Stars over Annapurna

It so happened that I am writing not immediately on the plane, on the way home, but more than three months after my arrival. Therefore, I can describe what actually turned out to be the most important thing for me on this journey, what I remember, what I will sometimes remember when I have the appropriate mood and a minute of time.

There is enough written about the route itself in the article on the website, and in the descriptions of other comrades, in most of what was said I agree with them, that’s why I don’t write about the route.

Why did you choose this particular route?

It seemed that there would be fewer people than on the trails to the same Everest base camp, well, I liked the description, and sometimes I look at something and understand that it’s mine, I’ve chosen this more than once, and have never regretted it.

What do you remember most?

Definitely a starry sky. When you walk as if in a dream, among the mountains going into the sky, the cool air is already ringing in your head, and above they are, and they all flicker, they want to get a better look at what is down there. I haven’t seen so many stars for a very long time, and maybe I’ve never seen them at all. Of course, other comrades were walking nearby, but at such moments you get lost, you don’t notice anything, only the path, the mountains, the whistling of breath, and the stars, very, very, very many dancing stars.

Until now, I usually walked in the mountains for 4-5 days, that is, not for long. This route will be a little longer, so I must note that state of peace when you don’t need to run anywhere, you just need to walk and look at the world, so beautiful and so different from ours. Now I understand better why all kinds of pilgrimages were previously practiced, because on the way a person had the opportunity to think a little, dream, collect thoughts in a heap, sort them into shelves, redistribute priorities.

I must note that the people there in Nepal really live poorly, they live harshly, but still, I couldn’t help but remember the fairy tale about the wizard of the emerald city, the part where it is described about the seven underground kings. The point is that people, not seeing the sun, warmth, colors of the world, tried to color and arrange their lives themselves, and knew how to rejoice in what they succeeded. I don’t confuse tourism with immigration, of course, but this feature really impressed and pleased me.

And one more thing that surprised me, I still wonder what yaks and other living creatures find for food in the places where I met them?... (I don’t know how in the spring, but in the fall I think this question will arise for you too), this is nothing short of a miracle, or a scientific point that needs to be studied!

I was also impressed by the cities of Kathmandu and Pokhara themselves, very different cities, and at the same time very similar.

And for me, one friend from the group became an attraction, the way he bargained, I watched as if in a theater, a very good performance in every tamel shop where we had the opportunity to go, and he and the sellers played the role perfectly, they did it very beautifully and harmoniously, I began to understand not only with my mind why Asians love this particular style of trading, there is beauty if a person really puts a little of himself into the process.

And the whole group was very interesting for me, very different people came together, everyone had their own moments that were cool to go with them, a very good opportunity to discover something new)

Do you have any desire/plans to come back again?

Yes, Nepal is big, there is a lot to see, and the Mountains there are notable, + I would like to see what it’s like in the spring too, because the nature is completely different along the way, it’s interesting to see how it transforms, but they say the difference is significant...

What did you take with you?

I took with me a large camera and a navigator, so I had to carry a lot of batteries (to make sure I had enough), so I took less of the rest of the stuff, and even then I looked at the backpacks of my comrades and laid out some more in Kathmandu, I really didn’t want to turn out to be a turtle compared to the others.

I highly recommend watching Kirillov's videos, you can see who's wearing what, +/- figure it out for yourself, + I saw a video somewhere where he assembles a backpack and comments on everything, in my opinion, the most important thing is to at least take with you a small backpack-hermetic bag for radials and the like (it doesn't dominate the list of equipment, but it makes life very easy).

When planning any changing of clothes, keep in mind that the “hot shower” there is often not that hot (more precisely, “hot” is relative to “cold”), and the floor is concrete. The girls sometimes bought a thermos of hot water for washing, but otherwise they wanted to put something on rather than change clothes.

Food is expensive, you can take gas and a burner and save a lot on the same hot water, at least, it’s a really worthwhile thing, I recommend it.

The food on the route is hearty and tasty, but take some goodies with you too, they are not superfluous. You know, in our group everyone took something with them, and only one person complained that there were a lot of goodies. The group naturally helped him in this matter.

What did you bring back?

Impressions, a lot of impressions. A strong feeling that everything was over somehow very quickly, and a deep thought that I wanted the banquet to continue. Photos that I still process little by little when I have a minute of time, at the same time I remember, a very good and meditative activity. Lots of tea, and a lot of hats (the hats there are really cool), as well as other fabric buns (the fabrics there are cool). The comrades also took paintings and equipment, this stuff is also there.

By the way, I haven’t seen any beautiful magnets, magnets that is, but they could have been better, it’s a pity.

I really liked Nepal, I remember it as a bright country with fabulous landscapes, and people who know how to see that there is a place for good in the world.

And also the stars...

Ivan Demyanchuk, Kyiv