Today I start early in the morning with my motorbike to Shyabru-Besi. In this way I hope to have not so much traffic on the road. That is right, however it is really really cool and after 30 minutes I stop my bike to put on more cloth. To be correct: I put on all cloth I have and feel like the michelin-man. Soon I reach the top of a mountain and have beautiful views. Just as I remember from my last bus ride to Shyabru there are bends after bends after bends and I am so glad that I don’t need to sit in a bus. But then after Trisuli I meet unexpected troubles: The road is not asphalted anymore and the loose stones and holes in the street make it very hard for me and my bike. The bike is not build for offroad. After half an hour I give up, turn to Trisuli. A bit disappointed I decide to make something for the mind first and find a delicious Dhal Baat (rice, lentils, curry, pickles). After that it is clear what to do: I drive along the road of Trisuli and try to find a place where to leave the bike. The bank seems to be a perfect place. They have lots of security and big space. Nobody speaks English there, but a man understands my problem. He shows me where I can park the bike, checks that the bank is open on the day when I come back. Even he keeps my helmet and the spareparts inside his office. This is one of those things which makes Nepal so unique. The people are most friendly and try to help you. I will try to do the same in a bank in Germany after I return. ;-)
So I catch my bag and climb onto the roof of the next bus to Dhunche. There are already many many local people up there and quickly there is a funny conversation by using hand and feet. At the checkpoint in Dhunche everything goes well and also without the TIM-card I can enter the National Park Langtang. There is no more bus to Shyabru on this day and after checking the card I decide to start my trek in Dhunche.
After the breakfast I start and I walk and walk and walk and arrive just before sunset in the first destination (Gatlang). It is a steep climbing up for few hours. But the scenery pays back the effort. It goes through the fields, through yards passing by huge poinsettias (Christmas flower). The harvest is partly ongoing, partly finished and so I see a lot of people harvesting or ploughing the fields with buffalos. Gatlang is a beautiful village with old houses. All roofs are still made of wood and so the village matches perfectly into the landscape. It is a pity that I arrive there so late. There is a wedding going on, but I am very tired, feel cold and go sleeping right after dinner.
Next day goes along many stupas down and up to Tatopani (hot watersprings). It is a small village with hot springs and lays whole day in the sunlight. A pleasant place to spend the day. Also many people from Kathmandu find this place popular and enjoy bathing in the hot, red (iron) water. But despite sitting there all afternoon, enjoying the sunny life, reading a book and having a hot bath I feel that I want to walk more, climb higher, see snowy mountains. So there are first thoughts to change the route a bit. The evening is very enjoyable with a couple from England and their Nepali guides.
The next 2 days are nice, but nothing specific to report. In Timure I walk to the Chinese boarder. A strange feeling for me. All you can see there is a wall, a river, a bridge and the “other side” of the river. Back in Timure I take lunch. Like ususal Dhal Baat and eat like usual with hands when a few Chinese soldiers enter the room. I greet them in Chinese and they are impressed and happy about it. However they stare at my eating style. They call more and more friends in and in the end I sit there with 10 soldiers around me asking curious questions. After they leave the Nepali come in and ask me what we were talking about. We have a long discussion about the relationship between China, India and Nepal.
From Timure I walk to Briddhim and decide to change my route: today I will start to Gossainkund. There I have been before and the place is so nice that I want to come back again and again. For this I have to make a few long walking days and that is exactly what I need. As in the guesthouses at evening there is always a nice fire and people are sitting around again I didn’t write anything for the blog. See the picture of the trek and enjoy! …
1 comment:
Simply amazing Heidi.
Post a Comment