see Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri, and Machhapuchhne. The sun came up right behind Machhapuchhne, also known as the Fish Tail Peak. There were over 100 people there this morning. It could have been better, but then again it could have been worse.
We walked back down. It was about 6:30 so we went back to bed for a few hours. I couldn't sleep because the wind was blowing all the doors open and shut and there were a bunch of kids running around. It felt good just to lie their and relax.
We got on the trail about 9:30. We knew we weren't going to hike too far or long today. The walk was good. It was in the forest with lots of rhododendron trees. They were trees not bushes and they were very large. Some were still in bloom, but most of them have past.
We stopped in Deurali, where they had a bunch of tables with souveniers. We spent about 45 minutes looking and bargaining for things.
We continued on and got to Tadapani about 2:30. The places we had to chose from weren't the best. I keep telling myself it is only one night.
It is raining now. Lucky we are inside now. Nar says we will probably be hitting snow on our way to the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is where the base camp for Annapurna is. It should take us about four days from here to get to the base camp.
Sometimes it may seem like I am not enjoying myself and sometimes I'm not. Especially when I feel sick. I have been feeling good and I know I can deal with some of the not so nice places. The scenery has been great. Sometimes it doesn't look real. It looks like it is just a large mural.
Today we didn't pass any horse trains or many people for that matter. Most days we see the village people walking from village to village carrying baskets full of stuff on their backs, or school kids going to school. We went through very few villages today. At one village, Banthanti the woman pointed up to the cliffs. We saw over 10 long tailed grey langurs which are a kind of monkey. It was neat to see them all moving along the cliffs. I told Laurie that I felt I was in a Tarzan movie. We have the natives carrying our stuff, singing, speaking different languages, walking in the jungle and seeing monkeys.
May 8, 2003 Nepal
Today was another fairly easy and pleasant day. We got to Chomrong a bit earlier than I expected. I think it was a little after 11:00. We only hiked for about four hours. The only thing about getting in early is trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the day. We had lunch, took a walk in the village, and showered. The village is bigger and nicer than some of the others. There are a lot of teahouses. We are at the Himalayan View. We had some good views when we first got there, but it has now turned dark, foggy, and windy. We are lucky for the good views in the morning. We are getting so close to the large mountains. In three days we should be at Annapurna Base Camp.
In 1982 Chomrong has its first microhydro electricity supply installed. It has been updated since then and electricity should reach 65 households and 16 lodges. The charges are 1.50 rupees per watt per month capacity So it is charged by the capacity and not the usage. This is suppose to encourage the villages to use low wattage fluorescent bulbs. For cooking there is only enough power for low wattage rice cookers.
Chomrong is the start of the Santuary. There are to be no wood fires in the Santuary. I also saw a sign that banned mineral water being sold. The reason being people just toss them when they are done.
It is said that we have to be careful with the Sanctuary due to avalanche risk. Spring time to the end of April is the highest risk for avalanches. I hope that the weather cooperates and that we will be fine.
There are a couple of things I forgot to mention. While we were hiking we heard singing and music and there were a lot of people gathered. Nar said it is a wedding. We didn't walk right by it, the trail was above the village. Nar said the celebration goes on for five days. So when we went into Chomrong, a lot of people weren't in the village because they were at the celebation.
Also, while hiking a girl was stopped and we said hello. She noticed my Pioneer Valley Hiking Club
t-shirt, so she asked where I was from. When I told her Massachusetts, she told me she graduated from Mount Holyoke College which is right near me. I mentioned to Laurie that the only Americans that we have seen are women. The day before we met two women from America.
May 9, 2003
Today was another short day. I feel like I am getting lazy. We hiked for about four hours. The hike started down all the way to the bottom of the valley and then all the way to the other side. We only gained about three hundred feet. In the next two days we have to gain 3,000 feet each day. That will bring us to Annapurna Base Camp at 13,220 feet. We shouldn't have a problem with the altitude because we should already be acclimatized to it.
Early this morning I heard a bunch of people talking loud. Nar thought they were all going to the wedding that we saw yesterday.
I saw four girls going to school. They stopped and asked me questions. Three were 11 and one was 8. One girl spoke English well. They had to climb all the way down and then all the way up the hill that we came from. It probably takes about an hour and a half. That is why school starts so late.
We stopped at a teahouse and I met two more American girls. They just finished the Peace Corps. I mentioned that I have only met women from the Peace Corp. They told me about 70% of the people are women. At first I was surprised at that and then it just reinforced that more women than men are the givers of the world.
May 10, 2003
Another short day. The walk was a nice one. We gained 3000 feet, but it was gradual. We are now at 10,597 feet. I started with my fleece, but it wasn't long before I took it off. The mornings and after-
