Namaste Poon Hill

Namaste Poon Hill

the idea was to travel as light as possible. I was lucky enough to be able to leave quite a portion of my luggage at the guesthouse.We took a risk by not buying/renting sleeping bags, but that turned out fine!
Still I brought so much that I had to use my big backpack. Especially foodwise I was packed, we would not starve the first few days! I still ended up using almost everything I brought.
We got a taxi from Pokhara to Nayapul to start the journey. I still wore my sandals at the first part. After changing them for my real trekking boots (mom they are great, thanks!) we got off in the burning sun.
The first bit of the trek is so touristy that you can almost buy your full equipment and food over there. When the amount of shops start to get less you know your good. The walking needed some getting used to during the first day. (I am walking almost daily for at least an hour so I felt okay with the trekking. Still its a huge difference on flat terrain or the mountains (with at least 15 kgs of weight attached to you)
Walking for 5 minutes already made me feel like I had asthma. Still we managed to have such a pace that we walked more then was suggested. Which turned out to be precisely what we had to do. I was really exaushted by the end of the day and was happy to stay.

At the foundation I started to be a yoga teacher (namaste Linda, Julian and Tanja) since I was the one with the most experience.
Soon another volunteer also started to teach, which was really cool since I was able to learn and be a student aswell. The teaching of yoga continued during the trek. Not long after our arrival at lower Ulleri we were up on the roof doing yoga in the sun with the mountain view as our background. It just doesnt get any better then that!
At the guesthouse we got a start of many encounters with other trekkers which you most of the time meet later on during the trek. This shared experience really opens up people. Making contact is so easy and there are so many intersting people to get to know.
During my stay in Nepal it seems as if there truly is an invasion of Dutch. So much for getting ‘out of the country’ .. So far almost half of them were from the south (HoiHoi Limburg!) At the guesthouse I was surprised to find out that I could speak Nederlands to one of the guests over there. Another one.. haha! She proved to be a really great girl. Unfortunately she didnt got along so well with her guide.
She ended up with teaming up with us. So now our group consisted out of Jan, Serena, Dimphy and me. She even had a map of our trek! Which we kinda didn’t.. What a crazy lot we were. We had loads of fun. To a degree that some hotelpersonal came to ask if we could be quiet since there were people who were trying to get sleep..

During our trek we were confronted with such a mixture of weather. Unseen before according to many guides and porters. It consisted our of storming rain and thunder, hail, the burning sun and everything in between. That didn’t stop us, at all. Where others were seeking shelter for hours we continued. You cant evade the numerous slippings on the wet stone. I only really fell once, but that’s it.
On our third day we climbed Poon Hill. We got up at around 4.30 and went up the peak at around 5. It promised to be a 45 min walk up and I thin we did it in a bit more then that. The idea was to see the sunrise. Since it was a bit cloudy we didn’t have a clear view. Still it was definitely worth it. The popularity of the trek really became visible on the peak. I think we were with at least 100 people over there. During the trek itself we didn’t meet as much people as I would expect. There were only small parts of actual ques of peoples. The days after we continued to get up early. Having a tea, then walk for a bit, having breakfast in the next village and then arriving at our next goal for the day around noon. Which left loads of time for reading, playing cards/chess writing and talking. I’ve got a feeling that this wasn’t my last trek in Nepal!
Travelling together really shows a lot. Sometimes more then you wish for. It’s a possibility to become aware of your and others borders. Making them know, interacting with each other. Feeling a very strong connection and some point and being flabbergasted by a seemingly different interaction at another point. This kind of travelling is new to me. There is still a lot to learn on that terrain, but I started the adventure, im taking the risks. Of which I am proud! Our group was so laidback that it was really easy to just go your own way. But even if it wouldn’t have been, its an encouragement to still draw your own lines and stand up for them. Im thankfull and very happy to have been part of the group. Each single one of them were so close to me and gave me a lot. Sharing things.. Being able to live with an open view and mind. If I can’t do it like that Ill pass!
Now everybody is going their own route again. Jan continues is volunteering and the girls went together on a Safari. I am back on my own, with hardly any plans. Im curious towards the future! Well see :)