Townlife in Bhaktapur

Before leaving we managed to experience the medieval town of Bhaktapur which used to be one of three kingdoms in Nepal. It is beautifully preserved and I felt so privileged to be able to get a glimpse of how the habitants go about with their daily chores.

Did you read the papers today, how photocopying has become illegal in Tibet and you need to submit your personal details in order to be able to photocopy!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/world/asia/21tibet.html

I will not get into any political debate here but recommend that you read " Freedom in Exile" by Dalai Lama. I read Isabel Losada's " A beginner's guide to changing the world; from Tibet with love" last week and thought it had lots of insights into the whole situation.

Around the Kathmandu valley

So the strike was finally over after 7 days.

How is it possible that a group of people can decide that the only way forward is to decide that the country is on strike? So far I did not meet anyone in Nepal who found that the strike would affect the country in a posititve way. As a European it is very hard to understand the whole concept of a full on strike- just remembering how the icelandic volcano ashes caused chaos to Europe a few weeks ago and everyone complaining how it was affecting us, then imagine not being able to buy food, medicine or travel anywhere...

The problem with the bandhas as they are called, is also that noone knows how long they will last.

The last few days in the mountains we were starting to realise how it affected life even there, hardly any food was available any more and the last few days we had to live on the national dish Dal Bhat. So imagine the relief when finding out that the strike was over! We did not have to walk back to Pokhara for one day in the heat but could happily join in the public transport where the passengers were singing with an even bigger smile than usual.

Homeless boys searching in the Swayambhunath stupa for food during the strike.

The last days we made sure to see what we had missed during the strike. The biggest stupa ( buddhist monastery) in the world is close to Kathmandu and is something I will never forget. Many Tibetan refugees live there and the place is full of small stupas. There is a serene atmosphere which makes it even harder to hold back the tears when you think of what many of these people have been through.

Nepal - where the tourist is thought of as a god

So...since my camera was not functionning properly in the mountains I am afraid I will not have many pictures to post of this incredible country.

Nepal has five different climate zones which you really are aware of when you trek in the Annapurna. The scenery constantly changes from subtropic, temperate forest to the arctic climate zone. It is amazing how when you trek you can see all this in one day. The best but busiest time to go trekking in the Annanpurna conservation area is oct to dec when the sky is free from monsoon clouds and the temperature is easier to handle. I hope to come back when the rhodendron is in bloom which is towards end of March.

 A Nepalese toilet...

In the Himalayas

After two crazy days in Kathmandu where we were caught up in the middle of heavy demonstrations and realized that the country might be on the brink of civil war we managed to escape with a bus to Pokhara, a lovely lake side village. Demonstrations on the 1st of May was followed by full on strike which meant that everything was closed, and you could not get anywhere unless you walked or hired a horse! We waited for one day to see if the strike would stop but soon realized that this was serious and the Nepalese were not sure if there would be anything open this month! So to escape we had to hire a guide and head up to the mountains by foot.

Nepal is such a magic country. Wherever you look beautiful children and adults are going about with their daily tasks, looking like they have no worries at all even though their life in our eyes seem so incredibly hard, they do live in one of the poorest countries in the world, but they all look so much happier than us in the western world. Wherever you walk in the mountains children run up to you and put their palms together as they welcome you with "Namaste".

 

The first day was hard for a city person as we walked for many hours in 35 degrees without any shade. In the night we finished up sleeping in a small town Phedi, our first experience of a tea house: These are pretty much the same all over the himalaya, very basic with a hard wooden bed and often no blanket. You are lucky if you have hot water, but after a few days of trekking you soon forget what it is like to have a proper shower. Going to the loo means squatting over a hole in the ground and afterwards using a bucket to clean yourself.

We followed the famous Annapurna sanctuary trek which changes rapidly in color and climate. You can go from Alpine to sub tropical climate in half an hour. Every where you go you see the beautiful Himalayan flowers and are you lucky you can still capture the last Rohodendrons before they wilt. If you are after them blooming it is best to come in early march when lots of the trekk is in bloom. April is a good time to come even though it can get very hot but there are much less tourists which makes the whole experience more intimate and sacred.

We got up early so as to experience the sun rising over the brathtaking annanpurna mountains. Unfortunately I have a problem with my camera as I am using an old lens which makes the camera overexpose so sorry about the quality of some pictures. I should soon have a new lens.

http://http//www.annapurnatrek.com/Annapurna_trekking_map.html