Shangri-La Pokhara

... Kharka which was brilliant as as you go higher up there is less accommodation but just as many people and all the groups book ahead so leaves it virtually impossible for independent trekkers to get a room in the high season. The tea house was ok and spent the cold evening talking to the American couple whilst it was snowing outside.


Day 10 - Yak Kharka to Throng Phedi 5km now at 4450m
Woke up with amazing views of the Annapurna's ...

I have never done so much talking to so many people in
a few days anywhere during my travels, even less in half a day.
Friendly is a word often used to describe the Nepalese
It is 100% accurate.

Of course many of them are very friendly because they have a product
or service to sell. But many simply say ‘Namaste’ as you walk by.
And there are wonderful people like the older man walking near me who
asked where I ...

So after an early start we had a great bus journey from Kathmandu to Pokhara, the views and what was going on around us was really engrossing, so we were pretty much just staring out of the window for 7 hours. Journey was very bumpy though, sweaty and a bit of scary driving at times.

When we arrived in Pokhara there were thousands of touts waiting for us to get off the bus, it was mad. Nearly everyone we were with ...

... on things... we were so confused by the evening after only having hired him for about 5 hours that we just had to let him go... we FELT TERRIBLE!!! These guys barely make any money as it is so he was really upset. But with 2 girls in the mountains which would be safer to have someone you don't trust or to just go alone... we opted for the 2nd route.

It turns out the morning we left for our trek it was MONSOONING!! Yes meaning torrential ...

Today we got up at 4:30 to do the 45 minute trek to Poon Hill to get some good views of the mountains and the Annapurna Conservation Area. Was so lucky to get a clear day and be able to see the mountains as many doing the trek miss out on the views because of clouds . . . Thought I was the only one going up but once I reached Poon Hill I saw that ...

... Then they got off and some young chap got on, who was studying engineering at college so we had another great time talking about school in Nepal/Australia/Canada and **** like that and before we new it we were in Pokhara. So thats it for the past few days. Have had alot of fun exploring places where we have no idea where we are, its the best, aslong as you have someone with you, would have been scary alone. Now i got 5 days in lovely Pokhara, our $4 a room night is bloody awesome.

... and veg momos in front of us. Celebrations ensued with us sharing the first cold beer (in fact beer full stop) of the trek. Over dinner that evening (an excellent Dal Bhat) we discovered that some of the Nepalis staying with us had been due to fly out for the previous two days but flights kept getting cancelled. Things are never easy are they. The morning dawned with those wonderful crystalline skies only found in the mountains and in short order we found ourselves boarding a small ...

... balanced stepping stones, many of which were submerged due to the rainfall. Rising to 3,700 metres on day 6, a gain of 1100 metres, I could feel the altitude kicking in as breathing became harder and the uphill gradient became more of a challenge. The altitude also caused the return of the H.A.F.E. ('high altitude flatulence emission') - Markha Valley trek-mates, you will sympathise! We overnighted at the base camp for ...