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Our day began early. I was eager to leave the place. "Today's walking will not be as difficult," Bhim told me. Fortunately, what he said turned out to be pretty true. By this I don't mean to imply he had previously lied to me, although he had been circumspect at times: "Are there many more stairs?" "Yes, there are some." "Do we have much farther?" "Yes, a little ways." Over time I came to understand the differences we have regarding evaluating difficulty and length and the time it would take for a particular section of a walk.
I had specifically told Bhim my age and relative physical condition before we "committed" to each other as guide and client, hoping to give him some understanding as to what my physical limitations might be. However, women my age in Nepal can squat, sit on the ground, stand up in a spritely manner, work the fields, pick loads of greens, and carry them with tump lines across their foreheads all uphill for miles. He was judging me by the women in his own culture — big mistake! When Bhim says something is easy and will take "about 30 minutes" I can estimate that it will probably take me at least an hour or two. This is just one example of learning about each other and our differences and figuring out how to accommodate them.
I had specifically told Bhim my age and relative physical condition before we "committed" to each other as guide and client, hoping to give him some understanding as to what my physical limitations might be. However, women my age in Nepal can squat, sit on the ground, stand up in a spritely manner, work the fields, pick loads of greens, and carry them with tump lines across their foreheads all uphill for miles. He was judging me by the women in his own culture — big mistake! When Bhim says something is easy and will take "about 30 minutes" I can estimate that it will probably take me at least an hour or two. This is just one example of learning about each other and our differences and figuring out how to accommodate them.
There weren't many trekkers on this trail and compared to yesterday's tortuous nine hours of climbing up and then down in the dark, I managed to keep a very quick pace. "You doing good!" Bhim said several times. Our path took us mostly between heavily forested areas, so there were no broad vistas or mountains to see for the first several hours.
I knew I could make it for a few hours, but last night Bhim had said "For you, it will take ten hours to reach Nagarkot." As we walked I turned to Bhim with a determined look and said, I am not going to walk ten hours today. I know I cannot do that. We need to make a different plan."
We walked for a while and then Bhim said that when we get to a small village he would see if he could get a bagel. We walked in silence for a few moments and then I asked him, "Bhim, what did you say we could get?" He repeated it two or three times and then I finally understood "Bee-a-kul!"
We had begun walking about 7:15 a.m., and at about noon or so we stopped at one of the two villages that are between Chisopani and Nagarkot. It was comprised of two or three restaurants and houses. We had "Nepali food" (dal bhat - lentils and rice), then Bhim told me there was no bus to Nagarkot. "We can stay here," he said. But I had no desire to stay "here." I asked how far it was and he told me the length in kilometers. I divided the number by ten and then multipled it by six and calculated it was only about five and a half miles. "It will take us about three hours," Bhim said.
I couldn't understand why Bhim said it would take us three hours to walk five miles — that seemed like an awfully slow pace, even for me. But I was anxious to move on. I asked, "Do they have internet there?" He told me yes, so that sealed the deal and I said, "Let's go."
Fortunately the first portion of the walk was on a paved highway — up, but fairly easy. We had several downturns where the road became rocky, but then the vistas opened up and the views were magnificent. Terraced rice and millet fields cascaded down the mountainsides, valley after valley after valley - from far high up to far down below it was green green green everywhere — it was astounding. Unfortunately, I couldn't capture the beauty that I saw. Nearly every photo taken in sunlight is completely washed out. I think it may be something to do with the light - the light in Nepal is very different — very, very bright. It's too bad I didn't take the time to learn how to manually change the settings on my camera!!!
I knew I could make it for a few hours, but last night Bhim had said "For you, it will take ten hours to reach Nagarkot." As we walked I turned to Bhim with a determined look and said, I am not going to walk ten hours today. I know I cannot do that. We need to make a different plan."
We walked for a while and then Bhim said that when we get to a small village he would see if he could get a bagel. We walked in silence for a few moments and then I asked him, "Bhim, what did you say we could get?" He repeated it two or three times and then I finally understood "Bee-a-kul!"
We had begun walking about 7:15 a.m., and at about noon or so we stopped at one of the two villages that are between Chisopani and Nagarkot. It was comprised of two or three restaurants and houses. We had "Nepali food" (dal bhat - lentils and rice), then Bhim told me there was no bus to Nagarkot. "We can stay here," he said. But I had no desire to stay "here." I asked how far it was and he told me the length in kilometers. I divided the number by ten and then multipled it by six and calculated it was only about five and a half miles. "It will take us about three hours," Bhim said.
I couldn't understand why Bhim said it would take us three hours to walk five miles — that seemed like an awfully slow pace, even for me. But I was anxious to move on. I asked, "Do they have internet there?" He told me yes, so that sealed the deal and I said, "Let's go."
Fortunately the first portion of the walk was on a paved highway — up, but fairly easy. We had several downturns where the road became rocky, but then the vistas opened up and the views were magnificent. Terraced rice and millet fields cascaded down the mountainsides, valley after valley after valley - from far high up to far down below it was green green green everywhere — it was astounding. Unfortunately, I couldn't capture the beauty that I saw. Nearly every photo taken in sunlight is completely washed out. I think it may be something to do with the light - the light in Nepal is very different — very, very bright. It's too bad I didn't take the time to learn how to manually change the settings on my camera!!!
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We reached the second settlement that lay ahead of our destination and Bhim inquired about bus service. "There is no bus," he said, "but you can get a ride on a motorbike for 1500 rupees." (Nepali rupees = about 82 to $1). I was so, so tempted. I knew that I would soon reach the limits of my physical capability; however I decided not to ride. To be honest, there was a small part of me that didn't want Bhim to think I was a wimp who couldn't make the trek; however, I mostly had some concern about being on a motorbike on winding narrow roads with an unknown driver. Getting on the bike was a calculated risk. And even though the odds were probably in my favor, I just wasn't up for taking that risk that day.
We passed a school. "It's a private school. The public schools are already on the Dashain holiday," Bhim said. We passed little boys and girls in school uniforms skipping down the road on their way home.
And then the road began to climb. And climb. And climb. It would wind around the mountainside and as I would see the next turn I would hope for a flat surface; however, that would turn out to be another steep climb. We wound up and around hill after hill after hill after hill after hill. It was one (nearly) impossible steep climb after another. At one point I began to cry. Fortunately I was ahead of Bhim and Umesh so they couldn't see me. I allowed myself a few tears and then I sucked it up. By this time I was moving on pure willpower.
And then the road began to climb. And climb. And climb. It would wind around the mountainside and as I would see the next turn I would hope for a flat surface; however, that would turn out to be another steep climb. We wound up and around hill after hill after hill after hill after hill. It was one (nearly) impossible steep climb after another. At one point I began to cry. Fortunately I was ahead of Bhim and Umesh so they couldn't see me. I allowed myself a few tears and then I sucked it up. By this time I was moving on pure willpower.
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I looked up and saw what looked to be a hotel far up on another hillside. "That's not where we are going is it?" I asked Bhim. "No, that's not the place," he said. I breathed a sigh of relief, since it was so far away. But there was little cause for celebration because, as it turned out, that indeed wasn't the place we were going. We were climbing even farther!
Very long story short: after ten hours of walking we reached our hotel, which turned out to be pretty nice. I had a shower and a "European" toilet, and my room was just off a little balcony area that looked far down below into the valleys (from which we had ascended) and over to the snow-capped mountains towering high above. I had made it to Nagarkot!
Very long story short: after ten hours of walking we reached our hotel, which turned out to be pretty nice. I had a shower and a "European" toilet, and my room was just off a little balcony area that looked far down below into the valleys (from which we had ascended) and over to the snow-capped mountains towering high above. I had made it to Nagarkot!
