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WHERE NEXT?

How should I even begin to relate the incredible human warmth of Nepal? I wonder, a smile spreading on my face. There is so much good to share about the “roof of the world“. In the face of an ever challenging political situation and against all odds of Nepal being a developing nation, the reality of what I saw, lived, felt & experienced during my ten days of travelling in the mountain kingdom of the Himalayas has been one of a most inspirational kind.

Leaving Kathmandu behind, Mystik Mountains Adventure & Holidays’ Rakesh Shahi takes me on a road trip of a lifetime, introducing me to people & places whose philosophy has real potential to challenge & change your way of thinking.

Dear Rakesh truly deserves being highlighted as my local hero in this “Mystik Mountains” capital of his. “Thank you for sharing your information & background story on ‘creative culture travel‘ with me”, he wrote to me as early as the beginning of last year, helping to set up this unique culture trip of Nepal of mine through his travel company Mystik Mountains Adventure & Holidays. “I now have a better understanding of the actual experiences to provide for you!”

He has proven really skillful in organising a kaleidoscope of different culture experiences, from local farm stays near the capital city of Kathmandu, to such magic moments of attending a local wedding (dressed in a typical Nepali Sari!), all the way to exploring the city of Pokhara & beyond, the country’s gateway to the famous Annapurna mountain district. It is here where the magic and added mystery of the local Nepali people once more have swept me off my feet in all their generosity, heartwarming hospitality & beautiful human nature.

MM y visit to Nepal has changed my life forever. I feel that right now, this country is the emotional epicentre of my

entire universe. Never before in my whole life have I felt so comfortable, so natural, so peaceful in the face of so many contradictions & cultural wonders on this round the world trip of mine. And this is solely, entirely, magically due to the incredible human warmth & natural sense of hospitality of the Nepali people. I am forever fascinated, deeply impressed and honoured by their presence. Their unfaltering, natural sense of humour and peace in the face of so many challenges.

‘We have a power-cut reality. Dust levels in Kathmandu valley DUH� DODUPLQJ�� 7UDI¿F� «� :HOO� HYHU\RQH� LV� .LQJ� RI� WKH� URDG�here!” Rakesh of the travel company, Mystik Mountains, and KLV�KHDUW�ZDUPLQJ��GLVDUPLQJ�ODXJKWHU��0\�¿UVW�HYHU�FRQWDFW��and soon-to-be friend in this country of many riddles.

Tuning into his natural easiness allowed me to feel easy and natural here myself. How is this possible, I still wonder in amazement, in so short a time and to such a degree of intensity?

I look out upon Kathmandu, the “City of Wood”, from my ZLQGRZ� VHDW� RQ� WKH� SODQH«� ,� ZDQW� WR� EH� EDFN� KHUH� VRRQHU�rather than later. This country and its people have truly moved me to the bottom of my heart.

:RUGV�SRXU�RXW�DQG�LQWR�P\�GLDU\�DV�,�VLW�UHÀHFWLQJ�XSRQ�P\�WUDYHO�experiences of Nepal, and how meeting the very people of Nepal has helped shape my understanding of the world once more....

From Nepal With Love

Adventures wth

Mystik MountainsBy Elena Paschinger

www.creativelena.com

61

The road from Kathmandu to Pokhara is a bumpy highway affair by Western standards. Whenever you set eyes on the mighty Himalayas to the north though, the rest of the world just drowns out.

,� ZLOO� QHYHU� IRUJHW� KRZ� ,� ¿UVW� VHW� H\HV� RQ� WKH� VRDULQJ� +LPDOD\D�mountains. Turning a corner from the pass out of Kathmandu valley, their peaks rise in stark white against the undulating ‘middle hills’ beyond and bright blue sky above, a sharp colour contrast further enhanced by the knowledge of their sheer size. I am looking at mountains more than 7,000 or 8,000 metres high!

Rakesh next to me in the car smiles, knowing the perfect roadside coffee stop to admire the views. “This mountain is called ‘Ganesh’, after the son of Shiva”, he explains. “From here, we continue driving about two and a half hours until we reach Pokhara, at the base of Mardi Himal & Annapurna South mountains.” What a road trip it is!

The ‘City of Seven Lakes’, Pokhara, at the foothills of the mighty Annapurna & Mardi Himal mountain districts, is just perfect for getting a local feel of different culture & nature-based activities.

Out here on both Lake Phewa & Lake Begna, (the two out of the seven lakes surrounding Pokhara we choose to explore), peace is a natural companion. Even, or especially, travelling here during ZLQWHUWLPH��7KH� ORZ� VHDVRQ�PHDQV� OHVV� WUDI¿F�� OHVV� LQWHUQDWLRQDO�crowds, few incidents of rain or thunderstorms, and a pleasant, surprisingly warm micro-climate reaching almost 20°C in a day of sunshine!

Besides opting for boat trips on the lakes, consider heading to the International Mountain Museum as well as the World Peace Pagoda on top of a hill overlooking Lake Phewa, and Pokhara City beyond. If peace has not reached you from sunny mountain views or lakeside boat excursions, then an image of the mighty “Bouddha” gold statue with 360°C panorama views of the Himalayas to the north and green hills to the south may just do the job.

From Nepal With Love

Adventures wth

Mystik Mountains

The colourful bride and groom - at a traditional wedding ceremony in Kathmandu.

Rakesh (Mystik Mountains) and the writer, Elena.

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Going local yet again is what I owe to the perfect organizational skills, networks & contacts of Rakesh and his Mystik Mountains Adventure & Holidays team. Fresh buffalo milk? Popcorn from a IDUP"�-XLF\�ORFDO�ÀDYRXUV"�%ULQJ�RQ�WKH��H[WUD�RUGLQDU\�

“What is ordinary to you, is just so special to me, and vice versa!”, I laugh with a lady drying rice on the verandah in front of Rakesh’ sister’s house here in Pokhara. Being invited to a local family home LV�DOZD\V�VSHFLDO��QR�PDWWHU�ZKHUH�\RX�DUH�RQ�WKLV�SODQHW�(DUWK�±�and all the more so where “exotic practices” such as spice cuisine, harvesting (very) fat buffalo milk or drying big sacks of rice are concerned.

7KH� ODG\� ODXJKV� EDFN� DW� PH� ±� ZH� GRQ¶W� VSHDN� HDFK� RWKHU¶V�languages (once again, I feel tempted to do a language course RQ�1HSDOL�QH[W�WLPH���±�\HW�VWLOO�PDQDJH�WR�XQGHUVWDQG�HDFK�RWKHU�perfectly. Humour is what makes the world go round, and more so respect and sharing over each others’ differences and similarities. 6RPH�WKLQJV�\RX�PD\�MXVW�¿QG�WR�EH�HVVHQWLDOO\�KXPDQ�DFURVV�DOO�cultures. Such as the feeling of warmth, and welcome, or family

love in these beautiful local places.

On the way back from Pokhara to Kathmandu, make sure you stop in a little town called Bandipur, about halfway between the two FLWLHV��&RPLQJ�XS�KHUH�LV�WUXO\�ZRUWKZKLOH�±�IRU�WKHUH�LV�PRUH�PDJLF�to be discovered still!

“I have another sister here in Bandipur“, Rakesh tells me as we are about to leave Pokhara for going back to Kathmandu valley. “She too would like to meet you, and has invited us into her home.” I beam at him, happy for more close-up encounters of the wonderful Nepali people. This is just what I like.

Bandipur itself is perched high atop a hill, whose small summit plateau allows for stunning, 360° views of the mighty Himalayas to the north and the gently rolling hills and lower mountain ranges to the south. Standing here gives you a feel for the entire might of the country of Nepal, as I put together my knowledge about its natural formation & settlement history from Pokhara International Mountain Museum with what I actually see in front of me.

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“This is just so beautiful”, I whisper to Rakesh as we climb the little summit above Bandipur village, just in time for another perfect Himalayan sunset to work its magic on us and other travellers who have come to enjoy it. “Just beautiful.” I smile, forever captured and overcome with emotion, for what this country, its people and all their beautiful experiences have taught me.

Nepal, I love you.

About the writer, photographer: ‘Creativelena’ (www.creativelena.com) combines creativity with humour and a healthy appetite for life stories! Travelling since childhood to places such as Israel or North America, she began ‘travel writing’ at 10 years old! 0DQ\�WUDYHO�WDOHV��&RXFKVXU¿QJ�VWD\V��ZRUN��VWXG\�SHULRGV�ODWHU��travel blogging colleague Lea Hajner (Escape Town) helped her to ODXQFK�³,P�:HOWUHLVH¿HEHU´�RQ�WKH�7ULSZROI�7UDYHO�%ORJ��ZKHUH�VKH�blogs regularly about her RTW trip. ‘Creativelena’ also works as a self-employed consultant, blogger, language trainer & translator. Her mission is: “Continue to be amazed at this world, one creative travel experience at a time.”