Day 24 - Breakfast With Views

Ghasa to Tatopani

It was a clear morning so the plan to return to Kalopani for the views worked out. Shortly after 6 am I followed Gunhild and Johannes. This time I went straight over the big slide area and it wasn't that bad.
Soon after we were rewarded with the first views of Dhaulagiri and the views only got better the closer we got to Kalopani. And there the view was absolutely breathtaking. When climbing up the short steep section after the suspension bridge it felt like entering a huge amphitheatre of snow and ice consistency. Against the deep blue sky, it all looked stunning.

The plan was to enjoy breakfast at the guest house where Gunhild and Johannes had stayed for 2 days and where they were totally delighted with the food and accommodation. And that's exactly what we did. The lodge manager was surprised to see them again but extremely pleased and we got a special treatment. A table and chairs were brought up a wooden ladder onto the dining room roof. From here we had unobstructed views of Nilgiri, Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, Annapurna I and Annapurna South. It was hard to decide which way to look without missing much.
The breakfast was a feast: coffee, homebaked buns, yak cheese and boiled eggs. I also spoiled myself with seabuckthorn tea and juice because I had never tried them and I was curious. Delicious!
After breakfast the manager led us to show us the seabuckthorn trees. We were curious how they looked like. Apparently they only grow between 2000 and 3000m. In a way the trees reminded me of willow trees, at least the shape of the leaves was similar. The tiny berries, very rich in vitamin C, grow directly on the branch and it takes a lot of time to pick them. All manual work.

Some 2 hours later, after enjoying breakfast and views, we finally started on our way back to Ghasa. By now there were a few puffy clouds gathering and covering the peaks. By the time we reached Ghasa - shortly before lunch - the clouds had already concealed most of the peaks.
The whole hike back was a continuous encounter with mule caravans. I presume they were catching up after the rainy weather. Passing the landslide areas was posing problems. There were maybe a hundred mules stopped in between the slides. The caravan drivers were yelling at them, pushing and pulling them and throwing rocks at them. All to just get them going again.

At the big slide area 2 men were hard at work. They were working to fix the narrow trail traversing the slide by either cutting steps into the slope or building sections of the trail with their bare hands: they were picking up clumps of the muddy mass and "sticking" them to the spots which required a filling. Tedious work bthey were performing patiently for hours.

When we arrived in Ghasa shortly before lunch Pipi was waiting. After packing my stuff we started towards Tatopani, where the promised hot springs are. We went a bit ahead of the Germans but got stuck behind mule caravans again and again.
The landscape changed dramatically after Ghasa. The ridges on both sides of the river became higher as the valley deepened considerably. There were spectacular waterfalls om both sides of the valley. The slopes were lush green and covered by grass higher up. Then the vegetation turned jungle-like on the left whereas on the right bank there were houses and cultivated terraces. Further down on the right bank the new road was under construction. We could not only hear but see the blasts. It all looked scary and dangerous the new road cut into the extreemly steep slope prone to slides. A very troublesome road, I would forecast.

The trail went continuously up and down and over a number of suspension bridges I lost count of. At some point we got stuck in a traffic jam: mule caravans and sheep herd intermingled and stopped for a long stretch of the trail.

The vegetation changed again as we reached the village of Dana with its beautiful woodcarved windows depicting animals and people. There were beautiful bougainvillea climbing up roofs, banana trees and even some scattered orange trees. The fields between river and trail to our left were beautiful, too. All sorts of vegetables, corn and millet were growing here.

Further down the river we crossed a few more landslide areas and the signs of erosion are always obvious. Nonetheless construction workers were busy digging for the new road.

By 4:30pm we were still on the way and Tatopani another 1.5 hours ahead. I was confused by all the bridge crossings and I was also getting hungry. Fortunately I had a pack of glucose biscuits which "saved" us for now. We awee, it seemed to me, going faster and faster in order to not get caught in the dark.
We crossed the river again to the left bank over a flimsy old wooden bridge and then followed the trail uphill and across fields. Tatopani finally came into sight. Pipi was running by now. He hadn't been smiling all day. A day without lunch also.
Eventually we reached the last bridge that brought us back onto the right bank and around 6:15pm we reached Tatopani. It was already dusk.

I wondered for the nth time what might have happened to Gunhild and Johannes. I did not see them anymore after the "traffic jam" and I kept looking back.

We went to the recommended Dhaulagiri lodge and I got a room with attached bath in one of the bungalow like buildings in the lush garden. The filthiest bathroom so far, but at least there was hot water. It was by now dark outside and people were already serving dinner. I did not feel like going to the hot springs but after a shower I walked the trail in that direction. Maybe tomorrow. When I briefly left the lodge to go buy a soap I bumped right into Gunhild. They had just arrived in the dark, extremely tired. It's been a very long day.

Dinner tonight was one of the worst if not the worst on the trail. Somehow I didn't like this place, the young sleezy staff quite arrogant, the filthiness of the room, the terrible taste of the daalbhat. Pipi complained about his daalbhat as well.
Oh well, I had the feeling I'll want to leave this place fast in the morning.