Part 10: Good Morning Kathmandu. Glacial lakes, acclimatized cakes, and something a little more serious.
An acclimatization trek helps the body to adjust to the new oxygen levels, this reduces the chances of AMS as one climbs higher in the next phase of the trek. What mesmerized us was the sheer number of people acclimatizing all over the place. We had to wait for our turn to pose in front of the lake. Also please note a significant loss of weight (I will reveal how much I really lost in the last installment of this adventure).
The lake is formed due to the melting glaciers and I believe the waters would be quite freezing!
When we climbed higher, there were fewer people and some hungry horses too! I had never seen a wild horse before, wasn’t sure they would be pleased with me trying to get pictures with them.
All through the path were spots to rest and enjoy the sights. One such had a small snacks stall attached, and of course, yours truly started feeling unusually hungry! So we munched on some vanilla cake and chai.
Since I wasn’t huffing and puffing, I got a few hundred pics clicked. The point that we were to reach had flags and stone piles also known as Cairns, on the path. I had seen stone piles all along our trek so far, but here was the first time I had thought of asking what they were (probably because I was not trying to catch up). Cairns are used by trekkers to mark the path they are on. This helps them find their way back or acts as a lighthouse for others on the path behind them. I found the thought fascinating, reminding me of Hansel from Hansel and Gretel. He should’ve used a Cairn.
As I upload pics from the repository on the blog, I am swept back into those windy paths and gorgeous scenes. Look at this valley!
How can anyone doubt the existence of a Divine Power? Such beauty cannot be an accidental clash of atoms! The more I look at our beautiful world, the more I am convinced that we have overstayed our welcome.
Wildfires, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Cyclones, and now COVID. Mother Nature has had enough. It reminds me of that scene from Moana, where the fiery monster Te Ka is none other than Te Fiti — Mother Earth, who takes on a fearsome aspect as her heart had been stolen. I don’t mean to be preachy, but how do we even imagine ourselves to be all-powerful, when something so tiny can bring us to our knees. The Big Guy up there has done our appraisal and it’s not pretty. If we don’t pull up our socks, we will be laid off… from the planet!
When you climb up the steep side of a mountain, you see how the local people live in harmony with nature. There is mutual respect between man and Mother. I often close my eyes to visualize these deep and beautiful mountain valleys when I am in the middle of a stressful day. It brings my mind to a standstill.
Cairns has been left for us throughout history. Every 100 years pandemics of this magnitude sweep through the world. In the future, we will boast of ways to immunize and fight COVID, but history will note that with all our technology, smartphones, and hi-tech medical expertise our streets were empty and lives unraveled by a foe, a billion times tinier than we are.
To be continued…
Catch up on the previous adventures here…
Take a look at what happens next!
