Tuesday, 4th September 2012.  Third Day of Fourth Leg of the Trip - Trekking

Actually I was supposed to trek on this day also.  The morning was extremely beautiful.  From the hotel terrace we could have the most beautiful and panoramic view of the Himalayan Mountains and Valleys like the Everest, The Annapurna, The Dhaulagiri, The Kailash, The Kathmandu Valleys, etc.  I was told the tourist stay in this hotel just for this view.  This particular morning was specially decorated for us in the sky with a rainbow.  How gorgeous was the view is really indescribable.  I really consider that it was due to the blessing of Lord Kailash Natha I got the opportunity to enjoy this fabulous sight.

After having the view I thought I had the full taste of trekking also and was able to enjoy to the best of my satisfaction.  So I told Narendra that I would like to go back to Kathmandu.  We were picked up by the car in an hour and drove us back to Kathmandu.  We reached Kathmandu by noon.  This time my accommodation was arranged at Blue Diamond Hotel at Thamel, Kathmandu.  The driver and Narendra accompanied me to the room with all bags and luggage.

I thought of some ideal gift for my friends and relatives and took the help of Narendra for some suggestions.  He told Rudraksha Mala is the most ideal after Kailash Parikram.  I also had the same in mind.  He took to one of the dealers nearby the hotel.  Originally I thought of buying thirty raw Rudraksha chains.  When I noticed they were too heavy for me to carry because one chain alone was weighing more than a pound I had to be satisfied with twenty five chains.

A view of Himalayan Ranges from the hotel terrace

What a way to finish out trekking with the magical view of a Rain Bow (1)

What a way to finish out trekking with the magical view of a Rain Bow (2)

There are a few multistory hotels here as trekkers' paradise

Himalayan Ranges from the terrace of the hotel

Monday, 3rd September 2012. Second Day of Fourth Leg - Trekking

After breakfast we resumed our trekking.  The second day trekking was relatively easier for me.  I was more relaxed.  At lunch time we were in a small village with a few restaurants and tarred road with public transportation.  Again these restaurants do not keep meals ready.  They will cook only on demand.  So we had nice break for about two hours or so and then trekked in the plain road for about fifteen minutes before getting back into the valleys and hills.  By evening we reached a fairly nice township with a few hotels.  We already had accommodation booked in a decent restaurant.

This was a better trekking day for me.  I was able to complete trekking within seven hours versus the normal eight to nine hours.  So I was able to offset the previous days’ shortcomings.  Narendra was also very pleased and I was satisfied too.

Our hotel had good heating.  Our room was on the fourth floor.  Many other tourists and trekkers were there.  We had a three star dinner and nice sleep.

A View of Himalayan Mountain Ranges From Trekking Track

We are now above eleven thousand feet above sea level

This is the second day of trekking.  A trekkers' paradise.

We are on top of this hill.  See valleys and Himalayan Ranges

Sunday, 2nd September 2012.  First Day of My Trekking in Kathmandu Valleys As Fourth Leg of the Trip

As per my original schedule I was supposed to cover all above pilgrim places by 4th September and accordingly I had booked my return journey from Kathmandu to Delhi for 5th September.  As we went in a group and never returned from Pokhara to Kathmandu and then go from Kathmandu to Janakpur I saved three days.   When I asked Rajan, President of Earthbound Expeditions, how best we can utilize the three days, he without any hesitation told if I have the stamina he can arrange a trekking in Kathmandu valleys for three days.  I was truly excited.  I told him absolutely, yes.  He told a senior guide will come and pick me up in the morning.

I was ready after a customized breakfast in the morning.  I bid bye to all my co Yathris most of them were going to India for a brief stay and then returning to their hometown in USA.

Narendra Timalsina, a Senior Guide and Trainer for Trekking with Earthbound, came and packed dresses for four days and checked out from Radisson.   We had a car ride for about an hour or so to the point we start our trekking.  Narendra bought some bananas, apples, grapes and a few bottles of water.  Within half an hour from the village we were in the Himalayan Mountain Valleys near Kathmandu.  Another one hour or so I was almost up about six thousand feet above sea level.  Please note that you have to obtain a permit to trek in Nepal.  It seems that may be customary for anywhere.   Narendra obtained the permit from Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park.  The permits are issued by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Government of Nepal.

Trekking in Himalayan Valleys is not an easy task.  So I can only visualize how difficult it would be to trek in the mountain peaks.  As we were trekking in the wild forest with thick growth of tall trees and there was absolutely no heat of the sun.  We were always trekking under shade and it looked very pleasant and cool.  But when we stopped at the rest place I started sweating like crazy.  I was not sure whether I had palpitation.  It is so simple that I had to change all my dresses because they were soaked or fully drenched in sweat.  My guide asked me to take complete rest for at least an hour.  Not sure whether it had to do with the previous night’s local brew I had. So my advice is that please do not drink at all when you prepare for a trek.
A couple of bananas and apple and an hour of rest I thought I was back in a position to trek.  Trekking is tough because you climb up for five or six thousand feet then you come down for a couple of thousand feet and then again you climb up for three or four thousand.

But you look at the absolute beauty of the nature.  It is magical.  It is mesmerizing.  The hills, the valleys, the mountains, the peaks, the waterfalls, the rivers, the trees, the plants, the birds chirping, and so and so on and all these would definitely make you feel that you are in a different world.  Yes, you are absolutely in heaven on earth. You can see the true undisturbed virgin beauty of the nature.  Other than the trekking path there is no human intervention.  But we can also see a few families living in the valleys on the trekking path.  Chickens, goats, cows, dogs and other pets are all there.  I was told that they will go once in a month or twice in a month to the village to purchase essential goods on a collective basis.  i.e. one or two members will go and get the things for the three or four houses we saw there.

We rested at two other places and after trekking for more than eight hours we halted at a lodging facility in the evening.

My guide, Narendra, was not happy with my performance of this first day as normally it used to take only about six hours instead of the eight hours I took.  He was not sure if would be able to complete it in time.
Another most important fact we have to keep in mind is that after trekking for two hours or so you cannot back out as the route for trekking up is not suitable to trek down.  And if you have serious health issues it is very difficult to get access for helicopter or other safety measures for hospitalization.  The patient has to be probably carried down manually and to get experienced carriers may also take a couple of hours.  That means the guide has to leave the patient in the wilderness alone and go in search for carriers.  So please consider all the possible risks involved before deciding to trek.

Our accommodation was not bad.  It was two storied house facilitating three or four rooms for rental purposes.  The owner with family was living on the ground floor with a tea stall cum restaurant.  Dinner and Breakfasts are cooked on demand basis.  Do not expect for many choices.  But meals were really homely. A bucket of hot water was provided for bath.  All in all it was manageable.

Trekking in Kathmandu Valleys (1)

Trekking in Kathmandu Valleys (2)

Narendra Timalsina my Trekking Guide 

Trekking in Himalayan Valleys is a unique experience

We are now almost ten thousand feet above sea level

This is a rest place for the trekkers

We noticed a few small houses on the top this hill

Narendra.  These flags are tied by the trekkers as a sign that they had been here