Blog #2

trekking through Nepal

Yesterday was my last day in Kathmandu city, I checked out of my hotel and quickly bought some of the local food. I had a dish  called sel which resembled a donut but was made out of rice flour. Soon after I met my guide, who would take me all around the Himalayas. He’s name is Nischal which is one of the most popular names in Nepal. We caught a bus to BesiSahar. I was a bit reluctant to get off the bus because I was  a bit nervous because I was about to experience one of the most amazing experiences I have ever done, but also one of the most  tough and excruciating things I will do in my life. Nischal lead me to a small building, or a shed were I was told about a few rules , tips and I had to sign some forms. I re packed my bag, pulled on my hiking boots and was ready to go within an hour of being in BesiSahar.

I met another four people just before I left who were going to trekking  with me for the next thirty days. These people came from all over the world, America, China, England and Brazil. I just knew that we were going to have a great time. Our first destination was Ngadi Chuli. Ngadi Chuli was our first mountain that we were going to hike through. I was quite scared but could not wait to get to the top. Sel guided us up the mountains and forests, keeping us interested by telling us traditional stories and facts about this amazing mountain.  This mountain was 7871m high and as we got higher and higher, I could feel the altitude changing. After a while I started to struggle with each step getting harder and harder. The sun was harsh and we were all perspiring so much that we needed to be careful of our dehydration. I could feel the hot rocks under my feet and my legs were about to give way onto the loose rocks when I heard the words that I had been waiting for the whole day, “we’re here”! The lodge was cosy and very comfortable and I was very happy with it till the next morning were I found that I was sharing my bed with something else….. bed bugs!

 Our next trek was from Ngadi to Jagat! Even though the weather was hot, I enjoyed this trek. We encountered many yaks, poor folks and a few trekkers. Everwhere I looked I was greeted to little houses and shops, people, animals and just pure nature. the  further we walked the thicker the  flora got. By the end all of us were feeling the strain. Our feet were sore, and we were exhausted.  We were all glad to get to Jagat by around 5pm where we got fed and went straight to bed! 

 The next four hikes, which took four days were exhausting but were worth it. The sights we saw were absolutely amazing. We trekked from Jagat to Dharapani, to Koto and then to Pisang. We would eat together, and there was no T.V. or internet so we would rejuvenate our bodies and all go to bed straight after dinner. We all got round 10-11 hours of sleep so that we were ready to trek the next day. 

The next ten days were very enjoyable and the treks were getting easier or we were getting used to them. Most villages that we trekked through, were poor and very isolated so when they saw us foreign people many of the villagers would come and greet us. The village would turn from a quiet peaceful village to a place filled with  people shouting “Namaste” “Khana khannu bhaiyo?” “Tapaiiko naam ke ho?” I had to decline many kind offers because of our schedule but was tempted many times to see more of the village and the villagers. By the 13th day of trekking we had got all of the way to base camp. We felt very accomplished, but we still had 17 more days of trekking to go. The next 17 days of trekking were better because we were getting closer to our destination, the Himalayas! We trekked back to BesiSahar through a different route. The quality of the air was impeccable, and gave me the strength to take each step. On the last day of trekking we trekked from Ngadi to BesiSahar to the Himalayas.

I was sad yet happy to finally meet my destination, this trek could possibly be the hardest thing I have done in my life, but I had made friends from all over the world that I would not be able to see regularly but will definatly stay in touch. When trekking into the Himalayas

my legs were aching, I could feel the sun burning my skin and I was so hot I thought I was in a sauna. I felt like giving up, but I couldn’t on the last hurdle. I had gotten used to the altitude and it did not affect me as much.  The mountains and hills were so high that the ground was nearly touching my nose, and the rocks were sliding from under my feet , I was ready to faint when I heard the familiar words that I had heard every day for the last thirty days, “we’re here!”. I could not believe I had accomplished such a task! This had been a gruelling achievement but when I looked out onto the view, I was hypnotised with the beauty of the landscape in front of me. We all stood there for at least 15 minutes taking in this amazing sight and recapitulating on the last thirty days.