The Bus from Lamaket

With a herd of goats (quite possibly magical Ms Gow) to bid as farewell from Sikles, we headed back down the mountains to a valley on the other side, hoping to catch the bus back to Pokhara from Lamaket in a few hours or so.

We made good timing getting down from the mountainside to the river in a few hours. A village on the other side of the hill you can just make out here was actually below Sikles. Not a place you would want to drop a ball, or anything really.

The walk down steep mountain paths was still spectacular, as was the river when we reached it below.

We then hiked along the river for a few more hours, and it turned out to be quite a bit more of a trek than we had anticipated. We missed the afternoon bus, so we spent the night in a small village at the end of the trail.

 With no accommodation available, we were kindly offered the floor in the local primary school. It had some of the best views I have ever seen.

The little black backpack was my supplies for the week (we did eat along the way and I washed everything with one bar of soap), but still - I was really proud of myself for the light packing. Not that I could have managed to carry much more up those passes!

All in all, the trekking was incredible, the company and hospitality along the way (with many thanks to my amazing guide Bishnu as well), and the experience unforgettable. From the hot buffalo milk to the breathtaking views of the Himalayas, not soon to be forgotten!

Reaching Sikles

After reaching the top of Tara Viewpoint (I was too tired to bother about photos, plus a thick mist had come in so we didnt have any views really to mention), we hiked down for another five hours or so through ancient Rodendrum forests. The flowering trees are also the national symbol of Nepal and quite beautiful. These photos dont quite do the forests justice.

Late that afternoon we reached the village of Sikles. A community of about 2,500 Gurung peoples, the village is large community sitting high up at 2,400m. There were not many views with the thick mist sitting in for the next day, but the village was really interesting. Some of the traditional slate is being replace with tin roofs, as they are much lighter to get up to those high altitudes. A new road has opened up a lot more resources for the village, but many villages are still only accessible by footpath and everything you need, you have to be able to carry up your mountain.

Oxen hard at work ploughing the land for the sowing of rice.

Traditional bee hives in cut log.

A grandmother beating wheat from the stalks. Much of the work is still done by hand, and everyone in the village is hard at work doing something.

Our host's daughter, Supiya, excited for her first day of creche.

Mountainside Villages

For the next two days, it would be heading up, up and up to about 2800m - not much by Nepalese standards but more than enough for me! We passed by a few farms on plateaus with the Annapurna range in the background before heading up for more up.

All of the farms are family run, with even the youngest helping out before and after school.

The forests on the mountainsides were refreshingly shaded and lush, and alive with birds.

One of the small villages we would pass through.

A local primary school.

Terraced fields, and women carrying stones in baskets on their backs for the building of a new house in one of the villages.

Our tea house for the evening. Some evenings we spent in local inns, others in trekker tea houses (family homes with a few rooms converted for trekkers) and others in family homes.

Lunch would take about two hours from ordering, as everything was picked fresh from the garden right outside the kitchen and prepared from scratch.

Dal Baaht - the national dish of Nepal. Lenitils, rice and curry. We ate a lot of Dal Baaht and some were really delicious. Yes, I am eating curry!

Looking back on the villages we had passed through during the day's trekking.

Most evenings were spent hanging out with the local children. The girls were trying to teach me some local dances.

Take Two

The friendly dog from the local inn joined me for an evening walk along the river. He was so cool, I tried to get a photo with him. The one below is probably my favourite. 

Travel companions & Hot springs

Where ever we walked, even when I couldnt imagine that people could pass through or even live in such remote places, then someone would come along and disappear as quickly as they came. Often carrying things like sacks of grain or massive piles of wood in baskets off their backs, and well into their old age, I never ceased to be amazed.

We managed to pass through one village as school was coming out for the day and children joined us as we made our way along the hill pathways. Practicising their English, and my Nepali, but mostly with Bishnu's translation, they made for excellent travel companions.

The small village and bus stop where we spent the night in a local tavern. Three meals, accommodation and drinks came to a total of R54.

The Seti (white) River flowed past and to the edges were natural hot springs that people from the village and across the hills would come down to each evening for a hot bath. With much curiosity from their side, I joined in, but no photos were taken!

Trekking off the Beaten Track

There are a number of trekking opportunities in Nepal, and some of them incredibly popular. Many people head to Everest Base Camp or the Annapurna Base Camp where the altitudes get high quite quickly, full gear is needed to deal with the snow and you often compete with a number of other trekkers on the same route. I was wanting to get out of the cities, but not exactly up into the Himalayas.

Wanting to find a local guide so I could get a closer experience of the area (and not get totally lost!), I had come across 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking which is run by three sisters (go figure), but is highly unusual in that they are not only women owned but also train female guides which was previously unheard of. They are doing some amazing work with women empowerment in the region and protection of children. After chatting to them, one of their amazing guides was able to take me into a conservation area below the Himalayas that was far off the beaten track.

On our first day, we walked through fields alongside fields in a rich valley with a few villages inbetween. 

A woman chasing cheeky monkeys out of the fields.

Sunrise over the Annapurna Himalayas

 

 Early the next morning I dragged myself up before sunrise to get to the top of Sarankot Hill. I made my way to the top just in time to catch the first light breaking over the Annapurna Himalayas and lighting up the snowcapped peaks. 

You could even see the winds sweeping across the top - spectacular!

Around 05h30, you could hear the valley below starting to wake up...

 ... and finally the sun broke through for a beautiful sunrise. A great way to start the day!