Part 7: Good Morning Kathmandu. From Danaque to Chame with charming apple blossoms for company
Day 6:
As I packed my backpack on the wooden bed in my Danaque lodge I stopped a moment to think about how far I had come. This trip was a huge achievement for me. Someone who had never taken a holiday alone to the next city, let alone a trek up a mountain in another country!
I looked out of the window at the little group gathered below and said a silent prayer of thanks for the wonderful group my first trek had been blessed with. Sumana got an added Bless you.
The trail to Chame was especially beautiful. It was peppered with the most gorgeous apple orchards where the blossoms were in full bloom. We sat down by the side for a bit and drank in the gorgeousness that surrounded us. This trail was particularly interesting. We passed orchards and tall tall trees that dwarfed the rest of our path.
Apple Blossoms! — Pic credit — Atul
Tall trees behind the walking bees!
As we trudged along we came across a little tourist town with shops selling strong Himalayan coffee. The misty weather and the aromatic coffee left me feeling like I was walking through a dream.
Further up on the trail we passed towering snow-capped mountains. Each brought with it a feeling of awe and wonder. We walked in silence as our hearts were filled with a deep respect for Mother Nature as she reposed in the calm valleys and arching peaks around us.
One constant through our stops in little towns were prayer walls. One had to ensure that they were not crossed without paying due respect. Our guide insisted that it was bad luck to do so. As we crossed one in the village of Koto, I found it especially interesting to roll the prayer wheels and do the customary walk around the wall. It bought me time to catch my breath and thank God for the good lunch we had helped ourselves to.
Prayer walls in every little village. Pic credit — Atul
I must admit that there were days on the trek where I simply focussed on the next meal to will my legs to move. By this time my pants had become a good 2 inches loose at the waist. Best weight-loss routine ever! Around 4 we stopped for a quick tea with warm buns and fresh butter. Yum! Maybe Ram should have hung pictures of these tea-time scenes on a stick to get me to pick up the pace.
Morning scenes from our lodge at Chame. Pic credit — Atul.
Sadly I don’t have pictures of our little lodge at Chame. We were shivering as the temperatures were dropping steadily with each day that we climbed higher. A little Raksi went a long way in warming our bones while Ram regaled us with his throaty renditions of Nepali folk songs and Hindi classics.
The next day would be our first test in acclimatization. We would be on our way to Pisang, surrounded by grand mountain ranges including Annapoorna 2. Legend is that Mother Annapoorna (she is revered as Goddess by the locals) only gives a glimpse of her majestic peak to a chosen few. Would we be one of them…?
To be continued…
Catch up on the previous adventure here…
Take a look at what happens next!
