DAY 4

Tatopani (1190m) to Ghasa (2120m)

Up at 5am to a blue sky, white clouds and stunningly high mountains framing the background. We hang out some clothes and bags to dry in the morning sun. Hobbling down to breakfast, I feel like I have aged sixty years overnight with stiff muscles and joints. Fried eggs and doughnuts for breakfast. Not round doughnuts like at home but flat, like they've been run over. The doughnuts are actually called Tibetan bread, a must on every menu in Nepal. The bread uses the same combination of flour, eggs, sugar and water, that you find in your typical Tesco doughnut and is deep fat fried to give it a tasty, chewy texture. Kat order's Tibetan bread almost every morning after today.

The next part of the trail has been hugely discussed in Nepal and on the Lonely Planets on-line discussion board the Thorn Tree. The path is now also a road/dirt track. Sometimes they are together, or sometimes the path branches into the village while the road goes around. The road goes all the way to our final destination Muktinath, and is a controversial conversation topic with Nepalese guides.

A new road/dirt track is welcomed by some because local villagers now have quicker access to schools and hospitals which previously would be many days walk away. However a road is also the second quickest, to an out break of the plague, to put off new trekkers visiting the area who bring valuable tourism to so many tea houses, shops, hostels and restaurants.










We follow a relatively flat path into Dana, a run-down but beautiful village with carved woodwork on the buildings. A Nepalese women walked towards us and greeted us with 'Namaste', like hello and the literal translation is 'I salute you'. She started laughing and pointing at the walking pole Kat held and holding her hand above her head. She was trying to communicate the walking pole was as tall as her and she found this hilarious. Nepalese people are very small, they could easily get work in the new Peter Jackson film, The Hobbit. So far I haven't sat at a table yet where I can fit my knees under.
















A large black buffalo stood in our way, his horns curling menacingly towards us. I took his picture and he paused to pose, showing us his gentle side. The day was turning out to be all about the animals. Later a cockerel walked around us, shouting. A field of goats watched us walk past , their heads like the audience at a game of tennis in slow motion. A chicken and chicks run up the path and a pair of eagle's circled high above us.


Our final destination was Ghasa. We ate dinner that night with an English mother and daughter walking together on an eight day trek, and a couple of English and German friends walking together. We played cards, drank Everest larger, laughed and told stories about our walking and hostel experiences. The English guy told the story of his hostel, the previous night, which was a dead ringer for fawlty towers. He had ordered a tuna sandwich and the owner comes over to him and says:
"Sorry Sir, the tuna's off"
"Why?" he replied.
"Well sir, the chef doesn't want to open the tin"
Hilarious. Basil!


Cooper Out

Love Dan & Kat