Blogs from Annapurna Circuit, Annapurna, Nepal, Asia - page 4

My Tsampa porridge was very watery this morning and the apples in it didn’t taste too good at all, after yesterdays bad experience I really was not really looking forward to today. Starting the day with bad porridge was exactly what I didn’t need! I was however feeling much livelier today after 15+ hour+ sleep! The first 1 ½ hours of the walk were not promising at all, even at this early time I could feel the wind starting to howl and once again we were following a boring dry, dusty rived bed. Would there be no mercy for me? Well fortunately yes there would be. About 3 hours into the journey we arrived into a small village called Larjung, at this point the scenery instantly changed for the better, once again I saw the beautiful ... read more

After far too few hours sleep I woke up and frantically finished packing my bags all the while thinking why on earth did I leave this rather important task until moments before I was due to depart for my trek. My guide turned up at the hotel 30 mins early which left me with even less time to pack and to say goodbye to Sonia, who was by now the only other remaining Dragomite. I said a sad and rather rushed goodbye to Sonia before jumping in the Toyota Hiace that would transport me to foothills of the Annapurnas and the start point of my 20 day trek around the range. On the way out of the city we picked up a very nice English couple from Yorkshire who were trekking the same route but were ... read more

After a fabulous sleep I start the day with a local speciality, Tsampa porridge. Made from barley, sugar, water and a little milk it is brown in colour and thick and smooth in texture. When it is placed in front of me I think good god what have I done, this large bowl of thick, brown gunk does not appear to have been a good choice. However, on further inspection things start to look up. It smells good, a little like peanut butter and it’s cement like texture is somehow reassuring. When I come to finally tasting it I realise that my initial fears were misplaced, it tastes good, really good in fact! Sweet, a little nutty, thick yet perfectly smooth, it makes for a very satisfying breakfast and blows boring oat porridge well out of ... read more

I have already trekked for 10 days and have returned to civilization. I have had my massage and my pedicure to recover from what was one of the most beautiful and relaxing yet most physically challenging treks I’ve ever undertaken. The trek started from a familiar place, Pokhara where I’d already been with my first trip from Delhi to Kathmandu. It was another opportunity to see the spectacular views of the Himalayan chain of mountains to the north. I was already quite familiar with all of the really good restaurants (meaning places that served juicy steaks) and great free Wi-Fi cafes that made wicked macchiatos. The trek actually began with a short flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara. From Pokhara we drove to our starting point at Nayapul. The drive was so beautiful and serene as we ... read more

So, today we begin in the usual manner- 2 porridge and 1 apple pancake for 3. We say goodbye to our best Bavarian friends (actually our only Bavarian friends) and Kushang Sherpa. It is a constant in travel, I think, that friendships are accelerated because you have such a limited time to develop them, I hope we meet Dani and Michael again one day- who knows maybe on a Langtang Trek, maybe Europe, maybe even Perth (maybe not Perth- it is very far away from the rest of the world)? Mary, Stephane, Dhana and I decide to spend a couple of hours exploring Kagbeni, we weave through the ancient streets, under buildings and through backyards. Lots of little cows, chooks and dogs. The air is still this morning. I really love the feel of the place, ... read more