Upon returning to our room after dinner, I was rather cold. I’d read that it is better to be warm before getting into a down sleeping bag, so body heat will be captured and held in the loft, rather than hoping the bag will get heated once a person is inside it. So, I tried to run in place, but could only manage about 15 seconds before I was out of breath. Sam peered out from the depths of his sleeping bag and laughed at me. Then, I attempted jumping jacks, but achieved only three. This altitude is challenging. Still cold, I cocooned myself in my bag, lay on my back, and attempted to wriggle my arms and legs about, cockroach style, to try to get my blood pumping and my body warm. As anyone can imagine, this was not successful, and only produced further snickers from the occupant in the bed across the room.
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| Day 6 |
I slept, albeit coldly, until 6:15am and woke up to the sun beginning to rise and light up mountains that we didn’t know were there when we arrived last evening. Annapurna II and IV were gloriously bathed in golden sunlight and loomed so close it seemed as if we could easily reach them.
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| The view from our bedroom window. |
We, the only guests at the teahouse, ordered breakfast and then took a stroll around our neighborhood to see some of the sights we had missed in the dim light and snow flurries. Ngawal is a pleasant village and they sure do have an affinity for flagpoles. Prayer drums were softly beating and incense wafted on the gentle morning breeze as we found our way to an enormous prayer wheel. It was open for use and we stood in the doorway agog with admiration of its colors and details. Then we found a water spigot and got our morning’s water supply, though it was a little rough because the spigot had ice on it.
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| Our room is at the end of the hall on the right - my poor puffy face. |
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| Look at all the detail. |
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| Giant prayer wheel, complete with fur doormat. |
It was a lazy morning, we weren’t in a hurry today, since we didn’t have very far to trek. As a result, we didn’t start walking until 8:15am. My face and fingers have swollen, thanks to the altitude, and I am trying to drink as much water as I can stand: I’m averaging 6-8 liters a day, which means a lot of bathroom breaks and a multitude of water refill and purification sequences. My head began to ache and throb as we hiked along, but there was nothing to be done about it.
Another pine and juniper forest greeted us, as well as several cow, donkey, and goat pastures. The trail led up along a ridge where we approached a wonderful monastery, looking perfectly in place with its surroundings. Quietly, we hiked past the tall stone walls; on the back side of the complex was a courtyard where a monk was busy engaged in brushing his teeth.
The trail then descended via a series of switchbacks and we arrived at a swampy village devoid of people. Where were they? There was certainly plenty of water; it was running in streams beside and on the trail and was cutting large trenches in the ground. It appeared to be seasonal snowmelt, so it was just our luck to be trekking the trail in all the water.
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| Red and white paint - we're on the right trail. |
After this strange village, the trail again climbed and we strolled into Braga at 10:00am. The sun was shining, but it provided little warmth to stave off the chilly wind that had picked up. Braga is a dusty place; if not for the bright blue paint, the village would be awash in the color of stone dust. I’d read that this was THE place for cinnamon rolls, so we found a teahouse next door to a bakery of sorts that had rolls displayed in its windows. I ventured into the cramped, fly infested little bakery and pointed to what I wanted. Then, my sticky treasure in my hand, I brought it back to our table and we sat in the sunshine on the stone paved patio and had our lunch. Our view was of the hill across the road; way up on the hill was a monastery that I had also read about. Apparently, there is a very old monk ensconced up there who will tie a string around a trekker’s wrist and cast a blessing. However, Sam and I were content to simply eat and watch the other trekkers pant and struggle their way up the side of the mountain for their prize. On that note, there were throngs of trekkers in Braga – where did they all come from? We certainly hadn’t seen any of them during our days on the trail.
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| So many goats! |
My headache began to fade by 10:45am, so I bought another fly swarmed cinnamon roll for the road and wore my jacket, because of the cold wind. The views of Annapurna III and Gangapurna were jaw droppingly splendid and were visible for the remainder of our morning hike.
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| A bit crooked, but it was fun setting up this photo of us. |
By 11:30am, my snack was eaten and after a bit of an uphill trek, we reached the bustling town of Manang, with its wide stone paved streets, movie theater, and medical office all on display and willing to serve trekkers. We cruised along until a large teahouse caught our attention and we were shown our room options. I wanted a room with a private bathroom, so we were shown a corner room on the ground floor. Having easy access to a toilet is becoming increasingly important the higher we climb and the more fluids I pour down my throat. We took advantage of the shower as soon as we could, because it was solar heated: meaning it would only get as hot as the sun could heat the tank and would last only as long at that water was available – first come, first served – the early showerer gets the hot water – you get the idea. Sam went first, because I was fumbling around with my gear, and unfortunately, the hot water, nay even the warm water, was gone by the time it was my turn at 2:00pm. The shower was made even more unpleasant by the presence of a large window in the room that provided light for the bathroom and a show for anyone looking into the room.
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| Manang |
Since the weather had turned windy and overcast and neither one of us had any desire to walk around town and see the sights, we stretched out on our beds and took a nap until 8:00pm. Then, hunger urged us to follow the sounds and smells coming from upstairs. We didn’t know where the dining room was, so we just walked along the side of the building until we found a staircase leading to a second floor and then it was just a matter of finding the correct door. First, we opened the door to the kitchen, but instead of shooing us out and sending us down to the next door, they brought us into the busy room of stove smoke, steam, banging pots, and scurrying cooks and servers. It was a flurry of activity like I can only imagine high-end restaurants experience during the evening rush, except these countertops were made of hand hewn wood, the stoves were fueled by burning wood, and I sincerely doubt the sanitation level was even remotely comparable. Nevertheless, the scene was spectacular! Leaving the cacophony of the bustling kitchen, we were ushered into the dining room, which was packed full of trekkers of all nationalities chatting in their various tongues and shown a table near the back of the long and narrow dining room. I ordered tomato soup, which took forever to arrive: it eventually found its way to our table and consisted of greasy water with diced tomatoes and was very salty. After my surprise, I spooned it into my mouth as quickly as I could and ordered a second bowl. It was delicious. We signed the guest registry book and had fun reviewing its contents while we waited for my soup.
Dinner lasted until 9:30pm and then Sam read some of his book and I ventured out into the dark night to take photos of Gangapurna and the stars. I had an enjoyable time alone, out in the courtyard. The teahouse’s generator was running for the main section of the building, but the electricity did not power the lighting for guest rooms. Happily, my headlight was bright and I was able to get myself ready for and into bed without incident, despite having swollen fingers that fumble with buttons and zippers.
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| The mountains, the stars, and the cabin where the porters sleep. |
Data
Starting elevation: 12,007ft
Ending elevation: 11,545ft
Distance: 6 miles
Weather: dry, cool, windy
