We left Kathmandu this morning in a taxi for the 5-hr+ journey to the start of Annapurna Circuit at Besisahar el 2700 ft. Road infrastructure is stressed by lack of development and geography which in central Nepal is steep mountain valleys and winding crumbling roads. I was tossed around in the back seat, no seat belt. Basically I turned a blind eye to buses, trucks and pedestrians inches away from our speedy Toyota which was navigated like Nascar by our driver in full concentration. Glimpses of the Himalayas appeared on the way. OMG, we're circumnavigating those giants! The ride took longer than expected due to the Dewali holidays with kids singing and dancing at various checkpoints the closer we got. They held a rope across the road and for a few rupees donation we could pass. After getting dropped at the "end of the main road", we wandered down to the colorful concrete Mongolian Hotel. I was happy it looked newer than the others. I had a warm shower and tried not to unpack my backpack. At dinner we met two other pairs of hikers from New Zealand and Germany, each with one person suffering from intestinal issues already. I noticed mosquitos and cockroaches when I woke in the middle of the night. Dan broke out our sleeping bags which we'd use for the remainder of the trek. The next morning we caught a heavy duty jeep with hikers from China and Japan to go up to Bhulbhule in about 45 minutes where the trail starts.
The rocky trail along the Kali Gandaki river has been a vital trade route in the Marsyangdi valley for centuries and later made famous by the French expedition to Annapurna I led by Maurice Herzog in 1950. We crossed suspension bridges, traipsed along steep terraced rice and millet fields, and through small villages with homes made of tin roofs and dirt floors. Kids are everywhere. Everyone it seems has a cheerful "namaste!" despite the fact they may be carrying a heavy load or otherwise leading a harsh life. Women in red colorful clothing dot the fields.
There are a few other independent trekkers like ourselves but mainly we are seeing groups with guides and porters. In the afternoon we climbed 1200 ft with the sun blasting at our backs. Running short on bottled water we pressed on until I needed to rest at a shady spot off the trail. A little further up, I ordered a fried egg sandwich on chapati bread (like naan) and immediately felt better. That evening in our teahouse lodge the villagers serenaded the guests to a repetitive drumbeat as the Dewali holidays came to an end. Dan and I were very popular with the children who were excited to practice their growing English skills. I learned then that while some kids ask for sweets or a pen, most are happy to be asked "how are you?" which they respond with "fine, how are you?" and a proud smile.
Bahundandra el 4298 ft to Chamje el 4701 ft
We are on the trail by 7 am to beat the heat. The valley became narrower as the river roared past carving smooth and deep gorges. After a steep descent the trail became undulating and about 2 hrs later we took a mango juice and water break with our new friend from Shanghai. The sun has risen over the valley now and we are taking better care to drink and snack more frequently to prevent overheating. Dan brought over two pounds of trail mix - worth its weight in gold. Soon enough we arrived at our timber lodge at the far edge of the village. I took a hot solar-powered shower and hung my sweaty clothes on rusty nails around our corner room. The sun went behind the ridge and the room cooled quickly with the furious river rushing by below us.
