Whenever we travel with our friends it becomes an unforgettable trip. Sometimes we enjoy ourselves a lot and sometimes don’t feel well during the whole journey. Nevertheless, it will be a great memory over time.
Recently I have had visited the Lomangthang ” The ancient walled city of the kingdom of LO” for the second time, located in the Mustang district of Nepal. Locals call it Upper Mustang as well. It shares its border with China, the global giant both physically and economically. It is located at an altitude of 4300 m. Further, it has the Tibetan Nepalese culture and is known as the ancient kingdom of Lo. The main language of the people is Lopa.
It is a remote place and takes two whole days on a motorbike to reach there from Pokhara. I like to travel by Motorbike which is very popular in Nepal. It is also very dangerous and we must be a skilled rider to travel on those hills.
During our visit, on the first day, we traveled along Kaligandaki Corridor which is in the construction phase till now. It will take still a few years to complete its construction. The road condition was so bad that we had to move through mud and smooth sand. It was very difficult for us to travel via bike but somehow we managed.
Enjoying the road trip we reached the Jomsom, the capital of Mustang District. It has an airport, where small mountain airplanes are available regularly. That night we rested there and started our journey toward Lomangthang at 10 am the following day. Always, remember to make your bike tank full at Jomsoom because the higher you travel the price of fuel will increase. Not only that, there are no fuel stations available but there were small shops selling food and fuel at different small villages during the travel.
After traveling for a whole day, finally we reached Lomangthang. During the travel, we found that the snow had not melted properly. The temperature was also too cold. We have to travel through the desert-like hills. However, the roads are quite comfortable as high wind pressure can be observed. That wind carries small dust particles so be sure to wear sunglasses.
During my first visit, the situation was very different. The condition of the road was very bad and a single four-wheeler could fit in. That time traveling was so challenging. There were a lot of narrow and sloped roads. If we fall from the road, being alive is impossible even collecting our bones is difficult. Nevertheless, we have traveled despite the worst situations. It was a lifetime adventurous moment for us.
One thing that we have to be careful about on the journey is wild animals. The whole region comes under the Annapurna Conservation Area So, a short encounter with wild animals might be common during the trip. Hope that the animals we are seeing are not Himalayan beer and many species of leopard.
Loamangthang is truly an amazing place as it offers many natural and artificial caves. People used to live in that place in ancient times. Some of the caves are even 5 to 6 stories and same system as our local buildings. It was an amazing moment for me when I experienced the cave for the first time. There were separate rooms for different members of the family. No wonder, humans have evolved too far.
While staying in the Lomangthang, our head was not so well, we were feeling dizzy due to the high altitude. After getting back from there we stayed a night at Kagbeni which is a very religious place place for Hindu pilgrims. Â That place is very popular for offering the after-death ritual known as Shraddha in the Nepali language to the dead ancestors.
After staying a night at Kagbeni we woke up early in the morning and went toward Muktinath temple. It is the holy temple for Hindus and Buddhists. There are 108 taps where every Hindu takes a bath at that cold temperature before worshiping the lord Shiva known as Muktinath. It is also known as the head of lord Shiva. It is believed that if you pray from your heart to lord Shiva at that place your every wish will be fulfilled.
While Visiting Muktinath temple I found two amazing persons who were Hindu saints. They travel from Rameshoram India to Muktinath barefoot. I was shocked Listening to them. I will a separate content about them as soon as possible.
After visiting the temple, we went to visit Dumba Lake. It is not as big as the lake but an amazing tourist destination where the view is mesmerizing. However, some people may not find it too cool but in our case, we enjoyed it a lot. Then, we returned to the Lethe Village and stayed there. The following day, we have returned to Pokhara
To sum up, it was the extraordinary journey that we observed. I contain all the thrill and adventure. Truly, it is a place worth visiting. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
