Trekking in Nepal; ABC 2x;

If I had known Shangra La was here, I would’ve should have insisted on staying at this guesthouse -  

What is it like to trek in Nepal?   climbing thousands of these- 

Well the Nepalis do work at maintaining this trail. And for good reason. This time of year there are thousands of people hiking it as it is quite popular in the spring. Regrettably I didn’t have the best weather as it was unseasonably cloudy, rainy as and cool  But good for Nepals national plant (Rhododendron) which can grow over 10 meters here - 

My helpful guide  

As a result of the iffy weather, on  days 3 and 4 of the trek, we went up to the terminus, Annapurna Base Camp. On day 3, we climbed up from a lower village on a very long and arduous trek  - for those who like stats the elevation gain was about 4100’ over about 10 miles including descent) which left me dizzy and exhausted in the high altitude. . I thought my days of hiking over 4000’ of elevation were over but apparently not.  

Guide wanted me to do a Churchill imitation and then get some free advertising for his company- 

We stayed at Machhapuchchhre Base Camb (MBC), about 2,hours below ABC, and decided to try again early in the morning to see if we could get clear weather for the 360 view at ABC. Alas no but still some good views of the high Himalayas including Machapuchchhre (aka Fishtail Mountain- just a stunning mountain)  

The peak of Annapurna itself was still in the clouds-

 

Getting to ABC once is more than enough for most trekkers but we decided to double the fun  Next time I am leaving ABC like this- 

The thing about trekking in Nepal is it is hard to decide which is worse- the arduous trekking (particularly in bad weather) or the cold rough guesthouses   At least it gives one something to ponder as one trudges along  

Well. when they reveal themselves, the mountains are truly  awesome in their height and grandeur and while the price is dear, maybe it’s a fair trade  

The trek back was long- one of the aspects of the ABC trek that makes it challenging is the big ups going down and the same going up (discouraging to have to regain the same elevation twice)- but I included the longest walking bridge I have ever done- 

That’s it for my 5 day ABC trek  

Nepal- Rock Star with Indians; Back to Future Trekking

I flew from New Delhi to Pokhara, Nepals 2nd largest city and the starting point for the Annapurna Base Camp trek (always referred to here simply as ABC. Pokhara is friendly city abutting a pretty lake.  

While standing there admiring the lake, a young Indian fellow (maybe 21) started talking to me and then asked if he could have his picture taken with me. While being a little apprehensive that it might some sort of scam- I man I am good looking and all but still- I consented. Then all of his 7 or 8 mates asked if they could have their picture taken with me too. In an expansive mood by that point, I again agreed. I felt like a celebrity. Maybe the blog has gone viral in India  

Turns out they had just graduated from college and were all there on a holiday for perhaps their last time together  it was a fun moment and of course they posed with me- 

I then started my 5 day trek to ABC   The trek is usually done in 6 days but I am trying to do it in 5 as the accommodations leave something to be desired-  

At least the first night I had a single room   When I started my hiking activities with my old friend Craze over 50 years ago, we stayed in bunk rooms in cold Appalachian Mountain Huts  So this ABC trek is back to the future with tiny cold bunk rooms- 

I would rate these mountain Tea Houses as maybe .00005 stars   Here is my guide trying to stay warm as they have no heat- 

The weather hasn’t cooperated much either with a lot of clouds and rain   But early this morning I did see one of the most beautiful mountains I have very seen- 

Agra- Fort, Baby Taj and Room with a View

Indians apparently do not stores lot of food particularly refrigerated food but rather shop each day for the ingredients in market for their or other meals-

After completing the safari, i traveled to the city of Agra   Along the way I stopped at a former Mughal capital (it seems like most cities in India were Mughal capitals at some point) and saw the largest gate in the world-

Red sandstone was clearly the Indian fort material of choice. 

Then on to Agra and another huge red sandstone fort, Agra fort  -

And then the so called “Baby Taj”, a Mughal tomb building built in the early 1600s before the Taj Mahal-it was quite impressive in its own right- 

I had gotten a boutique hotel which advertised that it had a view of some other obscure tomb  building from it’s rooftop-

It seemed intriguing so, having a little time on my hands, went to visit this little known place- 

The Indians should really think about marketing this place  

Yes the Taj Mahal   It is truly breathtaking. I can honestly say I have never seen a more beautiful building.  Just exquisite. The detail with all of the inlaid marble (no painting on it) and the carved screens is phenomenal. Pictures do not do it proper justice but- 

While often frustrating and maddening, not to mention “cluttered “ and “receptical challenged”, India is a fascinating country with a rich and varied history and culture and the only place in the world where you can see with your own eyes  the world’s most spectacular building