Nepal: Images 03

Nepalese children

I went on a 2-day rafting trip on the Trishuli River.

Ganesha

A Scene from Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square

Entrance to temple

Nepal: Images 02

Kathmandu...it felt like I was back in Thailand.

Souvenirs on sale.

I'm not sure why this man was up in the tree, what he was saying, why people were giving him money, and what was in the pamphlets he gave them in return.

Thamel, Kathmandu - the tourist area.

Himalayan mud stove

Nepal: Images 01

Welcome to Nepal. It looks just like India.

But they are on strike, and there is no bus or taxis to take you from the border to anywhere.

Boats on Lake Phewa, Pokhara. The air was really bad. There are mountains everywhere, but you could not see them.

Another view of the lake.

It is common for people to ride on the top of buses. I had to do it also. It was not very comfortable.

The Great Himalayan Hoax

I am not much into conspiracy theories, although some are fun to read. But here is one that I believed. The great snow capped Himalayan mountain ranges do not exist. It is a big hoax, and millions of people are in on it, fooling the rest of us who have not gone there to see for ourselves. Now, how could I of all people come to such a conclusion? Because I went there to see for myself.

My first foray into “Himalayas” was to Darjeeling, a hill station in West Bengal, India. According to my guide book, Darjeeling is “backed by a splendid Himalayan panorama” and “the skyline is dominated by Khangchendzonga,...the world's third-highest mountain.” Yeah, uh-huh. It was so foggy, I could hardly see down the street, let alone at some panorama. If it was not for the nauseating jeep ride up to Darjeeling, (at one point I had to stop the jeep so I wouldn't throw up) I could think I was still back in Kolkata. Well, not quite. The people looked more like Tibetan, and it was cold. They said that January was not the best time to visit. So I went back to Kolkata.

Later, I went to Rishikesh, yoga capital of the world, located in the Himalayan foothills, in the Indian state Uttarakhand. From here you can't see anything beyond the immediate foothills. So I decided I would take the 12 hour mountain bus ride to Gangotri, then the 3 day hike to the Gaumukh Glacier. This glacier is the first source of the Ganga River. I wanted to drink from the river, although technically, it is called the Bhagirathi at the point, not the Ganga. But they told me, oh no, you can't go there now. The roads are closed until April. There is no bus. I asked about the villages and the people who live there. They said that those people leave during the winter. Yeah, uh-huh. What was I to do?

I went to Nepal, to Pokhara. Pokhara is in a valley, at less than 1000m, and according to the photographs, has a spectacular backdrop of over 20 snowcapped mountain peaks. I arrived in Pokhara at about 3am, got a couple hours sleep and got up really excited about seeing the Himalayas. I should know better. There were no mountains. Just haze. I looked the amazing photographs, then up in the direction the photos were taken....nothing.

They told me there had been no rain for 5 months, so there are dust particles in the air. If only it would rain, then you will see the mountains. It rained that night. I got up early the next morning, hopeful...nothing. But if you go trekking in the mountains, they you'll definitely see the mountains. The sky is clear up there. Uh-huh... I went to Kathmandu and saw nothing but haze on the way there and back.

I had been in Nepal for two weeks already, still no proof that the highest mountains in the world existed. After much internal debate, I finally decided to go on a 5 to 7-day trek in the Annapurna Sanctuary, without a guide or porter, despite the warnings that you should never go trekking alone. I figured that every few hours, there are a few guest houses and restaurants, so it is not as scary as it sounds. The highlight of the trip would be an early morning hike to Poon Hill for a clear view of the alleged mountains.

On the first day, I was not expecting anything on the trail from Birethanti to Ghandruk, and I wasn't disappointed. It was like a tourist highway, with so many trekkers. Nothing to see, just dried crops. It was a rough trek up the very long stone steps to Ghandruk. They just went on and on, from 1200m to 2000m. I spent the night in Ghandruk and saw photos of what they said I would see in the morning. I wasn't getting my hopes up.

The guest house was typical of buildings in the mountains. The walls are made of stone, about 18 inches thick. It was finished on the inside with mud, probably mixed with dung, and painted. It looked nice. I was on the 2nd floor. It had wood plank flooring and simple woven bamboo ceiling. I could see some daylight thru the stone shingles. Although the temperature dropped at night, and there was no heat, I was warm and slept well.

On the morning of the second day, I woke up early....cloudy. I went back to bed for a couple hours. Later, I got up, packed my bag, ordered breakfast, photographed the flowers around the building and sat down to eat. I looked up. But wait, that's not all clouds. Some of that is snow. And it is like right there. If the clouds went away, it would be really impressive. But that was as good as it got. Time to move on.

The trek from Ghandruk to Jhinu Danda was much different. There were no other tourists and only a few local people. Apparently, I took the road less traveled. I one point I lost my way in a barley field. Some women pointed me in the right direction. I was really exhausted when I arrived in Jhinu Danda because there were no restaurants on the trail I took, and I ran out of water. So I decided to stay there, even though it was only 1:30.

Near to Jhinu Danda, there is a hot spring, with two bathing pools. It is a 20 minute hike down and 40 minutes back up. At least that's how long it took me, on average. I saw on average, because I went four times. I stayed in Jhinu Danda for two nights, because I kept going back to the hot springs. The water was not very hot, but it was relaxing. I especially liked taking a dip in the Modi Khola, the river that flows directly from the South Annapurna glacier, then dip back in the hot pool. This could be the highlight of my trip.

On the morning of the third day, the sky was clear. The first day with clear skies in Nepal, but Jhinu Danda is not the place to be if you want a good view of the mountains. My first real proof that the snowcapped mountains exist, and it is not a very good view.

On the morning of the fourth day, I left Jhinu Danda and headed up the very steep trail toward Chhomrong. They said it would take 2 hours, but I did it in 1 hour and 10 minutes and felt great! So I kept going on my way toward Tadapani. But I went one village too far without eating and without drinking enough water. When I stopped in Chuile, I had a massive headache. I stopped there and rested in bed all afternoon and night and drank 2 liters of water. The boiled water, provided by the guest house, tasted like whatever they happened to be cooking at the time. As late as 3am, I still had a headache.

On the morning of the fifth day, I awoke without a headache, but it was cloudy. I, very slowly, cautiously and drinking much water, made my way to Tadapani. Many people passed me on the way, but I had learned my lesson. In Tadapani, I rested for 1 hour before moving on. I would eat lunch in Ban Thanti, then proceed to Deurali. If I arrive in Deurali before 3pm, I would continue to Ghorapani, so I could go to Poon Hill in the morning. If I arrive in Deurali after 3 pm, I would stay.

On the way to Deurali, I had the pleasure, really the pleasure, of following a group of yaks up the trail. Their pace was perfect for me. When they walked, I walked. When they stopped to catch their breath. I stopped also. We were made for each other. I did almost get run over by one, though. When I first came up to them, they were just standing in the trail. I stopped at a distance to see what they would do. I didn't realize that they were waiting for one more, who was coming at full speed down the little trail to my left. Had I been standing a few feet forward, he might have run me over before I realized he was coming.

I arrived in Deurali at 3pm. What should I do? A storm came. I decided to stay. The storm passed. I decided to go. The trail from Deurali to Ghorapani was really beautiful and a tad bid scary. It is mostly jungle, and there are tigers and other big cats in these mountains. That is one of the reasons you should not go trekking alone. A group of people makes noise, and the cat runs away as you approach. A solitary person makes no noise and gets attacked because he surprises the cat. And there were large mosses that looked like cats hanging on the tree branches. I was singing out loud, mostly about whether or not I had lost my mind.

I got to a clearing on a ridge at about 3000 m, but I was met with another storm, a hail storm. I took shelter in a lone shack, with two guys who were selling water and other refreshments. They had a fire inside, and they invited me to warm up near the fire. The storm passed just when one of the guys started to roll a joint. They told me it was just one half hour to Ghorapani. It took me one hour, but I arrived before sunset.

All my hopes were now pinned on Poon Hill in the morning. When I was in Pokhara, everyone said I would definitely see the mountains from Poon Hill. But now, I was being told, if I'm lucky and the sky is clear, then I'll see the mountains. The owner of the guest house told me if I could see the stars before sunrise, the views will be good. If I can't see the stars, go back to bed. I decided I would not get up for sunrise. If the sky is clear, it would be clear all morning.

On the morning of the sixth day, as I lay in bed, I could hear others starting their trek up to Poon Hill in the dark. I took a quick peek at the sky. I could see the stars. Yes! I went back to bed. I got up later and started my trek when it was bright enough that a flashlight was not needed. Finally Annapurna South came into view, and with each step up, more was revealed.

At the top of Poon Hill (3200m), I could finally see a Himalayan panorama. Spectacular. The Great Himalayan Hoax debunked. Was it worth hiking for six days? I don't know, but after everyone else left, I stayed on Poon Hill for a couple hours and enjoyed the view all by myself. It is strange that even after looking at the mountains for hours, I still don't have the words to describe them. I slowly walked down the hill, savoring every moment that I could see the mountains.

The trail down from Ghorapani to Tikhedhungga started out beautifully, but became torturous once I came to the stone steps after Ban Thanti (different place from yesterday). You know you're getting old when going down steps makes your legs wobbly. And when you're going down steps for a couple hours, it is not fun.

On the morning of the seventh day, I left Tikhedhungga. I was a little sad because I knew I would not see the mountains again, at least not on this trip. And I would not see pristine rivers again, at least not in India. Near Birethanti, I stopped at a waterfall and swam for half an hour. Swimming in a mountain stream is one of the most refreshing things you can do.

I rode back to Pokhara on the top of a bus and spent the next few days recuperating. The last two days in Pokhara, early in the morning, I could see a very faint outline of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre. Nothing like the photographs. It was almost as if I was imagining it. If I did not have the photos from Poon Hill, which I took myself, I would still think it was a hoax, and I had dreamed about the views from Poon Hill.