| The Manaslu trek is a unique hike in Nepal which is off the beaten path (as of 2010). It is thought of as being an "untouched" area of Nepal, however the environment is severely impacted by grass fires and road building. The hillsides are completely burnt and visibility is poor at lower elevations. We paid $1500.00 US for two people for 1 guide and 2 porters for 17 days making a rushed trip lead by our militaristic guide. The highlights of the trip included meeting the locals (especially the children) and hiking in the higher terrain where the views were unobstructed by smoke and the mountains contrasted with the blue sky. The first part of the film shows children at the very beginning of the hike at a village called Arughat. The people in this region are called Gurungs. The film follows the trip up to Manaslu base camp then over the high pass -- Larkya La (5215 meters/17,109 feet) then down to Bhimphedi (3590 meters/11,778 feet) on the other side of the pass. Along the way you will see many mule trains and porters. The path hangs off the side of the mountain and in some clips you can see how precarious the trail was situated. We ate Dhal Baht (rice and a bit of lentils) for the first part of the trip and chapatis for breakfast. Later on, we ate instant noodles because we were tired of Dhal Baht. Towards the end of the film there are images of road building on the side of the valley. This was probably the biggest let-down of the trip because it was a complete destruction of the hillsides and indicated complete disregard for nature. The road building also spells an end of tourism to the region. After completing the hike, we took a rough ride back to Kathmandu -- first by off road jeep, then bus. We arrived in Kathmandu and visited Pemma. We had pizza at Fire And Ice restaurant. You can see Pemma's apartment which was really cozy. |