HIMALAYAS DAY 5: TREKKING TO MACHERMO 4,470M

Trekking in the Himalaya Mountains at above 4,000 m found me at a height I had never been before, but I still felt good on day 5. When hiking solo, something was still on my mind bothering along the way…

THE EXPERIENCE

Another day waking up early and a daily check out of the lodge business

I woke up ‪at 6:30am, early for a change. I got up, had brekky, cleared my balance at the lodge (cost: N550 Rupees for Dal Bhat + mint tea + hot chocolate + boiled water = N850 Rupees in total ca. 13 USD) and I left Dhole ‪at around 9am.

The next stop was Machermo at 4,470 m and I didn’t expect a long day ahead. The scenery was okay but nothing different compared to the days in the Himalaya Mountains before. This time it was a pretty short hike because I had already arrived after two hours ‪at around 11am and checked into the Himalaya Lodge, which seemed the best to me after I checking out all the other places in Machermo.

What’s there to do in the Himalaya Mountains ?

I was actually in bed resting and napping. It was getting very cold very early because the sun had disappeared behind the mountains ‪at around 2:30pm – really annoying actually. Also I just realised that by being by myself, there was absolutely nothing else to do on a short day like this and there weren’t many people around. I think the best idea is to have a book with you if you like reading. When I wasn’t napping, I was looking outside my little window observing the locals boiling water above a fire and organising their washing.

The potential impact of hiking solo

‪At 5:45pm, I thought about the other guys, regretted my decision and wished I were with them – maybe I felt lonely at this point and wasn’t having fun – sad times. This shows that you should consider the matter carefully when the same happens to you. Was it really worth going separate ways and breaking the amazing group spirit or is it part of a personal development process to follow your vision and your own mind ?

Hanging out with locals again

When I went for dinner later that night, I had Dal Bhat again and I got to know some locals (porters and guides), so I hung out with them in the kitchen; we made funny jokes and had fun – the owner even gave me free Americano and offered me some Raksi(the traditional Nepalese spirit). It was really funny because whenever food (leftovers) from the guests were brought into the kitchen, the locals ate the remaining (Momo), which was pretty delicious. After dinner I met a couple from Spain Cristina and Oscar, who were really nice and good fun. I started learning some Nepalese because I had nothing else to do and I loved connecting with the locals.

I TRAVEL FOREVER’s VIEW & RECOMMENDATION

Days like this in the Himalaya Mountains don’t really excite me but this shows that when traveling, not every day can be adventurous and exciting. However, the routine of trekking is pretty normal when you wake up early and hike as much as you want before the sun sets and it gets dark. In the Himalayas, the sun disappears early behind the mountains. The positive part of the day was definitely hanging out with the locals – feeling welcome – and getting to know the culture better. I really appreciated the opportunity.

#TW