AS the internet service and enlectridity are as fickle as the wind this may be short and will certainly be interesting typing. I will not correct-so sorry to the sensitive reader. WE left Pokhara in a 4 wheel drive vehicle with a necsceptional driver and headed to a small river bead town Karputar. Descending the mud rutted tracks and suprisingly making it thru as I much doubted, we arrived to a lovley scene of rice fields terraced. It was warm and tropical in many ways. WE started off by foot from here-the end of the track. On mud/dirt paths thru a tiny village and then along the riverbed of stone. Changing into our sandals to wade along. Our guide-for this 2 day tour was quite helpful. WE would never have found the trails wihtout him. This was a very infrequently hiked section, the old original trail. WE passed a small school and all the children ran out to greet us. WE compasired our numbers and names-much to the amusement of the teacher. They were quite interested in the photos in our guide book. WE at last ascended out of the river valley up hundreds and hundreds of steps-Saila our guide stating the old stone paths and stpes have been in place for over 500 years-I believe it. The tiny "hotel" we stayed in for the night cost a huyge 180 RS with dinner and breakfast ($2) And teh stern owner was very specific about returning our change correctly. We were greeted by lovely views at last of teh Annapurna Range and Manasaluy. Our destination took us along a ridgetop route at first to a wmall village in the distance. We from there had to step down the thousand stesps-this time the trail had become a small river of rocks. Quite slppery and to our unentusiastic discovery-a haven for those lovely little inchworm like indestructible brown wavey blood seekers-leeches! Our guide wsed raw tobacco rubbed on our shoes to prevent their attachment. THough Wlater ended up with many sucker spots! ICK. This was a sure way to cure me of ANY interest in visiting teh jungle. We finally emerged in the rice fields well below adn hiked the remainder of a dry route to Bhulebhule, a hot shower(solar) and Dal Bhat. THis is where we said goodbye to Saila. WE set off inthe ealay hours for Jagat. The going was lovley. WE entered a steep walled valley. Still quite temoporate. Very green. Lots of rice grown here and potatoes, chard, garlic, carrots, pumpkin. The people here are farmers and subsist exaclty with all they grow. Supplemented with sugar and salt, and a few things brought u pby porters. Carried in wieghts of 200 lbs or so by straps the strap across their foreheads! We have passed many groups, not so many lone travellers as ourselves. Mostly dutch, German, French. The general greetinmg is Namaste for all. We enjoy the passing of the donkey trains and goats. THey are all w3earing little bells and sound most lovely. We climbed steadily day by day. Finally to make the top of the river gorge to Tal. THis is teh beginning of the Manang region very dry and now into forests with evergreens. The homes have changed from rpimarily stone to haveing wood beams and flat rooves. Quite nice to sit upon and gaze at the scenery-ever impressive. WE are also finding now teh typical dress uof the Mustang area with horse riders-again jingling bells-jsut faster and they all have fancy head dresses(the horses0..This area alos brings us into a more BUddhist influence. THere are Mani walls aften along teh trail, particulalry jsut before and just after the towns. We have left behind walls of waterfalls to beautiful stone cliffs. We passed teh trail to TIbet along this route. It being only 30 miles distaaaant! Tehre asre many fragrant rhodedendraons also!
I will sign off for now as teh line is becoming quite long awaiting the computer-it seems the only one to function at the moment. I will write more as soon as I can. WE are in JOmsom now so much to still report before we get to this point. THanks for the patient reading. Love to all! cindy and Walter
