The Langtang Winding Road

So, maybe I spoke too soon when I said I wouldn't trek again in a few years, because it's hardly been a month and we were back in the mountains again. The bus trip scared us half to death; the road was so narrow that the bus would sometimes drive on the side of the mountain with only two wheels on the ground; and one drop was so deep, it felt like a thrill ride. I felt sorry for the goat on top of the bus, he tried to escape but they found him and put him inside with us.

The hills are alive! 

We chose to do the Langtang trek because it's not as popular as Annapurna or Everest, but the view is spectacular. Scores of refugees from Tibet in the 50's had relocated here by crossing the 5,000-ft mountains, and in many ways we felt like we were in Tibet instead of Nepal. That the trek turned out to be easier than Annapurna was a welcome bonus :)

Because I lost my walking stick on the way to Lumbini, Henri fashioned us both some walking sticks using his new khukuri knife for the first time. It weighs almost a kilo, but he insisted on carrying it with him.

Armed with the experience of Poon Hill in Annapurna, we did this second trek on our own. Without a guide to tell us where to go and when to eat, we felt a little vulnerable and we had to walk faster than the others to make sure we don't run out of places to sleep in. It rained for an hour and most people stopped under rocks or teahouses, but we didn't stop. No rest for the wicked!

Our first night was spent in Lama Hotel, a village with 6 tea houses, all fighting to fill their rooms for the night.  The room we got was free but we had to order dinner and breakfast; and it turned out to be a nice place to stay because we made friends with the guests, guides and porters there. In fact Sanu, one of the guides, started taking care of us too. And Elisa, a sweet Dutch girl who arrived with Sanu, was fun to trek with.

The second day was a bit harder than the first because there were more landslides to scramble orver.

We had a long way to go this day, but it was a lovely walk. We passed through forests, waterfalls, desert landscapes and villages. We found time to talk to the locals, some of whom were descendants of the first tribes who migrated after China invaded Tibet.

They have tried to keep the way of life they had on the other side of the Himalayas.

We arrived in Langtang village just in time. Seconds after we dropped our bags, a big cloud blanketed the sky and it rained. It didn't stop the women farmers though, they finished plowing the field with their ox and planted next autumn's potato crop. Then we all went to the common area to mingle with our fellow trekkers around a fire, while outside the rain was replaced by snow.

Gael and Elisa visiting our room. Sanu had asked a porter to reserve a room for us
so we were sure to stay with them on the second night even if we arrived late...
which we almost did :)

It snowed all night but that meant clear skies the next morning.

I woke up just in time for sunrise. Seeing the yellow rays of sunlight descend on the blue giants covered in snow was nothing short of magical. Sanu saw me taking a video and showed me the high pass in the Himalayas where the Tibetans tried to cross to Nepal.

A Tibetan kitchen.

On our third day, we only had 2-3 hours to walk because Langtang is really close to Kyanjin Gompa, our last stop on the trek. After that, there were no more teahouses, and you need expedition gear to carry on.

The side of the mountian was lined for miles with rocks piled as high as my head. Buddhists, sometimes chanting with their prayer beads, walk on the left of it at all times. Truly a sight to behold.

We ran into some yaks just before the river, and they didn't move a muscle while Henri and I gave them an impromptu dance number.

After finding a place to stay in Kyanjin Gompa (it was the last guest house in the valley, just in front of the helipad and the cliff leading to the river), the first thing we did was order lunch and deal with the laundry. We brought less clothes this time, and we had begun to run out of clean undies.

Henri hanging the underwear just at the entrance.

Having tea just above the cliff.

We were INSIDE the mountain range, surrounded on all sides.

Finally! Lunch!

Kids playing just on the side of the cliff.

As expected, it was ten times more cold on this night than all the other nights put together. We huddled around the small fire until there were only embers. It started snowing at 6pm, and it snowed heavily all night.

Outside our window, which had a super view of the eastern mountains because we were in the last house in the valley), I heard the jingling of bells all night.

It felt like christmas!