Go get some sleep on bare stones

Pokhara - Kathmandu

I was not expecting it at all. I got stacked in Pokhara at the airport. Somehow it did not cross my mind that there can be fog and that airports will be closed. There was even a risk that flights will be cancelled. Damn it! I should have taken the bus with the others.

Even when I got to the airport I was still unaware that it’s closed. Only when I was dropping off my luggage I’ve found it out, that Kathmandu and Pokhara are closed.

There were more and more people coming and waiting for their flights, but nothing was changing. People were organizing jeep transport to Kathmandu. I could not decide if I should cancel my flight and join someone or naively hope that we’ll fly. Maybe it was not even that naïve as after some time Kathmandu airport got opened for departures and there was a chance that soon they will open it for arrivals as they might do with Pokhara. But still it was hazardous.

Just before 1p.m. I went down to ask at the counter how it’s going and I was told that just now they’ve opened Pokhara, so the plane is boarding in Kathmandu and it should arrive here very soon and as soon as it arrives here we will fly.

There was Slovakian girl going nuts because she had her flight to Delhi at 5 and stupidly she did not consider flying the day before just in case like today. I went to tell her good news too.

Shortly after that we got through security and we saw the plane landing and people getting off.

In all this bad luck I was lucky enough that I’ve bought ticket with Agni Air and that was the 1^st plane to arrive in Pokhara and actually the only one that I saw landing. I’m not sure if people from other flights flew that day. There was FIFO rule at the airport.

When we were queuing at the gate we were told that that we have to wait more. Kathmandu airport is very busy and we cannot fly. We have to wait at least 1h until traffic gets less heavy. Luckily after 20 minutes we could board the plane and we flew and safely for to Kathmandu.

I got there the same time as Jacek and Doris even though I was supposed to be there long before them. We were staying there in Kathmandu Guest House which is the oldest hotel in the city. We’ve only dropped luggage and went to see Swayambhunath Stupa – the smiley Buddha eyes. This is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about Kathmandu. But it was not that impressive at all. Rubbish, knick-knacks, monkeys everywhere. In fact it was ugly there.

We went there by cab but walked back and as we were crossing the river we’ve noticed dead cow lying there. It was surrounded by tons of rubbish. Whole river looked like rubbish deposit.

For dinner we went to the place where they were serving tongba – hot millet beer. It is served in bamboo tube, but it’s definitely not my favorite alcoholic drink. It was too smelly and tasted too much with yeast.

On the plane from Pokhara to Kathmandu. My camera was still not working very well. Colors are very strange.

Swayambhunath Temple - Smiley eyes of Buddha

Swayambhunath Temple - Smiley eyes of Buddha

Swayambhunath Temple - Smiley eyes of Buddha

Swayambhunath Temple - Smiley eyes of Cela and Buddha

Tongba - millet beer

Bhaktapur
Day after we’ve arrived in Kathamndu we’ve decided to take local bus and go to Bhaktapur which is situated 13 km east of Kathmandu and used to be capital of Nepal, It dates back to 7^th century and is famous for its traffic free center with plenty of pagoda and temples.
Unfortunately for me on the way to the bus station I’ve started to feel sick. My stomach was getting worst and worst. By the time we’ve arrived in Bhaktapur I was really weak and sick. It was not only my stomach I had overall feeling of weakness. It was just terrible. I’ve barely managed to get to Taumadhi Square where we had tea in one of the guest houses. In the mean time Doris mentioned that I’m feeling weak and she’s also asked if I can lie down in that guest house somewhere. Surprisingly they allowed me to lie down in the lobby.  When I was sleeping there, Doris and Jacek were sightseeing.
That rest has definitely helped me, gave me some king of relief but still I was not fit enough. On the way to taxi (as we decided to take taxi instead of bus, as I was fearing that I will not be able to make it y bus), in fact just before getting in I’ve almost threw up and next when we left it in Thamel. It was such a challenge to walk that 200m from taxi to hotel that when I think about it now it just seems impossible.
I was on the cloud nine when I could go to bed and stay there and sleep. It was basically my only occupation for the rest of the day. Lying down and sleeping. And I’ve even used hand warmer that I got from the Israeli girl. My feet were so cold that I was not able to fall asleep until I’ve made them warm with that thingy.

One of very few pictures taken by me in Bhaptapur. I even don't know where that is.

Here it feels like I'm dying

Golden Gate in Bhaktapur

Today I'm not doing anything

Pokhara

Not too much action today. Just hanging around in Pokhara, doing shopping, eating, browsing internet and going to spa. This was the day dedicated to nothing doing. I’ve deserved it after 20 days of trekking.

But next day in Pokhara was more adventurous. We wanted to get to World Peace Pagoda. We had breakfast, bought tickets for tomorrow to Kathmandu (I’ll be taking plane and Doris and Jacek bus), drank fresh orange juice and slowly we were heading towards pagoda.

On the way to the other side of the lake we’ve seen Nepali wedding. Next we climbed small hill, where we had good, although foggy, view over Pokhara. We’ve followed the path on the hill, which was getting smaller and smaller and in the end it’s almost disappeared. Where were only more and more spiders on spider webs hanged between trees, bushes and leeches. Those started to get on us and I’ve found one between my toes. Even though we’ve climbed we’ve started to slowly descent and in the end we’ve ended at the muddy lake bank again. But on the opposite side, in the ‘jungle’.

We’ve been very lucky and just when we got there a boat with 4 people was arriving at the bank. They gave us a lift to the inhabited side. It was big coincidence that they were in the right place in the right time.  To celebrate out rescue we went together to get some momos (Tibetan dumplings).

On the way to World Peace Pagoda we've seen Nepali wedding

On the way to World Peace Pagoda. People do everything in river: do the laundry, take a shower, drink, go to toilet...

Pokhara. Smoggy like every bigger city in Asia

At the breakfast (standard set: muesli with fruits and curd) in one of cheap local places

W Pokharze na Lejksajdzie

Day 19: Chomrong – Jhinu – New Bridge – Landruk

We were planning lazy day today and we were hoping to get to Ghandruk. We knew that we do not have much walking today so we got up at 8, had long breakfast, bought pastries and in general we were not in rush as according to guide book way to Ghandruk was supposed to take up to 4 hours.

From Chomrong we went direction Taglung (or at least this is what we’ve thought) and we got to the tea shop on the ridge. We were there on the way to ABC and we already had experience with the lady working there that she is not telling entirely truth. And so she has told us that it’s another 4-5 hours to Ghandruk and pointed on the path. 2 minutes later we met a guide who told us that in fact Ghandruk is completely opposite direction and that we took the wrong way.

We went back (almost all the way back to Chomrong, just with the lower path) but where were only signs pointing to Jhinu, where the hot springs are.

We’ve decided to go there and see what will happen. We had lunch there and it was so sunny, that first time during the whole trip I’ve said that it’s too hot even for me. I did not expect this day to come at all.

From Jhinu we went down to New Bridge and next to Lnadruk because we have up the idea to reach Ghandruk, especially that it was already running late and we would have to climb another 400m up.

Last length, from New Bridge to Landruk was really beautiful and pleasant to walk. Among rice paddies and through banana trees (on the altitude about 1400m) and the smell was so familiar with the Polish mountains.

To get to GH in Landruk (1620m), we had to go above the village and from there we could in fact see Ghandruk on the opposite hill (i.e. on the other side of the river).

In the lodge we could not decide what to take for dinner as everything was so cheap (up in the mountains prices are much higher, the cost of transportation raises so the prices of food and especially of drinks raise dramatically). Here we took a lot – made a feast – and together we’ve paid the amount that one of us used to pay when we were in MBC. Unfortunately food was so, so, but at least they had Everest beer.

Last view on Machhapuchhre. Now it really lookes like Fish Tail, ain't it?

Machhapuchhre and I

Nepalese cow

Jhinu

Bananas on the altitude above 1000m

Corn

Day 20: Landruk – Tolka – Bheri Kharka – Deorali – Pothana – Dhampus – Phedi - Pokhara

Even though we’ve ordered breakfast yesterday (this is the usual way how the business is made here. You always order breakfast in the evening and you tell the time when you want it ready) it was late, so I was getting mad, as we wanted to have an early start to make it early to Pokhara (884m).  It was 3^rd of December and it is my birthday, so I wanted to celebrate it.

Way to Pokhara was even ok, except one long ascent, but somehow we’ve managed to make it fast and part between Bheri Kharka and Deorali took us even faster. From there road was leading only down and that 2 hours to Dhampus were really pleasant. Not too steep and very even, so easy to walk, especially that both Jacek and I we were getting problems with legs. Jacek had top eat ketanol soup as his knee was aching and I was getting problems with one bone in the left leg. But I guess it was just because we were exhausted after the day before yesterday.

Even though we got there about 4p.m., met with Doris who organized rooms for us, took showers, got dig dinner, drinks etc. Doris also organized a surprise for me – cakes with candles. That was so sweet, as I don’t remember when was last time that I got cake with candles which I was blowing. Doris also showed us Lakeside (tourist district in Pokhara) as she already knew everything there (she’s reached Pokhara probably three days before us). She showed us good place to get dinner, and indeed their masala papads were incredible. We also went to some bars and in one of them she knew the guy who was performing real music and he played for my birthday ‘Free Falling’ by Tom Petty.

Golf course near Pothana

Way to Pothana

Bday cakes