Wake in plenty of time to be going and Jules and I breakfast on muesli and Barvena. The two Marks both go for the egg option; I resist to try and control the food intake!
Set off up the trail in a leisurely fashion up the unfinished road until we reach the suspension bridge over to Bhulebhale where the real trail starts. At the top of the village our passports are checked at the police post and entry to the Annapurna Conservation area is recorded. No trekking permits required but it is still R1000 to get in. This was pre-organised by Kami and Tensi who did the admin. Onward and slightly upward until we got to Ngadi where we stopped for the day. It was only 1.30 when we stopped but a nice short day was a good lead in. We sat around, checked for blisters etc and chilled, watching other trekkers arrive such as the German party who had come in on the bus with us and were now settled in the lodge next to ours.
We were in the Kamira lodge run by a husband and wife
team who also sold local jewellery. I
bought a prayer necklace there. This was
the penultimate festival night and the children of the village went from lodge
to lodge singing and dancing. All much
more authentic than the stuff we had seen in Besi Sahar but they still wanted
money. This was fine though as it was
for the local school in Bhulebule. The
lead dancing girl (aged approximately 10) insisted on dragging people out to
dance and we all got involved! Two
American guys were in the same lodge, staying the night before canoeing down
the river to Besi Sahar. Dudes from
Idaho. The larger of these was
particularly embarrassed and looked gawky dancing with the minuscule 10 year
olds. Should have some good pictures on
Thorpey’s camera! Jules feeling bad all evening
with liquid bottom so had no dinner apart from stacks of Imodium – he did not
feel safe to dance!
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