The next day we awake early, and
over tea in the morning Raj and his friend talk. They reluctantly decide that
the two groups trekking together is not working out and that the Japanese
tourist may not be able to complete all of the walking that is planned.
Therefore, Adam, Raj and I set
off from the Teahouse as planned while the others linger a little longer before
starting their next day. Passing through the village of Tikhedunga,
I think that this is where we were meant to get to yesterday if the Japanese
fellow had been feeling a bit fitter.
Adam and I are feeling very fit
though, and I in particular am bubbling with excited energy as I fulfil my
life-long dream to trek in the Himalayas – albeit only a short trek. I am so
excitable that Raj is laughing at me, especially when I get excited to spot a
lizard basking on a wall, stop to take a photo, and then pretty much run up the
hill to catch up with him and Adam.
Not much further, and we get our
first good view of real snow-capped Himalayan mountains! I am positively
drooling over the views, even though they will yet get far more spectacular.
A few more uphill sections and the
scenery starts to change. We leave the open hillsides with their agriculture,
and the path becomes more enclosed by rhododendron jungle, which is not something
I had really expected.
The rivers are much smaller now
too as we are further upstream.
Coming to a picturesque teahouse
at the side of the track, Raj says this is our lunch stop. Adam and I are
pretty fit and have walked at a good pace, so we are the first ones here and
can choose where to sit. Raj enjoys having an extended break and goes to chat
to the teahouse staff, ordering us our daal bhat and sweet tea.
It is a glorious day, and a very
pretty location, and we all enjoy chilling out before the rest of the tourists
arrive and turn the place from a quiet oasis into a bustling tourist trap.
Our destination for the day is
Ghorepani, a popular spot for the extra hike to Poon Hill to watch the sunrise
over the mountains.
At Ghorepani, we stay in the
largest Teahouse of our trek. It has many bedrooms and also a large lounge area
downstairs. It is noticeably colder up here, and the lounge is warmed by a
large fire in the middle. Raj chats with the teahouse owner who gives him our
room numbers, and I impress him by being able to translate the numbers from
Nepalese as I have kept up my practicing!
That evening after dinner Adam
and I enjoy a couple of games of chess in the lounge, while Raj and the Teahouse
owner laugh at how long we inadvertently make each game last. Raj is in good
spirits he tells us, as usually he starts the Poon Hill trek very early to make
the sunrise, but with our current trekking fitness he will be able to have a
lie-in.
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