Around Annapurna

Day 1. I've started the trek at April 5, the day before the big strike has begun in Nepal. I've arrived by bus from Kathmandu to Dumre, where I've met Saila (or Chris), a Nepali guide. At first, I was planning to go for an 8-days trek, to Manang and back. We took another bus to Beshisahar, at the east side. The ride on the roof was fun, seeing the villagers working on rice plantations...
Day 2. We started walking at 7 am, on the way towards the mountains, following a river and crossing it several times on swaying bridges. After 4 hours we stopped at Ngadi, and didn't make the way up, since it started raining and the place looked cheap. We went looking around, and I learned some Nepali songs (I was forced to sing).
Day 3. The day was beatiful, we got up early, walked fast, mostly on flat trail with a little bit up, with plenty of stops to rest. The trail is following the river, many waterfalls views on the way. We stopped in Jagat, a shower was a gift from the sky. When I was out, Chris said that there are Maoists who want money for pass. They even gave a receipt.
Day 4. At 5:30 we were on our way. We've entered the Manang district, and in a village named Tal we first saw snow. Although it was pretty hot, there was a lot on the roads and some on the roofs. We stopped in Danaque at 14:30.
Day 5. A relatively short walk with some steep ways up. We passed Lamjung mountain, and I made a picture of Annapurna just before the check post in Chame.


















There were 7 Israelis in Chame that night, as far as I've counted. Invasion :) I've decided to try going through Thorong pass, and complete the circuit.
Day 6. It was raining at morning, we started walking at 7:30. The plants changed, only pines left from the trees. We passed Pishang at 11. It started snowing, and it just became stronger as the time passed. At first, the snow was melting in the dirt on the road, but after a few hours all was covered with white, and it became very cold. Walking was very good, I felt full of energy. We stopped at Humde.
Day 7. We passed Manang, and walked for 2 more hours. We stopped in Yak Kharka, about 4000m altitude. All was snow around. Weather was nice, freezing at night, but at noon it was good to walk with T-shirt. Lot of hand made stuff sold on the way, but I didn't buy any, since there's a long way up :)
Day 8. It was hard walking in morning. Bells ringing in the ears, very difficult to get full breath. All the way is up, sometimes steep. We left at 5:40, stopped at 8 in a little tea shop. The prices in the mountains are very high, since it takes many days to bring food up there. The rooms are cheap, or for free. There's a clear difference between Nepali price and Tourist price. I'm lucky to have Chris, who made all the orders for me. I found out that I have no altitude sickness medicine. I wasn't sure that I had altitude sickness, but in any case I've decided to try some Nepali herbal medicine. Maybe the garlic soup helped, but I've managed to walk more for 2.5 hours, slowly, but confidently. The weather was beatiful, sun was shining and clouds seemed close enough to touch them. Mountain peaks around. From plants only some thorns left. We passed Phedi, and saved about 300 m from tomorrow's walk up, stopping at Thorong High Camp. I intended to make the pass tonight (Seder Night :)).


















Day 9. We started walking at 2:45 am. The weather was clear, no wind and not cold. After 1 hour walk we got up 200 m. It was hard, all the time I wanted to sigh. After 1 min walking we had to rest for 3 min. After drinking some tea in a tiny teashop, we walked up for 1.5 more hours. The moon has gone, it was dark and VERY cold. When we reached the pass, the sun was already up. I wanted to take some pictures, there was a sign there, saying 'You're now on Thorong Pass, 5400 and something meters', or something like that. I hardly managed to take out the camera, and had to remove my gloves with my teeth. After 3 attempts I've succeeded to turn it on, but setting the timer was too difficult for me. I made some pictures of the view, almost fainting, and used my teeth to get the gloves back on.
The way down was very beatiful and great fun. It was always a surprise to fall in the snow. Although the altitude was still about 5000 m, breathing came easily, so I guess everything is in mind. We arrived at Muktinath at 10:30. I have to say that it seems very hard to do the trek on the opposite direction, the way from Muktinath to the pass is steer up, and it's like 10 hours of hard walking... suicide, but there are people who do this. Muktinath was nice place to rest and buy some authentic Nepali stuff. Great apple pies, too :)
The next day, we went down to the valley, which is waste land with rocks, some villages here and there. Very strong wind. We continued walking for 2 more days on a flat road. Lots of trees and plants were around, the weather was hot. The strike was still going on, very much reminding of Yom Kippur - only ambulances and bicycles on streets. We managed to get to Kushma, and tried to bribe an ambulance driver to get us to Pokhara. The price he was asking was unreasonable, so we decided we would walk. On the way, a UN jeep caught up with us.
- Good day sir, - I said to the driver, - can you please give us a ride?
Inside the jeep, except the driver (who looked Indian), there was a Western couple (looking British).
- I'm sorry, - the driver said, - I'd like to, but it's not our policy.
- I see, - I said. - But there's no transportation, maybe you can help us?
- I'm sorry, - the driver said. - It's not our policy. I hope you understand. Please don't mind. - And he was gone.
It was easy walking on asphalt, but the boring road made me very tired. The roads were blocked by Maoists, trucks and buses that broke the strike were hit by rocks. We arrived at Pokhara at April 18. There was curfew in the city, although people didn't really take it seriously. When the soldiers appeared on street, they hided, and shops were closed (or half closed). On the Lakeside, the tourist area of Pokhara, business was almost as usual, I was able to change money. We stayed for 3 days in Chris' relatives' house, and started walking to Dumre, where the rest of my luggage was. The road took 2 days, we managed to buy bikes on the second day, so it was fun. I stayed at Chris's home, in Dumre, and waited for the strike to stop. There were big rallies and riots in Kathmandu, 20 people died. Meanwhile, we went looking around, there was a big cave on a hill near the village, can easily get lost inside. At last, at April 25 the transportation started, after the 7-Party Alliance accepted the king's proposal to re-establish the house of representatives in the country. However, the Maoists were still continuing with their struggle. I'm really doubtful if they will ever agree to a peaceful solution. As far as I know, a part of their idea is to come to rule with the help of civil war, and in no place in the world they did it other way. I left Dumre the next day, on a bus to Narayangad, from where there was another bus, to near the Indian border. The bus stopped after 2 hours. The road was blocked with 2 trucks and piles of rocks. I was really desperate. I had money for only 1 day, and I had no idea where to go. After 2 hours waiting, a message from God arrived in a shape of an old white Toyota, with 2 Austrian tourists. I couldn't ignore the message, so I joined them. The driver took us through fields of mud, with the help of local villagers who pushed the car out, and we managed to pass the road block. After that, the road was pretty easy. We stopped just to fix a tire-puncture and to attent a Maoist rally in some village. There were like 20 young soldiers, looking very serious and highly motivated. The Maoists were very welcoming, maybe because I clapped for some of the speakers. We got to Sunauli border at 6 pm.
I was so relieved I got out! I loved Nepal very much, but the current situation really makes travelling there a fucking mess. Next time it will be better, I hope. Now, I'm back to Varanasi, enjoying fast connection and a lot of transportation. One thing for sure, the strike was very good to the ecological situation in Nepal. Getting again into all the mess on the streets here was a shock, but I'll get used to it again :)