Category Archives: reizen

(1) Nepal – The Himalayas

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the Annapurna Cirquit Nepal is the land of the Himalayas – the mountains are the primary reason for our visit to the country.
Our focus is on making a trekking; a backpack with only the most essential items, as light as possible, but with everything we need.

We start our trek, the ‘Annapurna Circuit’, in a relatively low-lying area. We walk through green rice fields, vegetable gardens, and small villages. On the other side of the river, we see the road, where work is being done on hydroelectric power plants in several places. That road also offers the opportunity to drive into the mountains by jeep, which many people with limited time do. We ascend slowly.

Above 2,000 meters, we meet more travelers. The landscape changes; no more rice fields, no more banana trees. Tibetan Buddhism becomes more visible. Prayer flags flutter in the wind; we walk past prayer wheels, mani stones, and small stupas. The villages have gateways.

The path becomes steep, and when we reach Upper Pisang, it starts to snow. It gets cold, but the wood stove is lit in the dining area. The next morning, we walk through a white, misty world. Later on, when the mist disappears, we have a beautiful view of the high mountains.

We walk to Mungji Bhraka at an altitude of 3,700 meters. The views from the dining room are breathtaking. But it’s cold (-10°C), and the small wood stove is only lit in the evening. The rooms are unheated. There is the option to climb another 1,500 meters in the next days and cross the Torung-La pass. We decided to leave that altitude and the snow to others and turn around.

The hike back makes us realize what altitude means; from snow and freezing cold, we descend about 2,000 meters in a few days to a ‘tropical’ landscape once again. We look with a different gaze; the perspective is different. Descending is really faster than climbing. And we get some help. “Taxi sir?” For part of the trek that can only be done by road, we hitch a ride in a jeep. Later, during a tropical rain shower, a tuk-tuk gives us a lift. And then the hotel room from the start awaits us again.


Besisahar, Bahundanda, Jagat, Dharepani, Chame, UpperPisang, Ngawal, Mungjji Bhraka, Dujhur Pokhari, Dharepani, Jagat, Tal, Besisahar

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(2) Nepal – Annapurna Base Camp

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From Pokhara, we head back into the mountains for the ABC trek—the Annapurna Base Camp trek. A taxi takes us to Phedi (on the foot of the mountains). There, a steep climb on stairs begins. The cuckoo seems to be flying along with us.

After a few days of walking we arrived in Landruk. We are heading for Chomrong. We descend steeply to the river. On the other side, a road muddy from the rain awaits. A car offers us a lift to the end of the road. Great. That is where the path with endless stairs to the Chomrong begins.
A nice guesthouse with ‘French fries’ on the menu. Mmm … tasty. Delicious ‘organic’ fries, freshly made with potatoes from the garden.

On the other side of the river, the trek to the Annapurna Base Camp begins. We soon have a view of the iconic mountain the Machhapuchhre or ‘the Fishtale’. Switzerland has the Matterhorn, Nepal has ‘the Fishtale’.

The trek is beautiful. But everyone who walked to the Base Camp walks back down here as well.
It is crowdy.

We are walking in a national park where there is a limit to the number of hotels, but not yet to the number of hikers. Finding a room closer to the Base Camp is becoming difficult. Guides are booking for groups, but for us, it is uncertain if we can find a room.

After a night halfway through the trek, we descend back to Chomrong. We stay there again for one night. After a thunderstorm, late in the afternoon, the air is becoming clear and we have a beautiful view of the Annapurnas and the Fishtale.

Pokhara, Phedi, Dhampus, Deurali, Lanfruk, Chomrong, Bamboo, Dovan, Chomromg

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(3) Nepal – the Mardi Himal

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From Chomrong, we hike to Ghandruk. It is a beautiful walk and there is hardly anyone around. We see some monkeys in the trees.

In Ghandruk, we meet the first Dutch people; a group of young people traveling with Sawadee. It is the last evening of their short trek, and that means a party with the guides and porters. In the evening, they dance to Dutch and Nepalese music. Not our thing.

The next morning, we set off towards the Mardi Himal. That trek is more quiet. We reach the first house just before a heavy thunderstorm and rain shower. There are four other guests. We have some nice conversations. The next day we climb further to Forest Camp and Low Camp. Trapped in the guesthouse; thunderstorms, rain, and snow again. But the next morning it is clear, and we have a beautiful view of The Fishtale. We decide to leave our backpacks in the guesthouse and hike up to High Camp early. The sun, snow, and rhododendrons make it fairytale-like.

While we are having coffee in High Camp, we see the first clouds approaching again. The path down is slippery due to the melting snow as we descend. We pick up our backpacks and continue descending to Forest Camp.

Of the various routes to descend further, we choose the route back to Phedi. It starts raining and it is a big muddy mess.
We look for a hotel, and then a car stops… ‘to Pokhara? Yes please”.
We are in the jeep with a few other people. The road requires great driving skill.

We arrive at the hotel in Pokhara a day early. Will there be a room? The manager has already seen us and comes out of the hotel to welcome us enthusiastically. Yes, he has a room.
And … in the evening we eat pizza by the fire in our favorite restaurant.

And the next day is New Year’s; 2083.


Our trek is over, but we are staying in Nepal for a little while longer.

Chomrong, Ghandruk, Landruk, Kyupchedanda, ForestCamp, LowCamp, HighCamp, Mardi Himal naar de Machhapuchhre

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(4) Nepal – the royal cities of Patan and Bhaktapur

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Patan
After a few days in Pokhara, we take a taxi to Patan, or Lalitpur, the city of beauty. It is one of the royal cities, not far from Kathmandu. The Durbar Square features a number of beautiful temples in Newari architecture. The square also provides access to the museum, the former royal palace. The old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temples are built in the pagoda style and richly decorated with refined wood carvings. You can find a mixture of Buddhism and Hinduism in Patan.

Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur is the other royal city. Here, the New Year’s festivities are not over yet.
Groups of musicians with drums and cymbals, sometimes with flutes, walk throughout the city. The music is played loudly, and by late afternoon my ears are ringing.

But the music isn’t everything; on the first day of the new year, a large tree trunk has been erected. It has to be pulled down after a week of festivities. A grand spectacle. Another spectacle is the battle between two heavy wooden chariots, pulled along by ropes. The whole city is participating.


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Along 7 huts in the Dachstein massif

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We had not been to the Alps for a long time. We were curious how we would experience it after our trekking in Nepal. We chose the Austrian Dachstein massif. A trek along 7 huts.

We travelled by train to Salzburg, and from there by local transport to Gosau, the starting point of our hike. We started with a climb through a damp forest. The second day we walked to the Adamekhütte, situated in a spectacular location, under the large Gosaugletscher 

The walk, from there, along the Linzersteig to the Hofpurgelhütte is tough, but very special. It requires constant concentration. But it is great.

After the Hofpurgelhütte it is easier. We walk over alpine pastures where cows graze. In a farm café we drink thick Buttermilk, and the area around the Austriahutte is also green. 

The next day our goal was the Guttenberghaus. In order to avoid the first difficult climb over moraine fields we decided to take the cable car. It turns out to be very popular with day trippers to experience something of the high mountains and the glacier without any effort. The weather is clear. When we have found the start of our path, the markings of red and white paint strokes are easy to find. It is the weekend and the hut is very crowded. Most guests come from the other side, from the valley. They are there to climb on the rocks around the hut. Helmet on, ropes, hooks …

The next day, after a great breakfast, we walk to the Gjaid Alm Hutte. The ‘Alm’ in the name already indicates that this hut is located a bit lower. When we get close, we see a new Nepalese flag waving. The hut appears to be rented by a Nepalese family. In each hut you can find a kitchen-help out of Nepal; they come from Nepal to Austria after the trekking-season and in September, when they can work in Nepal as a guide again, they travel back. But an entire Nepalese family, who are running a hut …

The last day of walking was a long descent to Hallstatt; a very touristy place. After eight days in the mountains, we entered a completely different world and that took some time getting used to it.

We took the train back to Salzburg. And then back home, thinking about the difference with our trip in Nepal. And there is a difference; a trip in the Dachstein massif is much more difficult. But we could do it.

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(6) Nepal – Bhaktapur

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Bhaktapur is one of the three royal cities in Nepal.
The old city center is a Unesco world heritage site.
Before we flew back to the Netherlands we had time to visit the city.

And we were lucky; it was ‘thankgivings’ for the Hindu-communities, who brought offerings along all the holy Hindu places in the city. The colour RED is very important.
Red symbolizes passion, power, strength and purity and is important in Hinduism.
It is the color of life.

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(5) Nepal – Kathmandu

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Kathmandu is a big city, chaotic, crowded, The Thamel district is the most popular with tourists; there are countless small shops in the high narrow streets. It is colorful. There are many crafts for sale.
The air is bad because of the exhaust fumes of the enormous amount of motorbikes. Between the busy streets there are squares with temples, where traffic is not allowed.

And there are hidden gems where you can eat fantastic food.

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(4) The Tea Houses in Nepal

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A tea house is what a sleeping- and eating-place is called in the Himalayas. The tea houses themselves speak of Hotel, Guesthouse or Lodge, sometimes with names as Golden Holiday Hotel,…We slept in teahouses in Helambu, Gosainkunda and in the Langtang Valley. They are different and that is probably because some are only open in the season, for a few months. Others are inhabited all year round. They are houses with small two-person rooms. Houses where you are also cooked for. Dahl-Bath Tarkari is a well-known Nepalese dish. It consists of rice, a bowl of lentil soup, some mixed vegetables and a chipati. But noodle soup or Chow-Mein are also on the menu. For breakfast they often make porridge or they bake a pancake, omelette or Tibetan bread. Cooking is done on wood, sometimes in beautiful stone ovens.

When the sun has set, the temperature drops quickly. A central wood stove in the ‘dining room’ then provides some warmth. But even at the stove a coat is usually not superfluous. The bedrooms are unheated. And sometimes it is really cold there. Then sleeping with your clothes on and a hat is the way to stay warm. Sanitary facilities are sometimes inside, but sometimes you have to make do with a shared outside toilet.

It is primitive, but always clean and it is surprising how quickly you get used to it.

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(3) Nepal – Langtang Valley

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Langtang Valley, was the answer when people asked us where we wanted to go in Nepal. A trek in Langtang VaIley is a popular, fairly short hike if you take the bus to the startingpoint Syabru Bezi. We started not far from Kathmandu in the Helambu, a much less known area. From Tulo Syabru we walked to the valley. it is a route along the river that you walk back and forth.
The last village is Kyanjin Gompa at an altitude of over 4000 meter.

There is no road in the valley, only a path along the river. It means that everything that is needed is transported by porters or by horses.

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.Namasté

(2) Nepal – Over the Suryakundapass to Gosaikunda

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After a week of walking and gradually increasing ascent, the big challenge is the Suryakunda pass (altitude 4620 meters) to Gosaikunda. We have already passed the Thadepati pass (altitude 3650 meters). And that went smoothly.
But the next day the altitude really became noticeable. We did not have altitude sickness, but our legs felt heavy. We therefore decided to stay in Phedi, in the lodge and make the crossing the next morning. We were the only guests there. The son, Chean, walked around and when we asked him, he was willing to help us with a backpack the next day, up to the highest point. The next day we left early. The landscape was bare, but beautiful. The pass could be seen from the start. It was tough, but beautiful. On the pass is the Trident of Shiva. Legend has it that the three holy lakes after the pass were made by Shiva by that Trident.

We rested on the pass. Chean descended again and we continued walking. The upper lake was frozen and still covered with snow. It was beautiful and so quiet. Only we were there. Footsteps were visible, and we followed them. Slowly down. We passed another lake and then there was the large holy Hindu lake. It is the place where many Hindu pilgrims go. We passed ceremonial places with many fluttering prayer flags.
Gosaikunda is a collection of lodges on the lake. We chose a room. It was cold, but at 5 o’clock the wood stove was heated.

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(1) Nepal – The Dog and the Snow

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Throughout the Helambu, from the very first day, we had the company of a nice dog; it really became a friend

In Magingoth, still in the Helambu, we arrived quite early and we were in doubt whether to stay or continue to the pass and beyond. We walked a bit further, but when we saw the sky getting dark we turned back. And what luck. Not much later a heavy thunderstorm started and it started to snow.

The next morning the sun was shining, the snow was still there. it was magically beautiful.

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Bilbao and the Guggenheim

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Bilbao was the end point of our tour. And we enjoyed it there. The visit to the museum and the surroundings of the building was a great experience. 

Nice was also the Mercado de la Ribera, the large covered fresh market, where we ate pintxos with a glass of cold white wine. 

In the Casco Viejo, the old city district, we enjoyed a Menu del Dia.

You could see the Guggenheim Museum as the icon of Bilbao. The building has been standing on the Nervion river since 1997. The building is spectacular and has given Bilbao a vibrant image. The design is by Frank Gehri and cannot be compared to any building.
The use of titanium was new. It is beautiful in the ever-changing light and that together with the shapes give the building an idea of ​​waves.
Louise Bourgeois’ giant spider stands on the square along the river. By Anish Kapoor there is the ‘Tall Tree & The Eye’: reflective spheres stacked on top of each other.

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The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is one of three Guggenheim Museums around the world alongside Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. The museums belong to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York.

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