Nepal

Annapurna Circuit (Spring 1997)

Nepal is one of my favorite countries. I have visited it four times and have taken two lengthy treks.

I started this trip in Delhi and went overland to Nepal. I took the overnight train from Delhi to Gorakphur and then got on a bus to the Nepal at Sunaili, the border between India and Nepal where I instantly received my Nepalese visa for a mere $20US. I spent several days in Katmandu looking for a trekking partner and organizing my permit to trek in the Annapurna region. On the way back to India I visited Chitwan national park where I rode an elephants in order to get close to rhinoceros. I took the bus from Chitwan to Sunaili where I caught a bus to Varanassi. After spending several days in Varanassi I took an overnight train to Agra and spent my last few days in Delhi before flying back home to Canada.

The Annapurna Trek is known as the Coca Cola or apple pie trek because it is so popular and also because it caters to the tastes of the tourist looking for some small luxuries such as Coca Cola and apple pie, pizza and beer.

The trek is easy to follow and negotiate on your own as I did in 1997. I took 23 days to do the trek with a few rest days along the way. Since I was independent with no porter or guide I could take as much time as I wanted to to enjoy the wonderful surroundings. Below is the itinery for the trek. Although this trek may be called the apple pie trek, the route goes up to 5416 meters. What ever you say this is high and the day going over the pass starts at 4am with climbs up almost 1000 meters and then the grueling way down to Muktinath at 2713 meters. Most people take 12 to 14 hours to go over the pass.