making tracks, underground, revelers, sunny london, home again, members only club, russell brand, cider pints, champagne, hot baths, canal runs, flower market, hip street fashion, brick lane, family time, love.
onward
the day of the pass i’ve hiked 11 hours and end up in the cutest little village of kagbeni, a welcome latte that costs as much as my room, a warm, clean bed & intermittently warm shower is all that i need & can ask for. i sleep for 12 solid blissful hours.
i am back to solo trekking, no other trekkers at the guesthouse, not many on the trail, none at the following guest house the next day / 16 miles further. the trail now a jeepable road, not as nice, dusty, windy, my feet have blood blisters on the soles from my long trek days. i flag down a local bus.
3 buses later on the 4 x 4 roads, on one leg a goat as my seat companion, i land in the local city of pokhara & receive news that a avalanche in the area caused flooding and i am lucky to have left the trail when i did. i worry about the missing.
pokhara a smoggy, dusty city, rubble roads, cows & vendors in the middle of the street until you get to lakeside, the tourist district, neon, souvenir & trek shops, paved-ish roads/sidewalks, rooftop bars. I kick off my shoes chill w a most welcome cold everest beer & some veggie momos.
one if the larger nepali mnt towns on an Annapurna descent day.
the pass
morning warm hugs & kisses goodbye in the snow & the boys are off to dojee’s village.
the next few days my hikes are short but steep, forced not to go to high in one shot to acclimate to the altitude each night. acute mountain sickness is serious and folks die every year here. there are constant warnings not to hike alone over the pass. i have a hiking partner goal.
a handsome slavakian couple & their hired guides are kind enough to take me on, but, sheessh, they hit the trail for the pass at 2 am.
basically a night hike i feel strong & am surrounded by snowy mountains, i am in awe of the stars & milky way above- the slavakians don’t understand my exclamations of ‘isn’t this fucking beautiful’ looking at me quizzically as i gasp the words. we watch the sunrise at the pass.
post pass & a shared tea the slovakians hit the next town to relax & stay for the night.
i hike onward.
trekking on
the rain starts to lighten up as i hike w the tea house boys, belgiums from brussels. simone & tom are brothers travelling with their best friend dojee, a native nepali whose lived in brussels for 10 years. his first time back in a decade & they are trekking to his village, a real homecoming.
over the next few days dojee runs across old friends & family in the villages & along the trail, we get super duper local food and the download on the best places/towns to stay & the skinny on the weather ahead.
in the town of chame we feast, drink local moonshine & are introduced to the family & friends filtering in from the area. dojee calls me a good friend. sweet. it turns into a dance party when the tables are cleared & moved.
happy & hung over the boys and i tackle a 21 mile upward hike to manang. bruuuuuutal but beautiful. more & more trekkers can be seen the closer we get to the summit.
a rich meal, deliriously tired & a ritual evening toke, we snuggle into our beds giggling. happy. tomorrow is a rest day for me & the boys will head to dojee’s village. i am invited along but don’t want to wear out my welcome & i have a summit / walk to the clouds to tackle.
annapurna trek, nepal
permits in hand, a light pack and an early morning bus from kathmandu to besisahar where i kick off the annapurna circuit trek the following morning.
dumped in a dusty one road town i see no evidence of trekkers or supply shops. the locals are indifferent to me. cool. i walk.
end of town the permit office, a few shops & some trekker guest houses / eateries. accommodations basic, clean w/ shared squat toilet & shower. typical. a sandwich, a toke, a good nights sleep & i am stoked to hit the trail in the morn.
i am totally solo on this one, really is low season, no other trekkers around.
decent weather, heavy breath, waterfalls, goats, i walk w local donkey porters, wind & rain start to whip up. maybe i packed too light. next village looks desolate, few buildings, i pop into a tea house, order coffee. three men in the corner speaking french are wrapping up lunch. i intro myself, they are trekking on. i ask if i can tag along - ‘yes, of course’ as they head out the door.
gulp coffee, pay bill, run after the boys like an eager little sister.. ‘wait up’
local bus to besisahar to kick off annapurna circuit trek, hoooonk! so close but a world away from the trail.
bicycle tuk tuk to monkey temple. broke down on the way back but fixed & on the road again during time for me to enjoy a delicious mango. monkeys at the temple are mean buggers. killer 360 view of the smoggy endless city.
katmandu smells of curries & incense. i couldn’t feel more welcome. I feel much love here. I heart nepal.
