Nepal Adventures 2013!: "Trekking"

Hello! So we’ve just returned from our trek from the Kathmandu foothills to Nagarkot. I wish I could tell you how many miles we walked but I have no idea. On the first day we got on the trail at about 8:45 and walked straight up for two hours in the pouring rain. I was quickly soaked through and would remain so for the next three days. The beginning of the trail wound through neighborhood on the side of the mountain, so we were basically walking through people’s backyards. I’m sure we looked absolutely pathetic; panting in our trekking gear while walking up a trail the people around us used everyday to get to their homes. Occasionally a resident of the hillside neighborhood would sprint past us in flip-flops, and one man even took out his phone and videotaped us struggling. It was rather discouraging.

I was relieved when we cleared the residential area and entered the jungle. It was very wet and slippery, but we were walking in a cloud so everything had a very mysterious, misty beauty about it. We were in the cloud the entire way. Around 4:00 we reached Chisapani, where we were to spend the night in a tea house. After we had finished pulling the leeches off our legs, the sun broke through the clouds for a few minutes. IT was enough to warm us a little, but we were still staring at a wall of clouds all around us. No view yet. Everything was damp, even the blankets. When I woke up, I found that all my clothes were moist. Oh well. It was pouring anyway. We started walking around 9 am. It was a seven-hour walk, but most of it was pretty mellow trekking. I was a little bummed about the trail. It was basically a dirt road, which was a little too unnatural for me. It was designed so that we would have a view of the Himalayas almost the whole way, so I would have been happy with it had we actually been able to see the mountains. But we were still in the clouds. I see now why monsoon season is the off-season for trekking.

Still, it was fun because I got to know the other girls pretty well. The English girls (Hannah, Rosie, and Sam) are very high-energy but hilarious. Celine’s English is not very good so I have to communicate with her through Maika but I like her a lot. We were all trying to play Would You Rather, which Celine and Maika thought was absolutely ridiculous. I had a lot of fun listening to the English girls speak and the differences between their English and ours. They’re going to help me perfect a British accent! Apparently mine is horrendous. We did a good job amusing ourselves until we finally reached Nagarkot around 5 or 6. Our hotel (yeah, not very hardcore trekking) was beautiful and apparently had a fantastic view of the Langtang range. It even cleared up enough for us to see a sliver of a mountain! Highlight of the trek, but also a tease. Then the clouds rolled in and it rained again. But I was thrilled to sleep on an actual mattress! Today we left at 10:30 and walked for four hours to the end of the trail. The sun came out as soon as we got off the mountain. Of course. I refuse to leave this country until I see the Himalayas so I think in a few weeks the French girls and I will go to Pokhara, a city 6 hours away, because it rests right against the Annapurna mountain range so no trekking necessary to see the mountains!

Now I’m back at the orphanage and it is officially a full house! Twenty Nepali, four French, three English, and one American. Represent. Arthur and I are the only ones who don’t have friends from home with us. I’m glad I came alone though. I think I’m more observant and participatory because I’m alone. And it’s fun to make friends! I miss you all though. I’ll check in soon!

Love,

Kate