Hat tricks aren’t only in hockey, and I scored one on my very first overseas adventure.
The arena – Nepal. 147,000 sq. kilometers of geographically diverse countryside sandwiched between India and Tibet. The hat trick – trekking, whitewater rafting, and a jungle safari. All completed in a satisfying 21 day tour. Mountain tundra, snow capped peaks, and sub-tropical jungle are all packed into this small Asian country.
Touted as “The Top of The World” Nepal’s highest peak is 8,848 meters above sea level, the summit of the awesome Mt.Everest. Although people come from all over the world to see, or climb this peak, I discovered there is much more than Everest to this place.
As soon as I was through customs at the airport I was introduced to Nepalese bartering. I learned that you shouldn’t put yourself, or your bags, into a cab until you’ve already agreed on a price. Thankfully, three other Canadians that I had met on the plane came to my rescue, and we all crammed into the compact cab with our backpacks. The ride into Thamel is not one I will ever forget. As in the U.K, the driver was on the right hand side of the car. Unlike the U.K, the driver did not stay on one side, or even the middle of the road! There were no lanes and no signs or lights to say where you should be. Everybody just drove and fit their cars into whatever space was available. Cows, goats, dogs and kids were everywhere, including what was supposed to be the road!
It was one of the few times in my life when I wanted so very badly to close my eyes, but they refused to do my bidding.
When the drive was finally over and we had reached Thamel, the city center and main tourist area, I climbed out of the car with a big sigh of relief. I soon realized that the need to stay alert was not lessened by getting out of the car, only different. Now I had to watch out that the various cars, bikes and rickshaws didn’t run over me. The more time I spent on the roads, wandering in and out of shops, the more I realized that there was a sort of organized chaos in the way they drove. I did not see one accident, or one person get run over, during the days I spent walking the maze of alleys and streets that comprised this amazing market place.
Thamel is noisy, dirty and smelly. The shops are full of colorful weaves, embroidery, woolen sweaters, gloves, and hats, as well as brass and wooden carving which make for some of the best shopping ever. The grinning faces of the Nepalese merchants ensure that you have a good time. Bartering to see how good of a deal you can get makes it that much more fun. The restaurants lining the streets lure you in with boards advertising American movies free to watch while you eat. The book stores are full of maps, photos and of course books on a variety of subjects, including the Kama Sutra and Tantric sex.
I suggest you leave most of your shopping until just before you leave Nepal. Then you won’t have to carry your purchases around the country with you, and you’ll have a better idea of what a good deal is after being there awhile.
For those who want to see Everest up close, but don’t wish to attempt to reach the summit of the highest peak on the planet, tour operators offer a number of trekking packages to the base camp. I had made arrangements prior to leaving Canada to meet up with an experienced guide and a group of trekkers. To begin our exploration of Nepal we chose a ten day trekking route in the Annapurna Range. Others available were in the Langtang, Mustang, and Soul Khumbu Regions.
Once decided on, we headed out. Our packs were heavy but our energy was high. The air was fresh, brisk and the trails were well marked. The first few days were full of gentle uphill climbs and the crossing of several, usually flimsy looking, rope bridges that were swaying over roaring whitewater that didn’t look too inviting. On the fifth day we reached a spot on the trail that I refer to as “the staircase from hell”. It was made of oddly shaped stones and rocks winding their way through the dense forest of massive trees that were alive with the sound of laughing monkeys. At least I imagined they were laughing at me as I took a deep breath, put my head down, and placed one foot in front of the other. As I continued to climb the trees thinned, as did the air, and the ground became rocky. It also seemed that the laughter of the monkeys gradually subsided.
I have to admit that the view at the end of the climb was worth it. When we emerged from the staircase trail the sun was glistening off the ice and snow on surrounding mountain tops. A low rumbling sound drew our attention to a nearby mountain just in time to witness the power of Mother Nature in the form of a small avalanche. With eagles above us and clouds below us there was a tangible sense of peace and renewal here.
Soon after we were trading cameras back and forth as individual and group photos were taken. We didn’t climb Mt.Everest but this was as far as we were going and the lack of prestige with our climb didn’t lessen the sense of accomplishment. It was then time to make camp and prepare for the journey back down the mountain, via a different route.
Once the trekking part of our tour was over it was on to three days of whitewater rafting .The Kali Gandaki and Sun Kosi rivers are top waters for rafting and kayaking. If tenting along the shores is not to your taste the teahouses along the roads offer a hot meal and a bed for a decent price.
Five Gurung men were waiting patiently by the inflated yellow rafts, waiting to take us on the next stage of our adventure. Three days of whitewater rafting and camping on the rivers sandy beaches. With four or five of us into each of the three rafts, we were off. The river ride was a rollercoaster of rapids that went from wild and scary to slightly bumpy. This was no free ride either. One of the most exciting and challenging aspects was when we sat on the sides, leaning out over the rolling waves and attempted to paddle.
There were also tranquil stretches where we relaxed, watched and listened to the monkeys in the trees and the kids on the swinging bridges above us. We didn’t have to worry about our bags getting dumped in the river since the tour guides took turns driving to the next camp and setting up.
Our river guides would have the tents put up and a fire blazing on the sandy beach when we came in off the river. The choice of beverages laid out and waiting went from tea or instant coffee to rum and hot chocolate. After dinner the boys (what we dubbed our guides) would come down and join us by the roaring fire for jokes and companionship.
On our last night with them, the boys turned a water bucket upside down to use as a drum. While singing and clapping, they urged us to dance on the beach under a blanket of stars.I swear if I’d tried hard enough, I could’ve reached out and plucked one from the sky.
The next installment in our exploration of Nepal was The Royal Chitwan National Park. The park was established in 1973, 90 klm. southwest of Kathmandu. With more than ten varieties of tall grass, referred to as elephant grass, it is home to the endangered Asiatic Rhinoceros. Also wandering the park are woodpeckers, eagles, monkeys, Bengali cats, foxes, martens, leopards, and 60 – 70 tigers. All wild animals that consider the jungle tier neighborhood.
Our first order of the day was an elephant safari. We split into smaller groups, as only four people can fit into the basket that sits on the elephants back. At first we laughed at our host’s slow plodding walk. Then we literally walked in to the path of two rhino’s about to charge each other and we discovered how fast the elephants can move, and how uncomfortable a ride it could be.
After that start to our little safari we saw colorful birds, various monkeys (again laughing at us as we perched awkwardly on our hosts backs!), and trees that termites had carved into oddly shaped homes. If we could’ve quieted down we might have seen some other large predators but our group just enjoyed the ride and each others company.
While staying in Chitwan our accommodations were a step above the tents we had been camping in. The little huts in Chitwan had real beds and running showers, not warm showers, but they were still welcome. The next morning we rolled out of bed before dawn and gently lowered ourselves into dug-out canoes for a lazy ride through the park . The sunrise started as a greying of the air around us and then went from a gentle yellowing into a sudden burst of glorious orange as the sun broke through the morning mists. It was well worth giving up a warm bed to experience.
A nature walk was next on the list of things to do. We started out after lunch and followed our guide down a winding path into the dense jungle. Warned that if we wanted to see any big cats or foxes we had to stay quiet our group was silent Within minutes we were signaled to stop. Our guide pointed silently to the right of the trail and before I could blink a large sleek shape was down the nearby tree and disappeared into the underbrush. I had just seen my first wild cat. Our guide said we had interrupted the leopard hunting and if we had been a few minutes later we would’ve missed it altogether. We were only about twenty feet from the edge of the lodge grounds. This is why tenting is not an option here. We were silent as we continued our walk but it didn’t help, that was our big sighting.
For our last night at the lodge there was a show. With the guests forming a large circle, like the center ring at a circus, the staffers sat in the middle. They played drums, sang songs, and danced. One was a dance with what appeared to be sticks as weapons and then, a tambourine dance. Which we were asked to join in. The smiles and laughter lasted long into the night.
Unfortunately it was back to Kathmandu to finish our tour where we began. Over and above the majestic mountains, the wild rivers, and the predatory jungle, the Nepalese people are what makes this country so special. They live a simple peaceful life and are happy and proud to share most of their country with you. Some mountains are restricted to tourists as the Nepalese believe they are “the seats of the Gods”. Because of this I believe wholeheartedly in a respectful saying I once heard.
“Take only pictures. Leave only footprints. Kill only time.”
This article was published in The Student Traveler, Spring 2003