Trekking Nepal in April 2011 – Part 2: Gorkha to Baluwa

The following is a continuation of Part 1:  Kathmandu to Gorkha.

We left Kathmandu and the Vajra Hotel in a large passenger van on a drive to the city of Gorkha.  Once in Gorkha, we met a surprise Maoist protest that shut down the road leading to our trail head.  This doesn’t mean we waited around…our group unloaded the gear in the middle of a busy city street and we began hiking amidst red hammer-and-sickle flags and crowds of naive Nepalis who support the last gasp of Maoist communism in the World.

Beginning the trek

Our first night was spent in a school yard on a plateau above the Daraudi Khola (river).  We were drinking large Nepal beers outside the school building when we realized that the kids were still in school.  They showed up as we finished our enormous drinks, along with their teacher, to show off their English skills, and took no obvious notice of our large bottles.  Imagine that anywhere else in the world .  We were awakened in the night by powerful gusts of wind, dust and lightening.  By morning we were covered in a coating of red dust, but thanks to the quick work of our staff, our tents were staked down in mid-storm and we were fine.

First full day

The next day was a brutal 26 km hike from our first camp, down through rice paddies, past banana trees, along the Daraudi and finally to the village of Baluwa, which was the end of the bus line and functionally, the last stop on the road north from Gorkha.  While it wasn’t the hardest day for vertical travel, the heat combined with the distance not only left us exhausted, but allowed us to leave our porters far behind.  This would be the last time that would happen.

As the day progressed, we could tell that we were heading into the true Himalayas, with glimpses every now and then of snowy peaks in the distance.  Rather than follow the river’s twists and turns, the trail was typical for Nepal…the shortest distance between two points, even if that meant up and over the hills that were at every river bend.  Our lunch was along a beautiful part of the river where we had the pleasure of putting our feet into the cold, glacial water.  It was also our first chance to see how lunch on a trek in Nepal is every bit the same affair as breakfast and dinner.  The cooks set up a kitchen and make food that is fit for a restaurant anywhere in the world.

Baluwa

The village of Baluwa wasn’t the prettiest, but the children that came out to meet us made it a fun evening, as once again we were used for English practice.  We learned quickly that lower elevations have plenty of biting insects.  The morning alarm clock was the sound of the buses blowing their very colorful horns to let people know they were about to leave.

Onward to Barpak

We left the river soon after leaving Baluwa, and left behind any doubts that this would be an easy trek.  Next post:  Part 3:  Baluwa to Barpak.