This page provides some details of the experiences I encountered, both good and bad, whilst undertaking these walks:
- Camino de Santiago de Compostela: Camino Frances (The French Way) a 480 mile (780km) route from St. Jean Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago in Spain. Difficulty: mixed, as you walk over many mountains/hills which are strenuous, but other times on very easy flat bits. You will also walk on road from time to time.
- Camino de Santiago de Compostela: Camino Ingles (The English Way) 75miles (120km) from Ferrol in Spain, to Santiago in Spain. Difficulty: this is an easy walk
- Camino de Santiago de COmpostella: Camino de Portuguese de la Costa, a 160 miles (259km) route along the coast from Porto in Portugal to Santiago in Spain. Difficulty: This was an easy and flattish walk. However, because you walk for long streches on the boardwalk, your feet gets really tired because of the monotonous movements.
- Trekking the Langtang Valley in the Himalayas in Nepal. Difficulty: this was a very difficult walk
- Trekking Poon Hill in the Annapurnas, in the Himalayas in Nepal. This was a strenuous walk, climbing stairs most of the way to the summit.
- The Cotswold Way 102 miles (163 km) from Chipping Campden to Bath in the Cotswolds’ in England. Difficulty: moderate with a few challenging hills.
- Tuscany walking from Siena to Montepulciano. Difficulty: easy.
1.CAMINO DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA FRANCES
Camino Frances: started on the 5th of September 2019
On arriving in St Jean Pied de Port, I met lovely fellow pilgrims, and we started a WhatsApp group to stay in contact with each other during and after our journey. It was immediate friends from all over the world and the atmosphere in SJPD was amazing. It was noisy, and there were lots of singing in the streets. Everybody was in such good form and very excited. That evening was my first introduction to a pilgrim’s meal… it did not look appetizing, but it was delicious.
The first day of walking was heavy going and everybody took a break at Orrison. I met Larry the previous day where we had to sign in to get our Pilgrim’s passport and saw him at Orrison. He did not want to walk alone, so we walked together on and off during the next month. It was steep and when we were right at the top of the Pyrenees it was freezing!!! The mist was so thick, we could not see far ahead. There was a man with a van selling food and hot chocolate. Needless to say, he was well supported. It was a very steep descent into Roncesvalles. We arrived at Roncesvalles and stayed in a massive monastery where I shared a room with 14 other men and women. Both men and women also used the same bathroom. I suggest trying and get a shower as soon as possible and to get some earplugs to deal with the snoring.
I chose to leave early in the mornings when it was still dark. It is completely safe to walk then, and it is utterly peaceful. I started to walk at about 6am to reach my destination at about 2 to 3pm when the Albergues open. It is lovely in the afternoons when you get to your destination to meet up with previous people you have walked with and then to meet new ones too.
Everywhere along the way are fruit trees, almond trees and grapes and it is lovely to snack on whilst you walk. Remember to plan ahead, because in Spain you will not get any food in the smaller villages when it is siesta time.
Day 5 was a difficult walk. We walked past the wine fountain! Right next to the road there is a water and wine fountain. The wine was not too bad. There are stunning churches in some of the villages!! It is therefore great to arrive early to explore. There is a choice of accommodation – private, Albergues, Monasteries and then also sleeping in the Municipal dormitorios where you sleep in big room filled with bunkbeds.
Big tip… if you feel a hotspot, stop and take care of your feet. Treat them well and tend to any blisters immediately. Start off walking slowly. It is not a competition. Enjoy the experience.
I had my first rest day in Logrono, a beautiful place! I had two big blisters that was no fun at all, so it was a good first place to take a rest and to give my feet a break.
There are two things that were really bothering me: dogs fastened with chains and loads of flies. My heart broke for the dogs who were fastened with chains. I never had an unpleasant experience, but do stay away from them, because they are not pets, but rather guard dogs, so their behaviour might be unpredictable.
It is amazing how after a week you start walking through your pain threshold. Even my blisters take quicker to adjust to the boots. I met a man from the Philippines who is 72 years old and a professor in Asian studies in California. I have met amazing people and walked with amazing new friends. Too many to mention. For about 2 to 3 days around day 8, the scenery was beautiful as we walked through the vineyards of Rioja and Navarra. I think they will have less wine this year due to all the Pellegrinos eating the grapes on their way. Nejero looked interesting with little windows in the rock face. We struggled to find space to sleep. This is an eleventh century town and the name in Arabic means ‘between the rocks’. It was an old Roman town.
So far, my routine was as follows: eat, sleep, walk, repeat!! As soon as I get to an Albrgue I shower and wash the day’s clothes – I sleep in the clean clothes and can then simply get up and go the next morning. I am trying hard to have rest days, but don’t think it will work for me. I’m in the walking mood and it feels wrong not to walk every day. Our rest days so far is merely the fact that we walk less km’s on the day.
The walk on day 9 was tough. The road was easy, but hard on the feet. We’re staying in a convent tonight. We arrived 12:30 and technically can go further, but 22-24km is enough on the feet and it is really hot! Funny…today people started singing on the walk, but towards the end…. nothing. They reckon the pilgrimage is great because you can walk at leisure and just find a bed in the village you choose…. this is so not true!!! First come first serve and that is why we start walking at 6 in the morning…also cooler.
Right, so on day 11 we have walked 28km of which 13 was uphill. Fortunately, the weather was overcast, and we did not have to walk in full sun. Later it was pouring with rain, and we hope it clears for tomorrow’s walk. We walked through beautiful villages, but tonight I am unfortunately staying in a @%#£& place 🙈. I’m going to pack as much as possible tonight, because as soon as I’m awake…I’m out of here with a big flash!!!! Tomorrow I definitely am going to book myself into a hotel in Burgos. So… the walk was good, but the Albergue was ‘gnarly’.
What a struggle to get off the top of the bunk bed when there is no ladder and you are trying not to annoy the guy below you! Alec must have heard me talk very ‘politely’ to myself and demonstrated to me how it was done. We’ve laughed so much! I bet he thought…. poor old lady! What a long and boring road to Burgos! With the help from Marilyn Manson and the rest of my playlist I’ve made it! We’ve decided that we definitely need a rest day and after the horrible accommodation from last night I’ve booked 2 nights in Burgos in an Air B&B. This was the second place where I stayed over for a rest. The host is really lovely, and she’ll wash all my clothes for me tonight. It looks like a lovely city, and I’ve glimpsed the Cathedral from a distance which looks magnificent. I had a lovely shower without flip flops! I stayed in the centre of town and will meet up with the guys later for dinner, but will make it a very early night and a long lie in. I have walked most of the way so far with 5 lovely guys, and unfortunately 2 of them leave at this stage to go back home.
Day 2 in Burgos. I’ve slept till 10am and it was pure bliss. I’ve made sure to know where to start tomorrow and then started exploring. The Cathedral is absolutely amazing! It consists of many chapels inside and the style vary from Baroque to Gothic. It is a National World Heritage Site and really is worth a visit. My feet were too tired to explore more, so I took a little red site seeing train to see the rest of the city. They have interesting statues everywhere. I’m hoping to get an early night for an early start tomorrow.
Oh….my…. goodness……!!!!! I’ve just walked 31,8 km on my own. It was an endless, pebbled boring road with no shade at all! I thought I was going to die! I shouted many times at the stupid flies flying right in front of your face…they are so annoying! Anyway, I’m at a nice and clean Albergue and will have a quick shower. I will have a shorter route tomorrow. I was meant to only walk to Hornillos del Camino, but I was there 11o’clock in the morning and it was too early to stop. I thought I’ll walk to the next town – San Bol, but there was NOTHING there. So, I had no choice but to carry on walking. The route is going to continue like this (straight for miles on end) as I’ve entered the Masetta Plains. It stretches all the way to Leon where it will get more mountainous again. So, we’ve lost two of the guys who went back home but gained some more.
I started early this morning. It was an eerie 8km with only the moon to show the way. I was alone on the road. Nice, but often stopped for noises…. guess you can’t take the Africa out of me.
Only a 20km walk today to give my legs and feet a break. Not a great road to walk, although the semi-desert countryside is beautiful. I’m absolutely knackered today. I will try to have a longer walk tomorrow just to get these plains behind me. It was hard walking in full sun. Hopefully, we will have less people snoring tonight so that I can catch up on sleep as well. Our group is scattered, so I walked alone again today. We will all catch up again in Leon.
I got up early the next day. It is lovely walking alone in the dark with the moon to guide you and listening to the owls and other small animals running for shelter. I got lost twice today, but it was fortunately not a train smash. It was a lovely walk, but later along the main road. All and all a good walk today with Pink Floyd setting the pace. I was so tired yesterday and the day before but feel much better today. I have managed to walk 33km!!! Now at the Albergue rolling my tired feet over a tennis ball. I will have a shower and then hunt for some food. The Albergue is run by nuns, and they only speak Spanish expecting you to follow ☺ Very neat and tidy here with normal beds instead of bunk beds. How it works…. they take your passport and write your number down, then they stamp your pilgrim’s passport and give you a paper sheet to put on the bed and pillow. Very hygienic to avoid bedbugs. I will have to find food for tomorrow too, as there are no villages for the first 17km or more. There are lots of Koreans here. Did I mention that I have met a Korean Monk days ago? Anyway… Raoul from Madrid told me that young Koreans get credits for university if they do the Camino. They also get preference when applying for a job. Interesting….I can understand that though and think that it is a very nice concept. My feet are now truly knackered, as well as my calve muscles. I will need to do a lot of stretching tonight.
Day 19 and I am now in a place called Terradillos De los Templarios. What a walk! It started with a 17km stretch with nothing along the way…no shop, no toilet, no village, not even trees…☺ It was on a loose gravel road and hard work. Because it is on one level, your ankles and calve muscles ceases up quickly. And…..it was freaking freezing!! I have never been that cold walking. I have walked a slow and steady pace with Hartmut from Bremen. It was a 28km day. A very nice Albergue where I am staying. I have done my washing and am now sitting in the sun looking at Aussies showing off yoga poses. I wish I could join them, but my body was too tired. I met up with Larry again last night. Anyway…I am going to have a massage at 5pm and looking forward to it. I am now going to start working out my next few days walking to Leon. Oh yes…Hartmut taught me that incense originally comes from a plant. We walked past some and could smell ‘church’. I had dinner with two guys that has been with me in the two previous Albergues. One is Portuguese and can only speak French as another language and the other one is French with poor English. We managed to have amazing conversations between all the translations 😂
Bercianos del Real Camino was quite a creepy town and before I knew it, I was out of the town and on my way again. So nice not to have commitments and to be able to do whatever I want. However,…it was a total of 32km today.
After another early start I walked 25km. For the first time I had to use my torch to light the way, as it was a sickle moon and cloudy. So, I always wondered about the many dead mice you see on the footpaths… This morning early, I have experienced the reason. There are many mice hiding in the grasses next to the footpath. As soon as they hear you approach, they run across the path to safety. There really are many and I nearly stepped on one too. I am in a town called Puente Villarente. It is only 12km from Leon, but after the distance today my feet said ‘nope’! Had my shower and quickly went to the supermarket to try and buy fresh fruit or something healthy. However, … siesta!!! So now I am sitting eating chips and having a Peregrina beer. That evening, I met two lovely ladies and had dinner with them. I ordered a pilgrim’s meal where you get free wine. I gave the wine one sniff and asked for a Rioja instead. The waiter thought it was funny but agreed that it smelled like vinegar 😂 I know…. I am a wine snob.
Day 22 – I left early and arrived in Leon at 9am. This was the third place where I stayed over for a rest. Had breakfast and fortunately could check in early. Had a snooze and then went to explore the Cathedral. It was built in 1250 and took only 50 years to build. It was built after the fall of the Muslim empire. One of the Gothic churches with the most lead glass windows – about 1500sq/m in total. I loved sitting on the sidewalk people watching and was amazed at how many people I knew from the walk. I went to the Farmacia and bought plasters and drugs. Then I bought some spare bits for my hiking poles. I just sprayed my rucksack with insecticide and will do so with the rest of my clothing later. I think it is a good idea at this stage of the journey to get rid of any real and imaginary bugs. The next day I was on the little red tourist train again ☺ Leon is an old roman town with over 200,000 inhabitants. The cathedral is one of the best cathedrals in the whole of Europe known for its stained-glass windows. The one big building with the little fountains in front is a five-star hotel – it used the be a monastery, a pilgrim’s hospital as well as a prison in previous times. Bought some foot cream and then went for a beer with Larry. Still waiting for my hijos to arrive – silly crowd slept rough again last night 😳. Trying to take a siesta, but it is just not in my nature. I started packing my bag and planning my trips for the next few days. Do not know whether I should book ahead or not. The intake of the group of people that started on the 5th of Sept. is the highest ever per record…hence rushing for beds… I will just wing it still until I get to Sarria. Lots of people only want to do the last 100km (an eighth of the whole route), so would be busier then. Shall reserve from there onwards. Waiting to meet up with my amigos/ hijos ☺
It is interesting how the names are different on the app. I have walked 24km and is now in San Martin del Camino. Only 12km to the next town, but my feet told me ‘nope’. I am having a well-earned beer. They always serve drinks here with a snack included. It was very cold this morning but warming up now. After Astorga we are going to have another few rough days of climbing mountains 🙈. Should be pretty though.
It is day twenty-five and I am now in Astorga. Interesting town from the 11th century-ish. It used to be the capital of a pre-roman tribe. Guadi buildings, beautiful cathedral from the 15th century which I will visit as soon as I’ve fed myself. The road here was okay. Much hillier, so definitely out of the plains. I’m a happy chappy because I have no blisters and had no plasters on today!!!! There was a lovely little oasis along the road. Give them a donation and eat as much fruit as you want.
I’m at Foncebadon, a very gruelling 5km from Rabanel del Camino. The day started off okay with lovely weather and it was fun walking. A 24km incline all the way. Please feel sorry for me…, as the terrain was horrible, and I’ve developed another blister!!! 😢 Now sitting here waiting for a shower. Walking with Larry feels as though I’m walking with two ducklings… Both his shoes are ‘quacking’ 😳😂
I’m now in Ponferrada after a difficult decent from the mountain. It was lovely to see the sunrise in the backdrop of the Cruz de Ferro. The mountains are beautiful, but the 21km decent was very rocky and you had to be very mindful where you put each step. My Fitbit shows that I’ve waked 29km today. Ponferrada is pretty with a castle that is a well-preserved example of a Templers Castle. My Achilles tendon started playing up, but there was a nice medic who has treated it for me.
My 28th day of walking. What a difficult walk in terms of my feet and not the route. I don’t think my feet completely recovered from the previous two days, so started off swollen and sore. Wanted to walk another 5km but cannot. This is a pretty town in the middle of the mountains and is very rich in history. There are many Albergues, but they are all full…. The one Albergue arranged to take me to another one where there was space. Lovely people and interesting building built in the rocks. Had a drink with Larry and Matt from northern California. Saw Andreas (Italian guy with the most gorgeous hair) again. He also didn’t go further today despite his inner debate.
Day 29 was a lovely walk all along the river. We were in la Faba at a bar listening to music from Senegal…I like it! Town is right on the mountain, and it was a steep climb. Only 4km to the next town and doable if it was flat. However…we’re ascending 600m in 9km over rocks. Tomorrow will tackle the rest of the walk with fresh feet. Loads of cows with bells along the road again. Lovely to hear… Last time heard it on the Pyrenees where you only heard them and never saw them due to the thick mist.
Meant to stay at Triacastella but decided to walk 2km further to la Balsa. It was a lovely walk amongst the mountains with loads of ascents and descent. I think after 650km I can say that I am fit and really, at this stage my feet gave up on sending me hurtful messages, which makes life easier. I’m going to try and walk a bit more every day so that I do not stay in the popular places. Victor mentioned that it gets very busy after Sarria, and we’ll have to book beds in advance.
So….arrived in Saria having walked in the rain all the way. Its only 12pm, so will be cracking on further after a good break and lunch.
I’m in Molina De Marzan, 7km the other side of Saria. Will try to stay off the busy cities from now on. Saria was not as spectacular as I’ve expected. It was a lovely walk, except for the chilly rain and 1km detour due to no signs. Had a long lunch in Sarria and meet Luana from Italy – lovely girl. The Albergue tonight is in a beautiful setting and only caters for 12 people. We had a lovely communal dinner and it’s now 20:18 and everybody is in bed already.
Walked 26km today and staying in an Albergue in Hospital De Cruz, just off the main road. The road was pretty. Galicia is beautiful, and some areas remind me of the Cotswolds in England. Not long now to the finish line. I must be honest…. I’m ready to stop.
Walked 35km today and now in a place called Boente. There are such a big crowd of people now on the path which does not make it pleasant – they are all the Sarria joiners and cruising. Interestingly, they do not adhere to the code of greeting on the Camino which is a but annoying. Usually, you would also see familiar faces, but Nada!
Another 30km and I’m in O Pedrouzo. Lovely Albergue. Tomorrow only 20km to Santiago. Yay……!!!! My body is completely knackered 😜😢 It feels like a rat race now… Just had the famous octopus (pulpo) from Galicia at a Pulperia.
Day 35 and I.AM.HERE. It was such a nice and emotional feeling seeing the cathedral of Santiago this morning. I was cold and wet to the bone, as it rained the whole 20km walk to get here. Got my Compostella!
I have met people from the USA, Canada, Columbia, Brazil, Peru, South Africa, Namibia, Australia, NZ, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, China, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Slovenia, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Ireland, Scotland, England, Croatia, Romania, Portugal.
A big thank you to all of you who have made my walk so special: Andrew, Alec, Jordan, Pijus, Alex, Signa, Bathrobe Bob, Doug, Adam, Luka, Victor, Gary, Joseph, Tony and especially two wonderful people who sadly have passed away since we have finished… Emily and my dear friend Larry.
CAMINO DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA: INGLES
30 September 2021 – ARRIVING IN MADRID
It was a really early start from Stansted (don’t ask me why I didn’t choose a closer airport, but I know there must have been a reason 🙂). I was quite panicky wondering whether I have the right document re. Covid19…but all went smoothly. It was lovely looking down on the mountains flying over Logroño and Pamplona thinking that I’ve walked there doing the Camino Frances 2yrs ago. I waited just over 2 hours for my friend Elaine to arrive and then…. we were off! So….we held up a queue trying to work out the bus/metro/10 journeys ticket and thankfully the guy behind us didn’t show signs of any rage…. yet! After much help…. we got it. But only to go in the wrong direction and having to get off the train and retrace our steps…. ha-ha. Then….after walking about half an hour to our pre booked accommodation we arrived to discover that it was closed…. very closed! In fact, it was a building site. We then walked around for an hour and found a 4star hotel to stay in tonight…. after all, we deserved it by this time 🤷♀️ We had a lovely meal and wine and washed our clothes ready for tomorrow to explore Plaza Major.
1 October 2021 – JOURNEY FROM MADRID TO FERROL
Wow…what a day! We got up not so early and took the bus into the centre of Madrid. It took us an hour on the bus! We saw the Kilometer Zero – this was/is to be believed the centre of Spain, because all the major routes from Madrid across Spain gets measured from there. We saw the bell tower…. that is the equivalent to the Big Ben and also the famous sign of Tio Pepe, a sherry company advertisement that now is an icon in the city. We started off having had no breakfast and then had a famous Boccadillo de Calamares. It was super delicious!! We stopped at the sweet shop for sweets for the road and then went back to the hotel. It was fascinating, along a way we saw a guy on his bicycle – he wasn’t cycling anywhere but used the bicycle to sharpen knives! Oh, my goodness…. we had a journey from hell back to the hotel with a bus driver who clearly had road rage and nearly missed the stop where we had to get off. We walked to the train station and then had a very long and tedious 6hr30min journey to Ferrol. When we arrived we were surprised at the size of the place….it is so festive and vibrant! We walked to a restaurant to get our first stamp and got authentic scallops right out of the kitchen!!! After a glass of vino tinto we walked to the cathedral and then found our first sign for the start tomorrow morning……predicted to be in the rain, but hey ho….. 🤷♀️ Looking forward to it!!! Quite noisy outside but will sleep like a log. It is a pity we arrived so late in Ferrol, because it looks like a lovely town to explore. Next time….
2 October 2021 – DAY 1 Ferrol to Neron (San Valentin)
We left Ferrol 6:45 only to walk around 45min trying to find the signs. I don’t know why, because we had it all worked out the night before. We eventually found it and had a lovely walk until we made a massive detour across the bridge to Fene and back…ouch! Note to all: do not cross the bridge!!! In that time…. we realised that Elaine has lost her hat, her walking stick gloves, and I left my USB plug behind in Ferrol. We really hanged on very tightly to our sense of humour in order not to lose it….and it is only day 1😂 The people here don’t want to practice their English speaking skills at all….I’m so thankful for my very patient Spanish tutor of the last few years. It was a great walk around the estuary in the rain and we were glad to find our accommodation in Neron. So, we managed to buy a new hat for Elaine and now we are waiting for the shop to open to try and find a charger for Elaine, because she’s lost the plot! We were told to go to Chinos. We looked and looked but couldn’t find it, only to be told that it is actually the local Chinese shop called Pescador. We walked past it many times but I thought it sold fish 😂🤣 because fish is pescado in Spanish 🤷♀️ We were crying with laughter. What a nice custom they have here…. when you order a drink, they always give you a Pinchos with each glass for free. So, tonight we don’t have to order any dinner ☺️. Looking forward to tomorrow’s walk up the mountain to Pontedueme. Hasta luego xx
3 October 2021 – DAY 2 Neron to Pontedueme
We had a really lovely walk today from Neron through Neda, Fene and Cabanas with beautiful views. We started at the 100km to Santiago and ended with 84.459km still to go. Pontedueme is beautiful and we are staying at a beautiful Albergue (Albergue Rio Dueme). It’s been here only for a year and is modern and clean. We’re doing our washing quickly and then will be off to explore the town. Soooo………we are having a glass of wine before our meal, and there is a very dramatic couple having a domestic. Actually, very funny to watch, as I can only understand every 100th word…. they speak sooo fast!! Apart from the dramatic couple, it is really great how they serve Pinchos with every glass of wine you order. We had a lovely Peregrino meal for only €6.50 each and now back at the Albergue where I had a super long conversation in Spanish and think I only understood a quarter of it all…fun times! At least I try 🤷♀️ Tomorrow is a long day, so buenos noches! X
4 October 2021 – DAY 3 Pontedueme to Betanzos
Wow…what a day! We walked and walked and walked… There were many hills, and the route was very undulated with endless uphills! We took it slowly and arrived at Betanzos at last. Just before halfway, we stopped at a stall where a lady sold drinks, cakes and trinkets. I had a coke; we shared a Santiago tart, and I bought two pins for my rucksack as well as a Camino Buff. It was such a lovely atmosphere at this stop, as many people from the previous Albergue were also there and we had a big photoshoot with all of us in it. We met Ade (100% positive it is spelled wrong) and his two friends Manuel and Cade (🤷♀️), with Gloria and Martha. Everyone was so friendly, and it was super to connect with other pilgrims, as the road is quite quiet with Covid19 and all…I took a picture of a lovely donkey and got the fright of my life when he started neighing…I couldn’t find the video button fast enough to record it. He was super sad! After a long uphill there was a random table next to the road where we could get fruit, cake and cold drinks for a donation (donativo). It was so funny…in front of us was a guy dragging his walking sticks behind him, as he has lost the will to use them properly on this terrible hill. We arrived at a lovely apartment tonight and decided to eat here instead of going out because we want to have an early night, as tomorrow’s route is apparently even more strenuous than today’s 😳. Not really looking forward to tomorrow’s, as we will start walking in the rain according to the weather app. Hopefully it will change.
5 October 2021 – DAY 4 Batanzos to Abegonde, 2km from Bruma
We got up earlier than usual, as we were told that it was going to be a tough day today. We walked in the rain a lot. We couldn’t wear our raincoats because it was too hot and humid. It was a lot of uphills, but surprisingly not as bad as we thought it would be. It was long walks on the road and at some point, I thought we got lost but was so happy to see the next yellow arrow! It was a long day though and our feet are really sore…first blisters made their appearance 🤪 When we got to Bruma….there was no place in the Albergues!!! Fortunately, the lady from one of the Albergues was kind and phoned ahead for us to stay in a pension. It was another 2km further. We were so glad to get rid of our boots, but when we tried to have a shower, the whole tap came undone! We were luckily moved to another room. We are starved and waiting for 8pm for the kitchen to open. We had a lovely Peregrino meal for £10 and now very ready for bed to start our next phase tomorrow. Hasta luego!
6 October 2021 – DAY 5 Oroso on the map, but actually in Singueiro
Ohhh……my……goodness!!! This was a relentless road! It was very misty when we started off, which was really beautiful. It was relatively flat, but difficult walking because of the flatness and the fact that the last 8km was next to the motorway in full sun. I’m glad it is sunny, but it was hot!! We stopped along the road and ate all the almonds I had. We were really hungry. We arrived at a really beautiful and super well organised Albergue. There were not a lot of people walking but those who were walking are all Spanish, with one French, one Portuguese and one German. We stopped at very interesting places – the ‘little houses on stilts’ in the pictures are where they store their grain so that the rats can’t get to it. It feels weird to walk a quiet Camino. Well….Elaine and I aren’t quiet, and we sang lots of childhood songs to distract us from our tired feet🙂 Now feet…. that’s another matter altogether…my feet are absolutely killing me!!! They are burning and throbbing. So….the blisters…. the one on my toe (I named him Toby) was really well behaved today and I think he will be gone soon. The one on my heel (who I named Hilda) was moaning all day long 🙄 and has increased in size…I’ll have to set the record straight with her and then another unwanted visitor on my other heel (dear Hillary) appeared. Really annoying and uninvited blister guests. There are regular milestones along the way indicating the number of kilometres travelled and yet to travel – we are practising our counting vocabulary…Elaine in French and I in Spanish. There are 4 people in our room tonight, including a mad German 🙂 I think he is very lonely and keeping our company. Tonight is the second evening that we made food for ourselves, because the kitchens only open at 8pm and we would like an early evening. So, on another note…the plan was always to buy a train ticket back to Madrid once we were near Santiago…like tonight. Only to find that there are no tickets available at all 😳 We’ve been on google for ages and the best way to get back now is to pay for a flight back to Madrid. Our budget was stretched. We are looking forward to our last stretch to Santiago tomorrow. It is a shorter route and the weather looks promising. Buenos noches!
7 October 2021 – DAY 6 Last stretch to Santiago
Woop woop…we’ve done it!! We thought it was going to be an easy peasy route into Santiago, but there were still many hills to conquer. It was an emotional arrival walking through the arch where bagpipes welcome you into the city. Many pilgrims (not as much as last time) were gathered on the square getting emotional too. It is a long journey for some, and the end is a relief, an accomplishment, a goal achieved and an anti-climax to many hours and kilometres of count down. It was a lovely route through Eucalyptus forests and there were ups and downs…. literally! We got our number for the Compostela and booked into an awesome little hotel right in the centre of everything. Really want to stay here again! After a good shower and a new t-shirt to wear, we went to collect our Compostellas and explored the shops. We had wine and pinchos and ended with ice-cream, coughing our lungs out 🙂 We washed our dirty clothing, and it is hanging very European style outside of the window tonight to dry. We are knackered and looking forward to a leisurely morning. What a festive town 🙌
8 0ctober 2021 – SANTIAGO
We slept late and then went for a lovely massage. It is the same place where I had a massage after my previous Camino. It was painful but good. I didn’t realise just how many knots and sore muscles I have 🙂 We had a quick bite to eat in the square. It was great sitting in the sun doing some people watching and listening to a guy singing. After that we went to the Cathedral where I lit two candles for two Camino friends who have passed away. Emily Campbell and Larry Holt who was a great walking companion during my Camino Frances. We took the sightseeing train to see the rest of Santiago. There are lots of beautiful parks! We have an early night, as we have to get up early tomorrow morning to fly back to Madrid.
9 October 2021 – MADRID
It was an early morning catching the plane to Madrid. We are quite good now at operating the public transport system here and arrived early at our hostel. Well…we were not so sure about this accommodation and thought that it might be a brothel! 😳 We left our bags here and walked to see the Templo de Debod, which is a famous Egyptian monument in Madrid. It was far to walk, and we were really disappointed as it was not what we expected. There were no water surrounding it etc. so turned around and did some shopping instead. Wow…Madrid sure has amazing clothes shops, and the people here are smelling so nice…. there is a common perfume we smell which is absolutely lovely. Okay….so we checked in then and discovered that it wasn’t that bad at all!! Phew…. ☺️ We were looking forward the whole day to have a Mexican meal at the restaurant next door only to find that it was closed! However, we have found a lovely Italian restaurant instead and had a great meal there. We are now in bed watching a movie preparing for a long journey home tomorrow. So now it is going to be all about planning the Camino Portugues for next September.
CAMINO DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA: PORTUEGUESE COASTAL ROUTE
24 August 2023 – STILL IN THE UK
Wow…what a start, or rather non-start!! Our flight was delayed for 2 hrs. After boarding the plane, we waited another 2 hours and then was informed that our flight was cancelled. We are now frantically looking at alternative flights. We cannot go home because our car is locked up at the airport carpark.
25 August 2023 – STILL IN THE UK
Eventiually, after a very long time on our phones trying to sort out new flights, we managed to book a flight to Lisbon tomorrow afternoon. There are absolutely no flights at all to Porto – the first flight out is next Tuesday! We’ve decided to rather go to Lisbon and get the train up to Porto. This walk has been in the planning since 2020, and there is no way that we are going to cancel it. It only means that we will perhaps have no rest days during the walk. But hey ho … Okay, so fortunately, we did get our car and, on our way back home, discovered that the M5 was completely closed. Can it get worse 🤣 We had to follow a very long diversion. We got home at 3 o’clock this morning and will try again tomorrow.
26 August 2023 – LISBON TO PORTO
We’ve spent the whole of yesterday making new arrangements for our trip. Then at about 9 am this morning I received a text saying that our flight was delayed! We couldn’t believe it!! Here we go again. Somehow, just before we left, the status was ‘on time’, and we were hopeful again. The flight was delayed, but we’ve made it!!! We are in Lisbon now in a hotel close to the airport and will catch the train to Porto at 7 am tomorrow morning to start our Camino. Yay… a few days later than planned, but here we go!!!!
27 August 2023 – DAY 1 PORTO TO MATASINHOS IMMEDIATELY ON ARRIVAL
We had a very early start in Lisbon to catch the 7 am. train. The train station in Lisbon has beautiful modern architecture. We arrived in Porto after a 3 hrs train journey and went straight to the Cathedral to get our scallops and to get the first stamp in our Pilgrim’s passports. We made our way down to the river and started walking towards the coast. It is not a well-known route, and therefore not a lot of yellow arrows, which are my comfort zone on these walks. When we arrived in Foz de Douro, there was a big street procession – St Bartholomew’s procession. Everybody is wearing costumes made from paper. This is a historic event where it is believed that by diving into the water, you will be cured of all kinds of illnesses. I know there is more to it, but you can Google it 🤣 We had a lovely lunch at a beach bar, and although we did not walk far, we are tired. Tomorrow is going to be a long day’s walking, and I hope we find an Albergue. We are sleeping in Matasinhos tonight. There is a giant replica of a fishing net as you enter the town. We’ve just showered and will go out to find food later. It will be an early night indeed… 19616 steps today.
28 August 2023 – DAY 2 VILA DE CONDE
We got up early and was on the road by 6:10. There are still not a lot of Camino signs, but we kept the sea to our left…couldn’t go wrong. We walked past a big powerplant and passed some roman ruins showing how the Romans built salt pits for the salting of fish and the making of garum. We walked through a smelly fishing village where two toothless fairies had to show us where the Camino went. It was all good walking on boardwalks most of the way. The scenery is beautiful with a very dark blue sea. We hardly saw any other pilgrims and only met some when we were stopping for some precious coke! We were quite hungry by 9am and were glad that we had some leftover cheese, prosciutto, 1 bread roll, and fresh figs that we had for breakfast. Places only open here at 10am-ish, so we’ll have to make sure to buy breakfast for the road. Very interesting is that there are mobile libraries at each main beach. It is hard going on the sandy sections, and our feet are tired. I have my first blister 😡 We queued for more than an hour (it is usual) to get into Santa Clara Albergue. We walked around to the Santa Clara Monastery, and there was a massive aqueduct. The story behind it is that it was built to bring water to the Monastery in the 1600s and originally contained 999 arches. We had a drink where it pays to drink wine instead of beer as is shown in one of the pictures 🙂 Sadly, there are no pilgrim’s meals in Portugal 🤷🏻♀️ So we bought dinner again in the form of 2 rolls, cold meats, cheese, nectarines, and a bottle of wine. We are tired and starting to have aches and pains that have absolutely nothing to do with our age! We will again sleep very well tonight and have an early start for an even longer walk tomorrow. 36094 steps (carrying 10kg for me and 12.5kg for Gary)
29 August 2023 – DAY 3 ESPOSENDE
What a night last night in the Alberque! We’ve shared the dorm with 5 other people. Two of them were very noisy, and one of them snored so much… it sounded as though he was getting drowned!! And here I thought Gary was bad…. 🙃 It was very hot, so all windows were open, meaning that we could hear the whole party going on outside till 3am. I guess what I’m trying to say is that sleep was very little!! The walk was hard today because 1. there were no rest points in the form of a cafe or ‘sanitorium’ and 2. it was on a flat boardwalk 90% of the way. We think our feet developed a repetitive strain disorder because of this 😉 We stopped at a nice little place just outside Esposende, where Gary bought a pin for his rucksack. At this stop, there was a vending machine that made pizzas from scratch. Amazing!!! Very interesting on the way, we saw that they harvest the kelp and let it dry on the beach. They use it for fertiliser and in cosmetics such as nivea face cream. We are sleeping in a very comfortable hostel tonight. Dinner today was pasta, which we cooked ourselves. We were too tired to wait for restaurants to open at 7 pm. 38597 steps.
30 August 2023 – DAY 4 VIANA DE CASTELLO
Early up again this morning after a good night’s rest. Esposende was a pretty little town, and people usually visit it to go to the beach or to do water sports. I must be honest… all the beaches are amazing and clean. I’ve never been to the Algarve, but if the beaches there are prettier, I need to go. The route was a little bit more inland and took us through forests and next to a river with the smell of lovely flowers and herbs along the way. There were a lot of hilly bits today. I usually hate hills, but it was a good break today from flat boardwalks. There was a little bit more cafes where you could have a drink/snack, but we bought our very healthy yoghurt and orange juice and sat on a bench at a church eating breakfast. Towards the end, we went into a very dodgy bar to get a coke and a fruit bun. We had to cross a really, long bridge crossing the Lima River to enter Viana de Castello. It felt as though it was more than a kilometre long (it was only 600m 🙄). The Albergue where we are sleeping tonight is an old convent. We are in the ‘hall’ where there are 8 beds on the stage and 14 beds on the floor. So …. 22 people with 1 shower and 1 toilet 🤔😜 We usually shower and do our washing once we arrive, so it is never a huge problem. After having had some dinner and walking around this beautiful town, it is bedtime for very tired feet! 40015 steps
31 August 2023 – DAY 5 CAMINHA
Today was a really, really hard day! 😪 It started at 5 am when some idiot’s alarm woke everyone up 🙄 It then took us about 50 minutes to find our way out of the town due to a lack of arrows showing us the way. The walk was tough being on uneven cobblestones, most of the 27km walking between walled streets and crossing over a mountain with a steep incline. Both our legs and our feet are knackered! Apart from my two blisters, the terrain we walked on really hurts your feet, making them very sore and tired. Yes, I know I’m moaning… better than crying… We have found a lovely private Albergue and are lying down at the moment. They are going to cook us a lovely pilgrim’s meal. This is our last day in Portugal; tomorrow, we are taking the ferry from Caminha to A Guardia entering Spain. 42937 steps
1 September 2023 – DAY 6 VILADESUSO
We had to cross the river to enter Spain and was picked up at 7am to be taken to the water taxi. What a ride to the boat… 80miles/hr through narrow streets… we had to hang on for dear life!! 🫣🤣 We were many people in a tiny speedboat, and I can just imagine how those illegal immigrants must have felt escaping to a new country. We were dropped off on the beach next to a plantation with interesting drawings on the trees – it made me think of those movies where people get stranded on a deserted island! The walk was good, and the blisters behaved for the first time. I hope I’m not jinxing it! The walk was a little inland, but we always had a view of the sea. We stopped halfway for something to eat and drink and then made our way to Oia, where we wanted to sleep. There was a beautiful old church, and we would have loved to go inside, but there was no accommodation, and we had to walk another 4km to find beds. We decided to walk and not go into the church rather than risking the possibility of no beds again. We found a lovely Albergue with a private room and even a balcony overlooking the sea in the distance…a bargain! We’ve spoken to a few fit young people that we’ve met along the way, and they also commented that yesterday was hard…it makes us oldies feel much better!!! 🤣 We had a great 3 course dinner with 2 glasses of decent red wine for 15 euros each at the local. It was really good! Well, good night now…till tomorrow. 32785 steps
2 September 2023 – DAY 7 NIGRAN
We left very early this morning and had to use our torches for the first time. We had a thunderstorm last night, and the air was fresh. It was stunning to see the stars, hear the ocean, and see the moonlight on the sea. We had a shorter day today. Only 20km. We walked for more than 3 hours before we found the first open cafe to have something to eat and drink. Wow…what a wonderful site that cafe was!!! It was loads of ups and downs, and Galicia sure isn’t short of its hills to conquer… We entered the town on an old roman bridge. It is not easy on this route to always find an Albergue, but we have found one that is adjacent to a beautiful old hotel. Once again, we have our own room and warm water in the very clean shared bathrooms. They don’t have facilities to hang your washing to dry, but Gary made a spectacular clothesline using his walking sticks 😀 We arrived early and left our bags here to go into the centre to look for lunch. We had a lovely lunch – two meals, 3 glasses of wine (don’t judge!), and 2 beers for 30 euros. Accommodation is 18euro per person. It all gives a different meaning to the concept of luxury! We’re going to enjoy a nice glass of red wine and snacks before going to sleep. 33424 steps
3 September 2023 – DAY 8 VIGO
We walked, and we walked and we waaaalllked!!! Our feet were swearing at us 😫 One massive lesson here…. don’t think you will walk yourself fit because it is the time on the feet that really counts, and I suspect that to be the reason for my complaining feet…. not enough time on them to get them used for this long walk. We had a choice of two routes today: one more inland and the other right at the coast. We chose to walk next to the sea because we’ll start heading more inland from now onwards. Gary and I have decided to have a rest day here in Vigo. We booked two nights in the Compostela Hotel, and instead of getting up early tomorrow morning to start walking, we will be sleeping in and exploring the old town a bit. Only a bit because my feet need to rest. Vigo is the largest town on this specific Camino and is a big harbour town. When we walked, we could spot the Cies Islands. The Cies Islands are an archipelago off the coast of Galicia in Spain, in the mouth of the Vigo River. In 1980, they were declared a nature reserve. I must share that I’m really impressed with the public toilets here because they are clean and never smelly! 🤣 We just had an ice-cold beer on the piazza and now will chill a bit until the restaurants open between 7 and 8. We had a lovely meal on one of the squares. 36381 steps
4 September 2023 – DAY 9
Another day in Vigo! We had a lovely long morning reading and chilling before going out to explore Vigo. We went to a shopping centre and noticed a big apartment/office block next to it just to notice that it was actually a P&O cruise ship (catering for 3192 passengers with 14 public decks, 8 restaurants, pools and theatres 🙄). It is massive!!! We explored the cathedral and many other places, but everywhere we’re confronted with the cruise ship passengers. No offence… but they are, according to me, a different type of people 🤷🏻♀️ In two pictures, you will see escalators going from one street to another…possibly for people who find the incline difficult 😇 One thing we like about Spain is that they will always serve you with a snack when ordering a drink…even a soft drink. This way, you can actually have a full meal with a few glasses of wine…ha-ha… kidding (not)! We had lunch and managed to get two stamps for our Pilgrim’s passport and are chilling again. We are really making the most of our rest day. We know now how to get out of Vigo tomorrow and bought breakfast and snacks for the road. Our feet are well rested, and we are hoping for the best for the last 5 days of walking. Another lovely thing of Spain is that the whole family will go out after siesta and the town is a family affair where parents play with their children, children aren’t told to be quiet and all the ladies are very well dressed (I feel like a plonk going out with shorts, a t-shirt, flip flops and wild hair 🫣) Right…off walking again tomorrow!!! 5637 steps (it clearly was a rest day 😴)
5 September 2023 – DAY 10 REDONDELA
Well, we are just outside of Redondela because all the Albergues were full, and we had to walk a little bit further to find a place to sleep tonight. Both feet were happy on today’s walk 🕺 We stopped for breakfast at a lovely waterfall. It was drizzling on and off and made great weather to walk in. We were about halfway on our journey when we encountered a big group of people walking with only a small daypack, because a courier is transporting their luggage. My goodness, they were annoying, as they took up the whole path with no regard for others and talked such rubbish. We were on a beautiful, peaceful path in the forest when all was interrupted. Hey-ho!! 😊 Redondela was a beautiful town, and we would have loved to stay there, but all the Albergues were full. What is busy happening is that many people do not carry their own backpacks and still want to sleep in an Albergue to get the experience, leaving no space for other pilgrims to simply arrive as is custom. Long story… Anyway, this forced our hand to book accommodation for the coming days because we don’t have the luxury of extending our walk by a day or two if we cannot find beds. Enough about accommodation!! 🙄We had a really great pilgrim’s meal. A starter, main course, postre as well as a whole bottle of wine for just 24 euros!!! The area we are walking through is really pretty. 29707 steps
6 September 2023 – DAY 11 PONTEVEDRA
We got up early again and walked….. 🤣 It was a lovely walk with beautiful scenery. It was very dark and a young girl from Italy asked if she could walk with us for a while for safety reasons. It is very safe, but we entered dark woods, and I was glad that she asked us. It was pitch dark! Anna was a lovely girl and very chatty. We stopped for breakfast for the first time, because for the first time now there were places open when we walked. Breakfast was a lovely fresh croissant with a diet coke… very healthy! We took a scenic route along the river into Pontevedra. It is a beautiful town with a big buzz. Interesting was a small round church as well as The Basilica of Santa Maria. Very impressive. We had lunch near the church, which was tasty. Lovely wine with a salad. The salad was interesting… it was a tomato and leave salad with goat’s cheese ice cream. It sounds really weird, but I’m going to try it at home, as it was super nice. We then shared a lemon and mango ice cream cake. We are staying in a house share accommodation and our host is lovely. I’m so very glad that we have booked accommodation for tonight, because the pilgrims were sitting in long queues waiting for accommodation. After our shower we went about town for some drinks. I was so hungry, but restaurants only open from 8 pm onwards. I’m tired after all the walking and couldn’t wait that long. We got a takeaway pizza slice instead, which looked way better than it tasted…hey ho! 🤷🏻♀️ 32976 steps
7 September 2023 – DAY 12 CALDAS DE REIS
It was a beautiful walk through forests and vineyards, and we followed an original roman way. We started slightly later today. At 11 am it was already extremely hot and very humid. It was 30 degrees Celsius today. It is a modern Albergue where we are staying where each bed has its own curtain for privacy. It’s pretty much a bunch of tiny rooms. After our shower and washing of clothes duties were done, we went to look for some lunch. We found a lovely place and thought we would have a nice quiet meal. But… nope! Not only did we have a useless waitress, but then a group of about 40 youngsters descended on us 🫣 They were a big school/church group, and the peaceful restaurant that we have chosen gave them lunch. A box of bocodillas, bananas, and juices were dumped around us for them to feast on. The noise levels were skyrocket high… we couldn’t even think about what we were consuming 😳 Our feet are tired today, and we were lying down with our feet up. Only two more days ….. I can’t believe how the time has flown, only my feet can 🤣 33744 steps.
8 September 2023 – DAY 13 PADRON
Today’s walk was a lot of ups and downs…and ups and downs…. It was lovely, though, as most of today was through forests. We stopped at a cafe along the way, and we had a massive chocolate pastry. It was really misty the whole morning, and the sun only managed to melt the mist away at about 12 pm. We are staying in Eco rooms, which are quite pleasant, and the building overlooks the river. I can’t believe it… just one more day of walking tomorrow before we reach our destination!! They forecast rain tomorrow, and it would be amazing if that changes. We were very blessed with the weather so far… so fingers crossed. We had a lovely lunch consisting of a bocodilla and quince with cheese for dessert. We then went to the Supermercado to buy tomatoes for a sandwich (again) for tonight. Tomorrow…. we’ll treat ourselves with a balanced meal. We’re having a very chilled time and will be off to sleep early tonight. 29661 steps
9 September 2023 – DAY 14 SANTIAGO
We woke up this morning with a massive thunderstorm. It was raining so hard that we could hardly see out of the window. The forecast didn’t look any better and we’ve decided to walk regardless…it is our last day! We walked for about an hour in this rain and then it stopped. Phew! It started to clear, and we had a lovely day walking. I’m sure my prayers were answered because we had dry weather until after we arrived! There were many hills, and the only thing that kept me going was my mantra of ‘left, right, left, right, left, right, and repeat’ It was lovely forest walks. When I did my first Camino, I entered Santiago for the first time from the east, the second Camino from the north and today from the south, which was the nicest entry to Santiago by far. We arrived at the cathedral and then went to get our Compostellas. The admin is getting better each time, and this time, we hardly had to wait at all until we had our Compostellas. We went to our accommodation and decided that we have had of doing washing each day! We decided to wash only underwear and that we would buy 3 shirts for the rest of the time, as we couldn’t face our clothes of the past 3 weeks anymore! We went back into town, had a few glasses of Rioja watching people, and then had a lovely pizza each. We walked back in absolutely pouring rain and bought a chocolate for dessert. We are now lying on top of the bed, resting our feet, and feeding our muscles chocolate! 😄 We can’t believe it is over and are looking forward to lying in a bit tomorrow. 46498 steps (we have walked an average of 23km each day) Since the beginning to the end, we have walked 458,072 steps!
10 September 2023 – SANTIAGO
We went to bed early last night, hoping to get a long and well-deserved rest, but this town does not sleep at all! People are partying literally all through the night. Not only here, but everywhere we have been so far. They have a long siesta and restaurants only open at 8 or 8:30 at night. They then have a very late start in the morning. We were woken up at 6:30 with three massive bangs outside the window. Somebody drove too fast, hit a palm tree, then a second palm tree, and then a wall while two other cars collided with him. The police and ambulance were on the scene very quickly, and thankfully, there were no fatalities. We got up this morning (tired still 🙃) and went to the Pilgrim’s Mass at the Cathedral. En route, we passed a procession of a band playing and people carrying the statue of Mary. The Catholics have many rituals and traditions that I find fascinating. Behind the procession were people walking with lit candles. The mass was spectacular, and I was very proud that I could make out about 20% of the Spanish sermon. The main sermon was about loving the people you are surrounded with and never to look back, not to dwell on the past but to look at the future 100%. We lit 5 candles: 1 for our parents; 1 for Larry Holt whom we had planned to do this route with, but he has sadly passed away since then; 1 for Trevor Bailey a friend who recently had a tragic accident; 1 for Stefano, who we will always be thinking of; 1 for Dewald Malan who has many goals that he still wants to achieve since his diagnosis. It was a very emotional service thinking about you all and our achievement ❤️ We had a lovely lunch in an old library, bought some regalia, and then chilled out. I forgot to mention yesterday… while we were walking, we got a massive shock, as there were big gun/Canon shots going off very, very close by. I have counted 21 in all, so it probably was either a traditional thing or a memorial to somebody’s life. This morning… there were loads of those ‘bangs’ again… interesting 🤔 We will eat somewhere local tonight and then pack our bags ready to leave Santiago tomorrow morning…till the next time…
11 September 2023 – PORTO
We took the bus from Santiago back to Porto again. It was chaos at the bus stop, because our bus arrived, dropped people off and left again without taking on new passengers!! Fortunately, another bus arrived 20 minutes later, and we were all on. It was lovely to see some of the areas that we’ve walked in from the height of the bus. We stopped at the airport to drop off passengers, and one of the ladies that wasn’t supposed to get off, got off to go to the toilet… needless to say… the bus then left without her 😳🤷🏻♀️ We are staying in a hostel close to the train station in order to have an easy access to go to the airport tomorrow afternoon. This area is truly as rough and ready as you can get!!! But our room and bathroom are clean, so it is a luxury 🙃 We bought lovely wine, bread, cold meats, cheese and pastel de natas and had dinner in the garden. We will decide tomorrow what we do and what to see.
12 September 2023 – PORTO
We had a good sleep and then an equal good long walk into the centre of Porto. An hour and 15 minutes! It wasn’t a great area, but after we’ve passed a beautiful church with blue porcelain tiles, the journey became prettier. It was really very hot. We had a lovely vino verde at one place and then had lunch on the sidewalk where a saxophonist was playing great tunes. We visited the Porto Cathedral after our walk, the Torres dos Clerigos, and the beautiful station in the centre of town. It was too hot to walk back, so we made a very sensible choice and took a taxi. We are going to take the metro to the airport now and hope EasyJet has no more surprises for us in the form of late or cancelled flights!
TREKKING LANGTANG VALLEY IN NEPAL – November 2022
This trip was specially customized for Jane Didi and her friends. Rajendra carefully designed this trip to explore and experience the best of Nepal from the Himalayas to the lowland of Nepal. Jane and Rajendra are good friends, and she is the contact person in England if you want to have a real customised and amazing trip.
15 November – Kathmandu via Dubai
We arrived in Dubai and had to wait 5hrs for our flight to Kathmandu. We were at terminal 2 and there isn’t much to do. All of us are sleep deprived, sitting at a McDonald’s.
It wasn’t such a long flight, but it felt very long. The flight was not very busy. I sat next to a Nepalese and his mother. He was very kind and polite and was on holiday with his mother and sister in Dubai. Acquiring a visa went quite smoothly and we were all very glad to see that our luggage actually arrived with us. We went outside but couldn’t find Rejendra who was supposed to greet us and take us to the hotel. Fortunately he had phoned a friend to take care of us, as he was stuck in traffic. When he arrived with his brother they gave us a wreath to wear. It was made out of Marigolds, which is the national flower of Nepal. It felt lovely and smooth and smelled devine. We then journeyed to Hotel Moonlight. Check out the interesting sign of no spitting!! Oh…my…goodness…the traffic! 🙃 There are no markings on the roads and one minute it is a one-way and the next it functions as a dual carriage way or whatever the drivers fancy 😳 Once at the hotel we were offered a lovely peach drink as well as a gin and tonic. We had a lovely meal and then off to our rooms. So far…I had chicken curry on my flight from Gatwick, chicken curry on my flight to Kathmandu and chicken curry at the hotel! 😊 I feel very disoriented, and my neatly packed bag looks chaotic at the moment, because I cannot find the one adapter for my charger and the special adapter plug that I bought does not fit…go figure 😥
16 November – Kathmandu sightseeing
Wow…what a day full of packed cultural stimuli!! We first went to the Pashupatinah Temple. On the one side it is a massive crematorium. It is in the Hindu side of Kathmandu and every Hindu body ends up being cremated next to the holy river. Whenever somebody dies, they are laid to rest next to the river and getting washed from the river by family members. The oldest son shaves his head completely and is responsible for the body to getting washed and cleansed with incense. As each family member arrives to pay respect, they have to use their hand to pour water of the holy river into the deceased mouth. They then get covered in cloths and put on a gurney. The youngest son is responsible to pack the logs and light the fire. The body is then cremated in public, and the ashes washed into the river. Three days after that the family come back and string lots of flowers to hang over the river to celebrate the life of the dead person. They then throw 7 seeds of life over themselves. They mourn for a full year and then go back with offerings of rice and fruit. While they mourn, they are not allowed to eat garlic or any other spicy food. It was absolutely fascinating to learn about all of these rituals. This happens to both Hindus and Buddists. On the other side of this temple it is a happy place. Many Hindus do a Pilgrimage to this temple. Once they arrive, they wash their feet and also take many offerings to the golden bull in the picture. There are so many rituals involved with all of these ceremonies…too many to mention. We then went to the Buddist Temple. You have to walk clockwise around the temple in order not to encounter the negative power. While you walk you have to spin all the prayer wheels. This will give you and all your friends and family good luck. The main believe for Buddists is to be positive, if you are positive, it will make you healthy; if you are healthy, you are happy and when you are happy, you are beautiful. How lovely is that! We were taken to a gallery where they paint Mandalas and the whole process was explained to us. It takes up to 65 days to finish one painting. I had to have one and chose a beautiful one. We were also exposed to the Singing Bowls and were given a demonstration. It is really therapeutic, and I got a tiny little one for myself. After our excursion we then went (without our guide) into town to find somewhere to eat. On our way we found a shop ran by lovely girls from a refuge. Everything is handmade by themselves, and the proceeds go towards their education. Sahin and Chandani told us their story and it’s unfortunately too long to repeat. Came back to the hotel and had to pack all our trekking stuff into special bags that was given to us.
17 November – Shyaphrubesi (1500m), 5/7 hrs Drive from Kathmandu
So….after packing, repacking and weighing my bags multiple times, I gave up. After two immodiums 🙈 I tackled today. We first went to Swyambhunath Stupa (Monkey Temple), situated on a hill-top. It’s one of the most important holy places for Buddhist people. Apart from religious point of views, it’s also great place overseeing the Kathmandu valley and also Langtang Himalayan range. There were no monkeys today and we started our 7hr journey to our next destination. Everywhere in Nepal there are coloured flags or trees painted in red (symbolizing fire), green (for earth), yellow (for wind) and blue (symbolizing the space we occupy around us). So…..let me tell you about the journey….😳 The first two hours we were on a road that was sometimes a one way, sometimes a dual carriage way and most times simply 3 lanes in whichever direction you prefer. The last 5 hours was hectic. We travelled on a dirt road with many rocks and potholes! It was a 4×4 owners dream road. However….we were travelling in a bus and it definitely wasn’t a dream! Imagine a 5hr flight sitting in the tail end of the plane with bad turbulence and then you’ll get what it was like! So…ever seen those YouTube clips of two trucks passing on a narrow cliff road? That was us! The first time was quite stressful, but you quickly get used to it after a while…not! We got stuck not only once, but twice! First going up a muddy road which was really steep; we slid backwards and we thought it was the end. The second time we were literally stuck in the mud and had to get out of the bus for them to sort it. Must be honest…our driver was a young guy but excellent. We had a few T&P (tea and pee) stops and those holes in the ground squatting takes some getting used to🤣 We were also police checked and searched as we entered the Lantang Valley National Park. Probably because it was near a hydroelectricity site and only 20km away from the border of Tibet. Had a quick shower and bag sort and waiting to have dinner. Tomorrow is day 1of our trekking!!!
18 November – DAY 1: Lama Hotel, Rasuwa(1970m) 5hrs
Wow, what a day!!! We set off at about 8am. The porters carry our bags, and we walked and walked and walked! We changed the itinerary and didn’t stay at Bamboo as originally planned, but we had lunch there. Reason? There are so many marijuana bushes that it is literally a young person’s ‘joint’. After that we walked up to the Lama Hotel where we stayed the night. We walked up and down and up and up and up and ascended a 1000m on our first day. It took us 8hrs to walk 15km. We are all knackered and our legs are sore 😫 It was a really beautiful walk through the forest, on the edge of the Trisulli River. The river is really fast flowing over the boulders and because of the steep ascend it felt as though we walked along one massive waterfall all the way. It was so pretty and all you could hear was water flowing. We encountered mules on our way (people too), saw Yaks and two different types of monkeys (Himilayan Lagur and the Makas) Looking forward to a good night’s rest in a hotel with no electricity, fresh water and an outside toilet. Quite cold 😳
19 November – DAY 2: Trek to Ghode Tabela ; Thangshyap Village (2975m) 5/6hrs
We slept okay and set off at 8:30. It was an easier walk with fewer ups and downs and more flats. Nevertheless I struggled with all the steps…my bum muscles are shot 😊….and my breath 🙄 We are walking very slowly to help us acclimatize. We walked 11km in 6hrs, ascending 700m. We stopped at a few places for tea and saw many Himalayan Langur monkeys. They are quite pretty with very long tails. It was so lovely. Once we left the forest we were able to see the mountain. They call all the “mountains” here hills, unless if it is over 6000m. The snow peaked mountain in the picture is Langtang Lirung. It was a beautiful walk along the river. We passed many donkeys and Yaks and even tasted yak yoghurt…not really nice for me because it looked like curdled milk and tasted very smokey. We arrived at our village tonight and have an ensuite bathroom with hot water and a proper toilet…yay!!!!! We had to make do with wet wipes last night and only had an outside toilet! Look at the beautiful sunset in the photo.
20 November – DAY 3: Trek to Langtang Village (3440m), 5/6 hrs
It was really cold this morning and everybody dressed snug and warm…until 30min down the line when it became really hot. We stopped for a cup of tea at Chumpa. We walked really slowly once again in order to get used to the altitude. A few of us feel as though we have a bit of a cold which makes breathing a bit harder. We are sleeping in Langtang tonight and had to cross over where the previous village used to be. It is so sad…an entire village with 240 people as well as an army camp were buried under rubble during the earthquake in 2015. We are all paying our respects and are mindful of the losses of the people running the current guest houses. We did not have a long walk today and arrived at our destination before lunch. We did a lot of our washing and are sitting in the sun vegetating. The wind is coming up now and it is going the be freezing tonight. We have an en suit again!!! We ascended 200m today making it a total of 3500m and tomorrow will do another 400m. One of the pictures shows a house…it is the only original remaining house after the earthquake. Just realised that I had my info wrong about the colours of the flags! Red is fire, green is forest, water and land, yellow is sun and earth, blue is sky, white is air and wind. But to be honest…it changes according to who you ask 😉
21 November 2022 – DAY 4: Trek to Kyangen Gumba (3870mm), 3/4hrs
We got up early for our walk to our final accommodation where we will stay 2 days. We all have a head cold which is absolutely rubbish! This makes breathing in the thin air difficult. We walked very slowly. It is so nice, because every time we stop to eat, the guides insist on spraying our hands with disinfectant. We must drink a lot of water. I don’t like water but started to drink hot water with ginger, lemon and honey. It is delicious. We stayed at a lovely lodge and arrived for lunch. Afterwards we went for a walk around the village and also walked to the monastery and cheese factory. Yummy cheese!! Interesting, all the houses are made of corrugated iron and has a very African look to it. We then went to a bakery where we had hot chocolate, cakes and coffees. It’s absolutely fffffreezing!!!!!!!! Will try to have a hot shower tonight before going to bed. Tomorrow we have 4 options to walk. I’m keen to do the high walk, but not sure if my lungs will manage. Will make the decision tomorrow.
22 November 2022 – DAY 5: Kyangjin Gomba (rest day for some)
What a lovely day enjoying the snowy mountains and simply soaking in the sun. Emma left early to do the higher peak, 4 of us left for the medium peak and some stayed behind. I have developed a chest infection and had to turn around joining Jane, Caroline and Debbie in the village. I struggled too much to breathe. We explored the monastery more as one of the monks opened it up for us to have a look around. We had some cake and hot chocolate. As soon as Emma arrived back and we did some shopping. The shops are just sink roofs to the side of some houses that serve as a shop. I asked about a scarf and the lady grabbed it, spat on it to wet it and ceremoniously rubbed it on my hand to show me it is not giving off colour. I was mortified!! Needless to say that I washed my hands very thoroughly 🙃 We are now sitting in the dining room with a fire waiting for our soup. I’m having a sherpa soup and a chapati. Sherpa soup is a vegetable soup with pasta in a curry base. Taste much nicer than it sounds. Tomorrow will be an early start to start making our way down again.
23 November 2022 – DAY 6: Trek to Thyangshyab Buddha Hotel, Thangshyop Village (3140m), 4 hrs
A lovely walk coming down, covering two days of ascend (hope this makes sense). We are starting to get our breaths back. It was quite sad saying goodbye to the snowy mountains. We had a nice lunch (I had moo-moos) at a tea house where we previously stayed in Langtang. I bought another scarf and a shawl…we were told that it is made from Yak wool, but suspect it might be sheep…no problem either way. Our guides are super nice and attentive and treat us like royalty! Rabinda, Seri and Tec with the 4 porters (Ram, Lilat, another Lilat and Nerron). The porters each carry two of our bags. They tie it together and put it in a different bag, which then hang from their heads on to their backs. We are all sitting in the sun reading after having had a warm shower. It was extremely dusty on our walk. Might add some more info later. Indeed I am! When we arrived here the lady who runs the tea house was shouting and screaming away. We just asked the guide what it was all about and he said that she was shouting at her son because he was sent to get a bag of potatoes in the next village and came home drunk as a skunk. So…we all ordered a potato dish and will have to see what happens. She has sent him back…perhaps we’ll have to change our menu choice 🤣
24 November 2022 – DAY 7: Trek to Sherpa Gaun (2563mm), 5/6 hrs
Wow…what a day! It started off walking on icy paths and we had to be careful not to slip. There were many Yaks (male) and Naks (female) in the road we had to manoeuvre around. It was quite cold! My fellow trekkers write so much details on polarsteps…I cannot remember everything they do 🙈 They are drinking so much teas!!! 😳 They eventually got me to drinking hot water with ginger, lemon and honey, and sometimes simply a variation of it. It grows on me…Will have to see whether I continue once back home. We played names in a hat for a second time last night and were laughing so much! A great game to play…I think the guides must think we are crazy 🤪 There were so many steps and boulders that we had to climb down today…it made me realise how much we have climbed in the first place. After lunch we took another road that we haven’t travelled yet and oh…my…soul….!!! It was such a climb up again on a contour road right at the edge of the mountain. Not even a mountain goat would choose to walk here 🙄 We eventually made it to our hotel tonight and have absolutely magnificent views!! In the meantime…I’m learning Nepali: namaste- respectful hallo, May your god go with you; mithochha – delicious; danyabat – thank you; deri rambru- very beautiful; chha chi – you okay, and answer ho or chha for yes you are okay; hoina chaina – no more!; jam jam – let’s go; you’re welcome -swagatam; huncha – it’s okay. Obviously the spelling is phonetic and not necessarily correct! Oh…and also drinking lovely Ghurka Beer. I’m the lucky chosen one to keep the Kitty and it regularly needs feeding 😉 1- eak, 2 – dui, 3- tin, 4 char, 5- pach, 6 – chha, 7 – sat, 8 -alth, 100- eak Saye, 1000- eak hajar. Rabendra just gave me a Nepali language lesson! 😊
25 November – Day 8: trek to Shyabrubensi(1500m), 5/6 hrs
Back where we started our trek. We started off early again this morning descending and had to climb a mountain before descending the 1100m to Syabru Bensi. Oh my word . The descend was doing bundu-bashing over boulders and soft sand. It was very slippery, but….I was able to maintain my balance when slipped and didn’t even fall…what an achievement in itself! 🤣 It was a hard day with beautiful scenery and we made our way down slowly slowly (bestadi bestadi). It was about a 40degree angle going straight down! We arrived at the village and Rajendra was waiting for us with a glass of a very well deserved G&T each. We had a lovely shower and I’m reorganising my bag to get ready for our trip tomorrow for river rafting. Gampe-Cheers! I cannot believe the trek is over! They said it was a moderate trek, but that was definitely not the case at all!! If you go with easy, moderate, hard, severe and intensive, I will put this trek between hard and severe. We walked an average of 15km per day. Taking into account the hours it took us will give you a good indication of the terrain we had to conquer. It was mentally very challenging and I’m very proud of us all for this achievement!!! I might add again more info later. I have to finish packing and then go down for another Nepalese dinner. Oh my goodness…they gave me a chilly to try and I nearly died! 😳 They also made a cake for Jane as a surprise which was very sweet.
26 November – Dhussa – somewhere next to the Trisuli River
This morning was quite cold (achichu) and we made our way to our next adventure. We travelled zigzag roads over boulders and through waterfalls. It was right at the edge of the mountain and interesting. The ‘dancing road’ lasted for 3,5hrs. We had to stop at a few security checkpoints and at one all our bags were searched. It was beautiful scenery – we could see the mountains of Tibet, the route we trekked, dogs and pumpkins on roofs and passed the banana road. It is very dusty, and all the plants and trees look grey. We arrived at the river where we started our water rafting and got a long lecture of does and don’ts and then we were off! Such fun! Apparently today was just an introduction and tomorrow will be more real 😳 We are camping tonight and they are cooking on the fire for us. The water wasn’t really cold, but tonight we’ll have to sleep in all our clothes to stay warm.
27 November – Chitwan National Park
We camped last night and it wasn’t nearly as cold as we thought it would be. Hard though… We set off at 10 for our second river rafting session. Wow…what fun it was!! We were soaking wet and it felt as though I’m going to fall off at one stage, but managed to stay put. What an experience…I will definitely do it again! It was way too short though. We had lunch next to the river and then set off to Chitwan. Well…needless to mention the traffic again, as it is chaotic wherever you drive. I am still coughing a lot, so Rajendra stopped to buy me some medicine. The pharmacies are quite unusual!! See the picture. It is a lovely lodge where we are staying, and they took us to see how the local people are living. It is pretty much the same as in Africa. We managed to catch the sunset and then came back for a quick shower – very hot vs very cold 😳 We were given a presentation on Nepal and Chitwan which was very interesting. For the life of me I cannot remember all the detail, but…it is a very small country occupying only 1% of land mass. However, it is very biodiverse and 10% of the bird population can be found here. The whole national park is a jungle and is 1000 Square metres. Who knows…we might see a leopard or one of the 128 tigers in the park. I really wish…it will be awesome. We had a lovely bush meal outside and ha e an early 6am start tomorrow morning. Rajendra and his wife are 20yrs married today and lots of cake was eaten. We saw lots of birds: dark throated Martins, Steppe Eagles, Himilayan Vultures, Open billed stork, many Kingfishers and birds that I cannot remember. Many with different names.
28 November – Chitwan National Park
We had a really early start at 6am. We went game viewing after a good breakfast. It was really misty early on when we saw our first Rhino. The rhinos are very different here…one horn, looks like they have armour on and a mouth that opens wide 🙃 We saw elephant too. We were on top of a watch tower when we heard deer in distress. We kept looking and the next thing I saw was the head of a big tiger looking up at us. We went back to the vehicle and after a bit of a wait we saw him running across the road. He was massive. I am so very happy that I got to see a tiger in the wild!! 👏🐯 There were millions of great birds we identified and it made me miss birdwatching big time. We had a lovely lunch and then went out with boats on the river. The guides were punting us down the river. We stopped and had a lovely sundowner next to the river. Back at the lodge we were entertained by traditional tribal dancers performing various religious and harvest dances. We all joined in at the end. Lots of fun 😄 We are now having drinks and waiting for dinner….again!! Wow…they really feed us well.
29 November – Kathmandu
We made our way back to Kathmandu today and spent 6hrs on the road. The roads as I mentioned before are not great – it takes 2hrs to travel 50km…go figure. People are overtaking and undertaking left right and centre. There was a local election recently and the one area we drove through was where the Communist Party won the apparently unfair election. Everywhere were supporters on scooters and pick-ups waving their flags causing even more chaos on the road! Once at the hotel we quickly repacked our bags and then joined Rajendra and Jony going to a typical Nepalese restaurant with entertainment. The food was gorgeous – the best Dahl Baht since we arrived (even if I don’t actually even like rice 🙄). We had great dancing entertainment and participated once again…not by choice at all 😜 They served a magic drink in a beautiful little pottery cup which tasted very similar to Grappa. We are back at the hotel now having a last drink before going to bed. Wow…cannot believe our journey is coming to an end 😔
30 November – Kathmandu
What a day!!! We walked to Durbar Square and had a look at the Palace. The history of Nepal is very interesting…haven’t read everything though. Nepal used to have a monarchy. The prince was meant to marry a certain girl but fell in love with another. The rumour is that he has shot his dad, family and himself in 2001. His uncle then became king. He was a very corrupt guy, and the people removed him from the thrown (cannot remember the word to explain 🙄) Since then they only have a prime minister. Then we went to where the Kumari lives and were fortunate enough to see this living goddess. She is 9yrs old and to be honest…looked a bit like a stroppy pre-teen! Please read about the Kumari, or watch it on Netflix – it is fascinating. We walked to the market where everybody wants to sell you their stuff at ‘a good price for a first customer of the day’ 🤔 I bought a few things and then we went back to the hotel with a rickshaw which was fun. We sorted our bags out and moved into two rooms and then walked ro have lunch on a terrace of a nearby hotel. We waited very long for our food, but it was good. After lunch it was shopping again… I must say, it was fun to have to spend all my money left! 🤣 I cannot take Nepalese rupees back, so had no choice but to spend and spend…..Nice! ☺️ In an hour’s time well be on our way to Rajendra’s house for dinner where we will meet up with the whole crew again. Looking forward to it, as they are such nice people! 🤗 Wow, what an absolutely lovely evening we had. We had a beautiful meal prepared by Jony and had special gin. When we left, they gave us each 3 white scarves to wear, symbolising good health and a good and safe journey onwards. It was quite emotional saying goodbye to them…they became family.
1 December – Journey back to Cheltenham
We had a lovely meal last night at Rajendra and Jony’s house and they wished us farewell by giving each of us 3 white scarves. It was ceremoniously put around our necks and it symbolizes a safe journey home. They are amazing people! After a long long journey, we are home now to warm showers, seating toilets and toilet paper holders! It has been an absolutely amazing trip with wonderful companions and I’m missing it already. This was such an amazing trip…I will reflect on it for a very long time to come!
TREKKING POONHILL IN THE ANNAPURNAS – April 2024
3 April: Cheltenham – Gatwick
All packed and ready to go! Wow… it took some planning to decide what to pack and what not to, and then the actual packing also took more than a day 🫣 Anyway, we will leave shortly for Gatwick where Jane C, Jane P, Gary and I will sleep over in order to be on time for our very early flight tomorrow. Ute arrived in the UK today from LA, and Elaine arrived yesterday from France. Tim and the 2 of them will fly from Heathrow. Celia is flying tonight from SA, and we will all meet in Doha. Long journey ahead, because it is 7 hours to Doha, 6 hours waiting time before we fly the 5 hours to Kathmandu. I’m really excited and hope I’m fit enough!
We’re at Gatwick, ready to walk to our gate to board. We had a lovely breakfast at one of the lounges with a lovely glass of grape juice
4 April: Doha
Arrived in Doha and met up with the rest… only Celia to arrive still. We had a drink and then moved on to a lounge where we had a nice meal and a glass of wine. Some even went for a shower…! Jane and I went to duty-free because I needed an eyeliner. We ended up at Mac and had a nearly completed make-over…fun 😉 Our flight to Kathmandu only leaves at 1:15am. I guess we’ll be knackered once we arrive and will go out immediately sightseeing, so I shall only clock in again tomorrow evening. While writing, my reading glasses broke, and I went on a search for glasses. The only pair I could get looks like Harry Potter’s dream… beggars can’t be choosers, so I had to buy it. My goodness… we haven’t even reached our destination and I already spent too much money 🙃 This airport is lush where our departure gate is!!! Recording of birds galore!
5 April: Kathmandu
It was a very, very early flight, and we did not manage to get a proper sleep, but who does sleep on a plane? I queued for our visa just to be told that the telephone number was wrong at the top. It said the Nepalese Embassy London and should have read Kathmandu with a Nepalese number. Fortunately, it did not take too long. We only managed to leave the airport after an hour and a half after landing. We were met by Rabindra and Rajendra, and it was a pleasant reunion. We are staying at The Moonlight Hotel and everybody is really friendly. We went for a snooze and shower and met at 1 for lunch… we were starved! After lunch, we were taken on a tour and first visited Pashupathinath, which is the burial place where they cremate bodies. They have a very interesting ritual when people die. We saw the body of a young girl and her family/friends who paid their respect, performing various rituals. We then went to the Palace where the living goddess lives. She ‘honoured’ us with a brief appearance. We explored Durbar Square more and ended up at an art shop where I bought an antique painting of a mandala that came from an old monastery. Our tour guide is called Ram, and he is very informative and shared really interesting philosophical ideas with us. The problem was that we were all so extremely tired and jet lagged, I gave myself whiplash on the minibus falling asleep 😴 We all had an early night after a lovely meal and drinking their rice wine afterwards.
6 April: Kathmandu and Bhaktapur
We left for Bhaktapur after breakfast. It was an hour’s drive from Khatmandu and a really pretty walled town. The centre of the town is a world heritage site and really also a beautiful sight with the Kings Palace and a few multi-roofed temples. The highest has 5 layers and the only one that wasn’t damaged during the earthquake. We stopped at a coffee shop with a beautiful view over one of the squares. The coffee must have been good because it really smelled 🫢. I sat at the window drinking my ginger ale. They were busy decorating a chariot in preparation for their new year celebrations on the 13th of April. That will be the start of 2081 for them. They follow a different calendar year than us. I’m excited to be in Nepal to experience this celebration. We did some retail therapy buying pashminas. We had a demonstration about the different qualities and how to spot a fake pashmina. The 100% pashmina comes from the mountain goat’s chest, which is the softest and the best quality. We were also shown how to tell whether it is real or fake by burning a strand of fabric. I’m going to test mine at home! Anyway, I bought some to remind me of my wonderful time here. We went back to Kathmandu and visited the big stupa, which is the biggest one in Asia. We touched all the prayer wheels walking around the stupa chanting something that sounds like ‘ohm-money-putya-home’, which means mind, body, spirit, soul. (“Om Mani Padme Hum” (Tibetan Buddhism): This mantra is associated with Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, and is chanted to cultivate compassion.
The Buddist philosophy is really meaningful and ‘no-brainers’ of life. Especially their saying: Be positive, because if you are positive, you are happy and when you are happy, you are healthy and if you are healthy you are beautiful. Honestly… the people here are so kind and mindful of each other, and they give off energy of inner peace. We visited the centre of the Singing Bowls and each one of us got a demonstration. Wow… such lovely energy through the sound vibrations! We had lunch at a rooftop restaurant and thought we ordered small mini meals, but they were absolutely massive! 🫣 Once back at the hotel, Raj gave us a talk about the rest of our time here and gave us our bags to pack. We leave tomorrow morning at 7 am to fly to Pokhara.
7 April: Annapurna-Hile
We had a really early start to catch our flight to Pokhara. It took us only an hour since arrival to go through security, get our tickets, board the plane, and be up in the air. It was only a 25-minute flight, and we could view the mountains from the plane. It was hazy but still spectacular. We had quite a long journey (50km) in a minibus to Birethanti where we enjoyed lunch. The porters got ready to carry our bags, Raj gave us each a T-shirt, and then the big walk started. We looked quite the picture with the caps and t-shirts. The elevation was 480m. It was only 6 km, but it took us about 3 hours to do. We had a massive rainstorm and hid away having something to drink. Fortunately, it was short and sweet. We had a quick (ice cold) shower and then had a great dinner while Raj was giving us some information about the Annapurnas and their culture. It is only 20:40 now, but I’m going to sleep in a few minutes… I’m tired, and tomorrow is going to be a tough day. I’m going to try to…. the Nepalese guys have a party going with lovely music and cheering. If I wasn’t tired, I would have gone to take a look. Anyway… I might edit and add a few bits later on, but cheers for now. Our elevation is 1489m.
8 April: Annapurna- Banthanti
We had breakfast at 7 and were on our way at 8. Oh my goodness…. what a day! It was really heavy going. Even though we only walked 6km, it took us 6 hours to do so. It was really steep, and the elevation that we have gained today was 776 metres. It felt like a 70-degree angle that we had walked, and it was all steps we had climbed all the way! Raj was pointing out various birds to us, and it wasn’t only nice to see the beautifully coloured and interesting birds, but it gave us a chance to rest, catch our breath and getting our heart rate down again 🙂 Elaine handed out a few balls to some of the children, and I had multi coloured pencils and hairbands. It was so cute, but sad as well when the one little boy did not know what to do with the ball… he put it in his mouth. We had a view stops with lovely views, but it was very murky out their spoiling our view a bit. I’m hearing some thunder at the moment, so hopefully, we’ll have a good rainstorm tonight, making our view clearer tomorrow. We haven’t seen the mountains yet. Well, we have, but they call it a hill if it is under 3500m high. After a lovely warm shower (trickle), Jane and I shared a beer. We are all hoping for a good night’s sleep to tackle tomorrow’s hike. Our elevation now is 2262m.
9 April: Annapurna – Ghorepani
We had a lovely evening last night. Celia and I played Uno with the young people and learnt how to count to 5 in Nepalese, as well as the colours blue, green, red, and yellow. It rained cats and dogs, and the wind was howling. It was surprisingly nice weather this morning and not as cold as we thought it might be. We walked through lovely forests, and yes…. a lot more steps!!! Our total ascend was about 400m, and our elevation is 2917 metres. We walked through loads of Rhododendron trees, of which some are over 100 yrs old. Red, pink, and white ones with a few magnolia trees amongst them. At the one place, we saw frogs being smoked… no, thank you!! We also saw a few water buffalo (the picture is of one) and lovely birds. We arrived at our final destination of the day. It was very cold, windy, and rainy, and we had the most delicious hot chocolate with Khukri Rum to warm us up. The mountains were covered behind the haze, but started to open up later… amazing! We had a lovely evening eating Dal Bhat and have to get up really early tomorrow to start our walk at 5am to Poon Hill to witness the sunrise and the mountains. Fingers crossed, the sky will be clearer. By the way…. the correct words of the chant are: Om Mani Padme Hum 😊
10 April: Poonhill & Annapurna- Todopani
We got up very early for a 5 am start up Poonhill. It was hard work… from zero to full steam up more and more steps! But the views were spectacular! It was a good start to celebrating Gary’s birthday. INTO THE MOUNTAINS I GO, TO LOSE MY MIND AND FEED MY SOUL.
Oh… my…. goodness…!!! What a day!! We walked 10km, and it took us 6 and a half hrs to do so. I thought it would go quicker because it was downhill, but NO!! Loads of ascends before we eventually descended. And we haven’t even descended much! Anyway, it was a flipping hard walk encountering a herd of about 500 sheep and goats and horses, etc. I really had a sense of humour failure a few times because it really was tough. I’m not going to write a lot of comments because I literally ‘lost my soul’!! We have a power cut and I’ll upload some stats once I have WiFi again… if I remember 😊 As it was Gary’s birthday, they sang Happy birthday to him after dinner, presenting him with a cake with candles, a Nepalese hat, and a scarf. It was very considerate and sweet of them and an emotional moment for Gary. To sum up today: before breakfast, we ascended 294m and descended 300m. After breakfast, we ascended 609m and ascended 881m. The total time walking was 9 hours, and we literally walked from sunrise to sunset.
11 April: Annapurna – Ghandruk
We had a leisurely start to the day and bought 2 yak wool blankets from the local vendor. The owner of the teahouse gave Gary another scarf blessing for his birthday. We then started our decent. It was tough at times, but a beautiful walk through forests. We left the Rhododendrons behind and started seeing more ferns. At one of the places where we stopped for tea, we saw a Buddist monk leading a group of people, and who was chanting. Previously, we bought beautifully coloured flags with their chant on and put it on our rucksacks. Rajendra felt that it was meaningless if it wasn’t properly blessed and subsequently arranged with the monk to bless the flags to ‘protect’ us. The purpose of their chant “om mane padme hum” (yip… I’ve found the correct words) is: It cultivates mindfulness, enabling you to focus on the present and to let go of distractions. When you can let go of distractions, it purifies your body, speech and mind and results in the union of wisdom, love, and compassion. I think this is right… the Buddhist philosophy is fascinating with many inner truths. Anyway… enough of that. We are staying in a lovely teahouse/lodge with a beautiful view. We ended our day with a lovely party dancing to Nepalese music with our hosts… First a cake in honour of Jane and afterwards just a dancing party!!! It was absolutely amazing and loads of fun!!!
12 April: Pokhara
After a beautiful sunrise, we had breakfast outside on the patio. Joanie and Elissa dressed up in traditional clothing and looked stunning. Each family (surname/clan) has their own traditional dress they wear. On our way, we came across a group of women telling us that we are beautiful and that they want to have a photo with us. One of them mentioned that she looked like me and that we could be sisters. They were so friendly!! We walked loads of steps… all the way down. It took a lot of concentration because you had to choose carefully where you put your feet. There were beautiful rocks called Mika (I think), and they are metallic/gold in the sunlight. We were really exhausted, and our legs took a hammering with the impact of walking downhill on high steps. We were stiff and sore and felt really sorry for ourselves 😂 We finished our trek and it felt wrong to leave the beautiful mountains… we already discussed/planned our next trek in Nepal. After we thanked the porters and gave them their tips, we left for Pokhara. We are staying in a beautiful hotel and there is a lake nearby (will explore that tomorrow). It is New Years Eve in Nepal. They follow the Bikram calendar and tomorrow will be the first day of their calendar year 2081. They are 75 years ahead of us. I will have to read more about this to get my head around this concept. We had a lovely dinner and walked along the main street where everybody was very festive, with music playing all along the way. It was hard not to dance-walk to the rhythm of the music! The people were so friendly and happy, it was amazing. It was a long day… and off to bed now in a luxurious bed with linen and a shower with hot water and more than just a trickle of water.
13 April: Pokhara
After breakfast, we drove to a massive stupa on a hill. It is very new and apparently, they are still building on it. It was of their goddess Sheva, who reigns over all the other gods. His ride to the afterlife is on the bull. He has 2 sons – one is the elephant, whose ride to the afterlife is on a mouse, and then another son whose ride is on a lion. We walked around the stupa, and everybody was giving offerings to the gods all around the stupa. It was the first day of their new year and was really busy. The traffic , needless to say, was horrendous. However, all the drivers are really skilled with excellent spatial awareness. After that, we went to another stupa that was built by a Japanese monk. On our way there…climbing many stairs!!!!, we stopped to have a drink and had a view of the lake. The ladies wear incredibly beautifully vibrant coloured clothes, which is really pretty. After that we went to the Mountain Museum and the Tibetan refugee centre which was unfortunately closed. We were taken to a centre where they weave carpets, pashminas and other fabric. Most of the workers are deaf, mute, or have another disability. Needless to say… we supported them by buying scarves. The men weren’t in a shopping mood and had to wait a while for the ladies to finish their shopping. After lunch some of us chilled and some of us went to shop (yes…again!!!!). We had a lovely dinner of Dal Bhat, and they presented Tim with a birthday cake, hat, and scarf. He was taken back by it all and made a great speech. We had a good laugh about the ice cream he was served… he shared one of his balls with Gary. Gary said that he hasn’t laughed so much in a long time… his ears were watering! 🤣😂
14 April: Lumbini
We had a 6:30 breakfast and said our goodbyes to Tim. We’re sorry to see him leave and that on his birthday too. It was a 7 hour journey and very hot on a dancing road through the mountains to get here. Raj accurately called them spaghetti roads. Everywhere people want to take pictures with us… they are so friendly!! We are very near the Indian border, and the landscape has changed to be more flat and dry. We visited the birthplace of Buddha. It was interesting to see how the people worshipped him and also to hear about his birth and how he came about to be worshipped. I am really keen to search for a book about the origin of religion because the information that is shared with us is fascinating. There are monasteries from Tibet, China, Thailand, Burma, etc. built all in close proximity from his birthplace, and it was interesting to see the clothing of the various monks and to hear them chanting. My goodness… I don’t know what it is, but I was asked to be in so many pictures with strangers, I don’t know where in the world all those pictures might pop up… or probably getting deleted 🙃 It was so incredibly hot. We enjoyed and ice cold beer or two before and during our meal. The only downside… I have to sleep in my sleeping bag again tonight because the linen is not completely clean 😶
15 April: Bardia National Park
We left Lumbini to go to Bardia National Park. We had to stop after 2km to open all the doors and windows to chase the mosquitoes out of the vehicle!!! I sat in the back of the minibus and did 38 000 steps sitting down for this 9 and a half hour journey… it was a real dancing road hopping about! 😳 We stopped for a drink and toilet break, and the minibus had to get pushed to start again!! I had visions of sitting in the dust at the side of the road waiting to be rescued, but fortunately they found a mechanic to fix the fan belt while we had an early lunch in an air conditioned hotel. I had lemon juice and was exposed to black salt that you sprinkled on the juice. It bubbles up and enhances the taste of the lemon. One thing about Nepal…. the cuisine is absolutely exquisite!! I would like to try and make some of the delicious dishes I’ve eaten. I’ll seriously have to walk ‘hard’ once I’m back at home 🫣 When we arrived, it was so hot, we immediately sat down for a glass of ice cold beer. We had a lovely meal and will be up again early tomorrow for our first game drive… holding thumbs that we’ll see a tiger 🐅 🤞
16 April: Bardia National Park
We got ready for a 6 am breakfast, after which we embarked on our game viewing activity. I had an episode this morning with a spider running into my towel, and Ute had an incident with a scorpion in their bathroom (Celia, who hates bugs, was to her rescue)!! We saw many beautiful birds and then sat at a waterhole a tiger frequently visited. We sat there for over two hours, having had lunch there too and then left. We heard one alarm call from animals, but after that, nothing. As we left, we were told about a traffic rule that was put into place because a tiger took out a lady who sat at the back of a motorbike. All motorbikes now have to drive in convoy together. As we discussed this poor lady who was killed by a tiger, the driver stopped and told us to get out of the vehicle to walk towards an elephant that was spotted. Helloooo….. health and safety 🙈 and where was that tiger?!? We now are back at the waterhole… it is very very hot and the flies are bothering us, and the tiger doesn’t want to appear 😢 Anyway… we went back to look for the tiger and was not successful… The spiders are super fast and big!!! 😳🫣😢
17 April: Bardia National Park
It was an early start again for our game drive. We explored another part of the park and saw new birds, otters, as well as the Asian one horned rhinoceros. Afterwards, we went back to the tiger’s waterhole to see if he would bless us with his presence. It was a long wait again, and it was 35 degrees with hardly a breeze. It is weird because it was tedious as well as fun at the same time. We smiled because there is nowhere in SA where you would sit outside your vehicle at a waterhole waiting for a predator while having your lunch… crazy 🤪 so… needless to say… no tiger! On our way back, we stopped at a sanctuary, and there were elephants (they are part of a breeding programme and go out into the wild a few hours per day to adjust to the wild), a Rhino (who attacked a man and cannot adjust in the wild) and a tiger (who was very sadly caged as he was a ‘man eater’). It was an interesting day where our guides did their best to show us everything, meaning… a tiger! They even had us walk around a waterhole to see if there were some prints. Scary walking today, but (un)fortunately not eventful. The weird things hanging from the tree are beehives! Incredible! Oh…. I forgot to mention…. the cornerstone in the road was put there in honour of Prince Harry, who visited Nepal and this region and who has done a lot for the community.
18 April: Kathmandu
We had time this morning and went for a walk through the local village. The story of the picture of the elephants is that they used to be used for tourism, but not anymore. They are now mainly used by the rangers to patroll the park. I honestly hated seeing these magnificent creatures tied to chains, and I also still struggle to get my head around that poor tiger of yesterday. We left for Nepaljunj Airport and on our way pass a wedding procession. The two people being carried are the groom.and his mother, the bride will still be at her parent’s house. Our flight was delayed for an hour and a half due to bad winds, and we have found an air-conditioned cafeteria to while our time (and start writing this step). At last our flight arrived, but only to be told that it is delayed some more due to very strong wind. Argh….we had to go to the toilet at departures, and Celia had to spray some lavender water up my nostrils to get rid of the smell!! 🤮 We arrived safely in Kathmandu, and then Raj took us to a supermarket where we bought local honey, the special green chillies sauce, black salt, and the local Rum. Raj and his family invited us to their house for a meal. It was an absolute feast, and their hospitality was amazing. Raj bought us each the prayer flags, and a buddist monk came to the house to bless it. It sounds terribly religious, but honestly… it is my opinion that the Buddist philosophy fits into many religions and it an absolute no-brainer for living our lives. It reminds me very much of Proverbs in the Bible. It was an emotional event and difficult to write about. They gave us each a gift. They were so attentive, because each one of us received a pashmina in our favourite colour, the mentioned flags and some insence. The people here, the culture, and the overall experience of their attitude to life are something that I will miss. I wish that I could take some of their peace home with me where there is no anger, resentment, jealousy, and negativity, but only peace and positive energy, kindness, and caring for each other first. We have said goodbye to Celia tonight and will miss her tomorrow morning.
19 April: Kathmandu
We said very sad goodbyes this morning. We were each given a scarf again to wish us a safe journey home. It was now only 3 of us left, so we went into the Tamal district and walked all the way to Durbar Square. We found it really hard to spend our last Nepalese rupees 😉, so needless to say… successful last-minute shopping. Well… we are at Kathmandu Airport now waiting for our flight to Doha. We have a 5 hour wait at Doha for our flight to Gatwick and will arrive very early Saturday morning.
THE COTSWOLD WAY
A friend of mine and I spoke about wanting to do this route and a week later we started this walk and completed it in 5 days. The Cotswold Way runs for 102 miles (163km) through the Cotswold Hills from Chipping Campden in the North to the Georgian city of Bath in the South.
Day 1:
Chipping Campden to Cleeve Hill – 24m (38.5km)
Once you find the right direction to walk in, things went well. It was quite a tough walk, especially the hill up to Broadway Tower, and after that, just outside Winchcombe we tackled Bellas Knapp. I really struggled with this hill as I was not really very fit at the time and it was really hot. We slept that evening in Bishops Cleeve, right next to the Ellenborough Park Hotel, where I had a lovely massage and we shared a lovely meal.
Day 2:
Cleeve Hill to Cranham Corner – 19.5m (31km)
It was also a strenuous walk finding our way at first and then walking down to the Dowdeswell Reservoir, though Lineover wood, Leckhampton Hill, Birdlip, and through the most amazing wood where there were loads of flowering wild garlic. We slept in a very nice place next to the Scout Headquarters called Rowan Studio.
Day 3:
Cranham Corner to Dursley – 20m (32km)
We started walking in the snow and got a bit lost on CoopersHill, but found our way quickly again. The route is generally well marked with wooden Acorns leading the way…if you know where to look for them 😊We did not sleep in a great place that evening. It was really creepy. The whole set-up reminded us of the Little Shop of Horrors. We left very early. I think we were to eager to get out of there that we took a wrong turn and had to turn around. When I walked the Cotswold Way the second time, I have stayed in a lovely garden flat.
Day 4:
Dursley to Coombs End / Old Sodbury – 18m (28,5km)
This was a very hilly walk, but what an amazing walk. It was stunning and we walked through the most beautiful fields. I would not mind doing this stretch over again simply as a day walk. We slept in a beautiful garden shed with lovely hosts.
Day 5:
Old Sodbury to Bath – 18m (28.5km)
This was in my opinion a never-ending road where you have to cross many main roads. It took us forever to get to the Bath Racecourse and once there Bath was still in the distance. The end of the walk is at the Cathedral – a beautiful Cathedral. The route took us on weird ways and because we were tired, we walked straight to the Cathedral. What an achievement!! We slept in the cheapest hotel in Bath. It was old, very dirty and looked like it could have been a brothel! 🙂 Please take my advice… pay a little extra in Bath for your accommodation… you deserve it!
SUMMARY OF OUR WALKING TUSCANY TOUR.
This was quite a while ago, hence not described in as much detail as the other walks. It was for my friend’s 50th birthday and I was not part of the planning. It was an absolutely amazing trip with beautiful places where we stayed. The description of the trip will give you an indication of the route where we have walked.
It was arranged and booked through www.bspoketours.com They generally organise cycling tours but did my friend a favour. They were really good and we had an amazing time with stunning places to stay in.
Meeting at Pisa Airport on Friday 19th October:
Finishing the tour Thursday 25th October, and return to Pisa
It Included the below:
- Hotel accommodation 6 nights
· Bed & breakfast – each morning
· Dinner on night two – 20/10/2018
· Luggage transfers
· Assistance if required
· Route maps and instruction
Staying in the following towns:
1. Siena
2. Asciano
3. San Quirico
4. San Quirico
5. Montepulciano
6. Montepulciano
6 Night Tour
Day 1
Arrive at Florence or Pisa and transfer to your first hotel in the delightful medieval city of Siena . Your hotel is close to the famous Piazza del Campo, the perfect place for a stroll before dinner. You will also have the opportunity to see the 14th Century Gothic town hall.
Day 2
Siena to Monte Oliveto to Asciano (4.5 hours).
Day two will start off with a short train journey to the lesser known but beautiful walled town of Asciano . You will then head south across the fascinating, hilly region of Crete Senesi. The next crucial stop is the 14th century Monte Oliveto Maggiore monastery, which is famous for its courtyard frescos painted by Signorelli and Sodoma, situated in a picturesque forest of cypresses and oaks. You will then walk back to Asciano where you will stay for the night and have dinner in a restaurant near the old entrance tower.
Day 3
Asciano to San Quirico (3.5 hours).
Today you will continue to head south, starting from the small village of Chiusure and heading downhill to the walled town of Buonconvento . Following charming walking paths and ‘strade bianche’ (white gravel roads), you will pass through olive groves on the way to San Quirico, your stop for the next two nights with quintessential Tuscan views all around.
Day 4
San Quirico Round Trip (3.5 hours).
On day four you will have the choice between slowly strolling around town or taking the walking round trip through the delightful Ripad’Orcia, a small village overlooking the River Ocria. While crossing and following the river, you will walk past the Castle of Rocca d’Orcia and the former volcano, Monte Amiata. Finally you will reach the 13th Century town of Bagno Vignoni , where you can take the bus back to San Quirico or walk back via the hamlet of Vignoni.
Day 5
San Quirico to Montepulciano (3.5 hours).
Leaving San Quirico to the east, the walk follows a strade bianche through classic Tuscan countryside to the town of Pienza in the heart of the Val D’Orcia. Discover this lovely place designed to be a model renaissance town, perhaps visiting the local museum or having a long relaxing lunch in one of its cafes or restaurants. Then you will take the bus to Montepulciano, famous for its fabulous vineyards.
Day 6
Montepulciano Round Trip (3.5 hours).
Last but not least, a stunning walk through the wonderful Tuscan scenery to the peaceful village of Montichiello awaits you. This is the perfect occasion to have lunch amongst vineyards with marvellous views over the ancient village gateway. In the afternoon you can continue your walk to Pienza or take the bus back to Montepulciano to explore the town’s boutiques and enjoy a final evening’s delicious dinner.
Day 7
We say “Arrivederci” before we transfer you back to Florence or Pisa
“If you’re worried about hotels please don’t as they will be lovely and to a very good and high 3*.”
This was an easy walk, although hilly, but the terrain was good. We had so much fun (6 ladies). I can really recommend it and would not mind walking it again.
My friend, who is really good with finding amazing places, managed to book a beautiful house that could sleep 12 to 13 people a walking distance from the centre of Pisa. What a great experience.