Cycle complete!
Snowy capped mountains, raging rivers, and friendly tibetan villages. These are just some of the things you will find if you decide to trek in the himalayas. If you come to Kathmandu, its almost taken as a given that you are going to tackle one of the ranges. The 100's of outdoor clothing shops lay testament to that. Stop for a moment outside one of these and in an instant a shopkeeper would rush out to tempt you inside. Its funny how shopkeepers chants the world over remain the same. The typical shouts of "my friend, my friend!" and "good price" became so monotonous that it doesnt take long to ignore such calls. Power cuts are common here. Well I should say theyre more than common, occuring every day for at least 10 or 12 hours. To charge phones or batteries here actually was rather difficult. The earthquake has been the major culprit for this even though it has been a year on from those tragic events.
One could go into detail of harrowing bus journeys on treachorous Nepalese roads, but lets just say it was one of those 8 hour journeys that I found myself on. I'll let your imagination do the rest! The trek I found myself on was on a range only a few miles from the Chinese border. Life up here in these villages is incredibly and enjoyably simple. The only way to get supplies up to these remote spots is on the back of mules, of which there was plenty. After a hard day of trekking one could unwind in front of a hearty fire, gobbling up some hearty sherpa stew and making friendly conversation in the dim light. Those chilly nights spent in settings like this are ones that live long in ones memory. As for the trekking, if you were looking for an easy trail then you were probably on the wrong one. Since the earthquake this wasnt for the faint hearted. Huge rockslides and avalanches have meant that one has to navigate hastily made paths, literally inches from certain death. At one point as I approached one of these areas I could hear several rocks tumble down the opposing side of the valley, the echo of which was truly staggerring, abruptly interrupting the peaceful surrounds. One thing that stands out here is the silence. Perfect silence. Its only occasionally interrupted by the howl of monkeys or the jingling of yak bells, and even then these sounds only add to the secluded nature of this place. I doubt im the first to say the silence here is a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle and honking, present in towns and cities throughout India and Nepal. Its a real priviledge to to be able to get away from modern society and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. I trekked hard for 5 days. To be honest, going at things full on, and full belt is the only way I know. I always have had the tendency to be like that in everything I throw myself at, but even moreso coming from the cycling, Im always pushimg myself. Just the next town and then the one after that, Im always telling myself. I brought that attitude to the trekking also and even though my legs told me No! My mind kept telling me Yes! I find it hard to relax, take things easy and that I believe is a flaw. Not just for myself but moreso for when Im doing stuff with other people, as I'm not sure how patient I would be if others did not go at my pace. Cycling solo means I can always go as far as I want and as fast as I want in any given day, and thats grand. In a way Im my own boss and this suits me well for now. If this pattern be interrupted I grow easily frustrated and at times admittedly I become angry. If there is something I want to learn more of it is patience. In india with traffic and people you can imagine it is not the easiest place to live out that quality. But it is something I will have to learn for when I re-enter normal society. Life shouldnt be all about me and when one travels alone for a long period of time, that is what day-to-day is normally about. How far can I go? Where will I pitch the tent tonight? Have I enough food and water? You become so independent that it can become dangerous for the time when one must return to 'normal' life. In a way Im going to have to re-learn how to work together, to not always be focused on my needs but to be even more mindful of those around me. Yes, as I travel I already do that, but it just gears up to a new level when one is not cycling around the world. Patience and being more mindful of others is something I hope to work on before returning home. In fact it is a must. Sorry where was I? Oh yes! Trekking in the mountains. So yeah. Walked a lot. Thought a lot. Prayed a lot. Ate a lot. Slept a lot. Throw a hundred or so photos into the bargain and that was pretty much it... Bar the 8 hours return bus journey and 2 terribly cheesy hindi movies!
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The AuthorName: Daniel Ross Top Tips:
1. Constantly challenge yourself. 2. If you never try you'll never know what's possible. Archives
October 2016
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