Organized Chaos. India & Nepal

Aaaa the sweet smell of India. Walking off the plane and with your eyes closed, you already know exactly where you are. Driving out of the airport is already an adventure. Beautiful people casually walking across lanes of traffic filled with cows, cars, monkeys, rickshaws, motorcycles, and any other form of transport you can imagine. You feel like you are in a game of frogger with no rules to the game. Organized chaos. You wonder why they even paint the lanes on the roads. The streets are lined with women casually going about their day in bright, colorful, intricate saris of pink, red, gold and any other color you can imagine. The bursts of color all around add flavor to the overwhelming pollution and poor children begging for money.

While trying to weave through the traffic, you come to a stop. A young adult comes over and forcefully knocks on your car door window. A bit aggressive. He (or maybe she? - you're not so sure) asks you to buy some pens and pencils from their bag. You try to ignore them, but they are relentless. The traffic starts moving and you feel a sigh of relief. What was that all about? You find out later that there is a sad story behind this person's actions. There is a small population of hemaphrodites in India that have been outcasts of society for generations, unable to obtain jobs or live freely. They have little to no support from their community and the government. Unable to win respect from society, they have always resorted to force. They are known to show up in large numbers and cause a raucous at festive occasions, such as weddings. They refuse to leave until they receive a payment, which is shared by all members of the gang.

NEPAL

The flight to Kathmandhu from Delhi was approximately $150 for a two hour flight. Kathmandhu is a bustling, busy and polluted city still recovering from the unfortunately aftermath of the earthquake. It reminds me of India 15 years ago. The maze of streets filled with handicraft shops and lovely locals reminds me of Cusco, Peru. If you walk two blocks through the winding streets, you will likely already be lost, even if you think you know the way back.

We stayed at the Dalai-la hotel, which I highly recommend. We paid $130 per night for a triple room with a delicious breakfast included. The courtyard was the highlight. Prayer flags hanging above like a beautiful canopy. Heat lamps for the chilly nights and a cozy fire pit surrounded by new friends from around the world. There was live, local music in the evenings, which I loved. The location is perfect, as your room is peaceful and quiet while you can walk out the door and be in the center of all the action. The staff is incredibly kind and eager to please. They arranged a tour of Kathmandhu. They also assisted with arranging a nice private car and driver to Pokhara (5-7 hour beautiful, bumpy drive) for $100 a one way. We got a flight back from Pokhara to Kathmandhu - $100 for a 30 minute flight. For a view of the Himalayas on the flight from Kathmandhu to Pokhara, sit on the right side and on the left side for the return.

30 MINUTES WITH A NEPALESE TAXI CAB DRIVER IN KATHMANDHU

"Lose money. Nothing lost. Lose character. Something lost. Lose health. Everything lost".

The drive from the hotel to the airport may have been the most memorable 30 minutes of my time in Nepal. The driver overheard me say something about how meditation and breathing exercises can help with asthma. In Hindhi, he added "Yes, most definitely". "And it can help much more than asthma. Most of the world's problems are problems of the mind. They are problems we have created ourselves. And most problems of the body begin with the mind. This is why we must care for our mind." He spoke of his meditation practice and I listened intently. I asked him to share more about how he came to start this practice and how it has affected his life. "Ten years ago, before I started meditating daily, I was very sick. I would sometimes go to the hospital and have the doctor examine me multiple times a day. The doctor would find that my body was perfectly fine." He paused. "I had anxiety. I had no energy. I always felt ill and could not care for my family. I often felt anger. Small things in life would upset me. I was lost and had no idea what to do or where to go." He continued with a smile. "I then began a meditation practice. I felt the benefits immediately. Even after ten minutes of meditation, I feel positive energy, I feel I have energy, I feel light, I see light. Now I meditate daily. In a quiet place. Sitting upright. I visit my guru twice a year and spend one to two weeks learning from his wisdom. Meditation has changed my life. I can now take care of my family."

He ended with the most memorable words of my trip:

"Lose money. Nothing lost. Lose character. Something lost. Lose health. Everything lost"

POKHARA

In Pokhara, we stayed at the most lovely place. Fishtail Lodge. Absolutely beautiful. And secluded. You must go here. I negotiated approximately $150 per night for a room with two beds and a view of Annapurna and Fishtail mountains.
There are many many options for accommodations from a tight budget to high end. There are also numerous yoga retreats, of which Purna Yoga was the best. Simple accommodation (cots and rustic bathrooms) with great emphasis on meditation, yoga and following an ayurvedic path.
Fishtail Lodge was higher end, but worth the splurge. It is situated across the lake, a perfect distance from the crowded and sometimes noisy town. It is a one minute fun boat ride to reach the lodge, available 24 hours a day. The staff was highly attentive, catering to our every need with a smile. The room was incredible with a view of Fishtail mountain as well as the Annapurna range. They gave us an endless supply of water bottles in our room. The a/c and heater in the room as well as hot water showers were perfect. There is a small gym with everything you need, including an elliptical machine and a range of weight machines.
There are breathtaking views of the Himalayas and the lake from the restaurant, the outside seating area and pretty much the entire hotel.

Few things to note are that they charge a 10% service charge as well as a 13% tax, which means your bill will be 23% higher than the total charges. The wifi in your room is an extra fee of $10 per day for up to two users. The wifi in the lobby and restaurant is included. It is decent but not amazing. There were a few times where it dropped the signal for a bit and only one time where it didn't work for a few hours.

The gentleman at the travel desk at Fishtail Lodge was phenomenal. He helped me coordinate some long and short day hiking ranging from one to six hours, with gorgeous views of the Himalayas. He was super honest with prices through his company versus bargaining outside. His service was valuable so I did not mind paying a bit extra for his assistance and reassurance of good guides. They also assisted me with finding a taxi to drive us all around the surrounding mountains for the day. Expect to pay $50 (5,000 rs) for a simple car with air conditioning. But make sure to check that the a/c works! You may be able to negotiate $35 (3500 rs) for the day, but unlikely. Luxury 4 wheel drive cars are $100/day. Before getting in any taxi, make sure to agree on the price. A 5-10 minute ride should be approximately $2 ($150-300 rs).
I highly recommend my taxi driver, Nirmal Thapa, who took such good care of mymother and I, showed us where to hike and accompanied us for a bit. He bargained on some local handicrafts for me and always made sure we were taken care of. Nirmal's cell phone is: 9846057768.

Here is my recommended itinerary for a couple days of day hiking:

Day 1: The day trek from Sarangkot to Naudanda is a nice 2-3 hour walk through local villages and with beautiful views of the Himalayas at the beginning and the end of the trek. Make sure to check out the 10 minute walk to the view point at the beginning and another one at the end of the trek. In Naudanda, don't miss "O Holy Land", a beautiful café/bar (and soon to be restaurant/guesthouse) at the top of the view point with panoramic Himalayan views from the outdoor sitting area. It is run by a lovely family from South Korea as well as a local Nepalese family.

Day 2: The other day trek I recommend is beginning at Khade (45 minute drive from Pokhara) and hiking up 45 minutes to Australian camp. Australian camp has the best views of the Himalayas that you can get in a day hike. From there, I walked to Dhampus, which takes about an hour. From Dhampus, your driver can pick you up or you can walk down to Phedi (1.5 hour). You could also do this itinerary in reverse, making it a bit more challenging due to the hike from Phedi to Dhampus.

Day 3: Walking around Pokhara town is a fun way to spend a few hours. Check out some of the local handicrafts and wool shawls. There are some tasty places to try local cuisine, although the local food at Fishtail Lodge was by far the best. At the end of the day, the massages are amazing. I loved the Ayurvedic massage with the head oil massage.