The format of this travel article differs slightly from
the others. This article is partly a journal of the author's experience in
Nepal. The
highlights covered below will be the capital city of Katmandu, Royal Chitwan National
Park, and a hike to near Everest Base Camp, on a 18,200 foot mountain called Kala
Patar.
Photo to Left: Girl sitting on Katmandu Street
Nepal is a country that I will never forget. It is the land of the
rising mountains, mountains that rise so high, you can not imagine people living in them,
much less those who live in their shadows. For every thousand feet climbed, the day gets a
little colder, the sun shines a little brighter but with less intensity, and you wonder
aloud how far you are capable of climbing. You wonder if your body will last
another step.
Will it let you down; will you just become another casualty to these terrific heights?
When the cold is sliced through by the first rays of the morning light, you are aware that
the temperature is about as warm as it will be for the entire day. If you ever had any
idealized thoughts about hiking in the Himalayas those are soon dampened by the harsh
reality of the elevation and the temperature. That is not to say that these mountains are
not gorgeous. They are one of the most beautiful in the world, it is just that you need to
be prepared.
Someone once said that the Himalayas start where other mountains leave off. Hiking in the
Himalayas is like hiking on the top of the world. You may be hiking on the top of the
world, but you are constantly surrounded by mountains that tower above you. You look
around at all the rugged beauty and you become lost, you are an infinite speck surrounded
by the most awesome mountains that nature can offer.
Everest & Man in Katmandu
The Himalayas without a doubt are the central attraction for most tourists who visit
Nepal. However, there is much more to this small country. First, some brief facts and
general information:
Nepal encompasses an area of 147,181 square kilometers, situated between Tibet (China) to
the North, and India to the south. The total population in this small country is 23
million. The capital city of Katmandu has about 700,000 people. The major language in use
is called Nepali or sometimes called Gurkhali.
Most people are Hindu (90%), 5% are Buddhist, and 3% are Muslim. The
government is a democracy.
We wrote a short story about our trek in the
Himalayas also covered in this article.
To read this story directly, click here
