In the beginning of October, James, his friend Harper and I took a trip to Nepal. I had purchased the ticket weeks ago but for a while was considering not going, held back by my fear of being alone and lack of athletic abilities. But a few days before, I decided to take the leap and go. And thank god I did because it turned out to be one of the most magical places I've ever been and maybe my favorite country I've visited in Asia. Though it was only about a week long, I had an amazing time exploring Kathmandu, spending 4 days solo in Pokhara, meeting travelers from around the world, eating delicious Nepali food, taking way too many pictures, and buying way too many gorgeous souvenirs. I'll add a blog soon detailing my day by day travels but as I'm still working through how to express this trip to other people, here is a little reflection on my experience through an acrostic poem of Nepal.
Never ending mountains
One of the things that makes Nepal so special is the beautiful landscapes. After spending a day in Kathmandu, I took a 9 hour bus ride to the town of Pokhara, the second most popular city in Nepal to visit. After driving only 20 minutes out of the city, we were completely surrounded by unexplainably tall mountains. We started way at the top of one of the rolling hills and slowly cascaded down through the valley, eventually following alone a rushing river most of the way until we reached Pokhara. Beyond each bend we curved around were more mountains behind more mountains.
The drive flew by because looking out the window was like watching a live version of Planet Earth. Way, way in the distance through the clouds you could even see the snowy topped Himalayas. Those were even more breathtaking, they looked like a painting. I couldn’t get the most ideal pictures because of the bumpy and windy roads, but man those views were unforgettable.
Escape
Living in Vietnam can be quite exhausting. The endless traffic, the constant stream of motorbikes, the people yelling in the streets…it’s all a bit much after a few months. Coming to Nepal, I didn’t really know what to expect but I was just glad to be out of the city for a bit. And arriving in Kathmandu I already felt more relaxed. Though the city was still a bit hectic with it’s small winding streets and town squares packed with vendors trying to sell their produce or colorful souvenirs, it somehow felt so much calmer. There were a fair amount of tourists and touristic shops as well, but even with this the city felt more authentic and enjoyable.
Pokhara was similar but the energy was even calmer. Situated around Phewa Lake and surrounded by mountains, one couldn’t help but feel relaxed here. I had found my peaceful escape. I spent the evenings reading books on the balcony of our hostel, enjoying a cider by the lakeside, and strolling around a quite path around the lake. It was excellent self reflection time. Especially since I was on my own in Pokhara, I felt like was able to unwind and fully take advantage of the relaxed attitude of the town.
People
The people I met in Nepal, both foreigners and locals, were wonderful. Out of all the places I’ve visited since living abroad, the Nepali people may have been the friendliest. Multiple times people came up to me on the street and asked if I needed any help or just started a conversation. They usually weren’t even trying to sell anything! And if they were, they still genuinely seemed interested in chatting to you first. They wanted to know where you were traveling and give you more information about their beautiful country.
The travelers in Nepal just had a different vibe than other backpackers I’ve met in southeast Asia. The majority of the travelers in Nepal come for the outdoors, to do a trek or take part in the adventurous activities available. This apparently translates to people that are super chilled out and “go with the flow,” which I loved. My last day in Pokhara, I was going to go to a lake by myself and explore, but as I was heading out I ran into a few other people from my hostel that were also going who invited me along. We spent a wonderful, relaxing day on the lake with no concerns of other responsibilities. Their attitude helped me release a lot of anxieties I had trying to every activity possible and made my brief solo travel truly enjoyable.
Adventure
Besides the spectacular mountains, Nepal is known for it’s adventurous activities. From multiple week-long treks to paragliding to rafting excursions, Nepal is made for the thrill seekers. Almost everyone I had met had either already gone or was about to go on a multiple day trek. I didn’t have enough time (or stamina) to do a trek this trip, but I hope to go back soon to do one now that I've got some insider knowledge on the different options available. Besides trekking, people sign up for loads of other activities that definitely get your heart pumping. I personally went paragliding! Me and an older Israeli man drove way, way up to Sarangkot to the launch point. We could see people soaring around us overhead. Overall, the experience was pretty incredible and quite relaxing besides the bit of nausea that I and many other flyers seemed to endure. With such amazing scenery, it’s no surprise that there is such an abundance of activities like this and I can’t wait to do more in the future.
Lessons learned
Even though it was a short trip, our week in Nepal gave me a lot to think about. It reminded me how much I like to travel. I don’t love being in Hanoi and staying there for so long can start to leave a stale taste of abroad in your mouth. But going to a totally new country and experiencing the cultural differences and hearing people’s plans of travel and exploring, I remembered why I came out here in the first place.
The trip also gave me a little boost of self confidence. Before going to Pokhara, I had a bit of a freak out that I couldn’t do anything alone. I couldn’t even choose a hostel by myself before leaving for my solo excursion. But looking back, I decided lots of things on my own. I chose our hostel in Kathmandu and mine in Pokhara. I decided to go paragliding by myself. I made plans each day that I planned to do alone but ended up meeting great people along the way who wanted to join. I met and connected with great people without having the support of anyone I knew around. It’s easy to forget how crazy traveling can be and, at the risk of sounding braggy, I’m proud I did this on my own.
And lastly, I CAN hike. I’m not the most fit. I may need to take breaks every few minutes. But that doesn’t mean I can’t do it. We did a short day hike in Pokhara and it was hotter than hot and all uphill but I made it without a tear.
Nepal is an amazing, beautiful, reflective place and I’m so glad I decided to tag along on this trip. Would highly recommend to anyone and hopefully I'll be back soon!
Click here to see all my pictures from Nepal!