We started off from the tiny village of Naya Pul where we entered the Annapurna National Park through a series of rope bridges over a river. The trail was fairly flat all day and pleasant. We were followed by a large wedding party (for the groom) with a band with drums and obnoxious horn section who apparently can only play one chord and one song the whole time they were following us. After a short break by a waterfall we took off again this time with a series of stone steps and always heading uphill.
This was probably the toughest day and the most I’ve ever pushed myself physically (suck it P90X) after breakfast we set out, and what was first a nice jungle walk turned into a steep climb of 3000 (yes THOUSAND) steps and an elevation lift of about 1100 meters. We decided to take it as easy as possible but the steps were relentless and I could not feel my legs during lunch. After lunch we took another jungle trail which was mostly flat and a nice alternative to the hell that we had taken all morning. But before Gorepani we had to push ourselves one last time. The rest of the group had gone way ahead so I found myself on the trail alone and slightly demoralized. I pushed myself through the last climb and finally made it to Gorepani, the Base Camp for Poon Hill.
Our plan was simple. Get up early, make the assault on the hill at dawn, and watch the sunrise over the Annapurnas. Simple enough right? No. We woke up at 5 am, and shockingly enough it was snowing.
This was it, we decided to hit the hill. Everyone except Mike (Brit Mike) who was sick in the night made our push. We trudged up at around 7:00 through 3 feet of snow just as the sun was coming up over the mountains. The view from 10,000 feet did not disappoint. We were completely surrounded. Our mountain was a mere molehill compared to the 28,000 foot peaks around us, but it was a personal triumph nonetheless. After about only 15 minutes we decided to make our way back down and start the trip home. Our destination was Tatopani (the name literally means “hot water” for the hot springs the town is famous for) It involved a killer 6 hours of walking but most of it was flat or downhill which made it very easy. The walk took us through a spectacular valley with a clear sky and the sun overhead all day which meant we could all hike in t-shirts. It was the longest but the most satisfying day. We got into Tatopani around 6 pm, checked into the most luxurious (note: “luxurious” here means the door properly closes, and your room has 4 functional walls, nothing more) lodge yet.
Our day started with a dip in the famous hot springs which was quite pleasant for sore muscles, my calves and knees felt shot, and my shoulders where constantly aching from the backpack. After breakfast we went to barter for a bus ride back. We were being taken for idiots and some drivers were asking for 7000 rupees (about $100) for a trip that should only take about 3000. After some fighting and arguing we hired a jeep to take us to the town of Beni and then on to Pokharain a small smelly minibus. A combined trip of 5 1/2 hours. With the arrival in Pokhara we met up with the people that had come back from a safari in Chitwan and so ended our adventure to Poon Hill.Two days after coming back from our trek, we wanted to take a last real adventure in Pokharaand go whitewater rafting. For about $30 we were given a full trip to and from and about 3 hours of rafting. We were divided into two boats. Most of the group in one boat, and me, Karen, and some other volunteers in another. The rapids got really intense at some points. The other boat got caught on rocks and came to a complete stop in the middle of one set of rapids, and we had one of our volunteers fly out of the boat but close enough we could pull her right back in. It gave us a unique view of the ridges, the rope bridges, and the river towns in this very rural part of the country.Having been here for just over a month, the aspects of life here are becoming clearer, and having said that, I don’t think I could take anything for granted ever again. I rarely get to have a shower, much less a hot one. I believe i’vetaken a total of 4 hot showers over the last month. The fact that we eat little more than rice and lentils has also taken a toll of me, and I’ve found that it doesn’t give me the nutrients I need so I’ve tried taking multivitamins but we make it a point to eat as much “real food” as we can when we get the opportunity.
