Up the Annapurnas

Annapurna Circuit Trek
1 - 21 days

Preparation : Small rucksack as not taking a porter or guide. I will have to carry everything.
Water Bottle
Compass - didnt use
Hemp oil / Himalayan salt - to add flavour
small shampoo - clean air so wont get too grimey
One long trouser / one short
One t-shirt
one long yoga pant - for cold weather and to wear in bed
two fleece
one water / wind proof jacket
one water / wind proof trousers
boots
3 socks
one head to toe rain cover
gloves
one long sleeve top

Forgot : Knife (on hind sight didnt need)

Bus Pokhara to BhulBule - 5 hrs 300 rs

Inauspicious - I'm the only westerner on the bus.
Auspicious - found walking stick on ground outside registration office - for me?
Auspicious - see 3 / 4 porters for a group - staying in Bhulbhule so they'll be behind me.
Auspicious - i'm no 8 to start the circuit today so a few people in front of me.

Day 1 Bhulbhule - Nagdi 1 hr (following 6 hrs on bus)
Hotel in corn fields on bank of River - only sound is that of the river. Have shower in concrete and corrugated iron shack and lose my soap down the plug - no way i was gonna put my hand down there.. Hey ho. Only me here. I chose this hotel as all women - the men are working in Dubai.

Day 2 Nagdi - Chyamche
6am blue sky. Warm and sunny. Little nervous - alone in the mountains. Decided to take it day by day - if i dont meet up with others, I can alwyas come back. (terrible thought). Will walk 3 hrs to Bahundanda for breakfast.
This is how the Crooked Nepali's work : Stop at village and i'm offered water - didnt really need it but it was offered to me for 30 rupees (30p) so ok. Open top and pour into my water bottle. When i go to pay for it its suddenly 50 rupees ... cheating *(&^%*@.

Police check at Bahundanda say x3 people 1/2 hr ahead of me. This encourages me - although the walk alone in total silence is blissful. I only meet the odd hill villager - mainly women.

Lost my stick already. pooh.
Shoulder in lot of Pain
Huge cricket landed on my t-shirt - eerrrr scream. Villages laughing at me.

Stop for water stop just before Jargot and meet Katmandu man (ugh) walking circuit - i walked 5 mins with him but Nepali's just dont know about space awareness - i had to ask him to walk ahead of me as i was constantly having to slow down or speed up to stop him walking into me. Dumped him asap.

Met x2 portugeuse on honeymoon having lunch in Jargot so walked with them for last part of my day. 8 hrs walking.

Day 3 Chyamche - Tal - Danakye

2 blisters
right shoulder in great pain
Aching all over but mainly sore feet
Sighting : French man and guide in hotel opposite
Right knee slight pain
Upset tummy too
using Purification tablets in water now (bottle water too expensive from here)
7am clear cool morning walk alone to Tal for Breakfast - food terrible at my guest house.

After breakfast walk with French man and Guide to Danakye. Crossing over the river they're building a road and we walked over the dynamite - before they blew up the rock face - SOOOOOO glad i'm walking this now - next year it'll be ruined wiht sound of jeeps and buses.

8 hrs walking

Guest house has TV - can you believe it - had to ask them to turn it off.
Hot Shower

Day 4 Danakyu - Chame

4 blisters - sore sore feet
Hips ache now
Starting to ascend now 2300m - 2670m
Much cooler now
Walking with French man Guillem & guide.
V. v.v..v steep up hill for 1 1/2 hrs.
OMG i had to eat a Mars Bar to keep me going. wait for the after effects of this .. must be first one in about 10 years.
I cant believe i wore a white T-Shirt - its now many different shades of grime and sandy brown . Doh! As arrived at hotel with guide - my hotel bills suddenly double - so i tried to have conversation with the guide and why he didnt just let me know this rather than think i wouldnt notice - e.jit. He couldnt get over the fact that i challenged him so things became a little tense.

Day 5 Chame 2670m - Pisang 3200m

Walked alone as Nepali guide too much of a *(*$#@ for me to bear any longer - they dont like the fact that women travel alone (not paying guide or porter) and that I saw his scam also.

Met up with a spanish couple from Barcelona with no guide and walked very slowly with them to lucnh spot - met up with French man and his guide and also another French man and his guide - very serious older one - again problems - didnt like us being there. No wonder Nepal is not at peace - the locals cant even walk up a hill together... All the westerners loved meeting up with each other and walking together but the Nepali's couldnt bear it. As leave lunch - meet two English guys from Newcastle and walk with them - one of them has more blisters than me and was walking with flip flops and socks - ha hahahahhaha - great look. But such great guys - they'd come under the bad vibes of Nepali guides also - so when we reached Pisang and were told we were'nt welcome at same hotel - we walked up to Upper Pisang - Unbelieveable...

Migraine. - little altitude sickness or mars bar effects ? couldnt get warm.
Raining.

Day 6 Upper Pisang - Manang 3660m

Feel ok.
Blue sky.
Hands little puffy.
Lungs feel more open.
leave about 8.30am and walk most beautiful route - all otheres took the lazy lower route. But they knew what we didnt - sheer Up up up up about 500m yikes. Took it very slowly - Andy got sick cos of running up the hill before b'fast so it was good for me that it was super slow. All abit lethargic / head pressure ish at lunch Nawal 3660m. We went a bit off piste as they maps are terrible - we werent even sure we were walking up the right hill - but about 1 hr later we rounded the 26th corner and saw a village - such relief...
Reached Manang about 5pm - really really tired. but happy.

Day 7 Manang 3340m

Rest day - just wandered around - blue skies, ate well. Jo met a Nepali man who offered to show him to a great restaurant with local prices - it turned out to be his home - but he got to watch the footie and have a cuppa tea so he was happy.

Day 8 Manang - Tilicho Lake

The boys wanted to go to Tilicho - I didnt as would take an extra day and my mind was starting to play on the fact that every day further i went towards the High Pass - meant an extra day i'd have to walk back if i couldnt take to the altitude. But they were fun to be with so i went. - They were looking for a hotel a friend of theirs had said to find as a man there would tell them if the base camp would be open... We could have asked in Manang but that would have been too easy.

We took the - local path - more beautiful - but harder. OMG! across land slide rock faces, across the river, up sheer v steep hill to one village with no one there - up up up up up up up - all ok but there's no way someones gonna build a hotel this high - about 3pm we see it - about 500m below us - mmmmm we have to scramble through little prickly bushes about 1 hr to get down. By this time - i'm over hungry and tired and there's no way i can walk an extra 2 hrs to get to base camp - it would've taken 2 hrs if we'd taken the normal route... I have a fit and decide to stay at the half built new hotel - the boys eat and leave.

Asking for shower get told - No shower - ok. Get given the smelliest blanket also.
Ask for guide to take me the short cut the next day to Yak Charker - only 4 hrs or so.
My mind is now really freaking out about the altitude and making the 5.500m crossing - i'm feeling really sick, heart is having palpitations and im alone in a hotel in the middle of no where with 5 Nepali men. try to breathe - no sleep comes - just releif as soon as its dawn. In the morning all the men are really sweet - what was all the fuss about.

Day 9 : Tilicho Hotel - Yak Kharke

Set off with guide Murty and make the super gorgeous walk up up up up up anddown down down down - First sighting of the lovely Yak - they're a bit shy. I'm told i see Blue Sheep - they're more like deer -and not near enough for me to see if they're really blue.
I cant believe the boys will find this route on their own - but they did.

Meet up with the entire group and all their guides and porters and also Pokhara guide Kamal and one US man Dan.


Day 10 : Yak Kharke - Phedi 4,500m

Blisters still hurt
Lips are really chapped and cut
Heady / sinusy / bit worried about Altitude Sickness
No shower since day 3 I think
I'm a bit grubby
Running v low in money

The mountains are like dead dinosaurs pulling us in - not wanting us to leave them alone.

Set off behind the porters so i have someone to follow - the group are about 1/2 hr behind me. really pleasant walk - blue sky, chilly wind at times.

Chat to all at hotel and walk up half way to high base camp about just to acclimatise.
Phedi is like the end of the dark pscological journey - all the mountains form a circle around us with the river at the bottom - one way is a ten day walk aback the other is a further 1000m climb to the pass at 5.500m - about 3 1/2 hrs - but the steepness can be v. dangerous - sooooo much fear mongering.

At dinner the boys arrive - so glad to see them - although i've arranged to walk over the pass with the guide Kamal and US Doctor Dan (for safety). Also at dinner i decided to take an altitude sickness tablet (just in case) and to ensure I made it - there was NO Way i was going to walk back 10 days... had not enough money to do that either. You can take a pony over - but again you need money for this.

Go to bed and i wake up at midnight with the worse allergic reaction to the tablet - the noisiest ringing in my ears. Diarreah. heart palpitations. head pains - So much fear that this will prevent me from walking.... breath breathe breathe...


Day 11 Phedi 4.500m - Thorong Pass 5.500m
(onehundred less than Kilimanjaroo I think)

I wake up at 3.30am to noise of everyone getting ready. The guide has not knocked on my door - why not... breakfast at 4am... leaving 4.30am . Its dark and everyone has a head torch - except me - i just brought a torch from a Christmas Cracker - its crap but small and enough for what i've needed so far. we walk so silently one behind the other - I'm soooo tired and its really difficult to breathe - i make it to high base camp. But i'm really cold . I'm wearing everything i brought yet my bag is really heavy - but i do have to carry two litres of water.

next 500m are agony and seem to take forever - my camera has run out of battery - a bit like me - but i just take it foot by foot - not even step by step... The guide Kamal stays with me and Dan leads everyone - very competitive... The boys are still in bed. I'm given raw garlic and told to chew it and have to keep stopping to drink water. Feel like i'm going to have a heart attack - so much pain - but no altitude sickness feeling - just heart pain - what comes of low blood pressure perhaps ?? Finally the prayer flags and pole and everyone come into view.

The police men, check point table and chair , which they carried up to register us !!! nutters are all set out and everyone is cheering and taking photos - we all made it - one person is slower than me and still coming up but she'll get there.

The Descent Pure Relief.

Now 2000m down - no cafes or water on the way - just eagles, eagles huge eagles - eating a dead donkey and jumping around. Walking at altitude seems to not affect my muscles - just my breathing.
The boys caught us up as we were having lunch about 500m above Muktinath. They had no trouble.

Day 12 - Muktinath - Kagbeni

True to form - Nepali's are so like Indian's - 5.30am - two women standing outside my bedroom window - shouting at each other as they stand side by side - I had to ask them to move.

Visit to Muktinath Temples - entire body fine - survived what i'd put it through.
Super windy walk to Kagbeni - probably the most auhentic village so far.

Up in the mountains the villages have turned into tourist areas with hotels and cafes for the trekkers - here in Kagbeni real life - harvesting, inbreadness, madness of people was more open.

Andy and Jo arrive at our hotel and boys all watch England v US - i'm toooo tired. and do we stand any chance ???????

Day 13 Kagbeni - Jomson - Ghasa

Windier walk - most boring walk of all along the river bed - v. grumpy today- no breakfast as fed up of paying for the worst porridge , packet bread faking it as fresh toast, so i'm really tired and hungry as i walk the 3 hrs to Jomson. and the ATM, the bus - to take me back to paradise Pokhara. Only not today - had lunch and find out the bus only goes at 4pm if enough people - otherwise maybe a jeep.

I sit and wait and wait - the others are flying.

Eventually a jeep leaves - the road is not a road and we go slowly bumping along - crossing the river - its too deep and water sprays high and then floods the engine so we stop... Luckily the driver gets us going - but kicks us out when a bus comes near - have to stand for about an hr along the so called road till i Get to Ghasa - i'm thinking that maybe i'll stay on another 3 hrs to place called Beni - but when get passed hotel area I decide i'm too tired to go another 3 hrs on a bus so walk back up the hill to Ghasa hotel. Was given tiny wood panelled room but they had fresh bread and stale cheese ! cant have everything can we. (3 1/2 hrs)

Day 14 Ghasa - Beni (3 1/2hrs) - Pokhara (3 hrs)

Walk to wait at bus stand about 7.30am - just in case a bus decides to go. I'm in luck it'll take me to Tatopani. NO - its going all the way to Beni - 3 hrs - 500rs - completely rip off but at this stage i dont care - just want to get back to have a shower nad clean clothes and burn these awful trekking clothes.

Beni - Pokhara - this was a touch and go situation - end of the season - it was possible that maybe there wouldnt be a bus - so the Nepali's twits tell me - they love to spread fear.... Anyway as soon as i got off the bus i was appraochd by man offering taxi to Pokhara (tempting but not at 2000 rs 20 quid). And bus at 200 rs - get on the bus... HURRAYAYAYAYAYAYYAYAAY Sooooooo happyy. The buses here are like personal taxi service - picking up large sacks / barrels from outside people's houses, we stopped at a temple and half the bus got off for a blessing. Constant stopping for Men to have a pee - they cant wait more than an hr. and the Driver stops to chat to every vehicle that passes.

But when I saw the lake of Pokhara from high up on the Sarangkot hill the frown started to fade from my face.

its called Paradise Pokara

And, after India and Kathmandu it is paradise.

Kathmandu - Pokara 7hrs bus
300-400 rupees
seen : two snakes, two monkeys only
Nose pierced
cockraoches - huge - too many
Fire flies - a few - great but not in my room please
cute white fluffy puppy

I had a Spanish man to sit next to on the bus -who was civilised and nice to chat to. We stopped for breakfast and i had my sandwich (horried white bread roll) Mr Spanish had a roll up. Then he snoozed. Then very shortly later we stopped for Lunch - i had rice and dahl and chips mmmmmmmm he had the worst looking burger euh.
Then 7 hrs later we arrived. It was a hot bus ride.

Hardly any traffic. No hooting cars, few tourists, many families a huge lake, slight breeze, warm sun 30 ish. green hills either side and the ever illusive himalaya mountains beyond (still invisible due to the heat haze this time of year) its now end April 2010.

FOund a cafe with a long garden opposite the lake and sat and sat and sat - until I spyed the cafe with a long garden next door with a Hammock - so there I still am...


Until now. at the moment in Nepal the political situation is a little on edge. There's a national strike for the Government to resign... Everything is closed - demonstartions are everywhere and military police looking like ninja turtles are around - in their army blues - its all very peacful but if it goes on for a few weeks - food will be problematic etc... as no lorries, cars etc on the roads - all the drivers are the maoists or too afraid to drive nad have no choice but to join in - (the Maoists are possibly as corrupt as the current government)... In the local paper one porter didnt know aobut the strikes (in Kathmandu) and as there are no buses he has no ones bags to carry so he earns no money and goes to bed with a hungry tummy and his family. But the marches are to some extent to help these people. Wonder if I'll be able to extend my Visa if this does go on for over a week?


Otherwise daily life by a lake meditating, walking, (Hiking up hill - funny that the two hikes i have made in Pokara - I ended up losing the path on the first one - lost in the forrest - I then saw two snakes! and i had to scramble through tiny overgrown paths to get to the top. The second walk took extra 2 hrs I think becuase I took the wrong path to start with - hard work but very rewarding) Maybe i'll stick to walking around the lake in the - very lovely but tad hot or just finding a cafe iwth a comfy chair to relax in. When everything opens again i may stir my stumps to take some language course or volunteer somewhere. I have a room with a garden - next to a Napali family (with one other room with a French woman). I seem to share it with some very large flying (eerr) cockraoches - I mean huge, fire flies, and other usual country insects - everyone wants to be in my room - why?

I did go to-down load my photos yesterday and lost the entire set - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr - 3rd time... so nothing to show of Nepal nor Kathmandu -

. The food is good here - simple, fresh, UK style for me - sugar free muesli, little fresh curd, fresh fruit juice, some toast (that's breakfast). Lunch or mid pm i'll have pizza or spaghetti. or spinach cake. Not surprisingly i'mm off the momos at the mo.

Kathmandu do do do jump up and down and shake yr arse ....

April 2010
Kathmandu / Nagarcot

Expensive. Shoppers Paradise. Polluted, River a bit of everything but a river. cleaner than India and the streets are not public lavs, which is nice. Poverty sits beside luxy. Glue Sniffing kids (under 10), lying in piles on the street beside the Garden of Dreams (160 rupees to enter) that's one pound 60p..... ?? how ?? I went and its not v. big but it is a haven in noisy touristy Thamel (tourist district of Kathmandu). Bottle of mineral water 80 rupees - not joking - I didnt buy it. And Europeans snogging - disgusting in public in UK - but in Nepal??? have they not read the guide books ??? Underdressed tourists, pink tourists, greedy tourists lie around on - mats and pillows provided in the park - the best part.

A little bit about budget hotels. I'm staying in the cheapest room I found with my own bathroom (i did find a place with a bigger room (two beds) but the bathroom just for me was down the corridor - it did have a tub in it and was super clean ) but just didnt fancy having to lock the room in the middle of the night and lose the key and fumble about in the dark all for a pee. So took the 300 rupee room.

And now I know why its 300 rupees only. mam
Normally in budget I can hear the people snoring in the room next door. Here its like sleeping in the hallway. When the tourists come home at 2am and ring the door bell. They have no idea they dont just wake up the poor guy who works about 20 hrs a day but most of the hotel hears the bell ringing 4 or 5 times. The metal shutter comes rattling up, a converstion is inevitable. then the heavy loud footsteps, door key, closing bang. Shutter down. ok peace. Until 5.30am and the radio goes on FULL BLAST... not even a hindu temple song - some crap western pop song. This morning I had to open my door and somehow (god knows how) very sweetly I asked if they would mind to turn the music off. The Nepali's are sooooooooo sweet and friendly - i felt bad asking - in the morning - they're all smiles and said - music good to wake us up.... fake laugh from me... mmmmmmmmm Maybe i'll put in a request for Om Mani Padme tomorrow at 5.30am?

It worked OMManiPadmi gentle woke me up.

Am I the worst traveller - I packed my bags and guitar and caught a bus to Panauti (about 1 1/2 hr away). Off to the green green hills. Saw the Shiva Statue high on a hilll. Saw the red brick buildings - classic Newari style -v. bautiful. Got to Panauti and saw the one Panauti HOtel and cafe and decided It wasnt forme so I got on the bus and came straight back to Katmandu with luggage... Didnt even get to the NomoBuddah sanctuary.. .It was v. hot. Shdv'd left my bags in Kathmandu and just taken overnight stuff. eh ho..

The next budget hotel - after checking about 20 I found Eco Hotel - great, nice room 2nd floor, two large windows. clean - bit smelly bed cover but that's ok Went off for early supper and at 7pm when I returned my room was like it was in the middle of the noisiest dance club . Two sides I had clubs. Luckily I was dead tired to managed to sleep - and was only woken when the nosie stopped. ha.

Katmandu do do

Nagargot
Having unsuccessfully managed to see Panauti or NamoBuddah - I left my bags and guitar at the Eco Hotel and caught a bus to Bhaktapur (750 rupees if you want to look around). And then found the bus to Nagarcot - it takes about 2hrs i think.

Only tourist on the bus and everyone wants to sit near me - why? in the end i Get the old smokey geezer in traditional dress and another sitting on my feet. The one next to me is either drunk or v. tired or both as he's leaning on me and i'm not so happy about this. But I keep chanting to distract me from the sweatiness.

Nagarcot is a ridge with some nice, some ugly hotels perched on the rim. I'm sure the guide book said it was over built and full of tourists - this is not the case -unlike Darjeeling - Its beautiful - still green - too up and down for me to want to walk but just sitting in the fresh scented spring pine forrests after the scent of exhaust fumes was perfect. I found a small brick and corrugated iron roofed shed with eagles to watch and stayed put til after breakfast. Not too many tourists. very hot but cool at night. Oh yeah and some flying buzzing insects - ah get me back to the city.

Next day 6.30am I am walking with my backpack on .. wahey - like a real back packer ninja and I walked 20 mins to the bus to take me to Pokara.

when a monk falls asleep on your shoulder - Nepal

Darjeeling to Siliguri - 3 hrs (shared jeep)
Siliguri to Kakarbatti (nepal border) - 1 hr (shared jeep)

2100 rupees for one month visa - took 3 mins over the counter.
(took longer and had to fill in more forms to Leave India)

Kakarbatti to Kathmandu - local bus - 17 hrs and the reclining seats do not recline.
5pm depart - 9/10am arrive. Blinding lighting electic storm and wild rain -made the journey a little more exciting. As did the 6 turned over cars, vans, lorries between dawn and arriving - some people were still crawling out of the cars. A warning to our super speedy driver ? ignored - but we did get there in one piece without a scrape.

Few stops for nepali Tali / pee / drop of the mountainous load of vegetables on the roof at market.

Inevitable 3 hr walk around looking for a hotel. Nicest one is Ganesh Himal - it was full. Thamel lots of less pricey places Freak Street - cheaper but also darker.



It was a day for people around me to fall asleep on my shoulder or be sick. euuuh

First impressions - Nepal is beautiful - way more countryside than buildings - very nice to see - same same but very differnt to India... No too much harassment. Super friendly and genuinely lovely pepole - especially the gate men at hotel Ganesh Himal for some reason..

Nepal to Tibet - is 900 dollars for 8 days - sooooooooooo would like to go but just dont have that sort a money.. Imagine Base Camp Everest also pricey - but I dont want to trek for 8 days anyway.

Sikkim West

4 hrs by shared jeep from Darjeeling to the border and onto Pelling, West Sikkim.

Permit - free in Darjeeling - from Sikkim Tourist office opposite Gleanery's bakery cafe. Need one photo and copy of passport and visa.

Shared Taxi costs about 100 rupees or little more. Two people sit in the driving seat. two more in the front row also. So 4 front. 4 middle and as many as possible in the back. Sometimes 4 5 or 6 on the roof with the luggage also. Indian style.

Pelling - small - mainly hotels, safe to walk alone to monasteries, villages.
I met people in Kabur hotel and Garuda hotel and we formed a 5some and walked from Pelling to Pechupari Lake (2hrs down 2000m and 4hrs up 2000m) It was beautiful through the forrests, to the river, wild orchids hanging from the trees, few birds and lots of ferns, villlaages etc. Find the shortcuts otherwise its a long crawl up the road. My shaky legs after the first 5 minutes managed the further 6 hours Just.

I was just about crawling when I arrived at the sacred lake. Momos and a cuppa helped get me up the final hill to a Homestay - very very simple sheds on top of a building. Shared bathroom. Chalet style dinner for all - vegetarian luckily and then straigt to bed. Too many moths somehow winged their way into my room attracted to the light bulb.

Next day potatoes and chapati breakfast filled us up before the 5 hrs hike to Yuksom. again down up, across, down, up up up up ahhhhh the stiffness, the legs - how will i ever make it - but somehow we arrived in Yuksom. Shared some noodles and crisps before finding the main part of the village and settleing in for full blown 2 / 3 hr feast. About 6pm we thought we ought to start looking for accommodation.
Again simple but clean 200 rupees per room - more expensive available also. Saw some working Yaks (but these were cross between Waterbuffalo and Yak's me thinks).

Walks worth it - same same so no need to keep walking - Jeep back will be fine for me.

Pelling - Porridge and Paratha 70 rupees
Haircut and Facial 300 ruppees only
Lost hotel key - tired legs walked up and down to look for it - eventually found it hanging in my hotel room door. Oopse.

Pelling to Gangtok - about 4 or 5 hours - Not worth it..
Trekking in North Sikkim I imagine would be amazing but its minimum cost is 1600 per day per person for min. 3 days ....

This is to not upset the Chinese.... Who's running Sikkim? Tibet is no longer marked on maps now either - it just says CHINA. in huge big capitals.

Back to Darjeeling to take the Steam Train.
Took bus to Ghum and the train was waiting at the station - what timing... I jumped on, sat down, got comfortable and then a ticket inspector - very smiling - asked what I was doing.. That every seat was booked in Darjeeling except one - guess that one was set aside for me. 120 Rupees only for 20 mins on steam train.

Off to Nepal

Brr-jeeling

27 hrs from Delhi to Siliguri
3 hrs mad jeep ride up to Darjeeling

end of March 2010

Not worth it - Mists, cold wild winds, no trees left - just concrete buildings, roads, pollution enormous, cold hotels, bit grotty... But at least no mosquitos. Cant say if bed bugs yet..But if you have money its probably worth staying in the pricey hotels with gardens. Some hotels have fires in the bedrooms for extra rupees.


The tibetan Momo's and soups are delicious and although the cheap accommodation is grotty the streets and hills are relatively lacking rubbish. No Indians pissing in the streets and remarkable millions fewer people spitting.

I haev no interest in Tea or Coffee and there's very little herbal tea here - a few organics white and Green are the only options. and only in certain tea shops for the same price as in the UK. Also if you've seen enough Tibetan Temples and dont need to hike around looking at these there's not much else to do but shop - in upper Darjeeling the market is more expensive than the lower Chowk, shops are hard to bargain with and there are loads of fake mountaineering things.

Dong Cheng Ding Dong mountain only showed a centimeter of twin peaks once in the whole week I was there - tho through very hazy mist.

Decided to head to Sikkim before I turned into a momo.

Brindavin

Brindavin is everything... I feel like im in the capitl spiritual city. everyone greets you with Hari Krishner, Hari Bol, Radhe Radhe - shopkeepers, beggers alike. -
Its like a tiny version of Varanasi but cleaner and less people - but there are very smelly areas - sadly along the road by the yamuna , which has been excavated - badly for a bridge - which is being fought by thelocals - if they kept the noisy cars and vehicals away it would be a really special place. There are over 4000 temples here not sure if all worship Krisna but I guess so. There are thousands of monkeys - you cant wear sunglasses or walk around with a plastic bag as they'll swip them. constantly see them with a sandal or a hat...

Revenge for the humans stealing their jungle.

So i'm staying in a very beauiful ashram / temple opposite the Yamuna - its like a palace but its freezing cold inside. i'm going to stay until Thursday when i meet the Pope of Krishna consciousnesss (he's 90) - Guru Dev.


I eat in the ashram but i'm permanently starving - breakfast is sweet so have to go without -andthere are no cafes near by - only street carts with deep fried goodies - but not good for my stomach. Its super hot outside and so many flies. and everyone wears sarees including the westerners - I cant believe I bought so many sarees in Mysore and didnt keep one whole one..

You cant wear sunglasses, hats or carry plastic bags around (let alone food) - the monkeys steal it - Its like being initiated into Brindavin - which I feel I now have been as I was stolen from by a naughty monkey who mustve been watching me buy my lotus snack - he followed me two steps out of the shop then snatched my carrier bag. Now i hide my goodies, get blinded by the sun and wear a scarf over my head for the heat. Ysteray I saw two people have their glasses taken by the monkeys - they have to buy biscuits or fruit and throw it to the monkeys who run around so excited - eventually they throw the glasses back.. its v funny but not ifyou cant see to get yr glasses back. !

THere was a time when the really handsome men all turned gay - now they're Bramacharyas - basically Krishna Monks. Travelling around the world preaching as single men (they're not all handsome but one or two are but it writes better that way).

Also now the next development in India to beat Terrorism is that you have to have ID to use the internet in a cafe!. what next.

I'm doing my divine service at the ashram today I assisted in the kitchen - which is great - cooking with the indians - we made parathas (stuffed chapatis with potato) but so many things were being cooked i've not quite got the recipe - few more times will be great. and i you dont have to wash up if you do the prep. we even have naughty monkeys sneaking into the shram and creating havoc - one walked up to us eating lunch on the floor and stole a paratha off someone's dish...

I was walking around the streets yesterday after going to the ATM (took 3 days to get some cash as they were always empty) I must have asked so many people the way and they all gave a different direction sending me round and round in cirles . 3x i walked past the same woman sitting outside her house. Eventually i had to ask Krishna to guide me and finally i walked down the right road - i was only 2 mins away from where I needed to be ! pah.

Today March 11th is Ekadasi - a fasting day - no grains, no green leafs -who makes up these silly Krishna diets had no dietary experience but anyway I tried to follow to see if i could do it apparently meditation is deeper if we dont eat so heavy foods!... so a few almonds for breakfast (and a few lotus puffs). potato stew for lunch. with buckwheat for pudding sweetened - but i decided to eat it - i was ravenous after a few potatoes - we were in an ashram in Goverdam - seeing the 90 year old Self-Realised being Guru Dev . He's a very special man - more divine that the Pope will ever be. evening meal was - ah for my hungry tummy -not until 8pm and it was yeah more potatoes but fried this time - i must have eaten a whole pan full and peanuts - not for me. i ate a tangerine and a few figs after - fruit is allowed.

Today lunch was a feast to make up for it. and I bought a long skirt - the first one ever.. i hope i wear it I think its quite cool and itll be ok in a cold place too.

Throat lurgy clearing up but defo need to move to a room with hot water.