White knuckling it all the way to Pokhara!

Nepal Adventure - Day Eight - Annapurna Trail - Ghandruk to Pokhara

It's almost dawn - get up!

This time it was my hubby waking me up. I scratch my eyes and roll out onto the sandy floor. Too groggy even to look for spiders!

Dawn from our tea house in Ghandruk

Last morning with our friend, Annapurna South (7,219 mtrs)

As on the other mornings the mountains have emerged from their cloudy blankets to give another breathtaking sunrise. Annapurna South and Fish Tail Mountains are silently getting their morning sun ablutions...

As it gets lighter we sit on the lawn and drink milk tea. Watching the sun rise through the mist is the perfect way to finish this trek. I'm beginning to understand why people get up early, it's a silent time filled with promise before the world awakes fully.

Last Sunrise on the Annapurna Trek

But soon the fried eggs and Tibetan Bread are out and the kids start bouncing around. There are sleeping bags to stuff and water bottles to sanitise. Time to get moving...

The rescue helicopter is flying back and forth up the valley that leads to the Annapurna Base Camp. Not a good sign, as some people must be in big trouble, and after the killer avalanche that hit Mt Everest the week before we can only hope that the mountains have not claimed too many more lives.

Walking through Ghandruk

It's a very short hike for us today, just an hour downhill, through the village of Ghandruk. Past many a family house with fields and Water Buffalo's. There is much more business and human activity going on here, with people carrying everything up and down the trail. For those houses being built in Ghandruk all their materials have to be brought up either by the donkey trains or on peoples backs. One donkey train has a western toilet on it, while another man is carrying huge piping up the steepest part of the trail. It's a different life here!

Over a few wooden bridges and one last steep set of stairs and we can spy a real road, still dirt, but a road none the less. And a waiting jeep and driver to save us a six hour downhill trek to Pokhara in the building heat. 

Leaving Ghandruk

The picture says it all...

Not hiking the dusty, hot trail seemed like a good idea at the time, but I must confess the drive was one of the most harrowing two hours of my life. The road was only built a year ago, and is very narrow. Deep valleys  drop away from the side of the road.  For someone as afraid of heights as me, it was seriously disturbing. The road was only wide enough for one car, and the cliff was straight down. The road was full of pot holes and beeping buses that wanted to pass. It was white knuckles all the way.

But I guess everything in life has lessons to learn. While I did not enjoy the ride, I did learn to let go of the fear and turn some of the worrying over to a higher authority.

The end of the trail for us....

My view of the road. The valley floor is 1,000 feet below us.... White knuckling it all the way....

Liam collecting our trekking passes from the local authorities.

And as we get closer to Pokhara, the traffic increases and so do the horns and pollution and the other things that we got so completely away from on the trek.

It was some very happy kids who piled out of the Jeep at the Temple Tree Resort in Pokhara. It's a beautiful Westernised hotel, complete with swimming pool! It doesn't take them long to all jump in and resume the western life we are used to. It seems a bit surreal to have started the day with earthen floored rooms and ending it by the pool with waiters asking to take your drink orders.

Back to Western Life...

For dinner all ten of us walk into the quirky little hippy resort town of Pokhara to have a leisurely dinner at one of it's fine restaurants. Durga tells us that this particular restaurant has a generator that goes 24/7 so it is safe to eat a wider selection of things, as it doesn't have the refrigeration issues that goes along with Nepal's frequent power outages. After a week of lentils and fried eggs, the fresh steamed veggies and fish from the lake were so yummy!

During dinner there was energy from the mountains coming our way in the form of a building lighting storm. The kids danced around the outside patio celebrating the feel of the storm. Liam went into film making mode with my phone and captured some of the huge tendrils of light that were swirling down from the black clouds.

Just as we were about to walk home the heavens unleashed. We waited for the worst of it to pass and then struggled along the flooded streets. Rain was washing away the filth of the town. Wading knee deep through streets that are now rivers we finally make it back to our hotel. Juliet is not impressed washing the water buffalo dung from between her toes but, funny enough, I insist on it before she climbs into bed!

Earlier that day I had picked up a bottle of wine for Randall and I to share on the balcony while the kids sleep.... unfortunately when we open it up it tastes and smells like slightly off apple juice. Guess I've been had. Oh well, time for bed anyway.... Tomorrow we will have a beer!

This part of our trip - the Annapurna Trek - has been a fantastic experience all the way around. It far surpassed all of my expectations, not just the stunning scenery, but also the tea houses, the porters, the rural lifestyle, the dal bhat and the people we met along the way. I will miss my morning milk tea with the mountains!

It will forever be locked into the memory banks. But looking forward it will be fun to have a few quiet days in Pokhara before adventuring out again to work in the First Steps Himalaya's school projects with our hosts Fiona and Durga.

For now, it's a white sheeted Western Bed with lots of pillows and a long sleep!

Namaste ~

Downhill to Gandruk!

Nepal Adventure - Day 8 - Annapurna Trail Tadapani to Gandruk - DOWNHILL!

Heidi, wake up!

I'm awake, I'm awake. Randall and I struggle out of our sleeping bags and stumble out onto the communal balcony. Oh wow! Right there in all their glory, bathed in the pre-dawn light is Annapurna South and Machhapuchre (Fish Tail Mountain).

Much as I hate getting woken up, I'm very thankful Fionna pounded on my door! What a view. It's different from Poon Hill, not an all encompassing sweeping view, but more of an in-your-face tall mountains. As we sit on our railing, drinking hot milk tea and watching the rays of the sun come over Fish Tail Mountain I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be.

Goodmorning Tadapani and the Annapurna Mountains!

After the gruelling hike yesterday it's nice to have a slow day today. I must confess to some sore muscles! A whole pot of tea on the balcony, a slow breakfast and some yoga before packing up is just the call. Juliet, who was our super hiker yesterday, sleeps fourteen hours and doesn't wake up until halfway through breakfast. Guess I'm not the only one who is feeling the previous day's hike!

Sunrise over Machhapuchare or Fish Tail Mountain, 6,993 meters high

In the tea house in Tadapani - Juliet gets fussed over by the Inn Keeper

We have to leave this view???

Eventually we must set off though. Another day on the trail ahead, but lucky for us, it's mainly downhill!

At the leisurely hour of nine thirty off we say goodbye to Tadapani and hear off down the trail. It's a beautiful trek, through forests with small waterfalls and groves of moss covered banks. In the forests old ladies are gathering firewood and every once and a while we disturb a grazing water buffalo. It seems almost normal to be next to these beasts now. The downhill takes us about two and a half hours and suddenly we are in Gandruk, the chief town of the Gorung people.

Disturbing the locals

Arriving in Gandruk

As we found in the little towns at the beginning of our Annapurna adventure, the long reach of the British Empire and their elite Gurka regiments  - taken from these Gorung villages - leaves a wealthy legacy for the people here. The slate roofs are tidy, and although most floors are dirt they are well kept with pride. Most houses have flowers planted around in addition to the crops.

We lunch at our tea house for the day where I order a grilled cheese sandwich for a change from the Dal Bhat. Surprise, it's made with Yak cheese and the flavour is a bit too intense for me to stomach.

The trail up that valley leads to Annapurna Base Camp, but it is hidden in thunderstorms today!

After lunch Randall braves the hard bed in our earthen floored room, all this trekking has been rough on his back. Meanwhile the kids and I follow Durga and Fiona into the town in search of a "German" bakery. The town is noticeably well off compared to the other towns that we have been through, and sure enough there is a bakery to be found where the kids devour a piece of chocolate cake and I have my afternoon milk tea. There is a TV in the corner playing the Nepali version of MTV and the kids crack up at the videos. Most songs are mainstream music from America and Britain, but mixed in is a bit of Bollywood. None have the Western Videos attached though, copyright issues would be my guess. Some, like Katy Perry just showed bouncing balloons with the written out lyrics - karaoke style - while others have stand in singers lips sinking the tunes. I couldn't help but notice that the "singers" were all Chinese. Yes, the Nepali TV, accurately reflecting it's position squashed between India and China.

In Gandruk, waiting for the Donkey trains to pass.

We had every intention of exploring the town further when suddenly the heavens exploded. Coming down the valleys from the mountain peaks was a good, loud thunder storm and we beat a hasty retreat to our tea house before the storm hit fully. Huge rain drops chase us back up the hill to the tea house. We got back just in time before it unleashed all it's fury. As quick as it came, so it passed, leaving us to the view again.

Running back to our tea house being chased by the rain! Amazing lighting!

The tea house we are staying at today has something we haven't seen much of in the last few days - flat lawn! It doesn't take long after the storm for the kids to make friends with the proprietors children and soon they have a soccer game up and running, using an empty plastic water bottle. The porters get involved and soon it's all on. At least with the plastic bottle they avoid having to run down the steep embankment too many times.

Juliet and I spend some time in the dining hall playing bananagrams with our friends. The little dude of the house, a small boy of about two, has never seen a little white girl before and becomes absolutely obsessed with Juliet and follows her everywhere. And when she doesn't give him attention he does everything from pitch a tanty to hit her over the head with a bat to get her attention. Ah, first love.

Juliet's new Nepali friend - he had eyes only for her!

At dinner we find out that it's Durga's bday. Out comes the Nepali drums and soon everyone is singing and dancing. We've only known this family for a week, but after trekking at high altitude and living together in such basic accommodations the friendship has progress far more than just as guides or guests. The night is filled with music and laughter.

The only dampener was when I went to brush my teeth at the outdoor sink and found myself face to face with a spider the size of my hand. Those who know me would be extremely proud, the spider and I made eye contact while I slowly backed away and we both lived to see another day. Needless to say when I returned back into our room I woke everyone up by sliding my bed frame away from the earthen walls giving me a small sense of security from a late night visit from the hairy beast who watched me clean my teeth...

Tomorrow we finish up the hike and head back to Westernised Pokhara. I am feeling a bit disturbed that this part of our trip is over already. It has been one of the highlights of my life. With tired muscles and a peaceful soul it's time to sleep one last night in the shadow of the silent giants, the Annapurna range....

Namaste

Poon Hill - Watching the Sunrise from the Top of the World

Nepal Adventure - Day Seven - Annapurna Trek, Poon Hill, Ghorepani to Tadapani

I slept poorly. Not only was it sub zero temperatures and high altitude, but our room hung out over a canyon and the wind whistled through it like a pack of banshees on the attack. When the alarm went off at 4am I was already awake. Every layer of clothing that I wasn't already wearing went on before heading out this morning. The kids had all slept in their clothes which let them just roll out of the sleeping bags and start marching up the hill.

Staying at the highest tea house makes sense to me now. The trail up to the famous Poon Hill starts from our back door. It's pitch black and even with torches and head lamps the darkness seems to press in on us. If I wasn't so sleepy I would have worried more about losing a child off a cliff. As we get onto the main trail leading up we join what seems to be a long procession of tourists, the first real crowds we've seen on the trek. With every step the higher elevation seems to rob the breath out of our lungs.



We make it to the top of Poon Hill as the grey light of dawn starts to illuminate the world around us and the amazing peaks of the Annapurna range become visible. The dawn creeps up and bursts onto the mountains. From the cold frosty morning to suddenly being bathed in golden sunlight it is surreal.

dawn touching the peaks

All of the mountains are visible and clear as can be, something that is hit or miss this time of year. What a show of force the earth puts on here - Annapurna I at 8,091 meters (26,545 ft) is the tenth tallest mountain in the world and Dhaulagiri at 8,167 meters (26,795 ft) is the seventh tallest mountain. And between them lay 13 additional peaks over 7,000 meters and 16 more over 6,000 meters, all clad in rich deep snow. The sensory experience is unreal.

As the sun rises higher the shadows create different shapes on the mountains illuminating the snow drifts and avalanche areas. The ever changing light creating a palate of faces that jump out and move, or maybe they really are inhabited by the gods, as the locals believe.

The ground beneath our feet is icy and hard and we are very happy that the enterprising villagers have carried up thermoses of hot chocolate to sell to the tourists. Probably the most tasty hot chocolate ever! 

Majestic Annapurna I

Pretty soon the first planes come by heading from Pokhara to Jomsom (a town located in the Mustang district of Nepal). We are so high that we are actually looking down on the commercial planes buzzing past. Yes, let me say that again. Looking down on the airplanes, and up at the mountains. Wow.

Sunrise over the Annapurna Range

After the tourists leave we have small ceremony, just the six of us, and scatter the ashes of my mum and dad.  It's the first time the kids have been included in saying goodbye to their grandparents, and this place just seemed to be the right place, the right time. Maybe because I am finally ready to let go fully.

Finally it's time to march back down Poon Hill. Clara provides motivation by singing the Imagine Dragon's song "We're on Top of the World". Good choice! Buzzing from the morning we rock up to the tea house just as our fried eggs and Tibetan bread comes out of the kitchen. There was never a breakfast that tasted so good!

Our porters carrying our bags up the mountain

Packed up and ready to go, the Porters load up and we are off. First down through the little village of Ghorepani and then slogging back up in elevation on the hill opposite to Poon Hill. The trail climbs back up to 3,200 meters again, but this time we're hiking it in the sunshine. It's sweltering hot but we're proud of our little super hikers. We take a rest just before the final summiting to take in the view of all the mountains around us. We are spectacularly lucky in the weather as it is still clear as can be. The mountains are so close you can touch them. 

YAKS!!!

We sigh looking at the huge hill still left to climb, when suddenly Randall spots something furry grazing on the side of the cliff. Yaks!!! Rare animals to see below 3000 meters (oh wait, we are back up above that now) Juliet is in the lead sprinting up through the thin air to see the shaggy cow-like creatures. It takes me a while longer to chug and puff up after them, but when I do, there they are, a mummy and baby yak placidly grazing away. This was Juliet's biggest wish for the trip - to see a yak and she is blessed out! Randall climbs down the mountainside to get the perfect shot and then we are off along the ridge-top looking through blooming rhododendron trees up at the peaks above us. The trees are blooming, the flowers are blooming. It is springtime in Nepal.

The girls sing and look for fairies. It makes the kilometers slip away and before long we are saying goodbye to our stunning mountain views and start descending down a sharp gorge that must be absolutely vibrating with water during the wet season. But for now it's just a trickle.

trekking between Ghorepani and Tadapani

Part of trekking is the people you meet. The hippies carrying huge packs and talking our ears off, the Chinese hikers with perfectly matching gear and the Aussie who now knows our whole life stories, courtesy of Clara. And all of them exclaim over the kids and their trekking. I sheepishly admit that they are practically running rings around me! Trekking can certainly be done, and enjoyed, by families - you just have to prepare and be sensible with your expectations.

Lunch was way down this valley in a town called Banthanti and the food was exceptional. My Dhal Batt is really good and the ginger tea is so strong it practically puts hair on the chest! Surely no germ would be able to survive that brew! Luckily the food was so reviving, because I had no idea of what was to come. I'm glad I didn't realize that when we start descending the huge gorge that we would have to ascend the other side. Holly cow. I must admit I have a bit of a wobbly half was up the next mountain side. My legs are shaking, we've been out in the elements since 4:30am and we are heading back up in elevation, in the hot sun. But there's not much choice. There are no real tea houses on this stretch so it's a long day no matter which way you slice it. The big kids have all headed off ahead of us with the porters.

When we finally get to the village of Tadapani I throw down my backpack and sit in a heated sulk on the patio. (Have I mentioned that I don't do hot very well.) Luckily my man knows me so well and comes out of the tea house with some panadol, an ice cold coke and a bottle of water. Twenty minutes later I'm shivering from the dried sweat and the frigid out door temperatures but with a smile back on my face. The kids high five dad for his quick thinking. Our rooms are upstairs and all in a row along a large cement patio facing the valley and presumably the mountains beyond (they are swaddled in clouds during the afternoon).

On the balcony outside our rooms at our tea house in Tadapani

And luxury beyond luxury a really hot shower!!!!! My first since starting out in the mountains. I get in quick before anyone else realizes because there is only one and a whole tea house full of trekkers who have just done the same hike as us. Ah, what a difference a shower can make on your perspective!

No one eats much for dinner as we are more exhausted than words can explain. Liam is the first to fall into bed, well before six. The tea house has a great communal room downstairs where everyone congregates and once the kids are all tucked into their sleeping bags Randall and I head back down. I gadfly about chatting with other trekkers - mostly Australians and Germans - while Randall pulls out the travel guitar and has a great time with the porters who all have a warm fascination for his western guitar and songs. It's a pretty big night for us, we shared a beer and stayed up till 830.

rappin' with the porters

Snuggled into our sleeping bags the moon comes up during the night and the clouds go away.

Sometime in the middle of the night (while rushing through the freezing night air to the toilet) I am stopped in my tracks by the view of the moonlight beaming off the now clear mountains. The moonlight and starlight reflect off of the mountain snow in an otherworldly display, a final present on this most amazing of days.

Ghorepani - Hiking galore and thank god for ladybugs!

Nepal - Day Six - Up to Ghorepani, elevation 2,800 meters

Brrr, it was cold last night. I had to get up in the night and put on my down jacket and wool hat before bundling back into my sleeping bag. It could have to do with the fact that I was sleeping in the corner of the room between two windows. I think more wind came in than was kept out! Ah well, it's all part of the adventure, at least there was glass on the windows! And that pesky wind last night blew away all the clouds giving us a stunning morning view of the mountain peaks.

Breakfast.

Again, it's Tibetan bread, fried eggs and milk tea for breakfast on our little patio that seems to be perched on the edge of the canyon. Annapurna South and Machapuchare peek out from behind the hills beckoning us onward, and upward.

Ready to go! Machapuchare peaks out from behind the "hill" we still need to climb.

Soon we are off trekking. and we are so pleased that today is not a marathon step day. There are parts of my leg that have never been sore before. I blame it on the uneven incline of the steps! Today even though we will be trekking up nearly 500 meters the trail is at less of an incline, and in the morning it's mainly cool and shaded with tall rhododendron trees and clear running streams. The kids seem to have recovered from yesterday's hike and are off way ahead of us. Randall is feeling better as well and that's a relief! High altitude is not something you want to mix with any other illness!!!

Local house, the family lives on top with the firewood and animals below.

The thing that you notice about the Annapurna trek is that you are never alone. And not just other trekkers (of whom we really haven't seen too many of so far.) But the land is not pristine wilderness by any stretch of the imagination. People have lived and worked here for millennium and the animals and land and people are comfortably established in a routine together. The land is terraced for the potatoes, rice, beans, cabbage, spinach and corn that are the staple foods here. Outside the people's houses (or sometimes underneath them) are shelters for water buffalo, goats and donkeys.

The shadows of the valley still have a snow laden nip to them as we hike, those mountains are getting closer with every step. The terraces get less and less as we climb higher. But still there are many tiny villages scattered along the trail. We take a few moments at a lovely waterfall along the trail to rest and skip stones. I pull out a package of beef jerky that I've brought from home and share it around. Only afterwards did I realize that I shared some with our Porter's son. He's a Hindu and I feel horrible. (Cows are sacred to them.) I spent the next hour debating the ethics of what to do. It's a hard thing to leave all of your own culture behind you when traveling through a foreign culture, and even the most well meaning of us can be insensitive at best. I never did say anything to him as I'm sure he had no idea what I'd given him.

Waterfall stop

At one of the many little villages we passed through - dog exhausted from barking all night, no doubt.

At the next little village we stop for everyone's new favorite beverage - lemon and ginger tea. Technically it's just lemon juice and boiling water and grated ginger in boiling water, but the kids love it, we love it and it is a simple way to keep hydrating. One of the biggest problems that get hikers into trouble, especially at higher elevations, is dehydration. Luckily the kids all take to this tea ritual with gusto so we've not encountered a problem yet.

But onwards we go. After this mornings teasing views of the higher peaks we are all keen to get up to Gohrepani, tonight's village, where the mountain views go from teasing to spectacular. But as the day goes on the hiking gets tougher. With every hill we are getting higher in elevation, and everyone starts to feel it. Randall and the big kids go ahead with the porters, who are completely used to this. While Durga and I stay behind with the little ones.

Liam gives the porters a hand...

Clara hits the wall and after a few touch and go moments of potential tantrums saves herself with singing. We get to hear every Taylor Swift song ever written, and then some! With the big kids and Randall all well ahead of us her concert is just for Durga, me and Juliet.... and every other living being within earshot. Her singing teacher would be proud.

As we hit the final set of stairs, the altitude starts to really starts to affect us and the breathing is certainly a lot harder.  Which, of course, is the cue for Juliet to hit the wall.

Luckily she is saved by the discovery of lady bugs. And I mean hordes of lady bugs, everywhere! I'm not sure if it was ladybug breeding season, or a little gift from the hiking fairy, but the little red bugs keep her brain occupied and we name the stairs "lady bug staircase". The only crisis now is when I step on one of the unsuspecting bugs and send it to ladybug heaven. My karma is taking a beating today.

Selfie with the mountains... post lady bug stair.

And that last push of stairs lands us in Ghorepani, our destination for the night. It's a much bigger town than the last few days and even has a few little stores etc. Our tea house is at the very top of the village and we all pretty much collapse when we get there! Randall and the big kids are all splayed out in the sun waiting for us. We are at 2,800 meters in elevation and even though the sun is warm, the wind is straight from the snow. The high is probably about 7 degrees so once we stop moving it's time to locate the warmer clothes!

We made it to our lodge in Ghorepani

Once our breath comes back it quickly gets taken away again by the view. Looking back behind us the great majestic peak of Annapurna South is rising up out of a fur coat of clouds. It's hard to put into words just how tall this mountain is. Just when you think you are looking at the clouds above it you realize there is another craggy peak above even the clouds.

The wind is cold with the feeling of snow and glaciers. And as the sun dips even a little bit, it's time to move inside. 

After a late lunch we sort the rooms  at the Tea House - Three rooms with ensuites!! We have a bright pink western toilet in ours, unfortunately it's plumbed to flush into the shower, but it's a luxury none the less.

As soon as we get our bags stowed we head back down the stairs into the village to visit the local cake store. Yes, cake store. And nothing tastes better than the chocolate cake and milk tea after such a long day on the trail.

Soon the sugar hits and the kids all spill out into the main square and start racing ladybugs to the top of the village stuppa.

Ghorepani town square and the favorite Stupa for Ladybug racing

The View from our Tea House

Dinner is warm and cozy inside the lodge. They have a giant wood burning fire in the middle of the common room and it creates a festive like atmosphere with everyone eating there tonight. Besides us, and our group of porters, there are two other groups staying here. Probably 25 people in all. But despite the fun atmosphere it's early to bed. Not only are we tired from the trekking and the altitude - tomorrow we are up the crack of dark!

4 am is when my alarm is set for. Tomorrow will be an adventure.

So, with the sound of the local rabid dog barking somewhere down the valley in the village, and the wind howling and creaking through the tea house, I am laying here trying to go to sleep.

5,000 meters above me the Annapurna mountains silently stand guard.