 |
| Tilicho Lake |
With the mental and physical tiredness at work, I seriously needed a holiday escape. And fortunately, this time around my friends and my time matched. So, we decided to make a Manang Trip to Tilicho. It was a luck driven journey as well because initially, we had heard the hotels in Manang, especially at Base Camp is super busy and will get no rooms to sleep. However, we took the chance on it and made our journey. The journey started from Kathmandu Balaju Bus Park. The 8 days journey from/to Kathmandu. The itinerary is:
Day 1: Travel from Kathmandu to Besisahar.
Day 2: Besisahar to Chame
Day 3: Chame to Humde
Day 4: Humde to Khangsar
Day 5: Khangsar to Tilicho Base Camp
Day 6: Tilicho Base Camp-Tilicho-Tilicho Base Camp- Khangsar
Day 7: Khangsar-Manang-Besisahar
Day 8: Besisahar-Kathmandu
 |
| House at Humde |
This trip had cost around NRs 15000 each for three. Had we got the more money, we would have passed through Thorung-La and come back to Kathmandu via Jomsom/Muktinath. We've been unlucky this time but surely in future.
The trip was challenging to be honest. Guys living in the altitude of 1400m were trying to adjust in the altitude of 3000+ and 4000+ in a day gap. I had blood clots on my nose and had difficulty in sleeping. My friends had also breathing problem and all of us could not sleep most of our nights . The beds are not comfy which I never hoped as well because I know how hard life is out there and even having a simple thing underneath your body is a lot.
 |
| Pisang |
The jeeps are available from Besisahar until Khangsar and will charge a Nepalese from NRS 2500-NRs 3000 each. It would have been much difficult to go to Khangsar directly in terms of breathing, so we had stayed at Chame and Humde. The way of Manang is dangerous in my view and the walking trails are small. It had been the very challenging trek for me. Coming down from Tilicho, I had counted the 15 turns that one should walk uphill while going to Tilicho. The high altitude walks, small walking trails and the less oxygen, what do you need and en course, a lady having your lady's days.I surpassed this situation.
Tilicho Base Camp is at 4210m and you get to walk uphill to 4919m straight uphill. It took us 4 hours to reach Tilicho Lake. We also could not stay there for long as it was freezing cold. Coming down been more difficult for me. I had nausea, I had a headache, my legs were shaking to walk downhill, my face was swollen and the blood clots on my nose. But I did it. I did make Tilicho. I accomplished it. It took us 2 hours to be back from Tilicho to Basecamp.
Tilicho Base Camp is at 4210m and you get to walk uphill to 4919m straight uphill. It took us 4 hours to reach Tilicho Lake. We also could not stay there for long as it was freezing cold. Coming down been more difficult for me. I had nausea, I had a headache, my legs were shaking to walk downhill, my face was swollen and the blood clots on my nose. But I did it. I did make Tilicho. I accomplished it. It took us 2 hours to be back from Tilicho to Basecamp.
 |
| Bhrakha |
After the lunch, we started walking back to Kangsar where we assumed to have a jeep to go down to the Besisahar. We stayed at Khangsar that night but on the very next day, there was no jeep so we walked down to Manang. There was no jeep again. We did not think of the day. It was the Vai Tika day, the fifth day of Tihar, and the jeeps won’t be operating. I was really frustrated to hear that as I had no power to walk and we could not think of staying at for our money was running out. Slowly and slowly, we did walk and while almost reaching to Bhraka, a jeep came from Chame to Manang. We were praying and hoping for the jeep to return. But the local people motivated us to walk for there is no certainty that the jeep will return for being the Tika day. So, we moved ahead. Nearly reached Humde and there came that jeep to Chame.
 |
| Shiree Khadka |
Lucky us, the Jeep allowed us in its back and we reached to Chame around 11 in the morning. Upon reaching there, we decided to eat something and afterward we needed to walk as there would be no any vehicles. My friend was proposing to walk until Chamje or before that as it is downhill. Few steps ahead, there was a jeep which was planning to go to Humde to pick its passengers. However, since he could not make the communication, the driver became ready to go to Besisahar. We paid NRS 1750 each to come down to Besisahar from Chame. It was around 12:30 PM when we started driving. Along the way, he picked many travelers and slowly and safely he dropped us in Besisahar at 8:00PM. We got relieved for we did not need to think of the money now as it would be sufficient to go back home. The night at Besisahar was relieving and we had a good sleep finally.
 |
| on the way to Tilicho |
 |
| Tilicho Lake |
The next day coming to Kathmandu was a torture as there were no drivers for the microbus coming to Kathmandu because all the drivers had gone home to have blessings from their sisters the previous day. Waited for more than an hour, a bus appears. A big crowd of people waiting and limited seat. Again, being lucky, we were allowed to have seats in the bus cabin. The bus had picked so much of passengers where three people were sitting in a two-seater, 4 in a three seater and even in the bumper. I never will forget for being vomited over by a little kid in the ride. It was a torturous bus ride for me. Many of the travelers to Kathmandu were stranded for having limited vehicles. I assumed myself lucky to get a bus and even a seat as well despite having soaked trousers in vomit.
Around 4 PM, we reached Kalanki and departed for our house. The overall trip was memorable and full of excitements and challenges. However, I will never ever go to Manang by foot again. I will prefer heli instead :P
My next destination will be determined by the number of holidays I will have and also the budget. I'm planning to visit Janakpur and Sindhuli this Christmas though with a friend who is from Sindhuli. I am planning for Mustang and Dolpa too but prolly, this will happen in 2018.
Hasta la Vista Baby! See you in my next experience.
