The Hiking that got BETTER!!!!!

At the risk of sounding like Binder of The Ascent of Rum Doodle (if u haven't read this hilarious book yet, do it now!!!!!  I'm prepping up for writing its review anyway), I sum up our hiking as a great success because of all those spirited people with lots of positive energy.

OK so what was that muddled up start to this post about? Oh oh.... :)

Trying extra hard to open up my post with witty lines was not so successful, was it?

Last Saturday (i.e. on 11th June 2011) I went to a one day hiking with some of the boys and girls from my village who are, like me staying in Kathmandu. 

Our choice of route was from Budhanilkantha to Sundarijal. If you really want to know more about hiking, do check out this site that the D2hawkeye group has put up. Meanwhile I will just be sharing photos and my own personal quirks and observations here. Because the thought of describing the whole route etc. got me yawning already.

So here's the gate at Budhanilkantha...the beginning of the hike!

The moment you step inside this gate, you know that your hike's going to be a great one. The ambiance, the tree lined trail and instant feel of being close to nature has you relaxed and looking forward to the day ahead. I really had a great time. I promise you, you won't regret this trail either (provided you dont go there in wet rainy days...i don't guarantee leech free day if that's the case)

The hikers...briefing the journey in video I think!

Sorry if you have difficulty viewing the following picture. I made it really extra big...because this was the bestest spot in the jungle. It was so mysterious, I could stand there for eternity gazing at those trees!!!

I really really really liked this spot...the pull of nature was so strong here...

Looking at Kathmandu from Nagi Gumba...we came upon this spot after some two hours ascent uphill.

And we had our home packed lunch + a little chit chat on the monastery called Nagi Gumba which is located just around 5 km down the peak of Shivapuri. That was also the only time when all of us stayed together for more than 15 minutes. So we had to take a group photo.

When photographing a group there's not one not two but oh so many "irritating" cameras!

This was the group being photographed. Isn't it a surprise that out of so many people, only 4 cameras came out?

Descending down from Nagi Gumba...our 3 small hikers are way ahead...our inspirations :)

One food for thought during the hike, just a few kilometres down below in the valley sprawls the largest and the most modern city of Nepal. Also the capital. But the ethnic Tamang people that live in these hills still follow a rural subsistence based agrarian lifestyle. Why couldn't the change just down below whiff up a little upwards and change them too? Or why couldn't they climb down a few slopes and lead a better life?

The ethnic Tamang settlement and the Kathmandu valley down below

The jungle has its own VIP carpeting...moss!!

when you have jungles as these to look at, you don't ever want to return to "civilization"

 

Some of the vegetation really caught my attention. Because they gave me such nice "bokeh" to shoot.

The enchanting trail...though a jeep track really!

Well, the hiking got better because initially I had thought the trail was going to be a disaster. I thought it was short, without any trees and would be so boring. But the jungle was enchanting, the people were great and though my legs hurt a little with all that walking, the slope was mostly gentle and there were plenty of relaxing places to catch your breath. And so even if my friends showed up two hours late and brought their kids in tow, the hiking got better and better with each step that we took.

The Original Clean Bagmati at Sundarijal

And to end my post, here's yet another flower photo!!!! :)

Wild Orchids and may be that's why the hiking got better!!!!