I’m back from my walk in the woods and the following is an attempt to recap what I’ve been up to for the past 25 days. Some of it may seem quite remarkable and hard to believe but let me assure you that some of it is true. This may take a while to read. I suggest allotting 1 hour of journal reading time each day for the next week. Also, I jump in and out of present and past tense forms. Don’t let that bother you. Now get a cup of coffee and read on.
Days #1-7(Otherwise know as week one)
Most people that trek in the Solu Khumbu region of Nepal fly from KTM to Lukla and begin their trek from there. Another option is to take a bus to a village called Jiri and trek an extra week or so before arriving in the same place as those who flew. There are a few reasons people choose to fly. One is that the trek from Jiri is moderately difficult and lacks the breathtaking views of the latter section of the journey. Secondly, and probably most influential in the decision making process is the presence of Maoist Rebels in the region and the high probability of encountering them and being asked for a “donation” for their cause. How could I pass up the chance to meet some communist revolutionaries? I chose Jiri as my trailhead.
The bus ride from Kathmandu wasn’t as bad as books and people made it sound. It was not a completely enjoyable 11 hours, but the frequent flat tires, my broken seat, the extremely narrow roads, very friendly people, and nice scenery made the ride go by quickly. We arrived in Jiri around 6PM and I was immediately greeted and ushered off to some hotel by a man whose job it is to lure tourists to his hotel with sweet words and his cheerful manner. After 11 hours on the bus, it didn’t take him long to convince me to stay. After some daal bhat and a short conversation about the steady decrease in tourism, I went to bed.
I initially planned on doing about 6 hours of walking on my first day but ended up doing about 11 hours. At the six hours mark I was still feeling physically good and the weather, which had been horrible all morning, was improving quickly so I decided to continue on. This turned out to be a “not bad, but not good” idea. When I finally felt like stopping there were no lodges to stay in so I just kept walking. By the 11th hour daylight was fading away and my legs decided they’d had enough so I found a Nepali family with an extra bed and stayed with them. Haji was the man of the house and a very genuine person. I enjoyed my night with him and his family very much. The bed was nothing more than wooden boards with a bamboo mat on top which made sleep a bit difficult, but the experience just wouldn’t have been as unique if I’d had slept on a mattress.
The next morning I had two cups of black tea and some Nepali flat bread (roti) before paying Haji for his great hospitality and not so tasty food. I bid an elongated and kind farewell then began my trek. I only trekked for about 3 and a half hours this day before stopping in Sete for the day. The trail was quite steep during this portion and ascended about 1500 meters. After a long first day I decided to give my legs a break on day two. The owner of the lodge was very interesting. He speaks Czech, English, Tibetan, and about 10 dialects of Nepali. He has some great stories about the Maoists whom he says are very polite, practical people. He also told me about his early days as a guide and the different, sometimes difficult clients he had.
I ate dinner around 6 and then headed to bed. I love the simplicity of trekking. Eat, walk, stop, eat, read, relax, write, eat, and sleep. I don’t even have to wash myself if I don’t feel like it.
I had a really nice time in Sete and almost convinced myself to stay an extra day. The owner, Hira, continued to entertain me with his stories and impress me with his great cooking ability throughout my stay. I chose to leave however and set off around 7:30 in the morning.
A good portion of the day was spent walking uphill towards the pass at about 3100 m. The weather was great and all types of flowers were in bloom so I forgot about the strain of my bag for most of the day. The trail was really beautiful. After the pass it was almost all downhill to Junbesi, the town I would stop at for the day. In all it took about 6 ½ hours.
Hira, my new friend in Sete, had recommended a Guest house run by a friend of his so I chose to stay there. Two young girls, aged 16 and 19 ran it. Extremely hard workers these two and really sweet. I lounged around for most of the afternoon, thoroughly enjoying this small village’s charm. Within an hour of arriving I had already decided to stay an extra day.
Compared to other guest houses I’ve stayed at it was a bit crowded here with 2 other Americans and an Australian. It was great to have relaxed conversations in English though. Something I’ve only had a handful of opportunities to engage in for the past 4 months. I like speaking in Nepali or broken English, but the extent of those conversations rarely go past family and work topics. A bit repetitive and dull after a while.
The young girls that ran the place were great cooks. There are many variations of daal bhat in Nepal and theirs is one of the best. I looked forward to another day of their cooking.
The next day I woke around 5:30AM. This has been my routine waking hour for the past few months. Waking up early has become a habit partly because bedtime is so early in this country and because I really enjoy mornings now. I’ve become a morning person.
After some tea and a light breakfast I said bye to the other trekkers that were moving on to their next stop, then took a walk up the valley to a Buddhist monastery and Tibetan refugee camp. It only took about 1 ½ hours to get there and was a really nice walk. The main gompa was under some heavy repairs and I met the Australian woman and Belgian man that were in charge of the repairs. Both were very happy and fun to talk to.
I wandered around the surrounding neighbourhood of over 350 small huts and entertained some of the Buddhist nuns with my camera. After a few photos though, things got out of hand and they took my camera. It wasn’t easy getting it back. I never knew how stubborn nuns could be. It was all a lot of fun.
Before heading back to Junbesi I walked around the uninhabited hillsides following random footpaths. When I got back to the main trail I passed a small school and was asked to take a look around by its single teacher. These kids have it so rough. In such a secluded region it’s almost impossible for any sort of assistance to reach the school. The teacher asked me to help, but there’s not much I can do. I said goodbye and started back down the trail to Junbesi trying to think of any way I could lend a hand. At this point in time I don’t think this is a problem I’m able to solve.
When I got back to the guesthouse I took a short nap then spent the afternoon reading and writing. I wish everybody could enjoy the leisurely lifestyle I was living out there in the mountains for at least a week. After another great meal and some joking around with Kanchii and Pemba (the young girls that run things) I went to bed.
I managed to wake up, wash, pack, eat, and start trekking by 6:30 the next morning. It was a beautiful morning, which made me very motivated to get moving. I did a lot of up and down walking for about 3 hours before ascending and crossing another pass at 2900m. After two hours of steep, knee and hip breaking descent I arrived in the village of Nunthala and looked for a place to stay. I walked into a place called Shangri La just in time to share some chang with the family that runs it. Chang is the local liquor and there’s no age limit on the stuff. Everyone including a 4 year old boy was sipping at it. It’s not very strong and has a good flavour. I had two cups then took a quick shower. Afterwards I commenced my normal afternoon routine of eating, reading, writing, and getting to know the owners. Padam is the owner’s name and he has a wife and two kids. Even though I’m trekking alone there’s no reason to ever feel lonely. Everywhere I go I encounter the warmth and hospitality that Nepal is rightfully known for.
I almost forgot to mention my first encounter with a Maoist rebel. It was during my trek to Nunthala and was pretty disappointing. I was making my way up hill to the pass when a young man stepped up to me and started talking. We talked for a short while then he told me he was a Maoist and asked for a mandatory tourist donation of 1000 rupees (about US$13). No guns. No surprise ambush. Just some kid. I tried to get a discount for doing volunteer work in his country but he didn’t cut me any slack. In return for my money I received a receipt to show any other Maoists I ran in to during my trek. In all, I was impressed by his professionalism but disappointed by his presentation. Rebels should have guns.
I took my time getting ready the next morning. I only had 4-5 hours of trekking ahead of me so I saw no reason to hurry. Much of my morning was spent observing the daily routine of the local children. After an hour or two of difficult farm work it’s a two hour walk (mostly uphill) to their school. That’s if they’re lucky enough to attend school. Many children spend the whole day working. Such a sad, difficult way to grow up. At least to me it is. To them, it’s just how things are and they accept it for that.
I left Shangri-La around 8AM and started walking downhill to the river crossing. It took about 2 hours to reach the river then the trail ascended steeply for another few hours to Khari Khola. I stopped here for some tea and crackers before another steep ascent to Bupsa. I always end up staying at the first lodge I go to because I can’t bring myself to say “No”. The place I stopped at here looked nice from the outside but left much to be desired on the inside. Especially after taking a walk around and seeing other much nicer places for the same price. Oh well, it was only one night after all.
I passed the time eating and reading, then went to bed. Thus, week one came to a close.
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