An interlude before Kathmandu

We've spent the past two days in the beautiful Newari (one of Nepal's ethnic groups) town of Bandipur. Most visitors to Nepal zip between Pokhara and Kathmandu (relatively speaking -- it takes up to 8 hours to go the 155 miles between the two cities!). Bandipur sits high on a ridge about a half hour from the main highway (re: pot-holed hell) below.

Once getting up to Bandipur via a shared jeep (a new record -- 16 people crowded into 6 spots) it's like stepping back into medieval Nepali times. It's not a major tourist hotspot so most residents just go about their business. There are no motorized vehicles; just cobblestone streets and buildings mainly from the 18th Century, many with intricately carved wood decor. There are some interesting-looking temples which are lit with candles at night. Several of the buildings have been renovated into simple guesthouses and restaurants. We stayed in a very simple room consisting of a bed and a mosquito net, but the place had great character, the view from our room over the valley was gorgeous, and the food was the best we had in the town. Other than the electricity (which went out for a couple hours every night) it felt like we had entered another era.

We spent two days here just wandering around. There are some nice walks in the area, but Alex's sprained ankle is worse than we initially thought, so her movement has been limited. So, we mainly stayed in town and in the nearby countryside. From a ridge facing the north we could see the Himalayas stretch as far as we could see. The clouds are below the mountains giving it the effect that they are floating in the air; it felt as if we were on another planet.

We're now in Kathmandu. We'll explore this valley for the next week and are trying to figure out the next step: Bhutan? Tibet? Guangxi province, China? Yunnan province, China? It's a good problem to have.

Naaaaiiiiilllled It

 Annapurna I

We have returned from our trek into the Himalaya with some sore knees but having seen one of the most beautiful places we've ever been.  We planned on taking 10 days but ended up finishing in 9, making our last day a long one, but it was worth it.  Now...how to describe the actual hike?  First of all, the scenery was incredible.  We started getting some good views of Fishtail (the only peak in Nepal that's off-limits to climbers) and some of the Annapurna mountains early on in the trek.  It's incredible to see these peaks poking out above the tree-covered smaller mountains.  In addition to the Himalayan mountains, the valleys were also beautiful in their own way.  The trail goes from village to village so we were constantly walking by rice and millet terraces, rural people going about their farming, donkeys carrying goods (the only mode of transporting goods in the region), through gorgeous forests, or waiting for a herd of goats to move out of the way.  It was cool to see a way of life that is so self-sufficient and involves no motorized vehicles, although it seems everyone still has a cell phone!

Fishtail just before sunrise

On our third day of hiking we got our first real taste for the Annapurna Mountain Range.  We woke up at 4:30am to hike to view sunrise from Poon Hill.  Calling it a hill is a bit of a misnomer, since it stands at almost 10,000 feet, dwarfing the tallest mountain in our northeast! (Mount Washington in NH is about 6500 feet). That was spectacular.  The whole range was laid out before us.  We watched as the mountains started to come out of the darkness and then as the sun slowly lit the ridges.  The effect was that the mountains seemed tipped with gold.  Although it was freezing cold it was hard for Alex to tear herself away.  We watched as the whole range was lit up before heading back down for breakfast and a full day of hiking.  Over the next 3 days we continued to slowly climb in elevation and get closer to the mountains.  At some points you felt like you could reach out and touch them.  Views were always best in the mornings, before 11, when the air was crystal clear and before the clouds moved in.  Day 6 was the "big day" of reading Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) at 13,500 feet.  We left early in order to get there in time to see the mountains and secure a bedroom in the often overcrowded lodges.  The last hour of the hike brought us into Annapurna Sanctuary, the area encircled by the mountains and where ABC is located.  It is aptly named for the effect is truly overwhelming.  Even though Alex was quite out of breath from altitude she could barely look up from the path without getting choked up from the beauty of it all.  Once at base camp we were literally at the foot of some of the most impressive mountains in the world.  We could stand in one spot, turn 360 degrees, and see massive, snow-covered peaks in every direction.  We arrived at 9:30 am and had a nice hour or so taking it in from a quiet spot.  The next morning we woke up at 6:00, rolled out of our bedroom in all the clothes we brought, and watched sunrise in this surreal location.  Again, the slow transformation was jaw dropping.  It is a moment and place we'll never forget.

We made it!

Sunrise on Annapurna I as seen from ABC

One of the reasons we were drawn to this trek was for the scenery of the Sanctuary but there were some other aspects that also really made it memorable.  The ability to hike without tents/food and stay in the lodges along the way was very unique.  We usually woke up early, around 6, and would hike for 5-7 hours each day.  The hiking was all steep uphill or downhill...there was almost no flat ground for the entire trek.  We would stop for a tea break mid-morning at one of the villages and then often reach our destination by a late lunch time.  That gave us the afternoon to nap, read, play cards, and relax.  Each lodge had a common "dining hall" where everyone gathered for warmth from about 4pm through dinner.  This was a lot of fun because we met a lot of interesting people during this time.  There was a nice sense of comraderie since we were all in it together. Some people we would see day after day at the lodges so we got to know them better.  It was cool to hear where other people have traveled and their life stories.  We met one family from Australia who were hiking with their 6 and 11 year old sons and traveling for several months together!  The dining hall was also the place to refuel.  We actually had decent to good food the whole time, with lots of variety, something we weren't really expecting.

We hired a guide and Alex had a porter for her pack...our guide was very nice but didn't really add too much to our experience.  Alex also wished she had carried her own pack (or, at least, tried to carry it).  Chris' pack made him pretty sore for the first couple days, but then he got used to it.  The porter even had trouble keeping up with us.  By the end, Alex's porter told Chris "you nationality no American; only just Nepali" because of how fast he walked up the mountains.

Victory cheer from the Sanctuary

We're now back in Pokhara, where we had a victory dinner consisting of steaks, hamburgers, beer, and cocktails. And today, we went paragliding, which was extremely fun. It was a great way to end our time in this region of Nepal. Tomorrow, we move on to the small Newari (one of Nepal's ethnic groups) village, called Bandipur.

Photo of Alex taken by Chris

Trek Time

Tomorrow we depart for our hike. So, no more blog entries or emails for about 10 days.

Chris' sickness lingered on, so we delayed going by a day, but tomorrow we need move on. We've spent 3 days in Pokhara, the main entry point to the Himalaya. This town, on Nepal's second largest lake, is the jumping off point for a bunch of treks, white water rafting, paragliding, etc. It is 100% a tourist town, with the main strip filled with guest houses, internet cafes, real cafes (with real coffee!), every type of western food, and any other convenience one needs. It's been a nice place to lay low while Chris recovers.

But the Himalaya, which peer out over Pokhara, beckons. We spent a while deciding which hike to do, and quickly narrowed it down to three:

1) Everest Base Camp -- This was the most intriguing trek, for the obvious reason that it would bring us to the foot of the world's tallest mountain. It is supposed to contain some spectacular scenery, although the views from base camp aren't particularly good. There were some other negatives, as well. In order for it to be 14-15 days, we'd need to fly in and out to Lukla, which is notorious for having canceled flights due to weather. As the second most popular trek in Nepal, it's also very crowded. The high point reaches over 18,000 feet, so altitude sickness is also a factor.

2) Annapurna Circuit -- Called "the apple pie trail" this is the country's most popular trek. For scenery and cultural diversity, it's supposed to be best. The negatives are the crowds, the time (18-21 days), road construction causing issues for hikers, and the same altitude issues as Everest.

3) Annapurna Sanctuary -- This is what we decided on. It brings us into the frozen "amphitheter" in the Annapurna range, where we'll spend the night at Annapurna Base Camp. At 13,500 feet, it doesn't have the same altitude problems, nor the same level of crowds. It's also only 10 days. The main negative (for Chris only) is that being here in the Himalaya one of the few places on earth to hike to truly high altitudes. We've been to over 14,000 on Peru's Inca Trail, so this won't even reach our personal high points.

The other thing to figure out was what type of hike. Hiking in Nepal isn't in true wilderness -- there are lodges (called teahouses) along the entire route. So, the option is to stay in teahouses or camp. We got advice for both ways but decided on the teahouse trek, since it's the classic Nepali mode to trekking. The trails are well-marked, but we decided to hire a guide, as well, which is inexpensive and is supposed to enhance our experience.

Buddha and rhinos

We've been in Nepal about a week now, and have been loving it. After taking a train and a bus we made it to the Indian-Nepali border. Getting the visa was hassle free and we were soon in Nepal. The first step was to go to the nearest town, 4KM away. We took a "jeep bus," which could comfortably fit 11 people -- ours had 19 in it.

We then took a car 30 minutes to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. This was a great town to spend a day and a half in. In 1978 an architect designed the Lumbini Development Zone, a 1.2 square mile area. Inside this zone is temple housing the supposed exact spot where the Buddha was born in 623BC. Throughout the rest of the zone are monasteries built by various countries. The area is still a work in progress -- new monasteries are still being built, and the rest of the zone currently consists of long grass and muddy roads. But still, it's very easy to imagine what it'll look like once completed.

The one negative to Lumbini was that there was an infestation of some type of fly during our last night that is so small it fits through the screens. There were literally thousands of them in our room and our only protection was to huddle in our sleep liners. The other issue was that Chris became sick with a 101 fever, a throat infection, and a stomach bug.

After Lumbini, we spent 4 days in Chitwan National Park. Despite the sickness and the issue we had with lodging (see "First Travel Snafu" post) this was a great experience. Our first morning, after taking a dugout canoe down the river followed by a jungle walk, we had one of our most fun experiences so far on this trip -- the elephant bath. This consisted of us each hopping onto an elephant's back, going into the river, and then the elephant sprayed us with his trunk and dunked us into the water. We felt like kids.

The other main activity is riding an elephant into the forest, since animals aren't afraid of the elephants. The highlight on our two outings was seeing 3 one-horned rhinos -- it was an awesome animal to see.

Alex also became a little sick, so in between any activities we pretty much slept. Chris went to the doctor one night, which was an experience in itself. It was in a village near the Park; the entire village consisted of mud huts. There was no electricity so it was pitch black; luckily, we pulled up to the one "real" house, where the doctor lived. He didn't speak English but we managed to communicate enough and he gave me some medications. No need to file a claim with Blue Cross Blue Shield - the examination and medication cost a total of $4.

India -- Summing it up

We've spent two weeks in India traveling overland across it's north towards Nepal. We've only scratched the surface of the vast country of 1+ billion people, but we're excited for our trip to Nepal. We can't truly say we love India, although there are aspects we love. Here are each of our final thoughts.

Chris' favorites
-Food -- fantastic. We really didn't have one bad meal, and we had plenty of great ones. Mercifully (and luckily), we both avoided catching Delhi belly.
-Humayan's tomb, Delhi -- finding a shady spot to escape the heat next to a mini Taj Mahal.
-Amber Fort, Jaipur -- gave us a real sense of what live was like during the Maharaja hey-day
-Udaiper -- this was our favorite city.
-Taj Mahal, Agra -- plenty said on this in our earlier post.
- Kajuraho -- this was a surprise for us. Besides the Taj, these temples was the other truly world-class site we visited. The people here were also great, especially after dealing with Agra.
- Sunrise boat ride, Varanasi -- a once in a lifetime experience.
- The little moments -- the man who bought me a cup of chai at a roadside stall; the man who shared his chapati with us on the train when he saw our dinner consisted of peanut butter and biscuits; talking with an internet cafe owner who wasn't trying to sell me anything

Chris' negatives
- The touts and tuk-tuk drivers -- especially in Agra
- The traffic, pollution, and honking -- this triumvirate at times bordered on the absurd. At times, I felt like India's entire infrastructure teetered on the edge of collapse.
- The heat -- crazy, especially the first half of our trip

Alex's Favorites and Negatives
I don't know if I can even separate everything into favorites and negatives so this is more just a rambling of my thoughts. India was one of the most interesting places I've ever visited. It was chaotic and overwhelming, to be sure, but it was also full of life and vibrancy like nowhere else. At times it was this vibrancy that actually overwhelmed me but at other times it was the most fascinating part about being there. I'm always going to associate India with bright beautifully dressed women and delicious food. I will probably also always associate it with pushy touts, unrelenting vendors, and NOISE. I wish we had more of a chance to interact with locals far away from any tourist center.

Not surprising, then, that my favorite towns were the two smallest ones that we visited: Udaipur and Khajuraho. Here we met friendly people and didn't have to deal with rickshaw drivers for a few blessed days. I was surprised to really enjoy Varanasi. We'd heard so many negative things about the touts here but it truly is a holy city and that vibe still pervades. Although I was pestered to buy flowers, take a boat, etc. as I walked along the river as soon as I sat down and closed my eyes to reflect/meditate my space was immediately respected. At least I felt like that was a line that wouldn't be crossed.

I would agree with all the same favorites and negatives as Chris but the thing that I'll most remember about India is the feelings I had while being there. There was no other experience that could've prepared me for that.

"Fortunate are those who reside on the banks of the River Ganga"

That's what's painted onto a rock here in Varanasi, one of Hinduisms holiest cities and set along the western bank of the Ganges. Lonely Planet's description is pretty apt: "Brace yourself. You're about to enter one of the most blindingly colorful, unrelentingly chaotic, and unapologetically indiscreet places on earth...Most visitors agree it's a magical place, but it's not for the faint-hearted. Here the most intimate rituals of life and death take place in public and the sights and sounds in and around the ghats can be overwhelming. Perservere. Varanasi is unique, and a walk along the ghats or a boaty ride on the river will live long in the memory."

We arrived just before dawn after taking an overnight train. This turned out to be the perfect time to visit the ghats, the long rows of stairs leading in to the river that stretch for miles along the Ganges. We hired a man to row us on his rickety row boat to watch the spectacle that takes place at sunrise every morning. Many of the ghats are packed with people: ascetics sitting in Lotus position on columns, people practicing yoga, bathers swimming in the holy waters, people washing clothes. The riot of colors of the people's dress, especially the women's provided a contrast to most of the crumbling buildings above the ghats.

This is considered an auspicious place to die for Hindus, and we passed the "burning ghats" where cremations are performed throughout the day. Seeing giant piles of wood on fire knowing that a body is contained in the middle is almost a surreal experience. Some aren't able to afford the cremation, and we also saw a group dump a dead body into the river.

We spent the rest of our time walking along the ghats or hanging out in one of the restaurants above them, as this is one of the best people-watching locations in the world. We also took some time to relax on the grounds of the nearby University, which felt like a world away.

As with most of India, there is the other side to Varanasi. Despite it's religious significance, this is one of the most polluted rivers on earth. Raw sewage pours into it from the cities along it. People litter as if it were a trash bin. On the boat we saw a corpse floating near us. The bacteria levels are hundreds of thousands of times the safe limit. I almost gagged when I saw people cup their hands and drink the river's water. The smell on some of the ghats was putrid. We just read that there are plans to have the river clean within a decade, but who know's if the government will follow through. The touts and beggars are another issue, although not nearly severe as Agra.

One of our days we took a day trip to Sarnath, one of Buddhism's holiest pilgrimage sites, where the Buddha is said to have given his first sermon after achieving enlightenment. This was a great little city full of parkland where we were able to relax.

All in all, we thought Varanasi was a tremondous experience, and thought it was a fitting end to our time in India.

First travel snafu

We've been traveling for 3 weeks now, and have had no major issues. The one thing that keeps coming up is the trains we want seem to almost always be sold out, so we end up traveling at less than ideal times (latest one is for our trip overland to Nepal -- supposed to get there in one day but now will have to spend the night near the border tomorrow). We also had some close calls, such as when we were planning an excursion to a national park to spot wild tigers, 8 hours south of Kajuraho. We went to a second travel agent to get another price who checked for us that the park is closed until October 16. We would not have been happy campers if we traveled a day out of our way and found out it was closed.

We've now hit our first real issue. Nepal has a famous national park, Chitwan, that is home to the one-horned rhinocerous (as well as tigers and leopards but are not likely to be seen). Months ago, we booked a 4-day safari at one of the 7 lodges located inside the park for October 9-13.

Nepal suffered through an approximately 10-year insurgency by Maoist guerrillas that saw almost 13,000 people killed, which ended in April 2006 with the abolition of the monarchy and a restored democracy. By 2008 the Maoists were brought into the government, and the former head of the insurgency became Prime Minister. Since then, things have been shaky (including the resignation of the prime minister) but there hasn't been much violence and tourism has returned.

So, on the spectrum of what could potentially go wrong with visiting Nepal, our situation is pretty minor. Basically, the government kept going back and forth but has (at least temporarily) revoked the licenses of the lodges operating inside the park. We're disappointed because this seemed like a great, all inclusive mini-vacation in an isolated location. Luckily, there's a tourist town just outside the park, so hopefully we'll find a place to stay and can still enjoy the same activities, such as riding an elephant in the park and jungle walks; it won't be quite the same but should still be enjoyable.

That's a Little Naughty

Who knew that holy ancient temples could be so exciting?  We found out just how exciting it could be to go "temple hopping" in the small town of Khajuraho.  We had almost decided to skip this stop because it's quite a bit out of the way when going from Agra to Varanasi but we are really glad we made it.  First of all, the people here were the friendliest we've encountered so far.  There is a definitely small town vibe and it was the first time we had conversations with "real" people.  Also, it was the first time we were helped without the person expecting anything in return.  Alex lost the bottoms of one of her 2 pairs of zip-off pants.  (Alex: When I realized the bottom parts weren't in my bag I realized they must have fallen out on the bus.  It was 10:30 pm but when I asked the hotel manager if the bus would still be there he offered to drive me on his motorbike.  We went, he woke up the driver, and looked around but didn't see them.  Even though I was upset about being reduced to one pair of pants I was also so grateful for his help.)

The thing Khajuraho is really known for, however, are the erotic and artistic sculptures carved onto its ancient temples dating to the 10th and 11th century.  They apparently really liked the Kama Sutra as the sometimes one-meter high sculptures explicitly show.  Some of them also seemed to branch out to include horses in their love.  Obviously, there is some snickering as people move around the temples and spy these carvings.  (Especially considering the sexually conservative nature of the culture otherwise.)  But on a more serious note, the carvings are also exceedingly well done.  The bodies show a lot of movement (especially of the buxom women) and you can see some muscle and roundness in their flesh and expressions on their faces.  The grounds were very well kept so we really enjoyed a peaceful few hours among the main group of 10 temples.

Tear Drop on the Face of Eternity

Yes, the Taj Mahal does live up to expectations.  Yes, it could be the most beautiful building in the world.  The Taj is huge, far bigger than we expected; it's set on a huge platform so the background is only the blue sky; from a distance it's white marble shone so bright it looked as if it could fade away before our eyes; up close the intricate detail and inlay was amazing; at sunset the Taj took on a yellowish hue and the archways created beautiful shadows; viewing the Taj from a rooftop restaurant as night descended, the building faded away until only its faint silhouette could be seen.

We spent 2 nights in Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal.  We took an overnight train to get there (considerably more comfortable than the overnight bus) and arrived by mid-day.  We went to see the Taj right after checking in.  It was blazing hot.  It's cool when you walk in because you get a small glimpse of it through the gate and it's almost hard to believe that it's really there.  Then walking through and seeing it is overwhelming.  It's more beautiful in person than in pictures which we had heard but were still surprised by.  (Alex: I find it amazing when you visit a famous place and it actually looks like you think it should look.  This is one of those places.  Being in the presence of such an overwhelming monument was...well, overwhelming.)

We spent some of Chris' hotel points to stay in a 5-star hotel in Agra for 2 nights.  Imagine--clean sheets, no bed bugs, bathrobes, slippers, free tea and coffee, plush towels, marshmallow pillows, and free toiletries!!!  This was quite the luxury for us, topped off by ordering room service for breakfast our last morning there.  We also loved the pool and the huge LCD TV with CNN and HBO (although movies are edited not to show any physical contact between men and women, including kissing).

Now the downsides of Agra: the overwhelming heat (we keep mentioning that but it really was the worst here, in the triple digits); being asked by strangers to take pictures of you while you try to enjoy the Taj; the constant haggling and bargaining with touts, rickshaw drivers, "guides" everywhere, all the time; trying to avoid being taken to some shop or restaurant your driver recommends; nothing pretty except for the Taj, everything else is ramshackle and depressing; realizing that every person who talks to you wants your money.  (Alex: I was at the end of my rope here.  The combination of having no positive experiences with the people, which I know is typical when you are so very much on the tourist route, and the lure of the hotel and just wanting to be there, got to me.  Also, the contrast between "western" living and everyday Indian life was more apparent by staying in such a nice hotel.  It was nice to stay there but it made traveling harder in some ways.  However, a good breakfast in bed and smooth day of travel the next day and I feel good again!)