The Annapurna Circuit.

For most Nepalis, trekking is not a sport but rather a part of their daily lives. Most treks do not take place in the untamed wilderness. Even the "less touristy" ones are paths that have linked villages for many years and have only recently been opened for recreational use. The majority of Nepal's population lives in the countryside and trekking is an opportunity to not only experience gorgeous vistas but also interact with and observe how most people of this country live. The natural beauty of Nepal can not be overstated. Home to tallest mountain range in the world, the Nepali Himalaya are epic and enthralling. We decided to trek for about a month, beginning with the classic Annapurna Circuit Trek. The trek begins just a couple of hours away from Nepal's other main city, Pokhara and circumnavigates the peaks of the Annapurna Range in a 220 kilometer circle. It typically takes 18-21 days, but could easily take months as there are numerous side trails and adventures to be had along the way. This trek was a highlight of our entire trip around Asia. We highly encourage anyone who can walk 10 kilometers uphill every day to go for it. Seen above, a Nepali woman walks across a typical suspension bridge in the foothills of the Annapurna.

Yak culture. Yaks are like a cross between a wookie and a cow. They kind of scare us, and Nepalis too. Though from a distance they look like gentle grazers, yaks have crazy eyes and really stare you down. Their fur comes in many colors and patterns and when it grows long, it can develop into dreadlocks. The noises they make sound like martian battle cries. All of this combines to create a rebellious and dangerous image of these highland creatures. Yaks live at high altitudes-- it took almost a week of walking before entering yak territory. Villages with yaks differ in culture than those without. Yak meat, cheese, and fur has long been a vital source of income for these communities. Max would like to point out that yak cheese is very delicious.

Waterfalls everywhere. It was on this trek that we fully came to understand that rivers come from mountains. These walls of rock act like cisterns, collecting and focusing millions of gallons of raindrops and snowfall a year into smaller channels that become rivers. The bigger the mountains, the greater the waterfalls.

Our trek started out deep within a valley. We followed the river deeper and deeper into the foothills. The walls of the valley were so steep that even though we were right next to the mountain peaks, we could not yet see them. A typical day would start out around 7am when we would wake up, pack, and have a light breakfast. We would walk for a couple of hours before stopping, or sometimes not stopping until dinner. Before nightfall we would settle into closest village and grub on some serious daal-baat. Every day for the first 2 weeks, we were ascending, meaning every day where we stopped was higher than where we started. This doesn't mean that we were going uphill the whole time-- usually within the day we would climb, descend, climb, descend, and then re-climb to our final destination. There is no such thing as a straight line in mountainous Nepal.

Kara walks over a suspension bridge. Last time Kara was trekking in Nepal, the bridges were mostly made out of rope and wood. These new steel and cable numbers have only recently begun to appear. Its a good thing.

Maoist propaganda from the Young Communist League of Nepal can be seen written in blue throughout the trek and the country. Slogans are spray painted on boulders, village walls and pretty much anywhere that is write-able.

Terraced rice and wheat fields cover whole mountain sides. We had seen similar terraces in Bali but Nepal's terrace builders took it to the next level, literally. Grain harvesting is labor intensive enough without the added hardship of transporting the grain up and down vertical faces.

Traffic on the trail. Most of this region is unreachable by any other means than walking. All goods, construction materials, and speciality items (such as toilet paper) must be walked in by humans or donkeys. Seen above are porters carrying a relatively light load by Nepali standards. Many tourists hire porters and guides to carry their bags for them throughout the trek. We decided not to though some days we regretted our decision. We saw porters carrying anything from eggs to Ramen noodles, from kayaks to lounge chairs. On one of the most treacherous switchbacks we encountered a man carrying a big-screened TV on his back. He passed both Max and Kara. Porters we spoke with carried loads from 30-80 kilograms, most averaging about 45. Although difficult, it is unskilled labor--competition for jobs is fierce and wages are at an all time low. We believe that once the porters are organized they will have tremendous bargaining power seeing as they are literally the backbone of the Nepali trekking industry.

Kara helps make a traditional Mustang food, Dido at a local kitchen. Dido is made from buckwheat and is like a very thick cream of wheat. Kara couldn't eat it but Max says it was great.

Best plate of daal-baat we ever had. Though daal-baat is Nepal's national cuisine, every region makes it differently. Daal-baat is always "all you can eat", and oh, we ate.

As we climbed further, we began to see peaks poking their white heads out from behind the "hills."

Wolf and Ada! A Finnish/California duo that we met half way through trekking. We immediately took a liking to one another and we joined parties for a couple weeks. They are social activists and artists and itinerant world travelers. Check out them out here. After walking with them for 2 weeks, Wolf and Max realized they knew each other from California State Summer School for the Arts, where they both attended film and drama classes as teenagers.

We were lucky enough to have had excellent weather the whole time. What made the trek so special is that we didn't just get a glimpse of a beautiful view for a couple hours. We would circle a mountain for days, viewing it in awe from every possible angle. We were able to see this mountain for 2 1/2 days and missed it once we began our descent.

Thorong La. After a couple of weeks of walking we reached the literal climax of our trek. At 5,416 meters (17,769ft) this pass is the highest point on the Annapurna circuit. We had spent several days acclimatizing at 3,500m a few days before in Manang, a charming ancient town with spectacular mountain views. While there we had taken a day hike to Milarepa's cave and to the base of Annapurna III--about 4500m (day hikes to higher altitudes are encouraged while acclimatizing) . Even so, by the morning of our final assault -er- ascent, we were still feeling minor symptoms of AMS (acute mountain sickness.) The pass must be crossed in a single day of hiking as there is no accommodation and it is dangerous to sleep at such high altitude if you aren't adjusted to it. The day begins with a vertical kilometer of switchbacks in the snow and ends with over a kilometer and a half of descent. We began early but not early enough. Kara started to show signs of AMS very early on; each breath of air was like a sharp knife in her chest. Her steps were slow and labored for many hours. Max started to feel dizzy and was very much aware that his body was not getting the oxygen that it needed. During the climb down, we both vomited in the snow, together. The views were so spectacular but it was difficult to enjoy them because our bodies were so strained. When we arrived at the pass, instead of resting and enjoying our position in between the gorgeous snow capped peaks, we took a victory photo and got out of there as quickly as possible. It took us about 9 hours to get up and over. It was the most physically challenging thing we have done on this trip, maybe ever. Both Kara and Max want to do the circuit again and have a better experience on Thorong La. We will conquer you again, you scary big mountain pass. From Left: Ada, Max, random Nepali dude porter helping Kara, Kara, and Cody. (Photo by Wolf Price: www.wanderwolf.com )

Wolf looks out towards the Mustang Valley upon crossing the pass.

After the pass, the rest of the walk was a nice gradual downhill for about a week. The Indian government has recently sponsored the building of a road to Muktinath, the first main town after the pass. Muktinath is a Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage site that draws thousands of Indian and domestic tourists to the Himalaya every year. Even though this road is fairly traffic free, the occasional jeep is enough to seriously alter the trekking experience. We feel that roads are a positive development for rural communities and are necessary for progress. Without these roads, the villages would remain isolated just as they have for centuries without modern medicine, education, and information. Once we reached the road, we started to see more tractors, solar ovens and other industrial products that greatly ease the backbreaking human labor of these communities. Though it is disruptive to the trekker's idyllic Shangri-La mind-scape, it is unjust to expect a whole population to live as a kind of year-round Renaissance fair for tourists to take pictures of. The Nepali Tourism Board walks a fine line trying to encourage development while maintaining this area as a "cultural" and environmental conservation area. (Photo by Wolf Price:www.wanderwolf.com)

Wolf, Ada, Max, and a bus traverse this bumpy path.

The native culture on both sides of the pass are very distinct. On the Muktinath side, the communities largely consist of the Mustang people. Their heritage, language, and dress is more similar to Tibetans than Nepalis and the Nepali government prohibits tourists from going further into the Mustang region without special pricey permits. Again, another way that we believe the government pimps out their ethnic minorities and stunts their development for tourists looking for cultural conquest. We desperately wanted to go to the Mustang region as it is fabled to be the most beautiful in Nepal-- perhaps when the price of admission is lowered we will get there. Blog followers may notice a similarity to the buildings of Kaza, India as both these groups have deep Tibetan roots.

Looking North up the valley.

Our favorite night activity was looking at how far we walked every day, then meticulously planning how far we would walk the next day, where we would have lunch and contingency plans. (Photo by Wolf Price: www.wanderwolf.com)

Seeing the same mountains from the other side was rewarding and continued to amaze us.

Walking to Marpha, home of the best apples in the world.

Young Communist League (YCL) propaganda can be seen on the gateway of this town.

Kara washes her hair while we stop for our lunch of daal-baat. Along the three week Annapurna Circut trek we probably bathed about 5 times. Kara took this rare opportunity to wash herself while the sun was still shining so her hair wouldn't freeze to her scalp. Right after this picture was taken, we watched a funeral procession and the burning of a local man's corpse on the banks of the river in front of us. It was powerful and holy. It was the third time that Max had watched a funeral procession while eating.

Free the Pig! We did.

We loved our trek around the Annapurna Circuit so much. It was visually mind-blowing, physically challenging and culturally informative. The last few days we walked on the trail were bittersweet; leaving the mountains that had become our home was difficult. But all good things must come to an end and our visa was going to expire soon. We decided to say goodbye to the mountains and head back to Pokhara to pick up our things. Then we would determine how to spend the last week in Nepal. We're glad that we picked the Annapurna Circuit. At first we were nervous because it is the most popular trek in the country, however after walking it, we know why. It is one experience from our trip that we are certainly looking forward to repeating.

Yak On,

Kara and Max

Kathman-duo.

From Rajasthan, India, we took a series of buses, trains, and taxis to our next destination--Kathmandu. India and Nepal share a few overland border crossings and you probably know by now that we don't like to fly. It took about 3 days to make the journey across the Gangetic plain. We watched the landscape change before our eyes. The dry desert of Rajasthan became the flat fertile plains of Northern India, then Nepal's southern jungle region of the Terai. Finally we wound our way up the steep Himalayan foothills to the Kathmandu Valley. The road we were on is one of the busiest "highways" in Nepal, yet it was still only two narrow lanes. We entered the valley at night, and could see all the traffic coming in and out as a beautiful chain of lights suspended in mid-air. Kathmandu has undergone dramatic changes in the last 10 years-- the most visible ones are more construction, pollution, and overpopulation. Now that the Maoists have declared a cease fire after a 10 year civil war, it is fairly safe for people to move throughout the country thus Kathmandu's population is once again on the rise. We came to Kathmandu to understand its 2000 year old history, to meet up with Max's friend Cody, and for Kara to reunite with her Nepali family who she lived with 8 years before.

Durbar Square, Kathmandu. Durbar literally means palace and there are many Durbars throughout the Kathmandu Valley. This Durbar Square is the center of the old city and was the seat of Nepali monarchy for many years. The square includes many ancient temples built in the Newari style as well as Victorian era government buildings. The Newar people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Nepal and known for their intricate wood carvings that adorn their temples and homes.

Durbar Square is the center of culture, tourism, and transportation. Though its officially declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, business goes about as usual, with taxis and trucks competing with porters and tourists for space on the ancient flagstones. These shopfronts form the outer wall of the inner ancient palace.

Us in the square. We would often use this as a meeting point when we would split up for the day.

Durbar's tallest temple. We often would sit here and drink Nepali tea, chia, as we watched the human comedy unfold below us. Tons of tourists and Nepalis sit here daily, doing the same exact thing. Tourism is one of Nepal's biggest industries and it is no surprise that Durbar Square is also filled with touts trying to sell you anything and everything. From fake turquoise Tibetan necklaces to trekking guides, you can find almost anything you want--or don't want here. It was pleasant to find that Nepali touts are a lot less aggressive than most nationalities.

Until the King was dethroned a couple years ago during the Maoist revolution, the country was the last Hindu Kingdom in the world. Hindus still make up the majority of the population, but Buddhists form a large minority. Nepal is home to many Tibetan Buddhists as well as other ethnic groups that practice the religion. In Nepal, Buddhism and Hinduism co-exist naturally and peacefully. Many Buddhist stupas and temples include a Hindu temple within their sacred geography and vice-versa. Seen above is a Buddhist stupa adorned with Nepal's notorious Buddha eyes.

Street food. Here Kara samples some super delicious peanut/walnut/lentil mixture, topped with chopped onion, lemon, and chili. Most packaging for these delicacies is made from recycled newspaper expertly wrapped into a cone. If you don't want to eat with your hands, you are given a "spoon" made out of cigarette carton flaps or some other piece of cardboard. This young seller's stand will disassemble into two pieces: the base which he will carry under his arm, and the tray which he will balance on top of his head. Nepal is unique in that men as well as women carry objects on their heads.

The first day in Kathmandu, Kara called her Nepali host family, the Dhungels. She hadn't seen them since 2001, when she lived with them during her studies in Nepal. When she called, they immediately asked, "Are you coming for Daal-Baat?" (Daal-Baat is Nepal's national cuisine and is eaten by most Nepalis twice a day. It consists of a heaping portion of rice, lentil soup, a side of fried vegetables, and a tasting of pickled vegetables.) They are a wonderful family and it was so nice to be re-welcomed into their lives. Even though so much time had gone by, it felt as if Kara had never left. Pictured above is part of the family in their lovely Kathmandu home. Kara spent the night a couple of times there and caught up with them as Max and his friend Cody explored the valley alone to have some man time. Mamu's food was always so delicious and our conversations were warm and filled with laughter. Thank You, Dhungels for everything. We hope to see them again very soon.

Kumari Devi Ghar, literally house of the Kumari Devi. She is a pre-pubescent girl who is the living incarnation of the Goddess Kumari, worshiped by Buddhists and Hindus alike. Since the reign of the Goddess lasts only until her first menstruation, the process of selecting the next Kumari Devi happens fairly frequently. The process is very elaborate. The Kumari Devi must have all required 32 physical attributes of perfection, including the correct eye color, teeth shape, and vocal tone. She also must go through a series of tests. The most notorious involves a session where the potential Devi is placed into a dark room with decapitated buffalo heads, demon-like dancers, and ghoulish voices chanting at her. She must stay calm and collected to prove she is the courageous Goddess. We were honored and excited to see her in person. Tourists and Nepalis alike can go to her house, located in Kathmandu's Durbar Square during allocated times in the day. Sometimes, if you are lucky, the Living Goddess will come out to be seen in a Hindu process that is called darshan, or the "viewing of the God." There is some controversy surrounding the Devi's life as many view her as an innocent girl whose childhood is taken away from her. While living in the Kumari Ghar, the Goddess is not allowed to play with friends and is fairly isolated from her family. She lives with Brahmin Priests who monitor her moves. After her term as the Kumari Devi, many of them find it hard to live a normal life.

Nice light on Newari carvings.

Kathmandu is an awesome place to shop if you have the patience. Here is one of its major beaded necklace markets. Every married woman owns/wears at least one, even if it remains hidden under their clothing. They come in a dazzling range in color and in size. Kara learned that most of the beads in this market are imported from the Czech Republic...bizarre!

Max sits in one of these necklace stalls, looking for the perfect gift for his mother.

Kathmandu's crowded and narrow streets are a nightmare for a driver of any vehicle, including one's own feet. Auto-rickshaws were banned a couple years ago as part of an on-going clean up effort of Kathmandu's ever graying skies. The city is completely ringed by mountains--the pollution made by the valley's increasingly motorized population has no place to escape. Many residents have taken to wearing face masks even for walking around the city. We wore them for several days ourselves.

Traditional Nepali clothing sets are showcased outside of this shop. Max picked one up for his little niece Violetta.

Hindu women walk by a statue of Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth. If you keep your eyes open, you will see devotional sites like this throughout the entire city. People make offerings and bless themselves several times a day, sometimes not even dismounting their motorcycles to do it. Religion is as much a part of life as washing the dishes or buying fuel in this country.

After a week of exploring Nepal's cultural and political capital, we headed Southwest for Pokhara, its tourism and adventure sport mecca. From here we would begin the last adventure of our trip: trekking through the Nepali Himalaya.

Catch up with us in the mountains next time,

Kara and Max

Octopussy and More: Udaipur

Udaipur, affectionately referred to as the "Venice of the East," is another royal city in Rajasthan. The city borders a series of man made lakes, each with several island palaces. The desert oasis has long been a playground for the rich and powerful Rajput class who trace their linage back to over 1000 years. We came to Udaipur around the time of a couple of very important and confusing Hindu holidays, Durga Puja and Diwali. In this season of festivals, the ceremonies blend together and the whole city exists in a state of colorful and spiritual excitement. Incidentally the James Bond movie, "Octopussy," was filmed here and is shown nightly at most tourist guesthouses, restaurants, and rooftop bars. Somehow in all the excitement we managed to miss the screening each night.

This island palace was built by Maharana Jagat Singh II in 1746. Originally used as a exclusive pleasure palace by royalty, it is now owned by the elite Taj Group of hotels. Standard suite goes for about 20,000 rupees. Our simple guesthouse on shore was 200 rupees. It is possible to take a boat tour and to visit the palace itself for a tour.

View of Udaipur from The City Palace, a must see. The royal cities of Rajasthan each have a colorful nickname based on the dominant pigment of their historic centers. Jaipur, the pink city; Jodhpur, the blue city; Udaipur, the white city. The spectacular City Palace sets the tone with its larger than life white fortress walls. It was originally built in the 1500s and has seen many additions and restorations, making it the largest royal complex in Rajasthan.

Inside the palace a guard sits quietly overlooking one of many enclosed courtyards.

The blend of Mughal and Indo architecture is seen throughout the City Palace and the whole city of Udaipur. Here are purdah windows, marble lattice veils that hid the women of the court from the gaze of men.

One of the newer courtyards, dating from the 19th century.

Throughout the City Palace tour, we saw these signs for the Ganesh Gallery. We love Ganesh, he removes obstacles! Naturally we were interested in seeing the "largest collection of Ganesh images in the world." We walked for hours through the palace, only to find that the gallery was closed.

Max is a caged animal. Here is a cage for the trapping and transportation of tigers. The tigers were caught in the wild and then brought to royal gaming enclosures where hunting parties would shoot at the cornered animals from the safety of their 2-story hunting platforms. A very manly activity.

As we mentioned before, there were a lot of festivities going on during this holiday season. You may have to enlarge this picture (just click on it, did you know that?) to see what's really happening. Throughout the week, toddlers to old men were setting off cheap fireworks throughout the city. It produced exclamations, equally fearful and delighted. During Durga Puja, temple groups, families, and pretty much just random bands of people bring out their Durga Goddess statute or image and process her to the lake for a ritual cleansing. Although one is never very far from the lake in any part of Udaipur, these processions last all day long, winding through the myriad of twisting alleyways. Each goddess makes a stop at the Jagdish Mandir, to the left of the square above. Seen above: stick dancers hold their instruments amidst the smoke of newly exploded fireworks, sari-clad women huddle and cover their ears as above them, a tractor bearing the Durga Goddess blasts devotional music to the full capacity of its generator.

Stick dancing troops fill the streets.

No procession is complete without a woman balancing multiple water jugs on her head, usually topped with burning cow dung or incense.

View from the "Monsoon Palace," built on a hill overlooking Udaipur. Udaipur's main lake, Pichola is seen on the right. In order to save money, we walked 1.5 up the hill during scorching midday heat. When will we ever learn?

Night performance. This performing arts organization puts on a "Traditional Rajasthani Folk Art" sampler every night. The crowd pleaser was this woman who not only balanced 10 water jugs on her head, but danced on broken glass and stood on a pair of cups with her bare feet.

Burning Man. India style. The Ravana burnings, seen above, come at the end of the Hindu festival of Dusherra. Ravana is the ultimate villain of Hinduism, specifically because of his actions in the epic mythological tale, the Ramayana. His effigy is burned every year on the anniversary of his defeat by Rama. The Ramayana, and this burning in particular signifies the triumph of good over evil. Most cities in Northern India construct several massive Ravana structures, pack them with fireworks and set them alight. Families and individuals also make their own smaller versions, which they burn in the street. When we had asked in town if anything interesting was happening that night, we were told by many people, "oh nothing special." Later we stumbled upon this open air stadium, packed with thousands of people watching a 40-foot bonfire exploding with fireworks.

When we were leaving the Ravana burnings, Kara was feeling particularly friendly and wanted to practice her Hindi. She struck up a report with this Indian mother, seen center, and was promptly invited to come to her house for dinner. We ended up hanging out with this family for a good four hours into the night. Two of those hours were filled with the newly married couple's wedding DVD(s). While Kara was upstairs being gently ridiculed for her lack of Indian culinary skills, Max was downstairs watching TV with the men. The sitcom they were watching featured a random white girl who had been invited to stay with the Indian family. This family were really fun and if we could manage to find our way back to their house we would stop by for dinner again.

Our last day in Udaipur was spent wandering around the cenotaphs. Cenotaphs are like mausoleums, except since Hindus cremate their dead they contain no bodies. Above are cenotaphs in honor of generations of Udaipur's rulers. They are all unique and expertly carved.

Even on our miniscule budget, we were able to enjoy ourselves in this city of kings.

Next time we'll try to see Octopussy.

With Love,

Kara and Max