Episode 14: Raksi: A Native Nepalese Beverage

It’s the last day of hiking, and at the trail’s end Jason, Anne Dorthe, Samir and Mingmar take the terrifying Jeep ride after dark along cliff edges back down to Kathmandu, and say their sad goodbyes. Set off with Jason and Anne Dorthe to explore other parts of Nepal, including Pokhara and Bhaktapur!    Learn about obtaining a visa in Nepal, visiting Nepal’s UNESCO World Heritage sites, and traveling between cities in Nepal. Visit Nepal’s largest stupa in Samir’s home town, Boudha, and listen to the tornado of chanting and conch shell music emanating from the monasteries as you wander through the streets. Stay overnight and experience a sight that most tourists never see. Do you want to hire Samir to be your guide? Listen up for his contact information! Email him at [email protected]  Thank you for joining us for this adventure in Nepal! Ready for the next step? To access the ultimate resource for hiking adventures around the world and get our FREE gear guide, check out zerototravel.com/trekking. Want more travel? Subscribe to the Zero To Travel Podcast

On April 25, 2015, a huge earthquake shook the little country of Nepal, killing 9,000 people, causing avalanches on Everest, and destroying entire villages. Some of the places Jason and Anne Dorthe had visited were destroyed.  Is Samir ok? Is Mingmar ok? These were the first thoughts that struck Jason and Anne Dorthe when they heard the news. Learn what happened, how the Manaslu Circuit was affected, and whether it’s still a good idea to travel to Nepal. Is it worth it?  Are you ready for a trekking adventure? To access the ultimate resource for hiking adventures around the world and get our FREE gear guide, check out zerototravel.com/trekking. Want more travel? Subscribe to the Zero To Travel Podcast

Jason and Anne Dorthe experience the luxuries of modern civilization again for the first time in 12 days. They will miss the high Tibetan Buddhist villages and the ritual of hunting down the village water source each evening. The couple reflects on how the trek has changed them forever.  Is one trek in Nepal enough, or will you want to go back and do another one? Learn what Jason and Anne Dorthe would do differently if they were to plan this trip again, what type of information should you know before you land in Nepal, and how much they paid for their trek. What can you learn from their mistakes?    Want to try your hand at booking a trek? To access the ultimate resource for hiking adventures around the world and get our FREE gear guide, check out zerototravel.com/trekking. Want more travel? Subscribe to the Zero To Travel Podcast  To book Samir as your guide, email him at [email protected]

Jason and Anne Dorthe enjoy their first alcoholic drink since the trek began: a native beverage called Raksi. While waiting for their drinks, they talk to Samir about the different kinds of Buddhist monks, and share the story of an impish old man they met on the trail.  Experience Raksi for the first time and learn about how it’s made, learn what mornings are like on the trail, and enjoy Jason’s detailed description of the physically exhausting experience of using a squat toilet.  Ready to try some Raksi for yourself? To access the ultimate resource for hiking adventures around the world and get our FREE gear guide, check out zerototravel.com/trekking. Want more travel? Subscribe to the Zero To Travel Podcast  To book Samir as your guide, email him at [email protected]

Jason and Anne Dorthe feel sad as their trek nears its end. They enjoy talking about little things and big things in life as they walk together, and about the difficult struggles each has had on the long hike. At day’s end they reflect on the pros and cons of traveling with a companion versus solo travel.  Learn some of the advantages of traveling in this unique and rugged way, what you can do to physically prepare for a trek, and how trekking in Nepal is different from trekking in other parts of the world, such as Patagonia.  Are you ready to plan a solo adventure, or will you rope in an adventure partner?To access the ultimate resource for hiking adventures around the world and get our FREE gear guide, check out zerototravel.com/trekking. Want more travel? Subscribe to the Zero To Travel Podcast  To book Samir as your guide, email him at [email protected]

On Day 9 of their trek, Jason and Anne Dorthe discuss the trekking seasons with Samir. At day’s end, Samir and some villagers sing and play music on native instruments.    What is each season like? What is the most popular month for trekking? Which month is the greenest? The warmest? The quietest? When will you see the most flowers? When is your best chance of making it over the high passes? Which season is driest, and which is rainiest?    Learn all about trekking in different months of the year, about camping along the trail versus staying in the tea houses (as Jason and Anne Dorthe did), how much cash you should carry with you, how meals are handled, and what to do about drinking water.  Have you decided which season you’d like to trek in Nepal? To access the ultimate resource for hiking adventures around the world and get our FREE gear guide, check out zerototravel.com/trekking. Want more travel? Subscribe to the Zero To Travel Podcast  To book Samir as your guide, email him at [email protected]

Today Jason and Anne Dorthe must decide if they will take on the high mountain pass, rumored to be snowy and icy on the other side, or turn around and retrace their steps, making a longer trek. People have died on the pass in recent days.  Most guides do not want to go back the same way they came up. Jason and Anne Dorthe speak with Samir and Mingmar, weighing the pros and cons.  What’s the ideal group size for a Nepal trek? Learn the advantages of having a smaller group, find out which equipment you should pack if there is a chance of snow and ice on the trail, and discover “Himalayan Viagra”—the most expensive biological resource in the world.  Are you dreaming of a mountain adventure? To access the ultimate resource for hiking adventures around the world and get our FREE gear guide, check out zerototravel.com/trekking. Want more travel? Subscribe to the Zero To Travel Podcast  To book Samir as your guide, email him at [email protected]

Come along for an easy day with Jason and Anne Dorthe; it’s a shorter walk as they acclimate to the increasing altitude. As they walk up, an avalanche of people are hiking back, unable to get over the high pass. Rescue helicopters fly overhead.     Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and smells of the day-to-day life of these remote villages as Jason and Anne Dorthe pass through. Learn about altitude sickness, how to tell if you have it, how to treat it, and what you can do to help prevent it.    Ready to tackle the high mountains of Nepal? To access the ultimate resource for hiking adventures around the world and get our FREE gear guide, check out zerototravel.com/trekking. Want more travel? Subscribe to the Zero To Travel Podcast  To book Samir as your guide, email him at [email protected]

On the rocky path to a mountain-top monastery, Jason and Anne Dorthe see Manaslu—the mountain for which the circuit has been named—for the first time.    Close your eyes as you listen, and contemplate the beauty of the mountains as fall colors begin to appear. Hike up a stone path through a village toward the colorful monastery at the top of the mountain. Learn about the history of Buddhism and Buddhist monasteries. Experience harvest time in the Himalayas, take your shoes of to enter the temple, and enjoy the energizing warmth of Tibetan tea with the monks.    Do you want to experience a Tibetan monastery for yourself? To access the ultimate resource for hiking adventures around the world and get our FREE gear guide, check out zerototravel.com/trekking. Want more travel? Subscribe to the Zero To Travel Podcast  To book Samir as your guide, email him at [email protected]

Jason and Anne Dorthe talk food with Samir. They’re both feeling strong and healthy on the diet he recommended. As they make their way higher and higher, Jason and Anne Dorthe encounter more prayer flags, more influence from Tibet…and more trekkers coming the opposite way. Will they be able to make it over the snowy pass a few days from now?    What should you eat when you trek in Nepal? Discover what to eat and what not to eat, so you can tackle the trail with the least risk of gut-butchering botherations. Explore the food options on the Manaslu Circuit, learn about the the old salt trade, and experience the sights and sounds of the high Himalayan villages.  Ready to fuel your own exotic trek? To access the ultimate resource for hiking adventures around the world and get our FREE gear guide, check out zerototravel.com/trekking. Want more travel? Subscribe to the Zero To Travel Podcast  To book Samir as your guide, email him at [email protected]