The trail itself was decently maintained, being the most travelled trek in Nepal. Even the suspension bridges have been developed into a higher art form, all very safe for human and beast alike. Speaking of which, donkeys are used to ferry in goods from the roads to towns up-trail. Besides donkeys, human porters are a major vehicle for moving goods up valley. Loads of 150 pounds are common - a typical load might be three of four cases of beer or water. I spent the first few day getting used to my overloaded pack. One ex-porter at a rest stop picked up my bag and estimated it at about 40 pounds. I kept adjusting the straps, in the vain hopr that it would somehow get lighter, or at least more comfortable. And miraculously by about the fourth or fifth day, I didn't notice it at all. I still had to work all of the uphills, but the pack and I had become one. Oooooh, mystical. Boots went through a series of adjustments as well (I finally settled on a triple sock configuration). Other things to get used to were sharing the road with strangers, and the incredibly cheap cost of living. Lodging was pretty much a giveaway at under 20 cents, and a dinner selection was about a dollar. This was all through a series of "teahouses" built up over the years to support salt traders initially, and Western trekker more recently.
We soon got into a routine of waking early, downing a quick breakfast, and hitting the trail. Besides lunch, we often took tea breaks at many of the small villages along the way. As we moved northwards up the valley, the vegetation and even the villages changed character. Steep and windy trails would give way to spectacular vistas; booming tourist towns would alternate with small local villages, complete with the local species of rugrat. Often towns had mani walls in the middle of their main street. These are walls piled with stones, with prayers carved into each one. Often these are accompanied by prayer wheels. These, as well as the ubiquitous prayer flags, are traditional Tibetan buddhist. It is believed that by turning the wheels (or flapping the flags) the prayers written on them are released to the wind, and thus to the gods.
As we started turning west, we passed a huge curving slab of rock, looking like a gigantic frozen tsunami wave. We reached a point where the mountains looked close enough to walk up in an afternoon. Soon enough we were at considerable altitude, and had to regulate our rate of ascent in order to minimize the effects of altitude. We spent an acclimatization day in the town of Manang, where we made a 300M pilgrimage up to a tiny monastary built into the side of a cliff. There, the monk will lead you in, and bless you with good luck for going over the Thorung La pass. Then his wife will come in, serve you some tea, then ask for a "donation". And don't be surprised if the little man asks for chocolate and batteries too! Up we went, closer to the BIG day. Thorung La is psychologically the climax of the whole circuit. Besides the fact that many people suffer very real problems from the high altitude, the lack of settlements at the pass itself requires a grueling 10-12 hour day of steep ascent and equally steep but longer descent. It's pretty much the major physical accomplishment of the circuit, and as it drew nearer, our anticipation rose.
I actually woke up in a bit of a panic the night before the atttempt with a moderate headache - a clear sign of mild altitude sickness. I was afraid I would have to wait around another day to try to acclimatize: you are not suppose to go higher with any symptoms of AMS. But I managed to get back to sleep, and in the morning the headache was barely detectable. All systems go. The actual ascent was straightforward, if long and laborious. But when we hit the saddle of the pass we were all flying! The descent was a bit tedious, but in our minds we had completed the hard part, and at last we found ourselves on the other side.
Your first view as you descend is onto a world quite different from what you had just left. A broad valley extends far below you, lush with green terraces. The greenness only extends up to a certain level; above that is a stark tan desert of rolling hills. And above and beyond these, the mountain peaks blend together in a panoramic backdrop. The trail down was at a relatively gentle grade for most of the way. We made our way back in a surprisingly short amount of time. At a certain point all of my travelling companions abandoned me to take the bus back to civilization. I could easily sympathize, but with only another three days ahead of me, and a reputed great view from Poon Hill, I decided to carry on. On the second day on my own I fell into company with a twelve year old girl, and a wizened Hindu guru, all travelling the same path. For the life of me I couldn't help thinking I was in a far-eastern Oz, travelling the dirt lined trail with the Nepalese version of Dorothy and the Wizard. At this point I figured I was ready for anything!
It's important, they said, to climb Poon Hill before sunrise. This is to get the full rosy effect of the sun casting it's first light on the mountains. So I got up at 4am and climbed the steep 45 minutes to the top of the hill. Definitely worth it, not just for the pictures, but for the feeling of being high on the top of the world, watching the day break over the land below. And after a five hours sprint down the world's biggest stairmaster, I finished the Annapurna circuit.
The few days before the trek were spent mostly getting things ready: permits, maps, supplies. I did take one day to see Durbar Square, the area right around the old palace. This is an interesting area with lots of funky architecture and temples galore. The natives seem to like this place as much as the tourists. There's no end to the strange goings-on here: first you see farm animals in the oddest places, then you see carpet salesmen operating out of a temple!
Just after the trek, I spent a few days in the small town of Pokhara, recovering. It's a great place to do this - built by a lake, the atmosphere is rather scenic and peaceful. This is partly because there is nothing much to do; the town has just enough shops and restaurants to keep you from getting bored. Interestingly, the main street was periodically endowed with large Banyan trees. These served as the local hang out spots, and seemed to be the center of activity at all times. Though pretty much inclined to watch the world go by, I did find a cool lakeside dock where you could rent out boats; the locals were more interested in the swimming platform, however. A few days of this was enough - back to the big city.
I hate to admit it, but I actually found myself slumming in Kathmandu. All of my belongings were strewn out across my hotel room. I was free-running each day with no plan. Eating followed no regular schedule. I was succumbing to traveller's gravity: the setlling force which makes it exponentially harder to leave a place the longer you stay. I think part of my laze was a reaction to the extreme regimentation required on the three week long trek. And then again, I like the surroundings, and there was plenty to do. When it was time to move on, hopefully I would pull myself back into shape.
Besides, shopping, shopping, and more shopping (I began to master the haggle), I did take two day trips, both on rented mountain bikes. One day I went out to the Monkey Temple, so named because of the resident band of chimps. A big-eyed stupa awaited those making the steep stairway up to the top. Plenty of worshippers (buddhist) made their rounds, spinning the prayer wheels as they went. From there I explored the nearby town of Patan, which also had a Durbar Square. But this area was pretty much a bust for me.
The other day I checked out the large Hindu temple nearby. I didn't get to see much, as I couldn't go into any of the buildings, but I did see a couple of cremations going on by the river. Also, I figure this was a good primer for India. Next I biked past the Bodnath temple twice, before I finally found it. It's the largest stupa around, but is fairly cleverly concealed from the road. Though there is only the one big structure, I actually enjoyed walking around it several times, and at different levels. It's just a cool thing to see something big like this. And that was pretty much Nepal. A great trek and a pleasant stay - somewhere else I'd like to return to. Oh, and I did start getting into soccer, as the World Cup was just starting at about this time.
