JOMSOM CAN NEVER BE GUM SUM ! OUR NEPAL JOURNEY

The day of our flight to Jomsom arrived, we got up in Pokhara Fish Tail Lodge, placed our luggage near the reception for safe keeping in the resort store room and took only hand luggage containing our things for a 2 day stay, it was going to be an exciting journey to Jomsom by a very small flight which would allow very minimal weight and journey would last only 25 to 30 minutes 

We got our breakfast packed as we were starting early, I felt very sad that we couldn’t stay longer in this excellent resort but unfortunately our time crunch didn’t let us do so

We left for the Pokhara Domestic airport which was very near our resort, took the boarding passes and waited with bated breath and crossed fingers for the flights to start, if the weather conditions don’t permit we would have to wait for a day or two in Pokhara or travel by a car to Jomsom which would take 6 hours or more for the 155 km and the road journey though thrilling would be hazardous too  

The exciting flight journey between Pokhara and Jomsom the headquarters of Lower Mustang, involves crossing to the 'other' side of the Himalaya, to the rain shadow on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. 

Flights leave only early in the morning before the daily winds whip up through Mustang as the day advances and makes flying dangerous

But to our luck we saw the Tara and Yeti flights coming and departing for the remote and isolated Nepalese Himalayas, Mustang whose main attraction is the trekking trials and the Muktinath temple

Best time to visit Muktinath is February, March, April, May, June, September, October and November.

Jomsom, one of the untouched areas of Nepal is in bucket list of many tourists for its religious as well as tourism value. Although very few tourists can actually visit Muktinath due to the weather constraint, it is much in demand and tourists who can visit the place consider themselves to be very fortunate 

Finally our boarding call came and we could see our luggage being manually taken on a trolley and placed on the tarmac ,saw our flight taxiing in and  waited in a queue ,we were told that sitting on the right side would give us better views of the mighty Himalayas 

The seats were narrow and there were flimsy seat belts, there were sketchy first aid kits seeing which my doctor soul shuddered, we could see the pilots chatting in the cockpit, the single airhostess welcomed us, safety instructions were brief and we took off 

Indeed it was with great anticipation that we set off for this trip and the mountains didn’t disappoint us, a plethora of scenes rolled in front of us, we could see rocky mountains along with the snow covered ones, with minute hamlets and farms

We knew we were taking a big risk by traveling in this small flight but we were thrilled, at times we went so close to the mountains that I could have touched them if I was allowed to put out my hand

There was hushed silence in the flight and we were reluctant to close our eyes even for a second for fear of missing the glorious nature unfolding its beauty before us, we flew through the Kali Gandaki Gorge (the deepest gorge in the world) 

In no time there was an announcement that the flight was reaching Jomsom airport, the journey was too short for many of us and we got down and suddenly found that we were in the middle of nowhere

There were rugged massive mountains surrounding us, some of which were sporting their snow caps the terrain was rough 

We took our luggage and were greeted by our travel agent a young Nepali lady who effortlessly hoisted our bags on her slender shoulders

As Jomsom is at elevation of 9000 feet, both my hubby and I were feeling a little breathless due to the altitude and followed her as swiftly as we could 

We left the tiny airport behind us, streets were narrow and paved, there were tourists walking or driving around, the air was fresh and we could see small stalls selling apples, almonds, strawberries and daily essentials

We reached Om’s home in 5 minutes , as we had reached before 12 noon we were asked to wait as the rooms were getting ready for that day, I asked the person there if we could go around and take a look

I walked into a cozy courtyard, there was a café cutely named Himalayan Java Coffee with an entrance to the main road also, on the right there was a glass walled dining area.

Once we enter the cafe and dining area we could directly look at the towering mountains of Annapurna range with their snowy peaks and the tiny flights were landing and taking off right in front of us, the courtyard was occupied most of the time as tea was served throughout the day

I walking further inside, the lobby was small but welcoming, I felt I was in a home stay ,the décor was cozy and pleasing 

Walls had paintings from local artists, flowering plants on small antique tables and old souvenirs were hung tastefully ,sofas were arranged for comfortable seating ,best of all there were books in several languages for tourists

I was pleasantly surprised by a snap of Mr Amitabh Bachchan in the reception area, apparently along with Sridevi and Danny Denzongpa and his crew he had stayed in Om’s home for the filming of the movie Khuda Gawah in 1984. 

Frederik Crown Prince of Denmark, and the famous Italian actor Danny Quinn also stayed at the hotel during the shooting of White Elephant.

I could meet Mr Krishna who owned the hotel, he was very friendly and showed his collection of rare Shaligram shila, he gifted us one but refused to be photographed

In 1976 Bishnu Raj Hirachan and his wife a Thakali couple from the village of Marpha, started Om’s Home with five rooms and it has now expanded to include two dozen rooms in two floors, straddling the majestic Kali Gandaki River, with the soaring peaks of Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri in the foreground

The rooms were small but cozy, floor was untreated timber, bathroom had shower with piping hot water and beds comfortable with comforters and electric blankets

Wifi was steady and most striking was the friendly nature of the staff both in the hotel and restaurant, they made us feel very welcome

The food both during dinner and next day breakfast was tasty and adequate and the dining room had a big heater constantly lit and was spreading the much needed warmth

Food in the dining room varied from Tibetan bread, butter tea, momos and other local speciality, puree, roti, poha and other items too were available on prior order and in the evening we heard beautiful music on the guitar and jazz on the keyboard

After the tiring trip to Muktinath we had a deep sleep thanks to the electric blanket and we could tolerate the then 1 degree temperature

Morning we got up and took our cups of tea to the terrace of our hotel where we had awesome views of the mountains around 

After a simple but filling breakfast we were ready to leave albeit reluctantly

Though there were multiple treks from Jomsom which is a very small village its main attraction was its proximity to the Muktinath temple and staying in Om’s home gave us delightful memories of the place

 

OM SHIVA ! OUR NEPAL JOURNEY

We checked into Fish Tail Lodge our resort in Pokhara and quickly freshened up and started our day tour

We wanted to go to Sarangkot, a 5860 feet tall hill situated on the western side of Pokhara and known for its panoramic Himalayan views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu.

The hike up from Pokhara Baglung highway at Miruwa to Sarangkot normally takes 90 minutes to 1.5 hours and is a scenic one but we didn’t risk it, we went in our car to the Annapurna cable car station at Seti Nagar for a cable car ride to Sarangkot 

Before dropping us our driver told us to ring him before starting our return cable car journey so that he would come and pick us up at Seti Nagar station

The cost of a round trip ticket on the Annapurna Cable Car was NPR 800 and for Nepalis NPR 700

Luckily for us there wasn’t much rush as the tourists go there mostly at sun rise or sunset to see the awesome views from the view tower at the top

A motor car ride which would take 40 minutes up the undulating roads would now take us only 9 to 10 minutes by the cable car

We took the tickets and waited for our turn, a young female solo traveler was with us and I asked her from which country she was coming, she said Ukraine, I wondered at this time of active war how the citizens were traveling but didn’t voice it aloud paying heed to my husband’s meaningful glances, the person monitoring the cars was an Indian from Kerala and had worked in the Indian army till his retirement

As we went up smoothly we could get an excellent view of the entire Pokhara city including the Phewa lake 

Down below us as we were passing by, we could get glimpses of peaceful, relaxed village life with quaint little houses and animals mostly goats, most of the houses had on their terraces and front yards flowerpots brimming with lovely flowers and colorful clothes drying on cloth lines and fluttering in the wind

Some of the houses were home stays as evidenced by the welcoming boards, we came across a lot of tourists trekking up the hill

We could see cars and an occasional bus going laboriously up the winding serpentine roads

We arrived at the alighting point and walked down to the view point, there was an elevator which led to a view tower which had the most divine views from the top and offered freshly brewed coffee for the tourists for sale

One of the largest mountain ranges in the world the Annapurna range and Annapurna the 10th highest mountain in the world were visible from the view tower

I wondered if man can ever surpass nature in any aspect, the tall proud mighty mountains glittering in the bright sun took my breath away and filled my heart with peace and humility

There was a small Shiva temple at the top that acts as the hub of celebration on important festival days, to pray I respectfully removed my sun hat which I had been carrying around the world for the past 10 years and placed it on a ledge there, forgot to retrieve it and missed it only after coming down alas, I thought maybe it was fed up of humble me!

There were lot of activities going on at Sarangkot, we could climb up a path and do wildlife viewing but we were told that occasionally a tiger or leopard is known to stroll across probably to see the beautiful sunrise or sunset, so we didn’t want to be delicious kababs for them, those interested could also do top notch bird watching 

Sarangkot is the launching point for one of the longest and fastest zipline in the world that starts at the top of the mountain and runs down to the valley below 

We could see the tandem swing offering 45 feet fall and lasting for 4 to 5 minutes, there were young tourists trying it and I enjoyed the excitement on their faces because it was like they were flying directly into the sky

There was a sky cycling spot with the cycling rope suspended above the ground and people were cycling on it with gay abandon with no fear of falling

My husband was meanwhile trying desperately to reach our driver who wasn’t lifting the phone, I muttered to myself lo! here start our troubles again, however this time we had taken the main agent’s number too ,after hectic calls to him he finally answered and told us that he had given the wrong phone number and that the driver would come and pick us shortly

After this fiasco we wanted to have lunch and were taken to a small restaurant where there were loads of Indian tourists all eating dhal chawal, the hotel owner gave some free gyan to us as to why Indians want to eat only Indian food and not try the local cuisine, we had no answer, we smiled and went out after eating a masala dosa each

Our driver stopped at a parking and asked us to go the Devis falls and also the Cave which was just adjacent to it

 Particularly in Nepal I have seen the tour agents send their customers without giving any information what to see and do so one needs to do a lot of research before going to these places 

We walked down to the Gupteswar Mahadev cave whose entrance was almost hidden by the stalls selling religious items and souvenirs, 

We did a little shopping mainly for our little grandson staying in US, we could get a typical Nepali dress and some beads, the shop owner was a lady who also came from India and had worked in the Army

The cave which is 100 feet deep and 6750 feet long was allegedly discovered in the 16th century by some local men who stumbled upon it accidentally. Within the dark cave they discovered many shrines and statues dedicated to Shiva and other Hindu deities. 

There was an entrance ticket of 100 Nepali Rupees and when we went further there was a spiral staircase adorned with statues depicting Hindu mythology figures

We went down this staircase and saw an entrance gate with carvings saying cow shed cave entry, some people panting and drenched with sweat were coming out of the cave 

Seeing them I had second thoughts about going in but having come so far decided to brave it, the minute we entered we discovered to our dismay that it was almost pitch dark there and we had not taken any torches with us

The incoming and outgoing paths were blending and we were totally boxed in on either side by the mountain, there were many narrow tunnels, in areas of very low height which needed us to stoop down and water was dripping from the roof, making the steps extremely slippery

As we had to remove our shoes at the entrance it was all the more scary, I had vivid thoughts of falling and getting hurt or sustaining a fracture and clutched the support rods for my dear life, seeing my scared face few people who were returning from inside told me it was not very long and I could do it 

I wouldn’t advise a visit to this cave to the elderly people and those who have claustrophobia

I heard someone commenting that the Cave reminded him of the Movie "Journey to the Centre of the Earth". 

After cautiously going down in the dark, we could see the naturally formed stalagmite Shivling, photography was prohibited though there were people taking snaps in total disregard to the rules, we were told that during rainy season the water from the falls would rise upto the linga and do abhishek to it, during those days the tourists are prohibited from going further down till the falls

At the end of the cave as we walked or rather stumbled blindly, there was a slit of bright light in the rock that showed the bottom half of Davis Falls, we could clearly hear the water roaring, the path here was very uneven and we could see the ground crumbling in few places

By the time we came out we were also wet with sweat and the water from overhead, our legs were protesting at the unaccustomed exercise and we sat for some time resting presumably appearing to look at the statues around us 

We walked to the opposite end of the road to see the Patale Chhango or Devi’s Falls, David’s Falls, Devin Falls and Devis Falls, an area known for its beauty and tranquility and the drama involved

The water that feeds the Devis Falls comes from the Fewa Lake starting as a rocky stream which rushes down to the waterfall. The water ultimately disappears after a hide-and-seek for 5 long kilometers.

There are many stories behind these falls which add a mysterious beauty, one of the versions is that of a trekker or hiker by name of Devis who was swept away suddenly by the water and carried down into the underground passages and caves that run below the waterfall.

The other legend is that of Mrs Devis, a Swiss tourist, who was swimming in the Fewa Lake in July 1961 and when the dam unexpectedly started to overflow, she was swept down the waterfall, so in her memory the falls have been called Devis falls which gradually changed to Devi’ falls

We entered through the gate and were anxious as to how far we had to climb down to see the falls, luckily they were quite near

There was a park with few statues but it needed to be spruced up, the path to the falls was overgrown with wild plants and ground strewn with plastic bottles and rubbish, the falls was worth seeing and in rainy season would be spectacular 

Seeing the rocky mountains around the falls I wondered how foolish can people can be to swim in such dangerous spots, my husband reminded me that this is adventure for some

There was a small wish pool where we had to wish and put in coins to see whether they would hit the exact spot, some enthusiastic brave people had even put some rupee notes in, few stalls with native Nepalese attire for hire were available

By the time we went to our car we found that the driver had brought his little son from his house which was in the near vicinity 

Our next visit was to the second tallest Shiva statue in Nepal , after Kailashnath Mahadev Statue in Pumdikot a hill station in Kaski District of Gandaki Province with a viewpoint at an altitude of 4920 feet above sea level 

We had a few moments of anxiety with the car slipping backward due to sand on the road which was very rough 

As we got down from the car and walked up the cement road we had picturesque views of Annapurna Himalayan Range, Machhapuchre, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and many other neighboring mountains with the Fewa lake and valleys

High above us towered Lord Shiva in a sitting posture the statue is 51 feet tall, sitting on a stupa 57 feet in height

Slowly we ascended the steps, we could see a lot of construction activity going on, plan to construct Martyr’s memorial park, model of mount Sumeru featuring Shiva and Parvati is also on the pipeline. 

We were greeted by a big golden Nandi, Shiv linga and a big Ganesha, we had to go up some more steps to see the Shiva statue properly

There were 108 Shiva lingas encircling the statue at its base.

While we were there we found groups of local Nepalis coming to visit the place for a picnic, while the younger Nepali boys and girls were dressed in modern Western wear the older Nepali women were dressed more conservatively, I took permission and snapped few pics with them

We made a circuit around the statue and found Annapurna mountain range views enthralling, there was a big damaru model 

As we were looking around we saw lights slowly appearing in some parts of Pokhara and dark clouds appeared in the sky

We rushed down as we still had to visit the famous Tal Barahi temple situated in the center of the Fewa Lake and one had to take a boat to go there, as an anticlimax by the time we reached that place we came to know that the temple was closed for the day

In Nepal I found that temples close quite early, latest by 7 pm, we however attended aarati by the lakeside where the local Nepalis and tourists alike were freely dancing and we returned back to our resort putting an end to another day