Blogs from Annapurna Circuit, Annapurna, Nepal, Asia - page 9

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

Rise and shine in the dark - it's 0350. Pack up last few items; having slept in my clothes there's not too much to stuff in. Apparel du jour - long johns, 2 x socks, trek pants, wool singlet, wool long sleeve thermal, wool 360 degree Kathmandu top, down jacket, fleece hat, scarf, gloves, headlamp (all matching- gotta think of the photos!). Nervous but excited, choke down some breaky and off we go. It is so exciting heading up the hill in the dark, the headlight beams criss cross the path ahead and behind me. I am concentrating on the boots in front of me illuminated by torchlight. The wind is up and it is really cold (but exciting). Trudging forward we stop intermittently for everyone to catch up, the sky changes and that pre-dawn colour ... read more

Desayuno a las 8am, ya me sentía mucho mejor. Caminamos un rato por el pueblo y fuimos a un monasterio budista en donde pudimos presenciar parte de una ceremonia que hacen cuando alguien muere, fue muy bonita, estaban sólo los monjes y el señor que había solicitado la ceremonia y nos invitaron a sentarnos dentro del lugar donde hacían la ceremonia (en donde oran y tienen el altar) y hasta nos dieron té tibetano (té + leche + sal + mantequilla), un poquito difícil de tragar aunque el sabor no era del todo desagradable. A medio día agarramos un minibús a Ghasa, nos tocaron los asientos del final y como la vía es una precaria carretera de tierra nos pasamos las 3 horas que duró el viaje brincando todo, corrijo: TODO, el tiempo, que si no ... read more