Driving wheels

Well he's following the broken lines, Living on borrowed time. Motel rooms and broken hearts all left behind. You swear he couldn't close his eyes, as he shifts into overdrive. He's been up and down this road so many times- Jimmy Barnes, Driving Wheels

Couldn't resist the chance to put a reference to Barnsey, however obscure. And apart from the last line, Barnsey got it right. We are hitting the road again today, 'following the broken lines' to India. Bit nervous about India actually- heard so much about it, and from accounts it is a land of extremes.

We cross at Sunauli, grab a taxi with 10 sweaty Indians and make for Gorakhpur, where the broad gauge train line heads west- and for us, a ticket to Agra. Although it is hot, and I mean really HOT, India is not as dirty as I had been led to imagine- a welcome relief. Ahead looms the pinnacle of Indian architecture, the Taj Mahal, but between the Taj and us are 25 hours of train travel.........

Lumbini- the birthplace of the Buddha

With our visa expiry date rapidly approaching, we decide to head towards India- down to the "terai", or plains, of Nepal. We arrive in Lumbini in the mid afternoon heat, and it is dry and still.

In the morning, I take a stroll in the gardens where Gautama Buddha was born- what an amazing place! Ruins dating back some 2300 years are scattered around some modest gardens, but more importantly, monasteries and meditation halls surround the sacred birthplace, charging the area with positive energy.

I sit under a tree and meditate for a couple of hours, enjoying the radiating glow of positive vibrations. Even though it is really hot, I depart feeling light, relaxed and energised.

The strike

After 10 days on the mountain, I am pleased to be "off". Back on the main road, cold beverages are consumed and buses are searched for- the first 2 shop keepers maintain that there are no buses today. Cynically, I wait for the offer of a 'good' taxi, but the offers do not come.

Apparently, there is a strike today. No buses, no taxis, no transport. I stumble, feeling almost broken. We left this morning at 5am, so we could be back in Pokhara before lunchtime. Cynicism is growing as we realise our morning shortcuts have placed us in the smallest settlement along the road. Kadre is little more than a couple of sleepy shops and a dodgy hotel divided by a black tar strip- and without a way out, it looks like it will be our resting place for the night.

I stubbornly refuse to accept defeat, and begin a mission around the town to organise transport. I speak to some truck drivers who have parked on the road verge. No luck. I speak to some friendly, but rather drunk, Nepali guys who kindly offer to drive us to Pokhara for 2500 rupees. I bargain for a bit, but I can't get the price below 2000- way too much, considering the bus costs 60. So no luck there either.

We take some lunch, and our host suggests walking. I am seriously considering it, but Steph flat out refuses. I don't blame her really, its hot and 30 kms is a long way. However, the choice may not be ours. Strike history in recent months has seen some strikes last over 2 weeks- so walking may be our only option. Desperately, I try to purchase a bicycle from a confused and unwilling Nepali teenager- he rides away and begrudgingly, we retreat to the best of the dodgy hotels to recharge for the next day.

In the late afternoon, Steph takes a stroll and returns with good news. Our trekking compadre Ferry is outside with a taxi booking and spare seats! Astonished, we quickly pack our belongings and within an hour we are back in Pohkara. And with the agony and ecstasy of the trek still fresh in our minds, the food at our favourite Pokharan restaurant tastes divine.

It's as easy as ABC Part 5 Going down

Well as the saying goes, what goes up must come down. And from our big morning, we launch into a big day, walking 8 and a half gruelling hours to lower Sinawa. Hard core, the down hill run is vicious on the knees, the ankles, the feet. As one goal is realised, another materialises on the horizon, and we strive for Pokhara, with passioned dreams of simple food, of cold Sprite, and not dal baht. For me the mountains have become a little overwhelming, the splendidly sublime isolation pushing me back towards "civilisation".

The next couple of days pass as a blur, walking up and down, touts offering tea in strange guesthouses, and weary but determined steps. Blur clears at Jinu Dhanad, where hot springs soothe our bones and tired muscles soften, but once more to fade into obscurity as the mental blinds draw closed and determination shuts down unnecessary function.

After 2 days, our goal horizon approaches, as we reach the town of Kadre. Pokhara is a short bus from here, a mere 30 kms. Dreams of cold beverages and favourite meals feature imaginatively, and we trudge our final steps to the main road.

But the adventure is only about to begin........

It's as easy as ABC Part 4 'Take it to the top'

Our final day of ascent is short but emotion charged, as we reach our goal. Surrounded by mountains on all sides, I feel almost cocooned by nature but eerily close to my mortality. A lonely monument stands testament to the adventurous souls who left their bodies in the Annapurnas, and given the extreme climate and terrain it is easy to imagine.

I ask for continued protection on my descent and thank the mountains for their hospitality.... and with that, fog, snow and sleet marches up the valley- perhaps the mountains had revoked their protection? I retreat to my lodge just in case.

Morning time brings new wonders. In the pre-dawn light, the Annapurnas luminesce, the rising sun reflecting off snow blankets. The sun emerges over Machapuchare, castings its slender, golden fingers over all the peaks and bathing them in an surreal orange glow. The seven days we have taken to reach this point is now bearing its greatest dividends, as the spectacular mountains awaken to a cloudless sky. Honestly, words cannot grasp the sheer magnitude of this moment.

It's as easy as ABC Part 3

Chhomrung onwards sees the most amazing views of Machhapuchhre and Annapurna South, the peaks appearing magical and mystical as they disappear through the clouds. Though the walking is tough, the mountains share their natural energy and the trek is both exhilarating and exhausting.

Duerali is a quiet night, filled with the special sounds of nature- crickets, distant flowing water and wind rushing through trees... a perfect accompaniment to a sound night's sleep.

The morning sees us make for Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC), knowing that the day will be one of the toughest yet with a 1200m increase in altitude- tough climbing. But the views that afternoon and evening are spectacular, and we even get a ringside seat just as the moon rises over Machhapuchhre and the sun bathes the uppermost peaks with a deep orange glow.

I have a special affinity with the moon, so it's a special privilege to watch it rise in such a sublime setting- truly humbling. A memory amongst a thousand others which is indelibly fossilised upon the consciousness.

It's as easy as ABC Part 2

A knock on the door at 4am reminds us the sky is clear- and the climb to Poon Hill for the sunrise is a Ghorepani institution. The cold bites, but the spectacular vista is more than worthwhile.

The next couple of hours see us getting lost, returning to our starting point and realising that our map is wrong. Not a little bit, but a lot......towns are in the wrong place!

Still, we push on and reach Tadapani in time for dinner. And along with a troupe of Aussies, we meet a Dutch yoga master, Ferry, and over the next few days share some agonising and ecstatic times together, ascending, descending and taking in the magical views.

We arrive at Chhomrung quite early the next day and, on the advice of some likely English lads, sample some famous Chhomrung pizza. The legend continues. The ABC-bound group swells, as Stuart from NZ and Debra and Elanor from the UK also pull into our guest house for the night.