Enric Upper Mustang Trek Story-2016

Upper Mustang Tiji Festival Trek-2016 

This trip began some time ago, whereby chance; I came across the website http://www.blossomexpeditions.com After a first glimpse, I sent an email requesting

Information about a trek taking place in Mustang and Ambar Tamang replied very quickly and professionally. After reading all the information I had received, I excitedly sent him an email thanking him. A few days later, he phoned me to explain in detail the information I had requested. With a NAMASTE!!! And with a smile, we started to chat and everything was really easy to understand. Unfortunately, I couldn’t reserve any trek because it needed a minimum of two people to book on. Our friendship grew and now we are “rho” which means “friend” in the Tamang language

After the tragic earthquake that devastated Nepal, I decided it was the right time to go, as in my opinion, the best way to help the country was to visit it. I and Ambar continued to talk frequently about many things and I told him I would like to visit the forbidden kingdom of Mustang in June. We started looking for people all over the world, but no one was traveling to Nepal on these dates, so he made me a counteroffer – why don’t we go to the Tiji festival that is held in May? Without hesitation, I said, “Yes, let’s go!!!”. I started looking for books about this place and about Nepal. I needed information. I couldn’t find anything.

Finally, I found a second-hand book about Mustang, by Peter Mathiesen, in a bookshop in Seattle. The first sentence I read left me dead: I must be mad going to Mustang. Oh my goodness!!! What have I gotten myself in for!! I thought.

There was neither much information about the state of the country. Even now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is advising tourists not to visit the country. However, I let Ambar advise me and I was right. I did the right thing. I helped him out financially and he showed me his country like a best friend would. Now, we are “rho” and I will return in the future.

It’s true that the country has been damaged by the earthquake but there are still many buildings, temples, and places to visit in ideal conditions. The ethnic diversity of the country is huge, two religions coexist in harmony – Buddhism, and Hinduism – and there are many ecosystems in this unbelievable terrain, known for having the highest mountains in the world. It is a poor country but the people greet you with a ‘Namaste’ and a smile. All of this makes the day-to-day very pleasant.

I visited Nepal for twenty days whereby I did a trek of 10 days in the forbidden kingdom of Mustang. I paid a 600 USD permit, a helicopter trip from Pokhara to Jomsom to complete the program, and ten days of not showering where I visited some of the most beautiful mountains in the world. I really enjoyed the Tibetan’s hospitality and the life of a trek through the eyes of a Sherpa and a Tamang. They were my guardian angels. The route we took was full of dust but wasn’t busy, as we were walking with dry lips because of the low humidity and the wind. I was treated as if I were in a five-star hotel – the people were always smiling, I was given all information I could have asked for, the food was amazing and there was always a bed available in each place we stayed. The lack of showering was replaced by good conversation, popcorn, and hot tea in the cozy Tibetan dining room that was left for the European guests. I was the king of Shangri-La

Along the way, we visited countless monasteries, stupas, and other Buddhist architecture. Some monasteries that were built in the 8th century had beautiful frescoes. We also visited their libraries and we drank the flavourful teas of the monks or in the Tibetan houses where we heard many stories about the mountains.

I never felt the need for anything during the trip but I must admit that I cried two times from pure emotion. The Tiji festival surprised me a lot. It is a unique event where the monks perform a fight of God against the evil – colors, music, noise, and dance are the themes of the three days. Even the monks were delighted with our presence and we were able to talk many times during the festival. They were always making sure that I was well and having a good time throughout the festival.

With regard to the rest of the country, all I can say is I enjoyed the tranquillity of Pokhara, surrounded by the majesty of the Annapurna, the medieval cities of Newari architecture in the Kathmandu valley, the frenetic Kathmandu with its superb architecture, the religious, cultural and ethnic mosaics and finally, the atmosphere of the Thamel neighborhood that is full of bars, restaurants, shops and people who never sleep but always a party. I must say, the Nepalese were nothing but happy with our visit.

Ambar and I visited everywhere together; he even treated me to extra visits. He told me everything about religion, ethnic groups, local traditions and he advised me what to eat. We tried Nepalese, Tibetan, and many other cuisines. I also learned a lot about tea and coffee. To sum it all up, I’m telling you that despite having visited 50 other countries around the world, some of which I have visited over 20 times, THIS WAS THE BEST TRIP OF MY LIFE. Now, I have a great friend in Nepal and I’m very eager to visit other regions. Going to Nepal was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. You cannot begin to imagine the memories that will stay with me forever.

Written by: Enric Alcayde Carbonell
Valencia Spain

Trip YouTube Video 

Further Information 
Ambar Tamang
P.O. Box No: 21101, Kapan-12, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Telephone: 977-01-4810388
Mobile: 977-9851123762
WhatsApp/Viber: 977-9841454462
ambartg@yahoo.com
blossomexpeditions@gmail.com
www.blossomexpeditions.com