Nepal - a packaged deal

You can't get one without the other - that's the package deal. From the perspective of a Bangkokian from a land that is barely 3 meters above sea level with the usual temperatures in the range of 28 - 40 degrees Celsius, this is basically a predicament.

Traveling to a country with mountain peaks at 5,000 - 8,000 meters above sea level is awe-inspiring more so if one hails from the land that is flat as a pancake. Feeling the bite of the chilly wind at these soaring altitudes is also oh-inspiring and having to camp out for 4 nights on a slope of a mountain is yet another thing.

Juerg Bucher, when writing to me about my trip to Nepal, gave the instructions to bring the following things: mat, sleeping bag and warm clothes. He said that this was to be a medical "camp" in the mountains about 10 hours drive from Kathmandu.

My wife, who knows me more than anyone on the planet, went about the task of following Juerg's instructions with a propensity to overdo it, knowing that I couldn't stand low temperatures. I was not a very cooperative husband on this aspect - because warm stuff tends to be too bulky for comfortable travel, but I never regretted her persistence especially on the first night in the mountains.

high and mighty - the Rolwaling Himal mountain range - the
portion of the deal that I am fine with.

the setting sun over the Himalayas

 villages dotting the slopes

neat terraces of millet, rice and mustard

 fluffy clouds hugging the mountain tops like icing on a cake

 beautiful slopes silently resisting the encroachment
of man-made structures

 The evening giving way to daylight - it's another day

  

the mountain stream that they tamed

the mighty Tamakoshi river

 clouds aflame over the Himalayas as the sun passes on to India

Sunrise over the Kathmandu valley

Gauri shankar and brother Melungtse

If I stayed another day or so it could have been zero degrees.
This is the part of the deal that I wish could be scrapped.

this elevation is way above the fog line. you bet it is 

freezing cold

a stranger to the place trying hard to cope

on the bus heading back to the city

unusual cycling attire... unheard of in steamy Bangkok

even churchgoers have warm clothes on at midday

it's the same with the shoppers at the bazaar

this bloke is obviously chilling... it's either he doesn't have 
a caring wife or he stubbornly refused to let her pack his bags :-)

I would lug my bags ungrudging back to Nepal - the cold notwithstanding, if I had another chance. Base camp - I still have you to see!

I conquered Everest

I have been to Nepal.

So my friends ask -

"did you conquer Everest?"

I say it's such 

an easy task.

Just tilt back your head

and gulp down the brew

pour out another

to the froth say adieu.

you may take one

more bottle, 

but be careful coz

you see

it won't be long before 

Everest conquers me.

I had to try this beer before leaving Kathmandu, because I knew I may not meet it again. One nice surprise I got up in the mountain town of Mude when we stopped for lunch was seeing my all-time favorite beer - SMB, and when I checked the label it said "Manila Philippines."

*drink moderately*

Back-to-back disasters in the Himalayas

In April 2015 a devastating earthquake shatters the lives of the Nepalese people. Approximately 10,000 lost their lives when they were crushed by collapsing buildings. Most of the old buildings are made from brick, rock, clay and concrete with no supporting iron bars. The newer buildings were not affected.

a ruined prayer square for one of their deities
in Patan still in the process of clearing. My 
guide - Pastor Kaji(right).

a partially ruined building now unfit for living

the school building at Jungu. makeshift shelters

serve as temporary classrooms for the students.

a typical sight anywhere you go - a partially ruined
house and a makeshift GI sheet hut beside it.

this elegant residence and trading post still stands, 
but the occupants won't dare live in it. The GI-sheet 
huts beside now serves as their home. One room here was

the site for my other story - "trekking Nepal."

Another conspicuous effect of the earthquake is the scars on the mountain side caused by landslides. These resulted in blocked roads and buried homes.

As if this was not enough, another disaster… man-made this time, brings economic catastrophe when the tribe at the mountain highway from India closed the vital bridge link thus preventing the importation of petrol and essential commodities.

These motorcycles have been queuing for petrol

for several days now. 

Cars are queued in a different gas station 
and trucks and buses also in another one. The
queue goes as far as your eyes can see.

These disasters threatened to derail the plans of Nehemiah Nepal and the prospects for the medical camp looked bleak. We had about a month to gather the needed medical supplies and gasoline for the trip and it looked like we weren't going to make it.

But God was behind our plans and a week before the final date Pastor Kaji announced that the much needed gasoline was safe in a barrel and set for use. The medicines that the Dr. Iwamaru Memorial Hospital pledged were also packed and ready. 

Nehemiah Nepal was on the right track and the work of God marched on undeterred.

The Kathmandu - Nagarkot Biking Challenge

A week before I departed for Kathmandu I already had Nagarkot in my plans. Online research told me that Kathmandu is 4,500 feet above sea level and Nagarkot is 7,200 feet, which means that a bike ride would have an elevation gain of 2,700 feet or 822 meters - something unheard of in pancake-flat Bangkok. 

The map will show the route, which is 32 km from Thamel in Kathmandu to Nagarkot.

Nagarkot is also considered as one of the most scenic spots in Bhaktapur and is the northeastern rim of the Kathmandu basin.

I also learned that there are many mountain bike shops in Thamel where I can get a biking day tour with a guide or just rent a bike and set out by myself. 

Thamel is a the backpacking tourist hub of Kathmandu akin to Khao Sarn road in Bangkok. It was here where I found this shop - Bike Hub, with Trek brand Bikes managed by Dipendra Baidya. This guy impressed me a lot with his business savvy and he offered for me to rent a bike for 10$, take it out in that moment and return it before 6 pm the following day, which exactly was my plan. 

the bike that he gave me had cable disc brakes, a front wheel as bald as my head, a busted front shocks lock, a chipped and worn-out saddle that looked like it had been through a thousands tours, and I got a super grimy roughed-out helmet (which I had to wash that night) - but it was good enough for me. The thrill that I was anticipating was not about the bike, but the exhilarating ride through the cool mountains.

I took the bike to my lodging at Lalitpur for the night and at 5:30 dawn I was out in the highway to Nagarkot. It was about 9 degrees Celsius and still pitch dark, but with my headlamp I managed to dodge the sea of humanity that was already at the intersection waiting for any bus that may have miraculously procured some gas.

Bhaktapur came next and the sun was just about to break over the ridge. What a way to see this culture wake up before my eyes... definitely a different kind of tour.

at the break of day I was well passed the city proper

and slowly inching my way up the first couple of hills.

a typical sight in the early hours - people bringing
fresh milk to the milk processing centers.

the hills had a thin layer of mist

a selfie attempt while trying to keep

the nose from flaring.

finally the Nagarkot bus park

where I hungrily consumed this small "breakfast special" 

at Berg house cafe and hotel 

my rented trek bike (gold) hangs securely with other
bikes of the Himalyan Biking Adventures, courtesy of 
the guy below who graciously put it up for me so 
that I can eat in peace.

with breakfast done I mount the bike and pray that
the wheels and brake cable can withstand hard braking
as I speed down the mountain. The air was still too
cold to comfortably shed my warm coat and pants.

some evidence of the recent quake

an occasional car

met these ladies with tons of firewood on their backs

Yeah, for the first time in my life I caught up 
with a bus and passed it. Tight corners are easier
done on a bike than an overcrowded bus.

some nice downhill speeding here

back on the highway at Bhaktapur in midday and it is almost
deserted due to the petrol crisis

a farmer bringing home some fresh onions

  through the bazaar at Lalitpur

main street Kathmandu

and back to Thamel to return the bike

the GPS tracing showing the tortuous road up the mountains...

and the other info that my ride managed to achieve.

With Nagarkot conquered, Angkor Wat may just be a breeze away.

Smriti