As the plan had been brewing since a month earlier from the day we set out on our journey. We did invite all our friends to join us. On our way, there were only three of us who were going, Bijay, me, and Suresh. On the last day, Suresh said he’d go as well. Bijay went to Suresh’s home for a sleepover and the next day he picked him up and there were three of us.
Day 1: Kathmandu to Dhunche to Deurali
We selected the Tokha-Chahhare road to get to Dhunche, where we planned to park our bikes for the night. We agreed to meet at Samakhusi Chowk. When I called the guys at about 8 a.m., they said they had arrived in Chabahil and it was time for me to leave as well. I arrived at Samakhusi Chowk and, finding no sign of them, went to fill up the tank. They arrived after a while, and we went shopping for the trip before eventually leaving.
We were supposed to arrive in Dhikure and have breakfast at the Marco Polo resort, but the guys said they were hungry. When we arrived in Tokha, we decided to have a light breakfast. Despite the fact that I had eaten at home, we stopped for tea and selrotis at a tea shop near Jhor and had a second breakfast. We finished our breakfast and then rode off. I’d just reached the Shivapuri National Park when I saw two Kalijs crossing the road. Oh my goodness! What a start to the trip, I wondered. Why did the Kalijs cross the road? (Pun intended) If you know the answer please I’d be happy to have it. Lololol
Then we arrived at the army checkpoint in Gurjebhanjyang and were asked where we were heading. We answered to Dhunche, and they allowed us to move without any paperwork. It always feels good when I arrive in Gurjebhyanjyang because I can see the beautiful mountains and because Suryachaur, one of my favorite locations, is right next to the valley. It was foggy all around, and the view wasn’t particularly spectacular, so we descended quickly toward Chahhare. The road was dhosta. (Fun intended lol).
When we arrived in Chahhare and saw the better black asphalted lane, we accelerated until we arrived in Marcopolo. We reached the resort, ordered breakfast, ate, rested briefly, and then set off again. The guys were talking about buying trousers and thermals for the trek. We arrived in Battar and bought what we needed. Coming from Kathmandu’s cool climate, Battar felt much hotter. And on top of that having a down jacket on was already making me sweat. Only when the cool breeze of air hit me while we rode, it felt fine.
We reached Trishuli-Bazar, then Soole, then Betrawati, and bidding farewell to Nuwakot we entered Rasuwa where Gosaikunda Lies. After around half-hour of a ride, we reached a place called Betini, where I was born. The view of Phalakhu Khola meeting Trishuli and the beautiful hills surrounding the valley in between reminded me of times I went to my village. The view was spectacular. Having a plan of reaching Dhunche by 2, we didn’t stop there for long.
At around 10 minutes of ride from Betini lies Kalikasthan, where we were required by the armies to fill in our information at a check post. Following that, we stopped at a tea shop for rehydration and a brief rest. After a bit, we reached Ramche, and then again the dhosta bato started. It was all bumpy, dumpy, and dusty. It was a headache whenever we had to overtake vehicles on such a road.
Then for the third time of the day, we arrived at another army check-post just a km prior to reaching Dhunche Bazar. We documented our entry and bought tickets to Langtang National Park. The armies inquired if we had brought drone cameras along with us. They said It was prohibited flying drones in the national park. I asked them if drone cameras were prohibited, and why come we see footage of drones flying over the national park. They said this was unlawful and were all taken in secret and if discovered, the action would be penalized and the drone camera confiscated. Okay thank you for the information we said and set off again and eventually arrived at Dhunche Bazar.
We went to a store, bought some snacks and a bottle of Old Durbar for the trek, and then rode our bikes to where we were to park them. After reaching where we had camped on Rasuwagadhi Trip, we parked our bikes in an ama’s house. We asked her for walking sticks and then the trek began. I was hoping I could see the dog which had stayed with us while we were on the trip to Rasuwagadhi but he wasn’t seen. He was missed. It’s fine, I reasoned.
The real fun began when we arrived at Ghattekhola; it reminded us of our previous visit. Not having eaten lunch and our stomachs growling with hunger, we decided to stop at a hotel just ahead of the bridge.
We didn’t have much time to get to Deurali, where we intended to spend the night. It was already three o’clock, so we asked what they could make in the shortest period of time. They agreed to make a tasty noodle soup with plenty of eggs. We ate what they had prepared for us. It was incredible. I’m not sure what made it taste so good. I’ve never been a big fan of noodles. Perhaps we hadn’t eaten in a long time and we were hungry. We drank tea and began ascending.
In fear of not getting a room for our stay in Deurali, we asked if they had the phone number of the hotel over there. They called the hotel themselves and booked us a room. How generous people they were we thought to ourselves. Having had a room booked, we finally breathed a sigh of relief.
There came a resting spot at a place called Bethangkhor. We killed our exhaustion, then that group caught up to us and they started making themselves comfortable over there. We thought it’s time to move up and we did accordingly.
After an intense hike of about one and half hours and some rest breaks in between, we finally reached Deurali. We chose our room, got our stuff inside, and started exploring. The next group too arrived after a while.
A day of a bike ride and around two hours of the hike had left us exhausted and fatigued, so we decided to destress with the Old Durbar which we had bought at Dhunche.
We went inside to order our dinner and saw the group sitting at the fireplace where we wanted to sit. It’s okay, let them have it, we decided and moved out of the house to sit under the clear sky. We got our stove out and started boiling some water and our party began.
The whiskey got us tipsy, and then we had some interesting conversations about travel, things we did in our childhood, school, college, the life we had spent with each other, etc., etc., and in a while went inside for dinner. They said we had to wait for a while and it started getting cold outside so we concluded to stay indoors alongside that other group.
At first, it was bothersome sitting next to those drunk strangers who were talking loud, blaring those stupid Bollywood songs, and dancing to them but it was about to change in a while after seeing them enjoying themselves so much. It made me smile.
The host served us dinner. Let me be honest. The food wasn’t good. We had to force the food inside our throats with water. We ate anyway and headed to our room. Got inside those thin, who knows when the covers were washed, blankets, and said goodnight to each other. It didn’t take us much to fall asleep.
We sometimes had arguments about who’s to carry our backpack and for how long. Nonetheless, it was fun.
Day 2: Deurali to Lauribina to Buddha Mandir and back to Lauribina again
As someone who wakes up early, my sleep ended at around 4 in the morning. And then I started playing my songs and disturbing my stupid friends’ sleep. Opening their eyes was a success but not getting them up. We stayed in bed for a while and afterward I made us a coffee.
Expecting a more treacherous climb this day, we decided not to be donkeys carrying all the unnecessary stuff we had brought along. We got all of our crucial belongings in a backpack and decided to ditch others at Deurali. We paid our bill, and got out. The first morning so close to the mountains felt amazing. We could see Langtang with some other mountains and hills not much further covered in snow. It was worth all those efforts I thought to myself and I was happy inside.
The ascend began. We were accompanied by a mountain dog. It felt wonderful finding a four-legged furry guide in the mountains. We met many groups on the trail and all of them were kind and helpful and gave us tips on what we should do and how. A Lot of them suggested we take some garlic in case we got altitude sickness.
There was a guy who had just sprained his ankle. Seeing him made us realize that it could be one of us in the same situation and it was not a good experience for him, I could tell. Another guy from his group gave us two pills of Diamox saying it could be useful if we got sick from the high altitude. We were grateful, thanked them, and started walking again.
During our conversations, many of the travelers we met on the way suggested that we stay at the Laliguras Hotel in Dhimsa because its food was the best of all the hotels along the trail. We arrived in Dhimsa quickly and found a hotel at first glance. As the guys rested at the rest stop, I was tasked with ordering our lunch. I went to the hotel, hoping to find Laliguras, but it was a different one. I went out and bought some cookies while looking for our guide dog, who was nowhere to be found. When I looked up at the trail, I saw another hotel, which turned out to be Laliguras. I summoned the boys and continued to the location.
We asked if they could prepare lunch, and they agreed. When we asked again if they had any meat, they said they would prepare pork for us. We marveled at our good fortune in finding meat on a trail during the offseason. Before being summoned for the dinner, we sat in the sun for a while, and after We ate to our heart’s content because we were starving and the food was wonderful. The hosts were awesome. We paid the bill, thanked them for the food, and promised to return and spend a night on our way back to Dhunche. We said our goodbyes and began walking.
At around 10:45 am we reached Chandanbari which is also known as Singompa. We saw the hotel where we had stayed on our previous trek. Things had changed and it brought back memories from our last trip. We rested near a gumba and some horses were there too. A horse came close to me and I tried taking a selfie but it ran away turning me into SED BOI MAH. It was sad.
Then came a wooden watchtower where we thought of having another coffee. We finished every sip of water we had carried in making the coffee, and chilled on the tower with sips of those creamy, sugary, warm froth and the view it provided. In a while, we set off from there.
Now the trail too got less steep and gentle on our knees. It was fun to walk and we could see some snow on the trail which excited us even more. We were told we could find as many sources of water as we’d want but some of them were frozen and some dried out. Our water bottles were now empty and no water was to be found anywhere near.
We would be more vulnerable to altitude sickness if we walked on a dehydrated body. So we had to find water right away, and fortunately, Chloangpati emerged. There was only one hotel available. We inquired if we could fill our bottles there, and they informed us that water was scarce in that place. Realizing that they would not give us water for free, we ordered three cups of tea, and then only they agreed on filling one of our bottles. We spent 200 rupees on another bottle. Drying our sweat-soaked clothes in the sun, we drank the tea.
It was 1 p.m. when we left Cholangpati, and the trail was becoming steeper. We wanted to have the Current noodles for a snack around 2 p.m., with a little Old Durbar on the side. We boiled some water, made some noodles soup, and poured a little whisky. Not having brought any bowls, spoons, or anything else, we had to eat and drink all in small coffee paper cups and had to turn them into spoons. What a mucked presence we were leading. The spicy chili sauce and tonic water kept us warm. After we finished dining, we resumed our ascent. Being drunk and walking in broad daylight made us feel unworried.
We walked for a while and at around 3 pm there came Lauribina. We thought of just stopping there to fill our water bottles and have a short rest break but the weather turned a bit rough and the hotel owner insisted that we better stay instead of moving up, so we decided to spend our night there. Everything was covered in haze. The visibility was zero and it was cold.
We went inside, sat by the fireplace, and requested that the owner Didi bring us some warm water. We were warmed up by the fire and water, so we asked the didi to show us to our room. She led us to a room with just two small beds and told us to make ourselves at ease. We asked if there was a room that could fit the three of us. She said yes, but its door was closed, and the keys were with some guys who had gone to Gosaikunda. She advised us to relax for a while and that the other guys will be back shortly. We said okay and lingered for a moment.
Upon seeing no sign of those guys returning and us not liking the accommodation there, we decided to head up despite the bad weather. We had enough time to make it to the lake and would reach there by dusk we thought.
We came down, a little awkwardly, and told Didi that we wouldn’t be staying there for the night and would be going up. She said okay with concern on her forehead. We had to account for the warm water that we had drunk earlier and went outside after apologizing. Our hopes of finding other hotels above faded, and she was clearly telling us that they were closed and not just because we would stay in hers. There were three hotels in all, but the next two were closed. So, despite the fact that it would be dark when we reached, our destination for the day was Gosaikunda.
It was half past three when we started ascending. It wouldn’t take us much to reach Buddha Mandir we had initially thought, but how wrong could we be? The walk was long. While asking the returning trekkers, almost all of them told us that it would take at least 2 hours to reach the lake. Dusk was nearing and dark clouds were over the sky.
A beautiful scene of a slight snow-covered mountain emerged on the side of the trail where we were walking. We knew taking photographs of it was something we shouldn’t pass up. We put our things on the ground, sat down, and began posing for pictures. This was a lovely time. Having never been so close to so many white snow-covered hills, I felt intense feelings surge at times, and this was one of those times.
With some regained strength and pictures taken, it was time we walked again. I picked up the backpack and we all ascended at around half past four. With an increased pace it took us around half an hour to reach Buddha Mandir.
With zero drops of water, somewhat of an empty stomach, and exhaustion from the increased pace, we decided to stop there for some rest. It was getting colder every minute we stayed there. We decided to have a snack of the same current noodles but we lacked water so now we had to improvise and there lay fresh snow near the vicinity. The weather was getting cruel too. It was dark, and windy, and started raining with snow.
Fortunately, there was an enclosed space, where we could shelter ourselves, stay warm and prepare our food. Suresh collected some fresh snow for water to prepare noodles. We ate the noodles and its hot chili sauce warmed us from the inside. With the chilly weather and plenty of water around, we thought of having another coffee. It was my turn to fetch snow this time. This was a new experience and it felt wonderful.
I fetched the snow, boiled it, and made coffee. Then I remembered we had some biscuits that we bought to feed dogs over the trail. We ate that ourselves with warm coffee. I was the one who ate almost all of the biscuits and Ohh that sweet treat felt heavenly. With stomachs filled and bodies warmed, now it was time we walked again. It was half past five already. We packed the bag, carried it, and started our journey again.
It was all covered in fog with zero visibility and night was closing in too. We were anxious with the thought of whether we’d reach the lake in time and whether or not we’d get room and food over there. Nevertheless, we walked. The hardship was over and what was now left was just an hour of plain walk. Then suddenly Suresh said that he doesn’t have his purse which carried all of our cash.
With all our eyes and mouth open that news turned us spiritless. All of our hopes that we’d reach the lake no matter what faded in an instant. We were astounded by how ridiculously stupid someone could be and cursed him for not taking care of his purse and making this trip a complete failure. We cursed him and we cursed him for his blunder.
Going up with zero cash was not an option now. Maybe he left his purse at Buddha Mandir we supposed and we headed back. It was all dark and we had to walk with our flashlights on. We cursed him on the way back. He was all quiet. We knew it was a mistake and he didn’t do that on purpose but we were angry. Angry because something similar had happened to us the last time we tried going there. This was our second time on the same cliff and this too was going to be a failure. Maybe we weren’t meant to reach the lake, Bijay was saying.
We reached where we prepared our snack and searched all over. It wasn’t found. We frowned and again started cursing Master Doom. Bijay even called him a terrorist. Suresh was all quiet. He was the one who’d had to bear most of the loss. He had lost his documents, his driving license, and bank cards, nonetheless, we didn’t stop cursing him.
The purse wasn’t found at Buddha Mandir. He could have dropped it anywhere in between Lauribina and Buddha Mandir and anyone could have picked it. The chances of finding the purse were very slim. The place where we stopped to take pictures was our last hope. It was pitch dark and we couldn’t even see where we stood. Having our eyes fixed on the trail We were descending and had to walk on the edge of cliffs because at one is where we stopped for photographs.
After descending for about half an hour, the place looked like where we had stopped before but turned out it was not. We were cursing Suresh the whole way. And then there came a green water tank which I had noticed while staying there. We searched for the purse and there it lay intact just where Master Doom had stayed earlier. I was surprised, for such strong wind not flying the purse off the cliff.
A sudden spark came along and lit our all-blown-off hope of reaching the lake, once again. We all laughed and made merry. Still, we didn’t stop cursing Master Doom for all of our planning of half a month would have gone in vain if the purse wasn’t found. Now what troubled us was to find the same hotel which we left earlier.
It was drizzling and dark and foggy and we couldn’t see where we’d reached. At times it felt like we’d already crossed the hotel and descended even further. No matter how much we thought we’d walked, the hotel didn’t come. At last, we could see a tin roof shining to our flashlight, and then only we felt relief. Our lodge had come.
We knocked on the door, and the same owner didi opened it and we got inside. Two other guests were sitting by the fireplace plucking dhupi leaves from the branches. She asked us what had happened and we told her everything. It seemed like none of them believed our story but we let it slip anyways.
We were soon served dinner. Being exhausted we should have eaten much but it didn’t happen. The food was horrendous. The pickle smelled bad and there were like 10 chickpeas as veggies which weren’t good either. At times it felt like the owner was punishing us for not staying at hers earlier. It wasn’t the case though. Wind howling outside could be heard. We went to the room, made our bed which wasn’t good either. The blankets were thin and the night was cold. Master Doom fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed. Bijay and I made fun of him for a while and we too went to sleep.
Day 3: Lauribina to Gosaikunda to Suryakunda to Dhimsa
The bustling wind outside woke me up at around 6. It was a cold morning. I played my music and started making coffee. The Guys woke up too. And we again started mocking Suresh for yesterday’s situation. We drank coffee and asked Didi for some water, and went to freshen up outside looking at the view of mountains. Maybe my teeth are too sensitive. It felt like they would fall off with that unbearably cold water. But the view was incredibly beautiful which made me forget the pain in the teeth.
It turned out that the other two guests who stayed at the same hotel last night were too headed for Gosaikunda. They said we could go there together. Even though we were people who liked to go there by ourselves, we said okay. We thought of leaving the backpack at the same hotel at Lauribina but the owner Didi said that it’s the turn of the next hotel to be open and hers to close. It turned out that hotels there ran on rotation and only one of them remained open on each day. Was it because of being an off-season or because of their syndicate it remains a mystery to us?
We paid the bill and at around 8 in the morning got outside. One of the other guys said he had to wait for something there and asked us to move along without him and would get to us soon. The other one accompanied us. We reached a hotel just above which was closed the previous day, now open. The owner was a person whom we had met yesterday while drinking tea in a hotel at Cholangpati. We asked him if we could put our bag there. His first impression wasn’t that affirming. I had supposed he would charge us for putting the bag over there. We put the bag there and decided to deal with it later.
It was now the ascend to the lake. I was the most excited. I walked ahead of the guys and they walked at their own pace. The other guy from the hotel had gone ahead while we were dealing with the hotel owner while resting our bag at Lauribina. I reached him and started having a conversation. It turned out that he came from Syabrubesi where the Langtang trekking trail begins. I asked which one among Langtang and Gosaikunda was the most rewarding trek and he said Gosaikunda. He said that there’s nothing except for the mountains over there while at Gosaikunda, there are too many lakes and some mountains as well. In my mind, I thought this guy is just babbling nonsense. Mountains are what people come to see in the Himalayas, isn’t it? I kept quiet though.
Then came the same Buddha mandir at around 8:45 am where we’d eaten the last day. I rested there while the other guy went ahead. I could see Bijay and Suresh coming up slowly. They rested there to kill their exhaustion while mine was done for. Again I went ahead of them. Coming a bit ahead of Buddha Mandir a lake appeared which I initially thought was Gosaikunda.
Having seen the lake, the hotels and the helicopters hovering over added to my excitement even more. The Guys were far behind me. I was told to reach the hotel and order food. With a sunny clear sky, the view the vicinity provided, my lovely songs blaring at full volume, cool mountain air blowing at my face, and with lots of enthusiasm, it was bliss.
At about 10 a.m., I arrived at the hotel and learned that the one that had been open the day before was now closing and that the guy who had stayed with us in Lauribina and with whom we had climbed up was the owner of the one that had opened this day. We accompanied the man, unaware that he was the owner of a hotel in Gosaikunda. I asked him to cook a meal for the three of us and if there was any meat available. He said that the only thing available was eggs. Okay, I said. I walked over to the frozen lake and walked on it. It was slick, and I had to be cautious. It felt amazing to be on top of the frozen lake. I found people practicing puja near where the helicopters landed.
I went up and was enjoying the view while the guys came. They asked if I had ordered food. I said yes but there was no meat. And the owner of the hotel that was going to shut onward said he had canned fish instead. We bought the fish and gave it to the one who was making Daal-Bhat for us to heat it. It took him a while to call us for lunch.
Not eating much the previous night and walking for around two hours on an empty stomach had left us begging for food. He called us in for food and then only it felt like our patience paid off. We wanted to eat outside looking at the lake but the owner suggested we better eat inside as the food would get cold in an instant and it wouldn’t taste good and we agreed. It felt good eating the plain Daal-Bhat with the warmed tuna and some pickle on the side.
We ate and spoke to the owner about Suryakunda, which is located at an elevation of 4670 meters at the top of the country. He estimated that it will take us about 45 minutes to get to Suryakunda. Dhimsa was our destination for the day, and we had plenty of time to explore. I advised the guys that we needed to get going, but they were too drained and suffering from headaches to make it to Suryakunda. We all rested there for a bit, and at half-past 11 a.m., I told the guys to wait for me at the lake for another two hours, and I wanted to go there, even though alone. My earphone battery died, so I had to borrow Suresh’s.
There was another group of trekkers who too said they went to Suryakunda but only two of them succeeded in reaching it. The other people returned halfway, they said. They were giving me suggestions on how to reach there but I was all set already. I said thank you goodbye and headed my way.
Upon coming to the other side of the lake is the source of water of Gosaikunda which is believed to have been created by Shiva’s Trishul, a snowy trail appeared. While having a conversation, a guy from the last group had said that the trail to Suryakunda gives the vibe of mountaineering. And as he said, it did.
It was all white and full of snow. I had to follow in the footsteps in the snow to know where the trail was. A bit further was another completely lake frozen. It hadn’t taken me 45 minutes to reach this lake and the altitude wasn’t even anywhere around 4600mtrs so that wasn’t Suryakunda. I walked again. Alone in the wilderness, it at times got scary. There were some paw-like prints on the snow which got me more terrified and made me walk even faster.
My lovely music, the bright sunny sky, the wind, and the stroll on the snowy ground with a pristine view of several frozen lakes were all making me happy. I had no clue where I was going or whether I was really headed in the right direction. I found several men coming from the other side. As I got closer, I asked them where they were coming from and where they were headed. They were on their way to Gosaikunda and had come from another well-known trail that goes through Helambu. I was glad to know that I was on the right track. I questioned how long it would take to get to Suryakunda. They said it would take another 15 minutes. We exchanged some information and headed our way. With an increased pace it took me around 10 minutes from there to reach Suryakunda.
And there it was, in the end, below a small peak which was told to be Surya-peak. There was the pass that led to the Helambu trail. I climbed the pass, then and only then the trip turned out to be a success for me. The other side of the trail was all covered with clouds and it was too windy over there. This was the most rewarding moment. It was time I returned.
Returning from that pass didn’t take me long. It was a fun descent. At times my feet would get deep in the snow from walking with increased pace and pressure. I reached the top of the cliff where I began my ascend I could see Gosaikunda and hotels from there and could see some footsteps leading to the edge of the cliff. I went a bit further. The view was magnificent but now there was no way ahead and I had to cautiously get down by walking on top of some huge boulders or else it could have been Manche Sanche Chait, Manche Sanche Chait.
I made it down to the shore and found my friends lying down, resting in the sun next to the melted portion of the lake. I was relieved and overjoyed to have made it to the end of the trail, and I was relieved to see the guys remaining patient and waiting for me. We headed back to the hotel where we’d eaten and stayed for a bit. We bumped into the party that had come from the other side of the trail and started up a conversation. The same party that had stayed in the same hotel in Deurali was present as well.
The anticipation was over. The lake was seen and the trip was a success. What now remained was to get back home safe and sound. As promised, our stay for this night was going to be at Laliguras Hotel at Dhimsa. Tightening our shoelaces we bid the other guys farewell and told them to come to stay at the same hotel at Dhimsa with us and they agreed as well. Bye, Bye Gosaikunda we said and started walking again.
The descent was easy. Compared to Suresh’s and Bijay’s, my pace was a bit slower but I still managed to walk alongside them. Like always Master Doom was humorous and comical. He and Bijay were roasting each other all the way and I was the one enjoying all the laughs. Soon we reached Buddha Mandir and could see the hotel where we’d kept our bag and in not much time we reached the hotel too.
Despite the fact that the walk was relatively quick and easier, we were hungry because we hadn’t eaten anything since lunch at Gosaikunda. We went inside the hotel to look for something to eat. Dai, the owner, made our milk tea, which we drank with biscuits. Suresh asked Dai for a toilet, but he told us there was no water. Suresh jhyakri was told to buy a toilet paper roll and defecate in the open, under the warm sun. We were amused by this. We’d forgotten what a nice person he was. We initially assumed he was just another grumpy old dishonest businessman out to mug off tourists, but we were mistaken. He didn’t even charge us for leaving our bag there. We were happy to have him. Suresh carried the backpack, which had a roll of toilet paper. We said our goodbyes to the owner and continued our stroll.
Being in the broad daylight, we took shortcuts this time. We rested at a place some minutes near Cholangpati and with the toilet paper, Master Doom went inside the jungle to do his business. Bijay and I waited for him for a while. He came out and again roasting him started. We reached Cholangpati and there we rested again. The walk then was plain again. Inside the colorful forest of huge pine trees with a bright yellow sun shining above, while roasting each other, this walk was amazing. We at times quarreled on whose turn it was to carry the backpack. This was hilarious. Dusk was nearing though.
As the sun was sinking below the horizon, the shady colors of the dusk were slowly fading away. An icy breeze rushed through our faces as we stared into that gray, orange, and black-striped sunset. As I took a deep whiff of the mountain air, it hit me up that this was what freedom smelt like.
We had planned to have coffee at the same watchtower at Chandanbari but when we reached it, it was already pitch dark. Now we had to turn on our flashlights and walk.
When we arrived in Chandanbari, several hotel owners invited us to visit, but since a room had already been reserved at the Laliguras hotel, staying there was out of the question. Dhimsa wasn’t any farther either. Our walk started, with a torch in one hand and a walking stick in the other. The sound of dried leaves crumbling in the forest would frighten us at times. We marched together as a group of three. Suresh played some metal-style songs. When asked why he answered that it was to keep wild predators at bay, and then his phone’s battery died. I had to hand over my phone and walk in the middle, which was tough because I was used to taking shortcuts. We saw light from some distance away and it was a big relief. We had reached Dhimsa.
Looking at the sky full of bright twinkling stars and meteors shooting down at times while laying down on the bench gave me tears of joy. For me, this was one of the most magical moments of the entire trip. Whenever I remember myself laying on that wooden bench, away from civilization, free from all those dramas and dramatics, it leaves a smile on my face each time. At the time of writing this article, I have the same silly grin as well.
Guys had gone to check for our accommodation and to order food while I was lying there. I do not have much of an idea but at times it felt like we were being treated special. The host had even prepared a room with an attached toilet for us. Hurray! an attached toilet in the mountains, I celebrated as soon as I entered the room.
We changed into comfortable attire and headed upwards to the dining area where two other groups were sitting beside the fire. We asked them to make space for us there and we joined in the conversation. Like some enlightened being Master Doom was giving lectures on how the trip should be done. He was giving suggestions that I found stupid and silly. For fucks sake, shut up you stupid I was thinking in my head but let him blabber anyways. Let him have his moment of acting like a genius I thought to myself. Hearing his stupid suggestions at times was hurtful to my ears. And there was this another guy who too was preaching about how a trek should be done. Hearing this drunk dude brag about all the adventures he’d done, was painful to my ears.
Before starting the trek I suggested to them a warm-up exercise and what did I get in return, laughed at. Let all these morons have the time of their lives I thought to myself and stayed shut listening to all their chit-chat. The host came to us and asked what we’d like for dinner. We were presented with two options, pork or local chicken. This time we chose to go with chicken soup. Everyone else had eaten up and their party was over. They went to their rooms. We fetched our old durbar and then ours began.
The host came to us and asked if we smoked pot. Why is this guy asking us if we smoked pot or not? We were confused. Nonetheless, we said yes. Then he fetched us three branches of the dried marijuana plant. Yay, smoking a doobie in the mountains. We lit it up in the diner. It was an exceptional treat for us, after all of those perilous and tedious walks of the day. All of the pain and aches were now gone with just an inhale. And then the food arrived with the whole chicken divided for just the three of us. We would not have been able to eat the whole thing in just one sitting. So we kept a bowl aside and started digging in the food.
We were in for a good treat. Getting to fill our starved bellies with warm Daal-Bhaat with such delicious chicken soup while being high on the stash from the mountain. Aaich, It was a festival.
I was almost full, still, I asked for another serving of the food. While asking the hosts to join in the dinner, they said they’d eat in a while. After our eating session was completed, we headed to our room with the bowl of chicken that we’d kept aside for who knows when we’d want to eat it again. It could have been our midnight snack, but being full we didn’t touch it afterward.
We could hear other guys making plans for the next day from where we slept. After joining all the beds together, we lit another joint, smoked it, and called it a day. We slept at ease knowing the next day was going to be less challenging.
Day 4: Dhimsa to Dhunche to Malekhu
Last night was cozy. The first thing I did after I opened my eyes was play songs disregarding other people’s slumber. After some minutes, I heard people waking and going to their shared toilet while we were napping like babies in the comfort of not having to wait for our turn to do our business. After a while, we heard them heading out and we finally got to sleep in silence.
Though it had been a while since the sun was up from the horizon, we didn’t still want to end our sleep. The owner came knocking at our door and asked when we’d leave. He said both he and his wife were heading to their village at Bharkhu to collect stuff for his hotel and there would be no one left except for his mother-in-law who couldn’t do his business. He already had the horses ready for his journey.
Fearing not getting to eat anything for the next couple of hours I asked the guys to eat the chicken from last night. They said they’d not eat it and the whole bowl was for me. Okay, I said, warmed the soup, and ate all of it. Soon afterward, we climbed up, paid our bill, conveyed our gratitude, bid them farewell, and set on our journey again.
We now had to collect another of our backpacks which we had left at Deurali. At around 9 am we reached the hotel at Deurali. Guys walking on empty stomachs asked for warm tea with some biscuits. The jokes on you for not eating that nutritious chicken while I asked you bitches, I was saying on the inside. We collected our bags, ate some biscuits with tea, and set off again.
This time we all put on our earphones and started walking some distance. Master Whai walked in the front, me in the middle, and Bijay at the back. Whatever I had inside my jacket and trousers were all wet from sweat. At times we stopped at resting spots and catch up on each other, the other times we walked separately. Even though we walked at some distance Master Whai used to roast Bijay for having his pace slow. It was hilarious seeing him irritated with Whai’s annoyance.
It took us an hour from Deurali to reach Ghattekhola. Now the steep descent was over. What was now left was to take our bikes and ride off to wherever we’d stay the night. But before leaving Dhunche I wanted to, even if for just once, see the dog that had stayed with us on our Rasuwagadhi tour. We didn’t see him anywhere near where we had parked our bikes. Okay, see you some other time, if by any chance I thought to myself. We paid the parking fee which was five hundred for each bike, got our bikes out, and tied our backpacks on them. With a final goodbye to Gosaikunda, we then rode to Dhunche Bazar. And on the way, I saw the dog sleeping beside the spring water factory. It made me cheer up from the inside. I was content.
We were now running out of cash and had to find an ATM soon, or else we’d have nothing to eat. Moreover, the guys hadn’t had much to eat, except for the tea and biscuit at Deurali and a coffee at Ghattekhola while it was okay for me. That Chicken soup was doing its work fine for me. Jokes on them for not having it while I offered it to them in the morning.
As soon we reached Dhunche Bazar, our priority was finding an ATM and a place to eat afterward. Having 3 unsuccessful attempts of cashing out in 3 different ATMs, I asked a guard dai what was wrong with the ATMs. He told us that none of the ATMs in Dhunche were functional because of an error in the network. With cash not sufficient to spend our night, ATMs not working and Dhunche having stayed for more than enough, Malekhu became our target.
Bidding farewell to Dhunche, we rode off and again were required to do the entry at the army check-post. With songs playing on my headphones, the anticipation of cashing out at Kalikasthan, and eating a belly full of delicacies was the one thing running through my mind. Upon reaching Kalikasthan we asked a shopkeeper dai if any ATMs were available at Kalikasthan, and found out there were none.
With frowned faces and growling stomachs, we again had to make another entry at another army check-post at Kalikasthan. We now had two choices, whether to cash out at Betrawati which we were not passing by, or Trishuli Bazar, so we opted for Trishuli Bazar. Coming to an altitude of just around 600 meters was now making us sweat. On top of that, we had the same clothes on which we had descended from Dhimsha. Trishuli too failed us in cashing out. All of us tried almost all of the ATMs we saw on the road but not even one was a success.
With sweats dribbling from our faces, thirsty throats, on empty stomachs, and almost out of cash, what an adventure we’re having. We stopped for cold drinks at Batar and now were completely out of cash. Upon trying in almost all of the ATMs that lay on the way to Galchi none was a success. Bijay had a debit card from a finance company whose ATM was available at Galchi and that worked while all of the bank’s ATMs fucked us up. He drew some cash sufficient for the way and with thoughts of chilling, we headed straight for Malekhu.
With the trouble of cashing out now gone, what was left was to find a luxurious hotel at Malekhu, have a hard-earned shower, and spend a quality night there. We reached Malekhu at around half past four in the evening and were now on the hunt for a nice room with a nice view. We checked into 5 hotels at Malekhu, none of which we found suitable. Let’s check on some resorts along the way till Kurintar we said and we rode off from Malekhu.
Dusk was near and it was darkening. Some resorts were full and some with bad accommodation, we weren’t finding any shelter as per our liking. Guys having nothing eaten since the morning, were starving and we stopped at Charaudi to eat what better to eat on an empty belly than Khasi ko masu with chiura on the side? Aaich! it was a delicacy. It already got dark by the time we finished our masu chiura. We drank tea there and decided to head back to Malekhu, to the same hotel which we canceled earlier.
With somewhat of an awkwardness, we settled in a room with a balcony. Just being at an altitude of around 400 meters required no warm water but us having come down from chilly weather and well fatigued, what more would cleanse us than a warm dribbling magical potion? We in turn went for a shower. After laying on the bed for a while like some stale pile of meat, we decided to head downstairs and finally reward ourselves for having our trip successful with some beer. There were fish along with chicken items on the menu which were going to go along with our beer. This was our dinner for the night.
We had some beer and some chats and at around 11 pm we decided to go on for a walk. Bijay was denying but we took him anyway. This was a beautiful night, as the whole town was half asleep, a semi-full moon in the sky, some vehicles running on the highway, some busses stopping at hotels for food and drunk us recalling memories from when we were kids. I felt pity for those who missed this trip. It was jolly good otherwise.
It didn’t take much for us to fall asleep that night. As soon as we reached our room, all we did was lay our tired asses on the bed and we were asleep.
Day 5: Malekhu to Kathmandu
As this was the final day of our trip and Kathmandu was not much further away, we were not hurried and had no reason to make haste. We could sleep up to the time that we desired. We woke up at around 8 and asked for coffee and french toast for breakfast. The breakfast came, and we ate and slacked off for a bit. At around 9, we started packing our things and headed downstairs. The bill was paid, and our stuff was tied to our bikes. Bidding the hotel owners farewell we rode to our home at around 10.
Nearing Naubise, we agreed on eating Lunch and we stopped at a roadside hotel. We asked for Khasi ko masu with Dal-Bhat and it arrived in a while. There was nothing on our minds except for reaching home as soon as we could and laying in our beds. We left Naubise and rode along together till we reached Kalanki. It felt like I finally reached home after I reached Kalanki. We finally bid farewell to each other and went our separate ways. I reached home at around 1 and slept the whole day. Thus ended our Gosaikunda Trip of the year 2021.