NEPAL

Nepal – that is different world. Although this country is poor, people are happy there, nature is fantastic, cities… interesting.
Our trip was 22 days long – hundred percent relaxation and forgetting everyday life. From usual life we were so far away, that one of main themes we had was condition of our stomach :) can we or we can not sneeze ;)

Kathmandu
Best moments in Kathmandu were mornings, when tourists were still sleeping, streets where almost empty, shops where just opening. In afternoon Kathmandu was overcrowded – people, cars, rickshaws, motorcycles, smog.
Everyday in Nepal has no electricity for 3 hours. This we experiences only in Kathmandu as there is no electricity in mountains nor during rafting. There is no electricity as monsoons ended so there is no water in rivers. After some time there will be no electricity in city almost 12 hours a day.
Noticeable thing in Kathmandu was WC and bathroom in hotel. In mountains those were lot better. Coming in the room first though was that I have really good room, but when I opened door to bathroom… incredible view. Ugly hole in wall where you can see old pipes, wet floor…. After I found out that it is not possible to sit on water-closed as behind there was droping water on edge of the water-closed, no shower head, just pipe. But if you have good imagination and you can use tools you have, you can do/ get anything. Using available buckets and dipper I could sit on water-closed and also “take a bath”.

<-power pole - almost like artwork ->bathroom - use with imagination

One of main things in Kathmandy is “shopping”. If you know how and you have wish, you can get price down even more than half.
If you are in Kathmandu you have to see Stupas. We went to 2 of them: Monkey Temple and Boudhanath Stupa. Maybe they are holy, but I didn’t like there. I felt depressed and wanted just run away from there. Maybe that is because of market in territory of Stupa.

<-Boudhanath Stupa ->Prayer wheel

Himalaya mountains
Our goal was Tsergo Ri peak (4984m) in Langtang national park. 8 days: 2 days on the way to and from park, 6 days trekking.
Way to and back we spend in overcrowded public bus (TATA). In the beginning of the tirp we were laughing “look at the buses – no door for driver, no windows, overcrowded…”. So … we experienced all of that ourselves.
Our stature man in TATA bus can not stand in full height. Distance between seats is also not for us (even not for me). There is impression that bus ir 100% hand maded – everything is screwed down with lot of screws, handles are crude made of wood, bus itself is decorated with colorful favors, tires – better don’t look, special on spare tire, bumper – may there are bumpers, anchors squeaks, gear box – better don’t think about it, windows – some places there are some, some opens themselves.
On roof of the bus were all our bags, Aldis and Modris (on the way back to Kathmandu also ASh), in the beginning of the way there were some 15 Nepalese, later maybe even more than 30. Bus salon also full – bags, sacks with potatoes and other things, people are standing, some are spitting through window, some vomits, one neighbor drums on knee of Janis, later one Nepal woman sleeps on Janis shoulder. And that is not all. Way to Dhuncha, let’s say, was good enough to drive in Nepalis opinion. I will just add that there was no moment when something would be counted in kilometers, everything was given in hours. It was planned that we will drive some 8 hours to Dhuncha, in fact we were driving about 12 hours. Half of the way was asphalt, that was even worth that we have in Latvia :D, rest of way – unpaved road. All the time narrow mountain roads where we had to let buy other buses. Bus wobbled, time to time I held front seat as ravine was right there at the wheel… I could not see edge of the road and was feeling that raw landslide just in minute will continue sliding down

<-public transport ->roads

Next day after bus trip our trekking could be started. As we didn’t get to planned village Syabry Bensi our trek draw out for about 2 to 3 hours that we wanted to cover in first day (this plan didn’t work).
For me trek was hard enough to forget about my camera and enjoy the nature. I didn’t notice when ended woodland. But those moments of rest we had we could enjoy the beauty of the nature – far away village, river, field of rice, yaks, snow on peaks, clouds, sun rises and sunsets… fantasy and delight.
After 3 day trekking we reached Kyanjin Gompa at 3730m high. Here I started to feel that something is wrong – I feel sickness, Mountain sickness.

<-we a little bit above Kyanjin Gompa ->sight to village

So the day of reaching the peak came. 3 of us did that. I didn’t. I managed to get till about 4300m high. Rest of day I used to walk around the village, enjoy fantastick sights, admire how people live there and just have a little rest of the trek.

<-peak Tsergo Ri ->my reached 4300m

Karnali river
Our goal – Karnali river. 10 days, of which approximately 24 hours on the way to river and 18 hours back. Beginning was similar to trekking – bus. But this time bus was just for instructors and raft tourists, that is us 5 and 10 others (American girl, polish guy, Czech and French tourists). But anyway on the way to river bus was full – rafts, kayaks, tents, food. On the way most part of the day we saw rice fields, small houses and far far away mountains. During night drive I slept. I woke up just time to time, but it could be felt that there are no fields outside anymore but mountain roads and landslides. Next day although we were told that bus will take us right to river and we won’t have to walk as road is fixed, we had really big wish to get out of the bus. Road seamed to be even worth than road to Langtang – holes, time to time mud and bus salon full of dust.
While rafting days flow very similar. Wake up in the morning, breakfast, strike tents, set the personal and other things. Rafting in the day, then lunch, later again rafting. Evening or afternoon camping in sandy beach, drying wet clothes, making tents, making fire, dinner, sitting at the fire and going to sleep. But the best days were first 3 – rapids. I liked. I was laughing at myself – usually I close my eyes and scream. This time I hold my eyes open and I think I even didn’t scream… well… maybe time to time other could hear short ay, ay, ay… that meant that I got cold water spray.

<-our raft team – us 5 Latvians, 2 Frech and instructor ->one of camps
<-rapids in Karnali river ->after day rafting drying clothes somehow
island were we spent 2 nights

During rafting we fully felt Nepalese, specially children, curiosity. We felt like traveling circus. While rafting people (children) noticing that there is someone or something on the river run to river coast screaming and sawing the air. Seems there is just small house far away, but so many children running … were from they all come? In camping sites there always were children around us, more or less, but always. And the smaller became steep banks, calmer river and closer to finish the more houses, more cultivated land and bigger children covey run to river.

Nepali children

One day during rafting we had chance to walk to and see one of villages at the river. Admiringly how people live there. They have hut, field where to grow rise and potatoes… have goats, maybe cow. Somewhere in village they have phone, somewhere they have hotel (in their meaning). Their lives flow calm, people are happy. What do they need more… they have roof over their head, they have food, they help neighbor if needed. May be this is just my illusion, that people are happy there, but I really think so.

Village at the river

From Nepal I returned happy, enthusiastic, smiling all the time. Although I had to return to day to day live, I walked smiling and seemed happy for couple of weeks. I liked a lot this trip with all adventures and feelings. This country amazes and still inspire.

Photo by: Sanita, Aldis, Modris