Nepalese Sunrises and Arabian Nights — HaffsWay Around The World

Nepal:

AKA mountains and mayhem

After our short stay in the metropolis of KL, Malaysia, we took a late night flight to Kathmandu, capital city of Nepal. Nepal has long topped my travel wish list, and yet we had barely anything planned for our ten days devoted to the country of mountains and mayhem.

In the least shocking revelation of this blog, I, Laura Marie Hughes, am an over-planner. Most of my friends who have traveled with me, and certainly my lovely partner-in-adventure, would tell you about my spreadsheets, and itineraries, and hours poring over options for everything from activities to accommodations (pro-tip: TripAdvisor has never failed me). But Nepal in July is monsoon season: unpredictable weather and empty hotels, thus allowing for a greater amount of flexibility. As an added argument for planning on the fly, as with much of Asia, you'll get the best deals by booking things in person. As a rule: booking activities, transports, treks, guides and even accommodation beforehand online affords you peace of mind, but will cost you in cash- on average about 2-3 times as much as you'd pay in person!

Long-story short, we had nothing planned for Nepal, and that was weird for me. We met a 24-year old Norwegian while waiting for our flight who also had nothing planned (putting my anxiety somewhat at ease) and while navigating through the very complicated KL airport together (there were four different security checks??) we swapped intel with him about different treks and activities we'd been advised to check out. The Poon Hill trek out of Pokhara was on both our lists, so soon I was reading approximately 12 different trail guides and blog posts about the trek in preparation.

Our first day in Nepal was another “admin day” in Kathmandu (get a blog post up, mail post cards, get a haircut, etc). Kathmandu is, to me, mayhem. Narrow cobblestone and dirt alleys and streets, filled at all times with a combination of pedestrians walking wherever there's room, scooters and motor-bikes honking their horns to let everyone know their intentions, and the odd brave car (or even bus!) just barely squeezing through. Friends and shop owners jovially shouted to one another over the crowd, artists attempted to pedestrians’ attention to sell their wares. On the bigger roads, dust and petrol fumes hung in the air so thick that most locals wore medical-type face masks. They even sell cloth ones on the street so you can filter your air in customized style. As I navigated my way around the city on my own, I suddenly understood why our Nepalese friend told me to buy one before landing! For any of my fantasy nerds out there (cough… Alyssa), Kathmandu is basically the fictional city of Tarbean from Name of the Wind, but with mopeds. To my western eyes it's was basically mayhem. The locals however navigated just fine, and seemed to know the rules inherently. Their reflexes are seriously impressive!

The streets of Kathmandu- this is a pretty empty time.

I am a snail. I carry my house and belongings with me each time I move.

The next day we took a tourist bus for the 8.5 hour ride over mountain switchbacks and bumpy dirt roads to beautiful Pokhara, the jumping off point for pretty much any trek in the Annapurna region of the Himalayas. There we were welcomed to our modest family-run hotel (Hotel Blossom: $14 a night. Oh how we will miss Nepal prices) by possibly the most friendly and bubbly people we've ever met. The hotel manager whipped out his creased and well-loved Annapurna Region map (that he offered to let us just… have?) and pointed out a good route for the Poon Hill trek, asking us, “You know it is monsoon yes? Lots of rain, yes?” Yes, we're gonna go for it anyways. “There are leeches with monsoon, yes?” Excuse me… leeches? Table that. So we bought our own map, snacks, and repacked out packs for trekking-mode, prayed to pachamama, and set out the next morning. After a two-hour taxi ride we reached the trail head.

The view from our ride to the trail head, getting us very excited!

We hopped on a bus for a short ride to the actual trailhead. Quite the experience! One guy leans out the side door during the duration of the drive to make sure the driver doesn't accidentally drive us off a cliff.

We set out across this bridge and started climbing all those steps!

Trekking the Himalayas via Poon Hill/Khopra Trek:

AKA hard on the body, good for the soul

The Poon Hill trek is generally a 3-5 day “tea house trek” through the very edge of Annapurna, depending on your chosen route and fitness level. Tea-house trekking is the most popular variety in Nepal, and allows you to pack lighter as you travel from one small mountain village to the next and stay in small family-run “tea houses” at night. I won't go into too many trail-nerd specifics (maybe I'll write my own trail guide someday soon) but it's definitely something I'd recommend to anyone wanting to do some Himalayan trekking in Nepal, especially if you're short on time or trekking experience. It’s a super customizable trek, as you can choose from many options in regards to your route, where to stay, and how far and hard you want to go each day. Each day we got to set a goal for ourselves and choose how difficult we wanted our route to be. While some travelers may want to hire a guide and porters, we of course did not (see: blog post on Indonesia) and it's very doable without one. And when compared to the 14-21 day treks to their base camps in Nepal, it's quite easy and accessible and doesn't get you into any super high altitudes.

That's not to say it's easy. It's Nepal. Nothing is easy. Allow me elaborate just a little.

First let me preface with this general rule: if someone tells one William Patrick Haffield a particular physical challenge is “impossible,” he will 100%, unequivocally want to do it. So each time a passing guide, bus driver, trail check-point officer, or random mountain villager told us that it was “not possible to trek 17 km up steep stairs to from the trail head to Ghorepani in one day,” you BET one William Patrick Haffield had his heart set on it. In fact, each time another person we met along the way said, “No, Ghorepani? Not possible, too difficult, not possible,” I inwardly cursed and outwardly grimaced at the twinkle in my partner’s eye.

So of course I hauled my body and pack up 17 km in (probably) 90 degree heat, gaining 1800 meters along the way, in one day. And of course when it was all said in done, I was happy we did. I was not happy before all was said in done, but my fear of disappointing him always outweighs my aches and pains and trepidation…Every. Damn. Time. I told Will, “I always knew it was a good idea, I just didn't know if I could do it.” While easing his own tired body into bed, he gleefully replied, “Well I always knew it was a good idea and that you could do it.” Point being, it wasn't “easy.” Just “Nepal Easy.” And that was just day one!

Feeling great as we began day one! The mountain villages are super beautiful themselves. This was day one, and I didn't realize yet that my attire was "inappropriate" yet (more on that later in the blog). I did get some looks that clued me in!

Lots of waterfalls and jungle trails to navigate. And Steps. SO MANY STEPS (see below).

This is my, "You did this to me, William Patrick Haffield" look.

Our home for night one! We were the only guests in the whole place.

The next morning our efforts were rewarded. After climbing an additional 400 meters before sunrise on the summit of Poon Hill (3210m), we witnessed one of the most spectacular sunrises I've ever seen, as the mountains slowly unveiled themselves and pulled back their curtains of morning clouds. We got a completely unobstructed sunny view of some of the tallest mountains in the world. In monsoon season. WHAT?! My daily, possibly superstitious/obsessive gratitude-giving-favor-asking-prayers to pachamama paid off. We traded awe-struck looks with fellow hikers, and “We are so LUCKY” could be heard uttered between tired and happy trekkers every few minutes. We stayed up there for about two hours I think.

The Himalayas are the definition of Awe Inspiring. Several of the peaks we gazed at were over 8000 meters tall. Dualagiri is 26,795 FEET TALL. It's impossible to wrap your head around the fact there is earth so far up in the sky… connected to the same one you yourself are standing on. It struck me in that moment as somewhat crazy that back in New Zealand the tallest peak Mt. Cook/Aoraki, which looks immensely impressive in its own right, stands only about five hundred meters taller than the Himalayan hill I was currently standing on at that moment, as I admired the seventh tallest peak in the world from afar.

We were so lucky.

Reluctantly headed back down to Ghorepani to retrieve our packs.

Our luck continued through the lion’s share of our trek. Each day we hiked up and down stone steps and stream beds from mountain village to mountain village. Our stays in the aforementioned tea house allowed us to have a basic bed, running water, and hot home-cooked food at the end of each arduous day… all for the low cost of free-with-purchase-of-a-meal. Our favorite spot was called Independent Hotel in Tolka, and it was the best meal we'd had in a long time, served by possibly the nicest people of all time. Another room along the way afforded us another sunrise view of the mountains, which I simply stared at for hours as I waited for Will to wake up (all my early risers lemme see you put your hands UP!)

It honestly was such hard work, and so rejuvenating at the same time. I've never been as hot in my life as I was climbing the stairs on day three from one village to another, and I've never been as awe-struck at what Mother Nature was capable of creating.

One of many new friends, this one was named (by me), "Puppy." Not to be confused with "Doggo," or "Pupper," or "Doggo."

Mule trains were the most common trekkers.

Day three had us tackling and intense downhill (700m elevation loss) into a valley, and back up the other side. We decided to do this more challenging route in order to cut off some of the drive back. Might as well do the hard work on foot, right?

Off to Landruk we go! It can be seen on the upper left corner.

Down, down, down, and up, up, up! Beautiful farm homes and rice terraces along the way.

Me pointing out where we eventually will get to. It was SO HOT with the sun and humidity beating down on us. I'm sporting my modesty clothing here.

Our first glimpse of the valley floor on our final day. Phedi was our goal, and where we flagged down a taxi to get back to Pokhara!

We did get torrential rain on the last day, and worse, we finally became intimately acquainted with the infamous Nepali leech. These tiny little blood-suckers defied everything this Midwesterner thought she knew about leeches (hint: they do not only exist in water, but can attack from dry rocks, grass, streams, gravel roads etc at any time). Will took the brunt of their silent attacks, discovering six of them on him at once one morning, which led to us obsessively checking our feet every few minutes and removing the devils before they could wiggle their tiny, invertebrate bodies into socks.

All in all though, I would absolutely recommend the Poon Hill trek, even/especially in monsoon. We climbed over 10,000 steps and over 49km. We had awesome views, and we often the only ones lodging in the tea houses we chose. The trails were full of pack-mules, porters carrying goods from village to village, and shepherds looking after their herds of goats, but hardly any tourists at all. You'll get so dirty and so sweaty and so sore, but the warmth of the Nepalese people and the jaw-dropping back drop along the way will rejuvenate your soul.

We had another great day in Pokhara where we were able to check out the International Mountaineering Museum, and ran into our Norwegian friend again- which of course led to beers and hours of good political discussions over said beers. After another long bus ride (10 hours this time) and a lazy day in Kathmandu, we were off to our next stop: United Arab Emirates!

Beautiful lake of Pokhara. On a clear day you can see the mountains from the otherside of the lake.

The OG mountain climbing BAMF: Tenzing Norgay. Along with Kiwi Edmund Hillary, he was the first to climb Mount Everest. We learned that his climbing partners all respected him immensely and viewed him as the most skilled climber among them, sta… — The OG mountain climbing BAMF: Tenzing Norgay. Along with Kiwi Edmund Hillary, he was the first to climb Mount Everest. We learned that his climbing partners all respected him immensely and viewed him as the most skilled climber among them, stating, "Tenzing is the only one who is at his happiest when freezing on the mountain." He is an idol of ours for sure!

United Arab Emirates:

AKA Treat Yo’ Self/Vacation from our Adventure

What a crazy change. Nepal was chaotic, and lush, and a hodgepodge of narrow streets and mountains piled on top of one another. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are flat, sandy, orderly and every building is basically one of four shades of off-white/brown. It is a place built for HEAT and desert conditions (highs of 110-120 degrees). It is basically built on the desert. And it's built for luxury. In this it is similar to Las Vegas, except with a rigid moral code one is supposed to adhere to, rather than the somewhat pirate-port town swagger and “anything goes” attitude of Vegas. The Middle East is decidedly NOT anything goes, at least in public.

Throughout Asia there have been a lot of rules for women that were new for me, and that I've tried to abide by out of respect for the different cultures. In general, religions that have special rules for women and ask them to cover-up give me the heebie-jeebies (to put it mildly), but again I have felt being respectful as a guest in someone else’s home should trump all else. In Indonesia we pretended to be married already. In Thailand, there were temples that I wasn't allowed to go into, and I waited in the hot sun while Will checked them out. In Nepal, I wore pants and long-sleeves as I slogged up stairs in 90 degree heat, in order to adhere to the modesty rules.

In UAE, there are dress codes and rules I'm not used to as well (I.e. women should not directly address men, no PDA with your partner, cover up from shoulders to knees, etc) that I prepared myself for beforehand. I still accidentally broke the rules all the time at first. In my partnership with Will, I tend to be the one who coordinates with other humans, asks questions, and chats strangers up. I definitely got a few odd looks when addressing men we encountered myself, rather than allowing my “husband” to do the talking.

But I will say in general it has not felt as rigid as other places we have traveled through thus far. This is probably in part due to us sticking to the tourist areas, but I've also seen a huge variety in dress and people here. There are many women in full burkas, walking alongside their husbands who wear of all white and head coverings themselves. And there are tourists in short-shorts and cute off-the-shoulder blouses, alongside guys with cut-off tees (Will describes these folks as people who “didn’t get the memo.”) Maybe in more rural areas this would be problematic, but where we've been the two seem to co-exist without much fuss. And let me say, many of the women covered hair-to-toe are still straight up serving looks. Damn girl, get it.

There is such an interesting juxtaposition here, illustrated best perhaps by woman I saw in full burka, carrying her tray of McDonald’s happy meals and talking on her iPhone as her kids laughed alongside her, and her husband followed just behind while murmuring to their sleeping infant resting on his shoulder. It's just people living their lives, you know? We don't often see this image back home.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi, like Vegas, are famous for their over-the-top luxury. Luckily being summer and deathly hot outside, we have been able to get off-season prices on some pretty amazing hotels. We have taken the opportunity to take a break from it all for a minute. Take a break from our budgeting and penny-pinching, and constant travel and activities to just stroll around an air-conditioned mall and watch movies in bed. It's been an amazing Vacation-From-Our-Vacation or Vacation-From-Our-Adventure thus far (which is probably the most privileged thing I've ever said, but so be it). It has been a much needed respite, in our literal and figurative oasis. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced as much joy as I did when I set my eyes on the included breakfast buffet yesterday morning at our hotel in Abu Dhabi. So. Many. Mini. Croissants. Also, don't worry too much about us becoming the bourgeoisie... I still washed our dirty clothes in our five-star hotel bath-tub like a nomad heathen that I am.

The tallest building in the world! Right outside our Dubai hotel.

We spent a good part of a day just strolling around the Dubai Mall. Very reminiscent of the Mall of America. But with calls to prayer.

An Ice rink in the middle of a mall... that's in the middle of a desert!

Desert views on the bus ride from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.

Treating ourselves to dinner in Abu Dhabi.

It's best to only go outside early in the morning or late at night for any long periods of time. It can get to 120 degrees during the day!

Good night Abu Dhabi! The haziness in is caused by the intense humidity that is unique to the Emirates coast, and dust particles blown in from the desert. — Good night Abu Dhabi! The haziness in is caused by the intense humidity that is unique to the Emirates coast, and dust particles blown in from the desert.

This afternoon we had ventured out into the great outdoors on a (gasp!) packaged tour of the desert! Like, we literally just got back from a six hours sand dune 4x4 adventure safari, complete with camel riding and sand surfing and a barbeque dinner. It was awesome! The desert, much like the sea, is vast and a little bit terrifying (so hot! so dry!) but beautiful as well. We got a roller-coaster ride as we twisted and turned over the sand dunes in our land-cruiser, expertly maned by our guide, as our japanese comrades giggled and screeched alongside us. Once we arrived at the desert camp we got to partake in a variety of activities, were served a great dinner, and got to witness several styles of dance. Will even got called up to assist in one (make sure to check out the insta-story for that little GEM). At the publishing of this blog post, in 12 hours we will be bidding farewell to Asia after two months great months exploring just small parts of it, and will embark on our great European adventure- Greece here we come!