The Unpublished Story III

...If you're planning to catch sunrise at ABC (why wouldn't you?) wake up at around 4AM; this should be easy if you dosed off early the previous evening. Leave everything except your walking stick and camera in MBC and slowly ascend toward ABC, don't hurry, there is a high chance you'll fall sick if you do. Then bit by bit, it'll start to brighten up. Look ahead and you'll see Annapurna South, it's a jaw dropping sight; the mountain will appear so big that you'll literally be able to make out the glaciers and the crevasses. At the bottom lie the hotels of ABC, enclosed by the Himalayas. A few steps and you should be there just in time to indulge on nature's show, something that can't be expressed in either words or film.

On the right is Annapurna I, behind Machhapuchhare, on the left is Himchuli and gloriously in front rests Annapurna South. Just a few minutes, and a dazzling scene will unfold… the sun starts to rise from behind Machhapuchhare, the first rays of the sun steeps the mountains, and slowly the peaks start to change colors.
Savor each moment like you're never going to come here again (fat chance!), bask upon God's glorious creations and even order the food to be sent outside. You'll soon realize that the camera isn't enough to capture the moment, not only because the mountains don't fit into your humble digital camera, but also because the brilliance cannot be captured; there are a million and one details that cannot be included in a print. Trust me, you just can't get enough of ABC but 10AM should be a good time to say adieu. If it seems like someone in your team will have to be dragged – tell them, but if you stay, who will brag about the trip to your folks?

After you get past that, descending is easy. You may feel a little ABC sick, but you've seen so much mountain and snow that you'll dream about it for another week. Skip, hop or run to MBC, clear the hotel bill and set for Bamboo or Sinuwa or even Chomrong if you're really ambitious. A good trip back can be a night in Bamboo then the next day to Jhinu via Chomrong. Jhinu or the Hot Springs is just an hour from Chomrong and en-route to Syauli Bazaar through the recently opened trekking route. There is nothing that beats a hot spring swim after a tiring walk. By six in the evening, you should be back in Pokhara, fresh from the springs. It's also a great idea to end the trip on top of a bus from Naya Pul to Pokhara, with the goats. If you manage not to fall off, it has the potential to wrap the entire expedition fabulously."

So that ends my journey to the valley within mountains. I hope you enjoyed it. Now, while you think about your trek to ABC, I'll be eyeing EBC - Everest Base Camp.

A long slumber; The Morning to Jomsom

I think I over slept. Had some hold ups - Back aches, muscle sprain, chest hair...oh, that's not really appropriate.

So, I wake the next morning, still a little deluded from the 4 hr micro-bus ride to Pokhara but I was quite happy that my flight to Jomsom had been delayed by an hour; one more hour of sleep. But I did have to wake up early though and 6 AM is not my time, at all.

I had packed my bags, had all my gears set up and was ready to go. I headed for the Airport.

I had just arrived in Pokhara the day before but every time I came here, I would be greeted with the splendor for Mt. Machhapuchre (Fish Tail), however, this time it was different. Rainy season was just at the brink for saying good-bye; it wasn't raining or sunny, just cloudy and gloomy.

Delays are normal in Nepal. Everything is delayed, exept for maybe an epidemic after natural disasters but other things are, like examination results, flights, goverment formation, me becoming a millionare, etc. But tell you this, delays for a Jomsom flight usually means trouble en route to Jomsom (bad weather, a flock of Lophophorous, anything) or trouble at the Airport (a herd of cattle and the dung they leave behind).

So, I arrived at the Airport, all set for the 8 AM flight to the Valley behind the mountains. But like everything, I'm kept waiting. A little 'getting to know fellow passengers' and I find out that the first flight to Jomsom (5.20AM!) hadn't flown. Even worse, all filghts of the day before had been canceled.

After 4 hrs in the Airport Departures lounge (hardly a lounge, more like a public hall) with the disgrace full restrooms, we had enough. So we set for back home. Sucks to say good bye, Au revoir to all and come back after few hours.

You might have heard how windy Jomsom is and maybe that song "Jomsomey Bazaar ma", Nepathya, go check them out; so turns out that we can't fly there after 12PM, because its so windy that it would blow away our miss Nepals, the skiny ones, sideways! (people who have studied physics will know that its immposible, aerodynamics and all. Boring.)

Now we had a new challege at hand, a plan B, what if the plane doesn't fly the next day too? Time was tight and we had to be back in Pokhara by 20th of August (had to attend a protest rally next day for the Janatantrik, Loktanrik, Ganatantrik, Wooga-booga Group). So, we had the map with us and we came up with plan B, Annapurna Base Camp a.k.a ABC! Now, I had already been to ABC before, but it was ages ago, when I maybe 13 and had less hair on my body...but I wanted to go to ABC more than Jomsom-Muktinath.

So with still half a day left with us, we set out for a practice trek; around Pokhara...

Next time:- Photos with captions and the trip to Fewa Power House.

Trek to the Valley Within Mountains and Back

After a long hiatus your beloved blogger is back again. And he has loads of stuff to write on!

You might perhaps be wondering where I had been, that too without saying good bye, um hm, cheesy.

Anyways, I was off to Pokhara to go on a Jomsom-Muktinath trek but, plan B, and I end up in the valley between mountains; Annapurna Base Camp (ABC).

It was all an exciting journey and I have so much to share.

In the follow course of days, 8 days to be exact, I'll be posting my findings and experiences along with heaps of photos.

I tell you, it was one heck of a trek.

Tonight I sleep; have to wake up early in the morning to catch a flight for Jomsom. ;)