Soul Searching

Trekking* – first really bad idea to go from Phuket, Thailand where it’s 90° F to Nepal, where it’s 60° F in the daytime and around 32° F at night, really bad. I arrive in Jomsum and make my way to Kagbeni – after harrowing 16 seat airplane ride. The plane was almost grounded due to heavy fog and strong winds. They didn’t tell us until after. The plane took off and everything was fine until we started to land. The small plane had to make a 180° turn to land. The only problem was that it had to make the complete turn in a narrow valley. I swear I could have spit out the window onto the mountainside. That coupled with the wind made for an exciting voyage. Only me and one other trekker arrived that day. No one else was able to get in for another 5 days dues to the winds. No one had come in the previous 3 days because the planes were grounded due to fog. Very low season. I decide no porter, no guide, just me and my 40 pound pack. If anyone had questions about my intelligence, let those be gone. It’s confirmed. I am stupid. Not just stupid, but stupid and stubborn – a deadly combination.

Day one – Jomsom to Kagbeni, the first mistake, uphill on my first day. A 2 ½ hour trek takes me six. Not because I’m slow. I was moving at a pace similar to the locals. I just took the “safe” way. The actual path. Then everyone told me afterward that it’s a lot shorter to cut through the dried up river bed. Kagbeni turns out to be my favorite place on the trek. I found a really nice tea house with a family of very clean tea house. The food was good too. A nice place to rest. It’s really cold.

Day two – on to Muktinath. Way too cold. The higher the altitude, the colder and thinner the air. Dirty and completely disgusting. The bed the sheets smell, that sour sweet rancid smell of filth from not being washed in ages. Like a bat out of hell.

Day three – Muktinath to Kagbeni “take a shortcut” in Nepali means let’s see how stupid this westerner is … the 2 ½ hour shortcut takes six hours, climbs to mountains and goes back to where I started from! At least I get a clean place to sleep.

Day four – going down hill now, the hard part is over. So now, of course, hire a porter.
Kagbeni to Kalopeni

Day five Kalopeni – to Tatopani – hot shower, aaahhh

Day six Tatopani to Sikha – famous for its “hot springs” (nasty), no hot water due to hot springs

Day seven Sikha to Ghorepani – dirty, nasty place

Day eight Ghorepani to Nayapul, 6 ½ hours, met guide, had handkerchief stolen, tasted raxi, a rice wine. If I had any worries about parasites, I’m sure this stuff took care of them…

Pokhara – relax and recuperate. Laundry, nice hotel, kind of hot water

Back in Katmandu – a 7 hour bus ride back to the mouth of hell