Trekking in Nepal/Himalaya - Sept/Oct 1998

Not many people or words can describe the top of the world, but we will try. Nepal the land of Never Ending Peace and love. OK, so you are all sick now, or jealous, this is a place you always need longer in, we came with a one month visa, and have now extended by 20 days,. The first month went so quickly we almost missed it ourselves. We flew Royal Nepal from Bombay to Kathmandu, arriving in the dead of night (bad move) we were greeted by a courtesy bus waiting for Mr. Richards... but were quite happy to take us in his place. We tried so hard to argue but the free ride into Kathmandu won us round. Their hotel was nice, even running hot water, 25 USD room got it for 15 USD. We checked out after using the facilities and moved to the more respectable backpackers pad of 250 Rupees (70 Rupees = 1 USD) far better price. Our assault of Kathmandu began, we soon found the bargaining street again, and realised most on offer was cheap tourist rubbish. Still we have managed to fill our bags. Next was a trek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

After reading the lonely planet know all guide book we were set, but didn't know where to start. just that now is main season. Great. So first the cost of a guide and porter, this was 511 USD per person, including meals etc. for a 21 day trek. Far too rich for us unemployed folk, so it's to be a self do it job, ok. Trekking permit, avoid all the touts for guides special tourist buses and we are away. One 18-20 Kg MacPack Rucksack and one 4 Pound Sterling Northface, honest genuine, Nepal day pack, 10 kg! Two maps, and a fist full of Rupees (30.000) The bus was to hell and back, they certainly know how to build hairpin curves, steep gradient and pot holes here. We never new buses could swim so well but I suppose they have to here, as the best bridge is a new bamboo job. Now the trek begins, everybody saying it's easy. Just follow the yellow brick road: Er excuse me. Which way? Oh, that way, thanks Namaste (Thank you, hello, goodbye). 

Our first bridge, two 30 mm branches across a ragging river, 2 m high. Safety of our tourist is the first priority. Onwards and up So hot, swat dripping from us, what are we doing? Stopping only to drink black sweet tea, or refill our water bottles from mountain fresh streams, using our handy Pocket Kadayman filter and a couple of drops of Iodine just in case the bears shit in the woods. From now on up, every day, porters passing us with 60, 70 or 80 kg packs, pipes, bed's fridge’s, all cursing us trekkers for being in the way, running along on their pumped up match stick legs. Filled by a constant diet of Dhal bat (rice, vegetables and sauce). We soon learnt that two maps, one guide book was a recipe for disaster. They only agreed on the names of mountain. Villages, rivers all were named by the individual publishers and height varied by 100 m. A bit of a problem, when cutting a trail through the Himalayan hills..