Onward to Pokhara

 The Himalayan Annapurna Range's reflection in Lake Phewa, Pokhara, Nepal

So after a few days in the suburbs of Kathmandu, Jaime, Bijen and Scabbs dropped us off in Thamel which is near Dubar Square, the oldest part of the city.

Sure, the private Everest Secondary School is a quirky place for an Airbnb, so it would figure that it had quirky inspirational aphorisms scattered around the entrance. Remember back in the day when we would call those *help* centers that had been outsourced to India? Recall their often quirky take on the mother tongue? Well now you know that they possibly learned their English at a place like this.

We were always relieved when it was not recess or dismissal time as we entered the compound to make our way across the courtyard.

Because if it was one of those times, chaos would break out leaving me a tad wobbly and vertiginous. These very nice young ladies and gentlemen were nothing if not persistent as they clambered to practice their English on us. "HOW ARE YOU? WHAT IS YOUR NAME?"

The penthouse was a five story walk-up and was on the top floor of these classrooms.

Then it was home sweet home...albeit maybe Ali Baba's version of home sweet home.

Sweet reader, when we are locked in the apartment, our usual earthly and quodian behaviors are probably not unlike yours: reading, resting, cooking Nepali/Indian food, watching Netflix. The difference is when we step out of those iron gates of the school. One better be suited up and ready to play, 'cause game is on.

As Nepal is a Hindu nation, there is a mandatory two year prison sentence for killing a cow. But The Vedas don't say anything about not eating water buffalo. Above, green tea and buffalo mo-mo's (~$1.50) These filling dumplings are found everywhere in Kathmandu.

The steps up to Swayambhunath one of the oldest religious sites in Nepal. Revered by both Hindus and Buddhists, the pilgrims visit the shrine 24/7. The northwest side of the temple is full of holy monkeys. The hippies of the 1970's considered the name Swayambhunath a tongue twister (hashish impaired?) and started calling it the Monkey Temple. The name stuck, especially with foreigners. I found the steps slow going as they seemed to keep going and going....Good Kingdom bound.

Lilly tells a humorous monkey story of an altercation she had in a hotel in Varanasi several years ago. A monkey came through her hotel window and grabbed her Red Bull. The trouble turned into a struggle: "give me back my Red Bull Bitch" 

To wit, when I was taking a breather at a rest stop, I took this picture of a monkey looking at me, probably expecting peanuts or chickpeas, when all of a sudden the scoundrel flew up the railing and bitch slapped me on the arm and disappeared into the bush. I was impressed by the strength of the blow considering how small he was. Definitely wouldn't want to tangle with an adult male. Several males could probably tear your ears off.

Kathmandu Valley has five major rivers and numerous streams that all join the Bagmati at some point. Considered holy by both Buddhists and Hindus alike, they are basically open sewers decorated with millions of pieces of undulating plastic debris. 

 Anyhoo, caught the Hound to Pokhara, nice bus that stopped every couple of hours at roadside places like this for mo-mo breaks.

Pokhara is cleaner and less chaotic than Kathmandu, where the air is so dusty and polluted that about 20% of the population wear breathing masks. After a few days on the lake, we lost the Kathmandu hack and didn't have to do the Nepali hock to the pavement to clear the throat and nostrils of debris. It is quite the juxtaposition, gentle reader, between beauty and pollution in this part of the world. BAD HUMANS!

A view from a street in town of the Annapurna Mountain Range that is about 30 miles from Pokhara

Nepal Himalayan facts: They cover 75% of Nepal, there are 1310 mountains over ~20,000 feet, 8/10 of the world's tallest mountains, including the tallest, are in Nepal. The fatality rate of climbers attempting Everest is 6.5%.

But the Annapurna Massif ain't no slouch: Annapurna 1 has an altitude of 26,545, 13 peaks ~23,000 and 16 more at ~20,000. Annapurna is much more dangerous to climb with a fatality rate of a whopping 32%. In 2014, *unexpected* snowstorms and avalanches killed 43, injured some 175 and 10-50 are still considered missing. Nepal's worst trekking disaster to date.

UPDATE ADDED JANUARY 21,2020: Annapurna Avalanche

The off limits and never summited (for religious reasons) Mount Machhapuchchhre at 22,943 peaks (peeks, get it?) out, as seen from a street in town.

and Machhapuchhre early morning while waiting at a bus terminal.

Pokhara is the gateway to the Annapurna Conservation Area and as such offers all manner of treks, paragliding, white water rafting, tranquil lake boat rides and general Himalayan activity.

In 1980 James Bell and I, recent graduates of the University of Virginia found ourselves living with a bunch of layabouts in a dump at 43 Pine Street on Nantucket Island. Our prospects unclear, we were unknowingly, he would write much later "waiting for a train or boat to somewhere". We eventually parlayed this desultoriness into a two and a half year quixotic odyssey in Australia and South Asia.

Jim went on to become quite the author. He changed the names to protect the guilty and presents a fictionalised story of an adventure that includes high seas hijinks, various indiscretions and the odd high crime and misdemeanor in The Screen Door

Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii

If I may digress, I have one little minor quibble here. You often hear that Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world at 29,035 feet measured from sea level to peak. Measured the same way, Mauna Kea Volcano on Hawaii Island is 13,796, so Sagarmatha wins hands down, no?

NOT SO FAST!

Mauna Kea measured from its base on the ocean floor to sea level adds ~19,700 feet to that 13,796 for a total altitude of ~33.500 feet, nearly a mile taller than Everest
(I have read that the immense weight of Hawaii Island's five volcanoes bends the Earth's lithosphere deeper by another 4 or so miles! but I won't count that here).

So if you summit Mauna Kea, then you have technically scaled the tallest mountain on Earth. You just majorly cheated by starting more than half way up the mountain.

Anyhoo, as I recall, almost 40 years ago Jim and I flew from Kathmandu to Lukla which still ranks as the world's most dangerous airport.

We then trekked about 10 days to eventually reach Gorak Shep. At an altitude of 16,942, no one lives here naturally...it is all services, teahouses, sherpas and such, catering to the trekking trade. We spent the night in a rustic cabin for a 4:30 AM blitz to the summit of Kala Patthar (18,209). Kala Patthar still offers the most accessible views of Everest, Amadablam, Makalu, Cholatse, Nuptse and many other great peaks...for un-funded expedition people like us.

I am glad I saw it 40 years ago as we have all read the horror stories of what base camp looks like nowadays.

After summiting Kala Patthar, we took some pictures for an hour (which are in a drawer somewhere) then it was the ~10 day return trip. When we got back to Kathmandu Jim wanted to go on to Pokhara and trek some more, but I was done with hiking, so I hung around Kathmandu and contracted Hepatitis A instead.

Some of the treks offered in town are 21 days long and cover dozens, hundreds of trekking kilometers. As I see these, usually youngish and in shape internationals, acquiring gear about town as they prepare to leave for whatever adventure (or slightly leaner, bearded sun and wind burned if they are returning) I become aware of my age related stamina diminishment and am grateful I had the opportunity to trek to the Everest Base Camp when I was young.

The joy/ability/effort/ danger/desire/safety ratio just ain't there anymore. Alas, the only way I am going to see these big boy mountains these days is from my table at the Himalaya Java Coffee Shop.

As luck would have it, I am very cool with that.

Thanks for stopping by