Nepal Trip Report (Part I): 4/12/12-5/2/12

This was an amazing adventure of epic proportions: from the ultra-endurance flights & layovers, hair raising taxi rides, the insanity of Kathmandu, the adrenaline pumping flight to Lukla, the serene simplicity of mountain village life, the dramatic and ravishing scenery of the Himalayas, the bewitching Nepal culture infused in ancient tradition, and the warm, hard working and open nature of the Nepalese people. This was my dream trip and was everything I could dare to hope for and more.

Meet Aunt Thanh:

I can't write about my adventure without the mention of Aunt T. I told her that I was headed to Nepal and without even blinking she goes (think Ms. Swan from MadTV accent for her voice): "I want to go."  My aunt has been around the world and loves traveling (it's where I get it from). I love her "Bags packed, where are we going?" mentality. 

For those that know Aunt Thanh personally, no introductions are necessary. I'm sure you have a wealth of hilarious stories from my crazy aunt. This is the same aunt that told me a few days before my trip, and I requote this verbatim: "You know Tania, after you turn 29 this year, you should really think about settling down. You know you won't be pretty forever. Men have more options than women" For those that have not had the pleasure of meeting her, let me give you a quick synopsis. My mother died when I was 10 and my aunt was my mother figure growing up. She's lived an incredible life: survived poverty, war and many more atrocities so she was hard on me and did not coddle me whatsoever. I could write a massive book on her life, she has so many stories. Needless to say, she taught me to be independent, fearless, bluntly honest, and go for what I want in life. Wonder where my outspokenness, stubbornness and tenacity comes from? Look no further. She comes off mean and harsh (hmmm, see the connection?) with her outlandishly direct and disconcertingly frank comments but she has a heart of gold. She always means well but can be off putting to those not used to her lack of sensitivity. You are either offended or rolling with laughter from the sheer hilarity of her comments. She is a teller of unpopular truths. No one is immune from her observations or sharp tongue.

Through everything that I have gone through, she has always been there. She is my mentor, my inspiration for strength, my rock of stability, my vivacious Aunt Thanh.......the one and only (thank goodness because I don't think this world could handle two ;). 

To Nepal- 1 Destination, 2 Layovers, 3 Flights, 4 Countries, 5 Airplane Meals:

Apparently, I can make anything into an endurance event, and traveling is no exception. I flew out of DFW, to London, then had a 6 hr layover. London is where I was meeting up with my crazy Aunt Thanh. I walked around the terminal looking for her and decided to recruit the help of some nice British chaps at the information desk. After some harmless flirting (can I tell you I love the accent!) I persuaded them to put out a PA over the airport loudspeaker for my auntie. (They were only sightly breaking protocol......tee hee :). Once my auntie and I were reunited, we then flew to New Delhi, where we had a 5 hr layover and finally from there to Kathmandu. 20 plus hours of flight time, 11 plus hours of layover, equals a total of 31+ hrs to reach Kathmandu, Nepal which has a time difference of 11 hours and 45 minutes ahead of CST. Because of the long, stamina testing flights, I was fed a total of 5 meals and numerous snacks. Airplane food is at best.......warm? Guess I shouldn't really complain since I at least got fed. On top of the long flight and layover times, my sleep was sporadic and light at best. I utilized the free wine (on international flights) and melatonin but coach seats and airport benches don't make the best of beds. Can we say jet lagged?

Kathmandu- A City At The Crossroads;

I blearily stepped off the last plane and into the madness of Kathmandu. A sensory overload of sights, sounds and smells bombarded me. I am rarely afraid of riding in a car being female and Asian, it's not like I have the best driving skills. An ex-boyfriend once told me that anytime he wanted an adrenaline rush, he let me drive. The harrowing ride from the airport to the hotel was a death grip on the"oh shit" handle affair. The roads have no rules, rhyme or reason to me. Between the cars/vans/buses lumbering about, motor bikes would zip in & out between the vehicles, and add in the mix of slower bicycles, rick-shaws & pedestrians make for a crowded, distressing, honking cacophony of an experience. Adding to the mayhem of the traffic is that the city infrastructure is 70 years old, there are no stop signs or stop lights (patrol officers direct traffic) and there doesn't seem to be any road rules which adds fuel to the wild-wild west feel.

The city itself seems to be like every other developing world city that is barreling down head long for impact of modernization but look closer and you'll find that there are parts still steeped with it's deep rich historical culture. The city itself is a contrast of old and new: a bustling commercial hub with people everywhere yet dotted with enchanting medieval temples. There is a lot of pollution and dust. I think due to inversion, a heavy hazy cloud constantly clings over the city and obscures the surrounding mountain views. Trash, debris, and ruins are visible at the side of the road. Remember, this is still a third world country with a fairly new democract and parliament painfully & slowly trying to get order about. With that said, I never once felt afraid wandering the streets. Even with this city trying to find it's foot hold in the modern era, I was never fearful for my life. Almost got clipped a few times by motorbikes and cars but being a cyclist, I'm pretty used to that. Kathmandu has many different castes, ethnic groups and religions but with all the differences they coincide in harmony. Thamel market is a bargainer's dream. There are endless stalls of trinkets, baubles, clothes, trekking gear, ect to be haggled over. I had a blast buying jewelry, scarfs, shirts, hats, and other random knick knacks, but the true professional haggler is my aunt. Back in November of 2011, we went to Arizona she had declared to the Asian Enterprise car rental agent that: "We are Vietnamese. We are the cheap jews of the Asians." Oh, how true she lived up to that proclamation. I was able to haggle 30-50% of the price down but she would routinely get things 60-75% off the price. I think she was a sales rep in a previous life.

Shanker Hotel:

We stayed in The Shanker Hotel for the three days before leaving for the trek through the mountains and then again for two days when we got back from trekking. It is an old palace now converted to a four star hotel. The hotel was a beautiful retreat from the craziness of the city. The huge garden provided a refreshing and quiet oasis with a swimming pool, dozens of cabanas and bright, colorful pretty landscaping in contrast to the brown dust tinged city. The service is top notch from expectant and helpful staff. The breakfast buffet served from 6-10 AM, was a great way to start every morning. The hotel has a lot of character with lots of detailed inlaid molding depicting Hindu gods, people and design. Rooms come standard with flat screen TV's, personal AC unit and plenty of space. The bathrooms were modern, updated, granite counter tops and showers which is up to par by western standards. I think my only complaint was that my bed was hard as a rock. Overall, I had a very pleasant and relaxing stay.

The Himalayas-"The Roof Top of the World":

This hiking adventure is not for the faint heart, lazy, or those squeamish about lack of western bathroom standards. If your only idea of vacation is a 5 star luxury all inclusive resort on plush beds.........this is not for you. If you can rough it a bit & put some leg work in, you will be rewarded by breathtaking vistas, awe inspiring beauty, a welcoming international crowd of touring trekkers, and high Himalayan hospitality. This type of trip is an adventure of a lifetime with experiences & memories that will touch you to the core.

When my aunt decided she wanted to tag along on my trip, I sent her a packet of information of Nepal's history, customs, my trek itinerary, what type of accommodations we would be staying at in the mountains and what to pack. I bought ALL her hiking gear for her so all she had to do was buy hiking boots and pack what I sent her. I even booked her flights......literally, I handed everything on a silver platter. She somehow managed to fail miserably. She didn't pack all the gear I bought, didn't even look or read any of the material that I sent. So, the night before we were leaving for the hiking portion of the trip, she and I got into a HUGE fight. I was so angry that she didn't read a SINGLE line of information and failed to pack the necessary items. She had absolutely no idea what she signed up for because she didn't have enough sense to read. W.T.F? I had to keep throwing things out because we had to keep our combined gear under 33 lbs for the porter but she wanted to bring numerous outfits for every day (this ain't the Miss America pageant). She didn't pack pretty important pieces of gear: like the hiking pants, water bladder, nagalene water bottle, sun hat, bandanna, ect that I specifically bought. It was a very angry & tension filled night, with neither one of us willing to back off. My aunt is not used to being on the receiving end of a verbal barrage laced with profanity. I usually don't cuss in front of or at my Aunt but my anger got the better of me. I wasn't afraid of her wrath or of anybody for that matter. Hell, she taught me that.

Lukla Flight:

The main event of this trip was the hiking (called trekking over in Nepal) through the highest mountain range in the world. Since I only had limited time to get my adventure done, I had chosen a 12 day itinerary that started in Lukla which is the entrance of the Khumbu region. It is a short 20-30 minute flight from Kathmandu to Lukla......in a small Otter airplane. You know it's going to be a hell of a ride when the flight attendant passes out cotton balls for your ears and bubble gum. The last time I was in an Otter, I jumped out of it. Oh, on top of being crammed in a small prop plane, the air strip in Lukla is the shortest runway in the world. 500 meters long, uphill and at the end there is a wall. Considered one of the 10 most dangerous airports in the world. Click here to see a bit of what I experienced. It was absolutely insane. I LOOOOVED it. :)

The "Breathtaking" Trek:
Starting off, you stroll through the green valley of the Khumbu region. Daytime temperatures were warm and in the 60-70's with night time temps dipping to the 50's at "lower" elevation. (To this flat-lander, anything over 1,000 ft is elevation, HA!) The trail is easy to follow and you are usually surrounded by teams of yaks, other trekkers and porters. At times it was very crowded but every once in awhile I would find myself alone, lost in the utter magnificence of the Himalaya's. The hike is not a stroll in a park (aprx 75+ miles & over 10,000 ft of elevation gain). There is a lot of up and down and very little "flats". Mountain people and non-mountain people have two very different ideas of "flat". Look, I live in north Texas.....I know what flat is (the Nepalese mountain people don't count anything less than 20,000ft a mountain.....they call them "hills" :P ). As the days progressed, the difficulty became more apparent with the increase in altitude and pronounced "uphill" hiking. Going up is a lung searing and quad shredding affair with elevations ranging from 9,000 to 17,000+ ft, so breathing becomes a slight issue (like, "who the fuck turned off the oxygen" feeling). Each day I would hike 5-8 hours and my aunt an hour or two more than that (I was ahead and Egla the guide or Rusha the porter split to accompany either my aunt or I). In "higher" elevation, 12,000 ft + it becomes a bit chillier and as we wound higher and further into the Khumbu region the winds began to pick up. At 14,000+ ft you are out of treeline and without the treeline to shelter you, the winds start to bite with fine flecks of sand invading your eyes & nasal cavities. Breathing was noticeably harder, deep sleep became difficult to attain and loss a bit of my appetite. But the mountain views became even more dramatically grandiose. The peaks looked extremely close due to their massive size and height (surrounded by 20,000+ ft mtns). Daytime temps were 60's-50's F and night time lows were in the 40's-20's. Had almost perfect weather with only one brief shower on the way up to Tengboche and snow on our our first night in Dingboche. At 16,000+ ft, breathing, thinking and walking became a chore. It was an uphill death slog for me but the phenomenal beauty around me kept me from thinking of my discomfort. My pictures never do any of my trips justice and my images of this trip are woefully sub-par to seeing it in person.

 Mountain Accommodations: We hiked from village to village so there was no need to pack tent, cooking supplies, ect and slept in tea houses. What are tea houses? Tea houses are basic lodges that have a central dining area with numerous wooden tables and benches for seating. They heat the main dining hall with stoves fueled with yak shit. The lights in the dining hall are powered with a generator but would only be utilized once it was completely dark outside and they closed down the dining area around 9:00 PM. The sleeping rooms are very basic, with 2 wooden cots, an anemic thin foam mattress, blankets and
pillows. Rooms do not have a heat source, so you must rely on layers, sleeping bag and blankets for warmth. Some rooms come with a private "toilet" while other lodges have "community" toilets. The further up you go in the mountains the more basic the amenities become. The tea houses are about a few steps up from tent camping because these structures are not insulated and made of paper thin walls of plywood. I could hear my neighbors snore, fart, piss, crap and fornicate. The tea houses below 12,000 ft that we stayed at had western style indoor private in room toilets. Above that altitude, the tea houses had "western" looking toilets but no indoor plumbing which meant you flushed by pouring water with a bucket until your waste was pushed down by weight and gravity. The other "toilet" commonly found is the "Eastern" style which is a porcelain hole in the ground with a bucket of water to "flush". Then some tea houses were only outfitted with an outhouse. A shack with a wooden floor, hole cut in the middle to do your business and a pile of dirt compost to kick in the hole to keep the foul smells at bay. Hot showers are a
true luxury in the mountains. I took only three showers, day 2, 9, and last day (yeah, no one smelled like roses). The picture to the right shows a shower head, but what it doesn't show is the toilet right next to it. You could literally be on the pot and shower at the same time. There is no separation from the shower and toilet area. Further up in altitude, there are no "proper" showers because of 1.) no indoor plumbing  2.) water becomes a very precious resource. In Dingboche, I paid roughly $5 for a bucket of hot water to clean myself. I stood in a small room with a drain while I poured the rapidly cooling water over myself. When I didn't have the option of a hot shower or bucket sponge bath, I had to depend on "backpacker" wipes which are over glorified wet wipes, but still a bone chilling experience. At that altitude and temperatures, it was a miracle I even took off my clothes and suffered through wet and cold "whore's" bath. My teeth would chatter uncontrollably while I tried to quickly wipe down with multiple citrus scented wipes. Hot visual huh?

Himalayan Cuisine: Nepal's mountains are not exactly known for their gourmet cuisine, but I didn't exactly starve either. We
were warned not to eat meat because 1.) all the food at the tea houses for trekkers are flown from Kathmandu to Lukla and transported on the back of yaks or sherpas (more on this later) so you have no idea how old the meat is. 2.) In high altitude, it is not wise to eat protein heavy meals because more blood flow is needed for your gut to help digest, but your lungs come first when lack of O2 hinders your ability to breathe. Your body will naturally prioritize where blood flow is needed most. So either way, eating meat could cause your GI system to go on full mutiny which is the last thing you want. So, for almost

two weeks I was on a vegetarian/carbo heavy diet. No meat and also no alcohol until I was on the descent. The food was pretty decent for the most part except for a pizza I ordered in Namache because I was tired of Dal Bhat (traditional Nepalese meal of rice, lentil soup, & curry) The pizza was so bland and tasteless I barely choked it down. Also understand, a lot of tea house cooks have never had "real" western food but have rough, verbally passed recipes so many things might be lost in translation. After that incident, I kept to more traditional Nepal offerings and didn't have a problem. My favorite food in the mountains were the potatoes. I would have a side of potatoes with almost every meal from breakfast to dinner. Potatoes are the only crops that can survive in the nutrient deficient mountain soils, harsh temperatures and little water. They were so freaking delicious. Descending back to Lukla, I was finally able to eat meat and drink beer. The chicken was a bit dry but the tasty Everest beer helped wash it down.

Superhuman Sherpas: As stated earlier, we had a sherpa porter to carry our extra gear while we had our daypacks with extra layers, water, snacks, med kit, camera, ect. Spare clothing, sleeping bag, ect went with the sherpa. Before you lambaste me for hiring one, understand that I do have experience backpacking so I know exactly what 45lbs on the back feels like. I also know that this hike is no joke with the terrain and altitude. Also, by hiring a porter, you are helping their economy (I also tipped $158 to my Sherpa, so I'm not a senseless, uncaring American tourist) For my tri-dork friends, 4 time World Ironman Chrissie Wellington spent 16 months working in Nepal where she mountain biked through the Himalayas. There is a reason why the Sherpa people are world re-known & unsurpassed for their strength and endurance in the mountains. They are uniquely & genetically gifted for high altitude and they leverage this to try to provide a better life for their families by carrying huge loads up and down the mountains (paid by weight). Rusha, our sherpa was completely invaluable and an integral piece to us not dying. I could count on 2 hands the number of tourist trekkers that carried their own packs. Kudos to them with their fancy $200+ Osprey backpack with weight distributing straps and air flow vent (I can be snarky b/c I own said fancy gear) but the sherpa's were the true "superhumans". They carried massive loads with nothing more than rope, baskets & straps across their forehead while walking slightly bent over. The trail that we trekked is not only for tourists but it is the only way for supplies (everything from lumbers, food, goods) to get to the remote mountain villages via the backs of sherpas, yaks or mules. The terrain is so rugged, there are no paved roads and completely impassable by motor vehicles. Saw everything from gallons of fluids (maybe petrol?), water reservoirs, lumber, multiple slabs of plywood, and even a fucking fridge! Absolutely mind blowing the physical stamina and strength that they have. I think IM athletes are badass but the Sherpa's blow any endurance athlete out of the water and make even the super active and fit groups of our society look like a bunch of fucking posers. My aunt who has survived the Vietnam War, poverty, and knows what hard labor is but even she bowed down to their unparalleled stamina and was in awe of Himalayan mountain peoples backbreaking work ethic.

Stay tuned for part II of my Nepal adventure.......................