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I went to Hong Kong again for a few days and I have officially come back a fraud.

Despite the URL of this site, I did not stay at the infamous Chungking Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui because – despite renovations and attempts at cleaning up its image – it is a complete shithole that is not very good value at all. Instead I opted to stay at the slightly pricier (but infinitely cleaner and with free drinking water and wifi) Dragon Inn on Argyle Street in Mong Kok.

Other than the novelty of the sketchy atmosphere, Chungking Mansions doesn’t offer anything other than the thrill that you may be murdered in your sleep or eaten alive by vermin. There are so many other budget options not too far from the area that are only slightly higher, and you don’t have to put up with the filth, annoying touts, cockroaches, bedbugs, drug dealers, pimps and hookers that hang out around Chungking Mansions.

I wonder if Beijing will ever try to exert its influence to harmonize the Golden Mile?

Hong Kong’s skyline never fails to wow me. I came across this picture that won some #5 Wikicommons award for best photograph. Compared to the competition, it’s a crime it didn’t receive #1.

The full res image is a pretty beefy 8 MB file, but well worth the download. Now all I need is a 4,670 × 2,000 resolution monitor…

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After several days of being lazy in Varanasi (at 48 degrees C I couldn’t do much else) and sitting around drinking bottles of Coke and lemon soda, we got train tickets to Agra. The station had a ‘Foreigner Traveler Lounge’ which for me sums up the mind boggling bureaucracy of India quite well: it’s a waiting room, but you’re instructed not to wait, not to look sleepy, not to miss your train, it’s for ‘reservations only’ and there is a big sign than says NO SMOKING, NO PHOTOGRAPHY, DO NOT SIT IDLE.

Anyway, the one and only reason to visit Agra is to see the famous Taj Mahal, the monument of love commissioned by the grieving Mughal emperor in memory of his second wife who died during childbirth. Seeing the Taj was kind of a last minute thing for me; I never really planned it, but figured it’s on the way to Delhi where we’ll be flying out so we might as well. I guess I’m not much of a fan of temples or palaces, so I wasn’t all that interested in it. But I’m glad we did make the stop.

If there’s any monument I would recommend seeing in India, it’s the Taj. The intricately carved marble structure is pretty impressive, especially when you go early in the morning while the sun is still low and before the crowds get there. The courtyard is clean and peaceful, and you can just sit around and take it all in without feeling rushed or bothered (until you’re hungry that is – you can’t bring any food with you and nothing is sold there).

Unfortunately I can’t say the same for the city of Agra, at least in the budget area near the Taj. Our hotel was alright and conveniently a 5 minute walk from it (complete with rooftop restaurant view), but the area is so dirty, polluted, and full of touts and crazed rickshaw drivers that I could not wait to get the hell out.

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We arrived in Varanasi and from the train station headed to the old city, where we checked into the budget Alka Hotel with view of the Ganges river and the best veg thali I’ve ever had.

Probably the holiest city to Hindus and (supposedly) the oldest living city in the world, Varanasi is famous for its many ‘ghats’ (or steps) lining the Ganges river. At these ghats you see locals praying, bathing, washing clothes, washing buffaloes, kids playing cricket and other daily rituals that have probably been taking place here forever. Hindus believe that if you die in Varanasi you receive instant ‘moksha’ (or freedom from the cycle of rebirth), so you see a lot of older people that came to Varanasi to live out their final days.

The ghat that gets the most interest from foreigners is the infamous ‘burning ghat’, where up to 2000 bodies are cremated every day and their ashes placed in the Ganges. Photography is (understandably) strictly forbidden at this ghat, so I didn’t take any shots. But to be honest I didn’t really see the big deal (among foreigners that is). I mean, I haven’t seen a lot of dead bodies in my day or anything, but it didn’t seem all that interesting to me and I felt a bit like a voyeur watching somebody’s funeral take place while a bunch of backpackers sat around gawking.

The ‘old city’ is a labyrinth of really narrow pathways too small for vehicles (motorbikes still worm their way through though). It’s easy to get lost in this area at first, but even that is interesting as the alleys are bustling with chai stands, silk shops selling colourful saris and smells of incense, fried food, spices, and urine. There are some pretty big (and sometimes angry) cows and bulls wandering through here though, so it pays to be careful. I think a good rule of thumb is that if the locals look worried about a certain bovine, proceed with caution!

Unfortunately, Varanasi is also notorious for being one of the worst touting and scam cities in all of India. Until the touts get to know your face and associate it with “no”, expect about a hundred propositions a day for boat trips, several friendly strangers wanting to shake your hand so they can turn it into an instant palm reading or massage, and virtually every conversation you have with anyone who approaches you will lead to them wanting to take you to their silk or handicrafts shop to ‘just have a look’. There are also a ton of pretty determined dudes selling hash and weed too; when I used my foolproof line of “thanks, but I don’t smoke” one guy called me a liar and said “I can see it in your eyes!”

Day 5 – Upper Pisang (3370m)

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Heading towards Upper Pisang, the snowy peaks seem closer than ever and the higher we get, the more beautiful everything becomes (and the hairier too; cows are starting to look like yaks). At one point we walked through a pine forest, and it looked – and smelled – remarkably similar to Canada. After the forest and tea house stop, we came across a valley that had many mountain goats and a couple of very hairy cows. A bit ahead we crossed a rickety old wooden bridge over an aqua blue glacier river.

After stopping for a bit by the river, we went up a steep path and finally arrived at Upper Pisang, which seemed almost deserted. The village was full of seemingly abandoned stone houses and new Tibetan prayer flags, making it kind of eery.

It was here in Upper Pisang that I first felt some effects from the altitude. It was a very weird feeling. A slight dizziness, very slight headache, but more of an ‘out of it’ kind of feeling, as if you smoked some really crummy pot and were not sure if you were high or not, but knew you weren’t sober either. Strange. We had dhal bhat for 280 rupees and called it a night, but sleeping was tough as I kept waking up (another effect of the altitude).

Day 6&7 – Braka (3480m)

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After leaving Upper Pisang, it was easy going up until we crossed a suspension bridge and up a very steep upper path to the village of Grayu. Grayu village had the best views; completely unreal. Unfortunately though, shortly after we arrived a French tour group of about 30 people plus their porters and guides arrived, so the tranquility was gone. It was also pretty damn difficult to take any pictures without getting a Gortex sleeve or ski-pole in shot. Even more frustrating was when we left – they took up the whole trail! I’d take the goat traffic any day. That aside, the views were amazing and Grayu village – scenery wise – was the highlight of the trek for me.

We chilled out in Braka for an extra day as Ellen wasn’t feeling well. It was a good place to hang out, although most head to Manang which is bigger and only 25 minutes away. We stayed at the “New Yak Hotel” which was the best hotel and restaurant of the trek by far. Their veggie burgers and yak cheese ‘special’ sandwiches were incredible. Even their dal bhat (at 300 rupees) is legendary!

Day 8 – Acclimatization Day @ Braka – Caves day trek (4310m)

At Manang/Braka it’s recommended to do a day trek to help acclimatize by getting some altitude in the day and resting at a lower altitude at night to trick your body into handling it. We chose to visit the ‘caves’ where legend has it a Buddhist monk lived for a long time meditating and living off a prickly shrub that grew outside the cave that turned his body green. It was steep going up (very easy without a backpack!), but the views were nice although the ‘cave’ was more an enclave…

Day 9 – Letdar (4200m)

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We decided to pass on another day trip in Manang and go on to Letdar. Before leaving, we stopped off at a bakery in Manang to pick up some yak cheese and fresh bread for the road.

After we left Manang, it was very tiring. 3 days without carrying a backpack, and all the great food at New Yak Hotel and their “Happy Yak Bakery” had made me very lazy and I felt the burn almost immediately. As we ascended, the wind became much stronger and the weather much colder.

At Letdar, we settled at the last hotel in town, which was very basic and seemed like it was more catered to porters than tourists. We sat around the kitchen fire with a bunch of locals as the lady/owner cooked. Here I started feeling very woozy, again from the altitude. Slept well though!

Day 10 – Thorong High Camp (4800m)

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After leaving Letdar, we head off towards Thorong Phedi. Thorong Phedi is the last ‘town’ before the dreaded Thorong Pass which is about 5400m, very steep going up, and the highest point in the circuit. Thorong High Camp is a steep 45 min. 400m up from Thorong Phedi, and many opt to stay there as it’s closer to the top and getting there is getting past the hardest part of the trek.

We made our way to Phedi and stopped for tea. On the way there, it got colder and the scenery became much more barren. I felt a bit ‘out of it’ from the altitude, but otherwise very good and ready to go. After tea we made it up the steep 400m to High Camp with no trouble at all; I actually felt great on arrival.

High Camp is the highest (guest house) and most expensive place in the circuit. It’s only one hotel, you have to pay for rooms, menu prices are outrageous (dal bhat was 420 rupees!!), and there is absolutely no bargaining.

In the afternoon at High Camp, I decided to take a quick run up another 100m or so hill because I thought the view would be amazing (see pics). It was, but doing this was a big mistake. I had energy, no bag, and did not pace myself. Once I got to the top I started feeling very dizzy and looking down gave me vertigo. After hanging out up there for a bit, I made my way down and started feeling very ‘out of it’ again (like some weird drug trip mixed with ill feeling), this time more than ever.

I started getting a headache that gradually increased. I decided to rest for a bit in the room but when I went to lie down, that’s when things went from bad to worse. The headache came on stronger, I had absolutely no appetite, sleep was impossible, and most troubling, I was out of breath, gasping for air and panting like a dog even though I was laying in bed doing nothing. I knew I had AMS in a bad way. I kept thinking “Not now!! I’m only 600m away from the top! I should have just kept going this afternoon when I felt good and I’d have made it!!” The frustration just added to my feeling shitty.

When Ellen saw the rough shape I was in, she asked around and got some Diamox, an anti-altitude sickness drug, and it helped me breathe normally. Unfortunately, Diamox also makes you piss like crazy so I couldn’t sleep as I was going to the outdoor toilet every hour. At least I got to enjoy the beautiful starry night during my many cold bathroom trips.

In the morning, I was still feeling horrible and knew I had to descend or I would get worse. We went down to Phedi and after some hot lemon tea I felt a little better. We stayed there a night, and the next morning I felt I was ready to tackle the pass again. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Less than 100m up on the way to High Camp – an altitude I handled the previous day without a sweat – I was gasping for air, exhausted and nauseous. I had to descend again.

It sucks, because I know if I had more time I could just have spent a couple of days back in Letdar or somewhere at a lower altitude and taken it slower, but unfortunately time was not on my side.

So, we walked back to the village of Humde and decided to catch a flight with “Royal Nepal Airlines” back to Pokhara, which was a pretty cool experience in itself. The flight was only 20 minutes, but gave some pretty incredible Himalayan views, and we had seats right next to the (open) cockpit. So it wasn’t all a loss!

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Overall, despite the altitude sickness, it was a great experience. The Himalayan mountain ranges are breathtaking and it’s amazing to be so high up, especially looking down. I hope to come back again some day with more time and maybe more Diamox!

With just enough time to kill in Nepal before our visas ran out, we decided to do the Annapurna Circuit Trek. We considered the Everest Base Camp trek, but from what we read and heard from others the Annapurna Circuit seemed much more varied and scenic. It’s been nicknamed the ‘apple pie circuit’ or ‘tea house circuit’ since the trails are all very clear and there are tea houses and/or guest houses every couple of hours which means no camping equipment or supplies are required. The whole circuit takes anywhere from 13-21 days to complete, but many opt to catch a jeep or plane back to Pokhara after Thorong Pass (the highest point) because after here the scenery is a bit lacking, there is a road on the other side, and trekking while dodging traffic is no fun.

I’ve broken down the trek into days with brief descriptions and some pictures. Unfortunately, the very last day at the highest point I succumbed to altitude mountain sickness (AMS), so couldn’t go over the pass, which sucked. From everyone I’ve talked to though, I did see all the best parts so that’s some consolation. Oh well, next time!

One note: the latest Lonely Planet Nepal edition and many of the guides online that discuss the Annapurna Circuit explain the need for you to pay Maoist (ironically, rejected by China) rebels on the trail big ‘donations’ with dire consequences if you don’t. I’m happy to report this information is very outdated. The Maoists have now merged with the Nepalese government so these extortionists are now running the country and will not bother you on the trail!

Preparations

After leaving our bags with our guest house in Pokhara and settling the tab, we caught a bus to Besisahar where we would begin the trek. I opted to travel as light as possible. For what it’s worth, here’s what I brought:

- 1 pair jeans
- 1 pair cargo shorts
- 3 pairs socks
- 2 t-shirts
- 2 sweaters
- 4 boxers
- jacket
- toque
- regular Adidas street shoes

Other than a few toiletries, camera, 12 Snickers bars, 16 ‘trekker’ granola bars, and a (fake) Swiss water bottle picked up in Pokhara, that’s about it. I was tempted to go and buy a bunch of (fake) trekking gear in Kathmandu or Pokhara, but I didn’t really feel like any of it was necessary. How much gear does one really need to walk on a trail?

We chose not to go with a porter or guide and I don’t regret this decision at all. Here’s why:

- The trail is so clear that a guide is unnecessary. Even if you are confused, there are always locals around who you can ask or who will steer you on the right path.

- It’s expensive. At $5-10 USD a day for a porter/guide, depending on your budget it can greatly increase the cost of the trek.

- Many porters/guides have commission deals with guest houses and tea houses. I often saw trekkers led by their porter/guide to certain places in the village, passing by stops with great food or accommodation because these establishments presumably had no agreement with the porters/guides. I prefer the freedom to choose where I eat and sleep.

- I’d feel uncomfortable (and colonial) having someone carrying all my belongings behind me while I carried nothing. I also wouldn’t feel much accomplishment if I didn’t pull my own weight.

- A lot of porters/guides are hired in the city and are not from the hills, so they are just as susceptible to acclimatization issues/mountain sickness as anyone else. Often if they have symptoms, they won’t say anything for fear of losing their job. If something happens, it’s your responsibility. Many don’t have proper clothing either, could develop frostbite, etc. Again, your responsibility.

Anyway, this is just my opinion based on talking to other travelers and reading up on the trek. Some people say their porters/guides greatly enhanced their experience, others seemed like the porters/guides were running the show, slowing them down, etc. So ultimately, to each their own.

Day 1 – Bahundanda (1270m)

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Ok, so leaving Pokhara the local bus took about 5 hours to get to Besisihar and was crowded beyond belief. People were stuffed in the aisle and sitting on my chair’s arm rest and almost in my lap. We finally arrived and decided to take another bus to Bhulbule, to skip the first part of the trek which is just a dirt road with not much to see.

In Besisihar, we showed our permits at the first checkpoint (if you don’t have a permit at this point or can’t show one at other checkpoints during the trek, you pay double for one). We tried to buy a bus ticket, but were not really allowed to take the local bus. This is one of these sliding scale foreigner gouging things I hate. The bus stand refused to sell us a ticket on the local bus for the Nepali rate of NR35. But that doesn’t matter. To quote the ticket master: “Nepali price, 35 rupees. You? 200 rupees. Hahaha!” Yes, very funny asshole. How about you come to Canada: “TTC subway ticket, $2. You? $20. Hahaha! Also, none of the taxicab meters in the city work either, so you’ll have to trust us on the fare.”

200 rupees is what a seat in one of the ‘tourist jeep taxis’ cost, so after some negotiating to bring the price down to 120, we settled with the jeep. Still, it really pissed me off and incidents like this have soured my view of Nepal. It’s not the money; I realize that these people don’t make a lot of money and I’m assumedly some rich foreigner that can afford it. That’s not the issue. It’s the principle. Preventing foreigners from taking a local bus? And how can you have normal friendly interactions with people who knowingly cheat you? It all leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Individuals trying to cheat you is one thing; having it accepted universally and even mandated down to the level of public transportation is just depressing. A nice touch is that the jeep stopped several times to pick up the driver’s friends and other hitchhikers, squishing them in with us and giving them a free ride on our fare.

Soon after, we arrived at Bhulbule, showed our permits at another checkpoint and began walking. Almost immediately, we were surrounded by mountains and beautiful scenery. We walked for about 3 hours and it was pretty easy going up until the end; the steep stone path was tough on old, out of shape me. We arrived at Bahundanda, and immediately noticed how much more expensive everything was. Coke was NR80 (in Pokhara it’s 40) and tea, other snacks etc. were also almost double the price. A chilling sign of things to come. The further you go up, the more expensive everything will get.

We settled on a guest house that gave us free accommodation if we ate there. Menus at tea/guest houses are virtually identical across the circuit, with only prices increasing the higher you go. It’s often the case with these places that you have to eat where you sleep. So we checked in, had an expensive ‘dal bhat’ (Nepalese staple of lentil soup, rice, potato curry for NR200; in Pokhara or Kathmandu, ‘gourmet’ dal bhat is < 100) and called it an early night.

Day 2 – Chamche (1385m)

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We passed by numerous waterfalls on the way to Chamche and while there were no rice paddies as witnessed the previous day, the scenery was still impressive except for a dead donkey on the trail who missed a step.

It was very tough going at one point as we made our way up a very steep and dusty path. The hot sun beating down did not make it any easier, but after about 5-6 hours we arrived in Chamche and stayed at the “Tibetan Hotel”. Dal bhat here has gone up to NR210. Not bad!

Day 3 – Bagarchap (2140m)

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It was a bit chilly when we set off early in the morning, but walking was good up until a very steep trail that had a huge traffic jam of goats and porters. Because of the traffic, it was very slow going up but even more problematic was that the goats on the trail above would knock down rocks, forcing us to walk on the steep edge to avoid them. Bastards!

After overtaking the goats, we stopped in Tal for tea. Tal is an interesting little RPG-like town that cames up after a rocky trail along an almost emerald green river. The trail is sheltered in most parts by huge boulders almost carved as canopies over the trail.

We stayed at another Tibetan run hotel (the higher we go, it seems everyone is Tibetan – they love the hills), and dal bhat here has jumped to 270 rupees! Going to sleep, I noticed a massive spider waiting menacingly near the door. I wanted to let him be, but he eventually made his way on the roof right over our heads, and eventually dropped down. We jumped to the other side of the room, and he actually leapt at us, so I was forced to squash him. Sorry Buddhists, but he was asking for it.

Day 4 – Chame (2730m)

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Setting off today I saw white snowy peaks for the first time, then started noticing them everywhere. It really made me realize how high up we were getting. We intended to take the “high pass”, but unfortunately missed the trail completely. After a tea house stop, we passed by another RPG-like village with wheat stalks moving like ocean currents in the wind. It was almost unreal, and unfortunately the picture doesn’t do it justice at all.

We arrived in Chame quite early (around 11:30am) and it was a bit of a surprise. This town had almost everything one would need as far as Western comforts go, and almost all at relatively reasonable prices. They even had internet available, but at $10 USD an hour I opted not to use it. Dhal bhat here was 300 rupees ($5)… How high will it go!

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One of my favorite things to eat in China is delicious and cheap la mian (those noodles that the guys stretch out), so I was pretty damn surprised to find an authentic la mian restaurant run by a guy from Qinghai in Kathmandu. The awesome decor with the forest/waterfall poster complete with deers and uh… a giraffe… was icing on the cake.

At 80 Nepalese rupees a bowl they were more expensive than Shanghai, but still worth it! 好吃！

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The 17 hour bus ride from Kakarvitta to Kathmandu was not fun. The bus stopped several times as Nepalese soldiers waved us down to ‘search’. The soldiers that came aboard the bus to inspect it did little more than sneer and poke a few rice sacks with their fingers, but the bus ticket boy did discreetly hand off a napkin containing what I assume was a bribe / baksheesh to one of the commanding officers. I guess this insured that our bus was no security risk.

I can rarely sleep on buses or airplanes so it was a very long and tiring trip for me, and having no cash on hand I couldn’t buy snacks or anything to occupy me during the many stops. The driver did play some pretty awesome Nepali/Hindi music though.

So we arrived in the Kathmandu valley, and made our way to the Thamel area which is a tourist ghetto unlike any I have ever seen. There is truth to the local joke that Nepal’s three main religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, and tourism. The Thamel are is flooded with hotels and guest houses, restaurants of almost every food imaginable (including an amazingly authentic Sichuan place, complete with loud Chinese businessmen drinking and chain smoking), shops selling souvenirs, incense, Tibetan handicrafts, the usual hippy crap, and tons and tons of (fake) trekking gear.

Nearby is Durbar Square, which is much more interesting with a bunch of sidestreets and crowded alleys that seem oblivious to Thamel. By here is “Freak Street”, which was the hangout for foreign travelers in the 60s and 70s.

Most travelers seem to dislike Kathmandu, but I think it’s pretty cool. With all the Western comforts around Thamel though, it’s very easy to blow one’s travel budget sipping cafe mochas and eating pizza.

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After sadly leaving Sikkim, we decided to check out Darjeeling. Everyone told us that it wouldn’t be very impressive after visiting Sikkim, but I think it has a charm all its own. The views aren’t as nice (or maybe they are; there’s so much mist it’s difficult to see anything), but the bustling market/bazaar and community here is really interesting. Its full of cool buildings and very steep and narrow alleyways, and has a feel that is very distinct. People are pretty modern and stylish here, there is very little visible poverty, and (like Sikkim) with all the kids walking around town in school uniforms it sorta feels more like a rural Japanese town than India.

We met a Chinese couple here who have been traveling around the Middle East, and it’s provided me with a great opportunity to brush up on my very rusty 中文.