An enjoyable time has been spent with Lost Johnny over the Christmas period. Despite some confusion on his part on when he was due in to Pokhara, we successfully met up at the Hotel Tropicana and spent the afternoon in hazy discourse. Time is of the essence as LJ calculates we have 3 days on the trail before he has to make his way back to work in Hong Kong. Fortunately the Annapurna Park permit office was open on Christmas Day and we soon hit the Ghorepani trail.
LJ rightly boasts about completing the Annapurna Circuit in less than 8 days, a trail that reputedly takes 21 days. I am a little anxious that I´m going to quickly fall behind, especially as the trail is all uphill. This is clearly unfounded as we both huff and puff up the trail. The weather remains overcast.
LJ has certainly come prepared, and his experimentation with a wide variety of pharmaceutical products is clearly bearing fruit. He provides us with green capsules to assist our progress. We enjoy a dal bhat and mashed potatoes with cheese for Christmas Lunch before continuing up to Sudarne where we hole up for the night. LJ bravely ploughs into another dal bhat.
Next morning we head on up about 8am. The path is very steep in parts and after lunch, rain further disrupts the pace as the stones on the path become more slippery. Despite the weather and pain, it is a really worthwhile experience tramping through the Nepali countryside. Rather than continue to Ghorepani (and Poon Hill look-out point) a place we have both been to before, we opt to end the day in Nangge Thanti. It´s very cold and we know we have to repeat our trail in reverse to get back to Pokhara by tomorrow. LJ can´t get enough dal bhat which he eats with vigour. It´s too cold to stay up so we head to bed early. We both sleep erratically. LJ is not looking good, his face is rather crumpled and face very ashen. We take the remainder of the green capsules and head down the trail stopping at some of our favourite break points on our assent. Cheese is expensive in Mcleod Ganj so I buy a kilo of delicious yak cheese for US$10. Rain is falling sporadically and legs are feeling the sharp impact of rock underfoot. I lose my footing three times, but the worse that happens is I graze my hand. We miraculously get lost from the main trail, which results in fording the same river twice. I was reticent to spend GBP120 on North Face Gore-Tex boots in the summer, but they have been worth every penny.
We are close to trail-head at Birethanti when LJ informs me he feels sick and heads into an alley between two houses where he proceeds to vomit vociferously. We head out of the village rather sheepishly. With good fortune there is a bus waiting at the trail-head in Nayapul that takes us back at nightfall to Pokhara. I sleep like a baby. We have recognisable Chinese food at Lua Hua´s (my first duck in six months) and LJ heads to a pharmacist for a wide selection of colourful pills to cure his ailments.
It transpires that LJ´s flight leaves a day later, so we have a day in Pokhara to hang out. It is also the first day of the Street Fair celebrations and a large parade led by an elephant passes through Lakeside. LJ is still on the frail side and waiting for the flagyl and friends to take effect. There are CD shops, Internet places, cafes and restaurants aplenty – indeed a mini-Thamel (Kathmandu). Between us we have four really sore and aching legs.
I´m insistent that LJ takes me to Bistro Caroline for our last night together. This swanky restaurant would not be out of place in Mid-Levels, Hong Kong with the bill totalling less than US$30. Unfortunately it stays in LJ´s body for less than 20 minutes. We stay up late and he heads off back to Kathmandu for an early flight this morning.
My legs are still in pain, but I thought i´d do a solo hike into the Annapurna Santuary. A 10 - 12 day hike into glaciers seems too good an opportunity to miss.
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