Friday 30th March - day 4 trekking

Tadapani - Nayapul 2670m - 1070m 16km

We woke at 6am to the sound of Abilas's voice calling for Luke! I opened the door and he damanded we get out of bed and come look at the view. We got dressed, shivering, and went outside to meet Abilas. He brought us up a hill nearby. We climbed to the top (more steps) then turned around....there was Annapourna once again, lighting up with the rising sun.

Epic

My belly has been bad since our second day here in Nepal, but I feel particullarly "crap" this morning! I'm sitting in bed at the moment until I feel a bit better then we're setting off for Ghandruk.



Our room in the tea house..really reminded us of Luke's Granny's old cottage

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So we just arrived back in Pokhara! Returned our camping gear a day early and argued until we got back the extra day we had paid for! Sitting in a restaurant now, stinkiy, tired and waiting for food!

We were supposed to split today into two parts but once we started walking we didn't stop! The day was beautiful and peaceful as we made our way down hill. Arriving in Ghandruk was like something from a film. Beautiful village built right on the side of the mountain with a perfect view of Annapourna.

AMAZING forest...could be at home :)

The further we descended however, the more mundane the walk became- no mountains, no forest, direct sunlight, steeply declining rocks and dusty dirt roads.

We started to think we should have broken it into two days but it was too late now!! However, we didn't have it as bad as some people...

porters carrying gear uphill



son carrying his father who was shouting "I am the Lord Buddah!!!!!"

We put our heads down and continued walking and at 4pm we arrived in Nayapul....happy days!!! It wasn't until later that I realised we has walked 16km in total that day...and it bloody felt like we had too!

We climbed through the village up onto the road and there was a bus to Pokhara waiting, it seemed too good to be true. Sort of was, it was the scariest bus jounrey yet! The driver was doing about 60mph, thundering down dusty roads on the cliff face. He hit four different bumps that actually made us raise from our seats - like something you'd see in a cartoon! I hit my jaw off Luke's shoulder one of the times and it bloody hurt!

I was pretty sure we were going to become a statistic.

But thankfully, we made it back in perfect condition! We're going to buy a bottle of whiskey now and have a well deserved drink to soothe our aching muscles!!!!!!

Trekking was amazing but we are tired!

Thursday 29th March - Day 3 Trekking...part2!

Ghoropani - Tadapani 2750m - 2670m

So we trekked back down from Poon Hill, had breakfast and then left for Tadapani with Abilas. Another seven hours trekking. The first hour was really tough up hill. This time it felt different though, there we breaks every few hundred meters and everyone sat around together taking their time, there was no rush and there was a really good buzz around. Poon Hill energy I do believe!

                         

As we were climbing up, you turn around every so often and BAM! Annapourna is proudly standing in front of us again. Epic.

After this hour it was mostly downhill through beautiful forest. The Rhododendron trees have blossomed just this month and they are scattered everywhere, brightening up the landscape and dispersing their beautiful scent throughout the air. The forest walk was really beautiful and again, felt quite like home.

Abilas taking a break with his ridiculous load

I knew the downhill was too good to be true and sure enough, the final two hours were uphill once more. I never thought Tadapani would appear! But alas, we scaled another steep set of steps, turned a bend, and hallelujah! Prayer flags dancing in the distance...we had reached Tadapani!!!!

It had been raining for about an hour at this stage , for the first time since we got to Nepal. We found a tea house and lay down on our beds..completely numb! We were SO cold last night. We forgot to pack our sleeping bags and the tea houses just provide a single sheet over the mattress so we had been using them and our puffa jackets as blankets. Freezing! I chanced asking for a blanket in this place and we were given two heavy duvets...oh happy day!! Why had we not asked sooner!!!!

We had dinner with Abilas and spent the evening walking around the village listening to India pop songs on his phone. He is such a great guy. Just turned 20 and he's doing this to pay his college fees in Kathmandu. Luke and myself have sort of adopted him as a little brother.

Before we said goodnight we gave him a little piece of paper with our contact details on and and a small amount of money for him to put into his savings. I swear if I was a wealthier person there on holiday I would have become his sponsor.

Abilas :)

He went off to bed and Luke and myself went back to the dining room and sat by the wood burning stove. We thought a Nepalis guy how to play switch so we sat playing with him for a while, he beat us at almost every game!!!!

Had a great night sleep for the first time since leaving :)