Sundarijal-Chisopani-Nagarkot-Dhulikel (Cannabis Trail, Nepal)

Oct 16th, 2009 - My warm up trek is complete. Now it is a two day hiatus in Kathmandu and then off on a 9 day, 270km (168 mile) river rafting bonanza on the Sun Kosi. I am hoping the folks on this adventure are both amicable and jovial or this is going to be a long trip. Cross your fingers.

So I met my guide Gopal for this recent hike on the morning of the 13th and we headed out of Kathmandu by car. On the first day we started in Sundarijal and made our way to Chisopani. Gopal is an interesting fellow. About ten minutes into the trek I find out that he has a Spanish girlfriend. Nothing shocking there, until you consider that he also has a wife and a child. It gets better.

He met his senorita while she and her husband were in Nepal on vacation.  And by 'vacation' I mean honeymoon. Gopal was their guide and apparently he went above and beyond the call of duty. I guess you could say he is a ‘full service’ guide. I did not inquire into the particulars but he did make it clear that their nascent relationship was most challenging to maintain and required more than one surreptitious rendezvous. I believe it was the bathroom area that served as a convenient meeting place. 

Gopal’s wife has no clue nor does the husband of his little muchacha. Neither plans on a divorce but this does not deter their hearts (The heart wants what the heart wants). She is coming to visit in April w/o the hubby. Sparks will fly and the earth will move, at least according to the thrice daily e-mails Gopal receives from his guapa. Who needs “The Bold and the Beautiful”? I have Nepal.

Blue of the Deepest Hue (Upper Mustang, Nepal) Part II

Nov 17^th, 2009 - One thing you will notice in Nepal is that men, woman, and children will hack, spit, and expel congestants from their bodies with reckless abandon and the utmost alacrity. It sometimes sounds as if an individual has a personal vendetta against their respiratory track. And when you take into account the arid, dusty conditions of the Mustang area the phenomenon only intensifies. In a word: lovely.

In addition to Hans and Grets there is also a group of mature French tourists following the same track and they were every bit as friendly as my two German counterparts. The second tea house stop saw me eating at a table surrounded by folks while being completely ignored. I suppose struggling in English was probably more trouble than it was worth. Not really such a big deal as bedtime came shortly after the setting sun. Turning in at 8 pm would have been a late night for me.

Notwithstanding an almost complete lack of companionship (Ram was friendly enough but did not have a whole lot to say and I was normally 20-30 minutes ahead of him along the trail) the trekking was incredible. I was often ahead of both groups and generally alone except for the few locals that I passed along the trail. I am fairly certain I have never witnessed skies as blue as the ones I saw day after day during this journey. It was remarkable and left me questioning the very definition of the phrase ‘deep blue’. It does not get deeper than that. When the sky is basically the same shade of blue with or without a pair of polarized sunglasses you know you are in the Himalayas.

Lo Manthang (Upper Mustang, Nepal) Part III

Nov 19^th, 2009 – Do I get lonely on the road? Does a tiger shit in the jungle? Who among us does not suffer from the affliction from time to time? It is an inescapable characteristic of the human condition and, I believe, a necessary one. People sometimes need to be alone even if doing so allows loneliness a foot in the door. You need to let it in, to savor it. It makes us human, forces us to contemplate the essence of our humanity. Without it what would we have? An existential gang bang is what. But how much should we embrace?

Too little and experiences become trite, hackneyed, jaded even. Too much we become isolated, cut off from a certain type of happiness and fulfillment that only a social existence can foster. Both extremes inevitably have a numbing effect, an insidious brand of torment that is exceedingly difficult to overcome.

I must admit that a companion here and there would offset the constant pressure (for lack of a better word) that arises from always having to organize everything alone. But beyond that practical consideration some experiences are just too amazing not to be shared. Many times during my passage through Upper Mustang I was grateful for the time spent in quiet contemplation along the trail. It was extremely rewarding. However, having someone else to share the experience with, to validate the surrounding beauty and magnificence, to somehow consecrate all my internal musings and jubilations about the nature of the incomprehensible, would have been remarkable. Better or worse? I don't know.

Travelers are indeed everywhere, more so than at any other point in history I reckon (especially in Kathmandu), but for some reason people seem to be a bit more closed off than I remember from earlier travels. This has been the case from the beginning of this excursion starting in Indonesia.

Perhaps, it has always been this way and I have just failed to notice it in the past. It is quite possible that the problem falls entirely my lap, for admittedly, I do not go out of my way to engage. However, I am a bit of a doppelganger when it comes to the outward emotional manifestations of others. If someone is friendly and outgoing I tend to reflect that and, likewise, if they are cold and introverted I tend to respond in kind.

Shangri-La (Lo Manthang Region of Mustang, Nepal) Part IV

Nov 20^th, 2009 – Coincidence, anyone? Shortly after returning to Kathmandu from Mustang my friend Tim came across an article on National Geographic’s News website titled “Shangri-La” Caves Yield Treasures, Skeletons, detailing an excavation of some of the mysterious caves dotting the mountains throughout Upper Mustang. I was desperate for information. Now I have some. This article was posted on Nov 17^th. I returned from my trip on the 16^th. Their corresponding PBS special aired on the 18^th (scroll to bottom). K-K-K-Koooooky! Had I read this before I departed I would have donned my Spiderman costume and started spelunking my balls off. Perhaps, it is better this way.

During the ‘60s after the Chinese tightened their grip on Tibet and the Dalai Lama went for a stroll from which he never returned Mustang was a hotbed of insurgency against the Chinese led by  Khampas, Tibet’s most ferocious warriors. At the height of operations there were thought to be at least 6000 soldiers in the area, as well as adjoining regions (such as Dolpo). Not surprisingly they initially had the support of the CIA (God Bless America). Everything changed when Kissinger and Nixon decided it was to time to play kissy-grabass with Mao in an effort to improve relations. After that the insurgency fizzled (with the aid of a taped plea from the Dalai Lama making the case for peaceful resistance) and, fortunately for the residents of Mustang, the 10,000 Nepali troops sent to ‘settle’ the issue became superfluous.

I did not realize that the mountains of Mustang house one of the planet's most elusive creatures, the quasi-mythical snow leopard. Had I realized this before my trip I may have insisted, at the very least, on some half-assed attempt to locate one. As I deemed Ram in no mood to chase windmills I had to content myself with wistful glances toward the heavens. Somewhere up there this feline deity was skulking about the rooftop of the world in search some form of fulfillment. In that respect I suppose we were alike. Perhaps, someday our paths will cross. Heeeeeere kitty, kitty, kitty.......

Helambu-Gosainkund-Langtang (Langtang National Park, Nepal)

December 13th, 2009 - Another ten days in the shadow of the Himalaya. Richie likey. This time around I took no guide, unless you count the Lonely Planet: Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya. I considered the implications of going solo for a while and decided in the end that going rogue would provide maximum enjoyment. Guides and agencies are prone to schedules and like to stick to specific tea houses and hotels. I wanted no such hindrance.

For example, the trip I just completed would have required 16 days or so with one of these tour agencies. I did it in 11 and that included spending a couple extra night in places where I felt compelled to do so. I also saved a rather substantial sum. Frugal and intrepid. I am going to have t-shirts made.

I began my journey in the ‘wrong direction’. My area of operation included the Helambu/Gosainkund/Langtang Valley region. I began in lower Helambu and made my way north. The drawback with this route stems from a mandatory ascent greater than 1000m (3300 ft) in a short period of time. According to the guidelines this can be potentially dangerous and result in acute mountain sickness (AMS). Nobody wants that. After considering my options I chose this route because I am the very epitome of awesomeness. Not exactly. Firstly, I had been at altitude before and believed I would be ok. Second, going the other way required a nine hour ride on a local bus at the onset. I wanted to get moving so I opted for the route less traveled. I knew that Diamox and a quick descent could quickly reverse the effects of altitude sickness but still….Best laid plans of mice and assholes...