Besishahar-Ngadi, Bahundada (alt. 1300 m)
The Marsyangdi roars and roars loud
The route of Annapurna Circuit trek leads us along the Marsyangdi River into the Himalayan mountains until Thurong-La at 5416 m and then over that pass and out of the mountains along another river known as Kali Gandaki ending in Nayapul near Birethanti from where we will be driven to Pokhara, a well-known resort, for 2-day rest and recreation. The entire journey on foot from Besishahar to Nayapul is about 250 km. And so we must on average cover 14 km daily. At no-haste speed we have to walk no less than 7 hrs. per day to complete it in 18 trekking days.
The Marsyangdi roars and roars loud
The route of Annapurna Circuit trek leads us along the Marsyangdi River into the Himalayan mountains until Thurong-La at 5416 m and then over that pass and out of the mountains along another river known as Kali Gandaki ending in Nayapul near Birethanti from where we will be driven to Pokhara, a well-known resort, for 2-day rest and recreation. The entire journey on foot from Besishahar to Nayapul is about 250 km. And so we must on average cover 14 km daily. At no-haste speed we have to walk no less than 7 hrs. per day to complete it in 18 trekking days.
Annapurna circuit trek, a world heritage (click to enlarge)
Now that we are in the mountains, away from the rest of the world and being in a lost world of our own we need not know what the day is. Let us thus call today Marsyangdiday consisting of only morning, afternoon and day and night, then breakfast-time, lunchtime and dinnertime. No need to track the hours or minutes for life can go on without any reference to hours and minutes.
We started our long walk early in the morning
Just out of town we saw dilapidated patch-roofed stone houses with domestic animals grazing in their compounds. We began to smell the obnoxious odor of animal droppings. [Indeed throughout our journey we were to come across poops of all shapes and sizes from cows, goats, donkeys, horses and mules until eventually I wondered whether we too carried the same odor. To be honest, at the end I found the smell rather pleasant, pastoral and sweet. You may decide not to agree on this. Just say yak!]
We walked past bunches of youngsters and kids idling by the trail or in the balconies of their dwellings. The older ones just stared at trekkers passing by. Some younger kids approached trekkers to ask for money or chocolate. One or two of them even dared to come close enough to tuck at trekkers’ pockets. I don’t suppose poverty can teach kids good manners.
In these mountains there are youngsters and kids everywhere, school facilities and playing fields are however rare sights. The hill folks still have 5-6 or more children per family and quite some men have more than just one wife. These Himalis male folks just don’t prefer the common practice of monogamy. You see, in the hills it takes many hours if not days to reach one’s only wife if she is too far away. For that very reason, having an additional woman is a matter of convenience. Having more than one wife and thus more children do help in other ways in an agrarian economy as here, and also elsewhere, since more hands are needed during planting and harvesting seasons. In these circumstances you cannot expect all Himalis to willingly forego opportunities to have more wives and children. Nepal is a neighbor of but not China where most monogamous couples have only one or at most two kids. In China tourists normally don’t see kids on the streets. Here in Nepal the opposite is the case.
We started our long walk early in the morning
Just out of town we saw dilapidated patch-roofed stone houses with domestic animals grazing in their compounds. We began to smell the obnoxious odor of animal droppings. [Indeed throughout our journey we were to come across poops of all shapes and sizes from cows, goats, donkeys, horses and mules until eventually I wondered whether we too carried the same odor. To be honest, at the end I found the smell rather pleasant, pastoral and sweet. You may decide not to agree on this. Just say yak!]
We walked past bunches of youngsters and kids idling by the trail or in the balconies of their dwellings. The older ones just stared at trekkers passing by. Some younger kids approached trekkers to ask for money or chocolate. One or two of them even dared to come close enough to tuck at trekkers’ pockets. I don’t suppose poverty can teach kids good manners.
In these mountains there are youngsters and kids everywhere, school facilities and playing fields are however rare sights. The hill folks still have 5-6 or more children per family and quite some men have more than just one wife. These Himalis male folks just don’t prefer the common practice of monogamy. You see, in the hills it takes many hours if not days to reach one’s only wife if she is too far away. For that very reason, having an additional woman is a matter of convenience. Having more than one wife and thus more children do help in other ways in an agrarian economy as here, and also elsewhere, since more hands are needed during planting and harvesting seasons. In these circumstances you cannot expect all Himalis to willingly forego opportunities to have more wives and children. Nepal is a neighbor of but not China where most monogamous couples have only one or at most two kids. In China tourists normally don’t see kids on the streets. Here in Nepal the opposite is the case.
Kids in the hills 
The Marshyangdi River Mounting on both banks were terraces of hill paddy cultivated for subsistence. Towards the mountains, away from the village homes next to terraced farms and paddy fields, slopes rose steeply into the clear blue sky. Here and there streams hang on bare rock faces and cliffs to form vertical falls.
A fall
We stopped at Ngadi, an hour walking distance short of our scheduled destination Bahundada, for the night.
No casualties today. Old Lee lost the outer soles of his old shoes which had not been worn for nearly 2 years. Some others complained of harmless blisters.
It becomes obvious to all that this is not a leisurely walk in the park.
We retired sunset seniors are more than happy to be in the company of 5 young and pretty ladies. Kelly, the most jovial and talkative among them, cheerfully declared that it was their pleasure to be in the company of old boys! You’re welcomed, girls!
While all were gathered in the garden waiting for dinner, Gan Che and Old Lee, both long-timed Kung Fu exponents, performed one round of Tai Chi each. I was amazed by the youthfulness and agility of these grandfathers. Gan Che was once a Kung Fu master and Old Lee still practices Tai Chi and meditation every morning for fitness and health. With white goatee, Old Lee is almost the perfect image of a Kung Fu master. No wonder he had been much sought after to stand in for that role in some movies.
At nightfall a troupe of some 15 or so girls walked through darkness to our lodge. They were in their very colorful native outfits. Losing no time they started to sing and dance like folks here do. Verily our porters joined them. It turned out they were raising fund in aid of education for the village kids. So I chipped in my bit.
No casualties today. Old Lee lost the outer soles of his old shoes which had not been worn for nearly 2 years. Some others complained of harmless blisters.
It becomes obvious to all that this is not a leisurely walk in the park.
We retired sunset seniors are more than happy to be in the company of 5 young and pretty ladies. Kelly, the most jovial and talkative among them, cheerfully declared that it was their pleasure to be in the company of old boys! You’re welcomed, girls!
While all were gathered in the garden waiting for dinner, Gan Che and Old Lee, both long-timed Kung Fu exponents, performed one round of Tai Chi each. I was amazed by the youthfulness and agility of these grandfathers. Gan Che was once a Kung Fu master and Old Lee still practices Tai Chi and meditation every morning for fitness and health. With white goatee, Old Lee is almost the perfect image of a Kung Fu master. No wonder he had been much sought after to stand in for that role in some movies.
At nightfall a troupe of some 15 or so girls walked through darkness to our lodge. They were in their very colorful native outfits. Losing no time they started to sing and dance like folks here do. Verily our porters joined them. It turned out they were raising fund in aid of education for the village kids. So I chipped in my bit.
Dancing for educationI recall seeing from time to time on our way to our lodge a white-tipped summit in the far blue sky ahead. We have definitely gotten closer to the snow-covered Himalayas.
It has been a wonderful day. All are a bit tired.
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