Hello Guilin!

A trip originally designed to explore the Chinese countryside became an epic tri-country trip, allowing me to explore the karsts formations in Yangshou, cross the border to Vietnam by bus, play tag with the motorcycles of Hanoi and Saigon, and finally culminating in a Metallica concert in Singapore.

I bought this P800 (yes P800 round-trip ticket to Guangzhou in 2012 from Cebu Pacific), thinking this will my entry/exit to explore South China.

I did get to explore Guilin area and more! Got ripped off, stuck in a bus terminal in Nanning at 3am, walked for five hours amidst amazing scenery in countryside China. All in the spirit of adventure. Grateful to God for this epic adventure.

Day 1

This was a trip when I arrived in the airport just in time. Flight was at 715pm and arrived at the airport around 6pm. Phew!   

I flew over a big city before Guangzhou, too bad there are dark clouds covering this huge city but I think it is Hong Kong. It took a while before the plane landed, probably a congested runway. I know that Chinese can talk loud but I was still surprised when it got really noisy on the plane. Upon landing, the first thing I noticed is being parked beside an Egyptair 777, reminded me of the chaos in Cairo at that time. After immigration, I called my hotel, Guangsha Hotel, close to the airport. After twenty minutes, I got picked up by a non-air-conditioned van, which reminded me of the old shuttle vans servicing Ajuy-Iloilo. Also reminded me of the Shanghai airport van which made me sit on the space for behind the first row, the space allotted for luggage

I was the only passenger at first then we picked up a couple from the other terminal of Guangzhou. The hotel is value for money and location wise---only P1,800. The beds were clean and the toilet, my only bad observation is the carpet and the windows are quite old already. Otherwise, I had decent sleep. The airport shuttle left 530am, just in time for my morning flight to Guilin. I booked this trip, not knowing that I am following deluxe service from China Southern, I flew business class in a Chinese domestic flight, a first international na domestic flight.   Had priority check in and got to enjoy CS airport lounge. I even got my own special shuttle, while everybody else was crammed in the shuttle, I got the luxury of comfortable coach where I had it all to myself. I did not expect special service but then again, I paid P5,000 for a one-hour flight. But what was funny is that our shuttle ride to the plane was longer than my travel time from my hotel to the airport. But I have no complains with this deluxe China Southern service.  

To be continued..... 

Day 7-The Jump

This is the day of the jump. Tina and Tobi’s driver dropped us off in Thamel where we will take the bus to the Last Resort. The resort is called as such not because of the bungee jump but because it is the last resort before the Nepal-Tibet border. While waiting for the shuttle, I decided to wander off and look at the alleys of Thamel. Most of the stores are still closed since it was not yet 6am. Other people taking the shuttle started to arrive, a couple with one guy looking like a Nepali and an Asian girl, her nationality I cannot guess right away.

Pilipino kayo?

Then we had to walk back to the main street where the shuttle to Last Resort is.  The ride to last resort is estimated to last for about three hours or so, going through corniche amidst Kathnmandu valley. There were several checkpoints along the way where armed men go on board the bus.

At one point during the ride, Nadine asked me if I am ok and she asked in Tagalog. That is when the couple in front, one who looked like a Nepali and the Asian girl, looked back at us and asked “Pilipino kayo?”.  It turned out they were both Filipinos, Raffy is a photographer working for the national daily Inquirer and the girl  “Alyana” is from Travel Factor. They were on vacation and were availing of the day trip package to the Last Resort. The day trip package includes a bungy jump. I decided to practice my Tagalog after a few days of talking in English. We had a short stop over in a small store along the river. The store reminded me of a stopover in Banaue. Around 9-ish, we arrived in the resort. The resort is situated across the river from the main road. A hanging bridge connects the resort to the main road. The bridge where we will be jumping from.

view from the bridge

When we got to the Resort, we ordered sandwiches for breakfast. Just a light snack before the jump. There was an orientation and the weigh-in. Everyone’s weight was taken since it will determine the order of the jump. I was 47 kg based on their scale. The main instruction was walk like a penguin and jump like a bird. Like a penguin since our legs and feet were bound together already before we go to the platform, and of course fly like a bird.

We went to the bridge by batch. Since I was the lightest, I was the first in the line. Oh my……Am I really doing this crazy thing I asked myself? It was not too windy that day. Thank God.

our weight (B is for bungee or bungy)

Then it started, the “bungy guys” started putting on the harness, called out the guys weighing around 55kg. Phew! They start from the heavy guys first. I was not first after all. Raffy was the one who jumped first. Raffy shouted his heart out as he jumped. One American guy in front of me, was swearing all the expletives he can muster. That did not help at all. Before this jump, I was practicing by looking down from condo of a friend living on the 27^th floor. Just to get me used to the idea that I can really jump from a height.  But staring at the 260 meter drop is surreal and I guess no practice can prepare you for it.

As I walk towards the platform and feel the wind blowing in my face and as I stare down the height from which I will jump from, my heart was in my throat. I was asking myself am I really crazy enough to jump 600 feet? Then “kuya” counted 1….2….3….I blurted out some words in Tagalog. "Wait lang po Kuya." Then he counted again, 1….2…and gave me a slight nudge and booom…..I was off from the ledge and falling……

No No No - Day 6

I slept well only for half of the night but woke up at around 3am probably because of the bright moon outside our bedroom window.

In the morning, we had Thukpa and Chowmein for breakfast. Jhule mountain resort offers good food. From Jhule, we headed for the Shivapuri National Park. In the entrance to the park, a military guard we asked for directions from, know only one English word, NO. To all our questions, he said NO NO NO. Since we couldn’t get anything from him, we decided to take the road with no tree covering.

We ended up walking from Jhule at 10am to 2pm with brief stopovers for “minor” and water/trail food break. We only bumped into two hiking groups, one big group composed of many tourists and one guide. The guide commented on our team, European friend, Asian friend cute.  

After more than a couple of hours and not seeing other hikers except for military personnel patrolling the area, we came up of ways of amusing ourselves by exaggerating Rhododendron.  

We walked through a dirt road with lots of pine trees and rhododendrons growing along it.

At around 2pm, we saw settlements again, so we had lunch in the first dining place in Mulkaphar from where the pipeline goes down to Sundarijal. I was the only one who ate since Nadine was not feeling well.

 

Turned out there was an entrance fee for Shivapuri from this end, so we were charged entrance fee as we are exiting the Shivapuri National Park. I decided to go to a toilet in Sundarijal and it was wild welcome to Nepal toilets. I won’t even wish that sight to my worst enemy.

 

From Sundarijal, we took a bus to Kathmandu and were seated with a fun bunch of locals. Two well-dressed ladies, complete with accessories, came from working on the field and were carrying their goods. Some of the passengers in the bus were buying their goods from them. The trip was less than hour and we were already in Kathmandu. There was a commotion when one of the guys forgot to pay the ladies. Thus, one lady had to run after him. The whole bus was into the drama.

We did not know which part of Kathmandu we will get off from the bus. Due to the limited English of the conductor we had no choice but to get off at Puaay? Or something that sounded like that.  Good thing there was already a taxi waiting where we got off so we got in it and asked to be brought to Dhumbarai for about P100. Kathmandu center was a stark contrast to the quietness of the surrounding valley rim.

As soon as we arrived in Kathmandu, it was uber-nice to finally get a hot shower after three days of trekking. Best feeling ever. However, Nadine’s sickness worsened during the night. Good thing Joerg had natural medicines. We slept early for the following day, since we will head for the Last Resort, where we will be doing the jump.   

Just Before Dark Fell - Day 5

We started the day slow. We got up at 8am and had breakfast when the Himalayas was just peeking in front of us. Not the same amazing view as the day before, so we enjoyed breakfast instead. The food in the Hotel at the End of the Universe was really good. And the curd is awesome.

 

We sat at our usual breakfast table outside overlooking the mountains. Afterwhich, we decided to hike the Jhule four hours from Nagarkot, tracing the Kathmandu valley rim. The first village was Kateki since we knew the shortcuts, it was easy for us to find our way.

 We had our first stopover in a field of pine trees where we had a banana and an apple. It somehow felt like we were hiking a mountain in the North of the Philippines. Then we headed off again as the midday sun unleashed its fury with amazing views of the valley.

 

After an hour of walking from the first rest stop, we saw a lot of students who were just hanging around under trees. Unlike back in Manila, where students hang out in internet shops or the canteen during breaks, these students were enjoying the view of the valley and the mountains.

 Then the next stop was in Pauwa where there is a school with a playground with an amazing view. This is where we found my “home”. We had our Coke and Fanta break.

 

Then after an hour, we arrived in Bagdarra where we met a lot of people and namaste-d five hundred times.

One guy thought I was Japanese and shouted Konichiwa.

 

Based on the Lonely Planet map, the next town should be Chowki bhanjang but we could've missed a turn that we ended up in Chowki via a different route and not the main road. In chowki, we considered staying in a lodge with a lot of locals but a guy took us to Hotel Llama, our original lunch stop, We had Tibetan bread with honey.

 We thought of staying there but when Nadine went to the restroom, we decided to stick to the original plan and head to Jhule since we have one hour before dark falls and Jhule is supposed to be an hour away. There was an ad for Jhule Mountain Resort, 2 km ahead. So we headed to Jhule, recharged after eating Tibetan bread and honey.

 To make use of the time, I learned German words along the way. After walking mostly uphill for an hour, we arrived at the mountain resort, where they have one vacant room left. And the receptionist thought I was Nepali guide. We thanked the Lord for this awesome trek through many villages and a huge national park in the valley rim. We might have some detours along the way but it allowed us to see some villages we won't have seen otherwise. Another epic adventure for Sati and Didi.

 

 

Venn Engel Reisen (Part 4)

We woke up to a beautiful view of the Lang Tang and Himalayas mountain range. The friendly folks in the Hotel at the End of the Universe told us it was the best view in Nagarkot so far in one week. Nadine and I were so blessed to see such a beautiful sight at such impeccable timing because we are only spending a night or so in Nagarkot.

The view of the mountains was so surreal. What was before our eyes filling the entire horizon were snow-capped mountains ranging from 5000m to 8000m. Amazing view. We ended up staring at it the whole morning while having breakfast and even after breakfast.

         The Himalayas range as seen from Nagarkot

 

While I took a gazillion pictures, a German lady, about 45 years old, shared a seat with us but turned out she just wanted to speak in German (even though she speaks fluent English). So I just decided to take more pictures. After breakfast, Nadine had her customary naps. A little after noontime, we decided to explore the town and have coffee or drinks in a resort nearby. I forgot the name of the country inn but it had a nice view of the valley but we noticed unlike back home where it is deep green. Kathmandu valley is brownish and dry.  

After walking a few meters downhill, we saw a map showing the next village is 30 minutes away. So we decided to walk to Kateki.  And there we met a nice group with four kids, on their way to Kateki. We joined them to Kateki. They were just visiting their friend during this Holi festival. The "leader" of the group used to be a teacher in Kateki but now since the school in Kateki closed down, she is teaching in Nagarkot. They were just resting when we saw them on the road. She was the one who can speak a few words of English.

 

Since we were on our way to Kateki, we went with them and took a shortcut. We went with them to visit another teacher’s house in Kateki. It was our first time to enter the house of a local Nepali. The living room and the kitchen were at the end of the corridor. The living room has a window facing the valley below and on a clear day, a view of the snow capped mountains. They served us lemon-flavored water. The kids were watching Nickelodeon in Nepali. One thing that stands out in the house was its very clean toilet even though it is a squat toilet I did not mind. The toilet even she had Detol handwash.

 

We stayed with them for about 15 mins Then we headed back to Nagarkot. As we were leaving Kateki, one of their friends who also live in the village, chased us and asked us to stay for some nepal wine made from millet and they have the most interesting home where the dried corn, stove and goats were in the living room. This is one memorable experience I have in Nepal, being invited in a local house and being served wine however, impoverished they may be. That is hospitality.

We had wine and said cheers and then we headed off to Nagarkot where the kids were not letting go of our hands. So we walked from Kateki to Nagarkot, holding hands while swaying. The little kid fell asleep on his mother’s back. While one of the lady’s slippers was broken so she had a hard time walking but she just smiled it off. Truly, these Nepalis are a happy and relaxed people. They may not have much but they just enjoy life. Along the way, they sang nepali songs, nepali hymn, we didn't mind the one hour walk to Nagarkot. Then we had to say bye to them in front of the hotel of the universe.We hugged the kids and babay to the adults, I would have wanted to hug them but I didn't know if how will that work out with them. I felt better on the second night in Nagarkot but it was Nadine who was not feeling well this time.

 

Namaste Nepal (Part 3)

My body clock is still in MNL time and woke up again at 5am. Oh well, the plan was to go to Bhaktapur first and Nagarkot. And hike for a few days around the Kathmandu valley.  Bhaktapur is a well-preserved village with many temples and residential buildings, much like Intramuros, only Hindu and Buddhist-themed.

Our third day in Nepal started with a big scare for me. When I went to check my passport in my bag, it was gone! My heart skipped a beat. Did one of the dogs take it? Polly? Taps? My mind was racing, how will I get home without my passport? Before I thought of the unthinkable, Ms. Nadine walked in with my passport in her hand. So she photocopied it while I was showering. Haaaaaay, if that doesn’t wake you up, I don’t know what will.

To start our day, we had a very Western breakfast of pancakes, cheese, salmon, and egg highlighted with Nuttella. Didi (the household help) prepared some Nepali tea for us which was made with tea and milk, like Nai Cha.

Then it was time for us to head out to Kathmandu, un-assisted. With our red and orange Deuter backpacks in tow, we headed out and started to walk towards the Peepalbot or Pipalbot. It is said that in Nepal, each town and village has its own Pipalbot, a place where people hang out.

Pipalbot in Dhumbarai

After buying some trail food and other essentials in the convenience store, we also hang out in the Peepalbot where there is huge tree and wait for our ride to the bus park for Bhaktapur. We saw a fancy SUV almost running over a group of ladies planning for Holi in the Pipalbot. They were still smiling after the near accident. We chanced upon a friendly group of college boys, who helped us find our way to the bus park. 

After waiting for a bus that never came we walked to the ring road. Our newly formed barkada took a local bus to a busy street corner near Nepal’s police academy. It was Nadine’s and my first time to ride a local bus and as expected, people were staring at us, foreigners in a local bus.  

 

with our new barkada, Sujan and the gang

 

Then we rode a packed van where sitting in the luggage section looks as normal as sitting on any regular seat. Nadine and one of the boys sat beside the driver who chatted with them. The boys always were paying for our fare then we thought we can pay them when we finally separate ways.  But alas, as we bid them farewell and handed them our payment, Sujan, the one who can speak English well, told us, “We don’t need money”.  

 The bus we took to Bhaktapur stopped anywhere where buses can stop. So a journey which can take 30 minutes took two hours. But the sights and sounds of Kathmandu reminded Sati Nadine that she is indeed in Nepal. It took two days for her to realize we arrived. J

 in Bhaktapur

Entrance to Bhaktapur Durbar Square is the most expensive entrance fee we paid for in Nepal at 1,100 per person (around P550). We walked around the square and bumped into kids asking for chocolates.  Good thing, we bought some candies as trail food.

Then we walked around the ancient city, taking our sweet time exploring this ancient square filled with amazing architecture.  We had lunch in the square where we had a nice view of the many tourists and we had a mini-game where Nadine would guess the nationality of each Western tourist that come our way. A very friendly waiter served us Himalayan pizza and salad with yak cheese but the yak cheese tasted like hard cheddar to me. Bhaktapur is photogenic with its eclectic mix of Nepali culture still preserved in this  complex. According to Wikipedia, The Durbar square is surrounded by spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newari artists and craftsmen over several centuries. Truly, another assault to the senses.

 Durbar Square

After lunch, we headed to the pottery square and met a lot of friendly locals who showed us how they burn the newly-made pots to cure them. After buying some pasalubong and fruits in one of Bhaktapur’s store-filled alley.

 Since we are staying in Nagarkot for the night, an hour away from Bhaktapur, we looked for the bus park before it gets dark. After walking for than 30 minutes, we finally found the bus park. And the bus was quite a sight with the floor looking like it is going to collapse on the sheer weight of the dilapidated chairs and the roof looks like it's going to cave in anytime. While waiting for the bus to get filled, we observe two elderly ice cream vendor who can’t seem to sell their goods and ended up eating them.   

 

a residential complex we saw, on our way to the bus park

Another highlight while waiting for the bus to leave is the sight of a chinky-eyed girl with a big backpack running downhill looking as if she was running after something. We were amused and surprised when the girl suddenly ran back and got on our bus. Turned out she was also looking for this bus park and she was running towards the wrong direction at first.

The one-hour ride turned out to be not too bad with friendly locals always teasing and bantering with each other. The bus got really packed with some of the boys riding on roof already.

 Nadine and I decided to sit on different rows because of our bags. I got seated beside another friendly local, which I later found out to be a pastor, his name is Dolgit. The first thing I noticed about him is that he was always smiling. It's his first time to work in the Nagarkot area. He comes from a region in the western part of Nepal. To get to his hometown, you have to travel by by bus for two days and walk for two days. He was assigned in Nagarkot and will head a home church. Too bad, I just talked to him in the tail end of the trip.

with Dolgit, the pastor, in the bus to Nagarkot

 

It was almost dusk when we reached Nagarkot and it was getting cold. Nagarkot is already 2,175 meters above sea level. That is quite high for a village. For reference, Mt Apo, Ph’s tallest is 2,954 meters. As we were looking for the hotel we reserved, Hotel at the End of the Universe, the cold intensified and it was really dark. The hotel was of considerable distance from the bus park (20-minute walk). So while walking, Nadine, the Japanese girl and I were sweating and feeling cold at the same time. It was the perfect formula for a cold. Thus, when we arrived at the hotel, I was not feeling well already.  My throat felt scratchy and I felt a cold coming. We had a light dinner of hot soup and so Nadine put some local whiskey on my drink. Since there were no available table, we sat beside a Jewish guy from Israel who also had a terrible cold after climbing Lang Tang range. If it were any other day, I would’ve joked about this dinner with a German and a Jew.  He said it was freezing cold up in the mountains.  And he was writing about his experiences in a small notebook. On this third night, I had my longest sleep in Nepal, although broken a bit by bouts of sweating.

Namaste Nepal (Part 2)

The 2.25 hour difference of Kathmandu from Manila is tricky. The barbecue party ended around midnight and I did not get to sleep until 1am but my body clock was already up and about by 4am. Phew! And our day will just start at 10am. We had breakfast overlooking the world’s biggest stupa in Boudnath. And from a far distance, we glimpsed upon snow-capped mountains of the Lang Tang range. Surreal breakfast with the Team Germany and Helen, a Brit girl who was born and raised in India. Parang Princess Sarah lang ang peg. The area around the stupa is packed with stores catering to the many tourists flocking the area. Although the place is touristy, we did not mind since the colors and flavors of Kathmandu, overpower the feeling of crowdedness and commercialization that is common in these touristy places. A touristy place that I did not mind being one. There were people throwing paint in the façade of the stupa making sure a perfect arc of paint is formed just by throwing the paint and such precision they had. We were mesmerized by just watching them actually.

 stupa in Boudnath

 

 After breakfast, we went around the stupa.  Several monks and devotees were making their usual clockwise round of the stupa. It is said it is bad luck to go around a stupa counter-clockwise.   

After getting our fill of going around the stupa, we headed to Pashupathinath. According to Wikipedia, Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most significant Hindu temples of Lord Shiva in the world, located on the banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

Walking around the temple is quite a cultural experience. We witnessed burning of three dead bodies as  relatives nearby, were wailing while the bodies were cremated before our very eyes. Surreal experience. An image that I only have seen in National Geographic was happening before my very eyes.



Pashupati scene

After Pashupati, we headed to the Thamel, Nepal’s version of Thailand’s Khao San Road or Saigon’s     Pham Ngu Lao, Bui Vien, and De Tham streets. I still have to figure out though which is Manila’s backpacker haven. Is it Malate? Or has it been replaced by Makati? Or just like the entire country which cannot be boxed, it cannot be determined.

 According to Wikipedia,Thamel has been the centre of the tourist industry in Kathmandu for over four decades starting from the hippie movement when many artists came to Nepal and spent weeks in Thamel. Even though Thamel has been referred to as the "ghetto" by some, most low-budget travelers consider it a tourist heaven.

In Thamel, we paid for our reservation in the Last Resort, the site of the culminating activity of this trip, the jump. That deserves another entry though. Then, we ate early dinner in a quaint restaurant aptly named New Orleans something and Nadine and I decided to share Nepal’s staple Dhal Bat,   Dal bhat is a traditional Nepali staple food consisting of steamed rice and cooked lentil soup dal. And I love it! This is the first Nepali food I have eaten here after getting my fair share of European delights in Kathmandu so far.

in Thamel, like a dream come true

Tired from the half day of going around Kathmandu, we headed back to home base in Dhumbarai and rested. The initial plan for dinner was scrapped after everyone decided to sleep early. For the following day, will be the start of exploring Nepal without the comfort of having a chauffer-driven ride and the company of Kathmandu “natives.”