Life can't get much easier or better than this. It was our first day waking up in the Annapurnas. It was also the first day that this trip felt like it was really coming together. It isn't easy thinking for months and months about trekking through an area; reading a guide book over and over, imagining what it will be like. No guide book or photo did this any justice. It just couldn't.
For most of the day, we hiked on a trail from Bhulbhule (woah woah) to Ghermu. There was a brief period of road in there too, but it went by quickly. We leap frogged with a trio of hikers; one Israeli guy, Swiss girl, and a local porter. I am thrilled to say that we got to cross at least a half dozen suspension bridges. FUN! Also got to see a handful of waterfalls.
I am finding that all this walking makes you awfully hungry. We stopped to lunch in the beautiful little town of Bahundanda, taking in dramatic 270 degree views. True to it's name, Hotel Superb View has just that. We are not sure if the names here are meant to be funny or just concise, but they make us laugh.
High above the Marsyangdi Khola, the trail skirted a cliff band. Years ago, a hiker fell from the trail, landing precariously on a ledge below. To my amazement, he survived and was rescued three full days later. Afterwards, he donated money to fund building a handrail along that section of trail. It is impressive to see where people, long ago, made trails to get to neighboring villages.
We made it through that section without any mishaps only for me to realize that I had stowaways in my pack. As usual, there is never a dull day here. At a rest stop, I noticed ants on the waistband of my pack. I brushed them off and then saw some more realizing, "UM, Kevin, I have ants living in the waist belt of my pack!"
He started responding and interrupted himself with, "wait, WHAT?"
It was true. After several minutes of pouring insect killer into a small slot, I believe we won the fight.
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