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  • Simon Oberlaender

around the world

A 42-day adventure by Simon Read more
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  • Trip start
    April 1, 2017
    Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Sydney and Blue Mountains

    April 1, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Yeah my first blog :D
    On Saturday I had to leave New Zealand and my new kiwi friends :(. Saying goodbye to them was not easy and I was really happy that my whole "Kiwi-Family" came to the airport with me. It was very nice to have a last coffee and nice chats with you ;)
    After 3,5 hours I arrived in Sydney where Winnie (I know her from a tramping trip) picked me up. We had a good breakfast and shared our newest experiences. Afterwards we did a little sightseeing tour and went for a nice walk. There I explored the dangerous Australian nature (big spiders 👎).
    Then we met with her boyfriend Jake and we drove together to the blue mountains. I realized that Australia is not only dry desert: there are also large areas of forest and beautiful mountains and walls to go climbing. We set up our camp for the night and drove to one of the cliffs to watch the sunset. It was amazing! Back in the camp we had a good and relaxed time sitting around the fire.    Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Sydney

    April 2, 2017 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    We tidied up our camp and started the day with a delicious breakfast. Because of the rainy and windy weather we changed our plans and decided to be lazy :D so we drove to the three sisters rocks and got another amazing view of the blue mountains. Back in Sydney we went to a boulder hall and climbed almost as good as monkeys :D
    Afterwards we went to Jacke's home where Winnie served us delicious pizza and we watched Sherpa (as preparation for my trip to Nepal). In the evening I went with Winnie to church (Barneys church in Sydney). It was a big difference to the "small" (but more personal) !nspire Church in Amberley :)    Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Finally in Nepal

    April 4, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    I just arrived in Kathmandu and I can already confirm: Nepalese people are the happiest and friendliest ones I've ever met so far. Already on the plane they offered me food and drinks and they didn't accept me saying no (I felt really bad that they as poor people offer me, the "rich" European guy, food and pay for drinks...). Furthermore communication was quiet hard, their English and my Nepalese might be almost on the same level :D. But we managed to do a little bit smalltalk 👍
    The first hours here had been quite hard, as everything is pretty chaotic and new here. Traffic is really crazy, everyone is horning, bikes are squeezing between cars (and pedestrians), but somehow it's working and there are no accidents.
    At least I've got a (almost) clean room and bed, very friendly and helpful stuff (helping me with buying bus and plane tickets) and sometimes there is also electricity :D.
    In the evening I walked through the streets of Thamel, exploring this new world with new interesting smells, lots of shops to buy outdoor equipment (don't know if anything is original :D) and lots of small restaurants.    Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Organisation

    April 5, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Today I'm preparing my tramp to Everest base camp: buying the bus ticket to Jiri and the plane ticket from Lukla back to Kathmandu, planing how far to walk everyday, where to to rest and acclimatization days, packing my backpack,....
    Luckily the guys from the hotel are helping me with most of the stuff, otherwise I would be totally lost    Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    On the way to Jiri

    April 6, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    10 hours bus ride to jiri. Finally I leave the overcrowded, loud and dirty Kathmandu and I get to see more and more of the beautiful scenery (and unfortunately also all the rubbish and pollution). Maybe one of the worst trips of my life :D (I hope I'll never complain about bad streets in Germany again^^). But the landscape is amazing, especially seeing the high mountains and glaciers. On the bus I got to know Sadish (from India). That's very helpful, because he speaks Hindu and can communicate with most of the locals.
    We arrived at half past 4 in Jiri and it was already too late to start walking (gets dark by 6). So we took another bus and had again a 1,5 hours adventure ride to Shivalaya. After dinner I went to bed immediately. The mattress was really thin, but nevertheless I had a good sleep.    Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Shivalaya to Sete

    April 7, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    The stage today: from Shivalaya (1800m) up to Deurali (2700m), then down to Bhandar (2200m) and Kinja (1600m) and up to Sete (2600m)
    A long and hard first day, but I felt good and just kept on walking. It was great to leave finally the city and to have almost only natural sounds (sometimes there was a tractor or planes ^^). I had amazing views and could see how people live here (really basic, but they are very friendly and especially the kids like it when I take fotos with them :D).Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Sete to Taksindu

    April 8, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Sete (2600m) - Lamjura la Pass (3500m) - Junbesi (2700m) - Phurteng (3000m) - Ringmu (2600m) - Taksindu (3000m)
    Another long day with lots of up and downhill. It was very hot again and walking through the pine forest often reminded me of the alps back in Europe (Italy). But then I remembered that I'm at 3000m or higher, where in Europe is growing nothing any more (and here it's normal for people to live in this altitude^^). After Phurteng I could see the "really high" mountains the first time.Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Taksindu to Buspa

    April 9, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Taksindu (3000m) - Nunthala (2200m) - Chhirdi (1500m) - Jubhing (1700m) - Kharikhola (2000m) - Buspa (2400m)
    After sleeping almost 12 hours I started walking downhill and realized the two long days I did before. Climbing up to Kharikhola was really hard. When I finally arrived there, some other trampers told me to take a rest and slow down :D. So did I and took a swim in the river and relaxed some time. I also found some local children who were building a dam. I wanted to help them but communication was very difficult. So in went on and climbed up to Buspa. There I decided to stay for the night and enjoyed the views for the rest of the days and had conversations with other trampers and their guides/porters.
    One funny (and also annoying) thing are the donkeys on the tracks. Their carrying most of the food and other stuff to Lukla and Namche. But often they also block the track and there's some kind of traffic jam :D (and they smell terrible^^)    Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Phakding to Namche Bazar

    April 11, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Phakding (2610m) - Toktok (2760m) - Monjo (2835m) - Namche Bbazar (3440m)
    Finally internet again :D
    Today I had a short walk and arrived after 5 hours in Namche Bazar. Doesn't feel like being at 3500m, there are lots of shops and restaurants, bars, whatever you need. Since yesterday the track and villages changed a lot, as I came on the main track where all the "lazy" people coming from lukla with plane join the walk. It feels like being in the skiing villages in the alps. Tourists, shops, restaurants, bars,... really strange after walking 4 days through the original/poor Nepal. But the track is better and there is less pollution.
    In the afternoon I went for a walk to acclimatize and climbed up to 3800m. I hardly met other people and just enjoyed the silence and the views. In the end I met the first time a guy who was on Everest 👍    Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Namche Bazar to Pangboche

    April 12, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Namche (3440m) - Kenjoma (3550m) - Phunke Tenga (3250m) - Tengboche (3860m) - Pangboche (3930m)
    I felt good acclimated and decided to skip the rest day in Namche. In the beginning it was annoying to walk in a queue with heaps of other tourists. But soon I could leave most of them behind me and enjoy the scenery, realizing that I'm coming closer to the giants with every step. After climbing up to Tengboche I had the best view on Everest so far. It's hard to imagine how high this mountain is, looking up to the summit from 4000m and realizing that it's still so much higher^^. In the afternoon I arrived in Pangboche. After the check-in I went for a walk to acclimatize again. But it was windy and clouds covered the sun, so I went back to my room. Even if I complain about all the people on the track, I often feel quite lonely in the evenings and realize how much I miss you. But using this time to study the Bible helps me to realize that I'm not alone and gives me strength again.Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Pangboche to Dingboche

    April 13, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Pangboche (3930m) - Dingboche (4400m)
    A short walk, after 2 hours I reached Dingboche, the destination for the next 2 days (I have to do a restday for acclimatization).
    After dropping my backpack in a teahouse, I went for a walk to Chukhung (4700m). It was only 5km to walk and 300m altitude to gain, but it took me almost 2 hours :D seems like the thin air also has influence ob me ^^. I also walked quite slow as I had heaps of time to kill and tried to enjoy the scenery, but it was very cold and windy. After a warming tea I went back to Dingboche. There I had a coffee (and free wifi :D) and meet a couple from Frankonia. We were sitting and talking for some hours, because there's not much more to do. Then I went back to the teahouse, fortunately they had a fire going and I could warm up again (it's freezing cold outside in the night)Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Dingboche to Chukhung

    April 14, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Dingboche (4400m) - Chukhung (4700m) - Hill (5100m)
    I felt really good and decided to use the planned "rest day" to climb up to Chukhung. It was only a short walk (even with backpack) and I arrived at 12. On the way I stopped sometimes and had a look around, the mountains and the clouds were so great. In the afternoon I went for a little walk to climb the first time in my life over 5000m. I stopped at almost 5100m and it was really hard. But also a good feeling. But walking here felt more like walking in the dunes at the beach, it was very sandy :D. And tomorrow I'll climb up a pass at 5500m, with backpack, might be the hardest day of the trip.
    Back in the teahouse I played cards with some other guys (some of them will climb Everest 👍) and waiting for dinner. And it started snowing, just hope I'll be able to go over the pass tomorrow...    Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler
    1

    Chukhung to Pyramid

    April 15, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Chukhung (4730m) - Dingboche (4410m) - Dhugla (4620m) - Lobuche (4910m) - Pyramid (4970m)
    "Nichts ist so beständig wie die Lageänderung" they always told me in the army :D. It snowed almost 20cm tonight and I decided not to walk over Kongma la Pass (5535m), because I don't know the way and it was quiet cloudy. But the landscape was amazing! Everything was covered in snow, it was freezing cold and the panorama was maybe the best till now. So I started walking through this winter wonderland, built a snowman and often stopped to enjoy the silence and views. The closer I came to Dingboche, the more "tourists" had been there. And after Dingboche, on the way to Lobuche, it was crazy: hundreds of people and Yaks, often there had been traffic jams 🙈 as I finally arrived in Lobuche, they told me that all lodges are already full. They offered me to stay in the Pyramid, an Italian research station with "hotel", a little bit more expensive, but with food, wifi and power inclusive^^. So I went here and made, together with 3 French guys, new plans: tomorrow early in the morning to Kala Patthar (Lookout, 5550m, with good view on Everest), then down to theBasecamp (5360m) and back to the hotel.

    It's almost like paradise here :D hot drinks inclusive; popcorn, soup and dal bat (with meat!) for dinner (almost like all you can eat👍). And all that at 5000m altitude!    Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler
    2
    12

    Pyramid to EBC

    April 16, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Pyramid (4970m) - Ghorak Shep (5100m) - Kala Patthar (5550m) - Ghoral Shep- EBC (5300m) - Ghorak Shep - Pyramid
    What a day. Starting at 6am with freezing cold wind (up to 60 km/h) and it didn't stop. Maybe the coldest day in my life, seems like two of my fingertips were damaged...
    But therefore the air was very clean and I had amazing views. After almost 3 hours we (I walked with from Checke) reached the top of Kala Patthar. Often the wind was so strong that we were blown some steps down again, but at the top it was luckily not too windy and we could enjoy the views: Everest, Lothse, Everest Base Camp, the whole Khumbu Glacier and heaps of other summits. Definitely the highlight of the tramp. Going down again was also not easy, because there still was some snow left and it was often slippery. Furthermore the wind often blew us down and it was hard to stop. Walking to EBC was harder as I thought. Lots of up and down and still the icy wind blowing in the face all the time. And honestly, it was not really worth going there. Only lots of people, you can't see Everest from there,... Bug now I can say I've been there :D Walking back was really hard. I felt that I haven't been drinking enough and I was freezing like crazy, but after 9 hours I finally was back. I had a strong headache and couldn't feel some of my fingertips. But after drinking lots of hot tea and relaxing in the warm bed I was almost fine again. And having the first time pasta since two weeks was also awesome!    Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Pyramid to Pangboche

    April 17, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Pyramid (4970m) - Dughla (4620m) - Pheriche (4240m) - Pangboche (3930m)
    "Lazy" day, late breakfast at 8 and watching NBA (at 5000m altitude, crazy :D), drinking tea, relaxing. At 10 Dalibor and I started walking (after a small morning workout :D). It was still quiet windy and cold, but it became better the further down we got. After the steep descent to Dughla it was relaxed walking in a big valley, always having a good view on Ama Dablam (maybe the most beautiful mountain here). We often stopped and enjoyed the sun and views. In Pheriche we stopped and had lunch (almost the first time I did this :D). From there it was only a short walk and we reached Pangboche. It was still quiet windy here and there had often been little sandstorms again. Also vegetation changed, first trees could be seen again.Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Pangboche to Namche

    April 18, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ 🌙 -7 °C

    In the morning I went with Dalibor towards Ama Dablam Base Camp. We only went half the way and relaxed with views of Everest, Lhotse and all the others giants. We returned back to the teahouse, took our backpacks and started walking down towards Namche. This was harder than expected, as the track went up and down a lot. In the beginning it was warn and sunny, but it became cloudy in the afternoon and windy. After reaching the town and having lunch we went to have a coffee. Cappuccino and Black Forest Cake, it tasted so awesome after all those days with (almost) only rice and potatoes 👌. Afterwards we meet Aidan and his guide again, we decided to walk together the next day. After dinner I played UNO with a German couple from Bamberg, was funny to talk and hear the Frankonia dialect again :DRead more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Namche to Lukla

    April 19, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Last Day! Hard to believe :D was a lot up and down again, really funny, you think you just have to walk down the valley, but also climb up again and again^^. So after 6 hours we finally reached Lukla. We relaxed, had a coffee and brownies and bought some beers to go "plane spotting". Our teahouse was next to the airport (or the airport was built in the middle of the village :D). It's the most dangerous in the world, with a 527m short and 11.7 % gradient runway. So we just were sitting there and watched the planes come and go, was good fun and fascinating.Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Lukla to Kathmandu

    April 20, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Planes and helicopters, not the best way to get wakes up :D late breakfast and watching the planes again. Luckily Aidan's guide has lots of connections and could change my flight to today (one day earlier than I had planned). At 11 o'clock we went to the airport for "check-in", security and all the stuff (but it was not too serious :D). Everything was little bit chaotic and we had to wait 3 hours. Then our plane finally arrived. Starting was funny and adventurous, going down the runway and taking off just before the end (and cliff). It was nice to see parts of the valleys and passes I went over 2 weeks ago on my way towards Lukla. Back in Kathmandu I was "invited" to stay in Aidan's hotel :D. Very luxury, warm shower, cosy bed, television, it felt somehow strange :D. We went into town and ate 2 pizzas each (we could have eaten more :D). Maybe on of the best pizzas in my life, it was delicious.Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Lazy day in Kathmandu

    April 21, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Having the best breakfast since ages. Muffins, bacon, egg, muesli, cake, cappuccino, .... 👍 we ate almost too much :D then we checked out and went to the new "hotel" (to monkey temple backpackers). The complete opposite, dorm rooms, hippie style, old and a little bit dirty, but cheap. We just relaxed and inter afternoon we met Kajee (Aidan's guide), he had invited us for dinner at his place. He lives in a more quiet area of Kathmandu, his flat is only one room (bedroom, kitchen, living room, all in one). It was small but seemed to be enough. We ate delicious Dal Bhat, talked a lot and in the end we gave him some presents.Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    Another day in Kathmandu

    April 22, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Sleeping in and having a relaxed day we Aidan. We went shopping, looking at all the hiking and climbing equipment and tried some typical Nepalese food. In the evening I meet with some other volunteers and we planed the journey to the base tomorrow.Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    On the way to base

    April 23, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    I had a last good breakfast with Aidan. Afterwards I packed my stuff and met with the other volunteers. We had a comfortable journey in the Jeep. Unfortunately there was a truck stuck in the mud and we had to wait for 3 hours. We arrived just in time at the camp, 6 minutes later a heavy thunderstorm started.Read more

  • Simon Oberlaenderaround the worldTraveler

    First day in camp

    April 24, 2017 in Nepal ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Breakfast (eggs, bread, porridge, fruits, coffee) with a good with on Himalaya. Then work started. Digging all day long. We're building two houses. There are several teams doing different jobs: mixing concrete, brick laying,... Almost everything is done only by pure muscle power, no machines. It's gonna be a real interesting experience to build a house this way. For lunch we go to one of the restaurants in the village, it seems like there's gonna be Dal Bhat every day again :D
    In the afternoon we started digging a hole for the tanks of the toilet. It's supposed to be 2m deep, so might take some more days ^^. Work finished at 4:30. Till 6 there's free time, to take a shower, relax, .... At 6 is daily meeting, progresses from the day are told, new people introduced, ... Round about 7 is dinner time. And today was Nepali lesson, learning some basic sentences and questions.
    I think it's gönne be a good time here with lots of hard work but also nice people and a good community. Day 1 is already done :D    Read more

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