Travel and Trekking in Nepal Himalayas

We are awaiting 5 weeks of adventures, trekking and sightseeing in Nepal, the roof of the world, and the amazing Tibet. Nepal is a trip for those who love adventure, the diversity of culture and adapt willingly to the habits of other people. The scenic flight in the Himalayas alone is worth the trip! Maybe it's a bit strong as a statement, but one is able to look down on all of these 8,000 meters of the Himalayas and is not something to be seen every day. From this vantage point, we can see Everest in all its grandeur.

Day 1

I return to this diary from Kathmandu, the first day since we landed in this impressive country. The flight was long. But good we arrived and there was waiting for us an air-conditioning van that took forty-five minutes to get us within seven kilometers. The traffic is quite a spectacle in the streets. We begin to focus the gaze here and there of what surrounds us amidst a cacophony of sounds and colors that wraps in a deafening swirl. It took me a day to acclimatize and put myself on the journey. Yes, there is a difference in what we are used to. But as the days went on I realized gradually that Nepal is an extraordinary country.

I had not booked anything except the flights. I found a small hotel in Thamel. On that same afternoon and to start the friendship route 2 days later, we booked in the same guesthouse the 10-day trip with a flight to Lhasa and return by car, stop at Everest base camp with everything included except meals and dinners.

After recovering at the hotel, which has only the small entrance sign, although, with decent beds, we went in the afternoon to visit the Durbar Square, where we arrived at about four in the morning. In the afternoon we were there for a couple of hours. It is impressive to see the Kumari, the little living Goddess, a girl who is almost kidnapped and who lives in an ancient palace in her role as queen until menstruation overthrows her and returns her to the reality of Nepali day to day life. In addition, the palaces are impressive and the wooden sculptures, the wrought windows, wonderful. Not for nothing, it is a World Heritage Site.

All around us is so different, so colorful and so noisy, which is taking place simultaneously. Each scene seems unaware of what surrounds it. There is the intoxicating feeling of freedom that comes here and now we are without clocks to mark our time. The single deadline is the return flight date and this is one of the aspects of the trip that I love the most. Walking in the center of Kathmandu is diving into life, even though we will discover soon, on the road in Nepal, that the city is different from the rest of the country. Around us, we begin to perceive stories, scenes, and situations. All together, but each in its own. At the end of the afternoon, we had a lunch-dinner at a restaurant near the hotel.

Travel and Trekking in Nepal Himalayas

Day 2

Today we focused the day on three very interesting visits. We started by visiting Boudhanath, the main center of the Tibetan exile in Kathmandu. Here everything revolves around the immense stupa, the largest in Nepal, which concentrates Buddhist temples around it. Here we can see many women dressed in the Tibetan style and many monks with their purple and orange clothes. We had the opportunity to visit two Tibetan gompas or monasteries. They were small but in which we could attend a session of prayer and songs. One of these "shows" was to expel ghosts from inside a girl who was coming to be cured.

The second part of our visit today was in the Pashupatinath temple, next to the Bagmati river. We accessed the area from the two temples that are on the other side, those of Gorakhnath and Guhyeshwari, with the almost oppressive company of numerous macaques. Almost on arriving at Pashupatinath, picturesque beings appear to us, the sadhus, who for a few rupees let themselves be photographed. They have their bodies painted with colors and numerous dreadlocks of dubious hair.

And in the river, there is the great spectacle of the crematorium, the wandering of stretchers with the dead, the smell of incense, the yogis and other characters who bathe in the same waters where they later throw away the remains of the cremations. We remain, between impressed and moved, by the burial of these people. So in this way, we take the course to Patan. In Patan, we visited the second one of the Durbar Square. This is larger and better maintained than that of the capital Kathmandu.

Tourists have to pay to enter the premises, as in almost all places. This square is also a World Heritage Site and highlights the Palace of the Kings of Patan, within which there are three courtyards with buildings laden with sculptures. In addition, there are numerous temples and the column of King Yoga Narendra Malla, with a very curious legend. We finally decided to eat here at the cafe where some cold Nepalese beers awaited us with views of the fantastic square of the royal palace.

Day 3

Today has been a tiring day, I admit it. The noise of the hotel night, the climb to the Vajra Yogini Monastery from the village of Sankhu, the car hours on nonexistent roads and the monsoon rain that today falls intermittently but intensely. The half-hour of climbing steps to Vajrayogini reminded us of the path of Tibetan caravans and the monastery itself. it is so mystical with its remote origins that are lost in the very origin of Buddhism. There really are several temples in the middle of a greenness of immense trees.

Already on the climb, we find numerous fountains and sculptures with the figures of the goddesses Kali, Ganesh, and Bhairab, where the locals continue to make offerings of animals. Then in the main temple, we were flooded with magic in the presence of the image of a tantric goddess and a Buddha sculpture before Prince Siddhartha himself. We cannot take pictures in principle, but one hundred rupees make the miracle possible among the sadhus who take care of the temple and who live there.

On the way down the village of Sankhu that we cross from end to end, we walk through a particular "main square" decorated with the trident of Shiva and around which there are some very interesting and well-kept houses of the Newari style.

We return to the car and the potholes that the monsoon rain turns into lakes, it seems that the initial road has been erased. Our driver seems skilled and takes us in almost an hour to the next destination that is Budhanilkantha, from Buddhism to Hinduism in a few kilometers. This is Nepal. Here the most striking is a floating statue of Vishnu in a pond, where supposedly the God rests in a cobra of eleven heads. The rain then became more intense and we reduced the time to admire the adjacent temples. We took refuge in a restaurant where we could taste the rice bread and a kind of sweet dessert.

Again we take the car and there is a traffic jam, to end the day in the famous temple of the monkeys of Kathmandu. The place is called Swayambhunath. The car left us up but the pilgrims climb the hill on foot on a really steep, long staircase. The truth is that after the morning walk it was not a plan to exhaust the few energies and the effort of the driver was appreciated.

Regardless of the great stupa that makes up the place with the adjacent temples, the views of Swayambhunath are spectacular. From its viewpoints, we can see the entire Kathmandu valley. There are really monkeys everywhere but not only in this temple. So maybe they do not call us that much attention anymore.

On the day when we have surpassed ourselves, we see a wedding. This, too, on the road in Nepal. We meet the couple in the street, and as we stop to take pictures they invite us to the temple and make us even dance with them. Aside from the absurd embarrassment was fantastic living with them for a few hours, to enjoy this slice of life.

We breathe the clean mountain air, one to which we think immediately at the sight of a photo of the Himalayas. It appears almost impossible for the entire month of stay in Nepal. We reach a temple going up in a cable car with stunning views and climb the gondolas as they call them. Here we see animals sacrifices of chickens, roosters, hens, goats, and sheep. Amidst countless people in an indescribable chaos in which, between humans and animals, you see everything.

We return to the hotel to take a shower and recover some strength, In the Thamel neighborhood, where we stayed, there are streets full of shops for tourists. There is a labyrinth of narrow streets where you can find almost everything. There are cheap T-shirts, souvenirs, pashminas, cashmere, and equipment for second and first-hand mountaineers. From a store and before the appearance of our friendly monsoon rain, we chose to take a rickshaw.

And there we ended the night, at a pizzeria, perhaps the best in Kathmandu, a kind of oasis of spicy food of the country.

Day 4

At 8 we left the hotel and a van takes us to the airport to start the route through Tibet. It will be a 10-day trip through different cities, towns, and monasteries, stopping at Everest base camp. The tour operator of the hotel facilitated the group visa procedures and the flight to Lhasa. This visa must accompany us everywhere since without it we can have problems.

At the airport in Kathmandu, when passing control, they check our hand luggage and bags, and in my particular case, they make me show them the purse, wanting to take away some of the money, making excuses for not being able to take rupees out of the country. In the end, they are convinced explaining that I have just started the holidays and that I will have many expenses. At 10:45 the flight departs and arrives at 14:00 (Chinese time), crossing the Himalayas with impressive views of the snowy peaks, immense valleys, lakes and the Tibetan plateau with its extensive rivers.

After passing 3 controls in the airport with officials with faces of few friends, that even we see commandeer some tourist guides of the Tibet of the lonely planet, The guide picks us up with the typical white ceremonial Tibetan kathas and we get on a van that takes us to Lhasa. On the way, we stopped to see a Buddha carved in the stone of the eleventh century. No doubt on the way we noticed many differences with Nepal especially in better infrastructure, cars, roads, and cleanliness.

The new city of Lhasa is Chinese style with large avenues and buildings. After leaving the suitcases at the hotel we go walking to the center of the city. We find a variety of people with their typical clothes, monks and a lot Buddhist with prayer wheels and praying in the street, even pilgrims doing prostrations on the floor every 3 steps during the circuit. Then we eat in a traditional restaurant a soup of noodles and momos.

The walk around Barkhor takes us to find incredible sensations. The most remarkable thing in the walk apart from the pilgrims of different ethnic groups with their prayers are the dozens of military and surveillance cameras of the Chinese government.

Above each house or building, we see prayer flags in 5 colors with a meaning. Then we continue walking through the Barkhor area until nightfall and we arrive at the impressive image of the illuminated Potala Palace.

Day 5-11: Tibet

Day 12

During breakfast we exchange the yuan that we have left over for rupees to the local people who come to the hotels, making us a very good change. At 8:45 we left for the friendship highway to cross the border and customs control. We said goodbye to our Tibetan guide and driver, authentic Tibetans who have taken care of us and thank them.

Around 11:00 (8:45 in Nepal) a 4x4 picks us up to pass certain points of the road with floods impossible to pass with a utility. The landscape of the Nepali part of the valley is still an authentic garden with infinite waterfalls, which surely have inspired more than one artist. Then we change to a van and halfway we make a stop where we see a suspension bridge and have a snack.

After a huge traffic jam at the entrance to Kathmandu, we arrived at the hotel in Thamel at 3:00 p.m. from the first days. Right there, we booked a van for Pokhara for the next day, 2 nights at the hotel and the flight to Jomsom. After lunch, we walk towards Pashupatinath. Halfway we passed through the Royal Palace, but it is closed and we continue towards the temple.

After an hour walk, we arrive at Pashupatinath, the most important Hindu temple in Kathmandu. We are lucky that just at our arrival and with the sunset begins a ceremonial act or puja. It is a ceremony with songs, dances, fire, and prayers to Shiva along the Bagmati River. It is an authentic spectacle. We finished the day and take a taxi back to Thamel.

Day 13

Pokhara is a little over two hundred kilometers from Kathmandu. However, I promise that after leaving at seven-thirty by bus, we arrived at four in the afternoon. It takes eight hours, which gives an average of about thirty kilometers per hour. But although the bus was from the fifties, the main problem is the roads. They are narrow, sinuous and in some cases blurred by the passage of a stream.

In spite of everything, the road to Pokhara, bordering the Mahesh Khola River, gives stunning views, with the river coming down hard and the terraces of rice fields of an intense green, very beautiful everything if not was for the bumps and curves that are hitting you from one side to another. But we arrived, tired, sweaty and crushed when we arrived in Pokhara. There are more and more Chinese tourists! Here everyone wants to do a trek, a climb or take a path with a view of the Annapurnas. We go to our chosen hotel, which sells on its website that the rooms have a view of Lake Fewa (the mythical lakes of Pokhara).

In spite of that, we did not lose the optimism. After a shower, we threw ourselves to the street to see the views of the lake and have a first impression of the main street of Pokhara. Well, tomorrow we will get up at five so I leave the diary to take a nap. Tomorrow will be another day.

Day 14

Very pessimistically we went up at dawn for Sarangkot with the aim of being able to see in the dawn the peaks of the Annapurna mountain range. Indeed the sky was overcast and barely felt anything. But half an hour soon after the sun's rays began to shine on the snowy peaks, first slowly and then one by one they were uncovered from their cloud cover. Not that the view was one hundred percent but one of the locals who was selling souvenirs there told me "you are lucky".

Little by little the Annapurnas become visible. The rest of the day was not comparable with this dawn. The places we visited in Pokhara were nothing special, a Hindu temple, a Buddhist temple and a cave route that were neither worthwhile nor met the minimum security conditions for a person who has no experience in these adventures. One was called the Bat Cave and I give proof that its name was right and the other Cave of Mahendra, a kind of mixture between cave and temple, since in the end there is an altar where people come to pray.

We also saw a grotto and a waterfall, which apparently was discovered by a Swiss named Davis. The strength of the Davis' Fall is spectacular at this time that the cataract is loaded with the waters of the monsoons. I forgot, we visited the Regional Museum of Pokhara, so that we get an idea. More than a museum it could be compared to an exhibition of a school class, far from what we now consider a museum space. And so our stay in Pokhara ended, short but sufficient for what we wanted to see. This is not a place to stay, rather in step for the climbs and we did not have it marked on the agenda.

Day 15

After breakfast, we take a boat on the shore of the lake to get closer to the rise of the Pagoda from peace. At 10:40 we started to climb and in less than 1 hour we are up. The landscape along the way is a dense forest with a tropical climate, with very high heat and humidity that contrasts with the proximity of the Himalayas seen throughout the ascent. After seeing the stupa and having a drink on the terrace, we went down the other side towards the city.

Once down at 13:40 we take a van that takes us to the Tibetan settlement of Tashi Palkhiel to see in the Jangchub Choeling Gompa. There are the songs and the sound of the horns during the prayer of the monks. At 15:30 it starts but it hardly lasts a few minutes as there are exams and there are hardly any monks. Then we tell the driver to take us to the old Pokhara. From there we went down for 2 hours to the lakeside, seeing the streets, houses, and people of the authentic Pokhara.

Day 16

At 05:00 we left the hotel to catch the plane to Jomsom. At 05:20 we invoice by candlelight and wait for them to call us to catch the plane. It does not come out until 9:00 and 25 minutes later we arrive at Jomsom after a mountainous flight and a tilted landing. The temperature is much lower than in Pokhara and before leaving the town you stop at a check-point to teach the permit, give our data and destination. We left at 10:00 and 2:00 and as we got up early we stopped for lunch in the village of Ekle Bhatti. The landscape is spectacular, arid and of lunar aspect with rivers of a wide channel.

We continue walking and at 4:30 pm we arrive at Khinga where we take a guesthouse. What most attracts attention is the planting of marijuana in the garden that the owner quickly offers us. After showering as in the old style with cold water, we walk around the town where people are dedicated to the work of the field and the herds of goats or cows. At dinner, we take today the simple dal bhaat and we went to bed soon since the day has been long.

Day 17

After sleeping almost 10 hours we start at 8:30. It is much hotter than yesterday and the sky is clear, we propose to climb all to Muktinath and once there 3 will descend again and another 3 will try to climb to the port of Thurang La. Around 9:30 we arrived at Muktinath. At 11:30 we arrived at the tea house in Charanu where we make a stop to take a tea.

In my case, I climb 200 m more but it starts to rain and knowing that they are 5 hours more climb and they are waiting for me in the house of low to look for them to continue until Muktinath, that we arrived at 13:15. After seeing the temple we stopped to eat. At 15:00 we decided to walk down to Jomsom again instead of taking a jeep. We make a brief stop to pick up the backpack that we left where we sleep and after 3:45 hours we arrive at Jomsom. There is no shower but this time we heat the water. There are the unexpected light cuts during the shower in my case and during dinner. You have to be careful about what they offer you to take because they charge everything.

Day 18

Today we do not get up early and leave at 09:45 from Jomsom and at 11:00 we reach Marpha. Village paved with white lime houses and a Potala on top. Undoubtedly the most beautiful town so far of the entire route.

After visiting it and eating a typical and delicious apple pie at 12:00 we continue the way. Shortly after leaving we are noticing the changes in both landscape and climate logically, we leave the arid mountains and move to a valley increasingly green, with clouds and very windy. At 13:45 we arrived at Tukuche where we stopped to eat.

Although we are not in the best season due to rain or clouds, we certainly appreciate that our walks are solitary, crossing only a couple of foreigners all day long. After passing several villages and seeing beautiful landscapes of dense forests we arrive at 7:00 pm at Kalopani/Lete. People that are in the deepest valley in the world (4.000 m) Kali Gandaki.

This day we give ourselves a gift and being off-season we take a hotel with hot shower, toilet, and mattress.

Day 19

The day is cloudy and it was raining. A pity because this is the best place where you can see the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri among others. We hope to have more luck in Poon Hill. As we are well ahead of the route, we wait for a bit of rain to stop and leave at 12:30. The weather improves and we even see the sun, at 15:00 we arrive in Ghasa. We eat at the guesthouse and we are already there to sleep. In the afternoon it rains again and we spent it playing cards.

Day 20

It has been raining during the night but when we left at 9:00 it has stopped. The day is one of the most beautiful because it is a very green valley, with huge waterfalls, bridges, very picturesque villages and full of rice and corn fields. At 11:00 we arrive at the waterfall of Rupse Chhahara where we have to jump well between the stones if we do not want to get wet, also on the way we find several landslides that even cut the passage and warns us of the danger they have. The last 2 hours of the journey are passed by water but are bearable.

At 13:30 we arrived in Tatopani, after looking at several hotels we took the hotel. It has a bathroom and shower but they ask us to eat there. After lunch, we put on the swimsuit to spend the afternoon in the thermal baths that give the town its name. They are next to the river and outdoors so that the rain falls while we bathe.

Day 21

At 7:30 we are having breakfast and we have the gift of sunrise completely clear. From the hotel, we have a great view of the Nilgiri Sur. We left at 8:30 after passing the checkpoint in Tatopani. Around 12:30 we arrived at Shika and after passing another Check-point we continued the way. While yesterday was the whole journey downhill this day is all up. Although the climb is very hard the environment is very worthwhile and also the time is accompanying us this time. The road is very lonely at this time and we have only crossed paths with a couple.

At 2:30 pm after 6 hours of climbing we arrive at Chitre where we expect to eat but there is nothing open until at the end of the village we find a guesthouse that is. This is already an area of ​​leeches and we see one in one stop and another during the lunch, luckily it does not rain and it is a point in our favor.

After a good rest, just before leaving we are lucky to see the Dhaulagiri from the restaurant. At 16:45 we left and arrived at Ghorepani at 5:30 pm covered in a light fog. Quickly we take the lodge with a room overlooking the mountains. double. From its viewpoint, we can see the Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), the Tukuche or the Annapurna south.

At 9:00 we go to bed because we want to climb the Poon Hill at 4:00.

Day 22

Addressing a step, the Kang there, at 5350 meters, climb vertical gorges, across desolate landscapes and arid valleys of multicolored rocks, over which loom hanging glaciers. Only Baral herds keep us company, with their shy glances, while grazing the sparse vegetation among the rocks. The walls inform us that the goal is reached.

With their enigmatic etchings, it introduces us to the Shey Gompa valley. Here, among yak-hair tents, stone houses, and prayer mills moved by the water of the river lives secluded Tibetan communities by a deep faith. They run towards the few children, the elegant and smiling women in traditional dress, men with their red decoration on blacks and long hair.

We stop for a day, to rest and to enjoy this atmosphere, where time does not proceed. What is most amazing is the divine silence around us, when the wind dies down. A silence that gets in the blood and helps to find ourselves. But we are not even halfway through our trekking days as it still lies ahead infinite spaces, villages out of time, to get on and off of rocks to overcome steps beyond the 5000 meters.

The desert of the Tibetan high altitude lies below us, amidst chains and mountain ranges. The sky is blue, the sun is strong, with no cloud on the horizon. The breathtakingly beautiful landscapes. It is almost afraid to look around. It's all too vast, too high. A panorama of the gods, not men. In fact, human beings will really meet just a few. Rare villages are located in the valley (between 3500 and 4000 meters) on terraced hills where for centuries is grown buckwheat. In these days they're beating.

We remain spellbound watching these people that singing makes atavistic gestures, in an ancient dance, to secure livelihoods in the coming months, when snow and ice cover everything. Figures seem to emerge from a time that was, but whose memory has remained unconsciously in all of us. We continue on our journey between red and white stupas and mani walls, colored flags that flutter in the impetuous wind Himalayan, on each step, on any deck. Up and down, up and down. Following a path which passed (and still spend) the yak caravans which bartered Tibetan salt with groceries.

Here then silhouetted on the horizon before the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna then. Giant rock and ice, towering sentinels that seem to protect these endless valleys and partly unexplored. Who knows what these places hide away from the few trails. Those who go down from Tibet and that we are taking us to return to our world. Legend has it that it was Guru Rinpoche, the one who spread Buddhism throughout the Himalayas, to discover the Dolpo and to mark it as hidden land, or "beyul". And the indication is still valid.

It was a moment of incredible intensity with her profile silhouetted against the cobalt sky. She walked proudly, on a ridge of rock and stones along the course of a glacial river. She looks at us, with the round ears, alert and upright tail. Then she disappears beyond the rocks, on the other side of the ridge. Meet the snow leopard, which is such a rare privilege that perhaps it would be great just to make my journey in Dolpo. Yet it is not so.

Because this remote region of Nepal, bordering Tibet, has been able to give emotions so strong as to be difficult to describe. I am reminded of the words of a friend that trips are made, not told. I'll try the same, however, to tell you about this expedition, which isolated me from the known world for 25 days to immerse myself, along with my fellow adventurers, in a place of spacetime suspension in an magical enchantment in a place where nature has the absolute upper hand and where the few humans seemed to meet the survivors of a lost world.

So we decide to live these days in the only way possible, adapting to the immensity that surrounds us. The pace of our hours is dictated by nature. We get up when seeing the light of the dawn and not of the sun, that will come later to warm our shivering bodies peeping through the peaks and after removing the tents, we start walking. And it continues until dusk when the sky turns into an astronomical observatory.

Not even the intense ghostly moonlight fails to obscure the milky way and billions of stars that shine with cold light, like the air around us. No need to dream. Every moment here is a dream. Like when, after passing through forests, skirting, and wading through rivers on rickety bridges and streams, we climbed deep gorges, dug between rocks eroded by water and wind, and we see, on the horizon, a turquoise nestled in the mountains of the Phoksundo lake with its incredibly unique colors.

It seems you can touch it. In reality, it will take many hours of walking to reach it. Hours up and down these wild valleys. And here we are on its banks. The intensity of its color shades is enhanced in the light of sunset. Pure magic. We decide to visit the ancient Bon monastery on its shores. Maybe we seek a blessing. Tomorrow we will have to walk the path of demons, that runs along the entire lake, the one that will take us to the sacred Shey Gompa with its Crystal Mountains.

The mind goes back to the images of the countless films filmed right here. I see the yaks that fall into the lake, I see that spectacular but treacherous path, perched on these deep waters. The demons, fortunately, have mercy on us and allow us to go unscathed. Yet their ethereal presence is felt, in the most difficult and steep, in the flight of an eagle, in the rustle of the wind, the dust that rises with every step, and that covers everything. But to achieve one of the most mystical and remote places of the world, we still walk and toil.

We leave the Dolpo, exceeding the last three steps, it points to over 5000 meters. We are now in Mustang, where we will spend the last days. Annapurna circuit trekking has been absolutely wonderful.

Day 23

We get up at 4:00 and in my case, I go up in 25 min. to Poon Hill at night with the front and alone. We are being very fortunate during the trip and during the sunrise, we can see all the peaks. At 7:30 we had breakfast overlooking the Annapurna, a privilege.Among them the Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri (7,061 m), Annapurna (8.091 m), Tukuche (6,920 m), the inaccessible Machapuchare (6,993 m) or the Annapurna south (7.219 m).

After picking up the backpack and passing the check-point we left at 8:45 from Ghorepani. 1 hour later we arrived at Nangethanti, today the road is all down, it does not rain but the road is wet and you have to be careful as more than one has had a misstep.

At 10:15 it starts to rain. It is bad news, especially for leeches and slips. The universal flood falls. At the stop to dry or rest we begin to discover several leeches by the body of more than one. At 12:15 we arrived at Ulleri and at 13:45 we stopped to eat at Tikhedhunga. If in the section of yesterday we did not see tourists in the one of today we crossed ourselves with enough.

At 15:00 we set off, just after crossing the river and its waterfalls the weather changes radically, the sun dominates and the completely dry steps are no longer a problem. After passing the last checkpoint in Birethanti at 18:00 we arrived at NayaPul, where we go to the road to wait for the local bus to Pokhara.

At 20:15 we arrived by taxi to our hotel the previous time. And for dinner, we feast on a good veal dish.

Day 24

This day we dedicate to rest, wash clothes, shave, massage and enjoy the city.



Day 25

Today we leave Pokhara to go inland and then the south of Nepal. After making several inquiries and arrangements to get transport to Bandipur, we only got a van for the 5 that will take us directly to Bandipur. It is more horror, more of the same. Not even the music has eased the rattle from eight to three thirty in the afternoon. And when I see the first jeep, past the bridge over the Kali Gandaki river that I realize that the adventure is over. I do not know if I will miss more landscapes or the few people I met.

At 4:00 p.m. we go out. After 2 hours and climbing a mountain of many curves we arrive in Bandipur. After seeing several guesthouses, some very crappy or busy, we take a room in a hotel.

Day 26

After breakfast, we visit the town and visit Bindhyabasini Temple, the bazaar, Mahalaxmi Temple and Teendhara Fountains. Once the visit to the village is finished we go to the Siddha cave. The descent is at least 1:30 min. and if it has rained, it is dangerous due to slips. It is the largest cave in Nepal, and the visit lasts 1 hour. From the cave, we descend to the Bimalnagar village, which is only 30 min. instead of going up to Bandipur which is 2 hours. We take a bus for 10 Rs. We are in Dumre. We ask in the jeep but for not expecting and the conditions of the road we negotiate a jeep for us for 300 Rs.

Day 27

At 8:30 we left the hotel and go to the beginning of the town where we stayed the day before with the driver of the jeep. At 9:15 we arrived at Dumre where they told us to wait for the bus that goes from Pokhara to Gorkha that happens at 10:00 but after waiting more than 1 hour and possible cheating by commission agents we took a local bus to Abu Khaireni at 11:00. Even knowing that we have paid more we continued the trip and arrived at 11:30 where we took the bus to Gorkha. The journey takes 1 hour and when we arrived in Gorkha between the amount of very dirty and dirty guesthouse. We take the one that is recommended in the Lonely Planet Guide with hot and clean water.

After eating we went up to the Durbar. The climb is more than 1,500 steps, the exhausting path in which there are marks of the blood trail that reflects that we are going to a sacrificial zone. We see the Kalika temple where they make sacrifices, the Dhuni Pati palace, and the guest pavilion. In these last two, the erotic braces on the facade stand out. The views from the city or up in Durbar are impressive.

Day 28

We get up very early to see if we are lucky today and take at 6:30 a direct bus to Sauraha Chowk, next to Chitwan Park. After a lot of speculation and a possible strike in the Chitwan region, we take a bus to Mugling at 7:00, between the change of wheel and, stops we arrive at 8:40. Fast we get transport, but thanks to a store clerk who after confirming the strike and the impossibility of taking a bus, helps us stop a truck to take us to Narayanghat. With 12 people in the cabin plus luggage, we arrived at 10:00 to Narayanghat.

The city has very little activity and even the military tell us that today it is not possible to take any bus, so we take 3 rickshaws and they take us 18 Km until Sauraha Chowk. Before 12:00 we are in Sauraha Chowk after a road a bit heavy and more for the poor cyclists. Once there they offer us a horse cart for 500 Rs but for the same price we take a jeep to Sauraha.

After the beating and adventure of transport we arrived before 13:30 and after looking at several hotels we took one next to the river with garden and hammocks. We devote the afternoon to rest, nap, wash and reserve a safari for the next day including elephant ride for the next day. About 10 hours with canoe, jeep, walk to 2 lakes and viewpoints and crocodile farms.

Day 29

We leave by canoe at 7:30 and during the journey, we can see a variety of birds such as kingfishers, peacocks, herons or eagles. We also see a crocodile. About 9:00 we stop and the canoe stops on the shore, before 10:00 we reach a path to get into the jungle. Along the way accompanied by our two guides and their bamboo stick we can see Deer among the trees, the mimosa plant that folds on contact and of course leeches.

At 11:15 we see a crocodile farm and we continue walking until we reach Tamor Tal around 12:00. As soon as we get there we are very lucky and we see an adult male rhinoceros going to bathe, another younger one is bathing at the other end of the lake and when he hears the guide runs out, the speed with which it disappears and the loud noise of the footsteps

At 12:30 we eat at the tower-viewpoint of the lake. Walking back to the river we see more deer and termite mounds but not bears and we stopped at the viewpoint of Lake Lami around 2:45. At 4:15 p.m. we arrived at the river to cross it and we took a jeep back to the hotel where we arrived before 6:00 p.m.

After showering and resting we booked the visit to the elephant farm for the next day. Before dinner at 20:00 we see a show of the Tharu culture with dancing and singing that lasts 1 hour.

Day 30

Today, early in the morning, we go to the elephant breeding center to watch them eat and then in our same hotel we see one in the river bathing.

At 15:30 we will make a route through the jungle on an elephant. It lasts 2 hours and although at first, it seems very touristy as we see animals we are excited. We see monkeys, herds of deer of two kinds, wild boar, peacocks and 4 rhinos and a baby. From the elephant, we can observe them practically next. The seat is not very comfortable but crossing the jungle and rivers with the elephant is unique.

Until dusk, we walk around the Tharu villages. Then we bought the bus ticket in an agency to go the next day of Sauraha-Sauraha Chowk-Hetauda.

Day 31

Today we are going to Daman and to see if with luck we have fewer problems with the transports. At 9:00 we go out and take a jeep to the bus stop in Sauraha, from there to Sauraha Chowk we go by tourist bus. At 10:00 we took a local bus to Hetauda where we arrived at 11:15 after standing with a slightly suicidal driver. When we get to Hetauda we have to change bus parking and take a rickshaw to take us. Once there we bought the local bus ticket to Daman that does not leave until 14:00 and lasts about 4 hours. The trip has been all uphill by a mountain road with travelers down the aisle and on top of the goods.

Daman is a 2,322 m and is famous for having the best views of the Himalayas, from the Dhaulagiri to Everest. The guesthouses are a bit expensive. The weather with respect to this morning has changed quite a few kilometers, from the fan at night in Chitwan to sack and comforter in Daman. It's what makes Nepal great.

Day 32

The day dawns cloudy and drizzling then the chances of having good views are nil, even so, we take a walk and see the botanical garden until 10:00 that passes the local bus to Kathmandu. As there is little room, people are brought down to the roof and we are in the hallway. Already seated and after 6 hours of the trip, we arrived at Kathmandu. After bargaining we got a minivan to cross the city and take us to Boudhanath. Once there we take the guesthouse. Then we eat and walk around the area of ​​the stupa. It certainly has nothing to do with Kathmandu and Thamel's fuss. It is a small Tibet within Nepal full of tranquility.

Day 33

It was a special day to visit the temple of the Goddess Kali in the south of Kathmandu to Dakshinkali. About twenty kilometers away, which here becomes an hour and a half of roads, we find ourselves after parking the car, with a market in which offerings are sold to the Goddess. There are animals such as goats or chickens or flower necklaces. They told us the story of this goddess thirsty for blood that is the origin of the temple and of these ceremonies. The place is also sacred because for the Hindus it is any confluence of two rivers, as here happens in Dakshinkali.

The truth was that the tail of devotees was impressive waiting to deliver their sacrifice. There we saw how they decapitated a goat while blood gushed to the statue of the Goddess Kali. The animals have to be male and "perfect" (32 attributes). In ancient times children were sacrificed, usually stolen from other villages. Today it is obviously forbidden but there are still cases in the press of people detained for this practice that is still being held in very remote villages in Nepal.

In another place, apart from the altar, where everything is covered with blood, some slaughterers with a huge pot of boiling water are skinning the remains of the sacrificed animals, so that the family can take later their peculiar gastronomic feast. Only blood is what is important in this act. No one is indifferent to color and smell, a feast for the senses of Dakshinkali.

During the rest of the day, we visit three significant villages in the valley: Kirtipur, Khokana, and Bugmati. Kirtipur was a rebellious village in the unification of Nepal. It was once conquered by the famous Gurkhas. Being on a hill the views from here are very beautiful. In addition, there are several interesting temples. Khokana and Bugmati are two more, very close villages that are also located south of the capital. The first one is smaller, but both give us an idea of ​​what a Newari town is without the overwhelm of tourists.

Day 34

Today we had planned to end our day in a Tibetan monastery, Namo Buddha. We thought it would be a little exotic to sleep like a monk. Forty kilometers from Kathmandu is a world, so much so that our guide and the driver would then stay up and not return to their homes in Kathmandu. Because here the mountain journey took almost two hours in the four by four that put us. But the day was not alone in that. We took advantage of the car to make two very interesting stops, Changu Narayan and Bhaktapur.

Changunarayan is the oldest temple in the Kathmandu valley, which has a remote origin, no less than the fourth century, although it was rebuilt in the eighteenth century. We were able to observe live a group of devotees of Vishnu as they prepared their offerings among chants where all the family generations participated. And so we arrived four kilometers to Bhaktapur, undoubtedly the prettiest and best looked after village in the valley. In fact, it became the capital of ancient Nepal until it gave its scepter to Kathmandu.

The palace square, Durbar Square, is one of the best preserved if we compare it with the other two, Patan and the capital Kathmandu. In addition to the palace square, Bhaktapur has other equally surprising squares and alleys where, if it were not for the souvenir shops, excessive to my way of seeing, you would move to many centuries ago. We find a square with a traditional ceramic oven that continues making pots as centuries ago.

Today we are very lucky and in Bhaktapur, they celebrate the festival of Gai Jatra or festival of the cows, dedicated to those who died the previous year and the Newaris believe that the cows will lead them to Yama. The streets are filled with people and groups of cow floats parade through the day. The smell of incense, music, dances, and chants fill the center of the city with liveliness. No doubt a show that entertains us all day.

For lunch, we went to the cafe. It is a bit expensive and with a questionable quality, although the view makes up for it. The temple of Nyatapola is one of the most photographed and the cover of many guides and travel articles of Nepal. It is the highest temple in the whole valley, about thirty meters with a staircase where all the tourists pose next to impressive sculptures of lions, elephants and other mythological beings.

What can be good for digestion than the rattle of the four by four to climb the aforementioned Namo Buddha monastery to almost three thousand meters high? It faces the magnificent Mount Everest, which according to locals can be seen on clear days. The room they gave us was spartan but acceptable. It was a basic accommodation, as advertised by the agency. The youthfulness of the monks with their particular colors is striking.

These monks are in the black cap (the Dalai Lama is in the yellow cap). The monastery is actually called Thrangu Tashi Yangtse and is a Buddhist temple "Vajrayana", Tantric Tibetan Buddhism. The Kagyu tradition was founded by Gampopa, one of the disciples of the Tibetan saint Milarepa, from the esoteric teachings of the Mahasiddhas Indians Tilopa and Naropa taken to Tibet by Marpa, the master of Milarepa.

Day 35

This morning at dawn the landscape was spectacular, the green mountains on which seemed to caress some clouds and the first rays of sun shining on the gold of the temple. At six, perhaps a little earlier, we were at the entrance, watching the monks arrive, some children no more than seven or eight years old. I took off my sandals and went into the golden room, some forty or fifty monks, parallel to each side of the aisle perpendicular to the altar. They began to pray at a rhythm marked with a rod, monotonous and repetitive.

At seven o'clock they gave us breakfast in an exclusive room. The coffee with some pancakes and syrup was very cloying. Once we finished the same and collected the things from the room we made one last visit to the original temple of Namo Buddha, a sacred place that gave rise to the new temple. Up there is a bas-relief where a very ancient bas-relief is represented, where Prince Siddhartha cuts a piece of his thigh to feed a cat and that is why it is a place of great importance for Buddhists and the reason why the Thrangu Tashi Yangtse temple will rise here.

Already dismissed from the monks, we go down the road to Panauti, a small village in the Kathmandu Valley, (another small town). It really is an interesting and sacred place. Here there is also a confluence of two rivers. Well, they say three, but the third is invisible and you can only see if you have good karma.

I promise you that I should have little karma because I only saw two. Also, Panauti is an ancient enclave of caravans that came from Tibet to India and maintains, in fact, that charm of the old and authentic if we compare it with the most touristic towns. At about seven kilometers we stopped at Banepa, where it is worth seeing Chandeshwari temple.

On the way to Kathmandu, we see the little village of Thimi, which you can avoid perfectly since it has all the streets in a sorry state. What you can see is more of the same, without any relevance. The afternoon, like every day, baptized us with the rain. We run to the Thamel neighborhood, between stalls. We are already almost accustomed to the game of bargaining, with the merchants of Kathmandu. Hopefully, all the hardware fits in the suitcases.

Day 36

At 5:30 the Kathmandu bus left in the direction of Jiri from the old station of the capital. If the new one was already a chaos in itself, imagine how old it was! Luckily I had the information written in Nepalese and I had no problem finding the right bus.

It was a journey of 11 hours of ups and downs through beautiful valleys, with stops every twenty minutes, with people crowded into the corridor and others jumping to the roof. I had my backpack on the roof of the bus and with so much Nepali going up and down, I also climbed up to control the backpack, in case we started the trek without the boots. So I climbed the roof, enjoyed the breeze and good views around me.

We arrived at the town of Jiri where I was the only tourist they had seen in 4 days. I knew it when I had to fill out a guest book and note that the last ones had already been done a week ago. Obviously, in a few minutes, I had a dozen uncles preaching the wonders of their hostel next to me. It was raining, for a change, and I chose the one who promised me a hot shower.

Day 37

De Jiri left in the morning in the direction of Bhandar. I started the trek at a height of 1900 meters and ahead I had an authentic carrousel of mountains until reaching the more than 5000 meters that awaited me in the base camp of Everest. Behind it was the bus and the only road that connects this area of ​​Nepal with modern civilization.

The Jiri area is covered by a green blanket of rice fields and fields. During the first day, I crossed several towns, dodging the traffic of the innumerable porters that abound along the way. I even saw young people among them, who was only 7 or 8 years old, with a well-loaded basket hanging from their foreheads.


I passed the town of Kinja and arrived in Sete. What would have been two days' journey had completed in one. There I stayed in a Sherpa house where I was the master of the house, a great guy, boxer and yoga lover with whom we chatted wonderfully and had a delicious dal bhat (we are back on the rice, lentils and vegetable diet).

Day 38

I said goodbye in the morning to the innkeeper with a good tip and set out on the path up to the Lamjura La pass. Walking in the fog I veered off the path and unintentionally climbed the Langate peak. I already had enough with the pass at 3500 meters that I climbed up to 4100! Unfortunately, the fog surrounded me and I could not enjoy the supposed spectacular views.

I went back down to the pass and started down the road to Jumbesi, a beautiful village waved in the valley with an important monastery. I went back to doing a 2 x 1 (that is, two days in a single day) and arrived in Nunthala after climbing another hill and descending it. At the hostel, I was surprised to find a group of hikers. They had been doing what I had been doing for 2 days. I imagined that this was the normal step and not the madness of 8 or 9 hours on average!

Day 39

In the fog, I left Nunthala to go up and down mountain passes continuously. A thick fog-drenched the forests and barely let glimpse a few meters away. I passed through Kharikhola and continued north towards Luckla. However, I preferred to finish the day before arriving at the busy place in a beautiful village crossed by a river in the middle of the thick forest. Surke seemed like an ideal place to rest my feet a bit and the next day we continue, in a northerly direction, towards the Everest base camp.

In those moments I was already comparing and I thought that this trekking is much harder than the Annapurna. It is a continuous climbing and descending mountain passes which is quite frustrating and the unevenness accumulated during the day is much higher than in the other trekking.

Prices, on the other hand, until now seemed to be cheaper. However, since Nunthala seemed to rise in price. Something similar to the area of ​​the Annapurna. The truth is that if it were not for that same reason I would give them the tip myself!

Day 40

From Surke I left in the morning with a splendid day in which I could finally enjoy the views. I was more relaxed to stop by the small villages that border the road and the sun accompanied me. This area seems much more populated than the Annapurna. Possibly because of the flight connection. However, the herd of tourists who waited was almost non-existent.

Namche, the most populated town in the area, looks like a half-abandoned tourist trap. There are more stores to guide, more restaurants, currency exchange shops, bakeries and even internet cafes than tourists. I barely saw a couple of dozen hotels and it is all empty considering that it was almost the peak season in the Himalayas.

Day 41

In the hostel, I met an Irishman from Leitrim with whom we made good friends. We remember a little Ireland with nostalgia with a good dal bhat and a couple of teas, that although they were not up to a good sausage and a good red wine, they went in great.

In the morning, I chose the alternative route to Khumjung where there is a monastery at almost 4000 meters in which they keep the skull of a Yeti! Although scientists have underestimated its authenticity, it is nice to dream for a while with the stories that tell us about the snowmen and other legendary figures of the Himalayas.

The day rose fantastic, almost cloudless and finally, I began to see peaks of the real ones. The Ama Dablam of 6856 stood erect with his stylized figure and in the same remote village of Khumjung, I had a tea hallucinating with his presence.

The climb to Khumjung was not too hard and I continued my way towards Tengboche where I was back on the main road to Everest base camp. I took the opportunity to visit the important monastery of Tengboche. An impressive building in Tibetan style at 4000 meters under the shadow of Everest and other giants.

Later, having a tea in a small village, the owner showed me a photo album that he kept of his grandfather carrying a certain Edmund Hillary in 1953. He could not give credit. It was the grandson of Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa who led the first Everest ascent. The boy explained it to me in amazement and also showed me other photographs where he also climbed to the top as a porter. Undoubtedly, these Sherpas are another race! Of course, if I had told this story in the city I probably would have distrusted but finding myself among those gigantic peaks my distrust was going down and I wanted to believe.

I arrived at the remote village of Dingboche after a few hours of a flat road from the monastery. Already at 4410 meters, the cold was noticeable when the sun disappeared. Of course, on starry nights one forgot the cold contemplating the wonderful firmament full of stars.

Day 42

During the sixth day of trekking, I took a day of acclimatization to avoid possible altitude sickness. Dingboche, the place where I slept, is already at 4400 meters and for the organism to adapt correctly to the heights it is ideal to climb a few hundred meters to go back to sleep at a lower height.

So I woke up at 8 o'clock - it had been days since I was so late! - I picked up the backpack with the water and the lining, I put on my flip flops - my big toes were already starting to hurt from so much boot and I started on the road towards the east in the direction of a town called Chu Khung at 4730 meters.

The day started cloudily but it was getting better and from the town, I followed the amazing valley that leads to the base camp of the Island Peak. On the way there I found a herd of yaks fighting over a female. It was a spectacle. Those hairy beasts, half cows, half buffaloes, were gorging themselves to the beast to see who took the prize. Some went down the slope but soon returned to the fight or rode the female while the others were fighting.

I followed the road where the Amphulapche and the Island Peak closed the valley with its spectacular white walls. It seemed as if it were a gigantic church organ with its perfectly arranged white chimneys. I reached the two lakes at 5000 meters that lurk around the imposing walls of the Amphulapche and there I rested for a while. Only the sound of falling stones could be heard, some crow croaking and in the distance a yak shepherd shouting at these furry beasts.

Again in Dingboche, I have taken a good dal bhat (one of the best I've tried so far) and at night the sky was clear and it was amazing to see a thousand stars that could be glimpsed at 4,500 meters. The nebulae almost clear, a few shooting stars and in the background, the stars illuminated the ice on the highest walls of the Lhotse to more than 8400 meters.

Day 43

I left Dingboche on a splendid morning. The valley, surrounded by spectacular peaks, showed its best colors and the Lhotse to the north, the Ama Dablan just opposite, the Taboche and the Cholatse to the west and the Island Peak to the east surrounded it with a blue sky that promised a day of magnificent views. I felt right in the middle of one of the most magical places on the planet and I was probably right.

I started the route to Gorak Shep, the last place where you can eat and sleep in this part of the world. The road, the last of the roads on the earth's mantle, ascended on a plain through a dry glacier between giants. As I got closer, the Lhotse of 8414, the Pumo Ri of 7165, the Lingtren of 6749 and finally the tip of the Everest farthest east to 8848, were growing in my eyes with their huge glaciers. Without a doubt, one of the most beautiful walks I have ever made and the excitement of arriving seemed to give my legs an unusual joy and I hardly noticed the height.

The hostel where I dominated that night was already at 5160 meters and at that height there is only 50% of oxygen left in the air, and it shows. When breathing, when making efforts, it produces little insomnia and produces a slight headache when ascending.

In the hostel, there were only 3 Germans and an Indian with whom I was dining and chatting by the fireplace. It seemed impossible to go outside. Towards a cold that peels! So around those chimneys that burn with raw material fuel (yak feces), we warm up a bit and with a good talk, we try to lengthen the fateful moment of going outside and getting into the sack in a heartbeat. Those were the only nights that I missed a sleeping bag in conditions and not the bag of +5 degrees I was wearing.

Day 44

In the morning I climbed the peak of Kala Patthar. The sun had not made an appearance yet and it took me a while to start up the body of the cold I was doing. I also left with the flip-flops to avoid the boots and the pain of toes on my feet for a while. Little by little the rays of the sun were descending the mountainside and, in turn, I approached dreaming of its warm presence and when we collided it became a real blessing to receive its halo on my feet to warm them.

Once at the top of Kala Patthar at 5550 meters, with the sun warming my body, I was finally able to enjoy the views I dreamed so many days of contemplating. There are no words. It is difficult to bear so much beauty in that long valley where the highest mountains in the world come together. From the Makalu in the background to the Pumo Ri right next to me. The summit of Everest was just over 3000 meters above my head and I stayed there for more than two hours in love with the show.

Only a couple of English arrived with whom we took advantage of to take the necessary photographs. Nobody else. An infinite nature and no sign of the hordes of climbers that overwhelm the valleys of the Himalayas. It really was quite a fortune to trek to Everest base camp just before the high season began. It is true that in September the clouds may cloud the views but I would change them again because of the feeling of being alone with those gigantic walls that have seen the evolution of the Earth for centuries and centuries.

A little further down, in the base camp of Everest at 5300 meters, there was no expedition of climbers. We could only glimpse the huge glacier where the real climb begins and a ruined Russian helicopter.

On the way back, I chose the Cho La pass at 5300 meters and stopped in a hostel halfway along a beautiful lake in Dzonglha. There I met a troop of Spanish mountaineers. Coming from Navarra, Madrid, Valencia, the Balearic Islands and Euskadi, they formed a diverse and fun group with which I ate some spaghetti with tomato (no garlic, no onion, no meat or real tomato, but they were great!) Then a little game of letters and I went to bed in one of the busiest and most expensive hostels I've seen around here.

Day 45

In the morning we said goodbye. I went to Cho La hill at 5330 and they went in the opposite direction. The stage between Dzonglha and Gokyo is beautiful and all the factors put you to the test: Ice, snow, blocks of stone to make the monkey or the goat according to the case, descents with an inclination that give a bit of vertigo and a final stretch from Dragnag to Gokyo with an amazing dry glacier that looks like Mordor or the end of the world .

In the fog, the stones were sliding down the slopes and the only noise that could be heard in that desolate place was the clatter of breaking ice or the stones falling into the lake. Once in Gokyo, I settled in a simple and homely hostel with privileged views of the lake. I hardly found a couple of couples with their respective guides and a nice and warm lounge to relax.

Day 46

Very early in the morning, I left to attack the Gokyo peak at 5360 meters that I could see from my window. In an hour of hard winding ascent I reached the top and again an extensive and spectacular panorama opened before my eyes. Maybe the peaks were not as close as in Kala Patthar but the views were much more extensive. With the Cho Oyu to more than 8000 meters and the great glacier that together formed the Cholo and the Kangshung very close. The views to the south with the lake, the town of Gokyo and the long glacier that had crossed the previous day were also beautiful.

I went down to the village again, had breakfast, and went down to Namche Bazaar, saying goodbye little by little to the highest and most beautiful mountains in the world. Crossing the valley I always had before my eyes the white presence of the Thamserku and the Kantega, closing the valley, as if they did not want it to leave. And in fact, I had my doubts and I surprised myself by following the step when I would later have liked to stop and enjoy a couple of days more of the wonder that surrounded me.

Once I arrived in Namche after 9 hours of kicking I went back to the simple hostel where I settled when I got there for the first time.

It was noticeable that we already entered in October, high season because the herd of tourists was beginning to be visible. It seemed another town because of the number of tourists that ran around compared to the first time I arrived just five days ago.

Day 47

The rain came to say goodbye on that last day of the crossing. From Namche, I went down to Luckla saying goodbye to these mountains and confirmed the open flight ticket for tomorrow. I am truly happy to have been able to make these journeys through the Himalayas in September. The weather has not been as bad as advertised and on the last day of crossing, already entered in October, the traffic of tourists, porters, and very loaded yaks was surprising.

I stayed in a hostel near the airport. Well, in fact, everything in Luckla seems to be close to the airport how small it is. I took a shower, something cold, but after a few days without seeing the water I sat down wonder!

Today ends some of the most exciting trekking I've done in my life. It's hard to compare Annapurna and Everest. While the first pass between closed gorges, with incredible biodiversity and much more authentic and traditional villages (especially Tibetans), the Everest trekking leaves you stunned to be so close to these gigantic peaks. With both together, I have been able to contemplate seven of the ten highest peaks in the world, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Makalu, Everest, Lhotse and Cho Oyu. More other precious, an infinity of glaciers and spectacular views.

Tomorrow I will fly back to Kathmandu, I will leave my boots parked for a while but I will put them on sirloin and whatever comes and in a couple of days we will go to India! After lunch, we do more shopping and we say goodbye to this wonderful trip.

I do not know if the snow leopard will remain in my fondest memories or if I will have more nostalgic for mules that carried our loads, or yak looking at me when I crossed their path. Certainly, the one I will never forget is the feeling of deep serenity that I have tried on several occasions during this expedition. Looking at the landscape, smiling at a child, visiting a monastery, touching the stone of a mani wall. A serenity born from the conviction of having lived, even for a short time, in a place of the soul.

Nepal was my journey to excellence through culture, nature, landscapes, mountains, food, people, etc. It was a meeting with a country as unknown as it was extraordinarily interesting. But it was above all an encounter with myself. With that part of me that in the frenzy I had never known. It was a journey certainly spiritual, an introspective trip where I was able to measure myself against the limits of my character and discover hidden facets until that moment in my soul.

It is fair to say, it was a difficult journey. An experience that has put a strain on my body, especially during the grueling trekking around the Annapurna and that has forced me to give up all those certainties of the modern world.
Next Post Previous Post
1 Comments
  • What's Baking??
    What's Baking?? May 5, 2012 at 11:32 PM

    Namo Tasa Bhagavato Arahato Sama SamBudhasa..

Add Comment
comment url