Trekking in Nepal - By the Numbers

In a mountain range described by superlatives, some numbers are appropriate.

Number of trekkers in the group - 10
Number of guides - 5
Number of porters - 7
Total kilometers hiked - 300
Days of hiking - 20
Highest pass - 5413 m
Number crossing highest pass each day - 200+
Second highest pass - 5100 m
Size of local bottles of beer - 660 ml
Manaslu circuit - 170 km
Annapurna circuit - 130 km
Highest, largest lake at - 4900 m
Most gain in one day - 1000 m
Most loss in one day - 1700 m
Highest mountain along route - Mt Manaslu at 8156 m
Mt Manaslu's ranking - 8th highest

Number of prayer flags adorning passes, gompas, temples, monasteries - uncountable

The Last Leg

After waiting in KTM for 3 hours to leave, after a very quick 3-hour flight to Guangzhou, China, after sitting around there for 9 hours, and after a long 11-hour flight to Vancouver, it's down to the weather in Trail and the last hour flight to get into the Kootenays.  Neither Trail nor Castlegar airports have instrument landing systems so it all hinges on the weather.  Can the pilots see the hills and the airport?

After 5 weeks away I found myself nearly using my filtered water to drink and brush my teeth.  Habits practiced for weeks in a third world country where you really couldn't drink the tap water.

It's also the first time in weeks that I've seen cloudy skies...and rain??  What's that?  BC is saying welcome home.

Postscript: our Pacific Coastal flight just made it into Trail.  We flew in a complete whiteout from Vancouver, only dropping out of the cloud and fog right over Castlegar.  The pilot then flew us down the valley just over the Columbia River right to Trail.  Pretty impressive.  The drive home was wet but uneventful.  It's nice to be home.

Kathmandu - The Last Day

We arrived in Nepal 5 weeks ago, late at night, and finally it's almost time to leave, again late at night, in just a few hours.

The time remaining until our flight leaves will be the worst.  I don't especially like waiting and there is not much to do.  I've had one slow walk down some now-familiar streets, taking in the market scenes and smells, the crowds of people picking up their produce for the day, the merchants laying out their goods on blankets on the side of the lane.  Jackets, sandals, plastic flip-flops in a rainbow of colors, potatoes, root crops, pants, flashlights, blankets, flowers, belts, oil cookers with cooking dough balls, incense sticks, prayer flags....  There seems to be nothing you can't get here.

Women and some men making their offerings at various shrines.  Some in prayer, some arranging flowers, some laying out small amounts of rice, a piece of banana, some flower petals.  The ritual motions of the generations.  As you walk along the street you sometimes almost step on a small bowl with some rice and flowers on the stones just outside a doorway.  More gifts to the deities.

Some people look at you curiously, most ignore you.  On some of these streets I'm the only Caucasian in sight.  I try to be discrete as I take pictures.  I almost feel like I'm intruding but I want to remember these scenes.

The tourist streets seem quiet today.  I don't know if this is because of the upcoming election or not.  I've read reports that reservations are down because visitors are concerned about potential trouble in the days leading up to the vote.  And there has been some.  Not that we'd notice here.  I can imagine reservations ate down though.  We canceled one hike and are heading home early because of the strike calls.  Nothing like driving away business for your country just to make a political statement.

We made one last visit to Durbar Square.  The whole scene there is very interesting, between the various merchants, the taxi and rickshaw drivers and all the people.  For awhile I just sat on the steps of one of the temples but a particularly persistent wanna-be guide just would not shut up and go away.  Rather than be rude, I said I had to leave and I left.

I wandered through some more streets and eventually found a quiet courtyard behind the nearby bakery where I enjoyed a snack.  We kill more time with a beer in the sun at our hotel.  I write.  Time passes.  Soon we can go for supper and then it will be time to leave after getting some treats from the bakery to help pass the time during our layover in Guangzhou.

It's been interesting Nepal.  I hope your corrupt politicians and dysfunctional political system get sorted.  I hope your 122 political parties can find a way to work together for the good of the country.  It's been a place I wanted to experience and now I have.

Cell Phones - Nepali Style

I'm a relative neophyte when it comes to cell phones, but I've used one here in Nepal more than the total of my whole experience with the devices.  It's a pity service providers in Canada couldn't learn from how Nepal carriers do things.  For example:

The sim card costs about $1.  In Canada it can cost between $10 and $20.  Seriously, this is a small chip on a card that goes into your phone.

Recharge cards are available literally everywhere.  It takes seconds to enter the card's code and get extra minutes on your phone.  They are available in amounts from 50 to 500 NRs, the equivalent of 50 cents to $5.

I didn't need a "plan".  Just a sim and some time.  No minimum use or cost each month.

The big difference is price.  Calls in Nepal are about 3 cents a minute and calls overseas are about the same.  I could call Canada and talk for half an hour for less than $1.  How about that Telus?

I was unable to determine the cost for text messages.  I just know it was very cheap.

I won't compare coverage.  Nepal is a small country with Canada's population.  Coverage was pretty good.  Poor or no coverage in the mountains, but that's not surprising.

On ease of use and cost, cell use in Nepal wins hands down.

Nepal - The Final Days 4

We down to the final hours in Nepal.  I've been just strolling the lanes and squares trying to absorb as much of the atmosphere as possible before I leave.  Random observations:

A crowd of people in Durbar square, at the figure of Black Bhairab, Shiva in his most fearsome form, with 6 arms, a garland of skulls and trampling a corpse (symbolizing human ignorance).  Legend is that telling a lie while standing in front of the Black Bhairab will result in instant death.  It was used in trial by ordeal at one time.  This morning, worshippers were making their morning offerings and prayers, lighting prayer candles.  I saw no instant deaths.

A woman in the square with a prostrate calf, one obviously well past its last legs, twitching and letting out the occasional pitiful moo.  Not sure where this was headed for anyone other than the calf.

People buying corn to feed the pigeons.

Seen walking down Freak Street, one fellow who really looked like he belonged there.

My last plate of steamed veg momos.  A kind shopkeeper let me in early, before opening time, to sip beer and wait until the momos were ready.

Shopkeepers sweeping their steps and washing down the entrance to their establishment.  General cleanliness is certainly better now than it was when we first arrived.  Probably a lack of religious festivals that can bring almost everything to a halt seems to have helped.

A political march complete with drums and cymbals.  This party using the umbrella symbol.

Another party with supporters crowding a bus and a noisy band on top, seated on the luggage rack.

People wading in the river shoveling up the muck from the bottom, amongst the other floating garbage.

Today seemed quiet as I wandered around.  Fewer vehicles, fewer people meandering the lanes of Thamel.  With a couple of t-shirts and a coffee cup, I've finished my shopping.  Now it's down to packing and waiting.

Gridlock in Thamel

Most of our time in KTM has been spent in the neighborhood of Thamel.  This is part of the old city and its streets were laid out well before the era of the motor vehicle.  Where newer streets are at least a few lanes wide, in Thamel, they are often only a narrow lane wide.  This makes them well suited to pedestrian traffic but not to the motor vehicles that now try to use those streets.

Cars keep trying to force their way down these narrow streets, honking incessantly, forcing people walking to the curb, such as it is.  Motorbikes weave in and out adding their horns to the din.

From a pedestrian's perspective, it's annoying and somewhat dangerous.  From a driver's perspective I can't imagine the point of trying to navigate such narrow streets that are so clogged with people, not to mention other vehicles.  Is there a frustration level that could ever be reached that would precipitate a change in behaviour?

If any single vehicle stops, everyone else does too.  There is no other place to go.  We witnessed such a situation yesterday on our way back to our hotel.  It's not exactly like rush hour on the Deerfoot, but one wonders if drivers ever come to the conclusion that a vehicle simply doesn't belong in such a situation and is more trouble than it's worth.

We were being dropped off the other evening and rather than be part of the silliness of a car negotiating Thamel's lanes, we asked to be let out near the outer edges.  Frankly, walking is faster and far more enjoyable.  Our hosts were surprised but they did as we asked.

It might be a place to mention that pedestrians get NO consideration, anywhere.  Crosswalks mean nothing.  You cross when you can, dodging through streams of traffic.  If there are enough people crossing, a critical mass, as it were, I have seen vehicles stop.  Apparently the only alternative to mowing down a whole group of people.  It does take a leap of faith to believe it will happen, though.  I will say that if you walk in a consistent direction and at a steady, predictable speed, motorbikes will weave around you.  They usually aren't going that fast, but....

I've learned to interpret the horn as a demand to move.  Vehicles have priority. It's a common attitude, even in our own cities, where drivers regularly curse cyclists and where certain civic officials have suggested getting rid of bike lanes.  It's not an attitude that seems to be changing very fast.

Nepal - The Final Days 3

Patan & Another Durbar Square

Today we had set aside for a long walk south of Thamel to the city of Patan, just across the Bagmati River from Kathmandu.  Not that there is much distinction between the two places.

Patan also has a Durbar (or palace) square which also has World Heritage status so it seemed worth the walk to see.

It took about an hour to get south of the open sewer that is the Bagmati River and then a bit more time to walk across Patan to where the square is, following more partly finished roadworks, past various embassies and apartments.

As squares go, it's quite nice.  Smaller than KTM's Durbar Square, and less busy.  There was one particularly busy Hindu temple but as non-Hindu's, we were not allowed inside.  Other than the several wanna-be guides who tried in vain to attach themselves to us, it was quite pleasant.  I wouldn't want to be cynical, but I've decided that anyone who approaches us and wants to strike up a conversation really just wants to sell us something.  It seems to happen dozens to times each day.

Of course, this is testament to the high unemployment rate among young people in Nepal.  One source puts it at close to 50%.  Small wonder they are pursuing western tourists.

We had lunch in a cafe overlooking the square.

We spent some time finding some other temples in the vicinity, but I was getting decidedly templed out.  I guess there are only so many temples that I need to see.  One, though, had several prayer ceremonies being held.  Lots of flowers, a very smoky fire, collections of offerings for the deities, bells being rung to alert the deities that offerings had been made...

On the walk back to Thamel, we passed through Patan's city gate, crossed the garbage choked Bagmati River again and eventually found our way back to our hotel.  Nice to have a refuge.

I continue to marvel at the traffic, how pedestrians never get the right of way, at the crowds of people, at the goat being led up the sidewalk.  It's all part of the experience that is Kathmandu.

Nepal - The Final Days 2

Durbar Square & Area

Today we left early to explore Kathmandu's Durbar Square.  It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 and since we had visited 3 other heritage sites in the Valley.....

Durbar means palace and this was traditionally the place where the city's kings were crowned and from where they ruled.

The whole area around the square is a warren of narrow streets and alleys, teeming with people and bordered with microscopic shops, itinerant merchants and sellers of all kinds.  Almost anything under the sun can be purchased here.  Anything, from flowers to clothes, veggies, fungi ...  This seems to an area where Nepalis come to shop.  It was a busy, colorful, vibrant place, marred somewhat by the incessant honking of motorbike horns as they insisted on clear passage through the crowds.

Durbar Square itself is only slightly more peaceful.  As you walk, you are constantly besieged by rickshaw drivers, taxi drivers, bead salesmen, prospective guides offering their services and trinket salesmen.  The only thing to do is keep shaking your head and keep walking.  After awhile you learn to never engage these people in conversation.  As an example, one particularly persistent fellow had a carved elephant.  Actually it was a group of 7.  He started off with 2500 Rs.  By the time we had walked 50 meters he was down to 1000 Rs.  "Lucky for you, lucky for me...". No is not a possible outcome in their minds.

The collection of temples to various deities varies in age but most date from the 17th to 18th century or older.  Intricate old wood carvings of so-and-so killing this or that demon.  An old throne or two used when Nepal had a monarchy.  Very ornate, very old.  Many shrines where people worship and make offerings.  Bells which are rung to alert the deity that an offering has been made.  Like the streets elsewhere, it's a cacophony of sounds and, often, smells.

It's hard to imagine how a place this chaotic works, but it seems to.  It certainly makes your average farmer's market pale by comparison.

We have passes to the square area so we will probably be back to take advantage of different light conditions.

Tea House Trekking

Now that we're finished the official trek, it may be time to reflect on what this kind of travel is like.

Tea houses, or lodges, certainly simplify travel in Nepal.  No tents, no food to carry....  Most of the popular trekking routes have such facilities at regular intervals that can be used for lunch or for supper and a night's accommodation.

Needless to say, the quality of the accommodation and the food varies considerably.

On the Manaslu part of the trek, the lodges tended to be more rustic.  The buildings were of stone construction with tin or wood roofs and some were basically covered with a mud mortar.  Most rooms were small and crowded.  The toilets were too often wet, dark and fetid places.  The worst was Larke Phedi, the last stop before we crossed our first high pass.  The toilets were broken, your toilet was wherever you wanted it to be and the space was just large enough to cram 3 metal cots into a stone-walled windowless room covered with mud and an earthen floor.  Most of us would have preferred a tent. The "dining hall" was crowded with a few dozen hacking people of all ages.  The  food was basic.  Leaving at 4:30 am wasn't early enough.  We were well away before it was light enough to see more of the squalor.  It was what I imagine a base camp of climbers might be like, only possibly worse.

The best were clean and bright with nice views.  Obviously the Annapurna route was better developed since it's been part of a trekking route for much longer.  You could usually tell something of the relative prosperity of an area by the quality of the lodges.  The Annapurna villages were obviously better off and once over the Thorung  Pass, even better.  Internet, cell service, much better buildings, more varied menu....  For better or worse, more of the trappings of home.

A good indication of how far along the supply chain a place was could be ascertained by the price of beer.  We favoured Nepali brands, Everest and Ghorka.  Prices for a 660 ml bottle ranged from 250 to 550 NRs.

Villages varied considerably.  Some were clean with well-made paths of flat stone.  Others were rocky, muddy and strewn with garbage.  Animal dung was everywhere and it was common to have yaks or goats being driven through town, or to have cows wandering aimlessly.  Even the main streets of Pokhara had its quota of wandering bovines.  In some, dogs slept all over during the day only to bark and scavenge at night.

Lodges in some places were really like hotels: multi-storey, big rooms, dining rooms, toilets with views..

Meat was rare.  We settled into a routine of oatmeal for breakfast, usually with hot milk (milk, like water, was suspect because of a lack of pasteurization - hot, steamed milk was the solution), Tibetan bread (fried and sometimes greasy), pasta or rice with potatoes for lunch and something similar for supper.  Some had a form of pizza.  Some were quite good.  French fries were common and usually well cooked.  Eggs were the main form of protein but if you asked for anything with egg in it, like egg-fried rice, it always came with either a fried egg plopped on top or slices of fried egg covering the top.  There seemed to be no alternate concept to incorporating eggs into a dish.  Odd, given the proximity to China.

Some soups were thin and watery.  Others were thick and tasty with noodles, even if the noodles resembled ramen noodles.

The more remote areas obviously had rustic building materials and pretty basic construction techniques.  Building codes? Not here.  Some looked like play houses constructed by children.  Others featured complicated wood joints and excellent stone work.  We saw new construction going on, most to a much higher standard.  Power tools or power anything, for that matter, were rare.  Some had hydro or solar power.  Some had neither.

In any case, we were usually happy at the end if the day's hiking to reach our beds for the night, have some tea and cookies and rest from the ups and downs of hiking in Nepal.

Nepal .. The Final Days 1

Now that we've arranged new flights to Canada, we have only a few more days left to see some of the sights in this part of the old city of Kathmandu.

Even a walk down any street outside of Thamel (the insane district of shops, lodges and restaurants most tourists see) has sights startling to western eyes.

For instance, yesterday, as we walked the couple of km to the airline office, we passed a man with leprosy begging on the street.  He had stumps for hands, most toes were missing or bandaged and his face was disfigured.  And there he sat as literally hundreds of people walked around him.

A little further on was a woman begging with a young child.  Not a young child as we are accustomed to, one with energy to burn, active, but one lying on the sidewalk under a thin rag.

Another child with disfigured legs also begging.

Only feet away a stream of cars and motorcycles race along, horns honking, their acrid exhaust fouling the air.

A row of little taxis wait along the street.  Nearly every driver offers to drive you somewhere.  Similarly a row of rickshaw drivers.  Even as you walk down the street, taxi drivers will slow down as they pass by and solicit your business.

Then there are, literally, the tiger balm hawkers.  Salesmen carrying flutes for sale.  Men with small handmade fiddles, trying to convince you to buy.  Shopkeepers trying to entice you into their shops.  Offers to shine my dusty hiking boots, cut my hair, give me a shave, a massage, anything.  "No buy, just look".  And managing to look hurt and offended when you shake your head and walk on.  The life of a third world entrepreneur.

The contrast couldn't be more stark as, later in the evening, the roar of wide-bodied jets washes over this part of the city bringing First World voyeurs to Kathmandu and whisking them away again, as it will us in 4 days.

Farewell Pokhara

It was a brief visit, but long enough to hike to the World Peace Pagoda, stroll the shopping district in Lakeside, hike (a futile effort , it turned out) to the Baglung bus station in an attempt to get to Nayapul, sample some good restaurants and get some needed rest after our trek.

Pokhara is a nice place, on the shores of Fewa Lake.  It's cleaner, far less congested, much more quiet and with nice views to the nearby hills and mountains.

It's a pity that a politically motivated strike call influenced our decision to leave early.  But there you are.

If it wasn't on the other side of the world, I'd visit again.

Stymied by the Bandh

One of the holdover effects from the civil unrest a few years ago is the occasional national strike, or banda, which can shut down most businesses. 

Today is one of those days.

We had planned to take a bus to Nayapul and then hike to Gorepani and Ghandruk.  But when we arrived at the bus station, there were no buses.  Instead there was a strike.  No buses, no delivery trucks. Most businesses closed.

After investigating several options: taking a taxi at extortionist rates, hiring a car and leave in the middle of the night, wait it out...., we took option "g", head back to KTM. 

What finally decided the matter was news that a 10 day strike had been called by the Maoist party and that transportation could be affected for days.

Apparently the tourist bus to KTM can still run, so we booked our seats and will, with any luck, be back in KTM tomorrow.  We still have several days of things to see and do in KTM and it will be easier to arrange possible flight changes if needed.

It's pretty quiet in Pokhara today and almost no traffic.  The air seems clearer and the views of the mountains is better.  The sidewalks are nearly empty.  There are soldiers walking around with machine guns and truckloads of police, also with lots of guns, roaming the streets.  No pictures.  Pictures of police and soldiers are illegal.

I was able to get a bit of a deal on T-shirts because business was slow.

Some say that businesses will be back to normal tomorrow.  We'll see.  In any case we will be on our way back to KTM.  So long Pokhara, its been nice.

More Culinary Adventures

I would caution any reader not to draw conclusions about any possible trend you might see in these meal descriptions.

We had vegetarian Indian food for supper this evening.  Three different curries, garlic nan, banana lsssi....

The only downside was the necessity of walking back to the hotel once we finished.

We're off on a 5-day trek in the morning so it's possible that we will eat less well for the next few days.

You Can Get Anything You Want

I recall reading in the guide book that you could buy any antibiotics you could pronounce in Nepal, without prescriptions.

So it was with some interest yesterday that I had occasion to visit one of these street side "chemist's" premises. 

I'd managed to pick up a minor cold a week ago and the cough was more annoying than anything.

I went in and found some cough medicine with the right active ingredients.  Only 120 NRs (about $1.30).

What was interesting is that without me asking, I was offered an upper respiratory antibiotic that I happened to recognize because I have some with me.  Sadly, they do not work on viral infections, which is what I had.  I politely refused the antibiotic and left with my cough medicine.

Antibiotic resistance anyone?

Jomsom to Pokhara

After spending 3 weeks trekking through the Manaslu area and the upper half of the Annapurna area and after 2 extra days in Jomsom, we made our escape today.  It was a bit of a small concern because winds and other normal weather changes could have easily delayed our departure.

By morning, though, skies were clear and winds light.  Our small plane arrived around 7:25 am and we were loaded and roaring down the runway by 7:30.  They don't waste any time turning the flight around.

By 7 am the dozen or so passengers had been issued boarding passes, our bags had been examined and each of us had been searched and frisked in a private room.  We waited. 

Eventually the plane arrived and taxied to the apron.  We were led out and climbed into the plane as soon as arriving passengers had descended the ladder and meanwhile bags were stowed.  The plane even kept one engine running.  In 5 minutes, bags and people had been unloaded and loaded and we were running down the runway.  It was quite efficient.

The 20- minute flight was slightly bumpy but uneventful.  We got our packs and hiked the short distance into Pokhara.  It was warm.  For the first time in 2 weeks, my hands weren't cold.  We had breakfast at a "German Bakery" (yogurt and honey on muslei .. excellent), went and found a room at the Hotel Yeti and set out exploring.

The contrasts with Kathmandu couldn't be more striking, but more on that later.  Current plans are to rest, explore and do a several-day hike in an area an hour to the north.

The adventure continues.

A Culinary Experiment - 2

For our first supper in Pokhara we decided on some traditional Nepali food, because we were pretty sure that what we'd been getting on the trip wasn't that authentic.  So, we went to the Pokhara Thakali Kitchen.

The Thakalis originated along the Kali Gandaki valley in central Nepal.  That's the river that flows out of the Mustang region and goes south past Jomsom.  Many Thakalis are hotel and lodge owners and trekkers on the Annapurna circuit will have met them.

The first course was a small serving of Thakali bean soup.

Assuming that some spice was imminent, we each ordered a banana lassi

What followed was a large platter filled with 5 small metal bowls and a helping of rice. 

The bowls contained 3 kinds of curry, dal, paneer and egg curry.  Added as small amounts to the plate were different types of achar, salad, papad, ghee...  (A small bowl of yogurt with banana, apple and orange came on the side.)  We won't claim to have identified each one....

The offerings were definitely of a curry character and were moderately spicy.  The lassi cooled things down.

Tea followed.  But not just any old tea: Nepali tea which was milk tea with what we were sure was a small bit of butter on top. 

A definite success.

Jomsom - The Trek's End

We arrived in Jomsom yesterday, walking into a wind that reminded me too much of the prairies.  Jomsom is in a very dry valley so there was dust.  Lots of it.

This morning it was calm.  This is when planes come and go, starting around 7 am.  By late morning, it's usually too windy.

After seeing the other group members off, Joel and I found a bakery and had a snack.  Then we took a couple of hours to roam around town.  Not much to see and almost no shops with the kinds of things I was looking for.  After exploring some curious stone circles, and tiring of the wind, we returned to our lodgings.

Despite being almost on the runway, it's clean and quiet.  A nap and a rest is in order for the afternoon.

Tomorrow we plan a walk down the valley to Marpha.  Apparently there is an experimental farm there.  Some more rest and we leave early the next day for Pokhara.

Trekker's Hygene - Some Thoughts

After 3 weeks of our trek, it's time for this topic.

First, I can observe that I have seen hot water from a tap only once, and that was at the high-end Yak & Yeti Hotel the day before the trek started.  This hardly counts because at their prices, few trekkers would stay there.  We wouldn't have either but it was part of the trekking package.

In Dharapani, on the Annapurna circuit, we found a barely warm trickle at our tea hut for the night.  This was in a dank, slimy concrete room where that warm trickle was just enough to wet the body, lather up and wash off that soap.

Other than getting nearly hypothermic, the "shower" was nice, the first time soap touched my body in over 10 days.

I will have soap left over at this rate.

To counter the consequences of not washing, we make liberal use of hand sanitizer.  My facecloth has remained dry for days.  It's cold, so there is even less incentive to wash.  I guess it's like an extended camping trip.  It's what you do when you don't trust the water and it's too cold to wash outside anyway.

Many tea houses and guest lodges advertise 24-hour hot showers.  I believe such statements constitute false and misleading advertising.

Actually, most advertise 24-hour hot and cold showers.  I'm not clear why they would advertise cold showers.  Why wouldn't you advertise if you had something "different".  I can just imagine the trekkers flocking to the Hotel Yak because they have cold showers.

We try to "wash" out some clothing occasionally, but it takes forever to dry, sometimes 2 days.  In the meantime, what do you do with soggy wet undies as you hike each day..

Hiking in the same smelly shirt each day becomes less and less objectionable as time goes on.

Today we stopped early enough there was sunshine and we were able to hang out the clothes to complete their drying.  I'm good for another few days.

Life on the trail continues.

Some Real (Different) Food

We've made two major transitions in the past couple of weeks.

The first happened when we crossed Larke Pass which separated the more remote part of the Manaslu trail from the Annapurna trail.  The latter has been developing as a trekker's route for years while the former has been open to trekking only relatively recently.  The Manaslu trek still requires special permits and a guide.

Today we crossed the big pass on the Annapurna circuit, the Thorung La.  Although the far side of the pass was fairly developed, the valley we descended into as we approached Jomsom is almost like moving into a different part of the century.

There are real power lines carrying power.  I saw two tractors.  There is free WiFi here and there in town.  And the food.... The picture shows a chicken burger.  Yes, something with real meat, and it was crispy and good.

So if you're ever passing through Muktinath and want a good meal after visiting the local shrines and monasteries, I'd recommend the Muktinath Hotel, where the image you might have of something from the menu actually resembles reality as we know it.

It's a Dry Cold

We crossed the Thorung La early this morning.  This is the highest pass on the Annapurna circuit at 5413 m

It was exhausting work plodding uphill for over 3 hours, but once there we all felt fine.

We waited at the pass for an hour, taking pictures and waiting for another in the group before heading down the other side.

In a couple of hours we had dropped 1700 m.  Feet and knees were feeling it.

We're now in Muktinath for the night.  The official trek is nearly over but I still have another couple of weeks here to explore.

It's cold here but I remind myself that we're at 3700 m still.  We drop another 1000 m tomorrow to Jomsom.  Most of the group head home and Joel and I start our own exploring.

Hopefully now that we are back in "civilization" posts and pictures will be a bit more regular.

Nepal Trek - The Final Days

It's Sunday, Nov 3, I think.  You do tend to lose track of time and the calendar.

We're in Ledar which is not so much of a village but another way station leading to the high pass.  We're at 4250 m.  The pass is at 5400.  We will be crossing it in 2 days.

Since we left Manang 2 days ago, we've been above 4000 m.  The scenery has been spectacular with the whole Annapurna range to our east side.

For two days, we went on a little side trip to Tilicho Lake.  This is, apparently, the highest, largest lake in the world.  In 3 hours we climbed 800 m to the lake at 4900 m.  It was beautiful but cold, snowy and windy.  Not a place you want to spend much time.  So I took my pictures and headed down.

Unfortunately, in the past couple of days, I've managed to pick up a cold bug and by the time I got back to our lodge, I was bagged.  After lunch, though, we had another 2.5 hour hike to Sheree Kharka (literally, Dry Pasture) where we were to spend the night.  I went to bed for the rest of the afternoon.  After a good night's sleep, I felt better.

Our hike on Sunday was just over 4 hours to Ledar.  We traversed high on the west side of the valley with the Annapurnas to our right, through dryland shrubs and pastures. Probably one of the most spectacular routes so far.

We met up with one of the climbers who had been off attempting Chulu West.  He had diagnosed an early stage of pulmonary edema yesterday so he decided to come back down.  The others should be here later this afternoon.

Update: it's now Monday I think, a day later at least, and we've just finished a 2.25 hour hike up to Thorung  Phedi at 4450 m.  We're resting for the day, maybe hiking up a bit higher to acclimatize.  I may go up a bit higher but we were at 4900 m the other day and, other than my cold, which is on the mend, I feel good.  Slept for 11 hours last night.

We start early in the morning to climb to 5400 m and cross the pass.  The end is in sight.

A Culinary Experiment

After perusing the menu for supper items today, and wondering briefly about the possible joys of "beef strong off", I decided to try "Yak Meat Curry".

I can report that this experiment ended up being about the only meal so far on this trip that I was not able to stomach.

The opening course, chicken soup, was nice, although no chicken chunks were visible.  The yak curry came in a bowl to pour over the rice.  The meat was in the form of dark chunks, looking as if it had been dried.  Possibly for a long time.  Right on both counts.

The meat was tough and chewey and had a flavour that did not appeal.  There were hard bits that I could not identify.  Unfortunately, after encountering a few of those, I found myself chewing but unable to swallow.  I gave up.  I couldn't even finish the rice.  For supper I finished my plate of French fries and got a 660 ml bottle of Toburg beer.  That pretty much set everything right.  Tomorrow I'll have pizza and all will be forgotten.

Lesson for today is to leave the yak (or buffalo...) In the pasture where it belongs.