Day 138: Ghorepani (Annapurna Circuit) – November 2nd

Sleeping in for the first time so far on this trek, nobody woke up until 7:15am, our designated breakfast hour. The guest house we stayed at was ran by the eldest son of the family, a hardworking Nepali whose going to Nagoya in a few weeks to work in a restaurant there, and he was a good cook inded. Very hard working and nice kid with a charming smile, something you’d wish you had in your porter. Eating on the patio as the sun slowly drenched the surrounding villages, it was very cozy, sipping some tea and watching villagers come by. Playing with the neighbour’s baby daughter, we snapped a few pictures with her and an elderly lady, all of whom seem very shy at first but seem to love to take pictures (without being followed by “Picture XX rupees!”). What a lovely village!!

Today was going to be a long hike up, and we didn’t know how long until we finished it. We climbed about 1600m over the course of the day, but its amazing how the scenery, landscapes,fauna and even the people seem to be significantly different than before the pass, on the east side of the Annapurna massif. And because of the altitude, the produce is more abundant, but so were the insects! Think we were followed by a group of 3 mosquitoes for about 2hrs before they finally stopped tailgating our heads. The hike was long but it was much secluded and winds through the mountainside, giving a great sense of nature unlike before hiking in the 3000m+ area where you’d see specks of trekkers 5km ahead of you on the trail.

It’s also nice that whenever you reach a small ledge and take a peak, the towering Daulighiri mountain still stands tall above the gathering clouds.

We were making slow ground today, but finally reaching Ghorepani, the whole city seems to be sprout out of nowhere as you hike up. It was hidden from view below, and it was even harder to imagine that tomorrow we’ll take another hr trek up to the famous Poon Hill. The city of Ghorepani (which I’ve aptly named, At the Foot of the Poon) is at the foot of the Poon Hill lookout where you can, if you’re lucky enough, see a breathtaking panorama of the Himalayas. Even in the town itself, we manage to get a hotel room with a pretty awesome view already!

Tonight, we eat drink and be merry, as it’s our last day on the Annapurna Circuit. Tomorrow, we’ll be heading back into Pokhara, the second most popular city in Nepal!!