iKatha

YehKonTheesBirthday

In all my climbing glory in front of Annapurna North and Machapuchare: fever of a 102, hacking cough, not really able to stand, not able to think…I made it to Ghandruk and received some saged advice from my guru: “Come down! Come home!” I took it.

I will be back Annapurna. I will see you again. This I promise you.

My favourite mountain of all : Machapuchare. Only one team of British climbers came 50 m to it’s summit but promised never to ascend it. No one is permitted to climb it as the Nepali believe it to be a sacred mountain.

PS See the Fishtail? Machapuchare is also called the Fishtail Mountain.

Welp…time to be hittin’ the old dusty trail… Rickety bridge and all, I only spend two days in the mountains, but it truly was inspiring. Every vista I looked at was magical, white peaks or not. This world is beautiful yo. Y U NO SEE IT?!

Pic of my guide going across a small river called Modi Khola near Baranthi, first checkpoint on the Annapurna Trail to Ghandruk.

Fewa Lake in Pokhara. Took 4 hours from Chitwan. I’ve taken my share of buses but this was a perfect end to the travel. Great shops, friendly restaurateurs, and kindest people I met in all of Nepal. Pokhara was only a stop-over, but quickly became my favourite city in Nepal in a matter of hours. I’ll want to visit here again.

Tharu Cultural Program in Sauraha. Had an amazing time learning the traditional dances and was blown away by the intricate wizardry of the dandi (stick) dances. It was an amazing spectacle that rounded out my time in Sauraha.

White-Throated Kingfisher perched along the Rapti.

Crocodilio on the Rapti River inside Chitwan National Park.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-AAAL! So delighted to have seen this live. Instead of me having to go to Meghauli, Meghauli came to me. Thank you Elephant Festival! Every 26th, 27th, 28th of December in Sauraha.