Do you know where the first Buddha came from?

If you chose Nepal, DING! To be honest, I didn't really investigate anything about Nepal. I came there knowing only the Himalayas, its geographic location on a map, and the earthquake that happened a few years ago. My lack of knowledge is what compelled me to visit it. That attraction of the unknowing and no judgement on a place I know so little about. My circle never talked about it and I live in Asia so I purchased a ticket. My boy Mike from Frisco decided to come along with me and meet me there. I don't think either of us knew what we were in store for. I did book a tour through Dream Heaven Adventure, which is rare because I rarely do full tours, but I was really happy with the experience.

*For those interested in booking a tour with Dream Heaven Adventure, here is their website:

https://www.dreamhimalayan.com/

CONTENTS:

1- Story

2- Summary

3- Animals

4- Unfortunate Ones

(For those who don't have time or care about reading it all.)

The story:

I arrived into Kathmandu in the late evening. Everything was dark and I was tired. I had no opinion thus far till I arrived at the hotel via a narrow alley. Looked residential and like someones house till the gate opened and I saw a fairly large courtyard and the hotel name. My hotel was in the Thamel area. I got into my room and went to sleep.

Day 1: Kathmandu-

After a generic breakfast because I can't eat anything, I met with my tour guide and we ventured off to Swotambhu Stupa AKA the Monkey Temple, named for all the monkeys that roam the area. They could also call it the dog temple as there were many dogs too. My guide shared a lot of the history, unfortunately I have a difficult time retaining lots of information and I mainly gathered it was a Buddhist temple. When she wasn't sharing her knowledge I was snapping photos and videos of dogs and monkeys and the landscape. The air quality looked morbid. I wasn't sure if it was air pollution or haze. The guide told me it was a mix. It did clear up as the day went on. The monkeys and dogs ranged all over. There were also shops, locals, and tourists shopping, selling wares, praying, and in conversation. While I have done a lot of traveling, monkeys are still a marvel to me.

Our second stop was Patan Durbar Square. By this time I realized I haven't seen any stop lights or signs. Streets were narrow and lots of traffic. With the lack of traffic signs, things managed to work. Patan Durbar Square is also known as the Kings Palace. This place had a lot of charm. Interesting architecture, people, and lots and lots, and let me quote Dre Dog, "dirty flying rats." For those that don't know, that means pigeons.

I visited some of the buildings, saw the royal bath, and went to a museum on Hindi and Buddhist religions. Photographing this area was fun, especially with the pigeons flying around. It reminded me of lunch time in middle school when the seagulls would fly out their armada and shit on us students at Presidio Middle School in the Sko. It was now sinking in, how 3rd world and interesting this country is. It reminded me of Mexico in the 80's when we would go every summer to visit family. I can dig it. Its been a long time but I haven't forgotten what its like. It was nice to be away from western influence as I didn't see much here.

Our 3rd stop was the Pashupatinath temple which is a Hindi temple. There was a lot more to this area than just a temple. There were various structures dotting the landscape and a river in which they held funerals. There were 3 bodies being prepared to go down river when I arrived. They were wrapped in cloth and a ceremony was taking place. I observed for a while but I didn't really understand it all so I continued to wander the area amid religious men in their mystic garments and painted faces trying to catch my attention to take their picture for a fee. I declined. After all this we went to the temple itself. I was not allowed and the only way I could be allowed according to my guide was to marry a Nepalis, become a citizen, and live there. A little too much for me.

Our last stop was Bouddhanath Stupa. This was a square with a large white structure in its center. The buildings gave a European feel in terms of architecture. I also dined in a restaurant that had some gluten free options which is always a bonus. After lunch the guide and I wandered the square passing tourists, locals, and monks. There were lots of shops but I am not one for shopping and rarely do I buy anything.

After the tour I wandered the streets near my hotel to photograph everyday scenes. People were nice. No one hustled me or tried to run game. Streets were narrow and I never got stopped in traffic on foot until this day. There are no sidewalks so people, bikes, cars, motor bikes, and whatever else all share the streets. I wanted to go clubbing but the prices were high and I'm too old and too picky to go to some random weak ass club. Club music today mostly sucks in my opinion.

DAY 2: Kathmandu

My second day was a personal day for wandering. Mike would be coming later that afternoon. I started early and began shooting. It wasn't long before a man engaged me in conversation. He successfully made his diplomacy check and befriended me. He promised tea and hash. I was uncomfortable. Anyone who randomly approaches me especially in other countries I look at as wolves. People trying to run game and hustle. I played the game cautiously. He took me into a local tea house which was pretty grimy and broken down. I liked that style but I was still highly on guard. We talked, shared a couple stories. He said weed was legal in certain areas, like tea houses and they have holy ceremonies involving doesha. (I later found out via google its not legal but it seems relaxed.) I scanned my area and watched everyone, not trusting anyone. I was even giving my new friend a hard time and pretty much let him know that I didn't trust him without actually saying it and that our blaze together would solidify or break my trust with him. He rolled a spliff and got me some tea. Paid for it all and nothing bad happened. He had gained a bit more trust from me. He said he worked as a part time guide and wanted to show me around. I knew this meant he would ask for money. Considering he smoked me out and bought me tea I agreed.

The markets were buzzing with sellers at their stands selling wares from vegetables, fruits, jewelry, clothing, and other crafts. No one hassled me and I took the opportunity to shoot photos. I was quite surprised to see so few people on their phones like in other places I've lived and visited. This was the capitol city. It was refreshing, then as we crossed an overpass spotted, 1, then 2, and finally 3 people on their phones.

He took me to a botanical garden and helped pay a little less than half my ticket and we talked about what areas would be best to blaze in. After relaxing at the garden it was time for me to meet my friend. This was when the man asked for some scratch. He bought me tea, smoked me out, paid some of my ticket, and showed me around. I gave him 10 US dollars and he seemed very happy with that. I would say that everything he paid for probably added up to about 6 or 7 bucks. I felt it was a good deal.

I returned to my hotel where I spotted children who spoke English playing in the alley. They engaged me and I replied back. One asked if I could ollie on his skateboard. I use to as a teen but could barely balance on one now. "But I can do his." I said, as I began robotting and popping. The trio enjoyed to little show.

An hour or so later, Mike arrived. We caught up, met with Suman, are contact with the tour service, paid our fee and purchased items for the trek. I needed hiking boots, gloves, and I wanted to rent a sleeping bag. Upon returning, I went to the roof top and shot photos and Mike ate dinner. I was beginning to feel ravenous! I don't have it like everyone else with my dietary restrictions. I googled gluten free food. My diet is actually more strict than just omitting gluten, but when I travel I cheat some. All I know is gluten really puts me in a bad place. I found the French Bakery. Reviews were legit and it was a mere 10 minute walk from my hotel. I left immediately. (More info on foods in the foods section)

DAY 3- Pokhara and the trekking begins...

We left at 6am to catch our domestic flight to Pokhara at 7am. A 3 hour delay brought me back to Mexico in the 80's again or maybe JetStar or Vietjet today. Take your pick. Mike bought snacks and he unknowingly bought one that said gluten free on the cover. He gave that one to me. There were lots of flights to a place called MOUNTAIN. Never figured that out.

The company name was Yeti Airlines. The other company we saw was Buddha. Love both names for different reasons. The aircraft was small and the interior even smaller. I had to duck as I walked in and room was not spacious but domestic flights are 15 to 30 minutes in length. At least for this trip. Kathmandu to Pokhara was 30 minutes. Before we knew it, we were in the air. The landscape was epic as I marveled at the Himalayas in their full glory. I thought to myself, "soon ill be at the base of some of those mountains." As quickly as we reached our final altitude it was time to descend.

We arrived at the Pokhara bus stop...err airport and were greeted my two men. Our guide who introduced himself as Sam, real name Shyam, looked Philipino. He was dark, short, a little fat with a nice warm smile. The other was a taller, thinner, younger man who looked Arabic. Sam introduced him as, "Dye" which means homey or something similar. I later found out his name was Sitaram.

We purchased some additional items. I needed a thermal for my body and some ice spikes for my shoes. I have no idea what they are called. Never used them before. I am not a trekker or mountain climber and never trekked in ice and snow. Finally we ate our food. I had Dal Bhat. We immediately hopped into a small ass taxi and I had to ride bitch from Pokhara to our destination, Nayapul. I actually got some sleep in, despite the bumpiness. I wouldn't know until our return trip how poor the roads really were.

We were now at Nayapul. The journey had begun. Sitaram carried some of our items. I carried all my electronic gear which came to about 13 kilos. The first day was fairly easy. Mostly a flat dirt road with buses and jeeps. Small villages, farms, and tea houses dotted the mountainous landscape. During this time we didn't see many trekkers. They were probably taking the buses and there were some in jeeps. During this time we didn't see too many trekkers trekking. The Modi river was roaring parallel to us as we hiked.

We eventually came to a nice waterfall, next to it a modern looking tea shop. We went to the tea shop opposite which was more traditional and "ghetto." Despite my need for short quick breaks we would be doing many tea breaks and relaxing much longer than I'd wished. My motto when it comes to hiking is keep it moving. Short breaks, stretch, move. Onward we continued until we reached our first overnight stop: Seuli Bazzar. There was maybe 1 or 2 other guests. It was quiet. I asked Sam about some doesha, he brought me bammer that did little for my sleep. Showers were weak in pressure and luke warm. It was about 6 degrees C at the most. I ate Dal Bhat for dinner.

DAY 4:

There isn't much to do on a trek especially when its cold as a polar bears claw and its dark. If you are into star photography, which I am there is that. Reading books would pass time. I didn't bring mine. I'm sure there are more things, I guess I am not very imaginative. For those like me, I slept early and got up early. This usually meant i was in the comfort of my cocoon at around 7pm and was up around 5am. Our next stop was Chongrong. This was a grueling experience of mostly uphill steps. This was the hardest day of hiking for me. While the trek was still fairly easy, we came upon a large expanse and below, the river flowing. Connecting the two mountains together was a long suspension bridge. I remember a similar one in Vancouver, Canada but I think this one was longer. It was well over 200 meters in length. Sam said the land forms I called mountains connecting the bridge were just hills. I got a laugh out of that. It was intimidating for sure, but I don't suffer from a huge fear of heights. It had to be done so it was done.

After the bridge, the most exhausted part of the trip commenced. It was brutal steps all up hill to Chongrong. At its end, my thighs were burning from pain. I would climb 10 steps, rest a minute, then climb 10 more. Before I knew it, I was at Chongrong overlooking the gorge below and the snow peaked Himalayas above. It was a legendary view and the Himalayas did loom a bit closer. I knew I would be sore tomorrow. I didn't train or anything for this trek. The ladies who worked at he guest house were nice. I noticed one of them pulling eyebrows with thread. I wanted to try so when the girl was done I gave it a go. It was a bit painful but no too bad. Dinner time! Guess what I had? That's right folks, Dal Bhat. It wasn't long till word got out that all I ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner was Dal Bhat and I received the Moniker Dal Bhat. That night I did some star photography before I went to sleep. It still wasn't below 0 C. I did not sleep well.

DAY 5:

I expected to wake up completely sore but I was wrong. I am still perplexed as how I was only mildly sore. We got up early, ate, and marched. I killed it, this day. It was mostly level ground and I just whipped past everyone. I was in a flow and couldn't be stopped. It began with a downhill of steps, then an uphill, but after that it was mostly level with easy up hills and down hills. I felt strong, took photos, and was in good spirits. I made it to Himalayas rest area quickly and waited for my team.

That night in the mess hall, while everyone was eating dinner a punk ass white dude from England decided to flex his doucheness on me and attempted to assault me in the mess hall with his water bottle. I am not going to go into details. The Nepalis took him down for me. They knew he was in the wrong. The nickname Dal Bhat was growing and the temperature had hit the -'s. It was around -3 to -5 at this point and would only get colder. I befriended a Spaniard, exchanged contacts.

Even with a sleeping bag, blanket, clothes on with thermals underneath it took a minimum of 30 minutes to warm my hands and feet, slightly less for he rest of my body. Sleep was just not good so far. Bammer didn't help. I would go in and out of slept, have to take early morning pisses, which I guess maybe older men begin to do, which I hated as the temperatures were literally freezing. Handled it like a vet and never complained.

DAY 6:

This was the day! I would complete the trek to ABC (Anapurna Base Camp) NOT American Born Chinese which Mike was and I would have fun with that. We got up early, ate, packed and ventured off.The trek was not difficult. Some ups, downs, and level ground. Before reaching a difficult uphill of steps there was an amazing array of mini waterfalls arranged on the rock face horizontally. I had to stop and take some videos and pictures. After that steep incline, snow became more and more common place. The Himalayas loomed closer as well. Our last stop before ABC was Machapuchare base camp, or MBC.

We were now in land/snow slide area. I saw a light weight snow slide but it did nothing. The sound startled me however.

It was at least -10c by the time I reached MBC. Since I was the first of my team to arrive I decided to take some photos of the area as it was amazing. It wasn't long before I felt my hands were being flayed, the cold was so potent. I did the best I could taking photos but eventually retreated to the mess hall which was still cold but less so. When my team finally arrived, I learned that it would only be Sam and I who would trek to ABC. I didn't waste much time. I had to put on my ice spike things that went under my shoes, gloves and beanie.

The only way to stay warm was to trek on. Resting brought about the frosty cold of a frost giants breath. Despite being tired, I would rather walk then rest. I was strong. Within the hour Sam and I arrived at ABC. ABC was practically surrounded by mountains, except for the trail we took to get there. It was immense, incredible, and too cold for my taste. I finally had a cool English man as a roommate for the night, I ate you know what, and waited till night. After dinner I wanted to see the stars. It was one of the most amazing star filled nights I have ever seen. I grabbed my tripod and spent 30 minutes taking photos, hoping at least one gem would emerge from the memory card. I fought the cold and managed, hitting that 30 minute mark was enough, I went to sleep. Another shitty sleep.

DAY 7:

The trek was amazing but at this point I was done with the cold. I didn't want to be up here anymore. I got up around 5:30 am, packed, got some sunrise photos, ate breakfast and left. I killed it to MBC. With a gradual decline and spikes under my shoes I literally danced to MBC. Took me about 50 minutes even taking lots of photos. Day 7, I hustled hard and almost made it back to Chomrong in one day. At the time I didn't realize I would pay for that move, dearly, the next day. I kept focused. Short breaks, Dal Bhat, and hustled. I did have another altercation with a American this time. I was talking to a young Australian woman about travel and this punk ass dude came up to me and said, "no one wants to hear your life story." Why is it that ONLY white people will come into a random conversation that has nothing to do with them and talk shit? I was so skull fucked that I was confused for several seconds because I couldn't believe the doucheness level of this punk. I looked at the woman I was talking to and she was even confused. I turned back to the guy and told him to "fuck off and to mind his own fucking business!" He didn't bother me again. Anyway, I made it to Sinuwa and had my first real sleep I was so tired. I also had my own room.

DAY 8:

I was HELLA sore! My legs from thighs to calves were spent. I had multiple blisters on my feet and my dumb ass never came prepared so I had to deal with it. I could barely move but had no choice but to continue. I hobbled down steps, slowly walked up steps and moved decently across flat ground. The good news was we were going just past Chomrong to a hot spring at the river below. We Went to the Hot Spring guest house (could have had a different name) and descended to the river and enjoyed a nice hot spring with other trekkers. There were 3 pools. One was empty but colder and 2 were full. My buddy asked, "Euros or Americans?" That was easy for me, I was tired of the disrespectfulness of white men so I jumped in with the Nepalis and the Spanish.

The hot spring was a blessing. Warm water to heal my achy legs and relax the pain that was developing in my knees. The highlight was Sam's head and face. We didn't realize he was bald until then. He always wore a hat. It was a hilarious sight! The rest of the day and evening was uneventful, but I did have another good sleep!

DAY 9:

This was the end of the trek. The plan was to go back the way we came which would take about 7 hours. This would have meant we would have had no time to explore Pokhara. We changed our plan. We decided to hike 2 hours on a different trail to the bus/jeep drop off point which would save us 5 hours. For a bit I felt bad, as I felt this was punking out on the final stretch. I soon realized the jeep ride was an adventure in itself. Bumpy roads, waterfalls, kids taking mountain paths to go to school, and tea houses. The path was different and offered me an opportunity to take more pictures.

The ride to Pokhara was like 80's Mexico again. We probably drove 15 miles in a couple hours. (This might b a slight exaggeration.) The roads were horrible. I couldn't believe I dozed off coming here with roads like this. This shit was cray and quite the experience. While I have been in these situations many times, its been a while. The roads didn't get better until we reached Pokhara.

Pohkara rests next to a nice lake with the Himalayas in the background. There was a festival that evening but due to my dietary restrictions, night market/festivals lose their value. There were booths, food, music, traditional dance performances, games, and a good amount of people. We ate at OR2K which had a good selection of gluten free items, so I pigged out. I like Dal Bhat but I was also tired of it. My buddy got me a "Dal Bhat power 24 hour" T shirt. I took a lot of photos and we wandered the long festival which consisted of many blocks. It was nice but uneventful.

DAY 9-10

Our next stop was Chitwan. A mere 15 minutes from the bus...er airport. Easy! No delay either! YAH! These days consisted of nature walks, a canoe ride, a jeep safari, and a cultural dance experience at a local theater. New Years was uneventful. Our hotel had a live band which was fine but the audience was about 10 old Nepalis people. I'm in my 40's so old means pretty old. I didn't dig it and I was still sore, achy, knees hurt, and I could hear the music clearly from my room. I was also use to sleeping and getting up early. I slept through count down.

The canoe ride was the highlight for me. It was calm, quiet, and we just flowed along. We saw monkeys, crocodiles, and a variety of birds. The jeep safari was decent. I had expectations from my 1st jeep safari in Sri Lanka and it was just not impressive. There was a set path to follow, seeing most of what I saw in the canoe ride in shorter amount of time. While everyone said there was a 99% chance of seeing a one horned rhino, that didn't happen. I accepted the loss like a G and was ready to go back to Kathmandu.

When our guide came to pick us up he asked if we saw a rhino. I said no. He went gung ho! He planned on us finding one. He heard some rumors of a rhino spotting. We hopped in the car drove about 10 minutes then went out into the jungle to find it. I admired his determination but the sun was setting, it was getting dark and I was OK with not seeing one. Suddenly, in the brush we spotted one eating greens. We saw the elusive one horned rhino on foot, fairly close. I am the type of guy that's pretty stupid and gets a bit to close and is the last to leave. I did get some footage though and survived to tell the tale. The trip was a success! I was content. It would have been legendary to see a tiger but I didn't have that expectation. I did and saw pretty much everything I wanted.

DAY 11:

The final day! We returned to Kathmandu with only an hour delay. The Chitwan airport was even smaller than Pokhara. I had lunch at the French Bakery, chopped game with Buddha and filed my stomach. I lost weight from trekking and food. I made plans with Suman to hire a driver to take me to see street art and graffiti. Who just happened to be waiting for me in the car? None other than Sam, our guide during the ABC trek. I was ecstatic! I would be able to chill all afternoon with him! BONUS!

Our first stop was Jawalakhel. We went to the central zoo and the walls were covered with street art. This was going well. My final stop was the Bhaisighat slums on the banks of the Bagmati river. This was one of the grimyest slums I have ever walked through. Grimy doesn't mean dangerous. No one fucked with me. As a matter of fact, the kids were friendly and the adults didn't seem to care I was wandering around. This slum is situated next to a dirty ass river with garbage and scavengers everywhere. By scavengers I mean birds, dogs, and people. These slums are the last places on earth where I can relive my childhood. Not that I'm from a slum. The simple fact that these children play outside with other children brings back memories. No parents hovering over. No computers or smart phones. Children were hanging out, chatting, playing, running, and chilln. While the poverty was depressing I thought back to my own childhood when we use play in the streets like these kids. I also relived another 80's Mexico moment. Every summer we would go to Mexico to visit family. While this place was far more dirty, people were poor in Barra de Navidad. It brought me back to a time how poor kids are so innovative and creative when they lack things. These kids were using pieces of wood for bats. These 3 kids I saw were playing ping pong. They managed to have 2 paddles and a ping pong ball which surprised me but they had no table. They found a slab of smooth stone and set up rocks for a net. Worked perfectly. This reminded me when we would make our own fishing poles and fish in la laguna. When we would craft our own spear guns to spear fish and snakes. Poor people create things all the time and it was in some ways very beautiful to see because they made things happen! They were having a blast!

The sun was setting and I didn't want to experience this place at night. I was a marvel to the children but the freaks come out at night and probably not the freaks you are thinking of. I did not want to encounter the denizens of the night.

Suman took us out to dinner at the French Bakery, yet again! I requested Sam to take me to the airport and he made it so!

SUMMARY:

I really enjoyed my stay in Nepal. I found the people very friendly. I felt their English ability on average sufficient for me to communicate. I did not encounter any shady characters. Nepal is kind of what I thought Asia would be like before coming to Asia 5 years ago and living in Vietnam. I had false expectations of Asia, and what I found was people similar to western ways. Enjoying consumerism lacking in spirituality, and strong western influences. Most Nepalis I spoke to seemed to have some spirituality and there was little western influence from what I saw. This was refreshing. Unfortunately for me this trip wasn't much of a spiritual trip.

Nepal is not developed. Expect domestic flights to be delayed several hours. Roads were horrible where we traveled except in the cities we were in: Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Chitwan. Wifi was OK in the cities but I had difficulties at times connecting. Prices are cheap. I bought a pair of hiking boots for 50 dollars and most of my eating and these are expensive gluten free joints costed me around 7 to 13 dollars. The more expensive the more I ate. For example, nachos, burger with fries and salad, drink, and brownie costed me around 13 dollars and the meal filled me up completely. A side of fries, gluten free pasta, fresh squeezed OJ, and desert costed me around 7 dollars.

The trek was 7 days to ABC. I was told it was a moderate hike. I did not train or practice. For me I felt it was not difficult but somewhere between moderate and difficult. For anyone who exercises regularly and enjoys hiking it should be fairly simple. A few things to know: Wifi on the mountain is iffy. Before you pay for it make sure they have it. You might pay for nothing. Everything costs money on the mountain. Food, water, bathroom, hot shower, etc..

The higher you are the more expensive everything is. The quality is also worse, especially in wifi and food. Hot showers are a hit or miss. Chongrong had a nice hot shower. Most of the places I showered were luke warm and pressure wasn't very strong. If I was to go again, I probably wouldn't shower at all. If you want to avoid the masses, December is the off season. The trade off is its fucken cold!

EXOTIC ANIMALS (according to me) SEEN (and not in captivity):

Kathmandu- Rhesus macaque (monkey)

Himalayas and surrounding areas: Nepal gray langur (monkey), crested serpent eagle.

Chitwan: Nepal gray langur, one horned rhino, wild boar, marsh mugger (crocodile), bar-headed goose, little-ringed plover, peacock, common kingfisher, and many more.

FOR THE UNFORTUNATE ONES:

Those who suffer chronic disease such as I do, well, I can't speak for everyone. I did it. It wasn't hard. I suffered a stiff neck for most of the trip. I had moderate mid back pain on my left side that shifted to my right side for about half the trek. (Trip means the whole trip, trek means just the trek.) I did get sore but that was expected and my knees were beginning to bother me on the 4th day. I don't think the hurting knees was a result of my condition. I did very well, but I also eat right. I pay very close attention to what goes into my body and above all I don't give a fuck. I am in constant war with myself and refuse to give up. My mental fortitude is incredible. My condition did not affect me much on this trip. As a matter of fact, during the trek I barely had any symptoms at all. I did occasionally feel pain in my arms and back but nothing serious.

It has been 7 days since my trip and I am writing this in Taiwan, where I currently live. I was worried that my knee pain would become permanent but it seems I am feeling better daily. My healing process, I think, is a bit slow. Blisters are gone as well as is the soreness. Knees are not 100% yet, but they are getting better. I have not committed to dancing yet as I want to make sure I'm 100, or as close to that number as I can be.

Could someone with what I have do this? Sure, yes. 100% as long as you are taking responsibility for your own health. If you are putting that responsibility on a doctor or someone else then I might say no. I don't take any medication. I just focus on diet and supplements and not giving a fuck.