Enjoying Magic and Cool Air

Wow! If there is one word that describes Nepal in my mind, it is 'magical'. I think that it might be my favorite place on earth at the moment. Before I get ahead of myself though, I'll start from the beginning of my journey from India to Nepal. It all began with a 17 hour train ride from Kolkata to the Nepali border. While that is an intense amount of time to spend on a train, I really enjoyed watching the bustle of the city fade to green fields and small villages. Traveling by land really allows one the opportunity to see a fuller picture of the country one is passing through and the time and space to take it all in. Once we arrived at the Nepali border, we took horsedrawn carriages to Indian immigration, Nepali immigration, and finally to a landrover station. After spending 30 minates negotiating a price for the ride from the border to Kathmandu, we were off! Seven hours lapsed and we found ourselves in Kathmandu at twilight. However, those seven hours were some of the most terrifying and ruggedly beautiful hours of my life! We began our drive enjoying the fresh air and cool breezes as we followed a fast-moving river that cut through the lush mountain valley. As we began to climb up into the massive foothills of the Himalayas, the views were spectacular and truly breathtaking! The road was really not much wider than the land rover we were traveling in and was filled with twists and turns that composed seemingly neverending switchbacks up into the mountains. Every time we took a turn, the driver honked his horn incessantly as to avoid a collision around the blind corners that were more of the rule than the exception. I think it was probably the most precarious drive of my life, but also the most beautiful. It was also a good lesson in prayer and conquering my fear of heights! :)
When we awoke the next morning, we were off to explore the city of Kathmandu. We stopped in the Pumpernickel Bakery for some breakfast which was amazing! Fresh brown bread with peanut butter, whole wheat porridge, and darjeeling tea! Yumm! The food compared to Kampala is amazingly fresh and delicious which reminds me that I'm on vacation. I spent the rest of the day window shopping which was fun, but the tourist-geared streets annoy me after awhile. The next day, we hopped on a bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara which is a smaller town surrounded by mountains and containing a beautiful 5 km long lake. On the bus ride there, I met this girl named Michelle from England who has traveled accross Spain, Germany, Poland, Russia, China, Malaysia, Tibet, and now Nepal over the past 6 months. She has done all of this travelling over land because she doesn't believe in flying for environmental reasons which I had some serious admiration for. She's done a lot of work in environmentalism like participating in community education programs focused on sustainable and organic gardening and fixing up old bicycles in hopes of bringing some of the existing cars off the road. When I told her that I've never owned a car and ride my bike instead, she said, "Wow! That's impressive, especially considering you're an American!" She's headed off to Northern India in a week in hopes of taking classes to become a yoga instructer. By the time we reached Pokhara, she was part of the team and hung out with us until we left for our trek the following day. It's so awesome to get to meet so many amazing people along the way...I think it's one of my favorite aspects of traveling.
Once we arrived in Pokhara, we grabbed some lunch at an organic cafe that was claiming to be a German bakery. I had some cous-cous with veggies and tomato sauce with a delicious cup of coffee (my first cup this entire trip!). Needless to say, it was perfect! Gracie, Brian, and I were then off in search of bikes to rent. Although the bikes were nothing to speak of, the ride was beautiful and exhilerating. I don't really know how to explain how beautiful biking along a Nepali lake at twilight is! In the middle of our ride, we parked our bikes along the shore and dove in! The water was perfect...warm but refreshing and it felt so good to swim after spending a month in the heat and humidity of Kolkata! That night, we grabbed some Nepali food which I'm in love with and went to bed early as we were planning an early morning swim. We woke the next morning at 5:30 AM and were swimming by 6:00 AM. After a dip in the cool water and the solace of the dawn, we all went to breakfast and said our goodbyes to our new friend, Michelle.
We hopped on a bus to Birethanti and were there in a couple of hours. We devoured samosas and bananas at this little village and were off on our trek into the Nepali foothills. The hike began with a flat and meandering path along a rushing river, terraced gardens adorning the hillsides, and small villages filled with ducklings, chicks, and children enthusiastically greeting us with 'namaste'. The trail was often half land half creek and it was at these moments that I thanked God for Chacos! As I hiked, I couldn't get over the incredible beauty that surrounded me. When I said that Nepal is magical, part of what I meant by that is that the terrain is such that if one were to see a fairy flitting about or a dragon cutting accross the sky, I don't know if one would feel any surprise. I kind of felt like I had been transported into the Hobbit or some other fairytale. Nepal's landscape also reminded me of a painter who is faintly etching bright but subtle details onto a vast and rich canvas. It feels like humanity has just barely traced its mark on the land here which adds to its magic and mystery.
The first night, our hiking ended at this tiny mountain village facing three cascading waterfalls and the valley below. The river we had walked alongside before looked like a small creek from this height. We met a young boy here who said that we could pitch our tents on some land below his house. When his mom found out, however, she insisted that we camp in front of their house as that other piece of land tends to flood when it rains. We pitched our tents and rushed off to play with probably 40 village children who were eagerly watching us with curiosity. We played tag, ring around the rosy, london bridges, duck duck goose (guku guku bakra (duck duck goat in their language)), and the rain game for hours! Brian and some of the village boys took sticks and began drumming on this large plastic vat and the dance party and spinning games began. These children ranged in age from probably about 3 to 9 and were so amazing! Some were bold, their eyes filled with curiousity and eager anticipation. Others were shy, timid, and cautious. Their shyness was often turned into fits of giggling with a quick tickle however. After hours of playing, we returned to our tents exhausted but enthused with energy from these incredible children. The woman whose home we were camped in front of came out and offered to cook us dinner because she said, " The seven of you, I really like!" We feasted that night on spaghetti, rice, dhal, and curried vegetables!
The next morning we woke up early and discovered after some tea and porridge that some children and adults from the village were gathered seeking our assistance with their wounds. Most of the adult's wounds were from the steep rock steps that they ascend and descend on a daily basis. Fortunately, we all have first aide kits and were able to disinfect and bandage their wounds to the best of our ability. I can't imagine what it must be like living way up in these hills and needing medical attention. My guess is that most of these needs go without attention in most cases.
We were then off on our second day of trekking which would prove to be an incredibly challenging experience. We literally climbed these almost vertical cobblestone steps for about 6 hours! As if this weren't challenging enough, I was carrying about a 40-50 pound pack! Back home, I 'm a really active and athletic person, but this was honestly one of the hardest things I have ever done. We trekked accross bridges crossing rushing waterfalls, over landslide areas that were a bit nerve-racking, and through villages that were always friendly and hospitable. Towards the end of the day, we reached a sign that read that we wouldn't see any villages for the next two hours. We headed into the Nepali jungle and soon after the monsoon rains hit! The trails transformed into creeks and waterfalls and it was at this point that we discovered the leeches!!!! Leeches before this point had always been a disturbing creature found in storybooks and national geographic. However, now I found myself shouting through the downpour for our team to put on socks and long pants and have their lighters ready. Poor Grace had probably 8 leeches on her feet when we discovered them and I had to calm her and hold her still while Brian ripped them off! We spent the next 2 hours cruising through the jungle and up neverending vertical steps. Once we reached the top, we spotted a village and everyone shrieked with joy. We crawled into this room warmed with a woodstove and hopped into a 'warm shower' which consisted of a bucket of water and a ladle. We finished dealing with the leeches which left most people's shoes, socks, and plants covered in blood! Thankfully, I only think I had one leech. I never saw it...only the bloody mark on my back. Maybe they don't like my blood type... I don't know....all I know was that I was very lucky compared to the rest of my team. I jokingly told them that I didn't get any because God knew I couldn't handle it! Ha! Probably true!
The rest of the night was quite pleasant though. The experience, although extremely challenging, really brought our team together and we spent the evening huddled around the fire in this hotel tucked away in the Nepali mountain jungle. We exchanged massages, feasted on amazing food, and shared our life stories. We spent the next two days making our descent and we arrived safely in Pokhara yesterday and Kathmandu today! We all can barely walk we are so sore, but we all agree it was an amazing experience worth all the pain and joy that went into it. Alright, I'm off to join my team for a dinner in Kathmandu...it's one of our last as most of my team is flying home on August 6th. I hope you are all doing well....I love and miss you all.......