JaiDee Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 I just did my 2nd trip to Nepal in an 8-month period and I only have one thing to say; WOW! That place is seriously THE most photogenic, beautiful [and strangest] place I have ever been in my life, with 24 other countries behind me now. It's not really fair to the place to try and put it into mere words, and actually photos don't do it any justice either, it's more of a feeling and a vibe you get from just being there. It's an other-worldy place, and I can fully understand how the mythic term and city called Shangi-La is rumored to have been found here, or in neighboring Tibet. I stayed in Kathmandu for a total of about a week; weird place and totally mind-numbing. The city planners laid this place out when London and Paris were still just dark age watering holes, and while wild indians were controlling all of the americas; and believe me, it still feels and looks like that. It's at the crossroads of major trading routes between Asia and the Middle East and you get the sense that this was what it looked like hundreds and even a thousand years ago minus the motorbikes of course. My favorite place is Bhaktapur, about 25km east of the city. The 3rd largest city in Nepal, it has just a fraction of the noise and pollution and traffic of the capital, and it feels like living in the middle ages. I had a comfortable guest house there for 10 days and really felt at home; I could even see myself living there for half a year or so, IF the country could ever get their electricity and internet problems under control. My plan was to go from there by motorcycle to the head of the old trail to Mt. Everest, to a town called Jiri which is only about 35 miles from Everest base camp, and then see how far I could take my 'cycle in on that trail; but I only got as far as Charikot, a small town about 50KM from Tibet and 50KM from Jiri. Even though my Visa was good for 30 days I kind of pussied out after 24 and flew off to Thailand; I seriously needed some warmth by then and I also had a minor accident which took 7 stitches to my brow ridge and fucked up my already-crooked nose even more;uggghhhh. It was also damn cold; about 55-60F in the day time and down to 32 or 35 at night, and since hotels don't have any heat and the electricity is sporadic at best [and the wifi almost non-existent outside the big cities] there was literally nothing to do at night after 6pm or so. Reading by candlelight gets old quickly, believe me. Daytime was much better, but by the time the fog burned off and it warmed up by 11am or so it only left me 6 hours a day for riding, and even then in many layers and with a hat and scarf, gloves, etc.....kind of like riding back home in mid-November. So my original plans of going all the way to Jiri and then riding in further on the Everest trail to where the peaks start getting above 10 and 12K feet had to be abandoned, unfortunately. No regrets though, I motored back to KTM and spent another 2 days, got my stitches removed [at a western clinic, not that Somalia-like 'hospital' I was forced to use in the countryside] and flew on to BKK, where it was 88 degrees upon arrival; ahhhhhh. The flight leaving KTM had an amazing view of the totally snow-capped Himalayas for about 20 full minutes; a more gorgeous site you will never see, and even as the plane leveled out at 30,000 feet the mountains were still parallel; unreal. I would highly recommend Nepal to anyone, with the caveat that you WILL be giving up western-style creature comforts for the length of your stay. This is seriously a 3rd-world country, one of the poorest in the world, and with very little electricity and widespread corruption and hardly any good internet connections, it won't be anything like being in Thailand. Consider it more like Cambodia with very high mountains and cooler weather. Great trip, great country, but MAN am I happy to be back in shorts and flip-flops again! 2 Quote Link to comment
ArchieBunker Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Only 24 countries then?? I would have loved the adventure in my younger days but nowadyas you can fuhgeddaboutit. If I wanted the 3rd world with cold weather I would go to downtown Detroit or DC!!! Seriously, I am certain it is a fascinating place with loads of interesting history!!! Quote Link to comment
Lefty Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 JaiDee and Bob Seger are a couple of coool mofos. Archie you should quit hiding behind the name of a good blue collar Truman democrat like Archie and be blue ballz like before, the misguided Rep lover who thinks those GOP basterds really give a good god damn about the working class................... Quote Link to comment
bumblebee Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Interesting experience JaiDee but as you say, only for a few who can rough it a bit. Places like that make us appreciate what we take for granted and moan about sometimes, and put life in perspective. Quote Link to comment
strocube Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Sweet, JD. Sounds like you had another epic once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Nice reporting as well. I'm still processing my recent experiences in the Amazon with Mama Aya. Got myself a bad-ass tatto of a snake and humming bird on my right shoulder, and I'm wearing a piece of the medicina around my neck, in a necklace that I made myself. While I was down there, I was approached by an NGO, Alianza Arkana, who are working with the Shipibo comminty, in an attempt to preserve both their culture and the forest as well. It would've been a volunteer position, but since I don't have investments that I can live on while I'm not working, as much as I wanted to go, I had to turn them down. Am trying to get that sorted, so hopefully in a few years I will be able to do stuff like that. On an archetypal/ mythopoetic level, I fell like I have refused to answer "the call." Yet my practical side has won out for now, and "the call" will have to wait. Currently, I'm in BKK, having a lovely monger's holiday. Met up with a few of the guys who post regularly on these boards, Fargabah, TTChang, Katoey Lover, Snick, Ozzie, and a few others. Hit me up if you're in town, brother, I'll buy you a drink or two. I'm at the Dawin on Soi 4 until the 15th. Cheers, J Quote Link to comment
JaiDee Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 Hit me up if you're in town, brother, I'll buy you a drink or two. I'm at the Dawin on Soi 4 until the 15th. Cheers, J Not around that area, sorry J; as much as I'd like to meet up with you for the first time and discuss our trips to Peru, I haven't spent much time around soi 4 for years and by this point I think the noise, traffic, crowds, etc, would drive me quite batty. This is my 6th season down south, where the biggest decision I have to make all day as I fire up another spliff is whether to lay in a hammock which faces the sun or the shade, and where the biggest traffic jam I ever see for 6 months is the motorbikes backing out of the 7/11 down in the village. I don't have proper clothes for BKK either and I sure as hell ain't going shopping; I remember the last time I was in Obsessions a couple years ago in flip-flops and beachwear and one of my long-time LB friends says to me "Why are you dressed like that?" LOL. Good deal that you got to meet up with some of the lads though, I'd like to see those guys again myself some day and I understand my buddy Blue Ballz will be in the city again soon as well and I'd love to have a few Chang's with him too. But unless you guys come down this way I'd reckon it's just not gonna happen, big city traffic and beach resorts filled with Russians and Indians scare me away these days. Hit me up via Gmail if you wanna discuss more Ayahuasca stories or hear more about Nepal, I've done both of those places twice now and always like chatting about 'em! have fun on the rest of your stay..... Quote Link to comment
pdogg Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Nepal is defo on my to do list! And one of Kathmandu's ladyboys even has a Profile on our site. 8) http://www.ladyboyreview.com/profile/SweetShelly/ Quote Link to comment
JaiDee Posted January 13, 2012 Author Share Posted January 13, 2012 Contacted her the day of my arrival via her valid Hotmail address and also 2 days before I left to the same account, with an invite to dinner......no replies Quote Link to comment
SiamSam Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 You shoulda asked me. I would have went... Quote Link to comment
Pdoggg Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 On 12/30/2011 at 3:44 PM, JaiDee said: Everest base camp Due to climate change, Nepalese authorities are planning to move Everest Base Camp. Quote Link to comment
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