Male: From Pokorat, trekkers can go on short two day hikes or attack the Annapurna circuit, which takes three weeks.
Female: We met our guides and porters just outside the city and began organizing the gear for our three day trip.
The stuff that goes with the sherpas stays somewhere near us, so porters go ahead with all the big stuff. I just carry my camera. It’s so great. I thought I had to carry all those stuff, I was prepared to do.
Queen of Shiva and her entourage.
Our guide Dinesh explain this country’s popularity with travelers.
Dinesh: Tourism is the largest industry in Nepal, because we have so much of a diversity in the mountain and the local people.
Female: It’s important to make sure the local people share in the prosperity tourism brings to their country.
Antonia: A country like Nepal you have extremely skilled naturalist who got local people who speak the language very well, who know the culture very well. Why should you bring somebody come in there to put the money into the people who really deserve it?
Female: At first, I felt really uncomfortable letting people carry my stuff, but soon came to accept that by carrying my own things, I would be depriving someone of a job. The porters or sherpas actually serve a much more important purpose than just carrying gear. They enable trekkers to make a more intimate connection with the local culture.
I notice that some of the porters with hiking boots and some of them wear thongs.
Dinesh: Right, here people, especially with the walking prefer to have a flip flop rather than canvass shoes. It’s more airy and not too hot.
Female: I can't imagine carrying that huge load with thongs.
When you trek, you want to move up gradually so you will climb the task, so porters really great, you slowly work your way up from the Hindu rice planting villages through the different cultures.
Dinesh: Trekking, you know, you hike up from village to village and there's a lot of interaction between tourist and the local people. But the people, they are giving the perspective to your travel to this part of the world.
You can see here, it’s a local made carpet. Where the people, after harvesting rice, they collect the straw and they weave into a local carpet.
Female: A local tailor?
Dinesh: Yeah, tailor.
Female: A short rest stop gave our cameraman a chance to expose the local kids to some American rock and roll.
Perhaps it’s overwhelmed, the kids say they like the Nepalian music better. Antonia’s going to give it a shot.
Antonia: 11 years old.
Female: For the kids in the village, it’s a wonderful opportunity to practice their English. You can always ask them task are you in, and they’ll show you their English book and you can teach them with questions.
Boy: That’s my sister of my village.
Dinesh: In the hilltop, up in the high hills, there's no water supply. And the one in there, as you can see public water supply like this from the spring water.
Female: She's just filling up those jars.
Dinesh: Yes. They would have to walk. Maybe an hour to get the water supply. It depends from where they are.
Female: Right.
The majority of our ascent was done along a ridge line. Giving us views of the surrounding country side. As we gained altitude, we began to feel the presence of the majestic peaks above.
Late in the afternoon, we arrive at a high plateau that’s buzzing with activity. While the porters finish setting up the tents, we were entertained by an industrious villager.
This is definitely the ultimate in trekking. Spectacular view and I can shop on top of the mountain. And she has vodka, snickers. What more could you ask for?