another side of Nepal

mes beaux

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Two charming French lads I accosted on Day 1, joining them off and on during the hike around the Annapurnas. Resourceful and funny, they were welcome additions to a great hike.

the mysterious buckwheat

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For a long time, my hiking companions and I wondered what was this prolific pink-red plant. I never supposed it was buckwheat but it is. So now i know.

Marpha

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After the effort of Thorong La, and the winds between Muktinath and Marpha, a day of leisure around Marpha was very welcome. From behind the messy network of alleys, trails lead up the mountains. Heading towards old Marpha, I mistakenly went too high (hard to stop) and finished looking down upon old Marpha. Marvelling at the views of bush-covered and snow-capped mountains all around, a large eagle glided close over my head, its massive wingspan simply awesome.

apple pics

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The Marpha region is well abundant with fruit trees, mainly apples. I visited the Temperate Horticulture Development Center, aka Marpha Farm, to admire the 42 or so varieties of apple trees. The director there told me a little about the farmers and technicians, all local, who work there. It was a project begun with the help of foreign expertise but passed on to Nepali management. They are still consulting with foreign experts about going completely organic, as the farm now still uses pesticides to combat various pests. The many apples are transported around Nepal as well as exported to India. The farm also grows 7 or so different vegetables. Hence, the Marpha region has some of the best food along the trail, and certainly the most apple dessert and drink creations.

convincing charmer

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Just outside of Marpha, a Tibetan settlement supports 190 people who live in tidy stone houses. A school teacher told that their main problem is a result of low tourism, on which they depend to sell their wares. Later, after trying some strong Tibetan "beer" again just to be sure i still didn't like it, I gave in to the tea-shop owner's suggestions that i buy something. He sold me some metal rings and charms, at a total of about $10, probably much more than they cost but still so little for me, so much for him.

porters pack

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Look carefully at the size of the backspace compared to the entire load. Despite scientific explanations of Nepalis physiology, it remains baffling the amount porters can support.