I wake up a little early, get dressed and I have a wonder round and take some photo's (As well as the colour photo's I have posted on Facebook I am also taking some on high contrast black and white film. I will process these when I get home.) before slowly packing and heading for my last breakfast amongst the mountains. I have a cup of black tea and an omelet between two pieces of Tibetan bread. Mark was eating this the other morning and it looked and is delicious. When I asked Geljin for it the night before he couldn't stop laughing, not traditional tuck I guess.
I say my goodbye's to Mark as he is heading back up another mountain today to see the frozen lakes, the weather looks like it is only going to get worse, I'm sure he'll cope though its going to get bloody cold if it starts snowing.
The journey back is fairly uneventful, although we do see a lot of monkeys jumping around in the trees and hanging out on rocks, one was only a couple of meters away! We also saw some evidence of honey theft. A rope ladder had been left near a rock face, you could see where there was once large combs of honey there was now only angry bees.
We get back to Syabrubensi at about 11:30 I drink a couple of Sprites and wolf down a mixed chowmein. The Swiss guy and Tammie both turn up at the same hotel a little while later as does the Austrian lady we chat for a while before I head out to find some lip salve, my lips got quite badly cracked whilst in Kyangjin. I find a place just up the road selling tubes of Dr Lips. It seems to be doing the job. After that there is nothing to do but have a nap, listen to some music and get ready for the long bus ride home. The bus leaves at 6:30 next morning.
Hazaar! A man has turned up and he has a Jeep. He will drive us back to Kathmandu for about 1250 rupees each. This is a bargain no bus for me tomorrow and a slightly later start.
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Friday, 11 March 2011
Down Down Deeper and Down.
It turns out that everyone had weird dreams last night. I had put my weird dreams down to my own consumption of Yak cheese before bed time, but it must have more to do with the thin air and strong winds.
After breakfast we make our move away from the mountains and back towards the river and trees. It gets easier as the air gets thicker and breathing is no longer so much effort. The group soon splits u pas everybody finds their own pace. We stop for lunch at River View a beautiful spot as you would expect right by the river. I walk down to the banks and sit on a rock whilst I wait for my lunch to be cooked and do a little Ki meditation.
Soon after I am back on the mainland Mark, Tammie and their Sherpas arrive. They all order Dhal Bhat which they tuck into in traditional Nepalese style with their hands. The sun is out but clouds are forming over the mountains. It seems the timing of the trip could not have been better. Last night at the Hotel I met a guy from the Lebanon, he was finding the trek tough going and had brought way too much stuff, he was looking extremely tired that evening and the next morning. I hope the clouds start to clear when he reaches Kyangjin.
As we head down we meet more and more people moving up, it has been very quiet whilst I was in the mountains and I am glad I managed to miss the start of the busy season.
We are meant to spend the night at a guest house just past Lama Hotel it has stunning views but unfortunately a large group are destined to be there that evening and we decide to move onto Bamboo, the village where I had lunch on day one, we have plenty of time.
When we reach Bamboo around an hour and a half later the Swiss man is there and he has nearly finished his book which he hadn't even started when we first met. He is heading back down and despite being obviously disappointed that his adventure was cut short he seems to be keeping his chin up, apparently some chicken was his undoing. There is also an Austrian lady on her way back down to Syabrubensi her and Swiss guy chat away happily in German.
Geljin informs me that we we have descended 1700m today. To put that into context that is twice the distance that Snowdon is above sea level. It hasn't been to tough due to the decreasing altitude but the sun is still out although the wind is picking up and people are starting to get their washing in.
That evening is a strange one. Mark and Tammie are staying in a hotel down from ours, I was planning on joining them but my mood was not a good one, I am not sure why. I stayed in my room and listened to music, went to dinner and then headed to bed hoping my mood will have lifted by the morning.
After breakfast we make our move away from the mountains and back towards the river and trees. It gets easier as the air gets thicker and breathing is no longer so much effort. The group soon splits u pas everybody finds their own pace. We stop for lunch at River View a beautiful spot as you would expect right by the river. I walk down to the banks and sit on a rock whilst I wait for my lunch to be cooked and do a little Ki meditation.
Soon after I am back on the mainland Mark, Tammie and their Sherpas arrive. They all order Dhal Bhat which they tuck into in traditional Nepalese style with their hands. The sun is out but clouds are forming over the mountains. It seems the timing of the trip could not have been better. Last night at the Hotel I met a guy from the Lebanon, he was finding the trek tough going and had brought way too much stuff, he was looking extremely tired that evening and the next morning. I hope the clouds start to clear when he reaches Kyangjin.
As we head down we meet more and more people moving up, it has been very quiet whilst I was in the mountains and I am glad I managed to miss the start of the busy season.
We are meant to spend the night at a guest house just past Lama Hotel it has stunning views but unfortunately a large group are destined to be there that evening and we decide to move onto Bamboo, the village where I had lunch on day one, we have plenty of time.
When we reach Bamboo around an hour and a half later the Swiss man is there and he has nearly finished his book which he hadn't even started when we first met. He is heading back down and despite being obviously disappointed that his adventure was cut short he seems to be keeping his chin up, apparently some chicken was his undoing. There is also an Austrian lady on her way back down to Syabrubensi her and Swiss guy chat away happily in German.
Geljin informs me that we we have descended 1700m today. To put that into context that is twice the distance that Snowdon is above sea level. It hasn't been to tough due to the decreasing altitude but the sun is still out although the wind is picking up and people are starting to get their washing in.
That evening is a strange one. Mark and Tammie are staying in a hotel down from ours, I was planning on joining them but my mood was not a good one, I am not sure why. I stayed in my room and listened to music, went to dinner and then headed to bed hoping my mood will have lifted by the morning.
I Can Climb Mountains
I am woken in the morning by the thundering sound of yellow beaked crows landing on the metal roof, luckily it is only thirty minutes before I needed to get up anyway. Whilst waiting for my breakfast of porridge and honey (A good choice as it turns out as it is really cold this morning) a man puts out some cooked rice for the birds who swarm around and make short work of their meal.
This morning I am climbing up to Kyangjin Peak. It is around 4700m above sea level. That as far as I am concerned is pretty high up and certainly the highest I will go for some time yet. The climb is very steep and hard work I am really starting to struggle about halfway as the air gets thinner breathing gets harder. I left my backpack at the hotel I don't think I could have done this climb with it on. There are rocks and clumps of snow to navigate as well as mud to slip in but I make it to the top with only one rest break.
The views are simply stunning and Geljin takes photo's of me for posterity. There is a pole with prayer flags and dedications attached to it, a half full packet of cigarettes has also been left. Shortly after we reach the peak Tammie and her guide arrive and we take photo's for each other before taking more snaps of the surrounding mountains. Tammie's guide pockets the abandoned ciggies they are his brand and everything and we relax on the rocks for a bit as birds flap around effortlessly above our heads.
The way down is tricky, there are steep slopes and loose rocks as well as the aforementioned mud. I nearly go right over but manage to save myself at the last moment. When we arrive back at the hotel I have a black tea and momo's for lunch then pack my gear ready for the journey back to Langtang and 'The Peace Full Guesthouse'.
The journey back seems much easier but I still need to watch my footing as my ankle nearly goes over on several occasions. Along the way there are some Yaks blocking the path as we approach they slowly move up the hill away from the path, how polite. I give them a thank you as we pass and I notice that one of the younger Yaks looks terrified, maybe not politeness after all.
We make it to Langtang in good time despite stopping several times along the way to take photo's. As we arrive there are children playing in the courtyard and a man who I guess is the father is playing cards on a mat with some older boys. Two of the children are twins and they are wearing matching blue traditional dress, they look adorable I wish I took some photo's of them. I find a relatively flat space behind the kitchen (Most kitchens appear to be in separate buildings next to the lodges.) and do some Ki for health exercises. Turns out they can be quite tricky when one is wearing flip flops on an uneven surface.
I wash some of my clothes afterwards outside in a metal bowl whilst the children play a game where they try to balance a stick on their finger. An older girl in her mid to late teens is counting in Tibetan at one point she starts counting in English and sounds very much like 'The Count' from 'Sesame Street' which makes me laugh.
The game is briefly abandoned when I produce a Granola bar and I am suddenly very popular, I share it around until it is all gone. Later when I got to my room I am followed by one of the twins unfortunately for him all I produce is my notebook and a pen.
In the early evening Tammie and Mark arrive at the hotel, Tammie who is repeatedly told she look Nepalese had been bothered by two drunk local policemen, showering her with unwanted compliments last time she was in Langtang so they changed hotels. We have dinner and play the Nepalese card game as before but this time with a Joker valued at zero added. It turns out we are on the same timetable so we will all be heading down together. They are a nice bunch and I am glad of the extra company.
This morning I am climbing up to Kyangjin Peak. It is around 4700m above sea level. That as far as I am concerned is pretty high up and certainly the highest I will go for some time yet. The climb is very steep and hard work I am really starting to struggle about halfway as the air gets thinner breathing gets harder. I left my backpack at the hotel I don't think I could have done this climb with it on. There are rocks and clumps of snow to navigate as well as mud to slip in but I make it to the top with only one rest break.
The views are simply stunning and Geljin takes photo's of me for posterity. There is a pole with prayer flags and dedications attached to it, a half full packet of cigarettes has also been left. Shortly after we reach the peak Tammie and her guide arrive and we take photo's for each other before taking more snaps of the surrounding mountains. Tammie's guide pockets the abandoned ciggies they are his brand and everything and we relax on the rocks for a bit as birds flap around effortlessly above our heads.
The way down is tricky, there are steep slopes and loose rocks as well as the aforementioned mud. I nearly go right over but manage to save myself at the last moment. When we arrive back at the hotel I have a black tea and momo's for lunch then pack my gear ready for the journey back to Langtang and 'The Peace Full Guesthouse'.
The journey back seems much easier but I still need to watch my footing as my ankle nearly goes over on several occasions. Along the way there are some Yaks blocking the path as we approach they slowly move up the hill away from the path, how polite. I give them a thank you as we pass and I notice that one of the younger Yaks looks terrified, maybe not politeness after all.
We make it to Langtang in good time despite stopping several times along the way to take photo's. As we arrive there are children playing in the courtyard and a man who I guess is the father is playing cards on a mat with some older boys. Two of the children are twins and they are wearing matching blue traditional dress, they look adorable I wish I took some photo's of them. I find a relatively flat space behind the kitchen (Most kitchens appear to be in separate buildings next to the lodges.) and do some Ki for health exercises. Turns out they can be quite tricky when one is wearing flip flops on an uneven surface.
I wash some of my clothes afterwards outside in a metal bowl whilst the children play a game where they try to balance a stick on their finger. An older girl in her mid to late teens is counting in Tibetan at one point she starts counting in English and sounds very much like 'The Count' from 'Sesame Street' which makes me laugh.
The game is briefly abandoned when I produce a Granola bar and I am suddenly very popular, I share it around until it is all gone. Later when I got to my room I am followed by one of the twins unfortunately for him all I produce is my notebook and a pen.
In the early evening Tammie and Mark arrive at the hotel, Tammie who is repeatedly told she look Nepalese had been bothered by two drunk local policemen, showering her with unwanted compliments last time she was in Langtang so they changed hotels. We have dinner and play the Nepalese card game as before but this time with a Joker valued at zero added. It turns out we are on the same timetable so we will all be heading down together. They are a nice bunch and I am glad of the extra company.
Bigger Mountains, Higher Flags.
After a restless night due to a hard bed and cold evening I wake up at around 7:30 and brave the outside loo. This is basically a porcelain hole in the floor with added foot grips, all paper waste is put in a box by the toilet, it is pretty grim but all WC's up here are the same and I am starting to get used to it.
I wolf down a breakfast of bread and honey with a black tea and head out. The Swiss guy is having a day of rest and looks pretty dehydrated. I give him a few sachets of Dioralyte before I head off, I hope he starts to feel better, he seems in good spirits considering.
We are in the mountains proper now and it is two hours to our final destination the village of Kyangjin Gompa where we will be spending the night. Apart from a couple of windswept looking tea houses there isn't much to see apart from the scenery the odd flutter of birds (There are loads of different birds in Langtang Park, its a twitchers paradise) and the ever present Yak's. It is both hot and cold at the same time, the higher up we go the stronger the sunshine and the colder the breeze. Snow starts appearing in big white blotches and the reflection of the sun from the snow covered mountains that now surround us is very strong.
The best thing about this trek is the ever changing scenery. At the start it is all tree covered hill sides, bridges over a fast flowing river and lodges a plenty. The further up the valley you travel the more U-shaped it becomes and the tree's give way to barren rocks and snow covered peaks, the houses become more rural with far more traditional Tibetan style houses. Oh and of course 'The Bob Marley Tea Shop', he loved his Yak Curd did Bob.
As we head towards our final destination the pathways are lined with low and thick stone walls. The slabs of rock on the side of these walls have Buddhist mantra's carved into them, you must always walk with the wall on your right in a clockwise fashion as is the way with Buddhist monuments. There are also piles of stones in a pillars that are another offering to God to help bring peace and prosperity to the mountains.
Despite the short distance it is hard going, as the altitude increases breathing becomes harder and my chest starts getting tight, I drink more and more water to get hydrated, for Geljin this is a walk in the park he has been to Everest four times and is planning his fifth ascent this year, but it is a whole new experience for me.
The scenery is also breathtaking and when we reach Kyangjin Gompa the highest village in Langtang Park we are completely surrounded by snow capped mountains. We arrive at 11:00 and I order veg fried rice at the hotel which has fantastic views and is bathed in sunshine for most of the day. Later we are going to a monastery and the local Yak Cheese Factory. It will be nice to do some walking without a heavy backpack.
The Monastery is close by but first we stop at the Cheese Factory which is basically a small barn with two rooms one that stores the cheese and one that makes the cheese. A man is working away on his own when we arrive I purchase some cheese which isn't as potent as I thought and is not too dissimilar to Edam. It is said to be a good source of energy due to the Yaks diet of mountain grass.
We get to the Monastery only to find that it is closed for Losar, but the views from there are fantastic and the buildings some new some in ruins are interesting enough from the outside. Mark & Tammie are there with their guides and we decide to walk a little further up to get as better view of the ice cap that falls down the side of a mountain, who knows if it will still be there in ten years time. We also walk over to a nearby Stupa and Tammie and her guide build a snowman while everyone else rests and takes photographs before heading back to the hotel.
I do some sunbathing whilst listening to some post rock, which makes much more sense when surrounded by mountains and decide to have Dhal Bhat for dinner before grabbing an early night as tomorrow we climb up to Kyangjin Peak.
I wolf down a breakfast of bread and honey with a black tea and head out. The Swiss guy is having a day of rest and looks pretty dehydrated. I give him a few sachets of Dioralyte before I head off, I hope he starts to feel better, he seems in good spirits considering.
We are in the mountains proper now and it is two hours to our final destination the village of Kyangjin Gompa where we will be spending the night. Apart from a couple of windswept looking tea houses there isn't much to see apart from the scenery the odd flutter of birds (There are loads of different birds in Langtang Park, its a twitchers paradise) and the ever present Yak's. It is both hot and cold at the same time, the higher up we go the stronger the sunshine and the colder the breeze. Snow starts appearing in big white blotches and the reflection of the sun from the snow covered mountains that now surround us is very strong.
The best thing about this trek is the ever changing scenery. At the start it is all tree covered hill sides, bridges over a fast flowing river and lodges a plenty. The further up the valley you travel the more U-shaped it becomes and the tree's give way to barren rocks and snow covered peaks, the houses become more rural with far more traditional Tibetan style houses. Oh and of course 'The Bob Marley Tea Shop', he loved his Yak Curd did Bob.
As we head towards our final destination the pathways are lined with low and thick stone walls. The slabs of rock on the side of these walls have Buddhist mantra's carved into them, you must always walk with the wall on your right in a clockwise fashion as is the way with Buddhist monuments. There are also piles of stones in a pillars that are another offering to God to help bring peace and prosperity to the mountains.
Despite the short distance it is hard going, as the altitude increases breathing becomes harder and my chest starts getting tight, I drink more and more water to get hydrated, for Geljin this is a walk in the park he has been to Everest four times and is planning his fifth ascent this year, but it is a whole new experience for me.
The scenery is also breathtaking and when we reach Kyangjin Gompa the highest village in Langtang Park we are completely surrounded by snow capped mountains. We arrive at 11:00 and I order veg fried rice at the hotel which has fantastic views and is bathed in sunshine for most of the day. Later we are going to a monastery and the local Yak Cheese Factory. It will be nice to do some walking without a heavy backpack.
The Monastery is close by but first we stop at the Cheese Factory which is basically a small barn with two rooms one that stores the cheese and one that makes the cheese. A man is working away on his own when we arrive I purchase some cheese which isn't as potent as I thought and is not too dissimilar to Edam. It is said to be a good source of energy due to the Yaks diet of mountain grass.
We get to the Monastery only to find that it is closed for Losar, but the views from there are fantastic and the buildings some new some in ruins are interesting enough from the outside. Mark & Tammie are there with their guides and we decide to walk a little further up to get as better view of the ice cap that falls down the side of a mountain, who knows if it will still be there in ten years time. We also walk over to a nearby Stupa and Tammie and her guide build a snowman while everyone else rests and takes photographs before heading back to the hotel.
I do some sunbathing whilst listening to some post rock, which makes much more sense when surrounded by mountains and decide to have Dhal Bhat for dinner before grabbing an early night as tomorrow we climb up to Kyangjin Peak.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Photo's
I have put a load of photo's on my facebook page. You should be able to see them by clicking on the link below. Let me know if you can't.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=343413&id=621006137
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=343413&id=621006137
Thin Air.
After a breakfast of pancakes and honey we are off. Another six hours of walking today and I will go over three thousand meters above sea lever.
As we make our way moving past a herd of animals that are half cow half yak (yow?) we wind our way alongside the river still amongst the tree's. After seeing yet more monkey's dangling from tree's we come across some very tall and straight tree's. These are Himalayan pine tree's ad they only grow in the Langtang Park. It is illegal to cut these tree's down. A little while later Geljin points to some dug up earth "Wild boar did this" he exclaims "Are they dangerous?" I ask "Oh yes" he replies and carries on walking. I find out there are lots of dangerous animals in Langtang Park including the Black Bear although they are few and far between. Geljn tells me that when he was about fourteen he was with his brother collecting leaves for their families livestock when a black bear dropped on him. He ran and ran without looking back and escaped unharmed.
It is the Buddhist New Year today. and every lodge we stop at offers us Tibetan bread and tea, their brand new prayer flags flapping in the breeze. It is custom to replace these flags every new year. Our first break is at Ghoda Tabela which at three thousand meters is the highest I have ever been with my feet on the ground. It is a beautiful clear day with not a cloud in the sky. The further we walk the fewer the tree's and the greater the yak. I see lots of baby yaks they are very cute.
We lunch at Thangsyap. I have vegetable noodles and black tea. The sun is out but the wind is strong up here. We have climbed one hundred and fifty meters today and it was easily the hardest section yet. I was more than happy to break for lunch.
Shortly after lunch just outside of Langtang village at a place called Gumba we are invited in to have tea and bread. The last hour has been fairly easy going allowing time to adjust for the altitude. The family at Gumba are very friendly and the oldest boy insists on posing with his bow by their new prayer flag and the lady that offered us tea poses by their New Year offering of food that every house has in its dining room.
It is not long to Langtang and we stop at a hotel just outside the main part of the village called 'The Peace Full Guesthouse' it almost lives up to its name but the strong winds in the night make it far from peaceful. The rooms are nice and clean and after more bread and tea I have a quick wash and give my clothes a clean. I hope my trousers dry in the sun as I will freeze in the evening if I only wear shorts.
There is a Swiss guy doing more or less the same hike as me with his own Sherpa, as well as a couple who are either German or Austrian who are doing it all off their own backs and were on the same bus as me from Kathmandu. They all seem very nice and I have chatted with the Swiss guy a lot. He has a bad stomach probably food poisoning but is carrying on regardless, after Nepal he is off to Australia. We are also joined at the lodge by a friendly French family. I am really starting to enjoy this trekking lark. Like all the lodges the dining room has a table offering special bread and cakes as well as drinks to God in return for peace and prosperity for their families and village. I feel quite lucky to have been here during Losar seeing all the brand new prayer flags waving in the blue sky and getting to see some of the rituals.
At this moment the sun is out in force and I have spent the day surrounded by snowcapped mountains. It doesn't get much better.
As we make our way moving past a herd of animals that are half cow half yak (yow?) we wind our way alongside the river still amongst the tree's. After seeing yet more monkey's dangling from tree's we come across some very tall and straight tree's. These are Himalayan pine tree's ad they only grow in the Langtang Park. It is illegal to cut these tree's down. A little while later Geljin points to some dug up earth "Wild boar did this" he exclaims "Are they dangerous?" I ask "Oh yes" he replies and carries on walking. I find out there are lots of dangerous animals in Langtang Park including the Black Bear although they are few and far between. Geljn tells me that when he was about fourteen he was with his brother collecting leaves for their families livestock when a black bear dropped on him. He ran and ran without looking back and escaped unharmed.
It is the Buddhist New Year today. and every lodge we stop at offers us Tibetan bread and tea, their brand new prayer flags flapping in the breeze. It is custom to replace these flags every new year. Our first break is at Ghoda Tabela which at three thousand meters is the highest I have ever been with my feet on the ground. It is a beautiful clear day with not a cloud in the sky. The further we walk the fewer the tree's and the greater the yak. I see lots of baby yaks they are very cute.
We lunch at Thangsyap. I have vegetable noodles and black tea. The sun is out but the wind is strong up here. We have climbed one hundred and fifty meters today and it was easily the hardest section yet. I was more than happy to break for lunch.
Shortly after lunch just outside of Langtang village at a place called Gumba we are invited in to have tea and bread. The last hour has been fairly easy going allowing time to adjust for the altitude. The family at Gumba are very friendly and the oldest boy insists on posing with his bow by their new prayer flag and the lady that offered us tea poses by their New Year offering of food that every house has in its dining room.
It is not long to Langtang and we stop at a hotel just outside the main part of the village called 'The Peace Full Guesthouse' it almost lives up to its name but the strong winds in the night make it far from peaceful. The rooms are nice and clean and after more bread and tea I have a quick wash and give my clothes a clean. I hope my trousers dry in the sun as I will freeze in the evening if I only wear shorts.
There is a Swiss guy doing more or less the same hike as me with his own Sherpa, as well as a couple who are either German or Austrian who are doing it all off their own backs and were on the same bus as me from Kathmandu. They all seem very nice and I have chatted with the Swiss guy a lot. He has a bad stomach probably food poisoning but is carrying on regardless, after Nepal he is off to Australia. We are also joined at the lodge by a friendly French family. I am really starting to enjoy this trekking lark. Like all the lodges the dining room has a table offering special bread and cakes as well as drinks to God in return for peace and prosperity for their families and village. I feel quite lucky to have been here during Losar seeing all the brand new prayer flags waving in the blue sky and getting to see some of the rituals.
At this moment the sun is out in force and I have spent the day surrounded by snowcapped mountains. It doesn't get much better.
Are you ready boots?
Day one of the trek proper see's us leave the hotel at 7:30, Geljin informs me that the bus was so full because people were traveling home to be with their families for Losar (The Buddhist new year). I feel bad for dragging him away from his family during such an event but he tells me not to worry.
We are not far from Tibet it is only a mere three day walk from Syabrubensi and the road we start on is the only one that leads from Nepal to Tibet. There are many suspension bridges on the walk today, they ae all made of metal and thankfully are not too far up, they do however wobble a lot but after yesterdays bus journey I have little fear left.
It is cold in the morning and we get a steady pace going, we are following the river to Langtang through the jungle that lies on the mountainsides. Some Himalayan monkeys are jumping through the tree's, they have long white tails and flat black faces, very different from the monkeys at Swayambunath and much shyer. Further along I could see where wild bee's are making honey, high up on a rock face. Large dollops of honeycomb are visible as the bee's swarm around them. It is illegal to take this honey from the park and it is supposed to be extremely good for ones health and fetches a high price on the black market.
We stop for lunch at Bamboo it is 11:30. I refill my water bottle and add the little iodine pill to kill off any germs. There are a lot of lodges along the way where families have been living for centuries. I am told that the path that we are on is at least two thousand years old and would have been used as a trade route between Tibet and Nepal.
There is a small family living at Bamboo with two children. A boy who is merely a toddler no older than three and a girl of around seven or eight. I had to rescue the boy from a livley black puppy that had him pinned to the ground and was playfully trying to bite him. The same puppy nipped at my hand as I was eating, my knee smashed the table and almost sent my dinner flying.
Lunch took about an hour and the walk afterwards was much harder. The sun had come out and it was nearly all uphill, although the path seems to go a hundred meters up and fifty down. It was hard and hot work but there were plenty of lodges to rest at along the way and I even bought pair of yak wool fingerless mittens.
We reach Lama Hotel where we will be spending the night. Lama Hotel is actually the name of the village and our lodgings is called 'Friendly Guest House'. It is still hot when we arrive at about 15:00 but as the sun goes down it starts to cool considerably. A lot of the lodges have solar power one going so far as to declare 'Solar Shower, Best In Langtang. There is also a sign for a 'Special Home-Made German Bakery Shop' but I am not sure of its authenticity..
There were a few people staying at the guest house. A girl called Tammie from Australia who's parents are both from Hong Kong, a Dutch guy called Mark and their Sherpas. I learnt a Nepalese card game from them. Everyone is delt five cards the aim of the game is to end up with cards totaling no more than five. Every turn you have to lay down at least one card and pick one up from either a card tyhe person before you layed down or the pack, you can place cards in either numbered pairs, triplets, fours or in runs of the same suit, just like poker. Aces are low. You can only declare your hand on your next go and if somebody has a lower value hand than you, you lose. It is a simple game and good fun, far more tactical than you might imagine.
We are not far from Tibet it is only a mere three day walk from Syabrubensi and the road we start on is the only one that leads from Nepal to Tibet. There are many suspension bridges on the walk today, they ae all made of metal and thankfully are not too far up, they do however wobble a lot but after yesterdays bus journey I have little fear left.
It is cold in the morning and we get a steady pace going, we are following the river to Langtang through the jungle that lies on the mountainsides. Some Himalayan monkeys are jumping through the tree's, they have long white tails and flat black faces, very different from the monkeys at Swayambunath and much shyer. Further along I could see where wild bee's are making honey, high up on a rock face. Large dollops of honeycomb are visible as the bee's swarm around them. It is illegal to take this honey from the park and it is supposed to be extremely good for ones health and fetches a high price on the black market.
Along our journey we keep seeing a man carrying two large panels of wood down his back via a strap around his forehead. His pace is slow but he keeps catching us up and overtaking us when we rest. From time to time all you can see is a panel of wood slowly making its way along the path.
We came closer to the river and there was a distinct smell of sulpher in the air that comes from a nearby hot spring. Geljin asked me if I wanted to take a look and we headed of to the other side of the river via a rather unstable looking wooden bridge with nothing stopping you from falling over the side. By the pool you could se the steam rising up and there were white prayer flags hanging up next to it. I put my finger in the water it smelt nasty but was pleasantly warm.
We stop for lunch at Bamboo it is 11:30. I refill my water bottle and add the little iodine pill to kill off any germs. There are a lot of lodges along the way where families have been living for centuries. I am told that the path that we are on is at least two thousand years old and would have been used as a trade route between Tibet and Nepal.
There is a small family living at Bamboo with two children. A boy who is merely a toddler no older than three and a girl of around seven or eight. I had to rescue the boy from a livley black puppy that had him pinned to the ground and was playfully trying to bite him. The same puppy nipped at my hand as I was eating, my knee smashed the table and almost sent my dinner flying.
Lunch took about an hour and the walk afterwards was much harder. The sun had come out and it was nearly all uphill, although the path seems to go a hundred meters up and fifty down. It was hard and hot work but there were plenty of lodges to rest at along the way and I even bought pair of yak wool fingerless mittens.
We reach Lama Hotel where we will be spending the night. Lama Hotel is actually the name of the village and our lodgings is called 'Friendly Guest House'. It is still hot when we arrive at about 15:00 but as the sun goes down it starts to cool considerably. A lot of the lodges have solar power one going so far as to declare 'Solar Shower, Best In Langtang. There is also a sign for a 'Special Home-Made German Bakery Shop' but I am not sure of its authenticity..
There were a few people staying at the guest house. A girl called Tammie from Australia who's parents are both from Hong Kong, a Dutch guy called Mark and their Sherpas. I learnt a Nepalese card game from them. Everyone is delt five cards the aim of the game is to end up with cards totaling no more than five. Every turn you have to lay down at least one card and pick one up from either a card tyhe person before you layed down or the pack, you can place cards in either numbered pairs, triplets, fours or in runs of the same suit, just like poker. Aces are low. You can only declare your hand on your next go and if somebody has a lower value hand than you, you lose. It is a simple game and good fun, far more tactical than you might imagine.
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