Day 2 - I'm a Plutonian

Besisahar to Bahundanda

The noises begin around 5 am. People waking up, talking, shouting, cooking.
It has rained all night long and the hills are hidden in mist. It is a beautiful mysterious image.
After breakfast and some fiddling around with the backpacks we head out. It is 8 am.

As we exit the hotel and I turn right and I look up. Yuppee! The mountain! High above and behind the green ridges there are the snowcovered ridges of the Lamjung Range. Awesome! Impressive! Snowcovered peaks in the sun! I love that.
I take it as a good sign. The sky is clearing up while we head North-West on the main street traversing the town of Besisahar. From the end of it we go down a trail thorugh a banana grove and then across a river on a flimsy bridge. For the next 2 hours we're walking on a rugged country road along the river to our right. On the other side of the river there are green rice fields.

At some point we reach a bamboo bridge over the river. It looks OK, it's just that getting onto it is a bit of a problem. We need to take our shoes and socks off and wade through the knee deep water. I don't like that. I'm not looking forward to stepping over sharp and slippery rocks in the ice cold water. But there's no choice.
Carefully I wade in and wow! the water is warm and the rocks are smooth. Can I stop here? Can I stay here for a whle at least?
Well, I could, but that was not the purpose of the trip, so I keep going. I climb the boulder, put on my socks and boots and traverse the bridge. This is fun!
We continue our way along the roaring river for another hour passing little hamlets and small houses selling snacks, coke and sweets - all targetting the foreign trekkers - until we reach Khudi where we cross the first suspension bridge. It's a funny experience when the bridge vibrates under your feet. In front of us is a little caravan of mules which only adds to the vibrations. Lesson #3.

The road ends at the bridge. At the other end we're following the paved lane between the village houses. The pavement consists of big slabs and the houses are built of stone. We can peek into the simple basic homes while passing by. Women are busy with laundry or cooking or even splitting wood.

Soon after we need to wade through a washout, but that's just another fun experience and we continue following the Marsyangdi river bed. We also get to see Himalchul white and bright in the distance and it stays in front of us for quite a while like a gorgeously irresistable, unreachable bait.
I admire the fresh green colour of the rice fields on both sides of the valley. Above the fields the vegetation is lush, jungle-like and of a much darker green interrupted by white waterfalls. There are many butterflies - yellow, brown, blue, brown and red spotted, black and blue, and many other colour combinations. I've nevr evr seen this many butterflies and so many different types. I wish I knew more about them. But for now I learn Nepali words from Pipi.

The village of Bhulbhule begin right before a suspension bridge across the Marsyangdi river that takes us onto its right bank. The village has plenty of lodges and food opportunities for the trekker. The houses are made of stone and flat roofed. The trail is the slab-paved lane through the village. We keep going past a dog barking madly at an imaginary friend or fiend...

I noticed that the vegetable offer has decreased slowly and disapeared completely by now. We are also passing more and more porters, going either in group or individually. We encounter several mule caravans going loaded upstream or returning without any loads.
We pass a high waterfall where women are doing laundry and children play in the shallow waters below. It's all very peaceful.
The trail becomes muddier and eventually ends in the river. We need to take the workaround since the high waters have swept away what was once a road. An improvised narrow and slippery trail going steeply up and back down - it is the workaround for the maybe 50m or so of missing road.

On the downhill section of this trail a young mother with a little boy on her back is helping her other son go down. He must be 2 or 3 years old. She's wearing flip-flops, he's barefoot. Her older daughter returns to help her brother and takes him on her back. She's also barefoot and has left her burden farther down. I guess there's no wonder that after the exposure to these conditions at such an early age the people become so proficient at carrying loads on these trails with just flip-flops on or even barefoot.
And I can see the advantages of flip-flops. No need to wash shoes and socks. No need to them off ever to wade through water or cross muddy sections.

After the workaround we soon reach the little village of Ngadi where we stop for lunch in a beautiful garden under a bamboo umbrella in the shade. Before the food arrives I have time to explore the garden, a colourful display of flowers including red camelias, pink lilies and more. At the table next to us the 2 Australian guys I have noticed on the bus yesterday are also enjoying their lunch.

A young boy is watching some grazing buffalos. it's Saturday and so day off from school and that's why he is doing it. Otherwise his dad is taking care of the buffalos. His English is quite good - he's learning it in school. he also seems to be a bright boy.

After lunch I propose Pipi to switch our loads. He smiles and agrees and I take his pack while he takes mine and the poles.
We're flying now, but soon the trail becomes muddy amidst the rice fields and ultimately turns into a small creek. Once this difficulty passed the trail becomes steeper and I'm starting to have difficulties with the pack - it's too hot and I'm steaming.

Women are from Venus, they say. I don't know. I come from Pluto. Pluto is a very small planet and so people are small and have a very small brain.
I must be the weirdest woman Pipi - or the other people we're passing by - have met. The looks I get I telling whereas Pipi runs happy ahead with my poles. I'm a Plutonian.
As I'm thinking about this the Martian turns around and looks at me. I'm tired, can we exchange back the packs? We do that. But I just keep asking myself: what am I carrying there? Why is the pack so heavy ?

The trail becomes steeper and steeper going up the terraced hillside on which the village of Bahundanda lies. It's a delight to see how perfect the rice terraces are lad out and cultivated.

Eventually we reach the col where all lodges are located providing great views of the valleys on both sides. Our lodge offers 270 views and has a nice garden with flowers were we can sit and eat.
Here we meet again the Aussies - and I learn that only Scott is from Australia, Josh is from Edmonton - and also a nice young couple from Belgium.
It's only 4 pm so we have plenty of time for showers and socializing. Over the cvourse of the afternoon and evening all of us trekkers are sitting together whereas the porters and guides are among themselves.
The food is delicious, the company fun and I'm sharing the room with Pipi. Not sure why.
Later in the evening it starts raining and we have a real thunderstorm. But by 9 pm everybody is going to bed since tomorrow is going to be a long day.
I have convened with Pipi to leave the lodge at 7 am. I'd like to avoid the heat as much as possible.