Kathmandu
January 3, 2024 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
From Bangladesh to Nepal, I found myself in the capital city of Kathmandu. A far cry from Dhaka, and a welcome one at that. Lisa, my travel buddy in Niigata, arrived earlier in the day. This time around, I wasn't traveling solo.
I got lost in the immigration, and couldn't really figure out if I got all the requirements right until I was in front of the counter. Turns out, I didn't and had to go way back in line which was now quadruple the length and twice as crowded. I realized I was tired and definitely didn't have the energy to go out for dinner anymore which I told Lisa.
I met up with Coco again, my Chinese friend that I made in Dhaka's airport, back at the line so at least it wasn't all too bad. We chatted up while waiting with what broken Chinese I could muster. I got on the prepaid taxi and off we went to Elbrus Home, our hostel for the next few days in Kathmandu.Read more
Kathmandu II
January 4, 2024 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
Waking up to a morning in Nepal was something else, the chilly air seeping through our tiny room, yet it was still cozy with picture frames of the Buddha Eyes and Ganesha hanging on the walls.
Lisa wasn't a morning person so I jokingly urged her with a "Let's go?" just as she showed signs of waking. And off we went downstairs to get our breakfast: omelet, toast, honey, mango juice, and milk tea. A hearty meal. I was reading a pamphlet on Boudanath Stupa that I found tucked away on the lounge's book stands. This was where we were going first. A guy in Elbrus Home called us a taxi and off we went.
I found myself comparing the streets of Kathmandu to Dhaka, it was much cleaner here. That's for sure.
We were dropped right in front of Boudanath and our senses were immediately simulated all over. The scent of incense and spices wafted through the air. The sounds of bells, chimes, and chanting echo from afar. The sight of all the faithful and pilgrims circumambulating the stupa. Plus, the overall energy of this place was very much palpable. What a welcome to Nepal. It was at this moment that it really dawned on me, "I'm in Nepal."
There were a lot of shops selling Buddhist items and there were hundreds, if not thousands of pigeons all around, on the stupa, on the roof of the houses, and even on the ground itself. Lisa and I walked around the stupa, before going in further through a small entryway. We got to see some huge prayer wheels and some more tiny ones outside. The people had a strange way of praying here, doing a full-on prostration. Some people had towels on their hands to make their sliding and bowing much smoother and easier on the wooden boards. After we finished the inner circle, we also did another round around the outer perimeter of the stupa.
I also asked Lisa if she wanted to stop by the Shechen Monastery, as I really wanted to show her more Tibetan (Vajrayana) Buddhist aesthetics. It was on the way to our next destination, Pashupatinath Temple, so it was all good. We were lucky that we even found a park with a majestic statue of Guru Rinpoche at the center of a pond.
Shechen Monastery was absolutely breathtaking, to say the least. The architecture, colors, and symmetry got us completely mesmerized. While the monks were busy with their daily duties, we approached the temple entrance where the Four Heavenly Kings stood sentinel. The inside was just as extravagant with intricate idols of various Bodhisattvas and Buddhist deities.
I let Lisa lead us to Pashupatinath. It was interesting to see how the neighborhood shifted from Buddhist to Hindu, but throughout our walk, the smell of incense was around every corner which made exploring the roads of Kathmandu such a simulating and memorable experience. Soon, we ended up on the opposite side of the actual entrance so we followed the river around the temple complex to the main road where the crowd started to converge. Seems to be the right place. The smell of ganja flowed in the air as this was Shiva's domain now. We got our tickets and were immediately approached by some tour guides but this wasn't going to be the day. We explored a bit on our own but ended up getting snagged by another dude hanging below near a pond where a Shivling stood under an ancient tree. Flanked by both Gauri and Ganesha, we were taught about how to do a puja for them which was quite educational, to be honest, though I also felt like this was going in a direction we wanted to avoid as well. As we went upwards to get a better view of the main temple (which only Hindus are allowed to enter), we at least got to see a statue of Nandi, Shiva's bull, and some other parts of the temple.
The temple complex was huge, and indeed, it's one of the largest Hindu complexes in the world. It took us a while to explore every nook and cranny as much of the structures hugged a hill. We were able to see the cremations happening by the river, which induced a sense of introspection on the impermanence of life and reduced our attachments to materialism. Who is a better teacher than Death?
From the top, we started to head down the other side back to the first entrance where were first stumbled upon. We took a taxi to go to Kathmandu Durbar Square next, another Unesco World Heritage Site.
We decided to have lunch here first at one of the rooftop restaurants and I got the cottage cheese curry which was surprisingly good and filling and an Oreo milkshake which I couldn't resist getting. After our lunch, we took a look around the bazaar. I was looking for another bracelet to add to my collection but ended up getting some prayer wheels for some peepz back in Japan.
It seems like we were one of the only few tourists wearing the big ID to signify we paid for the tickets. There were plenty of other entrances around the area that don't have much security so I'm pretty sure we would have been able to just sneak past from one of the other entrances but hey, at least we were supporting the local economy by paying.
Kathmandu Durbar Square was even grander than both Boudanath and Pashupatinath, it was huge with both Buddhist and Hindu structures towering above each other, as if they were having a contest to see whose spire could first touch the sky. It seems like Mahakala, an epithet of Shiva, was a huge deity in this area. Doors with three eyes, and a giant black idol of Mahakala himself in the center square. There was a museum inside one of the buildings that goes into detail about the history of Kathmandu, a tumultuous one at that.
With plenty of time to kill before sunset, we decided to go to another Tibetan Buddhist monastery. They had construction going on around here which didn't exactly make it a peaceful visit. Nevertheless, it was a short detour but we were closer to the Monkey Temple, Swoyambhu Mahachaitya, from here.
Then we went to the National Museum as well. They were closing a bit early today which was okay as we weren't planning on staying long. The Buddhist artifacts and artworks were some of the highlights of the visit. While we didn't have time to visit all the buildings, we decided to visit the Numismatic Museum for the last stop (having no idea what "numismatic" meant at that time). Turns out, "Numismatic" relates to money so we ended up looking at a couple of floors worth of the currency through the ages. It was...interesting to say the least.
After many detours, it was finally time to begin the journey to the Monkey Temple. After a short hike up, we got to see another one of the Buddha Eyes stupas, except this one was golden. True to its name, there were indeed plenty of monkeys hanging around the temple grounds. The sounds of a chorus playing traditional instruments permeated as we absorbed the atmosphere of the area. Aside from the main stupa, there were plenty of smaller and medium-sized stupas scattered all around. The highlight here was, of course, the epic views of Kathmandu Valley and the sunset.
We also visited the Maha Manjushri temple on the other side and made our way down towards Buddha Park, where three giant golden statues of Buddhas stood in place. We opted to use a motorbike taxi this time going back to Thamel. I find it's a much more immersive way of seeing the city, not through glass windows, but by feeling the wind caress your face as the world around you goes by.
Back in Thamel, Lisa and I went to find dinner which ended up being in the form of momos, Nepalese dumplings. I also got to buy a sweet chillum that I was excited to use with my friends back home.Read more
Lalitpur
January 5, 2024 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
Another day in Kathmandu, we woke up to the same breakfast we had the day before. Lisa started to have some problems with her throat, similar to my experience in Bangladesh. I guess Kathmandu has its own share of pollution.
We were planning on visiting both Lalitpur and Bhaktapur today. I suggested that we try to go via public transport to get a better feel for the local experience. We headed to Ratna Park which took around 15 to 20 minutes, then we started to ask around for the correct ride going towards Lalitpur's Patan Durbar Square, with various results. Eventually, a driver said they were headed there so we got on that one.
It was surprisingly comfortable inside, air-conditioned, and not too crowded. Perhaps we got on a good one. However, we passed by Patan a few blocks and I don't think it was actually stopping by the Durbar Square so we asked to be dropped at the next stop where we walked the rest of the way.
We first stopped by Oku Bahal, a Buddhist temple with the Vajra symbol in front of a white stupa. It was smack dab in the middle of some apartments arranged in a square. Lalitpur had a very unique city design and architecture, distinct from Kathmandu.
The next stop was the Mahabuddha Temple, surprisingly a Theravada Buddhist temple with Khmer architecture. It was so out of place as this sort of temple is usually found in Thailand and Cambodia based on my own experience. Nevertheless, it was awesome to see such diverse Buddhist temples all just a stone's throw away from each other.
A couple of blocks away was Lalitpur's Patan Durbar Square. We had to buy our tickets here which gave us access to the main area which was like a complex of some sort, now turned into various museums. Lisa and I spent a long time here, taking some time away from each other and just exploring on our own. I eventually saw her again after passing through several areas where we continued outside to see the other structures around the square. The architecture of the temples here were next level and entirely different from Kathmandu's, seeing as Lalitpur was also a previous capital of a different king.
Next, we went to Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, the Golden Temple. This one was particularly impressive both in scale and grandeur. The whole temple was indeed coated with gold, including the Buddha statue which was glamorous to look at.
Continuing on our exploration, we got to Shree Bagalamukhi Temple next. A Hindu temple where a towering pagoda stood looming from afar. Inside was much peaceful, with devotees lighting incense and going around. It was really fascinating for me to find out that there was a shrine dedicated to Kunti here. A figure from the Sanskrit epic, Mahabharata. I was also struck with the fragrance of the incense, and I tried to ask around but I couldn't find the source at all.
With most of the spots out of the way, I asked Lisa if there was anywhere else she wanted to go. She pointed out the Ahsoka Stupa which was mentioned in one of the museums back at Patan Durbar Square.
"Sure, let's go."
We found it in the center of another apartment block, a much larger white stupa with the usual Buddha eyes and prayer flags connected to the buildings. I mused out loud how it must be like to wake up in the morning with those eyes staring at you outside the window.
With most of the sites in Lalitpur covered, we decided to head back to Patan to hail a taxi to Bhaktapur as our confidence had dwindled in using public transportation, especially as we were now going even further away from Kathmandu.Read more
Bhaktapur
January 5, 2024 in Nepal ⋅ 🌙 12 °C
After visiting Lalitpur, our next heritage site was Bhaktapur. We didn't realize just how many surprises were in store for us here.
Our taxi dropped us off right in front of the ticket booth where we once again got our giant IDs and were quickly approached by some tourist guides. We decided to get some lunch first. With the allure of trying some traditional Newari cuisine, we got whisked off into one of the local restaurants. We ate deeper in the restaurant which was part of a block of other buildings. A dilapidated stupa that once stood in the center now turned to rubble with vegetation growing around it.
After lunch, we finally went inside Bhaktapur Durbar Square, where a myriad of other structures stood waiting to be explored. It was much larger (and much more expensive) than both Kathmandu and Lalitpur but it was very much worth it just from the first sight alone. Nepal's tallest pagoda was here, the palace with 55 windows, and plenty of other temples scattered around. It was like a playground of sorts and I was all for it.
I was quite ecstatic to find a very unique angle to capture the various structures of Bhaktapur and also I was able to finally find a bracelet that passed my aesthetics check. Bhaktapur was quite kind to us!
We went to the pottery square next to see some artisanship in action. We also went to find the famous Peacock Window, apparently known as the Mona Lisa of Nepal.
With most of the sites of Bhaktapur out of the way, I asked Lisa if she still wanted to do anything and she found the Suryavinayak Ganesh Temple right around the outskirts of town. We found a taxi driver who'd take us there and then back to Kathmandu.
A few flights up the stairs led us to a temple devoid of people yet filled with plenty of dogs. Six dogs or so came out to play and be pet, they were quite dirty but the cuteness was irresistible.
We began our hike but my instincts were telling me this was the wrong way, we were going off-road and further off-trail but Lisa said to just try so we went further. But I felt like this route would be taking us deep into the mountain's forest and not really up to get some summit views so we backtracked and found the right path. The views were great but we still had some more time. There was a nearby temple below, the Likha Narayan Temple.
Upon our approach, we heard some traditional music playing and found people dancing inside the temple grounds. It seemed fun so we popped right in and watched them with glee for a while. I was then approached by a woman in red, in fact, all the women were wearing red.
She then introduced herself as Newari. That's when it dawned on me and I turned to Lisa "Oh they're indigenous?" She then invited us to dance with them, and danced we did. I'd say this was one of the highlights of the day, it was just so fun and smiles all around. No language was needed to enjoy each other's company in this moment. After several dance numbers, we sat down for a bit and were given some food and drinks, the same kind of food we had in the Newari restaurant earlier. This was dinner right here too, great times.
We were then invited to dine with the rest of the Newari. They sat on the floor and ate with their right hands, just like in Bangladesh even though they were a Muslim country. So I was thinking it's more of a regional custom than a religious one. They gave us even more food and as we ate, the sun was setting behind us. Coating the temple grounds and our faces with a radiant orange glow.
Realizing it was beginning to get late and that we had to get back to our taxi driver, we pardoned ourselves and said goodbye, "alvida", before beginning the hike back down.
When we got back to Kathmandu, we finally got to meet with Tej, my contact for arranging our trek to the Himalayas as we were going to Pokhara the next day. The adventure continues.Read more
Pokhara
January 6, 2024 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Tej managed to book us some right-side window seats on our flight to Pokhara but as in Nepalese fashion, the flight got delayed by around 2 hours or so. It's mostly due to the weather conditions in the Himalayan mountain range.
The flight itself was breathtaking even though it was cloudy. The peaks poking up from the clouds still towered over our tiny plane which was amazing in itself. A short flight of around 30 minutes as opposed to a 7-hour ride through the winding roads helped us save a lot of time and headaches, though it was definitely more expensive.
Unfortunately, due to the delays, we couldn't make it to our scheduled whitewater rafting so we had to adjust our plans. A taxi took us to the lakeside area of our hostel, Kiwi Backpackers. We got a nice room, much bigger than Erebus Home in Kathmandu, and better beds too!
We decided to grab some lunch first. Lisa found us a place and I got to try the Chicken Chowmein which was pretty good! We then walked over to the Phewa Lake area, stopping by some adventure shops to buy some missing gear before our trek in the Himalayas. I got some gloves in one shop, and Lisa got some sunglasses in the other. A friendly shop-owner welcomed us quite warmly, maybe too warm but he was a nice fella and the laughs we shared were genuinely great.
From Phewa Lake, we took a boat that stopped by Tal Barahi Temple, a temple dedicated to Ganesha that's located on a small island. From there, the boat continued to the other side where the trailhead started for the World Peace Pagoda. Thus, we started our hike which was a good way to acclimatize our bodies for the trek.
It took around an hour or so but I found myself sweating when we got to the top. Turns out, the World Peace Pagoda was a Nichiren Buddhist spot established by a guy named Fuji. It was so odd to find Japanese Buddhism all the way here in Nepal. The views were great and the area was tranquil. I sat on the grass after going around the Pagoda where I was later joined by Lisa.
The day wasn't over yet though. We began our hike down going towards Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave. This took another good 45 minutes or so.
The caves were actually better than I expected. I thought it would be small but it went deep. The main temple found inside was dedicated to Shiva and if we wanted to step foot inside the elevated platform, we had to take off our shoes. The cave grounds were really wet though so we opted not to. It took a while for us to reach the end where we were rewarded with a view of Davi's Falls. Legends say it was named after a female tourist who fell over and lost her life. Sometimes, it's spelled as Devi's Falls instead, Devi meaning Goddess. Either way, it was a beautiful sight.
Now it was getting a bit dark but I wanted to visit one last place: Tashi Ling Village, a Tibetan refugee camp. I've never encountered Tibetans before yet I was always exposed to their culture whether it was in Mongolia or here in Nepal. We approached the Handicrafts Store where a kind old woman was. I asked her about why she ended up here and she explained how the Chinese were persecuting the Tibetans back then. How she lost her father at such a young age and escaped here to Nepal with her mother. I felt my heart ache for what she had gone through. I was also surprised at their prices, for the same prayer wheel keychain that I got in Kathmandu (with much better quality) it was twice as cheap. I had to give her more. She gave me some incense as a present as well so it was such a great exchange.
We had some dinner at the Little Tibet Cafe. I got the usual Oreo Milkshake but also tried the Tibetan Butter Tea. The food here had huge servings and they were so delicious as well. The music was on point, very hippy yet the interior had plenty of Tibetan vibes all around. They even called us a taxi back to our hostel afterward. I highly recommend checking this place out if you're visiting the caves.Read more
Himalayas
January 7, 2024 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
And so begins the journey to the Himalayas. Lisa and I ate our breakfast and were shortly joined by Shom of the Gurung People. He was to be our guide today.
The first order of business was taking a ride to Ghandruk where we were going to begin the hike. We arrived early but things seemed to move slowly and we ended up waiting for more than an hour before we were finally able to get in the van.
The ride itself was quite immersive as they were playing folk music as we traversed the zig-zagging roads. Both Lisa and I had to take motion sickness medicine as the roads were quite bumpy. With some brief stops along the way, we soon found ourselves at Ghandruk. We had our lunch here, a black dog sleeping right by our seats.
We visited the nearby Gurung museum which was really just an old warehouse with several items they used in daily life. There was also a misunderstanding with Tej as we did request two pairs of trekking poles but we only got one pair instead that we had to share so that was very weird but oh well, the hike begins.
The trek took us through various landscapes, from ancient forests, rocky crags, tall waterfalls, and stone stupas. The dog from earlier following us or more like taking the lead. We soon got to Tadapani where we were to rest for the night. The tea house we were staying in had exquisite views of the Himalayan mountain range but nothing beats the comfort of staying by the fireplace. Hours went by, and an older couple and another bloke played cards and chatted away, Lisa joining them at one point.
I made friends with the lady manning the teahouse, Ram Kumari, and she showed me her Tiktok which was so adorable. She and her friends would do these funny dances over folk music as they handled the slices of life: gathering wood and whatnot.
Lisa went to take a shower first, though she did take an awfully long time. It turns out that the water stopped during the shower. Oh poor girl, she wasn't exactly the most cold-tolerant so the ordeal must have been difficult, to say the least.
I had to test it out myself and indeed, the water flow was too weak to warm up the whole body so even with warm water it didn't exactly feel like the hot shower I imagined it to be. Nevertheless, I felt refreshed and tucked myself in our sleeping bags. Only to not get sleep because of that one dude who snored so loud we could hear it from our side of the room.Read more
Himalayas II
January 8, 2024 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C
Our second day takes us from Tadapani to Ghorepani. I was already feeling a bit of altitude sickness today as it was made apparent by my lack of appetite during breakfast.
We continued our hike with steeper uphills without much breaks in between, it was brutal because I found myself out of breath quickly, with a pulsing headache throughout. I was also hungry as I only had a light breakfast and lunch was still a way to go.
Even when we did reach our lunch point, the clouds covering the sun made waiting a battle in itself. It was really cold up there and I ended up succumbing and grabbing the down jackets which I should have done much earlier. I also didn't have much appetite for lunch despite being hungry, what a paradox.
Eventually, our trek took us to the highest point of the day which we had to ourselves. A quiet time of reflection and introspection, with the views of the far-off Himalayan mountain range beyond.
After less than an hour or so, we finally reached Ghorepani around late afternoon. I was relieved to know that I could now spend the rest of the day lazing around the fireplace. I felt the altitude sickness much more with my head aching while I tried to get some rest. A black dog disturbing me quite a lot though it's a pretty cute one so I'll forgive him. Lisa and I also took some photos outside and I was able to finally change my Instagram profile photo.
Day turned to night, and the whole time I was still by the fireplace. Dinner was served and I still had a hard time eating the macaroni I ordered, but hopefully tomorrow was going to be better as we were going down.Read more
Himalayas III
January 9, 2024 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 3 °C
The last day of our 3-day trek. I was glad we were going to go down today as the altitude sickness still hadn't gone away. We had to wake up extra early today at around 5:00AM to catch the sunrise up on Poon Hill.
I went to the bathroom to freshen up only to go down to an empty lodge. Where was Lisa? Perhaps she was using the bathroom as well. I waited for a long time in the silence of the dark. Shom soon showed up, asking where Lisa was. I thought she was with him, we waited a bit and looked around a bit more but Shom said we had to go.
All my stuff was still in our room, including my gloves, trekking pole, and water. We were having breakfast after the hike up so I had no choice but to just go for it. My head was pounding, Shom was also sick. We were two sorry guys, stopping by now and then to catch our breath before continuing the hike up in total silence.
I was a bit worried about Lisa, did she go on ahead or was she behind? It was the last day and what we worked hard to see, would have been so sad if we couldn't see it together.
When we got to the top though, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Lisa was already there. She had followed another group because she thought Shom and I had already left first. Well, either way, it was great that we were able to see the sunrise. However, I was too tired and just headed straight for the benches to rest. I just wanted to start going down already, I couldn't even bring myself to go up to the observatory to get a better view. I was already quite satisfied with the views and the golden hour.
We began our hike back down together this time. Back at the teahouse, I tried to eat breakfast in the form of oatmeal and fruits which still proved a bit difficult to finish but I tried my best. I snuck in a morning shower as well, now we were about to go down, finally.
The descent was much easier, alternating with some gentle inclines every now and then but we were making good progress. Just after a few hours, we got to the van pick up areas and thus the trek was over. We were well on our way to Pokhara once again, stopping by for lunch in between.Read more
Pokhara II
January 9, 2024 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
After finishing up our Himalayas trek, we once again found ourselves in the familiar city of Pokhara. Pleasantly surprised that our room was upgraded to an even better one.
With just enough time for sunset, we set out for Phewa Lake. I was hoping to find a bike but it didn't seem like there were any, we ended up walking all the way to the shore side. We visited our dear overly-friendly friend by the outdoor shop again to just drop in and say hi. He invited us for tea later too but I really couldn't make any promises.
The sky was painted in hues of pink and a touch of cloud. The scenery? Breathtaking. There was a lone fisherwoman on a boat which made for an excellent photo subject.
Lisa and I sat by the stairs appreciating the view until we were approached by a guy with a mask on. He took it off and gave us a smile that showed off his missing teeth. He was speaking in Japanese and asked us if we wanted some herbs or mushrooms. Not from him, I don't.
We walked along the lakeside to find a nice patch of beach at the end which was less crowded except for a group of tripping hippies. So that's where the mushrooms went. We went to the nearby vegan restaurant that I had wanted to try since we got to Pokhara but my appetite still hadn't returned sowe opted to get some tea but they got our orders wrong and we ended up with banana and peanut butter smoothie which was actually pretty good!
It was getting dark now and we decided to go back to our hostel. On the way, we caught a glimpse of the reflection of Pokhara Disneyland's Ferris wheel on the lake's waters which was quite beautiful. This prompted our curiosity and we ended up inside, all the way to the Ferris wheel which in reality was a very high-speed one without much safety precautions too. Lisa wanted to ride it and I reluctantly agreed.
The result? Regret. It was fun at first, and honestly not that bad. It looked much faster from afar but while inside, it felt pretty smooth with just a slight bumpy rise at the top. The problem was that it went on for too long. And when we checked to see the guy in charge of the ride, he was just looking at videos on his phone which made us groan in laughter and agony. After for who knows how long, we took another peek and this time he and his friend were looking at his phone together. Oh lord. We had just wanted it to be over, and it only came too soon.
The walk back to our hostel was one a difficult one as my stomach had gotten upset. Still, we found some time to do some souvenir shopping and ended up skipping the tea date with the shopkeeper.Read more
Pokhara III
January 10, 2024 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Today was my birthday, the second time I've celebrated it in another country after Laos. The day was jam-packed with activities, the first stop was breakfast.
We were talking to several people who were all there to do some trekking as well. Today, we were going to go paragliding though. It was my first time too so it was going to be a pretty cool experience for sure.
We got picked up and brought to the office. While we waited, we were approached by a wandering sanyasi, offering to put some tilak on our foreheads. We both declined, partly because I just didn't know enough about it to partake, even after we were explained that it was for blessings. On hindsight, I should have taken it for what was about to happen later in the day.
Our tour took us to Sarangkot, the place to be when paragliding. We went with Open Skies paragliding because they had the highest launch point in Sarangkot. The views of the Himalayan mountain range was awesome as always. We had to do a tiny hike up to our launch point and I was paired with a girl named Durga. Lisa went first before it was my turn.
Oh it was exhilarating, the feeling of flying high above the sky, higher than the hawks and seeing the terraced rice fields below was amazing. The roar of the wind and the surrounding mountains and the view of Phewa Lake just kept adding more and more to the experience. However, just like with Pokhara Disneyland, I was getting a bit of motion sickness as well. Who knew it was going to be like this? I should have been happy to have the opportunity to be in the air for that long (more than 30 minutes) though around the halfway mark I was just waiting for it to be over. Durga even asked if I wanted to do some acrobatics which made me question myself if I really wanted to do it. In the end, I did tell her just once but she never did do it.
I reunited with Lisa below and I was sure she felt the same. With not much time to spare, we snacked on some grub and were whisked off back to the office where the rafting tour picked us up in a bus.
That's right, after paragliding, we were going straight to rafting. We stopped at the shores of River Seti where we were given the rundown on how to work as a team and the various commands to be followed. Seemed simple enough, and very exciting. We put our paddles together and shouted "Jai Seti" before setting off.
Rafting was definitely one of the highlights for me, it was something so new and the adrenaline was insane. Much better than any theme park ride. Our small team included a guy on the dinghy, the captain, and two other Nepalese guys, one who I came to know as Krishal.
Our team's bond and teamwork slowly grew as we sailed across Seti. Lisa was the first to fall over, getting everything on her wet. We paddled for a long time, having to get off the raft at one point where we got an opportunity to go cliff-jumping. Now even my clothes were all wet, the water was freezing too but not that bad as we were exerting a lot of effort with the paddling.
Lisa had a turn on the dinghy and this time I wanted to have a go at it as well. This was a big mistake as my co-rider started to do some wheelies straight to a boulder and the boat capsized which was all fine and dandy until I lost my glasses. I really liked that pair, but unfortunately, it was now claimed by Seti.
The remainder of the journey gave me a lot of time for introspection, losing my glasses on my birthday in a foreign country with still a few days remaining was really annoying but I still had to keep on paddling. Could barely see what was in front of me too. They tried to make light of it which I guess helped but man, I wasn't exactly happy.
I was looking up at the clouds when the captain noticed and asked "Brother, what are you looking at?" I jokingly said "Bhagwan" and they all laughed at me. I continued on "Hey Bhagwan" Krishal chimed in with a "Hey Prabhu" it was really funny. Lisa asked what it meant and basically it was just their version of "Oh my God," the captain asked how I knew about it and I told him that I did practice a bit of Hinduism. He asked if I knew some mantras, I told him lots, even the Chalisa.
They were quite surprised to hear that and egged me on, so I sang for them. They joined me in what parts they knew, but it was a wonderful feeling to be singing the Chalisa out here in the open, rafting on this glorious river. The day wasn't that bad after all.
Until we got off that is. Now, I was fighting against the cold, my body was shivering and quickly losing heat. The ride back to the hostel was unbearably long and having to wait for Lisa to finish her shower was another huge hurdle. I quickly understood why it took her that long though because no matter how hot the water was, I couldn't really feel my body heating up at all.
Once we got settled down, I invited Lisa out for dinner. Fresh Elements, a bit more up-scale restaurant than any we've been to so far. My treat as it was my birthday. She led the way, I followed suit using her glasses to try and see what was in front of me which just made my head hurt.
We ordered a ton of food, tonight we were dining like royalty. The live band and the interior design contributed to a mesmerizing ambiance.
At one point, our conversation delved into breakups, how I handled mine, and how it related to her current stage in life. It got deep. I didn't even realize at first but she was already crying. I couldn't see her face yet it was the first time we were really looking into each other's eyes. I think it was at that moment I truly got to know Lisa, she's just a genuinely kind human being. I was really happy she came with me to Nepal.Read more
Chitwan
January 11, 2024 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
Early in the morning, I quickly ate breakfast so that I could go buy a new pair of eyeglasses before the flight.
My taxi driver dropped me right in front and waited for me to finish everything. Oddly enough, I saw a deity sticker on the eye examination machines and asked the optometrist about it. I found out it was Vishwakarma, the god of machinery. Seems like Hinduism has a god for almost everything!
I got a good pair and was pretty satisfied with the design so I thanked the man profusely for accommodating me with just enough time to make it to the airport.
Lisa also had problems of her own as she went to the wrong airport before arriving at the correct one. Though honestly, it wasn't much of an issue as the flights were once again delayed. We waited for a long time, wondering why we even bothered rushing but the answer seemed to elude us as, after an hour or so of waiting, the flight was then canceled.
Big oof, it is what it is. Our options were limited, the customer care told us to go by taxi, which was pretty expensive and we were about to do it but outside, Lisa made friends with a local from Chitwan, Bhavanaa. Bhavanaa told us to go via mini-bus with them instead, a much cheaper yet wild alternative all the same. It was about to be a bumpy ride.
We went with another girl whom Bhavanaa also met that day and the four of us split a taxi and got to the mini-bus terminal where Lisa bought some medicine for the ride ahead.
All in all, I was quite happy with how things turned out though. The road we took was bumpy yet so beautiful, it allowed us to see a side of Nepal that we might have missed otherwise since we also flew from Kathmandu to Pokhara. We were also able to bond with Bhavanaa along the way and making another Nepali friend is worth more than a flight. Lisa also shared an edible she got from Thailand which was surprisingly powerful despite the crumbs I was left with, I clearly felt it, and just in time, the scenery became even more beautiful with the winding river surrounded by cliffs and the sunset.
We got to Bharatpur where a tuk-tuk driver readily took us to Sauraha where our hotel, Jungle Wildlife Camp, was waiting. After we got settled in and decided on the activities for the next day, we went out to catch the Tharu Cultural Program which was amazing.
The performances were really high-level, the peacock dance and the fire dancing were definitely highlights of the night. We walked back satisfied afterward and stopped by for dinner before deciding on getting an Ayurveda massage last minute to end the night. I wasn't satisfied though, it seemed like they weren't good at it and were more focused on just ending the night. The shower wasn't even hot and I had to use a cup manually. But oh well, it was done and the day was done as well. We got back around midnight already.Read more
Chitwan II
January 12, 2024 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Our last day together in Chitwan. Lisa was leaving later in the day while I still had one more night remaining.
We had an awesome buffet in the morning, the mist still covering much of the jungle on the other side of the river. We had a jungle canoe ride scheduled today which was one of the highlights for the day.
It was only us on the canoe today, the river was shrouded in a mystical fog and the water carried us gently. It was such a different vibe compared to the Sundurbans in Bangladesh and to the rest of Nepal for that matter, after all we were now in the jungle.
Our tiny rowboat allowed us to see a lot of wildlife up close from a different perspective. There were plenty of birds, otters, and even crocodiles! We never seemed to see them until our guide pointed them out, they were literally right beside us too!
After the canoe ride, we then started the jeep safari that took us into the jungle. They kindly saved us the best seats on the jeep too. The ride was very calming, we didn't see any large animals such as the famed rhinos and tigers but we got to see some peacocks and around three different species of deer. With a brief rest stop along the way, we were soon back to our hotel again.
With some time to spare, we wanted to check out the elephants but it didn't seem like we were going to have enough time. We went to the riverfront to find lunch. We saw some crocodiles chilling by the banks as well which was so surreal. After eating, we encountered the same tuk-tuk driver who met us in Bharatpur and he took us back to our hotel. I then said goodbye to Lisa as she went with the same driver to the airport.
Now, I was alone and perhaps it was finally time to go hunt for Chitwan's famous magic mushrooms. Grown straight from the rhinos apparently. I found another tuk-tuk driver named Kesav. He even had some dried ones on him but our adventure took us out into the countryside to the farm lands where he got some for me. After that, we went to find ganja next. He knew the ins and outs and they were such really good quality too.
The mushrooms were so plump and fresh, and the bud was simply too much even for the cheapest price. I just took a bit and gave the rest to him. Happy guy, I paid him extra for all the hard work and he promised to be back tomorrow morning to pick me up and bring me to the airport.
The trip itself was one that I really needed. Just like the Gili Trawangan mushrooms, the fresh ones always hit hard and hit fast. I was still rolling the joint and I was already feeling the come up.
It was a great way to end the Nepal trip. I noticed the mental clarity on the Chitwan shrooms was really crystal clear. Like, I had amazing headspace and all the thoughts I had were exactly the right ones to help me understand my current situation and issues.
I also smoked a bit and ate some fruits that I ordered from the restaurant. The pineapples were the best.
The trip was also shorter compared to dried ones, lasting around 3 hours or so. Still, it was perfect because I got to sleep. Which was interrupted by the sound of a strange machine. I had to transfer to a different room before finally getting lulled to sleep.Read more
Chitwan III
January 13, 2024 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
My last day in Nepal. I had another delicious breakfast that I had outside so I could get one last look at the river and the jungle.
Kesav picked me up as promised and took me to Bharatpur airport, where lo and behold, the flight was once again delayed. By not too much I hoped.
A short flight to Kathmandu took me up to the skies once again, this time the Himalayan mountain range peeked above a sea of clouds which made it feel like I was in some sort of heaven.
From Kathmandu airport, I ate my last lunch and got on the plane heading to Bangkok before flying back to Tokyo.Read more
