Annapurna Circuit Day #4

Day 4 Sept. 21 Bagarchap (2160m) - Chame (2710m)

7am 12:45pm

14km

Our hotel last night was GREAT! The hot water was REALLY hot. The dal bhat had cauliflower and came with a papad. Plus they had electricity and a light in every room! It made such a difference. We played cards with Team Israel last night while sitting in the dining room. The only girl in the group is actually Russian and knew the Russian game JP and I had played on our volunteer trip with GBT on Lake Baikal. Also, the woman running the place spoke amazing English and had a perfect accent. I think she must have an English speaking boyfriend or something! It was perfect but she said she just picked it up from speaking with the trekkers--yeah right! It was the first place we saw in town and it turned out to be fabulous!

This morning we were up at about 5:30 and left at about 7, later than planned AGAIN!! No idea what takes boys so long in the morning. You would think it would be the girls that are slow...but no, boys are slower in the morning! We filled up our bottles at the water conservation station--anything to save from pumping! For breakfast we enjoyed another delicious meal of porridge. But this time it was a local porridge made from buckwheat. It was really smooth and dark brown in color. We are officially in apple country. We bought two bags of dried apples from the hotel. One for an after dinner snack and one for a trail snack today.

Super bummer...I got my period yesterday! Trekking with your period SUCKS!! But hopefully with all the physical activity it'll be over fast. The cramps are still there though--ouch! Loading up on the ibuprofen. And today...the period runs hit hard on the trail. We had to make an emergency stop after a road construction site. It was emergency poo status! I felt feverish and had goose bumps and chills, it had to come out and fast! We finally found a quiet tree, but had to let a group of pack donkeys pass before I could do my thing! Oh boy, I think that was the most amazing thing EVER! I felt like a new person.

Today was a lot of up and pretty steep in places. But there were also large sections of the trail that they are turning into a road. So there was construction and some landslides to navigate. It was wide and flat where the road has been 'finished'. We booked it when we could on the flat parts and went nice and slow on the uphill. Everyone's feet are sore. The shoulder and hip strap chaffing is getting to be a bit much too!

Right during our break (snickers and dried apple) on the landslide area (no end in sight and needed a pick me up) a man with a deep sore in his leg asked for help. We gave him some wet wipes to clean it out--lots of puss and very infected. Then Evie used a Q-tip and applied antibiotic ointment. We cut some gauze and taped it on. We gave him some band-aids to take with him--we have MANY between the four of us! He seemed happy for the help and will hopefully see a doctor. The leg looked very swollen and infected.

In Koto we stopped for tea and a snack--Tibetan bread with peanut butter. Also stopped to check in at the check-point and bought some applies. The last little push wasn't too long or hard. We walked though the town toward the end and found a great little hotel with private cottages for two. Evie and I had a romantic night in the cottage! It seemed like the place to be. Our Israeli frineds were there. As well as T&C from P-town and our Spanish friends and their guides! Everyone we knew ended up staying here. We picked the right place! It's going to be a party tonight!

This is a pretty big won. There are tourist shops everywhere and a new internet cafe. But it is SO expensive! An hour is about $15. Compare that to $1.50/hour in Kathmandu! We did buy a few postcards but I only know two addresses by heart: my family and Sara's parents. I hope they make it!

One big question that has come up a lot is about the guides and the porters. I would love to know what they think of us--our group of four without either a guide or a porter. Do they resent trekkers like us becfause we aren't paying local people? Or do they respect us because we are carrying our own weight? And what do they talk about at night? What do they really think of all of us trekkers in their country snapping pictures of cute kids and paying an arm & a leg for a coke that someone carried up the trail for 5 days! I want the real story!