November 25

Lal and I with Annapurna South

I got up at 6:20 to see the mountains in the early morning light. Lal was still sleeping, so when I put on my down jacket, I covered him with my sleeping bag, which made him very happy. I then climbed the small hill above the base camp for the view. The hill was just a gentle slope on this side, but the opposite side was a steep cliff dropping hundreds of feet to a large glacier which stretched across the valley toward Annapurna I, whose massive face was just beginning to be illuminated by the first golden rays of sunlight from behind Machhapuchhare. Annapurna South also saw some early light. I watched the rising sun illuminate more and more of the mountains for over an hour. Several other people were watching the sunrise here as well. It was very cold, and I was glad I brought my down jacket. A large, friendly brown dog followed me around for a while, and sat close to me when I sat on a rock. I scratched its head until someone from one of the lodges came up and called it.

Around 8:00, I returned to the lodge for breakfast. Lal was up by now. I ordered muesli with milk and hot chocolate, which was an expensive breakfast, but Lal paid for it, saying it was not the company paying, so it was OK. Then I told Lal I was going to go pack, but instead went back up the hill for views, because the valley was now fully illuminated. Lal found me there, and we took some pictures, including one of us together, before packing. The brown dog was back, and I took its picture too.

Annapurna Sanctuary

We headed across the Sanctuary to Machhapuchhare base camp, where we stopped again for tea at the same tea house as before. Walking through the Sanctuary, the views were spectacular. We were surrounded by nearby mountains, and the moon was setting over Annapurna South. We descended down the narrow valley to Deurali, where we again stopped for lunch. The trail was steeper than I remembered, and jarring to the knees. The inn had goat meat today, and Lal had some with his dal bhatt. I had the same soup as yesterday. An American woman, around fifty, was at the table. She told me she was born in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, and knew where my nearby hometown of Houston was. We talked for a while while Lal had his dal bhatt, then continued down the valley.

Yesterday's snow and mud had dried up, making the walking easy. The small snowmen we built along the trail had all melted. The trail was still muddy in the sacred forest, because streams run down it. We stopped for tea in Dovan, and arrived at Bamboo at 3:50 PM. We had some trouble finding a room, and Lal asked if I would go on, but I told him the next stop was too far for us to be starting for it this late. We would not arrive until almost sunset. We tried more lodges, and found one with space. In fact, only one other room was occupied.

For a while, it was comfortable to sit outside, although it was cloudy. Lal played the same game where chips are hit into holes in a board that he played last time we stopped in Bamboo. Some local children played with a soccer ball in the street between the lodges. As the sun set, it became cold and a kerosene heater was lit under the dining room table. The heater was very effective, and Lal kept it burning hot, pumping it up whenever the flame got low.

Some Israelis from the lodge across the street came in to play cards. Apparently, it was warmer here, and someone told them the pizza was good. They tried to order some, but were told they must eat at their lodge. They had their guide bring food over to them, and continued playing cards. Lal told me he doesn't like Israelis, because they are fussy and aggressive, and always change their mind about what they want. He said he worked for some before, but would not want to again. One of my guide books says Israelis are no longer welcome at some lodges because of the rude behavior of some.

I had macaroni with vegetables and cheese and garlic soup for dinner. The Nepalis in the lodge started a card game. They threw their plays down aggressively. I went to bed, while the noisy card games went on into the night next door. I was too sleepy to be bothered by them. Eventually Lal came in to check on me. This was easy, since the door didn't latch from the inside. He then went to bed in the next room, although there was an empty bed in mine.

Copyright Scott A. Yost, 1994. All rights reserved.