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James Graham
James Graham

James Graham

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Afternoon cocktails
    First Pad Thai of the tripThe King!View of the palace buildingsThe military? Some soldiers taking down the flagThe building that houses the The Reclining BuddhaA distant templeThe commuter river speed boat

    Arriving in Bangkok

    3 mei 2024, Thailand ⋅ 🌩️ 38 °C

    When we arrived, the first thing that hit us was the heat! Standing and waiting for our taxi, I thought I might melt. The region was currently experiencing record-breaking temperatures of 40°+, but we arrived just at the tail end, with most days reaching 39-42° and getting down to 36° at night. So basically, it was still boiling.

    We made it to our rooms in a recently renovated building that was still undergoing some cosmetic work on the ground floor. The room was very nice but strangely laid out with two king beds at the back wall of the room, end to end. They were also really high up, sitting about waist height, so you had to jump up a bit to get on them. The AC worked excellently though, so we were going to be alright.

    Having arrived at about midnight, we slept in late and awoke starving and in need of breakfast. We emerged from our room to more heat and humidity that instantly clung to our skin. We found a hotel buffet that let us eat next to a pool, which we were very jealous of, and then wandered around getting our bearings. We then headed back to do some admin and figure out what we were going to do for the next four days in Bangkok.

    In the late afternoon, we ventured out, hoping it would be a bit cooler. We first stopped off to get some midday cocktails, (why not we're on holiday). As we were super central, we wandered down to the royal palaces, but before we could hit the main road, a man with a walkie-talkie told us we couldn't walk down there and had to go another route or stand back. We eventually figured out it was because the king was leaving the palace and driving down that road. After five minutes of waiting, literally 50 red cars drove past very quickly, and among them was a fancy cream car where we could just make out the profile of a man. The King! Less than 24 hours in the city, and we'd already seen the king. We learned later that the three pillars of the country are the nation, religion, and king, which one could argue are the same thing. They're pretty strict, and you can't even step on a banknote because it has the king's face on it.

    We wandered down past the palace to the pier, where we got a cheap speed boat to another port near our hotel, then stopped off for a tasty dinner and bed.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The cats at the cat villageThe mining museumSheltering from the rainThe lanterns at Jiufen villageA very odd looking pork bunView from the townA rice bun Mo burgerCycling on the city bikesA jade room divider at the national palace museumAt the entrance they had these amazing umbrella locking stations.Also this disposable flat pack water cups for the fountains, such geniusAn intricately carved ivory thingThe zoo!Koala 🐨The manderine ducks! They mate for life so always come in pairsThe sloths! 🦥Got so close to these king fishers in the aviary!

    Taiwan part 2

    30 apr.–2 mei 2024, Taiwan ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Today, we planned a day trip out of Taipei to go hiking and visit some scenic towns. So, we donned our hiking boots and took the train to Hutong Cat Village. It was previously a booming mining town, but when the mines shut down, visitors began feeding the cats, causing the cat population to boom. Now, they have shops selling cat food to tourists and cat cafes.

    When we arrived in Hutong, we first picked up some small cat pellets and then tried to feed them to the cats, as a pretext to letting us pet them. It worked fairly well, but as they get fed so much, a few of them were a bit snooty about our dry food. The cats were cool, just lounging around in the middle of the street or asleep by walls, but the sound of a bag shaking quickly stirred them.

    In the village, they also have a huge free mining museum, which used to be the processing factory for the coal. It still has a lot of the old rusted machinery in it, and the exhibition is built up around it.

    As we wandered around outside in search of friendly cats, it began to rain heavily, so we took shelter inside a nearby cat cafe where we had lunch while watching the rain. It felt super cozy.

    Given the amount of rain, we gave up on our plans for a hike and decided to go straight to Jiufen, which has amazing street food and lanterns decorating the town. It's said to have been the inspiration for the town in Spirited Away.

    It was beautiful, and the narrow winding streets had food and tea stalls and trinkets, which was a feast for the senses. We walked up and down and then realized how tired we were, so we decided to head back to Taipei for the evening. We stopped off at a local fast food chain called Mo Burgers where I got a shrimp burger and James got a rice bun fish burger.

    On our 4th day in Taiwan, we decided to rent city bikes and see the town. The bikes cost about 20 cents for 2 hours, and the cycle lanes through the city and the parks were perfect, making it irresistible not to keep riding for hours. We cycled up to the National Palace Museum where we ended our cycle and bought tickets and looked around at some of the precious artifacts held there. After lots of days of walking, our little legs were too tired to do anything else, so we spent another quiet evening resting and doing any last bits of laundry ahead of our flight the next day.

    On our 5th and final day in Taiwan, we spent the morning apart in search of different things. We were catching our flight at 9 pm that evening but still had a whole day to fill. So we left our bags at the hotel, and I headed off to a bookshop in search of a guidebook for SE Asia, and James went to an Electronics plaza. After a couple of hours and success on both ends, we met up on the metro and headed out of town to the city zoo. It was £2.50 (!) for both of us to get into the zoo, which is insane and such good value. The zoo was huge and hosted a vast array of animals, some of which were more local to Asia than what we usually get in Western zoos. The enclosures were pretty big and well-stocked with structures and vegetation for the animals. The highlights were the aviary, where we finally managed to see the national bird of Taiwan, the mandarin duck, and another colorful pheasant that is the closest relative to the dodo. My highlight was achieving my trip objective of seeing a sloth! As they're only native to South America, a zoo version was the best I was going to get, but it was still pretty amazing seeing them in person and so close up. After we'd seen as much as we could at the zoo, we headed back to collect our bags and get to the airport. The airport was very quick and easy to get through and very empty. It only had one food outlet which played the same track on loop which basically only consisted of a chorus, that went '...I'll be happy tomorrow, so let's be happy...' 😵‍💫 The flight was thankfully smooth and pleasant and was a great way to start our time in Thailand.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The train going to Taipei
    Day 2, tour started in this parkLots of these "foot massage" paths. More painful than relaxing I foundOld shoe selling districtYay we have juice with jellyStatue representing the old and newFinal end location of our tourLunch timeParade stopped to pet the dogMonument squareResting on the stepsOutside of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial HallInside Chiang Kai-shek Memorial HallShilin Night MarketTaiwanese sausages in rice bunsFried crab legChipsIce-cream sandwichShaved snow with fresh mango

    Taiwan!

    28–29 apr. 2024, Taiwan ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Sun 28 April

    Upon arrival at Taipei Airport, the first thing we noticed was how busy it was. Lots of people seemed to be arriving from other flights. Before reaching border control, we had to go through meat and veggie screenings to ensure we weren't bringing anything in. We then walked past a dengue fever and illness screening desk. Although I had researched that we didn't need a visa to enter Taiwan, waiting at the border made me nervous that I'd missed something or that we needed to fill in some form in advance. Thankfully, we didn't, and they just gave my passport a pretty cool stamp, and off we went.

    After retrieving our bags, we picked up a pay-as-you-go card for transportation and a phone SIM card. We were super surprised by the fast data speeds we were getting.

    After taking a beautiful train ride into the city, which carried us high above the lush hills, we decided to grab some food before checking in. James found us a highly-rated but fairly traditional restaurant where we ordered a traditional Taiwanese beef noodle soup. It had the softest beef I'd had in ages and jelly bone marrow as well, which I personally wasn't as big a fan of. Then we checked into our private room at the hostel, which was wonderful for the price. Even without a window at £37, it had a private bathroom, towels, shower gel, a tea/coffee kettle, and it was very clean and well-maintained, which is a lot more than I can say for some places we've stayed.

    We then spent a wild night doing ALL our laundry and basically washing everything because it all now had a whiff of the Hong Kong dungeon on it. Like an answer to my prayers, the hostel had washing machines and dryers. I forgot how long dryers take though, even at low heat, and even though we started at 7 pm, it didn't finish until 10 pm. I was so tired I fell straight to sleep.

    DAY 2

    I awoke with a headache and didn't sleep as well as I thought I would, considering how tired I was, but I took a painkiller and it went away. Our free breakfast was the strangest medley of things I've ever seen on offer. I think it was all more traditional Taiwanese breakfast stuff, but it was all savory, such as chili chicken pasta in a white sauce, veg and sausage in gravy, what I thought were hash browns but were actually a creamy cron thing, and more. It was all pretty delicious though, and I tried everything. James was boring and just ate the toast and jam, boo. The tea here is super milky and sweet too, so I'm in paradise.

    We then headed off to a free walking tour of the old city. It was a pretty big group of mostly 27- to 40-somethings who all seemed neat and were traveling around East Asia. As we were listening to the guide, something tickled my foot. I looked down thinking it might be a fly or something, but to my horror, it was a centipede! I flipped, shaking my foot and jumping around and throwing off my sandal too. It went off pretty quickly, but I got the fear of it now and had to put James between myself and it. Of all the people's feet it could have crawled on, it had to be mine, who has the biggest fear of them, FFS.

    The rest of the tour was lovely. The guide was really good at simplifying the complicated past of Taiwan's many invaders and people, and I definitely came away knowing so much more than I did upon arrival.

    It was about 33°C out, and even in the shade, quite hot. In the middle of the tour, we stopped at a local stall and had a mixed fruit water drink that also comprised of a jelly, which was delicious! After that, James and I lost our concentration a bit, but we did chat to a guy from the UK who grew up in Catford (where we live) and now lives in Singapore. We ended the tour in the younger neighborhood, where the LGBTQ community also gathers. We then headed to a nearby cafe and got some lunch, and as we were tucking in, what seemed like a practice procession of floats went by banging drums and in a dragon costume.

    After our lunch break, we headed to Monument Square, before going back for a nap in our room. After crossing the roads, which take five minutes because they're so big, and picking a bus to take (they only come every 20 mins), we arrived at the square and were immediately struck by how HUGE the buildings were. We walked around admiring them for ages, craning our necks to see the beautiful decoration of the roof and sat on the steps of the National Opera to admire the whole scene while nibbling on some traditional biscuits we picked up on the way. We then headed to the furthest monument of Chiang Kai-shek, sitting on a chair, very similar to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The scale of everything was pretty stunning. We read the style had been brought over by Chiang Kai-Shek in 1949 when he came over from China. After wandering around the building, we headed back to our room where I napped for two hours.

    At 7 pm, we headed out to Shilin Night Market to get dinner. The area is famous for its many food stalls and night shopping, and it did not disappoint. We got out roughly £35 cash but only spent half of it and managed to eat about six different things plus a drink. We started with a Taiwanese sausage in a rice wrap, which set us up with unique flavors for dinner. We then had fried crab leg, which was delicious. I didn't realize the texture of crab meat was so soft. We then had the longest, straightest potato chips (aka French fries) ever, with mayo and seaweed, so crispy and delicious. I got a very tasty cranberry drink. Then we had a bun with pork filling, which was so good, but the bun was more bready than I was expecting. We then moved on to dessert, starting with an ice cream sandwich and then shaved snow (frozen condensed cream) with fresh mango on it. It was huge and a real showstopper. It was a delicious evening, and as we left, we were discussing coming back to try all the other things we missed. Overall, a fantastic first day in Taiwan, which is making us fall in love with this country a lot.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The outside of the building we were staying in
    The longest escalator ever!The egg tartsLoved the mix of old and new in the cityThe Chinese templeWon Ton noodlesThe view right down our streetEnjoying an ice cream after posting our stuff offChecking out some art at the national galleryTeeny beautiful snuff bottlesGiving me Southbank vibesThe view from the galleryI'm so happy and excited to be in this amazing roomThe view from our window in the morningThe pool!

    The rest of Hong Kong

    26–28 apr. 2024, Hong Kong ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    With Hong Kong being one of the most expensive places in the world, let alone on our trip, we struggled a bit to figure out what we could do for cheap or free while staying out of our dungeon accommodation as much as possible.

    We started each day with breakfast at a nearby fast food joint, for £6 each which had an odd medley of things to eat. On our first day, we booked a free walking tour, which was really good and helped ground us in the location and understand it better. Highlights included going on the world's longest outdoor covered escalator system, the Central–Mid-Levels Escalator, and the Chinese temple, where we were instructed on how to pray and ask the gods questions. We also tried a local egg tart dessert that tasted mostly like egg.

    We then did some much-needed shopping for shorts, as we were now going to be in less modestly dressed countries. For dinner that evening, we went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered the local specialty, Won Ton noodle soup. We then went off for an evening walk and realized we were right by the shore facing the city lights. We walked along the huge boardwalk until we got tired and went to bed.

    Every night that we slept there, our sleep was worse and worse. That night night, I woke up feeling like something was crawling on me; the night before, something from the roof dripped on my head. I woke up that night literally saying to myself, "One more night, it's only one more night." As we were in a bed just a tiny bit bigger than a single, when I awoke, James woke up too and turned to me and said, "That was a shit night's sleep, but it's okay because that was our last night." I was like, "Wait, no, we have one more night." Turns out James couldn't sleep that night either and was so fed up he booked a hotel near the airport that had a pool and breakfast included. I literally could have cried with happiness.

    Our only urgent task for that day was to post some of our warm clothing and souvenirs back home, so we quickly did that, packed, and then, as our check-in wasn't until 2 pm, we got a celebratory ice cream and went to the art gallery on the waterfront. We then went off to the hotel and checked in. It was expensive, but after suffering through the past few nights, it felt very well deserved. The room was pretty incredible by normal standards, with a floor-to-ceiling wall overlooking the green hills. We donned our swimsuits and, even though it was on the verge of raining, we went to the pool and hung out there until closing at 5 pm. We then wandered around the shopping mall that the building was attached to and got some dinner, then returned to our room just to soak it all up.

    Breakfast the next morning was delicious, and we then packed and headed to the airport to catch our flight. Hong Kong, you were beautiful and fun but in a different way than we've experienced so far. Maybe we'll return one day when our budget is bigger.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Our faces during space mountain. I felt like I was holding on for dear lifeThe monsoon rains hit us for only an hour or soStill traumatised by the space mountain ride. But this was actually my favouriteIt reminded me of plane turbulentsI could not go on this ride. I watched from the sidelinesHere and in lots of Asia they have models of the food they're offering. I love it!4It's a small worldAww the tower of London. It made me miss LondonMy crazy hair after our second time on the miners rideThe little princess scenes in the mazeThe teacups12

    Hong Kong Disneyland

    25 april 2024, Hong Kong ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We'd played with the idea of visiting Disneyland in Florida some years ago but decided against it for cost reasons. However, as we were already nearby, we decided to spend the day at the Hong Kong version to see what it was like. We arrived early for the 10 a.m. opening, and as we walked up the drive to the entrance, we both felt the excitement building.

    After getting through, we started with a train ride around the park to figure out the layout. We then decided to go clockwise and began with the Space Mountain ride. James had assured me this first ride was gentle and not too intense; however, we quickly realized how wrong he was. It was a very fast, very twisty indoor dark thrill ride, which I was not prepared for. I finished feeling a bit shaky in my legs and needed to sit quietly for a few minutes. James loved it. I then felt a bit traumatized by that first ride and was cautious about the rest of the rides.

    We did a few more mellow rides, including an Ant-Man and The Wasp ride in the Marvel area and then a boat trip in a lagoon that included a waterfall that was on fire. We then went to the mining village, where we got on another thrilling ride, which was incredible, long, and really loopy and mad. It ended up being our favorite ride, and we had a second go on it before finishing our time in Disneyland.

    We did some more rides and saw a Lion King show, which was a bit cheesy but fun, before heading to Toy Story Land, which was one of James's favorites. We went on the Toy Soldiers ride, which was a drop-type ride that I hated and screamed the whole way through (see video), and the toy car ride, which I point-blank refused to go on, as I hate swinging rides after a bad experience on one in the past. James enjoyed it thoroughly.

    The new Frozen Land was gorgeous, and we arrived just at sunset, which made everything seem even prettier. The rollercoaster ride was a bit disappointing, though, as it was extremely short, and we'd waited in line longer than the ride lasted. We then did the classic It's A Small World boat ride, which was actually really pleasant, and then we went back to the mining ride for a second turn. It was then dark, and the park was looking twinkly and beautiful as we got some tasty dinner and decided to wander around before the evening firework display. There was a beautiful maze with little miniature princess scenes, which was lovely, and then we rode the teacups before taking up our spot for the display and fireworks. They went on for ages and were very pretty. It was a lovely ending to a really fun day.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Our flight from Polkhara
    The storm over DelhiDominos pizza at Delhi airport at midnight1Very fed up and tired in departures at Delhi airportOn our flight to Hong KongFinally made it to Hong KongLook how neatly these bags were placed, and with handles facing towards you and all! 😍Getting the bus into the cityView from the busOur dungeon room. Putting my brave face onOur deliciously expensive ramen4Seeing the view for the first time1View from Victoria PeakThe historic tram down

    Traveling to Hong Kong

    23–24 apr. 2024, Hong Kong ⋅ 🌩️ 25 °C

    Our journey to Hong Kong was probably the longest and most exhausting experience I've ever had. It started at 9 am in Pokhara (ace lasted more than 24 hours), where we took a very small domestic flight to Kathmandu, which was SO bumpy I was actually quite scared (the person behind me was also sick. James and I were both pretty nauseous too btw). We then waited in Kathmandu airport for ages as the King of Qatar's visit meant the whole airport was on lockdown until he left. We also went through a ridiculous number of checks and security, which became extremely aggravating. On our flight to Delhi, just as we were beginning our descent, when the captain announced that due to a thunderstorm (and extremely bumpy conditions) we weren't going to be landing in Delhi but in Lucknow, which was back half the distance we'd just travelled. Once landed there, we waited for 20 mins on the plane before being told we'd refuel here and take off again to Delhi. Our 2 hour flight became a 5 hour flight. We arrived so late in Delhi that there was no point going to our hotel, so we got a Domino's pizza and checked into our next flight to Hong Kong, departing at 4 am. Checking in was slow as the airline's systems were down and after no sleep and being exhausted, it was very hard to stay standing. After making it through security and into the departures area, we found no seats that did not have hard metal armrests, so it was near impossible to get any sleep, plus there were loads of mosquitoes there which I could feel and see biting me as I sat there.

    As soon as we boarded our flight, James and I fell right to sleep and woke after several hours hungry, but soon realised they didn't serve free food on this 5-hour flight.

    When we arrived in Hong Kong, it was like stepping into the future. After being in some chaotic and rundown airports, it felt weird walking through a pristinely clear space that had automatic flushing toilets with paper, tap water we could drink, and even showers all before immigration. Immigration was a breeze, and we collected our bags and found the bus stop that took us straight to our centrally located room. We got front seats on the double-decker bus and ogled the smooth roads and obedient cars. The hills surrounding Hong Kong are lush and beautiful, and springing up from below them are tall high-rise buildings which make it so interesting to just stare at.

    Our Airbnb room was located in Chungking Mansions, which I would recommend Googling as it's a bit of a notorious place that used to be considered a ghetto (though we didn't know this at the time). The room was... um...a room. We knew it wasn't going to be that nice as it was one of three places that was within our budget in the whole city that wasn't just a mattress on the floor, but we still hadn't quite expected what we got. The entrance was through rough currency exchange and Indian food stalls, to the lifts in the centre. Our landing was then extremely humid and smelled of fried food, and it smelt of BO and more food in the apartment hallway. The apartment had obviously been roughly divided into 6+ rooms. Ours was only just a bit bigger than our bathroom at home and consisted of a bed, toilet and shower room, and a wardrobe. It was tiny, and the AC unit was old and loud and had one setting; cold, and no window (well, a window to a shaft that we were too scared to look into). We both played it cool and tried to pretend it wasn't the worst place we'd ever stayed in.

    We quickly freshened up and headed out for some dinner at a ramen restaurant which cost us £45, more than we'd spent on a single meal for the whole trip.

    We then took the bus to Victoria Peak where you get a stunning view of the city skyline from atop a hill and then took the old (but now refurbished) super steep tram down.

    By now very tired, we then went back and slept to get rested for our trip to Disneyland the next day.

    P.S. we did not sleep well as the AC was freezing when on and humid and stuffy when off, plus I'd all but cocooned myself in my silk liner for fear of bed bugs or other creepy crawlies getting on me. Plus when we woke up it was as dark as when we fell asleep, so we had no idea what time it was all night when we stirred awake.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Our little Manaslu group saying goodbye
    Our room's balcony viewWatching the sunrise from our bedThe amazing bird swooping around our roomsEnjoying our homemade granolaThis convenience store had swallows happily nesting inside the ceiling fixturesGoing up in the cable carsView from the top of the cable cars. Your meant to be able to see three peaks...Going out on the lake

    Pokhara - part 2

    18–23 apr. 2024, Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    On our final day of the trek, which was our travel back day, we woke up early to catch the 7 am microbus with Cecilia. We ate our breakfast in the Manaslu hotel front outside area. After we had finished, we said goodbye to Mitra, which was sad as we had spent so much time with him and got to know him, knowing we probably won't meet again.

    The journey was long and bumpy as usual, the only moment of note was when we got stuck in the more standstill chaotic traffic jam I've ever experienced. On a road with construction taking place, a truck and an oil tanker had collided while trying to pass each other on a dirt road. Nothing was much damaged, but obviously, it being an oil tanker, they were being very 'careful' with a digger trying to dislodge the vehicles from each other. This was taking up the entire road, and so the other half under construction road was being used to move either side of heavy traffic past, although this was not being managed by anyone and was super ad hoc. We didn't know this until passing by, so we got stuck further up, and it all seemed to be people trying to wiggle and pass each other for the whole length. It was also extremely hot, and we were in a mental box with no fan or AC, and with the car not moving, no air was getting into the open windows. We all quickly sweated through our clothes, and I began panicking that I'd get heat exhaustion and pass out. We were in the same spot for at least 1 hour. I was very close to getting out and walking past the traffic jam I was that desperate. Finally, we began moving inch by inch and got past it. Finally arriving in Pokhara, we said goodbye to Cecilia and got into our separate cabs to head to our accommodation.

    We found our place on the slope of a hill, at the top of a dirt path, with a stunning view of the lake and treetops growing around us. Our room was divine. Huge with a lovely bathroom, huge bed, and windows opening out onto the view, with our own private balcony.

    We didn't get up to much while in Pokhara, mostly read our books, slept extremely well, wandered around to the local cafes and bars for food, and enjoyed delicious homemade granola made by our hosts.

    There were a few highlights though. We went up in the gondola, which was right by us, to the top of the hills, where you can normally see the Manaslu, Annapurna peaks but with the haze that engulfed the city the whole time we were there, we didn't see them. The gondola ride itself was fun though, very high and much longer than we thought it would be.

    We also rented a pedal boat for an hour and went out into the lake, but it was very hot and a lot of physical effort, most of which James was doing, though he didn't realize until we were almost done.

    And one evening we went to an outdoor screening of Amelie where we got served drinks and pizza all surrounded by a bamboo forest and twinkly lights it was lovely.

    On our final evening, we met up with Cecilia and had a fun evening dinner and drinks, catching up on what we'd been up to and what our upcoming plans were. It was a lovely way to end our time in Nepal, laughing and having fun with new friends.

    Our time in Nepal has been really magical. I've learned so much about myself and experienced things I never thought I'd do or see. The people we met have been amazing and friendly, and the country will definitely have a special place in my heart.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Our final bridge crossingsOur jeep chariotThe valley we drove through for 4+ hours

    Day 12 - Manaslu trek

    17 april 2024, Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    It definitely felt like we left the mountains behind today, which was sad.

    By now, we'd all settled into our breakfast classics: Cecilia's porridge, James's eggs, and my muesli. Sadly, there was a big furry centipede-like creature in the sugar jar, so I had a little freak out first thing in the morning.

    After that, we set off promptly to the next village, Tilche, where we were to meet the jeep that would take us down to Besisahar.

    I chatted with Cecilia for most of the walk and spoke about how she found the love of her life, her husband, which was not a straightforward tale, but was really beautiful to hear.

    When we arrived at the jeep, James and I squished into the front seat, with Cecilia and two other Nepalese ladies and their two children in the back seat, and Mitra and another guy sitting/standing in the open-topped cargo area.

    Although it was bumpy for lots of the 4+ hour route, it was actually not bad compared to our Langtang return. The hardest part for me was trying not to roll onto the driver next to me, as I had no seatbelt available, and keeping my legs out of the way when he needed to shift gear.

    We'd heard tell that the Annapurna trek route went up roads now, and we saw this first hand as there were quite a few trekkers going up the road with all their gear while us and lots of other jeeps and lorries went by, throwing up dust and exhaust fumes. We definitely picked the better trek.

    As we got lower in altitude, it got steadily hotter. When we arrived in Besisahar, we found ourselves in a bustling city and us in our smelly dusty trekking gear. We ate a delicious lunch in the Manaslu restaurant and then stayed in their super cute blue guesthouse across the street. Our window view was of a cement wall, which was great for echoing the sound of other rooms' noise to us and making it super hard to tell where the goat bleating noise was coming from. Back in civilization, I felt very unsure of what to do with myself, without any mountain to look at and only a busy street to explore.

    At lunch, Cecilia showed us the new clothes she'd purchased as it was easier than trying to wash your clothes, and we chatted and exchanged tales. Getting to sleep was much louder and more chaotic than in the mountains, with the noise of someone watching Call of Duty footage floating up to us and someone deciding 9 pm was a good time to blast the latest Nepali hits, but we drifted off eventually.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Setting off on our final full day of hiking
    The beautiful cabin we'd stayed the night in + very posie cockrel1Beautiful forest of rhododendronsNot so spooky looking forestThe lightening struck forestThe rain has begun. Mitra just wore a plastic bagThe spider! Eekkk

    Day 11 - Manaslu trek

    16 april 2024, Nepal ⋅ 🌫 4 °C

    James and I both slept solidly for more than 10 hours. It was glorious. We woke warm and well-rested; it was hard to leave our sleeping bags. After breakfast, we said goodbye to the Canadian group with Dil Man who'd been shadowing us for the last 5 days and began our further descent down to Gowa at 2550m. This was to be our last full day of walking, so we pledged to try and enjoy it as much as we could. Thankfully it wasn't hard to enjoy, as the mountains in the background were epic and the rocks quickly turned into lush floral forests, making it hard not to stop every five minutes and take photos. We hiked through lush flower forests, dense clifftop woodlands, through a burnt-down woodland (from where lightning had struck), and finally on a rough dirt road.

    Along the way, we bumped into hikers we'd met earlier on the trail, who'd also done the pass the day before. The German man told us how hard he'd found it and how he'd also nearly cried reaching the top. He was especially relieved to hear that we'd also found it incredibly hard.

    With about an hour to our final destination, clouds began rolling in through the valley, and after a few very large drops, James and I put on our new ponchos. It was good to get some use out of them. We tried to quicken our pace as we heard lightning and thunder, and the memory of that burnt forest area came back to me, but after so many hours of downhill, our ankles and knees were protesting.

    We finally made it to our destination without getting too soaked, to our wonderful cabin rooms which had little skylights and en-suites (with a cold shower!) the luxury. After getting out of our wet things and taking a quick cold shower, we settled down to read and watch the rain. After an hour, James spotted the most humongous spider hanging out right above our heads. It was too big for me to get near (and I'm not usually scared of spiders), so James got it into a vessel and released it outside.

    We finally had full WiFi coverage so dinner was a bit quiet while everyone checked their phones, but overall it was lovely as we drank alcohol and ate some very tasty food. Mitra even arranged for us to sample some dried buffalo meat, as we hadn't had any meat for the hike. It was chewy but beautifully seasoned. Now used to an early bedtime of 8 pm, we all went to sleep in our last night in the mountains.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Just woke up and are having breakfastSun risingThe water had frozen in my water bottleAn icey tundraAbout 1.5h away from the sumitWE DID IT

    Day 10 - Conquering the Summit - Manaslu

    15 april 2024, Nepal ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C

    This was the hardest challenge of my entire life.

    We all managed to stay warm in the night, thankfully. However, we all slept pretty badly due to the altitude (it makes you sleep restlessly because there's little oxygen), so when we woke in the dark at 3 am, we were all kinda glad to begin.

    After trying to stomach some Tibetan fried bread with egg, which was a terrible choice for so early in the morning, we got ourselves together and began our most challenging experience yet.

    It was pitch black, so everyone was wearing their head torches along the path, and if you looked around, you could just see little lights slowly moving up the mountain. Mine and James' stomachs quickly started protesting the fried bread that morning, and with the combination of 55% less oxygen and little sleep, things already felt bad in our bellies.

    At about 5 am, the sun was starting to hit the mountain peaks, and the view began to look like a poster picture of incredible images. The orange and pink of the sky reflected off some of the mountains onto others, and it was probably one of the most incredible things I'll ever see.

    It was incredible but also somewhat hard to enjoy as all I could think about was how hard it was to put one foot in front of the other and get enough breath. It looked and felt like we were walking in slow motion.

    At 4,900m, (1.5h away from the 5,100m peak), the altitude hit me the hardest. I felt incredibly lethargic and light-headed. I started worrying I was going to faint or that I'd have to turn back. We stopped for a moment, and Mitra gave me some coke which didn't seem like it helped initially, but after 10 mins, I think it kicked in. By now, the snow was many feet thick, and it was a gamble every time you put your foot down if it would hold or your foot would fall deep into the snow. The sun had risen fully and was blinding against the snow, and we were getting incredibly warm in our down jackets and multiple layers.

    After my wobble, I set my mind to getting over the peak and just getting the hell down from here. This one thought of starting our descent, as we couldn't turn back and there was no other way to get down, was what drove me on and on. As we came to the peak, Mitra, who was ahead of us, exclaimed "You made it!" And James, Cecilia and I all started crying uncontrollably. We had made it. We all found it so hard, at moments we each felt like we weren't going to make it. It's hard to describe the relief and happiness we all felt to have actually achieved this mammoth task. We all hugged, cried, and took photos. Cecelia had promised she was going to do burpees on the peak for her bootcamp. Amazingly, she did 10 when she initially thought she'd only be able to do one.

    After 10-15 minutes, we began our descent, but it turned out the challenge wasn't over yet. Going down, the snow got very slippery and even after applying our crampons, when we got to a huge side of the mountains with slushy snowy switchbacks for 2 hours, we all hated it. I was so scared of hurting my ankle again. James admitted to me on the peak that he already had zero energy and so was slipping quite a lot due to the lack of energy.

    After descending 776m, we finally arrived at the first building after the pass. In a fog of tiredness and pain, we sat down, and then in shock at what we'd just achieved, we began laughing and crying hysterically.

    The food was the most glorious thing I'd ever eaten, and afterwards, we descended into a silent stupor. We still had just under 5 km left until we arrived at our tea house for the night. We actually tried to get a price for a donkey to ride us the rest of the way, but no luck. At this point, we realised we'd be awake and walking for 12 hours.

    We arrived at the cutest tea house we'd stayed in yet, all of us with our own little cabins and a glorious hot shower. All the ladies washed their hair. We then all gathered in the dining hall where the fire was roaring, and we tucked into our dinner, and then promptly went to bed at 7 pm because we'd been up for SO long.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Heading away from SamdoYou can hear my heavy breathingDharmasala. Me in the black being boredWhere we'd be sleeping that night😅 the fear in my eyesThe "dinning area"A few hours in and we're very bored and cold

    Day 9 - Manaslu trek

    14 april 2024, Nepal ⋅ ☁️ -2 °C

    Today was going to be a very short day as we were just heading to Dharmasala, which was the final settlement before we went through Larkya La pass and the highest peak of the trek. We began early, setting out by 7 am. However, sitting at 4,500m, 500m higher than where we started, the whole route was uphill and with the altitude, the air was becoming very thin and hard to breathe in. So it took us nearly 4 hours to go 6 km.

    It turned out Dharmasala was more of a camp than any kind of settlement. There were two or three rows of prefabricated shelters with many rows of tents beside them. It was like being holed up in some kind of temporary shelter. The three of us were sharing a room, which was just a row of mattresses next to each other covering the entire space, and in front of us was the "dining hall," which was another prefabricated room that had a window missing. The whole thing was incredibly basic and at this altitude, incredibly cold (prob like -10). We arrived at 12ish, and after eating our lunch, we then had NOTHING to do until bedtime. There was a hill nearby that lots of people, including James, decided to climb, but otherwise, there was nothing to do and no comfortable place to be. Everyone there was there because they were going to climb the pass tomorrow, so looking around this desolate outcrop, you just saw bored, antsy hikers milling around trying to stay warm and look for something to do. Because of the altitude, you're also not supposed to nap as it can make the acclimatisation worse.

    By 3 pm, Cecilia, James and I were going crazy. We ended up speaking to a young man named Josh from Canada who was doing the trek with just himself and his guide. When Mitra found us, he managed to find us a deck of cards and taught us a Nepalese card game which managed to keep us entertained for at least 2 hours before our food arrived.

    Thankfully, our food managed to warm us up and then we all retired to our room to try and sleep before our 3 am wake-up the next day to begin our hike through the peak of our journey, Larkia Pass.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    On our way to Samdo
    Had to cross this ice riverThe view from the top of our day hike

    Day 8 - Manaslu trek

    13 april 2024, Nepal ⋅ ⛅ -1 °C

    Today was a short day to Samdo, just three hours up to about 4,000m. We left late at about 8am and the road was a very gentle incline. James was not having a good day, his stomach was not great in the morning and then his back was aching from the bag today so it was a relief to finally arrive into Samdo.

    We requested a double bed room this time as we have been in twins the whole way and are missing our cuddles and the comfort of sitting next to eachother.

    As James wasn't feeling well, he tested in the room while we enjoyed a tasty lunch in the teahouses rooftop conservatory like structure which was warm in the sun. And then rested before taking a little 1 hour hike up to a ridge at 4,100m. It was pretty steep and I knew as we were going up I was not going to enjoy the decent. When we arrived at the top I didn't not like how steep it felt, I felt like I was on the edge of a cliff, which I guess was kinda true. The views of the mountains and the town and valleys bellow were incredible though and it was worth it just for that. Almost immediately as we deccended I became panicked, with my fear of slipping in the dusty rubbly path almost immobilized me, but with James there Cecilia was very encouraging and we made it down uninjured.

    I returned to James feeling a lot better and we ate dinner and firmed up or plans for the remainder of the trip.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Heading on the trail towards the Manaslu base camp
    My Manaslu in the background there12What a perfectly placed Yak1The most amazing view everThe lake from the glacier11Found a rock that said Kyra so we changed it to Kyri 😁

    Day 7 - Manaslu trek

    12 april 2024, Nepal ⋅ ☁️ -2 °C

    Today was the best day so far! It was an acclimatisation day for us, so we were heading up to about 4,200m and then back down to sleep at our hotel at 3,500m. As it was just a day hike, it was nice not to have to take our full bags.

    As we hiked the steepish climb towards Mt Manaslu Basecamp, the view just got more and more amazing. Once we got about halfway up to the basecamp, we stopped at a cave with prayer flags and paused to take in the view. There were no words to describe it. While taking it in, we watched the glacier break off and avalanche down the mountain.

    Once we'd rested and taken in as much as we could, we headed back down and then took a detour to see the lake formed by the glacier. The water was SO cold but so beautifully blue it looked like it could be tropical. Cecilia stripped down to her underwear and went for a cold water swim. In comparison, I took off my shoes and socks and put my feet in, which I could only do for like 30 seconds.

    We then headed back to town via the massive monastery and arrived just in time to enjoy lunch outside in the sun. We spent the rest of the day chilling until dinner.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Leaving Shyala that morning
    The eagles circling usCrossing the frozen riverFinally reaching the monastery up ahead of usThe monasteryEnjoying a well deserved snackThe temple itself with a stunning backdropIncredible viewOur decent down to SamagaonJames and Cecilia enjoying their coffee

    Day 6 - Manaslu trek

    11 april 2024, Nepal ⋅ ☁️ -3 °C

    Today the plan was to do a kind of V-shaped route, first heading to Pung Gyen Gompa monastery, sitting at 4,000m, and then heading down to Samagaon village, (where we'd spend the next two nights), sitting at 3,520m. This was to help us acclimatise to the altitude.

    The hike up was only two hours up and two hours down, but both were VERY steep. Going up, the scenery changed from small pine woodland to open rocky tundra to vast open mountain plains. The view just kept getting better and better as we ascended until we just had no more words for how incredible it was. The air was definitely getting thinner too, as I was finding it very hard to move my muscles up the hill. We amazingly saw the most wildlife up here than we had the whole trek so far, including a tiny grey rabbit, marmots, mountain goats, and the National bird of Nepal, the Himalayan monal pheasant! (Which are super rare for this region, normally only found in Everest)

    We finally arrived at the monastery and caught our breath and had some snacks and Tibetan bread. We explored the temple and took in the scenery before retracing half our steps down and then on to Samagaon. It started snowing lightly as we descended, so I think it made us keen to go down asap. Just outside the village is the local school which serves children in the whole region, and they had a stall outside selling fresh, proper, French-pressed coffee, to raise funds for the school. Cecelia couldn't help herself, and James decided to have a coffee too. After being exhausted, they both perked right up after only a few sips.

    We checked into our lodgings, which were staying in for two nights. James and I plucked up the courage to ask for a room with a double bed, instead of the twins we'd been staying in every night, as we're missing sleeping next to each other and we'll probably need the warmth soon. They didn't end up having any free, but he said hopefully tomorrow when other people leave.

    We all tucked into a late lunch of spring rolls, which are super thick and chunky here, not like those piddly ones we get in the west, and then headed to our rooms to warm up in our sleeping bags and rest before a late dinner tonight.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Saw a small temple on our route
    Why thank you, happy to be hereIt's starting to get cold

    Day 5 - Manaslu trek

    10 april 2024, Nepal ⋅ ☁️ -3 °C

    We started the morning at 6.45 am for breakfast to make sure we got on the path by 7.30 as today was either a half-day or further if we had the energy, which if we went further would open our options for side quests the next day.

    We started off well with lots of incline but with a slow steady pace, it didn't feel too bad. At around 3,000m I began to feel the familiar feeling of just a little less air getting to me, so deepened my breaths to accommodate. However, luckily James and I felt no other altitude effects; we even slept well! We were still going strong when we stopped in Lho at a fantastic lunch spot which had the kitchen and dining on the roof in a kind of conservatory with the most stunning view of the mountains and even though there was a cold wind blowing, it was so lovely and warm in the dining hall. We took an extra bit of time enjoying extra drinks and the warmth of the space before heading back out. The second half of the day was only 2 hours so we had lots of time.

    The afternoon's trek was through some beautiful woods with a rushing stream, moss on the trees and beautiful afternoon sun pouring through the trees. We finally made it to Shyala sitting at 3,500m. When walking into the village it had plenty of buildings but we saw no one around, it was like it was deserted.

    We arrived early at about 5 so after getting comfy we sat in the dining hall and chatted together with Dil Man's Canadian group, it was only the 6 of us staying at the lodge so we were able to be as loud with our laughter as liked.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Not long after my wobbleI like that this accommodation has 30 MEN as part of it 😆I thought the path just disappearedMules crossing the bridgeFinally arrived at our destination after a long dayOur cabin for the night

    Day 4 - Manaslu trek

    9 april 2024, Nepal ⋅ ☁️ -2 °C

    Unfortunately, today was not a good day to begin with for me. We had a tasty breakfast in our dining hall and then headed out. The trail began with most of the morning on a steep uphill, and I was not feeling strong today. It felt like all the energy had gone from my muscles, and my feet felt like lead. I'm a slow walker and usually at the back, but today I was really falling behind. At one point, I had a wobble and burst out crying, thinking I couldn't do it. "This is so hard, why am I doing this?" But once I'd dried my eyes and received some amazing encouragement and love from James, I was able to carry on and put those negative thoughts behind me.

    For lunch, we stayed at a very picturesque tea house with babies and children playing as we ate, who were really sweet to watch and interact with. We also all took the opportunity to take off our shoes and re-energize after a long walk. The afternoon passed much better for me; even though it was still uphill, I got into a rhythm, popped in a podcast, and was able to steadily tackle any incline. We passed through some beautiful forests and walked next to the rushing river rapids.

    When we arrived at that evening's tea house in Namrung, at 2,600m, we were all thoroughly pooped and looking forward to peeling off our socks. We also met up with our old guide from Langtang, Dil Man, who was related to our guide and from the same village. We caught up and found we'd be walking with his group from Canada for the next day.

    We ate a delicious dinner, pizza for me and Dal Bhat for James, and then enjoyed a large slice of homemade apple cake we'd purchased from the trailer earlier. Afterwards, after no Wi-Fi or signal since starting the trek I managed to tether off our guide's tiny bit of data and let me family know I was alive and likely wouldn't be contactable until after the trek.

    With it starting to get colder we snuggled down into our sleeping bags and went off to bed ready for a early start tomorrow.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    A lizard we sawOn the right you can see the side where they did the explosion, on the left was our train oppositeMy sweat stainsA little traffic jam, the sheep kept stopping on the bridge and trekkers trying to passOur dinner

    Day 3 - Manaslu trek

    8 april 2024, Nepal ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    After a decent night's sleep, we were up and packing at 6.30 am to have breakfast and be out promptly. Cecelia and I shared porridge and some Tibetan bread. She also contributed some Skippy peanut butter and cinnamon which we sprinkled on the porridge and smeared all over the Tibetan bread which, with some jam, was a fantastic treat.

    We began the trek feeling really good, our legs strong and our energy up. Just outside the town, I remembered I forgot my phone charging at the teahouse so James jogged back to fetch it, which was a lot faster than I would have been. The start of the walk was on the unused road and then we crossed our first suspension bridge of the day; we got onto some proper walking paths. This trek has had us pass through a lot more villages with women and small children going about their usual business and men on the trail either with their mules loaded up or just walking between the villages.

    We had to share a few of our suspension bridge crossings with sheep, being shepherded across the valley which was quite funny as most of them would freeze in the middle probably from sheer panic at the height until the shepherd got them to move on.

    We stopped for lunch early at 11 am as there were no good lunch spots further on. After lunch as we rounded a corner of the path, a guy told our guide that we'd better move quickly because they were going to dynamite the mountainside opposite our path to build the road. I haven't hiked that fast before in my life. We did not want to be anywhere near an explosion that could have caused a landslide on our opposite slope. After 20 minutes of fast walking, we made it to the next sentry where there were quite a few trekkers and locals with their flocks being held back, waiting for the explosion to proceed. We continued and 1 hour later we heard the boom echo through the valley, very thankful we were nowhere near it.

    After crossing our highest suspension bridge yet, we got into some more wooded area which was very picturesque and tranquil.

    With about 45 minutes until our final destination, I began to run out of energy. James said it was like watching someone in slow motion. I still had good spirits though and felt ok, just moved very slowly. We had been walking for 9 hours by this point, about 18 km, and I later saw I'd done 34,000 steps.

    Our teahouse for the night is in Deng, which is at 1870m. SO cute! It's got a large front garden area with seating and then the rooms are arranged into a kind of courtyard. The main dining room was very large and laid out almost like a proper restaurant. It even had a TV playing animal documentaries!

    We ate some delicious Dal Bat again and Cecilia had a pizza; all the food looked particularly delicious here. We had some of the local wine which put us all in a jolly mood and we laughed about one thing or another until we all got sleepy and headed to bed.

    We have another long day tomorrow but I'm optimistic as I woke up stronger and had more endurance than the last day, so hopefully, this will repeat for tomorrow.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Our first bridge crossings1Right after the landslide we had this view1Just growing wildArrived at JagetThe village of Jaget1Our steps on the first day 32,000!

    Day 2 - Manaslu trek

    7 april 2024, Nepal ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Let the trekking begin! I was really warm going to bed so only went to bed in my silk liners, but I woke up very early at 4 am in the night, cold and couldn't get back to sleep. Just when I was dozing off though, it was 7 am and we had to be down for breakfast. I ate Thumpa porridge with apple and banana, which is a type of cereal oat that Nepalese eat instead of oats. It looks like brown sandy sludge but it was very tasty.

    We began for the first few hours hiking along the road, which had barely any cars using it so it was pretty peaceful. Once we crossed our first bridge to the path, it began to get interesting. Some bits were quite rocky, some smoother but by lunchtime, I was desperate for a break. My feet were aching and the sun was warm. After a good sit down in the shade and some grub, I felt much better. In the afternoon, the clouds came in so it felt a bit cooler which was nice.

    However, we came to a section where there had been a landslide a long time ago and the path was very narrow with a pretty steep drop below, plus it was quite rocky and steep. After a while, I really began to feel my vertigo. James, ever the best man in the world, was right behind me encouraging me and giving his support. It was a relief to have that section done and back onto larger ground. We were then rewarded with a spectacular walk through the dried riverbed, which was all pure white sand with HUGE cliffs on their side, it was magnificent.

    We finally made it to our beds for the night in the village of Jaget, at 1300m. We sat on our beds just processing how tired our feet, calves, and shoulders were before taking a cold shower and getting warm in our clothes. We had a lovely dinner of Dal Bat chatting to Cecilia and Mitra about the trek ahead. At 7.30 pm, we were falling asleep at the table and heading to bed.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Our microbus
    Beautiful artwork on the microbusFantastic signage that everyone can benefit fromBack on the big bus

    Day 1 - Manaslu trek

    6 april 2024, Nepal ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We started our day early by waking up at 5.30 to be at the microbus stop at 6 am. We had a quick hot drink with our host Thumpten, who gave us a bag of apples and bananas in place of breakfast. His mate, the taxi driver, then took us to the bus stop, where we were immediately swamped by the microbus agents, one of whom grabbed my bag from out of the back of the taxi and began taking it over to his vehicle. I got it back, and the taxi driver helped us buy an official ticket at the ticket counter to make sure those jacked-up guys didn't overcharge us. We settled into a minivan-type vehicle, aka a microbus, which had seats enough for 15 people, (seats arranged as 2/3/3/3/4) with two other ladies sitting at the very front. We took off with the sliding door wide open and our conductor calling out "KATHMANDU" to any loitering pedestrian. Basically, people just hop on and pay him and then try to fit in as many people as possible even if there are not seats/space; it's up to the person if they want to get in. We quickly accumulated a full bus with all seats taken, but then more people got squeezed onto rows with 5 people sitting on the three-person row at one point.

    The driver was going SO fast and overtaking whenever any inch presented itself. As we made good time, we got stopped by a small accident that blocked the road and a mini-landslide at one of the many construction points, which held us up for at least 20-30 minutes.

    We finally arrived in Mugling where we were meeting our guide and other hiker and joining them in their proper bus from Kathmandu for the rest of the way. While we were waiting, we ate at the cleanest, most hygienic restaurant I've ever encountered. When you entered, the waitress sprayed your hands with sanitizer and directed you to leave your bigger bags on a table at the front, and they were all wearing masks. It was like COVID was still a thing. But the bathrooms were immaculate and had signage on how to use the Western ones and thick, clean toilet paper, and all motion sensor water and soap dispensers. It was heaven. The food was average, but the masala chai was strong! We were shaking and jittery from the caffeine hit.

    Eventually, the bus from Kathmandu arrived with our guide, Mitra, and I was sat next to our hiking partner Cecilia from Sweden. She's very friendly and lovely, and I think she will be great company. James sat next to a guy who manspread the whole trip and who kept falling asleep on his shoulder.

    Just when you think you can't experience a worse bus ride in Nepal, you experience a worse one. The road quickly got very steep, and the bus was really struggling, and then the road turned to dirt for the last 2 hours, which meant tons of erosion, landslides, and narrow roads with cliff drops on one side. I had to just look away after a while as staying engaged was giving me a lot of anxiety that we'd fall off. We finally made it to our village for the night, Machhakhola, which sits at 800m above sea level. Our rooms are simple but good, and after getting to know each other better, we showered and headed to bed for an early night after a very long day.

    P.S. Cecilia told us the tip to not cry when peeling onions: you should stick your tongue out. Please, someone try it and let us know if it works!    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Our rooftop cafe view of the squareJames visiting this square last time he was travelling and picked up a trinket he still has todayOutside Kumaris' houseThe official dignitaries room.Inside the royal palaces courtyardAnother courtyardOur Newarie food3Someone needs to do some cable managementGanesha on a buildingThe walk back2A motorcycle traffic jam

    Site seeing in Katmandu

    29–30 mrt. 2024, Nepal ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We woke up the next day with plans to go sightseeing. We headed to see Durbar Square, which was only a short 20-minute walk away. The walk there was an experience. We went through a busy neighbourhood of shops and street sellers, selling everything from meat on the butcher's block to the latest wedding clothes and everything in between. The streets were packed with people and again with motorbikes trying to squeeze through; it was a feast for the eyes.

    Arriving at the square, we got our tickets and wandered around trying to figure out which building was which. After retiring to a nearby rooftop cafe, we began reading more about the site and ended up going down a rabbit hole while reading about the Kumari cult. This involves the worship of young prepubescent girls, known as Kumaris, who are believed to be living manifestations of the Hindu goddess Taleju, revered for their purity and divine connection. She lives in one of the buildings in the square and cannot let her feet touch the ground. When she hits puberty, they find a new girl.

    After our refreshments, we headed into the palace turned museum, which was a very mixed place but quite intriguing. We then headed a few streets away to get food. The first place we went only had Momos on the menu as their kitchen was preparing for a wedding later on. As James can't eat Momos because of his stomach trauma with them, we went to a Newari restaurant. Newari cuisine is of the native people from the Kathmandu Valley and consists of lots of pulses and spices, but nothing like how you've ever had them before. We got a set meal which was a perfect taster of all the main items and was such an amazing flavour and texture experience. It's like nothing we've ever eaten and may never have again, well worth a try if you ever encounter it.

    We then headed to our room for a rest and to freshen up for our dinner with Dil Man and the Danish guys as a last meal together, on Magical Nepal's expense.

    It was lovely to see them and catch up on what we'd been doing and what our plans were and also to see each other not in trekking clothes. At the end of our meal, the owner of Magical Nepal stopped by and basically got us to confirm our attendance on their Manaslu trek starting next week. We spent one more day in Kathmandu which we used for shopping buying anything we were missing from our last trek. Our hotel manager gave us a good package to stay at their sister hotel in Chitwan, with multiple days of activities in the National Park so we booked that too.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    All of us in the car
    The car we jeep back to KatmanduA little waterfall by a pee stop1Us at our lunch stopThe stake I'd been craving all trek

    Day 8 - Langtang trek

    28 maart 2024, Nepal ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    This day was technically still part of the trek, but it was just our travel back which ended up being quite eventful.

    Dil Man had managed to get us a private jeep ride back to Kathmandu, instead of taking the public bus, but for no extra cost (just a tip for the driver). It was faster, so we left the village at 11 am and hit the road. The shortcut we'd been told the day before was going to have better roads "as they weren't under construction", however, we quickly realised they should have been. They were just bumpy dirt roads that followed the cliff valley, sometimes passing ANOTHER hydro-dam. The amount of bouncing about I did on those roads I'm surprised I didn't have bruises. Sometimes we'd hit a perfectly asphalted road where the driver would speed up to 80 km only for it to end in more dirt road 10 seconds later, no exaggeration. (The longest one we were on was for 30 seconds, Nico timed it).

    After stopping for lunch and eating Dal Bhat, we were then on asphalt the rest of the way. To avoid the construction coming into Kathmandu, we took an alternative more scenic route which took us way, way up into a mountain to then come back down into Kathmandu valley. We went so high a very thick fog surrounded the car, and for all the skill of the driver, he loved to go way too fast and overtake any vehicle he saw, which was quite nerve-racking on the bad road conditions. The tension of the drive came to a peak for me when we witnessed an accident right in front of us.

    A man, with a lady on the back, was driving a scooter up these long winding roads in the mountains before Kathmandu valley. Going around one sharp bend, he avoided an incoming car but lost the balance of his motorbike sending him and his lady skidding to the ground. We saw all of this from behind him and the driver slowed, but then overtook them and carried on. We were all shocked at what we'd seen and I wanted to get out and help as the driver was half under his motorbike, but the driver warned us that if we stopped and helped, the police would likely arrest us thinking we had something to do with it. He also made excuses that he thought he might have been drunk, however, I think it was just a simple loss of balance. I hid my tear of shock and remorse that we didn't stop and help as the others continued to discuss the particulars. To be fair, the lady at the back was fine, she was already standing shouting at the driver in anger over having crashed at all and he was conscious and already trying to lift the bike off himself as we passed them, so I think they probably were okay. But it pained me a lot to be so heartless and not even considering helping, which I know if it had been me I'd have been very shaken and wanted assistance.

    We arrived in Kathmandu in one piece and said goodbye to Dil Man and the other two Danish guys. It felt weird walking away from people that we'd spent so much time with over the last few days.

    We checked back into the last hotel we'd been at where we left some stuff and then headed out for delicious buffalo steaks which I'd been desiring the whole hike.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Our final morning on the trek
    The view from our breakfast tableThe hydro-dam construction site we had to walk throughAfter some R&R we visited the hydro-dam2The tunnel entranceSitting down to our last meal and drinks togetherThe rice alcohol that tasted like marmite

    Day 7 - Langtang trek

    27 maart 2024, Nepal ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Our last day of trekking was only a half day, and we were finishing where we'd been dropped off by the bus, called Syapru Besi. With feet still sore from the day before, we had a late breakfast and then packed our bags for the porters for the final time. We'd forgotten that most of the walk was through the hydrodam construction site, so it was not a very pleasant end to a beautiful hike. However, arriving into our room at the end was a nice reward. We showered, ate lunch, hung out for a few hours, and then Dil Man had decided we should check out the current hydro plant that is just outside the village. With none of us really sure what to expect, we donned our hiking boots again and walked just outside the town to a bridge, where Dil spoke to a guy who opened a gate, and we were let into a courtyard with electrical pylons and cables. We then had to hand in our phones as we weren't allowed to take pictures inside, and we were walked to the opening of an enormous tunnel. We walked in and heard lots of industrial noises. With no explanation from our guide, we walked through multiple tunnels with machinery and water going through them, ending in a loop which brought us back to the tunnel entrance. Not quite sure what we had just seen in the 20 minutes we were there, we asked a few questions, took some pictures of the opening, and then headed back to our rooms.

    That evening, we celebrated the end of our trek by drinking a local wine, which is fermented rice with hot water poured inside and then the liquid sucked through a straw. It tasted like marmite, and I couldn't drink it without wincing. After more drinks and trying to chat with the porters who spoke no English, but who laughed really hard when I asked them through Google Translate if they missed their families (they preferred the quiet of porter work to their family's company haha), we headed to bed. Overall, a fun end to a very good trek.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Monkeys!Our little group on a water breakStairway to heavenIt got hot quickly going downhill

    Day 6 - Langtang Trek

    26 maart 2024, Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    As we had changed our plans slightly from the original itinerary, our objective today was to head almost all the way back down to the tea house we stopped at on the very first day for lunch and stay the night there.

    With a good hearty breakfast in us (I had by now had so many eggs this trip, I was getting sick of eggs, something I never thought possible), including apple pancakes, we began hiking back down. It's definitely a lot easier and faster going downhill; however, my toes did start hurting, which is a uniquely downhill problem. We were also walking the longest distance yet today, 20 km, and so for the first time my feet were properly hurting by the end of the day.

    On the way down, we saw a huge family of grey langur monkeys in the tree right in our path. I could have watched them for hours, and the view kept unfolding in front of us of the valley we had hiked up just days before.

    Overall, it was surprisingly one of the most exhausting days but also a marvel to see how far one's little legs can take you.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    2
    We're actually sweating so much22Heading back down

    Day 5 of Langtang Trek

    25 maart 2024, Nepal ⋅ ☁️ -4 °C

    We woke up very early, as our sleep was still a bit disturbed, to 2 feet of snow covering everything! It was insane to see the transformation from brown shrubs to a white desert. We watched as the yaks slowly wandered through and as people began to wake up and try to carve a path through.

    The plan that day had been to have a day hike up to our highest point, Tsergo Ri at 5,000m, which would have been a 9-10 hour trek there and back, from where we could see over 20 peaks, the Langtang Valley, and frozen lakes. However, as the path was now likely completely hidden and slippery with snow, it was not an option. When we went up to the common room and spoke to Dil Man, he said the new plan was to rest until after lunch and then head back down to Langtang village and spend the night there instead.

    So we had the morning to go play in the snow and hang out. Very surprisingly, even though the snow was cold, the sun was shining and it was SUPER HOT. I could barely wear a jacket. With the sun so hot, the snow was melting pretty quickly, so it didn't look like we'd be snowed in after all.

    While eating lunch, a helicopter landed in the field in front of us and picked up two people who looked like they'd just come off the path from Tsergo Ri. My guess was either they attempted it and got altitude sickness or they were super rich and couldn't be bothered to walk down the rest of the valley, like the rest of us plebs.

    After lunch, we leisurely made our way back down the path from yesterday to Langtang village, which seemed SO much easier now we were used to the altitude and it was downhill.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    Our morning view
    2The biggest yak we'd seenBuddhist prayer stonesA larger prayer stoneEnjoying our lunch stopBest tea we'd had on the trek up at 3,000mBuddhist water payer wheelsMore mules going about their businessOur colourful destinationWe made it to our highest sleeping point!View from the window

    Day 4 - Langtang Trek

    24 maart 2024, Nepal ⋅ ☁️ -1 °C

    Today was only a half day, but due to the altitude, it still felt pretty hard. It also gets colder as you go up in altitude, so even though the sun was hot, it was still very cold. The temperature drops approximately 6.5°C per 1,000 meters of elevation gain, so it's about 27°C colder than it was at sea level, so near 1-7°C during the day.

    Although challenging, it was the most beautiful day yet. We became surrounded by snow-capped peaks, and the clear sky made looking up a breathtaking experience as we became immersed in the majesty of the mountain landscape.

    We arrived about midday at our teahouse at Kanjin Gompa, sitting at 3,870m above sea level. We settled into our room, which had the most stunning view yet. After a long, relaxing rest, we headed out with the group for a short 2-hour trek up to the closest peak, Kyanjin Ri, which sits at 4,604m. To help with altitude, it's good to go higher than 500m and then come back down again and sleep at the lower elevation. It was SUPER steep and REALLY hard going. As we got higher, it got windier, and James and my vertigo were starting to get to us. So, when we got to Lower Lower Kyanjin Ri at 4,300m, we decided to turn back, leaving Dil Man and Nicolas (Dad, Fredrik had already turned back) to continue to the top. We later heard from them that it took them 25 minutes to reach the top once we left them and 25 minutes to get down, whereas it took us 1 hour to get just to where we had got to and probably the same to get down. Bloody youths.

    After a tasty dinner, we headed back to our room to see that it was snowing, so we stayed up to watch the largest snowflakes fall that we'd ever seen. We went to sleep wondering when it would stop and how much would remain in the morning.    Meer informatie

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  • 2024 Adventure
    The forest
    My ears were getting coldMuch needed snack breakWhen it started flattening offLunch timeThe mountains flanking us either side1Feelin the burn, our guide and porters in the back thereGetting into the clouds nowPassed some more pack mules taking supplier to the villagesThe avalanche that distroyed LangtangOur tea housePeeling off our socks at the end of a hard day2Enjoying some warm Seabuckthorn juice, a local juice drink grown only in high regions

    Day 3 of Langtang Trek

    23 maart 2024, Nepal ⋅ 🌫 -2 °C

    This was probably the hardest day of the trek. It started with a steep uphill, and then towards the middle of the day, it got flat, then went steep again, but when it got steep at the end, it became extra difficult due to the high altitude and reduced oxygen.

    The scenery didn't disappoint, though. We continued hiking through the forest to begin with, me always thinking I might see a red panda at any moment, which I didn't (they're extremely rare to see), and then finally seeing the landscape change into open rocky grassland. When the view cleared, we had a magnificent view of the white peaks of the mountains in front of us, and roaming around were many enormous hairy yaks, who turned towards us photogenically every time we took a photo of them.

    It was a relief to arrive at our teahouse, which was a beautifully painted three-story brick building with amazing views from the windows and rooftop common room. We climbed to 3,438m above sea level for 7 hours to the village of Langtang. This village was entirely destroyed in the 2015 earthquake which caused an avalanche and killed 310 people. The remnants of the avalanche are still visible, and we hiked over it to reach the newly built town where we stayed that night.

    After an amazing hot shower, we had a warm tasty dinner and settled down for bed. We felt a little funny from the altitude, needing to take bigger breaths when going up the stairs, and we did have some unsettled sleep, which is also a symptom, but when waking up, we felt pretty good and a bit more accustomed.    Meer informatie

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