Places are more than places

It took me a long time to go to Langtang. I heard about it on my first trip to Nepal in 2004, and only found my way to the gorgeous valley after 11 more trips!! In the Fall of 2023, I finally got myself on a jeep to Syabrubesi, and walked up to Langtang. And I’m so glad I did!

The serene Langtang Valley in Nepal is a hidden gem that speaks to the hearts of adventurers with its unassuming wild beauty. The way up the valley goes through lush forest, gorgeous streams of transparent glacial water, and sky-reaching mountains. Nature at its Himalayan best.

I met my travel buddy on day 1 of the hike. After spending the night at a decrepit guesthouse (places to stay on this hike are usually pretty good - that one happened to be really bad, but it was the only available option for the night), we continued to walk up together. We eventually split up due to health issues, and then reunited in the higher valley. I had been climbing the highest peak in the area, when I walked down to meet my new friend again in our little village. We were both happy to carry on together. After catching up, we made plans for the next day. I had heard of a magical place down the valley. We didn’t know much about it, but we both felt excited with that line on the map showing the path there.

The next day we started early. It was still dark outside. I went out of my room to go have breakfast in the kitchen - which was in another building. My room opened to the ground where yaks usually grazed. It was really dark and foggy, and I couldn’t see a thing. I waked towards the kitchen door and suddenly felt another presence. Behind the fog, about 5cm away from me, I suddenly perceived the face of a beautiful white horse! I was startled in that way that the wild startles us. Something so natural, and yet a close connection I’m not used to. At breakfast I said “It was like meeting myself in the fog and in the darkness. Unexpectedly there were 2 big eyes looking at me, and it took a while to even see that it was a horse.”. Looking back, it lands like an annunciation of the experience to come.

We went back to the rooms to finish packing, and then set out for the day, open to discoveries. We crossed wild streams made of melted glaciers, explored the rocks and the plants, crossed paths with many yaks, and shared stories, ideas, and feelings. Each twist in the trail unfolded new vistas that left us in awe. Each conversation expanding inner territory. We walked and walked, and at some point I wanted to continue walking on, and my friend wanted to turn back soon. We found that natural balance of shared hikes, walked a bit more down the magical valley, found a perfect place to stop, got ourselves cozy next to a big rock, and had our snacks.

The uniqueness of that morning, the incredible beauty of the valley, which felt so intimate, so closely natural, totally inviting, generously open, the overall atmosphere transporting us to that special quietness we find when we open sacred space, when we’re about to start a ritual, and something in the moment is sacred.

After eating, we just laid there, relaxing, breathing, just being, connected, present. Maybe even “extra” present, as it were. That quality that special places in nature can help us expand. In that great presence and openness, a wild white horse showed up, appearing as if conjured by the valley itself. He galloped towards us, and unexpectedly stopped. The wild white horse just stopped there, right in front of us. With the big wild river behind him, the shinny sunlight, the bright blue sky, the mountains surrounding the enchanting valley, and a softness to his presence that was disarming and kind of holy. We felt him, he felt us.

It was just a brief moment. Then he continued to gallop, and a few dark brown horses followed him. They all galloped past us, going down the valley in the direction we had just came from. We were awestruck. Our hearts expanded. We both felt we’d been somewhere behind the veil, traveled somewhere that’s more than a place. We were somewhere that was not a location, but a deep experience.

We retraced our steps through the hallowed expanse, our souls brushed by the profound communion with the valley. As the whispers of Langtang enfolded us, each breath seemed to echo with the valley's secrets. We felt cradled in the memory of that moment suspended in time, carrying with us the valley's enigmatic spell. Our hearts feeling touched by depth. The white horse present in us.

Traveling can be so much more than traveling. That magic is why I started NAMKHA Trips. I’d love if you’d join one of the trips!! Register for the newsletter to get updates on next trips. Nepal is definitely on the list!