670 Hikes and counting
Latest Stories
Hike to Lauke Jharna
2024-09-22 / Hiking
DSS GRADE XI HIKING TO NAMO BUDDHA
2024-09-21 / Hiking
DSS GRADE IX AND X HIKING TO TAREBHIR
2024-09-21 / Hiking
Hike to Bosan
2024-08-24 / Hiking
HIKE TO DEERWALK DHADING SCHOOL
2024-08-11 / Hiking
Archives
Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot
Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot
Steven

Bhoj Raj Ghimire


While Hindu folks in Nepal were busy playing with colors - celebrating Holi, the festival of colors, to mark the victory of good over evil - Deerwalkers had a different plan for the day - a cultural tour of Nagarkot Tower via Changunarayan. Jeff Gasser, president of Deerwalk, all the way from Florida, was challenging and inspiring the youths to join the hike. As usual, the presence of Rudra Pandey, chairman of the company and a tough hiker, added to the enthusiasm of the hikers - KapilP, ManishS, ArjunA, SarojN, LaxmanA, LavaK and myself (BhojG). As planned, we started our journey from Deerwalk office at 9:00 AM in the morning. KedarK, the driver, was all set with a tank full of fuel. We reached Hotel Del’ Annapurna at 9:20 to pick up RudraP and JeffG. LaxmanA also joined us from the gate of the hotel and we headed towards Changunarayan. We reached Koteshwor at 9:35 only to find that one of the fellow hikers, who we were supposed to pick up from there, had not shown up yet. The team decided not to wait for the tardy guy and moved on. At Changunarayan, a world heritage cultural Hindu temple, we got a chance to view the biggest rice grain we had ever seen - which was at least the size of a papaya fruit! We visited a private museum, which had collection of ancient and typical Nepali weapons, coins etc. There we got a chance to see the world’s smallest coin (Nepali, of course). After we had our breakfast, we collected our baggage and set off on the trek. It was already eleven when we started, and the sun was right on top of our head when we started climbing the rural road. A passer by hiker joined us up to a temple, which has the tallest Trishul (trident) of Nepal. The hiker asked a sadhu (hermit) of the temple of his wellness - Kaise ho baba aap? (How are you doing, baba?), and the sadhu replied - aapna puchho (Ask of yourself [this question]!). We talked about this line long after the incident on our way. We were on a hike, away from our workplace, but we could not completely detach ourselves from our work life. We kept talking about the office - discussing ways to make Deerwalk a better place to work. RudraP was making instant decisions - giving instructions to the operations team directly from his cell phone at times. We talked about a range of topics, such as - celebrating a monthly birthday (combined) of the employees, installing showers in the office, inviting family members of the employees in annual festivals etc. It was all about a not-so-common corporate culture, where the Chairman and the President of a company were hiking with the employees and talking about personal and personnel stuff - a custom which is a rarity in Nepal or in many parts of the world for that matter! Not surprisingly, JeffG was leading the hike most of the time. He is a tough guy. Despite his age, the place of origin (USA), and his knee problem, he never thought of giving up. His ever-smiling face was inducing encouragement in the rest of us. When we reached Telkot, probably half way through our hike, we were served warm soda (coca cola), as the refrigerator was not on due to the all-too-common power outage problem in Nepal. Legs getting heavier with every step, heartbeat getting faster, we plodded on, as we were targeting for the view tower. ManishS was trying hard to take the best snaps he could, clicking from various angles. We finally reached the destination of the day - Nagarkot View Tower. Having stayed there for some 20 minutes and taken some group photos, we started our descent downhill. It was a great sense of relief when we finally saw KedarK with the van to greet us – the tired folks. It was about four in the evening when we started our journey back in the van. The ultimate prize of the hike was yet to be distributed. What better prize would there be than chilled beer? We started drinking and ended up with seventeen bottles of beer and a can of a fruit juice (for a new father SarojN). We had ordered a local chicken, which was served with rice (and ghee as well) and that was really yummy. Driving downhill in a full moon night after a really wonderful hike with fellow Deerwalkers was an experience of a kind. Hike with Deerwalkers is, of course, a virtual office of Deerwalk away from the typical workplace with computers and chairs. I love that and so does every Deerwalker, I bet.


Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

1. It all Started with a chit chat and laughter in the van.

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

2. Jeff comparing now and then..

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

3. Deerwalk team at Changu Narayan Temple

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

4. Group photo outside Changu Temple

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

5. Changu Narayan Temple

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

6. Jeff escorted by Kapil

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

7. The smallest coin ever

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

8. The guide inside the museum

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

9. On our way to the restaurant from the temple premises

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

10. The biggest grain of rice...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

11. On our way we headed for Breakfast

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

12. On the way to the first floor of the museum

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

13. At the private museum

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

14. Antique harmonium in the museum

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

15. Payment

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

16. At Changu Narayan deciding for Breakfast

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

17. Rudra and team waiting for breakfast

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

18. Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

19. This was just a beginning and there was a long way to go

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

20. A little village further away from Changu Narayan

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

21. Deerwalk Cause

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

22. Chit chat all the way...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

23. Kapil still escorting Jeff

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

24. In a straight line...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

25. Jeff leading the way...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

26. Jeff and Rudra in front leading the way

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

27. Jeff with little girls..

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

28. It was tough...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

29. Deerwalk team are united at this very spot..

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

30. Up and down the trial..

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

31. Another 5 mins and we are there... and it was a long 5 mins

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

32. And followed by the rest

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

33. An employee of Ministry of Finance joined us

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

34. The mountains are calling and we must go.

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

35. To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first.

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

36. Through the jungle...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

37. Spot the difference..

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

38. People playing holi...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

39. Kids at Changu, started playing with color

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

40. Jeff finally got to take a pic with a colorful kid..

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

41. Once again a steep hill climb and Jeff leading the way

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

42. Kids playing Holi on the way...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

43. Yes a childhood is always colorful

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

44. Once again Rudra and his team was slow

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

45. The team was divided again...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

46. There are no short cuts, only better ways... and Kapil chose to fly..

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

47. Outside the Shiv temple...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

48. Jeff with Baba at the temple on the way...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

49. At Telkot, wish we could have got a chilled drinks...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

50. At Telkot, we stopped for some refreshment

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

51. A long stairs to get to the top of the temple

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

52. People celebrating Holi at Telkot

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

53. A different perspective

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

54. She didn't let us go without putting color on our face

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

55. Jeff had no other option

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

56. Woow woow woow

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

57. Through the rough and steep roads to the nice roads slow

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

58. Where we stopped by for some cold drinks

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

59. Almost there...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

60. WOW WOW WOW

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

61. This was where we realized how much we have walked

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

62. This was how they celebrated Holi

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

63. Yes it was hot and humid...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

64. Jeff met his country mate from Tampa on the way...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

65. Stopped by in the jungle to catch some energy

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

66. Seems like this stone was there to encourage us

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

67. At Nagarkot tower

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

68. A tower at Nagarkot...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

69. That's the point where we get a view of Sagarmatha

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

70. At Nargarkot where we stopped for Lunch...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

71. The snacks was very spicy...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

72. In 5 years...

Hiking from Changu Narayan to Nagarkot

73. Everyone was fascinated with this piece of art