Annapurna Circuit (Besisahar/Manang)

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14/11/09

With the communist party, the Maoist on strike yesterday, many road had been block, by 5pm, a lot of road junctions in the old town had traffic accident, but obviously it was manually made by men, every small street were jammed with people and cars, what a sight, think there would be more trouble and inconvenience in the capital, so after 3 days of rest in Kathmandu I better started my Annapurna trek today. Of course I had registered another TIMS card and brough the park ticket, 2000 rupee. And this time I recruited a pair of gloves into my backpack. MicroBus from Kathmandu to Besisahar was plenty, from 06:00 to 14:00,"every 20 mins" said the man in the ticket booth. But still...bus departed on schedule but stop just right outside the bus park waiting for more passenger, we finally rolled off at 9 with this 8am bus. This was the main east west highway in Nepal between Katmandu and Porkhara, but it was rather narrow and with many curves, we descent to lower altitude and mostly travelled at 500m sea level, no wondered I was sweating! From Dumre we turned right uphill to Besisahar(@760m) direction, together with lunch break and many unnecessary stops, we arrived at 15:30. The town was built on both sides of a long street. At the end was the local bus park on the bottom of the slope. I looked around checking room rate, unexpectedly it was standard 200/common room, but I had been told many times it was cheaper here than the EBC! One of my friend had mention his first visited here by the 1980, said you didn't need to pay for lodging, you paid for the food where you stay. Think I should just walked further on the trail. Down to the bus park they told me bus to Khudi cost 150/person,"very difficult road", but still...it wouldn't be 150 rupee for 7km on a bus, so I decided to walked as the mentioned of difficult road, it wouldn't be comfortable for my butt I guess. It was a dirt track with some traffic whirling up occasional dust. Same like the scene on the bus trip here, the golden colour of the rice fields waiting to be harvest, this was always a happy sight. A little more than an hour I reached Khudi(@790m), I was thinking about kept going until Bhulbhule when a man approached "I will suggest you stay here instead of go further" he said, with some more reason like a mountain view where I saw a snow cap mountain followed his finger pointed, yes, the Manaslu 8163m and the Himal Chuli 7893m, then a waterfall when he swing his arm 15 mins to the north, yes...kind of small white line hanging in the middle of the mountain in a far distant, "there was only 2 lodges here, and there is one belong to me" he said and asked to come with him. Why not as I didn't really feel like walking further and he seem kind of gentle. Simple thatch hut like those in Thailand but look ok for a 100 rupee and spent my first Annapurna circuit night in Khudi. The village was actually further up the road and on the other side of the river, connected by 2 old hanging bridges and one solid steel bridge. It was a mixed ethnic village, "we have Newar, Tamang, Gurung..." the lodge owner told me. The family was nice and I took the chance to learned some Nepalese before my dal bhat dinner.

Note
Bus Kathmandu to Besisahar 300 rupee,depart from the New bus park.

15/11/09

Since yesterday the trail was followed the Marsyangdi river, sometimes on the left bank and sometimes on the right. The sky was clouded, grey...Probably not in a good mood! "it was like this since 3 days," the locals said, but at least it wouldn't rain they added. Road had been penetrated into the mountain, on the left bank of the Marsyangdi river seem even deeper, actually you could came by bus to Bhulbhule, right at the entrance of the ticket checking counter. And I could see the road leading up more further as I walked along the trail, locals was moving rocks from the hillside, rolled it down from above which created tremendous noise like explosion, dust misted the valley, actually I heard dynamite explosions this morning too, it was so familiar, just like what they did in Yuangyang. Just outside Bhulbhule I was attracted by a sign, "organic coffee bean, Italian style coffee", while my head was still chewing the words, my feet had already switched to reverse gear, I actually walking back to that little Waterfall Guesthouse, as it was just in front of a small waterfall. When was the last time I had a real coffee beside Nestle? So I ordered one and the young owner actually got the little metal coffee kettle which I had used when in Europe, it brewed good coffee I knew! I arrived Bahundanda(@1300m) before noon, it was a sleep over place assigned in many guidebook, but it was just too early to stopped, so I made my lunch break there. Bahundanda was situated at a small hilltop offered great view to the valley below, some of the lines formation from the rice terraces was very pretty. Carried on the walked I crossed many landslide sites today, trail had to re-routed, local families took the chances to collected tree trunks in between the debris that was rolling down from the mountain. Seem like the road aiming it arrow at Manang as the destination, my friend...visit the Annapurna the sooner the better!
There was so many mosquitoes last night in the GH, and I was glad to moving up more higher today, the scene was rather pretty especially between Ngadi to Gharmu, many rice terraces, and with harvesting, the patterns changed with their work, its gave out different colour tones within the landscape. I was planned to stop the night at Syange as the local said it was by the waterfall, but once I got there, it was like a construction site as the road work was underway, but the small village by the hanging bridge had an old-time atmosphere though, but still...I speed off, working through rubble and climbing up to the unfinished road then I saw Jagat stood on the col, almost 4:30pm, think I will stop there tonight. Jagat(@1300m) was small with only a through street but full of guesthouses, and one offered a room for 50 rupee I took it. Even could grasped a free not-cold water shower from the solar heated water-work, as there wasn't much sun today.

Note
Bus from Besisahar to Khudi 150 rupee,and to Bhulbhule 200 rupee.

16/11/09

Again...trekked along the Marsyangdi river, actually looked at the map, I will go up stream along it until Manang. And today walked was mostly on the road work path, still a lot of landslide sites and trail had to re-routed all the time, in some point the temporary path became rather steep and narrow on the cliff, quite danger while they kept rolled the rocks out from the hillside, and you got to aware of the situation most of the time. Many times I walked passed small village I could noticed the quietness and most of the houses or lodge were closed, guess the locals all joined into the army of road building!
The trail mostly blocked by 2 straight wall of mountain on both sides, you only seen a piece of narrow sky, and it was grey all day! Not much great scenery today, but the Lonely Planet's writers would be satisfied here as there were many waterfall along the route. got some better scene later while approaching Tal@(@1700m), the village stood right by the river, and here the Marsyangdi showed her gentle side with flat sand bay and smooth water flow, and it made a good setting with the snow mountain on the background. Arrived Bagarchhap(@2100m) before 2pm, most of the village had been washed away by a landslide at 1995, and you could still see some debris around this Tibetan village, still early, so I kept on further, planning to stop at Timang as it seem like only 2 hours away, but while in Danakyu(@2300m) when I heard the 50 rupee offered for a room, "hot water shower, free!" the young man added. I checked the room and it was actually rather new with power socket inside. OK then...almost 3 o'clock and I guess I should break after 8 hours walked. Later find out the shower really got hot water, and I also got the Manaslu(@8163m) out on my front window and the Lamjung Himal(@6983m) on my back.
So far I didn't see many tourists on this trail, no more than 20/day, far more less than I had expected. And many were actually walked from Muktinath direction. Since after Syange I began to see donkey troop and some porters, but they mostly carried stuffs for the community, not for tourist. But one strange thing was many porters carried cage of chicken, rooster they were, I wondered why they didn't took hen into the mountain as hen could lay egg! Or maybe there were many hens up there and they needed cock for mating???!!!

Note
Tourist check post shortly before Bargachhap.

17/11/09

Sky was still clouded but there was sign of little blue, still...the Manaslu wouldn't showed her face untill after 8, and the sunlight wasn't at the right place, or the mountain wasn't at the right place, or...I think because I wasn't at the right place would be more precise! . I planned for a long walk today so I hit the road by 7am. Quicken my pace as there wasn't much scene under the grey sky, the climbing up to Timang made a good wake-up call for my morning spirit, Timang actually had couple of standard lodge with great view to the Manaslu, and once left Timang you would say goodbye to the Manaslu and heading into the Annapurna region. The trail became easiler with not to much up and down, approaching Koto was the junction to Kyupa which leading up the Naar Phu Trek, this trail once was the main trading route into Tibet, but now with the road connected in Kodari, this trail now only for the use of trekkers. And at the Junctions was another tourist check post, showed your ticket before entered Chame(@2700m). "short of cash? Now you can get more here with your credit card!" that was the first sign I noticed when approached Chame, then another one said "now we had internet here", so...I had the picture before I even seen the village, it was actually quite nice and tidy with many guesthouses, shops and 2 banks. Out of Chame the trail began ascend gradually or...should I called it the road? As most of the trail was wide enough for 2 cars, I think the road ground work had been done for every villages in the circuit, only those section in between villages, that was what they were working at now. Still not much scene with the weather like this, sometimes its even released a few rain drops. Only when through the Swargadwart bridge area the landscape cheered me up a little with the trail cut out from the hillside. so far along the trail I saw many logging going on, with the road completed one day, I didn't want to go too further with my thought. Anyways... I was sure there wouldn't be much trees left for cut, at least by the road level as there wasn't much left even now! Approached Pisang the scene became barren but the trail began more like a trail. After couple of lodges the trail split and I took the right one crossed the river up to upper Pisang(@3400m) where I would stay the night. A local Tibetan young man suggested me the Yak & Yeti when I asked for local lodge. I went there and it was just fine, (but you really need to blocked your nose with their blankets), although there were 2 more lodges up higher occupied better view point, but I like this family style run by old couple. Upper Pisang was an old Tibetan village, all the houses were built with stone. There was a 120 years old monastery above the village where you could see the sunrise.

18/11/09

Finally the blue sky appeared and I could see the Annapurna II towering in front, although the light wasn't perfect this morning, but I was satisfied. Took the high road to Manang as it gave better view, after 30 mins the trail began a steep ascend up to Ghyaru village(@3670m), and with the sun more high up, the view became clearer, looking back at the strange appearance of the blackish Swargadwari, just like the skate board training ground that curved up horizontally, and with the top part covered by snow. Then next to the Annapurna II(@7937m) is the Annapurna IV(@7525m) towering over the brownish Longyo Danda(@5265m), and the Tilicho further in the far distant, and behind the trail was the Pisang Peak(@6091m)now could clearly seen. 3 hours later I was in Ngawal village, same like the Ghyaru, here lived the Manage people with the same religion like the tibetan. Houses were all built in stone, both villages up here had their own monastery. the trail went down and joined with the lower path on the right bank of the Marsyangdi, and Bhraka(@3360m) wasn't too far away, the surrounding mountain was full of erosion and created many plaited surfaces, together with the stone-age Bhraka village, it would be perfect for movie set. From Bhraka to Manang needed no more than 30 mins. Manang(@3540m)said to be the biggest village in the Annapurna region lived more than 5000 people, the old Manang was further up the road cleared away from the tourist area. The town was tidy with a broad street, many lodges and local canteens. The surrounding area offered many day trek for people spending the acclimatised day.
The first part of Annapurna circuit walk until now wasn't that difficult as I'd expected, and the scene also not that great as I'd expected so far, only after Pisang there offered more scenic sight. Expense so far, room rate tended to be standard 200 rupee for started, but mostly I could get the room for 100 or even just 50 rupee. Milk tea would be 30 to 50/cup, and dal bhat cost 250 to 350. And the worse was even the local canteen charged the same as the guesthouse, seem like they had an agreement about the price. Yeah...I could hear it..."you got nowhere to go, cheapie!

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