14.06.03
After 7 days in Pokhara, some Parties and good food I went on to Kathmandu to organize my Pakistan visa. About 30km from Pokhara I got a bit of a shocker when there was a part of the street missing or better a 1m drop, I guess from a landslide, one of the rear occasions when the bike and I are off the ground and flying in the air.
Kathmandu then is a really busy place, stayed in Thamel, and met Dalbir and Seamus again what resulted in a good hangover.
Getting the Pakistan visa was not problem at all, 2 days and 50 USD and I got a 3 month visa.
Kathmandu is a good place to buy cameras and to repair them even they couldn`t fix the videocamera but I got a cheap still camera what makes snapshots much easier ( The same camera as you Andrea, but as well without manual ).
Then there was the 23.05.1971, Happy Birthday to myself !!!!!!
At one evening while walking around Thamel I meet Harry ( a guy that I meet first in Chennai 2.5 month ago ) and after a few beer I planned to join them on the Annapurna Circuit Trek in a weeks time.
After paying the Conservation fee of 2000 NRS we met up in Pokhara, I hired a bag pack and some waterproof stuff and we got a bus to Besisahar ( 5 hrs ) for 100 NRS. My first bus ride, a different experience but not again in the near future, riding the bike is much safer.
To the Annapurna Circuit Trek, if someone had told me these things before I would have stayed in Pokhara I guess !
Length: 320km ( I did only about 220km and took a plane from Jomosom, only because the left knee gave up, to many motorbike accidents )
Altitude: From Besisahar 760m up to Thorung La Pass 5416m.
Time: About 2.5 weeks.
Over all I`am happy that I`ve done it, it is a strange and also good experience how easy and far your own feet can carry you.
We started with 4 people, Harry, Metti and Noa and met Jan on the way ( hope you are all fine !! ), there are beautiful views of mountains, tiny villages on the way, often not electricity and running water, lots of times when you ask yourself what you are doing here because it`s so hard to carry on.
We heard nice story's like a couple that started from opposite sides and they met near the pass and they decided to get married :-) , or also very sad news that a young girl died in a landslide by falling rocks not to far from us.
We also crossed landslides, on of the scariest things I`ve ever done with very big rocks above us.
The usual day was 4-6 hrs walking and 8 hrs on the day when we crossed the pass, that was only Noa and myself, Harry and Metti turned before the Pass because Harry had severe signs of altitude sickness and Jan was already over the Pass with a dutch guy.
Crossing the Pass was beautiful, empty and quite. A lovely dog followed us all the way to Muktinath on the other side like a watching angel ( It could have been the altitude but the dog was real ! ).
And then 2 days later I took a plane from Jomosom to Pohkara and Noa went on to finish the trek on foot.
Like I sad HOPE YOU ARE ALL FINE, hope to hear from you soon !!!