rode bheja mati: 2013

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Mt.Everest from Air

It will be safe to say that Mt.Everest enjoys a celebrity status among all the Himalayan peaks. As world's highest peak and the most sought-after mountaineering feat, it brings thousands of foreigners in this small Himalayan country.

To reach the base-camp of Mt. Everest, you can fly to Lukla and follow a very difficult and hazardous route to the base of the Khumbu glacier. A typical trek to the basecamp of Mt.Everest from Lukla will take approximately ten days. Or, (a very short-cut) you can take the mountain flight from Kathmandu. A number of Nepalese airlines run short flights around the Everest range everyday. We could not resist this opportunity. We booked two Buddha air tickets for the mountain flight at 7 am on our last day in Kathmandu.

The weather was not favorable that morning. It was foggy and a lot of flights were getting cancelled. As we reached the airport, we were told that all the mountain flights have been delayed due to bad weather. As hours slipped by and flights got cancelled one after another, our chanches for viewing Mt.Everest looked grim. As we debated going back to the hotel to pack, suddenly, around noon, the weather cleared. Each airlines started calling for the passengers of the mountain flight. We boarded our flight, which was originally scheduled for 8.00 a.m. at 1.00 p.m. Within 20 mins, we were flying over the Khumu region, a desert of ice and rocks. Even from the relative comfort and safety of an airplane, the terrain looked hostile and unforgiving.

All along the flight Indra was busy planning a trekking trip to the base camp next year. Just like he planned for a trip to the Annapurna base camp a few days ago. For me viewing a mountain from a distance is satisfying enough. However I am very new at this. Maybe after one trekking adventure I will start loving it.

As we approached the Everest range, the air hostess stopped by and pointed out the prominent peaks to each of the passengers. They also told us that numerous peaks were unnamed. It is difficult to imagine mountains towering over 6000 meters still were unnamed, but that is a reality. When you look around, you see an endless ocean of mountains standing at eye-level.

When we neared Mt.Everest, the pilot invited all the passengers with a camera to go into the cockpit to take pictures. Indra make full use of the opportunity and grabbed quite a few pictures of the gigantic peak and its cousins, Nuptse and Lhotse. This is perhaps as close as we are going to get to this mountain.

When you look on from a distance, you will see that Mt.Everest towers over all his neighbours. However, as you get near, it will seem that Nuptse is taller than Mt.Everest. Infact, initially I mistook Nuptse as Mt.Everest. Indra later told me that from this side Nuptse looks bigger, although Mt.Everest (8, 848) has an advantage of 87 metres over Nuptse (7, 861m).

Too soon it was time to go back. And later that day I bade a final goodbye to the country of mountains with a silent promise that I will come back again soon.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Pokhara - Phewa Lake

I am going to devote this whole article on the Phewa lake. On a cloudy day this is a beautiful mountain lake, surrounded by the city on one side and forests on the other. However, the complete beauty of this lake nufolds only when you see the snowy peaks reflected in its waters.

We woke up to another great view of the mountains. We sipped our coffee in the hotel garden, soaking in the magnificient view and the early morning sun. The smell of water here melds with the gentle aroma of the flowers. A light breeze was breaking the surface of the lake into tiny waves. Just the place to settle down with a cup of coffee and a book!

Unfortunately, we did not have all day. We wanted to take a tour of the lake on a boat. On our request, the hotel arranged for a boat.

The lake in front of the hotel is just a narrow strip which slowly widens and opens into the huge lake. We stopped only at the Hindu temple, the Tal Barahi temple, situated in a small island in the lake. The boat moored on the small deck of the island. Leaving a boat on your own is quiet a feat. I needed the assistance of all of my limbs and my husband. The mandir courtyard was full of devotees who have come to pay their respects. One family had brought a goat for sacrifice. I have no stomach for animal sacrifices, so we left in a hurry.

On our way back we took another trip around the lake. Even in the early morning we could hear the deer barking in the forest behind us. It was difficult to remember the world we live in a busy city in such a setting. To think we might never see this beautiful scene again was heartbreaking. So, we selected a spot where we will build a house when we grow old. We selected one of the less populated mountains adjoining the lake. All this planning made us think that we will come here again. That made it easy to say goodbye.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Pokhara - Sunrise Over Annapurna

Our day 3 in Pokhara started pretty early. We were up by 3:30 am and on our way by 4 am. In the wee hours of the morning, we crossed a very sleepy Pokhara valley and started climbing another mountain range bordering the Pokhara town. Sarangkot is a small town situated higher up in the mountains. Sarangkot is famed for its spectacular 'sunrise-points'. Our driver stopped on the way to pick up a guide for us, although we did not ask for it. The driver requested us to take him on, as the this was the only source of income for the local unemployed youths. We reluctanly agreed, although we didn't regret it later.

Our guide was an enthusiatic teenager, who agreed to take guide us up to a sunrise point for two hundred rupees. We climbed walked for less that three minutes and reached an extremely crowded sunrise point, where a number of people had already secured the best places for a. Indra asked our guide to take us to a less crowded spot. He informed us that there is a spot which would require a climb of 15-20 mins. We agreed and started climbing at a break-neck pace. Dawn was breaking in the eastern sky when we reached a small clearing in front of a tea-shop.

A strong wind was blowing and what we had did nothing to guard us from it. Fortunately, the tea-shop also doubles as a shawl shop and the shop-keeper promptly produced two shawls for us. So, wrapped in heavenly warmth, we drank the tea and watched the cloud lift from the valley of the Seti river immediately below us. Our guide pointed out the landmarks. I spotted some lakes in the shadows and asked what they were called. Our guide laughed at my ignorance and told me that it is a cloud hovering near the ground.

As we chatted, the snowy ranges slowly glimmered into view. The sky was crystal clear and every inch of the mountain was visible to the naked eye. The highest peaks were the four peaks of Annapurna and the Machapuchare. In a distance Kanchenjunga was also visible as a small speck.

It is difficult to capture in words a golden surise on the snowy slopes of the Annapurna range. With four peaks well over 7500 meters, the majesty of the mountains as the caught the first rays of the sun defies any description. For a few moments the mountains were on fire. Fortunately we had cameras to capture the moments that were sketched permanenty in my mind as the most pleasurable I have ever had.

The forked peak of Mt.Fishtail is not visible from Sarangkot. For that we decided to travel to Nawdanga, which is the situated next to Dhampus, the famous trekking destination.

We returned back to the hotel for a quick breakfast. We lost some time there, although the sky was clear till 11:30 that morning. To reach Navdanga, we had to cross Seti valley.

The valley is a lush green patch between two mountain ranges, with the snow-white seti river flowing in the middle. After travelling for 45 mins we started climbing the mountain opposite Dhampus.

Nawdanga is a small village, complete with its own school, a two-roomed college and police station. One of the not-so-sober villagers offered to take us round the village. Asking us to be very careful, he slipped and fell (more due to unsteady feet than uneven terrain I suppose) and started apologizing profusely.

He took us through a cabbage patch for a clear view of the forked tip of Mt. Fishtail. This forked tip, which gives the mountain its name, is not visible from Pokhara. Mt.Fishtail is a sacred mountain and the Nepalase government does not allow any mountaineering expedition on it. This is another reason why this mountain is also known as the Virgin mountain.

We stayed in Nawdanga for more than an hour. We chatted with the locals and bought some oranges from a girl. She said she got the oranges from a market in the Seti valley in the morning and had walked back to the village with her load following the same path we had covered in the car in 30 mins. The hill people have a very tough life.

Before we left, we went to a tea-shop run by our guide's family. He gave us his address and requested us to write back to him from India. He showed me a letter he got from an Australian friend, which he carries around in his back pocket. We left with a very warm glow in our heart.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the restaurants around the lake.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Pokhara - Day 2

The mornings in the mountains are always beautiful. Every single leaf, petal and stone seem to rejoice in the morning light. The morning over the misty Phewa lake will transport you to a dreamland. We had our breakfast in the hotel dinning hall, which is built to face the lake and the snowy mountain range. Our luck was out that morning. The mountains were still out of sight. But that did not bother us much as we had planned to spend the day touring Pokhara.

Our first stop was the Peace Pagoda set on a hill overlooking lake Phewa and boasts an excellent view of the snow-capped mountains beyond. Our car dropped us a few meters below the top, as the road to the Peace Pagoda was still under construction. We had to climb a few meters to gain access to the small praying building abutting the Peace Pagoda. A few meters beyond the path there is a small tea-shop selling. We stopped there to admire the view and for a much needed cup of tea. The lady (most of the mountain shops are run by ladies) running the told me that the mountains have remained hidden for the past few days. Our hopes for tomorrow's sunrise slip down a few notches. We thanked the lady and proceeded to climb the Pagoda.

The Pagoda is a start white dome with three golden Budda statues embedded on its sides. Under each statue there is brief description. There is a small green lawn in front of the Pagoda. From here we took some photos of the Pokhara city stretched along the bank of the Phewa lake and came back to the car.

Our next stop was the David's falls and the Gupteswas Guha. David's fall is a beautiful waterfall, but to be honest, I would give it a rating of 2 in a scale of 6, as far as spendour is concerned.

The Guha or cave is another matter. As you go down the damp steps into the bowels of earth, you cannot avoid the chill that goes down your back. I will never want to get stuck there. The cave is surprisingly flat and the Shiv Lingam is surely a natural marvel. After paying our respects at the small shrine, we climbed further down to get a glimpse of the David's falls from the bottom of the cave. In my opinion, this was nothing short of an adventure

Our next stop was a surprise. We asked our driver to take us to an off-beat spot. He suggested a hanging bridge. This handging bridge is very much like Laxman Jhula in India, but much less used. It runs across the Seti Gandaki river and connects two mountains. Before the bridge was built, people had to travel all the way down to the river, and then climb up after crossing the river.

The bridge can be crossed only by foot, but in the 15 minutes that we spent there, we saw school kids, farmers, traders and numerous others cross the bridge with goods on their heads and bicycles. I can imagine the distance they had to cover before the bridge was built.

As you walk across the bridge, you will feel it sinking under your weight. When you look down, you can see the river as a arrow strip, flowing far below. It's a scary experience, but well worth the view.

We spent rest of the day scanning the sky. It rained in the night, giving us high hopes for a clear sky and spectacular sunrise tomorrow.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Kathmandu - Day 1

We touchded down at Tribhuvan Internation airport at around 4.00 pm. After completing the formalities, and passing through a number of screening, we got out of the terminus and was greeted by an young boy named Rhadheshyam. He was our guide cum tour manager. On our way to the Hotel de l' Annapurna, he gave explained our tour plan for the next 6 days. As there was not much left of the day, we were to begin our Kathmandu tour the next day and leave for Pokhra the day after.

After a quick shower, we set out to explore the nearby area and to find a phone booth. The road was lined by attractive handicraft shops displaying the best of Tibetan art. A Bhairav statue, with a fierce expression and a hundred arms, took my breath away. But for my life, I can't imagine having it in my drawing room, glaring down at my guests. After wandering in the streets for a while, we decided to have momo in one of the not-to-stylish road-side shop. It was the best momo I had ever tasted. If you visit Nepal, don't forget to sample this authentic Nepalese dish.

Dinner was a flashy affair with music, wine and great food. We were allowed to drink the wine we brought with us, as they realized this was a special occasion (which was very nice of them). Candle light, great food, good companion and gazal; what more do you need to end a perfect day?

Pokhara - Day 1

We took a morning flight to Pokhara. Pokhara is a city nestled deep within the many folds of Himalaya. After paying an airport tax, we went through the security and waited in front of the two doors which were busy transporting numerous passengers to remote hill towns. In a hilly country, air-travel is the quickest and most effective means for moving around. As the we strained our ears to catch the bits and pieces of information we could glean out of the heavily accented announcements, a man came shouting for the passengers to our plane. Thinking we had nearly missed our plane, we ran for the gate. Fortunately for us, this was the usual procedure and I had to admit, this is the best method to ensure people get to the flight they need to board. As we (me and my fellow passengers) eagerly followed the man out of the building, we saw numerous planes standing side by side to be boarded. It will be very easy for any passenger to make a mistake and board the wrong flight. Imagine being stranded in an unknown Himalayan city, separated form civilisation by towering mountains. However, knowing the hospitality of the hill folks, you will not starve or freeze even in the most desolate corner of this beautiful mountain country.

As the plane took off, we were rewarded by the sight of beautiful mountains all around us.

Pokhara is a city nestled deep within the many folds of Himalaya. It is a bustling city spread around the lake Phewa.

Due to its proximity to the Annapurna range, the northern skies of the city boasts an excellent view of the snow capped mountains. If you are lucky, the northern sky in the morning with be partially hidded behing a solid wall of snow and black rocks running from left to right as far as your eyes can see. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I scanned the sky. But it was almost noon, and the mountains were hidden behind white clouds.

Pokhara airport is tiny but neat and organised, staffed by less than twenty people. As we were handed our luggage from across the counted, we were greeted by our guide from the hotel. We needed to take the car to the edge of the Phewa lake. From there we would be ferried across the lake to the hotel. We were booked in the Fishtail Lodge, named after Mt.Fishtail.

We had to wait at the jetty for the ferry to arrive, which is no more than a huge wodden platform pulled back and forth with the aid of rope. We were later informed that as the hotel was being built, all the heavy materials and machinery were ferried across the lake in this process.

When we reached the hotel, the beautiful setting took my breath away. If one wishes to spend a quiet peaceful holiday in the lap of the Himalayas, this was the place. The hotel does not have any two-storied structure. Each room is styled like a cottage. Everything is decorated and designed to meld in the natural setting. The beautiful gardens are a feast for the eyes.

After lunch we set out to explore. The road around the lake is lined by restaurants, hotels and shops displaying Tibetan art. You will also find plently of trekking agencies and tour operators on this road. The road was a busy one. We decided to leave the road and walk along the shores of the lake. Shortly, we came across a small coffee shop vertually perched on the lake. As we sat enjoying a hot cup of coffee and watch the play of light on the waters, some school girls arrived. The leader (not more than 10 yrs) smartly jumped on one of the moored boats and rest followed. After settling in, the two older girls started rowing and headed for the opposite shore. By the time we had finished the coffee, they had become a small speck on the lake.

We spent what was left of the day walking around the lake. As evening closed in, lights started appearing in ones and twos in the outer shores of the lake. The streets lit up like a festival night. Music filtered in from the restaurants lining the streets. The whole lake sides seemed to have come alive, just as stars started appearing on the sky above.

Kathmandu - Day 2

We went into the hotel breakfast room at around 8 and stayed there for more than an hour. I wish I had all day to taste all that was on the menu. It was just as well, because we did not get much time for a proper lunch. We started with the Pashupathinath temple. It was like any other Hindu temples, barring the pagoda styled architecture. But for travellers from India, the monkeys and cows milling about will be a familiar sight. The temple is spread across a huge area. We offered a small puja and that took the best of the morning to finish. If someone is planning to pay a visit to the Pashupathinath temple, I would suggest an early start.

Next on the list was the Boudhanath stupa. The Buddish stupa is equally popular with tibetan pilgrims and tourists. After rolling the prayer bells lining the stupa walls, we walked around the dome.The all white structure contrasts starkly with the crowded backdrop of the Kathmandu city. The great eyes seem to be eyeing the bustling city life with passive indifference. If you wish to sample some authentic Nepalese food, there are plenty of shops around the Boudhanath stupa. We chose a small rooftop restaurant which provided an extensive view of the Kathmandu city. What facinated me was the number of water tanks perched on each house. It emphasized the persistent water problem most Himalayan cities face these days.

Out next stop Shayambhunath, is situated on a hilltop overlooking the city. If we had some breath left after climbing 365 stairs, the view took it all away. The sky was dominated a two great eyes painted on a snow white stupa and below us lay the Kathmandu valley, bustling with life.

Earlier we had decided to give Darbar square a miss for a visit to the old Nepalese city of Patan. It took us around an hour to reach Patan. We visited the Durbar square in Patan, which still serves as a square for the locals. The wooden carvings on the columns and rooftops will transport you to a different time. Inspite of being a very busy city sqaure,it was easy to imagine the ancient princess taking a bath in the central pool with her attendants. The square still serves the locals as a leisure area where mothers could keep a keen eye on the children playing hide and seek around the numerous columns, while catching up with the gossip; young people can meet one another for a serious session of 'adda' and the old can bask in the setting rays of the sun. As the sun rays cast a pink spell on the snow-capped tips craning their necks over the clouds, we headed back to Kathmandu.

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