My Solo Adventure in Nepal 🇳🇵

Letter #6

After completing the biggest project of my life (Antique Angel), I have listened to a deep calling within myself to visit the East and more specially the great lands of Nepal and the Himalayas.

It is time to release, revive and reset to begin this new chapter in my life with new sights, smells, sounds, colours, people, cultures, philosophies, and ideas. A time to breathe, embrace, and simply be.

Here are my photos and words from my first week of seven in this breathtaking and inspiring country.

Day 1

Day one. Kathmandu. Chaotic city. Filled with people, Hindu’s & Buddhist’s. Seriously polluted. Fascinating architecture. Gorgeous colours. Friendly smiles and men who wanna make a buck. Delicious food and beer. Cheap. Belly about to pop. Heaps of shops with ornaments, instruments, embroidery, and art. Lots of energy. Four-hand massage at boutique hotel. Packed for my trek. Ready for the adventure. Namaste x

Day 2

Day two. Bus ride from Kathmandu to Machhakhola. 10 hours of wild driving and rocky roads with my guide, Gautam. Dust and exhaust filled the air. All things decorated in colours and symbols. The distant gaze of rural locals. Poor but happy. Family and food come first. Butterflies of all kinds fluttering through the fields. Repetitive Nepali pop music blasting through the speakers. Children crying and dancing. Boxes and boxes of day old live chicks swaying above the seats. The most delicious meal yet. Fried noodles and Momo’s with hot pickle sauce. Old men cackling after a days work. Cloud fills the sky. No sign of the mountains yet. Thunder and lighting as the sun sets. Eruption in the soul. Big ol’ day. We walk tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it. Namaste x

Day 3

Day three. Hike from Machhakhola to Jagat. 7 hours of bliss and wonder. Silence and talking. Thoughts come and go. Mind is in a good place. So many friendly faces. Radiant smiles from children running in the villages. Fresh air. Goats and cows on the path. Foggy weather. Good for the mountain. Villages with only the basics. Lots of colour and mismatch building. Other trekkers from many different countries. All with the same dream. Adorable girl called Regina. One of best cups of tea in my life. Recorded the sounds of the “peace river”. Big rocky mountains. Small compared to what’s to come. Waterfalls. First plate of Dal Bhat. Delicious and very filling. Wild marijuana everywhere. Watched an old man with leather skin make a strong rope with flax. 18kg on my back. Hard yakka. Incredible day. Sweaty. Bug sprayed body. No shower. Bed. Excited for tomorrow. Namaste x

Day 4

Day four. Hike from Jagat to Lopka. 7 hours of difficulty and splendour. Feverish night. Sore throat. Not feeling the greatest today. Mind is busy. Body is achy. But the soul is full of goodness. Porridge with honey for breakfast. Becoming the staple. Hot and sweaty today. Incredible scenery again. Blue skies seeping through. Wildlife off the charts. A valley of butterflies. Dragonflies and lizards. The wafting smell of donkey shit. Bored children playing games with their imagination. A good lesson for all. Donkey bells captured on my microphone. Ate a fat banana. Deep lessons of the self. I feel very deeply in happiness and sadness. Both are beautiful. Fried noodles with hot green chilli for lunch. Then lemon tea. Need to eat lighter dinners and bigger breakfasts for a full nights sleep. Carrion crows sweeping the mountain skies like black hawks. Warmly welcomed into the Tsum Valley. Beautiful people. Colour everywhere. Played Dhumbal, a Nepali card game, with Gautam. Strummed an out-of-tune guitar to some tea house loungers. Locally grown garlic soup for dinner. Probably about 20 cloves. Much needed for the body. Bring on a good rest. Shorter walk tomorrow. Looking forward to what it will bring. Namaste x

Day 5

Day five. Hike from Lopka to Chumling. 3 and a half hours of pure struggle. Uphill the whole way. Pack becoming heavier. Got a shitty head cold. Body is sore. Nose won’t stop running. Head hurts. Feeling quite lonely. Times are tough, but the soul is on the right path. That’s what’s getting me through today. And the startling beauty. Porridge and black tea for breakfast again. Raining most of the walk. Gigantic valley walls. First sight of snow capped mountains. Lush greenery. Lots of donkeys. New favourite phrase from Gautam, “Why not…”. Big tea house. 2,386M high. Getting much colder. First hot shower. Incredible. Massive plate of Dal Bhat for lunch. Rest. Haruki Murakami audiobook. Bob Dylan bootleg album. Writing thoughts and ideas. Witnessed the colossal peak of Ganesh IV beaming in the setting sun. Insanely tall mountain. 7,104M. Potato vegetable curry with four very large Tibetan Momo’s for dinner. Third best meal so far. Getting better at Dhumbal. Need a good sleep for a healthy body and mind tomorrow. I look forward to it. Namaste x

Much love,

Max