Monday 23 October MUKTINATH to MORPHA
We woke as usual to tea and a good breakfast to an absolutely clear blue sky though frosty as the sun did not reach our valley until 8:30.
The Nepalis went off up to the temple and vowed to stop smoking - we will see how long that resolution lasts. Maybe it was a sign of the times but at lunch Zantabir suggested we change some money because he hadn't enough. We said we had only a little left and that we still had to pay the hotel. He seemed to want to stretch the trek out to 20 days in order to gain an extra $100 for the two extra days. It will be such a pity if it ends in a wrangle over money because we have had such a happy time together.
Next day we met a Dutch couple of around our own age who had just walked through Thorung La. She in particular had found it very hard with headaches for three days whilst ascending and pains in the bottom of her chest making her feel sick on the final ascent. They concluded it was partly psychological as they felt better the moment they could see the top and realised that were going to make it. They had started on 13 October like us and had spent 2 days at 3600m to acclimatise. They emphasised the problems of cold starting as they did at 6am, because if not really strong it was necessary to rest and get cold, hence the importance of adequate clothing. They had started off back packing and then hired a porter since, which it had been 'like a holiday'. Strangely like us they had also walked in the Massif Central and recommended it strongly - they had camped each night at a different lake. More evidence we could have done it in the time as Zantabir had told me but said he was not so sure about Joan.
The walk back to near Kagbeni the cut oo a corner by heading straight back to Jomsom, pleasant to begin with but it soon became a slog once we turned west into the biting wind and the sun and had to walk over the pebbly river bed.
Strong sun in your face meant the only views were to be had when walking backwards. Those doing the Annapurna the conventional anti clockwise don't see the best of views on the route we were now revisiting. The best idea of the day was bus to Pokhara, walk Pokhara to Jomsom and the book a return flight to Pokhara at Jomsom airport, walk Jomsom, Kagbeni, Muktinath and back and fly back to Pokhara or direct to Kathmandu.
After Jomsom the walk was better being on the hillside but the observation about the direction of the sun stood.
It's surprising how a little luxury makes one forget about the way of life in mountain villages. Everything has to be carried up by man woman, today's loads were mainly planks of wood for trees do not grow at altitude. Dung was being dried on the roofs, presumably it will be burned in winter.
Four foot planks were carried vertically but longer ones were carried horizontally so passing traffic had to keep well clear, a safety hazard as they negotiate their way along narrow tracks close to a sheer hillside. We have seen very strongly built men struggling with large hardwood timbers presumably destined to be uprights in new buildings.
We again stayed in Morpha strange if he really has no money. This time at the Hotel Neeru which is full of life and is recommended as a good place to stop, the previous time we were the sole residents and it was cold. As I write we have just had hot showers and are still up at 7:40pm.
A
boy was carrying lighting fitting vertically and the fluorescent tubes
horizontally. A standard steel frame is used to carry six cases of beer
each with 12 bottles of heavy glass, the beer alone weighs 48 kg the
gross weight being 60 kg.
Joan noticed the quaint method hay is teased and twisted into a thread which is formed into a six foot oval and then twisted again. All hand work in the gaining, threshing, serving, washing and drying of grain. It is quite common to see a lady tending cloth on a table (or floor) laid out with drying corn and moving the cloth to keep turning it over, probably while suckling a toddler.
Tonight the loads going through Morpha were huge wide loads of straw, yesterday in Kagbeni it was similar loads of hay.
The people are so good natured and naturally friendly with a fair distribution of work between the sexes. Men though not exclusively do the heavy carrying, women can be seen weaving, tending corn, looking after numerous Tea Houses, cooking and washing up.
Perhaps the most striking thing is the harmony between men and animals. Chickens run wild and eat the scraps from under the tables, cows wander the streets, dogs tend to lie around in part sun part shade - we have scarcely heard one bark and have seen no sign of aggressiveness.
The children play happily, often a small girl will be carrying a small baby on her back, the baby being suspended in a large shawl wrapped around her shoulders. As for simple games reminiscent of hard surfaced primary school play grounds of my youth. They set two or three walnuts in a circle and throw another walnut at them, there obviously being some form of scoring system. When I watched them they were almost always hit from about 5 ft. I doubt that I could be that accurate now but perhaps in my marble playing or cigarette picture throwing, or five stone days I could have matched them.
Thursday 24 October MORPHA to CHITRE
I took photo of the old part of Morpha, a part behind the current main street you would not have realised was there.
A lot of the walking in the morning was again along the river bed though it varied through the very pleasant villages of Tukche and Laijung. We were really in too much of a rush to properly appreciate them as Zantabir is now hell bent on getting back to Pokhara as soon as possible.
From Kalopani the road went back to the hill side and from there to Ghasa is probably the most spectacular section of this deep gorge.
There was no one around as we passed the house where we had been to the 'wake' but shortly after I passed the husband of the house as he was returning home with two cows and a pail. We recognised each other, stopped but could say nothing but exchanged a thumbs up sign which said everything conveying good feeling between races. I should have taken his photo it would have been superb if I could only have captured that look.
We went passed the sections of path which had fallen away into the ravine and made very poor progress getting to Kopchepani at 5:30pm.
Joan had walked superbly and had led throughout the day including the uphill sections. I was again troubled by my left knee/calf with a little strain in the left groin and so was glad when the full day's walking came to an end. This business of getting back quickly is becoming a chore and extra effort on the uphill sections is being resented. There are lots of nice villages, it would be worth spending a night in this area - for instance Ghasa which appeared to offer good lodging and good food (for instance we had noticed the Mexican food was common in Morpha).
That evening Zantabir again approached the subject of money. He had had to sell his knife in Morpha for 420r but now had only 140r left which was not enough. So we promised to change our remaining travellers cheques in Tatopani and loan another 1000r to Zantabir. He was paid 16,000r for 16 days so he expected another 1000r for the seventeenth day, which was fair enough. He also said the normal tip for the porters was 500-700r, sometimes as low as 200-300r and sometimes 1000r.
Neither Joan or I slept well though she had been kept awake most of the night by a cold and sore throat. I found the only way I could get to sleep was by getting over cold with my head poking out of the tent. Joan thought there was a bear growling around the tent so I didn't realise the risk I had taken. In the morning she was convinced she had only heard the baying of local buffalo which were grazing nearby for all to see.
When we stopped for tea in Ghara we again remarked on the varied vegetation in the gardens, tamorillos, sugar cane, huge marrows, gherkins and ginger plants.
Wed 23 October 1989 CHITRE to TATOPANI
Setting off at 7:30 we reached Tatopani by 11:00am where we changed our last $100, a risk because it meant we would have to raise additional rupees in Kathmandu and weren't sure how that could be done.
The walk was pleasant enough though the path had collapsed in places, one or two spots being particularly difficult. The route was up and down over various hills but the net result was clearly downhill.
We have just had soup for lunch and are starting again at 11:30am I have just given Zantabir 1000r making 3000r in total extra, he will expect 48$ for the extra day, ie 1340r extra. I should record far more of the banking procedure in Tatopani. There were five men behind the counter in the small bank and we were the only customers, the manager was sitting and chatting out in the sunny front garden. For five minutes no-one offered to serve us until we decided to go and get a pen and thus force the issue. They produced a pen and the exercise of changing 100$ began involving all six employees and taking 25 to 30 minutes. What a contrast with the long hard days we had worked Christmas in schooldays on the local post. Some of the officials I seem to remember were shouldering rifles I seem to remember though that is not recorded, the long bank wait record was not broken until 2006 in western China!
The day's climb to Chitre 2300m by 5:30 was the hardest of the whole holiday, up and up seemingly endless staircases cut in the rock with little except a cup of tea to break the strain. Joan was not climbing well, maybe it's the height again. Luckily we again stayed in a Tea-house and had a good night's sleep after the owners had produced an excellent bowl of vegetable soup an fried rice with vegetables and soya.
Thursday 26 October BIRETHANTI
The day started with a two hour climb to Deurah (Ghorapani) a continuation of yesterdays slog. We did not climb well being lazy after yesterday's exertions and a huge French contingent - who else- soon left us well behind. We really enjoyed the gentle downhill through rhododendron forest and are now waiting for lunch on a small man made plateau overlooking the village of Bahunthanti. One group of trekking porters first entertained another French contingent and then turned to us at a restaurant with double ended bongos drum and pipes.
It was a gentle walk down to Ulleri and the sharply down to Tirkedunga a very pleasant village. We descended following a tributary to Birethanti where it met the river Modi Khola which flows down from the glazier at Annapurna sanctuary. Another overnight at a Tea-house with a shower from a hose pipe with which Joan also washed out some clothes, too late to be much use to us.
We bought a couple of beers which we shared with the porters, after another good dinner of dahl-baht Zantabir produced the most succulent, almost juicy, bananas I have ever eaten, which he had bought in Tatopani. They had a dull almost earthy, dirty, brown skin. They were also very large whereas to date the bananas have been very small. Enough said they brought back memories of those lovely apples from Jomsom.
Friday 27 October TIBETAN REFUGE
We started with a breakfast of 'Tipton' (Tibetan) fried bread, jam and bananas. Then showing my fitness did the two hour climb to Chandrakot in 52 mins, Joan 20 minutes more. It was cool and I was overtaking everyone with ease my improved fitness clearly showing not least on my waistline having discovered my new Mountain Equipment trousers were now a loose fit! We are now sitting in a restaurant at Chandrakot drinking tea with a fine outlook over the valley to the west along which we walked yesterday.
A gentle walk to Kaanre for lunch passed the road now well into construction between Pokhara and Birethanti. For the first time I spoke French and found it very easy (this I guess was still in the days of Marie-France's tuition). It seems all the French are here to make the full circuit (round) of Annapurna which is the 'in thing' in France this year. This group had flown Pakistan Airlines via Karachi leaving 3pm and arriving over 24 hours later.
A second couple had arranged the trek themselves hiring a guide in Kathmandu for 10$ a day of which the guide got 5$ the other half going to the agency. They had been out for 20 days including rest days at Manang and Gorepani and had spent 400r/day for three including food and lodging.
Zantabir asked for another 1000r presumably to buy bus tickets 140r per person but we only gave 500r. This means we have loaned 4500r of which he will repay 2160r in Kathmandu.
We set off walking partly on the new road the Chinese were building. Zantabir disappeared at the check point as usual and we waited at the top of a hill and noticed the officials were still eyeing us, they would be the first to ask us since we obviously had porters if we also had a guide. Two boys, one of whom spoke good English, showed us which of two paths led to Pokhara though porter Zantra pointed the other way, but the boys were so certain we followed their suggestion.
It was a beautiful path on high ground passed old settlements with no trekkers at all. Zantara eventually pursued us and asked us to turn right, slightly backwards to get to the village where Zantabir was waiting. We followed a long steep descent by the same type of stone staircase, so obviously this is not the traditional trekker route with zero tourists and we were continually greeted with great friendliness.
Finally crossed the river to Suichet but Zantabir was not there so Zantra wanted us to go back to an earlier village but Joan wanted to continue to Pokhara, so we parted thus setting up an unfortunately bad ending to our trek. We eventually came to the Tibetan camp Tashi Palkhel at Hyangia and stayed in a big three bed room for 50r, 35r for breakfast and 50r for dinner making 135r in all. The food was excellent and the Tibetan bread was brilliant.
Sat 28 October POKHARA
We walked to Pokhara along the new road accompanied by a Tibetan who as usual was bemoaning their lot, no land, no money seven children needing to find 50r/month for school at the age of six years. Not begging but asking us to buy goods from them the only was they could make money since work as natives was not permitted.
Zantabir caught us up from behind. He had been with Lalbadu last night, Zantara was somewhere else and we had been at the Tibetan Refuge. He called us a taxi having established we wanted to stay in a hotel in Pokhara. We eventually chose Snowland hotel on the lakeside. There was no bus seats free until Monday so we bought tickets but that meant spending two nights here, leaving us with just 500r and not knowing how to transfer more from the UK.
We lunched on large bread rolls and lovely bananas at 1.5r each, the nearest we could buy to those delicious discoveries in Tatopani. We had dinner in the hotel restaurant for 145r including a beer and cakes.
Sunday 29 October POKHARA to KATHMANDU
We awoke early and at Joan's suggestion we paid for the night at the hotel and at 6:30 we went to the bus station hoping for cancelled reservations, the man told us there were usually 4 unreserved seats and we could try for them but they would not know for sure until after the final pickup at the Central bus station were two now available. In fact there were two cancellations anyway so we got to Kathmandu a day earlier than expected.
We enjoyed the bus journey and noticed the decoration for a new festival all over the towns and buildings on route. There was lots of activity, threshing rice by hand with sometimes the whole family involved. It was threshed by striking a large handful at a time against a wood plank at 45 degrees to the vertical so that the grain ran down into a bowl, or in a refinement against a 400mm diameter rotating drum. The grain was collected for washing but the stalks were left behind.
Back at Nepal Peace Cottage we settled up with Zantabir and the hotel manager. Zantabir also agreed to go back to Pokhara to get our clothes including the heavy new Orkney sweater which I had bought specially on this holiday. Zantabir had unfortunately for some reason brought it all to our hotel Snowland at 4:30 yesterday and left it at reception thinking we would need them, unfortunately we left without being told. He brought them back the following morning having had to spend another day as well as no doubt the bus fare.
Amonst our unfinished business in Kathmandu we made a visit to Pashupatinath the famous temple open only to Himdus though we viewed it from the other side of the river. It is there that Hindus are cremated
I did not record how eventually I got more cash but presumably I did so via a bank using a Credit Card which allowed me to give tips to the two porters and to Santabir (the correct spelling of Zantabir I now learn from the record of his address at the end of my notebook his full contact details being
Santabir Tamang Shyam Bahaduri
c/o Himalayan Trekking Nepal Peace Cottage
Equipment House Chhetrapati
Thamel Dhalko
Kathmandu Kathmandu
Nepal Nepal
Both of them invited us to their homes, for us a chastening realisation of our wealth as middle class UK citizens. Santabir's one decoration hanging from the wall in his one bare living room was a Papoose Carrier a useless present sent from a Frenchman he had guided on a previous trip. We met his wife doing the washing by hand in a wash room in the basement shared with other inhabitants of the block.
We spent four nights in Nepal Peace Cottage at the end of our stay at the spending the remaining days exploring the town with little hassle as we were seen as experienced backpackers and making some purchases the last and most treasured of which is the wooden beautifully carved dinner plate sized tray which has precedence in our mementos with the moose which was carved for us in Pembroke Ontario Canada in 1959, the year of our marriage.
Probably 31 October DHULIKHEL
One of those last days we made a return bus trip to the town of Dhulikhel renowned as a place of place of retreat for rest and tranquility by various ex-patriots and aid workers living in Kathmandu. I have no notes but several photos which demonstrate its charm. We took lunch in a favorite restaurant sitting on the floor designed for luxurious Eastern style eating. It was a fine memory of fine, if not entirely comfortable experience.
If you go to Kathmandu spend some relax time in Dhulikhel.
We woke as usual to tea and a good breakfast to an absolutely clear blue sky though frosty as the sun did not reach our valley until 8:30.
The Nepalis went off up to the temple and vowed to stop smoking - we will see how long that resolution lasts. Maybe it was a sign of the times but at lunch Zantabir suggested we change some money because he hadn't enough. We said we had only a little left and that we still had to pay the hotel. He seemed to want to stretch the trek out to 20 days in order to gain an extra $100 for the two extra days. It will be such a pity if it ends in a wrangle over money because we have had such a happy time together.
Next day we met a Dutch couple of around our own age who had just walked through Thorung La. She in particular had found it very hard with headaches for three days whilst ascending and pains in the bottom of her chest making her feel sick on the final ascent. They concluded it was partly psychological as they felt better the moment they could see the top and realised that were going to make it. They had started on 13 October like us and had spent 2 days at 3600m to acclimatise. They emphasised the problems of cold starting as they did at 6am, because if not really strong it was necessary to rest and get cold, hence the importance of adequate clothing. They had started off back packing and then hired a porter since, which it had been 'like a holiday'. Strangely like us they had also walked in the Massif Central and recommended it strongly - they had camped each night at a different lake. More evidence we could have done it in the time as Zantabir had told me but said he was not so sure about Joan.
The walk back to near Kagbeni the cut oo a corner by heading straight back to Jomsom, pleasant to begin with but it soon became a slog once we turned west into the biting wind and the sun and had to walk over the pebbly river bed.
Strong sun in your face meant the only views were to be had when walking backwards. Those doing the Annapurna the conventional anti clockwise don't see the best of views on the route we were now revisiting. The best idea of the day was bus to Pokhara, walk Pokhara to Jomsom and the book a return flight to Pokhara at Jomsom airport, walk Jomsom, Kagbeni, Muktinath and back and fly back to Pokhara or direct to Kathmandu.
After Jomsom the walk was better being on the hillside but the observation about the direction of the sun stood.
 |
| LEAVING MUKTINATH |
 |
| SOUTH OF JOMSOM AGAIN |
It's surprising how a little luxury makes one forget about the way of life in mountain villages. Everything has to be carried up by man woman, today's loads were mainly planks of wood for trees do not grow at altitude. Dung was being dried on the roofs, presumably it will be burned in winter.
Four foot planks were carried vertically but longer ones were carried horizontally so passing traffic had to keep well clear, a safety hazard as they negotiate their way along narrow tracks close to a sheer hillside. We have seen very strongly built men struggling with large hardwood timbers presumably destined to be uprights in new buildings.
We again stayed in Morpha strange if he really has no money. This time at the Hotel Neeru which is full of life and is recommended as a good place to stop, the previous time we were the sole residents and it was cold. As I write we have just had hot showers and are still up at 7:40pm.
 |
| HOTEL NEERU, MORPHA |
Joan noticed the quaint method hay is teased and twisted into a thread which is formed into a six foot oval and then twisted again. All hand work in the gaining, threshing, serving, washing and drying of grain. It is quite common to see a lady tending cloth on a table (or floor) laid out with drying corn and moving the cloth to keep turning it over, probably while suckling a toddler.
Tonight the loads going through Morpha were huge wide loads of straw, yesterday in Kagbeni it was similar loads of hay.
The people are so good natured and naturally friendly with a fair distribution of work between the sexes. Men though not exclusively do the heavy carrying, women can be seen weaving, tending corn, looking after numerous Tea Houses, cooking and washing up.
Perhaps the most striking thing is the harmony between men and animals. Chickens run wild and eat the scraps from under the tables, cows wander the streets, dogs tend to lie around in part sun part shade - we have scarcely heard one bark and have seen no sign of aggressiveness.
The children play happily, often a small girl will be carrying a small baby on her back, the baby being suspended in a large shawl wrapped around her shoulders. As for simple games reminiscent of hard surfaced primary school play grounds of my youth. They set two or three walnuts in a circle and throw another walnut at them, there obviously being some form of scoring system. When I watched them they were almost always hit from about 5 ft. I doubt that I could be that accurate now but perhaps in my marble playing or cigarette picture throwing, or five stone days I could have matched them.
Thursday 24 October MORPHA to CHITRE
I took photo of the old part of Morpha, a part behind the current main street you would not have realised was there.
 |
| OLD MORPHA |
From Kalopani the road went back to the hill side and from there to Ghasa is probably the most spectacular section of this deep gorge.
 |
| KHALI GANDARKI AGAIN |
We went passed the sections of path which had fallen away into the ravine and made very poor progress getting to Kopchepani at 5:30pm.
 |
| A TRICKY SECTION WITH PATH WASHED AWAY |
Joan had walked superbly and had led throughout the day including the uphill sections. I was again troubled by my left knee/calf with a little strain in the left groin and so was glad when the full day's walking came to an end. This business of getting back quickly is becoming a chore and extra effort on the uphill sections is being resented. There are lots of nice villages, it would be worth spending a night in this area - for instance Ghasa which appeared to offer good lodging and good food (for instance we had noticed the Mexican food was common in Morpha).
Neither Joan or I slept well though she had been kept awake most of the night by a cold and sore throat. I found the only way I could get to sleep was by getting over cold with my head poking out of the tent. Joan thought there was a bear growling around the tent so I didn't realise the risk I had taken. In the morning she was convinced she had only heard the baying of local buffalo which were grazing nearby for all to see.
When we stopped for tea in Ghara we again remarked on the varied vegetation in the gardens, tamorillos, sugar cane, huge marrows, gherkins and ginger plants.
Wed 23 October 1989 CHITRE to TATOPANI
Setting off at 7:30 we reached Tatopani by 11:00am where we changed our last $100, a risk because it meant we would have to raise additional rupees in Kathmandu and weren't sure how that could be done.
The walk was pleasant enough though the path had collapsed in places, one or two spots being particularly difficult. The route was up and down over various hills but the net result was clearly downhill.
We have just had soup for lunch and are starting again at 11:30am I have just given Zantabir 1000r making 3000r in total extra, he will expect 48$ for the extra day, ie 1340r extra. I should record far more of the banking procedure in Tatopani. There were five men behind the counter in the small bank and we were the only customers, the manager was sitting and chatting out in the sunny front garden. For five minutes no-one offered to serve us until we decided to go and get a pen and thus force the issue. They produced a pen and the exercise of changing 100$ began involving all six employees and taking 25 to 30 minutes. What a contrast with the long hard days we had worked Christmas in schooldays on the local post. Some of the officials I seem to remember were shouldering rifles I seem to remember though that is not recorded, the long bank wait record was not broken until 2006 in western China!
The day's climb to Chitre 2300m by 5:30 was the hardest of the whole holiday, up and up seemingly endless staircases cut in the rock with little except a cup of tea to break the strain. Joan was not climbing well, maybe it's the height again. Luckily we again stayed in a Tea-house and had a good night's sleep after the owners had produced an excellent bowl of vegetable soup an fried rice with vegetables and soya.
Thursday 26 October BIRETHANTI
The day started with a two hour climb to Deurah (Ghorapani) a continuation of yesterdays slog. We did not climb well being lazy after yesterday's exertions and a huge French contingent - who else- soon left us well behind. We really enjoyed the gentle downhill through rhododendron forest and are now waiting for lunch on a small man made plateau overlooking the village of Bahunthanti. One group of trekking porters first entertained another French contingent and then turned to us at a restaurant with double ended bongos drum and pipes.
 |
| BIRETHANTI |
 |
| LALBADU AT BIRETHANTI |
 |
| PIPES at BIRETHANTI |
Friday 27 October TIBETAN REFUGE
We started with a breakfast of 'Tipton' (Tibetan) fried bread, jam and bananas. Then showing my fitness did the two hour climb to Chandrakot in 52 mins, Joan 20 minutes more. It was cool and I was overtaking everyone with ease my improved fitness clearly showing not least on my waistline having discovered my new Mountain Equipment trousers were now a loose fit! We are now sitting in a restaurant at Chandrakot drinking tea with a fine outlook over the valley to the west along which we walked yesterday.
A gentle walk to Kaanre for lunch passed the road now well into construction between Pokhara and Birethanti. For the first time I spoke French and found it very easy (this I guess was still in the days of Marie-France's tuition). It seems all the French are here to make the full circuit (round) of Annapurna which is the 'in thing' in France this year. This group had flown Pakistan Airlines via Karachi leaving 3pm and arriving over 24 hours later.
A second couple had arranged the trek themselves hiring a guide in Kathmandu for 10$ a day of which the guide got 5$ the other half going to the agency. They had been out for 20 days including rest days at Manang and Gorepani and had spent 400r/day for three including food and lodging.
Zantabir asked for another 1000r presumably to buy bus tickets 140r per person but we only gave 500r. This means we have loaned 4500r of which he will repay 2160r in Kathmandu.
We set off walking partly on the new road the Chinese were building. Zantabir disappeared at the check point as usual and we waited at the top of a hill and noticed the officials were still eyeing us, they would be the first to ask us since we obviously had porters if we also had a guide. Two boys, one of whom spoke good English, showed us which of two paths led to Pokhara though porter Zantra pointed the other way, but the boys were so certain we followed their suggestion.
It was a beautiful path on high ground passed old settlements with no trekkers at all. Zantara eventually pursued us and asked us to turn right, slightly backwards to get to the village where Zantabir was waiting. We followed a long steep descent by the same type of stone staircase, so obviously this is not the traditional trekker route with zero tourists and we were continually greeted with great friendliness.
Finally crossed the river to Suichet but Zantabir was not there so Zantra wanted us to go back to an earlier village but Joan wanted to continue to Pokhara, so we parted thus setting up an unfortunately bad ending to our trek. We eventually came to the Tibetan camp Tashi Palkhel at Hyangia and stayed in a big three bed room for 50r, 35r for breakfast and 50r for dinner making 135r in all. The food was excellent and the Tibetan bread was brilliant.
Sat 28 October POKHARA
We walked to Pokhara along the new road accompanied by a Tibetan who as usual was bemoaning their lot, no land, no money seven children needing to find 50r/month for school at the age of six years. Not begging but asking us to buy goods from them the only was they could make money since work as natives was not permitted.
Zantabir caught us up from behind. He had been with Lalbadu last night, Zantara was somewhere else and we had been at the Tibetan Refuge. He called us a taxi having established we wanted to stay in a hotel in Pokhara. We eventually chose Snowland hotel on the lakeside. There was no bus seats free until Monday so we bought tickets but that meant spending two nights here, leaving us with just 500r and not knowing how to transfer more from the UK.
We lunched on large bread rolls and lovely bananas at 1.5r each, the nearest we could buy to those delicious discoveries in Tatopani. We had dinner in the hotel restaurant for 145r including a beer and cakes.
Sunday 29 October POKHARA to KATHMANDU
We awoke early and at Joan's suggestion we paid for the night at the hotel and at 6:30 we went to the bus station hoping for cancelled reservations, the man told us there were usually 4 unreserved seats and we could try for them but they would not know for sure until after the final pickup at the Central bus station were two now available. In fact there were two cancellations anyway so we got to Kathmandu a day earlier than expected.
We enjoyed the bus journey and noticed the decoration for a new festival all over the towns and buildings on route. There was lots of activity, threshing rice by hand with sometimes the whole family involved. It was threshed by striking a large handful at a time against a wood plank at 45 degrees to the vertical so that the grain ran down into a bowl, or in a refinement against a 400mm diameter rotating drum. The grain was collected for washing but the stalks were left behind.
Back at Nepal Peace Cottage we settled up with Zantabir and the hotel manager. Zantabir also agreed to go back to Pokhara to get our clothes including the heavy new Orkney sweater which I had bought specially on this holiday. Zantabir had unfortunately for some reason brought it all to our hotel Snowland at 4:30 yesterday and left it at reception thinking we would need them, unfortunately we left without being told. He brought them back the following morning having had to spend another day as well as no doubt the bus fare.
Amonst our unfinished business in Kathmandu we made a visit to Pashupatinath the famous temple open only to Himdus though we viewed it from the other side of the river. It is there that Hindus are cremated
 |
| PASHUPATINATH. KATHMANDU |
Santabir Tamang Shyam Bahaduri
c/o Himalayan Trekking Nepal Peace Cottage
Equipment House Chhetrapati
Thamel Dhalko
Kathmandu Kathmandu
Nepal Nepal
Both of them invited us to their homes, for us a chastening realisation of our wealth as middle class UK citizens. Santabir's one decoration hanging from the wall in his one bare living room was a Papoose Carrier a useless present sent from a Frenchman he had guided on a previous trip. We met his wife doing the washing by hand in a wash room in the basement shared with other inhabitants of the block.
We spent four nights in Nepal Peace Cottage at the end of our stay at the spending the remaining days exploring the town with little hassle as we were seen as experienced backpackers and making some purchases the last and most treasured of which is the wooden beautifully carved dinner plate sized tray which has precedence in our mementos with the moose which was carved for us in Pembroke Ontario Canada in 1959, the year of our marriage.
Probably 31 October DHULIKHEL
One of those last days we made a return bus trip to the town of Dhulikhel renowned as a place of place of retreat for rest and tranquility by various ex-patriots and aid workers living in Kathmandu. I have no notes but several photos which demonstrate its charm. We took lunch in a favorite restaurant sitting on the floor designed for luxurious Eastern style eating. It was a fine memory of fine, if not entirely comfortable experience.
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| GRAIN LAID OUT TO DRY, DUHLIKHEL |
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| GRAIN LAID OUT TO DRY, DUHLIKHEL |
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| GRAIN LAID OUT TO DRY, DUHLIKHEL |
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| VIEW from DHULIKHEL |
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