my favorite shot from my trip
That's one of the peaks of the Annapurna in the Himalaya,
shot from the bus on the way to Nayapul from
Pokhara for the first day's trek
That's one of the peaks of the Annapurna in the Himalaya,
shot from the bus on the way to Nayapul from
Pokhara for the first day's trek
It's been 1 or 2 weeks now since I got back from my trek in the Himalayas. Things kept me busy on the home front since my return, with family visiting from other countries and us going on another vaca while they were here. And then finding out that my old laptop keyboard has gone bust the day we got back home. What's a girl to do? hehe.
Anyhow, this trek was my first weeks-long trek anywhere. We took the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek, not the Everest one. Hearing the name Everest alone sort of makes a newbie trekker like me hesitate to undertake one's first long trek. Lol. However, just because the Annapurna Base Camp trek can also be for newbies doesn't mean it's any less challenging.
One thing's for sure, if you're not fond of taking walks or have a pretty serious problem with your knees (I have no knee problem but ended up having to wear knee support to be on the safer side when the right knee started feeling weak/sore... still managed to carry my daypack everyday though) or aren't really into the outdoors, trekking in the Himalayas isn't for you, including this one -- Annapurna or not. But if you're like the Hong Kong residents who typically walk fast or Westerners (mostly Europeans) we encountered on the trek who are used to hiking and have similar terrains back in their hometowns, it probably would be a breeze for you. And maybe I'll blog more about this in another post.
This is the itinerary we chose to undertake:
On the way --
Pokhara - Nayapul - Tirkhedunga - Ulleri - Banthanti - Nangethanti - Ghorepani - Poon hill - Ghorepani - Deurali - Banthanti - Tadapani - Chuile - Ghurjung - Chhomrong - Sinuwa - Bamboo - Dovan - Himalaya - Deurali - MBC - ABC
Going back --
ABC - Deurali-Himalaya - Dovan- Bamboo - Sinuwa - Chhomrong -Jhinua Danda - Birithanti - Nayapul
And here's just some idea of the lay of all or part of the trek:
The highlights?
1. Got badly sunburned on my arms on the first day's trek
Didn't realise that the sun can be that fierce on one's skin even though the sunlight on the first day's trek certainly wasn't anywhere near the sort we encounter back in the Philippines at high noon. So it didn't cross my mind to slather on some sunblock on my arms. Just on my face/neck (which I always do whenever I go out). Good thing I always put sunblock on my face. Gah! A healthcare professional trekking with me said I got first degree burns on my arms when I had them checked by the 3rd day when it started feeling sore/painful.
2. We trekked up to the Machapuchare Base Camp (MBC) only instead of continuing on up to Annapurna Base Camp (ABC).
my trip companion Badtz Maru in MBC the morning
after we arrived, with the Fishtail/Machapuchare peak behind him
We skipped ABC because MBC and ABC essentially have the same views, same peaks, similar terrain and temps. The only difference being the altitudes of the two base camps. And because if we won't be able to see the peaks that morning in MBC, then it would just be the same in ABC. If the clouds didn't obscure the peaks the morning we set off from MBC, or the skies were clear, we would have gone ahead to ABC. That was the deal, after the rains and leeches we battled to get to MBC. No one wants a repeat of the same thing with no reward at the end. hehe.
clouds obscured the peaks.. no ABC.. :(
3. We didn't proceed to Poon Hill too at the beginning of the trek for the same reason as number 2.
At Poon Hill you can catch a nice sunrise over the Annapurna peaks. However, clouds obscured the peaks that morning so, that means, no sunrise view. *shrugs* We trekked through the misty trail that goes to Poon Hill as well though. And that was really nice. It was like a stereotype of heaven. Lol! There were even ponies grazing on the meadows. hehe.
on the way to trek through the forest... with early morning mist
4. I liked the teahouses we stayed in in Chomrong and in Bamboo villages best.
in Chomrong
5. Black dogs trailed along some of the way with us.
One each for the at least 3 times it happened. One dog absolutely stayed overnight outside our room's doorstep in Bamboo. And was still there the next morning when we got up, and then also trotted along with us as we left Bamboo to trek to our next destination.
dog on our doorstep... It stayed overnight and was still there the next morning.
6. Huge spider in our room on our last night of the trek in Jhinua Danda village. Gah!!!
...on our arrival though, and not while we were getting ready for bed. Needless to say, I ddin't take any pic of that. Lol.
7. Feet hurt most while trekking on the last part on the last day of the trek, from Birethanti to Nayapul. Gawd! The bottom of my feet started to feel almost every little rock my boots were stepping on. And I wasn't the only one who experienced the same.
8. First time I saw vibrant red dragonflies.
..along the trail in number 7. But because the bottom of my feet were hurting the whole time with every step I took, I just didn't have the energy anymore to stop and take even one photo. Even though one dragonfly was like playing with me. It stops to rest on a rock or plant in front of each of my steps as if waiting. And when I take my next step, it starts to fly off and goes on to rest on the next rest stop fronting the said step. This happened like four times until I just plodded on faster and it finally left me and flew away.
9. MBC seemed like my idea of how it might be trekking through the Scottish highlands when we got there in the rains from Bamboo/Deurali.
and that's the way to ABC behind me, from MBC;
really cold and damp up in MBC as we got there in the rains;
And the view of the peaks was covered too.. tsk.
really cold and damp up in MBC as we got there in the rains;
And the view of the peaks was covered too.. tsk.
Wasn't happy and was starting to feel miserable tromping through the really wet and not just damp mud and uncleared vegetation by the time we were nearing MBC under some heavy rains. It's the one of only two times I started to feel my feet/socks in my boots become damp. Just our luck it rained hardest the day we trekked to MBC. Waaah. The terrain on the way from Deurali going there is dramatically different from the previous trails we were on, too. We were seriously nearing the peaks already that the views of them have become closeups up front. hehe.
10. That our very own San Miguel Beer has a presence in Nepal. Uh-huh.
cans of San Miguel beer being sold alongside Everest beer
11. Leeches are around when it rains.
And we trekked during the monsoon season, when some parts of some of the days rained, sometimes in drizzles, sometimes not. I not only got bit by one leech, but by the end of the trip, the total became four. I got four bites for a 10-day trek, but the leeches which latched on to me/my boots/socks/poncho/hat/hands/legs/arms/neck/hair certainly aren't four only.
I need not say it but yeah I didn't bother photographing any of those leeches. Just too icky. lol. Besides once we see one on our person, we immediately remove it. I flicked them off. Or the guide or porter since others can see better what's on you/your poncho. Lol.
I managed to take pics of the first two bites I got though, one on my calf, and another on my left hand. hehe! These first bites aren't so bad. I didn't even feel them. But the last two, gosh, bled through the little bandages I put over each. The bandages were stained by the blood. Blood didn't quickly stop it seemed. The little things aren't large leeches. Small and thin, but still icky. Lol.
the first bite; Pretty small...smaller than the bite on my calf.
And the blood dried off quickly.
And the blood dried off quickly.
In the end they were more of a nuisance. You don't feel it when they latch on to your skin but once part of your body starts to feel itchy, it could be because of a leech. You can get just one at a time, or as many as 4 or 6 at a time on different parts of your person: on your boots, socks, or poncho, or shirt, etc. But mostly on the poncho in our case, then the boots. I had gaiters and eventually stopped wearing them when I found them constricting, but some leeches still got in for my trek companions who wore gaiters.
12. The huge stone steps became my "best friends". And there are hundreds of them. Coming down such steps for me wasn't as enjoyable as climbing up them (which I actually liked). Enough said. Lol.
All in all though, I loved the trek and enjoyed arriving at our destinations each time despite the real physical exertion expended along the way. Just like how I feel after jogging. There's some kind of high. Hehe!
I believe I made it fine without much huffing and puffing ('cept in certain strategic and challenging steps for my short legs along the trek) and without the "surrendering" attitude only because I have been jogging for exercise for about 5 years already. I jog on pace for several laps without stopping 'cause I hate stopping if I don't really have to. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have had the gumption or interest to join this trek at all in the first place. hehe.
jumping at MBC
the peak of Mt. Machapuchare behind me
(behind the darker one..started to be covered by clouds/early morning mist)
(behind the darker one..started to be covered by clouds/early morning mist)
However, at the end of the trip, I wasn't the last to arrive at the end destination on the last day's trek, and I had the least complications: the fastest in our group got altitude sickness (very serious problem if left untreated..could have ended the whole trek/trip altogether), and the second fastest one? Sprained ankles and swollen feet even days after the trek's over and we were already holiday-ing at a world-famous beach in the Philippines. Lol. I just got sunburn which is now a good tan and a slightly swollen right big toe. Also, I had my pack on my back the whole time, while the fastest with acute mountain sickness (or AMS) and another trek companion had to surrender theirs to our porters. So yeah they can rib me for not being as fast as they might have been but in the end who got home with less pain and everyday with her daypack on her back even, during the whole trek, and also (not meaning to be insensitive here) didn't get bad AMS? :P Ahehehe!
above the clouds
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