rkkwan's Nepal trip Sept 2014 - Kathmandu, Pokhara, Poon Hill Trek
Oct 4th, 2014, 07:08 AM
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(Kathie - I responded briefly in the Lounge about the protests in Hong Kong, but that thread had gone off-topic. You might want to start a thread here in the Asia forum.)
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Day 7 - Sept 8, 2014 (Pictures to follow)
We got up just past 4am like the morning before, and this time we left our guesthouse at around 4:45a. There were patches of clouds, but we could also see some stars above us. We climbed past all the guesthouses, and then paid RS50 each for our entrance fees to the Poon Hill area. The climb was continuous, but not excessively steep. Soon, it was daybreak and we turned off our headlamps. At 5:32a, we finished our 335m climb and got to the summit of Poon Hill at 3,210m or 10,531ft.
The most prominent peak we could see from Poon Hill is 7,219m/23,684ft Annapurna South that's directly to the north of us. To the right is Machhapuchchhre, better known as Fish Tail, at 6,993m/22,943ft. At this angle, we finally realized how it got its name. Annapurna I (8,091m/26,545ft, 8th tallest peak in the world) and the whole Dhaulagiri range to our west were still behind clouds initially, but soon the cloud cleared and Dhaulagiri I (8,167m/26,795ft, the 7th tallest peak) started to glow golden. And soon, at just after 6, the sun rose over a ridge to the east of us. No doubt, it was THE highlight of our trip. Very glad we made the decision to stay for another day.
After some more photos, we descended quickly back to Ghorepani, packed, and had breakfast. On our way down, we saw the Korean family again - too bad they'd missed the sunrise. Our total bill for two nights and four meals at The Hungry Eye came to only RS8920, or under US$100. Unbelievable.
Leaving Ghorepani at 8:15a, we took the path eastward towards Tadapani. Instead of going down, we actually climbed to about 3,200m again before descending. The summit reminded me of Tibet, where a lot of the multi-colored prayer flags fly. After a 30-minute tea break at Deurali at 10:30a, we descended next to a series of waterfalls slowly in a dark valley to about 2,500m before going up again. Because it was moist and slippery, we descended very slowly, passed by the Korean family. Tea houses are much less abundant on this trail, with few places to stop for rests; and we felt bad for those climbing up towards Ghorepani this way. (Some did. Apparently, they first went to Annapurna Base Camp, then Poon Hill).
We had a quick lunch from around 12:15p to 1p at Tranquility Guest House just past Banthanti. Only place on our trip where they don't serve chicken, so we just had fried rice with egg. The Korean family was there too, the last time we would cross path. At 2:20p under moderate rain, we arrived at the larger village of Tadapani (2,700m) for a short break. Here, they sell bottled water rather than safe drinking water, and cost a steep RS120 for a liter. Tadapani is the major junction for those heading up to the Annapurna Base Camp.
It was another three long hours through the woods before we arrived at Ghandruk (2,000m). And it wasn't uneventful either. Our guide and porter were ahead of us when we got blocked by several water buffaloes on the trail. Not aware that we could just hush them off, we stopped and waited. And that turned out to be quite a disaster as we were attacked by leeches.
BTW, I was wrong in saying that I got a leech bite two days earlier. Actually, I was bitten here, along with Bonny and Daphne. When we got to Hotel Gurung Cottage at Ghandruk, we spendtmany minutes getting more leeches off our boots, pants and Gore-tex shells, and checking things over and over.
Gurung Cottage is a very small guesthouse with just 4 rooms, with attached bath. But because of overcast weather, the solar-powered hot water in our room was not available, and we would use the shared bath with gas-heated water. It wasn't a big deal. The guesthouse has a nice view facing the wide valley east of Ghandruk, though the mountain peaks were behind clouds throughout our stay. For the first time in 4 days, we have wi-fi, so we caught up with Facebook, and I cancelled our hotel in Chitwan. A triple room with bath in Ghandruk costs a bit more, at RS900. Or just over US$9.
The dining room is very nice, with a strong Alpine feel. Fried chicken was on the menu and I would never passed on that. They ran out of the Khukri rum, so we had the Bagpiper whiskey from India, served again with hot water. Over dinner, we chatted with two British Indian couples staying at the same guesthouse. One of the men served in the British Army and lived in Hong Kong in the 80's, and their barracks were just a few km from where Bonny and I live right now.
Truth is, it was a very tough day of hiking, only exceeded in time and elevation change by our second day on Mount Kinabalu in 2011. When we chatted with other hikers, not many people attempted to do or actually did Poon Hill for sunrise and then arrived Ghandruk same day. Most would call it a day at Tadapani. But our guide believed (correctly) that we could do it, and this way we would have a leisure last day of hiking and a relatively early arrival back in Pokhara.
Total hiking time on Day 4 (excluding long breaks): 9hr40min.
Total Ascending: 850m; Total Descending: 1700m. Total elevation changed: 2550m.
---
Day 7 - Sept 8, 2014 (Pictures to follow)
We got up just past 4am like the morning before, and this time we left our guesthouse at around 4:45a. There were patches of clouds, but we could also see some stars above us. We climbed past all the guesthouses, and then paid RS50 each for our entrance fees to the Poon Hill area. The climb was continuous, but not excessively steep. Soon, it was daybreak and we turned off our headlamps. At 5:32a, we finished our 335m climb and got to the summit of Poon Hill at 3,210m or 10,531ft.
The most prominent peak we could see from Poon Hill is 7,219m/23,684ft Annapurna South that's directly to the north of us. To the right is Machhapuchchhre, better known as Fish Tail, at 6,993m/22,943ft. At this angle, we finally realized how it got its name. Annapurna I (8,091m/26,545ft, 8th tallest peak in the world) and the whole Dhaulagiri range to our west were still behind clouds initially, but soon the cloud cleared and Dhaulagiri I (8,167m/26,795ft, the 7th tallest peak) started to glow golden. And soon, at just after 6, the sun rose over a ridge to the east of us. No doubt, it was THE highlight of our trip. Very glad we made the decision to stay for another day.
After some more photos, we descended quickly back to Ghorepani, packed, and had breakfast. On our way down, we saw the Korean family again - too bad they'd missed the sunrise. Our total bill for two nights and four meals at The Hungry Eye came to only RS8920, or under US$100. Unbelievable.
Leaving Ghorepani at 8:15a, we took the path eastward towards Tadapani. Instead of going down, we actually climbed to about 3,200m again before descending. The summit reminded me of Tibet, where a lot of the multi-colored prayer flags fly. After a 30-minute tea break at Deurali at 10:30a, we descended next to a series of waterfalls slowly in a dark valley to about 2,500m before going up again. Because it was moist and slippery, we descended very slowly, passed by the Korean family. Tea houses are much less abundant on this trail, with few places to stop for rests; and we felt bad for those climbing up towards Ghorepani this way. (Some did. Apparently, they first went to Annapurna Base Camp, then Poon Hill).
We had a quick lunch from around 12:15p to 1p at Tranquility Guest House just past Banthanti. Only place on our trip where they don't serve chicken, so we just had fried rice with egg. The Korean family was there too, the last time we would cross path. At 2:20p under moderate rain, we arrived at the larger village of Tadapani (2,700m) for a short break. Here, they sell bottled water rather than safe drinking water, and cost a steep RS120 for a liter. Tadapani is the major junction for those heading up to the Annapurna Base Camp.
It was another three long hours through the woods before we arrived at Ghandruk (2,000m). And it wasn't uneventful either. Our guide and porter were ahead of us when we got blocked by several water buffaloes on the trail. Not aware that we could just hush them off, we stopped and waited. And that turned out to be quite a disaster as we were attacked by leeches.
BTW, I was wrong in saying that I got a leech bite two days earlier. Actually, I was bitten here, along with Bonny and Daphne. When we got to Hotel Gurung Cottage at Ghandruk, we spendtmany minutes getting more leeches off our boots, pants and Gore-tex shells, and checking things over and over.
Gurung Cottage is a very small guesthouse with just 4 rooms, with attached bath. But because of overcast weather, the solar-powered hot water in our room was not available, and we would use the shared bath with gas-heated water. It wasn't a big deal. The guesthouse has a nice view facing the wide valley east of Ghandruk, though the mountain peaks were behind clouds throughout our stay. For the first time in 4 days, we have wi-fi, so we caught up with Facebook, and I cancelled our hotel in Chitwan. A triple room with bath in Ghandruk costs a bit more, at RS900. Or just over US$9.
The dining room is very nice, with a strong Alpine feel. Fried chicken was on the menu and I would never passed on that. They ran out of the Khukri rum, so we had the Bagpiper whiskey from India, served again with hot water. Over dinner, we chatted with two British Indian couples staying at the same guesthouse. One of the men served in the British Army and lived in Hong Kong in the 80's, and their barracks were just a few km from where Bonny and I live right now.
Truth is, it was a very tough day of hiking, only exceeded in time and elevation change by our second day on Mount Kinabalu in 2011. When we chatted with other hikers, not many people attempted to do or actually did Poon Hill for sunrise and then arrived Ghandruk same day. Most would call it a day at Tadapani. But our guide believed (correctly) that we could do it, and this way we would have a leisure last day of hiking and a relatively early arrival back in Pokhara.
Total hiking time on Day 4 (excluding long breaks): 9hr40min.
Total Ascending: 850m; Total Descending: 1700m. Total elevation changed: 2550m.
Oct 7th, 2014, 12:13 AM
#24
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Finally, the amazing pictures at Poon Hill uploaded. Clearly the climax of our trip. Also, the long and tough trek down to Ghandruk the same day.
http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/poonhill140908
http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/poonhill140908
Oct 7th, 2014, 06:58 AM
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Thanks! It's worth bringing a dSLR and a tripod (my fairly light carbon fibre one). And of course, we have a porter. Clear difference in quality between those taken with the dSLR and my S95 (which is already quite good).
Oct 9th, 2014, 07:52 PM
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Two albums loaded:
First is our last day of trekking, from Ghandruk back to Naya Pul. Then, our remaining stay at Pokhara:
http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/ghandrukpokhara140909
Second is our paragliding pictures in Pokhara, with the company called Paranova:
http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/paragliding140911
First is our last day of trekking, from Ghandruk back to Naya Pul. Then, our remaining stay at Pokhara:
http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/ghandrukpokhara140909
Second is our paragliding pictures in Pokhara, with the company called Paranova:
http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/paragliding140911
Oct 9th, 2014, 09:41 PM
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Day 8 - Sept 9, 2014
Our last day of trekking was a relatively easy one. After breakfast, we left Gurung Cottage in Ghandruk (2,000m) at 8:40a. The initial descend was fairly steep, but dry and safe. In about 90 minutes, we had gone down about 400m to Kimche for our morning break. Kimche is at the end of the dirt road with jeep and bus service to Naya Pul, but a massive landslide just weeks ago made the road impassable. At the tea house, we chatted with a Swiss hiker who was coming down from Ghorepani the day before like us, but sprained his ankle badly, and had to return to Pokhara by himself where his partner(s) would continue to Annapurna Base Camp after Tadapani. The ironic thing was that even with a bad ankle, he would walk faster than us.
We also came upon a pair of Chinese girls who apparently have also hurt themselves. Later, we would see them and partners on the bus heading down to Naya Pul. We would be slow, but we were careful not to hurt ourselves. A sprain would really ruin a trip like this.
Because of the massive landslide, we would actually follow the dirt road more, rather than using the trail closer to the river through Sauli Bazar. We had a fairly long lunch break after passing the landslide site, and arrive back in Birenthanti at 3pm to get our TIMS card and Annapurna permits voided. The little Kia Picanto from Hotel Dream was waiting for us when we arrived Naya Pul, and by 5pm, we were back at our hotel in Pokhara after dropping Ram and Raju off near their home north of the city. We decided to give the two of them about US$25 in tips.
Total hiking time on Day 5: 5hr15min. Elevation lost: 1000m.
---
Summary of the 5-day trekking trip (originally planned as 4-day):
Total trekking time, excluding long breaks where we had lunch or tea or coke: 26.5hr.
Total elevation change: 5,300m/17,400ft
Cost for 3 persons sharing a room:
Guide: US$100
Porter: US$75
Tips: US$35
Transportation between Pokhara and Naya Pul: US$40
Room and food: RS22,850
Poon Hill entrance: RS150
Total about US$490 for 3 people, or $165 each. Add approximately US$40 each for the permits, it's just over $200 per person for 5 days.
---
I have to say we highly enjoyed these 5 days in the mountain. Rooms fairly comfortable, food great, and the view from Poon Hill at sunrise is really worth it. Naturally, Bonny and I would compare it to our hike to the top of Mt Kinabalu in Sabah 3 years prior. We found that Poon Hill is much more enjoyable as, first, the steps are easier and nothing like those ridiculous tall steps at Mt Kinabalu. Second, timing is flexible. Since there are lots of teahouses along the way, especially on the main Poon Hill trek, one can do it on their own pace. We were fairly slow, but we've met others who were hiking even slower than us.
In fact, this area is so nice and beautiful we were already thinking about making it to the Annapurna Base Camp next time. Hopefully, no leeches next time...
As for equipment, my LOWA boots were awesome, so were the Black Diamond Ultra-Distance trekking poles. Bonny wasn't using hers initially, but ended up using them quite a bit on last two days. The 1-litre water bottle I bought just prior to the trip was also great as safe drinking water is sold by the litre. It was warmer than we though it would be, even for Poon Hill in early morning, so our fleece and gloves weren't useful. And since we extended our trek for one-day, we would have brought more light quick-dry t-shirts.
Our last day of trekking was a relatively easy one. After breakfast, we left Gurung Cottage in Ghandruk (2,000m) at 8:40a. The initial descend was fairly steep, but dry and safe. In about 90 minutes, we had gone down about 400m to Kimche for our morning break. Kimche is at the end of the dirt road with jeep and bus service to Naya Pul, but a massive landslide just weeks ago made the road impassable. At the tea house, we chatted with a Swiss hiker who was coming down from Ghorepani the day before like us, but sprained his ankle badly, and had to return to Pokhara by himself where his partner(s) would continue to Annapurna Base Camp after Tadapani. The ironic thing was that even with a bad ankle, he would walk faster than us.
We also came upon a pair of Chinese girls who apparently have also hurt themselves. Later, we would see them and partners on the bus heading down to Naya Pul. We would be slow, but we were careful not to hurt ourselves. A sprain would really ruin a trip like this.
Because of the massive landslide, we would actually follow the dirt road more, rather than using the trail closer to the river through Sauli Bazar. We had a fairly long lunch break after passing the landslide site, and arrive back in Birenthanti at 3pm to get our TIMS card and Annapurna permits voided. The little Kia Picanto from Hotel Dream was waiting for us when we arrived Naya Pul, and by 5pm, we were back at our hotel in Pokhara after dropping Ram and Raju off near their home north of the city. We decided to give the two of them about US$25 in tips.
Total hiking time on Day 5: 5hr15min. Elevation lost: 1000m.
---
Summary of the 5-day trekking trip (originally planned as 4-day):
Total trekking time, excluding long breaks where we had lunch or tea or coke: 26.5hr.
Total elevation change: 5,300m/17,400ft
Cost for 3 persons sharing a room:
Guide: US$100
Porter: US$75
Tips: US$35
Transportation between Pokhara and Naya Pul: US$40
Room and food: RS22,850
Poon Hill entrance: RS150
Total about US$490 for 3 people, or $165 each. Add approximately US$40 each for the permits, it's just over $200 per person for 5 days.
---
I have to say we highly enjoyed these 5 days in the mountain. Rooms fairly comfortable, food great, and the view from Poon Hill at sunrise is really worth it. Naturally, Bonny and I would compare it to our hike to the top of Mt Kinabalu in Sabah 3 years prior. We found that Poon Hill is much more enjoyable as, first, the steps are easier and nothing like those ridiculous tall steps at Mt Kinabalu. Second, timing is flexible. Since there are lots of teahouses along the way, especially on the main Poon Hill trek, one can do it on their own pace. We were fairly slow, but we've met others who were hiking even slower than us.
In fact, this area is so nice and beautiful we were already thinking about making it to the Annapurna Base Camp next time. Hopefully, no leeches next time...
As for equipment, my LOWA boots were awesome, so were the Black Diamond Ultra-Distance trekking poles. Bonny wasn't using hers initially, but ended up using them quite a bit on last two days. The 1-litre water bottle I bought just prior to the trip was also great as safe drinking water is sold by the litre. It was warmer than we though it would be, even for Poon Hill in early morning, so our fleece and gloves weren't useful. And since we extended our trek for one-day, we would have brought more light quick-dry t-shirts.
Oct 12th, 2014, 07:44 PM
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After returning to Hotel Dream in Pokhara, we took it very easy. Gave all our dirty clothes to Hotel Dream. They charged RS300/kg, and we had 3kg of it. Saw someone came on a motorbike to pick them up, which were returned to us next afternoon. There are actually lots of laundry places nearby, and most have signs that say "From RS50/kg". Not sure if they're dried and folded like ours. I believe it was my very first time to use a hotel's laundry service.
We confirmed with Hotel Dream for our paragliding on Sept 11, as well as our return flights back to Kathmandu on Buddha Air on Sept 12. Paragliding is RS8500 no matter how and who you book with. Air tickets are US$105, same as what Mums Home charged us, and again likely a few USD more than an agent out on the street.
Exhausted, we decided to just eat at our hotel. Our hotel is run by Buddhists (from the prayer flags outside and the "singing bowls" inside) and they serve beef. We had a burger for the first time in our trip, which was quite good.
Day 9 - Sept 10, 2014
We took it very easy this day. Breakfast is included in our room rate (same room, same rate as before, US$40 for triple room with fan but no A/C). They offer three levels of breakfast - basically "light", "moderate" and "heavy". Portions are generous, so eventually, we found that one "heavy" and two "lights" are more than enough for the three of us.
We thought about going up to the Shanti Stupa (or World Peace Stupa) high up on the south side of Phewa Lake, but it was overcast with some rain, so we wouldn't get to see the mountains anyways. Instead, we just wandered down to lakeside and had another long, lazy and late lunch at the Fewa Paradise. Afterwards, Bonny and I had full body massage at the Senses Spa on Bahari Path (RS3500 for two of us of an hour), while Daphne has a foot massage (RS1000).
For dinner, we decided to stay at our hotel once again.
Day 10 - Sept 11, 2014
There are many paragliding operators in Pokhara. I believe Sunshine is the oldest, and the larger ones offer training/certification programs. Our hotel booked us on one called "Paranova", which was rated pretty low on Trip Advisor, but I don't see much serious problem with them. (I don't look at anything on TA other than lodging anyways). All companies run 3 sections (9am, 11am and 1pm hotel pickups), as the clouds and rain usually roll in in the afternoon. We were booked at 9am, but weather was quite poor, and we were eventually picked up at 11am to their store.
As mentioned, all the companies charge the same RS8500 for the ~25 minute session. And Bonny and Daphne both decided to get pictures and videos for extra RS1700. For whatever reason - perhaps bad encounter with other Chinese clients - the manager at Paranova's store at lakeside offered very low expectations. Like, due to weather, our ride could be as short as 10-15 minutes; maybe only a dozen or so pictures, and short video, etc... In fact, he even said we could change our mind and come back another day.
We stayed put, and after doing our paperwork and more waiting, we were finally driven up the Sarangkot mountain (~1,600m) on the north side of Phewa Lake, along with two other Chinese and their companions, and our pilots. Lake Phewa is at around 800m, while the take off point is about 100m from the top of Sarangkot, making a drop of about 700m for our ride.
Bonny and Daphne got local Nepali pilots, while I (most likely because of my higher weight) was assigned a contractor from Geneva. I won't say too much about the experience, except it is amazing, and definitely worth doing. I saw a lot of paragliders at Interlaken in Switzerland few years ago but never though about doing it. Next time, I would. Very easy to take off, extremely comfortable and serene, and landing was even easier. Highly recommended.
In the end, Bonny's ride was the longest at around 30 minutes, including some adventurous maneuver by her pilot (captured on video as well). Mine was shortest at around 25 minutes, but I got to chat with my Swiss pilot Sebastian quite a bit.
We found lunch at Maya Pub & Restaurant, across Lakeside Rd from Paranova. No view of the lake, but still very comfortable overlooking the street. Good pizza and pasta, and we tried a 7% alcohol beer called "Nepal Ice". After lunch, we collected our certificates and DVD. [We didn't have a drive to check the discs, but turned out both Bonny and Daphne got long videos and over 100 pictures each! - good deal for the extra US$18 each.]
I should also mention that Paranova (also true for most other places in Nepal that we have dealt money with) is very honest in regard to currency exchange. We paid in USD (or many other currencies) and they would use that day's official rate to calculate the amount, and gave us change in USD as well. So, it was actually cheaper for us to pay in USD than by exchanging it (or use ATM) to get Rupees and pay them.
For dinner, we went to Aankhi Jyhal, same place we visited a week prior. Big feast, multiple drinks, dessert. All came to RS2420. US$25 for 3 persons.
We confirmed with Hotel Dream for our paragliding on Sept 11, as well as our return flights back to Kathmandu on Buddha Air on Sept 12. Paragliding is RS8500 no matter how and who you book with. Air tickets are US$105, same as what Mums Home charged us, and again likely a few USD more than an agent out on the street.
Exhausted, we decided to just eat at our hotel. Our hotel is run by Buddhists (from the prayer flags outside and the "singing bowls" inside) and they serve beef. We had a burger for the first time in our trip, which was quite good.
Day 9 - Sept 10, 2014
We took it very easy this day. Breakfast is included in our room rate (same room, same rate as before, US$40 for triple room with fan but no A/C). They offer three levels of breakfast - basically "light", "moderate" and "heavy". Portions are generous, so eventually, we found that one "heavy" and two "lights" are more than enough for the three of us.
We thought about going up to the Shanti Stupa (or World Peace Stupa) high up on the south side of Phewa Lake, but it was overcast with some rain, so we wouldn't get to see the mountains anyways. Instead, we just wandered down to lakeside and had another long, lazy and late lunch at the Fewa Paradise. Afterwards, Bonny and I had full body massage at the Senses Spa on Bahari Path (RS3500 for two of us of an hour), while Daphne has a foot massage (RS1000).
For dinner, we decided to stay at our hotel once again.
Day 10 - Sept 11, 2014
There are many paragliding operators in Pokhara. I believe Sunshine is the oldest, and the larger ones offer training/certification programs. Our hotel booked us on one called "Paranova", which was rated pretty low on Trip Advisor, but I don't see much serious problem with them. (I don't look at anything on TA other than lodging anyways). All companies run 3 sections (9am, 11am and 1pm hotel pickups), as the clouds and rain usually roll in in the afternoon. We were booked at 9am, but weather was quite poor, and we were eventually picked up at 11am to their store.
As mentioned, all the companies charge the same RS8500 for the ~25 minute session. And Bonny and Daphne both decided to get pictures and videos for extra RS1700. For whatever reason - perhaps bad encounter with other Chinese clients - the manager at Paranova's store at lakeside offered very low expectations. Like, due to weather, our ride could be as short as 10-15 minutes; maybe only a dozen or so pictures, and short video, etc... In fact, he even said we could change our mind and come back another day.
We stayed put, and after doing our paperwork and more waiting, we were finally driven up the Sarangkot mountain (~1,600m) on the north side of Phewa Lake, along with two other Chinese and their companions, and our pilots. Lake Phewa is at around 800m, while the take off point is about 100m from the top of Sarangkot, making a drop of about 700m for our ride.
Bonny and Daphne got local Nepali pilots, while I (most likely because of my higher weight) was assigned a contractor from Geneva. I won't say too much about the experience, except it is amazing, and definitely worth doing. I saw a lot of paragliders at Interlaken in Switzerland few years ago but never though about doing it. Next time, I would. Very easy to take off, extremely comfortable and serene, and landing was even easier. Highly recommended.
In the end, Bonny's ride was the longest at around 30 minutes, including some adventurous maneuver by her pilot (captured on video as well). Mine was shortest at around 25 minutes, but I got to chat with my Swiss pilot Sebastian quite a bit.
We found lunch at Maya Pub & Restaurant, across Lakeside Rd from Paranova. No view of the lake, but still very comfortable overlooking the street. Good pizza and pasta, and we tried a 7% alcohol beer called "Nepal Ice". After lunch, we collected our certificates and DVD. [We didn't have a drive to check the discs, but turned out both Bonny and Daphne got long videos and over 100 pictures each! - good deal for the extra US$18 each.]
I should also mention that Paranova (also true for most other places in Nepal that we have dealt money with) is very honest in regard to currency exchange. We paid in USD (or many other currencies) and they would use that day's official rate to calculate the amount, and gave us change in USD as well. So, it was actually cheaper for us to pay in USD than by exchanging it (or use ATM) to get Rupees and pay them.
For dinner, we went to Aankhi Jyhal, same place we visited a week prior. Big feast, multiple drinks, dessert. All came to RS2420. US$25 for 3 persons.
Jun 15th, 2015, 12:31 AM
#34
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I am finally back in finishing off the trip report and photos. Here is the album for Swayambhunath after we returned to Kathmandu on Sept 12. Also, some from Thamel, where we were looking for lunch.
From video footage I've seen, the Anantapur sikhara surrounding the stupa collapsed. Some other buildings may also have suffered damage.
And I know that Mums Home, our hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu is undamaged.
http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/swayambhunath140912
From video footage I've seen, the Anantapur sikhara surrounding the stupa collapsed. Some other buildings may also have suffered damage.
And I know that Mums Home, our hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu is undamaged.
http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/swayambhunath140912
Jun 17th, 2015, 02:45 AM
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Final album from our trip to Nepal last September. Very bittersweet as many temples you see in the album completely collapsed at the 2015-4-25 earthquake. But it was a special day - Indra Jatra - the biggest festival of the year. And we saw the Kumari (virgin goddess), all unplanned. Will write more about it...
http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/durbarsq140912
http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/durbarsq140912
Jun 17th, 2015, 08:25 PM
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Day 11 – Sept 12, 2014
After breakfast at hotel, it was time to leave Pokhara. We were taken in the little Kia Picanto for the last time on the short trip to airport. We flew on the same Buddha Air ATR 42-320 as before, 9N-AIM, back to Kathmandu uneventfully. The domestic arrivals area was being built, so we were taken by the “bus” to a hut, which was baggage claim. It was orderly chaos, but upon arrival of a big group of Chinese travelers, it became completely chaos.
Anyhow, we found our driver from Hotel Mums Home. I was quite worried whether someone would show up as like before they never replied my emails, but once again a driver was there. Traffic was horrendous at around 12:30p, so the trip took around 30 minutes in contrast to 10 on our first night of arrival. I booked our first stay there via Agoda for US$78/night for triple room, but for this night on the return, we paid the hotel directly for only US$65 AND it included free airport transfers both ways. You can tell how much the agent earns. And when we arrived, there was no triple room available, so we were upgraded to a two-bedroom suite, which made it even better, even if it was on the 1st floor.
It was almost two and we walked around Thamel looking for lunch. Considered the cafe inside Garden of Dreams, but since they would still charge us admission even if we didn't have time to visit the garden, we passed and had pizza and pasta at the popular Fire and Ice Pizzeria across the street. Lunch comes to RS1875.
Then, it was a taxi ride (of course, it was RS300 after bargaining) to Swayambhunath, the huge white stupa on a hilltop west of city center. Built in the 7th C, it was the older, but smaller of the two most famous stupas in Kathmandu (or Nepal), the other being Boudhanath which we saw on the plane to Pokhara right after taking off.
It was over 300 steep steps up to the stupa and surrounding complex. Wasn't easy, but satisfying as the view from the top was magnificent. Entrance fees for tourists was RS200 each. We spent just over an hour before heading down. It was worth going, but we were upset about the conditions of the dogs there – they don't even have access to semi-clean water. And the constant broadcast of “Om Mani Padme Hum” from a new Tibetan monastery there was a bit annoying.
After breakfast at hotel, it was time to leave Pokhara. We were taken in the little Kia Picanto for the last time on the short trip to airport. We flew on the same Buddha Air ATR 42-320 as before, 9N-AIM, back to Kathmandu uneventfully. The domestic arrivals area was being built, so we were taken by the “bus” to a hut, which was baggage claim. It was orderly chaos, but upon arrival of a big group of Chinese travelers, it became completely chaos.
Anyhow, we found our driver from Hotel Mums Home. I was quite worried whether someone would show up as like before they never replied my emails, but once again a driver was there. Traffic was horrendous at around 12:30p, so the trip took around 30 minutes in contrast to 10 on our first night of arrival. I booked our first stay there via Agoda for US$78/night for triple room, but for this night on the return, we paid the hotel directly for only US$65 AND it included free airport transfers both ways. You can tell how much the agent earns. And when we arrived, there was no triple room available, so we were upgraded to a two-bedroom suite, which made it even better, even if it was on the 1st floor.
It was almost two and we walked around Thamel looking for lunch. Considered the cafe inside Garden of Dreams, but since they would still charge us admission even if we didn't have time to visit the garden, we passed and had pizza and pasta at the popular Fire and Ice Pizzeria across the street. Lunch comes to RS1875.
Then, it was a taxi ride (of course, it was RS300 after bargaining) to Swayambhunath, the huge white stupa on a hilltop west of city center. Built in the 7th C, it was the older, but smaller of the two most famous stupas in Kathmandu (or Nepal), the other being Boudhanath which we saw on the plane to Pokhara right after taking off.
It was over 300 steep steps up to the stupa and surrounding complex. Wasn't easy, but satisfying as the view from the top was magnificent. Entrance fees for tourists was RS200 each. We spent just over an hour before heading down. It was worth going, but we were upset about the conditions of the dogs there – they don't even have access to semi-clean water. And the constant broadcast of “Om Mani Padme Hum” from a new Tibetan monastery there was a bit annoying.
Jun 17th, 2015, 09:30 PM
#37
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Our final RS300 taxi ride was to Kathmandu's Durbar Square. The Maruti Suzuki 800 dropped us off a block west of the SW corner of the square, and the driver immediately made a U-turn in the crowd to get out of there, like there was a plague going on. I found it very amusing. It was 5:30p and the square was very lively. Lots of locals sitting on the concrete steps of the temples, especially the tall Trailokya Mohan Narayan and Maju Deval. Some temporary platforms were there, and lots of vendors selling fried snacks and cotton candies from bicycles. We were thinking, was it just because it was Friday evening?
We didn't plan on visiting the old palace or anything, so we just snapped pictures, sat around with the locals, and made our way through the square to head back to our hotel to the NE of Durbar Square. But it just got progressively more crowded and we started to think something must be going on, even though we didn't know what. After passing the narrowest part of the square, we found a big crowd in front of a big golden mask of a fierce diety/demon on the side of the old palace, with liquid coming out a pipe from its mouth. Turned out that is the Sweta Bhairava, which is covered by a screen for the rest of the year, and this night was the last day of Indra Jatra (or Yenya), the biggest of the festivals in Kathmandu!!!
By this time it was getting dark at around 6:30p and we left Durbar Square and continued to go NE through a narrow street. Suddenly, lots of security person signaled, and later pushed, us aside to the edge of the street, and a chariot rushed by, heading towards Durbar Square. We could see a young girl on it, with makeup most similar to Natalie Portman's Padmé Amidala in Star Wars Episode I. Only later did we realize that was the Kumari, the living virgin goddess. She would be Matina Shakya, age around 10.
After catching our breath, we continued and reached Indra Chowk, a square filled with crowds. On one side is the temple for Akash (Blue) Bhairava, another fierce mask. In the middle of the square was a tent and we were taking pictures of the offerings of various grains inside when suddenly we were again being pushed aside by security. A dancer with a craggy red wig seemed to be possessed and was dancing wildly towards and right in front of us. It was a Lahke Dance and he was the demon. He went to the tent and wiped across the offerings before turning around and left. Unbelievable, as we had absolutely no idea about Indra Jatra, and this was our last evening in Nepal!!! There would simply be no better way to cap our fantastical journey.
We didn't plan on visiting the old palace or anything, so we just snapped pictures, sat around with the locals, and made our way through the square to head back to our hotel to the NE of Durbar Square. But it just got progressively more crowded and we started to think something must be going on, even though we didn't know what. After passing the narrowest part of the square, we found a big crowd in front of a big golden mask of a fierce diety/demon on the side of the old palace, with liquid coming out a pipe from its mouth. Turned out that is the Sweta Bhairava, which is covered by a screen for the rest of the year, and this night was the last day of Indra Jatra (or Yenya), the biggest of the festivals in Kathmandu!!!
By this time it was getting dark at around 6:30p and we left Durbar Square and continued to go NE through a narrow street. Suddenly, lots of security person signaled, and later pushed, us aside to the edge of the street, and a chariot rushed by, heading towards Durbar Square. We could see a young girl on it, with makeup most similar to Natalie Portman's Padmé Amidala in Star Wars Episode I. Only later did we realize that was the Kumari, the living virgin goddess. She would be Matina Shakya, age around 10.
After catching our breath, we continued and reached Indra Chowk, a square filled with crowds. On one side is the temple for Akash (Blue) Bhairava, another fierce mask. In the middle of the square was a tent and we were taking pictures of the offerings of various grains inside when suddenly we were again being pushed aside by security. A dancer with a craggy red wig seemed to be possessed and was dancing wildly towards and right in front of us. It was a Lahke Dance and he was the demon. He went to the tent and wiped across the offerings before turning around and left. Unbelievable, as we had absolutely no idea about Indra Jatra, and this was our last evening in Nepal!!! There would simply be no better way to cap our fantastical journey.
Jun 17th, 2015, 10:19 PM
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Enjoyed the read and photos. Thanks for sharing.
Two bottles of 7% Nepal Ice, and it's time for bed! Gorkha and Everest were my favourites, and you don't fall over quite so soon! Due to the almost continual power cuts I don't think we had an ice-cold beer in 5 weeks. Some places had their own generators, but you had to pay extra for the privilege.
Walked down those 300+ steep steps at Swayambhu, but took the easy way up at the Kathmandu Ring Road entrance. There, a taxi will take you nearly all the way up, or there is an easy switchback path, which is lined with trinket [mainly religious] stalls. We stayed for a week, just across the Ring Road from Swayambhu, with 3 generations of a lovely Hindu family.
Went into the Garden of Dreams twice. On the 2nd visit no sooner had we paid to go in, when the weather changed, and it went cold and started to throw it down with rain. Little to no shelter in there, so had to do a runner to Pumpernickel's Cafe.
Great memories.
Two bottles of 7% Nepal Ice, and it's time for bed! Gorkha and Everest were my favourites, and you don't fall over quite so soon! Due to the almost continual power cuts I don't think we had an ice-cold beer in 5 weeks. Some places had their own generators, but you had to pay extra for the privilege.
Walked down those 300+ steep steps at Swayambhu, but took the easy way up at the Kathmandu Ring Road entrance. There, a taxi will take you nearly all the way up, or there is an easy switchback path, which is lined with trinket [mainly religious] stalls. We stayed for a week, just across the Ring Road from Swayambhu, with 3 generations of a lovely Hindu family.
Went into the Garden of Dreams twice. On the 2nd visit no sooner had we paid to go in, when the weather changed, and it went cold and started to throw it down with rain. Little to no shelter in there, so had to do a runner to Pumpernickel's Cafe.
Great memories.
Jun 18th, 2015, 06:31 PM
#39
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Thanks, LancasterLad for reading and looking at the photos, and definitely your memories!
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Continuing:
Finally, we made it back to Thamel through the narrow (but much quieter) streets. We walked by the famous and popular Tibetan restaurant in the Utse Hotel a few times, and decided to eat there, as it was just behind our hotel. Guide book said it was the “oldest” or “original” restaurant of some type in the area. We ordered both Tibetan and Nepalese food, and it was quite good. Quite a few Chinese visitors ordered their set “hotpot”, and we felt like there was too much food. Our check came to RS1,175.
Day 12 – Sept 13, 2014
Hotel van took us back to airport after breakfast. There was this couple from Singapore or Malaysia who was with a group traveling to Tibet overland, but the two of them returned to Kathmandu after suffering from altitude sickness. Instead, they spent more time sightseeing in Kathmandu and Hotel Mums Home booked them on an excursion to Pokhara, as they were going to airport with us.
Our Nepal Airlines flight was on the same 757-200 as before, 9N-ACA that was delivered in 1987. Lunch choices were chicken and chicken: one as a cutlet served with spaghetti, the other curry with rice. It was overcast that day, but after reaching cruising altitude, we saw some snow-capped peaks on the left side. It could well be Kanchenjunga (8,586m/28,169ft), the third highest peak in the world and on the border between Nepal and Sikkim, India, though I cannot be sure. We didn't see Mt Everest.
Flight was uneventful, and there was a little epilogue. On our flight was an unaccompanied Nepalese girl, flying to Hong Kong to visit relatives or parents living here. Dressed in beautiful traditional ethnic clothing, she really stood out at the HKG baggage claim with a local ground agent. We think she probably lives in the countryside, and for such an important trip, she was simply wearing the nicest clothes she has.
---
Continuing:
Finally, we made it back to Thamel through the narrow (but much quieter) streets. We walked by the famous and popular Tibetan restaurant in the Utse Hotel a few times, and decided to eat there, as it was just behind our hotel. Guide book said it was the “oldest” or “original” restaurant of some type in the area. We ordered both Tibetan and Nepalese food, and it was quite good. Quite a few Chinese visitors ordered their set “hotpot”, and we felt like there was too much food. Our check came to RS1,175.
Day 12 – Sept 13, 2014
Hotel van took us back to airport after breakfast. There was this couple from Singapore or Malaysia who was with a group traveling to Tibet overland, but the two of them returned to Kathmandu after suffering from altitude sickness. Instead, they spent more time sightseeing in Kathmandu and Hotel Mums Home booked them on an excursion to Pokhara, as they were going to airport with us.
Our Nepal Airlines flight was on the same 757-200 as before, 9N-ACA that was delivered in 1987. Lunch choices were chicken and chicken: one as a cutlet served with spaghetti, the other curry with rice. It was overcast that day, but after reaching cruising altitude, we saw some snow-capped peaks on the left side. It could well be Kanchenjunga (8,586m/28,169ft), the third highest peak in the world and on the border between Nepal and Sikkim, India, though I cannot be sure. We didn't see Mt Everest.
Flight was uneventful, and there was a little epilogue. On our flight was an unaccompanied Nepalese girl, flying to Hong Kong to visit relatives or parents living here. Dressed in beautiful traditional ethnic clothing, she really stood out at the HKG baggage claim with a local ground agent. We think she probably lives in the countryside, and for such an important trip, she was simply wearing the nicest clothes she has.
Jun 18th, 2015, 06:41 PM
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Some thoughts after the trip: This was my first visit to the sub-continent, and really didn't know what to expect. First thing is that other than the air quality in Kathmandu, Nepal is a lot cleaner than I had expected. Every single hotel, guesthouse and restaurant we went to is clean, so is most areas of Pokhara. And for the air quality of Kathmandu, we found it very dusty, but not dirty. Just lots of constructions and broken pavement and such - it's not like pictures we saw of Beijing or many parts of China on its smoggy days. I'd take Kathmandu every single day of the year over Beijing.
Second is how nice Nepalese are. Because of socio- and historical issues of Nepalese in Hong Kong, they were thought to be "rough". But instead, I found all of them to be extremely gentle. And they were all very fair with money. No charges on exchange, no extortion of tips, no nothing. And after we figure that we could ride a taxi for RS300 in Kathmandu regardless, it wasn't hard to negotiate that deal either.
In short, we love Nepal and Nepalese, and in fact we were already thinking about going back sometime. The earthquake in April 2015 not only didn't deter us, it actually made that more likely, and sooner rather than later.
Anyhow, that was our report. I will next do an update of what I've found about the April 2015 earthquake relevant to our trip. Thanks again for reading. And appreciate any further comments.
Second is how nice Nepalese are. Because of socio- and historical issues of Nepalese in Hong Kong, they were thought to be "rough". But instead, I found all of them to be extremely gentle. And they were all very fair with money. No charges on exchange, no extortion of tips, no nothing. And after we figure that we could ride a taxi for RS300 in Kathmandu regardless, it wasn't hard to negotiate that deal either.
In short, we love Nepal and Nepalese, and in fact we were already thinking about going back sometime. The earthquake in April 2015 not only didn't deter us, it actually made that more likely, and sooner rather than later.
Anyhow, that was our report. I will next do an update of what I've found about the April 2015 earthquake relevant to our trip. Thanks again for reading. And appreciate any further comments.
