another side of Nepal

Asia » Nepal » Annapurna
September 25th 2005

Published: September 28th 2005

I've just returned from a fast round of the Annapurna Circuit. It is an amazing hike around a series of high mountain peaks. In good weather it would be simply mind-blowing. As it was, even with the romantic, cloudy, misty weather, it was lovelier than I can describe. But i'll try. The Annapurnas are a range of mountains which come near to the Tibetan border and which bring you right to the r... Read Full Entry

Photos are below

Photos: 68, Displayed: 21

manang flowers

manang window

photo montage

In the teahouse which I frequented, I found these fascinating collages of family photos, postcards, tourism photos, and shots of Indian pop stars!

Many hikers take a day in the town of Manang, to acclimatise or rest. From the town there are enough distractions to keep one busy for a day. Simply sitting near the river and gazing is enough. A glacial run-off pours down behind Manang, feeding a turquoise lake. And just beside it, trails lead far up another mountain where, at the first upper ridge, Bhuddist chortens and prayer flags further show the Tibetan influence in the area. I continued from this ridge up another trail which eventually led to a small hermitage settlement. Just arriving at the plateau of the settlement I heard a singing. This rather grizzled older man sung as he churned butter, and eventually I realized he was singing the number of churns. Upon reaching 1000, he replaced the lid and waved me inside his stone cave.

hermitage

tea man

So after drinking butter tea in his hermitage, and after admiring (as I always do) the simple surroundings, smoke covered as they were, I had this idea that he was in retreat. In retrospect, the pile of cigarette butts and fact that he smoked more than his fire should have tipped me off that he was perhaps not the most devoted Buddhist. At any rate, I learned this later that evening as he found me in a tea shop and said an enthusiastic and alcohol-breathed hello. Still, it was nice.

upper manang

contrast

twix

Dokpa is a very kind man in a lodge just before the Thorong La pass. Of the Gurung tribe, his real name is a Nepali one but he's taken the Tibetan name because of his Tibetan ethnicity and interest in Tibet. He slipped me a Twix bar the morning I went up the pass, a very welcome energy source!