BY AYESHA BİLAL (PSYC/III)
ayesha@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
Chitwan National Park had been an unexpectedly fun place. Lots of the things we did there still remain vividly present in my mind: the adventure-filled jungle hike, the incredible, enjoyable elephant-washing experience and many more. Next, we headed to Pokhara, a vibrant city where we also had lots to do. This is the last installment of a four-part piece relating my Nepal memories.
We arrived in Pokhara and walked straight to our hotel. The best part about the hotel was the view. Our room was on the top floor, so we had a stunning view of the snow-covered peaks of the Annapurna Himalayan range (the part of the Himalayas that lies in the northwestern region of Nepal) towering behind the city. Mind you, this was August, so the snowy peaks provided a striking contrast to the summery weather down in the city. Added to that, Fewa Lake lay right in front of our hotel. This breathtaking lake popularized Pokhara because of its picturesque beauty, surrounded as it is by ever-green, forested mountain ranges, which tint the water of the lake an exotic shade of that color. In the middle of the lake is a small island reachable by canoe or rowboat, and on the island stands a colorful Hindu temple. We circled the island in the boat we had rented and finally got off to explore it. Pigeons, it seems to me, are quite attracted to temples, and it was no different here, as flocks of pigeons fluttered around us. We headed back to the lakeside, where we had outstanding food. In general, food in the Fewa Lake area is abundant, delicious and not very expensive. A dessert special to this area, the Machapuchare kiss – a layered biscuit, chocolate and cream concoction that was absolutely divine – is named after the famous Machapuchare peak of the Annapurna Himalayas, which has never been set foot on by man.
The most exciting part of our stay in Pokhara, and perhaps the whole of Nepal, was our four-day hiking trip to the Annapurna range, which ended up being maybe the most unforgettable experience of my life so far. With a guide at our side, we began the first day of our hike by walking seven hours through forests and past waterfalls, crossing streams and following scenic, rock-strewn paths. Tiring as it was, it was undoubtedly worth the effort to reach our first stop, the small village of Gorapani. The next day was similar, climbing upward to yet another small mountain village. We stayed each time at small trekkers’ lodges, which were surprisingly very clean and well kept. The mountains surrounded us completely, so the views from the small rooms there were better than any I have ever seen at any fancy seven-star resort or hotel. The food, though plain, was quite expensive – much more so than in the city, where excellent restaurants serve food well worth the price. The reason for this inflation in cost, we learned, was that the higher up the mountain you go, the more difficult it is for supplies to reach there. Just a packet of biscuits cost us about five times as much as it would in the city. We had to survive economically, yet fill ourselves enough to keep strong for the arduous treks that lay ahead. The third day’s hike was not that long compared to those of the previous two days, which had included a climb of over a thousand stone steps that took about two hours just on its own. Upon reaching our stop for the third day, we found that we were about 4,400 meters above sea level, and it showed, because the weather had suddenly become quite cold. Fog surrounded us all day, and though it was only 2 p.m., it felt like late in the evening. The time didn’t really matter much though, since we were usually very exhausted upon arrival and immediately decided to nap, after which we had dinner and tea, explored the area for a bit and then returned to our lodge, where we stayed up a while and excitedly talked about our day or chatted with other trekkers.
We woke up on the last day at about 5 a.m. to hike an hour up to the tip of the mountain, where we had a spectacular view of the Annapurna range and its magnificent mountain peaks towering around us. After this we started our journey downward, which proved far from dull as we passed through huge rainforests abundant with waterfalls and all sorts of forest animals. Unfortunately, some of these creatures were leeches, small yet pesky. They bit our feet incessantly, despite our efforts to shield ourselves, but in the end no real harm was done. The most terrifying part about them was how rapidly they went from climbing up on your shoes to moving toward skin, and how relentlessly they clung onto whatever surface they were on, especially skin, so that taking them off was tough work.
We ended our hike back to Pokhara late that afternoon, passing by the same areas we had started from, exhausted, but with memories of exceptional experiences that we still reminisce about from time to time. With so many more stories and memories than I could ever relate here already gathered, we ended our Nepal trip by heading back to Kathmandu (where we spent our last two days) in the most exciting fashion, rafting half the way down the river, then taking the bus the rest of the way.
I can say with satisfaction that we didn’t waste a single day of the three weeks we stayed, but truly made the most of our time. We took off back to Ankara feeling a touch of sadness at leaving, but this feeling was overwhelmed by the utter awe of what we had experienced during our journey.
To those who wish to explore places less traveled, I would confidently recommend Nepal. I don’t wish to fully stop here, and plan in the future to occasionally relate more anecdotes from our trip that still remain vividly embedded in my mind. Till then, I wish you a great finals period, a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!