Kids, do what I did. Go trek the Annapurna. Circuit or Base camp or any of them, really. The mountains are breathtaking and it's not that difficult [not until you hit the high altitudes anyways].
So after Goris I got back to Yerevan, same hostel, same city. I met my newly found Ukrainian/Canadian friend and we enjoyed one last day of the beers and talking.
The next day I went to a monastery, one of the oldest ones in the world where some saint was locked in the basement for 13 years or so some long time ago. This is where I experienced how kind and hospitable people can be without wanting anything from you. They gave me hope again that maybe not everyone wants something from me. I took a bus that dropped me off on a side of the road and I still had to walk about 6 kilometers to the monastery. Half way after walking on a motor road I took a side path through the wineries and this is where it happened. I saw a bunch of grape pickers having lunch and said hello. They said hello back and insisted I joined them for lunch. They gave me everything - bread, cheese, grapes, you name it. They also made me take pictures with them and we agreed I will send them to them later that day. I just left them and no more then 10 minutes later another group of grape pickers called me in for a lunch as well. I wasn't hungry, but it is almost impossible to say no. They gave me even more food and even more food to take with. I had a full bag of food and great, so full that is broke in the end.
I finally made my way to the monastery, walked around and started walking back. One of the groups I had lunch with stopped with their van and gave me a ride back to the road where I then waited for the bus and got back to Yerevan.
The next day I got on a plane and flew to Dubai. Dubai was never high on my list for a visit, but since I have a friend living there and I was flying through it anyways, I decided to spend a few days there. It was better than I expected, but then again, because of people, not because of the concrete jungle you face when you get there.
We walked in the old town, visited gold market [where they do not sell gold bars, so disappointing], we refreshed with ice coffees, visited Abu Dhabi's huge mosque, walked a little in the city center, walked the Marina back in Dubai, talked and caught up a lot. It's been two days only, but it's been a nice break from a usual backpacking kind of life style.
And then there was Kathmandu. Completely different vibe from Dubai as you can probably expect. Full of people, full of traffic, lots of dirt and sand and trash all around. It took me a while to go through the passport control and visa dealing and once I was out I had to take a taxi to the hostel. I spent two days in Kathmandu trying not to die in the insane traffic they have here, getting permits for the trek, buying sleeping bag and other stuff I will need for the trek. I even met this guy in a hostel who decided he wanted to join me for the Annapurna circuit trek and after two days of the heavy air in the capital, we took a bus to Besishahar where we started the trek.
The bus ride was supposed to be around 6 hours, but it took us 12. Apparently someone decided to make some construction work the night before without telling anyone and so we were stuck in an enormous traffic jam in Kathmandu for 4-5 hours. So once we got in, it was already dark and too late to start the trek, plus it was raining, so we just ran to the first "hotel" we could see and called it a night. There were five of us there - me, US guy I met who decided to join me, two dutch guys and an obnoxious and annoying German girl who ditched her guide half way through the bus ride, for the single reason of: "well, no one else in a bus have a guide, so..". The next day dutch guys took a jeep, as they were short with time and the three of us started our walk where I was determined to ditch the German girl at out earliest convenience. I know what you are thinking - and it's not just me who disliked her. Everyone wanted to get rid of her. Good thing she decided to ditch herself the first day, when we wanted to continue and she wanted to stay in the village we reached at around 2.30 p.m.
We did 4 long first days, walking 20+ kilometers each day and going up to Manang which lays at 3500 meters elevation. It was tiring, but good four days, as you start in the hot weather, jungle kind of scenery full of rice fields and sun and heat, slowly moving to more rocky landscapes with the snowy peaks of Annapurna 2, 3 and 4. It was a good workout, but not impossible. Like I say, if I can do it, everyone can.
In Manang, due to the altitude and because it was intense days, we took a rest day, doing basically nothing. All I managed that day is to buy a hat, a cable for my phone and read my book. It was a good day and well needed rest as after that, the altitude started to kick in.
The next two days we were walking slowly, ascending modestly and walking only 3-4 hours a day. I was terrified and paranoid about the altitude sickness that I had in Bolivia, so I was very keen on going as slow as possible. The last day before the pass, we got to Thorong Pedi, the place at around 4600 meters in altitude, but decided to climb up to the High Camp just so the bodies can get used to it. I got a throbbing headache due to the altitude and even though it disappeared towards the end of the day, I was afraid that if it comes back, I may need to do another rest day and acclimatize better before going to the pass.
The night was sleepless and I did wake up with a headache, but seeing how it wasn't terrible, we took off at 6 a.m. And these next 5 kilometers and 1 kilometer in altitude were the hardest in the trip. We were ascending slowly and painfully, with each step trying to catch our breaths. We met some girls from Israel, one of them having worse AMS than me [mine was still just a headache] and it made me feel a little better about myself - maybe I can do this after all? So we slowly walked those 5 kilometers in 4.5 hours when we saw that big sign of "congratulations, you are at the Thorong La pass, altitude 5416" and suddenly adrenaline took over, we forgot the tiredness and headaches and enjoyed our 10 minutes fame on the pass.
After that - big decent down, quite steep and really not so good for the knees. This is where my trekking partner got a really bad knee, so instead of a planned place to sleep, we picked the first village we found and the next day we separated ways - I kept walking and he took a bus to Pokhara. It was a wise thing to do - knees are not a joke.
I walked for two days, going about 25 kilometers a day until I came one of the lowest spots in the trek - Tatopani, a village full of people who are trekking Annapurnas or Poonhill. Good thing would have been to take a rest day there, but I kind of wanted to finish, so I decided against it. The next day - 2 kilometers elevation to the almost top of the Poonhill was painful. Both mentally and physically, but I made it in good time, got myself a place to sleep and promised myself I will go those extra 300 meters to the top of the hill for the sunrise and the views. It wasn't the best sunset I have seen, but it was definitely worth a climb.
Shortly after that and breakfast I went down - again 2 kilometers in the altitude and man, that is no good for the legs.. It is doable though and it is doable in one day as I started around 8 a.m. and I was in a bus to Pokhara already at 2.15 p.m.
The bus ride would be short if roads were of at least normal shape, but they aren't. So it took us I think 2.5 hours to drive 40 kilometers or so before I was dropped off on the side of the road and went to my hostel. In Pokhara, and I am not ashamed to say this, I did nothing for two days. My legs felt wooden and I was tired and I needed some rest and time to regain my strength. I could have made one of few small treks up the temple, but I decided against it. I have already been to Annapurna, I have already trekked for 13 days, I have had enough for this time.
And here I am now, back in Kathmandu, doing the things I have to prepare myself for the next steps of my trip. I applied for Australian visa, still afraid of buying tickets in case something goes wrong, I sent a package home with some trekking gear and some gifts for the family, I walked around the busy Kathmandu and enjoy their many delicious foods and I am planning/researching my next destinations of secretly craving for a McDonald's burger.
I have done it. Annapurna circuit was on top of my list for a very long time. My fear, if I can make it or not was fully alive with me the whole time and kept me from thinking about anything else. But I have done it and I have done it in good time. I feel like I can be proud of myself and I feel that I can keep going. It may have started for the wrong reasons, but it ended in a best possible mindset. I am free and I am happy.
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OFF Topic
I have spoken about the Casino at the end of the world recently, but my mind did not wander there, feeling like you are trapped at the roulette table, programmed to lose. I feel like I have distanced myself from it. Not intentionally, it just so happened. I am starting to believe that maybe, I am an exception, after all.
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