November 1st - 26th
A year and a half ago, we celebrated Parker's birthday in Austin. We told our friends Jason and Melissa of our trip and invited them to meet us anywhere in the world. They chose Nepal. Jason and Melissa are our 3rd and 4th visitors on our trip. We are so excited to see familiar faces and to share this experience with them.
Nepal is one our most anticipated destinations. The Himalayas is a pilgrimage for those who love the mountains. We have been carrying gear for the last year for our trek here. We spent few days prepping for our trip in crazy Kathmandu. Parker got us set with proper maps and I stocked up on fake "F-Oakleys" and "North Fake" accessories. Then we headed off towards the mountains to start our 26 day adventure.
The Himalayan Range is home to worlds highest mountains. It boasts 100 mountains over 23,000 feet. Mount Everest stands at 29,029 ft. Our goal is Everest Base Camp at a mere 17,590 ft. You can't actually see Everest from base camp so we are also climbing Kala Phatar which has amazing views of the Himalayas at 18,500 ft. We will be making a loop on the way back from Everest Base Camp through Gokyo via the Chola Pass.
We always wanted to start our trek in Jiri. Due to the terrain of the mountains, the road from Kathmandu to the Everest Region ends at Shivalaya. It is an epic 8 hours bus ride to Jiri. Shivalaya is another 8 hours away. Jiri, the gateway to the Himalayas, is the original beginning of the Everest Base Camp Trek and this is where we started walking.
After the road ends, a walking road/trail winds towards the mountains. This intricate network of trails has been used by the Nepali people for centuries. They use it to travel from village to village to visit their families, to conduct business and carry supplies. Sometimes the roads are the size of a footpath, some times it is the size of a one lane dirt road. About 70,000 trekkers visit Nepal every year. Most trekkers fly to Lukla(the only other access point to the mountains) and start their 2 week trek. Only 5% of us start in Jiri which will add an extra 8 days.There was never a question about being guided. We always go independently which means we carry everything ourselves. It's tough but it's always worth it.
We wanted to start in Jiri to see and experience Nepali life. As well as to strengthen our legs before we hit altitude. The roads end in this area for a good reason. It's was up and down all day for the next 8 days. Jiri is at 6,000 ft. and we climb up to 11,000 ft. and back down and up again.
It is a diffucult start to the Everest Trek but worth all the work. This is Jason and Melissa's first trek. Not only did we have to deal with the terrain but we also all had to learn how to walk/climb together. The first couple of days was rough. We hiked 6-8 hour days, every day. It never necessarily got easier but we got stronger.
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The Nepali people are beautiful and kind. It is a poor country and life in the mountains is tough but they were very welcoming to wards.We hiked through rice terraces and walked by little villages. We met the Nepali people as as they tended their farms and as they hauled giant loads through the mountains. Of course, since there are no vehicles, all supplies have to be carried for days to their destination. In the lower altitudes, donkeys are also used to transport goods but the Nepali carry a lot of the loads. The Nepali people are small. The biggest load we heard about was a Nepali of 120lbs carrying a load of well over 200lbs. Some of these loads looked so heavy, they brought tears to my eyes. With these giant loads they covered in a day what it took us at least two days to walk.
I had no idea until I came to Nepal that I looked Nepali. Starting in Kathmandu and throughout our hike, the Nepali were curious about me. Most thought I was a guide for the three Americans I was with. Hilarious. I received many looks as I passed the little villages as everyone was trying to figure me out. I explained a dozen times a day that I was born in the Philippines but I am American. A guide told me there was no difference between me and a Nepali. I felt very accepted. As we hiked we all learned a few Nepali phrases. We learned basic greeting exchanges and learned how to ask how far in hour the next villages where. It was helpful when we finally learned to count to 10 so we could understand their answer.
I became the negotiator for the group for a lodging. They make almost all of their profit in the food so we got most of our lodging for free. We paid as little as 50 Ruppes (75 cents) to no more than $1.30 for a room. Our meals where around $1-$2 and a cup of tea was 25 cents. The staple meal is Dal Bhat, rice and lentils. With our increasing appetites, we were more than happy to accept the free refills. The tea houses are sometimes just an addition to a house and we basically ate in the family's kitchen. Most of the accommodations are dormitories or basic rooms with single beds. Forget about rooms with bathrooms and heat in rooms. We were lucky when there was a stove in the dining area.
On our 6th day we decide it was time for a day off. It happened to be the Hindu festival, Dipawali. It was the eve of the festival and we were dragged out of our lodge by a group of 20 kids between 6 and 10 years old. Dipawali is a brother and sister festival. The sisters cook for their brothers and give them wreaths of marigolds. The brothers give their sisters gifts of clothing and money. The kids went from house to house plugging in their little radio and dancing well into the night. We found ourselves in the middle of the dancing parade.
The day of the festical I took a walk around town. I was mistaken for a Nepali and Hindu. When they found out I wasn't, they invited me anyway into their home. I was surrounded by tons of marigold, drinks and food. I went back to our lodge with dots on my forehead and a wreath of flowers around my neck.
We enjoyed the first 8 days of our trek knowing we were experiencing a special part of Nepal. The Buddhist and the Hindu of Nepal live in harmony. We passed temples, monastaries, prayer rocks, prayer wheels and prayers flags all along the way. The days were warm. Shorts and t-shirt weather, in the 80s, perfect of trekking. The nights were chilly but bearable. Our coldest night was on Lamjura pass We were only at 11,000 ft. and it was below freezing. This gave us a taste of what was to come. We were all excited to be out here together. Our legs were strong and we began our adjustment to altitude. We were ready for the second part of our trek.
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