Our Love for Traveling - Part 3

In May 2007, I suggested going for a trekking trip to Nepal. As we did not really train for it, we decided to take the ‘easiest’ trek, Jomsom Trek, with tea-houses along the way to spend our nights. It was a 10-day trip, spending 6 days on the trek itself. We had to change flight at Bangkok to reach the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu. We spent our first night there and had a great Nepalese dinner with our guide. The next day, we took a 6 hour coach to Pokhara. The traffic was heavy in Kathmandu and it was too dusty for my liking. After the long and rickety ride, we had a nice dinner and walked along the streets of Pokhara. The weather was cool and it was not as crowded as in Kathmandu. It was yet another wonderful day in the Nepal.

The next day we took an internal flight (yet another rickety ride, it’s unlike the ones that one usually takes) to reach Jomsom. From there we started on our ‘long journey’ on foot. From then on, we seemed cut off from all forms of civilisation. We were thrown back to the nature, where even electricity was a luxury. For the six days, we started our day early at 6am and by 5pm, we would have reached another village and would probably fall asleep by 8pm due to exhaustion.

The children were fascinated with our digital camera and posed gamely for us :)


The road seemed to go on and on.... never ending :P

We woke up to such beautiful scenery every morning :)

Taking a short break at one of the houses.

In all, this is a trip that has left me with a deep impression. We spent 10 ‘intimate’ days together with our guide and sherpa. Most parts of the journey were tough, walking on uneven grounds, trudging up the slopes and crossing the streams. Alvan was extremely patient with me, helping me along the way and giving me mental support to push on. It might not be the luxurious holiday that one would love to take, but I walked away with beautiful memories of the place and people. The living conditions were harsh (by our standards) but we saw beautiful smiles on the faces of the locals. Many a times along the trek, one had to depend on candle lights and torches at night. Heated showers were a luxury. Fans and air conditioners were nearly non-existent. One had to walk miles and cross rivers to reach another destination. It was hard for me then to imagine how one could possibly live in such environments.

At the end of our 6-day trek, as we took the vehicle back to Pokhara, leaving the mountains behind us, tears welled up in my eyes. It was indeed a journey that both Alvan and I would always remember.