mama bear. After class, we walk back to Peter’s for our send off dinner with the boys—Turkish cheese and Prosciutto followed by hot green curry…eclectic and tasty!

Sleep tight, morning flight, Bhutan…

Backtrack - Bandipur and Birthdays

We enjoyed two days with Peter and a few of his boys. The Castle (Nepali’s pronounce the ‘t’), is a charming self-proclaimed chateau owned and operated by Joe (British expat), with an authentic pub for hotel patrons, Wi-Fi and Tauny Port—our home away from home while in Pokhara.

On the first day we checked out the local cuisine—pizza! We tried on every Nepali traditional hat laughing as we went shop to shop with some of the clever lads. However, the most impressive highlight was our tour of Bandipur and the Notre Dame school, where the brightest of the “untouchable” kids (most impoverished, young capable kids that society has chosen to forget), flourish with nurturing and access to education—young “Pretty Bee” will be attending next year, another of Peter’s young boys. After the action packed 48 hours the boys presented me with a surprise cake and candles at the Chinese restaurant in Pokhara on the actual day I turned 50—as I write this it sounds like the beginning of a very odd film… to be enjoyed

People

Day 3- Take the High Road, Jomson

When Thom the porter thinks the room is cold—hello… Ang Kami to the rescue with hot water bottles and extra blankets. We had a much better night and yippee lemon sugar crepes (a little thick), with two hard-boiled eggs for breakfast, it’s the simple things. Ginger tea for altitude and we get started on our decent.

We gained a gold star from porter Thom, he was pleased with our walking during the first few hours, ‘good pace’. Funny how downhill works completely different muscles and can really get your quads quivering. With our trusty TP in the backpack and nature calling we made a pit stop at a cute little place. The Swiss trekkers were keen to do laundry and chill, the yak had been pummeled and was hanging to cure for the winter and the magic green was growing strong at 6 feet tall—don’t touch that. It’s for the winter, hah!

In short order we were back on the trail. We noticed a ‘flock, gaggle, school’??? group of ponies confidently taking the high road at the ‘y’, and we followed… the high road back to Jomson. Feeling a bit peckish we stopped at the Hill Ton Tea House/Hotel (this is not to be confused with the Hilton) for lunch. The first order of business was to encourage the calf out of the teahouse where it had just dropped a load—nice, still hungry?!

Arriving at Jomson as the kiddies were getting out of school, we did a check point sign in, hit the ATM and checked in at the Xanadu. Thom was most excited, fresh Yak steak and a beer to celebrate the end of the trek…OK he had two beers, told us how happy he was and repeated Namaste more than a dozen times as he headed for home in the dark. We listened to the 18-day trekking tales from the Italian and the boy from Iowa…sleeping with the cattle, yikes.

It’s an early night with a 7 am airport call, fingers crossed for clear skies and we’re on our way back to Kathmandu…

Day 2- Garlic Soup and Ginger Tea in Muktinath

We had a wobbly start to Day 2 due to little sleep--thanks to the cold--porridge and uber runny eggs. No worries, our spirits were lifted by the brilliant sunshine and total visibility of the Himali peaks. With a full day of trekking ahead we loaded up and commenced our slow and steady climb. With a good pitch and Thom setting the pace we endured a two hour "buns-of-steele" stair master class!

The first ridge of the day offered a scenic resting place to take photos, de-layer and re-hydrate. Then, just like a scene out of Road Warriors--the bikers arrived!

As they mounted their machines we slung our packs over our shoulders and said we'd race them to the top. Running at hight altitude is not advised, needless to say the German and Spaniard we're on their way down as we were stopping for lunch... halfway up the face. Shocking! Not that we're making excuses for ourselves, we did however make a stop at ridge two. Breath regained and Inuit slate sculpture constructed we proudly left our mark in the Himalayan's and bravely ventured up. Where is ridge three?!

Muktinath feels like a frontier trading post with a police check-in station that doubles as the butcher and an eclectic mix of residence and guests: granola, rasta, the Russian one-man expedition team and of course, all the devout (and fit) Hindis who have made the pilgrimage to the high mountain monastery (that also welcomes Buddhists and others...) What a place...

Why are the mountains spinning?! Difficult to find a horizon line, time for more garlic soup and ginger tea.

Good Night and Good Luck.

Day 1 - Follow the river to Kagbeni, Lower Mustang

Like trail ponies we assembled and ventured into the vast, Huge, no, MASSIVE open-mountain range. Peed behind some scruff, yakked with some yaks and walked parallel with the riverbed. Our two Nepali friends set the pace and we soon found our rhythm amongst the desert mountains and snow capped peaks. Half a day later we arrived in Kagbeni, a small mountain village with seemingly random cows, sheep and donkeys. We checked into The New Asia tea house, settled at a family style picnic table and “enjoyed” our first Veg. Dal Bhat.

After checking out the slowest internet café, Yak Donalds… yes, it even had the golden arches (no photo, my bad), we explored the town and stupa, walked the walk to gain some karma, visited the local Monastery, and found a wood carving of a man with a huge dong, what’s that about? Ang Kami had to blush. Back at the hotel we tripped up unique stairs of random heights and decided our room while clean was colder than a witch’s tit—that’s a technical term, eight layers and counting.

Dinner was insightfull, garlic soup is the secret for altitude sickness and rosti in the Himali’s is nothing like Zermat, boo hoo. That’s OK, the fun of meeting trekkers from countless countries (initiated this evening by the Spaniards) is only surpassed by the laughs of playing ‘camp’ games. As 15 of us share broken English—lost in translation makes for great entertainment as it creates universal laughter shared with new friends bonded by the mystic journey. Too bad, Thom lost interest before getting to play “detective!”

With glee, looking due North at the Upper Mustang Trek from the roof of the Monastery, Kagbeni.

Welcome to Himali Scareways

A Canadian Twin Otter Plane...only the best for Tara Air's Mountain Flight.

...tight squeeze between mountains and an immediate e-brake turn to the right with 90 degree visibility and you're good to go.

A quick breaky at Xanadu, tea house and hotel and we're off to the first Himali Mountain Police check point. Stamped and ready to go, we begin our ascent.

Ang Kami --of the Everest Sherpa clan-- guides the way with our musical medicine man / porter Thom.

Himalayan Bound

... early morning flight to Jomson, then nothing but open Mountain Desert to explore.

Marbles In Bandipur

The 50 yard line...

Maoists, Monkeys and a dinner at Mamma Mia's in Pokhara... Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you Mama Buddha.

It's the big 5-0 and this is what we've learned in our first 24 hours. The "New Nepal" is being fought for in the streets of Kathmandu today, tomorrow and possibly for the next months or few years. Political unrest is not uncommon here in Nepal as the Royal Family was put out of power 8 years ago--in a very Shakespearean turn of affairs..."Out damn spot, out." Since then the fight for power has been ongoing, much like the fight for the "sidewalk," who will win? The monkey, motorbikes or me?! So far, motorbike - 1, monkey, Alex and Victoria - none!

The sights, sounds and colours here are unbelievable. The people are warm and approachable and their culture is rich and enchanting... we're heading to a mountain school tomorrow to share some goodies and play with the kiddies. Can't wait.

Until then... here are some more safety tips from Nepal-

1- Never, ever look a monkey in the eye. And do not attempt to feed or touch them, no matter how cute. Ever seen Outbreak? I rest my case.

2- When leaving your Buddah-Air Mountain flight remember to mind your head and not walk into the still moving propeller. It's a bit messy and makes for a very uncomfortable trek. Don't laugh, apparently this happens more often than not.

3- And remember to stand down-wind from all the feral hippie backpackers that never left Nepal or changed out of their "real" North Face attire.

More to come.

Much love from the mother / daughter duo in Nepal.

xx from Pokhara

FYI - Gumne means "walking" in Nepali!