Day 21 - Good-Bye Marpha

Marpha to Tukuche

Today we're leaving Marpha. The weather has not improved at all. The same grey heavy clouds are lingering over the valley. At least it's not raining in the morning.
I can't help but go to Sassi's place one more time. Indulging in her delicious chocolate cake and saying good-bye. Those are the 2 reasons. The latter is more difficult and takes longer than the first. It's so hard to say good-bye sometimes.

On the trail to Tukche there are no views today. A group of 4 young men are catching up with us. They're singing out loud and I stop to listen to them as they continue singing while passing me and gaining distance.

Pipi is way ahead, as usual, so I entertain myself with encounters like that. My frustration with him tends to gain advantage over other nicer thoughts and I don't want this to happen.

A while later I catch up with the 4 young men. They stopped for achat with a woman and they're eating apples. That's an opportunity. Would you like another apple? I have plenty. They are happy for the big apples (I got them in the orchard) and we end up chatting for a while. They're actually 3 porters and a guide. Their clients (group) - after passing the Thorong La pass - have finished their trek in Jomosom where they took the plane to Pokhara. They have to cover the distance on foot.

From time to time mule caravans are passing by. Some have beautifully stitched head or back "covers". No idea what you would call those things as they're not functional, just very pretty and decorative.

It is a bit windy but at least it's not raining. The riverbed is flat and wide again, but the vegetation is changing slightly. There are some pine trees around and a bit later some firs and cedars make their appearance. The soil is under heavy erosion though. It looks yellow and sandy. In some spots you can admire the rock consistency, where the erosion did not turn it all into sandy soil. The rock looks like the edge of an old book, where the pages are dusty, wrinkled and crinkled and they turned yellow and brown. The layers of sediment, each a page in the book of nature. It is beautiful as a big picture and extremely delicate and iteresting as an abstract pattern.

When I reach Tukche about 1.5 hours later I can see Pipi from afar sitting there and waiting for me on the road side.

Just before reaching him, on te other side of the dusty road I peek through an open gate. Massacre! About a dozen men are sitting patiently in a circle and watching while another man is splitting, chopping, butchering pieces of meat and bones with an axe. Beside him, in between him and the gate (or me for that matter) is a big white sheet spread out on which there are many equal sized heaps of meat. Red, bloody, fresh. Yak? I ask while stepping closer. Yak.
They all turn and look at me with mistrust and annoyance. I have the camera around my neck but - as much as I would like to - I know it would be the wrong and worst thing to do: to try and take pictures. Instead, I watch smilin gand then continue my way to Pipi.

After finding a lodge and getting a room I get ready to explore the village. There are beautiful woodcarved window frames and doors to be admired here, a tradition which, unfortunately, is slowly dying out. The population here is Thakali in majority (yet another ethnic group just like the Gurungs, Sherpas, etc) and I would say tht they ae mre organized and cleaner than the Gurung. The village alleys are spotless, the houses are painted white. You don't see dirt or stray dogs. And the food is delicious.

I take pictures of the woodcarved windows and slowly make my way to the Rani Gompa, an old monastery worth visiting according to my guidebook. But the monastery is locked and there's nobody to find around. Nearby is a distillery in an old building. I am not a fan of liquor but it's worth visiting the place if only for the exquisite woodcarvings and the beautiful flowers. Inside you can also see the whole installation, the copper filters and barrels above the huge woodfire. The distillery produces brandy from the local apples, apricots and peaches but also from oranges (from Tatopani) and cherries and even carrots.
I cannot taste the brandy but I wouldn't mind sniffing it :-) And that's exactly what I'm doing. As expected, the one that I like best is the apricot brandy - it smells so good. Do I want to buy? No. But, do you have smaller bottles?

Well, the smallest bottles are 200 ml each. I end up buying a small bottle each of the apple and the carrot brandy. What for? I don't know. How am I going to send it to Canada? No idea. Whatever, I encourage the local economy :-)

I am just about to leave when I bump into Pipi. He tells me he went to explore the village and got here. He would like to buy some but has no money. So I end up buying some brandy for him. I did not hear a thank you. Am I crazy or what?

On the way out we split up again. I'm going to wander around some more, he's returning to the lodge.
The neighboring gompa is also locked and eventually mty flash card is full and I need to return to the lodge. Here I install myslef on the patio lined up with red geraniums and write in my diary.

Some time later the rain starts again and I seek refuge in my room and bed. Here I continue reading about Pi. Delightful! I would like to meet this guy Yann Martel. I like his use of words full of nuances and very powerful images.

Later in the afternoon I make another unsuccessful attempt to visit the Rani Gompa. By 7:30 pm I'm back in bed and reading after a small dinner. The window I keep wide open to get fresh air and hear the rain and the sounds of the street. A lonely man is passing beneath my window in the dark playing a flute. It's lulling me into sleep.