Below (in green) is the “raw” news sent out from Namche Bazaar. This was Day 2 of the trek. I started off from Lukla nearly 4 hours late due to a combination of delayed flight and a local porter who suddenly decided to have lunch when we were about to move off.

My original plan was to shock everyone by arriving at Namche on the first day. The porters were exhausted at Monjo. Sumek insisted on letting them rest there for the night. So I didn’t manage to shock everyone on Day 1, but I’ve never stayed at Monjo before, so it wasn’t such a wasted experience. The teahouses nowadays are vastly different from those of yester-years. Toilets are greatly improved. There is water and a manual flushing system. Rooms are more comfortable and almost every teahouse has a TV set in the dining area. What shocked me more were the type of programmes on TV. Let’s say that the content has “matured” a lot.

From Monjo, it was a relatively short hike to Namche. I reached there in time for an early lunch. Our original plan was to buy some fuel and move on to Tengboche, but most of the shops at Namche were closed for the winter. A group departing from Monjo that morning were looking forward to fresh bread from the bakery. Boy were they going to be disappointed. Fortunately, there was this cybercafe which was open.

Sumek scoured the Sherpa capital for propane canisters. We finally managed to get enough fuel (or so we thought). But it was late. We had to spend the night at Namche.

Namaste!

I just had a nice and heavy dhal baat lunch. I feel great and ready
to move on to Tengboche, but not everybody in the team is ready.

Check out pics at Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/knapsack/sets/72157613218596727/

The airport and its surroundings didn’t seem to have changed very much over the years. My last visit was in 2003. It was still the brick walled building, the bronze decor, nothing obviously added or subtracted. Even though it was midday when I arrived, it was not particularly warm. This was winter after all.

Once I collected my checked in luggage and cleared customs, the familiar crowd greeted. I saw a tall, young but bearded Nepalese man holding out an A4 sized paper with my name written on it. I smiled to him and walked towards him. He introduced himself as Sumek and he was my climbing guide.

A white minibus was waiting. It was from the Holy Himalaya Hotel. Sumek informed me that the hotel (formerly known as Dynasty) now belonged to Jyoti. He placed a garland around my neck and welcomed me to Nepal - again. Sumek was a man of few words, an unusual characteristic for a guide. Only 27 years of age, he was tall for a Nepalese and his charming facial features would certainly qualify him for a role in Bollywood. Like many people his age, Sumek couldn’t leave his mobile phone in his pocket for more than a few minutes. But out on the streets, the modern buildings were still dull and uninspiring. Piles of rubbish were everywhere. There weren’t many beggars and cows, but the stench was there at every street corner.

The Holy Himalaya was really a beautiful hotel. It’s amazing how well Jyoti had done in recent years. I felt happy for him. Jyoti gave me a suite on the top floor. There was no fantastic view from the balcony, but the room itself (actually 2 rooms in one).

The bathroom is in this main room. There’s another room connected to the main bedroom. There’s a single bed here.

Connected to the single-bedded room, is a pantry with cooking facilities and a refrigerator. There’s also wifi available. If I had brough my laptop, I could have worked online in the comfort and privacy of my room without needing to go to a cybercafe.

I figured that this suite would be quite worthwhile for a family or a group staying in Kathmandu for a couple of months.

I went on the usual walking tour in the city and returned to the hotel in the early evening. Jyoti was in the meeting room. He was still the same calm, disciplined but cheerful guy. He was surprised that I had decided to take up this challenge, but he was supportive of the project. We had dinner together and I sent out the following despatch from the computer in the meeting room.

Below (in green) is the “raw news” sent out from my friend’s computer at the Holy Himalaya.

Namaste! I arrived at about noon today. The skies are so clear that
you can even see the Langtang peaks from the airport. I’ve met up with
my guide Sumek and we discussed the best and safest approach to Island
Peak this winter. We may climb even faster than originally planned,
skipping high camp and withdrawing further after the climb.

If all goes well, I may summit on the first or second day of Chinese
New Year. Or make it Tibetan New Year in these parts. My 3G mobile
works well here. In the mountains, I may be able to call from above
5000m. Wait for my next update.

Check out pics at Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/knapsack/sets/72157613218596727/

I didn’t make it to the summit of Island Peak this time. I aborted the climb when my climbing boots cracked at base camp. Singapore’s hot and humid conditions are probably not ideal for the storage of climbing boots.

I discovered that winter is not a bad time to do low altitude treks. The days are often cloudless and warm under direct sunlight. However, nights can be bitterly cold. As long as one is well-prepared for the cold, trekking itself should not be a problem.

Accommodation can be problem at the higher altitudes. Places like Namche Bazaar will look like ghost towns in winter. Those looking forward to the bakery will be disappointed. It’s closed when I was there in January. Nevertheless, residents in almost any village will open up an empty lodge for any sizeable group, so camping is still not necessary on the main trails.

But as far as food is concerned, quality and availability can be a problem when markets are not as vibrant as during the warmer months and regular cooks at the lodges look for jobs in India. Again, this problem can be economically solved in sizeable groups which can bring in their own cook and food from Kathmandu.

Climbing in winter? I have my reservations unless you have special equipment. Ordinary sleeping bags used for spring and autumn ascents are inadequate. Everything freezes at base camp, including your breath and the people who suffer the most are the porters who take turns to bring food to you in your tent. Even though I would have gone for the summit if my boots had not cracked, I wouldn’t advise anyone to do a winter ascent. I certainly wouldn’t do it again.

Nepal is rather peaceful at the moment and tourists are pouring back. The guide books were wrong. Kathmandu was crowded even in the low season. The so-called Maoists “terrorists” now form the government and it’s business better than usual. In season, hotels were full. The cost for rooms, food, transport have all gone up. Many mid-range hotels have wi-fi internet access. You can bring your notebook to Kathmandu and use it there. 3G phones work even in some places in the mountains. There are quite a few ATMs in the city. My OCBC card only works at the Standard Chartered ATMs. Maximum withdrawal each time 25,000 rupees.

The traffic in Kathmandu is worse than ever. Smoky “tuk tuks” are dying out, but the already narrow streets are even more congested. There seems to be an explosion of motorbikes. Many Nepalese youngsters ride their sleek machines around the valley. Garbage is still heaping up everywhere, but there are hardly any sacred cows playing in the mess these days. On a more “positive” note, roads are now going to places previously accessible only on foot. There is definitely a negative impact on the environment, but roads can also bring about the quick exit of garbage. Not only that, many previously long and time-consuming treks have become possible even for busy Singaporeans.

In the mountains, lodges have all been upgraded. No more drop down toilets. All manual flushing - very good when water is plentiful, a nightmare when everything is frozen. Many “didis” have even learned how to make Korean kimchi using local vegetables. One didi at Phakding makes really good kimchi which she proudly dishes out to anyone who is familiar with chopsticks.

Many things will look the same as 15 years ago, yet it is obvious that businesses are catering to domestic needs as well. Sleazy bars have sprung up everywhere in the city. Their target customers are Nepalese men. For tourists, the pashmina shawls and other souvenirs are getting more and more “plastic”. Vendors insist that there is some “yak bone” in their plastic bracelets.

The touts don’t konichiwa me so often. They have learned to say “ni hao” and tea shops (selling tea leaves) are now dealing with oolong tea. There is a flood of Chinese tourists and with them, came many more Thai, Korean and Chinese restaurants. The mainland Chinese coming from Tibet are likely to bring about further changes to Kathmandu.

I will be conducting Nepal trips again, but not as frequently as before. I can, however, design and arrange trips for any group or individual who wish to go there.

Chan Joon Yee
Singapore 2009