trek to manang...

03.09.12

sweet, adorable child with her pet goat.

today was our very first day of trekking in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains.  after yesterdays long and bumpy bus ride to besi sahar, we were all anxious to stretch our legs.  (side note: after two prochlorparazine and continued attention to the road ahead, i made it through the bus ride without vomiting.  sadly, the porter just in front of me was not so lucky.  at one point i had to close my window because his vomit was going out his window and then back into the bus via my window.  it was SO gross!).

this morning we ate a lovely breakfast as a group at our hotel in besi sahar.  the banana porridge was the crowd pleaser; i wish i had order it for myself.  we then took a 1-2 hour jeep ride to bhulbhule (prochlorparazine to the rescue, again).  john, and some of the others, road on top of the jeep.  sadly, my weak stomach did not allow for it.  when the top proved too bumpy for john’s thin frame, he decided to just hang off the side with his feet on the ledge, so not to miss out on the outdoor experience.  i must admit, it looked like fun.

from bhulbhule, our group of five began the 6 day trek to manang.  the scenery was absolutely beautiful.  we struggled to make good time, mostly because we all kept stopping to take photos.  the weather was quite warm, which also caused some delays.   

we stopped for tea and biscuits in lampata (remember, the other members of our group are from the uk).  the city is located just at the peak of the mountain, which allowed for breath-taking views of the valley.  later that evening, all five of us agreed it was the highlight of the day.

we stopped in bahunbanda to get a little vitamin c in the form of oranges.  i cannot express how wonderful it was to have a piece of fruit!  john and i have to be so careful about what we eat here in nepal.  the veggies must be cooked, all fruit must be a variety that can be pealed, and all water must be treated or boiled.  of course, even with strict adherence to the rules, you still are likely to get sick.  i suppose food is only as clean as the hands that prepared it.  (side note: john and i have both already needed a course of antibiotics to cope with the effects of contaminated food/drink.  lucky for us, the pathogens that effect nepali tourists are well known and things get back to normal in no time).

we stopped for the night at a tea house in syange.  john and I find it is so strange to travel into the mountains without a tent or food or any of the usual supplies.  food and lodging, in the form of tea houses, can be found all along the trail. 

03.10.12

mother goat.

mother and child.

today we made our way to tal.  as we walked, we admired the nepali workers clearing away the mountain in order to form a road from kathmandu to manang.  the workers stand at the edge of the cliff and physically chisel away the mountain, and all without any safety mechanisms in place. 

as you might imagine, the creation of a road would bring many changes to the area.  currently, most of the area between kathmandu and manang is only accessible by foot.  this means that all food and other necessities of life have to be physically carried up the mountain.  many trekkers are unhappy about the changes, but many locals are excited for the opportunities that a road will bring.  prices in the more remote parts of nepal are more expensive for trekkers, and nepali’s, due to the cost of hiring a porter to carry supplies up the mountain for many days. 

the highlight of todays trek would be the birth of a goat as we approached tal.  it was so sweet, and so gross, all at the same time.

tal is a great little place situated next to a lake.  the temperature has decreased enough that we are wearing jackets for the first time.  tonight the five of us sat around the table drinking hot chocolate and eating biscuits.  oh, and this tea house had hot showers…which was awesome.

03.11.12

eamon, gobi, claire (ginger), kristy, and me.

 today, we (the HRA) had our first patient.  in our orientation, the HRA had suggested we each keep miniature medical kits with supplies to treat patients on the trek to manang.  i had no idea we would actually be treating patients along the trail.  i’m not sure how, but everyone seems to know we are the HRA doctors.  to be honest, it’s a little creepy. 

patient number one suffered from the most severe blisters i have ever seen.  ugh.

we ended our trek in the city of danakyu.  every night I look forward to dinner, as the food along the trail is surprisingly delicious.  we order vegetable curry and fried rice and pasta and apple pie and even something that resembles a pizza!  no one will be loosing weight on this trek.

back in our room, there seems to be a family of mice having a party just above us.  at one point, the action above was causing debris to fall from the ceiling.  i remained tightly under cover of my sleeping bag, with the hope that it would separate me from the mice that would inevitably fall from above.  lucky for john and i, this did not happen. 

03.12.12

today’s trek took us on some pretty extensive climbs.  it seemed like we either went straight up, or straight down.  along the way, john and eamon treated more blisters and a throat infection.  our lunch break in dharapani turned into a 2 hour affair!

claire (also known as ginger) usually sets a pretty swift pace, and today was no different.  we arrived at chame about 2-3 hours earlier than expected.  the weather turned cooler, and we were all ready to change into our warmer night-time gear.  sadly, our bags and our porters were no where to be seen.  one of john and my bags arrived within the next two hours.  at that point, we learned that the rest of the porters were inebriated and that all other bags would be delayed.  sheesh!  the rest of the porters stumbled in about 6-8 hours later. 

03.13.12

today, our group began trekking while the porters slept.  gobi, our HRA leader of sorts, stayed behind to round them up.  what a mess!

along the route, john helped treat a patient suffering from knee problems.  it’s been so fun to see john in action.  once we arrived at lower pisang, we had another patient with digestive issues and broken spectacles.  luckily, i had collected quite a few spectacles before leaving boston, so i was able to help in a small way. 

as we sat in the common room around the fire, the snow fell outside.  i have been waiting ALL winter for a snowstorm.  it was absolutely beautiful.

03.14.12

leaving lower pisang, nepal.

prayer flags blowing in the wind.

backpack in the snow.

today we arrived in manang.  our small group of HRA volunteers are very excited to be “home.”  as i may have previously mentioned, john and i are no longer staying at the HRA clinic, but rather we are staying in a tea house/lodge next door.  due to limited space in the clinic, as well as limited HRA resources, all fellow doctors (or doctors doing research) are now required to pay their own way.  since that’s what john came to do…that’s what we get to do!  (side note: we learned of this change in the plans about two weeks before we left for nepal.  ugh.).

when we arrived at the clinic there was a line of people waiting outside.  at first, we were concerned that the people were sick patients waiting to be seen.  thankfully, they were all healthy and had come for the daily lecture on altitude related illness.  we informed the group that the lectures would begin tomorrow, and then john gave them a brief outline of the lecture material so they would be prepared for their upcoming trek over the pass. 

to be honest, the HRA clinic is quite dated.  john and i spent hours this afternoon separating out the expired medications from the general stock of supplies.  the others worked to make the one exam room, well, functional.  by the time we parted this evening, the place was nearly acceptable for patients.

i am so happy to be in manang.  john and I are having a wonderful adventure.