12/1 Pokhara, Nepal
Hey Guys,
Greets from Nepal! Alive and well after 20 days of trekking around the Annapurnas. 'Twas awesome, spending about 4 hours each day trekking with the backpack on, arriving in the next little town, and crashing there for the night. Gorgeous views up there, and it was wild following the "road" between the towns. The road was traversed by trekkers as well as donkeys (leaving behind their smelly trail) carrying rice and goods and all the necessities for us tourists, human porters carrying the same things on their backs, and of course all us trekkers.
I left town just in front of a three day strike, and didn't have any partners. No worries tho, because the route was packed with other trekkers and I managed to meet seemingly hundreds of people. The most crowded hiking I've ever done, the Circuit being the himalyan equivalent of a highway.
Crossed the Thorung La pass at 5400m and I got altitude sickness pretty bad. I thought I had food poisioning, but it was the altitude, and I was puking as I crossed the top, not in a good mood, but I perservered. I was pretty mad because I'd pushed myself hard to get into "shape" for the big pass and ended up getting AMS (mountainsickness). They say people more "fit" get it easier and that's my excuse, I was too fit! :)
After nearly a month of vegatarian food, Dal Baht, Veggie Currie, Veg Noodles, a beer here and there, sometimes a coke, and after the pass, some really good Apple Pie (mmm....boy I miss Thanksgiving and pumpkin pie), I went to the Everest Steakhouse last night and had a celebratory filet of steak. And wow, it was OUTSTANDING! Best steak ever? Dunno, but I know I sure deserved it!
So I'm readjusting to civilization here. Toying with the idea of hiking back to the last town and spending a few more days ni the hot springs there....what a treat....18 days of hiking and then, HOT SPRINGS. Two days there just relaxing.
So I should be off to Kathmandu in a few days here, spend 5-7 days there before heading off to India. I should have a more inspiring note then, as right now I'm just trying to "catch up" on reading emails, (Go Bucks! Wow! Might have to come home if GB is super bowl bound and OSU BCS bound...) and news, really, 20 days without any news! Longest ever. World could have died for all I know!
Seeing cars again sure is weird, the transportation all donkeys on the Circuit, as its called. I've got hundreds of pictures that I hope are gorgeous, mountain after mountain after mountain after mountain.
Other than my AMS, healthwise I did great. Didn't get any blisters, had no worries carrying my pack, and I'm proably in better shape than ever.
Back here in Pokhara its "reunion" time with all the people we met along the way.
Weather here is gorgeous, sunny, warm, rented a boat with two people I met trekking yesterday and were out on the lake, soaking in the warmth. Did I mention its warm here, because it sure was COOOOLD on the trek and I hate being cold. As soon as the sun went down, it was bed time, asleep usually by 8pm. Had lots of layers and while hiking it was fine, but at night, whoa, cold. No central heat and not enough firewood for fires...its pretty scarce up there. Interesting to live without heat and electricity and all primitivish.
Just got an email from Stocco, he survived the bombing in Mombasa. Well, he was out of town. I stayed in that town for about 5 days, and was not far from where that hotel was. He's off to Egypt in a few days and back to the states, his term of service up - and a good thing, as he may have been sent home anyway after this bombing - he had an apartment in Mombasa pretty close to the "action". Getting crazy out there.
Well, not much else going on. I'll drop a note soon and maybe pix!
Hope you all had a great thanksgiving! I miss it so!
Ryan
Hey Guys,
Greets from Nepal! Alive and well after 20 days of trekking around the Annapurnas. 'Twas awesome, spending about 4 hours each day trekking with the backpack on, arriving in the next little town, and crashing there for the night. Gorgeous views up there, and it was wild following the "road" between the towns. The road was traversed by trekkers as well as donkeys (leaving behind their smelly trail) carrying rice and goods and all the necessities for us tourists, human porters carrying the same things on their backs, and of course all us trekkers.
I left town just in front of a three day strike, and didn't have any partners. No worries tho, because the route was packed with other trekkers and I managed to meet seemingly hundreds of people. The most crowded hiking I've ever done, the Circuit being the himalyan equivalent of a highway.
Crossed the Thorung La pass at 5400m and I got altitude sickness pretty bad. I thought I had food poisioning, but it was the altitude, and I was puking as I crossed the top, not in a good mood, but I perservered. I was pretty mad because I'd pushed myself hard to get into "shape" for the big pass and ended up getting AMS (mountainsickness). They say people more "fit" get it easier and that's my excuse, I was too fit! :)
After nearly a month of vegatarian food, Dal Baht, Veggie Currie, Veg Noodles, a beer here and there, sometimes a coke, and after the pass, some really good Apple Pie (mmm....boy I miss Thanksgiving and pumpkin pie), I went to the Everest Steakhouse last night and had a celebratory filet of steak. And wow, it was OUTSTANDING! Best steak ever? Dunno, but I know I sure deserved it!
So I'm readjusting to civilization here. Toying with the idea of hiking back to the last town and spending a few more days ni the hot springs there....what a treat....18 days of hiking and then, HOT SPRINGS. Two days there just relaxing.
So I should be off to Kathmandu in a few days here, spend 5-7 days there before heading off to India. I should have a more inspiring note then, as right now I'm just trying to "catch up" on reading emails, (Go Bucks! Wow! Might have to come home if GB is super bowl bound and OSU BCS bound...) and news, really, 20 days without any news! Longest ever. World could have died for all I know!
Seeing cars again sure is weird, the transportation all donkeys on the Circuit, as its called. I've got hundreds of pictures that I hope are gorgeous, mountain after mountain after mountain after mountain.
Other than my AMS, healthwise I did great. Didn't get any blisters, had no worries carrying my pack, and I'm proably in better shape than ever.
Back here in Pokhara its "reunion" time with all the people we met along the way.
Weather here is gorgeous, sunny, warm, rented a boat with two people I met trekking yesterday and were out on the lake, soaking in the warmth. Did I mention its warm here, because it sure was COOOOLD on the trek and I hate being cold. As soon as the sun went down, it was bed time, asleep usually by 8pm. Had lots of layers and while hiking it was fine, but at night, whoa, cold. No central heat and not enough firewood for fires...its pretty scarce up there. Interesting to live without heat and electricity and all primitivish.
Just got an email from Stocco, he survived the bombing in Mombasa. Well, he was out of town. I stayed in that town for about 5 days, and was not far from where that hotel was. He's off to Egypt in a few days and back to the states, his term of service up - and a good thing, as he may have been sent home anyway after this bombing - he had an apartment in Mombasa pretty close to the "action". Getting crazy out there.
Well, not much else going on. I'll drop a note soon and maybe pix!
Hope you all had a great thanksgiving! I miss it so!
Ryan
posted by SpicyBBQ at
4:20 AM
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