The Cloud Burst

5th August (I think) Leh


This night we had continuous loud thunder and lightening that seemed to last for hours, the cloud was against my bedroom window and the rain and hail were so exagerated because of the corrugated roof covering i thought the sky was falling down. In the morning after grovelling on the bathroom floor looking for my tiny nose ring that got caught on my towel tassel and fell out I went to the stream to wash my clothes, but it was empty - where's all the water gone ? All the Barley in the field is flattened. I wander into the town and every shop is closed - why? I bump into Paola my italian friend - where have you been for a whole week? we both asked each other - She told me that the bus station was flattened and a hugh mud / flood has washed away half of lower Leh. No one is doing anything - just standing around. I'm too shocked to know whether to go and see - go and help ? Not one cafe is open - everyone is shocked. I 've never seen so many tourists as I did today - all wandering around or going down to help.

People were trying to dig the mounds of mud around the collapsed buildings to look for people alive or bodies of the dead = both were found. I walked up to the Shanti Stupa - on high ground - the main hall was full of Ladaki's hiding from the rising river that runs through Leh and some tourists had pitched their tents as they'd been evacuated. The tourist area was safe. We were the lucky ones.

I met up with Paola and we started helping move debris and sort into piles - mud, wood, stone , bricks - it was tooo heavy work for us woman - and i dont think any of us felt we were heping much nor being utilised in a very effective way. We gave donations and I gave my clothes away. We have no electricity. No internet shops are open, no information is available. The next day a volunteer desk appears and buses and trucks are available to take us to villages - we go to the Hospital - its brand new and full of mud in the ground floor and basement - 1 ft high - but we have a line of people taking the wet heavy mud out in tin trays we pass it along the line and the other line sends the empties back in through the windows - the pile of mud outside is already huge. Crushed cars, vans, lorries litter the grounds with elec poles and all sorts of other debris. The old hospital every one died 80 people. and that needs emptying of mud also. The atmosphere is cheerful and lighthearted among the volunteers and we're given rice and veggies for lunch and driven back to the market area of Leh about 4pm. Tired.

Next day I go to Choglamsar - the worst area - it looks like its been bombed. Cars are buried in mud and have been pushed far down the village from where they were parked and landed on top of other peoples houses. We form lines with the soldiers and help with the mud chucking - it smells here and risk of Cholera is high - the army are also here with sniffer dogs as villagers are still looking for relatives. Huge bolders have been swept down from the hills and now form a solid wall where once there was a cross roads - there's a new river that flows fast where a number of houses once were. Someone asks us to help dig his 3ft of mud away from his garage - there's a van parked in front - we say sorry but houses are more important.

The next day I move hotels with Paola to the White Lotus - upper Kazoo - quiet and away from the Israeli's it only has 4 rooms and no one else is likely to come to Leh for a while. We go to Shey - a village about 1 hr away - there's a monastery for Nums with a school below it for disabled, sponsored children and some who have to pay. Its brand new - been designed by Europeans - its beautiful to look at - but its been built on a flood pain - DURR! each classroom is full of mud some 1ft - 3 ft we get in line and pass the empty buckets - i've learnt the full ones are too heavy for me. the empty line is meditative and boring - but if you get with good people its fun. If you are with people who are half asleep its awful.

I do some shovelling as we've nearly finished one classroom and sweep the floor with a tiny willow brush - its nice to have a solo job for a bit. Sometimes the volunteers can get a bit bossy or grumpy with each other (or be so switched off).

I'm wondering where some of the tourists are that i'd met in Leh over the last few weeks. We've heard stories of 17 who must have been swept away or hit by landslides while out trekking. Some managed to get back but lost all their equipment. Some had to walk for whole day from villages now stranded because the bridges have been swept away - the army make temporary bridges but we are told that they are really scary to cross because the water is so high and gushing.

Every night at the guest house I pack my emergency bag as the owners are scared of the river flooding - they wake me at 12pm to say we have to go - its raining and the river has risen - Paola and I decide we're fine and that we're going back to bed. The family leave us. In the morning - we tease them.

Wednesday 11 August

This evening we have a wash and dress and walk to the petrol pump in lower Leh and meet up with the 10,000 others who're going on a condolence march with candles - we didnt think to bring a plastic cup to protect our flames from the breeze so we walk unlit- the procession is peaceful, dignified and unbelievably moving. We all walk about 2km ending in the town - Paola and I were lucky enough to finish the last 2/300m with the nuns from one of the monasteries their chanting could not have been a more amazing end for us - it was like being in a film.


Waking up at 6.30am the owner is jumping on my ceiling whilst chanting - i'm kind of laughing but at the same time - wha????? - he's fixing a hole in the roof. If i ask him to stop - he'll start sweeping - if i ask him to stop sweeping - he'll put the radio on. I have to be brave and ask them to not to anything noisy til at least 9am ??? they are soooo apologetic I feel bad - but we all laugh.

Friday 13 August - what will today have in store for us?
Caught the volunteer bus to Shey school again - good day of mud shifting. Rice and Veggies. Find out that the Oracle (Tibetan woman (or man) who channels spirits to help heal people) in Choglamsar is still working every day and seeing people - I went to see one in Leh - they speak in a tongue none of the Ladaki's know how to translate. Maybe we'll go and see her. Take the bus back - and sit on top - its warm and a fun end to the day.

11.30pm i'm woken up by the family saying they're leaving the house because its raining and thunder and the river level has risen and and and - I say ok good night. I bang on Paola's door and yell but she's dead to the world and doesnt hear me. I hear a strange noise so I lock myself into my room and go back to sleep.

World's longest, highest

3 August 2010
The Turquoise Lake
5 hrs drive along roads you might take a tracktor one

Been hanging around Leh and all the people i've met so far seem to have left - not sure why cos its raining in the rest of India. As this makes it a high likelihood that i'll have to spend my birthday alone I decide to book myself onto a trip to the highest, longest lake in the world - PangGong. Its over 4000m high. 150km long and only 1/3 of it is in India the rest is in China. Rumour is that China has submarines in it! I'm in a jeep with two young south africans, 2 young indian tourists and the driver. We lure Marmots out of their holes in the ground with biscuits on the way. And as we get nearer to the pass the road is virtually undriveable. Its supposed to be a 4/5 hr drive from Leh but we are eating lunch at 4.30pm in the tiny village on the edge of the lake. We all stay in the last guest house - under parachute tents, which are NOT waterproof - it rained all night and although i had a quilt and a blanket - i didnt get a wink of sleep. My pillow was soaking, the edges of my bed were soaking wet and the blanket was soaking wet also. I put all my clothes under the duvet with me and waited for the morning - it was grey and drizzling. I stood around - not wanting to walk eat or drink anything - just wanting to go back to sunny Leh. I had to wait 4 hrs for the south africans and the indians to eat, finish taking uninteresting photos and to find the driver who'd slept somewhere else. I was cold and moody. Back in Leh - its wasnt so sunny either.

Friday 5th I hired a bike and cycled to Phyang 17 km each way - it was hot today - so very very hot.it took my 3 hrs to get to the monastry and village - no shade to eat my picnic and on the bumpby road just down from the monastry my handlebars came loose and i had no control of the bike. hummmmmmm

I had a few kilometers down hill before the main road, which I was soooooooo looking forward to bombing down. At the end - there was a road block because the bridge in the next village had been washed away so no cars were being let through, but this also meant there was some soldiers - I asked if they had any tools - No of course not - but a nice lorry driver did and he fixed my bike ( I was hoping he wouldnt be able to and i could get a lift back as there were some pretty big hills to cycle up on the way back). I managed to cycle to the airport and then hitched a ride in a small van - the lovely Ladaki driver didnt even want the 50rupees i offered. So beautiful are the Ladaki people.

I rushed home put the boiler on while there was electricity - (about 1 hr a day). Put my towel and soap in the bathroom - it was to be my first hot shower (well my first shower for about 3 or 4 days). Just walked back into my room for something and a fat Israeli woman went into the bathroom - she had an ensuite so there was no need for her to use my shared bathroom (sorry to be fatist and racist but now i know why people dont like the Israelis). after a few mins i went back to the bathroom and heard the shower - I banged on the door and told her to stop using the shower - and move my towel etc... - She came out after her nice hot shower and i wanted to scream at her - I let her know that I had been waiting patiently for 20 minutes for the water to heat up - did she not think to ask if someone was waiting for a shower ??? ignoramous.

Needless to say no more power and no more hot water. Walked into town and bumped into Spanish Juan (Quixote I call him) it was his last night so we walked to a Tibetan restaurant - and all the tables were reserved - Whaaaa - can ya believe it - in Leh ????

IIf you like Apricots you'll love LEH

Kaza - Keylong 16 hrs via Gramphu
5am minibus one pass 5000m high
Road still closed to local buses

Keylong - LEH 17 hrs local bus
5am-10pm Over two passes over 5000m high

On road to Gramphu pass many land slips and snow slips, have to wait while small lorry with a small car on its back was stuck in deep rocky area (where waterfalls cross the road it gets very rugged to cross). A slightly bigger truck had to pull it out of the water. Then we watched the british bikers on a classic car journey all get soaked and wobble badly as they drive through it (mainly OAP's). I'm travelling with 6 Israeli boys, one Italian woman and a few locals at the back of our minibus. The Israeli's want to smoke their CHillum (pipe with charras) in the bus - but I made it really cheerily clear this was totally unacceptable - I think they thought they'd win me round and persude me to have a puff and then theyd be ok smoking the rest of the way - but they had to crouch in a shepherd shelter in the cold air of 4000m chuffing away. we must have stopped about 15 times. Passport check point. Breakfast. chai. Lorry stuck. Car in front got a puncture - we didnt stop to help - just stopped to move the jeep out of our way. he he. Pipe smoking stop. Lunch stop. Pee Stop. Look at the deep water in the road stop. Land slide stop. Then my bus stop. The Italian woman joins me - luckily she doesnt speak too much English cos the Italian's are LOUD. She was the type who sought reassurance after every thing she said by looking at me or someone else. She shoved her camera out of the window every two mins and used one word to describe everything like an excited child. 'cow', 465 km to Leh. Buuuuutiful. We swapped buses and took a local the 3 hrs to Keylong - had to endure a small argument that we had stolen someone's seat - but we'd sat on the empty bus for one hr (while it was changing a tyre) at the next passport check point.. we won. But I think he got the last laugh. When we got to Keylong - we had to queue for our morning local bus ticket to Leh (Indian style queueing). As the Italian woman was before me - I gave her my money and yelled over - window seat window seat... We decided to share a room at the station guest house - which was good enough with a nice view of all the buses and a mountain beyond.\

5am Keylong - Leh local bus
I think its Sunday 11 July 2010

You simply will not believe it - the ticket man was having the biggest laugh - we're on the back seat. The worst seat on the bus - 17 hrs of humpty dumpty bumpety bump on dirt mountain pass roads. Not only this bue there are 5 seats back row and he sold a 6 invisible seat to a local. Even the bus conducted queried it - We had a huge row 5am - too early for this. Saying the window seat we booked. no 46 and 47. No 48 does not exist. 'its the conductor's seat' . So where's the conductor going to sit? cos this man is not the conductor... bla de bla. We let the local sit down and maybe it was for our benefit - the more squished you are when going over bumps the better to wedge you in. The bus was crammed. two boys were sleeping in the aisle by the back door by us. 4 europeans were standing. The front was a squeeze also.

Off we go. We are jolted out of our seates for 17 hrs. I have bruised shoulders, elbows, buttocks, hips and my back is still stiff. The italian woman leaned over me to take pictures through the window until she got bumped sooooo high one time she gave up. well done bumps. Lunch was roadkill - which was surprisingly ok. There were no villages the entire 17 hrs - just great tent sites - which acted as Hotel's for trekkers or bikers I guess. Such a remote life for the 3 months the passes are open.

The drive was a weeks worth of views in 17 hrs each range more spectacular than the previous - a holiday just looking at the different ranges in itself. The Himalayas are crumbling piles of rocks which every year get smaller and smaller and turn into gravel then sand. Miles of plateaus lie in between lower hills, the higher mountains peering from behind.

The sandy roads blow high above the bus, have to quickly close the window and cover my nose, ears and mouth. My hair and clothes are covered in dust - its coming through the back seat. Just the last hr of the drive is in darkness. So when we arrive I have no idea what Leh looks like - except its full of shops - I so was not expecting this. How long can I stay here before the city pulls me in? After Sacred Spitti with nothing but hills and houses.

When we stop, an Italian man, we met at the ticket office in Keylong, and who was also at the back of the bus, arranged for 6 of us to share a taxi. Thought it was odd but hes been here before so knew where to go so I followed - he was v. clever. He jumped out and took care of a room for himself then came back and said his guest house was full. Night. Are all italians like this? Well Italian woman, me and a Canadian woman and two swiss - trundled off down the unlit passage way knocking on doors (its 10pm now). First one is full. Second one no one comes out. 3rd one rooms are smelly. 4th one too expensive. 5th one two rooms only. Italian woman grabs the cheap one. I offer to share the 2nd with the Canadian but she seems to wnat to keep looking. I try to bargain the room down but Dolma wont budge. I walk off and keep looking. But its a nice place - so I go back - Dolman whispers to me i can have it cheaper so I take it. Dump my bag and go and find the Canadian to help her. She takes a room with huge windows and tiniest bathroom I've ever seen in place next door. We're all sorted - no sign of either Italian..

I wake up to guess what - An aeroplane sound. I've not heard anything that reminds me of 'the west' or normality for a few weeks so this rather woke me up.

I went a wondering to find breakfast and a new guest house - felt I wanted to be somewhere away from the Italians (nice tho they were).. I find Changspa a little area for Israeli tourists by the look of it - But I find a Homestay guest house with a large airy room with a huge window, chairs, table overlooking their veggie garden and the mountains. (a 50 year old mud house with its onl mini temple inside).

When I walked back outside a couple where walking their two very healthy looking dogs on long leads - a local old man was staring as I was, and then we caught each others eye and he nearly bent over laughing .

Leh must be the Apricot capital. It has every which way you can think of made out of Apricots - even powdered than you can sprinkle on yr museli.

Also if you like India / Ladakh / The most amazing book to read is Kipling's Kim. I'm sad to have finished it - I felt I was with them on their journey as I travelled what must have been their footpath 109 years ago, for some of my bus ride here. Kim and his Lama. Alone with the sky and grass, mountains and wind.

And by gum the raw cabbages are peppery spicy here.

x

Spitti - The valley where it never rains

TUESDAY, 6 JULY 2010







Manali - Spitti (Kaza) about 10 / 12 hrs Shrared Jeep or bus from Manali
leave Manali 4.30am - arrive 5pm Kaza
1 July 2010

If you ever wondered where all the 'all in one' ski suits went - then wonder no more. They're here in Manali - on the way to the Rohtang Pass. It's a ski destination for Indian tourists - although most of them put on welly boots and fake furs or the old used 'all in one's' and wade in the slush that's left once the pass is open.

I'm in a shared jeep with luckily only two israeli tourists and two locals - tho can you imagine, a local woman from Spitti who's mobile phone went off about 15 times before 6am - in the end i had to suggest she switch it off before I threw it out of the window - international business I think not. We managed to avoid falling off the edge of the cliff, running over the goats and drowning in the icy snow water and then when we were on a flat open road managed to drive into the back of the car in front. Their car was dented - no damage to our jeep but had to watch a small fight, loud argument and then we were off again.

Kaza 3600m
Spitti is nestled behind the Northern Himalaya mountains but south of the Tibetan mountains.

Kaza was a welcome sight after such a long journey with no sleep - mainly because I think i wanted to see the scenery. I went straight to bed and woke up in the middle of the night with no water and headachey, sinusy, but could do nothing til daylight. I watched from my bedroom window the sky change colour and the locals come to the water Pump near my guest house to fill their buckets with water or wash their face and clean their teeth. I find a german bakery - shame such tourism here but at the same time v. glad of a brown roll with salad in it for breakie. I wander around the samll village and meet a couple of people sitting on a balcony outside a grubby looking local restaurant / dhaba - they suggest I come up and join them the paratha (10 rupees) is good and I can have a hot lemon. We look at maps and talk about trekking and the German woman and I decide to go trekking when we have acclimatised.

I moved to their guest house across the river - a traditional house. Get tea in bed in the morning (or fresh mint and hot water for me). BUT these guest houses have Boy servants from Bihar - bought for cash possibly for life - I think they send them to school and i'm told they're used to fetch water and help round the house - the boys look happy enough but they're soooo young - I wish i could speak Hindi to find out more about it from the boys. Next door's says he is 14 and will see his family again in 2013! poor kid.

Kaza - Kibber (about 1 hr on the bus)
stayed at : Rainbow guest house - Everything about it disgusting including food.
We find a HomeStay to have breakfast - really nice place and good food - soup for b'fast.

To aid this we take a local bus to Kibber 4200m - I take the front seat yeehaa manage to get it - big mistake. Its the worst bus journey - along a gorge with windy road and we have to reverse a few times to get round some bends - I didnt want the driver to see how scared I was so all I could do was close my eyes.

In the village all the donkeys, yaks, cows, goats graze together and at the end of the day they're brought back to the village by the shepherd and each animal makes its way to its own home. Same in the morning. I loved this.

We though a walk to Chimche would be a good idea a quick warm up 2 1/2 hrs - which involves crossing a gorge by hanging in a metal basket on a cable and being pulled across by ropes - yeah right.... well we did it. It looked worse than it was. The village was unexciting but one Swiss man, Sebastian, who walked with us was going to stay there so we got invited into a local house for chai - great to see how they live - the houses are like monasteries with low matreses to sit cross legged on and low tables in front for food / cups etc. They have a wood burner inside but use cow dung for fuel - which I was told was carconogenic. mmmm new research.

We walk back to the village get our packs and walk to Kee Monastery - 1 hr or so downhill via a road - or over the hill via Gata (couldnt be bothered to do this) so took short cuts sliding down the cliffs to avoid wakling all round the road. Two Korean men are walking with us. Its v. hot. When we get to the Monastry unfortunately about 20 US students are there also - we were thinking to stay the night but the room was a bit grim and they dont wash the bedding so we started walking back to Kaza (and got a lift immediately).

Langtze - Komik 4,600m - Damul - Langlu - Dankhar Trekking

The next day we take a bus to Langtze and arrive in the cloud about 2pm - we have the name of someone who lives here where we can stay but there's about 6 houses and everyone looks a little inbred. One man who gets off the bus with us says we are in lower Langtze and the house we need is in upper - but he wants us to have a chai in his house - ok - I think he wants to sell us a fossil really. after Chai we decide to walk the 2 1/2 hrs to next village of Komik

Komik.
We can see quite far ahead the path up up up and round the corner but every time we came to the end of our view there was another huge area of fields and hills to cross. But, excitingly we found the rivers that were dried up had some fossils in - not amazing but the first ones i found myself. Eventually we get to Komik - its just turning dark and the contact we have here has left the village and someone else has taken the room (how dare they)... We wonder to the next couple of houses and find one who has a room and will give us dinner - 9pm they said well at 9pm dinner was not looking like being served and Angela was getting really grumpy and saying that it was rude to ask for dinner before they eat as a family, traditions etc... and she said they'd said dinner would be 10pm. well if you dont ask you dont get . So i asked and got and was happy. Angela was pissed off cos they wouldnt cook her a noodle soup! so she went to bed hungry. But we're not staying at restaurant hotels. You eat what u r given. We had to share a large mattress on the floor in a big room with logs for a ceiling and a large square concrete washing area in the corner . The loo was a separate room in the house with a hole in the ground and a pile of earth beside it - you pee in the hole and shovel mud on top. No water. No bathroom - I dont think they wash up here.

Komik - Damul (5 hrs)

Head off after a chapati and dahl left over from dinner and seem to walk endlessly up hill. Its getting harder and harder. Eventually we reach a pass and things flatten out a bit. 5000m - no wonder i was huffing and puffing. phew. Stop and picnic - chapati and tomato as thats all we've got - no villages nor tea houses here. The only thing we follow is a random foot path hoping we are going the right way. Spy the other tourist who was staying in the village but he was about 10 mins ahead of us. We catch him up at the top of the mountain to Damul. We now have about 1 hr down hill. Exhausted as I am. relief of seeing a village helps. This village has a rotation system (bit mafia based) and they charge double everywhere else so we didnt really want to stay here. We found a place that would give us some lunch (fried rice and insy wincey bit of a hint of a vegetable). then i got a migraine and got freezing and there was no way I could walk to the next village (let alone the right house to stay in). We got an ok from the owner that we could stay in this house and then we had a string of locals, including the village coordinator telling us we couldnt stay here. Luckily Angela speaks fluent Hindi but this also meant we had to endure a battle over every bill and every conversation - I was glad i could only say hello and good bye after a while. eventually all was cleared and we could stay the night. Dinner 9pm again. bed. breakfast - chapati and butter. mmm and worse still - its now pouring with rain.

Damul - Lalung (3 hrs)

I have a rain over coat but no water proof trousers. Anegla has full waterproof kit - but the jacket leaks and her rucksack jacket leaks. The only thing thats wet for me is my lower legs but light trousers dry quickly.

We think the rain is bad enough but when we find the path (after being told to take the road - which didnt exist), we have a bigger problem. Its soft black mud and we have about 5 inches of mud stuck to the bottom of our boots and have no grip and have a lovely route down hill - mud, rain, cloud - we slip and slide and have to cross many small ish waterfalls that are gushing. Angela wants to walk directly to Dankar and skip Lalung - ugh is my view - its long enough and hard enough in the mud and rain as it is. We walk and walk and dont stop for water or snack cos its too wet. The cloud is only about 40 ft above us - its quite exiting. But neither of us really have any idea which way to go other than following the biggest most used path. We reach a cross roads - one path leads to the river but no bridge and its to Dankhar (6 km) the other left goes to Lalung (1 more hr) so we head here - i'm v. relieved. We walk across a stoney ledge and have to watch out for falling stones from the weight of all the rain then we cross the river and walk up up up up a hill. But we find Padme the school teacher (who we've been suggested to stay with in the middle of the village) and luckily because its raining she's not at school (school is too wet inside). she speaks good english and gives us a room to leave out wet things and makes us Rice lunch - no fire as they cook on camping gas stove but at least we're inside, drying out and sitting down. I have the worst pain in my shoulder and really do not want to walk the extra 8 km to Dankhar in the rain this pm. I suggest we do first thing in the morning to Dankar and then hitch back to Kaza or Mud or Tabo or take bus - this seems to settle her restlessness a bit - she has a man she wants a phone call from - but we have no signal out here.

Langlu has the best monastery in the world (according to me) its 1000 years old with a 1000 year old tree outside. Its history is that two sculptures inside one either side of the door protect it. and each buddah , tara, lama etc are sculpted out of mud or clay and painted. Archaologist or historians have been here taking samples of the mud used and cannot match it to anything local. The myth is that when the monastery was built the lama asked the Gods and Goddesses to help and this is what materialised. 108 were built but only 4 have been found.
We meet 16 Indian tourists in private jeeps here - they're driving back to Kaza and Angela hitches a ride. I didnt want to go back to hum drum place yet so stayed alone. But not for long - A young Indian woman from Bihar doing research for WWF a tourist organisation was staying at my home stay also and next day was heading to Kaza. Next day i'd decide if i walk to Dankhar, take shared jeep or go elsewhere.

Lalung - Dankar

Its still raining. I'm advised not to walk and that its really not a good idea to travel in the train for landslides. After breakfast the indian girl and I are quickly told to head to the jeep taxi. Then we're told they're not enough people to go so taken to another house to wait. We sit by the fire and wait and wait. i've decided to head to Kaza as its the Dalai Lama's birthday and all sorts of Masked Dances and celebrations will be happening. We finally get told to go to the jeep and its got 8 people on back seat. 4 on front seat. 6 in boot and abuot 6 people sitting on the roof - basically its full. The indian girl nearly cries. However. two tourists suddenly appear with a private jeep - they're going to Dankar and then Kaza - wow - what luck, how amazing. We just have to go to the monastery here again and then drive in the rain to Dankar (place of another 1000 year old monastery that's on the top of a rock that's crumbling so huge appeal to try and save it). Not as impressive as Lalung but good to have seen it. Its freezing. and the two tourists are now going to walk 1 hr up the hill to see a lake ! Thank goodness here's a cafe and indian woman and I and driver and a lama head here. Its full of israeli smoking tourists bored and grumpy because they're stuck here - no bus nor jeeps leaving - roads too dangerous and there's no electricity and no hot water. WEll, I've not had a wash for 4 days.

Heading back to Kaza in the jeep - and there are 10 landslides - some really big ones where the road has disappeared and we all have to get out of the jeep and push rocks level and watch the driver tilted to 45 degs to get over the slide. We walk / jump across and jump back in and drive to the next one... but get to Kaza safely.

Bus Life

Saturday 19 June 2010
Pokhara - MahendraNagar/Banbassa (Nepal border with India) 1050 Nepali rupees
1pm Local bus (arrival time unknown - approx. 6-8am)
Banbassa - Haldwani (5 hr 167 Indian rupees)
Haldwani - Nanital (1 hr 37 Indian rupees)
Haldwani - Haridwar (7 hr
Haridwar - Manali (16 hrs 500 Indian rupees)

Food : 8 mangos p/kilo - about 50p
small sweet apricots falling from the trees
lychees grow on big trees

Sitings : monkeys again
herd of wild elephant in the forrest by the road



My bag is too heavy - i have too much crap - something has to go - much as I may want to trek again - i cannot carry boots. And the guitar also - but I thought about this and I decided I'd make a sign and put it in a cafe and the procees would go to a woman with 3 kids who's husband left her - her youngest daughter (10 ish) - comes to the cafe and takes peoples order and I gave her a 10 rupee tip one day - she slept with it dreaming about pens and school books - so I know her mum will spend the money wisely. Anyway - how beautiful the universe works - I was walking out of my guest house when the owner stopped me - I told her I was going to sell the guitar and she said she wanted to buy it for her nephew - deal done.

I book the front seat and hope to keep it to myself - you have to be tough to do this - but the Nepali men - although they look after old women and smile so sweetly to young women - they seem to give priority to the men. - As i know i've paid 3x the amount they all have - I tell the men to hoof it to the back of the bus - they Hate this... I love it. Only when the bus is full do I let someone sit next to me - I get a man and a kid - and they keep their elbows to themselves and also they dont stay for too long. Its got to be nearly 40 degrees - you sweat standing still - and i've got 16 hrs on a plastic seat. Lucky me.

The drive starts normally - but then I'm in city traffic - once on the open road (as open as it gets with a one and a half lane road) - the driver put his foot down and we zoom along - way to fast for my liking. I think he had a shot of something very strong - I Just have to hold on tight. I check the dash board - there's no speedometer! Nepal is also full of road blocks and every hr we have to stop and army get on board with huge rifles - poke around a bit then leave.

Behind me I have a young nosey busy body boy - leaning over my seat and breathing down my neck and constantly poking me with his feet through the hole in the back of the seat. Then hestarts blowing huge bubles and cracking them - I'm really holding back my deep desire to scream at him or hit him on the head with my metal water bottle.

I'm the only westerner on the bus and also only 2 other women - one with a baby but I feel comfortable and also happy to be leaving Nepal. The ticket /door man on the bus tries to get me to pay for my ticket again - albeit 100 rupees cheaper than I paid - when I tell them how much I paid they back off. Huh What a flipping suprise.

Thank goodness I bought 3x brown bread rolls with salad in them, lunch, supper and breakfast - the food on the way was super diabolical or packets of super spicy crisps.

Its dark quickly so I miss the seeing the landscape, which is a shame - and before long it starts to rain - really hard - The bus has one tiny windscreen wiper - but they dont use it. Suddenly we stop - and theres lots of noise on the top of the bus - followed by the entire contents of someone's home being shoved into the bus - the biggest TV, mattresses, metal boxes, hessian bags filled with pots and pans - a gas cooker stove thing. I guess we had no waterproof cover. Felt like one hr later - we stop again and everything gets put outside - in the rain anyway.

As we get going one of the door boys sits next to me . Bugger . He puts his feet up, lets his knees drop open and then lolls his head around - eventually on my shoulder - well there's no way he's getting away with this - i shove him up - and tell him to sit straight - he does it again - I know he cant help it - but if i'm not comfy - he's not going to be either ! - he soon moves away .

I lie over both my seats to stop anyone else getting ideas of sitting next to me.

Another SOOOO typical Nepali rip - off coming up: Get off the bus at the border and take a cycle rickshaw to the immigration office - Nepal first - then to India - then to the bus station... 200 rupees - very cheap but its more hot here. Even for me in the breeze of movement. Get to Nepal office - very quick - then get to No Man's Land and he kicks me out and says I have to have an Indian driver now - another 200 rupees. They know every scam. I bought an Indian newspaper on the bus and the first article I read is about the most corrupt countries in the World - Nepal is the only country mentioned in name.

There's a certain smell to India and it felt really lovely to be back here - I sat in the hottest hot I've ever been in for about 2 hrs waiting for a bus - or deciding which bus to take - 1. Shimla 16 hrs 2. Delhi 8 hrs 3. Nanital 5 hrs.

I wanted to take the first bus out but that was Shimla and another 16 hrs was tooo much - I waited for the Nanital Bus. Tal means Lake and its in the foothills of Himalaya so it would be cooler. OMG - a John Malkovich from one flew over the cookoos nest completely mad driver - sooooo fast - tooting too loud too much - one near miss - we are v. lucky.

Its dusk when I get to Nanital (Uttrachand)and i'm relieved and shocked. There must be a million Indian people here - its peak season - in fact the peak weekend holiday for Indian people - I didnt even realise it was the weekend. I found a taxi and asked him to show me around and find me a room - he was SHITE - talks in Hindi and the prices go up and up - no rooms for under 1000 rupees - over 10 quid and most places just say no when they see white me - i am filthy. I decide to dump the taxi. 15 mins later get a room with a TV. Room service - stuffed Chapati and steamed veg. then i crash. Nanital is a little like Darjeeling but with a lake - not for me.

Up early and take a bus down the mountain and decide when i get to Haldwani to take a bus to Haridwar - at least this way I can choose to go to Delhi and fly home tomorrow - or head up to Manali. Another hot drive. I sit next to two kids - small people - hurray - but I am asked to share my seat - no way jose. I feel a bit selfish - here everyone squishes up so as many as possible can fit on the bus and sit down - but this is just not my culture! my feet are double the size - water retention ? Odema ? what is this ? heat feet?

We're on the main main road to Manali now - its a good properly tarmac'd road - and very fast - this it what goes on either side of the road - its like a motorway.
We pass : kids playing on bicycles, x4 people on motorbikes - no helmets, kids rolling tyres with a stick, monkeys running across the road, huge lorries full of tiny stones balanced in a peak - no one stone drops, fruit stands on wheels, waterbuffalos, goats with shephers, weddings, rickshaws, other buses, cars, jeepps.

I booked the front seat again but this time - the fattest man is sitting beside me - I go back to the ticket office and ask why they did this - how am i to sit on a bus with no leg room and big fat man beside me - they just laugh. There are 3 israelis - one quite handsome the other 2 a couple. x6 Krishnas devotees from Myapur - the rest Indian. The fat sikh - overhears my conversation and says he's only on the bus for the first 4 hrs. I tell him very straight - no elbows, dont lean on me - he says he high class Sikh - meaning spiritual - probably worse than if normal. Not long before he falls asleep and leans towards me - he gets a shove and wakes up - he does it again and again - eventually - he complains to the bus door man - he laughs at him - so do I. He gets off and i finally get to relax - my hand has to hold onto the seat so i dont fall off as we're going round mountains very fast.

Soon I feel something soft touching my little finger. The Handsome Israeli is also leaning on my seat. I guess his hand just touched mine by mistake. I close my eyes and realise he is stroking my hand - Bloddy hell - he's flirting with me on an Indian bus - i have to move my hand but it does make me laugh. I have to tell him its not good to touch women in India - when he gets off the bus - the Indian men may think they can do the same!. It works he stops - and he gets off the bus in Parvati Valley.

Finally, 10/ 11am Tuesday 22 June I arrive in Manali - walk into the high street - ick - its like a normal town high street - I spot a tourist with a pack and ask where to go and he says - Old Manali. But i'm soo hungry - food must come first. I leave my bag with a travel shop and go to a cafe - I share a table with two Americans and they give me the history and what's where - they've lived here for 15 years? in a meditation ashram. I go to pay and realise my bill was added to theirs and they paid for my lunch. Lucky or bad kama? I'll repay them if i bump into them again.

Old Manali up the hill - its pretty - one narrow road with cafes, shops, guest houses, travel shops either side and so many Enfield bikes - I may go off their sound soon - accommodation is very sweet but the nice places are bit much - in the end I decide as I've had 4 days travelling I 'll have a treat and stay in a new place all wood and huge bed and TV - snuggle down to Wimbledon and do I spy sunshine in UK ? Federer v Nadal again in the final ?? unless they meet in the semis.
This guest house is run by Nepali's - lucky as I still have 5000 nepali rupees to change - India wont take them - no banks - no shops - not even the crooked money changers. But I make a deal with the guest house man - and he takes them. Obviously the deal suits him more than me. But i'm glad to have a few thousand Indian rupees I can us.

Today No bus. Find a better price guest house, after a few mangos and fallen apricots. I find a place opposite an apple orchard with a terrace, a swing chair and views of the snow capped mountains. 250 rupees with inside bathroom. I was saying thank you to the universe when I heard a woman arrive and be shown the room next door - but she left her hotel for the room I'm in and the terrace - and the view- ooppse - man tries to tell her she got there late.. I fall asleep.


Road side food now -
veggie pakora - ok till hit the chilli.
Its also wedding seas - everywhere - there are huge marquees - horse carts with beautiful decorations - BUT they just take over the street - so it takes ages and have to sit in hot traffic jam everytime.

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.